Animal Arithmetic (AA) is an end-times story - a call to introspection - in the form of manga, animation, and Jazz-Hop. Animal Arithmetics creator, Queens native, Kenya “KDFoxx” Danino is an illustrator, writer, and former mentee of acclaimed storytellers Peter De Seve, Terryl Whitlatch, Thomas Astruc, and Hiroyuki Asada. When the time came to produce the soundtrack for AA, KDFoxx teamed up with veteran Maryland, MC/Producer, and 2x Hollywood Music in Media nominee, Substantial, known for his work with Nujabes, PUBG Mobile, Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, and Arknights. The result is soulful, mostly jazz and funk-infused Hip-Hop instrumental soundscape featuring live instrumentation by Jonathan Smalls, Malcolm Jackson, Marukabis, Marcus D, and Mason Lieberman. The album also features vocal guest appearances from EyeQ, MLLN, and of course Substantial along with voice-over actors Ashley, Christen, Binks, Daniel Acosta, Farah Naz Rishi, Hunter Scott, Noell Webber, and Rachelle Etienne-Robinson.

​​Animal Arithmetic (Volume 1) releases in Winter 2021 on all digital streaming platforms along with a limited edition vinyl release.

Animal Arithmetic, Vol. 1

A Different Beast feat. Marcus D

5 beats from the past few weeks, tracked out live

whereisit

It’s Different Now (feat. Childish Gambino, Daniel Caesar, & Billie Eilish)

From 'Always' [EP]

Lyrics

HOOK 
Maryland, yall got me cuz (Yeah!) 
Sub & The Stuy come rock with us (Yeah!) 
DC, yall got me cuz (Yeah!) 
HiPNOTT in the spot come rock w/ us (Yeah!) 
Eh, VA yall got me cuz (Yeah!) 
You know this joint ji crank come rock with us (Yeah!) 
Worldwide get live with us (Yeah!) 
Turn the volume way up come rock with us (Yeah!) 

VERSE 1 
Can't end before it begins 
No one does it alone and we too old to play pretend 
This is for my supporters fans family and friends 
Wifey for sticking by me like we was Siamese twins 
Last line was generic, my status ain’t that’s apparent 
Came up on the low like I be shopping in clearance 
And I do, ‘cause my biz more important than my appearance 
Shouldn’t judge by the cover but you can tell this shit serious! 
The past is always present in the future!!! 
I ain’t going nowhere but up 
Was naming your favorite rapper ‘fore you was lookin’em up 
Advising some legends ‘fore you acknowledge my presence 
Marathoning these sprinters while minimizing my effort 
Maximizing my gains a rapper thats gots some brains 
Flew my family out the country for $200 and some change 
I be stacking them miles I’m frequently on them fliers 
When you stay above the clouds it’s easy to take it higher 
Lets go... go... go... go... go... eh! 
Battle tested and approved 
Yall were bodied in your party, asphyxiated your crew 
Kinda shit we use do when dudes battled over rhythms 
Beatbox, lunch table or a trash radio system 
Handclaps, DJ... but eventually I moved on 
‘Cause unlike bammas nowadays I make pretty good songs 
I never shuck and jive for muthaphucas live 
I make the type of music that help people reconstruct their lives 
I know yall love right, so keep it on repeat... 
Still climbing like I don’t know a peak 
Flowing like you disabled, you sounding like you don’t know a beat 
Rockin the ark when paired with loops dirtier than Noah’s feet 
Couldn’t pay’em to notice me, now they pay ‘cause they know it’s me 
Heads turning like rotaries, knowin’ he's awesome totally 
Exes who still ain’t over me realigning their ovaries 
Respected globally, now they lovin me locally 
Urban legend, surely reppin MD you better know it, we here! 

BRIDGE (Wayna) 
How lucky to be 
Apart of legacy 
Now you can come with me 
And we could be... 
Legendary! 

VERSE 2 
These songs are one part of my legacy 
But time will tell what will come from these youngins that met me
Tan, yellow, white, red, ebony, armed with verbal weaponry 
Topple obstacles that stand between them and destiny 
Haters, fakers and shottas, light takers and coppers 
Who wanna eff up your chakras but don’t let none of that stop ya
Gotcha... 
Live our dreams while we’re awake now that’s the mantra 
When you carried the weight remember who was there to spot ya! 
(Keep pushing… from the top!) 

HOOK 
Wayna, you got me cuz (Yeah!) 
I appreciate you, Queen for rocking with us (Yeah!) 
Kokayi, you got me cuz (Yeah!) 
My brother from another mother be rockin’ w/ us (Yeah!) 
QN5, yall got me cuz (Yeah!) 
Still holding me down, they rockin’ with us (Yeah!) 
Worldwide get live with us (Yeah!) 
Let The Stuy take us home come ride with us! (Yeah!)

Lasting Impression (ft. Wayna) [Produced by Algorythm of The Stuyvesants]

From 'Always' [EP]

Lyrics

HOOK 
(Sample) 
If all these rappers are bossman 
All these rappers are bossman 
All these rappers are bossman 
All these rappers are bossman 
Tell me (Sample) Who doing the work? 
Tell me (Sample) Who doing the work? 
Tell me (Sample) Who doing the work? 
Tell me (Sample) Who doing the work? 

VERSE 1 (Substantial) 
Yall some underachievers, 
You’ll never be a boss or leader 
Competitor you’re hardly that either 
You’ll never be as hard as us creatures 
You’re messin with Gods of the speakers 
They sayin Oh My God he’s a genius 
How you gonna ball from the bleachers... 
Where I’m from they call that shit leachin’ 
Nobody working harder we beastin, 
This shit’ll put a pause on your breathing 
Somebody stick a folk in’em please and... 
Tell’em bring the coffin he’s leavin 
Can’t tell if he was coughing or queefin 
Ain’t built for this boy you’re a fetus 
Rippin’ shit apart at our event 
Like a bawse and applause isn’t need 
‘Cause we working day and night, on the low 
So it’s hard to stay in sight but you know that 
Behind the scenes, that I guide my team to realize our dreams and ignite 
The f-f-fire, desire climbing higher and higher 
I was rich even prior to turning sires to buyers 
You’s a customer not owner, 
Just a rustler not loaner 
Hold up, better own up, for you roll up 
And you get exposed as just a poser 
You’s a fraud, baby you ready or nah, 
We can see through the facade 
We goin hard, from our backyard to abroad 
On our job wherever we are! 

HOOK 

VERSE 2 (Tonedeff) 
Godammit, y’all out to lunch 
How in the fuck I expect that the job be done? 
Hired a bunch of impressionist, sloppy chumps 
Trying to stunt for the benefits, stocks and such 
Slip/fall for a settlement, a thousand bucks 
Ripped off, now they sweatin in a taco truck 
Brickwalled by their pettiness - and all for what? 
Shit nah - there ain’t anyone the boss of us 
What a conundrum, who’s left to be moppin up? 
Who in the f’s gonna fetch me a coffee cup? 
It’s obvious none of us wanna be stuck in the office 
but when I’m running biz independently - I’m the one 
in front of a monitor - the devil in me got me just 
Hunting for dollars, every penny is the god you trust 
I’m an autonomous executive - I call for cuts 
Of any incompetent secretaries - so y’all are fucked 
Pink slip… but they talking tough? And wanna don boxing gloves 
Bitch, you a mailroom clerk - so when the scale don’t work, you don’t box, you just box shit up 
Zip it! Ship it! Whip it, good! Devo! Nobody making a cent off Vevo - We don’t 
Give our money to Mr. Iovine, No, we keeping our c-notes, and build it up till the profits come 
Obnoxious to some, cause everybody hate they boss 
Yelling bout how to make they calls 
Telling em how their vacay’s off 
Venting ‘bout how their pay grade’s small 
Evidence of the game they lost, 
And the main is stage is ours, y’all are just bitter 
HR wanted a confidence builder, 
Fine, I’ma get Algo, then Kill drums with Sub - put em on a bill 
bottom line is we always deliver. Get up! 

HOOK

Always

Tony Stanza (ft. Tonedeff & Marcus D) [Produced by  Algorythm of The Stuyvesants]

Ringing in the New Year, Maryland MC Substantial teams with Mello Music Group producer and fellow DMV native Oddisee for the first official single off Substantial's upcoming album, The Past Is Always Present In The Future. Made In Maryland is Substantial's greatest ode to his home state since his debut solo single in 2000, Home Sweet Home, produced by the late japanese producer DJ Deckstream. The new single also features fellow Marylanders and frequent collaborators: vocalist, Steph the Sapphic Songstress and DJ Jav adding cuts utilizing vocals Joe.D. 

Even if you're not from Maryland as QN5 Music's Tonedeff stated after hearing the song, "S#!t so hard, I'm about to move there!" So pack your bags and take a ride with us through the home of Tubman. 

Pre-orders for The Past Is Always Present In The Future are available now via iTunes and Bandcamp and will be released digitally on January 6, 2017. Compact Discs ship on January 13, 2017 and cassettes and vinyl will be announced at a later date.

https://substantial.bandcamp.com/album/the-past-is-always-present-in-the-future

@iamSubstantial

the past is always present in future

Made In Maryland

Substantial: Made In Maryland [produced by Oddisee]

Producer:
@klim-beats-1

Available on iTunes, Spotify, Apple Muisc - 2017-01-16
www.ninetofiverecords.com

Bandcamp:
https://klimbeats.bandcamp.com

KLIM

KLIM - Grandma's Pies

In The Beginning: Before The Heavens

Hot For Yall

I've always been a fan of "Pure Imagination" from the Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. It was really one of the highlights of the movie for me.

Pure Imagination

Back in 2011 Baltimore emcee Substantial was facing the possibility of cancer.  He ended up having preventive surgery and while laid up, decided to start working on a tribute album to Jill Scott, one of his biggest influences.  It was his was of staying busy while healing, and at the same time to give people their roses while they could still smell them.  The result is a free project Substantial calls "Jackin' Jill" - a tribute project from built by "Jackin" music from various Jill Scott releases. This collection of reworks and remixes of her work blended by DJ Jav form a cohesive pseudo collaboration focused on life, love & music.
 
Today, as Substantial heads back into the doctor's for a follow up examine 2 years later, we are unveiling the cover art (drawn by Substantial himself) from the 17 track project.  Additionally, we're giving listeners a taste of what's to come with the track "Golden Lady" - a reworking of the amazing Stevie Wonder track from "Innervisions" that Substantial uses to play off the track Golden from Jill Scott's Beautifully Human album (the last song Kool Herc played at Substantial's wedding).  Substantial adds to this Marcus D produced tribute track the gorgeous vocals of Steph The Sappic Songstress.  Be sure to listen to Marcus D on piano throughout as well.  The result is a richly layered, beautiful new track from one of Baltimore's most thoughtful and talented artists, Substantial.

Produced by Marcus D
Additional Vocals by Steph The Sapphic Songstress
Piano by Marcus D

Jackin' Jill

Golden Lady ft. Steph The Sapphic Songstress [Prod. Marcus D]

From Winter Breaks 2
Download/Stream on All Platforms: https://smarturl.it/winterbreaks2
________________________

As we approach what may be an exceedingly difficult holiday season for most, Bop Alloy returns with Winter Breaks 2 hoping to end an abysmal year on a high note. The tracks on Winter Breaks 2 exude light, warmth, honesty, and hope from every pore, which is exactly what you've come to expect from the intercontinental jazz hip hop duo.

One of the project's standout tracks, "What's it Without You" aptly captures the sentiment of the year with Substantial rapping, "Rather embrace the pain than run and hide from the truth/ that's my point of view/ hard to know what to do/ supposed to be 2020, our whole perspective is skewed/". Pismo's angelic vocal arrangement (which could easily be mistaken as a small choir) and T. Lucas' emotional letter to his father and everyone who lost loved ones this year hit differently.

But as always, even in times of global crisis and uncertainty, Bop Alloy chooses to accentuate the positive on tracks like "Our Message", "Same Energy", and "'Twas the Night Before", which plays like a much cooler, (and way less rapey) jazz-club duet version of "Baby It's Cold Outside" featuring a spectacular performance from Debórah Bond reminiscent of Ella in her prime. The duo ends the album with a poignant tribute to the parents who work miracles year after year to keep the holiday spirit alive for their children no matter the sacrifices. If Bop Alloy's Winter Breaks isn't already part of your holiday tradition, then 2020 might be the perfect year for you to try something new.
________________________

Produced by Marcus D
Written by S. Robinson & M. Marino
Mixed by Substantial & Marcus D
Mastered by Substantial
Cover art by Substantial Art & Music

Winter Breaks 2

Same Energy (Kwanzaa 365)

www.IamSubstantial.com

Virginia based International Hip Hop Recording Artist from Maryland.

Lasting Impression (ft. Wayna) [Produced by Algorythm of The Stuyvesants]

Substantial

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