Can I exist
Released: November 29th
Format: Digital, Streaming, Airplay
Recorded: December 2013
Genre: Alternative Hip Hop, Alternative Rock, New Disco
Length: 3:41
Label: Studio60
Writer(s): Drake Anton Zaslavsky, Nate Alexander, The Vibrator, Lilly Stuart
Producer(s): Groove in Downtown, The Vibrator



“Can I exist” is the first single of the upcoming album by Groove In Downtown, a side project featuring Drake (aka mISTER_b) and Nate Alexander. The track was recorded back in December 2013 and remained secretly hidden for almost one year. Recently Drake and Nate were able to put the project in the right trail and it could finale “see the sunlight” as Drake said in a recent interview. The project is a drastic change in genre and musical style than we’re used to listen by Drake’s regular DJ career.
Influences on the sound of the track is a combination of alternative hip hop, specially the soulful and rap vocals performed by Nate Alexander, alternative rock because of the acoustic guitar and violins heard in the hook of the track and new disco, an electronic genre that’s been taking the underground scene by storm, it’s perceived on the track due to the bass line and the drum sequence of the track. All of these elements together in only one song might’ve sound confusing, but they were so well produced by Groove in Downtown and The Vibrator, the last one part of the ElectroDeath production team.
The track starts with Nate whispering the word “exist” followed by a funky bass line riff, later on the new disco drums fill the track with groove and fasten its tempo, the same time Nate sings the first verse of the track, this one being sung with soulful vocals. Nate has a soft voice singing, but he sounds dope as if he was tired of singing, it’s so fitting for the melodies of the track. Before the chorus there’s an acoustic rock hook, with some strings and acoustic guitar, Nate’s vocals receive some effects and the track turns back to the funky bass line and new disco drums, while Nate starts his rap. You might think Nate’s rap could sound cheap, but it doesn’t, well his voice is not alone there, we can hear backing vocals and different effects on his voice. The second hook of the track is longer than the first one, this shift between the new disco to alternative rock makes the track sound cool and underground, but there’s no deny that in the end it is mainstream as anything that Drake has produced before.
The lyrics are a social critic of human being lifestyle and media influence in our lives. The question can I exist certainly works as a critic to a society that’s connected one hundred per cent of its time on internet or television or any other “cheap” source of news and futility. Religion is another there talked in the lyrics of the track, they are claiming that advertising is the tool to conquer people and some of the ideologies used on it can cause severe harms to human race such as the social acceleration and the sickness of the 21st century. Two allusion are made throughout the lyrics of the track, the first one is the holy bible used as a metaphor for advertising inducing people to buy stuffs they don’t need to, the other one is the dust of the asphalt making us blind, the landscape of the big metropolis are in constant changes and we seem not to perceive it, because we’re part of this changes.
Overall the song just tries to reach for as many genres as possible and still coming out as a pop song. Catchy melody, most likely thanks to the awesome bass line and the new disco drum sequence, a hook that switches of the club beat and begins an acoustic guitar with even some violins. Then the rap comes in, which has a great flow and acid lyrics. This is only the first piece of music we get from this ambitious but not purposeful side project. Certainly Drake is a good producer, Nate has the right choice of voice for this type of music, and despite we’ve never heard him sing before. Let’s not forget to mention Lilly Stuart takes credit as a songwriter too, she is one of the best writers of mainstream music and let’s not forget that Marcos Stuart her husband is Drake’s manager.
There’s a visual aspect behind the lyrics of this track and it already makes our brains imagine the landscape a song like this could be placed. Drake said in recent interview that the album was visually designed by Ernest Zacharevic, a street artist who pains panels on city walls and streets and any other urban monuments. He often paints children playing around, but sometimes he paints adults living in farms or doing natural activities contrasting the urban lifestyle. He was invites by Drake himself to make the visual aspect of the whole project, which includes a small book with his graphics based on the song’s themes. One of this graphics is the artwork of the single. Drake also said that a music video for this track was also produced and Ernerst’s graphics are part of it.

Lyrics

Exist (5X)

Dust rising of the streets is making me blind
But it’s been some time I can’t feel my eyes
It’s like if you were trying to see beyond you
But my mom long ago told me “don’t believe, you fool”
Each one is with its own perception of reality
Even though is impossible to accept it
But hey, you cannot often be changeable
I’m trying to find my way out of this hypocrisy, but it’s inevitable

Holy book make me understand
Give a hand, be complacent
Make me catch a glimpse of future
What you’re saying? Good old preacher
Is there true behind these lies?
Everyone so busy, out of time
Television gives me a meaning
Can I exist?

Massages of peace in cheap posters
While life is oscillating like a roller coaster
Give us a little hope
Cover us with your holy robe
While advertising is selling us a piece in heaven
Tricking our eyes, strayed on channel seven
This is all bullshit
Hahahahahaa,
Age of consumerism,
And supremacy
If you’re fancy
Then I’m your friend
Yo, they call it nepotism
I call it opportunism
Gain it and stick with me
Yo, we’ll both win
Fight to survive this shit
Even if you can’t see
Fuck, I follow the trend

Holy book make me understand
Give a hand, be complacent
Make me catch a glimpse of future
What you’re saying? Good old preacher
Is there true behind these lies?
Everyone so busy, out of time
Television gives me a meaning
Can I exist?

Fighting to survive this shit
Even I still can’t see
Fuck
I follow the trend
Hahahahahaa,
Fighting to survive this shit
Even I still can’t see
Fuck
I follow the trend

Sounds Like (Not exactly)

Can I Exist Remixes EP



1- Can I Exist
2- Can I Exist Dreaming Remix – The Wolverines
3- Can I Exist Rave Remix – The Vibrator
4- Can I Exist ‘The Wobbler’ Remix – mISTER_b & ElectroLightz
5- Can I Exist Acoustic – Nate Alexander


Production and Description

This is the EP containing four remixes and the original version of the already hit single by Groove In Downtown, called “Can I Exist”. The EP will be available digitally as a promo material, plus some of the tracks remixed is set to be rotating on specific radio stations and nightclubs over the world. The EP anticipates the release of the music video for the single expected to premiere near Christmas.
The first track on the EP is the Deep House remix by another famous duo of mainstream music, ‘The Wolverines’, the track is fill of keyboards and synthesizers, plus its bpm was lowered down despite it tries to maintain the good vibe of the original sound, it might sound a little bit sadder. The melodic elements of this remix belong to the keyboards played throughout it, the vocals remain the same expect some additional backing vocals and repetitions. The synth beats are house influenced, shifting the sad mood to a more relaxing one, something we’ve heard on ‘The Wolverines’ debut single. The track starts slowly till it increases progressively to a funky melody and ending with the same drum sequence it started out.
Young ElectroDeath Team DJ and producer ‘The Vibrator’ produced the second track. This Trance music remix was produced with 130 beats per minutes, making it sound fast and rave, taking its listeners right back to the 90’s. The track has a vicious beat, fast repetitive drum sequence, three keyboard layers and repetitive vocals, building up moments performed by synth beats and later the track breakdowns to a culmination of electronic elements, this sequence last as long and the vocals repeats again. At the end, the track builds down to a slower and simpler version of its melodies, but still fast tempo suddenly vanishing and finishing its hardcore melodies.
Despite Drake is a member of Groove In Downtown, he used his mISTER_b name to make his own remix of the single, but he was helped by Trio of producers called ‘ElectroLightz. The dubstep remix track begins with a building up sequence of drum and synth beats adding the first verse vocals, this building up culminates to one single and longer bass drop commonly appearing in dubstep tracks. Then there’s a midsection almost equal to the first part melodies of the track, but it received additional turntable elements, it is quite short and later the track once again incorporates a second bass drop. During the first bass drop ‘Nate Alexander’ rap is performed. Towards its end the bass drops disappears progressively giving space to a piano melody way more clean than the trashy bass and drums of the track.
The last track is an acoustic re-edition of the original performed by Nate Alexander. It has acoustic guitar and clapping, some keyboards notes and an elaborate vocal performance by its singer. Nate does not rap in this version despite he sings the original lines of his rap, he performed it as if it was another melodic verse of the track. The new garb the music receives is more appealing to what Nate Alexander is as an artist, it also sounds a little hopeless, crucial to its existential crisis theme.
This EP anticipates the self-tittle album expected to be released in January or February of 2015. Groove In Downtown are also going to tour next year as mentioned recently by Drake in a radio interview, the tour is expected to be mainly in night clubs, but Drake also hopes to be filling some arenas as their popularity grows when their album is released. There’s a second single expected to be out before the album is released.

Can I Exist Dreaming Remix
Genre: Deep House
Length:6:43'
Produced by: The Wolverines


Can I Exist Rave Remix
Genre: Trance
Length:5:48'
Produced by: The Vibrator


Can I Exist ‘The Wobbler’ Remix
Genre: DubStep
Length:5:48'
Produced by: mISTER_b & ElectroLightz


Can I Exist Acoustic
Genre: Acoustic
Length:3:59'
Produced by: Nate Alexander

The last months of the year were also the most important ones for Groove In Downtown. The reception for the first single was so amazing that the duo were able to book some dates for the next year, expect a lot of work for this two young dudes when they’ll hit the road in an North American Promo Tour and also let’s not forget to mention the release date of the awaited debut album plus the second single of the project which was already chosen and featured one of the most brilliant hip hop artists of the recent years.
For the time being, we’re not able yet to give you the tour dates, but they’ll be revealed as soon as possible, but mark in your calendars January 10th as the release date of the single “Without a Cause” featuring Kidd Amaze, the second track taken off the self-tittle debut album is going to impact radio stations and stream markets in the beginning of the year preceding in two weeks the release of the album, that’s right folks, the album comes out January 24th.
For now, Groove In Downtown wishes you all a wonderful 2015 in hopes you’ll be able to watch them live very soon. Take a look on the artwork of the upcoming single and get excited!