Caliph – “Green Faces”

By: Shamus Hill

Following what has been more than a year long hiatus with respect to releasing new music, New Bedford’s Caliph makes his return as he recruits Obeatz to unleash his new single “Green Faces”.

While many listeners may initially be drawn towards the sound of his music alone, it’s what Caliph speaks on, and stands for, that has helped him amass a deep-rooted following. “Green Faces” circulates around the struggles of striving towards one’s goals while being an immigrant in the United States. This theme has been prevalent within a large portion of Caliph’s discography, and for rightful reasons, as the African-born artist has been a defying the odds for his entire life. No matter the set of circumstances, Caliph has persisted through the shadows and come out an extremely formidable human being. This was perfectly represented in 2018 when he won a Grammy for his role in American Dreamers: Voices of Hope, Music of Freedom, which was composed entirely of artists that were DACA recipients. When listening to Caliph’s music, that what you hear — the voice of hope. He’s continually been outspoken against social issues, and has made it a personal mission of his to become a voice for the disenfranchised.

Possessing a lengthy resume that’s full of some truly staggering accomplishments, there’s no better example of perseverance than Caliph, especially on his latest single “Green Faces”.

Listen to “Green Faces” below:

CLICK HERE TO STREAM “GREEN FACES” ON ALL MAJOR STREAMING PLATFORMS

PHOTO ABOVE BY DAVI DE AZEVEDO

Maka – “Rainforest”

By: Shamus Hill

Following a lengthy trip to some of the most beautiful corners of our planet, Maka is back with an airy single that’s appropriately titled “Rainforest”.

Starting off with an ethereal entrance that gradually picks up power with each passing second, “Rainforest” is only the most recent stellar component to be added to Maka’s already solid musical catalog. He possesses a very eclectic taste in music, which is something that can be noted by the widespread versatility that’s prevalent within his discography. This blend in styles is perfectly represented just after the two minute mark of “Rainforest” when Maka repurposes a segment of 50 Cent’s notorious single “In Da Club”. Whether it be his blissful ability to harmonize, proficient production skills, or his tactful wordplay, Maka simply knows how to deliver.

Listen to “Rainforest” below:

Lord Felix – “Bad Bwodie”

By: Frankie Wahlberg

If you’ve been keeping your ears open to the music rising out of Massachusetts, it’d be safe to assume that you’re familiar with Brockton’s Van Buren Records.  With a team of unique and polished artists that includes growing acts such as Jiles, Luke Bar$ and Saint Lyor — they’re a collective that is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore.

Playing an instrumental role in this group is Lord Felix, but despite being at the epicenter of one of the more prominent collectives in the area, Lord Felix himself has been rather silent thus far in 2020. Other than his handful of features, the man behind the infamous mask has remained somewhat reserved since his victory as Best New Artist at the Boston Music Awards this past December. Now with the release of his newest single “Bad Bwodie”, it appears as though Lord Felix’s silence over the last few months has been spent building momentum — the pulling back of an arrow with the intention of a powerful release. 

The single, released in tandem with a short clip entitled “Hometown Hero”, reverberates an anthem of triumph. Produced by MultiplePetes, a Boston native who astonishingly balances law school and music, Lord Felix rides the track with high energy and prideful lyrics, undoubtedly mirroring feelings still lingering from a breakthrough year in 2019. “Wifey ‘round my arm cuz she watched me beat the odds!” he proclaims in victory.  

From the energy and magnitude of this single, one can only assume that Lord Felix, along with the rest of his Van Buren clique, have big things coming on the horizon. As his sound continues to refine with each coming release, it is safe to say that if you’re not paying attention to Lord Felix right now, you should be. 

Listen to “Bad Bwodie” below:

CLICK HERE TO STREAM “BAD BWODIE” ON ALL MAJOR STREAMING PLATFORMS

Photo Above by Andrew Regis

Brevin Kim – “swim!”

By: Shamus Hill

Brevin Kim, a duo of brothers from the Greater Boston area, release “swim!” and announce that they have a collab EP with Lil West that’s set to drop this upcoming Friday.

Consistent with the majority of the pair’s discography, both Bren and Cal play somewhat of a balancing act throughout “swim!”. Bren sings with an overwhelmed, almost aching torment that revolves around the various hurdles that life throws one’s way. Just when his thoughts seem to spiral out of control, Cal arrives with the important reminder to “swim” as Bren belts out, “it’s hard to forget, when you’re focused on forgetting”. Not only does their lyricism evoke a vast amount of emotion, but the manner in which they deliver these lyrics takes that feeling and expands it exponentially. In short, “swim!” is a powerful anecdote that emphasizes the necessity to persevere through the depths of life’s tumultuous moments. No matter how bad things may seem — we can never give up.

Listen to “swim!” below:

Photo Above by Oliver Peric

Pistola – “Sellin’ Dreams” (Prod. Henrich)

By: Shamus Hill

When it comes to crafting one’s own sound, there aren’t many artists within the state of Massachusetts — or elsewhere for that matter — that can compete with Pistola. The Boston rapper’s latest single “Sellin’ Dreams” certainly helps to reinforce this statement, as Pistola delivers yet another undeniable track for his listeners.

Known mostly for his past singles “Swang” and “P.I.S.T.O.L.A.”, Pistola is no stranger when it comes to the Massachusetts music community. He’s never been one to shy away from experimenting within his catalog of music, something that’s ultimately been a key factor in his overall development as an artist. Utilizing a sound like feels almost intergalactic, time and time again Pistola manages to float on each instrumental that crosses his path with ease. In my eyes, he’s been making his best music as of late, with both “Sellin’ Dreams” and “Disstracktoeverybodyidontlike” being living proof that Pistola is more determined than ever to make exceptional music.

Listen to “Sellin’ Dreams” below:

Packy Marciano – “Groundhog Day” (Prod. tplaflare)

By: Shamus Hill

Following up his February release of “Don Ricardo Drive [Paranoia]” is Brockton’s Packy Marciano with a highly expressive single titled “Groundhog Day”.

Equipped with artwork that depicts Packy as Bill Murray on the cover of the 1993 film Groundhog Day — this offering is of a much more serene, laid-back feel than the typical releases that have filled Packy Marciano’s discography up through this point in time. Utilizing a combination of humorous, yet meaningful bars and powerful vocals, “Groundhog Day” serves as a glimpse towards the future of what this Brockton artist has to offer. Rather than limiting his creativity and remaining confined to a box, Packy is on a mission to break the cycle and share his multifaceted artistry with his listeners in a holistic fashion. Yet another example of the vast amount of talent prevalent within Brockton, MA — make sure to keep Packy Marciano on your radar in 2020.

Go get a brand new fit from the Burlington Coat Factory and listen to Packy Marciano’s “Groundhog Day” below:

Donald Grunge – “Cantaloupe” (Prod. Jonny Doobs)

By: Shamus Hill

Chelsea’s Donald Grunge makes his long-awaited return to the Graduation Music site today with an incredibly hypnotic offering titled “Cantaloupe”.

Serving as the first addition to his discography since the December 2018 release of his ‘Cowboy Talk’ project, “Cantaloupe” features a soft-spoken, poised Grunge who makes use of some highly meticulous wordplay and melodies. Jonny Doobs was tasked with production here, and similar to their collaboration on “Time After Time” — “Cantaloupe” aligns as a solid example of Grunge’s multi-faceted artistry. Capable of making both boisterous, high-energy records alongside tracks that can accurately depict some of the more somber moments of life — there’s truly no telling which direction Grunge will take with each new addition to his musical catalog. No matter which path he takes, one thing remains consistent, and it’s that Donald Grunge simply fails to miss. Hopefully “Cantaloupe” is proof that the Chelsea native has more to come as 2019 comes to a close.

Listen to “Cantaloupe” below:

King Kade ft. Yelohill & Hit-Town – “Hot Topic” (Prod. Mike Hector)

By: Shamus Hill

Quincy’s King Kade returns to the Graduation Music site today alongside Yelohill and Hit-Town with a highly-energetic track titled “Hot Topic”.

While the majority of his discography may be rooted in exceptional vocal work, King Kade utilizes “Hot Topic” to showcase his ability to rap. He’s proven to be one of the more versatile artists to hail from Massachusetts, and tends to bless his listeners with a little something new on each release. Both Yelohill and Hit-Town compliment Kade seamlessly here, as the group glides effortlessly over some well-structured production at the hands of Mike Hector. Show King Kade some love as he’s showing no signs of slowing pace anytime soon.

Listen to “Hot Topic” below:

Connis – “Ditch the Function” + “Planets”

By: Shamus Hill

With a mere two weeks being left in the month of August, the realization that the Summer is essentially on its way out has become apparent for many. To help compliment the softened sensation that often comes paired with this time of year is Connis, who recently recruited Lord Felix, Notebook P, Ricky Sour, and Rilla Force for the delivery of two new tracks titled “Ditch the Function” and “Planets”.

“Ditch the Function” serves as an ode to introverts from all walks of life. Both Connis and Lord Felix have proven to be two of the most advantageous artists out of the Bay State in 2019, and the pair continue down this route as they bounce off of one another with true grace on this release. Connis makes use of his verse to relay some messages surrounding both being alone and working on oneself. He’s not afraid to speak on what it took for him to reach this current point in his life — something that has ultimately attracted a large flock of fans toward Connis’ direction. Brockton’s Lord Felix helps build atop Connis’ verse by reinforcing both the development of a secure temperament and the abandonment of remorsefulness. Nobody is perfect, but it’s the combination of holding one’s head up high and learning from mistakes that Connis and Lord Felix want listeners to know and understand. Ricky Sour, who was in charge of the production on “Ditch the Function”, has had a long history working alongside Connis — with the sonic chemistry exchanged between the duo being one of my favorite aspects of this track.

“Planets” is the second single that Connis released, which features Randolph’s Notebook P on the hook and Rilla Force on production. I was beyond enthusiastic upon seeing that these three talents had finally joined forces, yet still surprised as to how wonderful the output ended up being. Much like many of the verses included on Connis’ debut album, Conn(is), that dropped earlier this year, the Cambridge native continues to rap with a relentless energy. Each line holds a vast amount of weight as the listener is quite literally kept on the edge of their seat throughout the entirety of the listen. In a truly intergalactic fashion, Rilla Force’s usage of synth-rooted 808s help make this instrumental sound like something that’s out of this world, which assists Connis in delivering his thoughts in an unparalleled fashion.

If you still haven’t found yourself within the depths of Connis’ discography up through this point in time, then there’s no better moment than now to begin that journey. Take some time out of your day today and dedicate it towards some of our area’s most refined talents.

Listen to both “Ditch the Function” and “Planets” below:

Camp Blood – “Aerosol”

By: Shamus Hill

Within the current climate of Hip-Hop/Rap music, we’ve arrived at a point in time where a large percentage of the music that’s being released is both uninspiring and regurgitated. It’s become difficult to find an artist, or artists, who somehow find a way to break the mold and challenge the genre itself, however, today Camp Blood has embarked on the mission towards doing exactly this.

If you’ve been keeping up to date with Haasan Barclay over the course of the last couple of months, you’ll note that he’s been working diligently alongside Shaka Dendy and Matthew Thornton at laying the foundation for what has ultimately become Camp Blood — a Boston-based group which is striving to bring something new to the table. The trio just released their debut single, “Aerosol”, earlier today via Allston Pudding, and following a few listens through the track I’m still attempting to grasp all of the sonic elements that the song provides. Both Haasan and Shaka trade bars back and fourth throughout the entirety of the track as Matthew Thorton lays down a thunderous instrumental which utilizes elements of both punk rock and experimental Hip-Hop music. From the second you press play “Aerosol” takes you on a two and a half minute journey that’s full of high-paced energy.

This track serves as the first single off of Camp Blood’s debut project, Camp Blood, which is set to come out on July 5th, so be sure to give “Aerosol” a listen in order to properly gear up for its release.

Listen to “Aerosol” below:

CLICK HERE TO STREAM VIA SPOTIFY + APPLE MUSIC + MORE…

Chase Murphy – “Interview” (Prod. Fríó)

By: Shamus Hill

Making his return to the Graduation Music pages today is Brookline’s Chase Murphy with “Interview” — the second single off of his upcoming EP, Long Winters.

Equipped with buttery vocals and lyricism that’s both undeniably catchy and full of depth – “Interview” is only the most recent release from Chase Murphy that maintains solid sonic structure and substance. This track serves as the fourth official single that he’s put out up through this point in 2019, and with each new release he seemingly unlocks an additional layer of his artistry that had been previously untapped. Chase’s ability to break down his life experience through his musical catalog is truly marvelous, and with that we’re very excited to hear what Long Winters will have to offer.

Listen to “Interview” below:

CLICK HERE TO STREAM VIA SPOTIFY + APPLE MUSIC + MORE…

Austin Fair – “Slide” (Prod. Hetriks)

By: Shamus Hill

The powerful duo of Austin Fair and Hetriks combines once again for a summer anthem titled “Slide”.

The Chicopee native has spent the vast majority of 2019 building up his arsenal of music, with “Slide” being only his second track to be released this year. Despite this, Austin Fair has steadily proven to be one of the most hardworking artists that the state of Massachusetts has to offer. No matter the time or day, you’ll more than likely find Austin at the studio working on his craft. The combination of his artistic talents and his willingness to put the work in have ultimately led to the development of a formidable artist that consistently delivers great music.

“Slide” is the perfect example of this, with the song being full of boisterous, mesmerizing energy that contains a high level of replay value. Hetriks does a truly incredible job at crafting an exhilarating instrumental over which Austin Fair floats with true grace. This pair has proven in the past that they possess a vast amount of chemistry between each other, and “Slide” only helps to reinforce this statement. Be on the lookout for what the Western MA representative has coming next as the year continues.

Listen to “Slide” below:

CLICK HERE TO STREAM VIA SPOTIFY + APPLE MUSIC + MORE…