Browsing Tag

J. Cole

JD True pulled back the curtain in his groove-slicked hip-hop track, Red Pill

Posted on 26 January 2023

While some hip-hop artists need an entire discography to prove their dynamism, the songwriter and rapper JD True only needed three minutes. With superlative style and soul, his latest single, Red Pill, pulls back the curtain on formerly hidden facets of society and how they make their mark on the psyche.

Kicking off with a smooth old-school prelude with funk-chopped staccato guitars, the atmosphere pulls into the mix simultaneously with the melodicism as JD True uses the intricately weaved instrumental layers as a rhythmically mesmerising platform to filter his energetic flow into.

Based on Red Pill alone, it is no wonder that the artist who takes inspiration from Kanye, J Cole, and Big Krit has had no issues garnering hype since his 2021 debut single, Crown Me.

Red Pill was officially released on January 19th. Check it out on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

BoogieLo has recently dropped a new release: HAHA

Posted on 5 November 2022

BoogieLo has just dropped a brand new studio work named HAHA. This release has a loud and energetic twist to it, and it has a presence in the mix that immediately makes it stand out! BoogieLo is very articulate, and his vocals are well-matched to the instrumental. The lyrics are also incredibly deep and easy to relate to, highlighting BoogieLo’s ability to express his feelings and commit them to music in a very special way.

BoogieLo makes music that fans of artists such as Kendrick Lamar, J Cole, Tyler The Creator and Lloyd Banks will definitely connect with. Yet, he cannot easily be lumped in with other artists, given the personal twist that makes releases such as HAHA so special and appealing.

Find out more about BoogieLo, and check out HAHA, which is currently available to stream here.

Anthony Levone speaks for the pacifists in his latest lyrically driven hip hop track, Peacekeepers

Posted on 3 May 2022

Anthony Levone’s latest single, Peacekeepers, featuring Fooly23, is for everyone that has been cognitively wrapped up in the senseless brutality of our contemporary existence a little too much lately. And when I say everyone, that is especially in reference to genre preference. The articulate nature of Levone’s lyricism means that the smooth sonic old school and sun-bleached hip hop instrumentals fall by the wayside as his bars pull parables from religious icons to prove that we’ve scarcely moved on in terms of civility.

The West Palm Beach-hailing artist has been releasing music since 2019, in that time, he’s developed a staunch fan base with his J.Cole, Nas & Common reminiscences. He’s also been in heavy rotation on international radio stations and landed a plethora of coveted playlist placements. Yet, judging by the socially-minded tenacity in Peacekeepers, it is safe to say that none of his philosophical work will ever be over-amplified.

The lyric video for Peacekeepers premiered on April 22nd; it is now available to stream on YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Solo Star delivers deity-level hip hop in his single, ‘American God’

Posted on 22 July 2021

Ahead of the release of his highly anticipated 4-track EP, ‘The Ballad of Solo Star’, the up and coming artist has given us a taste of what’s to come by giving us a sneak peek of the lead track, American God.

Under the influence of Nas, Andre 3000, J.Cole, 2Pac and Jay-Z, Solo Star carries the same charismatic vocal magnetism. Instrumentally, he’s ascended to his own level and plateaued above most breaking artists. You can’t help getting hooked into the arrestingly rhythmic grooves in American God.

If you pride yourself on having the hottest names in hip hop on your playlists, you will want to make room for Solo Star.

Check out him out on SoundCloud and his website.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

DK Robin pays ode to his ‘Work Wife’ in his latest smooth RnB hip hop single.

Posted on 29 June 2021

There’s officially no better way to pass the time during a 9 – 5 than catching feelings for a colleague, which is exactly what hip hop artist DK Robin waxes lyrical on in his latest single, Work Wife. It’s potentially the most honest love song to have ever hit the airwaves.

The grooving RnB hip hop beats set an affectionate tone that DK Robin amplifies with his smoothly soulful vocals that will be a hit with any fans of J Cole, Kendrick Lamar and Drake. We can’t wait to hear what off the cuff concept DK Robin chooses to explore next; whatever it is, we’re sure he’ll make a perennial urban earworm out of it.

You can check out the official music video to Work Wife that premiered on June 14th by heading over to YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Christopher the Grey drops the follow-up to ‘Butterflies’ with new single ‘If I Didn’t Have You’

Posted on 24 June 2021

Elements of J Cole and B.o.B mix with old school hip hop on Christopher The Grey’s new single ‘If I didn’t Have You’, upbeat trap beats sitting tidily behind programmed synth parts and Christopher’s staccato, punchy lyrical flow.

The follow-up to last single ‘Butterflies’, and the 2020 album of the same name, ‘If I Didn’t Have You’ is bouncy, driving and upbeat, plaintive and searching, a cry to a lost love and a relationship gone south. There’s touches of T.I., Flo Rida, and Lil Wayne to it, plus some nicely modern-retro production in terms of the rising sequenced parts and the nicely gated hi hat beats.

You can hear ‘If I Didn’t Have You’ on Spotify; check out Christopher The Grey on Instagram.

Review by Alex Holmes

Mdg 4Eva has delivered a soulful hard-hitter with ‘Shiny Man’, featuring J. Harvey

Posted on 31 March 2021

Dallas-hailing hip hop artist Mdg 4Eva made their debut in 2019, in 2021; he is well and truly coming into his own. His timely, infectiously positive tracks are a welcome change from the lockdown-born self-apathy-soaked singles that made up a significant percentage of new releases in the past 12 months.

His recently released single, ‘Shiny Man’, featuring J. Harvey, is Mdg 4Eva at his finest. The playful soul and boundless charisma in the nuanced track prove that positive vibes and hard-hitting conviction don’t need to be exclusive of each other. In Shiny Man, you will pick out the positive affirmations littered amongst the snapshots of intimate introspection. With the versatility of Mdg 4Eva’s vocals, you’ll get to hear him at his most affable and eccentric as well at his most dominant. Any fans of Outkast, J. Cole, Kendrick Lamar and Childish Gambino will want to experience Mdg 4Eva for themselves.

As Mdg 4Eva has plenty more singles to drop in 2021, he’s well worth adding to your radar. You can follow him via Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Shiny Man is available to stream via Spotify.

Watch the video via YouTube

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Juufro has made their 2020 debut with the ensnaring retro-futuristic Rap track “In Da Bag”

Posted on 31 October 2020

Floridian Rap artist Juufro has the flow, he’s got the fire, and now he’s got the ultimate testament to their blazing talent with the retro-futuristic Hip Hop drop “In Da Bag”.

The relentless pacing of the mix almost makes listening to it unravel a hypnotic experience. From the first verse, you’ll be locked into their ensnaring Rap bars which find perfect synergy with the rounded tonally explorative beats.

Even though some of the lyrical hooks are scathing, there’s still an ominous playfulness to the track which makes it all too easy to warm to Juufro from the first hit.

Any fans of J. Cole, Snoop Dogg, The Notorious B.I.G. and Jack Harlow will definitely want to give this release some attention.

You can check out In Da Bag for yourselves by heading over to Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

East Coast Hip Hop got hotter with the release of Vior’s track “Stevie Wonder”

Posted on 29 October 2020

Feel the oceanic breeze of East Coast Hip Hop with Vior’s standout sun-kissed track, Stevie Wonder, from their 2020 EP, Presidential.

The Coatesville, PA artist has amassed plenty of hype for their ability to bring more than sound to the airwaves since releasing their debut single in 2018.

Hit play on any of their tracks and get lost in the immersive vibes which manifest through their meticulously dynamic lyrical flow and their larger than life personality which will leave you galvanized.

The conviction in Stevie Wonder practically makes the track a kiss with a fist. It’s viscerally hard-hitting. but soulfully sweet all the same.

With their clear Rap style and their mischievously hedonistic bars sitting seamlessly with the high-octane rhythmically arrestive beats, Vior offers the best of East Coast Hip Hop. We have no doubt that it’s only a matter of time before they achieve what they set out to do and put their name on the map.

You can check out the official video to Stevie Wonder which was shot by WizFx by heading over to YouTube.

Or you can listen to the Presidential EP in full via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Ecsentric has left another mark on Brooklyn’s map of Hip Hop artists with “Alibis”

Posted on 2 October 2020

As an up and coming Hip Hop artist in Brooklyn, NYC, Ecsentric has some serious competition, but his latest release “Alibis” makes it all too evident that he’s on the way to the top with his fresh new sound which vibes with plenty of old school elements.

Under the influence of J. Cole, Nas, Logic and Kendrick Lamar, Ecsentric’s sound boasts that shimmeringly alluring Jazzy tone, although the dreamy reverb in Alibis takes the production to new hypnotic heights. As for the lyrics, they’re candidly exposing enough to draw a tear from you as you lose yourself in the evocative narrative of loss and betrayal.

The instrumentals may be light and melodic in Alibis, but don’t be surprised if it leaves you with a few emotional bruises.

You can check out Ecsentric’s latest drop by heading over to Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

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