
Brooklyn, NY-based organic hip-hop artists BD3 and Unkle Nephew (⅔ of Trew Culture Music) have just released a double single in preparation for their upcoming EP, Sunnydale. The double single dropped at the end of September with “For The Ancestors” and “Why Do U Luv Me.”
BD3 describes “For The Ancestors” as a “complicated relationship that we all have with America as people of color.” The music video of “For The Ancestors” drops on October 16, the same day as the EP release. “Why Do You Love Me,” a hip-hop/R&B-inspired ode to the 90s featuring Christina Flemming, answers “that question that your woman asks you randomly, the one that you better not mess up,” says BD3.
“LL Cool J and Janet Jackson were a big influence on this song. Janet’s ‘Janet’ album and LL’s ‘Mr. Smith’ album were on constant rotation,” said Unkle Nephew. “I loved the combination of hip-hop and R&B on those albums. The music of the 90’s holds a special place in my heart. The beats were raw and aggressive but had beautiful melodies on top of it. “Why Do U Luv Me” is my ode the 90’s, my favorite era of Black culture.”
For more by BD3 and Unkle Nephew, please visit trewculture.com
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Soft Punch, aka Rye Thomas, of Washington D.C. released his debut album, Above Water on September 15th, after years of working on it.
The album is a labor of love that Soft Punch, the stage name of Rye Thomas, has been working on for years since the diagnosis of his chronic illness. It takes you through the highs and lows, mourning the freedom lost, and celebrating the things that he is grateful for in his day to day life. I had the opportunity to sit down and talk to him about his process of writing the album.
The titles of albums are the first thing that an artist sees. That, and the artist’s name. When I first heard the name ‘Soft Punch’, I was intrigued. It was gentle but intentional. “I don’t know if I had a specific ‘A-ha, Lightbulb’ moment, but I was interested in words that sound good together and have multiple meanings,” Thomas said. “It’s a gentle hit, and a nonalcoholic punch. It’s the image of something harsh and something soft is interesting to me. I think I lucked out.”
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