REMI and Kero One

Today I have a nice and fun, genre bending song for you by REMI. What I love about this song, is how unconventional the song is. This is a style of hip hop that does not conform to the normal standards of radio hip hop. This is a style that we see quite a bit from the underground community, but also on the more "freelancing" side of music. A lot of times with hip hop, we find artists that don't necessarily fit the underground vibe, but they also don't conform to the radio hits either. This in between style of hip hop is starting to show its colors more and more. We are starting to hear this kind of music in more places and randomly. But having that unconscious presence in the music world is what makes this kind of music work. Now with this song specifically, there are quite a few things that are pretty awesome about it. For one, this song has such a smooth vibe to it and completely embraces a more funky sound. And to top it off, this is still such a chilled out track. One thing that has started to become very popular within this hip hop circuit, is the use of guitars. Normally, we would only hear this style of guitar work with blues and motown kind of songs, but that has started to make its way through the hip hop sphere, and I absolutely love that. There is a nice choppiness to the guitar work, giving the song that nice funky sound. The vocal play is also between a male and female voice, and that works so well. REMI has a very rich and deep voice, one that is like molasses. And Sampa the Great has a very nice voice that compliments, one that isn't super high pitched and has a really nice raspy undertone. The two artists together have really smooth harmonies that are very pleasing to the ear and not at all overwhelmingly noticeable. For this song, it is more about the subtle things which come together to make this a wonderfully chill song to listen to. I am also a huge fan of the way Sampa the Great has a sick rap verse in there as well. A lot of times a featured artist ends up being a singer in the hip hop world, but with this we get a combination of two rappers. And the story that is told with this song is from both perspectives. I like the way that we get to see what it is like to be on the other side of a situation like this, and that double portrayal is pretty sweet. This is a soulful song with a funk jazz delivery, and that is something we don't hear everyday. I really like what REMI and Sampa the Great did here, and I really hope these Australian artists start seeing some air time in the States! Today's instrumental song is by Kero One. This is a guy who takes hip hop to a jazz and swing level, but it is honestly pretty incredible. This song takes a typical piano melody and puts it to an R&B percussion beat. I love the way the genres have beautifully melded together and have created something entirely new and refreshing. The genre bending is so evident with music like this and I am sufficiently stoked with how well it has been working out. Kero One really does do an amazing job with this song, making it something that has a nice energy but is still laid back enough to be a great lounge sound. I hope you enjoy the music and please feel free to comment!