Burn the sage and light the incense for your next bonfire, letting Magna Carda’s “Ghetto Gospel” be the soundtrack to your midnight smoke session. As clouds fill the air, imagine your puff-puff-pass riding the sound wave of Megs Kelli and Dougie Do, whose blend of rap, jazz and electronica have caught the ears of kinfolk from their hometown of Austin Texas to cities beyond. They’ve joined stages with The Pharcyde, Joey Bada$$, Oddisee and have featured on NPR radio. They are paralleled with groups like The Roots and certainly suite a Tidal station with artists like Erykah Badu or Oshun in rotation. Magna Carda is lyrical, smooth as fine wine, and in tune with frequencies that blend with Zen at any time of day.
Don’t be afraid to break out in a five-minute meditation to feed your soul some of this Magna Carda goodness morning, noon or night. It suits any occasion and can set the mood of one moment to the next- in a good way!
Atlanta’s lyrical duo Hassan N’ Prodi-G bring its generation a type of eternal classic by way of Al Morocco’s youngest musical ancestor; Hip Hop.
With their upcoming project Melanated dropping soon, thought-provoking brain food from their latest single “Wipe Ya Feet” are bejeweled with infinite knowledge and power sincerely delivered with the finesse of classic Hip Hop.
Prodi-G’s provocatively infused verses texturize each Melody’s Jazzy character, with a cadence that gives its polished sound a raw grit in the truth of “Wipe Ya Feet”. The weight of Prodi-G’s fearless delivery is worth a finger snap or two simply for the bravery of its honesty.
Not only do they deliver pristine quality of substance, Hassan N’ Prodi-G manage to utilize their Lion-like sway without gang violence promotion or misogynous content. However, Hassan is quick to honor the lessons such instances present, like views on the way life works in “The Game”. His clever anecdote will have you thinking twice about what you hear versus what you’ve actually heard. The intricacies are well endowed in offering a fresh perspective to be taken away each time, like a classic BlackStar record.
Their upcoming project emblazons predecessors like Mobb Deep and Outkast, reflecting upon great wisdom while addressing the imbalance of Human society today – particularly for the Melanated.Subconsciously or not, Hassan N’ Prodi-G aide in keeping the culture, helping the group to stand out amongst others by forever residing in the soil which keeps HipHop fruitful.
In an era where everyone is racing to the money bag, Oakland artist Kamaiyah comes from the center of Bay Area chaos, where she highlights the ups and downs of her journey and takes her time on the rise to proving her own success.
She took to the Oakland streets, where the love is extremely real for HipHop culture. People out there will actually purchase music from you off the street to where folks can sell 100K from their trunk easily. But for Kamaiyah, sky is the limit. She continues to push herself past her block, testing her endurance and breaking through street culture norms in ways that most female rap artists require a team for. Some of the most influential people on her art are Missy Elliot, TLC & Aaliyah, whose influences one sees in Kamaiyah’s brand and style of dress.
Her charismatic personality and to-the-point demeanor are refreshing in an industry that is often drowning in fluff. She’s worked with the likes of YG, Drake, and other street disciples that are leading various avenues of rap culture into a new age. Both a producer and songwriter, she is humble enough to admit that there are songs she has done that she doesn’t care for and others that she was shocked to see were so well received. All she knows is the vision she has for herself and the faith that she rides on, which is altogether inspiring. As part of XXL’s 2017 Freshman Class, she mention’s BowWow as a rapper whose lyricism drove her to focus on her pen game. Her first mix tape was gobbled up, with folks loving everything about it. She wanted to make sure that she represented the Bay Area for exactly what it is without any outside influence and really just hopes that listeners will grasp the journey behind her music and what it took to serve people with her final product. You can catch Kamaiyah on YG’s “Why You Always Hatin’” as the song most people know best, but her singles “How Does It Feel”, “Build You Up”, and “I’m On” are cult classics that can be heard amongst her biggest fans.
Overdoz finally releases their long-awaited album “2008”
Overdoz finally drops its album 2008, with fans eagerly awaiting its release since…well, 2008! If you’ve never heard of them, say hello to these West Coast rock stars, whose name rings bells across the land from Dena to South Los Angeles and beyond.
The brothers have been together since day one, chillin’ on avenues and cruising highways most Cali Natives would only pass through. Documenting their journeys in LA, Overdoz takes us back as far as 2008, When Everybody Loved Everybody.
One thing most people don’t know much about is 4711 Expo, the studio where several paths crossed, including the likes of Miguel, ASAP Rocky, Jhene Aiko, Dom Kennedy, the Fistacuffs, THC, and several other aspiring local artists who would collaborate. Folks from every hood would come together in the name of creation where this studio once stood, including Overdoz. It was the block no one would want to walk through at night, with burnt out light posts unworthy of fixing and street-life exchange on every corner.
Today, these old warehouses are barely recognizable, developed into the types of contemporary décor that typically follow gentrification shortly thereafter. Coffee shops and industrial conversions are tucked away on streets where underserved communities of color were once left destitute long after the LA riots had given way to an influx of black wealth amongst the Baldwin Hills, Ladera, Leimert Park, & Crenshaw areas. Although Ujima and Ujamaa principles were reserved amongst several families in the area, others would choose to take their earnings and resources outside of the community, creating an interesting dynamic between rich and poor black families from the hills down to the flat lands. These areas would later face troubles self-sustaining, but the Youth of these local towns would go on to create great art.
2008 is an important project for several reasons. Film director Calmatic has been working with Overdoz for several years, catching controversial footage like Overdoz’s “Rich White Friends” and landmarks that may someday be archived as a blast from the past alongside other monumental black eras, like the times of Black Hollywood in West Adams. These places are important to Los Angeles culture, as they are what make Southern Cali one of the dopest spots across the globe. Of course, such locations would simply be architecture if not for the people who create its diverse artistry, of which Overdoz is a part of.
Their charismatic and quirky humor blends a conscious lyrical wordplay with notes of funk, acid jazz, neo – soul and West Coast HipHop. Someday I imagine them sharing memories as old men in one of these new cafes around here, maybe even some coffee shop that sprouts up near 4711 Expo just for the irony of it.
Welc0me 2 The Z3r0 P0int 
