Ten Artsy Weirdos You Should Know

All 10 artists ready to #YouTubeNchill in playlist form.

1.  Blossom  - "Black Magic Woman" 2016  (Prod. by Fountaine)  Another gem from Portland's EYRST crew; the label founded by NBA player and musician, Martell Webster. I love that they make videos like "Signing-Blossom" to help us get to know what they're all about. Blossom and the many other ladies that are coming out of their shells show more originality and innovation than most of the males that are dominating the industry (in their minds anyway).




2. SassyBlack - "New Boo" 2016  SEATTLE MUSIC  SassyBlack is one of my favorite people to follow on ALL social media because she has such a positive outlook on life AND she meets all kinds of interesting people. Formerly of THEESatisfaction, she's been efficiently grinding as a solo artist and even appeared on HBO's Vinyl as one of the Queens of R+B, Ruth Brown.




3. Lizzo - "Good As Hell" 2016  This is an awesome song with great visuals and a damn good message for EVERYONE; Lizzo's doing everything right (further proof in this NPR interview). The Minneapolis artist released her "Coconut Oil" EP on her new label, Atlantic Records, last October and is currently taking the show on the road (see you at The Crocodile on January 28).




4. Kari Faux - "Fantasy" 2016  This video gets a Lizzy Award (impetus of yet another idea) for Most Creative Music Video. I love how the visuals perfectly complement the song and show you what is likely a very raw look into the artist's soul. Kari Faux released her debut mixtape, Laugh Now, Die Later, in 2014 and moved from her hometown of Little Rock, AR to LA soon after. The release caught the attention of Pitchfork, and Childish Gambino which helped launch her into a world with stellar music video budgets.




5. Joyce Wrice - "Do You Love Me?" 2016 (Prod. by Mndsgn)  Joyce Wrice and Stone Throw's Mndsgn know the secret formula to authentically creating the eighties vibe. I learned the most about the artist from this LA Weekly article and will happily follow her on all her social media sites to see when I'll be able to see her live for the first time.




6. The Last Artful, Dodgr - "Squadron" 2016 PORTLAND MUSIC  The Last Artful, Dodgr has been grinding hard enough to appear on Sway's Universe. Thanks to the help of Portland's EYRST  crew and many years of steady grind, @TheLastArtful has captured the attention of those who can help multiply YouTube views and beyond.




7. DoNormaal - "Dime" 2016  (Prod. by Brakebill)  SEATTLE MUSIC  The rise of DoNormaal is a beautiful thing to witness and Seattle has been infinitely blessed by her presence. Those who've met Christy are instantly captivated by her spirit and become devoted fans from that moment on. Visuals for her work are coming our way at a steadier pace as she gears up to show us how far ahead of the game she truly is. At this pace, it's inevitable that DoNormaal will continue to be a driving force for positive change in this universe.

DoNormaal – Dime (prod. Brakebill) from Leena Joshi on Vimeo.


8. Guayaba - "Black Trash/White House" 2016  SEATTLE MUSIC  (Prod. by Luna God) Guayaba's Black Trash/White House EP is so rad that I don't even care that there aren't any music videos yet. Shoutout Guayaba for her continued evolution and to Luna God for being one of the most active producers in Seattle. I learned a lot about Guayaba from this writeup from Jetspace Magazine  and this animated interview with Seattle Weekly.




9.  Sa-Roc - "I Come In Peace" 2016  Sa-Roc is one of the latest additions to the Rhymesayers crew, which is a damn good crew to roll with. She's new to me but has an impressive thirteen albums under her belt already (according to the label's bio). Her recent Metamorpheus EP is her first release with the Rhymesayers team which I hope will get her added to the lineup for Soundset 2017.




10. Erykah Badu Performs For The New York Times + Answers Questions" 2016  The YouTube title needs some work but Badu is so far ahead of the rest of us with her self love, she already has a "gold floss" tooth chain. I felt the need to include her on this list because neither my Dad or my Stepmom have ever heard of her; Badu's music can fill the gaps in your soul so I'd hate for anyone (paying attention or not) to miss out on the healing.