Hunnypot Live #441 happened! Alex Berson achieved his dream of co-hosting the show. Alex regaled the audience with his music synchronization journey and achievements.
The Brothel (Camden Premo & John Born) pimped us all out with the best little (and big) whorehouse raps.
Zeus Rebel Waters brought an ensemble cast of talent for a showstopper event. Johnny Bravo, Montega Rebel, SIFU, and Slymboi Rakks joined Zeus for mini feature sets and group love for Zeus's return to Hunnypot Live. 7/12/2021
Apologizes to all, the recording of the 2nd half of the night was not saved correctly and is unfortunately M.I.A. Super bummed, Zeus Rebel Waters and his entire St. Louis crew crushed it. We're looking to have them back before the year is over. - John Anderson :(
Alex Berson is a Music Supervisor and Creative Music Director born and raised in Los Angeles, CA. At an early age Alex got the bug for music as an active musician. In 2007, he co-founded and sat on the Board of Directors for the non-profit organization, Shred Kids’ Cancer. Alex helped the company raise over $100,000 for UCLA’s Mattel Children’s Hospital through star-studded Battle of The Bands competitions, high-ticket raffles, and other events.
Alex has worked for and with, The Cutting Edge Group, Score a Score, Warner Records, and as a freelance Music Supervisor and "Sync" Consultant.
Currently, Alex serves as the Creative Music Director at Bulletproof Bear, a full-service music company based in Los Angeles, where he oversees new business, client relations, creative endeavors, special projects, and A&R.
Zeus is an American Hip hop artist/songwriter/performer with a unique musical identity. Zeus builds his fanbase, called “The Rebels”, 1 fan at a time. Zeus got in to music early by singing and dancing in youth talent shows. In middle school Zeus formed the rap group P.O.G (Pimped Out Gangsters). The group tasted success by winning talent shows and touring on their hit single “Wobble”. Formerly and casually known as Rukapuff, his first solo single, “Angry”, immediately went in to full rotation on Q95.5(Radio one) in St Louis.
Zeus signed with Mack 10's Hoo Bangin Records. Mack 10 promoted a Rukapuff track, “Like this” featuring Nate Dogg. The song was used in TV commercials, NFL football games movies like Waist Deep, and various TV shows including The Sopranos.
In addition to recording and touring under his O.G. name, Zeus has his own indie record label, Born Ready Records, a clothing line called the Rebel Waters Collection, a film company called Trinity Films, and helps run a non for profit organization for young inner city youth called Rock the Community. Zeus Rebel Waters has arrived.
Premo‘s previous single “Out the Frame“ , has over 3 million plays on Spotify and Premo has several artists signed to his label Cathaus Records.
Premo has been featured in The Source, Lyrical Lemonade, HipHopSince1987, Thisis50, and AllHipHop. Camden Premo launched his brand Hooligan Denim in 2017 with fans and customers like Blueface, Trippie Redd and Metro Boomin.
Camden Premo is coming for 2021! Be on the look.
JohnBorn, is a self described modern day renaissance man. From the streets of Harrisburg Pennsylvania to Los Angeles, his art is Pushing the limits of modern sounds.
JohnBorn's current hit single, “Creamsicle Roses”, has charted #40 on iTunes with over 1 million streams. To the Renaissance Man claim, Born is a visual artist, designer & director. Artwork by JohnBorn can be found in celebrity homes such as: Floyd Mayweather, Odell Beckham, Nicki Minaj, Nick Cannon, and many more. Born's work has also been featured in Billboard, on BET, VH1, Oxygen & in big board room hall at the New York Stock Exchange.
JohnBorn is wants to change the paradigm of music and entertainment. Join him in 2021 and beyond to be a part of it.
Hunnypot Live #440 is not an error! Human cicadas, Hot Tub Johnnie and Spectrum, emerged from a 1.5 year sleep to bring another Hunnypot Live to the animal kingdom. Thank you all for coming back but please don't eat the hosts; We taste nothing like shrimp.
Our new format has our guest host joining us in the "hot tub" for the whole show and we spend time getting to know the musical acts that perform that evening.
Rosie Howe returned as our guest host to update us on the wonderful developments in her career as a music supervisor and tastemaker, and dropped a set of party tunes for sure.
Xhaania pulled up with an eclectic influence pop performance, INDICA brought a wicked strain of hip-hop vibes, Hot Tub had us dancing again to future and faithful hits and everyone attending happily molted into human forms again. 6/28/2021
Photos by: J. Gray / P. Taalbi / Sean Navejas
Rosie Howe is a Los Angeles based music supervisor and creative biz wiz. She’s worked with filmmakers, TV producers, gaming companies, advertising agencies, and brands from all across the globe. Her superpowers include procuring unforgettable music, negotiating and managing complex music business deals, and creative music idealization and implementation.
Currently, Rosie is a music coordinator in Music Creative & Production for original series at Netflix. Projects include Jupiter’s Legacy, Archive 81, Colin In Black & White, and The Chair.
Rosie is a member of the Guild of Music Supervisors and is passionate about peer education. She provides feedback and educational resources to musical talent through workshops, panels, and songwriting camps. She has been featured on Behind the Music podcast, panels and workshops for The Grammy Museum, Durango, Billboard, The Guild of Music Supervisors, Synckeepers, Music Biz Mentors, and has contributed to the magazine-style blog Ms. In The Biz.
Website Facebook Rosie Facebook Instagram
A DIFFERENT KIND OF SOUND
Xhaania (Pronounced ZA-NEE-AH) is a singer, song writer from Los Angeles, California with Jamaican heritage. Xhaania grew up listening, singing and dancing to raggea music throughout her childhood, one of the foundations of her unique sound. In addition to raggae music, much of Xhaania's inspiration comes from R&B, Gospel, Rap and hip-hop.
With a very unique sound, Xhaania has been influenced by Lauren Hill, Alicia Keys, Jazmine Sullivan, Aaliyah, Amy Winehouse, Sade, Brandy and many other underground musicians.
Website Twitter Instagram AppleMusic Spotify
In 2016 Indica debuted his single 'She So Crazy' on The FADER gaining underground recognition. Soon after he released his debut self titled project, Indica. Singles 'Kumbaya' and 'Ahead/ Level Up' display his relaxed, melodic flow patterns that are not limited to one genre, as he can cross into Latin Reggaeton flows effortlessly for example, his single 'Jugamos'.
Experimenting with sonics Indica released a second project RETROMODERN in 2019, a 1980's themed album produced by Andrew Luce; Inspired by Daft Punk and Tame Impala. Indica is currently independent.
Country has long been a polarizing, impenetrable genre subjugated to the “but..” of the sentence, “I listen to everything,”. In a time where cross-pollination is the only way to stay current, it's also a genre that has maintained its air of sovereignty, managing to slyly subvert the popsphere by pivoting from classic ballads to party anthems. But even before Lil’ Nas X finally started calling a spade a spade, anyone who listened to modern Country could hear Hip-Hop’s influence.
SHY & D.R.S have long been mixologists of hip-hop. Hailing from Aberdeen, Scotland. These twin brothers know how to create a cocktail of sound, making chart-quality bops that meld melody and quick cadence with fine-tuned features. Their 2020 release “Flex” featuring Josh Setterfield is a quippy ditty with the perfect amount of get-money grit that gives a fresh new entry to the Country Hip-Hop genre. The energetic twang of Josh Setterfield elevates the classic trap beat, complimenting the brothers native Scottish swag.
The video substitutes our artists with 3 little dudes showing off how they turn that wheat into bread, flexing all over the farm. It’s a little “Can’t Tell Me Nothing” (featuring Zach Galifinakis and Will Oldham) and a whole lot of swerve. One of my favorite aspects of the video is how SHY, D.R.S and Josh Setterfield’s surrogates mastery of the lyrics directly correlates with their screen time, adding to the playfully juvenile nature of the video. It’s great to see the kids having fun outside these days. Shout-out to the spot-on casting for Josh Setterfield, that kid is selling it. You can bet “Flex” is Hunnypot approved.
--Robyn Dee
Hunnypot is proud to be SHY & D.R.S's official sync representative controlling both Master & Publishing, ask us about LICENSING!
Information Society’s new album, ODDfellows, is explosive from the start and carries a powerful energy throughout. Their first album in five years, ODDfellows reissues their previous singles, "Nothing Prevails", "Bennington", and "World Enough", along with several new songs that surely hold up on their own. This is a fun one, and there is plenty to love about this release.
"Extraordinary Popular Delusions" and "The Madness Of Crowds" kicks off the album with a choppy instrumental that has hints of their early work. The song pleasantly previews the healthy mix of old and new school ideas and techniques InSoc has developed in their sound over the decades. The next song, "Would You Like Me If I Played A Guitar", takes a turn for a more organized mix, while their 2019 drop, "World Enough", has a more laid back feel. This makes for a strong start to the album and aligns nicely with their roots as a group known for experimenting.
"Room 1904" is one of those tracks that has a clear retro influence, but feels equally like something right out of today and highlights their talent for giving their music its own unique personality. "Nothing Prevails" was released as a single in 2018, and it fits right in as the middle track. The song is pumped up and easily one of the best on the album. "Being Me" plays like a power ballad, and the music in this song is incredible. Their 2019 single, "Bennington", picks the energy back up, but still maintains a similar melancholy mood as did the previous song. Much of this feels like the meat of the album; the varying styles come together well and keep the songs from becoming stale.
"Down In Flames" takes off then immediately breaks into a tasty groove. It’s simple, but the production and sampling choices there may be some of my personal favorites on this album. "Grups" is a chill, slow burn with a worthy payoff. It’s engaging without doing too much; full of weight without being too heavy. Finally, "The Mymble’s Daughter", is an excellent track, and a perfect choice to close this one out.
Altogether, ODDfellows is lively, dynamic, and has great replay value. This album is reminiscent of Information Society's storied synthpop roots, but highlights their continued evolution. At the same time, it is incomparable to their past work and stands entirely its own. Whether you love electronic music or you just love a good vibe, do not sleep on this album. It's definitely one that will race up the charts on August 6th!
Be well and keep rocking! Hunnypot Approved! Overall Rating: 8.6 out of 10
Artist: Information Society Album: ODDfellows, Release Date: August 6th, 2021
If you’ve been roaming the dancehall desert searching for the next wave of underground sonic planeteers, look no further than Sean the Star Emperor. Sean the Star brings his voguing, Minogueing bounce in his new single, sending Earth a message of contentment in “Paradise”. Best enjoyed under bright beams, “Paradise” is a light and hip-poppy earworm perfect for a kiki, a party, a drive and pretty much any situation that could stand for an extra dose of sunshine.
Sean and his popsicle hued go-go skaters bring to life the music video that epitomises the song’s imaginative, escapist theme. Exasperated by the blandness of this mortal world, Sean flounces onto the street and syncopates his frustration to unveil a colorful, splashy good time right outside the house. Gliding through this new dimension, collecting friends and good vibrations in a single long-take vacation.
“Paradise” is a composite of imagination and reality, of expectations and exploration. Life confined to your immediate surroundings can be a bummer, but Sean the Star Emperor puts it best, “Fun is what we make of the conditions: ‘Any way you like, wake up to Paradise…’” When you work with what you have, it’s all bliss, sis.
-Robyn Dee
HUNNYPOT's been live streaming our events and gatherings for over 16 years, truly one of the 1st to ever take advantage and incorporate streaming technology. We started back in 2005 using a pirated server out of the UK, since then we've spent time and experimented with StageIt, YouStream, Facebook Live and Twitch. That said, I've seen the future of live streaming, It's a brand new concert streaming app called MOSHPIT...
Los Angeles based music-entertainment company MOSHPIT reveals a glimpse of it’s innovative virtual-concert solution on June 6th, 2021 at 6pm PST featuring Los Angeles based Producer-Artist “NK RIOT”.
Moshpit’s Co-Founder Darryl Swann, a Grammy award winning Record Producer and long time Hunnypot fan, along with Co-Founder CTO Ans Shabbir are driven to further define what a virtual concert. Pushing the envelope by developing custom technology ranging from huge crowd counts, to simplified performance-capture solutions and novel show-curation methods.
This initial NK-Riot show marks the jumpoff of Moshpit’s rollout. Tons of new surprises will be revealed in upcoming Moshpit concerts. Moshpit welcomes artists globally to connect for potential collaborations to further evolve what a virtual concert should look and feel like. Lezgo.
Here's to the future!
-John Anderson
Yelawolf has always been one of hip hop’s biggest innovators and it’s one of the reasons he’s amassed such a huge cult following. Throughout his career, this heavily-tattooed white boy from Gadsden, Alabama leaned into his upbringing and unique set of life experiences, never shying away from who he truly was. In a scene plagued with cookie cutter clones, Yelawolf’s music is a direct representation of where he came from, both geographically and figuratively. More than a decade later, he’s still here and thriving. With his recent release, Mud Mouth, he’s pushing the limits once again with an amazing concoction of gritty raps and softly sung melodic choruses. Jim Jonsin, who we know from his work on TI’s “Whatever You Like” and Lil Wayne’s “Lollipop,” joins Yelawolf on this journey as executive producer. It’s interesting to note that the two actually kicked off recording this album in early 2020 in Nashville during the height of COVID-19 lockdown. Let’s jump into a few of my favorite points from this project.
The first stand out moment on Mud Mouth was the song, “Bounce.” Sounding like something you’d hear in the background of 1990’s west coast hip hop movie, Jim Jonsin gives us a thumping bassline with g-funk undertones. Dialing into the same theme, Yelawolf nails the song with a super catchy hook, “Billy for that motherfuckin’ bounce, bounce”. He sets an upbeat tone on this song as he navigates Jonsin’s layered instrumental with rapidly changing lyrical tempos – accelerating from 10 mph to 100 mph, decelerating back to 50 mph, then finally coasting back into the high energy hook.
On a noticeably darker vibe, Yelawolf takes it right back to the Trunk Muzik days on, “Conoco.” It’s sinister synths and deep rolling baselines compliment a menacing Yelawolf as he raps, “Never seen a white boy around this block // But it’s work, work, work, 360 ‘round the clock // So I pulled the box in and I let the trunk pop”. Jonsin really takes this beat home with eerily subtle samples bound together with the occasional heavy guitar-ish sounding riff. To top it off, the hook features a vocal tandem of both Yelawolf and a second creepy distorted voice you’re likely to hear on an episode of Drugs Inc. I’m not sure if it’s Yelawolf himself behind the voice or if it’s Jim Jonsin’s sample genius, but either way, for those of you who can’t stomach “new” and “pop-py” music, this one's for you.
On top of developing his vocal set – from hitting higher/lower notes when singing, or widening his tempo variance when rapping, Yelawolf has also really developed his song structure over the years. The song, “Aquanet”, really drives the point home. It’s such a well composed track from front to back: layered with littered adlibs, well crafted verses, and strategically arranged pre-choruses and choruses in a way that the whole track resembles different chapters cohesively positioned in a well thought out book. This is easily my favorite song on the album.
All in all, Mud Mouth is an intoxicating formula of hard beats, soft melodies, fast raps, and genre defying undertones. Both Yelawolf and Jim Jonson reeled in this massive catfish out of the depths. It’s new music, but not in the sense that’s it’s popular and trendy. It’s new music, as in its ever evolving, ever boundary pushing, and literally has Yelawolf marching to the beat of his own drum. Next time you’re cruising around in that Chevy, crank up the bass and give this one a spin. It's 100% fire on a multitude of levels.
PS – On April 30th, 2021, Yelawolf tweeted that he plans on releasing an accompanying movie, Mud Mouth, this summer. Peep the trailer below.
Be well and keep rocking! Hunnypot Approved! Overall Rating: 9.1 out of 10
Artist: Yelawolf, Album: Mud Mouth, Release Date: April 30th, 2021, Label: Slumerican Records
Don't sleep on the recently released cover of the Steve Miller Band's 1982 classic, "Abracadabra"! If you were a fan of the original, then this one will immediately transport you back in time and place where all that mattered was the music. Rock and Roll legends Arnel Pineda (Journey), Billy Sheehan (Mr. Big), and Joel Hoekstra (Whitesnake) pull out all the stops for what turned out to be an instant classic. As one would expect, Pineda's vocal's are flawless, Sheehan's signature bass is chunky as ever, and Hoekstra's mastery of the axe is on full display throughout the song. Add in drummer Van Romaine, Keyboardist Ollie Marland, and percussionist Lenny Castro and this Steve Miller classic is catapulted to a whole new level. I know it's only one song, but a boy can dream of some type of supergroup forming as a result of what is clearly a winning combination of serious musical genius. Give it a spin and lets us know what ya think!
- Matthew Belter
With pandemic tension still on the rise and escalating vandalism continuing to plague Downtown Portland, live music is no longer something we just take for granted. It is an absolute necessity to keeping sane in this bizarre dystopic multi-verse. But through this cataclysmic lens there is still a light that continues to shine brightly.
Hailing from the island of Oahu, Ron Artis II has been making waves that have been reaching far beyond those Hawaiian shores. As one of 11 talented siblings raised in a supportive musical household surrounded by love & creativity, it was only a matter of time that he’d cross the ocean and into hearts across the nation. With Portland’s Jack London Revue reopening with limited capacity, Ron Artis II & the Truth quickly sold out the venue and due to audience demand, scheduled 4 more shows throughout the week as well.
It feels as if a lifetime has past since I last walked down that dimly lit staircase and into that underground temple of music. A month of anticipation boiled down to this one climatic moment. The few tables that were spaced throughout the venue floor created a certain exclusivity that would be our welcome back into the world. The first notes that cried out from Ron’s 6-strings gave rise to a raw energy that would only be equaled by the soulful voice that accompanied it. At his left, Ernie Ecraela, smiling ear-to-ear, closed his eyes and let his bass speak for him while drummer, Jarod Manis brought the audience into a rhythmic trance.
The band focused on a selection of songs off of their latest album, Soul Street. And before breaking into an impassioned rendition of “Searching for Answers”, Ron asked the crowd to search deep within themselves and find the light within. This theme of positivity flowed from song to song and rose like the tide at noon slowly reclaiming a sandy shore. The band continued to turn up the heat with a breathtaking performance of “The Truth” with each of the trio showcasing their individual mastery of their instruments as well as their unspoken, kinetic bond through the rhythm.
Their emotional performance of the ballad, “Photograph of Love” from his album, Julia, brought the audience to tears as Ron emphasized the love for his wife and that true strength is having the ability to express your feelings to the one you love without question. Before performing their latest single, “This is America”, Ron announced a young guitar prodigy by the name of TJ Edwards would be joining them on stage and who, after witnessing his virtuosity, there was no question. They continued into the upbeat “Walk That Walk” and after a blistering solo and a laugh, Ron announcing to the crowd, “If you’re not breaking stuff you’re not having a good time!”
Ron Artis II & the Truth’s music is born with unquestionable faith and fueled by the Aloha spirit. Through the bright times and the struggles, their lesson is clear: “If you want to make a difference, you have to live it.” So be a little light in the world. Be safe, stay positive and catch these incredible musicians the next time they’re passing through a town near you.
It can take some people a lifetime to learn how to spot the fakers, but at only sixteen Mila Smith has turned her bad friend blues into a banger. “Liars & Fakes”, the debut single from the South African songstress, is a soulful bop descended from disco edits of yore, complete with roller skates. The irresistible chorus is bound for your mind on the first spin and the lyrics are as relatable as they are quotable.
The music video opens with Mila at the service window of a roller diner preparing to serve superficial scenesters. Fed up by the first frame, her angsty eyeroll signaling she is already over feigning forced pleasantries. After a particularly snooty encounter with a dissatisfied customer the crew gets the signal to roll out of the restaurant and onto the town, breaking free from the expectations of people you just don’t need to please.
Everything about this debut is fun and funky fresh. It's a glittery, crowd pleasing song that lends itself to the modern Tik-Tok choreo sphere while maintaining that classic 70’s dance anthem nostalgia. The music world has much to look forward to with Mila Smith. Hangers-on won’t be holding her back, she’s riding high for the sky and rolling free.
- Robyn Dee