Autor: Producer Gang
Image Image Credit Lester Cohen / Contributor via Getty Images Image Alt Naviyd Raymond and Usher Image Size landscape-medium Key Takeaways: At just 16 years old, Naviyd Raymond released his debut single “Smooth Blues,” taking full control of the production and creative direction. Usher supported his son by appearing in a TikTok video dancing to the track. Naviyd intentionally kept the song private until release to maintain the authenticity of his creative vision. No matter what, Usher is going to show up for his kids. The R&B crooner even hopped on a TikTok video to support his son Naviyd Raymond,…
Sonnox has released Soften, a plugin that tames harshness and enhances clarity, whether you’re trying to clean up vocals, guitars, or any other element in your mix. Soften derives from a popular feature in a previous Sonnox plugin, Voca. Before getting into the origins of Soften, here’s how you can get it for free: The offer is open to all current Focusrite hardware owners (make sure you’ve properly registered your device). To claim your free plugin, simply log in to your Focusrite account and head to the Included Software section, where you’ll find Soften. The offer expires on September 16,…
Freddie Gibbs doesn’t appear to be ready to move on from his beef with Gunna, which has been going on for at least five years.During the first verse of new track “Lavish Habits,” taken from Gibbs’ new album Alfredo 2, he takes aim at the Atlanta rapper once again and directly references him taking a plea deal in the YSL RICO case, which has also seemingly affected his relationship with former close collaborator Young Thug. “I’m still gon’ squeeze Akademiks titties, that fat bastard,” he raps, reigniting his issues with DJ Akademiks, too. “Gunna dissed me and took a plea,…
Image Image Credit Natasha Campos / Contributor via Getty Images and Marleen Moise / Stringer via Getty Images Image Alt Ray Vaughn and Joey Badass Image Size landscape-medium Key Takeaways: Ray Vaughn says his label blocked a diss track aimed at Joey Bada$$ for being “so disrespectful.” The Top Dawg Entertainment rapper claims he had four unreleased diss tracks, at least one of which included shots at Kai Ca$h. Joey Bada$$ may have reignited the feud with new bars on “ABK,” escalating the TDE vs. Pro Era tension. For anyone curious why Joey Bada$$ and Ray Vaughn’s beef suddenly fizzled…
The Cowboy Harp instrument from the developer New Nation Audio is now free. The plugin is compatible with macOS and Windows. I’ve never heard anyone say that harp VSTs are like buses, you can wait ages without any in sight, then two come along at once. But after going for some time without a harp VST to discuss, we’ve recently had The Lucky Harp from Bad Cat Samples, and now Cowboy Harp, by New Nation Audio. Admittedly, it’s a bit of a stretch to use that analogy, since the similarities end with the word harp. Rather than a classical or…
Claressa Shields isn’t just thinking about her next opponent—she’s planning for motherhood.In a recent appearance on The Pivot Podcast, which dropped on Tuesday, July 22, the undefeated boxing champ opened up about her personal goals outside the ring, revealing she wants to start a family with rapper Papoose in 2026. Shields, who’s 16-0 with three knockouts, explained that she doesn’t want to wait until later in life to have children, preferring to be a young, active mom.”I don’t want to wait till I’m, you know, 40, 43, whatever, after my career, to have my kids,” Shields said on the show,…
Image Image Credit Astrida Valigorsky / Contributor via Getty Images Image Size landscape-medium Key Takeaways: Tyla’s ‘WWP’ mixtape delivers four tracks in 11 minutes, blending amapiano and pop. The project includes fan-favorite “BLISS,” a Wizkid feature on “DYNAMITE,” and a bold message on “MR. MEDIA.” ‘WWP’ draws from a South African chant, showing how Tyla infuses her heritage into a modern pop sound. Tyla is not letting us make it through the summer without a few songs to dance to. On Friday (July 25), the songstress dropped her eagerly anticipated WWP, short for “We wanna party.” Even though it’s billed…
VZtec Overdrive is a plugin that emulates a hardware pedal made by the same brand. The pedal is a hybrid of several classic circuits, equipped with additional controls for gain and tone shaping. If this is within your area of interest, why not get its digital sibling for free? The plugin works with macOS, Windows, and Linux, and is available in VST3, LV2, AAX, and AU formats. The layout is simple and to the point, as you would expect from a plugin modelled after a physical unit. You get controls for volume and gain to drive the unit into the…
Image Image Credit Alex Slitz / Staff via Getty Images Image Size landscape-medium Key Takeaways: A mid-air mishap during “16 CARRIAGES” left Beyoncé’s flying car stalled at her Houston show on Saturday (June 28). She responded with calm and humor, later posting a “Sittin’ Sidewayz” photo reel. Fans reacted to the moment and speculated about a future tour documentary. Beyoncé absolutely crushed every stop on the overseas leg of her “Cowboy Carter Tour,” so anticipation for her return stateside was especially high. The singer’s big homecoming, naturally, took place in her hometown of Houston over the weekend. Unfortunately, Saturday (June…
An inside look at how pros use native UAD plug-ins in their productions. UAD plug-ins are used in top studios around the world. But in today’s music production landscape, the word “studio” can mean anything from a bedroom or rehearsal space to a multi-million dollar room — and that’s exactly why we created UAD Spark. UAD Spark is our plug-in subscription featuring over 60 legendary UAD effects and instruments built to deliver professional sound to your productions.Let’s explore how pro artists ranging from rising indie acts to chart-topping producers are using the plug-ins included in UAD Spark to create, mix,…