Browsing Tag

Conscious Hip Hop

Terrell calls for compassion with ‘Wishes’

Posted on 15 November 2020

2020 has sucked for so many reasons, but the amount of perception-shifting consciousness it has brought to the airwaves almost makes up for it, such as Terrell’s debut single, ‘Wishes’, which shares a poignant depiction of the struggles which young black Americans face day in day out.

If you’ve been paying attention, you will know how systemic racism still hinders the progression made by black Americans. Wishes asks you to find some compassion for the sufferance. With Terrell’s cutting RnB vocals, you’ll find it hard to refuse.

Wishes is no archetypal Hip Hop hit. It subverts the time-old ‘rags to riches’ tropes while offering the raw intimacy which only soul-deep Indie Hip Hop tracks can offer. It’s intricate, it’s melodic, it’s just pure striking alchemy.

You can check out Terrell’s soul-baring single Wishes for yourselves by heading over to Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Walking through the fog of 2020: A diamond in the dust with excellent full album ‘Leaving Neverland’ from Fabric YXE and Dayda Banks

Posted on 21 October 2020

Walking through the fog of 2020: A gem in the dust with full album ‘Leaving Neverland‘ from Fabric YXE and Dayda Banks is a self-searching faith journey that has Hip Hop fans awake.

This is a spiritual awakening. So often, Hip Hop artists forget the power they have. A genre that ripped through from the underground to become the American dream. From there most of the whole world followed suit and music became harder to find. This is something different. Enlightened Hip Hop with lots of soul.

‘Leaving Neverland‘ from Fabric YXE and Dayda Banks has lots of highlights and the album keeps your attention the whole way through without faltering.

‘Scars‘ is the first and probably best track of all. The hunger is apparent and the beat is uplifting and dark too. The flow is haunting and shows intent. Other highlights are without doubt ‘Count Sheep‘, ‘Garden of my Own‘ and ‘Gatekeeper‘ and gritty and with meaning. The stories are movie-like, the picture is painted without mainstream corny riffs, this is that well-constructed music that took months of toil, not a few minutes of mumble nonsense. This is on the best Hip Hop releases of 2020 and the world needs to listen with the volume up.

Click here for the Spotify link.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

North Carolina emcee Top $helf Mega Ace drops lyrically advanced self-tilted 2-track EP

Posted on 27 September 2020

Top $helf Mega Ace drops two track this time and they are low-rider gems ‘Pain‘ and ‘Gangsta‘ These two Hip Hop songs are all about life, the pain you have built up and being true to yourself. With rapping, singing and producing all in his growing armor, this is an artist to keep an eye on closely. He feels and sounds ready for the next step up, a kick-flip onto a whole new planet.

With a gritty and real flow that buzzes but never busts, this is an all-pro performance that sizzles with self-awareness of what is going on in the world. You got to keep those painful memories with you, but not too close. You want to remember the pain so you don’t make the same mistake twice however you don’t want to get burnt either.

North Carolina emcee Top $helf Mega Ace  has released a stellar EP here with these two equally quality songs with ‘Pain‘ and ‘Gangsta‘.

Click here for the Spotify link.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

South Bend Emcee Melodic Prophet sends us healing message with ”Wounded Warriors”

Posted on 18 June 2020

The beat flows through the mic like a smooth dance move. This is uplifting Hip Hop with a conscious mindset. Our mind is so powerful and Indiana’s Melodic Prophet truly gets this and sends us this positive message. Life is a struggle and there are lots of challenges with so many detours that you need a compass to find the way sometimes.

We will pick up injuries but if we keep strong and have that positive mindset, beautiful things will happen. ”Wounded Warriors” has such a real message and the world needs more of this and less mumble rap and poor role models rapping about absolutely nothing of substance.

Melodic Prophet feels like one of those underrated and underground emcee’s that not enough of the world knows about. My mission is to share his music to as many Hip Hop heads as possible. You can feel his genuine soul and he is thoughtful. With lyrics penned to assist the world and inspire, Melodic Prophet deserves more love from the music community.

Check out this deep emcee’s Facebook page to get news of future gigs and more info on what’s going down.

To hear this track then you should click right here on his Spotify.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

”Cooped Up” is conscious Theodis Soul single with meaning

Posted on 11 June 2020

When you stop trusting what you hear or read on TV- you can feel let down and robbed. You begin to doubt everything you have been taught and that sinking feeling in your stomach make its appearance. Theodis Soul expresses his disgust in a stylish manner with one of the most important Hip Hop tracks of 2020.

Usually quite chilled in his approached, this is a new and much-needed direction change for this artist with a bright future.

Theodis Soul takes on a political journey with a few ups and many downs. A relevant look into the mind of a conscious Hip Hop artist that truly gets it. After being cooped up for so long with little leadership in his country- things have exploded and he can’t hide his face anymore. Reality has hit. Soul’s skills are of a high level and he flows through the track like a old pro. ”Cooped Up” is a self-aware song and he is looking after his soul and is tired of being behind the same four walls. This is a great Hip Hop track full of funky beats and clever lyrics. Blending the new school and old school in one song is a tough feat that he has managed.

Stream more from this brilliant emcee with a real story to tell on his Spotify channel.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

Names Are Hard Collective – Ain’t Nobody: Ambient Conscious Hip Hop

Posted on 5 April 2020

Hip Hop doesn’t come much more melodically ambient than the latest single “Ain’t Nobody” from Names Are Hard Collective.

The instrumental hooks may be soft, but they’re ensnaring all the same. The up and coming collective set up the perfect transcendental tone which makes it all too easy to drink in the upraising conscious lyrics which have the efficacious power to send you into a state of positive meditative reflection.

By throwing nuances of ambient jazz, Indie, and downtempo electronica into the gently mind-altering mix, Names Are Hard Collective were able to construct a fresh new sound. But the essence of the track lies in its ability to act as an aural guide to mindful catharsis. Tracks such as Ain’t Nobody are essential on the airwaves right now. For the sake of your own sanity, get Names Are Hard Collective on your radar.

You can check out Ain’t Nobody for yourselves by heading over to SoundCloud now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast