LA-based creative collective CMMND strike cloud rap gold with ‘Celica (Show Me Luv)’

Photo Credit: Graham Smith

We have seen far and few between hip hop collectives over the past couple of decades, it’s inevitable that we are due for a new culture to embrace. Odd Future and Brockhampton have made lasting marks on the millennial/GenZ bubbles in recent memory and inspired a whole new movement of music and fashion. Los Angeles artist-based collective CMMND aspires to earn their spot amongst and become one of the greats. CMMND was founded in 2018 and is a full-service creative shop comprised of visual artists, designers, producers, and vocalists. These different gifts complement one another and blend artists' mediums to create a synergetic product of music and visual content.

The collective united at UCLA where they all attended but coincidentally their Bay Area roots were a shared similarity amongst each member. The six-piece group has been releasing cloud rap songs since 2019 and incorporates modern and classic flows over dreamy, Bay Area-inspired production. The group garnered mass attention over their catchy single ‘Sum Light’ which features past-feature Seiji Oda. The group has kicked off the new year with stylish lo-fi single ‘Celica (Show Me Luv)’ which features okay coleman! and sleepyboybryan. The single sees the vocalists exchange eclectic wide-ranged verses and equips them with the catchy hook about “trying to show you what it feels like to be loved.” At its core of the song “is simply a feel-good song, created intentionally to be listened to in car rides, groups of friends, and to make people feel good about what they have regardless of perceived status”

When asked about their mission in our society they explained how “unlike traditional creative collectives, music groups, or fashion brands CMMND strives to blur the lines between different artistic mediums. Not only are we individually inhabitants of so many different art forms, but we individually have so many broad styles we embody to form a truly eclectic approach seen in every project. Through this approach, we utilize our individual skill sets to create collaborative projects ranging from seasonal apparel collections to a full-length EP. CMMND ’s mission is to promote the message that regardless of identity and career, everyone is creative.”