Today I would like to introduce you to two solo artists I recently discovered purely out of luck. I found the first one on YouTube through the suggested videos. I hesitantly clicked on it; thinking to myself that there was no way this new song would top what I was previously listening to. I was surprisingly proven wrong, and that is how I discovered a perfectly substantial song, but more importantly a rapper who I've became extremely fond of. I am very excited to introduce you to Macklemore…

Macklemore, originally known as Ben Haggerty, is a Hip Hop artist based in Seattle, Washington. He reminds me of an edgier version of Asher Roth. I would say Macklemore is much better than Asher Roth due to the fact that he raps about more serious things: Drug addiction being one of his main issues. Macklemore being a former drug addict himself should be congratulated: both for being honest about his past, as well as having the balls to discuss it in his music.

The reason I like him so much is because when I try and think of a musician to compare him to, I can't do it. This is because he is genuinely unique. He's adapted a very nice style and I warmed to him immediately. He's also humble; one of his lyrics being: "I learned from my teachers but became through my music". Once again, I hope you enjoy what I have chosen for you guys.

'Wings'

Now this is a BIG tune. It's one of those songs you would want to listen to when looking for inspiration. If you play for a sports team, you probably know it's handy to listen to something to pump you up before a game. 'Wings' is THE ideal song to listen to before playing against your opponent. (Heart of a Champion by Nelly is also a great one). The music video is also good – inspiring even. Watch, and you will see for yourself and appreciate the great build up to the hook.
From 1:35 it's incredible. If your sitting down while your listening to it, you will have the urge to get up when you've reached that point in the song. Something that stands out to me in particular is the children singing from 2:05. I've always found that using children as part of a chorus always proves very effective. A great example of this is Ace Hood's 'Top of the World' (another great song which you should listen to, you may recognize it if you've played NBA 2k10).
It is a long song, and it may not be everyone's cup of tea. I would however recommend it as something to listen to before starting a long day.
Another thing I should mention about Macklemore's music is that he has managed to maintain his greatness in every song. If you like one of his songs, chances are you will like all of them. He doesn't do anything half done.

'Always Winter'

River Nelson – "The Rise & Fall of River Nelson"

The story of how I discovered this guy is quite unusual.
I was in a video and record exchange shop over my Christmas vacation and saw a 'CD's for 50p' section. To my annoyance there was only one album there. Perhaps I should mention it wasn't actually an album it was a CD inside a blank CD sleeve, but I was curious and I bought it. I usually find great music in this record shop and hoped I would be pleasantly surprised…and I was… Big time! More than I've ever been before in my life and that is really saying something.
When I downloaded the CD onto my iTunes however, all the details that came up were all in Chinese…or Japanese, I'm not really sure. I wasn't really bothered at the time because I had yet to actually listen to the music. I just thought I'd purchased "world" music. When I actually started listening though, I was blown away. It was obvious that the wrong information had been put on the CD. The first song from the album that I heard, was in fact 'Always Winter' and I fell in love with everything about it…River's voice, the hook, the beat, the lyrics… Everything! I didn't know who this guy was at the time, and only when I typed out some of his lyrics, was I able to somehow track him down.

The Rise & Fall of River Nelson has been described by 'The Independent' as "old-school hip-hop offering from the likes of Talib Kweli or Common" My reply to that statement: So true! But even better! The Independent has also described his lyrics as "evocative" making a particular reference to one of his lines: "She rose from my bed, shook the dreams from her hair". Pretty amazing right? Especially for me, being a romantic at heart I really warmed to him even more.
I searched him on Twitter and followed him, and after mentioning him in a few on my tweets did he actually follow me back! I actually got talking to him and he was very cool. I felt like I was talking to a celebrity. One thing I will never forgot about our conversation is when I asked him his age, his reply was: "I'm young enough to be hip, but old enough to know what Hip-Hop really is".

I genuinely feel like he could be the next big thing in Hip Hop, but the sad thing is, not that many people pay attention to Underground, and River Nelson is definitely part of that 'Underground circuit'. I admit mainstream can be very good, the songs are catchy and they come with creative music videos. HOWEVER, my belief is that the people who only listen to mainstream don't have a musical preference. To find a type of music you genuinely like takes time. You have to do some digging and you have to go through some horrific music to find what you're looking for. One thing that's for certain is that if you like anything regarding soul, Motown or Hip Hop I have no doubt you will fall in love with River Nelson.

See you all soon
Sophia Topsy…

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Posted By: Sofia | Posted In: Featured, Sofia Topsy, Videos | January 31st, 2012 |
Tags: Ben Haggerty, Macklemore, River Nelson, Sofia Topsy