SEARCH FOR: LO VILLAGE

Growing up in an era of Chicago music like the one I got to witness was truly game-changing. I got to experience so much confident originality in a variety of different styles, so while the world seemed to be obsessed with the drill movement that was spearheaded by Chief Keef, Lil Durk, G Herbo, Lil Bibby, and more, there were plenty of other artists creating music by their own accord. Chance the Rapper and the entire SAVEMONEY crew changed the game, LUCKI proved that you don’t need to be in heavy radio rotation to blow up, and even local acts like BIGBODYFIJI seemed to be on top of the world considering the fact that the world seemed to revolve around the innovations being made right here in Chicago. During this time, various groups were formed, and even while too many of them to count were proving their own dominance, Kembe X and Alex Wiley’s group The Village brought even more revolution to the forefront of hip-hop. Even though this was over a half decade or so ago, Kembe has been a prominent voice in the city, and that is something that I don’t think will ever go unappreciated. Over the …

Admittedly, I am late on this release, very late – BUT better late than never, right? Earlier this summer, Chicago native Joyfriend dropped his latest release called “Dumbo”, and I just listened to it today for the first time + instantly became hooked. Joyfriend is the type of artist whose music you may not be used to finding on our website, his sound is a bit more alternative/rock-leaning, but good music is good music + I am a huge fan. Joyfriend is fresh off of a live performance at Sleeping Village earlier this week, and from what I heard, it was phenomenal. I am truly eager to see how Joyfriend blossoms as an artist over the next year or two, but for the time being, press play below!

A few weekends ago on June 17-19th, we had yet another Summer Smash for the ages. Not only did we bring out industry-leading artists from all over the world, but tens of thousands of fans gathered in Douglas Park yet again for a beautiful weekend in the greatest city on Earth! Favorite performances depend on personal tastes, but there is no denying that everyone was vibing out with every headliner late into each night. Not only were the performances unforgettable, but fans were able to partake in activities and experiences like immersive art exhibits, a culinary village, premium bars, access to the best merch in the world, and cans of both regular and watermelon-flavored Lyrical Lemonade to quench their thirst during the heat of those three days. As usual, our team worked hard to put on the best fest in the Midwest, but they also pieced together some of the most captivating moments of the entire weekend into the official 2022 Lyrical Lemonade Summer Smash recap video. If you were there any or all of the days, this is a walk down memory lane, and if you weren’t able to make it this year, it’s a compilation of clips that …

Maryland trio Lo Village returns to Lyrical Lemonade with a glorious record titled “Material Girl.” In featured collaboration with extraordinary producer Darius, the otherworldly vibes this single contains are exactly what you’d expect. Sonically the bass-booming production is fantastically met with an electro-piano melody, which seamlessly aligns with Lo Village’s low-key raps and pristinely romantic vocals. As for the track’s replay-value, if  there were an award for the the most addictive song of the year, “Material Girl” would have to be among your list. With Darius’ second album Oasis right around the corner, this offering couldn’t be more appealing ahead of its release. Have a listen below!

“Get Refreshed” is a monthly column by Billy Bugara covering all things digital in the music world. Refresh yourself here. I Don’t Have The Stamina For This Blogging Shit Billy Bugara Hi. I’m back, and this time I brought my friends. So… I feel like this column could use a lot less Me every once in a while. I don’t treat blogging like a sport; I barely even blog at all. But even still, I know damn well that blogging isn’t really where I strive compared to others, and that’s okay! I have to write research papers every day… we are simply not the same. In all seriousness, I do want to explain what’s going on here before we jump into things. I am a person of platforming, a platforming person, if you will (it is my job for SoundCloud, after all). I just really enjoy turning the spotlight towards those who deserve it most. Most of the time – all of the time, really – I’m featuring musicians. But what about turning this spotlight towards other people who like to… spotlight musicians as well? Is this really ever done? Not often! Can it be done? Should it be done? Yes and yes! …

Creative Direction: @shotbycones We are a couple of weeks removed from our annual Summer Smash festival, and we are all still having major withdrawals from such a great weekend. After the past year that we had of quarantining, social distancing, and avoiding large events, it felt amazing to be able to come outside and enjoy our festival once again. With over 75 artists on our lineup ranging from the up-and-coming rappers to superstars and legends, it was truly a weekend to remember, and a special moment for not only Lyrical Lemonade but Chicago as a whole. I had the opportunity to work as a lead for the Summer Smash Media Team—a squad full of some of the best photographers and videographers in the game put together by our guy Cones. All weekend long, they captured tons of videos, photos, and clips of the entire run of show. While our full recap of the entire Summer Smash weekend is dropping very soon, I felt it would be a great idea to give my perspective on some of the best moments that happened during Summer Smash. At last, here are some of the best moments of Lyrical Lemonade’s Summer Smash 2021!   …

Montgomery Village, MD artist Starboi Gabe’s track “Decision” is the latest Clockwork Productions visual to land on Lyrical Lemonade and the youthful artist delivered with is certain to be the banger of the summer for his area. Gabe skated all over the trunk-rattling instrumental powered by a simple but rousing violin loop that carries the melody throughout the track. Gabe’s vocals land perfectly on the track and his flow matches the impassioned beat effortlessly.He is set to release a new project June 13th that I would highly recommend adding to your playlists.

Kembe X is a Chicago legend and someone whose career I have been following closely since I was in high school. Late in 2020, I brought him by the LL office for a new interview where we talked about topics such as his musical influences, his old collective The Village, his friendship with Alex Wiley, what he thinks is missing in Chicago’s music community, the success of his song “Voices”, the time that he met Nas, his album I Was Depressed Until I Made This, his latest releases and he even broke down some legendary clips he was apart of. This was definitely one of my favorite interviews that I have ever done, and I hope my excitement for it translates to you!

Lo Village returns with their newly released and incredibly timely single, “Terry Crews.” The recently shared single from the talented trio embodies a message of thoughtfulness and prioritization of human issues over trivial wants and desires, such as money and fame. The group’s decision to delve deeper into more political and social themes comes to no surprise as Lo Village has always sprinkled moments of introspection into their music. Produced by frequent collaborator Frankie Scoca, the Gaithersburg based collective each share introspective verses on the importance of staying down to earth while dodging the inevitable pull of celebrity. “Terry Crews” is the first single from the group’s forthcoming Lost In America EP and understandable deeper dive into content that tackles the shifting world around them.  Cover Art: Daeun Suk Listen to “Terry Crews” by Lo Village below.

This skyrocketing and ever-so-advancing new age of music moving into the coming decade practically begs for a fresh crop of talent to lead the way and take up the mantle of what can only be described as a never-before-seen era of pop music. That very crop has been on the fringes of superstardom for quite a long time now – brewing in the underground and adjacent areas since the late 2010s – but as we stand in 2020, it seems as though the time has come to conclusively establish and cement the next wave of pop and the unfounded talents that encompass the coming landscape.   And who better to be at the absolute forefront of this rise than the blatantly iconic Dorian Electra — an individual who has already proven their prowess as one of pop music’s most forward-thinking and unmistakably talented figures with their past singles and critically acclaimed debut project Flamboyant. Their own stance in this rapidly advancing music world has already been solidified tenfold, but instead of stopping there and basking in their already exceptional glory, Dorian has just now gone above and beyond to truly usher in the next era of pop music.   They …