RDGLDGRN

After a brief hiatius, RDGLDGRN (pronounced RED GOLD GREEN) is back and gearing up for the release of their second EP. Slated for release in Fall 2015, the band leaked their first single, “No Pixar,” to kick off the summer early. Amassing over 100,000 streams in 48 hours—the song received resounding feedback from critics and fans alike, and signals an ambitious progression in the band’s sound. The video to their follow up track “Runnin Away,” also met with glowing reviews and gave new fans a view into the band’s energetic live show and eager fanbase.

With a distinctive go-go drumbeat native to Washington D.C. serving as the backbone to the band’s sound, RDGLDGRN represents the best of the city’s musical heritage: influenced by punk, hip-hop, jazz, indie rock, and soul. The result is a trio that could be the lovechild of The Neptunes and Arcade Fire—excelling as a live indie band and as a hip-hop group and production trio. To put it simply, this band, while deeply rooted in D.C.’s sonic landscape, also manages to transcend it.

RDGLDGRN initially gained widespread recognition after self-releasing the song, “I Love Lamp,” on YouTube, a song that landed them in the studio with Dave Grohl and Pharrell Williams, with whom they collaborated on their debut album, RDGLDGRN LP. Williams co-wrote and co-produced the standout track “Doing the Most,” which showcases the breadth of the group’s capabilities and their willingness to defy convention.

However, while the singularity of their music demands attention, it is their live performance that has boosted the band’s reputation and built them a diverse and loyal following. The band’s ability to engage with their audience—combining audience participation and irreverent ad-libs and mash-ups to accompany their high-energy performances—has established RDGLDGRN as a must-see live act, sharing stages alongside Outkast, The Killers, The Foo Fighters, 311, Lauryn Hill, Talib Kweli, and AWOLNation. With each performance, RDGLDGRN delivers the kind of energy that could jump-start a stadium, as they did opening for (Foo Fighters July show), with the kind of audience connection one would expect at a private club.

With their upcoming sophomore EP, RDGLDGRN promises an evolution in their sound, as the group fuses its genre-bending musicality with a sly wit, honesty, and truly global worldview. In “No Pixar,” the group confronts the trials of forging their own path and establishing their own sense of identity and morality—a move that not only has The Source calling them “the rap game’s Disney,” but signals the band’s willingness to step into the void. Not content to be the product of their myriad influences, RDGLDGRN continues to stake their claim as the new musical vanguard.

DUCKWRTH

Over the last five years, LA-based wunderkind Duckwrth has quickly risen up the ranks as a promising star of the future of music. His collection of critically acclaimed projects including Nowhere (2015,) I’m Uugly (2016), Xtra Uugly (2017) and The Falling Man EP (2019), have transcended streaming platforms and landed in films, TV series, and brand ad campaigns and have received critical acclaim from a vast amount of outlets including NPR, The FADER, Complex, XXL and more. This accumulation has led the rapper to become an international touring staple, headlining shows globally and performing at Austin City Limits and opening for superstars Billie Eilish and Anderson .Paak. Duckwrth’s music has appeared on shows like CW’s All American, HBO’s Insecure and Real Time with Bill Maher and his song “Start A Riot” was featured on the Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse soundtrack. His music has appeared in campaigns for the likes of Cadillac, Microsoft, Peloton, Amazon and Apple Music, and he’s worked with fashion legacies like Levi’s, Vans and Fila, as well as high fashion men’s suit designer Paul Smith.

BONELANG

Samy.Language x Matt Bones

RIC WILSON

Ric Wilson is a 20 year old black self-proclaimed Artist and Prison Abolitionist from the South-side of Chicago, is also 1/2 of Chicago Rap Duo “Fuck Yo Institution”. On November 24th Ric Dropped “The Sun Was Out” EP In the words of Ric ” Theres a moment In life when you find yourself naked on a porch and everything you thought you were before is stripped off of you and can either stay and freeze on the porch naked or walk off the porch as your new self. This is my walk.” He describes his still as “jazzy soulful with modern elements, such as 808s”. Ric also, is one of the 8 delegates chosen to travel to Geneva, Switzerland in November of 2014 representing the We Charge Genocide coalition. They successfully presented a shadow report and testified at the United Nations, charging the Chicago Police Department with genocide and torture actions on black and brown youth within the city of Chicago. Along with Headlining Promontory, Northwestern University, Ric has also been featured on sites such as Ebony, The Source,HipHopDx, BET, Sprite, FakeShoreDrive, Pigeons & Planes, OkayPlayer,NBC and more.