Zazu Times Two | The Audio Artist

Biomedical engineer by day, hip-hop lyricist by night; Zazu Times Two is somewhat of a musical Clark Kent. Hailing from Athens, Georgia, the 22-year old is reconstructing what we refer to as “hip-hop” through lyrical content and instrumentation. On September 10th, 2011, Zazu released his first solo album, Better Red Than Never. The album is a … Continue reading →

Artists You Should Know | Donn O’Day

 To kick off the month of March, I’d like to introduce a new artist by the name of Donn O’Day. Formerly known as “Donn the Con”, O’Day is a member of the hip-hop group, P.O.S.Ers, and the frontman for the band, We’re Not Athletes. This 20-year-old Georgia native can be best described as the swiss-army knife of music. Not … Continue reading →

Artists You Should Know | Robert Oakcliff

On February 25th, producer Robert Oakcliff released the beat project entitled, 1994. The project is a 20-track album comprised of spacey synths, smooth beat patterns and organic percussives, and can best be described as a chillwave ascent into the clouds. This album also includes a track entitled Gotta Eat with vocals provided by producer/rapper, Yung Nate, a previous C. Since interviewee. 1994 is Oakcliff’s second instrumental album. His first album, Galaxias, was a celestial community of … Continue reading →

New Year’s ReVolution

 2011 has been a big year in every aspect. From politics, to sports, to science, the world has witnessed the events that will shape history. We watched a royal wedding, the resignations of several politicians, as well as the deaths of three infamous political leaders. We endured the NBA’s five-month long lockout and spectated as NASA discontinued their thirty-year old Space … Continue reading →

LeVi Watson | A Different Type of Jedi

LeVi  LeVi Watson is an eighteen-year old emcee living in Atlanta, Georgia. Aside from playing video games, watching animes and reading mangas, LeVi is an outstanding musician. In June of 2010, he released his debut mixtape, Street Lights, a 17-track compilation which includes his self-produced instrumentals. Besides producing for his own projects, LeVi has composed for several other artists … Continue reading →

This Week in Hip-Hop| Zae Juelz + brandUn DeShay

Kicking off our Fall issue of CommonSince… are hip hop artists, Zae Juelz and brandUn DeShay. Zae Juelz ________.||._________  Zae Juelz is a seventeen year-old emcee from Atlanta, Georgia. For the past year, Mr. Juelz has been making his way through the underground music scene, opening live shows for artists like Mac Miller and performing at various venues in Atlanta. Zae is currently finishing his debut mixtape, Arizona Cans, … Continue reading →

Gary Samurai | The Hip-Hop Lemurian

_______________________________________________ Gary Samurai Southern hip-hop is typically associated with materialistic rappers and somewhat shallow lyricism. However, in the midst of the clamor, a generation of conscious emcees is evolving. Gary Samurai is one of these rappers.          Gary Samurai is a seventeen year-old emcee from Atlanta, Georgia. In December of 2010, he released his début mixtape The Way of … Continue reading →

NateKodi | It’s Kool

 Nathaniel Kodi Wa Mwenze goes by many names; NateKodi,    KodiNate, NateK, YungNate, or my personal favorite “Nater”. Hailing from Macon, Georgia, this 20 year-old is “swagging” his way into the music industry as a sound designer, producer, and rapper. Following his first two mixtapes WTF Compilation 1 & 2, NateK released I Do My Thang and in April 2011. … Continue reading →

One For The Money| BranDun DeShay

brandUn DeShay may not be a household name yet, but he’s gradually creeping into that cabinet where you keep the condiments. Hailing from the Westside of Chicago, 21 year-old BrandUn DeShay is a producer and emcee. He has worked with rappers like Curren$y, Tyler the Creator, Casey Veggies, as well as former C. Since… interviewee, Elbee Thrie. His video Why you … Continue reading →

Trade-In Tuesdays| Frank Ocean and Shepard Fairey

 Common Since… magazine was created to promote young talent and introduce readers to new musicians and artists. Trade-In Tuesdays are designed specifically for just that. We want you to (say it with me) “trade-in” whatever radio hit-mainstream media-Lil’ Wayne groans you are currently listening to, and fix your ears to some new artists. Today, we would like to introduce singer/songwriter Frank … Continue reading →