Brandon Isaac "I'm Still Healing" (EP Stream)

What we have here is the latest release from Cincinnati, Ohio's Brandon Isaac. The 4-track EP, I'm Still Healing, features some nice soulful loops and highly introspective lyrics. He shares the following message along with its release: "We all are a work in progress. Keep radiating your authentic energy. Your tribe will find you. They will do more than just validate you. They will love you and support you and you will have the energy for reciprocity. Until then. Keep Healing." Sa-Roc shared the lyrics, "Didn't believe in demons 'til I saw Pops wrestling with his..." in the song "Lay It Down", and I've been thinking about that a lot lately. We're all navigating this thing called life, making mistakes and wrestling with our demons along the way. This is a solid, albeit short, EP that reflects some of that while still moving onward. He reminds me a bit of Noveliss. Listen to the I'm Still Healing EP below...

Brandon Isaac & Free Mind "The North Star" (Album Stream)

Cincinnati's Brandon Isaac and LA producer Free Mind have released their debut collaborative album, The North Star. I was put on to the project through ScratchedVinyl, which reviewed the LP stating, "The North Star is full of contemplative, midtempo soul-sampling beats that subtly set the mood for Isaac to hop on the mic and just work through all of his thoughts and emotions. This album is for serious listeners who are willing to really spend time with an album and absorb the words and the moods of these deeply personal tales that Isaac is weaving. He’s opening up and going deep about everything from systemic racism and how that’s shaped his upbringing to some specific narratives about people in his life and the relationships he’s forged along the way to get him where he is today. It’s the type of album that you really need to listen to one-on-one, where you can really just sit with the material and let it bounce around your head for a while as you process and unpack all of the feelings this music might bring up. The North Star isn’t your typical debut album, but in working with Free Mind, Brandon Isaac was able to craft an album that will insure that anyone who gets into his music from this point will not just be a casual well-wisher. They will be a hardcore hip hop fan who appreciates the raw emotional honesty of his lyricism." Dig!