You Heard About that New HOOD AVANT-GARDE?!

It’s in all caps for a reason. Charmaine is coming for that loud on her new EP, HOOD AVANT-GARDE. The latest tape from the Zimbabwe-born, Nashville-bred MC is brash and bold, the sort of project that is at once an announcement of a new star and an instant hit. Like the title suggests, Charmaine feels comfortable existing in many worlds at once. She can dive headfirst into mainstream, radio-ready rap in one moment, before infusing that same style with deliriously weird and exciting sonic tones.

Versatility becomes indecision and lack of clarity in less skilled hands. Luckily, Charmaine is as solid as they come, and her willingness to bend the borders of rap yields triumphant results.

Listen to the full EP here.

Get to know Charmaine here.

The latest tracks, music videos, and exciting projects from all of the First on SoundCloud artists.

Ela Minus – Ela Minus

Ela Minus Put Herself First To Become A Star

Ela has been able to hone in on her sound, both because of her fiercely independent vision, and the team she has surrounded herself with.

Kid Quill – Kid Quill

Kid Quill Shares His Secret to Success on Clubhouse - Keep Your Family Close

“I still have a chip on my shoulder. I still have a lot to prove. I’m still hunting for that ‘truly made it’ moment. I’m looking for it and I’m hungry.”

Kid Quill – Kid Quill

Kid Quill Shows Off His (Surprisingly Excellent) Vocal Chops On "Mood Ring"

Quill steals the show in part due to his ability to smooth-talk his way into any conversation.

Music Video – Lourdiz

Lourdiz Forgets Her Ex In Acoustic Video For "Circles"

Like so many of her songs, the track is taken to soaring heights atop Lourdiz’s shoulder, whose voice goes from cool and reserved to urgent and emotionally charged in a moment’s notice.

Kid Quill – Kid Quill

Kid Quill Brings Shelbyville, Indiana To Lollapalooza's Worldwide Audience

"I’m from Indianapolis. Growing up, this was my shit. It’s just nice to finally get here and play.”

Ela Minus – Ela Minus

Ela Minus Steals The Show At Chanel Haute Couture Evening

Minus capped off the celebratory affair at the Palais Galleria with a stunning set that effortlessly mirrored the vibes of the evening.

Clubhouse Session – Sofia Mills

Sofia Mills Adjusts To Life in the Spotlight on Clubhouse

Mills has worked hard to translate the bedroom vibes of her home recordings onto a larger stage.

Clubhouse Session – Charmaine

Charmaine Reps Her Squad and Her Hood on Clubhouse

“It takes a village” is a cliche because it’s true, and no artist and her team illustrates this notion more effectively than Charmaine and her squad.

Live Show – Sofaygo

SoFaygo Readies His Live Show For Atlanta Debut This Saturday, July 17

The SoundCloud-sponsored event is set to kick off at 7 PM at The Loft on North Peachtree Street.

New Track – Ela Minus

Ela Minus Brings Techno Magic To Little Dragon's "Hold On"

Minus takes the dancefloor-ready disco anthem to unpredictable places, fragmenting Yukimi Nagano’s vocal line and flipping it on its head.

Behind The Scenes – Lourdiz

Lourdiz Drops Haunted BTS Stills From Her Magnetic "Shoot Me Down" Video

The eerie, claustrophobic vibes are heavy and impenetrable, which help accompany the song’s deeply emotive lyrics of being trapped in love, paralyzed by the inability to move on.

New Album – Otis Kane

Otis Kane Drops A Psych-Funk Opus With Purple BLUE

Otis Funk turns his synesthetic vision into a funkified dance party.

Clubhouse Session – Sofaygo

SoFaygo Talks Early Rhymes and Trusting His Team On Clubhouse

SoFaygo's mixtape War was a SoundCloud sensation, the sort of record that invigorates devotees of the app and gets A&Rs across the world sniffing for the next superstar.

Clubhouse Session – Otis Kane

Otis Kane Talks Old School Feels And New School Ideas In His Clubhouse Chat

Kane’s versatility carries the album, which he credits to his 'continuously at-capacity brain.'

News – Sofia Mills

Sofia Mills' Cuddly Merch Collection Reflects The Joyous Complexity Of Her Music

Now you can have All My Pals at home too.

New Album – Sofia Mills

Sofia Mills Wanders Through Feelings Of Love And Love Lost On Debut EP, 'All My Pals'

There’s a beautiful weariness in Mills' voice, a blend of optimism and disenchantment that tug at each other over the course of her new EP, 'All My Pals.'

News – Kid Quill

Kid Quill Brings Vintage Style To The 21st Century With New Merch Drop

Kid Quill proves that vintage never went out of style with his already sold-out drop of exclusive merch.

Live Show – Sofaygo

SoFaygo Is Set To Bring His Club-Ready Atlanta Trap Music To Rolling Loud Miami

SoFaygo will join A$AP Rocky, Travis Scott, and Post Malone for a rap-filled weekend in Miami.

Live Show – Pa Salieu

Pa Salieu Spits Through A Taxi Cab Window While Performing 'Frontline' On 'Fallon'

Armed with a massive coat, a live band, and enough swagger to arm an entire stadium of Rolling Loud attendees, Pa fully embraced his time in New York.

Music Video – Otis Kane

Otis Kane Loses To Temptation In The Haunting 'Can't Stay Away' Video

The pitch-perfect imagery gives the video a dream-like quality, and Kane’s love interest follows his psyche like a wraith in the night.

Behind the Scenes – Charmaine

Charmaine Lets Viewers Into Her Life Of Luxury During "DOUBLE DUTCH" BTS Video

On the track she spits, "When I say jump all you bitches fall back.” You can see that reaction for real in this exclusive BTS vid. (JK she's actually the sweetest.)

New Track – Pa Salieu

Pa Salieu And slowthai Make a UK Powerplay With "Glidin'"

"Glidin'" will get your night started right. At the core of Salieu’s music, is an eye for detail that would make your favorite novelist jealous.

Clubhouse Session – Lourdiz

Lourdiz Talks Quinceañera Culture and Lil Wayne on Clubhouse

Lourdiz breaks down her eclectic approach to pop, rap, and everything else in her Clubhouse Session.

Music Video – Sofaygo

SoFaygo Drops Trippy, Beetlejuice-Inspired Video For 'Knock Knock'

SoFaygo fights off enemies and taps into his horror favorites in the video for 'Knock Knock.'

Music Video – Pa Salieu

Pa Salieu Reigns Supreme In 'Glidin'' Video

Pa Salieu and slowthai flex as Britain's best MCs in the new track and video to match.

New Track – Sofia Mills

Sofia Mills Offers Deeply Felt Cover Of Modern English' 'I Melt With You'

Sofia Mills tackles the Modern English classic and creates something entirely new.

News – Ela Minus

Ela Minus Is Set To Hit The Road, Both Solo And Alongside Caribou

Ela Minus is set to bring her breathtaking debut album, acts of rebellion, across the country.

New Album – Ela Minus

Ela Minus Debuts Stunning Electronic Album, 'acts Of rebellion'

Ela Minus aims for the cosmos on her boundary-pushing debut album.

News – Ela Minus

Ela Minus Offers Fans An Interactive 'acts of rebellion' Listening Experience

Ela Minus has teamed up with Zach Lieberman to create a website that offers different visual components for each song.

New Tracks – Kid Quill

Kid Quill Drops Golden Age Throwback "Curbside"

Kid Quill brings old school vibes to his adoring audience with his latest track.

News – Kid Quill

Kid Quill Is Set To Bring His Summer-Ready Raps To Lollapalooza

Kid Quill will grace the Lolla crowd with his feel good energy and endlessly clever bars.

Playlist – Charmaine

Charmaine's Putting You Onto Her Fave Artists for Black Music Month

Charmaine has dropped a sprawling playlist for Black Music Month, repping her peers, heroes, and all-around favorite artists in the game.

New Track – Lourdiz

'Shoot Me Down' Finds Lourdiz Looking For love

“When you leave me lonely/I need to do something/Hate sitting around doing nothing/I can’t sit still," she sings.

Music Video – Lourdiz

Lourdiz Bares Her Soul in 'Suicide Down' Acoustic Video

The multi-faceted signer slows things down in this stripped back take on her latest track.

New Album – Payday

Welcome to Payday's House of P.U.K.E

Puking is usually something to be avoided, but in Payday's world, it's got a whole new meaning.

The Young MC Is Turning Rap On Its Head – Payday

Payday Talks Success and Being as Big as the Big Bang on Clubhouse

The young MC is turning rap on it's head.

New Track – Payday

Payday Proves Her Freestyles Are Better Than Your Written Bars With “Big Bang"

“The song is about the moment that you pop, the big bang moment. I'm just waiting for my big bang moment,” says Payday.

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