Fresh off a feature in D Magazine‘s February issue, Mattie Calloway earns another significant acknowledgement: a coveted Pitchfork review. Writer Eric Torres describes her debut EP, Jupiter’s Purse, as “an ode to the dissected self.” Calloway, or in this case, MATTIE, is the soulful, doe-eyed, and colorful embodiment of the modern day Renaissance woman. Like the bold, energetic colors she creates for her clients at Hairstory Studio, she imbues her EP with the same fluid playfulness she does in her shop. Buried underneath the blissful, nature aesthetics of her melodic songs are sharp evaluations of self, past relationships with lovers, and earnest expressions about her existence as a Black woman. These evaluations are powerful reflective statements of self that allow her to transform into the chameleon that her clients at Hairstory know her to be. Purchase EP.
Last year, Devy Stonez appeared on D Magazine‘s “New Dallas Releases of the Week” series and “10 Essential Dallas Rap Tracks” list. The Dallas rapper returns with “The Approach,” his first release of the year, which landed a spot on Apple Music’s New in Hip-Hop playlist. The song transports listeners into an idyllic, warm summer afternoon with Stonez as he narrates an all-day long date with his shawties. Stonez, originally from Louisiana, brings his Deep South charm to the track as he sweetly transitions from his shawty to his side piece. Earlier this week, the accompanying video premiered on VEVO’s Incoming Hip-Hop playlist in the No. 8 position. Without spoiling the end, Stonez shines as the alluring sweet talker with a harem of beautiful women at his beck and call. Be on the lookout for future releases from Stonez as the year progresses.
On February 11, Alabama rapper Flo Milli performed her then-unreleased single “Pretty Black Girl” at Tia Adeola‘s Fall/Winter ready-to-wear-presentation at New York Fashion Week. In the weeks that followed, Flo Milli teased the single with fans on Twitter and an America’s Next Top Model skit, where she re-enacted Tyra Banks’ infamous “We were all rooting for you scene!” Two weeks later, the rapper released “PBC,” which opens with Dallas native Sha’Carri Richardson’s tagline from the 2020 Olympics Trials. The single, which places Milli’s women empowerment lyrics over YoungFyre production, includes snippets of Richardson’s “I just want the world to know that I’m THAT girl” throughout the club-ready single. The track, a love letter to Black women and girls, exemplifies the shared sisterhood between the 20-something-year old Black women as they conquer the worlds of music, pop culture, and fashion.
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