DOWNLOADS OF THE WEEK: STS, Terius Nash, Gallows

STS – The Illustrious

Why should you sit up, read this and listen to STS? How about because he has already featured on several tracks from The Roots! You want more than that? Well then, maybe because he has the support and production of Ski Beatz, Emile (Kid Cudi’s pervious producer), Will Power and The Knux? Still not enough? Well, how about because he has tracks featuring Yelawolf and Dice Crew (Roots crew member). Surely that’s a background worth taking notice of?

If you have been digging Ye and J’s 'Otis' then this stuff is on the same kind of revival buzz. Horns and toe-tapping, head-bopping bass. It’s all about the more old school beats. Occasionally he pops in a bit of a more swag rhythmic delivery but mostly he just raps as it comes. He has style with how he does things. Too many people think they can rap but STS shows that putting out a good flow really can make a difference. And for the first time he hasn’t shied away from a hook here and there so this could be a new hip-hop giant in the making.

‘Illustrious’ is the story of moving from ‘poetry to pimping’. Yes, he is happy to rap about bitches, cars, Hennessey, weed and dressing right, but the GOLD acronym along with reading between the lines of his lyrics suggests ‘pimping’ might not be such a literal term. I reckon he is actually talking about empowerment, about being an individual, taking responsibility for your own fate and CHOOSING to move away from the fake stuff and truly make life ‘GOLD’… Or, it really could just be about hoes, bitches, chains and riches. Either way he is making big moves and is pretty much demanding your attention.

I had a chat with him to work out how working with The Roots effects things and exactly what is he trying to get across with his music and this whole GOLD phenomenon…

What has the immediate response been to the album from both critics and fans?
It’s been amazing. Everyone is pleased around the board. There’s something on there for everybody.

You have said in previous interviews that “Illustrious” was going to set you apart. How is this album a stand out from any other rapper?
This project gives more definition on who I am as an artist rather than the fact that I can just rap as shown on the demand more series (http://stsisgold.com/demand-more-gold-edition/). The mission statement for this project is ‘it’s a lifestyle change’. Which means in everything we do we wanted to step it up starting with the music. That’s what we set out to do and feel we did.

You have also said that 'Illustrious' was going to showcase both your rap skills as well as your detail to hook writing. Do you feel like you have succeeded in that?
Very much so. This project was more focused on complete song writing rather than me just rapping all the way down on a beat. You take “Hello sunshine”, I wrote the chorus but got Yelawolf to sing it and people were amazed he sings like that, which showed more than just my talents and his. For “WWW” I brought in Count Justice to give it that melodic sound and same with Tony Williams featuring on “Here tonight”.

On the album you have worked with some seriously talented producers. Who was your favourite to work with and why?
Will Power. We just meshed well. Everything he played for me spoke to me. I didn’t have to think about much, rather I was able to just let the words come to me ‘cause I could already hear a mood or feeling in the production. We plan on going in and putting an entire product together.

You bark out “G.O.L.D” in between most tracks on the album. What does it stand for and can you explain what it really means to you?
Gentlemen Of Leisure and Development. It describes my lifestyle as it has a pimpish overtone but the development gives you the idea that we want better for ourselves and others. GOLD IS LIFESTYLE from the way you dress to the way you carry yourself.

A quote from the album is “I think independent, aint no labels behind me” – What is your opinion on the modern music industry and the involvement labels have in it? Is there any label that you would in fact work with?
Everybody hates labels but wants a deal and I guess I aint no different. I don’t stress it much, I’m having too much fun to complain but that’ll soon change. I’d work with who ever offers my team the right deal.

How did you manage to hook up with The Roots? What have you done with them? And how has it affected your own music and performance?
My manager hooked me up with Black Thought (MC from The Roots) who put me on the album (How I Got Over) and in the Money Making Jam Boyz. It’s really solidified my hip-hop rep being they are one of the most respected musical acts of all time.

You have begun to build a loyal fan base and after involvement with the Roots you have much more exposure. It seems you could have made some money if you sold this record. What were the reasons behind releasing the album for free?
First I want to thank those loyal fans for supporting the album. We felt the people had yet to get a full taste of my capabilities and didn’t know me well enough so we just gave it away. We are still building one fan at a time and I wanted to make sure everyone gets a chance to hear 'The Illlustrious'.

How do you manage to put out a whole album without record label backing or sales from previous records to fund it?
Great relationships on the part of my manager Riggs Morales and myself. All the producers and artists and GOLD members pulled out all the stops to make it happen it is very much appreciated. Oh yeah, and the internet. GOLD!!!!

If you want to know more about STS then cut straight to track 4 off the album where STS interviews himself. I could have tried to put words together in rhymes for my questions but I don’t quite think I have the same skill with wordplay that he does.

Tracklisting:
01. Fresh [Prod. Pierre Medor] 

02. Get Up On It (ft. Fonzworth Bentley) [Prod. Prentis Brown] 

03. Sugar’s Here (Make Some Noise) [Prod. Dame the Great & School Boy Vic] 

04. The Interview [Prod. The Alchemist] 

05. GOLD Mayfeild 

06. Cliché [Prod. The Knux] 

07. WWW (ft. Count Justice) [Prod. Will Power] 

08. Bullshit [Prod. Felony Music] 

09. This is For You [Prod. Emile] 

10. Mittens [Prod. Eric Hahn] 

11. Covered in GOLD (ft. Dice Raw) [Prod. Kari ‘Ferrari’ Marteen] 

12. Hello Sunshine (ft. Yelawolf) [Prod. KP and Malay]

13. Service Royalty [Prod. Blak] 

14. Here Tonight (ft. Tony Williams) [Prod. Will Power] 

15. Illustrious (ft. The Mad Violinist) [Prod. Will Power] 

16. STSisGOLD [Prod. BearOne]

DOWNLOAD HERE

Terius Nash (The Dream) - 1977

He is perhaps better known as the incredibly successful singer/songwriter/producer The Dream – but this album has been released for free and under his real name, Terius Nash. Now, if I was at high school analyzing this in an English class or something then I might make the point that perhaps he is using his real name on this to illustrate that he is being ‘real’. The album is full of this ‘real’ stuff. Obvious tales surrounding his failed relationship, being in the public eye and stories of ‘benz’s and Rolex watches (ok that’s not real to me and you – but it is to him!).

He has been ripped up a bit all over the web after being caught acting mischievous with another woman, which resulted in a divorce from this wife (singer Christina Milian). Ironic that the same guy has produced empowering feminist anthems 'Single Ladies' and 'Run the world (Girls)' for Beyoncé.

It’s kind of a what’s what of contemporary hip-hop/RnB sounds. Almost like a CV of what he is capable of. There are heavy beats with The Weeknd-like spacious vocals, swag-filled lazy spits and auto-tune on top of auto-tune. It is not surprising as he is responsible for a big slab of RnB that gets pushed into your ears by mainstream radio.

I have been listening to The Weeknd so much over the last few months that I can’t help being more drawn to the slower and more precise songs from this album. The bass synths and open drum patterns in ‘Form of Flattery’, ‘Used To Be’ and ‘Wake Me When It’s Over’ really get in your head and make you slow down and listen.

Just in case The Dream alone was not enough to get you to do a clickity-clack on the link below he has chucked in a superstar in the shape of Pharrell and up-and-comer Big Sean. They easily and casually fit into the tracks and also give it a slight relief from the consistently pretty RnB tracks.

Why have we suddenly been treated to this free album? Perhaps because he just wanted to get his side of the story across to the masses, but more likely that he is just so sick and tired of the process that needs to be in place to ensure a release is successful in the mainstream. He has been quoted as saying “The politics of a label makes me want to put something out for free…it takes 8 months to do something that could take you a month”.

So shout “F you Def Jam” and download from the link below. (Only kidding Def Jam – don’t hurt my face.)

Tracklisting:
01. Wake me when it’s over
02. Used to be
03. Long Gone
04. Ghetto feat. Big Sean
05. Wedding Crasher
06. Rolex feat. Casha
07. Silly feat. Casha
08. 1977
09. Wish you were mine
10. This shit real ni**a feat. Pharrell
11. Form of flattery

DOWNLOAD HERE

Gallows - True Colours

It’s just 37 seconds long and yet it gets a spot as one of the three things I’m going to write about. That’s because its like James Dean – may have had a short life, but what a whole lot of living was done in that time!

I am a big Gallows fan. But to be honest a massive part of that was due to Frank Carter and his tattooed ginger madness that dominated any stage. But that sight is no more. He left due to the band wanting to take a different direction to him, and from the sound of this song it seems the rest of the band wanted to get even heavier.

This is the first we have heard from Gallows with the new front man Wade MacNeil (ex Alexisonfire) taking over the vocal role. There are some obvious differences – the tough Watford, England accent has been swapped for the Canadian accent. Immediately to me that makes them seem like a lot of other hardcore bands - yes of course there are other UK hardcore bands but none rocked the London accent quite like Frank Carter.

The song is a full on assault. No relief. Just full on shit-ripping aggression. And there is nothing more punk than clocking a whole track in under 40 seconds. It seems the rest of the EP they are recording could follow the same ideals. The drummer Lee Barrett recently tweeted that his "sticks are already covered in blood and pus". Nice. Let’s just hope that makes its way into the record somehow.

It is different. It does miss Frank. It does sound more like Alexisonfire. It is heavier. It is good. But…although I hope they do well I think they have a lost a huge edge that only Frank Carter could provide and I predict that they will have a much smaller impact on the heavy music scene.

DOWNLOAD HERE

If you are greedy and want a bigger slice of the free download music pie and frequent news on what’s new and good then get on twitter and follow @electricpuppet.


By Oli Holmes.