Black Music Month is almost over, but here at For The Culture Zine, we like to celebrate Black music all year long. Let’s start by diving into some more Black artists.
LIVT
LIVt describes her EP, Black Girl Unbothered, as “seven tracks dedicated to the free spirit of a young black girl living her life”. This Tacoma, Washington native, who is now based in Seattle, is truly needed in a post-pandemic, angst filled world. Her music is jazzy r&b with hip hop swag, yet she never stops acknowledging her anxiety. LIVt outs all the pretenders in “Unbothered”. As LIVt proclaims her realness, you begin to understand that just living your truth makes you unbothered. “43VR” ft. Shayhan has a straight 70’s vibe. It’s as if the Ohio Players were backing her. Shayhan even sounds like Bootsy Collins. She isn’t mimicking a sound; she’s paying homage to it. If you’re into crescendos, “Euphoria” ft. Nobi is just what you’re looking for. It starts out light and mellow then it glides into Nobi’s rap but then it ends by giving Rufus ft. Chaka Khan. Go listen.
In November 2020, LIVt dropped her EP Flowers in the Void. Her creativity didn’t skip a beat. She’s giving everything we’ve come to expect from her but with a sophisticated smoothness. LIVt’s song “Sade to Infinity” gives us more of that throwback neo-soul vibe. Sade herself would be proud. This is what being in love is all about. It is one of the smoothest songs you’ll ever hear. Please give it a listen. “One Track Mind” ft Shayhan has that mellow summer flow that makes you just want to lie out by the pool or take a long scenic drive. Now “Restless” let’s all our anxiety out. LIVt describes perfectly what it’s like to live in your mind with all the angst that inhabits that space. “I’m too proud to phone a friend” is truly the reason that so many people feel trapped in their emotions. This Black Girl is the real deal.
JOHO
Joel Holmes aka Joho is a New Orleans native who now resides in Houston. Joho has managed to encapsulate a vibe that is so appreciated right about now. Most of us have been isolated from family and friends and his LP Discotheque Funeral, which dropped April 23, 2021, is our reunion soundtrack. The title track will have you wanting to go down the Soul Train line. It has a disco feel with the Jackson’s vocals. Grab everyone at the Barbeque, ages 8 to 80, and line dance to “Caz Fantasma”. This song is pure fun. “Sugar Funk” is that bop that has you lacing up your skates. Joho is really giving 70’s disco/funk. Now when Joho wanted to give a mack vibe, he pulled out “Julia”. He is really at his smoothest during this song. “Lemonade” ft. Raycheal Winters is a 70’s retro song about reminiscing. You have got to love a guy who gets in his feels while thinking about an old love. The video is just as retro, even the Lemonade logo looks like those old 70’s Saturday morning cartoon titles. Joho the rapper/singer/producer is a consummate artist. Make sure to check out his latest track, “Karma”. Joho continues to churn out retro bangers and we are here for it.
TAMA GUCCI
Tama Gucci is a singer/model native to Miami. His home base is now NYC. Tama Gucci is a Black Queer Indie artist who has reinvented club music. He lets the vocals softly play over the thumping beat, which is toned down as well. You can still dance but you are also listening to a tale. It is fantastic. Listen to “Online” It has a pretty melody, but it is also club driven. It’s the story of finding love on the internet. The video is sweet and simple. The kind of video that makes you smile. In 2019, Tama Gucci dropped the EP Fantasy. He let’s you know what you’re getting with “Hot Boy”. This is a smooth club banger. “Bad Boy” says if you think you’re a bad boy, you’ve just met the ultimate bad boy. The beat is everything. “I’m such a catch, I can really put you on the map”. No doubt. Tama Gucci’s latest single is “Over You”. This song dropped in May 2021 and is best described as a club lullaby. This man is over you and while he’s telling you off, he’s as seductive as hell. Tama Gucci deserves all your attention.
YSEULT
Yseult Onguenet is a 24-year-old Cameroonian French woman. Her parents are from Cameroon, but she was born in France. She has a lifelong love of music and in 2014 she entered the Nouvelle Star contest in France. Yseult, as she is professionally known, was the runner up. There’s something that you should know about her. She has a GORGEOUS voice. There’s one other thing. She sings in French. But it doesn’t matter because her artistry is so beautiful, the feelings come through. One of her idols is Edith Piaf. She was a French chanteuse who famously said, “Je regret rien”. I regret nothing. This is how present day Yseult presents her work and herself. Her song “Noir” is a song about everything in her life being black. Black in the sense of being in a dark place. When you watch the video, black has a totally different meaning. There are all these beautiful Black bodies moving in sync and you are mesmerized. Yseult’s genre is reportedly Pop/ R&B/Trap. It’s amazing because most of her songs feature her voice and a piano like an old-fashioned chanteuse. “Corps” is another song from the Noir EP. Corps is French for body. The song is great, but please watch the video. Glistening Black skin is on full display. You will be in awe.
Yseult released another EP, BRUT in November 2020. “INDÉLÉBILE” is a single from that EP. This is a song about loving someone so much that they are a part of you. They are in your body, head, heart and veins. It is a beautifully consuming concept, executed perfectly by Yseult. The song “BAD BOY” is beautiful and heartbreaking at the same time. It’s about wanting someone so much that there are no limits. You know that he’s bad for you, but you don’t want to be questioned. The video is the truth. Yseult is naked in most of it as she engages in S&M. Her beautiful voice washes over her pain and yearning. At the videos end, she is twisting in the wind, while in Japanese bondage called Shibari. Yseult’s latest venture is as a featured artist in Ichon’s song “Mélange”. A mélange is a mixture of things. In this case, it is a mixture of bodies. The song is in French but watch the video. It truly leaves no doubt as to the songs’ meaning. Yseult should not, must not be missed.
OCEANATOR
Elise Okusami aka Oceanator is a singer/songwriter/musician based in Brooklyn, NY. She began her musical journey at the age of 9 when she learned to play the guitar. Oceanator now plays multiple instruments. She also sings and writes. In August of 2020, she dropped the album, Things I Never Said. The music gives an 80’s new wave beat but the lyrics are the thoughts of a young person who has lived through uncertain times. “I Would Find You” is a tale of apocalyptical aftermath and the loved one who will be found and treasured. The 80’s sound is loud and clear, but the lyrics reveal a new world. The accompanying video is somber, and the post-apocalyptic world looks like an empty suburb. If ever we needed an anthem about just holding on, now is the time and “A Crack in The World” is the anthem. Oceanator rallies us all to just keep the belief that we can make it in our hearts.
“I think I think too much” is a sentiment felt by everyone at one time or another. It’s also the chorus from “January 21st”. This song really has that new wave beat with truly dark lyrics. The video also shows how when we live in our heads our bodies become disconnected. Oceanator goes deep. “Heartbeat” is an upbeat song with a playful video. We get to see Oceanators’ fun side and it’s as compelling as her serious side. She is waiting for things to be good again and she is certain that they will be. It’s a certainty that we all should enjoy. Check out Oceanator in a post-pandemic world.