Powerful messages take center stage alongside catchy grooves on new album from intellectual artist Jay 10 

SMOKY MOUNTAINS, NC – Powerful. Challenging. Thought-provoking. These are just a few of the words that best describe the music from North Carolina artist Jay 10. He’s an artist who applies critical thought to accepted cultural and social norms and invites audiences to consider a different approach and perspective. His latest album, “The Land of Anarcho,” is an upbeat analysis of American society in a post-2020 world. Across six songs, Jay 10 explores social media and corporate greed and centralized banks, among other issues, with ideas and suggestions that at the very least will cause listeners to stop and ponder their previously held misconceptions of the world. 

“A lot of people are unhappy with the social climate and everything happening right now,” he said. “This album is about introducing this idea of a decentralized land. A kind of self-secession, if you will. An ideal where you don’t have to abide by government rules. It’s a real, spiritual anarchy, though not a physical anarchy. I’m talking about de-centralizing from central banks and how social media has become the new society and how we’re all being censored in so many ways. It’s not so much dark and angry as it is challenging and thought-provoking. I’m applying critical thought to it all and presenting an alternative. We can all have a dialogue because everyone has a perspective and an opinion, and we just need to learn to talk to each other.” 

Though on paper it sounds as if “The Land of Anarcho” would be a heavy-hitting album, that’s not actually the case. Jay 10 has created a project that is very pleasing to the ear and will cater to fans who love hip-hop and Pop. Jay 10 is an artist who brings audiences to the table by offering transparent lyrics that come from the heart. He’s a caring intellectual who asks questions and presents evidence of new ideas through reason and logic, and his chosen platform for that message is through the creative art of good music.  

The first single from the album is “The Virus,” which is a song that takes shots at Marc Zuckerberg and Jack Dorsey, among others, as it explores the hidden evils of big corporations and social media. It has a Pop kind of feel to it and a groove that will invite listeners to bop their heads as they consider the deeper truths laced throughout the song. Jay 10 said he’ll follow that up with the single “Dystopian Refugee,” which is slated to drop alongside a music video on April 9.  

Jay 10 credits the producer 2Wenty5yve8 Production for delivering all the beats across the nine songs on his album. 

To listen to Jay 10’s music, or to follow him on social media, please visit the following links: 

https://youtu.be/jfzZjGzoi2Y 

https://www.facebook.com/jay10hiphop
https://youtube.com/user/thatruthjay10  

KingstonBoi Finds Common Ground in a “Scary Place” 

ARCADIA, FL – On his new single “Scary Place,” Florida rapper KingstonBoi speaks to fears we all share. “Anything you go through in life can be a scary place. If you’ve never taken out a loan and you go to a bank, that can be a scary place. If you’ve never been to church, a church can be a scary place. I wrote the song with that in mind,” he explains. For the artist, fear is a unifier– sharing our fears brings us together as much as surviving them.  

There’s nothing scary about the song. In fact, it offers up hopeful reassurance, thanks to gospel-driven vocals, soft percussion, and a mellow dub beat. Mr. Sandman sings, offering a vocal and narrative counterpart to Kingston Boi’s rapping. “The first verse is through my own perspective and experiences. The second verse is motivational, letting other people know that I was able to overcome my obstacles in scary places, and they can too,” the rapper says. Sandman brings his own story to his verses. “The song means a lot to him also. He had a situation in his life he had to deal with. He’s dealing with it now. To keep it positive and stay on the right track he chose to deal with it rather than avoid it,” KingstonBoi says, explaining another way in incorporate the lessons of someone who’s struggled with scary places himself.  

KingstonBoi has been rapping since he was 11 with his close friend James Gregg (aka Dragnizzle, now a frequent collaborator).  Raised by their grandparents, the brothers were always surrounded my musicians, whether at church or in their family lives. “All my aunts and uncles are musicians. They came up in the church. Growing up, I looked to them, and it was something I wanted to do, but I didn’t think I had the voice to be a singer like they were,” he remembers. His grandmother told him he could do anything he put his mind to, an assurance he’s held close all these years.  

Remembering her words is especially important since she and his grandfather passed. Of course the artist wishes they could hear how he’s using his voice now, how he’s deftly blending musical styles to send meaningful messages. “I lost my grandmother, Mary L. Blandin, in 2000. I lost my grandfather Nathaniel Blandin, in 2017. These are the people that raised me my whole life. Unfortunately, she wasn’t here to hear me record these songs and put them out there. But I believe she’s looking down on me and she sees it. I believe she and my grandfather will both be able to look at my music and say they’re proud. That, more than anything, means the world to me,” he says. 

It’s hard to imagine any grandmother not being proud of him, a young man finding a place for a new voice. In the rap world of hyped-up violence and materialism, KingstonBoi hopes to show listeners new possibilities. “You can come from a bad environment, but that doesn’t mean you gotta be a thug or curse with every other word you say. Music can be more than that,” he says simply. For him, music is a way for us to abandon our illusions of difference—including race—and find what we all have in common.  

“Scary Place” is available on major streaming services.  

KingstonBoi will be releasing more singles, and he expects a mixtape to drop in late 2021. 

Honesty meets catchy vibes on new album from Clippa Cartier 

EUGENE, OR – For most of his adult life, Clippa Cartier has been a professional barber. But like many people hit hard by COVID in 2020, he found himself without a job and looking for something different to fill his life. Enter a career in music, something that had previously only been a hobby he and his brother had dabbled with from time-to-time. Clippa has a natural gift for rapping and singing, and though he’s always dreamed of becoming a professional musician, he admits he needed the extra push of desperate circumstances to make him fully take the leap.  

Looking back over the past year-and-a-half, he’s glad that he did. In October 2020 he released his first song, “Thought You Knew Pt. 1,” featuring hip-hop artist K. Banks. Just a few days after that he released the song “Drip,” which became almost an overnight sensation and has gone on to gather hundreds of thousands of streams across multiple digital platforms. Since that time he’s released other popular songs such as “What You Trynna Do,” “The Protocol,” and “23/Jumpman.” And today he’s compiling all of those successful singles alongside a handful of others on a full album called “Wine Dark,” which is also available across all streaming platforms. 

“It’s my debut album and I’m introducing everyone to the style of my music,” he said. “I fully mixed and mastered the whole project. There’s a dark theme behind it, and the tone has a background that is kind of dark and mysterious, kind of like a good dark wine. Mostly I’m talking about life in general and Just being honest about the shit that’s really happening in our world right now.” 

Over the past year, Clippa has become known for his hard-hitting trap and club music style. He raps in hard, catchy flows that’s unique to each listener. He has a different style that incorporates a witty comedy throughout his various pieces of work. But above all he’s totally honest, emulating some of his favorite artists – like Too Short and Shuga Free – who he said have a “don’t give a f*ck kind of style and just tell you how it is.” 

Clippa has also worked with many artists who have released many songs over the past year, as well. On YouTube, Clippa had earned more than 100,000 views and thousands of subscribers. On Spotify, as well, his numbers continue to climb into the tens and hundreds of thousands. And he’s consistently releasing new music weekly.  

“I’m motivated and passionate for my craft,” he said. “I have no plan of stopping soon.” 

To listen to Clippa Cartier’s music, or to follow him on social media, please visit the following links: 

https://open.spotify.com/album/7JwaUrwpK3mD1C0voIBUnM?si=VeFWCMkBROePMjlLbz8-2w 

https://music.apple.com/us/album/wine-dark/1556003025 

https://music.amazon.ca/albums/B08XQL1D36?marketplaceId=A2EUQ1WTGCTBG2&musicTerritory=CA 

https://deezer.page.link/cyQhcLsRkc7XvFNdA

Social
https://www.facebook.com/CartierClippa/ 

https://open.spotify.com/artist/5hWolPmhlXA7rZw9DT5Oc8?autoplay=true 

https://music.apple.com/us/artist/clippa-cartier/1539110850 

https://music.amazon.ca/artists/B08NH4NX9X/clippa-cartier 

http://www.clippacartier.com/ 

https://twitter.com/CartierClippa 

<a href=”https://www.thehypemagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/preview-lightbox-Better-At-Being-Lonely-Artwork-Final-Copy.jpg”><img class=”alignnone size-full wp-image-217766 aligncenter” src=”https://www.thehypemagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/preview-lightbox-Better-At-Being-Lonely-Artwork-Final-Copy.jpg” alt=”” /></a>
<p style=”text-align: center;”><b><span data-contrast=”auto”>Warm </span></b><b><span data-contrast=”auto”>Synth Pop </span></b><b><span data-contrast=”auto”>vibes meet heartbreaking lyrics on new single ‘Better at Being Lonely’ from new artist Sean </span></b><b><span data-contrast=”auto”>Essary</span></b><span data-ccp-props=”{&quot;335551550&quot;:2,&quot;335551620&quot;:2}”> </span></p>
<span data-contrast=”auto”>BENTONVILLE, AR – </span><span data-contrast=”auto”>A lot of great artists over the years have gotten their start from humble beginnings. Many of them, in fact, found their first big hits while collaborating with others at songwriting workshops or in songwriting sessions with other artists in the studio. Arkansas artist Sean </span><span data-contrast=”auto”>Essary</span><span data-contrast=”auto”> is on his way to joining those legends with his new hit single “Better at Being Lonely.” It’s a song he wrote during a songwriting class he took earlier this year wit</span><span data-contrast=”auto”>h the famous Ryan Tedder, front man</span><span data-contrast=”auto”> for the band One Republic and one of the most sought-after producers in the music industry today. It’s a song that captures infectious melodies and grooves that compel listeners to move their bodies, but </span><span data-contrast=”auto”>which is</span><span data-contrast=”auto”> set against deeper lyrics that will make listeners think more deeply about their own lives.</span><span data-ccp-props=”{}”> </span>

<span data-contrast=”auto”>“It’s about getting over a relationship or trying to move on and acknowledging that it’s not </span><span data-contrast=”auto”>gonna</span><span data-contrast=”auto”> happen</span><span data-contrast=”auto”>,” </span><span data-contrast=”auto”>Essary</span><span data-contrast=”auto”> said.</span><span data-contrast=”auto”> </span><span data-contrast=”auto”>“</span><span data-contrast=”auto”>Since we can’t be together, I need to get better at being lonely. I’m drawn to the juxtaposition of heartbreaking lyrics and upbeat rhythms. Effectively</span><span data-contrast=”auto”>,</span><span data-contrast=”auto”> my goal is to make people cry while dancing.”</span><span data-ccp-props=”{}”> </span>

<span data-contrast=”auto”>Though </span><span data-contrast=”auto”>Essary’s</span><span data-contrast=”auto”> roots are in Bluegrass, the kind of music he’s creating today sits more in the lanes of Pop and EDM. He’s experimenting with the organic inspiration of electronic 80s </span><span data-contrast=”auto”>Synth Pop</span><span data-contrast=”auto”> and its fusion with other genres and sound. He said he loves how those sounds create a “sonic warmth and a commercial crispness” for the listener. He’s a big fan of artists like Charlie </span><span data-contrast=”auto”>Puth</span><span data-contrast=”auto”> and John Mayer, and said</span><span data-contrast=”auto”> that “Better at Being Lonely” h</span><span data-contrast=”auto”>as a little influence by the sound and style of Justin Bieber – specifically his newer single “Anyone.”</span><span data-ccp-props=”{}”> </span>

<span data-contrast=”auto”>“I just like something a bit more rhythmic because it’s not something I grew up with,” he said. “I like the warm-sounding synths and the big drum sounds. That’s where the 80s influences come from in my music. Then I combine that with strong melodies over the top.</span><span data-contrast=”auto”> Ultimately, I want to make music people can relate to and feel when they listen to it. I want them to have a good time, but I’m not trying to just create a party song that you can dance to and then forget it. I want to create songs that you take with you long after you hear it.</span><span data-contrast=”auto”> </span><span data-ccp-props=”{}”> </span>

<span data-contrast=”auto”>In addition to “Better at Being Lonely,” </span><span data-contrast=”auto”>Essary</span><span data-contrast=”auto”> said he also wrote the single “Dangerous” at the Ryan Tedder songwriting workshop, which he plans to release in the next couple of months. He said he has plans for even more singles later this year, as well. </span><span data-ccp-props=”{}”> </span>

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<span data-contrast=”auto”>To listen to his music </span><span data-contrast=”auto”>or to follow him on social media, please visit:</span><span data-ccp-props=”{}”> </span>

<a href=”https://soundcloud.com/seanessary/better-at-being-lonely/s-IemML4NwyuY”><span data-contrast=”none”>Better At Being Lonely</span></a><span data-ccp-props=”{}”> </span>

<a href=”https://www.instagram.com/seanessary/”><span data-contrast=”none”>Instagram</span></a><span data-contrast=”none”> </span><span data-ccp-props=”{}”> </span>

<a href=”https://www.tiktok.com/@seanessary92?lang=en”><span data-contrast=”none”>Tiktok</span></a><span data-ccp-props=”{}”> </span>

<a href=”https://www.facebook.com/sean.essary.9″><span data-contrast=”none”>Facebook</span></a><span data-ccp-props=”{}”> </span>

BeeUpNext Puts the Fun Back in ‘Romance’ 

JACKSONVILLE – Nineteen year-old Brandon Seward, aka BeeUpNext, blends his vocal training from childhood with the hip hop vibes he’s perfecting the past few years in his home studio. These skills, and his wide variety of influences, combine to make him a true original, an artist who shows promise through his versatility and creativity.  

That hybrid is palpable on his new single “Romance.” Blending sultry melodies, twinkly beats, and rap verses that contrast the seduction story sung elsewhere – the pop sensibility and relatable message of romantic confusion make “Romance” fun but never vapid. It’s not a heavy, braggadocious club track, and listeners will want to move their bodies to it all the more. 

Despite his youth, BeeUpNext has familiarity with ways of making music many would call OG. In his sophomore year of high school, he remembers going with a friend to record at the house of another friend who had a microphone and software. The rapper’s introduction to production was to send his raw vocals to an engineer friend, who’d return it with beats. “Anything he sent me back would sound fire,” Seward says.  

Still, he knew he needed a home studio, so he upgraded his equipment and found himself leveled up in a lot of ways. “My creativity boosted to a whole different level. I let everyone know that I’m an artist. This is what I want to do. My senior year, this year, I’ve really been investing in myself so I can brand myself as an artist and be taken seriously,” he explains.  

Seward plans to drop “Bee’s World” on April 23 – an EP featuring his recent work. Until then, “Romance” is available on all major streaming sites for fans to check out. 

“Slow” Down And Unwind With VUNG 

Victor Ajamolaya manifests mindfulness of his own identity. Originally from Nigeria, Victor (AKA VUNG) moved to Alberta, Canada to further his education. Though he began writing songs at age 8, 2020 witnessed VUNG’s emergence as a full-fledged songwriter. “I was going through a lot,” said VUNG. “And I always express myself more in art than in life. I thought, ‘At this point, I’ll do whatever it takes.’ I realized that this is the only thing that makes me happy.”  

Heartfelt, VUNG’s latest album, finds the artist meditating on themes of personal renewal, romance, and defying the expectations of others. On the album opener, “Know Me,” VUNG sings, “They didn’t know me, now they know me. Came up, I don’t miss the old me.” On the theme of this song, VUNG explained, “I used to be kind of insecure about my sound. I thought maybe people wouldn’t like it.” He continued, “Now I get a lot of people that appreciate me. So it’s like I’m more confident now than I was. I prefer the confident me to the timid me.”  

“Don’t Try,” emphasizes the importance of temporarily retreating from life to re-energize oneself.  Though VUNG grinds and hustles, he recognizes the need to minimize distraction and interference. “Personally I think my whole focus right now is on the future,” said VUNG. “Anything that tries to district me, I don’t let it weigh me down. If something’s distracting me, I get rid of it immediately.”  

VUNG filmed a sultry music video for the Heartfelt song “Slow.” “At first I was scared to release the song,” VUNG admitted. “I wasn’t sure about it. But that was the most streamed song [on Heartfelt] so I wanted to give my audience a video to it.” The song finds a protagonist bewitched by a dancer. “Show me how your body roll,” VUNG sings against an enticing, hazy R & B beat.  

VUNG noted that he likes to make music based on how a beat makes him feel. That’s the central motif behind Heartfelt. Each individual track represents pure, unadulterated emotion. “The beat has to inspire me first,” said VUNG. “and I do what I want with it.” Whether in music or life, VUNG has dedicated himself to doing what he wants. His next single “Solo” celebrates this kind of unbridled independence. VUNG said a music video is also in the works for the song. He will be dropping it soon.  

In addition to “Solo,” VUNG told fans to expect more music in the very near future. “I actually have another EP I’m working on,” he said.  “Keep following me. I won’t let you down.” 

Stream the “Slow” music video and follow VUNG on all social media channels.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5fGEPMjCaQ 

https://Instagram.com/whoisvung 

https://twitter.com/whoisvung