Breaking Sound is a burgeoning showcase recognized the world over for its exhibitions of the hottest up-and-coming artists of today’s international soundscape. With over sixty monthly events spread across all major global cities, a worldwide 24/7 radio station, major partnerships and collabs with top brands, Breaking Sound has already established itself as a staple within the modern music scene. When it was announced there would be an 11/8 show in Hollywood, music heads all over Los Angeles were left scrambling to secure their tickets to what was sure to be one of the year’s most promising showcases of ascending talent. Adults Only, the venue of the event, is one of the city’s trendiest spots and is highly regarded as one of the best kept secrets within the LA music ecosystem. With a style all its own, Adults Only is thematically laid out to resemble a 90’s era sex shop – with vintage brick televisions queued up playing retro skinflicks as you walk down a hall adorned with VHS porno tapes of a bygone era – and into the cozy, yet spacious, bar setting with stained glass windows overlooking an intimate stage area. The space itself is truly one of a kind, an artful parallel of cult classic porn posters and reupholstered church pews, serving to create a yin and yang feng shui of sexuality mixed with a hint of moral righteousness. The dynamic combination of showcase and venue, along with the mystique surrounding the evenings performers, created a seemingly perfect storm of anticipation for all fans lucky enough to be in attendance.
Let’s be real, if you’re not already a fan of Rawle … are you even a real fan of good music? If you’re (sadly) unacquainted with this man, then let me introduce you to the next big artist to come out of Los Angeles. Not only is Rawle one of my personal pop favorites, but he’s also a true talent that I have pegged to take the next leap into super stardom. Don’t believe me? Just take a look at his socials and you’ll see the guy isn’t playing around. With close to 150k followers on Instagram and just under a million plays on some of his songs on Spotify, the impressive numbers reflect his level of talent. When he stepped on stage at Adults Only he was dressed in all-white designer, shades on, shining like the star he undoubtedly is. Everyone in attendance could feel an atmospheric shift when he grabbed the mic and flashed that golden voice of his; the fact that he had Andreena Mills and Yonatan Watts, two Grammy-nominated engineers/producers, in attendance to handle production duties certainly added to the gravity of his performance. He opened his set with a brilliant cover of Sam Smith’s Stay With Me, allowing him to showcase his tremendous talent as a vocalist and set the tone for what can be expected of this man in terms of being a true performer. He proceeded to also cover Usher’s Confessions, an extremely difficult song for most, but one in which Rawle hit out of the park with ease – leaving audience members singing along as he belted out the iconic lyrics of the mid-2000s ditty. The fervor surrounding the release of his latest EP has left fans starved for new music, so when he chose to perform his new afrobeat single, Unconditional, the audience was abuzz with excitement as we were blessed with a taste of his latest project. Although he has attained a certain level of international celebrity, Rawle was not too big to give props to those within his circle – taking a moment to subtly shout out his producers and videographer in between songs, a sentiment which didn’t go unnoticed. He capped his performance with a beautiful rendition of Find My Way, his most recent track to be made into a music video, and a song that holds significant meaning with the rising star. This Guyanese sensation, by way of Toronto, is the next international star set to take America by storm. To be honest, I’d truly hope you’re already familiar with this man’s body of work… but if not, I’d highly recommend checking out his singles Bae, Broken Love and of course Find My Way. Also, be sure to keep an eye out for his new single Unconditional dropping sometime in late January, followed by the full release of his latest EP in early March. I can’t emphasize enough how extremely talented Rawle is, so buy stock in him now because his value is only going to go up from here on out.
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Dripped out in a jersey tee covered in his own branding – a logo emulating the Milwaukee Bucks, except the stag is replaced with Bucky’s face (fire marketing, I know) – the opening act of the evening’s event was none other than Omaha’s own, Bucky P. Bucky was placed in the unenviable position of having to set the tone for the entire show even as audience members continued to trickle in. Was he able to deliver? This man flooded the venue with a level of energy and contagious confidence that set the perfect vibe for the rest of the night; by the way, it must be mentioned that his music is absolute fire (which undoubtedly helped). If you’re unfamiliar with Buck’s work, you’re sorely missing out, as his catalogue of music is one of the most impressive I’ve ever heard from an unsigned artist. Go ahead and add Fast Life, Who Taught You, Oh My, Not a Regular Person and Around You to your Spotify libraries as these five songs are absolute gas – filled with unforgettably clever lines like “Two b*tches goin’ down on me, call them twin towers”. When interviewed after the show Bucky was solely focused on giving love to his homies in the Omaha music scene, including a buddy back home who did the cover art for his Spotify page and, most importantly, his boy SK8 – someone who strongly influenced his direction as a solo artist. An important message Bucky was able to share with the crowd was the fact that he “kicked the cup” a testament to his ability to break from the industry norm of drinking lean. Bucky P is much more than just a rapper though, he’s the entire package when it comes to music, and has a lengthy history as a producer. His story began at the young age of thirteen, when he taught himself to play the drums, later progressing to making beats on garage band as a fifteen-year-old. Since then, he has also taught himself to play piano and guitar, proving that he has an affinity for all genres of music – even going on to recently make a punk song. I promise you Bucky P is the type of multifaceted musical talent you need to check out (his song Around You is truly, truly different) and he can without a doubt be added to the top of the list of Midwest artists primed to take off.
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Taking the stage third, wearing a stunning black dress, the young and talented Hana Tabbara effortlessly entranced the audience with her booming voice and amorous lyricism. Couples could be seen throughout the crowd holding one another and swaying along to the mystifying beats and intoxicating verses of Hana’s songs. The young starlet even chose to perform her own tasteful rendition of a Frank Ocean cover, showcasing her elite vocal range and talents as an on-stage presence. Hailing from Ventura County, California, Tabbara began writing music at eight years old and has since crafted herself into a polished lyricist thanks to the guidance of UCLA’s renowned songwriting program. Please go check out her debut single Love You Better, as it is just starting to blow up – with over 1.2 million views on TikTok and almost 300,000 streams on Spotify.
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The pride of Northeast Baltimore City, Kilo Tae is one of the most slept on artists in all of Los Angeles. This man is simply too talented to not already be a household name for all fans of infectious, “give me the AUX cord” level hip hop. A product of Perry Hall High School, Tae is making Charm City proud with the quality of music he’s been putting out recently – especially his latest EP Silent Assassin, a project in which you can’t help but play every song all the way through. Despite his big-body persona (he was a college football player in a past life) and inner-city roots, Kilo Tae is far from an intimidating figure; in fact, he’s a super mellow, down-to-earth dude that you can’t help but like. I cannot stress enough how easy this man is to be a fan of – he’s talented, humble, and authentic – a combination of attributes rarely seen in today’s hip hop climate. When he took the stage at Adults Only, Tae’s cool demeanor gave the impression he was unfazed by the size and energy of the crowd in attendance and was simply there to do his thing. His charismatic nature shined through while on stage, as he got the crowd engaged by actively sourcing area codes to see who all was in attendance. During his post-set interview, he made sure to give props to his former producer, Wink, and current producer, gmbeatz – explaining that when working with both, his artistic process is fairly straightforward “When I go in the stu I let the beat take me where to go”. When asked which artists from Baltimore affected him growing up, he made a point to shout out Shordie Shordie and Lor Scoota, two bonified legends in the city. If you’re looking for new music to add to your repertoire, Kilo Tae is an artist you need to familiarize yourself with ASAP; so please go and check out Gucci Cardigan, Dark Knight, and Catching a Vibe as all three have worked themselves into this author’s recent most listened to on Spotify.
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Originally from Galveston, Texas, 26-year-old Deo Cane has had a love affair with music from a young age. Having moved with his family to the San Fernando Valley in 2001, Deo claims Newbury Park as his home – no doubt an inspiration for the unmistakable Southern California vibe felt in his music. Along with the help of his producer gmbeatz, this 805 legend has gone on to craft a sound which he has affectionately titled “chill trap”; a unique and poetic style of artistic voice that is paired with soulful RnB melodies to create an unforgettable sound for listeners. At the Adults Only show he charmed the audience with his high-energy stage presence and fresh fit – a black Jackie Robinson Dodgers jersey with a FILA fanny pack strapped across the front, white beanie, pair of clean kicks and two sparkling earrings – Deo seemed to have the crowd singing along to all the words in his songs. His iconic Cali twang, a noticeable byproduct of being from the Valley, could be heard in between songs as he chatted up the audience; “My fans hate me because I don’t drop more sh*t” was the message he shared with all those in attendance, a sentiment that surely resonated with all of us who want him to put out more heat. An exciting addition to his set was the surprise appearance of collaborating artist, Rafik, who took the stage rocking a (fire) Muhammed Ali tee. Do yourself a favor and tap in by checking out Deo and Rafik’s latest single Level Up, it's an irresistibly catchy club banger that’s sure to be stuck in your head and added to your Liked Songs library on Spotify.
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Written By Dan Caddigan
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