Hartly

Upon first meeting Hartly, you are instantly taken aback by his permeating persona. Full of confidence, there is an aura of drive and determination that is unshakable, and it is his sole mission to make sure no one mistakes him for anything less than great.

We met with Hartly in Union Square on a balmy evening in June — the rain had just ended and the city was damp with the smell of hot pavement, wet grass and street food. While most New Yorkers on that day we’re shuffling about with the look of pure discomfort and disgust on their faces, Hartly’s genuine positivity sliced through the negative crowd cloud like a blade. Born Stephon Matthews, Hartly’s story is a tale of his adventures — and sometimes, misadventures – with women, and credits his upbringing heavily in his music.

“I love women,” he says, with undeniable conviction. “My grandmother is a regal, black woman and my biggest influence so a lot of [my appreciation for women] comes from having a strong woman as a role model.”


Hartly’s upcoming release, Infinity, is a diary of just that. With tracks like his first single, “SideChick” and “Penthouse” each one is just a tip of an iceberg in the many testaments of his trying trysts. But as much as Hartly says he does his best to disguise the gritty facts behind his subjects, he also says that he can’t help but throw in a bit of the subliminal for effect. On the aforementioned track, “Penthouse”, Hartly names four women he dated but referred to them only by last names—then adding, “At the end of the song I say, ‘Fuck your boyfriend.’” And it is with that bravado that Hartly exhibits his controlled vulnerability. Not to say that Hartly sounded the least bit upset, however, it was in the pregnant pauses he took as he discussed his romantic history that suggested he truly loved and cared for all his women. It is with this same humanistic glimpse in his open book of a heart it becomes very clear that underneath all the armor is a man on a mission.

As our interview draws to a close, our waitress came out to the patio where we were sitting to serve some other customers when she, unprovoked, struck up a conversation with Hartly as though she had known him for years. And Hartly, like the wounded, kindhearted Romeo that he is, politely and uncontrollably entertained the waitress. The conversation lasted but three minutes, but in that time we learned a little life history about the waitress. Hartly has an ability to unlock the toughest of metaphorical locks, and he knows it.

Hartly’s debut single, “SideChick” is available for download on his management site, BigNobodies.com via Sound Cloud. - The Quiet Lunch

Once and a while something or someone comes along that challenges or pushes the envelope of what is considered the “norm.” The newest of the new, has managed to tailor a sound that is solely his. It is as Harlem as it is rock, and as authentic as it is emotional: an eclectic mix of electro, punk, and hip hop. With it, East Harlem bred artist & songwriter iFFY (born Cristofaro Donaldi) plans to make you a believer.
iFFY’s love for music began with his brother’s nineties rock collection, decorated by the likes of Nirvana and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. It wasn’t until moving from his birthplace of Miami to New York City as an 11 year-old that he was introduced to hip hop, when a classmate lent him the Bad Boy compilation album, “No Way Out.” Almost overnight, he became an instant hip hop head, delving into the music of Cam’ron, Eminem, Jay-Z, Nas and Rakim. As a teen, he started writing and brought his talents to the ring, battle rapping and developing a reputation for poignant punch lines and clever wordplay.
Now as iFFY begins to wholeheartedly pursue a career in music. The influences of rap gods, combined with his early love for rock and punk, are helping him develop a distinguished sound that brands him as one of a kind. His debut mixtape “Songs of Love & Madness” displays his versatility and limitless range. Whether he is spitting the rawness of “Feelin’ iFFY” or singing the upbeat yet somber tune of “Cast Away,” iFFY melodically captivates ears. With more projects in the works, he will continue to offer listeners his heart in the form of music. In the process, he plans to further polish his sound and keep testing the boundaries of creative freedom. - DubbCNN

One thing we pride ourselves on with music is being able to introduce you to musicians to pay close attention. I grab my crotch and say we’ve introduced you to artist like Theophilus London, Mike Posner and Kid Cudi. I can put the gloves on and pull our the analytics to prove it. So the next artist that we’re putting you onto that will be serious name to know is iFFY. Coming out of East Harlem, iFFY makes it a priority for you to believe and feel each of his words as it blares through your speakers or headphones. As a new member of this sorta “feel-good” music coming out, he manages to tailor a sound that he can claim his own. - Limite Magazine

Interns have helped us out a lot over the last 10 years and not surprisingly a lot of them have gone on to very successful careers. Mick started to intern at Star Trak before becoming Pharrell’s assistant and traveling the world. Other examples, such as Neil Jacobson, who is now a senior executive at Interscope (he also manages Robin Thicke and Kelis just to name a few) and Shaun “tofu” Jaffier who is on the air every morning with Angela Yee on Shade 45. More recent interns are just starting off their career such as Laetitia who’s in Paris working for Comme des Garçons, Cassell who’s working on his photography and Lacey who works for us but discovered a new passion while in Japan. Perri Dash also currently works for us and has teamed up with our former intern Chris(iFFY), who is now working on his music career(check it out below). Moral of the story is that you have to take advantage of your environment while interning, the jobs you are asked to do might suck or might not be that interesting but it’s all about networking and getting your hustle on to take it to the next level! - Billionaire Boys Club & Ice Cream Blog

iFFY, a nice chap from Harlem! This dude didn’t receive the attention he did with his first mixtape, “Songs of Love and Madness“, (which definitely would’ve been posted if we existed at the time) and is smartly re-releasing it (entitled “A Few More Songs Of Love and Madness”) and here is just a sample of what the re-release has in store (as well as the original tracks). iFFy’s nice with it, another example of what the “new” school of Hip-Hop may possible sound like. - Fresh Born Gold

The song is from iFFY’s forthcoming re-release of his previous project Songs of Love & Madness (which is currently available as a free download – link below). The new mixtape A Few More Songs of Love & Madness is very much a work in progress as iFFY told me that he’s still in the process of recording a few more songs for the project. But until then you can listen, on repeat, to ‘Feelin’ iFFY 2' which finds the Harlem songster/rapper channeling his inner demons (and Beastie Boys swag) over a headbanger of a beat – the end result is a track that would be Bill Foster’s theme song should Falling Down have been released this year (who are we kidding, I’m sure it’ll get remade). At the complete opposite end of the spectrum are the sunny sounds of ‘Cast Away’ from Songs of Love & Madness which features iFFY laying down some smoooooth vocals over Ratatat’s ‘Brulee’, a perfect calm-before-the-Friday-blackout-storm song if you will. Check ‘em out below and for now, stop feeling iffy, and start feelin’ iFFY. - Audio Muffin

Here goes the first leak from artist/songwriter iFFY‘s debut mixtape Songs Of Love And Madness, presented by Mike Waxx.
Hailing from East Harlem, New York, iFFY’s repertoire encompasses an eclectic mix of electro, punk and hip-hop music. Influenced by The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Nirvana, Ratatat, Cam’Ron and early N.E.R.D., iFFY has discovered a distinguished and unique sound that separates him from many new artists in the music scene.
The mixtape is set to drop in mid February, so stay tuned for much more! - iLLRoots Blog