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Najii Person – Personal

October 11, 2016

Najii Person has a great name that he calls upon for his aptly-named single “Personal.” The St. Louis rapper talks to a girl that he’s looking to reach another level with. That level that you only have with a select few, and Najii hints that she is the his only, “I usually don’t talk about personal shit, you was the only one I was trying to get personal with.” There’s a really great production breakdown on the back half of the track, where Najii gets to crooning to his confidant with some wild backing sounds and vocals. It’s a complete flip from “Personal’s” rapping on the front, which acknowledges in the transition where Najii says, “and then I’d say some snake shit to her like..” Person’s creativity is on full display on the track, listen below and find more here. 

DeAndre – “Paper Trail”

October 11, 2016

Dorcester, Massachusetts’ rapper DeAndre is a natural storyteller, and his single “Paper Trail” sucks you in from the very beginning. He starts with “I woke up real early on a Sunday afternoon, checked my phone, looks like I’ll be getting some head so soon,” and it’s clever and hilarious in the same line. He immediately gets onto great lyricism and commentary on the following line “I sip a couple brew, sit and watch the news and I only see the blues, like the only knuckle head from high school that was cool, caught another case.” He continues on to talk tongue-in-cheekly about race relations, his love life, and more with personality bursting through the words. Ripe with lyrical content, “Paper Trail” gets even more strong with a thunderous chorus, where DeAndre plays with some pounding horns. Listen to “Paper Trail” below and more from DeAndre here.

bigOmuziq – “pursuit 2.0”

October 11, 2016

In a catchy hip hop/house fusion, Michigan’s bigO’s “pursuit 2.0” talks of the passion, power and ultimately pursuit of love. He’s a rapper by trade but bigO’s voice makes for an awesome melodic piece of fun on the chorus. The verses cover bigO’s particularly tumultuous relationship with a former love. Production is a head bobber and a shoulder shaker, with a driving bottom half. Listen to “pursuit 2.0” below and check out more from bigO here.

Dreemy Sinatra – “Money Up” Ft Nell

October 4, 2016

Armed with a beat that prime Lil Wayne would love to take on, Maryland’s Deshon Hodges aka Dreemy Sinatra has a sound ripe with commercial appeal and the lyricism of a true wordsmith. “Money Up” begins with an epic build into a rich beat that mashes Mannie Fresh with Hit-Boy. Sinatra’s flow is on display with creative rhyme schemes (“Whispered when we had change but they holler since we got a dollar”), and the charismatic Nell comes through with a great feature, rich with energy and floetry. “Money Up” comes off of Hodges’ The G.O.A.T. EP, give it a listen below.

Sh3llz – “Live on Stage”

October 3, 2016

Detroit’s Sh3llz speaks from a real perspective. “Live on Stage” is a composed relaying of his experience and wisdom from living in the Endless Struggle of his home city.  Over a classic, soulful beat, Sh3llz lets us enter his matrix; “All the flashy n*ggas die with holes in their brain, or they’re locked in the cell still bearing the chain.” He flips his flow around as he talks about his vices, aspirations, environment and more. “Live on Stage” is the first track off of Endless Struggle, listen to it below. Endless Struggle by Sh3llz

F. Virtue – “The Hawk and The Leopard”

September 6, 2016

F. Virtue’s rap style heirs towards an emotional connection with poetry. On his thoughtfully crafted “The Hawk and The Leopard,” Virtue spills out feelings of longing and nostalgia, reflecting on happier times in lines like “The last member of a group we’d thought last forever, they moved on. I think the past was better.” He’s a talented writer; even when the figurative language alluded to in the title dissipated for sections, his poignancy is telling: “We keep going forward, but I don’t really want to.” Though coming from a darker place, “The Hawk’s” production isn’t as somber as its lyrics might suggest. Their upbeat synth-iness is a nice contrast to Virtue’s reflection. It’s a great song in all capacity, listen below.

Mike of Doom – “Cliche”

September 6, 2016

Mike of Doom is sick of the standard rehashes we see in rap and other popular music. In “Cliche,”  addresses all the of these things he’s sick of, centered around the chorus. “All this shit sound the same. Different boat, same wave… I do what I want I’m not cliche.” Mike of Doom is also sick because he’s walking the walk. The beat is loaded soundscape featuring all sorts of sounds that wouldn’t appear on a regular ole’ track. He isn’t talking about money and hoes, expressed with “I’ve had more girls than David Beckham, but to rap about it just might disrespect them.” His flow is that of a guy who doesn’t take shit, plain and simple. “Cliche” is an interesting track, entirely accessible on the first listen, while shitting on components of some other songs that you’d love right off the bat. He’s got compelling things to say,[...]

Defiant III – “Crossfire”

September 6, 2016

The Defiant III trio of IDE, Alucard and Jise One pride themselves on their ability to rap their asses off. IDE and Warren Snyde whipped up a menacing beat, creating a canvas that feels like a place you probably shouldn’t be at night. Lyrically, it’s rapid grit that these guys are spitting through their fangs. It’s unforgiving with no moment wasted, so when you do catch a line like “Explode like antipersonnel mines, roadside bomb will your whole side gone, left with half a face and no right arm” or “Reenter the exit wound and you die twice,” that uneasy feeling you had is justified. Bordering on horrorcore, “Crossfire” is a nasty rap track that takes no prisoners and leaves a pile of victims in its wake. Pretty powerful stuff, so listen to it with the lights on.

Kells Dougie – “95′ Freestyle”

September 6, 2016

Up-and-comer Kells Dougie can rip off line after line of short, but sweet quips. Case-in-point is in “95′ Freestyle.” Freestyle tracks are great because they have a different type of expectation. Commonly misperceived as having to be “off the top,” a good freestyle really should just be fun and filled with punchlines, and that’s exactly what we have here. All song long, Kells is busting out stuff like “Subtitle flow, they see every bar I’m saying.” and “Different draft class, ain’t into the game like us.” The boom bap beat ties back to the year alluded to in its title, and the track proves to be traditional hip hop greatness. Press play below.

Anfa Rose – “Downtown”

September 6, 2016

Anfa Rose is a genre-bender with the ability to spit a hot 16 and get you singing along with a hook on the same track. Such is the case on “Downtown,” a track with the sparkle that its title would suggest. Rose discusses the wonder and excitement that “downtown” and  talks about his strengths and shortcomings (“I’m a nice guy if the vice right.”). The melodic chorus spews excitement and a sense of homeliness when it kicks off with “See me ’round town when I’m downtown.” That’s where Anfa knows is comfortable, right in the middle of the lights. Press play down there.

Duncecap – “Bandaids”

September 6, 2016

Duncap is a rapper armed with a dexterous flow and the ability to make misery sound entertaining. Accurately laid out in creative, high-effort DIY music vid, “Bandaids”  is a track about self-destruction and a sense of hopelessness. Not exactly sunny stuff, but Duncecap remains charismatic on the mic. Over a beat of zesty drums, Dunce shows off his technical skills while trying and failing to sort out his issues. “Tickets to the gun show and it’s aimed at my head,” he raps with lively honesty. “Bandaids” is off of Duncaps’ Human Error project, listen below.

Phillip Bixby – “Favor 2.0” (feat. Monica)

September 1, 2016

Armed with a voice that cuts you to your core, and subject matter that will have you on your knees, Miami’s Philip Brexby is making genre-bending R&B. Though the former pastor heavily influenced by faith and gospel music, Bixby’s modern pop and electronic sounds have the accessibility of Sam Smith’s wave. Monica provides delicate vocals to intertwine with Bixtby’s coos and pledges to God and his interest’s interest in Him. Powerful synths and bounding bass lead the track’s electronic essence. On its surface, “Favor 2.0” sounds gorgeous and a dive deeper into spirituality. Listen below.

Dwayne Applewhite – “23”

August 25, 2016

Dwayne Applewhite is a smooth operator. Coming off of the successful Pharaogamo project, the rapper  is dropping quality, multi-faceted tracks left and right. The talented MC uses his soft voice to do double duty as both a rapper and a singer. Songs like “4AM Meditation” feature more of this melodic singing from the 23-year-old, but on “23” he saves his chops for a memorable chorus and sticks to the floetry for his verses. “23” is both a celebration and a warning. Applewhite is proud of where he’s at at just 23, but the demons he’s overcome for now are just waiting in the mist. He feels trapped by his surroundings, and questions his faith in it all with lines like”Why do these Jesus pieces got me puzzled?” He’s introspective, weary, and chocked full of profound thoughts. Here’s to hoping Applewhite reflects on his future years with the same diligence as “23.”

Decide – “The Powerless”

August 25, 2016

Demonstrated by the strength of the ironically powerful lead single “The Powerless,” rapper Decide‘s Struggle Inside EP is a motivating, empowering hip hop project. The five-track prepper focuses on day-to-day struggles we face, from struggles with work, to relationship woes, finally settling on closer “The Powerless.” Decide holds no punches as he calls for people to get off their asses and chase what they want. It begins with the line “Imagine me doing nothing just sitting around, looking at wall trying to figure something out.” He remains direct with his bars, and isn’t a fan of feeling sorry for one’s self. Production on the EP is varied, courtesy of the beatmaker Anno Domini Nation. “Rap Shit” has the bombastic thumps and charming piano keys of a Dr. Dre song. “Illusion of Choice” is both cloudy and epic. But “The Powerless” is classic hip hop. Chopped up vocal samples comprise the main[...]

TruthCity – “Changes”

August 17, 2016

Virginia transplant TruthCity has a story to tell. In his single “Changes” the rapper lays out the path he continues to trek to accomplish what he wants to in the industry. The struggles of a musician aren’t necessarily mysterious, but TruthCity makes you feel his words. It kicks off right away when he refers to his rhymes as “couch raps,” an acknowledgement of all the places he’s floated since his arrival in NYC. He recounts moments of self-doubt and frustration with gripping words and phenomenal flow. The uneasiness still follows TruthCity, but as the cliche goes, it’s about the journey, not the destination. “If I make it out, I’ll tell my story, of how tragedy can become glory.” Watch and listen below.