This is a song about an independent artist’s quest, successes, and hardships in the hip-hop industry. It highlights the fine line independent artists walk between remaining independent vs. joining the mainstream music industry and outlines the struggles that independent hip-hop artists face. Unkonfined and Equipto stress the importance of avoiding the temptations of selling your soul for the promise of bright lights and fame.

They also discuss the cultural aspects and attributes specific to that of a Bay Area rapper and their hometowns of San Francisco, CA and San Jose, CA. The track features Equipto (Ilyich Sato). Equipto is a legendary Bay Area rapper from San Francisco with a catalog of music that runs deep and who is most famously known for all of the music and tours he did with the legendary Andre Nickatina.

He’s also a social activist who’s dedicated his life to bringing awareness to issues like police murdering innocent black and brown men/women, the crisis in Palestine, and also bringing to light many of the corrupt actions of politicians across the bay, the state, the country, and the world. He is one of the Frisco Five who famously went on a hunger strike outside of SF City Hall back in April of 2016 in San Francisco demanding the SFPD police chief to step down amidst a slew of recent SFPD killings of innocent black/brown men and women.

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/track/3x8VB8foPA0Wjd5iVNhL71?si=E6NLb3MiTmG_sl7X4bCyww&dl_branch=1
Apple Music: http://itunes.apple.com/album/id/1584315354
iTunes Music Store: http://itunes.apple.com/album/id1584315354?ls=1&app=itunes
Twitter: www.twitter.com/unkonfined
Instagram: www.instagram.com/unkonfined

During times of difficulty, we can always learn to appreciate people that produce art and music and bring joy to our lives. The Coronavirus has caused havoc across the world ever since its inception, and sadly enough, not much has changed. People have been feeling demoralized, and the morale has been low as humanity fights this disease together. Careers and jobs have been difficult to carry on with, and people pursuing creative endeavors have it worse because only so much creativity can come out of a four-walled room. 

YOUNGMAN was spawned during conversations with the late MF DOOM and is the alter ego of MC Paul Barman. While the producer, Celestaphone, is from California. Celestaphone and Paul started collaborating in 2019, which finally resulted in their new album, A YEAR OF OCTOBERS. This is an album that mixes two genres, punk, and hip-hop, to create something incredible. A YEAR OF OCTOBERS is destined to drive in many fans for this amazing duo. 

Paul Barman, via none other than his hop-hop lyrics, is known to have invented a word that actually is in the Oxford English Dictionary. The legendary MF DOOM and MC Paul Barman have collaborated together on multiple occasions, 

YOUNGMAN’s debuts album, A YEAR OF OCTOBERS, is end to end produced by Celestaphone, another brilliant collaboration. The album, along with its unique mix, was also very unique in its making. Unlike most studio albums, A YEAR OF OCTOBERS was mostly recorded in non-studio locations. This was just one of the hardships the team faced due to the unsteady situation and growing Covid-19 restrictions. 

Despite any hardships, YOUNGMAN and Celestaphone did not give up. They stuck to their passion and made an incredible album while operating in the most unusual circumstances. They both, however, agree that the distance in communication caused by Covid-19 regulation caused problems for them, resulting in them putting in a lot of extra time and effort to produce the results they wanted. 

However difficult the times may have been, this iconic rapper-producer duo came out of the dust and together made an album that is sure to make its mark. When talking about advice, YOUNGMAN and Celestaphone said that great art can be a healer during times of turmoil and uncertainty. They were speaking from experience and might even be referring to their difficult time producing A YEAR OF OCTOBERS. 

These two have come out and presented the world with their art, and they hope to attract new people and a fresh audience to listen to their music, and they have plans for more music. In a rather dark, gloomy time brought upon by the pandemic, it’s always a breath of fresh air when someone uses their creativity to bring us something we can truly enjoy. YOUNGMAN and Celestaphone have done exactly that.

Christian Rapper “DEON” is not the average 21-year-old. Growing up in Gwinnett County, Ga DEON has added to the great list of talent coming from that Northern Georgia area. DEON has recently started his own record label “Love Mercy Music Group” and has put the entire Christian Rap Genre on notice.

DEON is an artist that has had strong mentors in his life to show him the ropes in the music industry early on, he credits his parents for instilling a sense of ownership in his heart which has driven him to be a BOSS! DEON says that “the purpose of ownership is to not only build generational wealth but to never let another man tell me what I can and cannot do, it’s not prideful I just like ownership because that’s something no one can take from you”. Big words from a 21-year-old but he’s proven himself time and time again.

Follow DEON @wayofdeon on all social media outlets.

The music industry is ever-growing, and new talents are constantly making their way onto the scene. The latest to establish his spot in the fiercely competitive industry is rising star Gio Franklin. His versatility and uniqueness as an artist have seen him become a household name, and many labels his music as the next big thing.

Gio is a singer/songwriter popularly known for his G-STAR album, released in 2019. He has also recently released G-STAR 2 earlier this year, which is a follow-up to the initial album.

Coming from a rich music background, Gio started nurturing his musical talent at a young age, and by age 15, he released his first song, which went on to gain over 1M streams on Soundcloud. The grand reception from his ever-growing fan base motivated Gio to release more music, and it was then he started working on the 13 track R&B/hip-hop album.

Gio’s broad understanding of various genres is part of what makes his music stand out. Gio does not confine his sound to one genre and creates music around hip-hop, rap, country, EDM, and pop. By exploring different genres, he not only gets to expand his talent but to equally create music that the audience can relate to.

According to Gio, music inspires him to keep moving even amidst challenges. He says music has always been there for him and helped him through the many tragedies he has experienced in his life. With every song, Gio aims to create music that inspires and brings out the best in everyone who listens to it. Just like music has been his second home and has helped him through difficult times, his goal is to create music that all can understand.

To the LA-based superstar, the studio is one of his best places. Drawing his inspiration from his surroundings, Gio creates lasting memories with his timeless songs. His talent has been noticed by some of the big names in the industry, including Adam Quinn, CEO of Apex Records, whom Gio terms as his number one mentor. Moving to LA, Adam was among the first to realize the young talent and took him under his wing; in fact, Gio notes in his recently dropped album G-STAR 2 Adam has been of great help showing him how to get it done. He is also working with celebrity vocal coach Nick Cooper on one of his future projects.

Although relatively new to the music industry, Gio would easily be mistaken for a veteran. His unique vocal range and sound is reshaping the music industry. As he continues to flourish, the only way for the singer and songwriter is up. Asked about the future, Gio Franklin is aiming for the top.

“I see multiple Grammys in multiple genres and maybe a few Oscars,” says Gio. He also hopes to one day own a music label or talent agency. The music industry is competitive, making it hard for upcoming talent to penetrate the industry; this has seen the industry lose some highly talented musicians as they did not have someone to hold their hand.