The cover of Stuntarious, Vol. 5, the fifth compilation from the Unapologetic crew, and their first post-Covid entry in the Stuntarious series, puts the emphasis on the word “stunt,” and it foretells the moments of production wizardry and vocal daring within. Yet the greatest stunt may be how this fiercely indie label/artist collective/media workshop/garment factory/studio has ultimately produced what may be the playlist of the summer.
Your typical summer playlist for joyriding around town or taking a road trip getaway would be full of hits that stream in the millions. But there’s a reason that this year’s collective Unapologetic album starts with a skit’s opening words, “I’m at the radio station”: The whole thing plays out like a broadcast from some dreamland antenna in, well, “Outerspace” — which just happens to be the group’s home base and studio. Most importantly, that means the flow of skits and sounds rolls out hooks, hip-hop, and harmony in constant waves, flavors changing, big beats dropping, and melodies soaring in just the way a blasting summer radio broadcast should. It’s a parallel universe playlist.
In this universe, the summer hit, which should be booming out of passing cars right and left, would be “Say Hello,” an irresistible jam by Sequoia Gray and Eillo (produced by Kid Maestro) blending rapid-fire rap and captivating vocal lines to tell a meet-cute tale from two perspectives. As with almost every track here, the singing is half the draw. For while these artists are all steeped in hip-hop, they blend it with a melodicism and harmonious funk that’s all soul.
Sure, there are many moments here where the rappers come hard with onslaughts of verbal daggers, including the first musical number, “FWII,” the initials referring to the very non-melodic chorus/chant, “I don’t give a f*ck what it is!” in a tale of friendship gone wack. Featuring PreauXX, AWFM, IMAKEMADBEATS, C MaJor, Kid Maestro, and Nae9ne, it’s an all-star shot across the bow that doesn’t play nice yet somehow avoids all the cliches of thug life that permeate most major label trap.
Speaking of catchy chants and major labels, you might think “Expresso,” the collaboration between C MaJor, Project Pat, Spookyli, and AWFM, would be the hardest-hitting rap here, but it’s a disarmingly restrained, nay, contemplative track, albeit backed by slamming beats.
What comes through all the tracks, including the one featuring Project Pat, is a willingness and even striving to represent the whole of human experience, from flirting to fighting, from the crib to the street.
That’s partly expressed by the intriguing moods and atmospheres set by the various Unapologetic producers here, evoking alien cityscapes and eerie half-lit alleyways at every turn, yet which can erupt into radical beauty and inspired chord flourishes.
That’s especially true of the more melodic tracks here, of course, and that’s where the talents of guitarist and singer Aaron James also shine. “A Million Needles” kicks off with a strong rap by R.U.D.Y. before James joins in with the very singable chorus. “Say Hello” keeps things rolling on the melody and harmony tip, as does rheannan’s “I Know,” complete with a contemplative rap worthy of Digable Planets. And then Cameron Bethany kicks those qualities up a notch with “Magic Wand,” which shimmers with jazz flavors, as intricate vocals (and background vocals) weave among each other in dazzling display. When you hear him sing, “Turn the lights off,” you’ll swear this is hit radio from … somewhere. And then AWFM adds to it with his usual rugged humor, even as the platinum harmonies continue their weave.
The melodic string continues with Jai Musiq’s “Nowadays,” another bid to represent the full spectrum of human experience. “Nowadays I’ve been trying to figure out how I can spend the rest of life just writing songs,” go the lyrics, as if speaking for the entire collective and the art it lives for. It’s clear that sentiment is shared when the quietest moment of all arrives, with James, Nubia Yasin, and Rachel Maxann trading verses in classic folk ballad style, albeit with a bit of that inimitable Unapologetic humor thrown into the solo.
There are a lot of trademark Unapologetic moves here, as these artists have jointly mined certain themes and sounds repeatedly over the years, exploring “where vulnerability becomes art,” as their masthead proclaims. It’s wrapped up neatly in the closing banger, “Unfortunate,” by LJ1S and Tangela, whose voices ring out strong and proud like, yes, another hit on that parallel universe radio. And since I’ve repeatedly claimed the album works for that purpose, I recommend that you take it out for a spin and see for yourself. Roll down the window and let the wind blow back your hair, play this, and you’ll find the sound of Memphis — all of it — in the summer.
On Saturday, June 14th, at 6:30 p.m., AWFM and PreauXX return to the stage in the alley outside of Java Cabana, teaming up with Unapologetic producers Kid Maestro and C MaJor, and joined by General Labor, Big Clown, and Uncle See’J.
Unapologetic artist A Weirdo From Memphis is hitting the road this summer with label mates PreauXX, Kid Maestro, and CMajor. They’ll be appearing at Offbeat in Jackson, Mississippi on June 15, at the California Clipper in Chicago on June 22, at Seasick Records in Birmingham, Alabama on June 28, at the Platypus in St. Louis on July 13, and then two nights in NYC at Heaven Can Wait on July 27 and the Bed-Stuy Art House on the 28th.
AWFM’s got a new single and music video to wow the crowds. “Hysteria” is a horrorcore-style grinder which features a guest verse from prolific New Yorker RXK Nephew. “Its an unexpected blending of universes between two unhinged artist that both value being themselves over more traditional approaches,” says AWFM.
For the video, AWFM and crew traveled to Los Angeles to work with filmmaker filo5ofi, with whom the rapper had collaborated early in his career. Instead of some some California sun-and-fun street footage for the video, AWFM says “it was filmed in an L.A. hotel in the middle of one of the most unprecedented rain storms in 20 years.”
Stay dry, stay fly, and take a look:
If you would like to see your music video featured on Music Video Monday, email cmccoy@memphisflyer.com.
There’s plenty of summer and animal fun to be had at the Memphis Zoo. (Photo: Courtesy Memphis Zoo)
It sure feels like summer! The hot, humid days have moved in with full force, but that doesn’t scare us. Yet as we all sit inside next to our struggling AC units, it’s easy to forget all the cool things going on in Memphis. The city attracted more than 11 million visitors last year, and for good reason: Memphis is a place people want to see. So get outside and re-familiarize yourself with all the great places and people that make Bluff City unique. Whether it’s restaurants, museums, or a night out on the town, there are plenty of reasons why here at home remains a great option for remaining summer plans.
Free Art and Museums
A staycation saves money, right? Save even more with these free attractions.
• The Dixon Gallery & Gardens is free through the end of 2024 with 2,000 objects in its collection and a glorious spread of botanic brilliance.
• The Memphis Brooks Museum of Art is free Saturdays from 10 a.m. to noon, and also for family-oriented Community Day events.
• The National Civil Rights Museum is free for Tennessee residents with state-issued ID Mondays from 3 p.m. until closing.
• The Stax Museum of American Soul Music is free for kids 6 and under. Shelby County residents with ID get in free on Tuesdays from 1 to 5 p.m. And it’s free for everyone from 1 to 5 p.m. on Family Day, the second Saturday of each month.
The Memphis Zoo (Photo: Courtesy Memphis Zoo)
• The Memphis Zoo is free for wee ones under 2 years old. Tennessee residents get in free on Tuesdays from 2 p.m. to close.
• Access to the Metal Museum grounds, including its sculpture garden and gift shop, is always free.
• Walking and driving tours of Elmwood Cemetery are free, and it’s pretty quiet as well.
As always, you should check with the venues first before you go. And as you visit these places, you might be tempted to buy a membership. Go ahead. Find the level that works for you and enjoy it year-round. — Jon W. Sparks
Hit the Town
A night at home curled up under a blanket to watch a movie or read a book is probably my ideal night. In fact, I’d say it’s so ideal that I do that practically every night, but, apparently, it’s good to shake things up a little every now and then. So this homebody did just that and dragged herself out of bed for a night out on the town. Sure, it was for a writing assignment, but I got out of the bed and that’s a start.
With a friend in tow, the night started at Bardog Tavern for dinner and drinks. I ordered something with rum that our server recommended — couldn’t really tell you what else was in it because I heard the word “rum” and that was enough for me. Turns out the name of the drink is James’ Cock, and I sucked it down like a Coca-Cola, so do with that what you will.
After that we headed to Blind Bear, a speakeasy I’d never heard about before, mostly because I rarely leave the house after 7 p.m. Then it was time for the Flying Saucer and, like, Beale and stuff. (I had a bit to drink at this point.) I think we headed to Paula & Raiford’s Disco after, waited in line for about 10 minutes, and then gave up and ordered a Lyft. But, yeah, it was nice to shake things up a bit for a bit of a “staycation,” but the best part was being able to fall asleep in my own bed. — Abigail Morici
Be a Tourist For a Day
More than 11 million people came to Memphis on vacation — on vacation! — last year. That’s roughly the population of Belgium. Why?! The crime! The heat! The potholes!
Daily Memphians might miss the mystique of the city’s cultural treasure trove that draws all those tourists each year. The Pyramid’s funny. Barbecue is routine. Beale is for tourists. Don’t get us started on Graceland.
But if you’re staycating this year, try (at least) vacating your house or your neighborhood. Go find out what makes Memphis a destination. Go reconnect with that everyday magic. Do it all while staying within your staycation budget, too.
Here’s a brief list of classic (and free!) tourist spots to hit for your Memphis staycation:
• Graceland — Brag that you’ve never been? Go. See what you think. Free walk-up admission to the Meditation Garden daily.
• Beale Street — Go for the people-watching. Stay for the music and a Big Ass Beer. Are your feet 10 feet off?
• Big River Crossing — A one-of-a-kind walk with Insta-worthy views of the river and the city. Free daily.
• Bass Pro Shops at the Pyramid — Fish pond, gator pit, and massive aquarium? Check. The place is a tourist magnet for a reason. Free daily. — Toby Sells
Be a Homebody
Staycate means staycate. No need to go figuring out car trips to some semi-distant place or to rush out to some favorite or fetchingly rumored juke joint in the evenings just because you’ve got some spare time.
Stay home. Sleep late. Alternatively, get up early in the morning when it’s still cool enough and take long walks on your property or in your neighborhood.
Give yourself at least one good substantial grocery visit. Then put it to use. Cook something new, for yourself or guests. And back in that fridge somewhere is an item you bought backaways with some purpose in mind you haven’t got to yet. Do it now before the food goes bad.
Fix up that spare room you’ve been using as a warehouse space. Change those worn-out bulbs. Take care of those overlooked potted plants. They’re thirstier than you are!
Homebody starter kit (Photo: Jackson Baker)
You bought those books. Now read them. Ditto with those magazines that are lying around. Forget about social media for a while. If you’ve got to turn on the computer, then use it to catch up on news you missed.
Look at yourself in the mirror and take inventory. I don’t need to tell you that you’ll see something that needs changing. Change it. Or at least start the process.
For a little while, everything is in your hands. Enjoy the fact. — Jackson Baker
The Memphis International Restaurant Tour
Eating out at a great restaurant is my favorite thing to do on a vacation.
Eating out at a great restaurant is also my favorite thing to do on a staycation.
You can experience other countries by staying home and visiting Memphis restaurants that specialize in various types of food from across the globe. Sort of “Around the World in 901 Days.” Maybe choose cuisine from a particular country each day of your staycation. Some places serve lunch, which usually is cheaper. And if you don’t know what to order at these places, ask your servers what they’d recommend. Here are some restaurant ideas:
Taking a trip around town to try exotic food is less expensive than airfare to exotic places. Not to mention lodging. You can go home to your own bed. And you don’t have to worry about passports. — Michael Donahue
A Night at the Shell
There are a lot of places to see live music in Memphis: the Beale Street club packed with tourists, the Orpheum Theatre’s Gilded Age grandeur, the Green Room’s intimate sounds. But the best place in Memphis for a night of music is the Overton Park Shell.
Built in 1936 as a Works Progress Administration project designed to help workers during the Great Depression, it is one of a handful of band shells from that era still standing.
PreauXX at the Shell (Photo: Chris McCoy)
I was recently reminded of how lucky we are to have a place like the Shell when I saw PreauXX play there on July 1st. It was one of the super hot days we’ve been having this year, so I was expecting to be uncomfortable, at least until well after the sun had set. But the towering trees of Overton Park provided enough shade that a steady breeze made it quite pleasant, especially after a couple of days spent indoors hiding from the heat. We found a spot near the front of the stage and set up our camp chairs next to a young mom corralling her toddler.
My wife LJ stayed with the chairs as I checked out the food trucks, which were parked next to the new, greatly improved bar facilities.
We were chowing down on some barbecue tacos when PreauXX hit the stage, backed by his friends from the Unapologetic crew. The young mother was joined by her partner, and, after ignoring the music in favor of rolling on the lawn, the toddler threw his energy into dancing. (Really, it was more of a body-wide twitch, but he was trying his best.) When AWFM joined in for “Slide,” folks were streaming down the hill to do the title dance. This stage has hosted everyone from Elvis to Seun Kuti and Egypt 80, but for this night, PreauXX was the king. — Chris McCoy
Drag Shows at the Atomic Rose
Thanks to the phenomenon known as RuPaul’s Drag Race, we’re able to appreciate the art of drag without leaving our homes. And while watching hours of Snatch Game makes for the perfect staycation activity, so does supporting your local drag performers and artists.
Voted as the number-one best drag bar in the South by Time Out, Atomic Rose is the top destination for your staycation entertainment fix. The club recently went viral, at the height of Tennessee’s anti-drag controversy, when local drag queen and activist Bella DuBalle informed the audience of the severity of the bill and what it meant for the drag community. But the clip that circulated around TikTok only gave viewers a tidbit of the magic the nightclub possesses.
Drag at the Atomic Rose (Photo: Drew Parker)
DuBalle is known as Slade Kyle outside of drag and says one of the things that makes the club so special is that it is a true melting pot, inclusive in multiple ways encompassing all genders, races, and sexuality. This diversity is showcased in one of their most iconic events known as the “War Of The Roses,” which Kyle describes as an eight-week drag competition, featuring a large and diverse pool of performers.
And if you happen to swing by after War season, the club also offers Friday and Saturday shows, as well as a drag brunch on Sunday. Friday and Saturday shows start at 10:30 p.m., and Sunday brunch service starts at 11 a.m., with the show starting at 12:30 p.m. — Kailynn Johnson
SPORTS!
We can never get enough Grizz action at the FedExForum. But they’re out of season (unless you’ve made the pilgrimage to the Las Vegas Summer League to watch Kenny Lofton Jr. hoop). Luckily, there’s another pleasant Downtown destination to get your fix of ’ball. AutoZone Park is home to the Redbirds and 901 FC, but it’s sometimes apparent that Memphians take the stadium for granted, evidenced by the quite noticeable number of empty seats during baseball and soccer games. It’s still hot outside, but an afternoon or night out at the ballpark is an excellent way to shake up a routine and try out a new experience in town.
Even if you’re not into sports all that much, there are plenty of additional perks that come tacked on to a game. A personal favorite of mine is an all-you-can-eat series at Redbirds games, which, for just a few extra bucks, gets you a pass into a roped-off section that provides drinks, snacks, hot dogs, and an endless supply of the featured entrée (anything from brisket, to nachos, to my personal favorite: hot wings).
901 FC’s Bluff City Mafia (Photo: Memphis 901 FC)
Other enticements include specialty nights for $1 hot dogs or $2 beers. And when those nights line up, oh man. Kicking back with a few brews in what can either be a pleasant or a raucous atmosphere, depending on the matchup, is a reliable recipe for a fun night out. And if there’s a fireworks show afterward, well, all the better. Don’t sleep on it, Memphians! — Samuel X. Cicci
Tend Your Garden
If you time your work hours right and stay hydrated, summer gardening can be a breeze — and yield delicious rewards. Why else would the University of Tennessee’s Institute of Agriculture host its Summer Celebration of ag workshops and activities in Jackson only last week? The summer means heat to some, but for others it’s known as peak growing season. While that might sound dangerously like work, once your garden is up and running, tending it can be the perfect break from both screen time and chair time.
Early mornings can be sublime even in July, especially with an eyeful of blooms and fruits of the vine. It’s also a good time to water those roots before the blazing sun can bake the water droplets off the leaves. And yet, assuming you’ve done your homework and have a little mulched, irrigated, squirrel-protected paradise outside your door, there’s still more awaiting the horticultural staycationer: a world of garden clubs and nonprofits to liven up the typically solitary pursuit of the perfect bloom.
Take a break from the screen and tend your garden. (Photo: Alex Greene)
You don’t have to be a master of the pursuit to join the Memphis Area Master Gardeners, and it can be a great way to learn from expert volunteers who offer classes, working closely with the local UT extension service. There are also long-established neighborhood garden clubs, like the Cooper-Young Garden Club with their annual garden walk, and even community gardens if you prefer your plant-tending to be more sociable. Check out memphiscitybeautiful.org for a registry of every community garden in the city. — Alex Greene
On today’s Music Video Monday, we have an ode to the wing. Memphis is famous for barbecue, of course, but I’ll put our hot wing culture up against any other city in the nation. Yeah, that’s right Buffalo, I’m throwing down the gauntlet!
PreauXX knows wings. His new song is a tribute to his favorite flavor, lemon pepper. Producer CmaJor is so inspired by the flavor onslaught he is composing a beat right there at the table! Better wipe that drum machine down when you’re done, because these wings are “Lemon Pepper Wet.”
Cooking up these tasty visuals is prolific genius 35Miles. Take a look, but be warned: You will get hungry.
If you’d like to see your music video featured on Music Video Monday, email cmccoy@memphisflyer.com.
Recorded before Bobo’s battle with lupus, these songs offer his intriguing songcraft in stripped-down form. “Around 2016, I went to see this guy in Perpignan who’s got an old 8-track set up,” he says. “It sounds very Sun Studio-y.” These minimalist tracks bring Bobo’s heart-piercing lyrics to the fore.
Cory Branan – When I Go I Ghost (Blue Élan)
Pairing slice-of-life writing with all manner of musical worlds, Branan pulls out all the stops in this literary stroll through the dark corners of American life, running the stylistic gamut. With contributions from guests like Jason Isbell, Garrison Starr, and Brian Fallon.
Frog Squad – Frog Squad Plays Satie
One of classical music’s most minimalist composers re-imagined by an eight-piece free jazz ensemble? It might just be crazy enough to work. Indeed it is, for David Collins assembled a heavy band for this Green Room show, guided by his unexpected arrangements and the players’ own flights of improvisation.
Eric Gales – Crown (Provogue)
This triumphant assertion of the Memphis guitar master’s indomitability is graced with a cameo from Joe Bonamassa, but Gales hardly needs that feature to claim the throne. This funky, inventive mission statement by a true virtuoso of blues guitar brings a newfound urgency to Gales’ playing, with electrifying results.
GloRilla – Anyways, Life’s Great…
It’s GloRilla’s world, and we’re just living in it. Yet the vision she offers in massive hits like “Tomorrow” (one version with Cardi B, one on the massive Memphis mash-up by Yo Gotti and Moneybagg Yo, Gangsta Art) and “F.N.F. (Let’s Go)” (with Hitkidd) is a communal one, a fly-girl community where she reigns as the bird-flipping queen.
Elizabeth King – I Got a Love (Bible & Tire)
King’s voice has always combined a tender intimacy with soaring passion, and this second album since she re-energized her gospel career takes it all to a new level, with funkier and more imaginative arrangements. Yet it’s the classic, dark gospel blues of the title song that shakes you to your core.
Charles Lloyd – Trios: Ocean (Blue Note)
When Lloyd played GPAC this year, he reminisced generously about his Memphis youth, then showed how his post-bop experience here evolved in brilliant directions. Here, he explores the trio form with onetime Crosstown resident artist Anthony Wilson, a sterling guitarist with family roots here, and the otherworldly piano of Gerald Clayton.
The Love Light Orchestra – Leave the Light On (Nola Blue)
You’d think you had just scored an old LP on Duke Records from the 1950s. Like Bobby Bland, singer John Németh’s dynamic range goes from a silky purr to a growl in a heartbeat. And the nine jazz players backing him up in these jump-blues originals get it. Matt Ross-Spang’s mix cinches it.
MonoNeon – Put On Earth for You
This has been MonoNeon’s year, as Fender released a bass in his honor. This album reveals why: finely crafted George Clinton-esque, kitchen-sink funk that veers into the scatological, but always keeps a soulful, philosophical message at its heart. And this virtuoso knows how to play to the song.
North Mississippi Allstars – Set Sail (New West)
The Dickinson brothers have always experimented with rootsy blues grooves, and their latest has them looking both backward (with Stax legend William Bell) and forward, as singer Lamar Williams Jr. weaves his magic into their soul stew. Sonic surprises mix with tasty licks from the Mississippi mud.
PreauXX – God You’re Beautiful (Unapologetic)
If steez is the perfect blend of style and ease, PreauXX himself has all of that. But the rapper is working on many levels here. “This is my most vulnerable project,” he says. “This is my Handsome Samson persona. I’m very luxurious, my skin glowing. I’m being who I am.”
Mark Edgar Stuart – Until We Meet Again (Madjack)
Produced by Dawn Hopkins and Reba Russell, under the name “The Blue Eyed Bitches,” the focus here is on Stuart’s voice. The results are easy, breezy, and natural, thanks to the producers’ focus on feel above all else. That suits Stuart just fine. As he says, “It’s just about the emotion.”
Best Archival Release: Various Artists – The D-Vine Spirituals Records Story, Vol. 1 & 2 (Bible & Tire)
This slice of ’70s gospel, from Pastor Juan Shipp’s old label, is a must-have for all soul fans.
When PreauXX quips, “You a queen, got steez, got all o’ that/It’s been a hot girl summer, gotta check the stats,” on his latest album, God You’re Beautiful (Unapologetic), it’s one of those lines that captures a whole vibe, a whole story, a whole season. And in case you didn’t check our cover, that season is summer. If you’re searching for the joint to define your fun in the sun this year, look no further: God You’re Beautiful is it.
If steez is the perfect blend of style and ease, PreauXX himself has all of that, and yet this is more than a dazzling fashion statement or a “hot girl summer.” The rapper is working on many levels here, and, as with so many Unapologetic artists, they’re built on emotional risk. “This is my most vulnerable project,” he says. “I’m talking about the ups and downs of relationship woes. I wanted to cater to a different side. This isn’t even just PreauXX; this is more my Handsome Samson persona. This whole project is kind of tied up with that. That’s why, for these past six months, I haven’t been in my braids. I’ve had my afro out because that’s the persona, that’s Handsome Samson. I’m very luxurious, my skin glowing. I’m being who I am.”
This naturalism translates directly into his delivery, which is simultaneously unhurried, off the cuff, and carefully crafted. The Handsome Samson motif rings true partly because the melodies are like half-remembered choruses from Soul Train. Perhaps more than any other rapper, PreauXX has a sure sense of memorable musical lines, perfectly wedded to his lyrics.
“Choruses, man,” he says. “I really pride myself on writing these hooks that stick to you. And not only stick to you but are relatable to different things you may have gone through.” Assisting him on this melodic mission is a veritable squadron of musos from the Unapologetic collective. After PreauXX drops a chorus, then moves on to spit rhymes, the producers and collaborators keep the music’s haunting atmospherics flowing underneath him.
One such collaborator is Cameron Bethany, featured on two tracks, who weaves in such golden harmonies that you may wonder if his voice is a sampled radio hit. Uni’Q further lends both melodic beauty and considerable sass to the tracks, and, in the album closer, “So Relieved,” she shows that this saga of relationships is not just a bed of roses. Her dis to a former lover in turn draws out some very reflective lyrics from PreauXX himself.
“I wanted to speak on some stuff that I went through in my life,” he says of that track, “and also give another piece of vulnerability from me. Not just romantic love, but like the love my mom has for me, by still being there. And consider what these relationship woes may stem from. Because that’s how my relationship with my parents was. It’s a super vulnerable moment, in a different type of space, a different type of love.”
A number of producers worked on God You’re Beautiful, including IMAKEMADBEATS, but the most consistent beat-maker here is Unapologetic producer C Major, marking tracks with his audio tag, “Bitch, are you jealous?” His distinctive, stuttering-yet-flowing beats underpin many tracks, including the lead single “Eastend,” though PreauXX notes that the final track was a “spirit bomb” of work from many Unapologetic talents. Another mastermind was producer/musician Eillo, who, PreauXX says, “super texturized” the song “Regret,” in addition to adding a solo jazz piano outro to the track that is drop-dead gorgeous.
But the masterpiece here may be “Incarceration,” the synthetic pulse and drive of which is almost completely drumless, giving it a hushed urgency that matches its subject matter. “I made that beat on my phone,” says PreauXX. “Then IMAKEMADBEATS came in with the Moog and enhanced everything around it, creating an atmosphere around the taps. He was like, ‘We’re going to make this a whole other world.’ I wanted to compare being locked out of love to literally being incarcerated. It was the first song on this project, and it meant a lot.”
Ultimately, such metaphorical flights and lyrical reflections are wrapped in ear candy so compelling, so memorable, that God You’re Beautiful bears repeated listenings as we watch the season roll by. “Just put it on loud and experience it. It’s a whole world,” says PreauXX. “I dropped it right before summer because it’s just so top down, press play. This is definitely the summer project. That’s what it was meant for.”
The East End Skating Center is a Memphis cultural landmark, host to countless kids birthday parties and teenage flirtation. “I’ll be there on the weekend,” sings PreauXX over Aaron James’ ethereal guitar in “Eastend.”
The video was co-directed by Unapologetic Visual’s Cat Patton, Gabrielle Duffie, and 35 Miles, who handled the camera and editing. Glide on with the Luxurious One on a dream date in roller boogie heaven.
If you’d like to see your music video featured on Music Video Monday, email cmccoy@memphisflyer.com.
Today’s Music Video Monday catches up with Memphis’s most luxxurious rapper, PreauXX. “Diabetes” is a low-riding groove produced by C Major, one of the Unapologetic brain trust’s resident sonic geniuses. The song sees PreauXX wrestling with his blunt-born love of Little Debbie products. The video, directed by MVM frequent flyer 35 Miles, united us all in love for hot women with swords. Let’s cut to the chase.
If you’d like to see your music video featured on Music Video Monday, email cmccoy@memphisflyer.com.
As I detailed in this week’s Memphis Flyer cover story, Unapologetic is getting ready to transform Memphis with the Orange Mound Tower project. Right now, three of the Bluff City-based record label’s heavy hitters want to transform your earholes with the jam of the summer. “Slide” is the latest single by PreauXX (a frequentflyer on Music Video Monday) featuring a smooth guest verse by A Weirdo From Memphis. Produced and mixed by newly inaugurated Unapologetic president Kid Maestro and mastered by IMAKEMADBEATS, “Slide” is a sly groove for cruising in the whip.
“A ‘slide’ can be multiple things,” says PreauXX. “It can be a special person, it could be you visiting someone, and it could even be just hanging out. But ultimately, it feels good.”
The video is co-directed by PreauXX and Unapologetic visual leader 35Miles. It features the talents of Kierra Monique, Isadorabriony, Raphel Baker, Chris Craig, and R.U.D.Y. Drop what you’re doing and dig this earworm.
If you would like to see your music video featured on Music Video Monday, email cmccoy@memphisflyer.com.
In 1993, University of Colorado professor Anders Ericsson first put forth the idea that the key ingredient in expertise is 10,000 hours of practice. Many interpret it as a message to creatives everywhere: Talent doesn’t matter so much as not giving up.
PreauXX’s new song “10K” is an ode to the grind.
“They say it takes 10,000 hours to become a master at your craft…have you taken your journey?” asks PreauXX. “This song is dedicated to the people who are relentless about their grind/hustle/goal. Are you willing to do what it takes to get to where you want in life?”
PreauXX’s partners in grind on this Unapologetic joint are producer Kid Maestro and A Weirdo From Memphis.
“10,000 means something different to everybody,” says AWFM. “Could be your journey, could be your price, could be your bounty. What does it mean to you?”
The video, directed by 35Miles, puts us in the middle of a cutthroat card game.
“Shout out to Unapologetic Visual for creating this visual experience,” said Kid Maestro. “Their eye and vision really brought this song to new heights. Also, I won the game of UNO in case anyone was wondering.”
Music Video Monday: PreauXX & AWFM
If you would like to see your music video featured on Music Video Monday, email cmccoy@memphisflyer.com
