"Payphone" new video by Ted Park

Ted's sorrowful falsetto cuts through on the intro talking about family and then launches into a lightspeed flow about eviction, alcohol, alienation, and struggling to "come up" in the music business. He promises "not to take a hit until he makes a hit," and sits by the lake contemplating whether his work will pay off. The vocals in the hook are pretty processed, but still strong. Park's flow is good and his lyrics are meaningful but sometimes I feel like the beat is too pop-infused to support it (it is, after all, a cover of Maroon 5 and Wiz Khalifa). The pain, however, gets across perfectly. Park straining his voice into the phone and spitting rapidfire lakeside like he's trying to come up with explanations makes the song seem very confessional. He even appears to be crying during the verse when he adjusts his glasses.

Cheer up Ted, you've got a new mixtape!

-KMC

"They Don't Get It" by C.A.M

Support the youngest in the game. 

7th Grade

Cam Moss AKA C.A.M

Cam gets lyrical and spits about the stresses of being young and being misunderstood

"Loud" by C.A.M (Official Music Video)

Bump C.A.M.'s remix of Mac Miller's "Loud." The initial "Strawberry Fields" Beatles sample is raw too. Cam Moss is a seventh grader in Madison with a talent for rapping. Subscribe to his YouTube channel OfficialCam100 and follow him on twitter @CAM_10000. Support the youngest in the game.

-KMC

"Nifty Fifty" Official Music Video G-Breez ft. IG

Already wrote about this song but here's the Official Video, enjoy.

One extra line I noticed was "Hoodie, ice tea, and some motherfucking candy... don't shoot George please don't shoot, I'm just a young teenager just doing what I do," which is a brilliant Treyvon Martin reference.

-KMC

Kid Melo Company Exclusive Interview: Xyz talks music, clothes, growing up in Sicily, food, reading the dictionary, and more!

KMC: "How do you contribute to the Madison rap scene?" 


X: "Even though I'm not originally from here and don't 'rep my city' I still support dope emcee's from Madtown. If you dope you got my respect and support! I make beats, rap, and record my own stuff. At times I definitely promote my crew's music and other rappers I'm cool with." 


KMC: "Who are your idols and influences in rap? Who are your mentors?"  


X: "Pretty much all my idols are my influences. Az, Big L, Nas, and Elzhi inspire me a lot and I really look up to them. And I guess you can say my crew are my mentors, goes from Commited, Ted Park, M-Free, Mi-T Flow. We are all each others' mentors you could say." *Laughs* 


KMC: "Who are your favorite producers and what are your influences outside of rap?"    


X: "Dj Hi-Tek, 88 Keys, Lord Finesse, Dr. Dre, and Stoupe. And I listen to a lot of soul since I also make beats and look for samples. But just about anything that sounds cool and has it's own flavor to it, bump it!" 


KMC: "Like what?" 


X: "Roy Ayers! That man's songs got indescribable chill vibes!" 


KMC: "What brand name clothes do you usually wear and what books and TV shows do you read/watch?" 


X: *Laughs* "I tend to wear a lot of Zoo York shirts, but also Nike. Even though I don't like reading, I would have to say my favorite book is the dictionary... I'm weird as fuck I know. And as for favorite TV shows-- Jackass, Family Guy, the Cleveland Show, Chappelle Show and Spongebob!"   


KMC: "What about food?" 


X: "Of course pizza boy, all that Italian shit. Ramen noodles... and that's it." 


KMC: "Okay. I have a ton of Italy questions." 


X: "Go ahead man I love interviews." 


KMC: "How old were you when you moved to Madison and what are your most vivid memories of Sicily?" 


X: "Man, I moved to Madison when I was about 11. Barely knew english *laughs* hard to imagine, but yeah the most vivid memories... my family and being a dumb ass kid getting in trouble with my friends. Exploring abandoned houses." 


KMC: "What was your first experience with music? How do you think 11 years in Italy influenced your music?" 


X: "Music has been a part of my life ever since I can remember. I first learned the basics of playing the piano thanks to my uncle when I was about six and gradually mastered playing it by ear. Then my music just took off from there. I feel like where I'm from has really shaped my character in general. And the environment I was brought up in made me an aware individual but also the struggle puts that real touch to my music." 


Look out for Xyz's mixtape "White Rappers Suck," a project we will be anticipating via blog and hopefully dropping some singles! In the meantime, big ups to Xyz for the third Kid Melo Company Exclusive Interview. 


-KMC   

"Nifty Fifty" by G-Breez feat. IG

Gabriel Taylor AKA G-Breez and Irvin Gibson AKA I.G. exhibit their rapping versatility on "Nifty Fifty" off the upcoming mixtape "Hungry For The Fame," spitting over a soulful synth-piano R&B joint like it's nothing. After a long intro telling his partner Dman to shut up, Breez steps in talking about his musical roots from his dad who "always plays the sax" on the Southside of Chicago. After a hi-pass hook, Gibson flies through a second verse about getting brain and partying hard.

The best part of the song is verse three, when Taylor drops a Tiger Woods, Stanley the Steamer, Muhammad Ali, and Dragon-BallZ reference, then ends by saying "Crazy fast young n***a breathin' CO2, if I gotta take a piss, I'ma pee on you, just kiddin' sense of humor n***a this is how I do."

-KMC

P.S. Look out for "Hungry For The Fame" Mixtape download links from Young Swagg Militia via Kid Melo Company

"Go Home" by Ted Park

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWai2FqGFds&list=PL331692253DA53511&index=1&feature=plcp

New Ted Park video-- as opposed to his based style Park brings out his melodic side on this Fatir instrumental. Confession-song talking about friends who falsely believe they're "still cool," telling the rumour-tellers to "go the fuck home." Movie effects are broader as well, as opposed to just adjusting the focus Park creates multiple images of himself in motion, and simulates rainfall, lightning and earth tremors to express the rocky emotions of a come-up rapper and dealing with the perceptions of friends, competitors, and partners.

Mixtape drops 5/20 hosted by DJ Pain1!

-KMC

"I'm All In" Jay Mal feat. Chris Jack

New Banger from JayMal feat. Chris Jack produced by DJ Victory off their joint mixtape: "'94's Finest."

Mal and Chris talk loud, rocking Polo and Levi, Madison beef on this Luger-esque Victory beat. Chorus effects on the vocals and piano panned to the left as well as the crashes at the end make the production unique although the hi-hats and arpeggiators leading into the hook make it really Lex.

The best line is reiterated every hook talking about fucking a "dumb broad with a smart phone." Should put vivid pictures in listeners' heads, because let's be honest, we all know one.

-KMC

P.S. Somebody hook me up with the mastermind behind cover art

P-Swift at the Rave May 26th!

Percell Swinney AKA Patrick Swift is opening for Yo Gotti at the Rave in Milwaukee, WI Saturday May 26th! DM @producedbydhoot on twitter for tickets, they're going for $25 each.

-KMC

"Life Vs. Living" Ted Park feat. M-Free

Ted Park flexes his videography muscles on "Life Vs. Living" and throws in a feature from his Arkanoid Music Group; the Afro'd, lispy emcee M-Free, who comes in with a heavy, low flow, spitting out that he "handles bars like handlebars." Dope. Park also shows off some of his Based dance moves when he's not rapping. There's a slick few seconds of autotune reminiscent of Park's Drake covers, but mostly he goes hard, criticizing people who think he's a "carbon copy of these YouTube, yellow emcee's." You be the judge-- rap game Jeremy Lin?

-KMC

P.S. follow @ARKNDMusic on twitter and subscribe to TedParkOfficialMusic on Youtube for more.