For its inaugural year, Re:SET has an outstanding bill of artists, spanning various genres. Atlanta’s Friday show included talented artists Foushee, Toro y Moi, James Blake and headliner Steve Lacy. If you want a recap of the artists, read below! You can catch this lineup next weekend in Chicago, Columbus, or Nashville!
I have been following Foushee for a while and am impressed by her rise. In 2020, she blew up on TikTok with her song “Deep End”, eventually partnering with British artist Sleepy Hallow for the popular “Deep End Freestyle”. Since then, she hasn’t been afraid to experiment. On her hip-hop journey, she has joined the likes of Pink Siifu and Fly Anakin to lay down impressive verses (“Ls”) and supported rap heavy hitters, like Vince Staples (“TAKE ME HOME”) and Saba (“Make Believe”). Her R&B-focused sound has found her working with other upcoming stars like Ravyn Lenae (“Mercury”) and Steve Lacy (“Sunshine”). On Foushee’s debut album, she took further creative steps. The beautifully chaotic softCORE takes a punk approach (“Simmer Down”), delivering some of her most energetic and gripping music yet. Only featuring the flashy Lil Uzi Vert (“spend the money”), the project makes it apparent that Foushee has a promising future.
Chaz Bear, better known as Toro y Moi, is a very interesting artist. The South Carolina native is known for helping usher in the chillwave genre, characterized by a dreamy retro-pop, lo-fi sound. I originally found him through his features on Blood Orange’s “Dark & Handsome” and Travis Scott’s “Flying High”, both showing off his versatility. After checking out his most popular collaboration “The Difference” with Australian DJ and producer Flume, I was cemented in as a fan. I recommend checking out Toro y Moi’s discography chronologically. It may be tempting as his newer work is more akin to popular modern music, but seeing his sound grow and develop into what it is now makes it all the more valuable. Toro y Moi has such an enjoyable, versatile sound, perfect for studying or dancing, and I can’t wait to see what he does next.
James Blake’s journey through the music industry is one of my favorites. The English artist saw early placements on BBC Radio 1 and got a cosign from Zane Lowe in 2010. Things began to pick up from there as Blake released a collaboration with Bon Iver and found himself in the studio with greats like Kanye West and Justin Vernon (founder of Bon Iver). The release of his second album, Overgrown, continued with momentum, with his first features from Wu-Tang Clan’s RZA and Chance The Rapper. Just a few years later, Blake received a Grammy nomination for best new artist. Since 2016, he has earned credits on Beyonce’s Lemonade, Jay-Z’s 4:44, Kendrick Lamar’s Black Panther: The Album, and Travis Scott’s “Astroworld” to name a few. Blake’s resume is insane and ever-growing, and his importance in the industry is apparent, working with the biggest artists in the world. I can’t wait to see what Blake puts his hands on next because I know it will be amazing no matter what.
Steve Lacy is an important artist to me because it feels like I have grown with him and his music. He got his start with Odd Future Record’s The Internet, co-producing their third studio album Ego Death and eventually earning a Grammy nomination. Lacy is notorious for producing his early music on his iPhone, and that talent was immediately recognized as he began to get significant placements for artists like Denzel Curry (“If Tomorrow’s Not Here”), Isaiah Rashad (“Silkk da Shocka”), J. Cole (“Foldin Clothes”), Goldlink (“Some Girl”), and Kendrick Lamar (notably producing “Pride” off of the Grammy-winning Damn). His first solo project, Steve Lacy’s Demo, was produced in a similar fashion. After reuniting with The Internet for Hive Mind, he dropped his debut studio album Apollo XXI. With this album, Lacy earned more respect for his solo work, getting his first solo Grammy nomination. He then released The Lo-Fis, a compilation of his early work, and his more recent Gemini Rights. Gemini Rights skyrocketed him into stardom, and he has since found himself as a viral worldwide artist (“Bad Habit”). Steve Lacy’s career has been quickly growing and changing, and I have been fortunate to experience it every step of the way. I am beyond excited to see where his career takes him.
Jacob Feinberg is a student at the University of Georgia, studying marketing and music business, with hopes to find a career in music journalism or artist management. After years of listening to and studying music, Jacob has decided to share his knowledge and opinion through Vinyl Mag. His favorite genre is rap/hip-hop, but you can catch him listening to basically any genre (r&b, jazz, rock, etc.). Jacob has a deep love for music and artistry, and he hopes to apply that by highlighting Athens's rich music scene and all its talented artists.