Browsing Tag

Downtempo Hip Hop

Mooch has dropped their soulful single “Rainy Daze”

Posted on 21 August 2020

Hailing from New Jersey, Mooch describes himself as “An Old Soul making real music for real people”, and with ‘Rainy Daze’ he’s probably not far away with that description. From the ‘For You From Me’ mini-album, this is a love song in chilled-out old school Hip Hop format a la early De La Soul, beautifully mellow and down-tempo.

There’s a lovely little jazzy guitar phrase repeated over and around atop swingy drums and handclaps and Mooch’s laconic spoken delivery.  In a world that currently seems to be tearing itself into ever greater paroxysms of anger and division, this is a softer, gentler ode to love and to better days ahead; “I wanna hang out wit’ you while it’s downpouring/You give me chills like the crowd roarin’/I know it might sound boring/but one day we’ll be soarin’/and never worry about ever being late in the morning”. Frankly, who couldn’t use a little more of that right now?

‘For You From Me’ is on Spotify or you can check Mooch out on Soundcloud.

Review by Alex Holmes

Jungle.wav – Old School analogue ambience with “Jai Guru Deva”

Posted on 21 August 2020

The video to Jungle.wav’s single ‘Jai Guru Deva’ is roughly 100 seconds of dreamy, escapist visions of mountains and alpine forest, all lo-fi shakiness on old-school cine-8.

That’s pretty much the music, too; dreamy, escapist, and low tempo. Sweeping old-school electronica mixes lo-fi beats, soothing chillwave and half-spoken mellow vocals; it’s trancey and reverb-soaked, chilled and psychedelic. Yes, there’s an obvious Eno-like reference in its ambience, but there’s elements of Ryuichi Sakamoto and Youssou N’Dour mixed in with the chiming strings and sweeping, old-school analogue synth. Behind the whispered vocal sit lo-fi, Moog and ARP sounds, and then, all too soon, it’s over.

You can hear ‘Jai Guru Deva’ on YouTube, and find more from Jungle.wav here.

Review by Alex Holmes

Arthur Pri¢e is on lyrical fire in their latest Ambient Indie Hip Hop single “Witnesses”  

Posted on 3 August 2020

Up and coming Hip Hop artist Arthur Pri¢e dropped the official music video to their latest single Witnesses on July 19th. With a sound which sits right on the contemporary curve, the smooth grind of the beats and the flawless production, any fans of downtempo Hip Hop will want to indulge themselves.

You can’t help but lock into Arthur Pri¢e’s introspectively deep Rap bars which offer as much connectable resonance as they do wit. I’ll never get tired of hearing Rap bars which show that Rap and poetry are two sides of the same coin. There’s an incredibly refreshing sense that Arthur Pri¢e held nothing back when penning the powerful perfectly metered lyrics.

From start to finish, Witness is a mesmerizingly immersive track. The instrumentals may be stripped back, but the ambient grooves behind Arthur Pri¢e’s bars prove to be an alchemic combination.

You can check out the official music video to Arthur Pri¢e’s single Witnesses via YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Fiery Lyrical Conviction Meets Ambient Beats in GV’s Standout Hip Hop Single “Lil Min”

Posted on 22 July 2020

Breaking Hip Hop artist & activist GV made their debut in 2018 with the firestorm of a Rap album “Calm Before the Storm”. If you let the release pass you by, there’s no better time to hit play on the collection of adrenalizing convictive tracks which tackle issues which are (unsurprisingly) just as prevalent today.

The perfect introduction to GV’s fiery approach to ambient Hip Hop is Lil Man, a mould-breaking feat of Hip Hop where ambient dreamy beats create the platform for GV’s justifiably aggressive vocals which verse the hard-hitting, raw and real lyrics.

The lyrics may invoke a smorgasbord of emotion, but the smooth and hazy production makes sure that any anger thrown your way in Lil Man hits you accordantly.

You can check out GV’s single Lil Min along with their album by heading over to Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Hip Hop Producer Drilltime Zani Has Taken the Scene by Rhythmic Storm with Their Standout Mix “Mop Stickz”

Posted on 17 July 2020
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4oqdKKDXoxM

Hip Hop producer Drilltime Zani has proven to be a rhythmic force to be reckoned with in recent years. With multiple viral hits under their belt such as Mop Stickz which have racked up over 2 million streams on YouTube alone since its release in 2019, it’s hard not to pay attention to their virtuoso style.

With Mop Stickz, Drilltime Zani took Lud Foe’s iconic style and crafted a cinematically immersive, atmospherically ambient track which has no need for Rap bars to express the energy and emotion which oozes from the masterful almost Neo-Classic progressions.

It’s all too easy to expect big things to come from the Florida, US-based artist in the future.

You can check out Mop Stickz along with Drilltime Zani’s other beats for yourselves by heading over to YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Zenith777 – Carpe Diem: Lyrically Transfixing Ambient Jazz-Laden Hip Hop

Posted on 13 July 2020

Off the heels of their successful 2020 Hip Hop debut, Zenith777 followed-up with a lyrically transfixing feat of Ambient Jazz-laden Hip Hop with the single “Carpe Diem”.

Lockdown may not have been the time to seize the day, but now that it’s coming to an end, Carpe Diem drops resolving reminders to pick your passion back up, dodge the drama and brush off the apathy. 2020 may be messed up. But that’s no reason to put optimism and motivation to one side.

With the contemporary Indie vibe behind Carpe Diem, it’s all too easy to sink into the soundscape and drink in the lyrical wisdom which Zenith777 soulfully offers.

Finding Hip Hop artists who you can easily connect with is often harder than finding a needle in a haystack. After you hit play on Carpe Diem, you’ll see that’s just one of the reasons to put Zenith777 on your radar.

You can check out Zenith777’s track Carpe Diem along with their debut single by heading over to Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Flee Bossin’ has made their debut with the mesmerizing Alt Hip Hop drop “Don’t Hit My Line”

Posted on 30 June 2020

It is no easy feat for up and coming Hip Hop artists to set themselves leagues apart from the rest with their debut singles. Perceptibly, NYC Rapper Flee Bossin’ achieved that with the release of “Don’t Hit My Line”.

Don’t Hit My Line mixes up the usual Hip Hop beats with striking minor-key synth notes around the rattle of the 808s while Flee Bossin’ verses the lyrics which he dug deep to find. His lyrical flex is so on point you’ll feel pierced as you listen to the witty introspection which is all too easy to relate to.

Hip Hop debuts don’t come much hotter than this. If you’re looking for a true connection when you hit play along with absorbing instrumentals, Don’t Hit My Line comes highly recommended.

You can check out Flee Bossin’s debut single for yourselves by heading over to Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Au Perry – Shot Clock: Ruminatively Poignant Hip Hop

Posted on 24 June 2020

Breaking Hip Hop artist Au Perry dropped their ruminatively poignant latest single “Shot Clock” on May 30th. If you appreciate powerful lyricism which doesn’t just scratch at the surface of superficiality, you’ll want to make Shot Clock a firm fixture on your downtempo Hip Hop playlists.

Shot Clock offers arrestive amounts insight which flows along with the steady and fluid beats which create a reflective and ambient atmospheric platform for Au Perry’s inspiring introspection. We already can’t wait to hear the aural wisdom which Au Perry will share with the airwaves through his future releases.

You can check out the official music video for Au Perry’s latest single by heading over to YouTube.

There’ll be plenty more from Au Perry in 2020, so make sure you stay tuned via Facebook.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

YAN x TIM FLAIR – MOB VILLAIN: Ambiently Arrestive Hip Hop

Posted on 21 June 2020
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ssf06xX3G5E

American Rapper Yan teamed up with Dutch producer Tim Flair to drop the hazy, dreamy, lyrically ingenious feat of Hip Hop “MOB VILLAIN”.

With subtle nuances of Jazz weaving around the ambiently arrestive Trap beats, MOB VILLAIN organically drips catharsis. And through YAN’s Rap bars, you’ll get to soak up all the soul which was thrown into the melodically blissful mix.

You can check out YAN x TIM FLAIR’s track MOB VILLAIN for yourselves by heading over to YouTube. Your vibe-out playlists will definitely thank you for it.

If it’s your bag, give their channel a follow. MOB VILLAIN is the debut single to be released from YAN x TIM FLAIR’s collaborative EP “Late Nites & Summer Days” which has been produced to freshen up your Summer Hip Hop playlists.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Tha Individuals have dropped their distinctively hypnotic feat of Hip Hop “Seasons”

Posted on 13 June 2020

Breaking Hip Hop collective Tha Individuals have just dropped their experimentally atmospheric new mix “Seasons”.

Even though there’s plenty of grind, momentum and conviction which pours from Seasons, the downtempo pacing and inventive production style transform the mix into a distinctively hypnotic feat of Hip Hop.

With each of the four artists including Shmobandie, AldeezDaGreat, WestMoDollaz and Dubsandup bringing a different vocal dynamic to the mix, each progression in the soundscape feels as fresh as the last.

Tha Individuals come highly recommended to anyone who appreciates pioneering ingenuity from up and coming artists. Get them on your radar.

You can check out Seasons for yourselves by heading over to Spotify now. Keep up to date with the artist’s latest releases via Facebook.

Review by Amelia Vandergast