Latest Posts

Elias Tyro – “Dimensions”

January 13, 2025

Step into a different, deeper (house) world on the latest single from New Zealand rapper Elias Tyro, “Dimensions.” An artist across disciplines, Tyro plays with the listener’s experience on this track, incorporating heavy filters and distortions as he delivers abstract thoughts and the exploration of deeper self. “Dimensions” features lyrics that can get chewed on, but a relaxing groove that you can throw into your “Study Beats” playlists. Tyro’s flow is mellow and melodic, adding a smoothness to the beat’s churning rhythm. Discover more from Elias Tyro on Spotify, and check out he and other up and coming rappers on our new 2025 Underground Hip Hop playlist.

Wombino – “Granite”

January 13, 2025

Noted Florida man/rapper Wombino puts his introspective swimsuit on for his latest single, “Granite.” Building off of a sharp “moment for granted/Granite” couplet to kick off the track, Wombino’s lyricism is in top form sharing his motivations and driving forces: “Yeah I got some stories make your soul bleed / I ain’t got the time to get no cold feet.” With an accessible bounce to his vocals and heartfelt nods to his personal struggles, Bino’s “Granite” can be slotted in on your Mac Miller and Logic playlists when you’re looking for a polished, emotional hip hop track that spotlights ups and downs. “Granite’s” production is another highlight, composed of smooth, live bass and guitar sections. Listen to more from Wombino on Spotify, and other emerging hip hop artists on our new 2025 Spotify playlist. 

Eminencee – “WWIII on Roller Blades”

January 10, 2025

Houston’s Eminencee showcases his successful transition from elite athlete to emerging hip hop artist on his latest track, “WWIII on Roller Blades.” Eminencee’s delivery reminds you of some of Kendrick Lamar’s incredulous affectation, giving the rapper an aura to be taken seriously. “Roller Blades” swiftly moves between Em’s faith and steadfast confidence in his superiority over his peers – a hallmark of rap’s finest. The production on this track is appropriately foreboding for Em’s sinister lyricism – slightly off-kilter drums pace you and keep you on edge. “WWIII on Roller Blades” appears on Eminencee’s fresh EP with producer Vystears, Palette Portraits. Check it out on Spotify alongside our Underground Hip Hop 2025 playlist – highlighting some of our favorite new hip hop artists like Eminencee.

Moschino Jones ft. prod.myles – “HUSTL3 HOUND”

January 9, 2025

2025’s starting off strong for Motor City emcee Moschino Jones and his producing counterpart prod.myles. This week, the duo dropped “HUSTL3 HOUND.”  continuing the wave of praise the buzzy Detroit rapper received following 2024’s Meet Me on Woodward Too, another collaborative project with prod.myles. Myles’ effort on “HUSTL3 HOUND” is lead by samples of some 80s/90s R+B, grabbing some “ooohs” and “aaaah” and very nostalgic synth and giving the track a retro edge with some bounce to it. Jones is in his bag, finding rhyme pockets within the thumping drums and tinny keys to pose questions about self-worth and ability to rise to the moment. His accessible delivery and myles’ sample-heavy production give this track the flavor of one of those Harry Fraud/Alchemist collabs with guys like Curren$y and Wiz Khalifa – though Jones’ lyrics are a bit more reflective. Check out the single on Spotify and more Emerging 2025[...]

Jean~Baptiste – “Maybe Next Year”

January 8, 2025

Haitian-American rapper Jean~Baptiste takes a second to reflect on his imperfections on his relatable new track, “Maybe Next Year.” An understated soul sample paces the track – similar to Kanye deep cuts from his early discography and production work. Its thoughtful contribution perfectly ties in with Baptiste’s lyrics – gratitude, regret and a yearning to make sure last year’s lessons mean something. Baptiste captures the insecurities everyone feels intermittently – ends can mean beginnings, you just gotta apply the past to the future. “She told me she’s afraid to fail, I said same here.” Add this track to your conscious hip hop and motivational rap playlists. Listen to more from the Tampa-based artist on Spotify: and check out our underground hip hop playlist. 

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.