The Kneehighs, Thrillrazr, and Hershel Abram

Artist: The Kneehighs
Song: “Eyes Wide Open”
Heard by: Angel Martinez, Southeast San Diego
It was a pretty smooth track. It had a nice beat. I haven’t heard that type of music before. It’s kind of like rap but it’s too smooth to be called that. He was rapping about life in the ’hood and how the only way out of that lifestyle was through God. He was a good rapper. His timing was good. It’s just that the stuff he was talking about was kind of wack. I don’t see that having popularity or radio airplay. It needed more bad words and more talk about sex and drugs — typical stuff in the rap industry. I like stuff like Jay-Z that has fresh beats and good lyrics. On a scale of 1 to 10, I’d give that song a 5.

Artist: Thrillrazr
Song: “Whiskey and a Hard Drug”
Heard by: Frankie Moreno, North Park
It’s a song a lot of people can relate to. He was singing about how every time he feels low, he just wants to drink whiskey and get high again. It kind of reminded me of bands like Seether or Killswitch Engage — hardcore. They sounded pretty decent. I would definitely go to one of their shows. As far as them getting popular, anybody can have commercial success; it’s all about the amount of money and time you put into getting yourself known. When I hear that song, I just picture a regular guy living day-to-day, drinking and smoking. I’d give that song an 8 out of 10.

Artist: Hershel Abram
Song: “Chocolate Love Part 2”
Heard by: Warren Brown, Mission Hills
I thought it was all right. I’m not really an R&B fan, but it’s got a good hook. I listen to a lot of rock, indie, electronic, and folk. I like the lead parts of the hook and the verses. The chorus was repetitive — touching, kissing, loving, or something — but I was more drawn to the rhythm section. I could see that as a rock song, but it was an R&B song. I think it could be played on the radio and people would like it. It’s got a catchy hook, and that’s what people are looking for. That would be a good song for gettin’ down...or a downtown club. Personally, I’d give that song a 3 out of 10, but for an R&B song, I’d give it a 6.