We Speak Music

Emcee/Producer Saga drops “All Praises”

Published

7 months ago

July 24, 2024

Brooklyn emcee/producer Saga gives “All Praises.” Shot in New York City the emcee reveals the self-produced track is about “maintaining my values through my spiritual connection to the most high. Keeping my foundation solid amongst all the wickedness.”

“All Praises” is featured on the newly released Black Label Saga Vol. 1, which also yielded the single “Philosophize” (Produced by British beat-maker Cuth).

Listen to “Philosophize”: https://youtu.be/Bcmvra5XNIA?si=DXvL8HcOnIKsbAyJ

Black Label Saga Vol. 2 will drop on August 2nd). In business the term Black Label, (also sometimes referred to as custom branding) usually refers to creating a completely unique product or service tailored to your specific requirements. In the context of Saga’s music, it means, taking a collection of loosies and nondedicated songs and building a project by designing new music around them to create a cohesive project.

The result is somber instrumentals that retain grainy soul samples, crackin’ drum patterns and gritty bars. Besides Saga’s contributions, featured guests on the project include LeZeppo, Adonis, Mac Montana, Iceburg Snub and Noyz. Guest producers also include DJ Skizz, Duke Westlake and Trox.

More Info: https://www.instagram.com/saga718/

We Speak Hip-Hop

DJ Design drops “I Wanna Be Free” single ft. Gennessee

Published

7 hours ago

February 21, 2025

Rob Ducketts

Bay Area beatmaker/visual artist DJ Design returns with new single “I Wanna Be Free” (Below System Records). Washes of synth collide with a dense horn arrangement and snappin’ drums. West-Coast emcee Gennessee guests on the track spitting a lyrical dissertation on the woes of a police state, racial profiling and surveillance.

Listen to “I Wanna Be Free” (Ft. Gennessee): https://bsr.ffm.to/iwannabefree

This is the 3^rd leak from the forthcoming Survival Web Vaults LP to drop in vinyl and digital formats later this year. Additional album guests include Fashawn, Phat Kat, Elzhi, Guilty Simpson, LMNO and more.

Listen to “No Less Than The Trees And The Stars” (Ft. Fashawn): https://bsr.ffm.to/nltttats

Listen to “The Blues” (Ft. Phat Kat & Elzhi): https://bsr.ffm.to/theblues

While more of a behind-the-scenes player DJ Design’s (aka Keith Griego) work has had a sizable imprint on the history of modern hip-hop. As a DJ/Beatmaker and visual artist he has contributed production and art since the late 90’s for notables including The Beastie Boys, Madlib, A.G., Foreign Legion, Rasco, Peanut Butter Wolf and Phat Kat.

As a visual artist, his high point of work with the label was his design of the 12” vinyl cover for Lootpack member Madlib’s side project Quasimoto. The cover for “Microphone Mathematics” featured Design/Griego’s visual representation of Lord Quas as a sort of alien aardvark, which was adopted by the artist and has since become one of the most iconic and enduring

characters in the game today.

More Info: https://www.belowsystem.com/

https://www.instagram.com/djdesign