Browsing Tag

2021 Hip Hop

Cush Wallace establishes himself as the new West Coast hip hop heavyweight with ‘AMMO’.

Posted on 6 December 2021

LA-based alt-rap artist instrumentalist and producer Cush Wallace is well on his way to securing a place in West Coast hip hop history. His latest EP, DRICO II: THE RISE OF FREDERICO DOWN BY PICO, stands as a testament to his trippy and atmospheric style and his cuttingly sharp wit.

His Afro-Latino roots pull through in the standout single, AMMO, which runs his tens of thousands of listeners through the weight put on him from his haters. Being the inspirational artist that he is, he lyrically fights his way through adversity and shines as before the track reaches its gritty outro.

Cush Wallace is so much more than your average I-downloaded-garage-band-3-months-ago kind of rapper; the classically trained multi-instrumentalist mastered the guitar and cello, those melodic skills notably lent themselves to AMMO.

AMMO is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Texas hip hop luminary G Peoples radiates in his latest single, Shine.

Posted on 4 September 2021

Texas’ brightest hip hop luminary, G Peoples, has pushed the envelope even further with the release of his single, Shine, which brings new soul to old school. The short and sweet hit uses its 2:22-minute duration to lull you into a state of optimism as G Peoples shares his infectious attitude over warm, jazzy and almost ethereal tones.

The artist, rapper, songwriter and entrepreneur’s career quickly gained traction with his debut single in 2019. It is no surprise that so many people have found meaning in his motivating lyricism and contemporary indie take on the soundscapes that have been winning us over since Uptown Records changed the face of hip hop forever.

Shine is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Nate Dingo takes us to the movies in his latest cinematic single ft. Kmwurld & YDZ

Posted on 28 July 2021

Newark, NJ-based breaking artist Nate Dingo is starting to make major waves with his signature infusion of Afrobeat, RnB, pop and hip hop. If he is not already on your radar, his latest single, Movie, featuring Kmwurld & YDZ is the perfect introduction.

Movie is a sultry downtempo feat of tropic hip hop complete with jazzy grooves that throwback to old school, but with Nate Dingo’s boldly authentic approach, he has exactly what it takes to define the future of hip hop.

Tracks like Moves is what the phrase ‘it’s a vibe’ should have been invented for.

The official music video premiered on June 28th; it is available to stream via YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

AK Diorr. takes us on a ride with his latest melodic hip hop single, ‘CHROME FORGIATOS’.

Posted on 12 May 2021

With so much hype around LA-based singer-songwriter AK Diorr., we dove into his latest single, CHROME FORGIATOS. The grooves in the light and ambient feat of melodically sun-bleached hip hop instantly affirmed how Diorr. has garnered so much acclaim since his debut single, ‘Eager’, dropped in 2020.

CHROME FORGIATOS may explore lavish excess, but the through his magnetism and the romanticism of the soundscape that breaks the monocultural mould, the track becomes so much more than just another series of status symbol boasts. You would struggle to find more soul in a contemporary hip hop track.

It’s easy to predict his trajectory to the top soaring in 2021 and beyond. Save a space for him on your radar.

CHROME FORGIATOS is now available to stream via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

C15 pays ode to authenticity with ‘Real Ones’ featuring AJ Berning

Posted on 24 April 2021

Indiana-hailing breaking hip hop artist C15’s latest EP, ‘I Don’t Care’, kicks off with the massive track, Real Ones’, featuring AJ Berning; it’s an ode to authenticity and the ultimate diss track to the superficial.

With relentless rap flows in the verses, which could easily parallel the momentum in Eminem’s bars, infectiously memorable choruses and the perfect balance between the new wave and old school with southern vibes in between, the commercial potential pours from Real Ones. He’s got the flow, he’s got the flex, and he undeniably has what it takes to break into the mainstream. C15 definitely isn’t one to underestimate. Get him on your radar.

C15’s EP, I Don’t Care, is now available to stream via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Urban Row3 – For the Fame: Humble Hustler Hip Hop

Posted on 6 April 2021

Up and coming hip hop artist Urban Row3’s latest soul-infused hip hop track, ‘For the Fame’, comes with a refreshing subversive twist. Rather than falling into the trap of becoming yet another capitalist poster boy, Urban Row3 welcomed created a slick mix that plenty will vibe with

If any track is worth coining the genre ‘humble hustler hip hop’ for, it’s For the Fame. It instantly shares its infectiously grounded yet high vibe energy. It comes as no surprise that Urban Row3 has been able to rack up so many streams since the recent release of this urban earworm.

The official music video for Urban Row3’s single, For the Fame, dropped on March 21st. You can check it out via YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

OvaDos proves that it is all in the mindset with her humbled RnB trap track, ‘No Regrets’

Posted on 1 April 2021

While the mainstream media is determined to depict this generation as a lost one, breaking hip hop artist and producer, OvaDos is on a mission to uplift with her soulfully convictive RnB hip hop tracks such as ‘No Regrets’.

No Regret serves as a poignant reminder that success depends on your mindset just as much as your circumstances. It may be a short and sweet track, but 1:42 minutes is all the time the Californian artist needed to impart grounded and humbled wisdom over her modern trippy beats.

No Regrets is now available to stream via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Southern flair meets Midwest Flavour in Js the Best’s latest single ‘Baby’ featuring Shawny Marie

Posted on 9 March 2021

Rap artist, Js the Best’s moniker is no exaggeration, as his latest single, ‘Baby’, created in collaboration with Shawny Marie proves.

Southern flair meets Midwest flavour in the seductive feat of hip hop which pulls in nuances of pop, Rnb and trap to set an amorously immersive tone. Collaborative chemistry easily breathes between Js the Best and Shawny Marie as they run you through a multi-faceted love story which accurately reflects the complex nature of relationships. So much imagery is spilled through the track alone, a music video is pretty much surplus to requirement. The smooth production is enough to make Jay Z sound rough. If he’s not already on your radar, make room.

Check out Js the Best via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Trailblazing rap artist, Munna delivers enviably infectious energy in their latest single ‘Tick’

Posted on 8 March 2021

The energy which trailblazing rap artist, Munna exhibits in his latest single, ‘Tick’ which dropped on February 6th is as enviable as it is infectious.

Through old-school confrontational rap bars, modern trappy beats and nuances of drill in the full-bodied mix, commercial potential resounds in the phenomenally gritty hit which will undoubtedly put Munna on the map as an up and coming artist worth watching. It may only be 1:25-minutes long, but that’s all the time Munna needs to leave you adrenalized.

You can check out the official video to Munna’s single on YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Kanardo learns that money can buy us anything, but money can’t ‘Loan Me Love’

Posted on 3 March 2021

‘Loan Me Love’ is the opening track and first single from Columbus, Ohio native Kanardo’s new album ‘Pieces Of My Pride’, 11 tracks and 36 minutes of soulful trappy hip hop from that rhythmical, Detroit style, reminiscent of Eminem, Aristotle, or Kendrick. It’s got grind and a smooth, lyrical flow, with some clever wordplay and the odd bent syllable here and there for good measure.

‘Loan Me Love’ opens up the album, and it’s a great little introduction, Kool G Rap style multirhymes and family tripping off the tongue as Kanardo works through the verses, over a steady beat loop and a cute little guitar-based intro and middle-eight.

Check out ‘Loan Me Love’ – and the rest of ‘Pieces Of My Pride’ on Spotify.

Review by Alex Holmes