(Photo By Sound Cloud)
“Keep It Funky” (listen/download)
MidWay is a duo composed of members Lou Charles and Kev Nolan. The two attended Texas Christian University together and met by chance via a basketball game. They bonded over a common love of Hip-Hop and things took off from there. They did some recording as solo artists at first but eventually decided to come together as a group. They went on to adopt a simple yet appealing motto: “come together and have fun, and the rest will come to you.” Then progressed into forming their own promotional company, Third Culture Kids. Once they had everything in place, they began their takeover of the Texas college music scene. Their ventures earned them local press and positive acclaim amongst their peers. Now they are ready to drop their debut project. The up-and-coming effort has been coined FunEmployment: Volume 1. The offering will cover things that pertain to those on the verge of graduating from college or those who have recently graduated. So topics like: life after college, self discovery, love, etc; will be found on the debut. The pair will be touring and doing shows around Texas to help build interest in their premiere; along with sharing: singles, new videos, interviews, and more.
Recently, the mixtape’s first official single was sent over to the site. It’s been dubbed “Keep It Funky.” The production here is ill. It is made up of: a low level bass, prominent Southern musical ingredients, a catchy rhythm, and a groovy vibe. The hook is quality. The delivery is engaging. The lyrics are self-explanatory yet memorable. The deep background voice fits in well too. The verses are ripe. Lou takes on the first part of the song and Kev knocks out the second half. Each member comes with a grounded flow, inventive wordplay, and legitimate rhymes. The duo provide a nice taste of their personalities and their talents. A couple of lines worth observing are: “We riding. Where we going? Couldn’t tell you for the life of me. Middle finger to piracy. Jack Sparrow motherf—as. Money contagious and we got rich virally. Feet out that window. Glad I’m not in that driver’s seat. Cause I’m into this bottle. Chugging full throttle. Getting me closer with every swallow. Ain’t trying to holla til it is hollow.” Cool breezy bars being spit by Kev right there. In the end, this track is a smash and was an appropriate selection for a lead single.
**My Two Cents: MidWay made a respectable first impression on me. I love their style. I feel like they bring something just a little different to the Southern sound. And their lyrical game isn’t bad either. However, I think they could jazz things up just a tad with more deviceful rhymes. But overall this song was pretty valid for their first time out of the gate. I would certainly like to hear more from them. Much love to Uncovered Third PR for introducing The Illixer to Lou and Kev. -MinM
