West Coast rap stalwart Oh No proves why he’s one of the most consistently dope producers in the game with his equally funky and grimy remix of “Gold Vases” which first appeared on Planet Asia & DJ Concept’s well received collab LP, Seventy Nine. While the original had a more traditionally Boom bap sound, Oh No transforms the track into a low-key burner with a crunchy baseline and spaced out groove. This remix is taken from the vinyl edition of Coalmine Records’ remix compilation, “Remineded“.

“Here We Come”, new single by rising indie duo from Denver called Operation Underground (OU) for short. Both members of Operation Underground are influenced by Eminem, Nas, Insane Clown Posse, Twiztid, The Notorious B.I.G., Tupac, N.W.A, The Beastie Boys ETC. Operation Underground was formed in late October 2018.

“Paystub”, the latest video by rising independent rapper Elizit.

Legends Will Never Die: What is the earliest hip hop memory that you can recall?

Mars: Back when I was a little kid, my aunt Brandy was playing the “We Want Some Pussy!” song by the 2 Live Crew & told me that they were saying “We Want Some Cookies!”. That’s as early as I can think of. But when I was a teen, Del the Funky Homosapien got me into it as a Bay Area artist before anyone. From there, the 90’s g-gunk era kicked in & I was stuck on it. But it was when I heard X-Raided, Brotha Lynch Hung & the Three 6 Mafia is when I really found where I wanted to be.

LWND: You’re very renown in the horrorcore scene so that has me wondering: Could you name off your top 5 horror movies?

Mars: I like the classics. The original Texas Chainsaw Masscare, the Child’s Play movies up until Bride of Chucky, almost all the Friday the 13th‘s before the reboot, the Nightmare of Elm Street series, Gorgon Video used to send me all of the Faces of Death & Henry movies as they came out. Loved all that stuff until they released Fact or Fiction & broke my heart when I found out it was all fake footage.

LWND: You dropped a surprise single on Friday the 13th called “It Gets Deep” under your own label Mad Insanity Records in conjunction with EMPIRE Distribution. It goes back to your roots of West Coast g-funk mixed with the horror themes that helped define your career. What made you wanna do that?

Mars: Bad Mind emailed me the beat as I was driving around so I played it, recorded the song & it was already mixed when I woke up the next morning. But, I grew up with my dad always playing funk & soul oldies & I still ride around playing the Delphonics & Brothers Johnson when I drive. I just think it sounds smooth & cool. I always wanted my brand of horrorcore to sound different than anyone else’s. “It Gets Deep” is a reflection of that.

LWND: You’ve released 6 singles & a collaboration EP with Young Swizz this year so far, all independently with EMPIRE backing you up. How much more do you plan on releasing before the year is up?

Mars: I have about 5 or 6 albums coming out, but I’ll keep releasing as singles & other stuff while I’m waiting on features. As long as their waiting on the albums, I’ll keep giving them something to listen to in the meantime. But I’m trying to drop everything I got all this year. My music isn’t for everyone, but the people that fuck with me I want to make sure they have enough new stuff all the time. Nobody can deny somebody’s hustle, determination or drive. I’m trying to get it. It won’t stop next year either.

LWND: You’re dropping a collaborative album with Danny Diablo under Force 5 Records very soon called “Devils & Demons”. How did that come about?

Mars: Danny had hit me up on Twitter & asked me to do a verse for his album. I wasn’t familiar with his hip hop stuff before, but we eventually became friends & the question came up. I knew it would stress Donnie at Force 5 Records out because me & Danny are both knuckleheads & love to party, but it came out really dope bringing our 2 worlds together. This was one of those opportunities that bought a chance to work with people I never I would have ever imagined myself on the same songs with. Slaine, Vinnie Paz? Come on. We got something for everyone on this one.

LWND: You have an EP coming out within the next month called Small Sacrifices. Are these all tracks from your upcoming album or just an appetizer for what’s to come?

Mars: It was gonna be called The Murder EP, but we’re getting a bunch of billboards for it & the imagery of the cover-art was too much for the companies. Small Sacrifices is all tracks I did with the producer Bvne. It’s its own project and theres some really good songs on it. Locked Up a Broad is with a producer named Clayton Van Pelt. And that’s all its own project too, aside from “Throw It All Away” which came out as a single, everything on Locked Up a Broad its all unheard too. I’ve been busy recording like crazy. The singles have been all stuff that were from other producers. I like to have one producer per album so they all have a sound of their own. Medication was with Westside Rell, who has worked with Kung Fu Vampire & a lot of Strange Music artists & that one really kicked shit off.

LWND: You’re set to release a solo album within the next 2 months called “Locked Up a Broad”. Could you tell me what to expect from you on there?

Mars: Locked Up a Broad is a really different album because I picked beats Clayton already had sitting & chose to adapt to whatever I was feeling at the time. So you get a lot of bluesy songs, trap sounding stuff & even some down south shit. But it’s all horror based music about kidnapping. Really different, but super dope.

LWND: You’ve been feeding the homeless community around your hometown of Pittsburg & Antioch, CA with the help of partnerships with Kinders BBQ & more locally based companies. You’ve helped get involved in saving a local skatepark for the kids in the area who were being forced out by a local real estate developer & even partnered up with pro-skateboarder Corey Duffel to create awareness for the cause. What made you wanna do all of that?

Mars: Both things I’m very passionate about. One time, I went to the store & bought sandwiches for everyone at the house & nobody was home, so I went & brought them to everyone downtown & it felt good because people really appreciated it. I get my shows & events catered catered for free and I always felt like if I had that hook up that I should be bringing stuff like that for people who need it. Kinders BBQ, Little J’s in Pittsburg, California & so many places around the community have really kicked down a lot of food for the cause & I often bring hygiene products, shoes, clothes, even cars, down there & make sure people have what they need to stay afloat. I hope to one day open up a shelter and I’ve been talking with the mayor about how I can get more & more involved as it comes up in the city council meetings & city planning. The skatepark stuff, comes out of me being a kid who skated & it brought me so many opportunities & skills that I use every day that I feel more kids need a shot at a positive outlet. From trying to save ones from being taken away to trying to get ones being built, I feel like I have a big enough voice in the community & with a following everywhere that I can make a positive difference with the help of people who support me. Right now I’m trying to get the kids in Pittsburg, California a skatepark so they have somewhere safe to go and not in the streets where they are out getting in trouble just trying to do what they love.

LWND: You make a sizable income wearing products from brands or product placement on social media getting items regularly from Oddball Golf, Fadavi & Co., Sprayground, REBEL8, Kangol, PF Flyers, CBD & marijuana companies & Cuts Clothing. Any more plans to expanding this in the future?

Mars: I was buying REBEL8, Cookies & Kangol way before I was ever getting their stuff sent to me for magazines & social media. This is one of the skills I learned from Skateboarding. Sponsorships, product placement, marketing. It’s awesome checking the mail & getting a check & free stuff all the time. I probably spend the money on the same kinds of clothes anyways. Rap music isn’t just about music. It’s about the brand. Make yourself available for opportunities.

LWND: You’ve gotten major label attention on his last single release “Throw It All Away” after getting play from several Northern California mainstream radio stations, but continued your relationship with EMPIRE. Why is that?

Mars: This A&R contacted me about a possible development deal based off of my song “Throw It All Away”, but I had to tell her that for the last 20 years I’ve been making songs about rape & murder. I’m sure she was good after that. I honestly think horrorcore is the best representation of my personality. I wouldn’t want to make any other kinds of music. This is what I enjoy doing.  With EMPIRE, all the biggest rappers in the world are here. Why do I need anyone else? This is where it’s at anyways.

LWND: Any final statements before we wrap this up?

Mars: Halloween is coming up soon & if people wanna hear a darker side of hip hop, explore a different kind of entertainment than they’re used to. If you’re a horror movie fan, there is rap music out there waiting for you to explore.

Follow on all social media @Mars

What is the earliest hip hop memory that you can recall?

I remember was a little kid & my aunt Brandy was listening to the “We Want Some P***y” by the 2 Live Crew & she told me they said “We Want Some Cookies”. But, the first CD I ever bought was Del the Funky Homosapien’s No Need for Alarm!.

You’re very renown in the horrorcore scene so that has me wondering: Could you name off your top 5 horror movies?

I like the classics. The original Texas Chainsaw Masscare, the Child’s Play movies up until Bride of Chucky, almost all the Friday the 13th‘s before the reboot, all the Nightmare of Elm Street movies & Faces of Death.

You dropped a surprise single on Friday the 13th called “It Gets Deep” under your own label Mad Insanity Records in conjunction with EMPIRE Distribution. It goes back to your roots of West Coast g-funk mixed with the horror themes that helped define your career. What made you wanna do that?

Bad Mind emailed me the beat as I was driving around so I played it, recorded the song & it was already mixed when I woke up the next morning.

You’ve released 6 singles & a collaboration EP with Young Swizz this year so far, all independently with EMPIRE backing you up. How much more do you plan on releasing before the year is up?

I have about 5 or 6 albums coming out, but I’ll keep releasing as singles & other stuff while I’m waiting on features.

You’re dropping a collaborative album with Danny Diablo under Force 5 Records very soon called “Devils & Demons”. How did that come about?

Danny had hit me up on Twitter & asked me to do a verse for his album. I wasn’t familiar with his hip hop stuff before, but we eventually became friends & the question came up.

You have an EP coming out within the next month called Small Sacrifices. Are these all tracks from your upcoming album or just an appetizer for what’s to come?

It was gonna be called The Murder EP, but we’re getting a bunch of billboards for it & the imagery of the cover-art was too much for the companies. With the exception of “Throw It All Away”, it’s all new material.

You’re set to release a solo album within the next 2 months called “Locked Up a Broad”. Could you tell me what to expect from you on there?

It’s crazier because Clayton Van Pelt reached out to me knowing that I needed a producer, so I checked out his beats & rapped on as much of them as I could. It’s a lot of new sounds for me, but same content

You’ve been feeding the homeless community around your hometown of Pittsburg & Antioch, CA with the help of partnerships with Kinders BBQ & more locally based companies. You’ve helped get involved in saving a local skatepark for the kids in the area who were being forced out by a local real estate developer & even partnered up with pro-skateboarder Corey Duffel to create awareness for the cause. What made you wanna do all of that?

These are things that personally, I feel something for. I remember one time, I went to a store & bought some sandwiches for everybody. It felt good. As for Kinders, I thought it was a cool hookup for people who really need it. Also when I was a kid, I used to skatepark & it was a huge outlet for me. If I didn’t have it, I wouldn’t be as established as I am.

You make a sizable income wearing products from brands or product placement on social media getting items regularly from Oddball Golf, Fadavi & Co., Sprayground, REBEL8, Kangol, PF Flyers, CBD & marijuana companies & Cuts Clothing. Any more plans to expanding this in the future?

I used to buy all that stuff regularly, so for me to represent all this is really dope because I support them all anyway. It just happens sporadically sometimes, people pay me to promote their brands. I really learned a lot from skateboarding.

You’ve gotten major label attention on his last single release “Throw It All Away” after getting play from several Northern California mainstream radio stations, but continued your relationship with EMPIRE. Why is that?

For one, an A&R wanted to hear more like that & they just weren’t looking for what I got. I had to be upfront with her about my songs like “Stinky the Rapist”. Horrorcore is just a great representation of who I am.

Any final statements before we wrap this up?

Halloween is coming & if people wanna hear a darker side of hip hop, explore a different kind of entertainment than they’re used to. If you’re a horror movie fan, there is rap music out there waiting for you to explore.

Follow on all social media @Mars

Let me start by making a somewhat bold claim: Josh Breezzyy is a name that should be on your radar, and you’re missing out if you aren’t tracking his career. Ever since I reviewed his Tortured Artist album, I’ve had the impression that the man has a deep conceptual creativity and an above average ability on the mic. While his latest single, “D.O.A.,” isn’t a Kendrick DAMN level of intricacy, it is definitely a reminder that Josh can hold his own with the latter.

The song isn’t anything deep or emotional. It’s a pretty straight forward “brag rap” hype song, but it lives in that space well. I asked where the inspiration for “D.O.A” came from and Josh essentially said he felt like people were sleeping on him and putting him in a box because of the tone of his last album.

“I felt everyone was getting a little comfortable and I needed to shake it up a little and show that I can do the commercial hit with ‘All I Ever Wanted,’ and RAP rap as well. Also, people were still painting me as the ‘Sad Story’ rapper after my last album, and I’m in such a great mental place right now, I wanted to get away from that label.”

Without a doubt, “D.O.A.” is a strong departure from Tortured Artist, and I think it’s real proof of the positive changes Josh has gone through. The overall vibe of the track is never too cocky or abrasive, as a lot of brag rap tends to be. Instead, it’s a song that somewhat mellows you out, but never leaves you feeling less than you felt beforehand.

The instrumental isn’t anything too complex. The melody and baseline stay the same pretty much throughout the whole track with just a few breaks here and there, but that is in no way a downside. I can think of a handful of songs just off the top of my head that had instrumentals that were too busy and cluttered, and that really ruined the potential of those songs. With “D.O.A.,” the simplicity of the beat actually allows the listener to engage more. It helps to draw you in, but doesn’t distract from the meat of song.

Although I don’t think this is Josh’s best lyrical performance, he’s not one to slouch when it comes to bars, and his flow is precise and clean. I didn’t think so during the first verse upon my initial listen, but the more I heard the song, the cleaner it got. Josh has some nice flow switches, a couple really nice bars, and a strong presence on the track from start to finish, making this single surprisingly replayable.

Overall, I’d say this song is a great song to tide over Josh’s fans until he decides to put out his next album, and if you don’t fall into that category, maybe “D.O.A” will sway your mind. If you disagree, then that’s on you, but don’t say I never told you so when his name is popping up in the future.

Rating: 7.5/10

Highlights: Energy, Flow, Production

You can follow Josh on Twitter, IG, and at his website: TheJoshBreezzyy.com

After a quiet summer post release of his first single “All I Ever Wanted” (Which is still performing well) Josh wanted to let his fans, as well as his competition know that he hasn’t gone anywhere and at the very least he’s better than ever.

I recently caught up with one of the fresh faces of Seattle Hip Hop Maribased1 to talk about some of his accomplishments and the experience of breaking into today’s music industry coming out of the Northwest. Check it out.

Jason Bourne: What is the concept behind your stage name?

Maribased1: My name is an homage to one of my musical influences – Lil B The Basedgod. By the combination of adding parts of my first name with the addition of ‘based’ and the ‘1’ at the end sums up the sauce as a whole.

Jason Bourne: Who is Maribased1 ; the man and the artist?

Maribased1: I am an activist, leader, and innovator who hails from the Pacific north west. I am inner city baby straight out of Seattle, Washington.

Jason Bourne: For those who may not be familiar with the Seattle Hip Hop scene, talk to us about the vibe there as well as the Northwest as a whole?

Maribased1: The vibes here in Seattle are amazing! There is a lot of dope talent that has risen out of Seattle. Seattle has its own unique style and vibe called the ‘northern flow’ which originated straight out of the heart of Seattle. Seattle music is real.

Jason Bourne: You did well this Summer with two popular singles, Bouncin and Score’N – talk to us about the reception and feedback u have been getting with those records.

Maribased1: The feedback I have been getting back from those two records has been tremendous. ‘Bouncin’ has been getting a lot of play in the clubs in Seattle. It end of reaching 40 thousand views on Youtube. ‘Score’n’ has been getting a lot of love as well. Folks are starting to pick up on that song and it’s becoming a mainstay. The video is on BET Jams, MTV on demand and in Footlockers throughout the  United States. Both records have been charting on Digitalradiotracker.com, Top Global 200, Chart Top Global 150 Independent Chart & Top 50 Global Hip Hop & R&B chart. The records are now being pushed all across the nation through out major colleges and university’s with the hope of making their charts as well.

Jason Bourne: You are currently touring I see you have a number of dates this quarter.How has hitting the road helped with your momentum build?

Maribased1: Hitting the road has helped tremendously! Being in different cities has allowed me to experience different environments, and share my music with new fans. The best part is the peoples interaction with me. I’m blessed to even be able to do that. I’ll be back on the road the end of September until beginning of October making stops in Fresno, Bakersfield, and Sacramento opening up for Shordie Shordie. End of October we will be hitting the college circuit.

Jason Bourne: You have won a number of awards in your career – what significance do you place on those accomplishments?

Maribased1: I hold those awards in the highest regard because they show my accomplishments and achievements throughout my career so far. I’ve gotten ‘Mixtape of the year’ in 2018 from the Seattle Sound Music Awards for my mixtape ‘MARIOTTO’. I was even given a plaque from them for achieving over a million Facebook views. I’ve also won Breakout artist of the year 2018 from the ‘West Coast Hip Hop Awards’ and I recently won Most Improved Artist of The Year from the ‘West Coast Hip Hop Awards’ 2019. I placed 8th in the Crane City Awards Top 20 Movers and Shakers 2018. All my awards and achievements are amazing and I am truly blessed to be in the position I am now. I’m only going up from here!

Jason Bourne: Your project Mariotto2 is the 2nd installment of a series – how did you embark on that ?

Maribased1: MARIOTTO2 is the sequel.  I have released two other projects after that called 24Oz & Power Up. Those are available on 247hiphopnews, datpiff & spinrilla just to name a few.  Early 2018 I wanted to create an official album/project. Early on in the recording process for the album I did not have a name for it yet. I was gonna call it something completely different. I eventually stuck with the rocket power theme and one day I just decided I’m going to make a sequel to my first mixtape. The point was to show the world that I have matured and developed as an artist.

Follow on all social media @MARIBASED1

Feeling as though the city is hard to make a living with all the hate and killing going on, Winston Salem, North Carolina based raper Lil Twin drops his new single, “I-40”.

One of the illest lyricists in Horrocore Hip Hop, Twisted Insane drops 2 albums today, “Sick James” & “Sickopatomous”.