Browsing Tag

00s Hip Hop

Acktual Lee Set His Soul on Cruise Control in the Luxe Hip-Hop Hit ‘Forever’

Posted on 20 May 2025

Forever, the latest short-form statement from Acktual Lee, went out on blast to his 11k+ monthly Spotify listeners; an international legion of fans who naturally gravitate around his slick, luxe, soul-infused sound and want to keep his polished new releases in their orbit.

With old school soul brushing up against the shimmer of 00s Jay-Z-esque hip-hop, Forever is a magnetic meditation on the artist’s perpetual, unflinching desire to keep burning bright and the ground beneath him razed with his charisma and conviction, both of which are on full display in the release as he waxes lyrical with superlative metric precision.

The bars land like they’ve been simmering in gold; each one gilded with introspection, resilience and raw passion, while the instrumental foundation glides with the cathartic tempo of a summer cruise through emotional epiphany. The sampled harmonies amplify the soul of the track to luminous heights without ever crowding the conviction behind the mic. Forever isn’t a track that demands you soak in the lyrical gold; it coaxes you into a state of susceptibility by using a cathartic tempo to juxtapose the passion in the bars.

Every second of the release affirms that Acktual Lee’s sonic direction is sharp enough to slice through any static left lingering in hip-hop’s past. With momentum like this, there’s no risk of him fading from the radar.

Forever is now available to stream on all major platforms, including Spotify. 

Review by Amelia Vandergast

BASHAR Reclaims the Mic – An Interview with the Fearless Voice of Black Queer Expression

Posted on 17 May 2025

BASHAR brings a worldview sharpened by defiance, clarity, and deep cultural reflection to the airwaves. With the viral force of Gay Boy’s Anthem and the commanding entrance of Tickle Me Pink, his voice has quickly become impossible to ignore. In this A&R Factory interview, BASHAR unpacks the soul-deep roots of his creativity, the 2000s nostalgia that drives his visual world, and the unfiltered truths behind his songwriting. Fashion, trauma, identity, and independence intersect in every lyric and stitch of his self-made image — and while the industry continues to gatekeep, BASHAR creates without permission.

Welcome to A&R Factory, BASHAR – it’s a pleasure to have you with us to explore your fearlessly expressive creativity. You’ve already made a strong mark with your debut single and the viral success of Gay Boy’s Anthem — how has it felt to step into the music scene so unapologetically, and what personal experiences have been the most important to you in shaping your voice so far?

It feels free as fuck! I feel like the world is mine and there’s no limit to the art I can create. I see all my projects as like cuts of my soul. Tickle Me Pink showcased the 2000s/Y2K aesthetic that I was quite literally raised by. And now with Gay Boy’s Anthem, it’s about highlighting the gay traumas that have been inevitable in my growth and journey through the black queer diaspora.

Tickle Me Pink presents such a powerful and vivid celebration of queer identity; could you walk us through what sparked the concept for both the single and its vibrant metro-rave visuals?

The moniker that I use to express this era of my music is “2000s baby”, and at its core, that’s what TMP is about. Bringing the nostalgia of 2010s Frutiger Metro and y2k aesthetic to the front of everyone’s mind and giving them a world to relive in. As my first single, I just wanted a song that showed me popping my shit and letting these bitches know who BASHAR is and how he’s coming. Oh, and of course—Pink! Pink! Pink!

Independence in the music industry comes with both freedom and challenges — what have been some of the biggest lessons or realisations for you as an independent Black, queer artist?

It’s cliche but unfortunately so very true that as such an underrepresented and marginalized group in the eyes of society, we have to work so much harder as black queers and femmes to make our stories be heard. It’s not right, but if there’s anyone capable of doing it, it’s us.

Fashion, colour, and dance seem to be inseparable parts of your brand — how do you approach integrating these elements into your music and visuals to create such a fearless presence?

Well first and foremost, I’m really bout this fashion shit. I do extensive research and am deeply intentional about every article of clothing that touches my body. It comes very easily to me because it’s always been about of my artistic process. I usually see the visual before I have the song, and I feel like that always translates.

Gay Boy’s Anthem connected with thousands of listeners almost overnight. How did you approach writing it, and did you expect the sheer level of raw honesty in the track to resonate so strongly?

I can’t lie—I definitely knew it was gonna do its big one! But that’s just because it all came to me so naturally and rawly. I quite literally got high a couple of nights after Tickle Me Pink dropped, and something told me it would be sick if I sampled ‘London Bridge’ by Fergie. So I just started mumbling a flow like I always did, and before you know it, I had a whole story to tell.

Your work feels rooted in an open defiance of the hegemony — who or what have been some of your major creative influences when it comes to both your sound and your bold aesthetic choices?

It shifts from project to project. I really try and channel whoever my inspirations are and really immerse myself in that world while creating the song and the visuals. Like for GBA, it was Missy Elliott, Ludacris, Biggie and Tupac. But on another project, it might be someone totally in the opposite direction.

With such a strong start, it’s clear that you’re just getting started — what can fans expect next from you, both in terms of new music and the evolution of your artistic identity?

Real G’s move in silence! You’ll just have to catch the wave and see!

Finally, for other young queer creatives who are watching you carve out your own space with so much authenticity, what message or advice would you most want to share with them right now?

CREATE. Everyday. Do something towards the consciousness of expression. It’s not always gonna hit, but the consistency will harden your artistic character, and soon you’ll be manifesting people and experiences you probably would’ve never thought you could. Oh, and above all, be your mothafuckin self!  Mwah!

–

Immerse yourself in the sound and style of BASHAR on Spotify now & connect via Instagram. 

Interview by Amelia Vandergast

Cameron Jay Drops the Curtain on ‘Jimmy Kimmel’ in His Red-Hot Rap Track

Posted on 10 April 2025

Jimmy Kimmel is just one of the tour de luxe hip-hop forces featured on Cameron Jay’s EP, USB Dump Vol. 1. The track does so much more than wax lyrical on the legacy of the late-night figurehead; it drives stylistically smooth rhythms straight into your pulse. The reminiscences to Jay-Z don’t cloud the iconic innovation—Cameron Jay gives the flashy, fully fleshed, scintillating hip-hop timbres a new lease of life.

Born and raised in the Bronx, Cameron Jay is no stranger to sharpening his bars against the concrete of lived experience. With a stage history that includes sets alongside Trina, Joell Ortiz, Sadat X, Steele, and Craig G, and a discography that spans acclaimed mixtapes and 2019’s December’s Son—which saw Ya Tu Sabe rack up over 250,000 Spotify streams—Jay has earned his stripes without theatrics.

Now, with USB Dump Vol. 1, he unloads the vault. Jimmy Kimmel stands as a high-voltage benchmark in that archive—a track that fires through tight, textured beats with bars fuelled by raw charisma. His infectious lyrical delivery doesn’t hit the brakes until the atmospheric outro rolls onto the beat. He keeps the intricately layered instrumentals adrenalised to the last breath, leaving no second sounding like a throwaway cut.

This is more than a nod to pop culture; this is Cameron Jay playing host to his own story, with a delivery sharp enough to cut across the airwaves.

Jimmy Kimmel is now available to stream on all major platforms including Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

TNV’s Cream of the Crop – Boom Bap Nostalgia with Boundless Swagger

Posted on 15 March 2025

TNV fires off bars with the kind of force that turns a track into an event. Cream of the Crop, the standout single from his latest LP, For the Record, revives the lo-fi, jazz-infused soul of 00s hip-hop while pushing the energy into overdrive. The larger-than-life presence in his luxe lyrical delivery makes each line hit harder; anyone who grew up on Jay-Z’s prime will feel right at home in the trailblazing anthem which serves as the ultimate soundtrack to your aspiration for greatness.

Swanky melodies and soaring sax lines give the beat a sleek, refined touch, while TNV’s relentless flow keeps the momentum urban nirvana-high. Every bar builds up a kinetic charge that refuses to settle. There’s no stepping back, no slowing down—just pure adrenaline, driven by hooks designed to stick in the psyche. The massive production carries echoes of Run the Jewels, but TNV digs deep into boom bap and soul-driven jazzy hip-hop nostalgia while carving out a sound that is quickly becoming synonymous with his irreplicable presence on the airwaves.

Growing up in Los Angeles with parents deeply embedded in the music industry, TNV absorbed the culture from an early age. His lyricism holds weight, and he uses it to energise and elevate in equal measure. With a fanbase expanding with every release, For the Record positions him at the forefront of the new wave of hip-hop nostalgia.

Cream of the Crop is available now on all major streaming platforms, including Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Grimreepa Wields His Bars Like Blades in ‘THE EVILS’

Posted on 6 March 2025

Grimreepa raps with the force of someone who has fought too many battles to waste a single breath. ‘THE EVILS’ is a tirade against the deception and injustice that keeps stacking up, delivered with the conviction of an artist who has lived through the worst and come out swinging. His bars cut through the noise, fuelled by a decade of sharpening his craft and a refusal to let anything dilute his message.

Boger Beats’ production is built to hit hard. The stabbing piano keys keep the intensity honed to a razor’s edge, while the oscillating electronic motifs pull the track into the future without losing its 00s hip-hop backbone. The weight of the instrumental leaves room for Grimreepa’s flow to land with impact, sitting somewhere between Jay-Z’s precision and Xzibit’s raw energy, but charging ahead with his own firepower.

With insidious forces reaching new heights, ‘THE EVILS’ arrives as a necessary release for anyone who feels the weight of it all. It’s a rallying point for those who see through the smokescreens. If hip-hop is a battleground, Grimreepa is making sure his voice carries.

 ‘THE EVILS’ is available to stream on Apple Music and Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Rampage Wood scorched the airwaves with luxe hip-hop hit, All Summer

Posted on 9 July 2024

Rampage Wood didn’t come to play in his latest single, All Summer, he came to conquer. Since his 2018 debut, the Arkansas underground has failed to conceal his luminary sound which has amassed a loyal international audience.

All Summer glows with the aesthetics of 00s East Coast hip-hop to belie his Southern roots which pulled through stronger in his earlier material, influenced by the likes of Lil Wayne. With gospel-esque cinematic transcendence enveloping the beats, the hit is sublime on the senses and pushes a unique dynamic behind Wood’s provoking lyricism.

As one of the most cerebral rappers in the game, his flows are finessed with witty intellect; his ability to catch you off-guard with the lyrical gold in every bar is unmatched. With flawless metric precision and swathes of charisma to energise his delivery, you can’t help but get hyped by All Summer, which carries the luxe appeal of Jay-Z’s hits while blazing through the heat in Rampage Wood’s authenticity.

All Summer was officially released on June 3rd, it is now available to stream on all major platforms via this link.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Push your perception in a rose-tinted direction with Marquis Storm’s latest single, Grateful, ft M Stacks

Posted on 3 September 2023

For his latest track, Grateful, the trailblazing rapper Marquis Storm collaborated with M Stacks to create a dualistically high-fire feat of hip-hop that prays at the altar of gratitude to definitively prove that life is little more than perception, and you can shift yours if you make blessed more than a hashtag.

The Cleveland Heights-born and raised rapper and songwriter always runs his rap bars through deep introspection to forge his hits with lyrical gold that will leave you inspired by his energy, wordplay, and insights; Grateful is no exception. As the instrumentals weave through the melodic grooves and spill colourful catharsis with every progression, Storm adrenalizes the mix with his fiery-with-soul bars that leave you with no choice but to soak in his wisdom.

Storm has been cutting his teeth in the industry since the age of 13 and he’s made major waves in the industry since. His hits have been picked up by international press, and he’s opened for everyone from Stevie Stone to Yelawolf. He’s also made appearances at the Grammy Awards and the NBA All Star Weekend in 2022.

Grateful hit the airwaves on August 25; stream it on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Jeremiah Kingston has launched his infectiously dynamic hip hop debut EP, You’re Not Gonna Like This

Posted on 29 June 2022

Hip hop debuts keep charging onto the airwaves in 2022. Few appeared with as much style, energy, and sub-genre-melding distinction as Jeremiah Kingston’s debut EP, You’re Not Gonna Like This. From party rock hip hop to jazzy tracks, smoky enough to set off your smoke alarms through the sheer sepia-tinged luxe air; it is almost progressively dizzying.

Using reverse psychology in a debut EP title was a bold move, yet it sets a tone for the daring expression contained within. The Charlotte, NC hip hop newcomer created the EP after taking a look around at his life, hating the view and making a move to change it. No stone was left unturned.

Track 3, YNGLT, starts with the cutting lyric, “If my people found out what was going on in my head, they’d leave me in straits”, before launching into a frenetic admission of inner turmoil; that we can all probably relate to these days.

Jeremiah Kingston reminded me exactly why I fell in love with hip hop in the 90s. The larger-than-life personality, the wild energy, the eccentric instrumentals… Anything goes in Jeremiah Kingston’s debut and everything goes together seamlessly, making it one of the most promising we’ve heard this year. We hope there is plenty more in the pipeline.

You’re Not Gonna Like This is now available to stream on all major platforms via this link. Follow Jeremiah Kingston on Instagram.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

MidLskooL shares his posthumous requests in his hip hop anthem, ‘AfterParty’, featuring Miss Toto.

Posted on 5 May 2021

With reminiscence to the likes of Fatman Scoop, Snoop Dog, Timbaland and Missy Elliot, MidLskooL’s latest single, AfterParty, offers all of the infectious energy that you’d expect to find in a high-vibe hip hop anthem.

With MidLskooL bringing 00s hip hop vibes with his dominant rap bars and featuring artist Miss Toto bringing the soul with her RnB hip hop vocals, AfterParty is as dynamic as it is galvanising. It might feel strange at first to hear MidLskooL run through his funeral preferences, but if you look between the lines, you will find that AfterParty is a subversively convincing way of telling you that the concept of death doesn’t have to be synonymous with grief. As sombre as it may be, death provides an opportunity for celebration, and we’re notorious for not knowing what we have until it is gone.

AfterParty is available to stream and purchase via apple music.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Canadian trailblazer SVLM offers a high-vibe Hip Hop playlist staple with ‘Six Speed’

Posted on 14 November 2020

SVLM has already taken the Canadian Hip Hop scene by storm, after the release of their latest track, Six Speed, he’s about to tempestuously dominate international airwaves.

The high-vibe grooves paired with their charismatically-energetic personality made an earworm out of Six Speed, which is anything but mechanical despite the romantically meta automotive focus of the track.

Their ability to infuse their endearing personality in the music video made it impossible not to warm to SVLM. Their commercial potential is undeniable. Don’t just watch this space, get behind one of the most eccentrically magnetic artists dropping tracks in 2020.

You can check out the cinematic official music video which dropped on October 30th for yourselves by heading over to YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast