Latest Posts

Vienna I – “These Habits”

January 28, 2026

UK rapper, singer and songwriter Vienna I doesn’t know a sound she can’t handle. Her latest track, “These Habits” floats from more conventional rap into the signature U.K. drill, with elements of some house with its groove. Vienna’s charisma pulses through the vocals of the track, with the grit of her personality perfectly contrasting the gleam of this sharply-produced track. Lyrically, “These Habits” Vienna puts herself on a pedestal, and she’s short for time with anyone who isn’t interested in her success. Give it a listen and toss it into your drill/workout/late night playlists. If you’re feeling Vienna, check her out on Spotify. While you’re there, give our 2026 Underground Rappers playlist a spin and find your next favorite artist.

Matt Hylom – “Roller Skates”

January 18, 2026

Charlotte hip hop artist Matt Hylom embraces smooth grooves on his latest track, “Roller Skates.” Hylom has a refined, silky delivery that serves his lyricism perfectly on this track. Roller skating serves as a lyrical motif for him, referencing not only the skates themselves, but the carefree, loose act. He calls for the audience (and himself) to bring elements of it to their lifestyle. The track’s groove is as smooth as a clean lap around the town’s rink. Neo-soul radiates from the production, with a carefree opulence generated by the rich piano lines heard throughout the track. Listen to more smoothness from Matt on Spotify, and while you’re there check out our 2026 Rap playlist.

Vocab Slick – “Get Home”

January 16, 2026

Northern California rapper Vocab Slick knows the risks that come from a hustler’s mindset. His latest track, “Get Home” discusses the back against the wall mentality that allowed him to “find stability in instability” as he did whatever needed to be done to find shelter at the end of each day. “Get Home’s” beat feels gothic, with a sense of impending doom in its darkness — but not enough to make Slick uncomfortable in its shadows. Graveyards vocal samples are paired with legendary rap snippets to build a memorable hook. Slick’s verses are a streetside report of his cyphers, cases, and devious dealings, adding more authentic air to that track. If you’re feeling “Get Home,” check out more from Vocab Slick on Spotify. You’ll also catch him on our New and Emerging Rap playlist, updated every week.

Lex Leosis – “innerthoughts”

January 9, 2026

Sometimes the banality of everyday life kicks off your sense of existential threats. What macro factors lead me to my everyday day-to-day? Toronto artist Lex Leosis explores this state of mind in her latest track, “innerthoughts.” Leosis’s emotional delivery is matched with somber piano and drained trumpet, as she ties lines like “I don’t like what I used to,” and “can’t decide if my life is mine” to late stage capitalism, business-influenced dopamine rushes, and a terrifying new normal that we’re just forced to power through. “ICE kidnaps people in broad day, and we still have to clock in on Monday?”Leosis reminds you that other peoplr are seeing and dealing with this shit too. Wgether it can be a call to action or just a collective journal entry is yet to be determined. “innerthoughts” kicks off Leosis’s 2025 EP love adjacent.  Give it a listen below:

Jezuz Martinez – “December to Remember”

January 9, 2026

Florida rap duo Jezuz Martinez (Jezuz Borgia and Mike Martinez) form a perfect union with their partnership. Jezuz’s lyrics flow into deep dark crevasses of conspiracy and abstractness, whereas Martinez’s rock steady flows ground the duo’s output. “December to Remember” is an emblematic representation of their output. Its dusty production would would find a home among the East Coast crate diggers of the 90s, and both emcees show off flows that would make midwestern Rhymesayers proud. Martinez took the lead on production here, and his strummy sample find feels just a little bit downhome, a nice nod to their Florida roots. Each rapper’s flow is super distinct, with Borgia’s capacious ideas parred down by Martinez’s pragmatic flows. Take a listen below and see which side of the yin and yang you vibe with more.

O.G. Soul + Honey-B-Sweet – “Can’t Tell Me None!”

January 8, 2026

Hip hop producer O.G. Soul has a talent for building beats that blend seamlessly in with his collaborators. His latest chameleon effort, “Can’t Tell Me None!” is a percussion and piano-forward beat to pair with featured lyricist Honey-B-Sweet. Soul’s banging keys and crispy symbols match the coldness of Sweet’s streetwise lyrics. She offers a bit of venom to counter her saccharine moniker, discussing her narcotics involvement with an appropriate snarl. “Can’t Tell Me None!’s” production is rounded out with an eerie female vocal sample, adding a bit more texture to a surgical instrumental. Give it a listen on Spotify and check out both Soul and Sweet’s output while you’re there.

DV8 – “Ice Cream Float”

December 26, 2025

Jacksonville-based rapper DV8 brings a veteran mindset to his hip hop output. His latest track, “Ice Cream Float” are the wise words of an artist who sees a woman who he adores and admires with her “brains, beauty, and character.” In his reflections, DV8 also acknowledges his faults and how they can drive her away. His sage musings find the balance between his love for her and the steps he takes to keep her close. “Ice Cream Float” is anchored by soulful love song sample, elevating the temperature of the track. “RIP Randy Savage, Fuck Hulk Hogan” is a great little line for us wrestling heads over at BuffaBLOG HQ, too. Give the track a listen below, check out DV8 on Spotify, and give this track a spin on our Best of Hip Hop 2025 playlist.

Modyst + Saï T – “Gaslight”

December 26, 2025

Oakland emcee Modyst links up with crunchy hip hop producer Saï T to discuss a cycle of abuse with their latest track “Gaslight.” Saï T’s beat is a light and airy loop that gets grounded with crispy drums and Modyst’s stark vocal delivery. He tells a tale of a gaslighting partner who’s fiery contradictions eventually spread to him. When you look closely at the smoke, you see both sides are fanning the flames now. “You made a choice to be so wicked…it’s a gaslighting competition.” “Gaslight” kicks off Modyst’s 2025 EP Isolation. If you’re into storytelling in your hip hop, give this project a listen. Check out more from Modyst and T on Spotify. You’ll also find this track on our Best of 2025 rap playlist – save it before we refresh it for the new year.

Velly Marsh – “Too Late”

December 17, 2025

Sacramento Rapper Velly Marsh doesn’t sound like a lot of his West Coast contemporaries. His latest track, “Too Late” boasts a timeless soul sample for Velly to weave his intricate, introspective rhymes over. This is a track about crossing lines in a relationship – where both parties can be at fault when these lines get blurred. Velly’s performance is particularly strong, as he barely misses a beat across over 2 minutes of straight rhyming. Add this one to your playlists that are lyrically dense, with polished and clean production. Check out more from Velly on Spotify, where you’ll find him on our Rising Rappers 2025 playlist. We’ll be resetting at the end of the year, so save that playlist while you have the chance.

$lugs – “vince staples but he’s rapping over a beat i made after doing shrooms i think i did too much lol”

December 17, 2025

Transport yourself back to the prime days of Soundcloud with San Jose beatmaker $lugs. What a thrill this era was — hopping on your homepage, clicking a few times and all the sudden you’re in a world of mystical cloud beats, sample-standalones, and songs like this one. I long for the days of a rap I’ve heard before over brand new, distinct, and perhaps maybe better than the original production.Thankfully we have $lugs and $lugs has shrooms. &lugs’ reimagining of this Vince Staples track factors in a wave of sounds, synths and samples, providing for a schizo sonic experience, probably influenced by the shrooms. See if it matches your vibe – at the very least it’ll take you back to 2am on an old laptop. If you’re into the persona that is $lugs, might I suggest a deeper dive into their Soundcloud profile. You’re gonna get more of that on[...]

Vic Da Baron – “Standing Ovation”

December 10, 2025

Bay Area rapper Vic Da Baron has had a busy close to 2025. We recently covered his DC-inspired “Gotham City,” a gritty piece of East Coast-flavored boom bap, and he’s back to close out the year with a celebratory banger. “Standing Ovation’s” tone is much warmer, built on a rising chorus sample to couple with Vic’s bars, capping off years of hard work with the success and gratification he’s seen this year. My favorite aspect of the production is the fuzzy drum fills — expertly sampled to give a very human feel alongside Vic’s handwritten lines. First, he gave us some grit, now he’s giving us some glean and sheen. Check out Vic on our Spotify playlist, where you’ll hear more hot new tracks from rising rappers.

Vic Da Baron – “Gotham City”

December 5, 2025

Rising rapper Vic Da Baron may proudly rep the Bay Area, but his latest track, “Gotham City” feels like a quintessential East Coast track that just happens to be set in a comic book. Built off of a cold boom bap backbone, Vic Da Baron steps up to the microphone with appropriately icy bars. He trades lines with dark piano keys as he speaks the song’s title to his lyrics. Gotham City comes to life, with Vic finessing some expert wordplay to bring characters from the pages of comics into his word, using double entendres with names like Two-Face, Batman and Catwoman. If you’re a DC fan, you’re gonna want to listen to this one. If you’re interested in hearing more from Vic Da Baron, check him out on Spotify. While you’re there, give this track a listen on our Underground Rappers playlist, updated every week.

Giffy Pluggo – “Mortgage”

December 4, 2025

Chicago rapper Giffy Pluggo finds his rhythm and inspiration right in his hometown. In his latest track, “Mortgage,” the Gifted Plug reflects where success has taken him, and though his mindset has evolved, Chicago offers him the fulfillment to match his aspirations. His grounding thoughts demonstrate the authentic connection that he still has to his city with lines like “I’m a busy man on streets that I really ran,” and “never tucking my chain in, I’m too important.” Work’s changed for him over the years, but his love for his city isn’t going anywhere. “Mortgage” is a great addition to the long history of artists showing love to Chicago – give it a spin as you settle in for a cold winter. Listen to more from Giffy on Spotify and Apple Music — while you’re on Spotify, give our recently-updated Rising Rappers playlist a listen. You’ll find Giffy and more[...]

Bullet Brak and R.A. the Rugged Man – “Mighty Dollar”

November 23, 2025

Rap mainstay Bullet Brak made waves for us with his tenacious April single “Eating Good,” and he returns to our pages with more insightful bars delivered with a junkyard edge to them. “Mighty Dollar” discusses the root of most motivations – money and how to make it. Brak’s always hustling, and makes clear thoughout the track that anything he can sell will be sold. The track gets an assist from alternative hip hop legend R.A. the Rugged Man, who’s primary method of income has been being one of the best lyricists in the game for something like 2 decades. His verse fittingly compares his talent to Satchel Paige, and we agree that his brain should probably be donated to science when it’s all said and done. Bump this in the gym, and add it to your favorite lyrical hip hop playlists. Check out more from Brak on Spotify, and listen[...]

Hardbody Jones – “Nice Little Fit” ft. Nyota Parker

November 20, 2025

The latest single from Canadian artist/engineer/DJ Hardbody Jones is about satisfying your id when your ego gets a little bit ahead of itself. That’s a novel, highly-relatable concept. “Nice Little Fit” explores the cognitive trick of feeling fresh in the face of everything else crumbling. Hardbody and featured artist Nyota Parker offer vocals that fluidly float between rapping and singing as they take turns describing the real-world problems they face, reprieved only by throwing on their respective fits to get some gratification out of the uneasiness. Slick and sultry keyboards pace the single, adding an appropriately silky experience to a track  about feeling good. Hardbody’s got a quality library to explore on Spotify, and you’ll also catch him on our regularly updated New and Emerging Hip Hop playlist.