Tag: hip hop

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Dzh shares versatile 2-pack ‘RANTS’

New Jersey’s Dzh has returned with a fresh 2-song release called ‘RANTS’. The appropriately titled set finds him expressing himself in a cathartic manner, detailing his trials and tribulations- while keeping its sound and style engaging and infectious. The release showcases two sides of Dzh, and captures his dynamic persona concisely. It’s also sharply written, and it is evident throughout that Dzh put much thought and planning into each bar and each note. These immaculately crafted songs contain elements of hip-hop, trap, and rage, and refuse to be boxed in to categorization.

“You & Tha Raps” takes on the introspective tone that we’ve been hearing frequently from the East Coast wordsmith. It features a watery, laid-back beat that contains an immersive feel, moored by feathery but bouncy percussion. He then switches it up engagingly with the hard-hitting “Tha Most”, which brings in vibrant rage elements with winding synths and a booming rhythm section.

Give ‘RANTS’ a listen below and further familiarize yourself with Dzh.

Follow Dzh for more: Spotify | Instagram | Twitter

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Valid and Stretch Money drop off sleek video for “The Girls”

Detroit artists Valid and Stretch Money are continuing their run with their new visual for “The Girls”. A poignant track from their recent album Bill & Isiah, “The Girls”, produced by Pig Pen & DJ Jmac, stood out for its bassy sonics, raw, stylish vocals, and retro-futuristic style. It’s a highlight from the record that feels truly Detroit in sound and tone, and it makes its mark in the tracklist for presenting a refreshing, authentic take on the Detroit hip-hop sound.

They continue their run fresh off the album’s release with the new visual directed by Jerry Reid & Slander King, which does well to distill the track’s sleek, retro mood with muted, smoky shots, charismatic performances from the emcees, and nocturnal, atmospheric settings. Accompanying the bass-heavy, raw track, the video also captures its uniquely Detroit sound and style, and in doing so represents the spirit of their strong recent Bill & Isiah record.

Give it a watch below and connect with Valid and Stretch Money.

Listen to Bill & Isiah:

Connect with Valid: Instagram | YouTube | Twitter | Facebook

Connect with Stretch Money: Instagram | Facebook

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mynameisntjmack shares hazy single “transport”

Virginia artist mynameisntjmack has dropped off a new track, titled “transport”. Continuing his prolific run into 2023 after last year saw the success of his genre-bending track “BUNKER/ PREROLL” with Tommy Richman, as well as his well-received, introspective track “Leak”, “transport” presents a mysterious, hazy soundscape that provides a solid foundation for jmack’s thoughtful flows.

“transport” contains smooth production, containing watery, layered keys that blend with organic-sounding, dry percussion for a hypnotic groove. Enhanced by a particularly infectious bass-line, “transport”‘s mesmerizing instrumentation suits jmack’s calm yet emotive delivery and moody, pensive lyricism. He delivers a sharp performance on the mic that demonstrates his penchant for relatable, ruminative lyricism, making “transport” another solid outing from the Virginia artist.

The smoky, relaxed “transport” precedes mynameisntjmack’s upcoming EP BOOKMARK, and it gives us even more reason to be excited for the release of that project. Give it a listen below.

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Hidden Renaissance share eclectic instrumental album, ‘BARBAROIS’

Hip-hop collective Hidden Renaissance have come through with an eclectic new instrumental album called BARBAROIS. Chock full of colorful moments laced within textural, soulful beats, BARBAROIS demonstrates Hidden Renaissance’s eclectic sound and outside-of-the-box creativity. Featuring a talented cast of producers, BARBAROIS makes a character-rich sonic statement across 28 tracks, and demonstrates the power of the art of collaboration. 

To select the producers for BARBAROIS, Hidden Renaissance founders T H R O N E held a contest in a private discord server, in which 23 beatsmiths were chosen to compose the album. Including the likes of Protagonist, Delorean McFly, ZuRu, flywilliums, and more, the cast of producers on BARBAROIS oozes talent, while keeping things diverse enough to make the project’s long run time engaging throughout. The core of the record’s sound is built around coarse, soulful samples and dusty drums, and it often uses a “wall-of-sound” approach to add dynamics and layers. “New Friends, Same Old Pains”, produced by kllz, provides a highlight early on, with its weaving, nostalgic samples and punchy, gritty percussion. “Turn Back!”, produced by Protagonist, creates a hazy, nocturnal warmth with its lo-fi sampling and laid-back, swinging grooves. “The Ship” is an elegant, refreshing cut, using a minimalistic soundscape built around graceful keys to a great effect.

The versatile, vivid BARBAROIS marks a continuation of Hidden Renaissance’s prolific recent run, and it features a talented cast of collaborators that bring extra life to the project.

Listen to BARBAROIS here:

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Winny SM’s “City Crisis” makes for a poignant listen

Queens, New York artist Winny SM‘s track “City Crisis”, off his recent album Concrete Jungle, caught our attention for its poignant lyricism, and smoky, gritty instrumentation. On “City Crisis”, weaving, dusky woodwinds and textural, dry drums create a stripped-back yet evocative backdrop for Winny, who shines as a lyricist on the track as he describes the daily struggles and hurdles that come with life in a complex, fast-paced city. His vocal delivery is captivating and emotive, and he flows dynamically and with gymnastic ease, with fluid rhyme patterns that match the beat’s laid-back yet engrossing feel.

Take a listen to “City Crisis” below and further familiarize yourself with the Queens lyricist, and check out his project Concrete Jungle as well if you enjoy the track.

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SolH connects with kojima plus, Chaos1.0, and Pareto for refreshing single “Rollin”

SolH has connected with kojima plus, Chaos1.0, and Pareto for a new single called “Rollin”. With sleek, laid-back production and sharply-crafted flows, “Rollin” provides a refreshing offering that finds each artist bringing a unique contribution to the table for a cohesive whole. The 420-themed song has a warm, glowing feel, with expansive, balmy guitars underscored by rich, infectious bass, and locked in by crisp percussion. The emcees tackle the relaxed beat with ease, matching its easy-going energy with focused yet calm flows. The track feels both effortless and well thought-out, which can be a rare combination to come by.

The slick, bouncy single makes for an apt soundtrack to the warming weather of late spring, and it keeps things playful but also introspective. Take a listen to “Rollin” and further familiarize yourself with SolH, kojima plus, Chaos1.0, and Pareto.

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King Adroit’s “Louis Armstrong” makes for a potent listen

King Adroit‘s song “Louis Armstrong”, from his recent project Nicaraguan & Malt caught our attention for its smooth, luxurious feel and potent lyricism. Full of clever, cutting lines that have the listener rewinding throughout, Adroit’s verses are sharply-crafted and focused, as he takes on a laid-back yet confident delivery. The sleek production features gritty, jazzy samples and minimalistic percussion that give enough space for Adroit’s gymnastic wordplay. He balances rawness with a certain refined feel that gives “Louis Armstrong” added personality and character.

Hailing from the Bronx, Adroit continues to build a formidable discography that includes recent releases like Nicaraguan & Malt and The Belgian Blue 2, and shows no signs of slowing down.

Take a listen to “Louis Armstrong” below.

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Johnny VúDOE shares a new 3-pack, ‘2pieceAAbiscuit’

The Bronx’s Johnny VúDOE has come through with a fresh EP called 2pieceAAbiscuit. The 3-track project finds VúDOE flowing smoothly atop character-rich, dusty samples layered on psychedelic drum patterns. He shines as a lyricist, as he packs his verses with thoughtful and clever quips that beckon many re-winds from the listener to catch it all. 

Coated with an enveloping warmth, the EP feels immersive, drawing one in further with each minute. In particular, “introducing” makes for a highlight with its grooving, textural bass-lines and lo-fi, grimy horns. It’s true-to-life music with a healthy dose of surrealism in its sound, and there’s a lot to be liked when it comes to the personality entrenched in VùDOE’s brief but potent 3-song project.

Give 2pieceAAbiscuit a listen below.

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Shane, the Shaman shares refreshing EP ‘Lifestyles Of The Young, Black, and Gifted’

Brooklyn artist Shane, the Shaman has shared a new EP called Lifestyles Of The Young, Black, and Gifted, produced by Tenten. The potent, focused 4-song project finds Shane delivering pensive, sharply-crafted lyrics atop smoky, sample-based production. The instrumentals from Tenten creates a hazy, mysterious atmosphere and a feeling of depth that pairs cohesively with Shane’s thought-provoking lyrical style. His laid-back yet confident cadence draws the listener’s attention quickly, and on songs like “Right Place” he especially shines with sleek wordplay, while Tenten delivers a strong beat containing raw grooves and dusty percussion. “Ebony and Ivory” makes for an elegant track that slows down the pace and finishes the project on a high note, with swirling keys and textural horns that suit Shane’s vocal tone as he delivers some of his most potent lyrics on the EP.

Take a listen to Lifestyles Of The Young, Black, and Gifted below and further familiarize yourself with Shane, the Shaman.

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Mike Wilder and Jake Bass make a statement for Detroit with ‘D.E.A.P.’

When it comes to hip-hop, Motor City is a locale synonymous with the genre. Over the years, the city has spawned many sub-genres, sounds, and styles that have resonated with many and laid their imprint upon the rap game as a whole. On Mike Wilder and Jake Bass’ new album D.E.A.P. (an acronym for Detroit Emcees and Producers), they tie all of these sounds together in a cohesive manner alongside a gifted set of collaborators. A poignant, infectious set of 10 songs that is diverse as it gets, D.E.A.P. brings in elements of boom-bap, lyrical hip-hop, trap, and more, to further exemplify why Detroit remains as one of the top cities in rap year after year. It’s a potent statement backed by powerful sonics and sharply-crafted lyricism, and D.E.A.P. makes for a strong offering overall that combines the sharp skills of multiple talents, including the likes of Pariis Noel, Marvwon, and more. 

Some highlight tracks here include the atmospheric “Pray For Me”, which includes a dazzling set of lyrically-focused verses delivered smoothly, and the heavy, trap banger “Roll Witta Clique”, a track densely packed with charisma and style.

D.E.A.P. is the latest poignant offering from Mike Wilder and Jake Bass. Wilder, who executive produced this album alongside Jake Bass originally got his start in the industry by co-producing Eminem’s debut album Infinite in 1996. He also co-founded the prolific music company NUKID, LLC alongside Marky Bass. Be sure to check out D.E.A.P. below and further familiarize yourself with some of Detroit’s most talented rappers and producers.