Browsing Tag

Dark Hip Hop

Mike Ruggi is ”Runnin” all the way to the top with debut single

This is the first single off of Mike Ruggi’s debut album ‘Movement‘. I feel like we are witnessing an underdog rise from the ashes, a soul that is so hungry he is going to eat real big.

He is running all the way up and not doing this for anyone else by himself. Sometimes you just have to try that 3 point shot and see what happens. The flow is so rugged and raw. This emcee is breaking down the door to get onto the mic and you can hear the passion.

Newcomer Mike Ruggi steps into the Hip Hop game with a massive chip on his shoulder. He doesn’t lack confidence and has been planning this for a while. ”Runnin” is all about proving to himself that he is worthy to lace the mic with world class skills. His dream was put on hold and we are thrown into his story with haunting beats, a sound that echoes in your ears as you feel his frustration with the process. With a debut like this it feels like Mike Ruggi will be stomping down the streets with more gritty music very soon.

Stream this Hip Hop track with all the right noises here on Spotify and join the journey.

Reviewed by Llewelyn Screen

Lucky Swami – $wipe icard: Atmospherically Fresh Dark Hip Hop

Lucky Swami and Foolish G teamed up once more to create a darkly atmospheric feat of Hip Hop with their 2020 release $wipe icard.

If you’re a fan of Rap tracks which offer beats which are just as authoritative as the Rap bars, you’ll undoubtedly want to make $wipe icard a firm fixture on your playlists. It boasts old school lyrical conviction while making sure it is bang on trend with the polished bass-heavy Alt Trap beats.

There may be plenty of energy thrown into the ensnaring mix, but thanks to the easy melodic groove of the ominous track, it’s one you can easily slip into.

You can check out Lucky Swami’s tracks for yourselves by heading over to Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Grunge Trap Trailblazer Zlumpyy Has Dropped His Fiercest Track Yet with “Rude!”

https://soundcloud.com/zlumpyyyyyyy/rude

Up and coming Trap artist Zlumpyy has created plenty of mould-breaking Trap hits in 2020, but the best introduction to their fiercely authentic style is undoubtedly their recently released aural storm Rude! produced by Mathiastyner.

By incorporating the same untameable angst as 90s Grunge pioneers into their adrenalized Trap mix, Rude! is as volatile as Trap gets. The track may be short, but it packs a convictive punch and you can practically taste the creative catharsis which it contains.

Zlumpyy’s invention of the Scream Trap genre may not be for the faint-hearted, but truly expressive rarely ever is.

You can check out Zlumpyy’s track Rude! along with the rest of their releases via SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Kazuo – YABAI96: Darkly Caustic Alt Hip Hop

What Atari Teenage Riot is to EDM, up and coming Japanese Hip Hop artist Kazuo is to Hip Hop. Their latest track “YABAI69 which dropped in January is a juggernaut of an aural gem.

Explosive energy comes from both Kauzo’s high-octane adrenalized Rap delivery and the dark gritty beats which for the most part wouldn’t be out of place in a horror soundtrack. Hitting play on YABAI96 is a full-frontal experience which I’d recommend to any fans of Alt Hip Hop.

Of all the Hip Hop artists creating bitingly aggressive tracks, no artist quite does it with the same snaring conviction as Kazuo.

You can check out the official video to Kazuo’s latest single YABAI96 which premiered on January 27th via YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

ScottySlump – Heavenly: Chillingly Atmospheric Trap

“Heavenly” is just one of the chilling Hip Hop singles which feature on up and coming Hip Hop artist ScottySlump’s recently released EP “Save Yourself”.

Whether it was the deep reverberant baritone deadpan Rap bars or the dark mechanical tonality of the beats, Heavenly almost felt the opposite of its name. But that’s not to say that Heavenly isn’t a mesmeric mix, it just comes with intensely phantasmal atmospherics which are slightly disconcerting.

It is safe to say that we won’t be forgetting ScottySlump’s raw distinctive edge for quite a while, and neither will you if you hit play on Heavenly.

You can check out Heavenly along with the rest of the EP for yourselves by heading over to SoundCloud now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast.

VÉTRO – Heroina Love: Darkly Intellectual, Experimentally Captivating Hip Hop

Up and coming experimental Hip Hop artist VÉTRO has recently followed on from their debut single “Check Out Was at 11” with the darkly indulgent polyphonic aural delight “Heroina Love”.

Even though Heroina Love is a playful and artful soundscape, VÉTRO utilised their sardonic and intellectual wit to create a sobering track which addresses raw issues while simultaneously leaving you feeling uniquely uplifted.

Post Punk and Hip Hop have never been so intrinsically combined. If you could imagine what Bauhaus would sound like if they ventured into Trap, you’d get a good idea of the unique alchemy which VÉTRO has cooked up with Heroina Love. The duration may be on the shorter side, but within two minutes, there comes an affirmation that this level of nuanced ingenuity in Hip Hop is rarely seen. Especially from a breaking artist. If you appreciate Hip Hop pioneers, you’ll be as hooked on VÉTRO’s sound as we are.

You can check out VÉTRO’s single Heroina Love for yourselves by heading over to Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Illegal NoiZe – Keep it Trill: Darkly Phantasmal Electronic Hip Hop

When it comes to dark Electronic Instrumental Hip Hop, no one quite beats the ominously captivating tones of Illegal NoiZe. Their recently released single “Keep it Trill” is just one of the hauntedly fresh singles which you will find on their debut album “The Black Album 2”.

Instead of producing a lucid Dreamwave soundscape, they’ve used their experimentalism to take you on a journey of chillingly atmospheric aural alchemy in Keep it Trill. Spooky season is over for this year but Keep it Trill is a chilling mix which will keep on giving. It may be a downtempo track, but there’s little chance your attention will falter from the dystopian single.

You can check out Illegal NoiZe’s single Keep it Trill along with the rest of their album via Spotify

Review by Amelia Vandergast