“On My Playlist” offers readers a way to discover new music that other people in their area are listening to. Each week will profile local Duluthians and highlight their top five favorite musical artists. This week, we feature Jacob Fawcett, a psychology major at the University of Minnesota Duluth. Fawcett said he likes a large variety of music, but mostly he tends to lean toward unique hip-hop and rap artists. He usually discovers new music through word of mouth from his friends.
“One of my roommates is really good at finding new songs,” said Fawcett. “Usually he will play a song and if I like it, I ask what it is.”
This week, we profile five of Fawcett's top favorite artists:
- G-Eazy Known to fans as the “James Dean of rap”, this artist, born Gerald Earl Gillium, started out his career in college with his hip-hop crew, the Bay Boyz. He later went on to work on his solo career and released his debut, The Epidemic LP, in 2009.
“His music reminds me of last summer when my roommate used to play it on repeat constantly,” said Fawcett. “He is very much the typical white boy rapper, and I really like his music videos.”
In 2012 G-Eazy toured with rapper Hoodie Allen and also joined the Van's Warped Tour.
Related artists include: Hoodie Allen, Childish Gambino, Kid Cudi, and Mac Miller.
- Childish Gambino Also a very prominent American actor, producer, writer, and comedian, Donald Glover raps, writes, and produces his own music in his free time under the stage name, Childish Gambino.“He is obviously a very talented person, being an actor, singer and comedian.” Said Fawcett. “I like him because of who he is as well as for his music. I really like his songs because of their lyrics.”He released his first album in 2008 after he gained some success from playing around with music as a hobby. In 2013, he announced that he was leaving Community and took that time to focus on his music, resulting in his third full length album, Because The Internet.Related artists include: Kendrick Lamar, Schoolboy Q, Chance The Rapper, and Kid Cudi.
- Klingande This deep house duo from France, made up of members Cedric Steinmuller and Edgar Catry, made their beginnings in 2012 after being inspired by the Swedish House Mafia, but didn't gain popularity until after their hit single, Jubel, was released.“I really like Jubel,” said Fawcett. “It's a really steady beat and helps me focus.”Self-described as 'melodic-house', they reached the top 5 on the singles chart in France, as well as many other countries in the U.K.Related artists include: Robin Shulz, Wankelmut, and Duke Dumont.
- Say Anything Founded in Los Angeles while the initial members were still in high school, Say Anything is a punk-pop band with mixes of emo and rock. Their debut album, Baseball, was released in 2003.“I like supporting smaller bands, it reminds me of the good old warped tour days,” said Fawcett.After a rocky career due to lead singer Max Bemis' struggle with bipolar disorder, the band has still gone on to record their fifth album, titled Anarchy, My Dear, released in 2014.Related artists include: Motion City Soundtrack, Taking Back Sunday, and Bayside.
- Atmosphere A hip-hop group from Minneapolis, centered around rapper, Slug, and music producer, Anthony Davis (Ant). The group made their beginnings in 1998 with the release of their debut album, Overcast!, which quickly became considered an underground hip-hop classic.“I like their older albums when Slug was a member of the band,,” said Fawcett. “His songs have a strong meaning behind them, and he's passionate about them.”The poetic lyrics and positive rhymes has made many consider Atmosphere indie-rap superstars. The group has continued to gain popularity since their debut, with their latest album, Southsiders, released in 2014.Related artists: Aesop Rock, Brother Ali, Doomtree, and Blueprint.