Wednesday, October 28, 2015

for your consideration: YNM mixtape

Lil Bro’s projects have been present on our blog several times. He is affiliated with 400 Records, popularized by Compton bred rapper, YG . For his latest project, Lil Bro linked up with Panda Badazz to release YNM: Young Nigga Movement hosted by DJ A-Tron. This 11 track mixtape is full of west coast, so-cal bass slappers. Perfect for listening to on the way to your daily grind or to the party bump ‘n grind.


One of the main themes of this mixtape is “just trynna spend it all and get it back” mentioned in the track, I’m just trynna. Much like many young people today Lil Bro and Panda Badazz are two LA artists who are trying to establish themselves and use their creative abilities to create an ideal financial situation while having a little fun doing it. From being on the  “early mornin, late night” in the track titled Young Nigga to picking up girls in Meet Me at the Chevy, YNM presents us with two rappers who are determined use their creative hustle to fund a fly and merry lifestyle.


If you haven’t already, make sure to check out YNM below.

And be sure to follow Lil Bro to stay up to date on all of his new work.

Lil Bro's
Instagram: @KillaKamPushaz
Twitter

Tuesday, October 20, 2015

essence Cypress Park




“So LA” seemed to be the quote of the day as we embarked on our journey through the Cypress Park area this past weekend. Hill-side streets, lined in palm trees and a sunny breeze, leftover from summer set the tone as we toured the streets of this classic LA neighborhood, in search for some much needed sustenance. Everywhere we turned we seemed to see things that reminded us of what we think of when we reminisce about what Los Angeles means to us. Things we remember like incredible views of the downtown skyline, bright street art, classic corner burger stands and the constant sound of LA city traffic.

After our busy morning meetings, lunch was the first thing on our mind. So taking the advice of our featured artist for this month (who is a Cypress Park native), when we arrived our first stop was Patra’s, a classic LA street corner burger joint with chocolate milkshakes that seemed to magically disappear from the cup. Located in the middle of a very busy and confusing ‘Y’ shaped intersection, it was first opened in LA over thirty years ago by original owner Jimmy Perris who named the restaurant after his hometown in Greece. Patra’s is known for their fresh food made to order policy and has both dine-in and quick drive-through services.

During our lunch, Curnie Compton ordered a Turkey burger and fries with a chocolate shake. The turkey burger was served on a wheat bun with all of its flavor filled glory and dipping her fries in the milkshake was a necessary and tasty occurrence. While Lana Los Angeles, missing the vegetarian option on the menu, ordered a grilled cheese, french fries and of course, a chocolate milkshake. The grilled cheese was classic, just like your mom would make and the french fries were great, not too thin and not overly seasoned. And even though we were all incredibly full after our mid-day meal, Lana was the only one to somehow managed to have her milkshake last her the remainder of the day, savoring the LA flavors through the rest of the exploration.

Located in the Northeast area of Los Angeles, Cypress Park is a busy and colorful neighborhood that rests along the hills of our beautiful city. The host site of the Rio de Los Angeles State Park, Cypress Park is home to a stunning wildlife reserve and scenic hiking trails along a lush and green area of the LA River that is open to the public for your enjoyment. What makes this place so unique is that it is sort of a recreational outdoor refuge among the day to day ruckus of a quickly changing urban city. We are definitely hoping to be able to check out the park in greater detail and let you all know more about it as our adventures continue.

But back to that rapidly altering city observation, Cypress Park is a neighborhood that is changing fast. Gentrification is playing a huge role and is bringing about the construction of many luxury apartments and condos, making it almost identical to many other neighborhoods in LA. However, with local and longstanding establishments like Patra’s and giant murals done by local artists that portray the cultural values of the community, we feel Cypress Park has been able to maintain quite a bit of its particular essence throughout this shift that is taking place in other northeast Los Angeles neighborhoods such as Highland Park and Glassell Park nearby.

During our expedition we were taken by the incredible city views and the bold, colorful street art that this bustling neighborhood had to offer. Bright hues of yellow, red, blue, green and purple splashed upon city walls created the perfect backdrop for this week's journey. Cypress Park is an active, working class neighborhood that stands out from the greater LA area because of its striking views and it’s ability to preserve its uniqueness despite the changes that are brought on by gentrification (at least for now.)

Join us as we get up above it all along this neighborhood’s hillsides that lead you along long, narrow twisted streets. Then venture back down along the mainland and become immersed in busy urban life along the intertwined city streets. Follow us as we get to know the neighborhood of Cypress Park and what more about it we deem “so LA.”

Monday, October 12, 2015

for your consideration: october

We have a treat for you all. You can call it a rapper's delight minus the Sugarhill. Here at essenceLA, we try our best to keep you in tune with various types of artists and their work. This week, we want to present to you with some music created by talented rappers who were born and raised in various parts of Los Angeles. Check out these selections below. If you like what you hear, be sure to follow them on social media to stay updated with their latest tracks. Also, you can follow us on Soundcloud to discover other up and coming, LA artists. Enjoy!

This first song is brought to you LA rapper Killa Kam a.k.a. Lil Bro who is no stranger to essenceLA. His music gets you hyped and ready to turn all the way up any day of the week.  He is expected to drop his mixtape soon. Follow him to stay updated.



This track is brought to you by Milano, a rapper who grew up in Compton and Watts.  His latest project called Lost Angels. is making a lot of noise and gaining much attention on the internet. Currently, it can be downloaded in full FOR FREE on his Soundcloud.



Last but not least we have Frank$, a rapper from South-Central Los Angeles. He is an up and coming artist who is constantly releasing new material, making moves to claim his space in the game. You can check out more of his work on his Soundcloud.

Monday, October 5, 2015

october events

Greetings to all and greetings to fall. Though the weather is getting colder (hopefully), Los Angeles is giving us plenty of reasons to leave the house. Peep out some of events happening in October. Be sure to check our events tab frequently for added events.

WATTS THEN AND NOW
Aug 11, 2015 - Jan. 28, 2016 Carson, CA
What: Photography & Archive Exhibition
Where: California State University at Dominguez Hills
Click here for more info


MINGLE MONDAYZ
10/12 Westchester, CA

What: Open Mic/ Featured Artists
Where: GS Lounge
5630 W. Manchester,
Westchester, CA 90045



FLIGHT SCHOOL OPEN MIC
10/13 Culver City, CA
What: Open Mic
Where: Industry Cafe
6039 Washington Blvd.
Culver City, CA 90232



HOMEFREE
Fri, Sat, & Sun, North Hollywood
What: Theater Performance
Where: The Road on Magnolia
Click here for more info


FRONT PORCH CINEMA
Every Friday this Month Santa Monica, CA
What: Outdoor Movie Screenings
Where: Santa Monica Pier
Click here for more info



LPNSImprov Presents...
10/18,  Sherman Oaks, CA
What: Improv Show
Where: CAP Studio Theater
Click here for more info

THAT'S HUGE COMEDY SHOW
West Hollywood, CA
What: FREE COMEDY SHOW
Where: Bar Lubitsch
Click here for more info

ONE MIC COLLECTIVE
10/21, Baldwin Park, CA
What: Open Mic
Where: 5171 Azusa Canyon Rd.
Baldwin Park, CA


PHANTOM CARRIAGE
10/22 & 10/25 Carson, CA
What: Beer & Art
Click here for more info