ATSIC s04e11 - Gems
While chopping it up with Gritfall last week on #FlyInFormation, I brought up a cliché about how great lyricists can take seemingly negative content and still lace songs with nuggets of wisdom. Those gems are what I'm always searching for on #ATSIC.
This week, my playlist is all about the chill. I've been curating a collection of tracks that can't be played back-to-back with something upbeat or bouncy, nor can they segue into hardcore boom bap that makes you want to throw hands. This is a 57 minute mix of trap and true school joints. All corners of the culture in attendance. Everything is a single, but they gel. What ties them all together are the lyrics and the substance, and the mellow. Every track has lines that needed to be spoken. And the vibe is immaculate. It's perfect for chilling on the patio, hitting the beach, or going for a cruise. This one needs some breathing room.
My vote for Best Bar this episode goes to Daniel Son's "Chef Workin": "Skin popper, watch the needle slide, but who they gonna follow when the leaders died?"
Most of the tracks on this playlist are fresh from the past couple of weeks. Check out the playlist below. And if you're curious, I'll also share the "Making of" stream below this in the post. Now, let me be clear, I don't do those live streams to show off my mad skills or drop deep knowledge. It's more about hanging out with whoever shows up in the Twitch chat on Tuesdays and having some laughs while I program the episodes. I figured since I'm just chilling anyway, I might as well convince some of the "stay at homies" to come through and vibe with me.
Come hang out on Twitch, I’m online often, making episodes, talking to artists, working on my own songs, or gaming. Hit Follow or Subscribe if you really wanna show love.
Just like Spesh K emphasizes on the final track of the mix, let's give flowers to the artists while they're here to receive them. Shout out to Nore and EFN for the inspiration. Show love to the artists whose music you enjoy. Cop their merch, buy their albums—digital or physical. Even spending 99 cents on a single can go a long way in motivating an artist to keep creating. The mainstream millionaires and labels don't need your extra cash; feel free to stream their stuff for free. Instead, let's focus on supporting indie artists and local talent. Buy from Bandcamp, it gives artists the biggest cut, especially on the first Friday each month.
And it's not just about supporting musicians, but also independent podcasts and creators. The online world has the potential to either become another corporate cesspool like TV or a marketplace that democratizes content and uplifts creators who genuinely care about producing art. CBC should be championing Hip Hop culture all across Canada as hard as it can, considering it has been the highest-selling genre for the past 30 years and we have talent everywhere. Yet, here we are. Independent. I do it because I love the culture and because artists need our support. And because someone should be doing it. Probably someone better at it than me, but again, here we are. Be the change we want to see and back up what we believe in.
Oh, and one more thing that means a lot—tell a friend. Spread the word and let others know about the show if you think they’d be into it. Word of mouth is a powerful force in building support and exposure.
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Appreciate yall.
Stay up.
