Northern Lights
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Northern Lights

West Haven, Connecticut, United States

West Haven, Connecticut, United States
Hip Hop Soul

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Music

Press


"Left Leberra ft. DonD & New9Gs- MetroNorth(Prod. by Northern Lights)"

I once took the Metro North line out of Left Leberra’s hometown of New Haven, CT and noticed that, while there was no shortage of the usual riff raff (no SODMG) that you’d see on any public transit service, more than few of the riders seemed entirely too bougie for the train system’s spoiled decor. “Metro North,” taken from Left’s new set Mary Saves, offers a similar sense of refinement in a decaying body. It’s like him and producers Northern Lights took the shining-sad aesthetic of current rap radio and just melted it into a silvery liquid. And then they poured it on Drake and he was all like “ew, gross.” - The FADER


"SYFFAL-Shyne Music Video"

Shyne Music Video - Syffal.com


"King Vada- Preludes To A Murder(Prod. by NorthernLights)"

Produced entirely by New9Gs and DonD of Northern Lights. - Complex Magazine


"Introducing Northern Lights"

I hear slices of Public Enemy and Chuck D's articulate thoughts in the wordplay of Connecticut's Northern Lights, as well as savvy sampling to boot. The rap trio, who have six self-released albums to their name, are doing their thing and showing the potential to do it well. Their most recent album, Dear God 3, is sort of like time travel to the early 90's -- there's a throwback feel that isn't tired or overdone. It's more like having the chance to lock yourself in your room with the hip hop tapes that marked your adolescence. - Earmilk.com


"Northern Lights’ FallenUp EP"

As the production team behind some of fellow Connecticut resident Left Leberra’s stranger tracks, Northern Lights established a pretty strong and very unique blippy, plodding electro aesthetic. Their own EP covers some of the same ground musically but also finds them touching on chunkier sample driven territory. And though its title evokes strong memories of a certain pre-fame but no less insufferable Black Eyed Peas song (one which will not be linked), FallenUp reveals the trio to be pretty adept emcees in their own right. It should sit comfortably in playlists alongside recent efforts from loosely sympathetic eccentrics Danny Brown and Main Attrakionz.

Read more: http://www.thefader.com/2011/08/18/northern-lights-fallenup-ep/#ixzz2CxZNbMl7 - The FADER


"You Can Call Northern Lights Pac Men"

Here’s a new video by one of my favorite groups Northern Lights for their song “Blowing Smoke.” While the video is brand new, the song is off their first release Love Was For Suckas. It’s cool to see the whole group together for this. The last Northern Lights video I believe was for “Her Eyes” which didn’t have Rod Fuego in it. And then Rod came out with a couple solo videos. Both the song and the video for”Blowing Smoke” features all the Northern Lights: 9Gs, Don D and Mr. Fuego.

The three MCs spend most of this video outside in nature (there’s a little bit in a car) on a super sunny day. The environment definitely fits the feel of the beat and their raps. My favorite parts are when 9Gs drives a remote-controlled toy car around. That thing looks like a lot of fun to mess around with. Another highlight is the very swagged out dog they cut to when Rod raps “poodles spitting like pitbulls, but I’m a great dane.” I’m not even really a dog person, but that dog is very cool.
- Mishka NYC


"Northern Lights Are Never One To Lose"

Here’s the video for “HerEyes” off their excellent Fallen Up album. Northern Lights is three guys (9Gs, Don D and Rod Fuego), but only 9Gs and Don appear on this song and in the video. The beat mixes hard drums with soft, spacey noises and Don and 9Gs’ voices fit somewhere in between that space. This is a love song, but a kind of distant and abstract one. They never heavy-handedly mention girls they know or dated or are dating. They keep that subtle. And, we only get a few, quick glimpses of of girls in the video. Most notably the brief shot of a girl’s eye that flashes onscreen when 9Gs says “the girl of my dreams looked just like you” and the quick shot of a girl on a magazine cover. That cuts right to one of an X-men comic cover which is an awesome transition.

Fitting with their name and this song’s hook “her eyes bright like spot lights,” all the artificial light (and it’s all artificial since the whole video takes place at night) is super bright and the colors are almost laser or star-like. I especially like the shot of Don under the “We Buy Gold” sign. That looks very sci fi to me. It looks kinda like they’re in the New Haven of the future. Northern Lights, along with AREB crew mates Left Leberra and Stash Marina, are featured in our Spring 2012 Lookbook. AREB spit excellent verses on Hyperbolic Chamber Music, too. - Mishka NYC


"Northern Lights Clear Their Minds"

New Haven, CT rappers/producers (and members of AREB along with Left Leberra and Stash Marina) Northern Lights just dropped their mixtape Dear God 3, fresh off the release of September’s Gift & Curse album. Dear God 3 is a mix of Northern Lights original production and a couple tracks using classic beats on “Ode To Redman” and the closing track “History” using a J Dilla beat.

What I like best about Northern Lights sound is how is is both very futuristic and very connected to classic hip hop too. That’s why it’s cool they used a couple classic beats. Those beats don’t sound out of place on Dear God 3 at all even though many of Northern Lights’ beats use space-y sounds producers really didn’t experiment with back then. A lot of the songs are pretty somber and contemplative. That’s both in the beats and the lyrics. One of my favorite lines is on “Satchmo” where Rod Fuego says “I’m kissing Mary/I’m Eddie Brock/Fuck Peter Parker.” That’s a great way to make a “say hello to the bad guy” line and also a comic book reference. Himself The Majestic makes an appearance on the very honest breakup song “SourGoo” and there is also a rare Chamillionaire appearance on “Illustrated.” - Mishka NYC


"Northern Lights And Himself The Majestic Get Gooey"

New Haven, Connecticut rappers/producers Northern Lights just put out their new album Gift & Curse a few weeks ago and fresh off releasing that, they’ve dropped a new song “SourGoo,” a collab with Himself The Majestic. Over a spacey beat, Northern Lights’ members Don D and Rod Fuego and Himself have some really great lines as always.

I really like when Don says “Metro North was the farewell the train left.” Maybe just because I’ve been on Metro North trains a lot. But, that’s also a vague, but pretty powerful image, too. Rod opens his verse saying “Ima live forever overcome the flood/can’t fight fate either gloves or gun” and also says he’s in the studio watching All That later on which is awesome. Himself tells a story about a relationship ending with some really great storytelling and ends his verse on the line “fucking up my karma I ain’t met another yet.” Which is a sad, but kind of perfect conclusion to the song and to Himself’s verse and his story.

I’m glad these guys worked together. Northern Lights are very talented at beats and rhymes and Himself kills every track he’s on. Whether it’s a guest spot or one of his solo songs, a really turnt up song or a more introspective one like “SourGoo” he’s always great. Oh, and isn’t that song artwork amazing? - Mishka NYC


Discography

Still working on that hot first release.

Photos

Bio

Northern Lights is a Connecticut based group composed of three members, Don D, New9000, and Rod Fuego, two of which are producers. With four group projects under their belt, Love Was for Suckas (2010), FallenUP (2011), Gift & Curse (2012), and Dear God 3 (2012), Northern Lights have begun carving out their rightful place as artists and musicians within the hip hop realm. Their sound stands on its own reminding you of the component of hip hop that has always endorsed talent and individuality. Northern Lights have collaborated with 88 keys artist Nemo Achida, P.Blackk, Kari Faux & most recently King Vada's Preludes To A Murder. With a versatile style and wide-array of beats Northern Lights give you life over good production. Heavily influenced by Slum Village, A Tribe Called Quest, Pharcyde, Little Brother etc.