L.A. VanGogh • "Wants & Needs"
In this current climate of crippling student loan debt, anyone with a college degree would not expect a song featuring a girl named Sallie Mae to be a fun and highly stylized jam. However, Dolton, Illinois’ own L.A VanGogh succeeds in making a danceable ditty about trying to “make a little paper” while grappling with the ‘wants and needs’ of friends, ‘fam’ and the private student loan company.
In the 33-second video snippet introducing this latest single ‘Wants and Needs,’ a friend hands the artist a blunt while sitting at a round table. Instead of taking a hit and passing, he pauses, and commits the ultimate party foul by taking another hit and perusing his phone. This prompts one of his friends to exasperatedly tell him to pass.
This is a perfect introduction to the single where L.A. VanGogh sings and raps melodically over a ‘bop’ with an up tempo beat about trying to live while being pulled into other people’s problems. The aforementioned bop is highly danceable if not comfortably twerkable.
In the single, the artist raps about wanting to move forward with his own career while coping with emotional vampires and people testing him - from the student loan company to ‘johnny-come-latelies’ making elevator pitches about money-making endeavors. In the midst of all of this, knowing ‘shit ain’t free’, L.A. VanGogh is just trying to be “in and out of the laboratory,” making the money to pay Sallie Mae back for his college education.
The single features DJ of the Innovatorz and is mixed by Matt Hennessy. It is seemingly an ode to an artist experiencing growing success, grappling with meeting his own needs, all the while avoiding emotional traps set by the demands of fickle friends, ‘fam’, and, good ol’ Sallie Mae.
More Recent Releases
Hollyy does what they do best on their brand new single “What A Shame” with animated video to accompany!
Rich Robbins’ new single “Good Goodbyes” perfectly captures this theme as he reflects on the lessons learned from different people in his life.
On Eleeza Silva’s latest record, listeners are instantly taken back to one of the most revolutionary eras of hip-hop.
Hailing from the Northwest side of the city, J.Solaye is an emerging singer with a disarmingly tender voice that can sway anybody into a daydream. These Days premieres the official video for her song "Ocean" off her debut E.P., One.
A month after dropping their sensational collab “Aye There,” Marcus Atom and Rich Jones have unveiled a visual to match the song’s silky smooth energy.
Following this past Spring’s release of his album, Rambe World, Kahrion has released the video for the album’s standout track “Silver Bullets”.
On her second These Days-premiered track, Ness Heads delivers an energetic hip hop heater, “Fall” (produced by Drew Damen and Grammy Szn). Listen now on Spotify.
Listen to “Now She Knows My Name” and check out our quick Q&A with Jameson Brenner about Othersides, their creative approach and what lays ahead.
Malci’s latest album creates a palpable world of its own while calling back to the g-funk synths of days gone by. For all of its soft vibes and smoothness, Papaya! is not a love letter, nor a rap manifesto. It's a snapshot of Malci in the moment.
What better way to usher in the summer love than with a new single from the Windy City’s own.
Lay back and relax to the chillness of Valee with “You & Me Both” co-created by ChaseTheMoney2x and JW Lucas.
Open the 4 chambers of your heart and let love flow through with “God is Love” co-created by Peter CottonTale, Fred Hammond and New Direction.
Taking a step back and acknowledging the bigger picture, the triumph of Pivot Gang’s You Can’t Sit With Us is what makes it even more exceptional. The album feels in service of each other first and foremost which in turn makes it a labor of love.
Supa Bwe and director LONEWOLF join forces in the recent visual release of Supa Bwe’s I Hate You.
Chicago duo Iris Temple unveil their melodic and endearing storytelling on “Pretty Love.”
An extremely beautiful and melodic piece, KAINA just released her newest single “Green” along with visuals to match .
After a two-year hiatus, the eloquent, provocative Chicago product Supa Bwe has given us a “Just Say Thank You, a 7-track EP that serves as a prequel to his long-awaited and highly-anticipated sophomore release.
Dehd, Chicago’s triad of musical joy just dropped a new video for their single “On My Side.” Taking place on a dusty Texas road bandmate Emily Kempf is engulfed in the southern light as she sings in the spirit of Karen O and Chicago DIY realness.
These Days is proud to premiere “Aperture” by Emily Blue. The track continues Blue’s mastery of an ethereal sound that makes perfect ambient pop.