EP: Jalen Santoy – Charlie Eastern

Premiered by Mass Appeal, Charlie Eastern EP Demonstrates The North Carolina Rapper’s Many Sides and Talents

11.18.2016

The EP:

Gaining national attention for the past year, North Carolina’s Jalen Santoy has been recognized as a bonafide streaming sensation for the organic growth of his viral hit “Foreplay,” which has accumulated over 2 million streams on SoundCloud. Riding that momentum, today he releases his Charlie Eastern EP, named after a cousin who lost his life as a victim of police brutality. Premiered by Mass Appeal,the versatile seven-track effort demonstrates Jalen’s breadth of emotions and intentions; dropping his shoulder and taking the competion head-on with “CP3,” protesting resolutely on the feverish social justice banger “No Peace,” somberly reflecting inwards about a dissolving relationship while showcasing his signing voice on the glacially-paced “Good Winter,” and letting us in and speaking openly about how he got to this point on the contemplative “Mama Loves Me.”

Jalen explained his inspiration for the project, saying, “Charlie Eastern represents birth, foundation, and the willingness to show transparency in difficult situations. I lost a close cousin of mine in the process of making this project due to police brutality, a similar story that’s known too well in our culture today. He was part of a rap group founded in Charleston called ‘Charlie Eastern’ In this project, I shed light on the different mindsets that innately come about when dealing with the unpredictable struggles of life.”

Boasting a flow as smooth as his singing voice, Jalen Santoy has a gift for making insightful, melodic Hip-Hop. Born in Charleston, South Carolina, Jalen started writing and rapping when he was 15-years-old, but did not release his first song until 2014, at the age of 21. It did not take long for “God” to gain some local traction, eventually catching the ear of North Carolina veteran and former Little Brother member Rapper Big Pooh who hopped on the remix. Following the success of “God,” Jalen appeared on Pooh’s Words Paint Pictures EP, lending a verse to “Kings.” “Foreplay“ was premiered by the FADER last month as the lead single off Charlie Eastern, flipping Bobby Hebb’s classic “Sunny” into a plaintive sax loop while Jalen ruminates on another relationship gone wrong. He followed it up with “Off The Glass,” premiered by The Hundred s, setting off sirens as he takes it to the hoop on the Daniel Worthy (Drake) produced track. A powerful project touching on many different subjects, Charlie Eastern has something for everyone.

Buy Charlie Eastern: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/charlie-eastern/id1169637067?ls=1?at=1001l3Iq&app=itunes

Stream Charlie Eastern: https://soundcloud.com/jalensantoy/sets/charlie-eastern/s-pHtUN // https://open.spotify.com/album/4gPKZCPPAgk3j880b5fvuG

Check Out Mass Appeal’s Premiere: http://massappeal.com/premiere-jalen-santoy-pays-respect-to-his-family-and-friends-on-charlie-eastern-ep/

Please contact Michelle or Dharmic if interested in talking with Jalen Santoy.

Jalen Santoy Background

Jalen Santoy Gathers (born August 24, 1993), known as Jalen Santoy, is a rapper, singer, and songwriter from Charlotte, NC. Originally from Charleston, SC, the enriching culture is heavily present in his music. Recording music since the age of 15, Santoy released his first record in 2014 knowing the time was right. His first song to the public, “God,” caught the attention of many bloggers and rappers alike, eventually securing Rapper Big Pooh for the “God” remix, released in December 2014. With Rapper Big Pooh’s presence, “God” gained significant attention and Santoy received widespread recognition. Following his success, Santoy collaborated again with Rapper Big Pooh on “Kings” from the Words Paint Pictures EP which led him to features in XXL, The Source, 2DopeBoyz, and Okayplayer as one of the top artists to watch. In March 2015, Santoy released his single “Foreplay”, which has earned 1.74 million plays on SoundCloud and has gained the support from Respect Mag, DJ Booth, Ashley Outrageous, ThisIs50, Boi-Ida and other various accounts. After the release of “Foreplay”, Santoy dropped his second single, “Off The Glass” in February 2016. The single was produced by Grammy nominated hip-hop producer Daniel Worthy, and the first from his work with the upcoming project, Charlie Eastern.

EMPIRE Background

EMPIRE was founded in 2010 as an artist-friendly, progressive digital distribution company. After early success, and identifying future icons such as Kendrick Lamar, Sage The Gemini, and Rich Homie Quan, EMPIRE was quickly regarded as a tastemaker in the industry and throughout the past five years evolved into a full-fledged record label, distributor and publisher for independent musicians. With the company and roster growing at a breakneck pace, EMPIRE has effectively disrupted a stale business model by bringing its energy, expertise, and acumen to its artists and labels. Given its reputation, EMPIRE works with today’s hottest talent from superstars such as T.I. and red-hot newcomers such as Anderson .Paak. While remaining 100% independent, EMPIRE has also partnered with Atlantic Records for a joint venture, home to breakout star D.R.A.M. and joined forces with Republic Records for the release of Sage The Gemini’s Remember Me album.

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