Music provides creatives space to talk: let’s see what they have to say. Check out new releases from South London singer-songwriter Ego Ella May, West Coast hip-hop duo Blimes and Gab, and Canadian-South African artist Zaki Ibrahim.
Ego Ella May – Honey For Wounds (UpperRoom Records)
South London hailing singer-songwriter Ego Ella May just released her new album Honey For Wounds via UpperRoom Records. Her sound blends Jazz, R&B, and Neo-Soul into her own sultry and intimate style. Her lyrics are met with the utmost honesty and personal observations. Honey For Wounds is laced with tales of self-healing, protest, love, loss, global issues and more. The singer has received high praise for her captivating performances, including her performance with BBC Introducing Futuretense at the historical South Bank Centre in London, Roundhouse, joining Moonchild for a Boiler Room session, and supporting Alfa Mist, Nai Palm (Hiatus Kayote), Oscar Jerome and more. Listen to Honey For Wounds out now!
Blimes and Gab – Talk About It (B.A.G. Enterprise)
Hip-hop duo Blimes and Gab, composed of West Coast MCs Blimes and Gifted Gab, have released their debut album Talk About It. Blimes and Gab have a lot to say, and they’re using what they know best to talk about it: music. In a recent interview Blimes said, “In order to talk about it, you got to be about it. Me and Gab have loved to prove time and time again that we’re about it.” The duo often feel the need to prove themselves in the field, due to the common notion that hip-hop is a male dominated genre. “Women have been around in hip-hop since the very beginning. It’s not like we just decided to pick this thing up recently” Gab says, “I think the vision behind [our album] is just, they’re always going to have something to say, always going to have something to talk about, so might as well give them something to talk about.” We’ll let their album do the talking – you do the listening.
Zaki Ibrahim – Shö Live in Toronto (Six Shooter)
Born in Canada to a Scottish mother and South African father, Zaki Ibrahim spent much of her youth living between South Africa and Canada. Throughout her career, from Vancouver to South Africa to Toronto and many points in between, Ibrahim’s work has always pushed back against binaries, against reductiveness, against the clenching muscles of expectation. Zaki’s new release was recorded live at Massey Hall in her hometown of Toronto. Shö Live in Toronto consists of nine songs showcasing Zaki’s signature sound of spoken word blended with hip-hop, soul, house, and 70s pop. If you miss live music as much as we do, give Shö Live in Toronto a listen.
