If you’ve heard Ari Lennox’s gold-certified hit “Pressure,” you’ve already sung along to Jai’Len Josey’s lyrics. But while her pen has shaped chart-topping tracks for major names in the industry, she’s stepping out from behind the scenes to claim her own crown. The East Atlanta native possesses an earth-shaking voice and combines her author's eye for detail and a gift for raw and expressive storytelling in her music.

Def Jam’s rising R&B sensation, 2BYG (To Be Young And Gifted), is using their voices to make music not just to entertain but to tell real stories about love and growth. Coming out of Fort Worth, Texas, the quartet—Matt Brown, Nixx, Tourè, and KD—has built a reputation for a sound that feels both classic and current, a “foundational and fundamental” approach, as member Nixx puts it.

Imagine seeing or hearing the sounds from your most meaningful memories flash before you. There’s a theory that in the final seven minutes of life, your brain replays the most pivotal moments you've ever experienced. For indie R&B singer-songwriter Keoni Usi, that idea became the heartbeat of his eight-track debut album 7 MIN.—with the last track “7 minutes” combining all of the themes and sonics. With 7 MIN. out in the world for some time now, Mido had the chance to ask Usi