Turn Up The Groove With A Spotlight on Sam Gellaitry, Thundercat, and Bobby Caldwell

Morning Melodies

Thundercat

We got a lot of uncle-type figures this week, but this is the grooviest unc of them all. Thundercat is known for his soulful sound, but most importantly, he is known for his base. He is a decorated bassist and has played for countless artists such as Kendrick Lamar and Flying Lotus. His solo career is unlike any other, with his quirky sense of humor and love for anime being seen and heard throughout his music and imagery. Songs like “Funny Thing” and “Dragonball Durag” are loved by many, and are songs that most people know but don’t realize they know. His most recent features are very noticeable as he’s seen on Kaytranada’s “TIMELESS” and Silk Sonic’s (a group comprised of Anderson.Paak and Bruno Mars) “An Evening With Silk Sonic”. If you want to groove, this is your man to listen to.

🗣️ Conductor We Have a Problem!!!

• “MAN MYTH LEGEND” - Conductor Williams

  • With two major placements on Drake’s “For All The Dogs Scary Hours Edition” and making up a lot of Westside Gunn’s/Griselda’s discography alongside Daringer, Conductor William’s iconic tag is recognized by many (“Conductor we have a problem!”). His use of old samples creates a very raw sound that makes heads nod everywhere. What also makes him stand out is the pitch-warping effect that he puts on the samples that he flips. It recreates the warping sound effect of how a warped vinyl may sound. This subtle detail makes his production stand out amongst the rest!

🕺🏽 Groove Gang

• “Quiet On The Set” - Planet Giza

  • This groovy group is truly something special. Gaining some traction in 2019 with their album “Added Sugar”, it wasn’t until 2021 when the EP “Don’t Throw Rocks At The Moon” really put them on the map. Rightfully so. Their sounds are comprised of modern funk and soul and pull elements from 90s hip-hop and R&B. A lot of their discography is still pretty low-key, so go peep them out before they truly start to shine!

Midday Music

Sam Gellaitry

Sam Gellaitry is genuinely in his own category of house music. Pulling sounds from Daft Punk, and bounce that feels like it’s pulled straight from SoundCloud, his music transcends EDM. What makes him special is his unique way of using synths to create rhythm and a sense of bounce that moves your soul. Known mainly for his song “Assumptions”, this song is just an icebreaker to truly how vast and talented he is not only as a producer, but as a songwriter and singer as well. He also has major collaborations with artists such as PinkPantheress (who is featured on the morning playlist) with the song “Picture in My Mind” as well as Kaytranada’s remix of his own song “Assumptions”. Enough said, go listen to him!

🎙️ The Modern Mick J

• “Pasta" - Mick Jenkins

  • Mick Jenkins has been on my radar before I even knew I liked his music. My first time hearing him was on Smino’s “New Coupe, Who Dis?” in 2018, and recently discovered how good he is. With his latest album “The Patience”, his sound is contrasting, as he flows aggressively over mostly very chill and smooth beats. With his very distinct voice, it’s hard to not recognize him on your favorite rapper’s latest track!

🧔🏻 Mr. Solo

• “One More Hour” - Tame Impala

  • I’m a little late to the Tame Impala bandwagon, but I’m very happy I jumped on. After hearing “One More Hour” being sampled on Don Toliver’s “BANDIT”, I listened to the song on repeat and proceeded to listen to both “The Slow Rush” and “Currents”. Realizing that Tame Impala is just one guy (named Kevin Parker) is also an extremely impressive feat that makes everything so much cooler. Tame Impala lives up to the hype!

Sunset Sessions

Bobby Caldwell

Dubbed by many people as one of the most “soulful white men of all time”, Bobby Caldwell is indeed invited to the cookout. With his most well-known song “What You Won’t Do For Love” being a classic that has resurfaced on TikTok and other social media, Bobby Caldwell’s legacy far surpasses his death last year. With other amazing songs such as “My Flame”, “Loving You”, and “Coming Down from Love”, it’s easy to get lost in his discography. Although his music is old, it is timeless. Make sure to educate yourself on one of the most soulful men to ever live!

🧍🏾 Unc Status

• “Illegal Search & Seizure” - Boldy James

  • Boldy James is a rapper very well known in the alternative rap scene. With styles very underground-inspired, he draws inspiration from the ruggedness of Detroit, which is where he is from. His collaborations with high-profile producers such as The Alchemist in both “Super Tecmo Bo” and “Bo Jackson” and most recently his album with Conductor Williams “Across The Tracks” have made him a household name in the scene. He is officially an unc in hip-hop.

🎶 Jersey With A Twist

• “Mendacious” - Kanii feat. skaiwater

  • Kanii is best known for his melodic take on the Jersey club genre. Most of his songs are slower Jersey tracks with angelic vocals over them throughout the tracks. Did I mention his songs are extremely catchy? He blew up on TikTok with his songs “Companion”, “attachment (she just wanna love)”, and “I Know”, and his career has been going up since. Although he may sound very trendy, I find myself coming back and listening to his music over and over again.

Playlist of the Week: 
Jersey Bangers!!

Nothing but Jersey this week! Although the Jersey phase is starting to die down, I wanted to go back and look at some of the songs and artists that shaped the genre. Specifically producers. This week’s playlist is full of hard-hitting Jersey beats that will get you moving just like you’re at a dance battle in New Jersey!

🟢 Green

• “She Know What She Wanted - Jersey Club Remix Slowed” - Godard feat. Ziahfyah

  • The iconic song that is going around on its meme journey. The meme was popularized by a picture of Peter Griffin shooting a basketball with the caption “Green FN” (research what that means at your discretion). Regardless of it being a meme song, the sample choice for the track is out of this world. The beat is hard and majestic at the same time, making it an amazing track to listen to.

🌧️ The Raaaiiin!!

• “do you remember” - rrodney

  • This song blew up in the Jersey scene 3 years ago and is still one of the hardest Jersey songs I’ve ever heard. On Spotify, this song is called “The Rainnnnnnn” by leydown, but the actual song is called “do you remember” by rrodney. I have linked the SoundCloud post so that you guys can dive more into who rrodney is as he is very popular in the Jersey club scene with his remixes.