This past May 26th, live at Zanzibar in Santa Monica, CA, where we host the vibrant Sunday Night #SOUNDSTAGE in conjunction with our fam-bam from Project LIVE and Nu-Soul Magazine, the westside was all lit up with the sounds of tomorrow.
We pride ourselves in showing love and doing our best to shine a light on some of this generation’s brightest up & coming artists, and we feel we achieved just that with this last jamboree.
In front of one of the most packed houses we’ve had to date at #SOUNDSTAGELA, the stage was blessed with the some of the most forward-moving producers, rappers, and instrumentalists on the come-up.
Soulection, the online beat label currently taking over the globe via the internet with their niche sound of soul, r&b, trap, and house (among other influences) all laced into one luscious melting pot, was very much in the house. Artists from their roster such as NiceGuyxVinny, Like of Pac Div, and the headliners of the night, Sango & Waldo, all came to lace us with the “The Sound of Tomorrow” as their collective’s slogan goes.
We were also blessed by performances from rising raptress G.L.A.M. and multi-instrumentalist, singer, and rapper, Anderson Paak.
The night began with the love odyssey-esque soundscapes of Soulection producer NiceGuyxVinny, straight out of the LBC (Long Beach, California, for those foreign), who laced the early-birds with ethereal, bass-dripped, and juke-tinged instrumentals from his latest effort, VISTA. One of the more quiet producers on the Soulection squad, he is one to keep an eye out for, as he is due to quickly rise.
Young raptress G.L.A.M. was next to hit the stage, dishing out doses of her deluxe and glamor-dipped rhyme schemes highlighting the high life and other things. She’s one to watch out for.
Multi-instrumentalist, rapper, and singer, Anderson Paak, along with his two-man band, The Free Nationals, delivered a powerful and show-stopping set, colliding the worlds of hip hop, soul, R&B, and the blossoming beat-movement into an awe-inspiring showcase of the talent and presence of a legendary musician in the making. If D’Angelo was in the audience, he would’ve said encore.
Next was someone who needed no introduction to the Los Angeles scene and one of the newest additions to the Soulection roster: Like (of LA rap group, Pac Div). He delivered a truly headnod-ic beat set tinged with the sounds jazz, boom bap, and other grooves which pulled the crowd into a dreamy lull and showcased how he has begun to step into the limelight as a brilliant and distinct producer, aside from a respected LA rhyme-kicker.
As if all that wasn’t enough dopeness, the headliners of the night, rapper Waldo and the widely-praised producer Sango then came to rock stage and give us the final performance of their FINALLY Tour.
Waldo delivered just what he’s become known for: the introspective and soul-bouncy rhymes of a young kid on the rise, living the highs and the lows of all that comes with it, atop danceable, soul, electro & trap-infused beats provided by his brethren Sango. He and Sango’s crew, AGO, have become one of the most watched-for collectives on the internet throughout the past year.
Sango ended the night with a showcase of the electro-soul and brazilian baile funk-infused headbangers he’s continued to garner worldwide accolades for via the Soulection camp and other outlets. Throughout his set, a room full of jumping people was the common response for each drop.
It was quite a night and the vibes were right.
If you weren’t in attendance, we wish you were with us.
We invite you to join us next time. Continue to check in with us so you get the updates for each of our upcoming events and shows.
Stay ILL.
All photos shot by Tatsu
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