Hip-Hop Lives Here
Hip-Hop Lives Here
The amount of musical knowledge that AL99 has obtained in his 25 years on Earth is more than most people can hope for in a lifetime. The DMV-based rapper has been putting his work in, and now he is blasting onto the scene with his new single “Pop” where he’s not holding back or pulling punches.
“It’s a Chicago style/trap song,” AL99 says. “It has infectious lyrics and bars, is fast, energetic and catchy, and tells a nice street story that is both authentic to Al’s experiences, and relatable for anyone who has experienced street life.”
“Pop” was originally written in 2023 but when he was writing it, he was just in the process of getting outside more in the underground. He was starting to do bigger shows, as he was a frequent performer at Brooklyn Music Kitchen, and seeing more and more that was inspiring him to write.
AL99 went into making “Pop” with the idea that he was going all out. He is staking his claim to tell the world that it is his time after grinding away in the studio and in front of audiences across the country.
“I came up in the underground circles and there is a lot of stuff that happens there where you sit back and say, ‘well I’ve been working really hard,’” he says. “I make the beats. I write the songs. I record it myself and I mix and master.”
“Pop” starts with a simple trap beat with a lot of speed, and it helped form his flow that he has pouring out of him on the track. He admits it isn’t something he can even pinpoint, and that this is unique to “Pop.”
“When I was writing it there was definitely not a thought process for the flow,” AL99 says. “I was thinking that I had to get my message out in a very powerful way. I wanted to make these lyrics punchy.”
He adds, “I sat down and made the beat with the intention of writing that song. I have 1,000 beats on my laptop and sometimes I can just pick a beat, but with this one I wanted this beat, with a specific cadence, and specific lyrics.’
Another element of the release of “Pop” is the music video, which shows him busting out lyrics on the mic, partying in studio before ripping out the energetic flow, reflecting on the sites around him. He’s seen hitting spots like the downtown Brooklyn Pier and the Biggie Mural.
“I can be very comfortable and serene alone, or I can turn up if it’s my thing,” AL99 says. “If they’re people I love and trust, I’m more willing to let my guard down and have fun. It kind of tells the story that I’m a popular loner, which is definitely authentic to how I operate in real life.”
AL99 has always had an eclectic set of interests and hobbies. He was on top of his game academically, had big interests in engineering and all STEM fields, played multiple sports, and started playing guitar at the age of six. He made his first beat before the age of 10 and started writing raps, but he never really thought he would take music into a professional career. But it is also something that is simply in his blood.
AL99’s grandfather Herbert “Tubo” Rhoad was one of the original five singers/members of the Persuasions, a legendary acapella group from Brooklyn that toured with the likes of Joni Mitchell, and are forever enshrined in the Acapella Hall of Fame.
Having grown up as the child of a major professional touring artist, AL99’s mother was wary at first of supporting any of her children choosing to follow her in her father’s footsteps. But as AL99 got older, he knew it was something he had to pursue. His mom agreed with one condition: to learn the business of to ensure that he would learn how to own copyrights, masters, name, and production/publishing rights.
His musical background and taste works directly into his style, whether he is recording or playing in front of a crowd. With influences including Eddie Van Halen and Jimi Hendrix on guitar, the performance ability of Michael Jackson, and rappers like Kendrick Lamar, AL99 feels just as comfortable with a guitar in his hands as he does with a microphone. After spending the last six years honing his craft on the mic and strings, he feels confident now to let it rip anywhere at any time.
“There are so many ideas that pop into my mind now, and I also feel that it’s just the experience of life that has allowed me to find inspiration at the drop of a dime,” he says.
AL99 has earned degrees in Audio Production and Music Business, and he also draws inspiration on his production side from studying icons like Quincy Jones, Darkchild, and Dr. Dre.
As mentioned before, not only does he own his own label in TPC Music Production, LLC., but he also recently signed a distribution deal with Universal Music Group/Bungalo, furthering his musical journey and giving him more visibility to a wider audience.
While he has been at it for six years now, the world has just seen the beginning, as AL99 has plans to release a new single every two months. He has more than 100 songs completely written, and some recorded, showing that he has plenty on the horizon.
What’s in store is in accordance with one of AL99’s personas “Versatile AL,” in that the songs and future projects he will release will be eclectic, genre bending/defying, and unique to his own crafted style. He’s been formulating this style by taking a bit of inspiration from studying some of the greatest artists and musicians of all time.
His next expected single titled “Superduper” will touch on that versatility showcasing a much slower tempo melodic trap/sing rap style track and will show some of what AL99 can do vocally and lyrically. It is set to be released within the next two months.
As Al stated, “One of my brothers out in DC actually coined me ‘Versatile Al,’ and the reason why that’s so fitting is that not only in my music I’m versatile, in my life I’m versatile. There are so many songs in the vault, man. I’m just excited to see it unfold.
Follow the musical journey of AL99 and check out his new single “Pop” available on all platforms.
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Matt Berry hardly needs an introduction. He’s been a familiar face on British television since the early 2000s, captivating audiences with his bold personality and deep, commanding voice in cult comedies like Toast of London, What We Do In The Shadows and The IT Crowd. What many might not realize, though, is that Berry has also released ten studio albums throughout his career.
Music has been a constant in his life, and his upcoming album Heard Noises, out on 24 January 2025, is another milestone in his journey as a multi-talented artist. His work in music has brought some unexpected achievements, including contributing guitar and vocals to the Strictly Come Dancing theme song. Yet his path to becoming a musician was almost cut short before it truly began.
Berry’s passion for music started when he was young, but things took a turn at school. His teachers refused to let him study music as a GCSE subject because he couldn’t read sheet music. Instead of letting that stop him, he decided to prove them wrong and eventually succeeded. Looking back, he considers that rejection to have been a hidden gift, sparing him from turning something he loved into a chore.
Berry at the Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny premiere in London, 2023. Image: Fred Duval/Shutterstock
“I wasn’t even given the chance to spend any time at school doing music, even though it was obvious to all these teachers that it was the only thing that I was interested in and yet it was the only thing they wouldn’t allow me to do,” he recalls.
“I think it’s very different now. You can spend time at school doing music and not have to learn theory, which is fantastic and how it should have always been. If you’re a teacher that’s worth anything, and you spot that a kid is interested in one thing, then that’s what you should allow them to do while they’re under your care.”
Over the years, Berry has explored a wide mix of genres, from folk to Northern soul to psychedelic rock. One of his most playful projects was his 2020 release Television Themes, a collection of his takes on iconic tracks such as the Doctor Who and Rainbow theme songs.
With Heard Noises, Berry is taking a different approach. In the past, he followed a specific vision for each album, creating strict creative boundaries. He compared it to an artist limiting themselves to just four colors on a canvas. This time, though, he’s letting himself use the entire spectrum. “That kind of discipline pushes you to do things that you wouldn’t have done before. That can be interesting if you give yourself restrictions,” he says. “But with Heard Noises, I didn’t do that. I did whatever I wanted regardless of style or genre.”
The result is his most personal work yet. The album cover itself reflects his life, showing a table set with meaningful objects, each one representing a different part of his story. Among those items are Lazlo Cravensworth’s teeth from What We Do In The Shadows — the hit comedy series based on Taika Waititi’s vampire film, which wrapped after six successful seasons.
Berry usually keeps his acting and music careers separate, but this show was such a big part of his life that it inevitably bled into everything else. “It needs to be noted, not in loads of detail but that was that, here’s the evidence and let’s get on to the next thing,” he says. “I’m not a nostalgic man. I don’t ever look back at old stuff, once I’ve done something I tend to lose interest and can only think about the next thing.”
That “next thing” has included lending his voice to the acclaimed animated film The Wild Robot, alongside Lupita Nyong’o, Pedro Pascal and Bill Nighy. The film tells the story of Roz, a robot who finds herself stranded on a deserted island and learns to adapt to its rugged environment, eventually becoming the adoptive parent of a gosling. Berry was drawn to the story as soon as he read the script, but it was when director Chris Sanders showed him a ten-minute preview that he knew it was something extraordinary.
“[Chris] turned all the lights off and we played it in the recording studio and, honestly, [I realised] that this is what I need to be doing. This is something that I need to now fully concentrate on because I knew it was going to be exceptional.” On the day this interview was published, The Wild Robot received an Oscar nomination — a well-earned recognition.
Heard Noises will be released on 24 January through Acid Jazz.
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