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Neo-Soul and funk are two of my favorite genres and Swanny Ivy combines both of those genres on his single ‘Poison Ivy.’ The production has an infectious bassline along with some amazing strings which give the track a very full feeling. Ivy’s vocal performance is sharp and keeps you intrigued throughout the track. Don’t be surprised if you have a hard time turning this cut off. – malbin
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Talk about one hell of a debut single. Ryan Cruise only has this new single ‘Tattoo’ featuring Ye Ali on his Soundcloud and it’s truly a great introduction to an artist. This sounds like bedroom R&B done close to perfection. The production bangs and the vocals ooze out smoothly over the instrumentation. String a couple tracks like this together and Ryan has something coming for him. – malbin
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John Ibe is a Houston native that is signed to OG Maco that has quite a few buzzing tracks under his belt. To kick off 2017, Ibe shared a new track ‘PATRIMONY’ that has a quick-fire flow over some bouncy production. Everything about this is quality and I would definitely advise keeping an eye on this kid. – malbin
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Nashville native nobigdyl. has a supremely simple yet dope track on his hands with ‘Purple Dinosaur.’ The production is jazzy, led by some great piano keys. The delivery comes across as upbeat and the content is really fresh. Add in a well-performed hook that pays some homage to Barney and you have a god damn track. – malbin
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Nate Curry links up with his squad for his fluffy new track ‘Ahunnt.’ He brings along Sbvce, Baegod & Cole to the track that features some glistening chords and hard hitting drums. While everybody plays a great role on this song, the chorus on here is the real star of the track. Good luck getting it out of your head. – malbin
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It is the complete opposite of warm in Chicago today but Warm Gun‘s new track ‘Busy’ has my mind in a warmer place. ‘Busy’ has a very well put together production that meshes pop, R&B, & alternative elements into a cohesive piece. The track features Fashionably-Early favorite Dave B & AllA who give commendable contributions on the track. I could definitely get used to more music up this alley. – malbin
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Toronto native Nanu Alidina has an undeniable banger on his hands with ‘905.’ Featuring a menacing beat from Wondagurl & Aidan – Nanu showcases a unique angle to attack the production. This track is pretty straight forward, so dig into it above. – malbin
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For our third entry from Canada, we get a Soulection-leaning type track from producer vbnd titled ‘night fall’ featuring female vocalist Tola. The production on here is fluttering with sounds while the vocals seamlessly takes a step behind at times to let the beat shine. It’s a beautiful contrast as both elements of this track are worthy of their own showcase. Mark up two more artists on my watch list for the year. – malbin
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There is next to zero information out about XOU but what we do know is that ‘Black Rose’ is absolutely infectious. From the funky electro-R&B based production to the experimental vocal effects and delivery, this track is like nothing you have heard before. The track has elements that really stand out and grab your attention (drums, synths) along with some intimate elements like some gentle pads that pull you in. With a bit of refining, OXU will be on his road to the high life. – malbin
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We’re headed back to Houston for Erva Carter – a talented vocalist that has a sound in the same realm of Jhene Aiko & SZA. The music has a very airy atmosphere to it while the songwriting and vocal delivery is sensual and soulful. It still sounds like Erva is rounding out her sound but I think we might have found a gem on the verge of taking the next step. – malbin
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I’m just loving the feel of this recent Soundcloud find. Personally I really don’t like overproduced pop music; I love songs that feel much more raw and natural and this singer producer duo Rendezvous At Two has a beautifully organic sound. Their newest song “crazy // take me home” is gorgeous as it features pretty minimalistic production that is led by a couple of piano chords and light drums. This one’s truly beautiful and it needs your ears. – Trixx