{MUSIC NEWS} Ella Mai Drops Her Self-titled Album October 12th and Everyone is Ready | @ellamai

Ella Mai Drops Her Self-titled Debut Album October 12th & Everyone is Ready

I have been a fan of Ella Mai since I heard her song "A Thousand Times". However, she's new to the masses of individuals who've been under a rock when it comes to real R&B music because she recently has gained traction as one of the top charting female artists for her single, "Boo'd Up". There's not a song by this artist I won't listen to; she speaks to my soul. And I'm pretty sure that's why she's acquired so much attention over the past few months because all of her songs are like that: melodic, soulful, relatable; she's just so f&%$ing talented! And gorgeous is just icing on the cake. Ella can sing her a$$ off! And her songs are so laid back with that neo-soul vibe that you can listen to all day...night...forever. She will remain a #playlistpermanent artist for myself and others who enjoy true R&B. 

For the record, her self-titled debut album drops October 12th and everyone is ready for it. The world is ready for real music and I am overly ecstatic that she's finally getting the recognition she so unapologetically deserves. Her natural beauty shines through her music with her unrelenting virbratto that just works. And she's not stopping at the number one spot on the Billboard...with over 1.3 million followers on YouTube, 1.8 million on Instagram, 239k on Twitter & those numbers continue to increase daily...she's taking over the world!

And while everyone is replaying her newest single, "Trip", I'm still vibing to her single, "Naked", which was released in February. It didn't gain as much traction once "Boo'd Up" hit the airwaves, but it's an amazing song with an even more amazing sentiment. Just because I care about your musical preferences--lol-- I'll leave you with the video for #Naked as well as her latest, #Trip. And you can #ThankMeLater.

Now, go pre-order her upcoming album so you can be the first to have it on replay while the rest of the world is still sleeping.

Her latest single, Trip:

And the bonus video I told you I was going to give you, Naked...#ThankMeLater

 

PRE-ORDER HER ALBUM NOW! 

iTunes | Apple Music

Follow Ella Mai 

Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | Official Website

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Until next time...

Enjoy the music?
Support the artist.

xoxo,

Rachel Marie

Founder/Owner/Content Specialist, The Underground Artistry

Content Specialist, Platinum Sound Promotions

*Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use. No copyright infringement intended. ALL RIGHTS BELONG TO THEIR RESPECTIVE OWNERS*

{ARTIST TO WATCH Q&A} Zacchaeus tha’ Great | @MKULTRAZACCHAE

Artist to Watch Q&A: Zacchaeus tha' Great 

I'm big on getting to know artists that I like listening to. Therefore I created a basic Q&A form for artists that will allow their followers to get a glimpse of the artist behind the music.

I get reached out to by a lot of artists. Few rarely take the time to actually check out my work or try to get to know what I do. Not only did this artist show interest, he filled out the interview request on The Underground Artistry site without even being directed to do so. I knew then this artist had drive that was one to be matched.

His single, "Ran Off", produced by Nard & B, is in regular rotation on Platinum Radio and is available on all major streaming sites: Google Play, Apple Music, Deezer, and more. Listen to the single below:


So, without further ado, get to know the artist in this week's featured Q&A: Zacchaeus tha' Great below:

Q: What's your name & email address?
A: Zacchaeus tha’ Great - bookztg@gmail.com

Q: What is your genre of choice?
A: Hip-Hop/rap

Q: What prompted you to want to do music? And how long have you been singing/songwriting/recording?
A: I fell in love with Hip-Hop as a child growing up in Virginia Beach. My parents always played all genres of music so I guess my artistry comes from an influential standpoint. Once I started doing random freestyles & it turned into me recording them a cappella on my radio shack boombox with the microphone built in. But it wasn’t till an old friend of the family showed me how to actually count bars that I began curating my own original songs. The subject matter changed once my day to day habits did. But it was more of a way to express myself. Then it expanded to actually wanting to learn the business to pursue a career. So all in all I’ve been writing and recording since 10 or 11 so I would say 16 or 17 years.

Q: How old were you when you wrote your first song? Do you still remember the title?
A: Yooooo, I actually do. And this was before I learned how to count bars and everything. The song was entitled “I’m Mean”. It’s crazy because I was like 10 or 11, and I was still in elementary.

Q: What’s your top 3 inspirations for your music?
A: It would have to be three genres of music that inspires me to create. 1. R&B, this genre helps me with melody. I’m not the ol’ melodic trying to out harmonize singers, but I do understand that it helps with yo flow and tone on the beat. 2. Reggae, hands down some of my favorite musicians are dancehall artists like Buju Banton, Sizzla, and Capleton. And of course Bob Marley but they have a way to speak for their people. They represent and echo the sentiments of the people were they are from. 3. Hip-Hop from the 90’s and early 2000’s when they focused more on lyrics and the flow sonically.

Q: What are some of the musical greats that inspire your music?
A: Artists like Michael Jackson, Marvin Gaye, Jay-Z, Wu-Tang Clan, T. I., Ludacris, Buju Banton, Sizzla, Capleton, Bob Marley, and I cannot forget my all time favorite Mrs. Mary J. Blige!

Q: What would you tell younger generations pursuing music as a career?
A: 1st you gotta love to do it. If you're gonna do music [bro/sis] it gotta come from the soul and you gotta deliver it. Learn the business. Get ya paper work right in order to be who you say you are. Go in the booth & make magic!

Q: If someone needed to contact you for a performance, how can someone book you?
A: bookztg@gmail.com or you can get in touch with my manager Mr. Brown .

Q: What do you feel makes you different from other artists?
A: The fact that I’m not afraid to be

Q: On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate The Underground Artistry?
A: 10

Now that you've gotten to learn a bit more about the artist behind the music, you can #TuneIn to Platinum Radio to listen to his track, "Ran Off". You can also request the song by calling 616-841-5253. And be sure to follow the artist on Twitter , Instagram & Facebook to stay updated with his music. And don't forget to follow & stream his music on Spotify. You can stream his top tracks below via Spotify.

Got questions of your own for Zacchaeus Tha' Great? Sound off in the comments below & he'll answer them for you!

Well, that's all for this Q&A. Thanks for stopping by & checking out the new content. I hope you enjoyed it. If you have any questions or comments, sound off below. If you'd like your own Q&A on The Underground Artistry click on the big blue button at the top of the page & fill out the questionnaire, easy as 1-2-3.

Until next time...

Enjoy the music? 
Support the artist. 

xoxo, 
Rachel Marie
Founder/Owner/Content Specialist, The Underground Artistry

Follow the Blog & the Writer:

The Underground Artistry on Instagram/Facebook

Rachel Marie, the Writer on Twitter/Instagram/Facebook

*Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use. No copyright infringement intended. ALL RIGHTS BELONG TO THEIR RESPECTIVE OWNERS*

{MUSIC VIDEO} Mark Battles Drops the Music Video for "What" on his Birthday | @markbattles317

Mark Battles Drops the Music Video for "What" on his Birthday

2018 has been an amazing year for hip-hop. All the new albums, EPs, rising artists...wow. And hip-hop fans are ecstatic as rising star, Mark Battles drops the music video for "What" on his birthday. "What" is the fourth track off the recently released Fortunate EP. Filmed by Vasi Films & produced by Money Montage, Battles took a break from the game and came back with a vengeance. His Fortunate EP is the deepest set of lyrical ingenuity since J. Cole released KOD. If you want the scoop on the EP, get that here.

Moving on to the track of the day, "What"...there's a lyric that I agree with 1,000%: "...I ain't in ya top 5, that's a good joke...". Battles is deserving of placement in your top 3, and I'm here to help sway your opinions.

So, without further ado, here's the video of the day from the birthday King, himself:

Follow Mark Battles:

Twitter

Facebook

Instagram

YouTube

Below are a few of my favorite Mark Battles projects, click the links to preview them:

Vasi World

Lost in Reality

Numb

Day 2

Shelter Food

Preseason

Until September

Broken Silence

Black Einstein

Saturday School Series

Thank you for visiting the blog and I hope you enjoyed the song, the video and the artist. There's more to come from Mark Battles & I am here for it. Stay tuned & I got you! 

Until next time...

Enjoy the music?
Support the artist. 

xoxo,

Rachel Marie

Founder/Owner/Content Specialist, The Underground Artistry

Be sure to visit the sister channel new review blog, Raez of Light Reviews. 

*Connect with The Underground Artistry on #MusicLinkUp here*

You can find The Underground Artistry on Facebook & Instagram and follow the writer on Twitter , Instagram and Facebook as well.

*Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use. No copyright infringement intended. ALL RIGHTS BELONG TO THEIR RESPECTIVE OWNERS*

{NEW MUSIC} Mark Battles Releases His Latest EP "Fortunate" | @markbattles317

 Mark Battles Releases his Latest EP, Fortunate

Fortunate
Get it on iTunes & Apple Music
Get it on Amazon

Mark Battles is -by far- one of the most underrated hip-hop artists in the game right now. With numerous other album releases and hit singles under his belt, fans from across the nation, thousands of followers on Twitter, Instagram & Facebook alike, I seriously do not understand why this artist is not a main staple in everyone's playlist, yet. Well today I'm going to assist you all in that aspect! So...read on to be debriefed on the artist behind the music that has everyone raving and my Twitter feed going haywire as I type.

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Battles, born 9/2/91 hails from Indianapolis, Indiana. Founder of the label, Fly America, he's often referred to as the "King of Naptown" in regards to him being one of the only artists from Indianapolis to have achieved musical success. Walking Distance was his first album, in which the single, "Last Night" created the buzz. The track was later remixed by Kid Ink. Speaking of other artists, Battles has worked alongside the likes of Wale, Dizzy Wright, King Los, Futuristic, Tory Lanez, and the list grows.

His latest EP, Fortunate, has all the fans raving. With songs speaking on depression [How?] to tracks securing his return to the music scene [Up Again], each bar is lyrical ingenuity. Each track has a rhythmic flow so mellow and transparent, you can see into his soul when you listen to this EP. Just close your eyes. Every time I listen I hear something different. I see another piece of the puzzle. And if you've never heard of Mark Battles before, then I suggest you go binge his YouTube and get even more acquainted. This artist is highly underrated and underappreciated. His music is classic. The storytelling. The lyricism. The depth. Everything. You can preview Fortunate below & be sure to click on one of the links in the caption underneath the album cover to purchase from iTunes, Apple or Amazon.

#ThankMeLater

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Follow Mark Battles: 

Twitter | Facebook | Instagram 

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What do you think about the new project from Mark Battles? Is this your first encounter? What's your favorite song off the EP? Let me know below in the comments. And as always, thanks for stopping by, reading & I hope you enjoyed the content.

Until next time...

Enjoy the music?
Support the artist.



xoxo,

Rachel Marie, Owner
The Underground Artistry

*Connect with The Underground Artistry on #MusicLinkUp here*

You can find The Underground Artistry on Facebook & Instagram and follow the writer on Twitter and Facebook as well.

*Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use. No copyright infringement intended. ALL RIGHTS BELONG TO THEIR RESPECTIVE OWNERS*