Hip hop artist “Shifty Eyes,” from Alberta, Canada, certainly has an eye for theatrics, as is demonstrated in the recent video for his song, “Beast.” He is a highly entertaining and lively performer, and the aesthetic of his video vaguely reminds me of 90’s horror movies like Wishmaster. Production quality (on both the video and the song itself) is top notch. I’m not gonna lie, this video is pretty awesome and much more creative than one would expect from contemporary hip hop videos. Rather than cast aside hip hop cliches entirely (sexy women, over the top assertiveness, fake teeth etc,) he manages to incorporate them into his style, in a wildly unique fashion and demonic supernatural setting.

Something must be said about his actual rapping, which is solid and delivered confidently. He is the product of a genuinely troubled background, which allows him to practice his craft with a degree of authenticity that’s not commonly found among so many LARPing artists that are just looking to make a name for themselves. We’re starting to see more and more inventive hip hop artists from Canada, and Shifty Eyes is one of the better ones up and coming.

For more info:
http://www.iamshiftyeyes.com/
https://www.youtube.com/shiftyeyes
https://www.instagram.com/shifty_eyes/

Vocalist Cody Daniel is a somewhat unique artist in that his music combines elements from unlikely genres, such as alternative, R&B, pop soul. Others do this, but Daniel seems much more conscious of his eclectic influences. It’s not surprising. Younger musicians today have been exposed to many musical styles in their lives through, whereas artists in the past were often limited by whatever was popular in their geographic area or what was on the radio. Cody has released a video for his song “The Night.” Shot on location in Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina, the video is clean and professional, on the level of what you’d see on Mtv these days. A clearly talented singer, Cody Daniel’s voice propels the song as the listener sits back and watches the action unfold. It can be difficult to tell at times what is going on at times, but a night of romance and relationship drama it surely is. This music is very marketable and Cody has the potential to go very far with the right people backing him.

For more info:
https://www.cody-daniel.com/
https://www.facebook.com/codydanielmusic

Just a heads up, popular artist “Kaseeno” has released a teaser video for his catchy single “Antonio Banderas” (the song is also featured on his latest album, Trap Party Vol 1.) True to it’s name, it’s a fun party jam. Kaseeno delivers the Spanish lyrics well, managing to keep things tight even with the song’s complex pacing. Kaseeno’s laid back and easy going style combine with his energetic vibe to make the track a real pick me up. If the official video lives up to the quality of the song ( and all indications are it will as the teaser features Kaseeno getting out of a live helicopter) then it has a chance to be epic.

https://www.teamkaseeno.com/

“Heart of a King” is a collaborative hip hop effort featuring several artists. It is a smooth and fairly laid back jam. In line with one of the creators, the song utilizes a chess analogy and that of claiming one’s birthright as the rightful heir to the throne. Despite the talk of “kings” the lyrics are delivered with a low key and humble attitude (perhaps like an honorable royal) rather than boastful and aggressive. “Heart of a King” is also a melodic enterprise that displays more musical versatility than one might expect in this genre. It is in every sense a coherent musical composition, and rises to something much more than a mere collection of rhymes.

For more info:
https://www.iammarkivus.com/stand-alone-music.html
https://open.spotify.com/album/3GLOtr5HMfhKKWdgdRJbrb