Los Angeles-based beat label Soulection has taken the world by storm since its inception in the early 2010s by founder Joe Kay and Andre Power.

There’s an argument to be made about the impact the collective has had on music both underground and mainstream, but what bears no discussion is the high-powered producers, artists, and creators Joe Kay and company has discovered and churned out in its lifespan. Club stars such as Esta, Mr. Carmack, and Sango have deep Soulection ties, but the label’s next wave of heavy hitters are starting to make their rounds, starting with Lakim, j.robb, and Yugi boi making a pit stop in Oakland’s New Parish.

Lakim

Soulection introduced Lakim to the beat world through their White Label series. Signing artists such as Lakim (the series went on to feature other successful producers such as StarRo, Jarreau Vandal, and the Bay’s own Mikos Da Gawd), the label self-identified themselves as expert digital diggers, mining only the cream of the online music community’s crop. To jump it off with Lakim made this appointment true: The Long Beach (by way of Virginia) artist followed suit with the sound of tomorrow’s seamless blending of hip-hop, electronic, soul, and house. Lakim’s personal flavor favors dance-y tunes with copious amounts of bounce, but his tasteful arrangements never let a smooth groove slip too far away.

j. robb

The latest from Soulection’s White Label series, j.robb is a Baltimore-bred artist producer that fuses the grit of future beats and pretty stylings of throwback R&B that sounds multi-genre, multi-faceted in the most soothing of ways. Which is no surprise considering the folks the young producer rubs elbows with — peep the credits on his White Label EP and catch budding newcomers, Mac Ayres, Cautious Clay, Naji, and ROMderful.

Yugi boi

Palo Alto’s own Yugi boi joins the Soulection conglomerate off the strength of his Ty Dolla $ign “Zaddy” remix. It’s one of those rare instances where a remix breathes new life into a track — in this case, a series of throbbing drums zapping synthetic jolts in an otherwise mellow offering. Yugi Boi has tons more in his arsenal and tucks nicely within Soulection’s penchant for savvy sound selectors and producers.

Lakim, j. robb, Yugi boi
The New Parish
February 16, 2018
9pm, $15 (18+)