There are a million adjectives we could assign to That Feel Records. Soulful, expansive, and freeing, are a few ways to describe the prolific discography the label has built up over its short lifespan, but words like “meticulous” and “honed” come to mind when describing the daily operations of this budding collective. With a roster boasting immense talent, That Feel looked to make their roll-out process a little more refined with the introduction of That Feel Fridays. “That Feel Fridays is our way of showing more light and music to the people” explains GRYFFYTH, one of the multi-faceted artists that calls That Feel home. It was recently GRYFF’s turn to enter the spotlight along with fellow That Feel soldier FNdaHu$tla with a That Feel Friday release, their new EP Holy $moke. The quick yet potent project doubles as FN’s That Feel debut and features six mesmerizing displays of what makes That Feel so unique. 

Recently, That Feel Records lost one of its members with the passing of Donny Marvo earlier this year.  “The entire essence of the project sets itself apart from what’s been released so far in 2023” explains FN when asked about what separates Holy $moke from the rest of the music we’ve heard from That Feel, “With the passing of Don this year, I feel like the intention was to shed more light on his pieces of work that never got to touch the light. So this is something totally outside what That Feel has put out this year. More realism, more thrill, more raw content.” The pair of GRYFF and FN delivered that energy tenfold, GRYFF crafted instrumentals that are driven by menacing undertones and act as a surreal backdrop for their rugged verses. Despite this being the first time That Feel and FN have publicly released anything, their relationship dates back long before a rhythm was laid down or a verse was written. “[It was] Very organic. I was tapped into That Feel before there ever was a That Feel, to be honest. Me and Donny had been homies since High School. We were together all the time. Donny linked me up with [Pleigh] Vader once I moved to Orlando and through Vade I met Ant, The Producer”, explains FN, “After I stopped doing music for quite some time and we all got split up, I hit a very low point in my life. So low to where I had to release my pain through music. I had no other way. That Feel gave me that space and took me in as one of them.”

“I turned into a madman with the pen. Every verse was potent, allowing you to really see the real of my style and how my mind and spirit work” says GRYFF, who used Holy $moke not only as a platform for the visceral griminess of his production but as a means to exercise his newfound love of songwriting. It was only a few months ago when That Feel released Spur Of The Moment, GRYFF’s debut album as a vocalist. “I approached Spur of the Moment with this performance type of style. I wanted to feel like every song can be performed with a live band so I made sure to give it that essence and feel… My work ethic improved with Holy $moke even while working on everything simultaneously.” GRYFF’s words ring true, his crafted lyrics are delivered through a booming baritone with enough confidence and precision to evoke the feeling of nostalgia and futurism all at once, once these verses are paired with FN, everything gets elevated. “I first got into writing when I was 13. In middle school, we would write songs and spit them at the lunch table. If your rhymes were trash you got clowned for the rest of the year so I had to be on point” explains FN when asked about the history of his writing prowess, “All the different phases I’ve gone through with my writing and my music, it’s gotten me here. I take a lot of pride in my music so it’s very safe to say Holy $moke isn’t even breaking the ice, barely put a crack in it.” 

The years of avoiding scrutiny from his peers bled into Holy $moke, while FN and GRYFF collectively create an unstoppable duo hellbent on pushing their whole team through the flames of the music industry, each had their time in the spotlight on their collaborative project with FN holding nothing back. Their chemistry hit a fever pitch on the stand-out track “Martyr’s Return”, a track that is more akin to a hip-hop clinic than another colorful chapter in the respective artist’s catalog. “The production for ‘Martyr’s Return’ is special, days in the dungeon really” explains GRYFF on the inspiration behind the neck-breaking instrumental “As time flows, the production gets enhanced. It’s like a Transformer.” Ironically, time doesn’t seem like a concern for GRYFF and FN, two artists who are part of an incredibly prolific team that seems to get better by the day. “That Feel has enough music stashed away to put out something every single Friday for just about the rest of the year. So it’s a matter of planning what we decide to feed you guys each Friday.” 

“I do feel like the ‘wisdom’ is missing nowadays and I feel TFR is bringing that back” explains GRYFF when asked about the current landscape of hip-hop. The producer couldn’t have been more right, Holy $moke evokes the essence of That Feel Records where their chemistry is never in question, and the music it produces is undeniable. With the alley-oop from GRYFF, FNdaHu$tla kicks down the door and introduces us to his multi-dimensional writing style and organic gusto. FN leaves us with this: “Holy $moke defies any format. When putting this project together we followed the spirit and did what we felt was right.”  

Check out the full EP and support That Feel Records below:

https://thatfeelrecords.bandcamp.com/album/holy-moke