Browsing Tag

boom bap hip hop

Get Your Freak On with Rockwell Gordy’s Dark Urban Pop Hit, Spooky Bitch

Posted on 24 October 2024

Reanimating after a decades-long hiatus, the unmistakable Rockwell Gordy broke unhallowed ground with his sonic spectre of a comeback track, Spooky Bitch. Fusing his 80s pop sensibilities with contemporary boom bap beats and a dark RnB aesthetic, Spooky Became a bold crossover that beckons the nostalgic and the novel to the dancefloor.

Produced by the illustrious Bullets Production Team—William Junebug Lee and Christopher Spitfiya Lanier—Spooky Bitch straddles the line between eerie and exhilarating with its alchemised amalgam of unsettling energy and infectious rhythms. The light and dark collide, creating a dance-worthy dialectic that Rockwell manipulates with superlative skill.

Beyond the music, Rockwell has orchestrated a mini-documentary detailing his creative resurgence, available on his official YouTube channel. It’s a deep dive into the genesis of ‘Spooky Bitch’, inspired by a cryptic encounter in an Inglewood underground club that sparked this latest artistic venture.

Spooky Bitched dropped just in time for Halloween on October 11; stream the single on YouTube now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

FLIPPIN’ GOTHIC FABP – BATHROOM BALLING FREESTYLE; An Unsettling Soundtrack of Defiance

Posted on 23 October 2024

FLIPPIN’ GOTHIC FABP’s latest freestyle session, BATHROOM BALLING FREESTYLE, doesn’t just take the listener into dark places; it builds an entire atmosphere there. With horror-esque high frequencies juxtaposing the scratchy boom-bap beats that grind low, the track feels like a clash of two opposing energies, constantly battling for dominance. It’s unsettling, raw, and filled with the kind of resilience that only comes from an emcee who’s always kept his lane, untouched by the haters.

Born and bred in Jamaica Queens, New York, the artist, formerly Fabpz the Freelancer, has spent his career mastering his sound with over 2,000 songs to his name. Known for bringing back that “Raw Undiluted” taste of rap, his freestyle bars have always exuded an authenticity that fans can’t get enough of. BATHROOM BALLING FREESTYLE is no exception, showcasing his signature unapologetic flow with a haunting backdrop that leaves you feeling like you’re trapped in a sonic maze – but he’s the only one with the map.

The official music video for BATHROOM BALLING FREESTYLE dropped on October 12; stream it on YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Aco Draco fires off in his stormer of a rap track, Ray Gun

Posted on 3 September 2024

Departing from sonic mundanity, Aco Draco’s latest single, Ray Gun, burst onto the scene with artillery that’s anything but ordinary. Opening with a faux news report, the track cleverly sets the stage for Draco’s irreverent entry, blending tongue-in-cheek humour with a punchy introduction that hooks listeners from the get-go.

Ray Gun”marries cinematic orchestral strings with classic boom-bap beats, creating a soundscape as expansive as it is epic. Draco’s raspy, convicting rap bars slice through the backdrop, proving that his command of the mic is as formidable as his creative vision.

This up-and-coming Colorado native, who carries influences from Lil Wayne to Metallica, showcases a dynamic fusion of sharp lyricism and high-energy beats that will rattle the hip-hop scene to its core.

From his humble beginnings recording in a closet with an Xbox headset to charting his own course in the rap industry, Draco’s journey is one of relentless pursuit and undeniable growth. His unique style, marked by raw authenticity and emotional depth, is capable of turning heads, bending ears and making waves with its charismatic wordplay and bold execution.

Ray Gun was officially released on the 29th of August; stream the single on all major platforms via this link.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

KAotik waxed lyrical on the tragedy of wasted potential in his old-school hip-hop track, Fascinate

Posted on 23 March 2024

KAotik (AKA Bruce Reign) kept old-school hip-hop fresh with his latest track, Fascinate, which strips the instrumentals right back to their fundamentals, allowing his killer canter to take the spotlight in the mid-tempo release.

Following a mellow, almost transcendentally toned intro, the spoken-word verses wax lyrical on everything from the tragedy of wasted potential to accepting fate without consigning yourself to it. By finding plenty of room to assert wordplay, clever cultural references and his ethos on putting lyrics to the forefront of his productions, the Washington-born, Laurel MD-residing artist of Nigerian descent used Fascinate to not only do what the single says on the titular tin, but to inspire, and he hit a home run in doing so.

If KRS One, Rakim, Big Daddy Kane, and Black Thought feature heavily on your playlists, make room for this profound hit.

Stream Fascinate on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Tahj McQueen broke boundaries with the bass-swathed beats and breaks in his trailblazing alt-hip-hop track, BMMY

Posted on 8 January 2024

Tahj McQueen’s seminal track, BMMY, from his eagerly awaited debut album, Bumm3P, is a striking showcase of his experimental flair and a cutting testament to his avant-garde edge which is set to carve out his legacy in the landscape of alt-hip-hop.

Between the Eastern-inspired rhythms, the 8-Bit Adjacent beats and the glitchy matrixes within the melodies, there’s an artfully pioneering propensity to BMMY, one that any fans of hip-hop which breaks boundaries will appreciate. In the midst of the instrumental chaos, McQueen keeps his flow mesmerisingly steady, allowing his bars to become the eye of a distorted storm.

Exotic yet familiar, nostalgic in the digital textures yet innovative enough to push revolutionary tides through the airwaves, McQueen’s dynamic and high-energy production is a paradox that will leave you at the edge of your proverbial seat as the exhilaration grips you.

McQueen, a young talent from Greensboro, NC, draws inspiration from experimental hip-hop and electronic music and his drumline experience. This diverse background is evident in BMMY, where the bass-heavy and flashy production reflects his bold and energetic style. Currently a student at UNCG and working alongside the 506 creative team, McQueen is not just a musician but a visionary.

Stream BMMY as part of Tahj MacQueen’s debut album, Bumm3P, via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Dicey Ray is living fast in his boom bap track, Brown Boy

Posted on 23 October 2022

American Rapper Dicey Ray delivered a fiery slice of boom bap with his latest single, Brown Boy, which acts as a window into his world as a rap artist, basketball player, entrepreneur, and cannabis connoisseur from Baltimore.

With a little bit of Eastern flavour over the booming bass drums and sharp snares, Dicey Ray effortlessly scribed his urban sonic signature in this cheeky exposition on his world that revolves around a heavy grind, independent resilience and succeeding in spite of expectation.

Brown Boy isn’t your archetypal motivational hustler hip hop track, but by the time the dynamically energetic hit has concluded, you might just find that you’re sharing his sunny side up determined personality.

Brown Boy is available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Nlsderrixk*! has released his vindicatingly infectious hip hop track, Aint My Fault

Posted on 24 February 2022

The luminary hip hop artist, Nlsderrixk*!, has exonerated himself in his latest single, Aint My Fault, which fuses the new wave with the old school, creating universal appeal to hip hop fans in the process. With justxrolo at the mixing desk, Aint My Fault is as gritty as it is lush with luxe style.

The jazzy noir effects atop the bassy boom-bap beats create a solid platform for Nlsderrixk*!’s playfully dominant rap bars that carry all of the personality of Jay Z and all of the edge of Ghostface Killah.

It isn’t every day that you come across an up and coming hip hop artist that pours this much energy into their tracks; if you are serious about keeping posted on the hottest talent, save a spot on your radar.

Aint My Fault is now available to stream 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