Author: befree

Isaiah Mostafa and Baghead have connected for a fresh song called “Cheatcode”. Mostafa, a Bay Area native now based in Brooklyn, is known for his sultry, haunting approach to contemporary R&B, laced with futuristic sounds. Baghead is a renowned San Fransisco producer with a wide-ranging discography, who seamlessly blends jazzy swing with a modern bounce, infusing his tracks with crunchy sample chops and soulful synths. Their latest track “Cheatcode” is a collaboration that makes a lot of sense, considering they both hail from the Bay Area and have a knack for futuristic, eclectic sounds that combine genres engagingly. “Cheatcode” brings out both of their strengths- as Baghead laces the track with sugary, vibrant synths and a bouncy, infectious rhythm section, which creates a strong foundation for Mostafa’s silky, dynamic vocals. The silvery, sleek new song provides refreshing vibes and an engaging vitality that keeps the listener hooked throughout. Give it a listen below now.

Gxldsoulrebel has dropped off a fresh single, titled “Baby Steps”, produced by frequent collaborator Yung Elder. A vibrant artist out of South Bend, Indiana, Soul is known for witty, defining punchlines, avid storytelling, and poetic license. His latest offering, “Baby Steps”, is a soulful, refreshing drop that utilizes coarsely chopped, psychedelic samples and detail-rich, personal lyricism to a laid-back yet haunting effect. The combination of Soul’s confessional lyricism with the emotive waves of samples makes for a rich, potent listen, presenting a memorable new cut from the Indiana artist. Give “Baby Steps” a listen below.

GR3G has dropped off a fresh single, titled “WHERE’S DA LUV ?”. GR3G, a 22-year-old independent artist hailing from the vibrant streets of South Side Chicago, has emerged as a beacon of authenticity and creativity in the Minneapolis music scene. GR3G’s journey as an artist is deeply intertwined with his roots, social justice. His latest offering, “WHERE’S DA LUV ?”, follows up engaging releases like “GIMME SPACE!” and “SUNDAY”, and it presents a soulful, focused track from the Chicago-born artist laced with undertones of catharsis. Weaving, airy guitars merge into a memorable melody atop potent, organic-sounding percussion and rich bass. GR3G comes through with a smooth yet energetic and confident delivery with engaging touches of wistfulness. A poignant, personal offering, “WHERE’S DA LUV ?” presents a strong new joint from GR3G. Give it a listen below now.

Connect with GR3G: Spotify | Instagram

West Coast emcee mikem nahmir is back on our pages with a fresh track called “IRON MAN”. This jazzy, hypnotic joint produced by Jimmy Stubbs harnesses nahmir’s streetwise, eclectic style with a potent track combines vigour with an effortless breeziness. Textural horns loop above gritty drums to provide a solid foundation for nahmir, who weaves together vivid, detail-rich lyrics at an energizing pace while always sounding comfortable and at home on the microphone. Following up nahmir’s recent project, THESE THINGS JUS’ HAPPEN, “IRON MAN” is an engaging new track from the West Coast lyricist. Give it a listen below.

Massachusetts artist Pareto has shared a new song called “MY TIME”, with kojima plus, and produced by Infatuation. “MY TIME” acts as the first and only single from Pareto’s upcoming project RENAISSANCE KNIGHTS, with features an array of artists from Hidden Renaissance, who he has worked with frequently. “MY TIME” contains hypnotic, ghostly production based around graceful, creeping keys and vocal samples, underscored by minimalistic percussion. On “MY TIME”, Pareto and kojima plus trade vivid, introspective verses that cut through with impact, demonstrating a natural chemistry atop Infatuation’s crystalline soundscape. Give “MY TIME” a listen here now.

Seattle artist noahillest has connected with wisdom gum and 253 RPL for a fresh 2-pack titled “Tiger Woodz / Figaros”. The soulful, laid-back release blends these artists signature sounds into a cohesive, enticing mixture. Laced with hypnotic, hazy production and sharp yet relaxed flows, “Tiger Woodz / Figaros” is unhurried yet emanates a feeling of focus. “Tiger Woodz” contains imagery-rich vocals atop vivid keys and organic percussion, while “Figaros” leaves its mark with rich, nostalgic production and personal, heartfelt verses. Give “Tiger Woodz / Figaros” a listen below now.

CHEL!‘s video for “wind”, featuring Mary Sue, caught our attention recently for its eclectic, lo-fi sound. Released alongside a slew of expressive, minimalistic, soulful offerings that flirt with left-field hip-hop and lofi, “wind” puts CHEL!’s style on display. With glitchy, hypnotic production centred around psychedelic reversed samples and airy percussion, merging with laid-back, sleek flows, “wind” is a memorable offering. A low-key but engaging visual accompanyies “wind” that emanates the track’s effortless feel and warmth while keeping an intriguing pace. Give the music video a watch here now.

By Jacob Ezra

Imani Nichele has caught our attention for her fresh 3-song offering, BLEAT. 22 year-old Chicago-based poet, rapper, singer/ songwriter and DJ Nichele was originally born in Detroit, and her work has diverse influences on spectrums between underground hip-hop, alternative, folk and more. Her latest release, BLEAT, is an engaging drop that blends laid-back, lush sounds with focused, potent flows. The immersive, grooving warmth of the title track opener- laced with character-rich vocals from Nichele atop watery, swelling keys- introduces the rich, relaxed sound of BLEAT. The coziness is taken to another level with the ethereal “sweatergawd.”, which contains powerful, spiritual undertones- capped off by Nichele’s intricate lyricism. Closer “PETA.” is a hazy, psychedelic cut with colorful tones that bring out a strong vocal performance from Nichele, who effortlessly and cleanly handles the instrumentation with dextrous flows and imagery-laden lyricism. Give Nichele’s latest offering, the versatile, impressive BLEAT, a listen below.

Washington, DC artist nofacerapper has dropped off a fresh single called “Blame Foule Monk”, produced by Foule Monk. Following up engaging releases such as “a mile a minute…” and “Face of the Moon”, “Blame Foule Monk” is a hard-hitting, raw track built around a phrase nofacerapper coined while working with Foule Monk, praising him with an infectious refrain.

“Blame Foule Monk” contains hypnotic, effectively minimalistic production based around whistling, ghostly samples and crunchy percussion. Laced with rich bass, the beat builds into a dynamic, catchy groove that provides an apt backdrop for nofacerapper’s poignant, cutting flows as he drops imagery-rich verses.

While producers in hip-hop don’t always get the credit they deserve, “Blame Foule Monk” takes aim at changing that in a refreshing manner. Give it a listen HERE on Bandcamp and directly support nofacerapper and Foule Monk.

By Jacob Ezra

SwuM, GRIMM Doza, and YL are three artists that have all cultivated influence within their own respective lanes in the underground, and their latest collaboration “BLINK OF AN EYE” feels like a natural meeting of worlds. The song harnesses the nonchalant charisma and laid-back soulfulness that is a common in the three artist’s work, with a poignant lo-fi tinged track that brings their strengths together. “BLINK OF AN EYE”‘s hazy, hypnotic loops and dusty percussion blend with an uplifting airiness that gives it added character, while Doza and YL’s sleek flows paint true-to-life pictures over top. Give “BLINK OF AN EYE” a listen below now.