Choqlate Songbird drops single

Choqlate Songbird drops single

YOU TUBE: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLVT7G7Fe3ZtKZjHQZj0JC1szepfRscJFo

If you’re in need of a pick-me-up jam that will make you want to raise the roof and celebrate having a partner in life, Choqlate Songbird has you covered in his fresh track “Stay Down (By My Side),” which is available now for digital download and streaming online at CDBaby, Amazon and ReverbNation. After energizing fans in last year’s collaboration with JT on the epic “Midwest Shuffle” from JT’s release The Formula (available on Spotify), Choqlate dropped his own EP this year, Choqlate Elements, and on Elements we get to see more of the unique style that sets him apart in the hip-hop world.

Born in North Carolina, Choqlate Songbird came up through intense poverty and an ever-constant presence of racism, eventually finding his calling through his voice. Using this God-given talent, matched by an impeccable grasp of music theory, Choqlate developed his lyrical flow to create rhymes that often border on dream-like in their seamlessness. There isn’t an awkward break to be found in his style, which puts emphasis on prose as opposed to pomp. “Stay Down (By My Side),” has all the hallmarks of early 90’s classics in its funky rhythm that conjures feelings of catharsis and escape with its motion-inducing bassline and giant synths. What really makes me excited about this single, and the Choqlate Elements EP in general, is that for material that is essentially his first offering to the masses, Choqlate Songbird sounds like a studio veteran. He’s comfortable, confident, mature and settled into his sound, and like the conductor of an orchestra, he reigns over harmonies with a masterful command that takes years of discipline for most to attain.

Choqlate Songbird is currently based out of Columbus, Ohio, in the heart of the upper Midwest. There’s a lot of southern charm in his vocal, but this is still very accessible to Midwest hip-hop fans as well. Some smooth vocals from Northern California’s Tone Malone and Kaelo Ross join the party on “Stay Down” as well. When you consider the transient nature of hip-hop’s evolution since the early 2010s, the popular narrative is that scenes have lost their true identity as styles have begun to merge and create hybrids (a terrifying notion to purists). But I’d have to ask those same purists just exactly what they consider “real” hip-hop to be. Hip-hop’s rich cultural identity is one that is rooted in the blending of numerous influences, styles and sources of inspiration. Through no prism can anyone totally define art, but couldn’t you say that evolution is the very ethos of true art? Any way you want to break it down, or analyze it, Choqlate Songbird refuses to embrace any of the drama or politics that come with this business. If he continues to produce fun tracks like this one however, I can definitely see him embracing much success. Stay Down (By My Side)” is out and available now, as is Choqlate Elements. You can find out more about Choqlate Songbird and his mission on Facebook as well as his YouTube channel (CHOQLATE SONGBIRD MUZIQ).

Michael Rand