Browsing Tag

Contemporary Hip Hop

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

Posted on 28 February 2024

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

Reality bites, but Sizway’s bars hit harder in his originated rap track, Paint

Posted on 14 January 2024

For his latest single and music video, Paint, which has now racked up almost 350k streams on YouTube, one of the biggest names to break through the rap scene, Sizway, collaborated with producer Josh Osbourne and director Dre Paiid and unleashed a gritty portrayal of life’s raw edges.

Born Zuri Ntlabati, Sizway’s Detroit roots and South African heritage have culminated in a sound that is as diverse as his background. Paint, set against a backdrop of hypnotic melodies and the sharp bite of 808s, is a testament to this.

The track opens with a mesmerising play of keys, setting a tone that is both introspective and assertive. As the trappy rattle of the 808s kicks in, Sizway takes the reins, delivering rap bars that pull you into his world. His lyrics are a vivid vignette of reality, unvarnished and unapologetic. There’s no room for hedonistic gloss here; Sizway’s narrative reflects the sharp teeth of reality that he has navigated.

As he continues to rise in the hip-hop dominion, Sizway stands as a trailblazer of originality, and Paint is a key to understanding a world he navigates with grace, edge, and grit.

Stream the official music video for Paint on YouTube now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Two To Many epitomised decadent devotion in their modernist take on RnB, Fasho (Fall in Love)

Posted on 26 February 2023

Two To Many turned up the heat with their simmering amalgam of RnB, Hip-Hop and Pop, Fasho (Fall in Love). Capturing the unparalleled sensation of falling so deeply you see stars, Fasho isn’t a track you listen to; it is one you feel.

The single by the duo featuring the silky-smooth vocal timbre of Markus Shields leaves no room to wonder about the sincerity of the devotion projected through the ardently melodious grooves and the lyrics that flirt with salaciousness while rising above the lascivious fray.

The modernist spin on RnB may pay tribute to the roots of the genre, but the contemporary production styling allowed the duo to establish itself as one to watch while it brings in the future of the genre. The LA-based songwriter, dancer, choreographer and producer, Markus Shields is a soulful force to be reckoned with.

Fasho (Fall in Love) is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Vibe in style with 12WELVE ambient lo-fi trap track, Wake Up

Posted on 10 October 2021

With his lucid bilingual rap bars falling into the ambient lo-fi trap beats, Latino rapper and producer 12WELVE’s latest single, Wake Up, is as invigorating as it is indulgently mellow.

The Houston, Texas-based artist takes inspiration from the likes of The Weeknd, 88GLAM and Kanye West and wears his influences on his aural sleeve in the short and sweet hit which keeps the production simple to leave plenty of room for the resounding emotion in this vibing pensive hit.

Wake Up is the second single released from 12WELVE’s upcoming album, Forever My Love, where betrayal, love, anger and glamour will be uniquely explored. If you like to keep your chill wave playlists fresh, we’d recommend saving a spot on your radar.

Wake Up is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Deadrick Rydell lights up the high vibe hip hop genre with his latest single, Show Me Luv.

Posted on 9 October 2021

After making his 2018 debut, US hip hop artist Deadrick Rydell continues to pick up hype with his high vibes, sense of untamed soul and tendency to wear his heart on his sleeve to create honest connections with his fans.

His latest single, Show Me Luv, is the perfect introduction to the Texas-based artist’s instantly affable nature that makes the shimmering tones in the easy grooving single hit that little bit sweeter. With elements of Afrobeat in the evocatively light instrumentals, this tropic, sun-kissed hit hits the spot every time. We are already stoked to hear what follows.

Show Me Luv is now available to stream on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

 

Take off with Jamal Wade’s ‘Spaceship’

Posted on 4 May 2021

Hitch a ride off the planet with luminary hip hop artist Jamal Wade’s single ‘Spaceship’, taken from his latest EP, ‘April Very Own’.

With high-fire bars, ominous lyrical whispers, and ingenious diss lines, Jamal Wade efficaciously sets a sinister convictive tone in the atmospheric single. You would be hard-pressed to find an artist bringing the same amount of energy to the mic.The Tampa Bay native has stayed true to his style since making his indie debut with his EP, ‘God Forgive Me’, in 2019; as a result, he’s averaging 3 million monthly listeners on Spotify alone.

His bio is practically the ultimate success story for an up and coming rap artist in 2021. If he’s not already on your radar, we’d suggest making room.

Spaceship is now available to stream with the rest of April Very Own via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

LV Fresh catches us hard with ‘No Hook’

Posted on 2 May 2021

LV Fresh (a.k.a. Reginald Ferrari Jr), originally from NYC’s Bronx district and now based in Atlanta, Georgia, drops us a banging, upbeat slice of melodic Hip Hop straight from the streets. Punctuated by NSFW references, and with a video filled with gangs, guns, and green, this isn’t for the faint-hearted; but in amongst the Tec-9s and dope there’s some serious, well-crafted lyrical bounce and flow here. LV Fresh can certainly spit the rhymes out at the same RPM as the AR in the video; that’s ‘Rhymes Per Minute’, yo, and ‘No Hook’ could do some proper ballistic damage, but it’s also got some serious bop and hustle. You’ll want to check this out while it’s still (LV) fresh.

Watch the video for ‘No Hook’ on YouTube. Follow on Instagram.

Review by Alex Holmes

 

Sharpshooter (S.S) proves to be a lyrical force to be reckoned with in their single, ‘Legendary’

Posted on 7 April 2021

Pennsylvania hip hop artist Sharpshooter (S.S) has been creating hip hop for 15 years, always staying on-trend and in tune with current issues around injustice, as his 2020 album, ‘This Ain’t Nothin’ 4’ proves.

The standout single, ‘Legendary’, allows Sharpshooter (S.S) to exercise their lyrical wit and shine an all-baring light on the conflicting duality in our lived experiences.

With a nod to the struggles of introverts who want to succeed, the increasing toxicity of our digital world and music fans tendencies to not heed the wisdom in lyricism, Sharpshooter (S.S) has plenty to say and all of the talent and precision to ensure that his lyricism hits hard. With his convictive poetic precision, he is definitely worthy of his moniker. But under all that talent, there’s a magnetic charisma and soul which makes it all too easy for their razor-sharp analogies to blow your mind.

Check out Sharpshooter (S.S)’s album This Ain’t Nothin’ 4 via Spotify. Ironically, it is everything a die-hard hip hop fan could ask for.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

US Rap artist Threeseven delivers inspiring resilience with ‘Due Time’

Posted on 27 November 2020
https://soundcloud.com/threesevenmusic/due-time

With dark and bouncy light textures all interweaving in the colossal new drop ‘Due Time’ from Rap legend Threeseven, you’ll be immersed from the first verse.

From there on out, you’ll be locked into the masterful grind which follows a mesmeric pace, making it impossible not to get locked into the introspective-deep lyrics. If you want to hear what raw convictive resilience sounds like, hit play and find out.

Without any hint of self-aggrandized ego, Threeseven serves pure determination through the lyrics in Due Time. It really is only a matter of time before big things start to happen for them and their evocatively compelling sound.

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

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Jai T takes introspective-deep Hip Hop to an ethereal new level with ‘Soldier’

Posted on 17 November 2020

With each new release from US Rap artist Jai T, the airwaves get a new demonstration of their versatility. With the release of their 2020 EP ‘Eclipse’, their dynamism and enigmatic prowess has never been more prominent.

‘Soldier’ is the perfect introduction to their introspective-deep wit-laden lyricism, but the true distinction within their sound is undoubtedly found within the style of the production. It isn’t every day that I get the pleasure of describing Hip Hop as ethereal, but you’d struggle to find a better adjective to allude to transfixing shimmering reverb which wraps around the tight synergistic beats.

You can check out Jai T’s latest track via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast