3409 - Small Talk [Review] July 30, 2020 by Travis Erwin in Music, Rap, Hip-Hop, Conscious Rating: 4 out of 5 “Salsa infused Hip-Hop! 3409 drops this fiery track that will definitely get you up and moving with its dance floor allure and lyrical hook. ’Small Talk’ is a true genre bending track that delivers high energy with a swagger. The Toronto based 4 piece band prides themselves on genre modification, and I can only imagine after hearing this track that their live show must be lit.” — Travis Erwin (LA on Lock Blogger)
ARSONAL DA REBEL - PRODUCT OF MY ENVIRONMENT [Music Video Review] July 28, 2020 by Travis Erwin in Music Videos, Rap Rating: 4 out of 5 “The lyrical progression and word play of the verses hooked me in more than anything else about this track but there was never a moment where my focus drifted in even the slightest way.The video and track combine to tell a story that is gripping as well. A full well-rounded project that keeps you leaning in from start to finish. Timely, but not patronizing like so many track coming out today.” — Travis Erwin (LA on Lock Blogger)
Pawz One x DJ Dister - Out Of Bounds [Music Video Review] July 24, 2020 by Travis Erwin in Music Videos, Hip-Hop, Conscious, Rap Rating: 4.5 out of 5 “If you think the West Coast is all sunshine and palm trees you just might be ‘Out Of Bounds.’ In a throwback to the Old School days when the West Coast Rap scene was wild, Pawz One drops a track that is defiant, and if not outright angry, at least outright hostile in the way it challenges perceptions and those trying to front over things they have no clue about. ” — Travis Erwin (LA on Lock Blogger)
Ry August - Little Guy [Review] July 18, 2020 by Travis Erwin in Music, Commercial, Rap Rating: 4 out of 5 “Ry August drops this heartfelt flow asking for more awareness, or at the very least an honest conversation given all that 2020 has revealed about us as a society. The flow feels genuine and the track carried me forward keeping me invested and engaged. Bringing a good energy and a catchy hook it delivers on entertainment as well as a timely message and sentiment.” — Travis Erwin (LA on Lock Blogger)
Malcolm Eppz - BEIJING RAYJENE [Music Video Review] July 16, 2020 by Travis Erwin in Music Videos, Rap, Hip-Hop, Conscious Rating: 4 out of 5 “Malcolm Eppz drops a nice vocal flow over a beat that manages to both get out of the way, and give the track a bit of gritty edge. The writing is sharp and such that it takes a few listens to truly digest everything that is being put down. There is a bit of a throwback to the sound, but the overall vibe feels contemporary and fresh.” — Travis Erwin (LA on Lock Blogger)
Jokaa Deleon - 99 & 2000s Flow [Review] July 14, 2020 by Travis Erwin in Music, Rap, Trap Rating: 4 out of 5 “Jokaa Deleon drops a bit of the Dirty South sound on you with ‘99 & 2000s Flow.’ There is a hint of that New Orleans bounce to the beat, and the flow comes gritty and hard. Step away from Bourbon Street and capture a bit of the New Orleans beyond the tourists scene with these hard-hitting words of truth. ” — Travis Erwin (LA on Lock Blogger)
CHAII - Lightswitch [Music Video Review] July 11, 2020 by Travis Erwin in Music Videos, Rap, Hip-Hop, Conscious Rating: 4 out of 5 “CHAII is a New Zealander of Persian heritage and that bit of personal history fuses with an energetic Hip-Hop style to bring ‘Lightswitch’ alive in a way perhaps no other artist could. The talent and energy of her flow and performance bring this track to life. This track is part of a visual trilogy that was inspired by Iran’s Islamic Revolution of 1979, which resulted in countless creative talents, including musicians, actors and artists, relocating to California after their work was banned in their homeland. California remains the biggest Persian music community outside of Iran over forty years later and that community inspired and sparked CHAII’s efforts on this project.” — Travis Erwin (LA on Lock Blogger)
C. Henry - Motivation [Review] July 08, 2020 by Travis Erwin in Music, Rap Rating: 4.5 out of 5 “If you are looking for a hard hitting bit of ‘Motivation’ to add to your workout playlist ... look no more. Here it is. C. Henry comes with a steady flow that build and carries you along while prodding and pushing. That piano lead in of the chorus will ramp you up and get you to keep moving forward.” — Travis Erwin (LA on Lock Blogger)
Thrills - ROSHAMBO [Music Video Review] July 03, 2020 by Travis Erwin in Music Videos, Rap, Hip-Hop, Conscious Rating: 4 out of 5 “Thrills come out with it in such a straight forward fashion here on this single, that it is impossible to look away. Call it verve or boldness or flat out confidence, but the strength of the writing is all the more powerful for the unflinching delivery. This is a set of lyrics that demands you listen over and over again to pick up all of the thoughts and nuance behind them. ” — Travis Erwin (LA on Lock Blogger)
E-Los - Detached [Review] July 03, 2020 by Travis Erwin in Music, Rap, Hip-Hop, Conscious, Contemporary R&B Rating: 4 out of 5 “E-Los drops this soulful blend of Hip-Hop and R&B. that just grabs hold of you. The groove is smooth and steady, and the emotion shines through in the performance making the well-written lyrics fell alive. The pace is slow, but that works here because it give you time to feel every word being laid down. ” — Travis Erwin (LA on Lock Blogger)
Eon MC Etc. & The Libra ft. DSloaner - Drank in Hand [Review] June 30, 2020 by Travis Erwin in Music, Rap, Soul, Hip-Hop Rating: 4 out of 5 “A vivacious track about trying to have a night, and survive the drama or trouble while doing it. Get in the club, stoke a good buzz up, find a sweet little bit of company for the rest of the night, and get out before trouble finds you. Sounds like a simply concept, but it ain’t always easy to pull off. The flow here has a nice bit of verve and swagger, and the beat production makes the track come alive. This is both a groove and a mood.” — Travis Erwin (LA on Lock Blogger)
Lourdiz - Ground Control - [Music Video Review] June 30, 2020 by Travis Erwin in Music Videos, Lyric Video, Rap, Hip-Hop Rating: 4 out of 5 “This track hooked me with vibe and energy. That Latin beat and verve made the track come alive, and while on my first listen I did not always follow lyrically, the video does offer the chance to dive into the words. Balancing a nice amount of swagger and attitude, the track comes with an extra bit of punch to go with the infectious tempo. ” — Travis Erwin (LA on Lock Blogger)
The Dutchess - Haterz [Review] June 27, 2020 by Travis Erwin in Music, Rap Rating: 4 out of 5 “All Hail ... The Dutchess! Yeah, you’ve heard tracks calling out the haters before, but the letter Z ain’t the only thing different about The Dutchess’s take on ‘Haterz.’ Straight up flow coming with unflinching confidence delivered with a tone that lands square. The attitude and verve coming out of this Portland rapper are what make her stand out.” — Travis Erwin (LA on Lock Blogger)
Big Dayve - Mary Poppins [Review] June 24, 2020 by Travis Erwin in Music, Rap Rating: 4 out of 5 “Right about now we need a good Club Banger that will get you moving and put a smile on your face. Big Dayve ain’t exactly taking us to new worlds, but his track ‘Mary Poppins’ is infectious and the beat production behind it is fire. I could wax on poetically, but what’s the point when the intent of this song is simply to make you move to the groove, and smile while in denial. So have some fun, and forget about the stress of the world for a couple minutes by giving this track a listen.” — Travis Erwin (LA on Lock Blogger)
Monz x Darrell Medellin - They Don't Know (Feat. Darrell Medellin) [Review] June 17, 2020 by Travis Erwin in Music, Rap, Hip-Hop, Conscious Rating: 4 out of 5 “The life of an artist is a struggle that the general world doesn’t fully understand or appreciate. The passion of pursuing your dreams and passion, while trying to make a living comes with some tough decision about dreams for practical logic and this flow captures the spirit of that struggle. A good energy makes the track also fun and entertaining with a lively beat to carry you along. This track was written pre-Covid but the life of musician and other performing artists has only gotten tougher, so please take the passion behind this track and remember to treat the people that provide the soundtracks of our lives right.” — Travis Erwin (LA on Lock Blogger)
Focus The Truth - Survivor's Guilt [Music Video Review] June 14, 2020 by Travis Erwin in Music Videos, Rap, Hip-Hop, Conscious “Powerful! Both in the immediacy of the video, and in the vocal flow that comes straight at you. Lyrically, the track is strong truth delivered with passion and verve. An old school beat backs the vocal flow and I especially like that retro 70’s flair added into the musical layer. The words and lyrics and overall vibe is contemporary, but the layers add a depth to the history of the systemic racism, generations in the building. The writing and performance is an intelligent thought provoking response and counter statement.” — Travis Erwin (LA on Lock Blogger)
Dax - BLACK LIVES MATTER [Music Video Review] June 09, 2020 by Travis Erwin in Music Videos, Rap, Hip-Hop, Conscious Rating: 4.5 out of 5 “Dax is no stranger to LA on Lock, nor has ever been one to hold back or stay quiet. His take on what the world needs, ‘BLACK LIVE MATTER’ is a triumph of hope and truth. Listen and feel these words. Listen and be part of the solution. Listen and demand more from your self, and from society. Racism is ugly, music and compassion, and society that does not stand for bigotry are beautiful. Kudos for Dax on spreading beauty and love.” — Travis Erwin (LA on Lock Blogger)
Eric Leon x TroyBoi -Lemme See [Music Video Review] June 09, 2020 by Kreadiv Kesh in Music Videos, Rap Rating: 4 out of 5 “Lemme see what you got. I heard your momma raised a Thot.” Despite the choice of words this verse is catchy AF. Eric Leon x TroyBoi give us a new single that is full of energy. As you listen to the song the lyrics sound like he is saying the first thing that comes to his mind but putting a beat behind it, this is what makes the song so interesting” — Kreadiv Kesh (LA On Lock Blogger)
Chase Martin - Baby Wassup? [Review] June 06, 2020 by Travis Erwin in Music, Rap, Hip-Hop, Conscious Rating: 4 out of 5 “This track is basically a upbeat fuck you. The beat is light, but the words direct. Call it instant Karma for those who treat your bad, and do you wrong. Chase Martin pulls no punches, but sometimes directness serves the truth just how you need to hear it. The energy of the track makes it stand out and come alive.” — Travis Erwin (LA on Lock Blogger)
Young N - "Supaplayalistic" [EP Review] June 04, 2020 by N3 On The Track in Music, Hip-Hop, Rap, EP Rating: 4 out of 5 “I’ve been keeping up with Young N for a while now & he never lets me down with the quality of his music. His new EP “Supaplayalistic” is a great listen from start to finish. The old school vibe of the production truly makes the project in my opinion. ” — N3 On The Track (LA On Lock Blogger) Listen on SpotifyListen on Apple Music Supaplayalistic [Explicit] 2078697 Records DK2 Buy on Amazon