Browsing Tag

Florida Hip Hop

PTM WOK’s ‘ALL OVER’: A Seamless Fusion of 80s RnB and Contemporary Hip-Hop Swagger

Posted on 7 September 2024

With his latest release, ‘ALL OVER,’ the independent rapper, PTM WOK, effortlessly bridged the gap between nostalgic 80s RnB vibes and the sharp pulse of modern hip-hop. The Dominican artist, who was born and raised in New York City and now resides in Tampa, Florida, draws on his rich Latino heritage and urban experiences to deliver a track that is as rhythmically tight as it is atmospherically lush.

The smooth low timbre of PTM WOK’s rap bars glides over the track, syncing perfectly with the solid rattle of the 808s, which demand your attention and pull you right into the core of the rhythm. Every beat is touched with salacious soul as he waxes lyrical, effortlessly weaving his wordplay around a honed yet natural cadence.

The free flow of ‘ALL OVER’ gives it an unfiltered, almost stream-of-consciousness edge, yet the profound imagery woven throughout the track attests to PTM WOK’s elevated lyricality.

As the creator and driving force behind the artistic collective Plot Twist Mafia, he’s steadily becoming one of the most unreckonable forces in the Floridian underground hip-hop scene.

PTM WOK’s latest work is undeniably one to pay attention to, particularly for those who appreciate a seamless blend of lyrical depth and rhythmic precision.

Stream the official music video for ALL OVER which dropped on August 14th on YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Rap went pop in Don Drago’s single, Paradise ft. Bezz Believe & Nawlage 2k5

Posted on 28 April 2023

Prime your summer playlists with the hotter than Satan’s house cat pop-rap hit, Paradise, from the Tampa-based rapper Don Drago.

To turn up the good vibe heat to the nth degree, Bezz Believe and Nawlage 2K5 collaborated on the track, which boasts nuances of dancehall around the razor-sharp pop hooks that will embed in your mind from the first hit of this flavoursome feel-good seminal track, which proves that there are few things in life sweeter than partaking in sun-soaked hedonism.

Paradise is always painted as an intangible phenomenon; Don Drago proved that when the sea meets the sand under warm rays, paradise can be on any shore if you’re in the right company.

Paradise will hit the airwaves on April 28; check it out on SoundCloud. 

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Miami hip hop trailblazer, Willie T The Hit Maker, shook up the scene with the dynamic flows in his single, Laugh Now Cry Later ft. Sauce

Posted on 1 January 2023

For his debut single, Laugh Now Cry Later, the Floridian hip hop trailblazer Willie T The Hit Maker collaborated with Sauce to deliver one of the most energetically dynamic rap drops of the year.

The consistently progressive track has already racked up over 27,000 streams on SoundCloud alone. Which comes as no surprise given the strength of the hooks that pull you right into the centre of the blazing track that keeps the vibe high, despite the dark lyrical themes.

Refusing to confine himself to one genre, Willie T pulled his weight bringing in the new wave of hip hop by melding elements of East Coast hip hop and Afrobeat around his lyrics that transpire from his life experiences that would make a monster out of most men.

After being born into the Floridian capital of gang violence, Dade County, Willie T was exposed to violence from the streets and suffered the brunt of domestic violence that had been passed down for generations. Determined to break the cycle, he turned to music to expose the life that beats down many on the daily and prove that there’s always a way out if you refuse to replicate the violence and injustice. We can’t wait to hear the vindication that follows.

Laugh Now Cry Later was officially released on December 2nd. Check it out via SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

DemiGawd Ken captured the lusty vibes of closing time in his vibe-heavy RnB Hip Hop single, Last Call

Posted on 10 October 2022

The Florida-residing first generation Haitian American up-and-coming artist, DemiGawd Ken, captured the lusty vibes of closing time in his latest release, Last Call. We’ve all been there, not wanting the night to end while intoxicated on the company as much as the alcohol that has heightened the emotions; DemiGawd Ken’s compelling narrative lyrical style will take you right back there.

With its radio-ready production, soulfully playful disposition, and earworm tendencies inspired by Drake, T-pain and Kanye, Last Call is a serious contender for RnB hip hop track of the year. There is no listening to DemiGawd Ken without being pulled into the vibe of his sunny side-up demeanour, which makes the airwaves infinitely sweeter.

Last Call is now available to stream on YouTube, and Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Floridian rapper CHDDR kept us in ‘Check’ with his debut

Posted on 1 August 2022
https://soundcloud.com/theycallmecheddar/check

Floridian hip-hop artist, CHDDR, has dropped one of the hottest rap debuts of the year with his single, Check, produced by Hvstle. The mellow, colourful indie instrumentals flirt with cultures of far-flung lands; atop the woody organic flutes and the rhythmic grooves of the 808s, CHDDR takes the opportunity to establish himself as a unique voice in the genre, with the ability to verse beyond tropes and cliches.

Every line serves to testify to his playful persona that amplifies the sticky-sweet appeal of the short yet unforgettable debut, which has already racked up over 20k streams on SoundCloud alone. Undoubtedly, he is one to watch.

Check is now available to stream on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Prepare your summer hip hop playlists for the larger than life flow in WavyK’s single, HEAT SEEKER feat. Case

Posted on 11 June 2022

After spending four years smoothing his wavey rap flow and amplifying the energy in his subtle but galvanising beats, the independent Jacksonville, Florida-based hip hop artist, WavyK, was ready to drop his era-defining album, MENTALITY, featuring the standout single, HEAT SEEKER, feat. Case.

Toeing the delicate line between nerdy and deadpan, HEAT SEEKER is a summer hip hop drop like no other. If you’re looking for some urban escapism, few tracks serve it with quite as much flavour as this playfully upvibe earworm.

WavyK’s album, MENTALITY, will officially release on June 11th. You can check it out for yourselves by heading over to YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Sandra “Candy” Morgan brings the gravitas in her latest single, Classy Girl

Posted on 10 May 2022

Floridian singer-songwriter Sandra “Candy” Morgan has brought her matchless attitude back to the airwaves with her infectiously high energy feat EDM RnB, Classy Girl.

As the title alludes, the subversive single flips the narrative on many of the usual urban tropes that are quick to sexualise and objectify women every time there is a celebration of our physiology. The only things that are ‘nasty’ in the soundscape are the dubby beats and the hits of the 808s that create a dance-worthy earworm. We can’t wait to hear what the fiery soulstress serves up next.

You can get galvanised to the bass, beats and emboldening energy for yourselves by heading over to Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Anthony Levone speaks for the pacifists in his latest lyrically driven hip hop track, Peacekeepers

Posted on 3 May 2022

Anthony Levone’s latest single, Peacekeepers, featuring Fooly23, is for everyone that has been cognitively wrapped up in the senseless brutality of our contemporary existence a little too much lately. And when I say everyone, that is especially in reference to genre preference. The articulate nature of Levone’s lyricism means that the smooth sonic old school and sun-bleached hip hop instrumentals fall by the wayside as his bars pull parables from religious icons to prove that we’ve scarcely moved on in terms of civility.

The West Palm Beach-hailing artist has been releasing music since 2019, in that time, he’s developed a staunch fan base with his J.Cole, Nas & Common reminiscences. He’s also been in heavy rotation on international radio stations and landed a plethora of coveted playlist placements. Yet, judging by the socially-minded tenacity in Peacekeepers, it is safe to say that none of his philosophical work will ever be over-amplified.

The lyric video for Peacekeepers premiered on April 22nd; it is now available to stream on YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Henry Franck defines the laws of attraction in his exotically mellow hip hop track, Insane

Posted on 17 March 2022
Henry Franck

The Florida-residing Haitian American music producer Henry Franck’s latest single, Insane, transcends the contemporary hip hop curve with its indie-meets-country vibes and vocal lines that are nothing short of melt-worthy.

Insane is for anyone that likes their hedonism with a side serve of chill and mindful positivity. As the hooky yet mellow choruses make an earworm out of the track that features Mickey Factz, the lyrics define the laws of attraction in the context of intimate affection.

The artist and US army vet’s sound is the kind that is powerful enough in its sweet catchy sentimentality that it could even appease no great aficionados of the genre. In other words, Henry Franck more than has what it takes to make it in the mainstream.

Henry Franck’s single, Insane, will officially release on April 8th, 2022. It will be available to stream on all major platforms via this link.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

YsL Milli vents on cyclical torment with his dark trap track, Been Here Before.

Posted on 7 August 2021

Up and coming NYC-born, Florida-based hip hop artist YsL Milli has taken his sound in a darker direction with the release of his single, Been Here Before, taken from his upcoming 2022 album, Reach the Stars.

From a chilling and ethereal prelude, a dark trappy track transpires and allows YsL Milli’s vocals to bleed into the experimental downtempo instrumentals that will leave you hooked through the ingenuity in the spatial effect and the depth of the lyrics that do plenty more than just scratch at the surface.

It is tracks like Been Here Before that practically make the concept of genres redundant. His constraint-less expressionist style utilises a myriad of genres to tune into the pensive tone of the release that explores the frustration of always finding yourself back at the starting point or even further back.

Check out Been Here Before on YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast