This edition of Mass Music Radio's Artist Spotlight Series highlights Roxbury native, Kleo, who just recently dropped a new album titled '1000 Year Grief'. I spoke with him about what his perception of the music scene in Massachusetts is, what it's like to create alongside one's friends, and some good ol' fashioned wrestling! Tune into Mass Music Radio to listen to more local artists!

MASS MUSIC RADIO

ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: KLEO

From Senegal to Massachusetts to, finally, Los Angeles, California — Caliph has seen a lot in life. Immigrating to the United States at the age of 5, Caliph was forced to mature much faster than the majority of the world’s youth. Early on in life, he felt a connection to the state of Massachusetts, one that stems largely from the presence of similar ethnic groups to his that were, and are, prevalent within Massachusetts. As he continued to both mature and develop, Caliph soon realized the passion that was within him for music. Fast forward to 2021, and Caliph is fresh off of the release of his ‘Immigrant of the Year’ album, as he is finally able to tell his story without having to worry about facing legal troubles from doing so. I was blessed with the opportunity to speak with Caliph not just about ‘Immigrant of the Year’, but about what his life was like growing up as an immigrant in Massachusetts, what it’s like to foster relationships with the artists in one’s community, and how he’s going about providing safe spaces for black immigrants through his nonprofit - SAFE. 

I’m your host Shamus Hill, and this is Mass Music Radio’s Artist Spotlight!

ARTIST SPOTLIGHT

Artist Spotlight: Caliph

Bowe Show Season 2

The Bowe Show (12/1) Boo Thang Mix

Good Morning, and welcome back to the Mass Music Morning Show! This is your boy DJFAMOUSHAMUS, and you’ve been listening to the Mass Music Minute! 

To begin today’s episode of the morning show, we played a pairing of songs that comes off of Luke Bar$ and Jiles’ 2019 EP - 2 Sides. The first song we played this morning was titled “Collard Green” and the second was titled “Sometimes”. 2 Sides served as my first true exposure to Luke Bar$ and Jiles’ artistry. While I had listened to singles of theirs upon the release of this project, 2 Sides exemplified the extraordinary artistic capabilities that these two Brockton native’s possess. Since the EP’s release in 2019, it’s aged exceptionally well — proving that even when the dust settles, those within Van Buren Record really know how to make music that lasts. 

My favorite aspect of both Luke Bar$ and Jiles’ artistry is how unafraid they are of the truth. They never shy away from speaking on their real life experiences in their music, something that I firmly believe has helped draw so many listeners toward their direction. For those of you who have been bumping GoodEvil throughout the entirety of this pandemic, I strongly recommend listening to 2 Sides as soon as possible. 

Thank you for tuning into the Mass Music Minute, and up next we have some more of the Mass Music Morning Show coming your way! But first, we have a quick word from our sponsor.