Browsing Tag

Gangster Hip Hop

B.A.G Freaky is off the Richter scale with his fiery rap track, SEGREGATION

Posted on 3 September 2022

Baltimore rapper, B.A.G Freaky, is fresh from the release of his cinematic bass-drenched rap track, SEGREGATION; the massive production would barely register on the extreme end of the Richter scale.

Between the cheeky hustler wordplay in the lyrics, the energetic delivery and the boom-bap rooted beats, SEGREGATION is undoubtedly one of the most visceral independent hip hop releases to hit the airwaves this year. It scarcely comes as a surprise that B.A.G Freaky is making a steady ascent up from the underground with his loyal fans that are eating up his fiery approach to hip hop.

SEGREGATION is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Edubb302 brought gangster rap back fiercely enough to give you whiplash with his latest single, Bout a Dollar

Posted on 26 August 2022

Despite his up-and-coming status, rapper and songwriter, Edubb302 is blazing across the airwaves and garnering plenty of hype with his top tracks. His latest single, Bout a Dollar, is for every rap fan that wants to throw back to the definitive era of hip hop while enjoying new school flavour.

The Wilmington, DE-hailing artist takes influence from the likes of Tupac, Mase, DMX, Lil Baby and Lil Durk; for his own sound, he went in his smooth domineering style that makes his tracks a minefield of instrumental and lyrical hooks you can’t evade before being pulled into the angsty hip hop flow, which Edubb302 honed during his time in state prison in Pennsylvania. If you are looking for the real deal. You will find it when you hit play.

Bout a Dollar is now available on Spotify.

Follow Edubb302 on Instagram.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

MOBBIN101 pays homage to Tupac in ‘How We Ride’

Posted on 9 July 2022

Tupac may not be here to verse us through the surrealism of 2022, but MOBBIN101 stepped up to the mark in his homage piece to the icon with his latest single, How We Ride, which brings Tupac energy around MOBBIN101 wit and originality.

From the chillingly cinematic production to the magnetism in the level yet strident bars, there’s no immunity to the intoxicating effects of How We Ride, which etches a gritty vignette of the mob life that reprieved us of one of the greatest voices in hip hop and continues to tear holes in societies. It’s as sobering as it is infectious. You’d be hard-pressed to find a more impressive hip hop luminary in any state.

How We Ride officially released on July 1st. Check it out via SoundCloud and Spotify. 

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Droopy M explains why time isn’t relative in his latest hip hop video, Lost in Time

Posted on 21 May 2022

‘Lost in Time’ is the latest expression-focused Latin-infused rap track from the Texas-based gangster hip hop hustler, Droopy M. Atop the minimalist kicks and 808s, the raw and relatable lyricist finds plenty of room to flex his flair with the written word. In a subtly genius way, Droopy M alludes to the fact that time isn’t universal; it’s individualised by our experiences and senses of entrapment.

It’s safe to say it would take a serious concussion for me to forget the lyric “If your life is on the line then you’re lost in time, hearing voices in your head saying commit the crime”.

The official music video for Lost in Time officially premiered on May 15th. You can check it out via YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Twivee – GODLIKE feat Jay Will: Hip Hop to Get Pious To

Posted on 29 April 2022

For his latest release, hip hop writer, mixer, and producer, Twivee, collaborated with new wave pioneer Jay Will to create a stormer of an impassioned alt hip hop hit. GODLIKE is enough to leave you feeling pious to the aggravatedly experimental talent.

The bass is just about enough to rival the wild energy that carouses through Twivee’s rap bars that are rampant with hook-filled cursive. The UK artist’s intensity has already been lauded across the board, and he’s become a firm favourite of BBC Introducing with his truly authentic hard-hitting sound. It’s all too easy to see why.

GODLIKE feat Jay Will is now available to stream on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

PRETTY TONY GETBUCK brings the future to OG hip hop with ‘POCKET GOT ZEROS’.

Posted on 20 October 2021

PRETTY TONY GETBUCK’s latest release, POCKET GOT ZEROS, starts with an electrifying jolt of bass-dripping nasty electro before the glitchy techno stylings are tamed under his fiery rap bars that will be instantly adored by fans of Snoop, Xzibit and Tupac.

With the Matrix references in the witty lyrics, this glitchy stormer of an alt-hip hop track isn’t only bang on trend; it deserves to define the future of gritty gangster hip hop. Considering the US artist averages on over 100k monthly Spotify listeners, PRETTY TONY GETBUCK is unstoppable from here on out.

POCKET GOT ZEROS is now available to stream via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Daniel AMP has dropped his high-fire old school hip hop hitter, Hit Different.

Posted on 6 October 2021

Right from the outset of his career, NYC’s Daniel AMP has proven that he’s one to watch. His most popular single to date has racked up over 100k streams on Spotify alone; the dark, gritty decadence of the single leaves no room for you to wonder why.

His latest single, Hit Different, featuring Stu Stapleton, is a grinding ode to the old school that carries the same atmosphere as the pioneers but Daniel AMP aptly ensured that his single hits completely different. The trippy grooves, rapid-fire vocals that come right to the forefront of the mix and the slight Latin nods come together as an alchemic urban cocktail. If you thought Snoop Dogg’s Gin and Juice was something, prepare to get intoxicated on this high-fire hip hop hit.

Hit Different is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

YeaaDoee goes back to the old school in his latest hip hop single, ‘InMyCity’.

Posted on 26 June 2021

Old school hip hop fans looking to inject their playlists with fresh vibes won’t want to pass by on Cleveland, US-hailing up and coming artist YeaaDoee’s latest feat of gangster hip hop, InMyCity.

With Snoop Dogg-style hazy stoner grooves cut into the pulsating trap beats, YeaaDoee constructed the perfect platform for his playful yet grimy rap bars that introduce you to the grit in his home town. At the risk of sounding hyperbolic, InMyCity is a mesmerising release. It hits you with OG nostalgia while simultaneously registering as pioneering through the flawlessly atmospheric production.

InMyCity released on May 30th; you can check it out for yourselves via YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Flipp from the West put a subversive twist on old school hip hop with his single, ‘I’ll Make You Hurt’

Posted on 10 May 2021

Everything about Flipp from the west and his latest single, I’ll Make You Hurt, is subversive and enigmatic. His tendency to use ominous and sometimes macabre imagery with funk-riding reggae-infused beats unequivocally establishes him as a ground-breaking artist.

In I’ll Make You Hurt, you’ll find everything from West Coach sun-bleached vibes to nods to the gritty styles of old school gangster hip hop, but you’ve definitely never heard old school hip hop quite like this before.

After releasing eight EPs, Flipp from the west has left a wealth of ingenuity on the airwaves; his prolific rate of production proves he’s got the hunger, each track, individually, proves he’s got the talent.

I’ll Make You Hurt is now available to stream via SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Rosegang drops new single ‘12 Over 6’

Posted on 3 May 2021
Rosegang

Opening up with a delicate fingerstyle classical Spanish guitar part before the beats and bass kick in, ’12 Over 6’ – the debut single from Tauranga, New Zealand-based artist Rosegang – is a delicate take on modern Hip Hop. That pretty, haunting guitar line repeats throughout, a simple motif that carries the track through drops and rises, Rosegang’s lyrical flow smooth and polished over the simple backing. It’s a clever combination, and all the more powerful for it, with hints of old-school Eminem, Coolio, or Nas to the feel.

Rosegang’s rapping fits neatly into the track, carrying lyrical themes of life’s struggles and the pain of loss and challenge, and the desire to rise above and better oneself. It’s narrative, storytelling vibe gives an authentic, autobiographical feel, passionate without being aggressive and resonant with honesty and rawness. It’s a superbly strong opener, made all the more potent through that simple production and the use of clever, compelling instrumentation.

You can hear ’12 Over 6’ on SoundCloud, and check out Rosegang on Spotify and Instagram.

Review by Alex Holmes