The Culture (Ep. 02) w / Bada$$ Morales
Presented by Half-Moon Music // Hosted by Adria del Carmen Morales
Los Angeles, California, USA
September 27, 2021

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This is “The Culture”, this is what we do it for. You’re locked in to “The Culture” with the freshest RnB and Rap hits around, mixed with some of the stone-cold classics. You’re on Half-Moon Music and this is “The Culture”. Sit back and vibe out right now, we’ve got you covered. The freshest RnB and Rap hits around. “The Culture” with ya girl Bada$$ Morales, only on Half-Moon Music.

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“Hola como estas? What’s happenin’? We’re motherfuckin’ back bitches, I know ya’ll wanna hear ya Tijuana ratchet Chica going off on the latest jams around in the RnB and Rap game. Ask and you shall receive, we got two big singles for ya’ll today and a quick chat with someone that’s bubbling up in the culture right now and is about to go awf. So with summer making way for autumn, it looks like we’re moving from party anthems, bedroom bangers and real big fucking singles and heading towards full-length albums and more introspective releases. But the bangers will continue over the coming months, and we’ll make sure to cover as many of them as we can here on The Culture. But first, let’s break down some of the latest stories circling around the scene.

Let’s start off with the big news from the RnB scene, Alicia Lena is fucking back baby. She was announced as one of the judges for the upcoming season of StarFactory and we all thought she’d do her stint on TV and go back into her quiet family life at home but you know Half-Moon Music got that damn scoop and my dude Ashford York sat down with Alicia in her home in Arizona and she pretty much confirmed that she’s ready to return to music again and confirmed that she’s privately been recording a little over the past couple of months.
On top of this, it was quickly confirmed by Freenerd Management that one of their upcoming releases would feature Alicia Lena on vocals on a track with Zion titled “Old School Love”, the thought of Zion’s smooth as fuck vocals and charm combining with Mother Alicia’s soulful RnB tone and powerhouse blues delivery makes me drip with anticipation. We’re fuckin’ ready for the comeback, mother.

Keeping along with the Alicia connection, the judges for the upcoming season of StarFactory were announce and we’re RnB heavy on the show this year as Alicia Lena was announced prior to her comeback but alongside her we got two of the biggest egos in the scene with Billy and Aubrey Mikkel announced as judges alongside Ryan Ross Hernandez and Tika Mays. The idea of Aubrey and Billy on the same judging panel together is enough to draw anybody in to watch the show, they’re gonna be fucking primetime viewing and we’re ready for the fucking drama to unfold. Billy isn’t afraid to speak his mind and we know that the Network’s will be excited and nervous at the same time and we know Aubrey ain’t a shrinking violet and will make sure her voice and opinion is heard, she’s also not one to back down either, so we cannot wait for the fireworks on this one.
I think the producers are hoping that the older figures on the panel with Alicia and Ryan will be enough to help put out any fires going on around them but we fucking know that Hernandez is just as likely to be a cause of the fire than help put the flames out. Mother Alicia it’s on you, you can at least take little Tika Mays under your wing and shelter her from the craziness of the other three. But ya’ll know this is car crash TV waiting to happen and I’m fuckin’ ready for it.

Ya’ll know we’re gonna highlight some upcoming releases from ‘Ruff Round Records’ because lord knows they’re the best label at giving us some sort of schedule to look out for. So they’ve recently announced seven singles are coming up over the next month or so, a couple of those to look out for are Fresh Miguel Ca$h looking to build a name for himself with a track titled “Loco” coming in October. We’ve also got singles from Liam Russell and Chanel C. Fox coming up in the next few weeks according to their schedule, so you know I’m fucking looking out for that Chanel C. Fox joint as her beef with Keshia Love continues and honestly at this point, both of them are bringing the fire, I dunno which pussy to root for right now. If they wanna bring both to the table and lemme try to tame them they know where my number is, that’s all I’m saying. They’re both fuckin’ fire!
With albums, the label has announced a few leading them into the new year, but we should expect Liam Russell with “Nostalgic” in November, Fresh Miguel Ca$h in the new year and Chanel C. Fox with “Diamond Queen” in the new year too. Once again, props to ‘Ruff Round Records’ for really bringing the fire and truly adding something to the culture right now, if only that label was around when I was pushing for a record deal, I could see myself fuckin’ with that label for real.
Keeping with the labels, one quick thing to exclusively announce is that ‘Crescendo’, the girl group created by Sau’ron have signed their first ever record deal with Tric-Jam Records, they’re an RnB and Pop girl group coming out of Australia and New Zealand and backed by the fucking guru Sau’Ron. So you know with his support and the backing of a major label like Tric-Jam and Studio60 Records they’ve got everything they need to be a big hit in the next few years.

Let’s just step into the world of ‘Younghood’ right now, ya dude jumped on a track with Layla and they both brought the fire on “Some Kind of Magic”, it’s more of a mainstream pop vibe but I can get down with that shit and that Chica is straight fire. Smart move by ‘Younghood’ to get himself on that track which dropped around the same time as his latest record, “Untold Stories”. It obviously comes with three big fucking hits. It’s a little short with just nine tracks and under thirty-minute run-time, but you know what’s on that record is golden. Really raw stuff by probably the best rapper in the game right now, it may go a little under the radar since there doesn’t seem to be a whole lot of promotion behind it but ya’ll know if you just let the record speak for itself it’ll find the respect it deserves. Another strong showing by the dude that never misses.
On top of that, there’s rumours he’s been getting on top of Stephanie Fierce since she’s been hyping him the fuck up on her socials and she’s been delivering those thirst traps on her Instagram, girl is back in the fucking game right now and if she ain’t fuckin’ with Younghood, I’ll for sure take a little of that action. She posted a picture of Younghood with his flow from “Eternal” as the caption and the fanbase went wild. Younghood also did a quick Q+A with Culture Uncut after dropping his record, really worth checking out if you want to understand the depth behind the record.

My queen, Coke returned with “Rich Parent$”, the track is fucking all over the place genre-wise and I can only describe it as an experimental jam but it’s giving me life right now. She does what the fuck she wants and doesn’t allow herself to be classified as one specific thing, that Mami’s and Papi’s is a true fucking artist. It feels like she tells her story through the track and lyrically it’s insane as you’d always expect. She paints the image of a true wild one and I’m living for the idea of this version of a sixteen or seventeen year old Coke doing all this shit. Turn your life story into a damn movie, girl because that shit is box office.

So that’s the latest in the scene right now, there’s been a lot going on. More news than actual releases but it’s the rumours and talk that is keeping your girl occupied right now, I’m okay with it. Bring the fucking drama. We’ve got two big singles coming up for you, but first, I had a quick chat with my girl Marina Balan over Skype. So here’s what we got up to;

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Marina Balan, my fucking girl! What’s happenin’ Chica?

Marina: Ayyyyy, ugh, you're such a badass! Ain't much survivin' in this world, girl. Can't complain! Just riding with my boys of Orion and keeping that big girl energy up twenty four seven.

Ya’ll been on a god damn ride this past year with ya boys ‘Orion’, how did that partnership happen?
Marina: Yo, everybody sort of asks this question and it's always so hard to pin point how the partnership really began. Hm... I guess it really started because I was working behind the scenes over at Tric Jam Records. Wasn't signed or anything, I was essentially there to provide some backgrounds vocals, and do some writing for artists over there. I happen to be in the studio and the boys were recording Fuck Me Over, which is a major bop I must say...and I really fucked with it. I basically crashed their studio session and told them how dope I thought it was. They asked me if I sang? I almost lied and said no, but they knew, them boys definitely knew. I told them hell yeah I do, and they asked me to provide some vocals for that song. From there, we instantly clicked..and the rest is history. Look now, I'm like the unofficial fourth member. Damn crazy how the stars align when you least expect it!

You’ve spent all that time in the studio with those fine ass men making those baby making anthems. Gotta tell me sis, late nights in the studio. Any vibing going on between any of ya’ll cause I can guarantee they be wanting some of that prime ass Balan pussy?
Marina: Woooo! You are something else girl! I mean, they're like my brothers. Straight up, I'm like one of the boys when it comes to working, or even hangin' with them. We always vibe out. They be telling me about girls and shit like that, it's none of that type of energy with them. They know what I'm about and they always respect me as a woman. No funny business! Hahaha

Fuck it, I’mma throw a firework into the equation. Which one do you vibe the most with, who gets it all if they’re game?
Marina: I love all the boys but I probably vibe with Boa the most. He just has that type of energy that lights up a room. I'm pretty damn shy if I'm honest, and he brings that out of me. All the boys are dope though! Can't believe you just made me choose my damn favorite! They ain't got' let me live this one down girl!

Nah, we been playin’ for a minute, but let’s get serious. We both know you’ve got a wild fanbase out there, they’ve been backing you since day one and have been supporting your journey. How crazy has it been to see the support you’ve received?
Marina: It's pretty damn crazy. Like I said before, I'm pretty damn shy. I honestly don't feel the need to be front and center, and I take things as they come. I don't blame, I'm just a spontaneous bitch. To see though, what the fans have even made of me is just wild and it's really inspired me to keep going and not settle for less. Without them, I'd probably be that same girl crashing famous celebrities studio sessions. They made me realize that Marina Balan does have a purpose and she's here to serve!

It truly went full circle when it was announced that you’d be a featured artist on one of Orion’s upcoming NFL tracks. I hear the rumours that you’re gonna be dropping the RnB vocal vibes and will be bringing the bars with a rap verse, what can we expect from you on that track?
Marina: Wellllll what I can say is that you can expect vocal Marina but I do have something else in my arsenal that's going to be shown on a special NFL track. Rap. You gonna able to hear me serve bars that even gives the boys a run for their money.

I wanna know what’s up next for you, girl. I see the Orion record is out. Will ya’ll be going on tour with them or are you gonna focus on other projects. You fucking know that we want some Marina Balan solo tracks.
Marina: I don't really plan for me to be honest, I should right? Right now I'm really living in the moment and want to continue to work with the boys until I muster the courage to do it all on my own hahaha. I'm really a pussy.. It's bound to happen though. You never really fucking know where life takes you. Who knows, you might wake up and see that I've dropped a single or a project......I never rush though. My vibe is just living life right now and I'm loving where I'm at, at the moment.

I’m fucking hype for whatever you do next. You know that I hustle with ya and you’re welcome on here anytime.
Marina: Damn right! You are so dope, I'll definitely be back. Stay baddass girl! Thank you for having me.

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Alright, here we fuckin’ go! We got two big tracks for you this episode, first off we’ve got “Orion” really going after that bag with their NFL anthem “Rookie of the Year”, check out the music video which includes the fuckin’ sis ‘BitchWat’ killing it and making that dough. She got that clout right now and teaming up with ‘Orion’ on the video was a stroke of genius by them. But we’re here for the track and what the track brings is the fuckin’ energy. You know a track like this will get players pumped out when they’re warming up on the pitch. The beat and energy is on point and the verses delivered by all of the guys are on top level, but for me it’s the bars from ‘Circuit’ that really shine for me on this one, “Rookie of the Year” here it fuckin’ is;

“All the talk in the build-up revolves around us
Green arrows pointing upwards signalling our expected trajectory
The rumours indicating that we’re a definite first round pick
But we know we ain’t just settling for that shit
We’re aiming for first overall
Cause that’s where the real bag is
They say you can fail at the shit you don’t love
So why not go all out for the shit that you want the fucking most
And the experts suggest that our stats don’t add up
But you can’t learn what we’ve got inside
From numbers on a white board
You can’t judge someone’s determination and drive
On stats written down
You gotta see us in the heart of the action
When the clocks running down
And then you’ll realize we’re in the running to take the fucking crown
Cause you already know
We run it up
And then we shut em’ down

You know this is all I’ve got
And I’ve worked my whole damn life for this
Ain’t just here to blend in
You know I’mma fucking go for this
And I’m aiming for the top from the very beginning
On that rookie of the year shit
You know we’re fucking built for winning
On that rookie of the year shit
You know we’re fucking built for winning”



And we move on to the highlight track of this episode, we’ve got my fucking girl “Keshia Love” stepping up in a big fucking way with her latest track “Goodies”. I enjoyed her debut album but this is a big fucking step up in my opinion. Her vocals are so perfect and lush as you’d expect with an RnB powerhouse like Keshia but whoever decided to set off her vocal style against the backdrop of that fucking trap beat deserves a raise because that’s where this track brings it home. And lyrically, you know I love to see my girls wildin’ and feelin’ themselves and real talk my girl is feeling herself all the way on this one. Like this can be a baby making anthem but for me, it’s a teasing anthem that ya’ll are gonna use as your pre-game, getting your guy or girl in the mood with this one then drive that shit home. It’s a big fucking track and you know by the end of the track ya’ll are ready for that nasty shit that we like. Bring it home girl, this is Keshia Love with “Goodies”;

“You like it when i call u papi
Look so fine, call me mama
I'm fucking crazy, tame me wild
Need some attention eyes on me
You can never leave without me
I'm so real, I'm never cappin'
If you got goodies like this
I can show you my good good
'Cause my
Booty look juicy (Twerk), Damn, that goodies

Ya'll can't have of all my goodies (Goodies)
Got to work if you want goodies (Work)
Why keep asking if I got money (Cash)
I own my business like millionaire people (Own)
Why ya'll really up in my grill
You can't get out until you done
You tryna put some voodoo on me
I can show you some kind of magic (Lord, have mercy)
WYa'll can't have of all my goodies (Goodies)
Got to work if you want goodies (Work)
Why keep asking if I got money (Cash)
I own my business like millionaire people (Own)
Why ya'll really up in my grill
You can't get out until you done
You tryna put some voodoo on me
I can show you some kind of magic”

That’s what we’ve got for you on this trip around “The Culture” with ya girl Morales, keep the big fucking jams coming and we’ll keep that shit playin’. We gon’ keep you up to date with the latest news in the RnB and Hip-Hop scene along with the very hottest tracks in the game right now and bring you exclusive chats with the people behind the hits. Keep an eye out for the next episode of “The Culture”, until next time, keep it at one hundred as always, get yours and live ya life, fuck the haters and get on that grind. Peace out!