Strange Music boasts a loaded roster of artists all with unique skills, talents, interests, and personalities.
Strange Reign, the newest installment int he Collabos series, is a chance for them to showcase their musical stylings, but there’s so much more to the amazingly talented artists than just the music.
To get a closer look at the artists who compose Strange Music, we asked Mackenzie Nicole, who was raised Strange and recently graduated high school, to help us come up with some Strange Superlatives!
Here’s what we cooked up.
Mackenzie Says: “Have you seen those Sale ads?!”
Mackenzie Says: “There’s a reason he’s on all these massive canvas prints all over our offices! I’m literally staring at four Tech’s right now!”
Mackenzie Says: “NonMS! He breakdances in the middle of ¡MAYDAY!’s set. He’s always breakdancing! It’s so cute!”
Mackenzie Says: “Ubi is super intellectual, which is obvious if you actually listen to his lyrics. He referenced Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave” in one of his solo tracks, which was so dope to me because I’m really into studying Platonism too.”
Mackenzie Says: “Scoob! He’s not technically the oldest on the label, but he’s the OG. His style is also the most old school.”
Mackenzie Says: “Prozak for his films. I’m personally interested in writing and directing films, and Prozak has totally been my mentor and inspiration.”
Mackenzie Says: “Stevie! He gave up a huge basketball scholarship to be a rapper.”
Mackenzie Says: “JL always looks so good. I want to steal all his cute coats and jackets.”
Mackenzie Says: “I don’t know why It just feels right. He could hide supplies in his fanny pack! Oh and ‘Rick Grimes Is Dead’!”
Mackenzie Says: “He was born in London, grew up in South Africa, settled in Miami, and got married in Paris. He’s basically Carmen Sandiego.”
Mackenzie Says: “I think I deserve it.”
Mackenzie Says: “Darrein makes so many amazing love songs because manages to be romantic without being too soft. What I love about Darrein and his music is that he does these gorgeous tracks that integrate the grittiness of hip-hop into really traditionally sexy R&B.
The perfect example of this is “Real With Yourself”, his debut solo track from Strangeulation Volume II, which remains one of my absolute favorite songs this label has ever produced. That’s why I was so excited that Darrein and I did “Whatever You Want” together on Strange Reign — I’ve been dying to make that track with him for two years.”
Mackenzie Says: “Look at his Instagram. He’s always cookin’ up a storm!”
Mackenzie Says: “Godemis. He’s definitely an alien masquerading as a human.”
Mackenzie Says: “‘Auteur’ is French for ‘author’ and the term is used in the film community to describe those visionary directors with an almost obsessive-compulsive attention to detail, like a Kubrick. Bernz is like that with his projects; he has a vision that he refuses to compromise.”
Mackenzie Says: “Above Waves get this, obviously. As far as bands go, they’re just incredible, and their instrumental talents have deep roots in Strange. Lance, the drummer, has been touring with Strange since he was 14 years old. Ryan’s an incredible frontman. Bryan (bass) and Creighton (guitar) are ridiculously talented, too. Their combined force as a group is so dope.”
Before we wrapped it up, Mackenzie said, about the whole label, “Strange has curated such an amazing roster of ridiculously multi-talented characters, and when the whole family comes together, incredible things happen.”
Incredible things like Prozak making horror movies, MURS smashing zombie skulls, Rittz making a sandwich in a hotel room, and of course Strange Reign.