Browsing Tag

Hip-Hop

The urban oracle Yung Dread Da Prophet struck again with the introspective gold in his latest track, Stabilize

Posted on 22 October 2023

Stabilize is the latest wavy-with-soul, old-school-inspired drop of hip-hop from the artist, enigma and urban oracle, Yung Dread Da Prophet.

It is all too easy to get into the reverb-swathed grooves of the release as the melodies mellifluously run you through the verses which the 22-year-old South Jersey-born, NY-based rapper uses to wax lyrical on the ramifications of living in an epoch that is constantly finding ways to knock you out of cognitive kilter.

Clearly one to always see the bigger picture and project the universe’s parallels into his tracks that are as solid as introspective gold, Yung Dread Da Prophet is one to watch if you like instrumental catharsis synthesised with eyes-wide-open expositions that will make you stop, think, and press repeat.

Stabilize hit the airwaves on October 20; stream it on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Flex3r created a meditative dreamscape with his pop-hip-hop crossover, Let It Go

Posted on 21 October 2023

Flex3r (AKA Cedric Kasongo) versed the bars that punctuate his honeyed harmonies straight from the soul in his latest cocktail of hip-hop, RnB, Afrobeat and pop, Let It Go. Since making his debut, he’s established himself as an authentically compelling creator who pushes the limits of hip-hop; with Let It Go, he allowed his sound to sit on a plateau of pure mindful compassion.

While no one ever needs permission to let negativity go, we all need affirmations weaved into cathartically euphonic soundscapes from time to time. Harbouring hate will only serve to hold you back in life; let it go, and unshackle yourself with this stunning dreamscape of a release that borders on psychedelic etherealism.

The Congolese-American recording artist is clearly one to watch; from the distinction in his signature style to the revelations in his lyrics, the melody-maker who was born in DR Congo, raised in Zambia, and lives in Baton Rouge, is unparalleled through his determination to stay in his own lane.

Let It Go breathed freedom onto the airwaves on October 13; stream it on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Queen LaBelle played with fire in her boundary-transcending spoken-word hip-hop release, Risky Behaviour

Posted on 18 October 2023

Poetry may have been a dying artform before the release of Queen LaBelle’s LP, For the Kings and Queens Spoken Word; following the drop, you can consider the format viscerally reincarnated.

The standout single, Risky Behaviour, featuring bars from Jarren Benton which flow as smoothly as the conviction that bleeds from Nas’ verses, is the perfect introduction to Queen LaBelle’s wordplay which fuses to the exotic instrumentals and snappy hip-hop beats to deliver a striking blow of mesmerism with every spoken word declaration.

Throughout her artistic journey, Queen Labelle has performed alongside icons including Dr Cornel West, inspired courage in trauma survivors by sharing her own stories and providing positive healing affirmations, published collections of poetry, and, on this album, worked with Grammy Award-winning producers, including My Guy Mars (Snoop Dogg, Jay-Z, Nipsey). While some pioneers are worth following for their artistry alone, others inspire devotion through dedication to bettering an increasingly bitter world in the same creative breath. Consider LaBelle an icon of the latter camp.

Risky Behaviour was officially released on October 6; stream it on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

looCcaM remixed reality in his 90s NY Hip-Hop meets Avant-Garde Sci-Fi sonics rap track, Trumpet of the Martians

Posted on 18 October 2023

If the spacey conviction in Legend Has It by Run the Jewels left you hooked, prepare to be ensnared all over again by the latest track, Trumpet of the Martians, from the cosmically urban innovator, looCcaM.

If someone asked Nas, Jay-Z or the Notorious B.I.G. to pour their 90s NY rap flavour into a Doctor Who soundtrack, the result would be as scintillatingly convictive as this Avant-Garde boom bap homage to futuristic poetics, which simultaneously unravels as a high-fire rebuke to neoliberal dogmatism.

Following the release of Trumpet of the Martians, the Buffalo, NY native will release his LP, Silence Exile Cunning, on October 19, which was innovatively crafted to synthesise beat culture with iconography which has previously had no place in the rap scene. Expect everything from electro-punk to hyper-pop to experimental poetry. In looCcaM, we believe.

Check out the radio edit of Trumpet of the Martians via SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Cali Ave Lo delivered lyrical wit so sharp you will get whiplash in ‘Way I Feel’ ft. Monie$

Posted on 15 October 2023

The lyrical wit in Cali Ave Lo’s standout rap track, Way I Feel, is sharp enough to tear a hole in the airwaves, even if the blows of the Machiavellian bars are softened by the jazzy and groove-deep old-school instrumentals, which allow the single to drip in luxe magnetism. He wasn’t playing when he warned he is a beast that can’t be tamed.

The single, created in collaboration with Monie$, is just one of the fresh-with-innovation-and-intellect singles found on Cali Ave Lo’s latest album, Untitled. Uncut. 3, which is already going down a storm with the Chicago-hailing artist’s legion of fans which is growing by the day thanks to his commitment to being one of the most thought-provoking artists on the underground. If your playlists are already filled with hits from Kanye, DMX, Lil Wayne and Jay Z, you will want to make room for Cali Ave Lo.

Way I Feel dropped on September 27; stream it on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Remmorii is visionary in his fear and faith-mused alt-hip-hop release, Before I Drown

Posted on 12 October 2023

Toronto’s most captivatingly introspective artist, Remmorii, used faith and fear as a muse in his latest organically electrifying release, Before I Drown, which lets candour cascade around the multicultural synthesis of style.

The experimentalism which breathed visceral life into the single to juxtapose the ennui in the lyrical delivery ensured that no one has a stronger stake in the claim of being one of the most authentically dynamic artists on any scene.

Before I Drown is beyond genre boundaries; it transcends them through the depth of the exploration of personal struggles. To balance the dark with the light, Remmorii infused incandescent optimism around the soulful hip-hop and RnB layers by sonically paving a path towards providence and hope for better days when you’re not treading water for survival, you’re making major strides towards personal growth.

Before I Drown was officially released on September 29: stream it on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Chi Waller prescribed high-fire flavour in her alt-rap track, OutWest Players ft Wan00 & Mo Joe

Posted on 9 October 2023

For her latest single, OutWest Players, Chicago’s fieriest alt-rap trailblazer, Chi Waller, stepped into the studio with Wan00 and Mo Joe to deliver a soul-affirmingly flavourful hit of pure soulful ingenuity.

The rapid-fire rap bars from the powerhouse trio against the melodically mesmerising rhythms and smooth polyphonic synths is an intoxicating amalgamation; the juxtaposition between the soul and attitude makes the alchemy of OutWest Players infinitely sweeter.

If you can imagine a blend of Busta Rhymes and Macy Gray’s signature styles, you’ll have an idea of the kind of innovation that will greet you if you take a chance on this enlivening synthesis of soul, rap, funk and RnB.

OutWest Players dropped on September 20. Stream it on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Canadian rapper K-Mic is keeping on the grind in his hustler hip hop track, Money Money

Posted on 30 September 2023

With the intricate and intimate indie guitars melodiously meeting the smooth backbeat, the perfect platform was constructed for the Canadian rapper K-Mic’s rap bars in his latest hustler hip-hop track, Money Money.

Old school attitude meets modern production styles in the convictive hit that stands as a testament to how money is far more than currency; it is status, your ticket to freedom, an indicator of your worth, and an ever-pervasive thought that wraps around the psyche. All of this was nuancedly relayed in the track that will add fire to your vibe-out playlists.

K-Mic, has been honing his writing talent since the age of eight and has been on the rap scene since fifteen; in addition to reigning supreme on the airwaves, he’s gone down a storm in the live circuit with several high-profile gigs under his belt, including being one of the opening acts on the Baptized in Fire Tour in 2018.

Check out the official lyric video for Money Money on YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

JoeJas scribed the ultimate sonic manifesto in how to be free with his high-vibe rap track, Escape

Posted on 17 September 2023

Speaking directly to the freaks, geeks, and losers, the latest single, Escape, from the high-vibe emissary, JoeJas, is the ultimate sonic manifesto on how to break down the walls that construct self-confidence-crushing prison bars around your psyche.

With punchy lines in the vein of “picked on but never picked me”, JoeJas and his relatable compassion proved that the vicious tendencies of schoolyard bullies and all their crucifying criticism shouldn’t be the blueprint for your self-worth.

The empowering lyricism is only matched by the euphorically jazzy retro hip-hop aesthetics that are strong enough to put you on a new plateau and shift your perception until you can see your own idiosyncrasies as something to embrace; authenticity is a currency that will never lose its market value.

By matching the vibrancy of the production with the youthfully bright colours in the music video, which dropped on September 9th, JoeJas delivered an infectiously upraising track with Escape; catch the self-worth fever by heading over to YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Bigg357 held up a sign of our late-stage capitalist times in his infectiously relatable trap track, Money on My Mind

Posted on 17 September 2023

Money on My Mind is the latest catchier-than-Covid trap track from Bigg357, who has consistently ticked all the right new wave trap boxes with his discography and amassed a staunch following in the process.

Rich or poor, no one can claim that money doesn’t dominate their consciousness, making Money on My Mind one of the most universally relatable hits to drop in 2023.

By keeping the wavy instrumentals simple yet hooky, there’s no denying that Bigg357 unleashed the ultimate urban earworm with this curve-transcending hit that is infectious enough to compel you to sink into the rest of his dynamic discography which brings in the future of trap with the force of an asteroid from space.

Money on My Mind dropped on September 5th; stream it on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast