ON THE RISE
Emerging hip-hop artist, APtheG draws in listeners with his unique rap blend in his latest single, “762.” The Virginia-based hip-hop artist is just getting started but he wants to make sure you hear him loud and clear.
APtheG’s style is a fusion of rap, drill, and hip-hop, with a subtle taste of R&B; his delivery is both authentic and engaging. The rapper’s music is infused with personal experiences that provide a bridge to listeners who have shared similar emotions. No life experience is too small or too large for APtheG, who focuses on both struggles and triumphs.
What’s in a name? For APtheG, his moniker combines two interests—the Greek god of music, Apollo, with The Apollo theatre, renowned as a great performing stage.
When he began rapping, APtheG looked to artists like Lil Wayne, Snoop Dogg, Ice Cube, 50 Cent, and Eminem for inspiration. Through these powerhouse artists, he recognized that music was a medium through which people could tell their stories and connect with others.
APtheG was first drawn to hip hop in elementary school. “I started rapping on the bus,” shares the artist. “But my writing got better around early high school. That’s when I started it as a hobby. I used to listen to YouTube instrumentals with my friends and freestyled in front of the radio.”
After graduating from school, APtheG began to consider a life in the music industry. He began mastering his craft and invested in a home studio. He even focused on the business side of music, learning how to market and distribute his own records. APtheG has come a long way from his elementary school passion. “Now I produce my own music,” he adds.
When it comes to writing music, APtheG turns to premade beats—often from two reliable sources—and listens to a handful before choosing the one that most resonates with him. In the case of “762,” the song was created “by accident” according to the artist. “I was just listening to beats and playing around. It all just came together.”
“762” is APtheG’s most powerful single. It showcases his lyricism while enabling listeners to get lost in the flow. “The single is better vocally and more creative [than previous works],” shares APtheG. “Producing-wise, I’m getting better as time goes.”
This year, APtheG looks forward to getting his name and craft out into the world and making a brand. “I’m laid back as a person. I just want people to know they can check out my music on YouTube and Spotify,” he adds.
In addition to his single, APtheG is looking forward to sharing new singles with listeners. He wants fans to know that it’s important to follow their dreams and be consistent. “Be creative. If you like music and got something you can make a song about, then play around.”
Make sure to stay connected to APtheG on all platforms for new music, videos, and social posts.
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ON THE RISE
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LOS ANGELES — Damion Seraglio Bond and Hannah Leyla are turning up the heat with “Pina in Your Colada,” a playful tropical duet built around flirtation, humor and the kind of chorus that practically demands a room full of people sing along.
Featured as the opening track on Tropical Vacay, “Pina in Your Colada” drops listeners directly into vacation mode. Tiki lights are glowing, steel drums are playing, drinks are flowing and Hannah and Damion are trading lines back and forth like two people who have decided subtlety can wait until after the trip.
That exaggerated approach was intentional.
“I worried that if I hewed too closely to a serious sexual expression, today’s rather Me-Too sensitive folks might misinterpret the point of the song,” songwriter and creator Lloyd Eric Cotsen said. “By keeping it light-hearted and even cheesy over the top, it’s clearly aiming for fun.”
Cotsen envisioned the track as the kind of local favorite heard at a packed tropical bar, where vacationers already know every word and become part of the performance. That idea shaped the song’s crowd vocals and call-and-response structure, including Hannah’s equally confident answers to Damion’s advances.
Creating that chemistry, however, became one of the biggest challenges behind the track.
Cotsen used AI music platform Suno to develop the recording, but directing the male and female vocals proved considerably harder than expected. He ultimately worked through more than 160 versions while trying to get the exchanges right, eventually bringing elements from separate versions to a sound engineer to create the final result.
That persistence helped produce one of the song's defining elements: a performance that feels less like a conventional studio recording and more like stumbling into a beach bar where the entire crowd already knows the chorus.
“Recreating the vibe of a live performance in a bar with a crowd finishing the lines of a song they know and love was something I would have bet Suno couldn’t do,” Cotsen said. “It did it masterfully.”
That atmosphere also made “Pina in Your Colada” a natural opener for Tropical Vacay. Cotsen wanted the album to function almost like a vacation soundtrack, maintaining a tropical atmosphere while moving between comedy, romance and more reflective moments.
“It seemed like the most fun, captured the tropical spirit of the album best,” he said of choosing the song as its first track.
The project continues Cotsen’s genre-hopping approach to songwriting. His work has moved through folk-country, blues, soul, gospel and dance, while Tropical Vacay gives him room to explore Trop Rock and the stories that emerge when people temporarily leave their everyday lives behind.
For Hannah and Damion, that means a relationship that is flirtatious, competitive and occasionally more complicated than the beach-bar antics suggest. Cotsen describes the pair as having a “playfully combative romantic relationship,” with Hannah written as a confident character who can give Damion every bit as much as she gets.
And the fictional duo may eventually move beyond the digital world. Cotsen plans to host a concert with live singers performing selections from his catalog within the next year while continuing work on several additional albums.
For now, “Pina in Your Colada” offers a simpler invitation: turn it up, embrace the ridiculousness and pretend the nearest drink comes with a tiny umbrella.
“Pina in Your Colada” is available now on Spotify as part of Tropical Vacay.
