Browsing Tag

Alt Hip Hop

Cush Wallace establishes himself as the new West Coast hip hop heavyweight with ‘AMMO’.

Posted on 6 December 2021

LA-based alt-rap artist instrumentalist and producer Cush Wallace is well on his way to securing a place in West Coast hip hop history. His latest EP, DRICO II: THE RISE OF FREDERICO DOWN BY PICO, stands as a testament to his trippy and atmospheric style and his cuttingly sharp wit.

His Afro-Latino roots pull through in the standout single, AMMO, which runs his tens of thousands of listeners through the weight put on him from his haters. Being the inspirational artist that he is, he lyrically fights his way through adversity and shines as before the track reaches its gritty outro.

Cush Wallace is so much more than your average I-downloaded-garage-band-3-months-ago kind of rapper; the classically trained multi-instrumentalist mastered the guitar and cello, those melodic skills notably lent themselves to AMMO.

AMMO is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

WDE chanzy bring the bass in their latest alt hip hop track, Getting You Bad

Posted on 5 December 2021

The two-man hip hop collective, WDE chanzy, dropped their hardest flows to date with the release of their fiery pop-tinged EDM rap track, Getting You Bad. The Serbian-born Stockholm-based brother duo has made a name for themselves in the last four years by opening up about hardship and connecting with people in the same unsteady boats.

Getting You Bad unravels as the ultimate hard hustle high vibe hip hop track with as many catchy hooks in the vocals as in the exotically Eastern instrumentals. They have exactly what it takes to define the future of European hip hop. We are stoked that WDE chanzy fell onto our radar with their humble working-class roots and filthy basslines; it’s an intoxicating mix that easily leads to a dopamine hit.

Getting You Bad is now available to stream on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Rayquonthedon remixes hip hop history in ‘TRAP LULLABIES’

Posted on 4 December 2021

Independent Rhode Island alt hip hop artist, Rayquonthedon has followed on from his debut EP with his enigmatic debut album, TRAP LULLABIES. Usually, it is all too easy to draw parallels between hip hop artists, but Rayquonthedon’s sonic boldness leaves few reminiscences in his sound that draws inspiration from dance hits, old school hip hop and new wave trap.

None of the accessibility was lost in his fiery Avant standout single, VELVETTA (I KNOW FREESTYLE). With the doomy and gritty basslines, the slick rolling rhythm of his rap bars and his strong vibes within the Eastern instrumentals, you can sink right into the experimentalism. If you appreciate distinctive talent, he is definitely one for the radar.

TRAP LULLABIES is now available to stream on Spotify and apple music via this link.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Jay Zayat has released his fieriest RnB Hip Hop track with ‘FACE IT’

Posted on 2 December 2021
Jay Zayat

Melbourne-based alt hip hop artist, Jay Zayat, created the ultimate drunk in love grab the bull by the horns track with his latest fiery indie RnB rap release, FACE IT.

On top of the sun-kissed grooving instrumentals that carry a fair amount of reminiscence to Timberlake’s Cry Me A River, Jay Zayat’s rapid-fire bars drip magnetism as they work through the witty wordplay. Lyrically, the track bounces from hook to hook while the beats make it all too easy to get lost in the grind. It is only a matter of time before Jay and his high vibe style goes viral.

Check out Jay Zayat on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Bronx Boom Bap: Dana X Rico Nasty – AgainxAgain

Posted on 26 November 2021
Dana

Dana brought boom bap hip hop into the millennial age with their latest dark track, AgainxAgain, featuring Rico Nasty. While old school hip hop fans can grasp at the nostalgia in the domineering mix, the new generation can get exhilarated by the clever hooks and versatile talent.

The featuring vocalist brought an incredible dynamic to the track; once the rapid-fire bars start to unravel, you can appreciate just how magnetic the drawl and deadpan preceding bars were. Throughout his career, the Bronx, NY-based artist has proven that his vocals can complement any beat, and he knows just how to create a laceratingly sharp vocal hook. He’s definitely one to watch.

AgainxAgain will be available to stream from November 26th, 2021, via SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

JoeJas took high vibe hip hop to new heights with 2 Truck J

Posted on 22 November 2021

Alt hip hop artist, JoeJas, has dropped his most experimental track to date with 2 Truck J. Like many hip hop artists, he finds influence in the jazzy grooves of old school hip hop, but he goes far beyond assimilation with the dark and discordant electronica textures that he throws into his high vibe tracks.

With the Pokemon and Mario references in the bars, there is no denying there is a hint of nerdcore nestled in here, but JoeJas retains his convictive cool right up until the outro. 2 Truck J is one of those tragically rare tracks that uplift through their sheer eccentricity. It is no surprise that JoeJas has amassed over 48k streams on Spotify alone with some of his top tracks.

2 Truck J is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

BiggKen has dropped his spacey EDM trip-hop track, Grade A, featuring Louie Sace.

Posted on 16 November 2021

Grade A is the latest spacey, psychy hip hop track from US songwriter, artist and producer BiggKen; any fans of Busta Rhymes and Saul Williams will want to delve into the trippy ode to old school.

It comes as no surprise that BiggKen cut his teeth in the EDM scene with the experimental sonic textures that weaved their way into Grade A, which was created in collaboration with Louie Sace. BiggKen’s mission to unify the streets and the clubs definitely isn’t futile. Under his new moniker, his top track, Booty Crazy, has racked up over 68k listeners on Spotify alone. He is definitely one to watch as he climbs the charts.

Grade A is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Californian Lo-Fi luminary Bubbush proves that there’s two sides to every toxic story with ‘Toxic Me’

Posted on 16 November 2021

Rarely is lo-fi hip hop as ingeniously fresh as the standout single, Toxic Me, from the Californian recording artist, Bubbush. Right from the first verse, his playful lack of ego grips you and pulls you into the RnB laced single that runs through the quirky progressions and old school grind.

With hyper distorted high-pitch vocals layering around Bubbush’s bars, there’s a dialogic element to Toxic Me, serving the bitter-sweet reminder that there are two sides to every toxic love story.

After making a debut in 2015, Bubbush’s career quickly started to gain traction in his local scene and far beyond. We can only hope that there are more soul-sating tracks in the pipeline.

Check out Toxic Me for yourselves by heading over to YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Walker Deuce takes ambient trap to the realms of old school hip hop with ‘Chill’

Posted on 11 November 2021

From freestyle prodigy to vibe master, Walker Deuce’s sound may have evolved, but his bold, raw energy remains as visceral as ever. His standout release, Chill, has all the makings of your next vibe out playlist staple.

The short and sweet track may only run through for 1:34-minutes, but that is all the time it took for the Portland-based artist to lull you into a state of reflective catharsis through the wavy trippy tones and nostalgic old school sensibilities.

Chill carries all the grit of 80s hustler hip hop, but its colourful cadence and indie guitars stay on the more soulful and affable side of expression. Any fans of Snoop Dogg, Mac Miller, Dre won’t want to hang around in introducing Walker Deuce to their playlists.

Along with releasing eight albums, plus plenty more EPs and singles, the rapper and songwriter gives back to the hip hop scene as an indie label owner.

Chill officially released on September 29th; you can check it out for yourselves on YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

 

Jambon goes interstellar with his spacey new wave hip hop track, Beam Me Up.

Posted on 7 November 2021

Spacey hip hop pioneer, Jambon released his latest RnB-laced interstellar hit, Beam Me Up, on October 29th and created a brand-new trajectory in the evolution of rap in the process.

With new wave trap elements grinding alongside old school grooves and electronic textures that have never before found their place in hip hop beats, Beam Me Up is a refreshingly high vibe track that allows you to transcend with the psychy energy alone before you even take into account the meta poetry in the lyrics and Jambon’s cleverly distorted semi-harmonic pop-rap vocals.

Beam Me Up is available to stream on Spotify, or you can check out the official video via YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast