All Trill, No Frill

Florida is home to some of hip-hop's greatest artists; Uncle Luke, T-Pain, Trina, Bobby Shmurda, as well as up and coming independent artist, Trill Cut. Trill Cut has a really diverse catalogue of music. Trill Cut's music talks about ambition, community struggles, life lessons, and pain. However his single, "Trill," really jumped out and was the highlight of his songs. Trill is hard. Everything from production to the hook to Trill Cut's vocals; this song is a very well constructed song coming from Daytona Beach.

Bop: Trill Cut came onto this track with a plan to rock this shit, and he did just that. This song is hype, the ad-libs are so well placed, and the beat is JOMPIN. To be quite honest, this is a nostalgic bop; it reminds me of when Lil Scrappy came on the scene over Lil Jon's beats. Trill Cut has an energetic delivery, it is soulful and proud. "Trill" is the song you check out when you want to fully experience an artist; Trill Cut brought his personality and his vibe to this song.

Airpods Quality: As mentioned before, the production quality of this song is really incredible. We often encourage independent artists to connect with one another in order to get their songs mixed well for playback from their fans, and Trill Cut has a production team that you all need to get connected with. Trill Cut's vocals lay perfectly over this beat. He doesn't sound pitchy or muffled. The drops within the beat give the verses so much personality and play really well out of your speakers. The hook of this song along with the synth sounds make for such a fun chorus between verses. This is such a clean song to listen to.

Knock Value: "Trill" KNOCKS. Put this on and turn it AHP! The 808s, the snare, the synths, all make for a really entertaining song. I will admit that the song is a bit long at 4 minutes and 44 seconds, but it is still a full and powerful song with a lot of knock. If you're looking for a song to make your speakers bounce, "Trill" is the song for you.

Misogyny Meter: There are a few "b*tches" that get thrown around this song, so be mindful. Much like most song where male artists identify themselves as "kings" or "bosses," it is often at the expense of somebody being called a "b*tch" here and there. And while we still have work to do within the hip-hop community, what can be said about "Trill" is the meat of the song is not dehumanizing to women or other demographics. The song is about self-empowerment, which we all deserve to experience and amplify. This is a pretty standard song with a phenomenal feel. The energy in this song is pretty addictive and easy to get into.

Another stellar song from an independent artist. As mentioned before, it is so important for artists to keep going as long as their hearts allow them. With time comes great progress and Trill Cut has a very strong catalogue of music that encompasses a really well-rounded perspective of his experience and his influences. He is a really great songwriter and a pretty versatile artist. Check out Trill Cut's social media links below and give "Trill" a listen!

Website

YouTube

Instagram Facebook Spotify Trill Cut on Apple Music

Ink, 2022

"Seeing" is believing...

There is something in the waters of Oakland, California, and it has a way of making some really talented independent artists. FastwayE is a bay area native with a soulful hip-hop sound. He is creative and smooth with this record, "Seeing." The production of this song is strong and gives the listener something to look forward to.

Bop: We love a subtle groove over here. "Seeing" is a bop that is reminiscent of a Lil Baby type song. It is dreamy and a bit spooky, which gives for a very sexy song. FastwayE is promising to pick her up and fly her out (he sounds proactive, ladies!) but it isn't cheesy. It is a seductive invitation; a love song with a lot of room for ass shaking. And who doesn't love shaking ass to a love song?

Airpods Quality: The song plays very well out of the airpods. FastwayE's vocals feel almost acoustical; they are raw, which adds to the dreaminess of the song. The mixing of this song are also really amazing. His ad-libs make you forget that he's singing (the Drake effect, if you will). Not to mention, the final production of the song plays with the swing throughout the speakers. Overall, very solid production quality on this track.

Knock Value: The only way to shake ass to a love song is if it is KNOCKIN'. This song has great knock that isn't too overpowering for a trap-n-b song like, "Seein." FastwayE also gives the beat a chance by pulling back his main vocals, and allowing the adlibs and production to shine. To be quite honest, this is the perfect song for the strip clubs.

Misogyny Meter: He says he'll pick you up and fly you out... I think the ladies gon' love it 😂. With influences like Drake, it is hard to miss out on the possibility of an artist promising a lady the world, much like with FastwayE. He is really going for it with the love lyrics.

A great song to review from an artist with a lot to offer, and clearly so much more to come. This is a recently released song, and we are honored to be apart of FastwayE's journey of an independent artist. Where there is room for improvement, FastwayE sounds determined in his music. So much so, we want to review a second song. Keep reading...

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FastwayE has a really solid catalogue of music available on Spotify for you all to check out. There is a great variety of music to choose from within the trap-n-b genre. Of them all, "On the road" may be one of my favorites. I really like to hear an indie artist be conversational in a song. It shows their personality and gives the listeners an idea of who the artist is.

Bop: On the road is a lowkey bop. The hook ("fuck it, ima throw some money tonight,") is such a catchy line, it instantly makes the song addictive.

Airpods Quality: The beat is dope on this song. It is simple, but the keys in the background make for a watery vibe; the swing is also really appeasing to the ear. It is also a quick listen for times when you just need a quick and easy vibe to ride along to.

Knock Value: This beat is almost boom-bappy. So there's not to much to the 808s in this song, if any at all. But that's not a bad thing. This song is still really solid. I think the mysterious vibe to the song is intentional. It feels like a freestyle, but the atmosphere still feels planned.

Misogyny Meter: A lot of FastwayE's songs are pretty straight-forward and inclusive. None are too aggressive and always give space for the listener to enjoy the song with their friends of all genders. Which, nowadays, is kind of hard to do given that mainstream music is almost demanding that artists violate women. It is refreshing that so many independent artists are able to produce music that doesn't feed into that narrative.

FastwayE gives a lot to every track, but you can tell he doesn't want to do too much on the song. He knows what works for a hook or in the pocket of a song and sticks to it.

Make sure you follow FastwayE on all platforms listed below. You won't regret becoming a fan.

Instagram

Tik Tok

Twitter Youtube

Spotify

Ink, 2022

Skweez gon give it to ya

Immediately, this beat will catch your attention. The beat flipped Janet Jackson's classic "Anytime, Anyplace" and sprinkled in some Kendrick Lamar influence as well. This song is not bad at all, and gives some space to improve. Skweez is an independent artist who is working to find his way much like his musical influence, the late Nipsey Hussle. We honor the space Skweez has created for us to enjoy his music and the story he has to tell.

Bop: As mentioned before, this song does have some space to improve. The beginning of the song starts off a bit rough but the song in itself is written really well. Skweez is a talented rapper with an amazing voice. It is raspy and youthful; it is fresh and intentional. This gives Skweez an amazing foundation off which to build. Proper mixing of the vocals to help them align with the beat would elevate this song well on its way to being a certified bop.

Airpods Quality: The beat is really well produced but the track needs work on to address the rawness of Skweez's vocals. As independent artists continue to grow, it is essential that they begin to locate engineers who can mix their songs to radio quality. If you want to fully enjoy this song, turn down the volume a few notches to be able to hear all of the elements of the song; the Janet Jackson sample, the drums, the evolution of this beat to decipher from Kendrick Lamar's "Poetic Justice" to this independently existing record. "Can Get It" would still get some play in my airpods, for sure, though.

Knock Value: Given that this track derived from an R&B single, this song is a nostalgic groove. It has some knock to it, but it isn't distracting. The producer did a great job of flipping this beat from the two former iterations by Ms. Jackson and Mr. Lamar. Coincidentally, "Can Get It," reminds me of Payroll Giovanni in that it is nostalgic bounce to the flow. It won't have your speakers rattling in your car, but you'll find yourself snapping along midway through the record.

Misogyny Meter: There isn't a direct attack on women in the song at all. One of Skweez's influences is Curren$y and you can hear the influence in music. Skweez's flow is skraight hip-hop. There is confidence, introspection, and an invitation to acknowledge Skweez's style. Definitely something we can all enjoy.

Decidedly, this song is pretty good. It could use some work to develop the vocals and to remain steadfast in the identity of the song. However, you can tell that Skweez is a dedicated artist, a talented rapper, and a favorable songwriter. There is a charm about this song that you can appreciate as a fan of independent artists. Click the links below to follow Skweez on social media and to support this artist!

SoundCloud

YouTube

Instagram

Spotify

AppleMusic