[Saturday Spotlight] Tayyib Ali + Von Tae

Following a couple of weeks of hiatus, 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 40 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.

Tayyib Ali

Lyricist Tayyib Ali reminds listeners of the core of hip-hop with his latest track ‘Stuck in the System’, created in collaboration with Dutch group Golvendans. With heavy political messaging sweetened by the band’s vintage sound and Ali’s easy-going flow, ‘Stuck in the System’ tells a story of battling oppression, spoken for voices silenced by various systems in our society. With potent bars like “Stuck in the system since birth, I done rose from the dirt, when they’re mad at who did it first”, Ali both challenges those who are comfortable within the system, while inspiring those who want to get out, too.

Von Tae

Hailing from Maryland, Hiphop/R&B recording artist Von Tae‘s last project ‘Note to Self’ came in the summer of 2021, following his politically charged single, “Contagious”. Now, the versatile lyricist dropped a heartfelt and aggressive new EP “On God: Single & Remixes”. The lead single and title track ‘On God’ is Von Tae’s deep dive into faith and coming out stronger from his struggles — a determination to succeed despite the odds. With a bouncy flow that captures the listener’s attention immediately and a controlled vocal tone, Von Tae’s talent as a rising artist is surely one to watch.