10 Bicycle Music Videos Part III

The Music Videos With Bicycles playlist is thirty plus videos deep and all gems. I linked to the playlist on Reddit once and people tried to give me all these shitty recommendations for more bike videos but I resisted. These playlists are for me to enjoy and I don't fux with shitty music.



1. Calvin Harris feat. Jessie Reyez - "Hard To Love" 2017  Stoked for Jessie that she made it around those gatekeepers; she's broken into big money collaborations and is still making great music. I've had this on repeat since I first heard it.




2. Deem Spencer - "Tussilago" 2016  This bicycle video was my intro to Deem Spencer. Seems like a simple video concept but the video shoot could have presented some safety challenges if the multi-tasking bicyclist wasn't so talented.



My second Deem Spencer song was "there was plenty time before us," needless to say, I'll be paying more attention from now on. I love strings in Hip Hop.




3. Steve Lacy - "Some" 2016  Steve Lacy, of The Internet hit factory, warns us about the dangers of chickening out when you've reached that Say Anything moment with the visuals for "Some." Say what you've got to say while you still can!



He released this six days ago but I prefer the joint above.




4. Porter Ray - "Past Life" 2017  SEATTLE MUSIC  Porter Ray's last release, Watercolor, was reviewed in Pitchfork; an accomplishment in itself. My favorite thing about Porter remains to be his positive attitude and infectious smile. Love this dude.



Porter Ray released the following collaboration with Stas THEE Boss a few months back.




5. Sa-Roc - "True Mastery" 2014 RHYMESAYERS  I couldn't be more excited to see 20+ more Sa-Roc shows in just a few weeks... life is good. Her latest video, "The Reckoning" appeared on The New Hotness Vol. 9 earlier this month.



Here's another great Sa-Roc jam from her Soundcloud so you can dive into the Queen's work.




6. Cosmo Pyke - "Chronic Sunshine" 2017  This eighteen year old superhero hails from South London, like his fellow crooner King Krule. There is something good in the water there, I drank it and then took a bunch of beautiful photos, shit works. This article by the Guardian is a good intro to all things Cosmo Pyke.




7. FKJ - "Skyline" 2017  Getting up this early/staying up this late to get this light for the video shoot was totally worth it.




8. Humble The Poet - "H.A.I.R." 2017  Humble The Poet is an artist/vlogger/internet entrepreneur type who has all the ladies lipsync the lyrics in this video; always works.



If you wanna hear more, his latest project, Righteous Ratchet, is free to stream on Soundcloud.





9.  Reverie - "Scheming" 2016  Thanks to Google, I just found a great interview with Reverie on a new-to-me French Hip Hop site focused on women artists called MadameRap... enjoy.



Madame Rap puts out mixtapes on Soundcloud...




10. Fatima - "Biggest Joke Of All" 2014  I delivered pizza in Lake Tahoe in the late 90s and it loved every minute of it; I was on Team Subaru so I slayed deliveries all year. Anyway, I fell for her "La Neta" video back in 2014 and have been watching out for her since. We have a special bond now cuz of the whole pizza delivery thing... not really.

I'm Going On Tour Again With Brother Ali, Sa-Roc, Last Word + Sol Messiah

I'm headed out on tour again for the second leg of The Own Light Tour with Brother Ali, Sa-Roc, Last Word, + Sol Messiah as the Merch Manager. Brother Ali's new video for "It Ain't Easy" was made by my tour roommate, Amal Flower Kay AKA @cohibit with footage from the first leg of the adventure.  These people are seriously amazing and I couldn't be more excited to be trapped in a van with them for another six weeks.

I just posted this new Sa-Roc video in The New Hotness Vol. 9 but this is my website and I'll repost whatever I want. I had the pleasure of seeing the artists perform 20+ times and it still wasn't enough. Love seeing who decides to join the Goddess Gang at the merch booth.



One of the best parts of my whirlwind four years working in the music industry so far is witnessing the interactions between artists and enthusiastic fans. This is a photo of Sa-Roc signing this guy's DJ Shadow shirt in Portland. As a two decades plus DJ Shadow fan, I was happy to witness such an auspicious moment. I promise to take more photos this time around.



I'll be the one smiling at the merch booth, come say hi!

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 

The New Hotness Vol. 5

I update my New Hotness YouTube playlist every time I find a new favorite song. It's better than television.

1. Gorillaz - "Saturnz Barz (Spirit House)" 2017  Gorillaz is doing it waaaay better than anyone else; try harder. Damon Albarn was one of the first artists I felt compelled to post about on this site back in 2009. 




2. Sa-Roc - "I Am Her" 2017  I couldn't be more excited to witness this woman spread her messages across the US and Canada on the Own Light Tour. Peep her bio on the Rhymesayers site for an intro to Sa-Roc.




3. Jorja Smith - "Beautiful Little Fools" 2017  If you appreciate beauty in any of it's forms, this video is for you. I was hooked on Jorja Smith when I saw her video for "Where Did I Go?" last July.




4. Princess Nokia - "Hands Up" 2017  It's hard not to love Princess Nokia. I'm sad to miss her show at The Crocodile on May 11 but I'll be en route to Oakland with the Brother Ali/Sa-Roc tour so life is pretty damn good.




5. Little Dragon - "Sweet" 2017  I love it when artists get weird with their videos.





6. DJ Harrison - "Rule The World" 2017  STONES THROW  "I live in Richmond, VA, studied the masters and the techniques they had before us, and trying to put the puzzle of my life in this recorded diary they call music. I record the instruments, reside with the instruments, mix them, and believe in them. I like tape. ReeltoReel tape. Cassette Tape." -bio from his Bandcamp page.




7. Steve Lacy - "Ryd / Dark Red" 2017  This 18 year old has a long career ahead of him; he's been a part of The Internet since 2015 and has been kicking ass ever since. Here's what The Fader had to say about him last year.




8. BADBADNOTGOOD feat. Snoop Dogg + Kaytranada - "Lavender (Nightfall Remix)" 2017  Shoutout to this crew for pissing off cheeto.




9. Oddisee - "NNGE" feat. Toine 2017  Oddisee is crushing the scene in the best way right now.




10. Reverie - "Critique Like Me" 2017  Click to learn about Reverie from this OC Weekly article. I know we'll be seeing a lot more of Reverie in the next few years.

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.