Browsing Tag

Alternative Hip Hop

Tyrus Archer launched an ‘AMERICAN CLASSIC’ with his latest alt-hip-hop single.

Posted on 18 May 2023

Don’t be fooled by the titular insinuation; the latest single, AMERICAN CLASSIC, from the alt-hip-hop innovator, Tyrus Archer, is anything but archetypally in-line with the American dream. The downtempo trip-hop beats and ethereally luxe backing vocals, which sound like they’ve been torn from a David Lynch production, take AMERICAN CLASSIC to the next level.

From the first verse, you will find yourself transfixed on the conviction that pours from Archer’s hot and heavy vocal lines, which poetically portray an exhibition of the desecrated culture of the US until the track quiescently fades to silence, allowing you to bask in the introspection that was pulled with perfectly cadenced punches. AMERICAN CLASSIC is pure Avant Garde urban aggression, which goes a long way in alluding to why the slam poet rapper self-describes himself as a wild racoon in a handbag.

Stream AMERICAN CLASSIC by heading over to YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

DC’s most conceptual hip hop artist, Chekmayte brings the resistance in his dark rap track, Midnight

Posted on 10 June 2022

In his first release of 2022, Midnight, the artfully conceptional alternative rapper, Checkmayte has unveiled a chillingly dark feat of experimentalism, which can only be described as Lynchian.

The creeping bass and Chekmayte’s commitment to ominously alluding to how unjust the world is for the oppressed that will know little more than the pressure of the boot on their neck make for a disturbingly immersive aural experience.  Resisting repressive regimes should never feel comfortable, which is important to remember in our era where revolutions have their own merch. There’s little room to wonder why the DC born and raised artist has become one of the hottest names in his hip hop scene since making his debut in 2020. We can’t wait to hear what follows Midnight.

Midnight is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Dioneesus delivers a heavy dose of dystopic realism in his latest Avant Garde hip hop single, COVID-23

Posted on 16 March 2022

Dioneesus (Dennis McGrath) is an Avant-Garde hip hop pioneer that sonically pushes the envelope into obscurity with each new release while dissecting what it means to be human in his fiery old school hip hop rap bars. His latest single, COVID-23, plays on the fear that we’ll never see the back of the virus that has cost some of us our sanity and cost others infinitely more.

I couldn’t help but draw parallels between COVID-23 and Insane Clown Posse’s ‘The Great Milenko’; it carries the same eerie atmosphere atop of the bare-bones 808s and around Dioneesus’ bars that lull you into introspective subjugation.

The Long Island-born artist spent a decade in Nashville before he made his way to Pittsburgh in 2021. If your Ancient Greek history is rusty, his apt moniker plays on the Greek God, Dionysus, the god of ritual and ecstasy. He’s got a lot to live up to, but he’s well on his way with his subversively stylish flair.

COVID-23 is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Ron A.P. gets paranormal with the past with his candidly edgy hip hop track, The Ex-Files

Posted on 15 March 2022

After a stint away from the recording studio, the South Jersey-raised, Philadelphia-based hip hop artist Ron A.P. is back on edgy and imaginative form in his latest single, The Ex-Files.

The clever ingenuity of the track title sets the bar high, but the lyrics and spacey atmosphere in The Ex-Files leaves nothing to be desired. Of all the hip hop tracks on the airwaves mused by ex-girlfriends, The Ex-Files is easily one of the most evocatively charged and complex for the way it navigates a myriad of contrasting frustrations while leaving no intimate emotion off the table.

Ron A.P. almost exudes Jekyll and Hyde vibes for the number of transitions in evocative nature. That’s just one of the facets that take this dynamic earworm to the next level. He may have taken influence from Nas, Jay-Z and Kanye, but Ron A.P. is well and truly standing in a league of his own.

The Ex-Files is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Visceral Alt Rock and High-Octane Hip Hop Converge in Matt Michael’s Latest Release “Copain”

Posted on 5 August 2020
https://soundcloud.com/mattmichaeltunes/copain

Breaking Hip Hop artist Matt Michael’s latest release Copain is exactly the kind of track which the word ‘Fire’ should be exclusively reserved for. There’s no preparing you for the visceral intensity which the high-octane track packs in.

There are a number of reminiscences to be found in the chorus to the likes of Linkin Park. Yet, perceptibly, Matt Michael threw in a smorgasbord of pioneering energy into Copain.

Vocally, Matt Michael switches between slow and steady Rap verses over downtempo old school Hip Hop beats with semi-orchestral layers, but when the choruses kick in, the vocals evolve into evocatively fierce Alt-Rock vocals.

It’s raw, it’s volatile and it’s a seamless convergence of Hip Hop and Alt-Rock which any fans of new and fresh experimental Hip Hop will want to check out. As he’ll be releasing new tracks throughout 2020, you’ll definitely want him on your radar.

You can check out Matt Michael’s single Copain for yourselves by heading over to SoundCloud now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Dan B. and Zorenzo teamed up to cook up a powerfully sobering feat of Indie RnB Hip Hop “Please”

Posted on 3 August 2020
https://music.apple.com/us/album/please-feat-zorenzo-single/1516182145

After a string of successful singles, up and coming US Rap artist Dan B. has dropped a firestorm of a hit with his latest release “Please” featuring Zorenzo.

Every time I hear a contemporary track tackling current issues, I feel my perspectives shift. After hearing Please, my perspective took a seismic transposition. The slow and evocatively compelling feat of RnB Hip Hop is sure to hit a nerve if you have a shred of empathy left Their sobering introspection which shows just how deeply systemic racism is ingrained within our society will leave you grounded, but Please is anything but your usual morose RnB single. It’s empowering, it’s comforting, and importantly it’s educational.

I’m not ashamed to say that I couldn’t make it to the end of the mix with dry eyes. The stunning Alt-Rock instrumentals which lay down absorbing riffs behind the solid structure of the drumbeats are the perfect sweetener to this sobering hit.

There’s also plenty to say about the poetic air to Dan B.’s lyrics. I could tell you all about it, but you’ve got ears. You can check out Dan B.’s latest single Please which dropped on June 17th for yourselves via apple music.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Mandela – ISO: A High-Vibe Hip Hop Playlist Staple

Posted on 28 July 2020

If you’re looking for Hip Hop that soothes the soul, look no further than breaking artist Mandela’s latest single ISO which offers high-vibe sunny grooves and lyrics which will undoubtedly make you feel better about the absurdity about we’re living in.

By playfully alluding to the face mask debate in the lyrics while keeping the tones upbeat, ISO progresses as a transfixing euphoric track which is sure to sweeten any mood.  With the nuances of Jazz, Pop, EDM and RnB which are into the mix, there’s no guessing what kind of aural curveball the track will throw at you next. Yet, each progression was uplifting and inventive as the last. It’s almost impossible to capture Mandela’s energy and inspiring vibes in words. You’re going to have to hit play to appreciate it for yourselves.

You can check out Mandela’s track ISO by heading over to Spotify now.

With an EP and an album in the work, there’s no better time to get Mandela on your radar. So give them a follow and never miss out on their upcoming releases.

Review by Amelia Vandergast