Latest Posts

$cotti Bishop – “And 1 Freestyle”

December 16, 2016

It’s going to take several listens to grab every bar that Sacramento rapper $cotti Bishop drops on his track “And 1 Freestyle,” but each one is worth it. With no flow off limits, he drops hard lines like “Make a 3 look like a free throw, make a dime look like a C-Note.” Each line comes with the assured brashness of Bishop’s delivery. The instrumental is a great beat for a cypher and Bishop uses it to his advantage, fitting everything you’d want into a freestyle rap song into two minutes. Listen to more from $cotti here and press play on the video for “And 1 Freestyle” below.

Mellow the Muse – “I’m in Church”

December 16, 2016

Mellow the Muse is a female rapper from Dallas, Texas with an unconventional, underground flow. It’s conversational but certainly not lazy, and her technique allows her to have a never-stop approach. She fires out sharp verses for two and a half minutes, only breaking to remind everyone that she’s in a place of divinity, nonchalantly quipping “I’m in Church.” The beat has some Tetris vibes to it, accompanied by some pounding bass and a taste of some haunting church chorus. Check out more from Mellow the Muse here and listen to “I’m in Church” below.

Oghenero – “Def”

December 13, 2016

Calgary MC Oghenero’s lone wolf makeup comes through in his powerful rhymes. On his first single “Def,” his cutting voice lays down verses of sobering aggression to his competition. He’s rapping with the attitude of someone confident enough to only need himself, and remind his listeners of that in his verses with lines like “You call it burning I just call it rerouting.” “Def” has the spirit of a freestyle and its Bobby Shmurda-esque instrumental provide the perfect landscape. Give it a listen below, and check out the rest of Oghenero’s tracks here.

Dezert Eez – “Rolex Dreamin ft. Talib Kweli”

December 13, 2016

Michigan staple Dezert Eez link up with hip hop legend Talib Kweli on their single “Rolex Dreamin’.” An awesome posse cut, “Rolex Dreamin'” features four furious verses from Kweli and the Dezert Eez trio of 5-Star, Nivek and O’Nill. Talib kicks things off, likening himself to a bird of prey as he vocalizes his viciousness. From there, Eez takes their turns dancing around a great chorus shouting out good drinks, weed, and a great home in the Great Lakes. These dudes are pure spitters, with verses heavy on wordplay and internal rhyme schemes. Even a smoke session has imagery to it in the hands of Eez, highlighted with the line from the closing verse, “smoking algae in the squad in my unc’s garage, collared greens now it’s Nike’s out the box, breaking bread with the guys at the liquor spot.” It’s a dope posse cut from a dope posse, give it[...]

Nick Weaver – “What You Doin’ These Days?”

December 2, 2016

Seattle’s very own Nick Weaver reminds you to look at yourself on his single “What You Doin’ These Days?” The track is a mirror that anyone can explore, and reaffirm who they are and where they’re at in their life goals. Weaver reflects on his own sacrifices, financial and personal ones he made in order to chase success in the industry. He raps about an empty bank account and his whip status, saying “250,000 on my Civic and I might go and get it new rims.” Wholesome horns lay the framework for Weaver’s lyricism, accompanied by rattling snares and soft woodwind. Weaver goes acapella for a powerful outro, referencing quasi-racism, Colin Kaepernick, the president-elect and more. Give it a listen below.

George Hollow – “New Boy George”

December 2, 2016

Pittsburgh’s George Hollow works off of his roots in the psychedelic and country to pump out uniquely twanged hip hop. Single “New Boy George” comes from Hollow’s Dreams of an Insomniac project, and is a showcase of dope flows, clever words and smooth sounds. The beat combines a little bit of chipmunk sampling with some dazzling piano and delicate guitar plucks. It’s lush but has the boom bap that lets Hollow handle it with the tenacity of a traditional emcee. The track is autobiographical, as Hollow discusses his past and present, his hopes and dreams, and his ideas and vices. Give Dreams of an Insomniac a listen and check out “New Boy George” below.

Manu Crook$ feat. Miracle – “Blowin’ Up”

December 2, 2016

Manu Crook$ and Miracle double-team a silky guitar instrumental, and the result is the subdued hype that is “Blowin’ Up.” Manu’s ruggedness trades with the smooth voice of Miracle, and it’s as natural of a collaboration as there can be. Manu and DOPAMINE collabed on the instrumental, which shines just as bright as the vocal contributions. It’s sparse when needed, but full enough to make the track bang. Sunset and sunrise are encapsulated in the track’s vibes, with a sense of mysticism. Crook$ and Miracle know what their night will feel like, even if they couldn’t tell you what it’ll look like. Press play below.

FC the MC – “This Way”

December 2, 2016

Connecticut’s FC is a boom bap understudy with a sound in the wave of contemporary NYC rap. His single “This Way” is a pledge to imperfection, evident with the opening line “Most my life lessons I regret cause I’m quite reckless.” FC shakes off his youthful demeanor with a polished sound that captures your ears as you nod along with a head-bobbing beat.  “This Way” features a sharply rapped hook, and sounds extra crisp with the baritone voice of FC. His lyricism focuses on overcoming self-doubt and progressing, while still holding true to himself. Give it a listen below.

NOVI NOV – “Monstah” feat. Fort Knox

November 30, 2016

Atlanta’s NOVI NOV brings his accessible flow to the forefront on his single “Monstah” with an assist from primetime personality Fort Knox. Fluttering violins serve as the backdrop for a rapid lyrical assault, in which Nov details all that he’s capable of. Constantly mixing up his schemes and attack, NOVI sounds like a fusion of Em and Strange Music. Fort Knox keeps the hype going to close out the track, talking up the tenacity of the talented NOVI NOV. Give it a listen below and check out more from NOVI here. It’ll make you feel like you can run a marathon.

Mac Irv – “Change”

November 30, 2016

“I’m getting booked all over, I remember when they looked all over.” Minneapolis rapper Mac Irv reminisces on the times before things swung in his favor on his latest single “Change.” Comparing himself to Biggie, Mac details his devotion to overcome the odds with his people, ultimately proving he can make things change. On the hook Mac switches up his tone and proves to be masterful with melodies and catchiness. His distinctive voice gains more catch with some effects on the chorus, but he flexes his great sound up and down the verses. With hard-hitting bars but an accessible feel, Mac’s “Change” is a great listen for any hip hop head. Listen below.

Geebz – “Future Wifey”

November 30, 2016

A gem of Geebz purposeful recent project Don’t Hold the Juice is the single “Future Wifey.” The North Carolina rapper draws inspiration and likeliness from NC’s J. Cole, Lauryn Hill, and the recent gospel-themes releases from Kanye, Chance the Rapper and Mick Jenkins. Geebz coos out to a love he knows he’ll meet one day; “This song is for you even though we haven’t met.” “Future Wifey” is a groovy jam ready for the masses, with some kicking drums and a smooth hook. Check out Don’t Hold the Juice here and listen to “Future Wifey” below.

Sammus – “Song About Sex”

November 30, 2016

Ithaca’s Sammus hits a nerve with her single “Songs About Sex.” The fiery track speaks to sexual experiences (both good and bad) from a women’s perspective. The femcee talks about great sex with shitty people, poignantly expressed in the line “I can’t judge girl, I’ve been there I’ve done that, I’ve cum dumb hard so I run back.” She also details the all-too-real threat of assault, rounding the bases of a track ripe with emotion. The song’s beat flips an elevator music sample and brings it into the 2010s. I could explain this track front and back but Sammus’ words do it more justice on the chorus; “This is a song about sex in which I do not condemn women for the realities in which they are living. We should not be forgetting, we should be forward living, you should be for what we can’t afford to keep on forgetting.”[...]

XL – “Bloom”

November 8, 2016

XL’s work on his latest rap single “Bloom” is a unique mix of poetic lyricism and quintessential rap. He balances the recreational weed lines (“As soon as I went green made sure to cut pollution, now the only smog I see is coming from a Swisher Sweet”) with more substantial stuff (“I ain’t trying see ya doomed I’m just trying to keep ya bloomed from the womb to the tomb.”) “Bloom’s” boom bap production provide a dope landscape for XL to do as he pleases over the beat. XL’s got a well-rounded flow and has the ability to jump on whatever subject he pleases. Give it a listen below.

Sentry Sinvil – “Keep Goin”

November 8, 2016

Sharp with braggadocio, NY’s Sentry Sinvil’s got a sharp tongue and perseverance flowing through his veins. He croons here and there, but Sentry’s rapid rapping is “Keep Goin’s” big draw. With myriad rhyme schemes, he drops punch after punch. Highlights include “Your favorite rapper wearing Sentry Sinvil pajamas,” which closes out a particularly tough verse. “Keep Goin’s” disjointed beat immediately calls to one of Sinvil’s key influencers in DOOM. It’s easy to vibe to, and impressive to actually tune in for. Check it out below, and listen to his latest release Rare Gems here. 

The Siege – “Duplicate”

November 8, 2016

Drumline percussion, lion roars, and junkyard flows make The Siege’s “Duplicate” a perfect hype-up track. The Siege is a SoCal hip hop duo consisting of Taz Conley on the mic and Riley Taylor making things happen behind the scenes. Riley’s production has the aforementioned excitedness, but is also built around a dope country-western guitar plucks. On the mic, Taz is dynamic in what he can touch on. The front half of the track is heavy on punchlines, but the tone changes with a beat flip to close out the song, and Taz gets introspective regarding his relationships (“they say that forgiveness is freedom”). It’s a dope track in all aspects, check it out below.