New Music by Los Rakas feat. D Smoke, MPeach & Uproot Andy, Cimafunk, and Josue Lora & Nota G
21 April, 2020The perfect thing for #stayathome—new music by artists from a variety of places featuring an assortment of sounds. Let’s dig right in.
California: Los Rakas feat D Smoke: ‘Un Poquito Mas’
Oakland-based duo Los Rakas have returned with a new single featuring D Smoke, the winner of season 1 of the Netflix reality show contest, Rhythm + Flow.
After connecting via social media, the Grammy nominated Los Rakas and D Smoke set up a session with producer Mars Today. The result was “Poquito Mas,” a track with lush percussion and beautiful guitar accents. And the collaboration between a black rapper from Inglewood, Calif., and two Latino rappers from Oakland and Panama? Much needed, said Raka Dun.
“This collaboration is important for the culture, especially in segregated places like Los Angeles. Showing Black and Latino unity is vital. We’re happy we got to connect with [him]. He’s a dope artist bringing something new to the game just like this record. ‘Poquito Mas’ is a fresh vibe that’s never been heard before.”
Listen to the single, which has D Smoke showing his bilingual rapping skills. A Spanish major when he was an undergrad at the University of California at Los Angeles, D Smoke likes throw Spanish language lyrics in his bars.
NYC: MPeach & Uproot Andy, ‘Fuegos de Colores’
The Venezuelan born, Brooklyn based, singer MPeach has teamed up with a fellow Brooklynite for a song that’s literally a pop of color. “Fuegos de Colores” is a collaboration with Uproot Andy, who is temporarily based in Germany during this global pandemic. The electro urbano pop collab was two years in the making, MPeach said.
“This song is very special to me. Who would have thought that when it was finally done and we have a release date that made sense with both our schedules, the world turns upside down!? We had a great release event planned in Brooklyn that is obviously not happening, but we still get to share this song with the world. For me, sharing my music is sharing my love and joy. Love is always the answer, and in times like this it’s important to remember that,” she said. Check out the track below.
Cuba: Cimafunk covers ‘Lean on Me’
The death of Bill Withers on the 3rd of April was a heartbreaker “as the public has drawn inspiration from his music during the coronavirus pandemic, with health care workers, choirs, artists and more posting their own renditions on ‘Lean on Me’ to help get through the difficult times.”
And since Cuban doctors were among the first to travel to different Asian countries to help with this pandemic, it’s fitting that Cimafunk, the buzzworthy the funk singer from the island nation has released a cover of the classic.
This pandemic and its ensuing cancellations are hitting independent artists especially hard (see our story on this topic here). Cimafunk, in particular, was to play the Isle of Lights fest in the Dominican Republic, and Lolapalooza in Argentina and Chile. We hope this song provided solace for him as we know we haven’t seen the last of him.
Philly/Trenton: Josue Lora & Nota G, ‘Lunes/21’
Josue Lora and Nota G, a Latin hip-hop duo from the Trenton, NJ/Philly area, whom used to go by Agudos Clef, have released a new live album featuring songs from prior albums played with a full backing band.
The below video contains two songs, which Lora explains can fit right in with anyone struggling right now. Couldn’t come at a better time.
“‘Lunes’ is a song from Teoria, an album we released in 2016,” he said. “It deals with getting out of routines and finding balance to do things you like and for necessary things like rest and family.”
“’21’ is from our album Morir Soñando, released summer of 2019. It was inspired by Nas’ song, “The World is Yours” and offers a clear message: ‘You can literally do anything you put your mind to.’ I wrote the hook a few days after I turned 21 (I’m now 25) and recorded it years later. It was reminder to myself to appreciate the small things, and enjoy the journey. I remember working a job I really disliked and going on Instagram every morning and seeing people “living out their dreams” I almost felt jealous and thought, why them not me? I later realized how much I have done and how a lot of those posts are really not all they seem. Nota G recorded his verse after and it told a story of him having his first kid around the same time I turned 21. I think it was a beautiful and transitional period for both of us. It became my favorite song on the album and really helped me get though a very difficult time,” Lora said.
Follow Sounds and Colours: Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Mixcloud / Soundcloud / Bandcamp
Subscribe to the Sounds and Colours Newsletter for regular updates, news and competitions bringing the best of Latin American culture direct to your Inbox.