Hip-Hop Lives Here
Hip-Hop Lives Here
MOUNT UNION, PA – In two stark different expressions, SL33PY released two projects this fall that capture his raw talent, passion and versatile sound – first “Red,” then “Blue.”
These four-track mix tapes give Hip-Hop and Rap fans a range of emotion that tells a story of heartbreaking pain, choices and damaging effects, as well as hope and dreams for a better tomorrow.
“I’ve been through some things nobody should have to go through,” SL33PY said. “I’ve seen things and experienced a lot, but music was my way of expressing that. I pride myself on being versatile. With ‘Red,’ you feel the tough side, when I lived in the Bronx, Philly and Harrisburg – But with ‘Blue,’ these are four tracks of a kind of inner pain that everyone carries. In these songs, there’s something everyone can relate to and statements that you can feel.”
There is no doubt “Blue” holds some of SL33PY’s best work, but specifically the track “Barely Holdin’ On” represents a milestone of achievement for the young artist.
“I always felt like I was good at sitting down and writing a well-layered song, but my delivery was my biggest challenge,” he said. “You can write a beautiful song but if it’s not delivered with heart, nobody’s gonna hear it. I’ve matured a lot as a person and an artist, and ‘Barely Holdin’ On’ portrays it very well. Hands down, it’s my favorite song. It’s done with more passion unlike anything else I’ve ever done. I pray I’m capable to top it one day, but I set the bar pretty high on that one.”
The 23-year-old artist was born Zach Vaughn of Lewistown, Penn., and began his music career under the stage name “Th3 Pr0f1t.” A year ago, he switched to a more familiar nickname “SL33PY” – because his friends always said he looked tired. But the name itself holds a deeper meaning.
“The Angel Number 33 means balance, creativity, expression and building the life you want to live,” SL33PY said. “Not to dive into too many crazy details, but by the time I was 17 I had buried eight family members. Loss hits you different when you’re young because you don’t fully comprehend the concept of death. When you get older, you realize something you need isn’t there. Honestly, if I didn’t have music I don’t know where I’d be today. I was a troublesome child – and I’m not proud of it – but I started journaling and it turned to music about when I was 17.”
Life definitely threw some curves, and for the most part SL33PY said he did his best to “take it on the chin and keep pushing,” but in his lowest moment, he stepped away from music.
“I was dealing with a lot and it hit me hard,” SL33PY said. “If it wasn’t for my friends Tyler Metz, Mario Cabrera and Tyrik Hartley, I don’t think I would have made it back. These guys collectively pushed me, motivated me and didn’t take ‘No’ for an answer. They kept me locked in, and told me to never lose that passion.”
SL33PY’s next projects include hit singles, “Feel My Love,” followed by “Vengeful” later this month. He’s preparing for a live performance early next year, with more music just waiting to be released and shared with the world. Make sure to stay connected to SL33PY on all platforms for new music, videos, and social posts.
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Charles Barton is an electronic music artist who creates emotional and reflective songs. His latest track, “Lost Space,” is a minimal house and pop song that you can sit back and relax with but also get up and dance to. The atmosphere Charles crafted is centered around the whirlwind of emotions people can go through as they lay in bed at night.
When creating “Lost Space,” Charles wanted to capture a floaty feeling of being lost in your mind. By combining synthesizers and gentle percussion, the floating journey eases into an energized outro. The outro captures the controlled chaos of thoughts fully taking over the mind.
“When I was writing the lyrics, I was thinking about the times in my life when I’ve been trying to sleep but that anxious feeling is still there. It’s that experience of being lost in the stress. The lights are out and your mind is going crazy. Part of it is also surrendering to these feelings temporarily because fighting them is even harder. Sometimes you just have to let your mind do what it’s going to do,” he said.
His upcoming project, Grey Thoughts contains other tracks that deal with internal thought processing. There are songs centered around identity that discuss how people view themselves and how others view them and how these two perspectives can overlap together in moments of reflection.
“You’re in this gray space of having those outside influences but also your own feelings and thoughts. You’re caught between them,” he said.
In addition to the reflective soundscapes Charles creates, he also does something unique with his electronic music - he adds acoustic elements. With his background being the symphony orchestra world, Charles is well versed in a variety of instruments including guitar, violin, clarinet and unique woodwinds like the ocarina. By adding these acoustic elements, he aims to enhance the texture of his music with warmth.
“I like building the electronic soundscape and then bringing in the acoustic elements to add color, texture and an organic feeling. I don’t want it to feel too saturated with the digital sounds,” he said.
While the electronic music world is known for pulse pounding club music, Charles purposely sought out to do the opposite with “Lost Space.” By creating something with a slower tempo, he wanted to give people something different from both a tempo standpoint and a song structure standpoint. The track does have a hook, an entrancing vocal loop from Charles himself, but it has no verses.
“I wanted to play around with the idea of a non-traditional song structure. I wanted to do lyrics that are just the chorus. I was thinking of doing something simpler that people can still enjoy and appreciate the unique chorus focused aspect of it,” he said.
In addition to his solo music, Charles has also worked with multiple vocalists, especially ones from the R&B world. When collaborating with vocalists, Charles says he lets himself become the “background” and allows the artist to step into the foreground. In a literal sense, his production is the background for the artist’s vocals but he is also providing the sonic bed for those vocals.
Charles Barton is looking forward to releasing Grey Thoughts soon. He has plans for more music too which will take a different route sonically and have a new special aspect.
“Lost Space” by Charles Barton is available on streaming services now.
You can hear more of Charles Barton’s reflective music by keeping up with him on these platforms.
Website | Apple Music | Spotify | Instagram
The Starlight PR Team thanks Charles Barton for taking the time to speak with us.
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