[Saturday Spotlight] – Amore Jones, Muna, Freddy Hefner, & Ace Cosgrove

Well this is a pretty monumental moment: today is the first Saturday Spotlight of 2014! Following last week’s precedent, we will continue to be featuring more than the usual 2 artists per post, with the intentions of further helping the deserving upcomers out there. With that being said, today we have new 4 songs from 4 very talented emcees — Amore Jones, Muna, Freddy Hefner, and Ace Cosgrove. Enjoy!

Kendrick Lamar Shakes Up The Super Bowl With Bold Drake Diss And Surprise Guests

Kendrick Lamar's Super Bowl 59 halftime performance was nothing short of legendary, leaving fans buzzing with surprise cameos and bold moments that took his long-running feud with Drake to new heights. Kicking off with an unreleased song snippet and followed by “Squabble Up” from his latest album GNX, Kendrick immediately set the tone for a game-changing performance. Fans eagerly waited to see if Kendrick would play his diss track Not Like Us, especially with Drake's ongoing lawsuit against him and his label for defamation and harassment. Lamar's performance included an unexpected appearance by SZA and a quirky cameo from Serena Williams, along with Samuel L. Jackson’s comedic interruptions, all building the suspense around the Drake drama. In the middle of his performance, Kendrick turned up the heat, looking straight into the camera and directly addressing Drake with his famous lyrics, “I heard you like them young," as fans held their breath. Despite the tension, Kendrick censored himself when it came time to call Drake a "certified lover boy" and avoided saying “pedophile,” which had been widely speculated. Social media lit up with mixed reactions, with some fans mocking the performance as a "mid mashup" and others noting the intense hostility toward Drake. With the hashtag #KendrickBowl trending, it’s clear that Kendrick’s performance was a cultural moment that pushed boundaries—but has he gone too far, or is this just another chapter in hip-hop history? Only time will tell, and Drake has yet to respond.

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Amore Jones

First up is the very talented singer/song writer from Virginia (currently living in Atlanta) named Amore Jones, who kicks off his 2014 with an awesome new single titled ‘New Phase’. This will be the first of many singles that Jones plans to release in anticipation for his upcoming album, which is currently untitled. We’re also still waiting for a release date, but if Amore keeps giving us songs like this to hold us over, we’ll be okay. Stream it below and be on the look out for Amore Jones in 2014 — this guy has what it takes!

Muna

Next up is Boston emcee Muna and his 9th Wonder-produced banger ‘The Renaissance’. This new track is the first offering from Muna’s upcoming mixtape titled Black Renaissance expected out some time this year. The hook, the beautiful 9th Wonder beat, and Muna’s captivating flow has this new record on repeat in Jay Holz’s iPod. You can tell that Muna has a passionate, and positive perspective on life based on this track, and I can’t wait to hear what else he cooks up for Black Renaissance.

Freddy Hefner

Next up is the very beautiful, Los Angels R&B rapper named Freddy Hefner, who drops off her 2nd single titled ‘Dollaz’ from her upcoming project GOODLUCK2. The second that the Huss instrumental dropped, I knew I was in for a treat. Freddy has a lovely voice and she has the ability to put her personal experiences on front street for us listeners to appreciate. And not to mention she’s gorgeous. Stream ‘Dollaz’ below and check out her first single titled ‘The Come Up’ here. Freddy Hefner will be on the map in 2014 — don’t believe me, just watch! (Trinidad James voice).

Ace Cosgrove

If it hasn’t already, the music scene in the DMV is going to break through in a major way next year. We’ve already seen the likes of Wale, Logic, Fat Trel, etc. make their mark on the industry for the forgotten region, but there’s more talent out there. Another promising artist from the DMV, Maryland specifically, named Ace Cosgrove comes through with a jazzy new tune titled “Going Through It” produced by the very talented DJ Black Diamond. Don’t sleep on this one.