In this segment we’re giving life to the leagues of music being dropped every week during this trying, yet, interestingly enough, personal time.

We at Nefarious Supply want you guys to always have a new underground project or creator, either on your mind, on your playlist, or on your feed in some way, shape, or form. In this instance, we’re doing this on an episodic basis and deciding to write on all the new music coming in through this station, five tracks at a time.

Our fifth episode shows us the importance of caution and quality in our next steps. “As we proceed” is a saying widely-known, especially throughout the African-American community, it propagates the feeling of hopefulness but also of care and attention to detail, of making silent and careful moves, then showing out with a bang when no one expects. As we proceed, let’s be creative, and committed.

Take a look! 😈

Hatesonny - Damage Control

We first heard Hatesonny on Serena Isioma’s Sensitive EP, specifically the track, Move, where the artist laid down a groovy and swelling verse, which complimented Serena’s feminine energy on the track almost flawlessly. On his new album, Golden Child, Hatesonny shows us exactly who he is as an artist.

From the piano-driven melody on top to the bass-thumping 808s beneath, Hatesonny delivers on every part of “Damage Control”, the first track off of his third album. Hatesonny comes with a vengeance for that #1 spot.

Black$tar x Mayal - Jump in the Party

Black$tar and Mayal are back at it again on another piping hot track! The two Calgary natives strike while the iron is hot and make their mark on Jump In The Party. With a nostalgic beast of a beat with a grand production Black$tar gets his point across that he will have fun, no matter what, where, when, or why.

Flexing so much even his ex acknowledges he has it, Black$tar bars are uplifting and also direct and confident, meshing well with Mayal’s masterful use of autotune and melodic synergy with the beat, that he possesses on every track.

Jump in the Party is definitely a feel-good banger that you’ll be singing in the back of your head for a while.

SwaVay - Yaya

DOLO Records’ very own SwaVay features on this episode of the Isolation Station. The opening track “Yaya”, off of his album B4dalbum. Instantly, Kendrick comes to mind as the flute progression and the soft 808-led beat creep along the bottom of the track’s production, the emphasis is focused on SwaVay’s lyrics, and boy are they worth the attention.

Bars comparing Bernie Mac, stu pigeons, big dogs, and cool midgets, as well as thanking God for his Christian roots, not even insinuating, more so telling the listener to the point what he’d do if he wasn’t, these effortless flows as well as the carefully curated production are what put SwaVay ahead of most of his peers.

SAEED - Faded Freestyle

SAEED is back people! With his new freestyle, Faded, the Chicago artist tries to drink away his problems, may have fallen in love, or was it the drink in his hand? He’s confident but also unsure of himself. However, at the end of the day, he’s going to keep it moving and keep working.

This is the underlying theme of the track, however SAEED’s fun take on the overlaying theme of a drunken night in the club, vibing over a heavy-hitting, spacey beat is him in his prime lane and vibe, and we hope his sound only continues to evolve beautifully.

Freddy Leone & Apollo1027 - Freak Show (ft. David Sulky)

Freddy Leone and Apollo1027 team up on a surprise collab de3with their EP, The Third Generation. Their standout track, Freak Show, portrays Leone and Apollo in their prime form, seamlessly switching flows as they trade lyrical blows left-right overtop a beautifully full and brimming production style.

The beat focuses heavily on making the space for both artists to run at their fullest speed, with topics of sexual freedom, lost time, letting go, keeping secrets, promises kept and broken, and of course, having the money to fund the lifestyle that propagates these hazardous, yet intriguing situations.

Featuring artist, David Sulky’s, beautiful finishing verse before the refrain solidifies him as an artist to look out for. Sultry, high-vibrato tones put him on a pedestal for all to listen and love. Overall a standout track from these Orlando giants.

If you enjoyed this week’s episode of Isolation Station be sure to give the artists featured this week a follow and check out the rest of their discography!

If you want to stay up to date with news and content coming from Nefarious Supply you can find us on Instagram, and Twitter. We also recently opened the Nefarious Supply shop so if you want to support you can show some love here!

BLVCK / WHXTE is the first double EP from Calgary’s hotshot newcomer, YXNG BLVCK, f.k.a. Black$tar. Having been influenced by a variety of cultures and genres ranging from rap to more experimental sounds such as rock, pop-punk, and alternative. With the addition of his Jamaican heritage to this healthy mix, Black$tar fell in love with music, from melodies, to memorizing vocal and drum patterns, and even later picking up piano.

2011 was the year the Calgary artist truly fell in love with hip hop, being heavily influenced by idols within the genre, such as Lupe Fiasco, the late Mac Miller, and T.I..

After a few years of honing his craft, YXNG BLVCK was introduced to another upcoming Calgary artist, by the name of Deezy. Together, the two would put on show after show, and soon brought on BLVCK’s long-time friend, Stik for collaborations and projects.

After 3 years the three had stunned and awed the Calgary rap scene with fully booked sets and packed crowds, as well as grabbing the attention of big-time promoters within their city, even opening for Smokepurpp at the Palace Theater. Later, getting booked for shows under major headlining artists such as The Outlaws, Kent Jones, Rich Homie Quan, Lil Nas X, and the late Juice WRLD, in addition to selling out shows within Kelowna, BC, and generating over 50,000 streams on his 2 highly anticipated EPs, BLVCK and WHXTE, on the sole power of Apple and Spotify alone, and YXNG BLVCK’s catalog was full and ready for the music industry in 2018.

Now, having signed to Underdog Entertainment, arguably Calgary’s first perpetual artist development powerhouse, Nefarious Supply has had the great opportunity of giving our readers and fans an in-depth review of his double EP, BLVCK / WHXTE.

Enjoy, and look out for more from this Underdog powerhouse.

BLVCK

LETS TALK ABOUT IT

Let’s Talk About It is the first track on BLVCK / WHXTE and runs out the gate, leading the rest of the double EP with bars almost as hard hitting as the 808s underneath. A roughly 1-minute track, YXNG BLVCK uses the track to get the starter energy off his chest. He requests all his haters to come talk about the success they’re so worried about, flexing his energy, work ethic, aspirations and achievements all in 60 seconds.

GAME TIME (ft. Tyson Meshaq)

Another banger, straight out the gate, YXNG BLVCK lyrically dances along the energized 808s, complimented by a simple yet entwining flute melody overtop. BLVCK brings on Tyson Meshaq for this feature, who brings just as much grime and heavy lyricism as his counterpart. The two go bar for bar, running through the 2 minute 50 second track with effortless flows and various switched styles. The gist of the track centers around grinding, gaining, and locking into your craft, no matter what it is. God is a major motivator behind the track’s influence.

JB FABRIC (ft. Sevan Mattar)

Right off the bat, BLVCK’s first words on JB Fabric is “I want it all”, a running theme throughout the course of the track. Topics of fashion, religion, and fake supporters are introduced, melding and flowing in and out of another heavy-hitting beat. The production switches to a murkier and stylistically darker tone as Sevan comes on and spits heavy material through a distorted voice, wrapping the weight and uncompromising feel of the track in a pristine bow.

SET IT OFF (ft. Deeper)

Set it Off is the fourth song on BLVCK’s double EP. A hype track from start to finish, BLVCK speaks on his past struggles with addiction, his relationship with God, his hunger for success and his unsparing approach to said success. Halfway through, a surprise feature from upcoming grime artist, Deeper, appears as BLVCK alley-oops to him for a final no holds barred verse, before the chorus hits the listener one last time.

LIT

A tonal shift in the tracklist, Lit’s production is much more crepuscular than the other tracks so far. Yet again BLVCK shows his versatility as an artist, switching effortlessly through various flows on-top of a bulky 808. The hi-hats add a playful cliffhanger for the rest of the beat, leaving the listener satisfied with the great blend between BLVCK’s energy and the production.

WHERE YOU AT

Where You At shifts the tone of the EP through the roof once again, and BLVCK seems to regain his composure and find himself within his music once again, flexing his success and fame, as well as his aspirations for even higher heights within his career, hitting the listener with a dose of “I’m still here, and I’m going to do what I set out to do.”

ECHOES II

The last song on the BLVCK side of the EP, Echoes II cruises in with pleasing guidance into the first Black$tar’s first verse, carrying a similar light-heartedness to the production style, yet, being injected with a sense of nostalgia and somberness. YXNG BLVCK speaks on tragedy, life experiences, introspection, and moving forward throughout the dark times thrown at you, a fitting end to the EP’s tenebrous side.

WHXTE

SPEECHLESS

The opening track on YXNG BLVCK’s WHXTE duality, the Calgary artist shows his versatility over different forms of productions. BLVCK rides the beat with lyrical stories of grandeur, fame, money, and women, all in all propogating the fact that in every aspect of his life, whether it comes to his music, his relationships, or his life in general, he’ll always leave those in his presence in awe.

JUST LIKE YOU (feat. Kaje)

Just Like You is the second track on the WHXTE half of the EP, and shows YXNG BLVCK’s lower register and as the tone of his voice changes, so does the tone of his lyrics. He and featured artist, Kaje, touch on topics of heartbreak, nights with the one you love, and nights without them, as well as moving forward and finding the one that compliments you inside and out. The production is smooth and compliments both artist’s voices perfectly.

ON ME

On Me starts off with a synth build up that leads into an almost afrobeat-esque beat progression. BLVCK, as it seems with every track on this double EP, rides the beat flawlessly and adds his own poppy, yet bodacious and real lyricism. He laments over witnessing a girl who is going through struggles with failed love and drug abuse, proposing that with him, she won’t have to worry, and that he has everything on lock.

MIAMI

Miami’s piano chord progression in the beginning smoothly allows for BLVCK’s almost submerged vocals to glide through and inject themselves into the track’s culmination. The beat speeds up as Black$tar builds for the chorus, before expanding for the chorus yet again. BLVCK talks about a heartbroken girl he’s met in Miami who took drugs to seemingly ease the pain.

SORRY

Sorry is YXNG BLVCK’s most introspective and heartfelt song on his double EP. The track is a tribute to a close friend of his who has passed away. On the track, BLVCK is lost, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually about the loss of his friend. All he wants to be able to tell them is that he’s sorry, that he wishes it was him instead, that he drinks to ease the pain, and that he just doesn’t know what to say. Grief has no answer, and BLVCK approaches this concept cautiously and sincerely.

ALL FOR YOU

All For You is one the most melodic tracks on the WHXTE side of our double EP. The production is exceptionally more light-hearted than the others within the tracklist, with sunny chimes and light synth progressions, underneath a warm 808 blanket. YXNG BLVCK speaks on love and how everything he’s working for is all for someone he holds dear, even through their ups and downs.

STAY

And Stay, the final track on YXNG BLVCK’s double EP, reigns the emotions of the project in, settling them down and laying them to rest. The track paints the picture of the artist asking a simple question and trying to answer it through every aspect he can, especially through his faith in God. He knows he has to move on, yet he also knows he can only go at his own pace, and he is just fine with that.

~~~

Big shout out to YXNG BLVCK for the amazing music we were able to review at Nefarious Supply, to keep up to date with him you can find him on Instagram. And be sure to check out his new double EP BLVCK / WHXTE on all streaming platforms, and while you’re there be on the lookout from quarantines which features new releases from UDE signees every week.

If you want to stay up to date with news and content coming from Nefarious Supply you can find us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook, and to get articles as soon as they drop you can sign up to be on our newsletter below, we also recently opened the Nefarious Supply shop so if you want to support you can show some love here!

ISOLATION STATION EP 5 - AS WE PROCEED