Browsing Tag

Alt Hip Hop

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

Malta rapper Rheez. holds no prisoners in his sophomore single, PTSD

Posted on 6 May 2022

After a successful debut, new wave rap artist and producer Rheez. boldly blazed in with his sophomore single PTSD. If any track has the power to affirm just why so many people are losing their sanity lately, it’s this stormer of a grime and alt-hip hop cocktail.

The intro is an efficacious hook into the Malta-based artist’s candid track that holds no prisoners when picking out the most disparaging facets of our human existence. With lines such as “dad on the phone saying son they can’t clone you” and “Shout out to the internet champions, TikTok is your only throne” put up against each other, Rheez. tears through our obsession with superficiality and tendency to turn a blind eye to the real issues.

Rheez. may claim that he is turning nothing into something with his music, making humility another attractive aspect of his artistic presence. But his willingness to hold humanity accountable and speak out so convictively on one of the most stigmatised conditions known to man makes him equally as important as any of the overhyped artists with vacuous premises for their tracks.

PTSD was officially released on May 6th; you can check it out for yourselves via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Its all in the vibe in 2Dope.Ty’s latest infectiously dynamic feat of hip hop, Picture Perfect

Posted on 4 May 2022

Perfection doesn’t exist, but 2Dope.Ty, came pretty close in his latest bass-dripping darkly timbered rap track, Picture Perfect. It is a scathingly revealing snapshot of everything we want to project into the world. The razor-sharpness of the lyrics that bring you into the ludicrousness of our current status-obsessed reality is a testament to the North Carolina-based artist’s vernacular and wit that was formed through dabbling with poetry.

Stylistically, 2Dope.Ty staked his dynamic claim that allows his music to appeal to everyone, from Kendrick Lamar to Juice Wrld, without leaning on assimilation. There is something all too immersive about his laidback delivery of aggressive bars. While Picture Perfect is running through, it becomes a new gritty source of gravity. And we’re pretty sure that there isn’t a vibe check in the world that 2Dope.Ty couldn’t pass. He’s firmly affixed to our radar from here on out.

Picture Perfect is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Twivee – GODLIKE feat Jay Will: Hip Hop to Get Pious To

Posted on 29 April 2022

For his latest release, hip hop writer, mixer, and producer, Twivee, collaborated with new wave pioneer Jay Will to create a stormer of an impassioned alt hip hop hit. GODLIKE is enough to leave you feeling pious to the aggravatedly experimental talent.

The bass is just about enough to rival the wild energy that carouses through Twivee’s rap bars that are rampant with hook-filled cursive. The UK artist’s intensity has already been lauded across the board, and he’s become a firm favourite of BBC Introducing with his truly authentic hard-hitting sound. It’s all too easy to see why.

GODLIKE feat Jay Will is now available to stream on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

The Imperial M.B. Ran with Luxe Old School Style in His Latest Alt-Hip Hop Track, Ignorant

Posted on 21 April 2022
The Imperial M.B

The Imperial M.B. brought back the luxe style of Tupac and Biggie in his latest single, Ignorant, which serves the straight out of Compton grit along with nuanced alt-rock elements in the instrumentals through the buzz saw guitars and searing oscillating effects.

It is probably safe to say that not many up and coming hip hop artists in 2022 succeed when it comes to arresting production, vocal conviction and emotionally charged lyrics, but notably, The Imperial M.B. is a triple threat. At the very least, he is one to watch.

Ignorant will be available to stream on May 6th; you can check it out for yourselves by heading over to Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

European rap luminary, Jay Creti stamped down his domineeringly dark sound with ‘Ich Liebe Dich’

Posted on 17 April 2022

European hip hop artist, Jay Creti is a product of the modern multicultural world, as his music, especially his latest domineeringly dark track, Ich Liebe Dich, which merges German and Italian rap bars over caustic industrial hip hop layers, chilling choral effects and the steady bassy rattle of the 808s.

Jay Creti may mix up his sound between releases, but whichever genres that he is leaning into, you can count on an archetype-smashing aural ensemble. There really is no understating the atmosphere behind Ich Liebe Dich with the cinematic production, harsh stylistic discord and pure unbridled vocal energy.

Ich Liebe Dich is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

New age spirituality meets alt-hip hop in Kyron Rizzo’s latest single, High Priestess Pu$$y

Posted on 15 April 2022
https://soundcloud.com/kyron-rizzo/high-priestess-puy/s-w37KuX7hPp3?utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing

Any fans of Lords of Acid will undoubtedly want to delve into the salaciously spiritual latest single from Kyron Rizzo. With the jazzy horn stabs around the rattle of the 808s and the beguile in Rizzo’s smooth yet fierce RnB rap vocals, High Priestess Pu$$y is as seductive as it is darkly alluring.

In their own words, the single is “for the Hot Girlz & Tarot Reading Hoez not afraid to WIND, TWIST, & POP their shit: in the club, car, kitchen, or shower.” The Avant-Garde work may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but for anyone that likes their aural poison a little stronger and steeped in edgy magnetism, it will have all the makings of a playlist staple.

High Priestess Pu$$y will officially release on April 15th. You can check it out for yourselves by heading over to SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

uhforrest became one of the most original names in indie trap with ‘highrise’

Posted on 14 April 2022

‘highrise’ is the latest candidly sweet indie trap drop from the up-and-coming San Francisco based artist, uhforrest, who is setting himself apart from the rest by establishing himself as the Elliott Smith of the new wave trap scene.

Lyrically, highrise packs a pretty bruising punch as uhforrest runs through the cleverly morose wit; instrumentally, the intimate guitars bring the catharsis as they shimmer over the glitchy trip-hop meets trap beats.

To bring yet another addictive element into the prodigal mix, uhforrest is by far one of the most vocally original trap artists to appear on our radar in recent years. When you pair that with the indie tape-saturated warmth of the genre-defying guitars, highrise is as unforgettable as it is original. We can’t wait to hear what follows.

You can check it out for yourselves by heading over to Soundcloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Ace Da King featuring Xavier Thomas – Bentley Truck; prepare your summer trap playlists.

Posted on 1 April 2022

For his latest fiery yet smooth single and music video, Bentley Truck, the hip hop trailblazer, Ace Da King collaborated with the featuring artist Xavier Thomas. If you like hip hop that speaks as much to the soul and your rhythmic pulses as it speaks about late-stage capitalist gains, the vibey and downtempo new wave trap track has all the makings of a playlist staple.

Ace Da King defiantly stamped down his mellow sonic signature in the track that allows you to lose yourself in the shimmering reverb and the light and bright texture of the keys that amplify the high vibes under Ace Da King’s envelope-pushing lyrical wit.

Since the official music video premiered on March 24th, it has already racked up in excess of 24k streams. You can check it out for yourselves via YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

The Bard of Ely, Steve Andrews waxes lyrical in his latest climate-conscious single.

Posted on 27 March 2022
Mother Nature Rap by Steve Andrews

On March 21st, Steve Andrews, AKA the Bard of Ely, showed us a brand-new facet to his consistently conscious talent with the release of ‘Mother Nature Rap’. The rap track drifts away from his usual psych-folk style but keeps the heart of it behind the canter of the rapped vocals, blistering synths and heavy rattle of the 808s.

I can safely say that I haven’t been this arrested in a socially dissecting hip hop track since Scroobius Pip launched his Logic of Chance album. The vocals take on a brand-new style of conviction as Andrews takes a no holds barred approach to announcing the impending climate doom and pointing out that we are already living it.

There is no shortage of cutting lyricism, but my personal preference has to fall upon, Mother nature ain’t here for your dream, You’re in hers, so let it be, and The Mother’s lungs have been cut out, It’s happened but it’s obscene. The imagery is as haunting as it is captivating in its unflinching John Cooper Clarke style.

Mother Nature Rap was recorded in Portugal at Verdelho Studio with Ricardo Verdelho as the producer. It also features synth overdubs by Crum (ex-Hawkwind, ex-Moonloonies). It is now available to stream and purchase via Bandcamp.

Review by Amelia Vandergast