Van Buren Records - Bad For Press

“you can’t sit with us.”

So turns out they’re good for press!

The boys from Brockton have finally come together, after cultivating their sound separately over the course of two years the group decidedly united their various styles and strengths like the Avengers in the form of the collective’s debut album, Bad For Press.

Featuring members Jiles, Luke Bar$, SAINT LYOR, Meech, Andrew Regis, Homeinvader, Shelby Narcisse, KIRON, Ricky Felix, rlouie, and MosCouture, Van Buren Records has a highly saturated roster of talent that has been waiting to be let loose. Now with the drop of their first collective effort, the VB boys are now in top form, ready to show the world the talent that only Brockton can bring to the table.

Below are our favorite five tracks from the project! Let us know yours in the comments and enjoy the article!

It Is What It Is (ft. Luke Bar$, SAINT LYOR, Jiles, & Lord Felix)

A groovy, high-energy opener, It Is What It Is showcases various bodacious verses from the boys, starting with Luke Bar$, who speaks on lack of trust in others, time running out, and destroying pedestals. The hook is incredibly catchy with the production surrounding Bar$ voice beautifully. SAINT LYOR helms the second verse taking on topics of unhappiness, checking boxes off his hit list, and warning against getting him angry.

Jiles ego makes a surprise entrance before the man himself comes in for a gritty three-piece, taking on a reminiscent verse centered on life in the hood back in Brockton. Lord Felix closes off with the energy of a headliner, wrapping up the incredible starter in a nice neat bow.

Medic (ft. SAINT LYOR, Lord Felix, Jiles, Andrew Regis,

The second breakout single from the boys, the Medic features vocal performances from everyone outside of Luke Bar$, with the inclusion of new vocalist and longtime producer, Andrew Regis. SAINT LYOR comes in with a face-scrunching, opener, making it clear the distinction between his team and the outsiders.

He speaks on laziness and comfort-searching within the music industry and how complacency has taken hold of upcoming artists nowadays. Lord Felix vibes in hitting pockets right between the beat that accentuate the beauty of the hypnotic production. Jiles grounds the track with a stellar grungy verse, boasting his lack of trust for others outside of his collective.

Andrew Regis glides along this beat with a groovy few bars before handing it off to Meech to absolutely destroy it with a beautiful last verse. Ricky said it best:

“That’s how you f*ckin rap n*ggas rap.” - Ricky Felix

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun (ft. Luke Bar$, Andrew Regis, Meech & Lord Felix)

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun slows the album down completely, shifting it into a more relaxing atmosphere. Luke Bar$ leads you in with a trance-filled thoughtful verse about commitment, love, and faith.

The chorus sums up the tone of this track, loose, unbearing, and tranquil. Andrew Regis rides for his second feature of the album, doubling down on the groovy flow of before as he speaks about his newfound ties with a woman he’s met. Meech struggles between love and lust in his verse, backed by almost heavenly adlibs.

As the hooks swing back around, Lord Felix does what he does best and vibes the track to a finish with an infectious last refrain.

No Interviews (ft. Jiles, Lord Felix, Luke Bar$, & Meech)

Jiles comes out the gate with a fury like no other, throwing heavy and gritty bars left and right to start off this hype train of a track. An alleyoop of sorts, Lord Felix catches the verse and doesn’t fumble in the slightest, changing the vibe to fit his needs, a slower more deliberate and funky delivery.

Luke Bar$ gently takes it from his fellow member, softly speaking deathly truths overtop a haunting production. Meech absolutely snatches his part, taking an absolutely braggadocious tone to his delivery, using the intoxicating production to lead him out.

VVS (ft. Luke Bar$, BoriRok, Jiles, & Lord Felix)

VVS… this is our favorite track on the album by far, and completely encompasses the grungy, truth-seeking, introspective, and deadly aura that Van Buren Records embodies.

Luke Bar$ gives an almost triumphant verse on this third-to-last track, manifesting riches for everyone on his team, admitting to probably going a bit crazy, but loving ride ever still. The hook is insatiable, keeping your ears hooked till the next verse, and BoriRock delivers like no other. His clean and concise, yet, ferally active delivery gives a forboding head-thumping energy like no other.

Jiles does exactly what he was meant to do on this beat, speak truths of his Brockton life and hope for the future, all while lyrically making your face stink up. Lord Felix’s verse encompasses the entire hype of the track, ending it off with a bang.

But it seems as if that was but only a warning shot, for the Boys from Brockton have much more in store for us.

Anders - CHAOS - Review

Canadian Artist Anders hits us with his new release Chaos which is his first release since 2018 with Twos. Chaos gives us a reintroduction to the sound we have ascribed to Anders and also introduces us to some new sounds he’s been working on for the 2021 releases!

Don’t Play

Don’t Play is the first song on this album and does not hold back from hitting the listener hard with a catchy melody, heavy bass, and captivating beat. The song’s tagline of “Don’t Play” is used heavily in the one chorus the song has, so better get used to hearing that. The dynamic value in the chorus gives a bit more depth than just repeating the same word in the same tone. Overall this song is a good driving song in my opinion,  or even a good fitness song, as its got good bass and is easy to listen to without thinking too much about the lyrics.

Pray For The Day

Pray For The Day gives the album a different feeling as it has a very simple introduction with single notes playing the base theme for the song, the song is set up very well. The songs bass line that comes through in the middle of the first verse hits hard and brings us back into the theme we have been used to so far this album. The song goes over the ideas of success and how he prayed for the day he would make it, which elevates him to another level that we can’t get to. The song talks about how blessed he feels and what he has come from to get to the point he is at now.

Woah

Woah is the third song on this album, and brings us one of the easiest listening experiences you will have with Chaos. The production value of this song is a very basic hip-hop beat with a distorted sounding guitar riff in the back ground that makes for a fun listen that you can relax to.

Baewatch

Baewatch is all about living larger than life, being surrounded by women, and having summer vibes. The song talks about being on yachts in Miami, buying multiple cars from the same lot, and most important to the song is the “bae” who has gotten his attention from her summer body. The song itself has a very summery feeling, like you should be on a beach somewhere listening to this while sipping on a cold drink. This is one of the best songs on this album in my opinion.

On Me

On Me is definitely the most hype song here, with a diverse and complex production and hard hitting beat. The song makes you want to get up and do something intense and motivates you to work, as that’s what the song is about. The title On Me refers to him betting on himself to succeed, showing that his confidence in his work is high. The song is about the money he makes and how the “future is bright”. Anders also makes reference to us Canadians and his own Canadian heritage by saying “So much ice around me, you’d think I’m playing hockey” referring to our national sport, which would not be the only reference to his Canadian heritage he makes in the album.

Bad Habits

The last song in the album, Anders makes sure it’s one to remember. This song hits all the points that one would want to hear in a “make or break” song. This accomplishes that. The beat, chorus, and flow is so perfect for the final song in this album. It is fun to listen to and is somewhat energizing as well. Lyrically it is very interesting as well, going over many parts of Anders’ background and current life. One line that stands out for us here at Nefarious is “I’m from the North where we maple leaf” calling back to his Canadian up bringing. The small tid-bit like lines in Bad Habits shows a lot of Anders’ character and then the rest of his personality is shown through the way the song sounds.

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Listen to Chaos on Spotify. anders · Single · 2021 · 6 songs.

Overall this album is a fun short album meant for people who want to listen to an energizing and interesting project. Definitely give it a listen if you have a quick minute and want to listen to something unique! Be sure to follow Anders on Instagram. If you want to stay up to date with news and content coming from Nefarious Supply you can find us on Instagram, Twitter, and for our weekly news letter you can sign up below.

[Artist Radar] - Alycia Bella

As time progresses and artists start to find their creative sweet spot, we see more and more up-and-coming newbies take off into space with gorgeous production, spectacular features and – while it might not be a brand new and original sound- another fantastic addition to a household sound many feel some type of way towards. In this addition of Artist Radar, we’re gonna take a look at that new addition; the softgirl/softboy bedroom pop sound you play at the comedown of a party (socially distanced, of course!); Alycia Bella.

Bella’s discography is quite short; only boasting a handful of singles and her debut album; you read that right! That one girl talking at the tail end of Frank Ocean’s debut album: channel Orange “End” interlude (didn’t see that one coming, did you?) released a totally underrated and criminally underappreciated debut album: “MUSE” back at the start of January after releasing single after single with the odd Westside Boogie feature on “Cue The Sun” back in 2020; but that’s not to say she’s a “new” artist in the slightest as she recounts working with the likes of Justin Timberlake, NE-YO, Ty Dolla $ign and the infamous will.i.am from the Black Eyed Peas.

Bella’s dreamlike, cloudy delivery on her album will make you dream of the simplicity of summertime, the feeling of a cold breeze brushing your cheek as you swig a pina colada on the beach volleyball sand. In reality; her whole vibe oozes self-confidence and an appreciation for reflection and self-discovery. In addition to the Westside Boogie feature, “Healing Interlude” has Vince Staples (the dude that made “Norf Norf”) criticise the lack of respect society throws at black women for merely existing, pushing the “protect black women” narrative further and spelling it out in black and white (no pun intended).

I promise you; you won’t regret checking out her album and her singles while also keeping a close eye on any new projects or one-offs she drops in the near future. I might not know too much about R&B and soul, but I know what good music is and this album is a stellar collection of romance, hardship and social awareness….AND VIBES. This artists’ got creativity out the wazoo and has been rewarded the Nefarious Supply seal of approval (not like she needed it to begin with).

AJay! x Kayeandre - Voicemail

Originally born in Jackson, MS., AJay! came from very humble beginnings. He recalls most of his family members having a musical presence growing up, yet, he didn’t take an interest until high school. While attending Mississippi School of the Arts, a friend introduced him to ‘FL Studio.’ A leading, user-friendly, recording software, still dominantly used today. However, it wasn't until his college years at Full Sail University in Orlando, FL., where AJay! would go on to dedicate his time to the music. Upon graduating with his Bachelor's Degree, he got an internship with Icon Studios in Atlanta, GA. There he would meet key-individuals that would help shape his audio production career over the coming years. Around that same time, in 2016, AJay! would go on to land two big placements in the Atlanta Hip-Hop scene with Gucci Mane and Cap 1. Enticing a ‘starving-artist’ with a break-out opportunity, or so he thought. Towards the end of that year, AJay! grew tired of the Trap scene in Atlanta. His mixed appeal wanted more, but could not grasp it. Ultimately forcing him to take a mental break from the music industry altogether, for two years. 

At the end of 2018, he decided to rebrand himself and go into a new direction with his production. Inspired by the genres of R&B and Hip-Hop his whole life, AJay! began redeveloping his sound, and found himself back in a stable position. He took the popular likes of Melodic-Soul, California Hip-Hop, and Trapsoul-R&B, and added his signature style to them. And no, I’m not talking about “Talk to Em AJay!” Though that cannot be forgotten, it is his drum patterns and chord choices which distinguish his appeal from the rest. Forward to today, AJay! has more recently signed a management deal with Co-Sign Radio/Co-Sign Records under Justin Polinsky (Founder & CEO). Since then, he has already done songs with Oshea, Cory Jones, LoverboyBass, and Kyle Banks, with more to come. This is only the beginning of a foreseeable future, and soon, he will get to tell his own stories. 

This song is about when meeting your one genuine love comes with its complications. She already has a man in her life, but claims he does not treat her right. She may live miles away, yet "Somehow you halfway across the world, but your still on my mind." The retraction between her stuck with him, while wanting you. Distances the chance of us ever being together.

AJay! · AJay! & Kayeandre - Voicemail

Black Pioneers: Jimi Hendrix

Black History Month is finally here! We’re really excited for this month because not only is it a month to focus on the amazing history of black culture, we can use our platform to showcase the talent of black pioneers who have laid the groundwork for musicians today. Our first episode opens with the talented rock and roll star Jimi Hendrix an artist who transcends generations.  Although Jimi Hendrix had a very brief career, he is widely regarded as one of the most celebrated rock guitarists, singers, and songwriters in the music industry, earning a place in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In addition to being widely celebrated, Hendrix's career laid the groundwork for rock and rolls wide acceptance and he has continued to influence established stars and rising stars today.

Born November 27, 1942, Hendrix's first experiences with music started at a very young age. He began to work on his sound, drawing influence from big names including B.B. King, Muddy Waters, and Buddy Holly. Unfortunately due to a lack of resources, Hendrix was unable to get a teacher to teach him how to read music. However, this roadblock didn’t hold him back as he was able to teach himself to play guitar after his father purchased him a second-hand guitar from one of his friends. Shortly after Jimi was given the guitar the embers of a music career lit up and Hendrix formed his first band-- The Velvetones. After a brief 3 month period Hendrix left the group to pursue a career of his own, and around this time is when Hendrix's father purchased him his first electric guitar, which was the Supro Ozark 1560s. Like any teenager, at the time Hendrix was up to no good and unfortunately, his antics got him caught up with the law and after being caught twice riding in stolen cars leading to be given a choice of prison or the army. He immediately enlisted in the Army on May 31, 1961, and after basic training, he was stationed at Fort Ord in California. Like any creative who has to be forced into a regiment, Hendrix described his experience saying  "There's nothing but physical training and harassment here for two weeks, then when you go to jump school ... you get hell. They work you to death, fussing and fighting." He begged his father to send him his guitar in the mail and his father relented and sent the guitar shortly after. Finally getting back into his music Hendrix's obsession with the instrument soon turned into him neglecting his duties, which of course got him into trouble, but not enough to stop him from continuing to play. Continuing his career in the Army, Hendrix was discovered by fellow servicemen Billy Cox who was impressed by his technique. After becoming acquainted, the pair went on to play at base clubs on weekends with other musicians in the loosely formed band The Casuals. 

Finally able to balance his love for music and his career responsibilities of being a serviceman, Hendrix completed paratrooper training and was awarded the screaming eagles patch on January 11, 1962, but his personal conduct began to slack and he began to draw constant criticism for his superiors, with his platoon sergeant saying; “He has no interest whatsoever in the Army ... It is my opinion that Private Hendrix will never come up to the standards required of a soldier. I feel that the military service will benefit if he is discharged as soon as possible." The sergeant got him and Hendrix was honorably discharged on June 29, 1962, and thus began the first steps in his career. 

Shortly after Hendrix was discharged, Billy Cox soon followed and the pair linked up again and moved to Clarksville, Tennessee to form the King Kasuals and began playing at low-paying gigs. Getting better and better the duo was then able to relocate to Nashville Jefferson street-- which at the time was the center of the city's black community-- the home of a burgeoning rhythm and blues scene. Gaining recognition, the two were able to obtain a residency at a local venue at the time called the Club Del Morocco and over the next two years, Hendrix was able to make a living on his performance circuit throughout the south with multiple venues under the Theaters Owners Booking Association (TOBA). In addition to playing with his own band, Hendrix collaborated with other emerging artists at the time including Ike & Tina Turner, Sam Cooke, and more. In 1964, feeling he had outgrown the circuit and frustrated with the rules of bandleaders Hendrix left to pursue a career on his own and made his move to Harlem New York where befriended Lithofayne Pridgeon  (known as Faye) who later became his love interest. As a native to the Harlem music scene Faye introduced Hendrix to her web of connections and while working on growing his career Faye provided Hendrix with shelter and support. After about a month in the area, Hendrix won his first prize from the legendary Apollo Theater amateur contest and parlayed the recognition into landing a seat in the Harlem club circuit. Further building his connections and his name in the area, Hendrix was then able to catch the attention of Ronnie Isley and after an audition, Hendrix landed a spot as the guitarist in the Isley's Brothers back up band, I.B. Specialists. 

After a brief time with the brothers and going on tour with them for most of 1964 Hendrix left the band in October and shortly after joined Little Richard's band, the Upsetters. For much of 1965, Hendrix spent most of his time with Richard but due to constantly clashing with Richard over things like tardiness, wardrobe, and other antics, Hendrix was then fired from the band. Never one to sit and wait around Hendrix signed his first record deal with Juggy Murray at Sue Records and briefly rejoined the Isley Brothers, and later that year Curtis Knight and The Squires. He also signed a three-year recording contract with Ed Chaplin, which later caused legal trouble and career problems for Hendrix but did little to derail his career. After recording songs and touring with the Isley Brother and the Squires he was also able to pick up tour dates with Joey Dee and the Starliters. By 1966, after a string of success, Hendrix made his move to Greenwich Village in New York. Similar to his previous moves when starting up in a new location Hendrix played the circuit rounds in the area and he caught up with Animals bassist Chas Chandler in July of that year. Impressed by Hendrix’s performance, Chandler signed Hendrix in September of 1966 to an agreement that had Hendrix move to London to form a new band and from there the stage name of Jimi Hendrix was born, and The Jimi Experience started taking root. 

Featuring bassist Noel Redding, and drummer Mitch Mitchell, the Jimi Hendrix Experience began to gain local recognition in London by the fall of 1966, leading to the band's first single "Hey Joe" that spent ten weeks on the UK's charts topping out at number by early 1967. Capitalizing off the success of the single the band shortly released the first album “Are You Experienced”, gaining national recognition overnight,  The Jimi Hendrix Experience became one of the most popular acts globally, and with that Hendrix was no longer an underground act but an international star.  Following the release of  Are, You Experienced" the band then released “Axis: Bold As Love” which did just as good, if not better than the previous project. 

Finally more in control of his career and able to make his own decisions, Hendrix relocated back to the United States and built his own recording studio Electric Lady Studios which became the title of his next releases “Electric LadyLand” which followed the success of the last two projects. Unfortunately due to career demands, and disagreements among bandmates, The Experience disbanded in 1969. The breakup initially hurt Hendrix but the artist rebounded quickly and in the summer of 1969 Hendrix played at the Woodstock Music & Art Fair and was able to connect with musicians Mitch Michell, Billy Cox, Juma Sultan, and Jerry Velez.

Following Woodstock, Hendrix entered a new era of his life with the designing collaboration and forming of the Gypsys which featured Hendrix as a guitarist, Billy Cox as the bassist, and Buddy Miles as the drummer. After formally getting together the trio launched into 1970 with a series of New Year's performances which were recorded and released on the Band of Gypsys album. By 1970, after bringing back Mitch Mitchell to play the drums, The Jimi Hendrix Experience was formed once again. With the band back together they went on to start recording a new LP titled First Rays Of The New Rising Sun. Unfortunately, Hendrix was unable to see the release of this project due to his tragic death. 

A very brief life, as well as career Jimi Hendrix time here, was spent in devotion to music, and his love for it took him places that most people never get a chance to see. One of the few black faces of rock and roll, during a time when commercial success was primarily monopolized by white artists, Jimi Hendrix’s sound, face, and image was the foundation for a variety of artists including; David Bowie, Lenny Kravitz, Prince, and most recently Future; who adopted the artist's name as a moniker, as well as the title for a project. One of the best to ever do it, Jimi Hendrix was a pioneer in his own right and deserves his place in history as one of the greatest rock and roll artists and as well as African American artists in music history. 

Have you ever listened to Jimi Hendrix? If so, what’s your favorite song by him? Let us know in the comments below! If you want to stay up to date with news and content coming from Nefarious Supply you can find us onInstagram,Twitter, and for our weekly newsletter you can sign up below, and we also working on some things for Nefarious Supply Wear, sign up for our newsletter to stay in the loop!

[Artist Spotlight] - Channel Tres

Photo: James Simpson

One of the best things about being an artist is that if you focus on creating your own unique sound and block out a lot of the noise within the already crowded industry, you can create music that sticks with your fans, and as you build your platform the audience you want will eventually come. An artist that is the embodiment of this theory is rapper/producer Sheldon Young better known as Channel Tres. Coming off the successful release of his newest project “i can't go outside" which dropped on December 11, 2020, Channel Tres continues is slowly but surely building his platform and putting out amazing music while doing so.

Photo: James Simpson

Although his discography is not that big, Channel Tres’ work and name within the music industry are already pretty well known-- having worked with names like Jpegmafia, Emotional Oranges, Tyler the Creator, and more. Originally based out of Southern Los Angeles, specifically the Compton and Lynwood area, Tres ignited his musician career by playing drums for his church choir. After a brief stint of moving to Tulsa Oklahoma, Channel Tres returned to LA where he caught up with August 08 and went along with him to studio sessions. These studio sessions were the start of his professional career, and during these sessions, the producer was able to begin his early work by producing beats for Wale, Duckwrth, Kehlani, and others. His real claim to fame came in 2018 after the release of his single "Controller" which quickly became a cult hit, and his success continued to climb after the release of his debut self-titled EP.

Photo: James Simpson

It's difficult to describe what exact genre Channel Tres’ music fits into, and for other artists that have the potential to be a bad thing but got him, it works. Undoubtedly, his music is heavily influenced by hip-hop but through his production and lyrics, he can take the traditional production sounds of hip-hop and combine them with other sounds like Detroit Techno, and R&B that form a cohesive sound and culminates into an audio experience for listeners. This experience is best showcased in 'i can't go outside'. Inspired by the cluster f*CK of 2020 Tres's latest project is a culmination of him trying to make sense of this year which was thrown off course by COVID-19, which then led to isolation and most of all the racial injustices that plagued the United States.

From beginning to end this project is nothing but a breath of fresh air but some of the stand-out tracks on the project include the upbeat banger "skate depot" and what is arguably the best collaboration of the year with Igor rapper Tyer the Creator. One thing is clear about both Tres, and his music despite everything Tres is not going to let anything derail him from his career goals, and most importantly he will continue to put out nothing but amazing music.

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If you enjoyed this article and want to stay up to date with Channel Tres, and you can find him on Instagram, and be sure to check out his newest EP “i can’t go outside” available on all streaming platforms.If you want to stay up to date with news and content coming from Nefarious Supply you can find us on Instagram, Twitter, and for our weekly news letter you can sign up below, and we also just dropped Nefarious Supply Season 2. Use discount code NEFSUPPLY2 to get free shipping on your first order today