The flow is smooth, settled in its confidence, the production in keeping with the study and chill playlists of today only with an essential twist of recognisable melody from the keys. It’s a clever way to blend the popular and the recognisable, and makes for a welcomed opener for an eight track project that consistently calms you down.
Rap
Smooth soul and the old-school comfort of Hip Hop crafted with purpose and commitment – Troy Remedy impresses in a humble yet uplifting way, for the beautiful new single Faith In God.
Big vibes for the summer, smooth and mellow but on point in both melody and topic. Knotice1k delivers the best of his bars and songwriting, alongside an equally impressive Chakuda, for the intoxicating, soulful, and perfectly-titled single Slow.
Upanishads – a Hindu reference, a sacred text, presented here as a free flowing Hip Hop single. There’s a ton of depth to Upanishads, an plethora of striking scenes and metaphors to unpack as we roll through, and meanwhile the music seeks to calm the soul – opposing forces luring you in deeper and deeper as the walls of these thoughts immerse you.
Reigniting the anthemic energy of rap and rock with a distorted twist of contemporary observation – one half of LA’s Dual Diagnosis gears up to launch two brand new singles from his upcoming sophomore album, and in the process injects a fearless performative and production edge into the modern scene.
Ayomaz is carving out his own lane with tracks like What You Heard, and noting mild similarities to the likes of Post Malone and Juice WORLD, there’s clearly a vast appeal to the sound.
That quality seems rare these days – the skill of rap and writing bars coming second to image and volume in many cases. Here though, in a refreshing turn away from the emo and simple bangers scenes, Too Humble pays tribute to the dawn of Hip Hop, whilst introducing a rightfully calm and collected artist with a clear talent for engaging listeners on the mic.
New Jersey-born rapper and artist Prophi$ee, now based in Raleigh, reunites the evocative soundscapes of Hip Hop’s past, with a distinctly versatile and purposeful approach to crafting bars.
Hardcore dance vibes bring a striking riff and heavy bass – a soundscape keenly designed to back up the Spanish bars and anthemic hook of Miko Malo’s Mama Huevo.
Taking Names offers a plethora of deeply poetic, metaphorical and impressive lyrics – the sharpness and intelligence of which permits the song the worthy status of requiring you to listen more than a couple of times to grasp every idea. There are depths to the music, and as such, each time you do revisit, the music and story hit with all the more impact.
For those new to the style, you might find similar vibes amidst the hit movies of eras past – the days when street rap battles, break dancing and colourful clothes hung on the air like a stylish hit of opposition to the mundane. Reis Armstrong recaptures the purity of those days, and does so with original songwriting and a clear sense of unity and passion for the process.
Classic hip hop production and rhythmically catchy vocals make up the memorable anthem that is WTM. Loui Lion captures attention with ease, What’s The Move? resounding like an earworm throughout a soundscape of haunting synths and trap rhythms united.