Treble NLS is a multi talented artist from the east side of Pittsburgh. Among his list of skills, he is a performer, poet, and audio engineer. Treble NLS creates music that speak to the hearts of his listeners. NLS is an acronym meaning Next Level Shit and Never Lose Sight. Both meanings rooted in his core values. My introduction to Treble NLS was his Emmy-winning poem “Don’t Clip Our Tails”, a reflective piece about racial justice. He uses his words skillfully to not only expose ignorance but give those affected the opportunity to hear their frustration articulated by one of their own. https ..read more

“I think music in itself is healing. It's an explosive expression of humanity. It's something we are all touched by. No matter what culture we're from, everyone loves music.” -Billy Joel Many of us have a collection of songs that help us feel seen and heard. Whether it’s a broken heart or a pandemic, music is therapy. This month’s featured artist, Kai Roberts, utilizes visual art and poetic expression to release overwhelming emotions. If you struggle with anxiety, depression or hopelessness, this artist is meant for you. Kai Roberts is a multi-talented musician, educator and mental health adv ..read more

How do you deal with the bad—stress, longing, regret? Pittsburgh R&B artist SAMURAE utilizes writing, music, and the healing nature of the outdoors as therapy. She chronicles such in her latest release, “Tree Talk,” a stripped-down ballad whose power is found in the empty spaces of the song. Over a simple guitar and piano beat, SAMURAE bares her soul. Any other flourishes would have taken away from the song, distracting from the searing message. Her voice, which is burly and husky, breaks at times, adding a vulnerability to the already reflective lyrics. “Mother Nature nurtures me / I talk ..read more

Those who feel a call to perform most often get bit by the acting bug early. Pittsburgh’s Shakirah is no expectation. She’s been enamored with performing ever since she played Lucy in her school production of You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown. Now, holding a B.A. in Radio, TV & Film Production from Howard University, Shakirah primarily focuses on acting, but feels well rounded in her knowledge and abilities in all parts of creating performance art. You may have already had a chance to experience Shakirah’s acting skills. If you’ve seen Alumni Theater Company’s production of Passing Strange ..read more

Level Up Studios is a Penn Avenue creative hub. Up and coming artists in the city have performed on open mics and shows at Level Up since it opened. My first High Five show was a First Friday showcase at Level Up Studios. You could feel the energy in the room as the audience filled in from Penn Ave. and crowded around the performers. Since then, we’ve held multiple events and shot music videos using the Level Up studio space. When we heard about The Level Up Apex expansion project, we were excited to support and include them as our monthly featured artist! Inspired by Hip Hop culture, Level U ..read more

Before we get into our featured artist for May, I need to get something off my chest. Recently, there has been a trend on TikTok that I hate. The idea is that you can take any photo from your camera roll and turn it into cover art. It’s great marketing for the PicsArt app (kudos to you, marketing team), but I hate the messaging that these covers are ‘quality’. It’s propagating the notion that slapping a filter on any photo makes it special and cover-worthy. True artists know the detail and passion that goes into every piece of art. Take the cover art for Quiet’s track “Bienvenue” for example ..read more

Attunement begins in a very cinematic and nostalgic place. Think jazz club of the future, where the singer sways on stage and stirs the smoke hanging in the air. You know the backing music is coming from somewhere, but the spotlight is on her and she’s commanding the attention of everyone. It feels like she’s conjuring the sounds to support her voice. Then, as “You (Intro)” ends and “Inner Mes” begins, the lights begin to come up. You see someone behind the singer on the keys, then the electric guitar, then the kit. But somehow, magically, they’re all the same person. Leila Rhodes. Leila Rhod ..read more

Lyn Starr’s new EP Tierra released on December 11th, beginning what he describes as a new era in his career. Until now, Lyn's projects have rarely deviated from the lyrical Hip Hop he came up in. On Tierra, Lyn finally showcases his singing voice and sounds extremely polished in both R&B and Hip Hop genres. In the first episode of our new Five Questions series... we ask Lyn five questions that will give you a bit of an insight into his artistry and his future plans. HF: On "Tierra Whack" you say something along the lines of this being a new era. How has Tierra changed your artistry? LS: Th ..read more

"Transmitting amalgams throughout the galaxy creating a uniquely augmented reality." - Gia Fagnelli Gia Fagnelli's bio ended with the words above. Without a doubt, it's the coolest description I've ever gotten of someone's artistry. 'Amalgam' is the perfect word to describe Gia's work, which bridges galaxies of drag, sex work, video art, soundscapes, installation art, and many forms of movement. Up until today's feature, I've written primarily about artists I already know. Until Princess Jafar put me on, I had never heard of Fagnelli, or their brand of multi-dimensional art. Here's what I've l ..read more

From the Princess Jafar Show to Princess Jafar's Instant Messages to Twitter's most retweetable timeline, September's featured artist has been hard at work for years in Pittsburgh, becoming a phenom bigger than the city itself. As a recording artist, Princess Jafar has graced stages internationally. You can purchase Princess's recent projects on Bandcamp and wait in anticipation for her 3-Course yet-to-be-titled Food EP that will be dropping on the platform in the near future! Princess also collaborated with our own Lyn Starr for a song that dropped back in December of 2019 titled "Lunesta". h ..read more