Because this is the Mercuryâs Womxnâs Issue, and because itâll technically still be Black History Month when this goes to print, Iâll be using this precious space to celebrate recent works from local Black artists, especially Black womxn and nonbinary folks. With new videos from Maarquii and Karma Rivera and tracks by TYuS and Eso.Xo.Supreme, hereâs the latest in Portland hip-hop and R&B.
Karma Rivera, âTOGâ
Karma Rivera recently posted a hard-to-ignore lyric video for a song called âTOG,â which stands for âThatâs on God.â Produced by Deadbrainz and Jack Kennedy, âTOGâ clocks in at less than two minutes, but itâs packed with punchlines about being a tough bitch with goals, and being âso low-key like Kung Fu Kenny/Sip horchata with the henny.â My favorite line: âWe go like gin and tonic/Late 20s, we donât vomit.â For now, you can only listen on YouTube, but Rivera tells me the song will be available on other streaming platforms soon. Another thing to look out for is Riveraâs music video for âNot Yours,â which happens to be one of my favorite songs on her debut EP, Donât Sleep on This. (It even landed in my top 100 Spotify songs of 2018.)
Maarquii, âC.A.B.O.â
On Valentineâs Day, Maarquii blessed us with the music video for the JVNITOR-produced track âC.A.B.Oâ (an acronym for âcut a bitch offâ) from the rapper/singer/multidisciplinary artistâs recent album of the same name. In the video, Maarquiiâs in-your-face sex appeal (and yes, twerking) can make you forget the song is actually about outgrowing a friendship. In an interview with Paper magazine, Maarquii explains that although the song is fierce, it was actually written from a place of mourning: âI had gotten into it with my best friend ever andâweâre both in our late 20s approaching 30,â and their friend apparently wasnât progressing. I guess that explains the passion behind those âyouâre tacky, ho, youâre tacky, ho, youâre tacky!â lyrics. This broken friendship is visually represented by Maarquii recklessly âsnip-snippingâ the hair of a client (played by Kerry Yamaucci) in a dark alley. Thereâs also some gorgeous choreography involving swords, and Maarquiiâs usual slew of backup dancers. Directed by Tiki, this visual is everything.
âNexus,â Eso.Xo.Supreme
Soul artist Eso.Xo.Supreme also dropped a new track on Valentineâs Day, the emotive âNexus.â Itâs a super easy listen, with crisp, wavy beats produced by Franky2Fresh and Eso.Xoâs effervescent vocals continuously bob along the surface to spit lyrics about his anxiety regarding a new commitment and trying to grow from past behavior. The songâs got a cool vibe, and Iâm here for the low-key progressive message. (Also, one of my favorite new things to do as I proofread and fact-check this entire newspaper is to sing âfactsâ like Eso.Xo.Supreme does in his new song âFacts,â produced by Reckless.)
TYuS, âHow Farâ
Along with getting out of his Warner Brothers contract and announcing his new EP, The Dope Tape, R&B singer TYuS recently dropped another sexy slow jam called âHow Far.â The song exudes â90s Ginuwine vibes, and is the first single off his upcoming EP. Itâs got a lot of the same themes weâre used to hearing from 22-year-old R&B singers, but hey, sex sells! And Iâm a frequent buyer! I gave âHow Farâ about three repeats when I first listened to it on my way home in traffic, and TYuSâ tender, soulful runs definitely calmed my road rage.
Want to suggest something local and hip-hop related that I should check out? Holla at me: sneakerwave@portlandmercury.com