Writing about music in lieu of human interaction
Collaborators unite for a single that draws from Afrobeats' signature bounce. The backbone of "Give 'em Hell" (produced by Julio) is its rhythmic heartbeat, a propulsive bah-bah-bah-bahbah that I could probably listen to on its own for several hours. We're spoiled, though, because the percussion track is adorned with insistent keyboard pulses and multiple layers … Continue reading Daily Yinz – Luwidakid – Give ’em Hell (ft. Brothamans)
Image provided by artist BrothaMans, a local hip-hop artist and producer who’s spent the past few years peppering the internet with singles, freestyles, and EPs, is set to release his debut album, Chapter 1, this summer, and contacted me a few months ago to propose an advance listen and write-up. I readily agreed, and then … Continue reading BrothaMans – Chapter 1
Rappers Dewey Markie and BrothaMans run it back for the second installment of their Kin Folk EP series. The two emcees are natural teammates, working in tandem to create a spirited, aspirational tone that pervades Kin Folk II's eight tracks. There's a lot of striving happening here; Brotha and Dewey display a single-minded focus on … Continue reading Daily Yinz – Dewey Markie & BrothaMans – Life Is Good
Rapper BrothaMans further expands his sonic palette with his newest release, an EP called Invalid. The EP's closing track, "IDK," hearkens back to the days of sad 808s and lonely lunar loners, the song's single-note piano figure establishing a level of creeping tension that complements BrothaMans's moody melodies as he expresses a need to distance … Continue reading Daily Yinz – BrothaMans – IDK
Pittsburgh rapper BrothaMans makes a foray into icy trap balladry with "Discovery." The song, one of the singles from BrothaMans's new album, From the Beginning..., brings to mind the spooky, cavernous slow jams found on Travis Scott's earlier mixtapes. A spacious instrumental, anchored by subsonic bass drones and sparse, percussive clicks, acts as an evocative … Continue reading Daily Yinz – BrothaMans – Discovery
If you're sick of being quarantined in your tiny apartment, Pittsburgh rapper BrothaMans has got you covered. The video that accompanies his recently-released "Wassup Freestyle" features shots of downtown Pittsburgh from Emerald View Park on Mt. Washington. Don't just come for the spectacular views, though; BrothaMans also brings the bars. Addressing his competition, he snarls, … Continue reading Daily Yinz – BrothaMans – Wassup Freestyle
BrothaMans is a Pittsburgh-area polymath who runs the indie entertainment company Man Made Studios and also makes music of his own. He released his latest EP, Ref5esh, last week. "Ctrl," the EP's first song proper after the brief "PWR ON" intro, begins with a sample of the Her-associated Alan Watts monologue about falling in love. … Continue reading Daily Yinz – BrothaMans – Ctrl
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