An Ode to Keep Cool Records
I have had my eye on Keep Cool for a minute now. It’s a Los Angeles-based label and joint venture with RCA Records. The label has been coined as a creative safe haven and is home to only four, carefully selected names: Normani, Lucky Daye, VanJess and Freddie Gibbs and Madlib.
I actually recently had the chance to ask Lucky Daye about his experience with Keep Cool during a virtual meet & greet.
I asked him what it’s like being signed to a smaller roaster label. Lucky Daye told me that he was at a point in his life where he wanted to stop making music altogether, but he saw how much the label team really believed in him and decided to stay in the game (thank god).
He said that Keep Cool is a tight knit community; he truly feels supported and knows he’ll get the attention he needs as opposed to a giant roaster where any number of artists could be in the spotlight.
Which brings me to what inspired me to write this love letter in the first place… three different artists on Keep Cool’s roster are in the spotlight this week with new releases:
“On Read with Tiana Major9” - Lucky Daye feat. Tiana Major
We all know what it's like to be left on read. That unanswered snap or text cuts deeper than we’d like it. This track nativates the anticipation of waiting for that special someone to give you attention. Lucky Daye’s R&B vocals make me melt every single time, and British singer Tiana Major’s voice honestly took me aback when I first heard it. This is a wonderfully sultry track.
The single is the first from Lucky Daye’s upcoming EP, “Table For Two,” out this Friday. The anticipated project will feature additional duets from Ari Lennox, YEBBA, Mahalia, Queen Naija and Joyce Wrice.
“Gang Signs” - Freddie Gibbs feat. ScHoolboy Q
Technically, Freddie Gibbs is only signed to Keep Cool as a duo with Madlib. The two have released two joint projects, Pinata and Banada. Gibbs signed a solo major label deal with Warner in June, BUT, Gibbs’ name is still associated with Keep Cool so I had to put him in here.
Despite the aggressive connotation of the title, this new song is real smooth. Gibbs raps about making money and sleeping with Insta models over a jazzy instrumental. ScHoolboy Q hops on the track with a fun, dynamic verse.
“I was just trying to pay homage to Do or Die and Bone Thugs-N-Harmony when I made this song,” Gibbs said in a statement. “That’s the era I grew up on. It was long overdue for me and Q to do a record.”
Homegrown - VanJess
VanJess dropped an EP that features several pre-released tracks including 2019 collab with KAYTRANDA, “DYSFUNCTIONAL,” and exciting new bops.
The Nigerian-American sisters are serving their usual nostalgic, ‘90s R&B inspired-vocals with modern, electric beats. Most notably, the new track “Caught Up” featuring Phony Ppl is a dancey, upbeat jam with sweet harmonies.
“Recap”- Kito with VanJess and Channel Tres
We got an additional treat from VanJess last week. “Recap” is a three-way collaboration between Kito, an Australian-born and LA-based producer, VanJess and Channel Tres.
They recorded the track together at Rick Rubin’s Shangri-La compound, on an AirStream previously owned by Bob Dylan. It’s dance-pop bop perfect for a sunny day.
