Hip-Hop Lives Here
Hip-Hop Lives Here
With his first EP Yesterday, rap artist and cultural producer El Mega S.P.R.M. coming from the untraceable regions of the cultural underground, is making his move into the mainstream alongside his art collective, Humblux.
But and this is key, he wants to remain true to the principles he has absorbed during his apprenticeship in the art collective.
“It’s a very grassroots business approach because we are hip hop culture, first, he said, “and right now, the point is to move into the mainstream market, and touch the hearts and souls of the hip hop Avant, while practicing moral principles of business and ethics.”
The EP is six, varied hip hop tracks, part of a cultural campaign, also called Yesterday, on the Humblux (HUMble-ux) website. The campaign features not only the music but associated merchandise across a broad cultural spectrum – fashion, art, literature, film, food, sports and business as well as music.
El Mega S.P.R.M. (said as El Mega Supreme) sings serious themes in the EP which has its mix of cloud rap – a smooth, more laid-back sound with a relaxed, low tempo – with some elements of EDM pronounced in Herbal Teal, southern rap, trap, and west coast vibe. Yesterday, is heard reflecting on some of his family’s personal journey pronounced on the single called “Travels,” which has an ethereal, nostalgic sound.
“Herbal Teal,” the EP’s lead single, “highlights some my sentiments about the music industry.”
On this single, El Mega questions:
“If you got a bad deal, I wonder what kind of deal the person you signed got
Seeing your favorite rapper depressed
Is it cause of the lack of rest?
Or is it them low checks? Guess Universal knows best.”
Similar, to Nas in his new album King’s Disease where he states “… most artists don't live as good as the execs, and they end up depressed.”
While “Herbal Teal” is a crowd moving festival type piece which welcomes elements of EDM, House, Dubstep and electronic, “Memory Lane’” offers a more laid-back listening experience allowing one to reflect on their own yesterdays of life.
Overall, Yesterday is a humble introduction to his sound, style, and music.
His musical influences are as varied as his roots. “I’m a Black man born in Saudi Arabia, relocated to Rochester, NY and finally moved to the anglophone borough of Montreal, NDG.
In the song “Travels” El Mega S.P.R.M. offers an intimate expression that not only highlights, his personal families’ travels, but the travels of many people throughout many cultures.
In Montreal is where he grew to manhood and into his art, beginning with freestyle rapping and rhyming with friends when he was about 11 or 12. A few years later in 2008, at the age of 14, he happened into a spoken word event, Mic & Dim lights, that had been newly transplanted from California to a bookstore and café, Ociel, a cultural center in the city.
“This is where I began to really hone my skills as an emcee, poet, and overall writer, where I understood what it meant to be tight on the mic. And that’s when I really got like, serious about my art.”
He liked the performance experience and wanted to become more involved in the business side of things. Through the contacts he made there, he embarked on an apprenticeship with Sovereign Music Movement, which grew into the Humblux Collective, which among other things sells knowledge products within their cultural campaigns.
The connections all get kind of intricate, but that’s the gist.
El Mega does not lightly call himself an entrepreneur, though he creates music, sells merchandise, and has an avant-garde method of marketing, he’s more focused on bringing the value of the untraceable underground into more lucrative segments of the market.
His lyrics do not have much of the explicit language of urban rap, but Yesterday does carry a lot of his experience as a product of an environment filled with crimes, violence, among the underprivileged social class. Fam highlights a lot of his thinking about that experience with a west coast twang to it.
Yesterday draws together a picture in the sky about time, history, family, immigration, identity, coming of age, among other concepts, and “a lot of current conversations like, ‘Okay, what is it to be Black, today?’”
He composes a lot of his beats and writes all the poetry in his lyrics, but on Yesterday, he worked with the Humblux production team. “When I heard the first beat, it moved me to write a whole project to tell my story”
Everything he does artistically is tied to his professional identity as a cultural producer, as part of the field of human endeavor known as cultural production.
“When I say I’m a cultural producer, it’s saying that I’m conscious that what I’m creating directly interacts with people’s customary beliefs, race, religion and status that affect our everyday existence.” One of his purposes – his and the collective’s – is “to solve wicked problems,” especially in the music industry itself.
“A lot of artists are complaining – not complaining but stating the fact – of how the music industry is not owned by the creators of the culture, and also there’s a lot of issues with royalties and so forth,” he said, pointing out that this is especially true of all forms of Black art.
El Mega sees an opening in this golden Era, as he puts it, that change is here, and he is moving with the current to participate in the laying down of a new foundation within this blooming time of the next 500 years of western culture.
El Mega, the Supreme, wants to advance the culture of music, and he wants to collaborate and do business all over the world. Yesterday is the opening move in a much larger sequence that will showcase his talents. The next piece is already in process.
Follow El Mega S.P.R.M.’s journey on all platforms for new music, videos, and social posts.
Websites:
humblux
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Apple Music
Deezer
SoundCloud
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Artist and producer Erick Alonso Moreno brings listeners a fresh sound in his latest single, “Dark Pop.” The California-based musician is known to write, record, and produce his own records, including his newest release, scheduled for early November.
Music came to Erick Alonso Moreno as a therapeutic outlet. Faced with depression, Moreno turned to music for solace and healing. “One of the reasons I got into music is my brother suffered from depression, and it was something I experienced, too,” shares the musician.”
Connecting with music and composing not only elevated Erick Alonso Moreno’s mood—it helped him on a path of self-improvement. Sharing his story also allows Moreno to connect with listeners through his ups and downs and inspire them on their path of self-improvement.
Moreno’s musical influences include a wide variety of genres, including a recent love for Tyler the Creator, Kendrick Lamar, and Kanye West. “I love betas and how they rhyme songs,” explains Moreno. “I’m trying to mix that into my own song and identity by listening to other artists and then making my own style.” Another large influence in his music is Latin music, which he infuses in his songs to further develop a unique listening experience.
If Erick Alonso Moreno had his own genre, it would be named “Dark Pop,” after the single and inspired sound. The vibe is a blend of pop with hip hop and rap influences. It is the opposite of dreamy pop, as dark pop has grit.
Moreno’s musical abilities enable him to be a one-stop shop for music creation. He envisions, writes lyrics, composes, and produces his own music from start to finish. “I write the melody, make sounds, play guitar, produce beats. I produce my music as I intend for the song to sound.”
For Moreno, each song is crafted with a unique meaning to share with listeners. “Each album shares the whole story of a period of time where I struggled and addresses how to overcome or fix or improve from that struggle,” explains the artist. It’s the singles that give a true glimpse of each issue, from depression to self-improvement.
The single “Dark Pop” was born from exploration. “One day, I was producing melodies and somehow came up with this piano. From there, I remember hearing the piano and came back the next day and tried to follow the rhyme, putting random words until I found myself rapping. Before that point, I didn’t know if I could see myself rapping / doing hip hop.”
For Erick Alonso Moreno, “Dark Pop” is about putting yourself out there and saying “look at me and see what I can do, even in the face of adversity.” On a personal note, it highlights the artist’s transition to hip hop and putting doubters in their place. “It was really tough to bring the single to life,” shares Moreno. “While recording the vocals, I struggled because I wasn’t comfortable hearing my own voice in this new kind of melody, hearing myself do something new.”
Leaving the single to settle for a few weeks, Moreno was awakened by a dream in which he was told by an eccentric individual how to record and make his vocals stand out of the mix. “I was struggling to hear my own voice, but this dream Brough it to life,” he adds of the uncanny experience.
In addition to the release of his latest single, Erick Alonso Moreno is excited to share more music with listeners. His album is currently in the works.
Make sure to stay connected to Erick Alonso Moreno on all platforms for new music, videos, and social posts.
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