We caught up with the New York rapper to discuss his new album ‘Art With No Easel’ and much more.
African Hype: Let’s start off by telling us where you’re from Young Budd?
Young Budd: I’m from New York. Spring Valley, NY to be exact, bout a 20-30 minute ride outside the city.
African Hype: Where do you reside now?
Young Budd: I live in South Florida. Been here 4yrs now.
African Hype: Dope. Ok let’s get Into it.
African Hype: What is it that drivers you to create art and music?
Young Budd: My son kahlik and my daughter Mya, is what drives me. My struggle is what drives me. What I’ve been through that’s what drives me. I’ve lost a lot on this road. Friends, family, people i loved and trusted. It’s not easy keeping everything together while at the same time shaping your reality. Honestly the loneliest part is being away from kids, it’s crazy cause we talk almost everyday but you still feel something missing you know. The music keeps me alive, keeps me motivated, inspired and focused.
African Hype: What inspired the lyrics for your most popular song ‘CMB’?
Young Budd: Aaghh yea CMB is a good one. I was really tapped in when I wrote that record. Touching base on points in my life, from family & friends to the senseless murder of my uncle, to motivating my young niggas yea I feel I covered a lot of ground with ‘CMB’. Covered a lot of truths to certain things me or my listeners are going or may have gone through. I wanted to write a record that would resonate with people from all over the world, give them something they could relate to. Like when I said “From the start it was from the heart, but things change and people do to shit is bound to fall apart” that’s something people can feel not just hear and that’s what I feel being creative is all about being able to feel the art you know.
African Hype: What inspired the lyrics for your latest single Members Only?
Young Budd: I write the music the way I see it, If you’re listening right you’ll hear my story. Shit be like a movie sometime for real. Members Only is about family and doing right by the niggas younger then you. Quality of life type shit.
African Hype: What type of movies do you like? What are some of your hobbies, or interests that might surprise your fans?
Young Budd: I like Mob Movies. I watch series mostly, action thrillers are my go to tho. I like hitting the beach as much as possible, I’d definitely say I’m more of an outdoor spontaneous type of person. My favorite food is spaghetti. Favorite color is blue. I like all kinds of music. I have a Renovation company, interest in stocks and other investments. I read and listen to a lot of books, articles and podcast.
African Hype: Are you signed to a label or independent, do you have a management team?
Young Budd: I am independent. To be honest I am the artist, manager & owner of my music and brand. I’ve had a few people at that manager role come and go, I honestly got tired of waiting on the right people, shit I’m the creator at the end of the day, so that’s what did I began to manage myself and when the right person catches up with me ill have everything ready, he or she could just get to work.
African Hype: What does Kultivation mean?
Young Budd: The kultivation is our core network of supporters who help assist with the sharing aspect of our music, insights, methods and material. The Anchor represents Love, Honor, Loyalty, Trust And Respect. Holding shit down. Staying solid. It’s a way of life, staying true to the rules that’s always been there and to what you believe in. It’s about up lifting others by sharing our art and stories.
African Hype: Do you have a merch line?
Young Budd: Yes we do and will be Releasing the first few items soon. The Kultivation Store is on the way!
African Hype: Where can people find and stream your latest single Members Only?
Young Budd: It’s been released on all streaming platforms. Most popular for me are Spotify, Youtube, Apple Music, Tidal, Google Play and Amazon.
African Hype: 2020 going into 2021, what can we expect from Young Budd?
Young Budd: A harder grind. I got things more organized, I’ll be out interacting with the people but cautious at the same time, Covid been hating hard. I got some shows lined up, I’ll be traveling to work with other artist, different producers and engineers. I have a lot of visuals I’ll be shooting as well as an in-depth look at the process. I Just want to connect with my core base and support system a little more, they keep me focused. My music is in the world now and people love it. Forever grateful.
African Hype: Lastly, what do you have to say to the up and coming artist’s out there?
Young Budd: Don’t quit. I know it sounds cliche’ but that’s the one thing I haven’t done. I’ve been up been down and back up but through it all I never gave up nor do I plan to. So if you’re an artist out there and having a hard time, step back for second analyze, plan and then attack it with no fear!
African Hype: Where can people follow you to stay updated?
Young Budd: The Kultivation website will be available soon!
You can follow me on Instagram: @realyoungbudd
Spotify: Young Budd
Apple Music: Young Budd
You can also follow me on Spotify, Apple Music, or Tidal: Young Budd
Thanks for having me, I enjoyed it, very informative. Appreciate the love and support of my fans, my hood and the ones that raised me. Thank you!
Originally from Michigan and now based in Philadelphia, Digital Guts is an artist who embraces anonymity, keeping attention on the music rather than the person behind it. That sense of mystery fits naturally with a deeply DIY approach. The self-titled 7-track album “Digital Guts” is a fascinating, genre-bending project, connecting an underground electronic and emo aesthetic with experimental, sample-heavy instrumental structures. The result feels committed to sonic exploration, with arrangements that resist cookie-cutter formulas and a production style that shifts deliberately from one track to the next.
Opener “Angels Ball Out” sets the record in motion with a grand introduction. Its beat leans heavily on clever, layered sampling, creating a textured foundation that feels nostalgic while remaining distinctly underground. The rhythm settles into a smooth, loop-centered hip-hop bounce. It functions almost like an overture, especially once the album reaches its final track, “Bye Bye,” which cleverly returns to “Angels Ball Out” through a full-circle structural reverse play. Weightless, ethereal, and triumphant, the opener creates a cinematic entryway into the album’s universe.
The second track, “Goth Girl,” moves directly toward darker alternative subcultures, driven by a shadowy trap bounce and alluring vocals. A deeply calming, hypnotic instrumental backdrop balances the vocal loop, while the rhythm stays slow, deliberate, and swaying. Much of the vocal cadence circles around one lingering question, “What you see in me?” At a faster tempo, that repetition might become tedious. Here, it works beautifully, drawing a comparison to Rihanna’s “Pour It Out,” filtered through a more gothic atmosphere.
What comes through is deep longing, melancholia, and romantic fixation. The restrained beat strengthens the sense of emotional vulnerability and keeps the listener absorbed in the atmospheric space surrounding the voice.
Third track “Broken” marks a huge sonic pivot. The smooth sampling falls away as the production dives headfirst into aggressive electronic hip-hop, powered by high-energy UK drum and bass patterns. The rhythm is high-octane, frenetic, and relentless. Its chaotic cadence recalls early The Prodigy and the aggressive electronic-punk style associated with Wargasm UK.
The mood is erratic, anxious, and explosive. “Broken” captures the sensation of mental fracturing or inner chaos, pushing the album’s energy suddenly into overdrive.
Another standout from the album is “cryonme,” easily its most experimental and polarizing track. The production is intensely maximalist, with so many elements moving at once that the beat can feel intentionally at odds with the underlying tone. Its eccentric layering carries a distinct art-pop Gorillaz influence, while hyper-pulsating electronic details become one of the track’s defining characteristics.
The rhythm is disjointed and constantly shifting. “cryonme” is among the album’s more lyric-driven moments, asking the listener to follow the vocal cadence through a maze of competing instrumental sounds. The mood is melodramatic, eccentric, and overwhelming. It resembles emotional overload poured into a blender, producing a surreal and slightly chaotic listening experience.
“Dreams” is a synthetic masterpiece, hauntingly beautiful throughout and capable of leaving a desirable aftertaste long after its final notes fade.
This, ladies and gentlemen, is the story of Digital Guts’ “Digital Guts,” streaming now on popular digital platforms.
Right now, gospel artist Harmoni Allen’s work reflects the transformative power of faith, with vulnerability, triumph, encouragement, and Christ-centered hope running through her music. Her warm vocals, expressive delivery, and deeply personal storytelling give that message a human center. Drawing from lived experience and testimony, she turns questions of faith, healing, freedom, resilience, and hope into songs that feel intimate without losing their uplifting spirit.
Harmoni Allen’s “Schitzo” is a sincere, soul-stirring track built around a deeply personal subject. Short for schizophrenia, the song opens an intimate conversation about mental well-being, judgment, fear, vulnerability, and the struggle to feel free in a world that can be quick to define people from the outside. Harmoni does not keep the subject at a safe distance. She brings the listener directly into the experience, shaping the song as a confession that feels immediate and exposed.
The accompanying music video establishes that vulnerability from its opening moments. Harmoni sits alone on her front porch, drinking water, visibly troubled and seemingly asking herself whether she is truly okay. Nearby, two women watch her from a distance. Their expressions communicate the judgment and assumptions that sit at the center of the song. Without speaking, they capture a painful reality: people can decide who someone is before taking the time to understand what that person may be going through.
Looking for answers, Harmoni calls a friend and heads to a hospital. The song then unfolds inside a psychiatrist’s office, where she is asked, “So, Miss Allen, what brings you to my office today?” Her answer becomes the emotional core of “Schitzo.” The music takes over, developing into a slow-burning, soulfully rich R&B confession carried by Harmoni’s heavenly, deeply vulnerable vocals.
Verse by verse, Harmoni reveals the strain of living under the gaze of people who may fear, misunderstand, or judge what they cannot see. She sings about people being scared of her, watching from afar, the medicines she takes, and the exhausting burden of being viewed through a label instead of recognized as a human being. Inside that pressure, however, comes a moment of release. She looks into the mirror, sits on the bed, takes a breath, and arrives at the realization that she is free.
That realization does not magically change the world around her. People still look at her the same way. Their assumptions remain. This is where “Schitzo” broadens into something many listeners can recognize, the understanding that other people’s perceptions do not get to define your identity, your worth, or your destiny.
Harmoni’s faith gives that idea its foundation. Beneath the emotional turbulence is a steady conviction that God has the last say. People may judge from afar, attach labels, and make assumptions based on appearance, yet those opinions do not determine the course of someone’s life. For Harmoni, faith creates a space where judgment begins to lose its hold and freedom becomes possible.
Musically, “Schitzo” carries the same emotional weight as its subject. The production settles into a slow-burning R&B groove that gives Harmoni’s voice room to breathe, ache, and communicate. Her soulful delivery has a nostalgic warmth, while smooth layers of vocal harmony wrap around the lead with an almost heavenly glow. The arrangement remains restrained, keeping the storytelling in clear focus instead of crowding it with unnecessary drama. Harmoni shifts naturally between fragility and quiet strength, making the performance feel close enough to resemble a private conversation across the room.
“Schitzo” ultimately centers on being seen, being misunderstood, finding your breath again, and recognizing that freedom can survive other people’s judgment.
When the final note fades, Harmoni Allen leaves behind the message that has guided the song from the beginning: people may have their opinions, but God has the final say!
Based in Malta, composer Serag Baddar turns a long-held guitar idea into something intimate and absorbing on “Limerence.” The post-rock track grew from a riff he wrote 15 years ago, with one section carrying a subtle nod to Buckethead’s “Padmasana,” whose rhythm guitar left a clear impression on Baddar.
Crisp, mellow, and atmospheric, “Limerence” moves through clean guitar layers and an ethereal sense of space. Silken vocals shimmer underneath, adding a restrained melancholy that suggests heartbreak without overwhelming the arrangement.
Baddar’s background in heavy metal remains important to the song, even as he strips away high-gain distortion and conventional vocal delivery. In their place, structure and melody do most of the emotional work. At the center is a clean, melodic guitar riff designed to flow ergonomically across the fretboard, giving the performance a natural physical ease.
The quieter acoustic and clean passages of progressive metal are an obvious reference point. Opeth and Tool, two bands that have shaped Baddar’s style, can be heard in the track’s sense of structure and restraint. Its spacious ambient textures also draw from the accessible melodic soundscapes associated with instrumental artists such as Buckethead. “Padmasana” is especially relevant, with its rhythm guitar inspiring a small section of “Limerence.”
The pacing is deliberate and unhurried, in keeping with post-rock’s slow-burn character. Its rhythmic framework stays steady, patient, and evocative, giving the central guitar melody room to breathe. Notes are allowed to ring out and decay naturally rather than being crowded by unnecessary movement.
Much of the song’s appeal comes from that simplicity. The arrangement avoids excessive time-signature gymnastics and settles into a smooth, approachable cadence that strengthens its hypnotic quality. That choice suits the meaning behind “Limerence,” the intense and involuntary psychological state of romantic obsession and infatuation that Baddar seeks to capture emotionally.
Because the released track is a “demo” mix, it retains a raw, unpolished authenticity. That texture fits Baddar’s philosophy of “writing for dopamine,” prioritizing emotional resonance and the organic “magic” of a creative spark over pristine, heavily compressed commercial engineering.
The result is intimate and thoughtful. It feels reflective and deeply personal, like a bedroom guitarist finally translating a 15-year-old teenage memory into a cohesive, immersive piece of music. The closing stretch brings the song’s crisp, clean, haunting guitar riff into sharper focus, giving the track a fitting climax and reminding us how much of its emotional weight rests on that original idea.
Baddar waited until he felt his technical ability and musical vision had matured enough to do the riff justice before recording and releasing it. He approaches music as a philosophical hobby, creating for the pleasure of the craft rather than under commercial pressure.
Taken as a whole, “Limerence” is an accomplished, carefully felt performance worth spending time with. It is streaming now.