MVW featuring Valee “Still Do” Co-Produced By Lex Luger
New York composer Michael Vincent Waller (MVW) teams with producer Lex Luger and Chicago rapper Valee for “Still Do,” the second single from his upcoming project Classic$ available via AWAL Recordings. With MVW and Lex Luger’s rich production of ominous strings and punchy beats, and Valee’s effortless vocals on wealth and luxury, the three artists come together to create a fresh new sound reimagining Michael Vincent Waller’s stand-out composition “Lines.”
MVW explains, “My core intention on Classic$ is to get classical music into hip-hop without dissolving either. It’s about allowing the production and samples to breathe organically. We’re not simply trying to add orchestral heavy strings. Instead, we’re relying on dark and episodic chamberal moments, which fit naturally. I hope people are like, ‘I didn’t know classical music could be so funky. I can’t believe trap is so sensuous and beautiful.’”
Valee adds, “The production on the song just spoke to me. I knew I had to do something different and use a brand new flow for it.”
“Still Do” follows Classic$ lead single “Survey Says” featuring Shanique Marie of Jamaican collective Equiknoxx. The vocals celebrate the pride and joy of unity and self-love while co-producer Lex Luger adds a mesmerizing sample flipping Michael Vincent Waller’s original composition “Love 1.” Classic$ is the first hip-hop project from Michael Vincent Waller after releasing three classical albums via Unseen Worlds, Recital and XI Records. His 2019 album Moments was revered as “absolutely sparkling” (Exclaim!). Meanwhile Pitchfork raves that “every note and gesture on ‘Moments’ seems to be deeply felt and philosophically weighed before a hand touches a piano key or lifts a mallet.”
Michael’s music has filled venues such as Carnegie Hall, ISSUE Project Room, Roulette, Palais de Tokyo Museum, and SXSW brought to life by soloists and ensembles a la R. Andrew Lee, Stephanie Ginsburg, Dante Boon, the S.E.M. Ensemble, and Ensemble Dedalus. Michael has collaborated with musicians and producers across genres with his last joint project with electronic artist Jlin. In 2020, MVW was named “New Artist Of The Month” by Musical America Worldwide.
About MVW
Michael Vincent Waller uncovers the nexus of classical music and hip-hop on Classic$ [AWAL]—his 2021 debut EP as MVW. Like a string quartet beaming chamber music out of the trap, the project integrates elite beat-craft, bulletproof bars, and classical composition into an inimitable and irresistible hybrid.
A composer from New York City, his classical music has been described as lyrical and introspective, drawing inspiration from impressionism, post-minimalism and world music. In 2015, he unveiled his debut album The South Shore on XI Records—the label founded by composer Phill Niblock. 2017’s Trajectories gained traction on streaming services as “Lines” eclipsed 348K Spotify streams. Two years later, Moments garnered widespread tastemaker praise from the likes of WIRE Magazine and Pitchfork. The albums have generated nearly 1 million total streams across his solo catalog.
On Classic$, he recruited multi-platinum producer Lex Luger [Waka Flocka Flame, Kanye West, Rick Ross]. Luger was drawn to Michael’s classical music and the two unlocked immediate creative chemistry. They’ve produced multiple songs for the project and have built a foundation for unparalleled innovation. “I want to take the same attention to detail associated with classical and chamber music and apply it to one of the most viable, listenable, and casual genres, i.e. trap,” explains MVW “It’s got freshness and energy, but there are a whole bunch of nuances and details you don’t typically hear in modern rap. I’m trying to take the best of both worlds.”
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Dr. Jerry Doby Editor-in-Chief of The Hype Magazine, Media and SEO Consultant, Journalist, Ph.D. and retired combat vet. 2023 recipient of The President's Lifetime Achievement Award. Partner at THM Media Group. Member of the U.S. Department of Arts and Culture, the United States Press Agency and ForbesBLK.
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