GoldLink | The Music Ninja

Saturday Selection Vol. 9

Posted by Mitch Marzuola - June 5, 2016

This weeks has been something else, and I’m still catching up after being at Governors Ball this weekend. We’re primed and ready for another slick collection of new tunes, from Louis Futon to the first cut off of midnight’s new EP, so go ahead and jump right into it. Enjoy!

O R I O N – Gold Dust ft. Cammie Robinson

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This song is from a little while ago, but it was new to us and instantly caught our ears. O R I O N put together a beautiful brain-melter with “Gold Dust”, and the sparse, but angelic vocals of Cammie Robinson are the icing on the cake. The innate feeling of escapism creeps out throughout the tune, and you’ll want to go explore the world as it plays. Enjoy this one on a bright and day. You’ll feel absolutely wonderful.

SWIMS – Bedrooms

Soundcloud

SWIMS is an exciting new duo that combines the best of trap, R&B, and electronic music into a breezy and ethereal creation. Optimized for complete relaxation, “Bedrooms” stands as a strong debut for these two. It’s a serenade with all the right trappings. It hits all the right spots. Soak this one in with a special someone tonight.

midnight – Native America (feat. The Internet)

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The combination of midnight and The Internet is impossible to be apathetic about. Touching on the marred past of the United States, these talented people describe the constant push for the best life available in a seductive fashion that gives the message a new appearance. We’ve been hooked on midnight ever since his XXI Labors EP, and seeing him work with The Internet to deliver such a powerful message only solidifies our admiration of his work. Find some time to really sit and reflect on these lyrics.

Goldlink – Unique (Louis Futon Remix)

Soundcloud

This one is simply fun. That’s no surprise, coming from Louis Futon. He decided to return to his earlier remix roots by flipping this Goldlink and Anderson Paak original into absolutely irresistible scorcher of a dance tune. We’re not even sure what the best part of it is, but there is one thing we know for sure. It’s ALL great. Kick off the shift into warm weather with this one.

The Geek x Vrv – Coming Up’ Feat Kellylee Evans & Atom

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So much soul. The Geek x Vrv never fails to bring out the best funk, hip-hop, and soul crossovers with their material, and “Coming Up” is a vibrant new addition to their stellar sound. Featuring a fourth of C2C and the striking singing of Kellylee Evans, this song triumphs on its 90s rap atmosphere and style that’s revamped and repurposed into a more modern sound. You can’t NOT bob your head. We’re making sure to keep the double negative there just so you know we MEAN it. Throw this tune on when you just want to groove.

[Hip-Hop] Goldlink – Unique (feat. Anderson .Paak)

Posted by tylercole - November 2, 2015

GoldLink
Unique feat. Anderson .Paak

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It is no secret that The Music Ninja crew are fans of the DMV-native Goldlink. Ever since his critically-acclaimed debut mixtape The God Complex hit the web, his rap career has been on a steady projection towards making him one of the greats in the game. From making the XXL Freshman list to teaming up with Soulection and touring around the nation, Goldlink’s definitely been making some major moves.

Last week, fellow DMV native Wale took to his Twitter to drop Goldlink’s latest track “Unique.” The Louie Lastic-produced tune is a little something new from the young emcee but still has that same 90’s club/dance rhythm that has become signature for him with some added disco and go-go music. Link trades in spitting some quick-tongued bars for singing. Fellow newcomer and recent success story Anderson .Paak joins in to take over a couple verses.

Take a listen and be sure to pre-order your copy of the upcoming debut And After That, We Didn’t Talk, which drops Nov.13th.

[Hip-Hop] GoldLink – Spectrum (prod. Louie Lastic)

Posted by Ash El Gamal - October 8, 2015

GoldLink
Spectrum

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Any one who frequents TMN will know that we’ve been fans of GoldLink and his self-described “future bounce” style for quite some time now. Since he released his iconic mixtape, The God Complex, last year, he’s only grown in popularity receiving some huge co-signs along the way. Today, the DMV hip-hop pioneer announced his long-anticipated debut album along with its second single, “Spectrum” (“Dance on Me” will also be featured on the project).

“Spectrum” carries the energy we’ve come to expect from GL combining a dance-floor ready instrumental courtesy Louie Lastic with nimble flows and out-of-the-box lyricism. Similar to GoldLink’s recent collaboration with Falcons, “Vroom,” the chorus makes perfect use of a Missy Elliot sample that melds flawlessly with the track’s energy. Once again, it’s an interesting juxtaposition as, in many ways, Missy’s timeless style feels like a precursor to the movement GoldLink has started. In this day and age, a full-on collaboration between the two doesn’t seem out of the realm of possibility. While we wait to find out, “Spectrum” will definitely be in heavy rotation.

Goldink’s debut album, And After That, We Didn’t Talk, drops on November 16th via Soulection and can be pre-ordered here.

Hip/Hop

[Future Hip-Hop] Galimatias & Goldlink – One Step Back (Gravez Remix)

Posted by Dominic Powell - July 9, 2015

Galimatias & Joppe ft. GoldLink
One Step Back (Gravez Remix)

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Future hip-hop is a relatively new genre, engineered with the intent to blend the best components of the music world. Meshing lyrical content and melodic flow of artists with the unparalleled smoothness and texture of future beats is the perfect way to satiate all of the auditory senses in one track.

A couple days ago, Atlanta artist and HW&W collective member Gravez released his version of last year’s popular Soulection track, “One Step Back.” In his latest creation, Gravez has taken the noisy original tune and sparingly injected it with synths, the softly inarticulate crooning of Denmark’s Galimatias, and segments of low-pitched dynamics common in the future genre.

The idiophones and hi-hats dotted through this track add to a uniquely smooth quality that is juxtaposed by the fast rhyming vocals of Goldlink. “One Step Back” is a symbol of how contrasting styles can be combined to create a special tune; it is the divergence of styles creating a peaceful banger.

Gravez is wrapping up a tour with shows in Boston and San Francisco in mid-July. Check out “One Step Back” above and download the track here.

[NEW] Goldlink – Dance on Me (prod. Milo Mills & Hasta)

Posted by Ash El Gamal - June 8, 2015

GoldLink
Dance On Me

Soundcloud

Since his rapid rise in 2014, Goldlink has hit the road playing festivals along with solo dates around the country. His unique brand of quick-hitting raps over dance-influenced production translates amazingly to live performance as we recently experienced at Sasquatch Music Festival in Washington where he had the crowd moving his entire set. Today, we get some much-anticipated new material from the DMV-bred, Rick Rubin-approved artist and it, once again, reasserts the fact that he’s in a lane all his own.

On “Dance on Me,” producers Milo Mills and Hasta craft a soulful intro that’s quickly transformed and chopped to create the perfect uptempo, future bounce backdrop for Goldlink. As agile as ever on the mic, Goldlink creates his own version of a feel-good, summer-fling anthem without losing the punch packed in his cadence. A little past the one-minute mark, the production flawlessly transitions into a slowed-down, breezy vibe over which Link takes a break from his rapid delivery in favor of layered vocals. That interlude adds to the sunny feel of the song all the while displaying Goldlink’s versatility before he rips into his second verse.

“Dance on Me,” which we’re pretty sure we actually heard during his Sasquatch set, seems like the perfect fit for his current tour so look to hear it out at his shows–check his upcoming dates below the jump. We’re always hopeful of new music from Goldlink but, every time he releases something, it proves well worth the wait and this one’s no different. Peep above. Continue reading →

[Hip-Hop] BMB Spacekid – FBGM (feat. GoldLink)

Posted by Ash El Gamal - February 24, 2015

BMB Spacekid
FBGM ft. Goldlink

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Following a top-notch release with Falcons last week, GoldLink keeps the quality music coming, collaborating with yet another unique producer in St. Petersburg’s BMB Spacekid. Diverging slightly from the future bounce beats GoldLink often accompanies, the Russian producer creates a silky smooth, dynamic instrumental. Even over a different backdrop, GL maintains his hard-hitting delivery, albeit slightly slowed down, and raw style of lyricism during his appearance. At about the 1:30 mark, BMB’s production takes over as he slows the tempo giving a chopped and screwed vibe. Give this jam a spin above–you can grab the single on iTunes now.

Hip/Hop

[Hip-Hop] GoldLink & Falcons – Vroom

Posted by Ash El Gamal - February 19, 2015

GoldLink & Falcons
Vroom

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After a meteoric rise in 2014 and co-sign from Rick Rubin, D.C. artist GoldLink is poised for stardom and, today, we get his first release of the year, a phenomenal collaboration with LA-based producer Falcons. On “Vroom,” Falcons crafts a silky smooth instrumental that fits perfectly into Link’s self-described “future bounce” style allowing the innovative emcee to navigate lyrically in only ways he knows how. A Missy Elliott vocal sample serves as a pleasant surprise blending in perfectly perhaps because, in some ways, this song mirrors the bounce on the classic Missy beats crafted by Timbaland. “Vroom” proves a testament to GL’s originality, which has allowed him to be arguably the most successful artist yet in combining dance music with hip-hop. After an official announcement on VSCO of his partnership with Rick Rubin, we could not be more excited for what 2015 has in store for GoldLink. In the meantime, this uniquely infectious jam will be in heavy rotation–listen for yourself and grab a free download above.