The New Hotness Vol. 9

I had started to photoshop all the New Hotness artists into a photo but Ish as a baby goat(?) is too priceless. 

1. Taylar Elizza Beth - "Live On KEXP" 2017  Taylar is no stranger to this website. I cannot wait to hear the album with Khris P she clued us into in the interview portion of the video; those two together is whoa.




2. Stas Thee Boss - "S'Women" 2017  SEATTLE MUSIC  Stas Thee Boss is kicking ass at life right now and I have no doubt that she is just getting going. Mad props are due for Street Sounds and all the rest. The Album Release Party is October 23 at Barboza with Porter Ray, JusMoni, Jay Stone, and Queens D. Light. I'm guessing she picked out this dope ass lineup herself... like a boss.




3. Specs Wizard x Silas Blak x Able Fader - "Bona Fides" 2017  SEATTLE MUSIC  It's great to see this crew finalize a project together, here's hoping we see a full album very soon. Hit the links to see what they've been up to with their solo projects.



Watch Able Fader's Voyage Of The Thubba series, you will not regret it.




4. OCnotes - "Doug Morris" 2017  Stay on your grind Otis, I believe in you. A note from the artist himself on the project...

OCnotes presents "Doug Morris" 

A meditative journey to the outer reaches of your creative imagination & temporary self. 

An extraterrestrial being is sent to planet Earth unable to speak the languages or communicate with anyone. It only understands the language of sound & has exceptional expertise in all forms of music. It doesnt know why it is there, but understands that when it does this thing these beings call "music" the beings transform and begin to glow and increase in body temperature. They move about in organized patterns & make strange noises with their vessels. 

In the search for its purpose, the reason for this mission, our extraterrestrial being faces the ups & downs of Earth life while transforming the planet itself with its extraordinary musical abilities. 
A new perspective of the present re-interpreted through this modern vessel. 

Here for you, the listener, is an audio visual presentation best experienced through headphones or on sound systems with a balanced frequency range. 

Film Release Summer 2018






5. Paint Soup (Grape God, Slick Devious, + Skelli Skel) - "Paint Soup 3" 2017  PORTLAND MUSIC  Let's get these dudes some bread, if you've ever seen them perform live... you know they deserve at least that. #444




6. Indian Agent - "Life Keeps On Spinning" 2017  This is the first single from their upcoming album, Meditations In The Key Of Red, due out October 13 on Homeskillet Records. These are some seriously high quality humans... for a peek into what they're all about, check out their bio here and check out this article about the release from the URB magazine site. Silver Jackson's Homeskillet Records has exactly the type of roster I hope to have on my own label someday... when I materialize the fundage (although my label would be mostly women).




7. Sa-Roc - "The Reckoning" 2017  RHYMESAYERS  I had the pleasure of spending six weeks in a van with this woman and have no doubt she will take over the universe as only she can.




8. Ear Dr.Umz The MetroGnome - "Nick Johnson EP" 2014  SEATTLE MUSIC  Ear Dr.Umz has recently released his Nick Johnson EP on vinyl and you should definitely buy it while you have the chance.




9. Kiefer - "aaaa" 2017  I can't say enough nice things about Kiefer; after seeing him perform with Mndsgn, I was hooked. His latest album, Kickinit Alone is available however you want to ingest it. Follow him on Soundcloud for more gems.




10. MF DOOM - "The Missing Notebook Rhymes" 2017  Adult Swim is releasing one MF DOOM song per week from The Missing Notebook Rhymes. I love seeing these two ridiculously talented teams work together and aim to grind hard enough to be right up there with them.










11. Shabazz Palaces - "Shine A Light" feat. Thadillac 2017  Shabazz Palaces prove once again that they are on a completely different plane than the rest of us... this is a really good thing. Ish as a slimy baby goat may be the best part of this whole post.




12. Araless - "Intertwine" 2017  SEATTLE MUSIC  "Intertwine" was most definitely inspired by Araless' wonderful lady, Melanie, who also stars in this video. Shout out to them for being a great team.




13. Wizdumb - "Bust Tha Format" & "Shadows" 2017  SEATTLE MUSIC  At first listen my favorites are "So Clear" with Specs Wizard and "Suckaz" with Comel 15... listen to it, you will not regret it.







14. Thundercat - "Tokyo" 2017  BRAINFEEDER  Thundercat's tribute to Tokyo is pretty awesome, I better go to Tokyo myself to make sure he got the vibe right. I also added it to the collection of Music Videos With Cats... if you're into that sort of thing.




15. Jorja Smith X Preditah - "On My Mind" 2017  I've been a Jorja Smith fan since "Where Did I Go?" and have been ever since. Can't wait to see what she does next.




16. Rainwater Conglomerate - "The EP" 2017  If you're only going to pick one track from Rainwater Conglomerate to see what they're all about, listen to "Here & There." Billy Blaze amazes me. The crew is selling shirts on Amazon.





17. Musab + Ink Well Present MInk - "Resources" 2017  RHYMESAYERS  As someone with an unused history degree, I highly support this message. Fun fact, Musab is one of the founding members of Rhymesayers Entertainment.




18. Grieves - "What It Dew" 2017  RHYMESAYERS  This is my favorite Grieves video so far, props to the whole team for their efforts! Go see Grieves on tour with Dem Atlas, they are awesome.




19. Myke Bogan - "Pool Party" 2017  PORTLAND MUSIC  The visuals for the first single from Pool Party, "Take The Night Off" featuring Blossom were on The New Hotness Vol. 8. Myke Bogan, formerly of Pac Div with Like, is now part of the Eyrst crew... who of course, I also love.




20. BINKBEATS - "Little Nerves" feat. Niels Broos 2017  This is the first original BINKBEATS track I've heard, his cover of Madlib + Erykah Badu's "The Healer" and "J Dilla Mixtape" had me hooked instantly.



I'd like to note that BINKBEATS and Dax Edword AKA Diogenes have a doppelganger thing going. They're both ridiculously talented musicians and I sincerely hope to see them share a stage one day.

Photo stolen with love from Seattle Weekly.

The New Hotness Vol. 7

For a good time watch The New Hotness playlist on YouTube.

1. Jorja Smith - "Teenage Fantasy" 2017  I can't stop listening to this song; it even prompted me to kick off a New Hotness playlist on Spotify. I'll be updating it as I find new favorite songs...which is almost every day. If the link doesn't work for you, search "Liz Rowe" on Spotify to find ALL the lists of song's I've overplayed since Spotify became a thing. She first caught my eye/ear last July with her song/video "Where Did I Go?"

2. Muzzy Legault - "Filles Well (Nomadini 2015)" 2015  I found this incredible artist from Ottowa, Ontario because she appeared on one of my favorite Noo/10.4 Rog songs "Without You" (no longer on Soundcloud). Listen to "Filles Well" and more on the newly inspired The New Hotness Soundcloud playlist.



She just did a brief interview with CBC Radio 91.5, this is how I learned to pronounce her name (it's way classier than I originally thought).




3. Princess Nokia - "Anomaly" 2017  Princess Nokia really is an anomaly (def. something that deviates from what is standard, normal, or expected) and I love that about her.




4. Shabazz Palaces - feat. The Shogun Shot - "Julian's Dream (ode to a bad)" 2017  They're releasing their new album, "Quazarz vs. The Jealous Machines," is being released as a 32 page special edition illustrated album with a download code via Sub Pop. It's a limited run of 1000...so you should probably pre-order it now.




5. Washed Out - "Get Lost" 2017 STONES THROW  This video really does it for me; shout out to the Director Harvey Benschoter for keeping it weird.





6. Kendrick Lamar - "DNA" 2017  We love you Kendrick; congrats on making a full album I'll happily listen to on repeat all year long. You too Nabil, your art is vital in the rise of those you've worked with.




7.  Kiefer - "Tubesocks" 2017  STONES THROW  Upon first listen, I can already tell that this man's head nod rivals that of Swarvy...which is likely part of the reason the universe has united them with the Stones Throw crew. I was fortunate to see Kiefer when he came through Seattle with Mndsgn but wasn't aware he did solo work until now.




8. Jessie Reyez - "Gatekeeper" 2017  Sad that Jessie had to go through this but hopefully her misfortune will help others to avoid douchebags like this. Thanks for sharing your art Jessie, we love you!




9. The Mouse Outfit ft. Ellis Meade - "Bring Me Down" 2017  UK HIP HOP  I'm still trying to build a bridge between Europe and the US so musicians from both continents have the opportunity to travel with their art. It's an epic mission but one post at a time and we'll get there eventually.

10. Taylar Elizza Beth - "Fresh Cut Flowers EP" 2017  I was blessed to attend the "Fresh Cut Flowers" Release Party at Timbre Room a few nights ago. Not only did Taylar solidify her place as one of Seattle's most promising artists, she also hand chose the other amazingly talented women who shared the stage with her; DoNormaal, Guayaba, and PSA.




11. NxWorries - "Get Bigger" 2017  Anderson.Paak has joined the rooftop rappers movement; not a real thing but alliteration is tight.




12.  J'Von - "lil phantom yellow tune" 2017 SEATTLE MUSIC  J'Von stays steady killin it softly while the rest of the world is watching Netflix. He's grinding so hard, he's on this list twice...see below.




13. Tricky - "The Only Way" 2017  I've been a Tricky fan since Maxinquaye and I always will be.




14. Sa-Roc - "The Soundset 2017 Experience" 2017  I was blessed to spend six weeks in a van with Sa-Roc and Sol Messiah and I loved every minute of it. She is exactly what the world needs right now and one of my new favorite superheroes.




15. Ibeyi - "Away Away" 2017  These ladies caught my attention with their "River" video back in 2014...glad to see they're still grinding.




15. Zack Villere - "Cool" 2017  I finally looked closer at the credits of this and saw one of my favorite Seattle producers in there. J'Von has always approached his art in such a way that he's transcended the local artist label; keep it up J'Von!




16. Lojii + Swarvy - "Due Rent" 2017  I've been a fan of Swarvy since I saw his head nodding at Barboza in Seattle when he opened for Mndsgn (he was also part of Mndsgn's show along with Kiefer from above). Fresh Selects is the independent Portland label smart enough to represent lojii and Swarvy.




17. SZA feat. Kendrick Lamar - "Doves In The Wind" 2017  SZA'snew album is whoa; hope to see a video for this track soon.




18. Brother Ali - "Never Learn" 2017  I've recently returned from my 1st Tour Adventure with Brother Ali, Last Word, Sa-Roc, Sol Messiah, Amal the Photo/Video Guru, and Paul the Tour Manager. My latest job title is Merch Manager for Brother Ali (I also helped out with the driving)...it was a truly epic adventure and I learned at least 1,111 things and instantly became a touraholic. They are some of my favorite people on this whole planet; it was an honor to spread messages of love throughout the US and Canada with this crew. This video is truly beautiful; here's what Brother Ali has to say about it (from the YouTube credits). #AllTheBeautyInThisWholeVideo

"This is another presentation made possible by community. We shot it in New Mexico at Dar Al Islam, a beautiful worship and healing center built mostly by American Muslims in the Adobe style prevalent in the Southwest. Spiritual and wisdom tradition holds that buildings should be designed in harmony with the natural beauty of the location, as well as the culture of the people in that area. Many of my elders built this place, and many of my friends grew up there. 

One thing interesting about this location is that after the death of Tupac Shakur, the Dar Al Islam community opened its doors to film his “I Wonder If Heaven Got A Ghetto" video there. 

The dancers are Al Taw’am from Minneapolis. You may recognize them from the "Mourning In America” video, as well as their own international videos and news pieces. The twins are dear family friends and leaders in our cultural and spiritual community. Their movement speaks of their family legacy of dignified regality. I believe them to be royalty. They choreographed this incredible piece and brought the entire song and video to life. 

The video was directed by Kron, whom we've worked with in the past. He and his crew did an incredible job and I'm deeply grateful. 

Of course, Ant made the track with G Koop playing the instruments and deM atlaS added some additional operatic vocals at the end of the song. Special thanks to: Siddiq, Sidi Hakeem Archuletta, La'kisha Raeesah Holloman, Amir Sulaiman, and anyone else I'm forgetting.
Please enjoy."

– Brother Ali