Browsing Tag

rapper

Groove and soul intertwined in Ceesa’s hip-hop debut, Special

Ceesa, an emerging talent from Tifton, Georgia, made an unmissable entry into the hip-hop arena with his single ‘Special’, a track that resonates with the rhythm and soul of hip-hop and showcases his unique flair and potential.

‘Special’ opens with an intro that blurs the lines between genres, featuring female backing vocals that are as powerful as they are emotive, layered over gentle melodies reminiscent of progressive house. This fusion sets the stage for what is a genre-bending experience. Ceesa then takes the reins, proving himself as Georgia’s new flow king. His verses are crafted with a finesse that allows the emotions to resonate deeply, making listeners feel the love in this song as if it were their own.

The seamless blend of trap beats with Latin RnB guitars creates a soundscape that captures the irreplicable bliss of being seen as though the other 8.1 billion people in the world fade away. Ceesa’s debut, infused with personal emotion and stylistic innovation, is a testament to his talent and a hint at his promising future in the music industry. For fans of Yvng.Wolfe, KingTrey, and Ivory Scott, ‘Special’ is a must-listen.

Special hit the airwaves on March 12th; stream the single on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

HBEEE Trailblazed through London’s Grime Scene and Razed it To the Ground with ‘Chosen Freestyle’

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFcEhEc9prw

After getting caught up in the hype of London’s hottest up-and-coming hip-hop trailblazer, HBEEE through his viral hit, Game Over, we couldn’t wait to dig into his latest hit, Chosen Freestyle.

Once the introspective instrumentals swathe the production in an atmosphere that sets the perfect tone for reflection, the bars and the beats roll in thick and fast, exhibiting HBEEE’s ability to freestyle with the fervour of Juice WRLD, Cassidy, and MC Juice, while staying true to his own gritty grime artistic identity.

The raw and spontaneous bars result in unexpected lyrical flows, which continuously culminate in a series of mic drops. HBEEE’s wordplay doesn’t solely exhibit his ability to maintain rhymes and stay on the beat; it also lends itself to a personal connection between his candour and the listener’s ability to relate to the lyricism.

Cheeky and convictive in parts, cuttingly haunting in others, HBEEE knew exactly how to make his mark on the London grime scene. Try as other artists might, few flows bring the same fire as what blazes through Chosen Freestyle; he’s razing the whole grime scene to the ground.

The official music video for Chosen Freestyle will premiere on YouTube on March 28th.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Whoisturso put resilience into rhyme in his viral-worthy hip-hop single, VENT III

Forget mic drop verses, in his standout hit, VENT III, the lyrical hip-hop luminary Whoisturso drops lines that will make your soul sink. After a stylistically atmospheric and contemporary hip-hop intro which lulls you into a contemplative state, the up-and-coming rapper who has moved from the streets into the studio wastes no time delivering lyrical blows that will stick with you for long after the outro.

“I’ve been fighting all my life, you expect rejection to phase me girl?” speaks volumes about the resilience of the human spirit, and our profound capacity to overcome trauma and open ourselves up to vulnerability. From there on out, every line hits hard enough that you’ll be left in awe of his ability to turn confessionalism into achingly affecting wordplay.

Regardless of your life path, as VENT III runs through, you’ll find fragments of yourself within it as you lose yourself in the scintillating production that allows the instrumentals to complement the intimacy in the candour.

If authenticity and lyrical gold got artists to the top of the charts, few artists would sit above Whoisturso. He’s got everything it takes to make it into the mainstream, it’s only a matter of time before he moves from being criminally underrated to being choked in hype. After hearing the themes of determination in VENT III, we know he’s not going to stop until he’s reached the top.

Stream and purchase VENT III on Apple Music.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Kelvo’s Laidback Cuts Got Sharper with His Latest Alt-Hip-Hop Release, Got2Change

North London’s Kelvo is riding an exotically mellow new wave of hip-hop while harking back to 70s soul & funk and 90s hip-hop with his latest single, Got2Change, which showcases his ability to weave introspective lyrics with vibrant beats and transcendent swathes of soul.

From the outset, ‘Got2Change’ sinks you into a tropical-infused groove; the soundscape lays the perfect foundation for Kelvo’s smooth rap bars, which glide effortlessly over the beat. His flow is as smooth as velvet, creating a striking contrast with the colourful vibrancy of the instrumental arrangement.

Instrumentally, Got2Change is a holiday from the gritty streets of London, but the big smoke is infused in the razor-sharp flow of Kelvo as he delves into themes of self-growth and introspection, challenging listeners to awaken from the slumber of unrealised potential. In essence, Got2Change is a call to action, an invitation to strip away tension and embrace a more reflective state of mind.

Got2Change will hit all major platforms on March 27th, stream it via this link.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

AR Jiggy followed a vibe into unchartered new wave hip-hop waters with ‘4U’

No one rides the new wave of hip-hop smoother than AR Jiggy, as exhibited through the hypersonically hot standout single, 4U, from his new LP, Ratchet Melodic 2, which strangely enough, delivers everything it says on the tin. The scintillating synths mimic the twilight as they glisten in the melodiously wavy production that will instantly get you in the genre-fluid groove of the synthesis of hip-hop, pop, and RnB.

Instead of ticking all the right hip-hop boxes with this seminal release and pandering to antiquated parameters, the East London rapper and singer followed a vibe into unchartered waters and ensured any urban innovation seekers would want to take the plunge time after time. From the precision in his sharp lyrically rhythmic hooks to the instrumental odyssey AR Jiggy puts before you in his tracks, there’s no refuting that he has exactly what it takes to hold dominion over the hip-hop domain in London and beyond.

Ratchet Melodic 2 was officially released on February 15th; stream it in full on Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Frank Blunt redefined hip-hop’s intellectual edge with ‘Bored Games 2’

Frank Blunt’s latest single, ‘Bored Games 2′, is a testament to his stripes as a rap luminary. Blunt stayed true to his name by delivering an intellectually resonant and intellectually stimulating hit of wisdom; it’s a journey into the depths of Blunt’s psyche, a reflection of his soul laid bare through masterful lyricism

While the jazz-infused rhythms pay homage to old-school hip-hop, Blunt weaves his sonic signature through the production like gritty urban calligraphy to carve out his own unique identity, mostly noted through the cadence of his introspective gold. Blunt’s flow is a marvel of rhythmic precision and melodic inventiveness, ensuring that listeners hang on to every syllable. His ability to weave complex narratives which go plateaus beyond the ordinary tropes of the genre allows the tract to challenge perceptions while remaining grounded in realism.

Frank Blunt’s influences, ranging from Michael Jackson to UGK, from Jay Z to Outkast, are evident in his music, yet he’s far from a by-product of assimilation. After a decade of cutting his teeth in the industry, his unparalleled talent is as razor-sharp as his lyrical wit. If any up-and-coming rapper has earned their place in the pantheon of hip-hop greats, it is Blunt.

Bored Games 2 was released on February 7th; stream the single on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

London’s HBEEE played by his own rules in his viral rap track, Game Over

After teaming up with director Mani J for the official music video for his latest hit, Game Over, one of the hottest UK rappers, HBEEE racked up over 312k streams in the space of a month; the grime track is more than worth the viral hype.

If you can’t stand the superficiality of fake beauty, know how it feels to always have your walls up and live knowing that no one will ever understand the complexities that lie beneath your persona, Game Over will leave you vindicated by the volition.

With a lyrical intellect that rivals George the Poet’s, the hook-rife release will leave you ensnared from the first hit; the contrast between the warm, intricate and melodic instrumentals and female backing vox with HBEEE’s razor-sharp-with-grit cadence, it’s impossible not to be affected by the authentically stylised ingenuity in Game Over.

Stream the official music video on the GRM Daily YouTube channel now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Saint Kon’s Latest Tour De Force is a Sonic Crusade for Empathy and Justice

Some artists use their platforms for good; some use them for ground-breaking greatness. After Saint Kon released 10000 Hours on February 8, she’s definitively in the latter camp.

The pop-meets-hip-hop mash-up ensured the track has swathes of cross-over appeal while her bars bruise in a way that you may start to question if you’ve ever been hit before. The raw and heavy lyricism explores everything from suicidal ideation to the compulsion to heal others despite how deep our own scars bed down in our psyche.

After a minor key piano prelude, the bass-heavy boom-bap hip-hop instrumentals storm in as she switches from vocal harmonies to a killer rap cadence that blazes through her compulsion to fight the countless injustices of the world.

If the orchestrally heightened, inventively produced and polished track doesn’t fuel you with the motivation to use your time on earth to fight against the insidiousness that seems to get more nefarious with every trip around the sun, you can probably consider your own soul defunct. 10000 Hours is a lesson in convictive empathy; if it worked its way into the consciousness of everyone who existed, the human race would be transformed overnight.

10000 Hours is now available to stream on YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Spotlight Feature: Tago – D.A.M.N: An Eternally En Vogue Hip-Hop Anthem of Resilience and Enlightenment

Elevate your rhythmic pulses and bolster your resilience with “D.A.M.N,” the latest euphorically elevated hit from Tago, the Texan titan of hip-hop. The track is a seismic shift in the musical landscape – not by pandering to trends or pursuit of viral fame – but through unflinching perseverance to remain authentic and uplift music fans from all walks of life.

The cross-over appeal is unreal. Between the modernised grooves, which expose Tago’s electronica influences and determination to produce anything but pedestrian beats, you just can’t help but catch the fever of his positivity as he proves that while life might throw curveballs, it’s the grit and grind that keep you going.

Crafted by the multi-platinum producer whose name is fated to become synonymous with longevity in an industry where stars often flicker out as fast as they ignite, D.A.M.N is a firestorm of soul, wisdom, and exhilaration. This track is a bold declaration that Tago isn’t just playing the game; he’s setting the rules, delivering a sound that’s not just for the moment but for the ages.

Merging the raw, unfiltered essence of old-school hip-hop with a glimpse into the genre’s future, Tago’s invitation to embrace your journey towards self-actualisation and peak individuality is irresistible.

Tago Said:

“When I wrote D.A.M.N, I was going through a lot of trials and tribulations and it had me feeling like “DAMN”. In a sense, you can say the feeling of struggle is what created the track.

In this record, I’m trying to convey a story of resilience and inspire others to not give up on their dreams or themselves despite the pain, pressure, and people’s expectations. Always be authentic and never fold under pressure because diamonds are created under pressure.”

D.A.M.N will be officially released on all major platforms, including Spotify, on February 29th, followed by the upcoming accompanying official music video, directed by the cinematic titan, Ori Evans. 

Review by Amelia Vandergast

A Milli chartered exotic new terrains in hip-hop’s landscape with his latest single, Legacy

A Milli’s latest hip-hop track, Legacy, is a testament to his evolution as an artist. Born from the streets of Hamilton, Ontario, A Milli has sculpted a sound that is as diverse as his influences. A punk ethos rages through his Eminem-reminiscent bars as he blazes through a narrative woven with the threads of his life experiences.

The single stands out for its unique blend of exotic melodies that seamlessly intertwine with the punch of 808s, creating a vibrant, colourful backdrop for A Milli’s rhythmically tight bars. If you want to be taken beyond the conventional boundaries of hip-hop and into uncharted waters where each wave of sound is laden with meaning and intent, hit play.

A Milli’s journey in music, starting from using a video game mic at fourteen to co-headlining tours, is reflected in the maturity of his sound and the precision of his storytelling. His ability to translate life into music, drawing from a reservoir of personal highs and lows, sets him apart in a genre that thrives on authenticity.

As A Milli continues to carve his path in the music industry, Legacy stands as a bold declaration of his artistic identity. It’s a track that doesn’t just demand attention; it commands respect.

Legacy dropped on February 16; stream the single on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast