Hummingbird's New Music Feeder
Get ahead of your friends, foes, and streaming services with our Music Feeder, a bi-monthly dose of invigorating and soul-pleasing tunes
With this Feeder, we feature an uplifting album from Adé Hakim, some words from Dayon Greene, and new releases from Genesis Owusu, CHIKA, and more. Make sure to subscribe or share if you’re enjoying the music!
Adé Hakim — HAPPIEST PEOPLE IN THE WORLD WIDE WEB
Released in 2019, this album is a soulful take on lo-fi hip-hop from one of the genre’s leading minds. A core member of innovative NYC collective sLums, Hakim has pushed a new subgenre of hip-hop to the forefront, making steady contributions to Earl Sweatshirt’s recent work, notably on Some Rap Songs.
While the Earl co-sign is impressive, even more notable is his ability to flip soul and R&B samples and rhythms into earwormy and uplifting melodies. With Hakim’s deft touch, this project glides along, making the 24-song, 59-minute album feel much shorter than it is.
Challenging the idea that folks on the internet only show vapid, egocentric happiness, Hakim displays the impact of a positive mindset in light of the harsh conditions of America’s widespread oppression. This mindset shines through his lyrics, but closer listening reveals plenty of optimism in Hakim’s production; choppy beats often give way to some of the most gentle instrumentals on the album (see “Let Me Know”).
Laments like “gotta pay off expenses to fuckin’ breathe / Middle fingers to you companies” and “the government and n***as ain’t compatible” might lend themselves to a downtrodden attitude, but Hakim uses these statements based on experience to display the strength of his mindset and personality.
Hakim’s community-based approach is inspiring and shows itself all over the album, through displays of empathy and affection for his family and friends. Further, much of the album’s bars are dedicated to fellow Black and Indigenous folks, as well as anyone that’s been marginalized by the powers of capitalism and imperialism.
Touching on a range of emotive topics, Adé Hakim created a masterpiece with HAPPIEST PEOPLE IN THE WORLD WIDE WEB, a testament to the complexities of his life and identity.
And to put the cherry on top, he just released another EP, Everything I Am and Will Be, his fourth project in under three years. If you’d like to support Hakim in his pursuits, check out his Bandcamp, and show some love on Twitter.
Hear from Hummingbird’s Nest: Dayon Greene
This past summer, we got on the phone with DMV rising star Dayon Greene to talk about his debut album, Me, and everything that it means for his development as a person and artist.
“I just wanna let people know, you’re not alone,” Greene said. “We all go through days where we might be depressed… we all have been in love before, we’ve fallen out of love, had our heart broken… it’s so important to talk about that stuff.”
While he’s taken some time away from releasing music, his goals remain strong:
“I want to be able to make music that can continue to impact people,” he said. “I want to continue to grow to a place where I can do music full time in the studio all day.”
There are plenty of lessons to take from Greene’s music and experiences, but the idea that shines above all is his priority for mental health.
“I just want people to… know it’s okay to be yourself,” he said. “It’s okay to go through your ups and downs. Just know there’s always light at the end of the tunnel.”
Read the full interview here.
Tune In: Best Drops of the Past Few Weeks
Genesis Owusu — Smiling with No Teeth
Owusu’s debut album is eclectic and surprising — a collection of songs that defy genre identification. Smiling with No Teeth encapsulates rap, R&B, punk, soul, and plenty more throughout the album’s 15 songs and 54 minutes.
Favorite songs: Don’t Need You, Easy, No Looking Back
Slug — Castle by the Sea, Prickly Pear
These two new singles from Slug are casual yet ear-grabbing. “Castle By the Sea” is paced by a strolling piano and expressive trumpet sections, and the group experiments with some strings and a saxophone on the second. Each is rooted in jazz and lo-fi, a smooth collaboration between a pair of inventive genres.
Adrian Younge — The American Negro
Adrian Younge explores projections and understandings of Blackness in this new album, one he calls “my What’s Going On record, to explain why we are where we are in the world.” He spends the album switching tones from impassioned spoken word to expansive freeform jazz sections. It’s a journey of an album and well worth a listen.
CHIKA — ONCE UPON A TIME EP
Despite losing Best New Artist to Megan Thee Stallion, CHIKA’s shown more than enough in her short career to be considered one of the most exciting young voices in rap. This EP, while short, displays a hungry and talented rapper/singer/songwriter experimenting with a series of sounds and styles.
Favorite songs: Fairy Tales, Cinderella Pt. 2, FWB
nelovesBIAS — stop believing the bullshit
The new track from nelovesBIAS features distorted vocals over a rock-influenced beat. The song’s runtime of 1:40 doesn’t leave much room for fluff, and the young artist takes advantage of every second with evocative lyrics about the difficulty of relationships.
HIBERNATION
As we wrap up the final weeks of chilly weather, make sure you’re equipped with the right music to keep you warm. HIBERNATION, featuring songs from Pink Siifu, Masego, Erykah Badu, and Infinite Bisous, is a playlist that’ll pair perfectly with hiding under your blankets until it gets sunny outside.
Merch Alert
Buffalo’s own, Billie Essco, is in the middle of a rollout for CAFE, Season 2. Click over to his website to check it out, and follow him on IG to stay tuned for new releases.
Industry News
Some may assume the music world is struggling at the hands of a financially suffocating pandemic. And some sectors have — despite the Save our Stages Act, many venues are having to shut down. But against all odds, it appears as though musicians and recording businesses are seeing large growth. While companies like Universal Music still retain a large market share, the recorded music market is still thriving. Let’s just hope they can bring that success back to the venues once things open back up.