Browsing Tag

2022 Hip Hop

Young Swavey lit a fire with his fervent rap track, BAPE

Posted on 22 August 2022

With his seminal single, BAPE, hip hop artist Young Swavey lit a fire with his fervent rap bars that blaze across the trappy, slightly psychedelic indie instrumentals.

The up-and-coming artist professes to make his own way in the music industry, and BAPE affirms it. Any and all reminiscences to hip hop icons and contemporaries are extremely fleeting in the short and immersively sweet track, which is fresh enough to take Young Swavey up from the underground. There is plenty of personality written between the convictive lines that almost flow with freestyle energy. Get in on the hype.

Check out the official music video for BAPE on YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

iluvmali, Philly? & Michael Liriano get luxe in their collab, Saks Fifth

Posted on 10 June 2022

Let your speakers feel the heat in the sun-soaked summer hip hop single from the collaboration between the rap luminaries iluvmali, Philly? & Michael Liriano.

Saks Fifth melds pockets of deep reggae groove with indie vibes and, for instant arrestive appeal, the snaking sonics of Eastern rhythms. The shimmering instrumentals almost pour as much dopamine into the mix as the optimism breathing rap bars, which deliver hook-y lines on a very 2022 brand of luxe romance.

If iluvmali, Philly? & Michael Liriano stay on the underground after this infectious hit; there is something decidedly wrong with the industry. The sheer satisfaction from the first hit of Saks Fith is beyond words.

Saks Fifth is now available to stream on all platforms via this link.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Decoy Duns sharpened his razor-sharp flow in his latest rap track, WINDCHIMES

Posted on 26 May 2022

Decoy Duns first hit the Houston hip hop scene in 1998; after a series of successful releases between 2001 and 2010, he took a 10-year hiatus before making a triumphant return in 2020. His latest single, WINDCHIMES, stands as a testament to just how refined his choppy fast bars have become and how much he has sharpened his lyrical wit to complement the flair in his canter.

Yet, it’s the honesty within WINDCHIMES that sets Decoy Duns apart from the rest. It’s rare to get a sense that every bar came straight from the soul, but evidently, he made no bones about exposing impassioned emotion through WINDCHIMES. Production-wise, WINDCHIMES throws ambient elements into the vivacity of the alt-hip-hop instrumentals that are sure to get the dopamine flowing.

Hear the Radio Edit of WINDCHIMES on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Denver, Colorado’s DD has unleashed his vibey hip hop earworm, Cruisin

Posted on 15 February 2022

The up and coming Denver-based hip hop artist DD (Dionne Taylor Jr) went full throttle in his vibey high-fire latest single, Cruisin, which pulls on his East Coast roots, making it an essential driving playlist staple for any fans of Nas, Wu-Tang Clan, and Method Man.

His MO of creating relatable hip hop that is always grounded in reality shines through in Cruisin, which shares a playful vignette of his life while embedding plenty of vocal hooks that create an earworm out of the urban hit. His zealous style is nothing short of infectious. Paired with the finesse in the production and the wit in the bars, he can officially call himself a triple threat.

The official music video for Cruisin premiered on January 28th; you can check it out for yourselves via YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Tanner Molique puts emotion into ‘Motion’ in his latest RnB hip hop track

Posted on 1 February 2022

It is all about the vibe in Tanner Molique’s discography of tracks. The LA-hailing artist strives to make music to drive, think and be intimate to; he discernibly succeeded based on his first 2022 single, Motion. The hazy lo-fi RnB Hip Hop track gives you plenty of ambience and reverb to sink into while you follow the grooves in the trappy melodies. It’s almost enough to conjure imagery of a neon-lit urban cruise through bustling metropolitan streets as Motion mellifluously runs through the sexually charged progressions.

Motion is the ultimate testament to Molique’s emotionally charged ethos as a songwriter and artist who seeks to evoke emotion by delivering evocative content hand over fist.

Motion was officially released on January 14th; it is now available to stream and purchase via Apple Music.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Get psyched with JaeEss’ latest mantra-filled high vibe alt-hip hop hit, Celebrate

Posted on 29 January 2022

JaeEss’ latest single, Celebrate, is the ultimate testament to the fact that everything the Lawrenceville GA-based artist and producer creates is made with purpose. The single is just one of his hits that wouldn’t be out of place on your motivation playlists.

It’s one thing for artists to flex their own success; it is quite another for an artist to commit themselves to connecting with their fans while galvanising them and inspiring them to strive for greater heights. In Celebrate, JaeEss fuses RnB with trappy hip hop textures to create the perfect platform for his wittily visionary lyrics that prove that there’s always an alternative to downtrodden apathy.

The official music video to Celebrate premiered on January 14th. You can watch it for yourselves via YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast