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By Alma Here at NSR, there's nothing we love more than meeting an artist who knows how to embrace their strongest qualities and use them to create something utterly unique for themselves. We also love putting y'all on, and this time we're highlighting Mia Taylor. So who is Mia Taylor? Popularly known as the Mango Queen, Mia is a Soca-Soul artist from Brooklyn, NYC. She has a knack for writing juicy, euphoric love songs that keep the island vibes going all year round. If we could organize artistic references, we'd have to mix Burna Boy, Rihanna, Kiana Lede, Nessa Preppy and Mya into the pot! Mia's sound perfectly blends her Trinidadian culture and Brooklyn vibes. Her iconic single 'MANGO', which released in 2022, set the ball rolling. She introduced her bright and colorful island girl palette with extensive marketing tactics that led her to represent Trinidad in Nike's 2022 West Indies campaign. Now, this single was definitely made for the girls. The story line focuses on a relationship where Mia felt that her man wasn't fighting to meet the level of love and respect she deserved, so she developed her mantra of letting that man go. "I was just in such a weird space mentally" she expressed when we asked her for the inspo behind the hit single, "and I was just so attached to the idea of having a man. I was on the phone with my friend one day and she was like 'you need to let him go' . . . then boom. 'Mango' came about". Talk about FELT! Like ladies, who hasn't been there, done that? At the time of our interview her newest single 'Traitor Joe' was a secret. But now it's available on all streaming platforms and it certainly shows a new side of Mia Taylor. The song highlights the fact that this man (we'll call him Joe) decided to mess around and leave Mia for another girl when he had the prize to begin with! Now Mia is in her glow up era, and all he can do is sit back and soak in his regrets. "You got her to take my place // I guess this is your f*ck boy stage, I'm so ed up" and "I guess it's f*ck her, f*ck you too // I wouldn't double back on you". The song gives a raw and personal angle to what someone who is broken hearted would say in a journal or to a best friend. That makes us love it, and her, even more. Soul Mates, we've been fans of Ms. Mia Taylor for a long time (if you know, you know). When we say this new era of the island girl in the city was worth the wait, we're speaking facts. Every time she puts out a song, it's a hit. And if you learn anything from Mia's music, it would be to let that man go 'cause you deserve better than a traitor joe!

By Alma There's nothing more satisfying than seeing an artist get the recognition and love they deserve! TheARTI$t has experienced overnight popularity after her live session with music discovery platform, Major Stage, went viral for her single 'Sober' earlier this year. With attention shown from artists like SZA and Summer Walker (which we totally manifested during our interview, might we add), TheARTI$t is on a fast track to becoming everyone's next favorite artist. Here's the thing that stands out to us the most about her. She's not just your typical songwriter. She paints a story. Between her magnetic vocals and searing lyrics, there's no way you can miss what TheARTI$t is portraying. Sober' is the point of view of a person who experienced a lack of respect, effort and overall equal love from their partner. And this is the speech they give when they decide enough is enough. During our interview she explains, "this happened to me with two different women. I stuck it out because that's what our hearts and minds are trained to do, but eventually you gotta get up and walk away from things that don't serve you any purpose". Basically, don't ignore those red flags! 'Sober' is just that kind of song everyone can relate to whether it's a platonic or romantic situationship. 10/10 would recommend this song be sent to any friend who needs that sign to walk away from toxic-ness. Currently TheARTI$t has been traveling all around attending some cool writing sessions, collaborative getaways and building up the excitement for the most recent release of her single 'Chosen', which is available to stream everywhere. Y'all... this song! It's such a great follow up to her last single, giving a bit more of an upbeat tempo but sticking to that simplistic style that is becoming her signature. In our eyes, as long as it's TheARTI$t behind it, it's giving five stars every time.

By Alma Have you ever stopped to think about how magical women are? We're speaking on all aspects of being a female: the strength, the intelligence , the resilience and the beauty they bring every time they enter the room! Annie Tracy reminds us of our worth in her newest debut single 'Times It By Two' (which is now available to stream) and we're here to put y'all on. Currently based in North Carolina, Annie Tracy has been cooking up music for the last few years while being signed to iconic producer Tricky Stewart and celebrity & artist, Tiny Harris. Being patient and trusting in the process has been a huge part of this journey, which we touched base on with Annie during our exclusive interview (available to watch on YouTube). Building a desired brand and image isn't a walk in the park and it takes an incredible amount of time! "It's all about God's timing" Annie expressed. "I just had to do a lot of internal growth . . . as an artist that's just what you're supposed to do"! Girl, we felt that. We also got into deep discussions on lessons learned while working as a full-time recording artist, standing by career decisions in terms of music released and her adorable experiences working with rapper T.I. and Tiny's daughter Heiress and her budding music talents! Speaking to Annie Tracy was such an experience. Her bright energy easily filled the room and made the process feel like we were catching up with a friend. Now let's get into the music! 'Times It By Two' makes you feel like you're flying in the clouds. The music itself is so soft - the guitar tracks and airy backgrounds emphasizes Annie's intention of this single being a love letter to woman kind. Starting off the song like a conversation between herself and an ex-lover, she points out that even though he's not the guy she wanted him to be, she's not trippin' because she knows her worth is above that. During our interview Annie points out that life is always times by two when you have a woman involved. Lines like "everything you do I times it by two because that's what women do" is such a reminder that women need to stop allowing men to contradict their self-worth. Every melody and vocal placement is so intentional, it makes every second listening to it worth it. Especially the ending, where she sings "it's not healthy to pray for you to love, it's not healthy to pray that I'm enough, it's not healthy but baby I stay prayin' for you". Like, period talk yo shit! Women are truly slept on, and it's songs like this that are a great reminder to know your worth.

By Alma Hey Soul Mates! Have you ever heard a song that makes you stop in your tracks & turn your music all the way up? The kind of music that quite literally speaks to your inner demons, dreams & deeper side of you that only you know best? That's what artist renforshort's newest album dear amelia does. Hailing from Toronto, Canada, renforshort is a 20 year old spokeswoman for our generation when it comes to speaking the truth. She challenges the way you emotionally deal with damage. Describing herself as "tastefully weird", her career started off with a bang after the release of her first single 'waves' went viral. After signing with Geffen Records, her next two singles were rewarded with over 5 million streams. Talk about a great head start! Followed by two more successful projects, her most recent album dear amelia shows fans her talents have only gotten more inspirational. She opened dear amelia with the tune 'i miss you', & I couldn't help but connect to that feeling heavily. Growing up and taking in the world is a hardship. Her honesty is disarming. It's something we all need in our playlists. During our interview with Interscope Records, I got to know her quirkier side. She was bright & bubbly. Like, if I had to pick a color for her aura, I would totally go with the bright white-blue she uses as her album cover. renforshort explained that Amelia is a character, & all the songs within the album are addressed to her. "She's the personification of the part of my brain that I put a lot of stress on", renforshort mentioned. She revealed that she struggled with herself this past year, learning how to find herself & just dealing with life as a whole. Taking that confession & comparing to her music, I saw the strength she poured into her songs. Although her lyrics are speaking on not-so-happy circumstances, she twisted the situation into something that has actually helped her grow to a new level, like her song 'don't come back'. In the musical sense, it's all in the most uplifting manner. With the occasional slow down tune like 'let you down' featuring Jake Bugg, she gives you a moment to breathe with her. She saves you from being overwhelmed. Here's why I'm convinced that renforshort is the one to turn to when you need a shoulder to cry on. Her music is wholesome. She reminded me why I love the alternative music genre so much. So many sounds, vibes & aesthetics meshed into one beautiful & supportive space. Streaming dear amelia will bring you back from the brink & give you that cold sip of water you've been dying for.

By Alma Our favorite thing about being a music magazine are the opportunities we get to meet so many artists and hear the influences of their city’s music style! We’re here to put you on to Chi-town’s very own R&B singer itoldLexi and her newest single ‘For You’, which just released on February 10th. So let’s get into this piece of art. ‘For You’ is a simplistic track that gives a euphoric essence with light piano key trills and a heart-beat like rhythm. Her melody is conversational as are her lyrics. It’s a raw and honest heart-to-heart with her significant other and the red flags they’re bringing to the table. During our interview when I asked what the inspiration was, Lexi explained that her and co-producer Chloe Rona Dunphy got into speaking about toxic relationship experiences. “What it is that’s on your mind and heart // it hurts my soul // like do you even need me” highlights thoughts of doubt based off of the lack of action on his end. His resistance of being emotionally open and available, but wanting to be in a relationship and expecting her to be blindly loyal. Her iconic line “if you’d rather be single, just say that too'' calls him out! Throughout the song she holds him responsible, which is something a lot of us struggle to do when dealing with someone we’re in love with. If itoldLexi is gonna do anything, it’s gonna be to teach life lessons through her music. Period. During our chat we also gained such an intimate insight into her journey in building her brand and image as an independent artist. People don’t give enough credit where it’s due when it comes to creatives and the work they put into the longevity of their brands. Experimenting and re-learning who you are as a person and creative has so many challenges in itself, but Lexi handles that rollercoaster with grace and confidence. Here’s why itoldLexi’s sound has us always coming back for more. This new wave she’s on gives off effortless energy. Her voice is intensely rich, which makes anything she sings sound like honey. Lexi is hands down the best addition to your music collection.

By Alma Happy 2023 Soul Mates! The music industry has been changing rapidly, and we are so in love with all the new music that has been coming onto the scene. Partnering up with 1824 and Interscope Records, we’re honored to shine a spotlight on alternative pop artist, JAWNY and his recent single ‘True’, as well as his newest and highly anticipated debut album IT’S NEVER FAIR, ALWAYS TRUE (coming out March 3rd). We’d like to start off by stating that with patience comes huge opportunities. JAWNY started off by making music at 13 with his brother. He hit the jackpot with his single ‘Honeypie’ in 2019, landing him several tv shows placements and over a million streams. During the press conference, he expressed that it was overwhelming and scary to blow up so quickly at such a young age. We recognized how humble and genuine his energy was while listening to his journey on his adaptation into becoming a full-time signed artist when he joined Interscope in 2020. When we asked him for some advice that other creatives could hold onto when writing he responded, “make things that are true to yourself. Don’t try to be too smart or listen to other songs and say ‘I need to write something like this’. Write whatever is true to you”. We really felt that in our souls. Okay, we don’t want to admit that we almost passed out when he played some unreleased music from his album, but we definitely stopped breathing for a second. ‘fall in love’, which is currently available on all streaming platforms, melted our hearts. The lyrics speak of a guy being so entranced by a girl that he isn’t looking forward to falling in love with her because he knows it’ll never work out in the end. The string orchestra and light piano accents just pull together this song beautifully. On top of highlighting one of the most relatable love topics! Like, who hasn't had a crush that didn’t reciprocate the feelings? Now with his most recent single ‘true’ we feel like it was a great pre-game kind of vibe for this album. A love letter that's brutally honest in lyrics. However, the music gives a nice contrast revealing that even though he’s trying to get over someone, he’s still making the best of the situation, stating “Mama didn’t wanna raise a son who would grow up to be like my father // It’s true that I’m in love with you, there’s nothing I can do // I wish it wasn’t true”. A true reflection of his laid-back nature. If we could describe JAWNY’s music, we’d say it was a genuine melting-pot of adventurous rock and bouncy pop with a hint of euphoric wonder. What’s more is that we admire his laid-back attitude of “faking a song into existence” (because we’ve all been there) and his no-nonsense mentality when it comes to negativity. We say this to say, JAWNY is one of those rare artists whose music perfectly reflects day to day life and struggles with love. Pre-save his album IT’S NEVER FAIR, ALWAYS TRUE and start off your summer with a bang.

***DON'T FORGET TO SCROLL DOWN AND READ OUR EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH ZOO RASS*** What's up Soul Mates? I've made a discovery, and I've been dying to share it with y'all. You've been missing someone from your reggae playlists, and his name is ZOO RASS!! Let me just put y'all on. A blended mix of Guyanese and Jamaican background, Zoo Rass is a Dancehall recording artist based in Brooklyn, NYC. What is dancehall? Quick lesson: The genre originated in the late 1970s, and has become a popular genre in Jamaican culture. The structure of the genre is call and response. For example, artists like Zoo Rass create music to go with the dances that dancers choreograph. Zoo Rass's most recent project 'Mood Swings' really reveals a whole different side to him musically. There wasn't a lot of the bump and grind feeling until the last song 'Oh Nah Nah', which features Alhaji Currency and HERO. This masterpiece was centered more around subjects like loyalty, enjoying life and honestly, working hella hard to make it to the top. I agree with the title 100% because it gives the project such a great description. Now with all that being said, I do have to admit that my favorite song is 'Oh Nah Nah' (the bump and grind song LOL). Hear me out!! There are so many reasons why this song speaks to me guys. As always, I'm a huge sucker for instrumentals, and the trumpet and electric guitar on the tracks sets such an amazing summer time mood for the entire song. Zoo Rass's tone sounds like warm and melty butter. The rhythm of his lyrics kept me incredibly entranced and on my toes because I was so excited to see what was coming next. The features he included are also the perfect touch because it all added such a nice change in dynamic. My second favorite song is 'Happy'. He speaks about being thankful of the position he's in now, and how he takes every day as an opportunity to better himself, work on his craft and take in everything that life has to offer. The beginning of my senior year of high school my family and I went through some pretty hard times. I kept telling myself "it's gonna be ok. Just smile and be happy that you have what you have right now". I would stare at myself in the mirror and speak it out loud like an omen or something. So when I hear this song in his project, I immediately pictured myself playing this song in the mornings right after I wake up. Dancing around the bathroom as I brush my teeth, picking out a bomb outfit to run around in all day and then getting shit done because you know what? Hell yeah I woke up another day to do the things I love! Listening to it right now as I write this article at 9 AM is waking my brain up with this bubbly sense of confidence and bad bitch vibes. I'm also obsessed with his project from back in 2015, 'The Rasta Prince', which is why it became an absolute MUST to have him featured on NSR. 'Come Outta Mi Way' really emphasizes the dancehall culture, and HELLO I was MOVING! I WAS DANCING! I was JUMPING around in my room so hype!! When it's good ass music, you're gonna look crazy because it just takes this influence over you and you can't help it (I just can't hide it *guess the song reference*). Zoo Rass, I feel, has a huge advantage over other Caribbean artists because he knows what beats and melodies will get people up and moving. All of his songs make you wanna wine yuh waist and get lit off the feeling he creates for his listeners. He's also a huge influence in New York City BECAUSE he's a Brooklyn native. All summer long you'll hear people bumpin' his music during the cookouts and block parties. He brings nothing but good vibes to the party, and that's period. I love music that makes me feel good. There's just something about a powerful song that's fun, hype and crazy that sets this awesome mood for your day. Zoo Rass is so good at making music that feels great for the soul. So PEOPLE MAKE SURE YOU DOWNLOAD HIS LATEST EP 'Mood Swings' (honestly just download all his music) so you can feel just as good as we do here at Natural Soul Rhythm and don't forget NSR PUT YOU ON!! ZOO RASS EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW Q: Congrats on the release of your newest project, 'Mood Swings'. Talk to me about it! What is the concept behind it? What was the process like? What is something you want listeners to remember after listening to this project? A: Coming into 2020 I wanted to get a little bit more personal with my music. Usually in my music you hear me talk about love, relationships, partying, dancing etc., but nothing too personal. So I wanted to make something that people can relate to. I thought the mood swings concept was perfect because everybody goes through mood swings. No matter how much money you may have, how popular you are, what social class you might be in you will always have mood swings some way, some how. The recording process was pretty dope. I'm always recording consistently so I didn't intend that these songs were going to be a part of a project at first. I recorded most of the tracks before hand, and then decided to put these four together for this project. I want listeners to take away the messages that each song displays. Q: How does it feel having your project as #1 on the Ghana iTunes Charts for Reggae/Dance Hall Music? What are some tips you can give to aspiring artists like yourself? What are the things they should focus on and things they should avoid? A: It is a very surreal feeling to see myself number one on any chart. It makes me proud to see the growth as an artist and that so many people worldwide are tuned in. [There are] four things I always tell every aspiring artist: Work hard, be patient, don't focus on nobody else's plate (because your food will get cold) and create your own lane and manifest it. I think the most important thing artists should focus on is growth. No matter if it's numbers, your stage presence or sound, improving growth should be the key thing. Also investing in yourself and studying the ins and outs of your craft. Artists shouldn't focus too much on what works for other artists, trying to do things to go 'viral' and/or accepting every opportunity that is presented to them. Q: How did you get involved in Dance Hall? A: Before I was an artist, I was a dancehall dancer. In the dancehall culture, almost every dance is accompanied by a song. My crew and I used to record songs for our dances that we created. I took a liking to it and decided to trade my dancing shoes for a microphone. I feel like my growth has expanded beyond places that I couldn't even imagine 5-7 years ago. I pride myself on versatility when I create music. When you listen to my music you'll find different tracks fusing all kinds of genres and sounds. One genre that I definitely want to dip into is the Latin genre. It's a lot of dope Spanish artists such as Karol G and Bad Bunny. I'd love to collaborate with a Spanish artist and test the waters. Q: Who is an artist currently you'd like to work with and why? A: [There are] so many artists I'd love to work with right now, but if I can just choose one, I'd definitely go with Sean Paul. He's one artist I look up to a lot. He has paved the way for the genre of dancehall. I'd love to collaborate with him as well and pick his brain about music. Q: What's your favorite part about creating? What's your least favorite? A: My favorite part about creating is actually sitting down, dissecting what's in front of me and trying to put something together. It can get challenging at times, but that's the beauty of it. To be challenged and overcome it. My least favorite part is when it comes to hooks. Sometimes it's difficult for me to come up with hooks to a song. Sometimes I'll bring in songwriters and/or featured artists to help with that. Q: Why did you choose the name Zoo Rass? Is there a special meaning behind it? A: Zoo is short for my real name and I'm a Rastafarian. So it's basically taking the first few letters from my real name and my culture and putting it together. Q: If you could describe music with one word, what would it be and why? A: Refreshing!! Especially when you listen to my music. It's different and refreshing. Music as a whole can be refreshing sound wise and just broaden your horizon.

*DON'T FORGET TO READ OUR EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH TYLA YAWEH. SCROLL DOWN TO THE BOTTOM TO READ* SOUL MATES! Wow I missed you guys so much. Sony Music put us on to this artist, so now we're putting YOU on. His name is Tyla Yaweh, and he's about to take over the hip-hop world. Let's summarize the history before we begin. Tyla Yaweh is originally from Orlando, Florida and moved to LA when he was only 19 years old. After some time, Post Malone and his team discovered the young hip-hop rapper and took Tyla under his wing. Mentoring and helping him grow, Post Malone began working closely with Tyla Yaweh, which helped developed a powerful friendship. Now the two artists are creating and releasing dope music together! Tyla Yaweh is like a chameleon to me. He mixes hip-hop and rock music together in almost all his music. Whenever he collaborates with someone, whether that be DaBaby in their single 'Stuntin' On You' or YG 'I Think I Love Her' or with Post Malone and rock drummer Tommy Lee 'Tommy Lee' his lyrics, tone of voice and rhythm morphs. It changes to always fit the mood of the beat. You're never disappointed in his music, and you're never bored. That's the thing about Tyla Yaweh that makes him so memorable. I have two favorites from him right now that I have on constant repeat. 'Stuntin' On You' featuring DaBaby is such a vibe! The beat is so dope and catchy and it makes me feel sexy and lit listening to it because look, money is sexy, period. So to me, listening to the song just makes me feel like I already got it all. The concept of stunting on your haters and showing off the things you accomplished is hella satisfying so, you know I'm blasting the song the second I make my first millions. Or while I'm typing this article for you guys. It's not just the concept of the song I love, but again, how well the two rappers mesh together. They both make their marks with their lyric choices and expression. I can just tell they vibe'd so well together in the studio, and the song shows for it. So if you need a motivational song for the week, here you go. YOU'RE WELCOME! My second favorite single from Tyla is actually from last year. 'I Think I Love Her' featuring YG is SO CATCHY and SPICY to me! I know spicy is such a weird way to describe a song but hear me out! This is the type of song I need to twerk to in the club or in the grocery store. I don't care where I'm hearing it. I'm dropping everything to dance to this. I loved how they just feed off each other lyric wise. The world they created within this song is such a party hard and living lavish type of dream like, you can't have a bad day if you're listening to this song. The confidence, sexiness and happiness this song emanates is contagious. Trust me. I have to be honest with you, I was a little nervous to interview Tyla. I was scared that I was asking the wrong questions. I was scared that I wouldn't impress him with what I had prepared. It ended up being one of the best interviews I ever had. He's incredibly down to earth and open to anything and everything. He's not afraid of the challenges that get thrown his way. He embraces them, stating at one point "we need haters! If you don't have haters, you're not doing it right". We talked about his marketing skills and love for travel. We also talked fashion which I was so excited for (PS: Tyla if you're reading this, I can't wait for you to drop your fashion line). He gave me tips on how to remain level headed during the crazy moments of life, and showed off his proudness to the artists coming out of his hood in Orlando, Florida. He's such a cool guy, and his chill personality made me love his music even more. So Soul Mates, if you're looking for someone new to rage with, download every single piece of music from Tyla Yaweh. And when you end up at one of his concerts, tell him NSR sent ya. ALMA X TYLA YAWEH EXCLUSIVE NSR INTERVIEW NATURAL SOUL RHYTHM & SONY MUSIC 1. In an L'officiel interview, you mention how your marketing strategy for your song 'Alone' was to put the local radio station's number at the end of the music video and that helped the song go viral. How did you come up with such a genius idea like that? - Is marketing something you would have been interested in pursuing if you weren't an artist? - You had also mentioned that your sister being in a girl band helped push you to pursue music. Do you two ever work on music together? A: Honestly I was just thinking of every idea. That was one thing that came to my mind. All the old videos back in the day like the old BET music videos and stuff [you had to] request songs to radio stations, so I just used that. And it obviously worked so that was pretty cool. I'm actually doing [marketing] now to be honest. A little bit here and there with my friends and stuff. They do like e-commerce and other marketing situations so, I'll always keep that spot in mind my whole life. [My sister] used to be in a girl band. She actually does marketing now I got her into doing marketing. 2. I think your style is so dope. Would you ever consider designing clothes in collaboration with other designers, or even creating your own label? A: Actually I'm in the process of doing that now, making my line called Rager Boy and we're doing other collabs with other artists. I have like five closets. Different clothes, different styles. Everyday is a different style. Like one day I might wear a jumpsuit, the next day I might wear super extravagant stuff. It's always been my dream so I made it happen! 3. You seem like such a positive guy. I know being a touring artist can sometimes be overwhelming. How do you remain level headed? What keeps you chill. - What's some advice you can give to other artists who are trying to make it? - What advice can you give for kids back in your old hood trying to make it out? A: Being on the road is super fun to me. I like being in different places. I don't like to always just be sitting down too long. That's why I have multiple spots where I live. It's just dope to be around the world and see different cultures and you keep that levelness of not being home and having friends around me. My friends, they're not my family, but I call them my family. They my bloods. And all my friends from my home town, well two of my friends moved to California because of me so, they always with me. They come around the world, they came to Europe with me, came on tour with me, so I always keep my friends who came up with me, and that's what keeps me level headed. That's a big thing keeping your circle tight. I keep it like a trio. Very small and not too many people know where I'm at and where I'm going. You only create [negative] energy if you bring that energy around you. Honestly, I'm really proud of Orlando right now. There's a lot of dope artists coming out of there right now. I'm hearing it out here in California like, my friends that are big artists like Trippie Redd, my homie Hotboii, GlokkNine, all these people from my hood are finally coming up, so it's just like cool. I just wanna give them the advice of keeping going, not stopping, just never give up and never fear the industry. Don't let the pressure get you. 4. You have this talent for mixing so many different genres together and just making it all sound so cohesive and unique. How do you go through your creative process. Do you have that one person or thing that you absolutely need to involve no matter what? What is something you hate while you're creating? What's something you love? A: One thing I hate while creating, which is why I don't bring that many people into my studio sessions, cause when somebody tries to rap over you and you're listening to a beat and they go "oo, I'm rapping let me show you how many bars I got" I hate that cause I'm always just like focused trying to figure out the sound. Something I love, something I gotta have is the homies in the back. Just to create that energy and then a good engineer. That's all I need. 5. I noticed you really have a deep appreciation for the little things that make music whole. What are the small things you'd like to point out to listeners to pay attention to while listening to your music? A: Honestly I just let them listen I don't point anything out cause I don't know if they're gonna notice anything. I just make music and if they wanna hear it then I show it to them and if they love it then they love it. I make music for myself. Don't really make it for other people. I make it for my fans too which is the most important because I listen to them and they listen to me so, those are the most important people. But when I'm showing another person, I just show them music cause they asked to listen to my stuff. Hopefully they vibe to it. 100% they will though I'm pretty confident in my music. Besides, we need haters! We need them to survive in this day. If you don't have haters then you not doing it right. 6. There's a couple of songs that I'd really like for you to break down for me. Off of your project 'Heart Full of Rage', who is 'They Ain't You' about? Then for your song with Post Malone 'Tommy Lee', what's the meaning behind that song? - How did it feel working with the famous drummer, Tommy Lee? Are there future collaborations there? A: [They Ain't You] was about my ex for sure. That's still my friend too. We were dating and we were going through it. I made a song about being on tour and being ourselves. It really helped and I ended up making a good song. I made it for her. She actually seen me perform it before. We ended up dating still after that, but she's not from here so we had to separate our ways. It was nothing bad, we chillin'. [For Tommy Lee], We just showing people my version of what rock is. Tommy Lee and I were just talking about how cool our friendship is and how much he's a legend and how much he inspired me to make music and live this dope crazy lifestyle. One day I'll be in LA and the next end up somewhere else. Tommy Lee just did not give a fuck and that's the point in the song. And then the perfect rockstar to put on it was my bro Post Malone. It's normal working with Post because he's like my family. It's like working with one of my best friends. He's teaching me to become a big star just like him and helping me get into the same position he's in. I wake up and thank God that's the first thing I do in the morning. I wanna be the same blessing that Post gave me, I wanna give to one of my friends. 7. If you could describe music with one word, what would it be and why? A: It's life. We need it everywhere we go. When we get in the car, when we watch tv, when we go into the store, it's playing. When you're happy, when you're sad, music! Music is the way of life. natural soul rhythm x sony music 2020

*DON'T FORGET TO SCROLL DOWN TO READ OUR INTERVIEW WITH KENNY* Soul Mates, I gotta really put you on to this Atlanta born and raised phenomenon known as Kenny Mason. It is to my belief that he's about to skyrocket up the billboard charts with the release of his latest album, Angelic Hoodrat and hit single, Hit. A 14 song masterpiece built up of powerful lyrics, strong beats and the blurring lines of genres like Rap, Rock and R&B. Pinky swear this album deserves to be blasted through your speakers. I think the part that shook me the most about Mason's music was how versatile his flow and tone is. He moves easily through each beat, both slow and quick. When the genre switch ups start happening, he morphs into this different person that holds his own against the strong instrumentals that play. Electric guitar and heavy drums to synths and beats, this artist is like a chameleon. He's never caught off guard! In a recent DJ Booth interview, Booth himself says that "rappers channeling their rock influences aren't always a seamless transition, but for Kenny Mason, it's as seamless as a gear shift". That description couldn't be more on point. Kenny is one of the smoothest rappers on the come up. A really bomb example of this superpower Mason seems to manifest is in his song Metal Wings. Bro, when I tell you I was SHOOK at the way his voice blends so well with the heavy metal vibe of the song, and then all of a sudden he switches it up and gives me pop vibes and then to R&B and back to heavy metal like oh my god, where did they find him?? My favorite song of all time off this album is Chevron. Sis, the vibe of this song goes so hard and its just such a bop that I can easily get stuck in my head. This is the type of song that makes me wanna drive to the beach blasting this through my speakers and have the roof top down. Slow motion, glitter, you see my vision of a better life, that hot girl carefree type of summer, right? His hit single, Hit, is that success and glory type that you play up in the club on the best day your life. Like, VIP sections with bottles for days. He hypes himself up on his successes and literally expresses like, oh shit we did that and now we got money to spend and this music thing is really working out (not that he ever doubted himself before). He's a confident dude, and this song states that clearly and proudly. Now by this point I'm already a big fan. But if you guys know me already, you know that the biggest thing that draws me to an artist is their use of lyrics. I swear he was a famous poet in a past life. This album . . . his words . . . the passion behind them and the drive he clearly shows with every song helps open up my imagination and evokes my own passions and demons. They challenge the things I expect him to say, and kind of put me in his own world and whatever mindset he was in when he was writing them. His first song off the album, Firestarter, gives the concept of Kenny speaking on his demands for respect for his work ethic and personal life. "Sorry mama I cannot show weakness" is him saying mom, I know you think I work too much and maybe you're scared I might fail but I'm not weak and I got this. The track U in a Gang // Exxon shows how proud he is from where he's from and the line "I wear your hammy downs, when they was your hammy downs and I don't even like them but imma rock them to make you proud". It makes me damn proud of where I come from, and makes me wanna rep everything and anything I can to show that type of appreciation. In our interview, he also revealed that this song was also a way for him to express how he was feeling after finding out that one of his bros was part of a gang. Chevron, has this tough flow about him flexing, basically pumping' out lyrics like "I'm on level two, levitate over you" and "Got more dollars than followers" like hello?? Gets me too my core and I be imagining myself up on the roof of a cute ass sports car making it rain. Look, all I gotta say is, if you're not listening to Kenny Mason's music, what are you really doing? You want something fresh and defying to the regular music you hear on the radio? Throw some Angelic Hoodrat on the speakers, jam out and thank me later. Period. KENNY MASON INTERVIEW Q: Can you break down the concept of the album for me? What's the story you're trying to tell? Where there any challenges, or any songs your struggled to write/record? A: "The overall concept or the idea of the project was just the duality of repping myself, any and everybody, and definitely the people that come from where I come from. I think everybody has a ying and a yang to them and how they think and how they approach things and deal with trauma and how they deal with different things. Overall, it's to help anyone who has an internal conflict within themselves. Hoping that it helps everybody with me just being honest about it. Luckily. nah. I've been making music and writing for a long time. The process, I'm used to it already and comfortable with writing. The challenge, I feel like, was more about getting the production right and figuring out how things group. The lyrics were easy 'cause I was just being honest about my life and just, you know, talking about stuff I've been through. Ive never had a challenge doing that". Q: I watched your interview with Pigeons and Planes, and I thought it was incredibly wholesome how close and supportive your group of friends are to you. Do you guys all work together on your music and artistry? A: "My friends, the folks around me, my people, they probably the most important piece of life. My artistry, besides myself. I went through all my experiences with them. Being with them and also being there for their own experiences made me the man that I am. Also made me the artist I am. I wanted to make music for them and help them deal with stuff that they was going through. I figured if I could make music that they liked, the world would like it to. They were good to help test out the music I made. The rock stuff, you know it's not always the stuff they were listening to. I wanted to make sure it was god enough for them to like. I knew that if I could get them to like this song with a texture they weren't totally familiar with, I could get other people to like it too". (Q: So you gonna take them to the top with you huh?) "Oh yeah. You know a lot of my friends rap too and they are incredible artists. They are just as driven with their art as I am. We finna have this sowed up bruh". (Q: would you ever want to have like a collaborative album with them?) A: "Absolutely, 100%! You know like, they wanna out rap me and stuff too, so it'll be fun". Q: One of the songs that really caught my attention was U In a Gang // Exxon. Can you explain the vision and message behind this one? A: "That's definitely the most, you know how you talked about how my friends influence my music, thats 100% true in this. Its about me discovering that one of my partners was in a street gang. It wasn't explained to me. I have family members that are gan bangers and I have cousins who did the same, so I am used to being around it. So you know my home boy, when I heard about him getting into that life style, it hit me in a way where I didn't know how to talk to him about this. Cause you know, I know a lot of family members who died from being like that, cause they felt they had a certain kind of duty, like a level of pride to living like that. I didn't wanna see that happen to him and I didn't know how to talk to him about that. We talked about it here and there, but I think me making that song really explained all the way how I felt. I think that it helped put it into perspective. Like, if it was me in his shoes and felt like joining into that kinda organization, it may have given me a certain level of comfort for joining. I wrote the song to get a better understanding so I could understand him more". Q: What's some advice you can give to other aspiring artists in Atlanta trying to make it? A: "One thing all artists should be is to be honest with who they are and what they like, like the type of music they like to make. I think so many people make music, especially artists in Atlanta there are so many rappers and artists around here, it gotta be like so many of them trying to join the rap race. I think the best way to do it is to get out of the race and just, you know, be yourself. 'Cause for me and my experiences, when I stopped trying to make songs for the club or for the parties, and I stopped trying to rap better than everybody, cause ya know I was trying to be better than Kendrick and J Cole, I wanted to be the best rapper. When I started making songs about my family and about my life and I started getting into the other music I liked, like the Pixies, and I started gaining more traction and people started noticing. I think that's what's gonna happen to anybody who chooses to be honest and real with their music". Q: If you could describe music with one word, what would it be and why? A: "Hm . . . that's a really good and hard question. Imma say electricity. That's what music gives me. There have definitely been times where I've done shows where nobody knows me and I feel this vibe. I don't know how to explain it so I'm just gonna tell you about a specific time. Right before Rolling Loud last year, I was doing these local shows in Atlanta. It was this scene of people I've never performed for before, like that artsy college types I ain't never did no show with these types of people. Eclectic and expressive kids. It had to be 150 of them in this small ass room. You know, everybody knows imma do Hit cause I've been performing it so much. So I did Metal wings and Pretty Thoughts back to back. I remember when Pretty Thoughts started off, like with the chords and it was a rough demo so it sounded like this ugly mess. But the riff went off and I started singing it, and then everybody started looking and coming closer to the stage and shit. And I saw people's eyes light up. Then, when the beat dropped, everybody started going crazy and it was like a chain reaction. And you know like the current was passing through people. It was passing through me, and then into everyone else. And then the chorus started and everybody when crazy and it was the biggest mosh-pit I've ever seen and they were all throwing themselves at each other. So yeah, I would definitely say electricity".

Let me put y'all on. First off, I was embarrassingly obsessing over Annie Tracy when she first got to the Mona's Lounge set because I have been in love with her sound from the moment I heard her sing a year ago. To have even gotten a chance to just observe her sing live was an incredible feeling. Perks of being an A&R blogger? Pretty much. Annie Tracy is fresh to the music scene with a soulful sound highly influenced by her love for gospel and desire to keep things genuinely her. Her persona brightens up a room, and when she sings . . . bro I can't even make this up, my skin tingles all the way down to my finger tips. If I had to describe her voice, I would have to describe her like a great cup of hot chocolate. You know the kind your soul craves on the coldest day of the year? Annie's voice is enticing, deep and smooth. She brings this feeling out of you. When it comes to songwriting, her lyrics are like the paint brush creating this insane work of art that is so unique and worth so much more than a thousand words. I spoke to her a little about who her inspirations were and she surprised me when she mentioned chance the Rapper and Kanye West. When I asked her to explain, she said, "they just do them in their music. They're not trying to be anyone else . . . They are both heavily inspired by gospel'. Her song 'Empty' is full of poetic influence that pushes the listener to dissect the meaning behind the message. Although this is one of her only songs out right now, she did clue me into plans of releasing an EP/Album later on this year. Fingers crossed and eyes glued to Instagram and Apple Music to wait for the drop girl, I'm ready! When Annie and I sat down to start our interview, I could already tell we were going to have a dope conversation. We clicked instantly, and definitely wandered off topic a few times (we discussed basketball court dreams, the fact that we both attended PACE University in NYC, and our mutual understanding that it's ok to throw yourself a curve ball if that's what helps you find your happy place). I learned so many things about her and grew an admiration for the way she looked at life and her music career. Recently picked up by T.I. and Tiny, she speaks about how even though things are going so well and she's been working with some of the top producers in the industry, she never gets ahead of herself, and always takes moments to just enjoy what she's experiencing in the moments. "I don't believe it's happening", she gushed to me. "I still pinch myself everyday. I've learned more working with them in the past 5 months than I have in my entire life". In fact, when I asked her where she saw herself and her music career heading, she said she didn't really plan ahead that far. It was all about being in this incredible moment of being able to create music and share her gift. Honestly, if Annie would have told me something like that five years ago I would have been like hell nah, no plan at all? But seeing how life is so totally not in a straight like I wanted to believe forced me to realize that planning every step out just wastes time and takes you away from actually enjoying and giving yourself the credit on the things you're accomplishing in the MOMENT! (Clearly the key word today is 'moments'...) What else can I say? Annie Tracy is a breath of fresh air and shows so much potential. If I could put her in a category, I'd say a mix of gospel, smooth jazz and some kind of in-between of indie music and R&B. Hoping to even see a collaboration between Annie and H.E.R? Guess we'll have to wait too see that one. natural soul rhythm 2020

HELLO WONDERFUL SOUL MATES!! How are y'all enjoying the week? The NSR team has been working day and night so that we can finally release all the new artists we've found! A lot has happened since the NSR Artist Showcase, and now we're finally happy to share them with you all. ARE YOU GUYS HYPE??? WE ARE SO HYPE!!! Without further ado, we introduce to you our newest NSR Artist, M A L A Y A!! (woooo fireworks, applause, champagne). Let's just be very clear here. Malaya has to be one of the most incredible artists I have ever met. Not only is she an amazing singer and songwriter, but she has incredible stage presence and can speak her mind to a band and everything translates perfectly. Music is her first language. Getting to know her during our interview, as well as watching her grow as an artist, has been such an incredible honor. It's really like sitting down with my own version of Beyonce to be honest (can you tell I'm fan-girling?). She was born to be an artist. She had her start appearing on American Idol, where she made it to the top 8 when she was only fifteen years old (the 3rd youngest to have ever done that BTW). Since then, she has opened up and performed with Bryson Tiller, India Arie, Aretha Franklin, John Legend and more. There are no words to describe Malaya. She is just incredibly mind-blowing. I stand in shock sometimes when I watch her perform. Malaya takes over a room. Simple as that. People can't help but stop and listen to her. Her songs speak the inner-workings of her mind. It gives us all a peak into who she is and how she works. Not to mention when we sat down for our interview, we ran over time by an hour. We couldn't stop talking! First of all, her hate for coffee and ice was a whole debate on its own. Then we spoke about her grandfather, who was also an incredible musician. After that, we bounced to her process while creating music. In between all those little conversations, we had such a great time goofing off and just talking. Malaya!! I've only known you for a short time but I have completely fallen in love with you and your music. Your heart is kind and your mind is the most fascinating thing. You are so talented and genuine with your music, it's completely inspiring. I could hear you sing all day. I cold watch you perform forever. I know I don't need to remind you, but always remember that you're a star. Never let anyone or anything make you doubtful of yourself!! Stay focused and stay positive. You have an incredible gift. Run with it. Live your life with the mentality that you are incredible and one of a kind. I can't wait to see you take over the music world. Love, Alma natural soul rhythm

After getting to know Jayla, I realized that she's the kind of person that speaks her mind and knows how to remain grounded in herself and her music. A self made producer, singer and songwriter, Jayla Darden is every music fanatic's dream come true. She is a do-it her self type of artist, which is absolutely enchanting and honestly, makes me a little envious! Down to earth, talented as hell and honest, Jayla has been dubbed the next come up artist. So let's get to know the genius behind the Ideas: Q: Unfortunately, it's pretty rare to see a self produced singer/songwriter female artist. How do you keep your head straight when dealing with the crowd of men that dominate the music industry? A: Honestly, I don't really think too hard. No matter your gender, I think if you're talented, you're just talented and the world will make room for you. If ever I come across someone who I feel is treating me lesser because I'm a female it's easy to cut them off and keep pushing forward because I know there's an endless amount of opportunities in place to get me to where I need to be. Q: So I definitely peeped that you have been incorporating the label 'Idea' into everything that you release. From your two EPs (Ideas Vol. 1 & 2) to literally all the songs on those projects. I have been trying to figure out what the bigger picture is so you gotta help me out here. What does it all mean? Where did you get that concept from? A: It was really me being lazy. When I create I hop all over the place and for every beat I start I'd just number it. I'd write to some of them and wanted to hear them in the car but majority of the time they wouldn't be complete songs so I'd bounce them as "idea _" to know which session it was to go back and finish it. A lot of them I never finished I just ended up using those to build a foundation. I wanted to allow people to grow with me as I worked so I decided to drop 1 idea every month for 8 months and saved my favorite ones for an EP. Those songs were longer but the title 'Idea' caught on and became a part of the brand so I thought to keep it consistent with the EP. Q: I see you put a song with Alex Isley called 'We'll Always Have Paris'! First off, that song is dope. What was the whole process like? How'd you like working with Alex? Are you planning on working with her on more music in the future? A: Working with Alex was super easy! I have a studio set-up at the crib so she came over and we made one beat together. She took it home and a couple days later sent a whole jam back to me. I'm a fan, I definitely plan on working more with her she's incredible. Q: What are your biggest fears when pursuing a music career? What are the things you're looking forward to? A: I don't have too many, but I guess my biggest fear would be not being able to tell whether someone is genuine or not when it comes to the industry. I'm looking forward to breaking the mold. I'm an artist, but I also produce and write for others so I know that even though everyone creating plays an equally important part in the process, everyone isn't treated that way. I'm also forward to being an inspiration and setting an example for anyone who comes after me. Right now there's not a lot of people doing what I do and a dream becomes easier to believe in when you see it was possible for someone else. Q: If you could work with anyone in the industry, songwriting/producing/singing, who would it be? A: I'm not sure. I use to name all my inspirations but now I think it's whoever I naturally vibe and have chemistry with. Q: You clearly have had a gift for music since you were super young. Not only were you able to graduate High School a year early so you could study Audio Engineering at SAE, you also taught yourself how to play the piano, guitar, as well as how to use all the major DAWS in order to better your own production skills. So I guess my question is: How do you do it? Where does your drive come from? A: It's always been in my nature to want to better myself even outside of music. I'm a perfectionist and I'm never comfortable with being in one spot for too long. I've always been either extremely passionate about something or I'm not, so when I became passionate about music I put all of my energy into it. Q: Maybe you can give NSR the exclusive on what is being brought together in the studio. Do you have any projects coming out soon? (and are you planning on giving a small tour in the future?) A: I can't really say just yet but I am constantly creating and have a lot of great things in the works! Q: Now you get to answer the NSR traditional question LOL! If you could describe music in one word, what would it be and why? A: Time-capsule This was hard because music is a lot of things and does a lot for me but I feel like no matter who you are or what a song means to you in the present eventually you'll hear it and it'll take you back to where you were when that song came out. Even older songs you haven't heard before will place you in whatever era it was created in because it's art and a reflection of how life was at that time. *FUN QUESTION TIME* Q: If you had a million dollars, what would you do with it? (I'll tell you what I'd do: I would travel the world and buy my parents a house). A: Knowing me I'd probably save it lol but ideally I'd take a percentage out of it to help people in need, invest some of it and make myself and my family are straight. Jayla, it was such an honor getting to know you. You are an inspiration and the kind of artist myself, as well as everyone else strives to be. Keep pushing forward! You have something special in you that no one has seen before. Keep creating and keep being true to yourself. I look forward to seeing you on the top Billboard Charts soon. Until next time Soul Mates... natural soul rhythm 2018