Friday Five: 5 Indies of Christmas
I know I'm 4 days late. Somewhere out there people still have their Christmas decorations up so I'm capitalizing on that energy. Think of this as the gift card you receive from the aunt that couldn't make Christmas dinner; clutch and halfway unexpected.
The Indies of Christmas segment is something I wanted to try this year due to the fact that I listen to and meet so many independent artists throughout the year without being able to big them up properly. Initially I expected to have 25 artists but I was blessed with 5 strong contenders that I have the privilege of gushing over.
Ray LeJune
Bio: Ray LeJune is the newest, most sought after femme fatale set to slay the music scene with the perfect blend of bad girl swag wielding a flow packed with spice and lyrics cold as ice! She possesses all the makings of an absolute superstar with roots in Chicago and watering in Atlanta. This bold singer/songwriter promises to intoxicate music lovers and thrill vibe seekers with the perfect mix of dope lyrics and an unforgettable voice reminiscent of legendary divas like Mary J. Blige, T. Boz, and Erykah Badu. While gearing up for the highly anticipated release of her EP, "The Black Beauty" in early 2018, Ray whipped up a stimulating appetizer with the lead single, Grey. An icon once said, “Get in formation!” Ray LeJune is saying, "Prepare to get transfixed and transformed." She's creating music to put your mind where it longs to go. Don’t say we didn’t warn you!
I have yet to hear Ray LeJune live but I'm anticipating this upcoming release. Get into Grey!
Indio Prather
Bio: Indio has released two solo EPs in 2017: "Think Tank Diner” & “Just My Thoughts”. In playing both projects you can hear Prather's versatility. He branches out with a number of styles and sounds to make sure he occupies space in multiple lanes. Between collaborations with Doc Illingsworth and getting coverage from Dead End Hip Hop it’s clear Indio is here to be a staple, not lightning in a bottle. Furthermore, Prather’s plans to release several projects, a book and more. Be sure to have your eyes and ears on the DMV stand out come 2018.
Here's a track from "Just My Thoughts". The whole project is pretty solid. Try Indio out if you want something new on your playlist that's out of the ordinary.
Sunrhé
Photo by Raven Green
Bio: Rhévan “SunRhé” Colón, is an alternative R&B singer/songwriter based out of Columbia, SC. A self-proclaimed late bloomer, Rhévan found her niche in music this year after performing at an art & music event called YSWN in February. At that event she premiered her first single, “Mercy” which was released on SoundCloud in April. It has since accumulated over 4,000 plays. Rhévan has been featured at venues all over the southeast region every month since her initial performance. Last July she filmed her first music video for her most recent single “Closer” featuring Emperor Timeline. Her print and online accolades include [IN]Color Magazine, Columbia Free Times, Charleston City Newspaper, and BuzzWars.
SunRhé is a joy to watch and be around. Seeing her shine makes me proud to be a supporter of independent music and stand behind artists I love. Check out her second smash single!
Axnt
Bio: Axnt is a recent Charlotte native who produces music progressively and cinematically using organic sounds, samples of warm harmonies, and textures from archives of years before. With the ability to play drums, guitar, and bass, he creates & modulates his own sounds. His roots & influences range from EDM, Hip-Hop, Jazz, UK Bass, and R&B to blend melodies and rhythms expanding the hard & the soft.
I feel like I talk about Axnt all the time but it's still not enough. He shut it down at the anniversary BBTB this year and he continues to kill the game. Peep this track from his new tape "Glow 1.5".
Chase Jams
Message from Chase: The title ZIPLOCKKK came from people telling me 'You had the rap scene on lock this year' or 'You was in your bag this year'. The 3 k’s were just a stylistic attention grabber. I was sitting on the tape for about 3 months. I always drop a tape on my birthday. October 23rd, 2015 I dropped my instrumental debut BLURRYNIGHT$. In 2016 I dropped Day One, which to this day is people’s favorite out of all my projects. But this year things changed. I didn’t feel like the project was ready yet. I played it like 20 different ways so the track list could flow and it didn’t work so instead of releasing it, I made a collab tape with Illadell called Purple Bag Vol. 1 to share with my audience while I finished ZIPLOCKKK. The reason I chose December 19th as ZIPLOCKKK's release date is because on that day in 2015 I got into a crazy car accident. I totaled my car and I don’t know how I emerged without a scratch. I thank God every day for that blessing and as a testament to that day, I dropped the project.
My all time favorite song from this project is GOMF with Big Ghini. I can't wait to hear more from Chase. Get into the track here:
Shoutout to all my readers for making 2017 a great one. Thanks for reading, attending events, buying merch, and being some of the best supporters out there. Keep up with me in the new year! Subscribe to my email list for updates and keep your eyes on my Twitter and Facebook pages for all things BINACT.