Browsing Tag

Cloud Rap

Neemkeez has dropped his debut big beat hip hop album, Sugar Brain.

Posted on 23 June 2021

San Francisco-hailing rapper, producer and multi-instrumentalist Neemzkeez is to hip hop what The Prodigy is to electronica. After releasing his ground-breaking debut album, Sugar Brain, it’s clear that his viscerally ensnaring music is anything but mainstream, but it carries all of the potential.

With his tendency to take inspiration from everything from the alt 90s, shoegaze and cloud rap, the album is a flawless feat of electronic innovation. The perfect introduction to Neemkeez sound is irrefutably ‘Overload’, which carries the progressive momentum of Infected Mushroom’s most euphoric mixes.

Hit play, and you won’t fail to be galvanised by the rapid-fire rap bars, melodic rap increments, caustic bass-riding beats, and Persian rhythms that represent Neemkeez’ cultural heritage.

Sugar Brain is an insanely promising debut. We can’t wait to hear what follows.

You can check out Neemkeez’ debut album that dropped on June 11th, 2021, via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

BabyEros hit us right ‘In My Feels’.

Posted on 17 June 2021

Opening up with some eerily creepy guitar work and a heavily vocoder-sounding autotuned vocal, ‘In My Feels’ finds itself a genre-defying niche somewhere between alternative edgy trap and alt-rock; sounding like the unholy lovechild of Linkin Park, Alice In Chains, and Skrillex, ‘In My Feels’ is taken from BabyEros’ self-titled debut EP, and flips effortlessly between straight-out rock delivery and rapid-fire hip hop flow, it’s dark, brooding, and unsettling in equal measure, and that’s a very good thing. It’s a quality cross-over piece that deserves a proper listen.

You can check out BabyEros on YouTube and Instagram.

Review by Alex Holmes

MiGoFromMD has released his raw confessional Lo-Fi trap single, ‘Mental’ (Prod. Nono x Ele x Lufye)

Posted on 15 June 2021

US trap artist MiGoFromMD has been a prolific artist since making his debut earlier in 2021. With his standout single, Mental, he created a relatable manic track that reflects the insecurities that can stem from the self-awareness of our mental flaws.

His refreshingly honest lyrics cut right down to the bone while you listen to the lo-fi trap mix, prod. Nono x Ele x Lufye, run through. With a chorus of “I’m fucked and I’m mental, don’t know if I trust you” flowing with the indie trap beats that will be a hit with Tyler, the Creator, Mac Miller and Juice WRLD, there’s plenty of potential in MiGoFromMD’s raw and confessionally unique sound.

You can check out Mental for yourselves by heading over to SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

MoneyWay K shares relatable themes of misanthropic apathy in ‘IDKY’.

Posted on 19 May 2021

Breaking hip hop artist MoneyWay K reached the pinnacle of new wave indie hip hop with his latest release, ‘IDKY’. The trap beats run through intricate melodies while MoneyWay K’s reverb-swathed vocals flow with the grooves as they verse the lyrics that play with the themes of misanthropy and romantic apathy. IDKY may just be the most relatable rap track that has dropped in 2021 so far.

Any fans of Mac Miller, Lil Peep, Juice WRLD and XXXtentacion will want to make room on their playlists for IDKY. The track couldn’t be more candid, honest or raw, but MoneyWay K still maintained a gritty convictive presence in the single that will leave you hooked with every progression.

You can check out the official video that dropped on May 9th by heading over to YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Blank666 exposes the dark side of hedonism with ‘Wasted’ featuring Nikki Vale.

Posted on 10 May 2021

Blank666’s standout single, ‘Wasted’, poignantly exposes the darker side of the hedonist lifestyle that many rap artists are quick to glamourise. But not many lyrics hit as hard as the deeply introspective ones you will find here that wistfully regret choosing escapism over affection.

To give you an idea of just how heartfelt a track Wasted is, if Simple Plan switched from alt-rock to rap, their sound would carry plenty of reminiscences. The lo-fi indie feel to the simple yet poignant offering of alt hip hop amplifies the intimacy but Wasted is so much more than your average emo melancholy-fest thanks to the grooves and four to the floor beats that allows energy to echo through the mix.

You can check out the official video to Wasted by heading over to YouTube now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Enjoy the softer side of trap with Timmy the Boy’s intimate alt-indie sound.

Posted on 1 May 2021

Alternative artist Timmy the Boy has contributed to the airwaves for the past three years with this unique take on alt hip hop; he has garnered plenty of well-earned hype in the process. The prolific artist has collaborated with numerous major-league producers and worked with sensational featuring artists, but evidently, plenty of the alchemy in his evocative tracks is entirely his own.

The US-based artist possesses the enviable ability to explore raw emotion in his music while never drawing the listener into melancholy. Instead, he lays down all too relatable emotion while allowing his beats to tease optimism and connection.

His most recent single, Run to You, featuring Jocc and produced by Mikeisotb, can easily be considered a cloud rap playlist staple. With genres merged and plenty of atmosphere under the dual vocals, it’s as indulgently unique as it is distinctively immersive.

You can check out Timmy the Boy’s tracks for yourselves by heading over to SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Trevor Quest – Project Girl featuring Eddie Geno and J Will

Posted on 24 April 2021

Trevor Quest has released his sophomore single, ‘Project Girl’, in collaboration with Eddie Geno and J Will; the modernistic trap mix sits right on the contemporary curve while allowing the breaking artist to stamp down their signature sensual RnB-infused sound.

The spacey atmospheric single utilises plenty of reverb, vocally and instrumentally, but with the solid 808s in the mix, the track boasts the kind of structure that makes it impossible for your mind to wander from the dreamy urban ambience and the magnetism in Trevor Quest’s smooth vocal timbre.

Project Girl officially released on April 1st; it is available to stream and download on Apple Music. You can also check out Project Girl via YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Unique M.D. wants us to hear his ‘Last Words’

Posted on 20 April 2021

Opening with some delicious violin and piano, Unique M.D.s ‘Last Words’ is a slow, chilled, but powerful slice of old-school Hip Hop telling the story of the end of a relationship, M.D.’s flow tripping over the 808 hi-hats and laid-back bassline, all early-Eminem and Dre.

Following up his earlier singles ‘Let’s Take a Trip’ and ‘First Date’, ‘Last Words’ bookends the relationship with this breakup story, the American rapper’s prolific back-catalogue showcases his style; with ‘Last Words’, M.D.’s made an easy, relaxed-feel track that still has a potent lyrical message.

You can check out ‘Last Words’ on Soundcloud now, and follow Unique M.D. on Instagram.

Review by Alex Holmes

Hranrad shows us the pinnacle of alt ambient electro pop with his standout track, ‘Misdemeanor’

Posted on 20 April 2021

Berlin-based artist Hranrad’s standout track, Misdemeanour, taken from his EP, Persona, is ambient aural experimentation at its finest. The self-described ‘genre-curious bedchamber producer’ was just as eccentrically playful with Misdemeanour as he was with his bio.

The delicate tapestry of contrasting and complementary tones is unapologetically authentic, not just in terms of sonic originality, you’ll truly get a sense that the notion of pretences was a million miles away from this tender and expressively honest track. We hope to hear plenty more of his haunting yet comforting melodies in 2021 and beyond.

Misdemeanour is available to stream with the rest of Hranrad’s debut EP, Persona, via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

MASSIVESAD explores the grey areas in mental health conversations with ‘Make This Real’

Posted on 18 April 2021

No artist can pull the art out of melancholy quite like Florida-residing indie-pop artist MASSIVESAD. His latest release, ‘Make This Real’, is just as evocatively astute as his previous releases, but this time, he brought his cinematic dream-pop sound to an ethereal new level.

Make This Real is another addition to MASSIVESAD’s forthcoming concept album that experiments with spoken word confessions between psychedelically ambient soundscapes. His sound may constantly be in-flux, but MASSIVESAD always succeeds in leading you to a state of mind where you’re open to suggestibility. Through his art, he asks difficult yet essential questions about the human experience; with Make This Real, he explores how we deal with our mental health and the mental health of those around us.

We all know that reaching out is the best thing to do when you’re feeling low and the right thing to do is support others who are struggling, but what about the grey areas? The grey areas which tell us to take individual responsibility and to remain the pillar of strength and leave us inclined to avoid the infectious ennui of others to maintain our own sanity.

Make This Real is now available to stream via SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast