[Saturday Spotlight] TwonDon + ZZ

Welcome back to another edition of Saturday Spotlight. Each week we review submissions from all over the globe, picking the best out of the batch to highlight at the end of the week. If you’re an aspiring rapper, a producer wanting to create a buzz, or a singer looking to expose their talent, Saturday Spotlight is dedicated to discovering the next star. This week, we received over 35 unique submissions, below are the two picks!

Whether it’s your latest single or a new beat you made, all upcoming artists can submit music to us for Saturday Spotlight on this link.

TwonDon

Hailing from Brooklyn, NYC, TwonDon‘s artistry can be defined both by the honesty of his lyrics and his exemplary taste in beats. His latest track ‘Prize Fighter’, featuring talented New York rapper Rob Markman, is an uplifting song about rising above external doubt. In the first verse, TwonDon lays the foundation of the story, using witty bars that display his lyrical prowess, silencing any skeptics: “A canvas couldn’t stand this I’m way too heavy for easels/So get your brushes out, tell me what the poutin’ ‘bout/It’s cause you want me piss poor it’s more to what you crying ‘bout/Humbled I rhymed about the shit that was tragic and blew past it”.

Rob Markman assists on the track — and although he’s known for his work with Genius, MTV, and Amazon Music, his hand in the music industry goes beyond media. Looking through his extensive catalogue, Rob Markman is indisputably one of the best spitters in the industry. With stellar projects like ‘Write To Dream’, ‘It’s Too Late at the Wake’, and ‘If You Don’t You’ll Regret It’, the artist has consistently displayed a high level of complex songwriting, fit to be broken down bar by bar.

The feature of both artists on ‘Prize Fighter’ is a perfect fit — Markman anchors the track and assists TwonDon on the hook, a nice addition considering the latter’s bar ‘With Rob I don’t miss, he set the play I caught the assist’. Markman’s verse plays on the theme of rising above doubt and keeping your eye on the prize — but with a twist on the pitfalls that come with it: “A toast to the smartest in the room/Who gotta dumb it down for those hard to stay in tune/I’m talkin’ bout growth but it’s hard to stay in bloom/And get the flowers from ya sons every Father’s Day in June”.

ZZ

Hailing from India, ZZ‘s sound can be described as Afrobeats with his choice of instrumentals — but his vocals have a distinctly dancehall-trap feel to it. In fact, one may be tempted to throw away the concept of genres altogether when listening to an artist so impossible to describe. XO being the latest release of the artist’s extensive discography, the song is a sultry, up-beat display of lighthearted songwriting that prioritizes vibe above over-thinking the message.

The track begins with ZZ talking about the nuisance of a nagging woman, leading into a hook that symbolizes the need to get away and escape pressure and obligation: ‘Baby are you down, take it down to the West side/Girl I’m getting stressed out, yeah”. All in all, the song is a sure hit and would not be out of place playing at clubs across the world.

Listen to XO below.

– by Nadine & Navjosh

Through our artist discovery platform Saturday Spotlight, we have discovered some amazing talent in the past including Russ, Ty Dolla Sign, Mez, IDK, Victoria Monét and Trap Beckham to name just a few. In most cases, coverage on HHNM was their first look among media outlets. Find the submission guidelines here.