3 days after Black Futures Month, R. Flex is right on time with “Too Late” - a flirtatious R&B cut from their incredible 2nd EP FLEX WITH BENEFITS (scheduled for release April 1, 2022). Produced by emerging producers Def Starz & Zlender, the alluring track features sultry vocals from R. Flex, Congolese afrobeat-R&B singer Desiire, Canadian pop-soul singer Tafari Anthony. The song pays homage to UK garage from Craig David and Daniel Bedingfield as well as boy bands N*Sync and Blackstreet. It’s a perfect song for daydreamers who fall in love with someone new every day.

Too Late

R. Flex boldly captures the momentum of instant gratification without commitment on “4U”. The Toronto outlier deftly cruises between full bodied belting and breathy sensuality on the 160 BPM beat. Produced by Zlender (assistant mixing engineer on Drake’s “Hotline Bling”), the futuristic electro-R&B cut recalls the hyperpop work of Charli XCX while making a daring ode to sexuality by the likes of George Michael. This is electro-R&B at its fiercest. Get into it!

4U (Prod. Zlender)

DNA is a declaration of a lover’s late night commands. Produced by emerging producer Driftnote, the erotic-R&B track features the irresistible overdubs of R. Flex. Different from the typical 4/4 time signature, Flex deftly navigates a 12/8 beat with surprising rhythms cohering the moods of curiosity, sexuality & mystery. “DNA” recalls the works of Janet Jackson & Charli XCX with hints of Carly Rae Jepsen. It’s perfect for lovers looking to go deeper into each other’s dark desires.

DNA (Prod. Driftnote)

R. Flex resists the flattening of time on ONCE UPON A FLEX. Hot off the heels of their 2nd EP FLEX WITH BENEFITS, which was named one of the best soul releases of April by Bandcamp, R. Flex returns with a 2-track EP of melancholic 80’s bops. Produced by David Psutka (assistant producer on myst milano’s album SHAPESHYFTER), the EP recalls the groove of 80’s R&B while traversing more current topics like sex with men on the DL & embarassing public breakdowns. Pay close attention to their vocal performance. At the turn of a phrase, they can go from soft and understanding to tragic and downtrodden. The results are R. Flex’s most vulnerable, paranoid, and honest work to date. Their ability to navigate two time periods at once makes for a cotemporal record that reveals emotions, experiences, and events that were always already bubbling under the surface of 80’s R&B.

Hounds Of Hell

The Fog

Get to know the future of R&B: R. Flex. Named as Now Toronto’s Artist to Watch in 2022, R. Flex is scrupulously revealing their vision for 2022. Having just released their incredible second EP FLEX WITH BENEFITS, R. Flex is ready to change the shape of R&B. Simply put, R. Flex is an underground star in the making. They were one of the first artists to perform on Club Quarantine: one of the world’s biggest online dance parties to emerge at the beginning of the pandemic. Their new EP FLEX WITH BENEFITS was named one of the best soul releases of April by Bandcamp and an album you can't miss by Exclaim Magazine. Their showstopping performances have caught the eyes of Lido Pimienta, Shad, & LAL. Get ready to CHECK THE FLEX.

Inhale (Prod. Zlender)

La La Land (feat. Tafari Anthony)

Know Where

Too Late (ft. Desiire & Tafari Anthony)

lyrics by R. Flex
prod. Noise Level 
mixed by Positive Journey

Kat Cheela

lyrics by R. Flex
prod. Noise Level
mixed by Positive Journey

2689

lyrics by Norman Whitfield; Mary J. Blige; Terrance Kelly; Sean "Diddy" Combs; R. Flex
prod. Ian Doig-Phaneuf & Worldcatcher
mixed by Positive Journey

I'm Going Down Happy

Ever since I was a kid, I've loved Bobby Caldwell's "What You Won't Do For Love". I know I'm not alone. The song has been sampled by TuPac, interpolated by Aaliyah, and covered by Jessie Ware. Wanting to continue in the tradition of expanding the classics, I decided to flex out my own rendition of the song that's proven itself useful for multiple aesthetics. 

In this sense, I invite you to be both warmed and haunted by the spirit of Bobby Caldwell one more time. This is the R. Flex rendition of "What You Won't Do For Love".

Written by Bobby Caldwell with Alfons Kettner
Interpolations of Aaliyah's "Age Ain't Nothin' But A Number" and Tatyana Ali's "Boy You Knock Me Out"
Production by DJ t.u. remix
Mixed by Positive Journey

Lyrics:

I guess you wonder where I've been 
I searched to find a love within 
I came back to let you know 
Got a thing for you and I can't let go

My friends wonder what is wrong with me 
Well I´m in a daze from your love, you see 
I came back to let you know 
Got a thing for you and I can´t let go

Some people go around the world for love 
But they may never find what they dream of 

What you won´t do, do for love 
You've tried everything but you don´t give up 
In my world only you make me do 
For love what I would not do

But then I only want the best it´s true 
They can´t believe the things I do for you 

What you won´t do, do for love 
You've tried everything but you don´t give up 
In my world, only you makes me do 
For love what I would not do 
Make me do for love what I would not do

Now see:
I don't mean to be bold,
but I gotta let you know
boy, you knock me out *2

Gone Again

What You Won't Do For Love

Off the mixtape GONE AGAIN
Release date: January 27, 2017

Written and performed by R. Flex
Produced by @ZacharyGray
Mixed by Positive Journey

Containment

A Blow N Go Green Out

Written: R. Flex
Vocals: R. Flex
Production: @Zlender
Mixed, Mastered & Vocal Production: @A-Fos

https://soundcloud.com/zlender
https://soundcloud.com/afosofficial

Thursday - Single

Thursday

Serve and protect your public sex.

Written: R. Flex & @A- Fos
Produced, Mastered, & Mixed: @A-Fos

Babylonia

This is your first stop: Thursday. A room hazed in purple sounds for your deepest groove. 

Written: R. Flex
Production: @Zlender
Vocal production: @A-Fos

In & Out

This is your fifth stop: Lean. A room without walls, roof, or floor; just holes in guns.

Written: R. Flex
Production: @A-Fos

Lean

This is your second stop: In & Out. A dark room blasted by strobe lights and a thudding boom to make you move. 

Written: R. Flex & @A-Fos
Production: @A-Fos

R. Flex rocked summer '18 with pride. After performing Alterna Queer, their title track In & Out landed on the "Toronto With Pride" Spotify Playlist. To date, it's received over 2.5K streams and is the most played track from the EP. Along the way, R. Flex met with Witch Prophet collaborator, Driftnote, and is back with a remix to rock your autumn.

This is In & Out the Driftnote Remix.

Photo cred: Setti Kidane

In & Out (Driftnote Remix)

"Babylonia (Aknowlij Remix)" never loses the essence of what made the original so playful. Aknowlij's treatment is at once smooth and edgy, pulling form and content to their limit. He turns the dark and moody track into a disarming slice of dream pop that borders on surreal.  The title Babylonia is all the more subversive for it.

Babylonia (Aknowlij Remix)

[Intro]

Oh
Oh

Yeah...

[Chorus]
Tic for tac
I don't wanna toe the line anymore
Tell em that 
You'll be moving into my place
Issa pact
Bags I'll pack for you to walk through the door
eX is mad 
You'll be having Os on my face

[Verse 1]
Breaking his equivocation 
When he calls you baby
He don't mean his love
He means a child
Like he's cradling
Cribs and cars and ladies
Can't trust what he's saying
He's only got tricks within his cards
And you ain't a trick fuck that

[Pre-chorus]
Tonight I'll drive
Gonna pick you up 
We can X & O and cross
Out his moves 
It's your (uh) big move

[Chorus x2]
Tic for tac
I don't wanna toe the line anymore
Tell em that 
You'll be moving into my place
Issa pact
Bags I'll pack for you to walk through the door
eX is mad 
You'll be having Os on my face

[Bridge] 
Whoa wh-wh-wh-wh
Whoa wh-wh-wh-wh
Whoa wh-wh-wh-wh
Whoa, he won't like that
Whoa wh-wh-wh-wh
Whoa wh-wh-wh-wh
Whoa wh-wh-wh-wh
Whoa, he can taste that

Tic 4 tac
Dick him back
Tit 4 tat
X his O & O

Tic 4 tac
Dick him back
Tit 4 tat
X & O

Oh
Oh

Yeah...

[Chorus]
Tic for tac
I don't wanna toe the line anymore
Tell em that 
You'll be moving into my place
Issa pact
Bags I'll pack for you to walk through the door
eX is mad 
You'll be having Os on my face

[Outro]
I said yeah
I said yeah
I said yeah
I said yeah

Tic 4 Tac

Download

Jamie Kidd, DJ and 1/2 of the spectacular disco band Tush, remixed tf out of my fave song "Babylonia." Imho, it's the best song I've ever written and to hear it remixed into an industrial goth techno song makes my inner raver wanna party till 5am. Buy it, play it, share it with your friends and frisk and stop and get consent! CHECK THE FLEX!

Jamie Kidd Remix

Babylonia (Jamie Kidd Remix)

Vocals by R.Flex
Lyrics by R. Flex and James Baley
Production by Eytan Tobin
Mixed and Mastered by Hudson Alexander
Photo & Design by Brianna Roye
Out March 5th, 2021

Na na na 
Everytime you see me it's like
Ya ya ya
I've been keeping busy with that 
La la la
Now it's time you give me all this
Na na n-na na oh oh 

Na na na 
Everytime you see me it's like
Ya ya ya
I've been keeping busy with that 
La la la
Now it's time you give me all this 
Na na n-na na 

You're touching my nips 
Twist em slowly 
You're kissing my neck 
but I ain't saying no 
It pains me so much 
Cause you know me 
I'm falling from grace 
Now I'm back on the floor 

Na na na 
Everytime you see me it's like
Ya ya ya
I've been keeping busy with that 
La la la
Now it's time you give me all this
Na na na na oh oh 

Na na na (Na na-ah) 
Everytime you see me it's like
Ya ya ya (ya ya-ah) 
I've been keeping busy with that 
La la la (La la ah) 
Now it's time you give me all this 
Na na n-na na (Na na na) 

Excuse me? 
Beg your pardon? 
It's a problem when 
you're teasing me. Full stop. 
What you want with 
With my body 
I can't take no more
Cause it's 4 P.M.
You're going home again 
You're going back to him 
Can't let you 
And yet you wanna be free 
Want you free with me 
But you lock me up 
Every time you leave 

Na na na (Na na na) 
Everytime you see me it's like 
(Everytime you see me) 
Ya ya ya
I've been keeping busy with that 
La la la
Now it's time you give me all this 
(You give me oh) 
Na na n-na na oh oh 

Na na na (Ooo) 
Uh-uh oh
Na na na 
Uh-uh oh
Na na na 
This na na 
This na na 
Oh

Na Na Na

Canadian artist R. Flex returns with ONCE UPON A FLEX. In collaboration with multi-disciplinary producer David Psutka (ACT!, Egyptrixx, Anamai), the 2-track EP recalls the melancholic grooves of 80’s R&B. 

R. Flex’s vocal performances are deftly evocative. At the turn of a phrase, they flit from soft and understanding to tragic and downtrodden. The result is their most vulnerable, paranoid, and honest work to date. Their ability to navigate 80’s R&B while traversing topics like sex with downlow men & public breakdowns, makes for a cotemporal record that reveals queer emotions, experiences, and events that were always bubbling under the surface of 80’s R&B.

R. Flex

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