[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).

Lucky Daye - Table for Two - Review

Table for Two by Lucky Daye comes as his first release of 2021 and is nothing less than a great album to listen to. After the 2019 success with his album Painted and the release of the deluxe version of that album in 2020, Lucky Daye has put out a short yet powerful album that will surely make anybody who listens to it understand his style of music.

 First things first, this is a sexy album. It is captivating, dynamic, and makes you feel a deeper connection than most music we hear these days. The production value of this album is amazing. By utilizing heavy 808s, raw guitar, and layered vocals, it blends the two worlds of R&B and hip hop in a way that compliments each other and isn’t too overpowering.

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Ego Trip – Intro

The intro for the album ‘Ego Trip’ is a cool skit that sets the theme for the entire album. This style of introduction to a musical project shows the artist’s creative tendencies in wanting to produce something fun and different for the listener while staying in their own vein of creative thought. When albums have introductions such as this, it tends to hold the attention of the audience and interests them into diving into the entire project—which it did for me.

How Much Can A Heart Take

The first musical piece on this album ‘How Much Can A Heart Take’ is a very strong start and projects the theme of this album. Yebba, being the feature in this song, adds a great vocal lead that holds the listener. The song has a bit of a tropical vibe to it, transporting the listener to a state of relaxation, yet, the song discusses tribulations of heartbreak and changing feelings, all in the context of having someone run around on them. Overall, this is a great first song to start the album with and really does make for an interesting listen.

 On Read  

‘On Read’ hits way differently than the rest of the songs on this album. In my opinion, it’s the best song on the album, which is quite a feat considering that all the songs on this album are great to listen to. The intro, with a simple yet effective guitar solo, sets a very dark and sensual mood, then hits you with some heavy bass. On Read’s intro is the reason why I call this album sexy. Then to make things better, a choir-style vocal comes in singing “All Night” making for a powerful punch. The song covers the all too familiar issue of being left on read and worrying about if you said the wrong thing or not, thus making you worry “All Night”

My Window

‘My Window’ brings a very real and grounding reality to the album. The simple piano riffs at the beginning of the song give that feeling of a post break-up morning, where you’re left with sadness and the lingering thought of “what went wrong?” There’s a powerful message spoken in the song, specifically “It’s a shame trying to force something that we’re not” displaying a common situation of how some people leave a relationship because they feel that they are forcing it instead of wanting to be there.  

Access Denied

‘Access Denied’ is one of the more soulful songs on this album, with a very simple hand drumming line it makes the listener feel very in tune with the music on a deep level. This song takes a step back from the heavy production and fine-tuning within the other songs and brings it back to basics which makes it easy on the ear. The holds a playful theme and brings the listener a sense of relief and giving them a hopeful feeling after the previous songs laid a somewhat sad subject matter.

Dream

‘Dream’ is exactly the way it sounds; 'like a dream. With a very dreamy swaying sound, it puts you fall into a trance. The theme of this song is that their partner’s love is like a dream and if it is a dream, they never want to wake up. The thing that makes this song stand out the most is the harmonies both singers introduce as the song progresses. It becomes more and more layered as the song goes on, and eventually creates a wall of harmonies that is very pleasing to hear every time it comes up. The song also keeps up with the theme of increasing positivity and happiness by making the listener feel as though they are falling in love alongside the artists.

Falling In Love

 ‘Falling in Love’ really brings us full circle to Lucky Daye’s story about love and the journey of a romantic relationship. With this exodus, the notion “don’t make me regret falling in love” is transparent and brings the ideas from the beginning to a close, where heartache and anxiety are healed by finding love again. This song brings back that playfulness we saw in the last song, with the 80s style synth playing and the fast-paced beat the song carries. While it talks about love lots, it also shows how being in love can also develop a defense system for some people to make sure they don’t get hurt again. The song ends off the album in a positive light and makes the listener feel light and definitely makes them feel like they want to come back for more.

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Listen to Table For Two on Spotify. Lucky Daye · Album · 2021 · 7 songs.

 If you want an easy listening album that will keep your attention the while time, look no further than Lucky Daye’s Table For Two. If you enjoyed this review and want to listen to more Lucky Daye be sure to follow him and Instagram as well as Twitter. 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.

Maxx Owa - Crescendo

Maxx Owa! What’s up? Welcome to Nefarious Supply. To get this interview started, introduce yourself to the audience, who is Maxx Owa, what got you to start making music, and what’s your favorite aspect about being an artist? 

First off I wanna say thank you to Nefarious Supply for allowing me to be interviewed it’s super appreciated. My name is Maxx Owa I’m from the IE short for Inland Empire, and what first started me in music was a clique I made up with friends in high school called the “Popular Misfits” that grew to be known throughout our City (Rialto). A few of my buddies at the time used to rap so we decided to make an anthem that we could play when we threw parties to get our crew buzzing even more. Now that I’m older and have grown more as an artist I fully understand and have more of an appreciation to the music and being an artist. My favorite aspect of being an artist is ultimately being free. And that’s with everything, free to the journey of being nothing to something. Free to create whatever music speaks to you and putting it out with no expectations. Being free to whatever comes and whatever doesn’t come but fully embracing all the beauty in that when it comes to being an artist and creating music.

Where are you based out of? how has this area influenced you and your music, and how is this area for underground/emerging acts is it a hub, or is it still in its early stages? 

Well I’m from the IE which is about 45 mins East from LA. A lot of people would cop out and just say their from LA but you gotta honor where you’re from and I love the IE. Not to mention we got legends from here whom are family to me like Audio Push and Hit-Boy. And if you go look those names up you’ll see what I mean by legends respectfully. The IE doesn’t really necessarily have a certain sound or anything it’s really whatever you make it. The IE is super chill, around 2008 it would be booming for cliques who were making music and had more of a space for opportunity to get something going, but now it’s like make your music and get it cracking and then hey we all love you lol.

What artists have had an impact on you and your sound? And what projects or songs have been in heavy rotation for you recently? 

I grew up skating so I had a lot of friends who would put me on different bands like Bloc Party, Born Ruffians and Phoenix. But I also used to only watch the Disney Channel so then I’d see the Jonas Brothers and vibe with them while also still being from the IE so I’m still listening to my brothers gang rap and hood shit on a day to day to. So the inspiration and impact is all around from many genres. Right now there’s no specific album in rotation I’m literally listening to anything that moves me but some go to’s for me would be Frank Ocean and Stevie Wonder.

In addition to your favorite aspect of being an artist, what would you say is the most challenging thing about being an artist? How do you overcome these challenges, and for new artists who may face some of the same challenges what advice would you give them? 

Personally for me, I’ve learned that whatever problems I was having when it came to the music or just in life had to do with me and the inner work I wasn’t doing within myself. Overthinking and making up problems that didn’t even exist because I was thinking everything had to be a certain way to be accepted. So once I started checking in with myself dealing with the subconscious and growing within. The problems that were outside became non existent. It’s like I’m in a place of being free no pressure and creating working hard with people who care about each other’s dreams and well being. So the process now is all fun and we never stop growing so there’s always something new to learn and obtain. It’s fun.

Maxx Owa _ Remember / Count On Me (Live Session)Maxx recently released a body of work titled XXO giving you a closer look into the artist he is with records ...

So advice I’d give to a new artist or to a regular person on the street who is far from a artist I’d say to make sure to take a beat and check in with yourself do some self healing and growing within. Once you master yourself and understand this realm we are living in and the power you have within yourself you’ll get to a place of balance and the things that bothered you before will be nonexistent to you. You’ll be able to move in a space of truly honoring yourself and whatever it is you wanna do in a high vibration.

Last year was no doubt a crazy time, so how did you keep yourself grounded and what are some things you learned about yourself or even the industry during the year? 

Last year was definitely eye opening to say the least. For me personally I felt it was one of the best years I’ve ever had because of so much I learned within myself and the environment around me. I fully understand that no matter what’s going on around you, you are always in control on how it will effect you. Will this mess up my energy my day my week or for many my year or will this be something I can learn from and use to help take me to another level. I think the music industry will be the music Industry always because of the people who run it, but I also know there are a lot of new people and older people in the game who are gate keepers who are turning tides and making huge opportunities for artist who are known by little. Just off of the strength of their love for music which is really cool, so that’s always dope to see.

So let's talk music. Last year you put out your project ‘Xxo’. Tell us about this project including what inspired it, your creative process to put it together, who helped you with production, and your favorite tracks on it? 

XXO was something I started in 2018 just cutting records still growing finding what I liked, experimenting with different vibes and what spoke to me. Some of the records on there are from 2018 and some are from 2019 and 2020. The main producer on the project is OhGosh Leotus. He’s from the IE also amazing producer along side Haze, Mihji Grey, Dean Vision, A.G, Eli and Wolf to name a few lol. All amazing producers and good people who showed nothing but love and genuine help which was appreciated to say the least. My brother Kami Osha is always with me piecing it all together alongside OhGosh to make sure everything is straight. With mixing from Haze and Marie whom always comes in clutch for me. One of my favorite tracks on XXO has to be ‘Inside’. That record just hits me in the feels from a conversation I was having with my Hunny at the time so it’s a good one for me.

In addition to your latest project ‘Xxo’, you released your newest body of work ‘Crescendo - EP’. Tell us about this new project?

Crescendo was something me Kami and Mihji came up with 4 days before releasing it lol. I have another EP finished 6 songs that I’ve been planning to release and wanted to drop a record for the people before I do. Like something to hold over. And Mihji suggested why not a two piece and it could go perfect with Valentine’s Day and it’s a perfect excuse to release some music that might not had never seen the light of day. So then from two it went to four as I went digging more into the archive and I’m glad I did because more music is always better lol. It goes back to us moving on the “being free” energy and going with the flow doing what you want so that’s how we got Crescendo. Kami came up with the name he’s always thinking of cool things for artist and just being a creative which is one of the many reasons he’s a goat and great person to have on your team.

I gotta be very honest with you man, your music is next level in terms of quality, so just walk us through your creative process from beginning to end! How do you know you have something you wanna share with your audience? 

Thank you I appreciate that! And honestly it starts from some loops or beats from Kami Mihji or OhGosh, I load it up in my home studio and begin to put ideas down. Once I get a good rough skeleton we pull up on OhGosh and start post production and getting everything right. I always let my girlfriend hear the records see what she thinks alongside the team and if it’s flowing making sense and I’m loving it then we put it out. I keep bringing Kami up but he really is the goat because he does all of my artworks so everything is taken care we don’t really have to reach outside of our circle to get the the quality we do because we all care for it at a high amount. Everybody wants the best for each other so that’s what we always try to give.

So it seems like Kami Osha, Scotty Apex, and yourself work together a lot and everything you guys do is top-notch, so how did you guys meet? What's it like working with them, and do you guys have plans on putting out a joint project in the future? 

Kami is the glue to it all he knows everybody and takes pride on linking people together because he knows something beautiful will come from it. Scotty Apex just released a body of work called “Startlight” which is amazing and so cohesive and flows. I’m featured on “All Of It” a super nice vibe I love that record. Working with Scotty is pure and chill he writes music so damn fast and it’s so good idk where he gets it from lol. With me I personally like to take my time and not rush anything but either process is amazing and something good will always come from it.

What’s next in 2021 do you have any plans on releasing any visuals anytime soon? 

2021 I’m gonna be releasing another project and I’m def gonna be releasing more visuals. Gonna keep it going and getting everything to newer levels while enjoying the process

Who should we interview next on Nefarious Supply? Shout them out! 

Chase Aaron, Kent Money, N.No, Price & Oktane from Audio Push but individually because their both doing solo projects right now for the first time ever which is amazing so that would be super cool to see their individual perspectives.

Any last words?

Last words I’d like to thank you guys again for taking the time out to interview me means a lot and keep a eye and ear out for everything Maxx Owa because you won’t be disappointed. Thank you

A simple Hesh Muffin.

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Big shout out to Maxx Owa for interviewing with Nefarious Supply, if you want to stay up to date wit him and his music you can find his Soundcloud above, and follow him on Instagram, as well as Twitter. While you’re showing love be sure to check out his newest project Crescendo available now! 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.

Demon Discography - 2.17.21

If there’s one thing we are pretty confident about, is that underground music is and will always be the newest sound and the force to drive the music industry forward. This is the reason we place such an emphasis on giving underground and emerging artists a platform, so the artists coming up today, are the big acts of tomorrow. With that in mind, we are extremely excited to update our Demon Discography! Our playlist which features nothing but underground artists. The last time we updated the playlist dates back in October of 2020, so we are super excited to share with you guys the music we have been bumping over the last couple of months.

This months update features a ton of new music from names we have featured here before as well as some artists we are hoping to feature including; Krew$, Foggieraw, Che Ecru, Tadafi, Serena Isioma, Stephen Jailon, Hidden Hills, Elujay & J.Robb, The Code, Lo Village, Alycia Bella, BIGBABBYGUCCI, Mathaius Yung, Blackmayo, Artie J, K. Forest, Maxx Owa, AAKHU, Zavage, Hrtbrkfever, AJay!, & Kayandre. All of the songs featured here are top tier but we wanted to highlight some stand artists as well as projects that are favorites of the team.

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Mathaius Yung - Space Age Shit

One of our favorite artists right now, Mathaius Young, ended 2020 on a high note with the release of his project Angel Deep. Based out of Cleveland, Mathaius has been making music for the most of his life and it shows. Catching our eye at the beginning of 2019, we featured him on the platform and was already blown away by his discography at the time which included: ‘Take The Night Away’, ‘Take The Night Away 2’, ‘Burnin’ Castles (w/ Tre Capital)’, and ‘Boy Meet’s World’. A very solid artist as far as his discography, Mathaius Young is already a legend in the early stages of his career, and with the release of ‘Angel Deep’ Mathaius has further cemented his name as an artist that we have high hopes for in future. Featuring guest appearances from Michael Seven, Tre Capital, and WesWIll, Angel Deep is a must listen to, and if you want to learn more about Mathaius check out our latest interview with him which can be found here.

Eli Sostre - New Opps

Eli Sostre’s career has been nothing but phenomenal and for those that have been paying attention to him, you know that he is able to release great music on a consistent basis. Making his debut back in 2016 with the release of his project ‘Still Up All Night’, Eli came out the gate swinging. Still finding his unique sound, Eli Sostre has taken some the most prevalent sounds at the time and created a sound that is particular to him and even comes with the help of his go to producer, Soriano. From his 2016 release Eli Sostre has grown as an artist and has added great projects to his discography including ‘Sleep Is For The Weak’, ‘Eros’, and his latest project ‘Emori’, all of which gets better and better. Eli Sostre stands out to us because not does he have his own sound, he has the ability to carry an entire project on his own with limited features, which is something that is not easy to find today in music.

Serena Isioma - Stop Calling The Police On Me

Serena Isioma has had the best 2020! From grabbing national attention with the release of her single ‘Sensitive’ as well as dropping her debut project “The Leo Sun Sets”. Serena may be in the early stages of her career but she is definitely a force to be reckoned with. ‘The Leo Sun Sets’ is a solid debut album with only features 7 songs, each song is packed with enough make you wanna listen over and over again. One of the first artists we interviewed in our early stages, we have watched Serena grow as an artist and it’s amazing to watch her achieve great heights and we know that she still has more to come.

Scotty Apex - Helpless

Another artist we featured, Scotty Apex, has been since releasing music since 2016 and with each new release he dead ass gets better and better. First coming up on our radar, we first interviewed the artist back in 2019 right before he released newest project at the time ‘Lovesick 2’. Almost two years later and numerous singles, Scotty Apex followed up on the success of ‘Lovesick 2’ with his newest project ‘Starlight’, a project that raised the bar even higher for him and his music. Having guest appearances from Mathaius Young, Ejaaz, Michael Seven, and Maxx Owa, Scotty Apex is not going anywhere any time soon.

Maxx Owa - Day by Day

Last but not least, is rising artist Maxx Owa. New to our radar, Maxx is definitely someone that you should look for in upcoming rap. A discography that dates back to 2018, Maxx Owa may have a very limited amount of released music but the quality is always there. Having worked with one of our favorite artists and getting a personal referral from Kami Osha, we couldn’t help but to check him out and we’re more than blown away with him. He also just released his newest project ‘Crescendo’ so be sure to check that out.

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What’s your favirote track on this months playlist let us know in the comments below and if you want to be featured on our next one hit our submission box in the top! 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!

[MYMHM 5] - Rico Nasty - Nightmare Vacation

Rico Nasty, whew. What else can we say? Originating from Prince George’s County, Maryland, the DMV artist has made waves in the music industry that have had the metaphorical boats rocking since her Tales of Tacobella mixtape. Rico has put out consistent and solid projects since then, including the headbanging, face souring Sugar Trap 2, which helmed fan favorites such as “Poppin” and “Key Lime OG”. Her debut album, Nasty, featured upcoming artists at the time such as Blocboy JB and Lil Gnar, and with the coming of her sophomore project, Anger Management, Rico had officially solidified her name in the rap game.

Now with her final studio debut project, Rico Nasty’s Nightmare Vacation has finally taken stage. Take a ride with us as we walk you down the the chaos ridden beaches of Rico’s World.

Candy

An aggressive and hyperactive first track off the project has Rico throwing listeners in an off-kilter production, engineered by Jay Que, supplemented by her subtle, yet gnarly lyricism. On this track Rico beckons her haters and critics to try their best because they’re going to have to kill or fight because, despite all of the negative energy, she’s shining brightly regardless, evident in her first lyric:

“On a dark and stormy night, I don't blend in, bitch, I shine bright (Okay)”

(fyi) There is a more in-depth analysis into this particular lyric on Genius.

IPHONE

IPHONE is the most experimental of the tracks on the project, with innovative producer Dylan Brady, who fans speculated was 100 Gecs due to their similar engineering styles. IPHONE is a trap song on an EDM trip, switching between the genres effortlessly as Rico styles out in a high-pitched, elecrtic synth vox-like delivery, followed by beautiful harmonies.

Honestly, this song is just a vibe. We love it. That’s it.

STFU

STFU is is probably one of our favorites due to Rico’s bare delivery on the track. She didn’t let the beat rest, and surprisingly vice-versa, bringing out this beautiful give and take that drew us in from start to finish. Rico’s storytelling has also improved, proving her growth as an artist in such a short period of time, lyrically and as a curator of her style of music, scream rap.

Back & Forth (with Amine)

Any day Rico and Amine decide to collaborate, the fans are always happy. The Sugarparents feed their children since Amine’s vibe-ridden ONEPOINTFIVE. On the beautifully orchestrated track (thank you CashMoneyAP) the two vetted rappers go “back and forth” with each other, slipstreaming through each other’s topics, ranging from not wanting to play games to the fear of saying what they need to say for whatever this is to move forward.

The song is an absolute vibe and Amine is already a fan favorite of mine, a very good collab!

Smack A Bitch (ft. ppcocaine, Sukihana, & Rubi Rose)

Smack A Bitch has been a staple track that signifies most, if not all, of what Rico is trying to convey in her music, with the energy, the grit, the demand for respect, the absence of care, Rico made this breakout single back in 2018, and decided to bring it back in full force on Nightmare Vacation, with the help of some of the most confidence off-kilter black female rappers in the game.

RICO NASTY · Nightmare Vacation

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What’s your favorite track on the album and most importantly what’s your number one favorite Rico Nasty song let us know in the comments below. And to stay up to fate with Rico Nasty be sure to follow her on Instagram and Twitter.

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!

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!

7Latenights

7Latenights welcome to Nefarious Supply! To get the interview started, tell us about yourself? Who is 7Latenights and what led you down the path of becoming a musician?

7Latenights , is a hustler , out going , and a genuine person. And what led me down the path of making music and taking it seriously was when I didn’t have nothing or nobody to turn to , I’d write. I always knew how to write music , but I always sounded different on the mic. One day my cousin / manager foreign paid for some studio time back when I was 17 , back in 2017 for my birthday and I came out with a song called “Pull Up” and my school went crazy for it. But I was still ripping and running. But a couple situations happened and made a choice to stick with it because I had a story to tell. And I learned the business aspect of it, and dropped top of the year 2020. The rest was history.

Where are you based out of and how has this area influenced you as well as your sound?

I’m based out of Freehold New Jersey , The “Free”. And just growing up in the environment I was in it taught me early what love was, bro code ,how to hustle and get what you want. My family is big , and my father was known. My mom knew everybody on the every corner, everybody on every corner knew me. Just being around all the OG’s, and experiencing life that an average kid wouldn’t experience at that age influenced me to have the hunger and that passion when hop in the booth.

To follow up to the last questions, how is the area for underground creatives? What’s the culture like, the networking, and overall vibe?

We didn’t really have anybody that rapped in our area Until Bust G (R.I.P) came along and created a wave that made everyone want to rap and go to the studio with him. Then a few guys out of the area started coming up the same time I was in the studio. And we created networks outside of our town and shared these important people amongst our circle. Our culture is real, and unique everybody has they own style of doing things. And we all grew up at a popular park around our neighborhood so everybody knew each other. The vibe was cool.

How long you have been making music and what artists would you say have had the biggest impact on you and your music?

I’ve been making music for 2 years seriously. And artist like Chris Brown, Drake, Tory, Future ,Young Thug , Meek Mil, and many more influenced me just listening to them and how they sell the real feeling what your feeling like in whatever mood you’re in and either making you feel better or worst. Gave me the upper hand to really hop on any subject any song and get it done.

Even though 2020 slowed the rest of the world down you stayed focused and dropped 5 singles, 2 EPs and a deluxe project! How did you manage to stay focused during such a crazy time, and for artists who are having a hard time what is some advice you would give them?

What made me stay focused was seeing how my mom and sister was not struggling but a little rough around the edges during quarantine. I was in a this had to get better mood. So I locked in every day and was recording heat. If it wasn’t to my standards the songs got tossed. And for any artist having a hard time whether it is writers block, or you dealing with something at home, or feeling like nothings being done. Relax and write out some goals, or do something that’s going to inspire you to go make the music that you want to create. And you can’t skip days out of the studio or else someone else took your opportunity, someone else made a hit while you decided to miss sessions. You have to be dedicated if you want to be successful.

To get into your music, talk to us about your first EP ‘Do Better’. How did that project come together? Who did you work with and what are some of your favorite tracks on the project?

I was going through a situation with a girl at a time and being introduced to a new girl at the time. And I just started singing at the time. I worked by myself in the studio and I leased beats from producers. My favorite track till this day on there is LUV ME.

Following that EP, tell us about your second EP ‘7Latenights’. How long did it take you to put this one together? Who did you collaborate with for this one?

It was all me on the project. And this project took me a week to create.

After an amazing 2020, what are your next steps for 2021? What are some goals you want to accomplish and where do you want to be by the end of the year?

To keep my foot on the gas, I got more heat on the way. I want to heavy hitter by the end of the year , and I want to be able to give back and be the top dog of my lane.

Shout some friends out! Who should we feature next on Nefarious Supply?

Shakes G , Nate Taylorr, SmithRush , NGC Mekhai....

Any last words?

It’s ya boy 7Latenights and if you haven’t already go get and check out my latest project “7latenights” the deluxe .. stay tuned in we got more on the way

1012 RECORDS

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Big shoutout to 7latenights, be sure to check out his music which can be found on all streaming platforms and if you want to stay up to date with him you can follow him 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, and we also just dropped Nefarious Supply Season 2. Use discount code NEFSUPPLY2 to get free shipping on your first order today