Browsing Tag

New Wave Rap

Don Favelli rivals Al Pacino in his cinematic new wave rap track, Mobstas Interlude

Posted on 27 June 2022
Don Favelli

Taken from his dynamic hip hop album, COSMIC, which enmeshes old school with the new wave, Don Favelli’s standout hit, Mobstas Interlude, lets the vibe lead the track as much as the 808s that rattle in the minimalist production under Favelli’s dominant rap bars.

With cinematic melodies running against the bars that make it impossible to guess who inspired Favelli to step to the mic in the first place, getting immersed in the atmosphere of Mobstas Interlude is non-optional.

Since making his debut, the San Diego-hailing up-and-coming artist has allowed his lyrical storytelling and cutting introspective to define him. Sonically, he’s all over the urban spectrum. Paying little attention to squeezing his expression into pigeon holes, ultimately aiding an expansive feel to every track.

Check out Don Favelli on his website.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Slide into Izaiah Bangz’s latest new wave rap track, Messenger

Posted on 13 June 2022

Like a laureate of the modern age, the trap pop artist Izaiah Bangz is always true to his moniker and bang-on his cutting narratives of 2022 romance. While I never quite anticipated a love song that mentions Chik-Fill-A, Bangz runs the reference right through his vibey latest release, Messenger, that borders on ethereal with its dreamy RnB layers.

After making his debut in 2019, Izaiah Bangz hasn’t failed to amass a following around his soul-steeped hard hitters that make it infinitely easier for his fans to navigate the digitally dystopic age of romance. After the release of Messenger, he is well on his way to racking up over 15k streams just a few days after the release. After the drop of his forthcoming self-titled debut album, it is safe to say Izaiah Bangz is going to be an unstoppable force in the new wave of hip hop.

Messenger is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Rheez. resiliently bares all in his compassionately cinematic rap track, True Wounds

Posted on 27 May 2022

After so many people connected with his sophomore single PTSD, the Maltese rapper with UK roots, Rheez., extended much of the same compassion that allowed him to amass 10,000 Spotify streams in just 10 days with his third single, True Wounds. It unveils exactly what it says on the tin.

He set the expressive bar with True Wounds with his determination to step in the ring with his demons to make it a fairer fight for his listeners, making him the ultimate new wave heavyweight in our minds, ears and eyes.

True Wounds spins a personal tale while delivering vindication hand over fist to anyone that has felt similarly starved of solidarity due to a lifeline that puts a mind on trial. In a subversive way, Rheez delivers the bruisingly efficacious reminders that giving in is always an option, no matter how down and out you feel. To contrast his visceral words, production-wise, he ensured that the melodies ran artfully smooth.

In his own words, here is what Rheez. had to say about his third single:

“This song is a biography of all the trials and tribulations I faced throughout my life. As painful as it was to go in-depth talking on these subjects, I felt like if I am not 100% honest during my journey as an artist, I am depriving my fans of more insight to hopefully be moved by. It’s a story of adversity, the ending, a message of never giving up.”

True Wounds is now available to stream via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Malta rapper Rheez. holds no prisoners in his sophomore single, PTSD

Posted on 6 May 2022

After a successful debut, new wave rap artist and producer Rheez. boldly blazed in with his sophomore single PTSD. If any track has the power to affirm just why so many people are losing their sanity lately, it’s this stormer of a grime and alt-hip hop cocktail.

The intro is an efficacious hook into the Malta-based artist’s candid track that holds no prisoners when picking out the most disparaging facets of our human existence. With lines such as “dad on the phone saying son they can’t clone you” and “Shout out to the internet champions, TikTok is your only throne” put up against each other, Rheez. tears through our obsession with superficiality and tendency to turn a blind eye to the real issues.

Rheez. may claim that he is turning nothing into something with his music, making humility another attractive aspect of his artistic presence. But his willingness to hold humanity accountable and speak out so convictively on one of the most stigmatised conditions known to man makes him equally as important as any of the overhyped artists with vacuous premises for their tracks.

PTSD was officially released on May 6th; you can check it out for yourselves via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Spotlight Feature: Baltimore’s Brightest Rising Rap Icon, Ron A.P Has Released His Game-Changer of a Single, The Ex-Files

Posted on 13 April 2022

The Baltimore-based hip hop artist Ron A.P. has been steadily gaining traction in his career since making his debut in 2018. Since his exceptionally promising debut, he has been in heavy rotation on US radio stations and has seen his music placed on a major TV network channel.

His latest release, The Ex-Files, stands as a testament to how his songwriting has matured in the short time of the inception of his career. Despite the conflating emotions that bleed into The Ex-Files from Ron A.P. getting 100% candid about his post-breakup psyche, the sentiment is all too resonant and relatable.

Ron A.P. lyrically moves from wanting something new to those gut-punch feelings that hit when you realise that you’re no longer feeding each other your news, no matter how much you miss the headlines, but in the next breath, there’s nothing but hate. With clever touches, such as lyrically retracting previous lines in the verses, few tracks encompass the true instability of conflicted passion.

With the instrumentals a smooth mix of atmospheric new wave and East Coast old school, it is easy to see how Ron A.P. is about to become the flavour of choice amongst old school and new school fans alike.

Here’s what Ron A.P. had to say on his latest The Ex-Files:

“This release is a part of an upcoming EP that tells a story about a bad relationship. Each song goes through the stages of the relationship. The Ex-Files is the song that depicts the mixed feelings people get they are through with a relationship.

I created the track after I decided to break up with my ex-girlfriend because she was too high-strung and dramatic.”

The Ex-Files is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

themoonmustset made new wave rap wavier in his latest release, Make It Home

Posted on 25 January 2022

From 80s goth to new wave rap, few sounds evade the fusionist style of the up and coming Dallas, TX-native, themoonmustset. His latest single, Make It Home, is a trippy-to-the-point-of-being-ethereal release that uses glitchy distorted beats under his urgent and visceral rap bars.

I’m fairly sure you would have heard the phrase “it’s a vibe” before; this track becomes the epitome of it with its spacey, wavey progressions and the full-frontal human element pouring into the mix through the tuned and effect-laden vocals.

The 22-year-old artist produces, records, mixes and masters every release put out under his name. We can only hope that there are more locked, loaded and ready to drop releases from themoonmustset.

Make It Home is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

RXCH – Song Cry featuring BIG HILLI, FAM and BIG HOOD THA KING YH

Posted on 21 March 2020
https://soundcloud.com/jmitchofficial/song-cry-murder-on-my-mindfeat-big-hilli-x-fam-x-big-hood-tha-king-yh

For his latest track “Song Cry (Murder on My Mind)”, up and coming Alt Hip Hop artist RXCH teamed up with BIG HILLI, FAM and BIG HOOD THA KING YH to create a track which is as commanding as it is emotive.

Through a mix of contemporary RnB, New Wave Trap, and Hip Hop, RXCH was able to offer fiery energy alongside soul-deep sentiment. It’s definitely not every day we can say that.

While the vocal reverb felt slightly excessive in parts, Song Cry was still a solid track. It just felt slightly criminal to gloss over the emotion which was projected into the mix.

It’s easy to anticipate big things to come from RXCH, their sound isn’t just ahead of the curve, it’s created a brand-new trajectory in the evolution of RnB Hip Hop. I’d put them on your radar sooner rather than later.

You can check out RXCH’s latest single for yourselves by heading over to SoundCloud now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast