Straight talking, sassy and charismatic are just a few phrases that come to mind when thinking of Rap trailblazer Junglepussy. With the announcement that her five-track project ‘Jp5000’ is coming on Friday 4th February, we delve into the unfiltered mind of Junglepussy and what to expect from her upcoming music. 

The mind behind this fierce persona is Shayna McHayle, hailing from New York, she has become well-loved for her candid lyricism, infectious phrasing and ability to continuously reinvent herself. Her current most popular track ‘Trader Joe’ has amassed over 12 million streams on Spotify, and as her following continues to grow, it is clear Junglepussy is in her own lane.

The project’s lead single ‘Critqua’, invites us into Jungle’s psychedelic and inventive style, married with idiosyncratic visuals. The track features laid back Hip-Hop production, leaving Junglepussy’s vocal performance and snappy lyrics at the forefront of the song. Her lyricism tells the story of no longer caring about criticism, with almost every line worthy of being a standout phrase.

 “These words for your neck

Don’t stress me, baby

And you deserve what you get

That tongue audacious”

‘Jp5000’ will come as Junglepussy’s fifth project, and is said to be her most mellow and introspective record yet. Across the project’s five tracks, Junglepussy has united with incredible talent, drawing production credits from the likes of Suzi Analogue (celebrated collaborator of Grammy Award-nominated Tokimonsta) and Nick Hakim (Erykah Badu, BADBADNOTGOOD). 

From a captivating lead single, promising talent collaborations, to introspective lyricism, we think ‘Jp5000’ will further extend what we know of Junglepussy. But, one thing is certain, we can expect boldness and honesty.

Words By Nadia Clasper

_{Photo Credit: Caity Arthur}

The post Junglepussy Drops ‘Critiqua’ Whilst Simultaneously Announcing New Project, ‘Jp5000’ appeared first on Voir Fashion.

Kendrick Lamar 

Kendrick has become a household name between Rap and Hip-Hop lovers, with many fans branding him as the new king of Hip-Hop. Through his honest and candid lyricism, of which he speaks on topics such as police brutality, alcoholism, and growing up in Southern California, he has won over hearts. Kendrick’s most recent release is a collaboration with Baby Keem titled ‘family ties’, which we have been loving.

Kendrick is well-known for sampling and giving a nod to genres that were forerunners of Hip-Hop. Many Hip-Hop artists do this by fitting elements of Soul, R&B, Funk and The Blues into the genre. This can be done through various techniques such as Sampling, Vocal Technique and Instrumentation. 

A great representation of this is in Jay Z’s track ‘The story of O.J.’. He samples Nina Simone’s vocals from ‘Four Women’, a song which still stands poignantly today, with Simone’s soulful voice getting her message across in such a beautifully harrowing way, as she sings lyrics based on society’s inability to see and acknowledge Black Women of any shade. Jay Z used slices of her vocal phrases to fit ‘The Story of O.J’s’ narrative, a song based on how financial success doesn’t counteract race issues. 

Little Simz

With influence being such a vital part of Hip-Hop, we couldn’t not mention Little Simz, who is heavily inspired by the styles of The Notorious B.I.G., has previously spoken on her love for his lyricism sounding conversational, something which she strives to achieve in her own songs. Simz is a British Rapper, who is highly regarded for her storytelling ability and honesty within her lyrics. Earlier this year, she released her latest album ‘Sometimes I Might Be Introvert’, which has gone on to receive high praise and ratings. 

“The blues are the roots and the other musics are the fruits.” Said Blues musician Willie Dixon. This message still stands, as the Blues was the basis for many genres invented, such as; R&B, Rock n Roll, Jazz, Soul, and Hip-Hop. The music we listen to today is rooted in Blues, a genre that was born from the oppression and struggles African-American’s faced in the late 1800s.

Rico Nasty

An artist who merges Rap with the intenseness of Rock is the wonderful Rico Nasty. Rico has released multiple mixtapes, which all gained traction, leading her to release her debut album ‘Nightmare Vacation’ in 2020. The album received compliments for her high-energy delivery and experimental approach. Her most recent release is a feature on Token’s fun track ‘High Heels’. 

Ivorian Doll 

Ivorian Doll, a 23-year-old British Rapper is making moves with her music, following her 2020 release ‘Rumours’. She is repping for the Drill scene, quickly becoming well known in the genre for her witty personality and bold lyrics. 

Shaybo

Nigerian born rapper, Shaybo, has become a big success within the UK Rap and MC scene. Following her successful release with Jorja Smith earlier this year, Shaybo released her debut mixtape ‘Queen of The South’ in August. The mixtape featured another beautiful collaboration with Jorja Smith, with an accompanying video released. 

As we educate ourselves on Black Culture and history during Black History Month, we must recognise the sacrifices Blues musicians made for us to now consume and enjoy the evolution of their original compositions, and how their innovation and determination is how we came to have access to the UK’s favourite genre, Hip-Hop.

Words by Nadia Clasper

_{Photo Credit: Jorja Smith “Bussdown” Ft. Shaybo}

The post You Can’t Enjoy The Rhythm And Ignore The Blues; Voir Celebrates Black Culture In Music appeared first on Voir Fashion.

The Canadian artist who grew up in a small French-speaking town in Quebec, Rouyn-Noranda, has managed to mark a path of his own with his smooth melodies, expressive lyricism and an undeniable passion for hip-hop and R&B. His path started with covers that ranged from Drake to Kendrick Lamar, allowing him to build an online presence and introduce his voice into a vibrant, yet often overlooked, music scene. 

Zoya has now established his sound with unique and melodic productions that not only incorporate diverse genres but diverse cultures. The singer and songwriter takes inspiration from his South African and French-Canadian heritage, using his upbringing and exposure to multiculturalism to add one more layer to his musical stories. 

We had the opportunity to talk to Zach Zoya and find out more about his relationships with music and more. Read the full interview below… 

How would you describe yourself as an artist? 

I think of myself as a multi-faceted artist. I like to try new things and I always try to go in the opposite direction that I just went in musically. So, I end up with a healthy blend of slow RnB ballads and hype hip-hop records. 

How did you first get involved with music? And what does music mean to you? 

Music to me is like a diary. It’s where I open up, where explain my feelings and where I explore them. It’s a great way for me to stay in tune with my inner self. It’s therapy! Music has always played a role in my life, but I only really started working on it or considering making music when my friends started telling me how good and natural I was at coming up with melodies. 

When did you decide to dedicate completely to it? 

Probably around 16, right about when I moved out of my parents’ place. I remember saying to myself that I had to be serious about it and treat it like a career from the start if I was to go down this path. 

What was the hardest challenge that you faced when following this path? 

Money, of course. Not knowing if it’s even a sustainable thing, a real option, not knowing where it’s going to lead me. I was lucky to have overwhelming support from friends and family, though. It never felt like I was doing something stupid. 

What is the relationship between your music composition and your cultural upbringing? Would you say that it has influenced it? 

I think my music very clearly reflects the variety and diversity I was surrounded by while growing up. I’m from a French-Canadian/South-African household in a very remote part of Quebec. I think that’s a unique mix, and I try to showcase that through my music, expressions, what I talk about, and the different genres I incorporate. 

As a rapper and songwriter, what is the general message that you want to transmit through your lyrics? 

Maybe curiosity? I say maybe because I’m not even sure if there is a singular thing I’m trying to push forward, nor something specific I want to say. For the most part, my music is a collection of my observations and thoughts on life. 

Out of your current and upcoming releases, which one do you identify the most with and why? 

All of them! In many different ways. They all tap into a different part of me, and all bring up different memories. 

Who are your biggest influences in the music world? 

Isaiah Rashad, Kendrick Lamar, Earl Sweatshirt, Black Eyed Peas, and PARTYNEXTDOOR influenced my style in various ways. I learned how to rap by listening to Isaiah Rashad and Kendrick Lamar.

When listening to your music one can sense a very defined style, one that is complemented by fashion and visuals. What is your take on the importance of a strong style and sense of fashion in your career? 

I think it’s all complimentary. Fashion, and just what you give off visually, in general, adds an extra dimension to the music. The same way a music video can help intensify and expand on the vision and the meaning of a song. 

What would you say is your main prospect as an artist? Where do you see yourself and your music in 5 years? 

The dream would be to work with people I admire and feel like I’m part of the ecosystem. Five years from now, I can see myself having a substantial body of work out there and touring the world, up to no good. 

What can we expect from the upcoming releases and collaborations? 

Big, big stuff is coming. Big collaborations on this one! You can expect a summer playlist you’ll want to both chill and party to. Dope visuals are on the way too! 

Interview by Chiara Ferrari

The post Zach Zoya: The Artist of Sound and Stories appeared first on Voir Fashion.

‘We miss the old Kanye.’ In celebration of his debut album’s recent sixteenth birthday, it’s only right to look back on the impact Kanye West has had on the fashion world.

Amongst his antics and instrumentals; Kanye’s passion for fashion is a crucial element of himself that has influenced pop culture since the release of his debut album, The College Dropout. While his style is unmatched, he also seems to be constantly at odds with it, whether he’s been setting trends within current styles or becoming a well-respected designer in his own right.

‘We even had the pink rugby and thought we was Kanye’: The self-proclaimed ‘Louis Vuitton Don’ completely shattered the parameters of Hip-Hop style. It was obvious that ‘Ye was a new and peculiar version of rap that was emerging when he entered the mainstream in the early 2000s. Rocking pink rugby polos, Louie V backpacks; while the average rapper was still wearing XXX tees, bootcut jeans and staying iced out from head to toe. Yeezy wasn’t with conformity. While embracing bourgeois-styled behaviour, he broke stereotypes of a rapper’s sense of style.

‘See he invented Kanye ,it wasn’t any Kanyes.’ At first, Roc-A-Fella records weren’t convinced on giving Kanye a deal, and who could blame them? West’s obsession with preppy polo shirts and backpacks was definitely unconventional. Although Dame Dash and Jay Z came around eventually, Kanye admitted it was difficult to convince the two moguls: “No one would give me a deal,” The Chi-Town native explained, “Maybe it’s because of what I had on… I guess they judged a book by its cover.” But if we know anything about Kanye, it’s his unwillingness to relinquish his creative freedom.

Kanye continued to bridge the gap between Hip-Hop and fashion, he blurred the lines among the high-end fashion cosmos while meshing rap within that. Of course, he wasn’t the first rapper that rocked designer brands, but he was one of the few that had a rapport with these fashion brand ambassadors. Being the first non-athlete to be given a shoe deal; added to the relationships with fashion designers such as Olivier Theyskens, Jeremy Scott, and Azzedine Alaïa to name a few; was only propelling him to a place further than music could ever take him. However, when it comes to Kanye inspiring fellow rebellious and experimental artists, a melting pot of musicians come to mind. Whether it’s older creatives like Pharrell, T Pain and Kid Cudi or newer ones such as Drake, J. Cole and Kendrick Lamar — the influence is evident. It might not be a direct correlation between Kanye and the newer age artists, but I guarantee that their favourite artist’s favourite artist is Mr West himself.

And now in 2020, while Kanye’s style has provided more gusto than the average man, it seems like he’s embracing the dad-esque look more and more; quite fitting for his role these days. ‘Ye has smoothly integrated this new part of his life within his appearance: With a casual, plain pair of black sweatpants (usually tucked into his Yeezy limited socks), along with his matching t-shirt, underneath a puffer; and to top it off (literally) — a Kanye fit these days isn’t complete without an appearance from one of his dad hats.

While you could argue most of what he does causes controversy, who is Kanye without controversy, and controversy without Kanye? Yeezus continues to move the needle and polarize the world by embracing his own formula, and we wouldn’t have it any other way.

Celebrating the anniversary of Kanye’s debut album means highlighting the innovation and rejuvenation he has continued to bring to each and every industry he dabbles in and ‘We still love Kanye like Kanye loves Kanye.’

Words by Charlie Miller

Graphics by Séverine Denis-Lessard

The post From Kanye to Kim-ye to Yeezy: The Ye-volution appeared first on Voir Fashion.

Recently, D.C. rapper Goldlink angered the rap community after posting a letter on his Instagram about the deceased Mac Miller, implying that Miller stole the theme for his album The Divine Feminine in 2016. While the ‘Crew’ rapper displayed extraordinary disrespect by publicizing his resentment for a man who passed away just last year; I feel like this was a great time to brush aside the foolishness and highlight the positivity, celebrating what The Divine Feminine represents in Hip-Hop, which is a definitive phase of expression within the artform’s relatively short life.

Over the years, the combination of the genre’s growth — along with the internet’s addiction to transparency, has caused the new generation growing through social media to welcome more unique concepts; often describing themselves as ‘woke’ in the process. Subjects such as gender fluidity, feminism, and masculinity, are normally involved. I’ve noticed specific instances of ignorance that surround the topic of masculinity — like the restriction from wearing ‘feminine clothing’; while now a person’s sense of comfortability is perceived as a positive characteristic, coming from the 90s at the time that I did, it couldn’t have been more different.

Although I credit the ability to be free down to social media’s acceptance, I tip my hat off to the impact Hip-Hop has on cultures throughout the world and the complete clarity the genre has provided since its creation (let us not forget, Hip-Hop was created as a way of expression for the black communities struggle in the Bronx). So with that being said; I want to celebrate the influence of Hip-Hop and how the evolution of femininity has impacted the new generation, by picking out the most impactful examples of pink in rap.

It’s 2002, the height of the Dipset era and the Roc-A-Fella dynasty — the city of New York is hosting the biggest fashion event of the year, the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week. The foresight of Label boss Dame Dash and the ingenuity of Cam’ron was always a combination that produced magic; So there was no surprise that with the help of Dash, the Dipset commander pulled up in one of the most legendary fits to ever grace Hip-Hop: the illustrious pink mink jacket, along with the hat and burner phone. As both Dash and Cam were born and raised in the fashion-focused neighbourhood of Harlem; the influence was clear to see at the moment. While most people from their area were used to the abrasiveness of the duo, within the wider scope of Hip-Hop — it was a statement, to say the least. Ever since then, the idea of what femininity represented, spread throughout Hip-Hop.

A few years later, Cam’ron’s label mate; Kanye West, popularised a new kind of pink style to the mainstream. A much more conventional proclamation, Kanye would normally rock a pink polo with a classy backpack to match. Not only was this merge important to the extension of the movement led by Cam, but more importantly — this verified Kanye as the influence for the geeks, as opposed to Cam’s influence on the streets. Because of this diversification, this continued to bring even more conversation surrounding Hip-Hop and it’s identity.

Moving towards the late 2000s, Kanye continued to lift pink rap to new heights. This was the era in Hip-Hop where the nerdy rap was dominating the gangsta rap; Kanye West had just convincingly beaten 50 Cent to the number one spot with his album Graduation – the album that is infamous for it’s powerful, intense colouration. The transition was in motion.

And because of Hip-Hop tycoon, Pharrell’s love for intense colour styles and powerful visuals with brands like Bape, to name a few – it helped these combos crossover into the streetwear world. And by the end of the decade, it would be hard to find a guy without a pink polo in his wardrobe. As the new decade began, the surprising amalgamation of up and coming, contemporary streetwear brand Supreme, and the profound new suburban rap crew, Odd Future, hit the wide-eyed internet world by storm. As Tyler, the Creator and his squad took over 2010; this was the beginning of pre-teens involvement within mainstream rap. While the group’s own fashion line Golf Wang epitomized the crew’s sarcastic wit; the ignorant motifs complemented the dynamic undertones displayed on the ensembles perfectly — from lime to magenta, and indeed pink. Odd Future embodied the new era, fusing Hip-Hop, fashion, and their own originality; allowing people from anywhere to connect with their vision.

Tyler even said in his 2016 note to Pharrell, proclaiming the influence he took from the Virginia native: “I never had brothers, uncles or my father around so thank you [Pharrel] for being the male figure I gravitated towards. Allowing me to embrace being different and trusting my ideas.” While men in previous decades would rather be caught dead in some coral clothing, guys like Tyler embrace their uniqueness. Even though Hip-Hop was built on these very same morals; it’s refreshing to see how the integrity has always been there, at the same time — continuing to grow into the culture-crossing genre it is today; whilst simultaneously co-existing within the unforgiving world of modern technology and ‘cancel culture’.

Words by Charlie Miller

Graphics by Katie Janes

, , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The post Pink Matter: The Evolution of Femininity in Hip-Hop appeared first on Voir Fashion.

Whether it be Pharrell Williams collaborating with Chanel for his SS19 urban capsule collection, Kanye West dominating upmarket footwear sales with Yeezy Season 8 or A$AP Rocky starring in Calvin Klein’s, ‘I Speak My Truth’ campaign, the current prominence of hip-hop in luxury fashion is undeniable.

Hip-hop has had a historic captivation with high-end fashion, with Dapper Dan’s counterfeit Louis Vuitton and Gucci tracksuits stylising the genre throughout the 80s and early acts such as Big Daddy Kane and LL Cool J sporting brands such as Le Coq Sportif and Kangol. Despite this, it is only in the last decade that such interest has been reciprocated by the industry’s most prestigious brands. Although, that is not to ignore the several successful fashion collaborations hip-hop has had, with Run-DMC’s $1 million endorsement deal with Adidas being the earliest example of this. What it does show is that there has been a cultural shift in the way hip-hop and its unique style is viewed by society.

Before the turn of the century the East/West Coast rap rivalry, N.W.A’s gangster self- identification and the killings of popular artists, Tupac, Biggie Smalls and Fat Pat, meant that hip-hop had an image of both deviance and danger that no high-class brand of sophistication and elegance would want to be associated.

But when Nielsen Music published that rap had surpassed rock to become the most popular music genre in the U.S, with a 24.5% share in music consumption, the resistance that luxury wear once held against hip-hop soon evaporated. Many artists not only became the face of upmarket brands, such as A$AP Rocky and Dior, but also began to compete with such companies by developing their own fashion lines, such as Pharrell Williams’ Billionaire Boys Club, Tyler the Creator’s Golf Wang, Lil Wayne’s Trukfit and Kanye West’s Yeezy collection. And with the likes of Lil Uzi Vert stating, “ Honestly, I think I do this [fashion] better than music,” in his interview with GQ, this current trend shows no signs of slowing down.

The commercial appeal of hip-hop’s expressive street style can be traced back to the genre’s former roots as the ‘outsider’. Without the pressures of being taken seriously and receiving expert industrial criticism the fashion that evolved out of hip-hop had a certain sense of freedom and eccentricity to the way it was both designed and styled. This is a distinctive feature that has remained to this day, where the notion of ‘menswear’ is becoming ever transparent as contemporary rappers continue to experiment with traditionally feminine accessories, such as purses, nail polish and crop tops.

Given that hip-hop is now at the peak of its existence, in terms of mainstream popularity, it is no surprise that both leading labels and artists themselves are capitalising on this synergy between the two industries. The question then remains, has hip-hop cemented its place in high- brow culture? Or will the over-commercialisation of the genre’s street apparel be to the demise of its popularity?

Words by Charlie Malcolm-Mckay

Graphics by Araceli Alonso

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The post Hip-Hop x Streetwear: From Underground to High-End Fashion appeared first on Voir Fashion.

To welcome in the new year, the artist has landed a track starring the straight-talking, no nonsense Hip-Hop singer Cardi B, whose song Bodak Yellow shot her to fame last year. The duo’s track, ‘Finesse’ runs with a video styled in a wonderfully nostalgic throwback to the 90’s. With clashing colour, oversized clothing, enormous jewellery and the unmistakeably 90’s Hip-Hop vibe throughout, it looked as though the cast of The Fresh Prince was going to appear at any moment!

The video demonstrates how fresh the 90’s decade still is, and how its styles and trends are still influencing popular culture today.

Take a look at the #3 trending video on YouTube below.

The post Mars Landing: Bruno brings finesse + 90’s appeared first on Voir Fashion.