One of the most underrated parts of seeing independent artists perform is the intimacy of the experience. Small rooms create a kind of closeness you don’t get later without a VIP wristband and a rushed photo. When the distance between the stage and the crowd disappears, the connection feels real, unfiltered, and alive in the moment. I had been hearing the name Mona & Kat come up through friends and across my feed, so when I finally had the chance to catch them live, it felt like the right move. Walking into the venue without expectations made the experience even better. The room was filled with familiar faces, a reminder of how tightly woven the Philadelphia music scene really is when you’re tapped in. Mona & Kat blend R&B, house, and pop into a sound that feels intentional and uniquely their own. Music made for spaces where people come not just to listen, but to move, have fun, and enjoy themselves. That’s what makes local the local music scene special, it’s not only about discovering new artists, but about the community, the spontaneity, and the moments that only happen when people show up in real life. In rooms like this, a casual night out can turn into genuine connection and memories that stick. What stood out most wasn’t just the performance, but everything happening around it. Conversations sparked easily. Introductions felt organic. The energy in the room stayed light and open. These are the types of nights that remind you why seeing up-and-coming artists early matters. Not for bragging rights, but for the shared experience of being present while something is still growing. Character Matters as Much as Talent After the set, I had the chance to talk with Mona and Kat, and the same energy carried through. Both were down to earth, approachable, and easy to talk to. Nothing felt transactional or forced. It felt familiar, like running into people you already know. That kind of interaction says just as much as the music itself. Talent draws people in, but character is what makes them stay. Supporting artists who put real care into their craft has always been my baseline. Mona & Kat deliver quality without losing humility, staying grounded while remaining open to connection and collaboration. It’s refreshing to see artists this present, approachable, and not too cool for the room. If you’re looking for a good time and want to tap into what’s happening on the ground floor of the independent music scene, give Mona & Kat a follow and catch them live when you can. Instagram: @mona_and_kat

Wale’s latest album, Everything Is A Lot , is a rare thing, a true album designed to run from start to finish, uninterrupted. This project feels different. It’s an album with the polish of someone twenty years in the game, but with the passion of an artist introducing themselves to the world for the first time. It must be listened to in sequence, the order of the tracklist itself is part of the experience. It’s the kind of project we almost forgot the industry was capable of producing...A curated, intentional, a sonic art exhibit where everything matters. And while Wale has nothing left to prove, his name is already in the rafters. This feels like someone choosing expression over expectation and in the process, landed on a classic. THE MOMENT THE ALBUM LOCKS YOU IN From the first few tracks, you can feel this album is on a mission. You’re meant to feel something, and that intent becomes undeniable when you reach the Michael Fredo record. It doesn’t arrive gently. It hits sharp, sudden, undeniable. The kind of hit that pulls a reaction out of you before you even register the sound. Your face curls into that involuntary stank face and your body rocks, not because you decided to move, but because something inside you is trying to keep up with what just landed in your ears. By the time the Michael Fredo track ends, your hand is already drifting toward the rewind button, your mind racing: “Nah, run that back.”  But the album has its own timing and doesn’t wait for you. Before your thumb even makes contact, the next track “Power and Problems”  drops in, smooth, sudden, and controlled. Like a plane breaking out of turbulence into clean air. This isn’t just Wale performing. He’s conducting and guiding every rise and fall, shaping every emotional swing with the precision of someone who knows exactly where he wants to take you and exactly how he wants you to feel when you get there. REAL INGREDIENTS IN A PROCESSED ERA Part of what makes this album feel alive is the instrumentation. We’ve all been fed algorithmic, over-compressed, and now AI-flavored music for so long that real ingredients almost shock the palate: Real piano. Real bass. Real drums. Real arrangements. Real lyrics. Real rapping. Real music. Shout out to all the producers and musicians who contributed to this classic. This is hip-hop. This is Wale at his most dialed-in. THE CROSSROADS OF DREAMING & BECOMING Everything Is A Lot  confronts the pressure we’re conditioned to ignore, the emotional crossroads athletes describe after winning a championship. Once the confetti settles, the question no one prepares you for appears: What now? The truth is, life’s complexity and heaviness don’t disappear just because things look stable on paper or because your dreams finally became “reality.” There’s a hunger in this album that echoes the first version of falling in love with something the purity before expectations, before pressure, before anyone else’s voice enters the room. It’s authenticity at its rawest. This is why the album hits so deeply. It taps into that early joy of the craft, the first clean swish, the first time you beat your older brother 1-on-1, the moment where achievement feels weightless and all that matters is the love of the game. Creating for passion, not validation. Everything Is A Lot  reaches back into pure origin energy with beats that transport you back to banging your hands on the cafeteria table for the lunch time cyphers. As the album moves toward its final stretch, “Survive”  stands out as an emotional center, the moment where truth and exhaustion sit together in the dark and decide to keep going. And ending with the track “Lonely”  feels highly intentional and poetic, a quiet hallway exit from the art exhibit, the space where you’re still processing everything you just experienced. Everything Is A Lot  is now streaming on all platforms.For updates, follow Wale on social media and visit his official site for tour dates, merch, and new releases.

It was one of those nights that started without a plan. Just landed in Nairobi and somehow found myself at Koda, tucked away in Westlands, for R&B Night curated by @nairobirnb . From the moment I walked in and heard KARRL spinning, I knew this wasn’t just another set. His set was very intentional, every blend, every drop, every look he gave the crowd carried purpose. This wasn’t someone hiding behind a “good playlist.” This was an artist performing on stage. A Night with KARRL in Nairobi I’ve seen a lot of DJs, but few make you stop dancing just to watch them work. KARRL has that presence. No mic-talk, no forced hype, just pure crowd control, commanding the room to dance and move to the rhythm he sets. The way he layered riddims and folded new tracks into familiar grooves was poetry in motion. One minute he was deep in 90s R&B, the next he had us vibing to something fresh out of Nairobi’s underground. I kept catching myself pulling out my phone just to Shazam song after song. There was this one moment, when Karrl dropped Nviiri the Storyteller’s track “Niko Sawa”  featuring Bien. I couldn’t even tell you how he got there, I think it was off a Keyshia Cole or Tevin Campbell track, but either way it was unexpected. All I know is when that beat landed, I froze for a second, laughed to myself, and silently mouthed, “Who the fuck is this guy?” and I meant that with full respect. From that moment on, I wasn’t just listening; I was fully locked in. KARRL didn’t just play for  the crowd, he moved with  us. You could see it in how he built the tension in his transitions, how he made you guess what was coming next, then flipped it in a way that still made perfect sense. Every transition was a reminder that DJing is like playing an instrument and when done right, its like an act of storytelling. It’s that rare mix of intention and instinct that separates a playlist from a performance. Be Present for the Music For a time, everything disappeared in the crowd, no phone in hand, no recording, just sound, light, motion and presence. Watching KARRL reminded me why being in the moment still matters. There’s nothing like catching that look on someone’s face when the beat hits and the collective release when the crowd has when they move as one, that’s the magic we all as artists chase. Those subtle moments, when crafted with intention, are what turn a good DJ into a great one. It’s not always about playing what’s trending to spark a crowd. I have to believe there is greater satisfaction when you take risks and pop an underground song into a set and cause the crowd to have no clue why they starting vibing even harder to something “unfamiliar”. KARRL has that spirit. You can tell he’s not chasing clout; he’s chasing craft. Koda Nairobi Energy Koda was the perfect backdrop, minimalist, raw, the kind of place where the music does the heavy lifting. Upstairs, an open bar overlooked a dance floor full of people who weren’t too cool to move with tons of sections and VIP areas. Maybe it was the R&B crowd, but the night felt communal, like everyone came to exhale together. Shoutout to @nairobirnb for curating a night that gave space to up and coming artists. The night felt like a reflection of what “real music” can do when given space to breathe. Anytime we at Sheddin find ourselves in a place that lives and moves in the spirit of our ethos " where real music happens ” it hits home. Stay Connected Follow @iam_karrl for a glimpse into his world.If you’re in Nairobi and want to feel the city’s rhythm and blues, tap in with @nairobirnb and @kodanairobi .

Your number one source for where real music happens. Discover all the latest and greatest things happening in the world of music, art and fashion. MONA & KAT Some Things Still Need to Be Experienced: Live Music, In Real Life... READ MORE Inside Philly’s Independent Music Scene: A Night with Mona & Kat When the distance between the stage and the crowd disappears, the connection feels real. Wale’s Everything Is A Lot: A Rare No-Skip Album Wale’s Everything Is A Lot is a true front-to-back album—no skips, no filler. Played in sequence, it becomes a full experience. It hits with the polish of a veteran and the hunger of a debut album. This is an instant classic. Kenya’s R&B Pulse: KARRL Brings Nairobi to Life at Koda At Koda Nairobi’s R&B Night, DJ Karrl reminded us that “where real music happens” isn’t just a motto—it’s alive in Kenya Philly Rising: Angel Concepcion’s Full Circle Moment at World Cafe Live Angel Concepcion’s performance at World Cafe Live’s Philly Rising open mic marked a full-circle moment. Seraiah Nicole Brings Soulful Vibes to South Jazz Kitchen in Philly Philadelphia’s live music scene is alive and well, and Seraiah Nicole is a name you need to know. Philly’s Own TreWay Drops “Comfortable” and the vibes got you feeling real cozy... TreWay from Philly and The Now Generation just dropped “Comfortable,” and it’s got everyone ready to kick back and chill. 1 2 3 Just some random inspo to get you through the week. We started a new playlist to put people on to new music. So if you're interested in adding your song to the playlist drop us note to submit.

Your number one source for where real music happens. Discover all the latest and greatest things happening in the world of music, art and fashion. GOOD MUSIC IS GOOD MUSIC REGARDLESS OF GENRE. WHERE REAL MUSIC HAPPENS. Sign up to receive exclusive content, updates, gear discounts and much more! SIGN UP WHAT IS SHEDDIN? /SHed·din'/ or to /Shed/ verb "The act of rocking out" or "typically used by musicians to mean rehearsing a difficult passage repeatedly, until it can be performed flawlessly." The term "sheddin" is a musician term used to describe impromptu performances. A shed is when musicians get together and create a vibe, a groove, a movement. Welcome to Sheddin Entertainment. Where real music happens.

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