Browsing Tag

Lyrical Hip Hop

Midi Contro challenges the presumptuous with his hazy hip hop track, ‘Slice’.

Posted on 18 July 2021

Encapsulating the hazy magnetic energy in Midi Contro’s debut album, Yellow Park District, is one of the rare occasions where the phrase ‘it’s a vibe’ is justified. The perfect introduction to Midi Contro’s captivating style is the lead track, Slice.

On top of the trippy, glitchy, modernistic beats, Midi Contro doesn’t fail to command the soundscape, each time the lyrics hit a raw point you’ll definitely feel the sting too. The powerfully meta lyricism catches you broadsided after the preceding verses lull you into a chilled vibe. As the single gets lyrically darker, the instrumentals match the evocative tone to leave you utterly transfixed by the narrative.

Through Slice, he dispels the fallacies people have placed upon him through assumptive presumptions. Through his honesty and lyrical wit, by the time the outro hits, you’ll have made a connection with the artist through the frustration of damning perceptions.

Check out Midi Contro’s debut album via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Sham Blak delivers high energy soul in his hip hop track, ‘Weather Delay’.

Posted on 28 June 2021

Slip into the old school soul of Sham Blak’s latest hip hop album, D Day Project, which evades gritty tales of gang violence and chooses to explore introspection that is valuable and relatable in equal measure.

Chances are, you’ll hear plenty of your frustrations vented back to you in the 6-track release, but the best introduction to Sham Blak’s sound is the standout track, Weather Delay.

The multi-layered mix carries swathes of texture, from shimmering synth notes to indie guitars to funk basslines to glitchy downtempo hip hop beats; it’s an urban aural rabbit hole that you’ll want to fall into time and time again. The hypnotically ethereal instrumentals prove to be the perfect contrast for Blak’s direct vocals and lyrical wordplay.

D Day Project is now available to stream in full via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

YOSHISUHN navigates the human condition in his latest single, MACH SPEED.

Posted on 23 June 2021
MACH SPEED (THE ROAD LESS TRAVELED) by YOSHiSUHN

‘MACH SPEED (THE ROAD LESS TRAVELLED)’ is the latest single released by the luminary, Philadelphia-residing hip hop artist YOSHISUHN.

Every line delivered in this soulfully rendered release is a mic-drop moment, but instead of leaving you introspectively hanging, the inspiring meta wisdom rolls on leaving you utterly ensnared by the artist’s talent with wordplay and his ability to make a direct connection through hip hop.

The raw emotion is perfectly encased in the accordantly hazy production that you’ll want to delve into time and time again; it’s a track that consistently gets better with every listen. Tracks like MACH SPEED may not be able to change your life with one hit, but it will compassionately take the weight off your shoulders as soon as you immerse yourself.

MACH SPEED is now available to stream via Bandcamp.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Ty Bru commemorates the Eastside March with his latest single ‘Can’t Sir’

Posted on 16 June 2021
Ty Bru

With his latest single, Can’t Sir, the luminary hip hop artist Ty Bru proves that forceful, convictive compassion is the most efficacious. The release of the single commemorates the first anniversary of the Eastside March in Asheboro, NC. It was just one of the singles released by Ty Bru on June 6th to keep the reason for taking to the streets fresh in minds.

Can’t Sir runs through the glaring issues within our society that infuriate you every time they come to mind due to the unfathomable injustice behind them. Yet, through the passion in Ty Bru’s bars, you’ll find the inspiration to find the same resilience and refusal to accept that systematic oppression has had the power to ruin dreams and lives for generations.

Can’t Sir is a flawless work of Jazzy Eastcoast hip hop, sentimentally and sonically. Around his activism, Ty Bru has found time to share stages with Method Man, Andre 3000, Ludacris Nappy, Snoop Dogg, Linkin Park, Yelawolf and plenty more legendary big names.

Can’t Stir is now available to stream via SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

MiGoFromMD has released his raw confessional Lo-Fi trap single, ‘Mental’ (Prod. Nono x Ele x Lufye)

Posted on 15 June 2021

US trap artist MiGoFromMD has been a prolific artist since making his debut earlier in 2021. With his standout single, Mental, he created a relatable manic track that reflects the insecurities that can stem from the self-awareness of our mental flaws.

His refreshingly honest lyrics cut right down to the bone while you listen to the lo-fi trap mix, prod. Nono x Ele x Lufye, run through. With a chorus of “I’m fucked and I’m mental, don’t know if I trust you” flowing with the indie trap beats that will be a hit with Tyler, the Creator, Mac Miller and Juice WRLD, there’s plenty of potential in MiGoFromMD’s raw and confessionally unique sound.

You can check out Mental for yourselves by heading over to SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Rap artist and producer Sea High has released his cinematically raw single, ‘Bad Habits’.

Posted on 12 June 2021
Sea High

Swathes of mental health-related singles have hit the airwaves during lockdown, but rapper and producer Sea High’s ode to despair, Bad Habits, is a fiery candid hit that makes most tracks sound superficial at best.

Bad Habits, in the best way possible, is a manic release that reflects the instability we feel and our tendency to rely on our vices to bring a sense of comfort and stability, even though indulging in them is an act of self-sabotage.

With his dizzying canter that accurately reflects the often-chaotic nature of our intense internal monologues as we try and make sense of the endlessly confusing world, the dramatically cinematic feel of the production and the meta power of the lyrics, Sea High can definitely be regarded as a triple-threat.

Bad Habits is due for official release on June 25th. Check out Sea High via Facebook.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Kouta attacks injustice in the Middle East with his latest hip hop single, ‘Fall’.

Posted on 31 May 2021

For his latest single, ‘Fall’, up and coming Colorado born and raised hip hop artist Kouta used his platform to speak out about the injustices in the middle east. Given that so few people are willing to speak out about the conflict, Fall leaves you utterly floored as familiar thought starts to resonate.

Kouta proves that you don’t need to pick a political side to demand an end to destruction and devastation. Standing alone one song won’t change the world, but it can cause a positive ripple effect of positive and progressive change by opening up minds and making sure the conversation stays fixed on subjects that we need to address.

Fall may leave you with a lump in your throat, but it’s an emotional rollercoaster worth riding. It hits just as hard as Eminem’s Toy Soldiers. Kouta uses music as an outlet, but by the time it hits the airwaves, it has the potential to work as everyone’s means of catharsis. It’s a much-appreciated olive branch of connection when it is so easy to feel isolated by your anger and anxiety.

Fall is now available to stream via YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Tune into KiDD RicH’s new hip hop track, ‘T.V.’

Posted on 5 May 2021

With his motto of, “Being at the bottom for so long teaches you there’s only one place left to go”, fans of inspirational hip hop won’t want to look past KiDD RicH’s 2021 sophomore album for invaluable introspection.

The standout track on the Brooklyn-born and raised artist’s album, ‘T.V.’ is a mash of urban culture with everything from RnB to Reggae to Pop to Trap written into the contemporary mix. After an atmospheric and melodic intro, the track kicks into full gear to run through as a grooving sun-kissed mix which will freshen your summer hip hop playlists.

With his organic, minimally-produced vocals, the ease of the grind, and the sticky-sweet lyricism, you’d struggle to find high-vibe hip hop that will take you higher.

The Statement, Vol 2 is now available to stream in full via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

LV Fresh catches us hard with ‘No Hook’

Posted on 2 May 2021

LV Fresh (a.k.a. Reginald Ferrari Jr), originally from NYC’s Bronx district and now based in Atlanta, Georgia, drops us a banging, upbeat slice of melodic Hip Hop straight from the streets. Punctuated by NSFW references, and with a video filled with gangs, guns, and green, this isn’t for the faint-hearted; but in amongst the Tec-9s and dope there’s some serious, well-crafted lyrical bounce and flow here. LV Fresh can certainly spit the rhymes out at the same RPM as the AR in the video; that’s ‘Rhymes Per Minute’, yo, and ‘No Hook’ could do some proper ballistic damage, but it’s also got some serious bop and hustle. You’ll want to check this out while it’s still (LV) fresh.

Watch the video for ‘No Hook’ on YouTube. Follow on Instagram.

Review by Alex Holmes

 

Savage the Poet leaves us on ‘CLOUD 9’ with his high-vibe lyrical rap track.

Posted on 25 April 2021
Savage the Poet

Brooklyn, NY born and raised rapper Savage the Poet showed just how he came about his moniker with his second EP, ‘Keep Your Head in the Clouds’. The cutting witty bars and meditative spoken-word offerings of wisdom have plenty to offer hip hop fans looking for hope, confidence and a path to perseverance.

His enlivening cadence, fresh take on the 90s-era East Coast sound and playful sense of humility is best appreciated in the lead track ‘CLOUD 9’. With lyrics such as ‘how quickly you find your truth is how quickly you find your power’, CLOUD 9 leaves a lot to contemplate while the beats give you the energy to shake off the weight of adversity.

Savage the Poet’s EP officially released on April 16th; you can check it out for yourselves on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast