ROUNDHOUSE MUSIC

Written by Jacob Ezra

With 2021 coming to a close, we look back at the independent music scene as one positive takeaway from a year of confusion and volatility. With many strong releases this year, we had trouble narrowing down a definitive list, but here are Roundhouse Music’s selections of 5 albums that truly stood out to us, all released by independent hip-hop artists.

Lord Apex- ‘Smoke Sessions 3’

UK rapper Lord Apex‘s Smoke Sessions 3 is an atmospheric collection of refreshing boom-bap joints that had us hooked from the get-go. Opening with the cloudy, shimmering “Ssv3”, this album is a laid-back ride full of immersive ambiance. The rapper’s laid-back, hypnotic flow pairs smoothly with the easy-going production to create a mesmerizing listening experience.

Highlight tracks: “Like You Know”, “Say That”

D2x- ‘The Color Blue’

A vivid, eclectic offering from Chicago’s D2x, The Color Blue puts his dynamic, forward-thinking style on full display. He comes through with 13 intriguing, memorable hip-hop cuts that flirt with jazz and dance music. Chock full of personality, The Color Blue showcases the young artist’s potential as an exciting artist in the underground.

Highlight tracks: “Shine”, “Adult Swim”

Camden Malik & Ibn Itaka- ‘Primetime’

Camden Malik & Ibn Itaka came through with one of our favourite albums this year, the evocative, hazy Primetime. Containing some impressive production that pairs fast-paced, bouncy percussion with atmospheric, reverb-drenched samples, as well as some exciting, expressive rhyming from Camden Malik, this is an album that beckons many re-visits to capture its full soundscape.

Highlight tracks: “Po Man”, “Mansion”

Robby Malic- ‘Who’s Robby Malic?’

The debut album from Massachusetts artist Robby Malic, the personal, vibrant Who’s Robby Malic? kicked off his prolific 2021. Containing colourful production and introspective lyricism, this record was in heavy rotation for us this year. In particular, album highlight “Pain” captured us immediately with its highly emotive, sharply-crafted vocals and uplifting production.

Highlight tracks: “Pain”, “All My Life”

Chanelle Kazadi- ‘Make It Work’

A standout project from rising Ohio artist Chanelle Kazadi, Make It Work is a heartfelt, refreshing collection of tracks that showcases Kazadi’s personality at every turn. From the glowing, warm mood of opener “Two Cents” to the powerful sound of closer “Family Matters”, Make It Work stands contains many memorable moments that kept us rewinding.

Highlight tracks: “Two Cents”, “Make It Work”

Written by Jacob Ezra

With 2021 coming to a close, we look back at the independent music scene as one positive takeaway from a year of confusion and volatility. With many strong releases this year, we had trouble narrowing down a definitive list, but here are Roundhouse Music’s selections of 10 songs that truly stood out to us, all released by independent hip-hop artists.

Rx Papi & Gud- “N.L.M.B.”

A highlight track off Rx Papi & Gud’s refreshing project Foreign Exchange, “N.L.M.B.” encapsulates the record’s forward-thinking, expressive sound. With an bold, icy instrumental influenced by cloud rap, and exciting, bracing flows from Rx Papi, this is a highly memorable cut.

LORD JAH-MONTE OGBON- “Where are you?, Pt. 2”

Containing a smooth, addictive instrumental cloaked in nostalgic warmth, “Where are you?, Pt. 2” is another strong offering in the growing catalogue of eclectic rapper LORD JAH-MONTE OGBON. With clever, memorable lyrics spun into fresh, creative patterns, “Where are you?, Pt.2” has been in heavy rotation for us this year.

John Robinson- “Heavy Ghetto” (ft. Eloh Kush & Blu)

On “Heavy Ghetto”, glitchy, immersive production from Blu pairs beautifully with John Robinson & Eloh Kush‘s dynamic flows to create a stimulating listening experience. The trio share an undeniable chemistry here, lending itself to a track that feels highly cohesive, yet also excitingly chaotic.

Fatboyshaun & Trox- “Timmy Chans”

One of our favourites from the latter half of this year, “Timmy Chans” is an elegant, charismatic cut from rapper Fatboyshaun and producer Trox. Here, a glowing, raw instrumental containing swirling guitars and heavy drums creates a strong foundation for Fatboyshaun’s lively flows, keeping the listener on their toes throughout.

Lonely Guest, Tricky & Kway- “On a Move”

Forward-thinking UK artist collective Lonely Guest‘s “On a Move”, featuring Tricky and Kway, is an infectious, atmospheric track that had us hooked from the get-go. With enticingly crisp flows and a shimmering, minimalistic instrumental, this cut provides a welcomingly refreshing sound.

Deca- “Sleepwalker”

New York-based Deca‘s “Sleepwalker” is an evocative instrumental hip-hop offering that effectively captures a mood of nostalgic beauty. With warm, laid-back guitars and textural percussion, this beat inspires one to replay memories from their life when listening. “Sleepwalker” appears Deca’s recent project, the vivid, reflective Source Material.

YL- “In The Air”

New York rapper YL had a highly prolific 2021, releasing 4 strong solo projects including the forward-thinking SODA CLUB and the glitchy IT NEVER ENTERED MY MIND. Despite having so many tracks to choose for this list from YL in 2021, “In The Air” stood out for its breezy production and reflective, memorable rhymes. With swirling vocal samples that play out hypnotically and lyrics that beckon multiple re-listens, “In The Air” makes a good case for one of our favourites this year.

Visual 9- “On bro”

Ohio artist Visual 9‘s “On bro” pairs a sentimental instrumental with thought-provoking, focused rhyming to create a track chock full of personality. The instrumental for “On bro” is sublime, centred around organic keys playing out in a memorable melody as subtly glitchy drums riding out beneath. Moreover, Visual 9’s rhymes are engaging and his lyrics refreshingly personal and sharply crafted, making for an engaging listening experience overall.

Prado- “STEPHEN”

“STEPHEN” is a hypnotic, energizing banger from Vancouver, Canada’s Prado, pairing an adrenaline-fuelled instrumental with sharply-crafted melodies and smooth flows. A cut off her strong 2021 EP PRADO MONROE, this is a release that offers a powerful sound and heavy replay value.

Bungalow Collect- “Clutch”

Genre-blending New York group Bungalow Collect‘s “Clutch” is a spacey, exciting track that stood out for its futuristic sound and dynamic vocals. Here, the group’s members Rshad, Apollo J, Marcus Isiah, and Zay Suav trade effortlessly charismatic verses, displaying the group’s natural chemistry and sharp songwriting ability.

Written by Damilola Grey

Alley Rocket is back with the long-awaited deluxe edition to his 2020 tape, Apollo Boy. The 12 track tape contains production from Dren, Svgar Beats, Martian on the Beat, Saman, as well as others. While Apollo Boy was an album full of melodies, Rocket uses the deluxe version to show off his insane rapping ability. Whether it’s the intro “Big Step”, or the Nick Straight-assisted “Okay Lil” or even teh Dren and 809 produced “Stimmy”, Alley Rocket shows the world that his rapping ability is not to be played with. This tape also features a few melodic tracks like “Whatever It Is” and “Dream of Me”. Apollo Boy Deluxe Edition is an album without skips, and honestly one of the hardest to drop this year.

The visuals for “Big Step” were released on December 24th on Rap Villain‘s official YouTube page:

Listen to Apollo Boy Deluxe Edition now:

Massachusetts artist Matt Maratea has returned with a new single called “Landslide”. Here, a bracing, rugged instrumental containing chilling, grand samples and booming percussion sets a strong foundation for Maratea’s energizing vocals. He comes through with some memorable verses and a catchy, sharply-crafted hook that gives this single much replay value. Maratea appears to be entering the new year in top form with “Landslide”, an offering that encapsulates his powerful, atmospheric sound.

By Damilola Grey

Dami: What was your first introduction to hip hop?

Brandon Ryan: Well I remember I got my hands on a 50 Cent “Get Rich or Die Tryin” CD when I was like 6 or 7.

Dami: What made you wanna start rapping?

Brandon Ryan: I don’t think there’s a single reason I did. I just enjoyed music, mostly hip-hop and I started playing around with FL Studio when I was like 15. Since then, I’ve enjoyed making music.

Dami: Where do you grab inspiration from when making music?

Brandon Ryan: I’ve always been creative with my ideas. Taking a 15 minute walk while I’m alone with my thoughts or listening to music always helps me focus on one idea.

Dami: What’s your creative process like?

Brandon Ryan: I usually just focus on one idea at a time for a song or for a full project, then I start producing for it and writing lyrics. Sometimes, random rhymes start connecting in my head for different lines and I just try to jot them down.

Dami: Who are your biggest musical inspirations?

Brandon Ryan: Well they changed over time from hip hop to all music genres now. However, two people who I know personally really inspire me- PlamoZ and Nick James a.k.a. Willi Nilli. If I had to pick a few mainstream artists, it would be Kid Cudi, Kanye, Mac Miller, Gorillaz, and people who push music boundaries in general.

Dami: You have an album dropping on the 24th titled “My Ego Chased Me Away”. What should we expect from it?

Brandon Ryan: Honestly, a lo-fi centric sound and a few emotional songs. I made this project for myself mostly. It’s supposed to focus on my evolution as a person and I don’t know how well it does that. I think I’ve had great concepts for both of my projects so far but I’ve been lacking in execution.

Dami: What you hoping to achieve in the New Year?

Brandon Ryan: A lot, but the most important thing I want to do is improve as an artist, become a better producer, audio engineer, songwriter, rapper, and even singer. Once I’ve done that, I can work on all the ideas I have.

Dami: What’s the most memorable part of being an artist?

Brandon Ryan: Probably the experience of expressing yourself freely through music and sharing your ideas with other people who care about music the same way you do.

Listen to Brandon Ryan’s track “105 On The 85” now:

San Bernardino, California artist GetItRogers has shared a nocturnal visual for his song “Interlude, Pt. 1”. Here, an evocative, abstract instrumental centred around reversed samples and glitchy percussion sets the stage for GetItRogers’ heartfelt, introspective verses. His vocal performance is emotive, with wistful melodies that are sharply-crafted and memorable. Accompanied by a dark, textural visual that captures the song’s visceral feel, this is a release to re-visit again and again.

Watch the music video for “Interlude Pt. 1” here:

Sacramento’s Camden Malik has come through with a new banger called “Notre Dame”. With an immersive, warm sound, this track showcases Malik’s sharp ear for production and clever lyricism. Here, deep, booming 808s and bouncy percussion create a lively rhythm that pairs well with his dynamic flows, making for an exciting listening experience. Malik has been on a hot streak lately, releasing a series of strong projects including the excellent Primetime, and he appears to be by all means entering 2022 in top form.

Massachusetts musician Ish Akanour has shared a soulful new cut called “Novocaine”. A powerful, heartfelt melodic R&B and hip-hop track, “Novocaine” contains an atmospheric, emotive beat centred around wistful keys and grand guitars. Beneath, rich bass and crisp percussion lock in a solid foundation for Akanour’s dynamic, sharply-crafted vocals. He tackles poignant topics over the bittersweet instrumentation, making for a moving offering that draws the listener deeply into its atmosphere.

Listen to “Novocaine” now:

Vancouver artist Declan.Wav‘s “CADILLAC SPACESHIP” is an infectious, groovy track that attracted our interest immediately. A cut off his new album, the vibrant HEARTBREAK AT MIDNIGHT, “CADILLAC SPACESHIP” provides heavy replay value and warm, nocturnal vibes. With a smoky instrumental centred around relaxed guitars and bouncy, addictive percussion, the beat is lively and engaging. Moreover, Declan. Wav comes through with some confident yet laid-back verses that keeps the listener on their toes with dynamic flows. If you enjoyed this track please check out the remainder of his LP HEARTBREAK AT MIDNIGHT, the refreshing new full-length release from the young artist.

Pensylvannia musician Michael Wavves recent single “Motel”, featuring Alex Stanilla, finds the artist getting close and personal, offering a relatable track that puts the listener directly in his shoes. A reflective, contemplative single, “Motel” touches on loneliness and disillusionment, conveying melancholy through warm yet somber guitars and bittersweet vocals. Wavves also shows his diversity as a musician as he brings in a rock-inspired chorus followed by hip-hop verses over sturdy drums and rich bass.

Listen to “Motel” now: