Every so often, we make sure to comb back through the daily releases and find some that spark something here at Mild Sauce. While we have pushed our coverage of singles to our nightly radio show on Mild Sauce Radio (8 PM CST, here), we have however continued to offer some commentary and direction when it comes to the visual representations of the tracks. This time around, we rounded up some of our favorites to hit the internet and beyond in the last couple of weeks, including new work from the likes of Queen Key, Loren, Chris $pencer & more. Check it all out below and keep it locked to Mild Sauce for more.
Queen Key • “Pass My Blunt” (Ft. Valee”)
Being around Mild Sauce’s home, Queen Key is a face we see often and here she arrives with an inspired track that gives a peek into what she’s been working on with no less than Chicago’s latest high-riser, Valee. Partially shot in and around our own stomping grounds, the piece is one we had to give a little extra attention to. Moral of the story here? Queen Key’s keeping personals on deck and the accompanying video serves as an underlining of that sentiment as her and Valee deliver bars in a series of scenes around Lacuna Artist Lofts.
Backwoods Jones • “With You”
It’s been a minute since longtime hometown artist YP (aka Backwood Jones) has found a steady groove, but that hiatus seems to be coming to an end as the Chicago rapper returns once again in a short period of time, this time offering up some wonderfully-color-blocked imagery for his latest single, “With You”. This one, shot by APJ Films proves both the artist and the director’s growth that has been developing for years, incubating on the local scene. Here, we get a decidedly colorful affair that makes listening to the track while illustrated even more appeal. Backwood Jones is coming heavily branded here as well and flips a sampling of Lil Kim & Biggie’s “Crush On You” into a fun, newfound single just in time for cuffing season.
Loren • “Line Boomin”
A few weeks back we met up with Chicago rapper Loren (formerly, Logan) as he dropped his latest project, Fake Deep. In that interview, the southwest-side native talked often about proving himself as a real one amongst seas of Soundcloud clout and internet celebrity. With that as his premise, he’s dived into the next foray, titled Floody Trap that sees the 21-year-old taking on the kind of beats that have vaulted less-seasoned acts into the limelight, albeit with a style all his own. The visual itself serves to continue to establish the day to day for one of the city’s more authentic young rhyme spitters and backs up at least one of the early couplets on the single: “I’m not at the beach/I’m in the trap”. It’s been fun to see Loren get more introspective and open up about his own personal story and here we get a peek into the storyline without the cheap theatrics of the southeast part of the country. Get in tune below.
Ambi Lyrics • “Miss Me”(Ft. theMind)
Ambi Lyrics is fast becoming one of my personal favorite from Chicago. Whether alongside L.A. Van Gogh as safeNsound, or on her own, Ambi is proving to be a unique act that can tackle just about any mood or idea. Here, she teams up with none other than theMind for a brooding visual that plays off the use of color and light in interesting ways while illustrating the overall sentiment of the single itself. Ambi’s work often deal in motifs of real life and here we get a peek into the studio over at Classick complete with cameos from PIVOTGang members MFN Melo and Squeak as well as engineer L10. A truly cinematic experience here, we follow theMind through a dream sequence as he ruminates through his understandings in his uniquely conversational delivery. Its a discovery of the hook and a walk through the mind of, well, theMind aided by the ultra-talented Ambi Lyrics. It’s deep. Check it out below.
Chris $pencer • “Trill Loop God”
Chris Crack and Vic Spencer are back once again with a new visual for “Trill Loop God” and it feels like the pair have found a renewed juice heading into 2018, finding themselves back in the regular weekly news cycle with some offerings that place this one in exciting territory. Perhaps its the tale of the times, but dark scenery and black and white motifs have come about with added frequency as of late. Call it the political climate or the general greyness that descends on the city every year, but Chris & Vic channel it well with this one.
Frank Leone • “Scary Gary”
Frank Leone never disappoints. Dude seems to throw his all into each and every creation, creating works that have found him plenty of notice across the country from his humble home in central Illinois. He’s since broken out of his longtime stomping grounds and has seemingly found some new inspiration for his art that manifests itself here in a truly interesting way for a video, “Scary Gary”.