This past weekend Drake visited New York and made a special two-night appearance at The Apollo theatre in Harlem for SiriusXM. On Saturday January 21 and Sunday January 22 SiriusXM subscribers and VIPS were invited to attend this special event which will air exclusively on Sound 42, Drake’s SiriusXM channel.
Last week Paper Route Entertainment and The Trap Music Museum held a private cocktail reception celebrating the legacy of Young Dolph with the soft launch of the Dolphland Pop-Up Museum.
Two of LVRN/Interscope’s latest trailblazers, BRS Kash & North Ave Jax have teamed up to deliver the high-energy single “Rich & Famous” as a part of Rockstar Energy Drink’s Spotlight Studios activation. This national Rockstar Energy-curated music program champions new breaking artists by providing fans with a one-of-a-kind consumer experience including live concerts and a state-of-the-art interactive mobile music studio. Not only are we joined by both Kash & Jax to discuss their collaboration, they also highlight recent releases and what each currently has in store for fans. Not only do the two create great music together, they also share a genuine bond that lends itself to making an endless supply of hits. Both Kash & Jax have projects on the way, while Kash is contemplating dropping an EP next, Jax is in album mode working exclusively with JetsonMade for his upcoming project. Not only are both artists talented in their own right, they are both level-headed and showcase self-awareness that most artists their age lack, another trait that is sure to take both Kash & Jax far.
BRS Kash & North Ave Jax
The Knockturnal: How do both of you feel being label mates on both LVRN and Interscope?
North Ave Jax: I think it’s cool. I like the fact that I could look to Kash as someone to go to for advice and just like to see how like everything plays out. You know, like coming in, I’ve only been here for like, almost a year, so it’s like I could ask Kash any question and he treat me like a little brother, you know? So it’s like, it’s love for real. It’s really love, you know what I’m saying? So it’s like I’m blessed to be in the position I’m in, especially having someone like him to look like look up to.
BRS Kash: Yeah. On my end it’s a, it’s a, it’s a good thing because Jax got that melodic flow, so it’s like we two different worlds, but we kind of do the same thing at the same time. Like going to Jax sessions and see how he work and sometimes he’ll come in, pop in on me and we do two totally different things, but at the end of the day come together as the same thing. And being at LVRN & Interscope is, like he said, it’s a blessing. A lot of folks pray to be in the position that we in,
The Knockturnal:Can you guys tell me about how this collaboration like came about? I know this was a Rockstar Energy activation, but break it down for me.
BRS Kash: It was just a power play. If one person eat, everybody eats. And me so far is like a rockstar vibe. Like I can get into that rockstar feeling, but I look, I look at Jax as a young rockstar. So I was like, I may as well bring Jax in to see what type of flavor he can bring to this song so we can really make it a song in not just something to give them. We wanted to make something good, so we was in the studio and I think we sat in the studio probably about eight hours that day trying to come up with this song. We went through producers, we kept going back and forth. Finally Tre Tracks came in he dropped the beat, it was like instant. It started to come to life and instantly after I laid the hook down, Jax came in, did his verse went crazy on the verse. Jax went so crazy on his verse that I had to go back and redo my verse.
The Knockturnal: Who would you want on the remix?
BRS Kash: Me personally, I would put Lil Uzi.
The Knockturnal: You two work so well together, you’ve got a beautiful relationship and the music you make sounds amazing. Are there gonna be any other collaborations on the way for you two?
BRS Kash: Oh yeah, definitely, definitely, definitely. So we were working on another song like probably like two weeks ago. I crashed Jax session and pulled up some beats. It’s actually a funny story. So he pull up a beat and I started recording and as I’m recording I’m looking for Jax. I call him and he say, ‘Oh yeah, my bad bro I left, but I’ll be back.’ So the song that we was supposed to do, I end up finishing the whole song.
North Ave Jax: But at, at the same time, it’s just like at any point we’ll go into a session and we can make a song in an hour or two hours.
BRS KASH
The Knockturnal: How has life changed since the last time we spoke when the “Throat Baby” remix featuring City Girls came out?
BRS Kash: Yeah, man. Life has changed a lot. You know, I’m doing a lot more of what I love doing, which is writing. So I’ve been doing a lot of those camps. Got a couple place placements. I did rockstar Energy Drink. I got the Madden theme song!
The Knockturnal: So what are you currently working on and do you have any new music on the way?
BRS Kash: Yeah, I got, I got a lot of new music on the way. I’ve been knocking out features and just basically building up my catalog. I’ve been in the studio trying to perfect my craft and, and give people what they want to hear. I definitely have a lot of new music on the way, 2023, we finna light the city up.
The Knockturnal: Do you have any other collaborations on the way that you are able to speak on right now?
BRS Kash: I got one on the way featuring Eli Derby. He’s on LVRN. it’s a pretty great record, I love that record, you know what I’m saying? It’s smooth. I just dropped, I just dropped a record called “Real Freak” featuring Sally Sosa and that track is crazy!
The Knockturnal: How did you two link up?
BRS Kash: We actually linked up a couple times, but she hit me and was like, I got this track I want you on, don’t hold back on it, just talk your talk, Do what you do best. And then I heard it and then I was like, oh yeah, okay. This hat old trick Daddy and Trina mm-hmm. She flipped it!
The Knockturnal: What is your next release looking like?
BRS Kash: I envision a whole project. It’s gonna be a EP and you definitely gonna get a lot of visuals with it. I’m more so of like a, a visual person, so I like to see the videos come out with the song because it just it gives me that feeling of I’m living what I’m rapping.
North Ave Jax
The Knockturnal: How does it feel to experience this journey to stardom while maintaining and working with your day ones, like your childhood friend and music video director Kelly Butts-Spirito?
North Ave Jax: Well, I find it even more important than like, the average scenario because we’re like the first, group that’s trying to make Vermont known and we’re trying to do it in a way where everyone’s a part of it. I don’t even wanna like, take credit or have anyone take credit for anything that’s happened. I just want it to be like imprinted in people’s minds and like let people know that like the team that we have together is dedicated to making it being able to be seen everywhere. Growing up in Vermont, I say this every time to everybody ,opportunity isn’t the same as it is everywhere else. Like Let’s say you’re a scout for a sports team, right? You’re not going to Vermont to find the best player, but at the same time though, we have the internet now and there’s so many ways to share your media with the world, you know? Just as, as far as having like the team I’m working with together, it’s like t was, meant to be like everything played its part, like, it wasn’t like nothing was set up, it was organic as hell though, like super organic, none of it was cliche or set up. I feel like we’re just walking upstairs and it’s like the marathon.
The Knockturnal: Kelly gave me a little bit of background on you and your friend grouping from what it sounds like, you and the group of friends you had around you always had like this idea that while Vermont is your home, you were always meant for more, and you guys had this unified vision that you and your friends brought it to life.
North Ave Jax: Nah, for real, You just said was meant for more and like I knew like as a kid, like that something was gonna happen whether it was basketball or music or something. like I just had that feeling and like I feel like the people that are on the team that I’m working with now all had that feeling as well, you know Whether it it was sports or now it’s music.
The Knockturnal: Is it true that you discovered hip hop at your local library? Can you elaborate on that experience please?
North Ave Jax: Yeah, I was with my grandma and like, she took us to the bookstore, I guess that was the treat for us and we were playing hide and seek instead of getting books and I walked into like the CD part and there was headphones and like little iPod touches and I just pressed the button and I put the headphones on and “Low” by Flo Rida comes on, but when I heard that I was like what is this? And the thing is like, I would only listen to like rock music before that moment, but when I heard that I was like, nah, this is the greatest shit ever.
The Knockturnal: Was that a turning point for you and how did it impact your relationship with rap music?
North Ave Jax: I feel like, yeah I digested the culture of it and like, just like took it in, you know, like, cuz like after seeing that I just explored so much more and like I looked at way more, you know? That was probably like the beginning of me being curious about what else there was because I knew, that can’t be the best.
The Knockturnal: What was the first rap song you listened to where you felt inspired or motivated to rap?
North Ave Jax: Well, what really made me wanna start rapping for real was watching him Eight Mile and at the time I didn’t know Eminem was a real rapper. I wasn’t even supposed to watch the movie. And I searched him up after and then I watched, I listened to his music, I’d listened to like Jay-Z and stuff before, but it wasn’t like making me wanna be a rapper and then I searched up like the music that Eminem made and I was like, this is amazing.
The Knockturnal: Would you say you life has changed after taking that very first meeting with LVRN?
North Ave Jax: You know, I might, this might sound crazy, but like, I feel like I’m the same exact person. Even though all this stuff has happened, like I still feel the exact same. Like, I want way more now, obviously.
The Knockturnal: What has been the biggest change for you after signing with L V R N and Interscope?
North Ave Jax: I get to work on my craft every day in a good space with good people. And like, I live in a city that I have never lived in before. This whole experience is just, I feel like it’s God, trying to teach me how to grow up and that’s kind of like what I feel like I’m going through right now and the stage I’m going through. That I kind of gotta like finish that stage. Maybe that’s what I gotta do is finish that stage before I go to the next stage of music.
The Knockturnal: You’ve got a lot of music out right now, are there any visuals on the way for LAZY?
North Ave Jax: Yeah I got the “Guns & Roses” video coming and I’m actually gonna be selling merch at my show. So I got more visuals, still promoting LAZY, but currently working on a new project. An album with JetsonMade and this gonna be the project that changes everything
On Saturday, June 11th Tribeca Film Festival hosted the world premiere of Lil Baby’s documentary Untrapped: The Story of Lil Baby at the Beacon Theatre in New York City following a star-studded red carpet. The cast graced the carpet including Lil Baby and his sons, producers P & Coach K from Quality Control, director/producer Karam Gill, and industry tastemakers and artists alike came out to show their support including MTV’s Jamila Mustafa and superstar Shensea.
We briefly spoke with Forbes 30 under 30 director Karam about his favorite part of the documentary, “The documentary captures Lil Baby and where he’s at right now, but my favorite part of the documentary was going to the West End and really just spending time with him and really organically being with him in his community, it’s not contrived, it’s real, that was just an incredible highlight.” After wrapping the carpet guests headed inside to view the screening followed by a Q+A and intimate performance by Baby who performed unreleased music.
Untrapped: The Story of Lil Baby, directed by Karam Gil, centers on Baby’s journey and rise to fame, but it also paints a larger picture of circumstance, environment, oppression and opportunity. Before we as an audience learn about the Lil Baby we know today, we’re first introduced to Dominique Armani Jones, his family, his hometown of West Atlanta and the history that contributed to the environment in which Dominique/Baby grew up in. Baby was raised by a single mother in poverty in an area faced with decades of racial injustice, but even in the face of adversity, Baby was making millions before ever entering the booth. Baby came to prominence in West Atlanta originally as a drug dealer and was well-known and well-respected in the streets. While hustling he befriended Young Thug and P who believed in his greatness early on. Young Thug speaks on his intentions to protect Lil Baby at all costs, “if he asked for a million dollars I’d give him a million dollars, I told him you don’t have to go to the studio, just take this money and go home and spend time with your kids” says Young Thug in the documentary.
After being released from Jail, Baby officially inked a deal with Quality Control and his artist development began. Over time Baby improved, but it was never a childhood dream nor something he sought, he was fortunate enough to have people like P who saw his potential and push him towards greatness. The documentary shows both lows and highs in Baby’s career, but he is virtually unfazed and keeps an optimistic outlook even when the industry fails to recognize his achievements. Stars like Drake also make an appearance to speak on Baby’s success, “He had the biggest rap project of the year” says Drake about Baby’s My Turn. Gunna and Charlamagne Tha God also spoke on Baby’s talents and his impact on the music industry.
The documentary sees a turning point both in America as whole and Lil Baby as an artist after the tragic killing of George Floyd. This becomes the catalyst for Lil Baby shifting focus and using his voice as a platform against social injustice. He even pays for and makes a special appearance during Gianna Floyd’s birthday. Lil Baby says, “ I feel like I have a responsibility to leave the Earth a better place for the next generation,” when speaking on his current mindset. Baby gets another sad wake-up call when his close friend and fellow rapper Marlo is killed. Baby is more focused now more than ever and hopes to uplift his community through his music. Chairman/CEO of Motown Ethiopia Habtemariam says “Lil Baby represents the American dream” and it becomes apparent throughout the documentary that Lil Baby’s success is not only his family’s success, but all of Atlanta’s as well.
Drake highlights that, “Baby has already cemented himself as an important figure from this generation.” Baby’s Grammy snub and the subsequent performance reflect where Baby is at today and how even at the height of his career he still continues to face systemic oppression within the industry even though he had the largest-selling album of all genres of music in 2020. Ironically, the Grammy snub hits his team harder than him and Baby sees the Grammy performance as an opportunity to reach larger audiences and is still grateful for the opportunity. Overall this documentary tells the triumphant tale of Lil Baby in his prime and celebrates the talented artist at the beginning and height of his career, Baby ends the documentary on a poignant note stating “I’m just getting started and I’ll never be trapped again.”
Following the world premiere, Lil Baby, P, Coach K and Karam Gill took the stage to answer questions about the documentary, moderated by Pitchfork’s Alphonse Pierre. Highlights from the conversation include P saying that capturing content was a priority while developing Baby because he wanted to be able to showcase his legacy and the work that went into his career. Baby revealed during the Q+A that he still isn’t fully comfortable today with the role of an artist as it wasn’t something he aspired to since childhood, “a lot of people been waiting for this moment their whole life, so when that moment arrived it was bigger than I was ready for.” Karam Gill also highlights that the documentary depicts what a great father Baby is and how present he is in his children’s lives which you seldom see when reflecting on artist’s legacies. Coach K explained that transitioning to music was all about budding confidence in Baby because he was already well-respected, he just needed time to hone in on his craft and focus himself on the music. After the Q+A Baby gave the audience an exclusive performance with fan favorites as well as unreleased tracks.
Brooklyn born Carl Lamarre is many things. Not only is Carl paving his way as a talented artist, he’s already solidified himself as a central figure in hip hop and music as a whole through his amazing work as Billboard’s Hip Hop Editor and as the host of series such as Audiomack’s Beyond The Beat, Grammy Conversations, & Sirius XM’s Billboard Live.
Twin songstresses Kiran + Nivi found their voices through singing, literally. Up until age 3, neither Kiran nor Nivi had spoken a word and it wasn’t until they participated in choir at their church that they both spoke their first words and eventually began speaking fluently.
LGBTQAI+ rapper Kidd Kenn quickly rose to popularity on social media and garnered local success in his hometown of Chicago after dropping viral freestyle videos.
Last week Canada Dry & French Montana celebrated the release of collaborative new video “Big Comfy.”
Highbridge artist & Philly native Lil Rekk is quickly blazing a trail for himself with breakout hits like “So So Dangerous” ft. Stunna Gambino & YXNG K.A, “Manhattan Vibes,” & “Drive Me Crazy.” Rekk’s most recent album 1ONE dropped earlier this year and has already received critical acclaim from Lyrical Lemonade and No Jumper in addition to the millions of views accumulated by the “Ooters” music video. Lil Rekk cites 1One as the first project he’s felt like he has had a sense of structure on that also reflects his growth in music.
Raised in a family of mostly women, Rekk was the only boy amongst 13 children, which allowed him to tap into his emotions from an early age. He used music as the medium to express himself and gradually began focusing on his craft and harnessing his talents from the age of 17. Today, at 22, Rekk joins us to discuss his latest project, his upcoming business ventures and even a possible collaboration with Highbridge’s own A Boogie.
The Knockturnal: How long have you been making music?
Lil Rekk: I’ve been making music for three years now. Three years.
The Knockturnal: How did you get interested in music? Did you have any local influences or maybe family influences?
Lil Rekk: Not really family for real. Growing up, all my sisters on my mom’s side, were into bands and stuff like that, and I used to not even like music because of that. They used to be doing that all day, but as I got older, one of my friends was a popular rapper from our city. I lived in Newport, Virginia, at the time. He had got locked up for a little while, so all the studio experience and all that went away, all the shows. I just told him I’m gonna try. Then I listened to a lot of music myself, like A Boogie, Herb, Durk. I was listening to them and Chief Keef in middle school. I never really took it seriously. I used to just tell people, ‘one day,’ and then 12th grade came around. My man was booked, so I just went to the studio, and it’s been up ever since then.
The Knockturnal: I’m glad that you spoke a little bit about your sisters, because I know family is a big part of your life, from your many siblings and many sisters to even having your own daughter. How does family influence, or inform your present-day work?
Lil Rekk: Family is everything to me because without family, a lot of people don’t know. It’s hard to be a structured person. You don’t have a backbone. You don’t have the emotional support that you need. Do you see what I’m saying? Like, everything is kind of misty. Your real reality is misty without your family, a lot of people don’t understand that. Me and my mom, that’s my best friend. I ordered these shoes last week. She drove 2 hours to bring me these shoes before this interview. Stuff like that. They’re going to go the furthest extent for you before somebody else.
The Knockturnal: When you’re creating music, do you ever think about if this will appeal more to a female audience?
Lil Rekk: Yeah, for sure. It’s crazy because I got more love songs and more pain songs about females than I do about my actual life. I started off making music once I got my voice and my sound right, I was making music for females because that’s who’s going to like me more. My looks and the way I dress, they were going to like me more than the male audience.
The Knockturnal: How old were you would you say the first time you experimented with music and were you freestyling or writing lyrics?
Lil Rekk: Yeah, it’s crazy because me and my cousin Lil O and my other cousin Tysean, when I would come back to Philly I’d go to grandma’s house and we’d turn on beats and just rap, just playing around. And then I would go to my other cousin’s house back home in Virginia and we would really be there trying to write down bars.
The Knockturnal: How old were you the first time you freestyled that you can remember?
Lil Rekk: 8th grade for sure.
The Knockturnal: As you started to evolve, how old were you the first time you started to write out your raps?
Lil Rekk: I was probably, like, 18.
The Knockturnal: How did you sign with Highbridge? How did that all come about? And can you tell us about how QP discovered you?
Lil Rekk: Yes. QP found me through somebody named ‘C Weezy.’ He’s an artist, too, but he got his own doing. Like, he got his own lifestyle, but I used to talk to him before I signed to Highbridge, but he was always hitting me up out of the blue like, ‘yo, bro, just stay down, your time is coming, don’t get in trouble.’ A couple of days later he hit me like, ‘bro, I’m telling you to stay focused, your time coming’. A couple of days later, QP hit me up and then he called me, so I put two and two together. Like, all right, so QP hit me up saying ‘pull up on me, I want to see what you’re about.’ I pulled up, chopped it up. I recorded some music that same day then he dropped me back off at the hotel. He told me, ‘bro I want to sign you, I believe in you as much as you believe in yourself.’ I’m like, ‘alright, say that, I’m going to hold it down.’ I was rocking with them for like a good month or two before I actually signed the deal to them.
The Knockturnal: It mentions in your bio that you used to say you’re going to end up signing with A Boogie back when you were in high school. Do you remember how old you were or just your first time listening to A Boogie and having his music move you?
Lil Rekk: I was 12 or 13 because I was just going into 9th grade. My cousin that I was talking about earlier, Tysean, he’s from Brooklyn, New York. He was already heavy everything New York. He was already listening to Boogie. I could honestly say he was the first person I ever even heard listening to Boogie before Boogie was like, up and going.
The Knockturnal: What’s the most important thing that A Boogie has taught you as a mentor or even just something you might have picked up from seeing his creative process?
Lil Rekk: Watch a lot of people that you hang around and watch the people that you love the most. Because the people that you love the most, even though sometimes they could relieve your wounds and make it feel better for the time being, in the long term, sometimes it’s not what it seems. I watch bro — what he goes through with his family, outside streets, and I just pay attention to it all.
The Knockturnal: Is the lesson there to be aware of your surroundings or those that are close to you?
Lil Rekk: Always be one up. Even though other people might think they got one up on you. You always know in the back of your head that you got one up. Because at the end of the day, A Boogie is still going to be A Boogie. No matter what happened at home he is still A Boogie, no matter what happened with his girlfriend he still got to be A Boogie, so I just keep one up all the time so I can never be too down.
The Knockturnal: I want to get into your album. Can you tell us about 1ONE and the meaning behind the title and your creative process going into this?
Lil Rekk: So the meaning of the title 1ONE is that’s my nickname in my neighborhood, ever since I signed a deal everyone called me 1ONE now because I mean I’m the only one to make it out my block and make it out my hood. Everybody calls me 1ONE even my mom and my grandmother. The whole creative process with the 1ONE tape was a different experience because it was different from my last tape, World Plus. World Plus was the rollout, this tape was the structuring. I was already structured. Everybody knows who I am now, so it’s like, everybody knows what they’re expecting now.
The Knockturnal: Would you call 1ONE your debut album?
Lil Rekk: Definitely an album because of the way it was created. Because of my mixtape, World Plus, I already had all those means together and sat down in the studio for 1ONE. I actually sat down with different types of people in different types of areas and states. I was in Cali, Atlanta, New York, Jersey, Philly. I was all around.
The Knockturnal: Can you tell us your favorite songs off 1ONE?
Lil Rekk: “So Bipolar,” “Outta Control,” “Dog Shit,” and “Ooters.”
The Knockturnal: Can you tell us why these are your favorites or what makes them stand out?
Lil Rekk: Because in those songs I’m talking about personal things that are going on with me, and it’s emotional music. A lot of my music, as you said earlier, is emotional. I tap into that mold. A lot of people can’t go there because it messes with them mentally and physically.
The Knockturnal: Who’s been your most exciting person to collab with or is that upcoming and you can’t really speak on it yet?
Lil Rekk: My favorite person that I have collaborated with so far is 42 Dugg, for sure. Me and 42 Dugg are locked in on a whole other level. We ain’t even thinking about the music all the time. I could go around bro and kick it. It is genuine love every time.
The Knockturnal: What is it like to get to have a bond or relationship with another up-and-coming artist? Since he is more or less in your shoes and has gone through the stuff that you’re about to go through?
Lil Rekk: It’s good because sometimes a lot of people try to keep up with not knowing, like say, from Instagram. They’ll see an artist doing this, doing that, doing that, and try to follow the image and keep up and end up either going broke or hurting the people they around because they’re doing too much that they shouldn’t be doing. When I get around someone like Dugg, I see how he treat his friends, his security, his drivers. He treats them like they are people. A lot of people misinterpret what artists are really about because people just think, oh, he made this type of music so he got to act like this all the time. It’s not about that. It’s about the way you live your life, the way you treat people around you. Like everybody on my team, we are family. We’re not just friends. Like I said, I could go to Boogie’s house without knocking and he would come to my house without knocking.
The Knockturnal: Can you tell us about your new cannabis strain, Rekking Runtz?
Lil Rekk: I got the streets right now, Rekking Runtz, me and my folks. Papa Bear Smoke NYC, he put that together for me. We had that plan for like a year now, but when I dropped 1ONE, he just called me and he’s like we gotta drop the strand now. He put it together in 30 minutes. He got the Rekking Runtz and the bags for the Rekking Runtz in 30 minutes.
The Knockturnal: Can you just speak a little bit about what it’s like to branch out and have other businesses on top of being an artist? Are you potentially interested in other business ventures in addition to the cannabis one?
Lil Rekk: We’re trying to get Rekking Runtz put into different stores. We building around there. I have grinders, lighters, T-Shirts. On my tour in about a month, we will have the Rekking Runtz van for the states that have legalized Marijuana. I didn’t spend any money on my strand at all. I didn’t put a dollar in. I made over $20K out of it, $5K on merch, and I split that with my folks.
The Knockturnal: What are your plans for 2022? Are there any more projects or collaborations on the way? Please also speak on any upcoming live performances.
Lil Rekk: Yeah, after May I’m going to have a show. I’m going to have a tour, another college tour, but it’s going to be me and Bouba Savage. We’re going to be the headliners. I am also dropping a mixtape, hopefully next month or the month after that. Currently, everything is built around the tour.
The Knockturnal: Do you have any upcoming features on this project or collaborations in general?
Lil Rekk: Yeah, I’m going to have Big Key. He’s from Detroit. That’s my man from Detroit. I’m gonna have Baby Money, he’s from Detroit too. I’ll probably have Dugg on there again. Got something coming with A Boogie and I’ll have something with Stunna again. Aden Dinero from New York and a lot of others. In the last tape, I wasn’t really working with nobody but in this tape, I’m working with more artists.
Bollygood CEO & Founder Maxine Henderson recently launched a new line of Indian-inspired sparkling beverages after noticing there was a void of Indian beverages available at both the local grocer and Indian grocery stores.