MKE Center Stage (Eighth Edition)

Cardiac Da Pulse teamed up with a couple of his peers for a collaboration that ended his 2016 in a major way and is shaping up his 2017 pretty nicely as well. The song is titled “Fear” and the collaborators are Tr3y and Class M. The trio got together to create an old school style love record. It’s set to a suave instrumental with a groovy tempo and a mellow vibe, all courtesy of The Cratez. The hook is a thing of beauty too. Tr3y knocks the vocals out of the park and the lyrics are endearing. The verses are of a favorable quality. Cardiac and Class M come thru with distinguishable executions, notable wordplay, and open rhymes. They give a realistic perspective on relationships that listeners are sure to respect and connect with. As a whole, this is a banging single and it’s not hard at all to see why it’s gained so much popularity. “Fear” is slated to appear on Cardiac’s upcoming project ViBES. So if this tune is any indication, his supporters definitely have something to look forward to later on this year.

Rapper ER Kenta is continuing to shake things up with his smash hit single “Still Love Me.” He gave it a Rhythmaddix makeover on the production tip and than dropped a 40Mil directed visual towards the end of last year. The video is a vintage style piece that includes guest appearances by Kat IIs, Cincere, and LR aka Lyrics-N-Rhythm. The throwback theme fits ER’s personal swag effortlessly. His energy brings the solo shots in the flick to life like none other. Additionally, his chemistry with his co-stars is very genuine and entertaining to watch. The jam session with the fellas is just one scenario in particular that happens to stand out. All in all, this is a fun number that truly gives the track it represents a bit of a boost. Not that one was needed. The single still goes hard after all this time. Readers should treat themselves and click play asap.

OneSelf – Hope I Make It Home

Milwaukee artist OneSelf hasn’t been on the site in a couple of years. So when he reached out with his new project, decided it was worth diving into and bringing to readers. The project is labeled Hope I Make It Home and it contains 12 total tracks. The 414 talent shared this tidbit about the collective: “The project is basically about the pain, joy, good times and bad, the hustle and the times before the come up from the perspective of a young kid from the ghetto who made choices based off his circumstances whether good or bad. Hope you enjoy.” The offering is pretty legit overall but there are a few tracks that stand out above the rest. “Need Dat Duffle” is an intense tune set to a jarring instrumental that definitely gets the listener’s attention. The hook is simple as well as catchy. The verses are solid. OneSelf goes in with a turnt up flow, respectable wordplay, and proficient rhymes. He definitely gives off a sense of hunger on this cut and that’s a good look. “Sang To ‘Em” is a bit more on the relaxed side as far as the vibe of the beat goes. The hook plays at the end. It is of a dope quality and it definitely should’ve come up sooner to help separate the rhymes a bit. What makes this record strike a chord though is the strong story telling element that it contains. OneSelf takes the listener thru a very eventful day in the streets that ends with a slight lesson. A site favorite for sure. Last but not least is “Live Tonight.” This is the perfect track to throw on when one is hype for the weekend and getting ready to step out. The production is energetic. The hook is easy to remember. The verses are colorful. OneSelf serves up an expressive flow with conventional wordplay and complimentary rhymes. His unapologetic nature is on 10 and the listener is sure to be all for it. Great way to wind down the project. If readers are looking for some new local tunes, Hope I Make It Home is worth considering for sure.