Tunji Ige Summer Love Freestyle

I was eleven years old when Justin Timberlake came out with his second studio album, Future Sex Love Sounds.  The first time I heard it was during JT's media tour for the project.  It was on Jay Leno's Tonight Show that he performed the song of the year, "Sexy Back" with Timbaland and what had to be the original version of the Tennessee Kids, Timberlake's live band.  The track was unlike any other groove I had heard, and the guy he had playing lead guitar at the time, Mike Scott, was so smooth strumming those funky chords as he rocked his shoulders back and forth that I ended up re-watching that performance over and over again on TiVo.

That song and FSLS, which turns ten in September (!), was the first full-length album I ever listened to.  All twelve songs are classics, but the one song that stands the test of time that my mom will hum every time it's played is "Summer Love".  For twenty seconds all you hear are those blaring organs with a classic Timbo bump until Justin jumps on his swing rap, "Ridin' in the drop top/ With the top down/ So you switchin' lanes girl."  The pauses in the song and the melody is enough to hook you for years to come, and evidently, it had  a similar affect on other millennials, too.

On the heels of his debut album, Missed Calls, Philadelphia native Tunji Ige released an eight-track mixtape today, entitled Prince of July.  Packed with several freestyles, Ige saves his best for last as he goes off-the-dome over the 2006 throwback.  Spitting, "White people/ Black people/ Brown people/ Yellow people/ In the streets/ Make a n**** wanna crack people," he shows how to flex the fundamental bars over a classic R&B sound.  The vibe is refreshed, but I can't help but feel old as songs I only knew by their track number begin to be remixed by today's budding artists.  Check out the summer time rhymes below.

Foursix - Nothing Yet

Prepping for the release of their debut record, "The Manhattan Project," Foursix builds anticipation with another song off the debut release.

Titled "Nothing Yet," the song is the introduction to "The Manhattan Project" and sets the tone for the upcoming album as to prepare listeners to understand the Foursix sound.

The New York natives named the new tune "Nothing Yet" because "we have a lot more amazing pieces that you will hear from us in the future. Yes, they're all fire," Foursix says.

Listen to the track below and stay tuned for details on the release of "The Manhattan Project."

Joel Kellem - Lance Vance

Joel Kellem photographed by Jordan Beckham Studio

Joel Kellem, also known as the chill god of rap collective The Company Only, proves his ingenuity and fly in his newest song.

Kellem raps about how he has felt in the last couple days, like "Lance Vance," a stylish character from the Grand Theft Auto video game.

The music captures Kellem's cool, described as sauce, which he gets from killing the rap game. But also, the song "Lance Vance" has a hazy feeling, a credit to the beat Kellem downloaded from YouTube by MTF MOB and to the copious amounts of weed smoked around the artist. Tapping into his D.I.Y. spirit, the Pittsburgh rapper also designed the cover art to this particular record.

To broader news, Kellem and The Company Only will perform on July 15 at Boom Concepts as they open up for Chuck Inglish, and on July 31 at South Side Event Center as they open up for Young Thug. All together, see what Kellem and his crew have been up to in the latest "Just Chilling" episode here and listen to "Lance Vance" below.

Knuccleheadz Present "Timeless" Hip-Hop

The Knuccleheadz of Pittsburgh's East side present a classic musical work. Residents of the 'Burgh's Homewood neighborhood, Good Kelly, Heem, and Jiggy rap a "Timeless" EP.

After reminding the crowd at Strip District Music Fest "what hip-hop really is," Knuccleheadz expand upon their retro sound to share tales of gangster life in the city.

Detailing times with their mates on the leftcide, the Crip side, money, and thumping pussy, '90s, Los Angeles G-funk and New York boom bap influences are heavily felt throughout "Timeless."

"We supply gangster shit, you wish you could walk like this," floats the hook of the song "Like This."

Along with the authentic hip-hop themes, Knuccleheadz provide a real narrative and soundtrack to the hardened Pittsburgh streets. "Gangstaz Dont Cry" and "Nice To Meet You" illustrate life in the neighborhood.

The "Timeless" extended play has the appreciation for its original rap flavor. Listen to the Knuccleheadz's latest project below.

Foursix - LVL1

Foursix captured by @branndannart

Members of Foursix, a music collective and art label with New York roots, understand the importance of chemistry, especially in a group of seven people.

When Foursix linked to make music last, J-Payso and Verdé Madera, two of the groups members, crafted "Favors," a song detailing the nature and lifestyle of a nine-to-five job.

After recording "Favors," "we felt so good about it we wanted to carry that energy into a new song," Foursix says.

The individualistic creativity each member in Foursix has builds rapport amongst the crew, comprised of Amoedo, Ashlee, J-Payso, Jahnei, Verde Madera, Zach Day, and Zino. They create a fun, good quality in their music when the group's good chemistry reflects in in their art.

Such is the case in Foursix's newest song, "LVL1." Performed by J-Payso and Verde Madera, the song is produced by Jahnei, one of the collective's two in-house producers along with Amoedo. Also, the track is from Foursix's debut record, "The Manhattan Project," which is due for release soon.

If you are in New York, see Foursix for their show at Webster Hall on July 6, and watch and listen to their most recent works, "Favors" and "LVL1," below.