If you don’t support them, who will?
This week’s picks are an equal balance of artists you probably heard of and artists you have no idea existed. One of these artists, Shawn Chrystopher, is selling his project unlike most of the artists in SYLR. That should mean a couple things to you: it’s that good and he’s put in his time in the industry to where he should start earning some returns. Who knows, maybe it’s that one album you buy this year where you can listen to it from front to back… and side to side, without skipping a track. Just remember, it’s okay to like certain music to the point of telling others about it, even when you know the radio will never play it. Better yet, I encourage to like that type of music so maybe the playing field on the radio waves will flatten out.
Attention all rappers: This weekly post is a call to arms-lyrical arms. If you do this thing called rap, these four projects are four slaps in the face punches to the throat. And no one just takes a punch to the throat without retaliation. Let’s see yours. And for those who were selected already, let’s see where you go from here. The Source is watching…
West: Shawn Chrystopher – The Lovestory LP
Shawn has been working with Timbaland to hone his craft. And we get the culmination of that work with this project. It’s executively produced by Timbaland, featuring production from Shawn, himself. It’s not just sappy songs about his girl problems. It’s a long, hard look at the life of an artist. You can stream the album on Rap Genius or buy it on iTunes.
Midwest: Jeremiah Jae – Bad Jokes
Jae just signed to Warp Records, but continues to work with Flying Lotus, Oliver the 2nd, Jonwayne, and Israel. Get past the gritty recording style and open your mind to some unconventional rap styles.
I started watching Phil closely when he started freestyling over industry beats, often doing a better job than the original rapper. Since then, he hasn’t disappointed with his original work. This project proves no different. It showcases a variety of beats and wordplay for all your rapping needs.
East: Oscar O’Malley – Orange Starburst Baboon An Da First Offense Vol. 1
I shy away from projects that focus on verses over popular beats but Oscar is too unique to pass up on this one. He captures the essence of a lot of the tracks with his own personality. Oscar’s abstract rhymes will have you pondering what Hip-Hop can really do with its art form.
Trust me, I listen to every submission. To get your project considered for SYLR, please email the following information to SYLR@thesource.com:
Name
Where you’re representing
Short bio
Link to your project (do not attach any music)
Bryan Hahn (@notupstate)
