Browsing Tag

Dark Hip Hop

As days get dark, 9URIE brings relatable comfort with ‘Barely Alive’.

Posted on 16 April 2021

At 18-years-old, Swedish producer and singer-songwriter 9URIE already has seven years of experience in creating music; his latest single, ‘Barely Alive’, shows just how much he has honed-in on his skills.

Barely Alive perfectly alludes to the mentality of feeling nothing but ennui as dark thoughts spill through your consciousness, but there’s still that spark of life residing within that assures you that there’s something worth fighting for.

It almost feels ironic that I stumbled across 9URIE’s latest release on Chester Bennington’s birthday. A lot may have happened musically since Hybrid Theory, but 9URIE’s grippingly dark hip hop release carries a candle for it and parallels the level of emotion. It’s honest and raw tracks such as this that open up the conversation around mental health and depression. 9URIE is definitely one to watch.

You can check out Barely Alive for yourselves by heading over to Spotify or SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Melbourne hip hop artist Prymal tells us ‘When It’s Real’

Posted on 4 April 2021

Prymal is a Melbourne-based hip-hop artist with an eye on story-telling and lyrical flow, rather than aggression or high-impact. Opening up with some chiming tubular bells before deep throbbing bass, fast dotted-note rimshots, and hi-hats and flashes of strings fill in and populate the groove of ‘When It’s Real’, Prymal’s in-your-face attitude given extra weight by the laid-back, nonchalant delivery.

Working with more established rap artists such as Empathy, on whose album ‘Mirror Mirror’ Prymal guests, has clearly paid off, helping the twenty-year-old establish a mature rhyming pattern and delivery and a genuinely solid flow. ‘When It’s Real’ shows some epic promise, and bodes well for Prymal’s forthcoming album ‘Lions Den’, due later this year.

In the meantime, you can check out ‘When It’s Real’ on Spotify, and follow Prymal on Instagram.

Review by Alex Holmes

Nick Andree spills vivid imagery in their atmospheric trap hit, ‘HIDE AND SEEK’

Posted on 17 March 2021

If you look past the macabre imagery in Houston-residing hip hop artist, Nick Andree’s latest single ‘HIDE AND SEEK’, you’ll find the consolation which the powerfully meta release contains.

With atmospheric trap beats running steady under layers of trippy distortion and Nick Andree’s despondent yet convictive rap bars, it’s all too easy to immerse yourself in the darkly hypnotic vibe-out single.

It comes as no surprise that Nick Andree has been able to amass so much acclaim since making their debut in 2019. If you appreciate hip hop which spills vivid imagery, you’ll want him on your radar.

You can check out HIDE AND SEEK for yourselves by heading over to YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Henksson has delivered their darkly ambient rap single ‘Drunk Dreaming’

Posted on 8 March 2021

With the ability to conjure intriguing vivid imagery in their titles alone, the lead track ‘Drunk Dreaming’ from their debut album, ‘Eyes Wide in the Nightmare’, Haitian/Belgian rapper Henksson won us over before we heard the ominously ambient approach to hip hop.

With most artists too afraid to use their ‘real’ voice and opting to assimilate icons instead, the airwaves fall short of authentic expression, but Henksson fills the gap perfectly. As the bars run through, you’ll be able to feel every ounce of emotion which inspired them.

Drunk Dreaming may be riddled with gritty despondence, but it won’t fail to leave you transfixed and emotionally invested.

Henksson’s debut album is now available to stream via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Sergio Tachini – Danii: An edifying and accessible ode to vulnerability

Posted on 11 November 2020

From Tachini’s fresh EP ‘Broken’, ‘Danii’ is a chilled, space-filled ode to vulnerability and a lover lost to suicide. Heartfelt, beautiful, and tragic all at once, ‘Danii’ pays tribute through Tachini’s honest, reflective rap style, consoling and celebrating whilst never feeling self-conscious or forced. Tachini is open about his own battles with depression and anxiety, and that frailty comes through in the track’s sparse arrangement and instrumentation.

Invoking comparisons in such a personal and intimate piece of music is always hard, but the influences of artists such as Lil Peep and XXX Tentacion are undeniable here. ‘Danii’ is an open, sincere and profound track, almost conversational in its delivery. Candid and affectionate and yet immediately edifying and accessible, ‘Danii’ is both a fitting tribute and a gentle, delicate single in its own right.

You can see Sergio’s video for ‘Danii’ on YouTube.

Review by Alex Holmes

Young Rooney – Left Hand: Atmospherically Ensnaring Alt Hip Hop.

Posted on 20 July 2020

Breaking Hip Hop artist Young Rooney has followed-up from the success of their debut single with their second atmospherically ensnaring single “Left Hand”. After a tension-building prelude, Let Hand unravels as a transfixing feat of contemporary Trap.

The gripping mix may pull in an element or two from the Old School-style, but Young Rooney perceptibly made the gripping sound in Left Hand his own. He found the perfect balance of ominous vibes and hard-hitting reality reflecting lyrics in Left Hand. It may be dark, but it’s anything but gritty, the polished production carries an almost hypnotic tendency. We definitely don’t get to say that every day.

You can check out Young Rooney’s single Left Hand for yourselves by heading over to Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Mike Ruggi is ”Runnin” all the way to the top with debut single

Posted on 11 June 2020

This is the first single off of Mike Ruggi’s debut album ‘Movement‘. I feel like we are witnessing an underdog rise from the ashes, a soul that is so hungry he is going to eat real big.

He is running all the way up and not doing this for anyone else by himself. Sometimes you just have to try that 3 point shot and see what happens. The flow is so rugged and raw. This emcee is breaking down the door to get onto the mic and you can hear the passion.

Newcomer Mike Ruggi steps into the Hip Hop game with a massive chip on his shoulder. He doesn’t lack confidence and has been planning this for a while. ”Runnin” is all about proving to himself that he is worthy to lace the mic with world class skills. His dream was put on hold and we are thrown into his story with haunting beats, a sound that echoes in your ears as you feel his frustration with the process. With a debut like this it feels like Mike Ruggi will be stomping down the streets with more gritty music very soon.

Stream this Hip Hop track with all the right noises here on Spotify and join the journey.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

Lucky Swami – $wipe icard: Atmospherically Fresh Dark Hip Hop

Posted on 15 April 2020

Lucky Swami and Foolish G teamed up once more to create a darkly atmospheric feat of Hip Hop with their 2020 release $wipe icard.

If you’re a fan of Rap tracks which offer beats which are just as authoritative as the Rap bars, you’ll undoubtedly want to make $wipe icard a firm fixture on your playlists. It boasts old school lyrical conviction while making sure it is bang on trend with the polished bass-heavy Alt Trap beats.

There may be plenty of energy thrown into the ensnaring mix, but thanks to the easy melodic groove of the ominous track, it’s one you can easily slip into.

You can check out Lucky Swami’s tracks for yourselves by heading over to Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Grunge Trap Trailblazer Zlumpyy Has Dropped His Fiercest Track Yet with “Rude!”

Posted on 14 April 2020
https://soundcloud.com/zlumpyyyyyyy/rude

Up and coming Trap artist Zlumpyy has created plenty of mould-breaking Trap hits in 2020, but the best introduction to their fiercely authentic style is undoubtedly their recently released aural storm Rude! produced by Mathiastyner.

By incorporating the same untameable angst as 90s Grunge pioneers into their adrenalized Trap mix, Rude! is as volatile as Trap gets. The track may be short, but it packs a convictive punch and you can practically taste the creative catharsis which it contains.

Zlumpyy’s invention of the Scream Trap genre may not be for the faint-hearted, but truly expressive rarely ever is.

You can check out Zlumpyy’s track Rude! along with the rest of their releases via SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Kazuo – YABAI96: Darkly Caustic Alt Hip Hop

Posted on 13 February 2020

What Atari Teenage Riot is to EDM, up and coming Japanese Hip Hop artist Kazuo is to Hip Hop. Their latest track “YABAI69 which dropped in January is a juggernaut of an aural gem.

Explosive energy comes from both Kauzo’s high-octane adrenalized Rap delivery and the dark gritty beats which for the most part wouldn’t be out of place in a horror soundtrack. Hitting play on YABAI96 is a full-frontal experience which I’d recommend to any fans of Alt Hip Hop.

Of all the Hip Hop artists creating bitingly aggressive tracks, no artist quite does it with the same snaring conviction as Kazuo.

You can check out the official video to Kazuo’s latest single YABAI96 which premiered on January 27th via YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast