This Friday the 13th edition of the Breaks features new music from Tone P and Visto, Chaz French’s video debut, and a few words about upcoming shows from the Game and Kelis. Oh yeah, and Wale teased some new music. Even on ominous Fridays, these are the breaks.
Tone P on the Mic
Most know Tone P from his work as a producer, most notably with Wale. But, as few might remember, he also raps. On “Designer Bounce,” the latest leak from his upcoming A District’s Motion Picture project, he brings just that: bounce. The song has the same plodding pace of “Bait,” but with a few more musical additions in the background. Fatz Da Big Fella (who stole the show on the hook for Wale’s “Let A Nigga Know”) and Major Freeze also join Tone P on the party-friendly, self-produced cut. Musically, Tone P’s bag of musical tricks is deep—-this doesn’t sound like anything on The Mixtape About Nothing, “Pretty Girls”or “LoveHate Thing”—-which should make fans eager to hear the rest of A District’s Motion Picture.
Visto’s Return
Eager to follow up last year’s Before Euphoria, Visto is back with “Shinobi,” the lead single from his upcoming album, Headed to Cloudalia. Visto, who has one of the most distinct voices in the area, gets aggressive here, attacking Folkz’ 808s with ferocity. Hippies aren’t always chill, y’all. Still, per usual, his voice helps create a trance-like musical atmosphere, which almost makes you forget about how hilarious the notion of stealing someone’s girlfriend ninja-style is.
World, Meet Chaz French
Chaz French, who performed at Broccoli City Festival a couple of months back, released a video for “Came Down” this week. It’s the rapper’s very first visual, and he recruited frequent TDE collaborator Jerome D to string together over four minutes of stark black and white images. At this point, French’s biggest strength as an artist is the intensity he brings, but he brings a lot of it. On “Came Down,” he reflects on his struggles growing up, all of which pushed him harder to succeed. He raps with the volume turned all the way up, and you can legitimately feel the pain his voice. It’s the first single from his upcoming EP, Happy Belated, which is due out sometime this summer.
A Teaser, Courtesy of Wale
Wale shared just a few seconds of a new song—-titled “Body Like a Benz”—-on his Instagram account. From the whole “female anatomy as an automobile” angle, you can already tell where this song is going without the beat dropping, but radio-friendly lobs to his female audience have always been successful for Wale.
Shows, Shows, Shows
L.A. rapper the Game will appear at Echostage tonight. Though often criticized for his actions (he always seems to embed himself in controversy), he has a penchant for making good music, which is undeniable and, ultimately, all really that matters. The show starts at 9 p.m. and tickets are about $35. Also, Kelis, the “Milkshake” goddess herself, performs at the 9:30 Club on Sunday. The doors at 7 p.m. and tickets are $25.
