Browsing Tag

New Wave Trap

Ace Da King featuring Xavier Thomas – Bentley Truck; prepare your summer trap playlists.

Posted on 1 April 2022

For his latest fiery yet smooth single and music video, Bentley Truck, the hip hop trailblazer, Ace Da King collaborated with the featuring artist Xavier Thomas. If you like hip hop that speaks as much to the soul and your rhythmic pulses as it speaks about late-stage capitalist gains, the vibey and downtempo new wave trap track has all the makings of a playlist staple.

Ace Da King defiantly stamped down his mellow sonic signature in the track that allows you to lose yourself in the shimmering reverb and the light and bright texture of the keys that amplify the high vibes under Ace Da King’s envelope-pushing lyrical wit.

Since the official music video premiered on March 24th, it has already racked up in excess of 24k streams. You can check it out for yourselves via YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Oberry gets candid on self-sabotage in his trap pop single, don’t fall in line.

Posted on 28 February 2022

From the suburbs of Chicago, the experimental trap pop artist, Oberry, is here with his latest aural offering, don’t fall in line. After a jangly lo-fi interlude, Oberry’s distortedly animatronic vocals appear atop the scratchy and glitchy sun-bleached EDM beats which constantly switch from hard-hitting to fragile; setting the perfect tone for the emotionally rocky release.

don’t fall in line may initially resonate as an eccentric and twee for 2022 track but once the lyrics start to introduce you to the true essence of the single, you’ll find a deep level of respect for Oberry for being so candid on the subject of using self-destructive habits as a rebellious act.

If we are all honest with ourselves, we have all been there. don’t fall in line wasn’t the first single released by Oberry that delivers resonance hand over fist. His previous singles, all my homies hate the world, and parasocial friend have each racked up over 10k streams on Spotify alone – proving we’re not the only ones instantly obsessed with Oberry’s inventive songwriting style.

Oberry isn’t your average trap pop star, but it’s his intimate autonomy that draws you so deep into his experimental tracks. Any artist bold enough to release an album as twee as “I drawed a doggy” is undoubtedly worth following.

don’t fall in line is now available to stream on Spotify. 

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Q raised the reputation of trap with his debut EP, Ragestar

Posted on 21 February 2022

With his dynamic style, it’s hard to know what the Kingston, Jamaica-hailing artist, Q, will throw our way next. His latest standout single, Don’t Talk 2 Me, taken from his debut EP, Ragestar, was never going to disappoint.

The trappy, fiery soul in Don’t Talk 2 Me, reels you in through the sharp hooks, atmospheric production, and unabashed honesty which explores a wounded side of Q’s psyche. If any trap track is going to teach you the importance of creating boundaries and sticking by them with conviction, it is this electrifying hit that draws from across the urban spectrum. Against the hard trap beats, you’ll find Dancehall and RnB nuances that affirm the artist’s status as an up and coming pioneer.

A lot of rap artists market themselves as versatile, but Q well and truly sets the bar with his flawlessly authentic style.

Don’t Talk 2 Me is now available to stream album with the rest of his debut EP via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Rayquonthedon remixes hip hop history in ‘TRAP LULLABIES’

Posted on 4 December 2021

Independent Rhode Island alt hip hop artist, Rayquonthedon has followed on from his debut EP with his enigmatic debut album, TRAP LULLABIES. Usually, it is all too easy to draw parallels between hip hop artists, but Rayquonthedon’s sonic boldness leaves few reminiscences in his sound that draws inspiration from dance hits, old school hip hop and new wave trap.

None of the accessibility was lost in his fiery Avant standout single, VELVETTA (I KNOW FREESTYLE). With the doomy and gritty basslines, the slick rolling rhythm of his rap bars and his strong vibes within the Eastern instrumentals, you can sink right into the experimentalism. If you appreciate distinctive talent, he is definitely one for the radar.

TRAP LULLABIES is now available to stream on Spotify and apple music via this link.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Chill trap prodigy Young Monte teases his hypnotically soulful sound in his latest demo.

Posted on 15 November 2021

Chill trap newcomer, Young Monte, has been teasing the airwaves with his short and sweet demo releases; his latest chillwave demo efficaciously caught our attention; it is enough to change your definition of mellow.

Despite the minimalism in the instrumentals, there is nothing about the easy, wavy grooves that feels sparse. The clever use of rhythmic ambience and spatial effect allowed the demo to deliver catharsis with a serious side-serve of soul, which mostly comes as a side-effect of the artists hypnotically smooth vocal timbre. We can’t wait to hear a full chillwave trap track from Young Monte; he’s discernibly one to watch.

You can get a taste of Young Monte’s fresh sound by heading over to YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Jambon goes interstellar with his spacey new wave hip hop track, Beam Me Up.

Posted on 7 November 2021

Spacey hip hop pioneer, Jambon released his latest RnB-laced interstellar hit, Beam Me Up, on October 29th and created a brand-new trajectory in the evolution of rap in the process.

With new wave trap elements grinding alongside old school grooves and electronic textures that have never before found their place in hip hop beats, Beam Me Up is a refreshingly high vibe track that allows you to transcend with the psychy energy alone before you even take into account the meta poetry in the lyrics and Jambon’s cleverly distorted semi-harmonic pop-rap vocals.

Beam Me Up is available to stream on Spotify, or you can check out the official video via YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Sham Parker has made his bruisingly confessional debut with his alt-trap track, XIX.

Posted on 28 October 2021

“Someone told me I wouldn’t reach 19, I’m trying to guess who it was, I guess it was probably me” is potentially the hardest hitting opening lyric in hip hop history. Even more impressively, it features in the debut single, XIX, by London-based alternative artist Sham Parker.

Despite the confessional candour that runs through thoughts that most would be too afraid to proclaim, there’s a sense of warmth and nihilist playfulness that instantly leaves you endeared. Sham Parker deserves to blow up for the same reason Lil Peep did; XIX exposes you to the artist’s demons as much as his sweet, creative sound that we hope to hear plenty more of.

You can stream the alt trap track for yourselves by heading over to Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Quizzy GT is riding on the new wave of trap in his standout single, My Dawg.

Posted on 15 October 2021

The new wave of trap found a new crux to ride with Quizzy GT’s fiery 2021 release, My Dawg. With the hyper rap bars and even more enlivening bass-drenched trap beats, delving into My Dawg half-heartedly isn’t an option.

You can practically feel Quizzy GT’s expressive catharsis pouring through the single that proves that hell hath no fury like a trap artist scorned. Behind the sheer volition, you will find plenty of resonance as you are forced to reflect on the toxic people you’ve undoubtedly encountered in your life.

It feels like it’s almost a given that the traumatised will impart trauma on others through lies and deceit. If any track has what it takes to force accountability into people, it is My Dawg.

My Dawg is now available to stream and purchase via apple music.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Kaiwin has released his latest genre-evading hit, ‘Bitter Taste’, ft. Jay Dior

Posted on 27 June 2021

For his latest release, ‘Bitter Taste’, Dallas-born alt-pop artist Kaiwin collaborated with Jay Dior to create a dynamic hit that crushes genre constraints with pensive looped indie guitars, RnB vibes, fiery trap beats and cloud rap vocals.

Bitter Taste vents the frustration of the relationship pitfalls the average 20-somethings falls into time again; with the up-vibe melodies and the collaborative chemistry that breathes between Kaiwin and Jay Dior, it’s anything but a self-apathy fest.

Along with his mission to climb the charts, Kaiwin seeks to crush the stigma associated with the Asian population and to build an anti-racist community to create awareness and spark movements, if necessary. Given that the major pop acts are apathetic at best when it comes to voicing their opinions, it’s a refreshing change to see an artist as passionate about positive social progression as they are about establishing themselves in the industry.

The official video premiered on June 12th; you can check it out for yourselves via YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Burt Bankkz bares all in his hard-hitting trap single, ‘Last Scars’.

Posted on 28 May 2021

Up and coming Floridian hip hop artist Burt Bankkz brought his hardest bars to his standout single, Last Scars. If the 2020 release passed you by, slip into the fervently evocative release and remind yourself of your capacity to feel.

Bankkz brought an almost unparalleled amount of energy to his lyrically raw, instrumentally flawless track; right from the first verse, Bankkz comes in heavy with powerful metaphors, consoling compassion and gritty imagery.

Last Scars is so much more than your archetypal hustler hip hop anthem; rather than being a poster boy for consumerism, Bankkz allowed this deeply introspective track to show just how hard it is to reach the top. But rather than deter you and your vision of greatness; around bass-heavy beats, Burt Bankkz puts you in the right realistic mindset for it.

The official video for Last Scars is available to stream via YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast