2018 Archives - Page 5 of 5 -

New East Coast artist Sicnarf molds sounds of Cameroon and stories of redemption into debut album, “SAVIOR”

BOSTON, MA – There is no sugar coating when it comes to Sicnarf’s music. A self-proclaimed
“beacon of truth,” this hip-hop artist from Boston, Massachusetts is one of the best new
storytellers of the genre and is taking the East Coast by storm with new music.

His debut album is “SAVIOR,” a 14-track project that explores the contradictions of life – from
politics to religion to culture and even individual personality traits. The album is slated to drop
on all digital distribution sites on Christmas Day, 2017. That date was chosen intentionally, and
he hopes the irony won’t be lost on anyone that he’s releasing an album called “SAVIOR” on
Christmas Day.

“Most of the album is one running theme,” he said. “It’s thoughts about my relationships with
religion and an allusion to everyone’s idea of a savior. It’s about believing in yourself as your
own savior, which is contradictory to how we think about the role of God. And it’s also about
the tension between good and bad. In hip-hop right now there’s a lot of push for negative
content. I’m trying to move away from that, but still represent reality and stay true to myself.

I’m not at all perfect. In this album I talk about all the detrimental things I did in my past, but
also talk about positive aspects of life and love.”

Sicnarf said the overall tone of the album is melancholy with an undertone of hope. Some songs
are positive and mellow, while others are grungy and tough. Some songs explore humanity’s
ongoing search for an outside force to act as a savior in their lives, while others are about self-
realization and finding strength within.

“A lot of my songs are very political and talk about all the stuff going on right now in today’s
society,” he said. “With this album, that’s the message I’m trying to get out there. Whether it’s
music or drawing or painting, we all have different facets of ourselves that make us great and
give us the capability to be our own saviors. This album is kind of representing that.”

Originally from Cameroon, Sicnarf moved to the U.S. in his teens. He didn’t start exploring rap
and spoken word until his early 20s. It began as an outlet for his thoughts and emotions.
Eventually in college he formed a spoken word organization and slowly transitioned into music
after graduation. Some friends who were also interested in music came together with him to
form a studio. Although it’s been a few years since he and his friends have worked together on
music, he has used that time to find his unique voice and niche within the industry. This debut
album is his attempt to define himself as an artist not only to the people who have been
following him for the long-term, but also to a wider audience.

His roots and upbringing are reflected in his music. His drum and bass-heavy sound selection
pairs perfectly with a an approach that is best described as “lyrical,” with a cadence that
sporadically ebbs and flows from melancholic inflection to agile. He’s already been hailed as
one of the best storytellers in his city, and is notorious for his freestyle, recorded content and
visual art.

“The way he plays a lot with inflection in his voice ties in really well with the way he’s able to
tell a story,” said Feven Abadi, Sicnarf’s manager. “That also adds to the theatrics of his cadence
when he raps. It’s really very unique.”

Though Sicnarf has been releasing elements of “SAVIOR” via social media in the month leading
up to Christmas, the full album will deliver the full creative brilliance. He’ll follow this with a
music video of his first single, “Bonafide,” on Jan. 5.

To listen to Sicnarf’s music or to follow him on social media, please visit:

https://www.facebook.com/SicnarfSoul/
https://www.instagram.com/sicnarf_soul/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4A1SvA-t62MhBF8Bgglxkw/
https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/savior/1321936624/
https://twitter.com/Sicnarf_soul/
https://soundcloud.com/sicnarf_soul/
https://open.spotify.com/album/50Dt0rfVAX2wqc6Ht3cof7/

New artist Kabir sends shock waves through industry with heavy new sound

QUEENS, NY – For most of his youth, Brian Kabir was a street baller in New York City. He loved
basketball, and would play for 12 hours a day – sometimes in the snow during harsh winters –
just for the fun of it. It was his dream to play professionally, and he worked hard to perfect his
craft. Not only was it a fun outlet, but it was also an escape from harsh realities.
But when Kabir was rejected from the St. John’s University team, he found himself having to do
some major soul searching. He came to the realization that he wanted to channel the passion
he once had for basketball into a developing music career.

“It really came from just looking for new ways to express myself,” he said. “When I started
rapping in 2014, I was looking to create songs that sounded like Future. But that wasn’t the real
me, and more than anything I wanted to show who I was. So I stopped trying to make club
songs and went more for what I wanted. I didn’t write anything, I just had the producer put on
a dark beat and went for that lane and that nature.”

Today, Kabir is one of the hottest new artists out of the Northeast, fusing sounds of Atlanta trap
with emo rock and even Japanese anime influences. The hard edge combines with a witty
lyricism and in-your- face delivery that is making him into a one-of- a-kind artist. His new EP,
“Please Don’t Slit Your Wrist,” is music that is hard-core and counter culture, utilizing
controversial storytelling with introspective lyrics that are definitely edgy and have a dark
theme. The first single off the project, for instance – an up-tempo song called “Reptile” – will
definitely give listeners a gut-punch of energy.

“When you hear the song you’re going to be like, ‘This kid is crazy in the head,’” Kabir said. “It’s
a similar topic to the ‘Reptile’ song from Trent Reznor. It’s a relationship kind of song that is
super dark. There’s a little bit of a story, but it’s mostly me talking about cheating. What comes
out organically is shocking. That’s ultimately what I’m going for with my music. There are fewer
artists in this niche genre, and within that genre I don’t sound like anybody else. I have my own
branch. That’s something I would consider to be my trademark.”

Kabir said he hopes his music will connect with people who feel pain and can use his records to
get through their issues. He knows that music has helped him to salvage his emotions and find
expressions for his pain, and many times it was music that shocked him out of negative
thinking. His goal is to create music that does the same thing for others.

“I’m a shock-value driven, counter-culture artist,” he said. “I’m the guy who’s going to take
things too far sometimes with my content. People will realize that my music is heavy with its
topics. But they’ll stick in your head with good sound.”

https://soundcloud.com/user-322315615/reptile-12-17/s-35vd8

To listen to Kabir’s music, or to follow him on social media, please visit:
https://www.instagram.com/reallilsasuke/
https://twitter.com/realLiLsasuke
https://soundcloud.com/user-322315615
https://soundcloud.com/user-322315615/sets/plz- dont-slit- ur-wrist- ep-real/s- brVIo

Kabir’s music can also be found on most digital distribution sites such as iTunes, Spotify, Tidal,
Pandora and more.