Cover Art By: @kenrickac
Ending 2016 on a good note, Broward County artist RZG returns with his latest single, “$$$.” You can expect a new project entitled Blowin’ Up Fast coming soon for 2017. To hear more from RZG , you can check out his Soundcloud here .
Here at CITRUSRAP.COM, we give you guys the goods on who is hot & who is popping. To make it more enlightening for you, we introduce to you our series: “GemTalk”. We will be interviewing some of the loveliest women in Florida making major moves and blessing us with their work. “GemTalk” is all about creating a platform where women can speak about their true passions and what they do for our culture. Up next, is Koi who is constantly blessing us with her angelic voice & captivating visual. Read below how Koi & I talked about her latest visual “Jaffa Remix” & the story behind her first EP “Digging You”.
Who is Koi?
I am just a girl who loves to sing, loves to create, and loves to eat.
In the music world, who do you look up to?
I have so many inspirations I could probably write an essay about it. To narrow it down, Solange, Little Dragon, MF DOOM, Chaka Khan, King of Leon, and Kelela are definitely my top inspirations. They are so creative, innovative, and are in their own lanes. I want to create my own lane just as they do.
Who would you want to collaborate with?
Another question I could write an essay on. The artist I have mentioned in the interview so far to be honest and so much more I really can go on and on. But some people I haven’t mentioned I would want to are Rihanna, Jai Paul, Sampha, SBTRKT, Jessie Ware, Quadron, Ben Khan, BC Kingdom and The Internet just to name a select few.
During the time & process of creating, did you feel like you had to reinvent yourself as an artist so people can actually know who Koi is?
I wrote T4U and I wanted to know what it would sound like outside of my head. After dropping T4U, I did feel like I needed to invent myself over and construct some persona that would become “KOI” until I realized I am KOI… day to day and there is no right way of presenting myself to the world.
Which album or artist are you currently listening to right now?
Currently I have been bumping the new Solange, Grimes and Anita Baker’s greatest hits. Most of the time, I just listen to instrumentals that I possibly want to turn into songs.
Tell me the story behind your first EP Diggin You.
“Digging You” came about only because There 4 U came into existence. A close friend of mine actually introduce me to this producer/DJ mixer Soundcloud named Kokobo and he had a mix on there I loved. T4U beat was something I just listened to freely until one day I just started singing to it because I had a crush and the beat inspired me. After I dropped T4U my friends kept asking when would I drop more music so as I came across beats I liked I put together an EP (except for Unwind). I originally sang it to the instrumental for Lupe Fiasco’s “Streets on Fire” but the producer & I flipped it.
From watching your newest visual “Jaffa Remix” I can already see that you’re coming out this year as a more seductive, carefree Koi, do you feel like there’s a difference between when you first came out to now?
Many of the artists out right now are getting their shine & usually they have a brand. They are constantly posting pictures daily & advertising their brand. Putting themselves out there and getting their following count up to par. When I first got into this, I never established a brand, an aesthetic. Overall, I am eclectic. Trying to establish that has been a little struggle. For this video being seductive and carefree is just how it came to be. The song is sexy so it happened naturally.
I know everybody can agree when I say that your song writing skills are remarkable. Explain how do you get in the zone while you are in the process of curating some new work?
Thank You! Sometimes words or melodies come to me so I open up the voice recorder or memo apps on my phone and just let it all go. However, most of the time I write in my room or in my car. I will listen to a beat on repeat for hours on end until I finally vibe with it (only if I have to). Once I am ready, I will start singing words sometimes it is just mumbling and humming but I joint down what I hear. Sing it back. Replay the part repeatedly, flowing like that until I am done.
Name your top 5 albums.
That is such a hard question for me. I could easily say Little Dragon’s discography or MF DOOM’s. I do not know how to narrow it down but I will just name some albums that I bumped during changes in my life growing up. Lets go with Lupe Fiasco’s The Cool, Jay-Z ’s American Gangster, and Little Dragon’s self titled album Little Dragon, Amy Winehouse Frank (R.I.P one of the best to ever do it), and Radiohead King of the limb. There are so much more seriously, I could go on and on there are not just five.
Any expectations for your upcoming project this year?
Well my goal is to drop a 10-track project very soon if all goes swimmingly. I explored with my vocal in the lower registers a bit more and sonically my sound is like no other around these parts. When the new music drops, I want people to be, as I do not know what this is but I love it.
Where do you see yourself in 3 years?
In three years I see myself finishing school and to take off with my music. In addition, I hope that I am on a dope tour soon. (fingers crossed)
What philosophy or motto do you live by day to day ?
“The lion does not turn around when a small dog barks.” This use to be my little MySpace quote back in the day. When you are a strong lion, you do not let little things bother you. Just be above the bullshit.
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Credits:
By: @HighTaty
Editing: Michelle Aguirre (@amisheru) & Zoey Lawrence (@wheresfrankocean)
Enhanced education and learning within this country is immediately becoming a need with the organization team rather then an extravagance. On the previous the individuals who had a secondary university coaching still had the chance to manufacture a superior earth for on their own and their families. These times are rather quickly turning into an extra dieing coal from the previous. About the off probability you want to have substantial acquiring potential amid your lifetime you are 100 % limited by your studying probable also, the level of instruction you could have gotten.
DIRECTED/EDITED BY: Michelle Aguirre (@amisheru) & Jasmine Sabad (sabadvisuals)
Upcoming South Florida artist Koi treats us with her newest visual “Jaffa (Remix).” In the holiday spirit, we see Koi taking a more seductive role. The directors give viewers a more mysterious look at Koi; enticing us with her silhouette, capturing our attention. More than the sensual visions, her haunting lyrics lures you in more. With this hypnotizing song and visual to match, we are anxious to see what other tricks she has up her sleeve. Make sure to be on the lookout for Koi’s feature on GemTalk this week, but in the meantime watch “Jaffa” above.
Upcoming South Florida producer M3 is making his first debut on CitrusRap.com by treating us to his latest visual “Mirage”. Mirage gives his audience a nostalgic sensation as the visual gives them a more psychedelic side. M3 used a clip from the 2009 film “Enter The Void” which brings light to Mirage. As a diligent producer, M3 has released 15 singles in a range of two months. After sitting down and getting to know the depths of his character, M3 lets us know where his inspiration came from when making mirage and choosing the visual;
“The inspiration for Mirage came from a personal journey of getting out the dark, to reach the light. After going through a brief psychosis & countless hours of crate diggin, I stumbled upon something that just clicked artistically. Individuality being a staple for me, I can be very meticulous about my drums and even my sample choice but naturally I let everything flow while making a beat.”
His upcoming EP ‘III’ will be releasing sometime in 2017 but in the meantime listen to what he has to offer in his latest visual “Mirage”.
DIRECTED BY: Cloud KickAPiff
PRODUCED BY: Yung Jesus & Noe Facts
LATEST PROJECT: LuLu (LISTEN)
With his latest project LuLu currently making waves through Soundcloud, Crown Bearer Records artist Bankskee decided to treat us with his latest visual “Day One”. Coming straight from Queens, the Dominican rapper takes us on a stroll through his hometown while spitting bars over the banger production of Yung Jesus & Noe Facts. Also, make sure to vibe out to Bankskee’s newest collaboration project (Crown Bearers x Sour Posse) “La Playa” which dropped this week. Check out the CloudKickaPiff directed visual above & let us know what you think.
Here at CITRUSRAP.COM, we give you guys the goods on who’s hot & who’s popping. To make it more enlightening for you, we introduce to you our new series: “GemTalk”. We will be interviewing some of the loveliest women in Florida making major moves and blessing us with their work. “GemTalk” is all about creating a platform where women can speak about their true passions and what they do for our culture. Up next, is Sel6 who is providing some serious juice whenever she’s spinning on the 1s & 2s. Read below how Sel & I talked about her creative process, what we can expect on her new project Evr Aftr & many more.
Who exactly is Sel 6?
Sel 6 is a devotion, not only to a specific person, but to a special cause as well. To put it more simply, Sel 6 is a person I created in honor of my mother. She passed away when I was 15, and ever since then I’ve made it a point to do something great in this life to make her proud. Growing up it was always just me and her. I never really had any other family but her, so she was my main support system. She’s always had a very strong influence on me and my choices, and especially on my taste in music. She always supported my ambitions to pursue music, even when I was so young and didn’t really know exactly what I wanted to do. There was a point in time where she was in and out of jail a lot, and we use to write letters to each other all the time, which is where I get the reasoning behind my name.
“Sel” is from my middle name, which is Selena (she always called me “Sel” as a nickname), and the 6 represents the actual cell number where my mother was kept during her last stay in jail. So to answer your question, Sel 6 is someone who took a bad situation and turned it into fuel for success. It took 5 years for me to come to this conclusion, which came with a lot of struggles and bad choices, but deep down I always knew I would be the one to break the chain, and I will continue to be great, not only for her, but for myself.
What made you start creating?
I’ve always had a special love for music. Going as far back as middle school, when I discovered YouTube and LimeWire, it was a wrap! I used to spend hours researching all kinds of music, and then I would burn cds for myself all the time and walk around with my portable cd player everywhere. Eventually, all my friends would ask me to make mixtapes for them, so I guess u can say that’s when I officially started curating vibes. Fast forward years later when I got my first laptop, I found out about virtual DJ. That’s when I really started mixing, so probably around 3 years now. It started as just a hobby, so I would make really long mixes of all my favorite songs just for myself. Now when it comes to producing, I’m still fairly new to it. I’ve only been producing original stuff for about a year now. My companion in life is actually the one who really inspired me to start producing and creating my own sounds. We started making music around the same time. He is a big reason I’m in the position that I am now, because he really pushed me to pursue music on a professional level and helped me to see that I can really do whatever I put my mind to. He’s my biggest inspiration in a lot of ways. Big s/o to the love of my life, Anthony aka Gnoli.
If you could work with anyone locally, celebrity, deceased?
Locally, I feel like I’ve already had a chance to work with some of my favorite artists down here AKA my friends (YXXXNZ, Bear, Grabba Ranks, Trbld Boy, and of course Gnoli + so many more). One artist I would love to work with is Angel Diary (formerly known as Little Cloud). She’s not on a celebrity status at all but that’s the only semi-famous artist I could think of that I would really want to work with. I think shes a genius. I’ve never heard anything like her music.
What made you fall in love with music?
The feeling that comes from it is unlike anything else. I feel like I’ve always had a really strong bond with music. I remember being so young and already being heavily affected by certain sounds. Music always made me really emotional. I’ve always been amazed by how sounds can come together and create all kinds of atmospheres, good and bad. Music is really spiritual for me.
Before you create a mix for an event, what type vibe do you usually look for?
One thing I want to clear up, is that when I do these events, none of my mixes are pre-recorded. I feel like that takes a lot away from the art of DJing. Everything I do is live, and on the spot. Pre-planning stifles the process for me and when I’m looking for the vibe, I’m more so looking within myself. 90% of the time I play what I want to hear. I usually pick my first song of the set about 5 minutes before I go on, and just go from there. I like to be surprised along with the crowd.
What single night been the most memorable for you as a DJ?
It’s hard to say because I’ve been a part of so many different great events, but I would say the most memorable night DJing so far definitely had to be the night I DJ’d Conceptual. Big s/o to Kangie, and all the rest involved for having me on that event. That night was just really incredible. The energy in that place was so amazing, and that was a very special moment for young female artists, for sure. I’m glad I had the chance to be a part of such a positive event, and connect with so many beautiful people.
Top 5 favorite albums
Very hard question for me! But first 5 that come to mind…
5) “Around The Fur” -Deftones
4) “In Rainbows” -Radiohead
3) “Three Sided Tape (Vol. 1 & 2)” -Lil Ugly Mane
2) “1999” -Prince
1) “Jealous Girlfriend” -Little Cloud
If you could be eternally stuck in one year’s music scene, which year would it be and why?
1983 for sure. My favorite kind of music of all time is 70s/80s RnB and dance music. I like New Wave a lot to. I would of loved to be a DJ during a time where people went out to actually dance and have a good time, instead of standing around smoking and staring at each other. The music that came out of that era just feels so good. Whenever I’m feeling down or just want to take a break from today’s music, I always go back to my oldies. I love to incorporate that kind of music in my sets because it really sets a different mood. It’s hard not to enjoy that kind of music.
What festival(s) do you see yourself spinning at in the near future?
There’s really no specific festival line up that I desire to be on at this time, except III Points. However, one thing I will accomplish at some point in my career is doing a set for Boiler Room.
Where do you see yourself 5 years from now?
I definitely will not be in South Florida that for sure! I plan on traveling for the rest of my life, so who knows where I’ll end up. I really just want to see as many places as I can and meet all kinds of people. I have no desire for wealth or fame. All I want out of life is health, happiness, to be able to travel whenever I please, and to play and make music wherever I go. I’m actually going to be dropping one more project, then I’m taking a break from the scene for maybe like a year, so I can work on me and get a deeper understanding of myself and what I actually plan to do with my music. I feel like it’s definitely needed right now, and it’s the only way I can make music into a career and maintain it. I have quite a journey ahead.
Tell us about your upcoming project.
The name of the project is “Evr Aftr” and it’s going to be my 3rd originally produced, instrumental EP. I like to tell stories with my sounds. I do something very different than what most people do musically down here in South Florida, which is why I’ve found it to be a little harder gaining recognition for my production. My music is more on the eclectic/experimental side, totally different vibes from what I usually provide when DJing. My music is very personal to me, and I refuse to create anything that doesn’t make ME happy, first and foremost. Evr Aftr is a special thing between my partner and I. This project not only symbolizes the never ending love I’ll always have for music and what it does for me, but for him. He has been more than just my boyfriend. He’s my best friend, mentor, and so much more. Like I said earlier, I wouldn’t be where I am right now if it wasn’t for him. He’s featured all throughout the project on a couple different songs as well.
Any advice to DJs who want to be heard:
My advice to any DJ who is trying to be heard, is to stay original and stick to your guns. YOU set the vibe, YOU control the atmosphere. Play the kind of music YOU want to play. When you stop caring about what others think, you will see how rewarding it is. Don’t ever let the scene control you. It can be intimidating sometimes, but if you have faith in yourself and set your own vibe, the rest will follow! I’ve realized that I always enjoy myself more when I play music that I want to play, instead of the typical hype, trap shit that everybody wants to hear all the time. If you really want to be heard, just be you. You will stand out, I promise.
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Credits:
By: @HighTaty
Photographer & Editing: Ashley Richardson (@cameocamero)
