The post S’natra Keeps It Real On ‘Mirage’ appeared first on FUXWITHIT.

The EP sees S’natra connecting with Brasstracks once again for the first three cuts while Evince Beats blesses ‘Roley Roley.’ The project is part nostalgic, part forward-looking. It’s the portrait of an artist and man at a crossroads; reminiscing on the freedom and fun of unspoiled youth, while looking towards a bright and promising future ahead. The work of a gifted lyricist, We Was Kids proves more impressive with each listen as you catch new bars on every spin. Check out the full project and be sure to read our interview with S’natra below. We spoke about his foray into production, the inspiration behind the EP, what he misses most about being a kid, being an independent artist vs. signing a deal and more.

when Neo wakes up from getting bodied in part 1 and he can see The Matrix and what the shit all means, yeah that’s what rapping and producing feel like.

When we last spoke you were learning how to produce. How’s that been going? Has it had any impact on your rapping?

Producing been dope man. I been learning a lot this past year just trying different shit you know it’s all trial and error. Linking up with other producers recently also was a big help cause it’s a different energy when you in the room with people, seeing their process, trading sounds, asking questions – all that shit is mad inspiring and builds up the creative process so much it’s a good space to be in. It’s had an impact on my rapping and songwriting too cause it helps me see the space I have on a song a little clearer now in my head before I start piecing things together. Like when Neo wakes up from getting bodied in part 1 and he can see The Matrix and what the shit all means, yeah that’s what rapping and producing feel like.

What made you want to drop an EP vs. an album?

I’m always working on new music but I think it’s easy to get into the habit of recording shit and thinking it’s “too good” to put out now or saving shit for a future project but you never really know what happens with that. I had these 4 songs and they sounded dope together, the energy was right and it was time I came with some new shit for everybody that’s been rocking with me this year.

It’s me going back to being a kid. Before I ran outta time. Before I had to hustle. Before I had to deal with the heavy shit that life throws at you.

The new project is entitled We Was Kids can you speak to what inspired this?

It took shape organically honestly. I felt like the direction made sense because my last project was all about where I was in life, in that moment. We Was Kids is kinda like the prequel to Subject to Change. It’s me going back to being a kid. Before I ran outta time. Before I had to hustle. Before I had to deal with the heavy shit that life throws at you.

What do you miss most about being a kid? 

Man I grew up with a big family. My uncle owned a couple buildings on my block so a lot of my family came from DR and I was raised around a lot of my brothers and sisters and cousins. We’d be outside every day, every night, gettin’ into trouble and laughing bout the shit right after. It was good times.

Brasstracks once again produced the bulk of the project. What do you enjoy most about working with them? How crucial are they to the S’natra sound?

Working with Brasstracks is just organic those are my brothers. We been working on music together for a long time and they understand what I’m trying to do while at the same time pushing me to try new shit so I’m not stagnant. At the end of the day, you want people that’s gonna help you get better and motivate you. That’s the vibe that we all get when we in the studio.

You just launched a new clothing which is also called ‘We Was Kids.’ Can you tell us a little bit about the endeavor? 

Shout out Brooklyn Cloth. They hit me up and gave me the opportunity to bring my vision to something I could share with people in addition to the music. I always wanted to make apparel too and the fact that it happened through music is a beautiful thing.

If there’s one bar or line of the album that you want people to truly hear, what would it be?

It’s crazy because I think this line might be slept on but it’s on the first track ‘Assignments’ and the line is “reality grabbin me hard to see what i ain’t know/and gravity askin me where ima be when it let me go”. That’s one of my favorite lines cause it’s about life hittin’ you too fast and you tryna grow up faster than you supposed to. The second part of that line is about going with the flow of certain things in your life, and then one day opening your eyes and realizing where that’s brought you.

The goal isn’t just get a deal and relax…

You’ve been doing everything independently, do you have any desire to sign with a label?

It’s all about how right the deal is; for me and my team. The goal isn’t just get a deal and relax. There’s a lot of people that I plan to give opportunities to so it gotta be the start of a bigger picture for me and circle to turn that around into something for ours and their community and keep that energy going as long as we can.

You seem to be deeply committed to your art and staying true to yourself. Have you ever felt the pull to try to sell-out or make music to keep up with trends?

Absolutely. It’s hard to escape that “pull” cause it’s everywhere we look – on social media, fashion, music, etc. but I never felt like I had to change my approach to making music or switch up what I was doing. I had to adapt though – adapting to the business of it all from release plans to marketing to promo and all that.

It’s hard to escape that “pull” cause it’s everywhere we look – on social media, fashion, music, etc. but I never felt like I had to change my approach to making music…

What’s the last rap project that truly inspired you? What about it impacted you?

So I got two answers for this question really. One of them is Saba’s Care For Me. I heard Care For Me first, before I went back and heard Bucket List/Comfort Zone and realized I was sleep, but yo when I heard that I was like damn this shit is crazy. The production, the bars, the storytelling, everything was amazing. The second project was Katori Walker’s Stubborn EP. He’s another dude that can really rap and the messages on that project are all real life situations. He sounds like he’s just talking to you telling you about his family, friends, what he did right and where he fucked up. The common thread between both of these projects is the honesty that they use to deliver their message. That’s the type of shit that I strive for when I create and it makes me keep listening to their older stuff and look forward to what’s next.

You recently tweeted “GOT SOME CRAZY NEWS TODAY AW MAN IM GOIN CRAZY THIS YEAR,” can you tell us a little bit about what you have in store? 

Man I wish I could. All I know is that it’s one of the craziest things that’s happened to me and I can’t wait to share it with everybody.

The post S’natra Creates Nostalgia While Showcasing The Future On ‘We Was Kids’ [Interview] appeared first on FUXWITHIT.

The post S’natra’s ‘Cut Off’ Is An Anthem About Perseverance appeared first on FUXWITHIT.

The post FUXWITHITFRIDAYS – 247 appeared first on FUXWITHIT.

‘Imrov #2’ sees S’natra, Robert Glasper and Thirdstory connecting for a polished anthem that feels like NYC in the summer. It’s upbeat and soulful with just the right swing. S’natra’s raps are the cherry on top of an incredible composition. ‘Stay There’ sees Xavier Omär floating over the brassy backing for a cut centered around moving on and leaving the past behind. If you’re looking for a fresh start, this is your bop. ‘Moments’ changes the pace by going all instrumental, allowing the duos keys, drums and trumpets to truly shine. The energy is uplifting and joyous with a triumphant climax.  ‘Too Far Too Fast’ sees Brasstracks connecting with Thirdstory for an emotional ballad that gets more enjoyable with every listen. Brasstracks close out the project with a gospel inspired ‘I’ll Sing About You’. It’s a slow burner teaming with feels. It’s a near spiritual finale that embodies the imagery of the project’s artwork. The sun is setting, the summer is almost over, but everything is finally about to fall in place. It’s a fitting metaphor for Brasstracks’ position within the industry. While the hype around their newness may be fading, their commitment to making music that’s powerful and lasting is as strong as ever. For Those Who Know Pt. II is proof that Brasstracks will be here for years to come.

The post Brasstracks Make Triumphant Return With ‘For Those Who Know Pt. II’ appeared first on FUXWITHIT.

We’ve got summer smashes from the likes of Drake, Post Malone, Swae Lee, Diplo, Cardi B, Chance The Rapper, J. Cole and more. But it’s not just about the major hits, you know we’ve got the gems from FUXWITHIT favourites like Alexander Lewis, Brasstracks, Andrew Luce, S’natra, Mura Masa, Lido and Keys N Krates. With over 3 hours of music, you can throw this on, forget about what’s up next and get lost in the summer bliss. We’ll also be adding new tunes as they drop, so be sure to smash that follow.

The post Celebrate The Summer With Our ‘Summertime’ Playlist appeared first on FUXWITHIT.

‘Clockwise’ featuring Nick Row kicks things off and provides the perfect snapshot of what to expect. It blends classic hip-hop elements with raw rap and trombone-heavy trap drops. Each element of OMNI is on display with this anthematic cut. ‘Back Then’ sees Lewis connecting with William $ for an in-your-face rap anthem. ‘March’ gives longtime fans the sound that made them fall in love Alexander Lewis; an epic trap offering built off some war-ready brass.

It’s double dose of rap from there with ‘Come Up On My Side’ and ‘Wassup’. The former features up and coming Philly rapper Armani White for a slapper. The later shows of Alexander Lewis A&R skills on display, bringing together MadeinTYO & S’natra and making their drastically different styles feed off of each other exceptionally. S’natra steals the show on this one with a verse that’s assured to have you pressing rewind. Rounding out the project come two tracks primed for the Summer. ‘Off Guard’ features a poppy arc while ‘Pearl Magnolia’ provides a stand-out finale featuring some of Lewis’ most talented friends including Brasstracks, Armani White, & BXRBER. The beat is jazzy hip-hop perfection, BXRBER’s vocals are as stunning and addictive as always and Armani White adds just the right sauce to swag it out.

OMNI. shows that no matter where Alexander Lewis chooses to take his sound, it will be undeniably great. With a stacked list of features and the impeccable production we’ve come to expect, this is one we’ll be bumping all summer long. Stream it below.

The post Alexander Lewis Expands His Range With OMNI. EP appeared first on FUXWITHIT.

S’natra has been making waves with impressive features like ‘Opposite Ways,’ ‘Lemme Put This Cup Down,’ and ‘Wassup’ and stellar singles like ‘Power’ and ‘Can’t See Me’. All the while he’s been plotting his debut, carefully perfecting Subject To Change, “it was a bunch of trial and error. I had a lot of ideas. And I’m the kind of person that when I create I wanna try whatever I’m feelin’ at the time,” says S’natra. Long sessions alongside Brasstracks resulted in a 10 track effort that’s one of the best of the year. With no skips or filler, Subject To Change serves as the perfect introduction to one of the best up-and-comers in rap. The project is deeply lyrical without being unapproachable. Each track sounds perfect from your first listen but like any great rapper, a deeper appreciation forms as you delve deeper, understanding each story and connecting the wordplay. Subject To Change is what New York rap should sound like in 2018, rappers take notes.

Listen to the album below and be sure to read our interview with S’natra. We discuss growing up in New York, putting 10,000+ hours into his craft, how he connected with Brasstracks, his place in rap and more.

Tell us a little bit about your upbringing. Are you born and raised in NY? Did your surroundings have a big impact on you?

I was born and raised in Harlem, NY. My surroundings had the biggest impact on me in terms of music cause that’s where it all came from. My family, the people in my hood and a few of my niggas I went to school with inspired me to take this shit serious.

How did you get into rap? When did you start rapping? Why?

I think it came from it just being around me when I was young. My dad had a lot of records he played in the house all the time. One of my cousins lived in the building right next to me and he was a DJ back then so he had a lot of music too – vinyls, cassettes all that. I also had a lot homies I went to school with that was nice too. I started trying to put rhymes together for real in like the 7th grade. For some reason that’s when I started to pay attention to flows and song structures and shit like that and I started appreciating the music even more.

On ‘Number One’ you mention Gladwell’s 10,000 hour theory. How many hours do you think you’ve put into your craft? Do you consider yourself a master yet?

Man, I probably done that a few times I think. I wouldn’t consider myself a master yet tho. There’s still things that I wanna learn and it’s gonna take some time but hopefully I get there.

Can you expand on what you want to learn?

I’ve been learning how to produce using Ableton and learning how to fuck with the keys. I love piano so I definitely wanna get better at that. ‘Tonight Freestyle’ and ‘Wildfire’ (shout out my brother Radamiz) were both joints I produced. I never really put it out there cause like I said there’s so much more shit I wanna learn but look out for more joints produced by me in the near future.

Can you tell us a little bit about the title of the album? Where did Subject To Change come from? What does it mean to you?

The title of the album wasn’t even supposed to be the final name. I was messing around with a couple ideas but I just used that name like a placeholder. I had a few songs on a playlist in my laptop and just labeled it S.T.C but the more music I made, the more the title just made sense. I subconsciously called it what it would end up being cause I was going through changes at the time – musically and just as a person hustlin’ tryna figure shit out.

You said on Twitter that the album took months of mixing and re-recording. Can you talk a bit about the processes of putting the record together?

Yeah it was a bunch of trial and error. I had a lot of ideas. And I’m the kind of person that when I create I wanna try whatever I’m feelin’ at the time. I think that’s where the best type of inspiration comes from for my process.

The entire project was produced by Brasstracks. Was that always the plan?

It wasn’t. When we first got into the studio though, I knew it was different cause Ivan and Conor are crazy music geniuses. That made me wanna experiment sonically and see where I could go with it. By the time we noticed, we had so many songs in the vault and it just made sense to have the first joint be just their production.

When you can just say “na I don’t like that” or trust that they gonna call you out when you know you not doing your best – that’s when it translates into the music and you can hear it.

How did you guys first connect? How has that relationship evolved over time?

Just being around in the city, working with different people tryna make shit happen. The relationship evolved with trust. When you first link up and start creating with people, the fact that ya haven’t built that trust up yet kinda stops one person or the other from doing exactly what they wanna do. We agreed and disagreed on a bunch of shit and I think that’s when you get to a better spot in any relationship. When you can just say “na I don’t like that” or trust that they gonna call you out when you know you not doing your best – that’s when it translates into the music and you can hear it.

On ‘S’natralude’ you mention having to separate S’natra from Randy Leonard. What are the main differences? Is this a struggle?

I’m not really sure of the answer all the way yet, still tryna figure it out. An example I can give you though is like, on the project, I talk about my cousin Minnie having a baby and me being on the road. Situations like that come up all the time when I feel like I’m missing out on memories with people that been there for me before music. It feels like a struggle when I’m far away and I know a facetime aint enough you feel me.

The track fades out while your still rapping. What’s the significance of this?

I wanted it to feel like me thinking at like 3-4 A.M. – when my thoughts just come and go and I’m tryna figure shit out. It fades when I start talking about what I want cause I feel I’m so quick to help people out sometimes, that what I want gets pushed to the side or – like the track – fades away.

How do you feel about your place in the game right now? Does it frustrate you that less talented rappers are blowing up seemingly overnight?

I feel like I’m right where I need to be at the moment. I still got stuff I wanna learn and tie in with the music so I think I’m on track right now. It doesn’t frustrate me at all that other rappers are blowing up overnight. I actually like a lot of the new shit that’s coming out. I listen to everything and I find what I like about it and how it connects with me even though that’s not always obvious at first when you listening to something new. I like pushing the boundaries when I create music so I can’t hate on someone else doing it their way just cause I don’t like it immediately. Certain music gotta grow on you and that’s how it’s been for me these last couple years.

I did a lot of shows where 12 people was the crowd that night and I still went out and turned up like it was packed. More people don’t always mean you gonna be able to connect with them and have a better show.

I had the chance to catch you in Toronto and was really impressed by your live show. How important is being a good performer to you as an artist? How do you hone those skills?

I been blessed to have been touring for the past 3-4 years across the country and I think it’s one of the top things you need in order to have success and keep building a fan base. It makes the experience of being a music fan come full circle. You might end up fucking with somebody more just cause you felt their energy from the stage. I think honing these skills just comes with being able to put in the time to perform. I did a lot of shows where 12 people was the crowd that night and I still went out and turned up like it was packed. More people don’t always mean you gonna be able to connect with them and have a better show.

Speaking of the tour, how was the experience? Any highlights?

Being able to take this project on the road and perform the songs for people before it comes out was one of the best parts for me. I met a few people after a lot of those shows and I got to hear what resonated with them about my music first hand and you gotta remember – I’m going places like Bellingham, WA where I don’t even know if they fuck with hip-hop out there like that (shout out Bellingham they definitely showed love though). That’s experience you can’t get anywhere else but hitting the road. The craziest part of it all though was selling out the first night of tour at home. First sold out show I was a part of and that gave tour a crazy energy to start off with.

What’s next for S’natra? Where do you want your career to go?

What’s next? Hopefully just keep growing. Keep creating. Stay balanced. Hit the road again soon. I know when I think about my career and where I want it to go, aside from being able to support myself and my family from it one day, I just wanna keep making shit that people can relate to cause I love doing what I do. If it connects with people and I’m able to keep touring and growing throughout it all and not go crazy, I think it’s going where it’s meant to go right now.

The post S’natra Marks His Arrival With ‘Subject To Change’ [Interview] appeared first on FUXWITHIT.

S’natra kicked the show off with ‘Power’ and kept us hooked with his most recent release ‘Off Key.’ When he delivered the bars, “When po po come up on me, nigga I stay silent” they cut the lights off, leaving the venue in the dark for a quick second, before jumping back into the verse. It was a simple effort but displayed S’natra’s creativity as a performer. His set was divided into two sections: what he considered tracks where he was “just talking to us” and the turn up. This showcased his versatility as an artist, demonstrating his comfort level telling stories and dropping clever bars and just getting the party going. The later section included him debuting his new single ‘Wassup’ with Alexander Lewis and MadeinTYO, which turned the energy to the max. His pacing was perfect, pulling fans in to listen early then bringing the energy up gradually with each song. He had fans ‘Feelin Good’ with his finale, bouncing over the bed squeaks effortlessly and amping the crowd to turn up in the breaks. Support slots generally are a chance for up-and-comers to hone their skills and learn the ropes of performing but S’natra showcased a stage presence that suggested a star in the making.

When the Brasstracks neon sign was ignited, fans knew it was time for the main event. Ivan and Conor casually walked on stage and soaked the venue in before taking their places. Conor behind the drums and Ivan surrounded by his keyboard, Abelton controller and trumpet. They kicked things off slow before building into a triumphant sound and intensity that carried throughout. ‘Dreaming at The Function’ was hypnotic while ‘Fever’ prompted a jazzy dance party. Ivan’s energy was insane, he bounced around the stage like a kid who ate too much cake at a birthday party, with an endless smile to match. Conor killed it on the drums with precise focus. The entire set was mesmerizing, at times you’d be singing or humming along, other moments dancing uncontrollably and often times just standing there, mouth open in awe. It wasn’t just that each track was amazing but how they went about flowing from one to the next. They brought out S’natra once again for ‘Opposite Ways’ and freaked and looped his closing vocals into a wild improvised breakdown. For other transitions Ivan would DJ on the Ableton controller or Conor would keep the beat going on the drums and flow into the next track.

While they played a ton of their original work they also rocked the party with familiar tracks and covers. Their biggest production to date, ‘No Problem’ prompted a massive sing along, as did their covers of Destiny Child, Ja Rule, Kanye West and Lil Uzi Vert. They also treated fans to some unreleased heaters including a wild new collab with Denzel Curry. When it finally came time for the show to end Brasstracks left the stage to an avalanche of applause that quickly turned into chants for an encore. They didn’t keep fans waiting too long before coming to give us a finale that included their massive remix of ‘Higher Ground’ and a more mellowed conclusion. When the night was over, my hands hurt from clapping and my voice was half gone from screaming, if that doesn’t tell you the level of performance Brasstracks brought forth, I’m not sure what will. If this tour comes to your GO. Whether you’re a fan of rap, R&B, jazz, electronic music or all of them, you’ll leave amazed.

For a bigger taste of what to expect, check out the live video of ‘Opposite Ways’ below.

Photos by Zoran Jovicic.

The post Why You Need To See Brasstracks Live With S’natra [Review] appeared first on FUXWITHIT.

The post This New Alexander Lewis, MadeinTYO & S’natra Is ‘Wassup’ appeared first on FUXWITHIT.