Latest Posts

Hazael Escobar-Ortiz and Michael Zapawa – “My Girl”

January 6, 2025

Orlando songmaker Hazael Escobar-Ortiz and Charleston contemporary crooner Michael Zapawa serve up a silky smooth heartwarmer with their latest track, “My Girl.” An ode to the ladies, or more specifically, your lady, “My Girl” puts Zapawa’s vocal talents at the front of the stage, with soaring melodies and layered harmonies adding plenty of depth to this R+B track. Escobar-Ortiz, or “Haz” provides lush production to match Zapawa’s effort, featuring Spanish-flavored guitar lines and twinkling keyboards. “My Girl” is packed with romantic sounds and lyrics to put your partner on a pedestal – pair it with some red wine and a valentine then throw it a playlist with Usher, Bilal and more of your current R+B rotation. Listen to more from Haz and Zapawa on Spotify.

Sublime Pr1me – “Black Jesters’ Revolution”

January 2, 2025

Rochester rhymer Sublime Pr1me flexes internal rhyme schemes, an off-center flow and expertly used interplay with production on his sharp new single “Black Jesters’ Revolution.” Riding an Adult Swim-flavored boom bap beat, Pr1me rapidly moves between his personal philosophies and others’ he sees truth in, such as Michele Fuko. Pr1me is explicit, insightful, playful and more on this track – relentlessly switching up his cadences and somehow staying on the sampled/flipped/reversed beat. Add this track to your Lupe Fiasco-Aesop Rock-Talib Kweli playlists for when you’re looking for a hip hop track with keen lyricism and a beat that keeps you on your toes too. “Black Jesters’ Revolution” kicks off Pr1me’s Back Forward EP, featuring more of the insightful rapping showed off on this track.

$pence – “Lie2ME”

December 30, 2024

Ignorance is bliss in a relationship according to Charlotte emcee/producer $pence – who argues against unnecessary honesties in his latest track “Lie2Me.” In his radio-friendly single, $pence lambasts the unnecessary honesties in a relationship – if I don’t need to know, why tell me? “Make something up.” Whether it’s a rich girl problem, or a sincere thought on their relationship, $pence makes the argument for ignorance. “There’s problems in the world, I’m not solving…Why can’t you just lie to me?” It’s lighthearted, ironic in its honesty, and features a familiar radio-friendly cadence to it. Playful, funky keyboards and boom bap drums are the primary production component, gearing you up to hear a track ready to be played on your Jack Harlow/Chance the Rapper/Aminé playlists. $pence has been busy releasing new tracks in 2024 – take a look at his recent output on Spotify. 

Shabazz the Disciple & Ed Nodz – “Chant Down Babylon”

December 27, 2024

Wu-Tang affiliate Shabazz the Disciple sneaks in a heavy verse-of-the-year candidate at the buzzer with the aid of underground-flavored Aussie producer Ed Nodz on their latest track, “Chant Down Babylon.” Shabazz is an emcee’s emcee, combining ridiculous rhyme schemes with sobering lyricism throughout his career. “Chant Down Babylon” discusses conspiratorial trickle-downs in society before launching into a verse-long spotlight on AI in the second verse. Whether it’s AI rap albums, the in-progress loss of jobs, or AIs competing to outsmart other AIs – Shabazz previews a near future that’s inevitable rather than science fiction. Ed Nodz’s production is the ideal partner to the reality of Shabazz’s lyrics, using a melancholic horn as the primary pacemaker on the beat. Pull up the lyrics and listen to more from Shabazz and Ed Nodz on Spotify.

Chizlonies the Lord – “All That I Got”

December 23, 2024

We got you something! Unwrap the latest holiday-flavored single “All That I Got.” from Nigerian/Chicago rapper Chizlonies the Lord – you were so nice this year. Featuring twinkling piano and jingle bell wordplay, Chizlonies serenades us with a love story perfect for a warm night by the 8-hour-long yuletide log YouTube video. It’s a nice new addition for your non-classics Christmas playlist – with familiar tropes and topics but a fresh sound. Chizlonies’ smooth vocal deliveries alternative from singing and rapping, crafting a particularly catchy hook that’ll sound great after the 25th, too. Give a listen below and check out more from Chizlonies on Spotify.

P4blo – “Pay Me in Dirt”

December 19, 2024

Canadian artist p4blo combines metallic, industrial pop sounds with a Trapaholics-“Damn son, where’d you find this?” sensibility on his latest track, “Pay Me in Dirt.” This track gives us a lot to chew on – teased in p4blo’s musings at the top of the track that “more layers are required.” We get some of that heavier industrial drum sounds like you’d hear on a clipping. song, into a traditional trap snare section, before things transitions into Kaytranda-styled electronic hip hop feel. P4blo raps, chants, and lets out some hyperpop coos as he continuously taps into his wide range of influences to create an evolving, experimental track you can digest layer by layer. Grab your best paid of headphones and turn the volume up. Check out p4blo on YouTube below and head over to Spotify on Bandcamp to add him to your experimental hip hop/electronic playlists.

TaReef KnockOut – “Mr. Irrelevant”

December 18, 2024

Tallahassee rapper TaReef KnockOut honors the legacies of Brock Purdy, Ryan Succop, and Chad Kelly on his underdog anthem “Mr. Irrelevant.” KnockOut grabs this title, usually reserved for the 256th (also known as “last”) pick in the NFL draft, and describes his struggles in the life prior to his ascension in the rap game. Repo men, missed rent payments, car breakdowns – TaReef took his adversity and spilt it out over a boombap beat in a celebratory track that will fit right in on your motivational hip hop playlists alongside names like Logic, J.Cole and Wale. Production-wise, we get some reversed instrumental loops, angelic vocal samples, and a headbobbing drum pattern – hitting the mark just like Ryan Succop extra point. Listen to more from TaReef on Spotify:

4T7 – “VENUS (GODDAMN!) SEVFRO MIX”

December 16, 2024

Let orchestral strings caress you to sleep as Long Island hip hop artist 4T7 melts your brain with machine gun flows and encyclopedic bars with the freshest take on his new single. 4T7 and collaborator A-F-R-O combine forces for the (artist name mashup-inspired) SEVFRO remix of the former’s buzzy single “VENUS (GODDAMN).” Fans of flows and heady bars are gonna like this one – tapping from the influence tree of Aesop Rock on the flows and $uicideBoy$ on a hypnotic chanty chorus. 4T7 packs syllables on top of syllables in the first verse, and multi-hyphenate artist A-F-R-O takes the stick for a vibrant new second verse for the single. “VENUS (GODDAMN!)” leads the singles from 4T7’s debut album BEACH PLACE – give it a spin on Spotify.

JOMEGA – “I DON’T RELAX”

December 9, 2024

DMV duo JOMEGA honor their blog rap forefathers on their latest track “I DON’T RELAX.” Channeling the timeless sounds featured on tastemaker pages like 2DopeBoyz, NARIGHT, and DJBooth.Net, the twin brothers drop bars on this track that would have lit up a comment section in 2010. Some people say this was the best era in hip hop history – those people might be writing this blog. JOMEGA’s mellow flows and bars give nods to the likes of mixtape-era Wale, Sir Michael Rocks, and Joey Bada$$ (who is even explicitly referenced in a “Christ Conscious” line). The brothers seamlessly play off of each other, taking turns carving up an understated, headbobbing boom bap-inspired beat. It’s a fresh take on nostalgic sounds and references, and JOMEGA do the era more than justice. Discover more sounds from the brothers on their Spotify page and check out “I DON’T RELAX” here:

PB Mogul feat. 38 Spesh – “20 on the Stove”

December 2, 2024

Utica’s PB Mogul brought the trap with him on his hip hop journey. On his latest track, “20 on the Stove,” PB digs into the details on a modern trapping classic: “started with ‘cane on the griddle, now I rock stages and venues.” “20 on the Stove” features menacing, gritty and understated production that feels like you’re walking the same cold concrete blocks PB references in his tracks. Mogul is assisted on the track by WNY legend 38 Spesh, who’s quick to drop the quintessential coke bars that he and frequent collaborator Benny the Butcher are the best in the game at. Here’s another upstate NY rapper with an authenticity you can hear in every bar – Check out more from PB Mogul and 38 Spesh on Spotify.

Ha Keem – “Long Way to Go”

December 2, 2024

Multi-talented hip hop artist Ha Keem combines 90s alternative hip hop sounds with a melodic, modern R&B delivery on his latest single, “Long Way to Go.” The Central Coast rapper is quick to flex that he can “sing, dance, and rap too” but on this track he prefers to take it slow and enjoy the moment. “Long Way to Go” slides smoothly between rapped and sung verses, with tender backing vocals complimenting a catchy, chanty hook that’ll vibe well with fans of Anderson .Paak and the Roots. Production-wise, we get some delicate keys, a funky bass line, and more live instrumentation that brings a brightness to the track. “There’s no need to rush it” – Add this to your good vibes hip hop playlists and check out more from Ha Keem on Spotify.

Hundred Plus Club – “Get Away From Me Jack”

November 25, 2024

The Hundred Plus Boys are at it again. Fresh off a sweet streaming success in their previous single “Gobsmacked,” Buffalo’s post-punk outfit drops their follow-up “Get Away from Me Jack.” HPC’s has featured bright guitars and earworm hooks taking influence from the great acts of 2000s indie rock, but lately things have gotten darker. “Gobsmacked” started down a gothy-er path that’s continued with the rollout of “Get Away from Me Jack.”   On this single, frontman Zain Shirazi’s baritone vocals hide within a heavy bottom half featuring some pounding bass guitar and a drum section that flips between understated live playing and New Order in-your-face “Blue Monday”-styled drum machine, continuing the band’s experimentation with percussive elements. Shirazi’s brooding vocals menacing backing voices compound the feeling of being under a sinister spell, as Zain tries to resist:   “You want people to come to your show … / But I don’t[...]

DAOx3n – “In Ice”

November 25, 2024

Emerging experimental hip hop artist DAOx3n creates a sound all his own on his latest single, “In Ice.” Boasting a seemingly wild, but carefully crafted sing-songy delivery, DAOx3n is one of one. His sound will resonate with fans of off-the-wall melodic rapping pioneers like ILoveMakonnen, and in his more conventional moments, $uicideboys$ and Bone Thugs. Lyrically, “In Ice” touches on DAOx3n’s journey from an early age to his current output – “I make this melodies to touch the soul, keep it ethereal.” “In Ice” closes out the Dialing 0ut EP – three tracks showcasing DAOx3n’s artistic vision, featuring his challenging delivery, precise triplet flows, and brooding, evil carnival-flavored production. Check out the track on Spotify, Apple Music, or another platform of your choice.

Laz Lo – “Neighbors”

November 22, 2024

“Love thy neighbor” is complicated for Parisian rapper Laz Lo. On his new single “Neighbors” Laz Lo discusses the human experience and the societal and geopolitic impacts that happen when people from different walks of life continue to cross paths. Seamlessly switching between English and French delivery, Laz Lo crafts an elevated track with politically-charged lyrics referencing Palestine’s pursuit of freedom, and other events he sees closer to home. Lyrics give you a ton to unpack, but a groovy beat and a poppy chorus ensure you’re gonna have a good time listening to this even if you’re zoning out. Fans of MIA’s early work will be into how this combines dance-y beats with more serious themes. Give Laz Lo a listen on Spotify and check him out on IG to keep tabs on his future output.

Gasoline Monk and Burn Herm – “Abacus”

November 22, 2024

Gasoline Monk and Burn Herm create a track equal parts Adult Swim and Aesop Rock for their new single, “Abacus.” Monk’s dizzying keyboard loops and Herm’s cryptic lyricism give the track an uncanny feeling – you know you like it but you’re struggling to wrap your head around what you’re hearing. It’s great for the hiphopheads who love to dissect lyrics while walking dimly lit streets. Gasoline Monk’s gritty, loose drum section will put a rhythm into your step while Herm lets you chew on lyrics referencing heretics, mathematical visuals, and “keeping an abacus.” I wish I was smarter. “Abacus” appears on Hermit and the Monk – a collaborative project from Burn Herm and Monk. You’ll hear more from the oracle of Herm while Monk seamlessly mixes in his psychedelic, jazz and electronic influences into the beats. Take a listen to it and more from these artists on Spotify.