Browsing Tag

Lyrical Hip Hop

Prettii Boii Claps Back with his Hip-Hop Hit ‘Hater’

Posted on 23 April 2025

Prettii Boii made another power move with his latest single ‘Hater’, which landed on April 10th alongside a cinematically sharp official music video drenched in style and self-assurance. With bold visuals and even bolder bars, the enigmatic hip-hop artist turned self-belief into sonic currency while building an anthem for anyone who’s been targeted by envy and walked away unscathed.

The lyrical waxer takes full charge of the wavy, mellow, and delay-saturated instrumentals as he proves he’s got nothing to lose in a game where his lane runs parallel to no one. Every line bites back at the dead weight determined to drag him down. Each bar carries the charisma of someone long past validation and fully invested in their own grind.

Prettii Boii didn’t just put the haters in their place—he gave them a radio-ready soundtrack to stew in; the track is what the phrase “it’s a vibe” was coined for. His smooth yet infectiously magnetic cadence turned this track into an earworm with major replay value. It’s easy to hear how a release this self-assured and sonically tight will put a serious boost behind his trajectory as he keeps rising from the ground up to the top of the charts.

‘Hater’ is now available to stream on all major platforms. For the full experience, watch the official music video on YouTube. 

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Promise by ADZii BOii: A Hip-Hop Plea Forged in Fragility

Posted on 21 April 2025

ADZii BOii, the hip-hop titan who knows exactly how to bring the hammer down in every bar, delivered his most intimate blow with Promise. Blazing leagues away from his contemporaries, he brings a rare sense of vulnerability to the track, laying all of his insecurities and idiosyncrasies bare while tenderly requesting acceptance in the moments that are in the wake of perfection.

His Scottish vocals are a striking juxtaposition to the polyphonic, playfully retro Afrobeat instrumentals in the bitter-sweet hip-hop and pop hybrid. All of the experimentation and daring to stand alone as an innovator without falling in line with trends only amplifies the sentiment of the lyrical underpinnings by sonically asking for understanding, even when you need to discover new vestiges of what you thought you already knew.

There’s no bravado here—just raw prestige, candour, and the opportunity to strengthen your empathy for anyone who falls outside the mental health mould.

As an artist, ADZii BOii wears his temperamental streak and emotional depth like armour, and Promise proves nothing is off limits. With previous acclaim for ‘Let’s Go’ on Netflix’s Sprint, and ‘Colours’ airing during BBC Radio Scotland’s Mental Health Awareness Week, ADZii BOii’s bid to redefine Scottish rap isn’t wishful thinking—it’s already in motion.

Promise is now available to stream on all major platforms, including Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast.

Fat Prezzi and Miles Ledanois hit heavy and cut deep in ‘Dead Beat’

Posted on 14 April 2025

Don’t let the title of the single fool you; the beats in ‘Dead Beat’ from Fat Prezzi and Miles Ledanois’ collaborative LP, Cold, are alive and kicking—something you’ll instantly realise if you tear yourself away from the oscillations of tonal alchemy swirling around them, soaking up the bite in the collaborators’ rhythmically hypnotic bars.

Hailing from the Bay Area, Prezzi and Ledanois have established a sound unique to the region yet unconstrained by its musical stereotypes. Their melodic motifs feel inherently timeless, appealing to listeners of any generation. The partnership began in the musical melting pot of New Orleans at Loyola University, where producer Miles Ledanois, only three months into beat-making, showed his initial works to Fat Prezzi. Recognising immediate potential, Prezzi encouraged Ledanois, sparking a creative synergy that’s since produced hundreds of tracks.

‘Dead Beat’ carries no pretence of gritty bravado or exaggerated grandiosity; instead, raw authenticity floods the arrangement. Minor-key piano preludes blend effortlessly with beats that effortlessly force submission as the lyrics reflect the adversity these artists have genuinely endured. Prezzi and Ledanois command authority, mercilessly dismantling the hollow narratives of rappers chasing borrowed lifestyles for superficial image-building.

If anyone could rival Run the Jewels’ undeniable chemistry, it’s Fat Prezzi and Miles Ledanois—they hit heavy, cut deep, and demand full emotional engagement.

‘Dead Beat’ is now available to stream on all major platforms, including Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Fists of Redemption: T9 Da Prince Weighs in with Lyrical Equilibrium in ‘Fighting Chance’

Posted on 12 April 2025

The gloves are off in T9 Da Prince’s vibe-steady, wavy hip-hop meditation on what it means to be a true fighter, to bring your fists to justice, purpose, peace, and family. With so much division and meaningless hostility in the world, listening to this short and sweet sermon on bringing your perspective to a healthier space is so much more than a remedy; it is a necessity. With all the charisma of RZA and all the inspirational magnetism of a secular preacher, the independent rap artist found a way to hit intellectually and perspectively hard with Fighting Chance. If you could imagine Where Is the Love with chests of more lyrical gold, you’ll get a good idea of what T9 Da Prince delivered in his single, which was recently accompanied by a self-shot music video.

From Salisbury, Maryland, T9 Da Prince is retooling hip-hop soul with a gospel backbone and enough lyrical weight to crush the surface-level narratives flooding modern rap. There’s grit in his urban storytelling, but never without a sense of clarity. His musical DNA traces back to Tupac, Biggie, and 50 Cent, but it’s his alignment with the truth-seeking penmanship of Joyner Lucas and J. Cole that shapes his voice into something that speaks beyond sound.

With a tone rooted in transformation and a style that’s more sermon than spectacle, Fighting Chance isn’t a flex—it’s a reckoning.

Fighting Chance is now available to stream on all major platforms, including Apple Music and YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

R.O.B RECKIN’ ON BEATZ Channels Inner Ferocity Through Meditative Flow in ‘BEAST MODE’

Posted on 26 March 2025

R.O.B RECKIN’ ON BEATZ doesn’t posture, he positions. With ‘BEAST MODE’, the Lorain, Ohio-based artist turns the phrase into something far removed from chest-beating braggadocio. Instead, the track functions as a meditative soliloquy—a sharp reminder that staying in the zone takes more than adrenaline. It’s about mental clarity, grit, and a refusal to veer off course.

Since writing his first rhymes at ten, R.O.B has taken the long way round to land where he is now: firmly planted in the boom-bap soil, unbothered by trends and fuelled by decades of DIY dedication. That fire nearly went out, dulled by production issues and misaligned visions, but with a new sonic compass in producer CSB, R.O.B rebuilt from the foundation up. The result? Dope Raps & Beats, a tape built on conviction, housing BEAST MODE at its core—a statement piece hosted by DJ Flipcyide and powered by a couple of Wu-Tang affiliates.

Lyrically, he’s mastered metrical flow. Each bar cascades like a waterfall of lyrical gold over CSB’s sharp, minimal beat architecture. What separates him from the pack isn’t the intensity—it’s the restraint. The luxe aura that wraps around the production and bars moves in perfect synergy with mind, body and soul. You’re not forced into the energy. You’re drawn into it.

BEAST MODE redefines what it means to go hard—by staying still, razor-sharp and fully locked into the moment.

BEAST MODE is now available to stream on all major platforms, including Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast.

STEEZALEO THE GREAT Dropped the Hip-Hop Gauntlet in ‘Ride or Go Ghost’

Posted on 24 March 2025

Ride or Go Ghost’ is more than a high-octane hip-hop anthem—it’s a loyalty litmus test drenched in charisma, groove, and unshakeable confidence. STEEZALEO THE GREAT fires from the north side of Kalamazoo with bars that land with the weight of lived experience and a vocal command that sharpens every beat to a fine point. With some rappers, you listen. With others, you feel the energy. With Steezaleo, you lock in and absorb every syllable as it resonates with maximum impact.

Behind the velvet grit of his delivery, playfully luxe beats pop and swing with West Coast flavour, invoking the presence of Dre, Snoop, and Ice Cube without slipping into imitation. There’s no leaning on legacy—Steezaleo carves out his own with a sound shaped by hustle and elevation. Each verse is a statement, refusing to bend to gimmicks or trend-chasing. The metric flexes alone are enough to prove why he’s a self-assured outlier in a scene too often diluted.

‘Ride or Go Ghost’ captures the headrush of confrontation and clarity—who stays solid, and who folds the minute the fire rises? While the instrumentals deliver a euphoric bounce, the lyricism keeps it grounded, offering no illusions about the stakes when trust is on the line. It’s high-energy without sacrificing substance, motivational without preaching, and stylish without losing authenticity.

Ride or Go Ghost is now available to stream on all major platforms, including Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast.

Bruised Knuckles, Clear Mind: Mystic Lovelle Fights for Peace in ‘Shadow Boxing’

Posted on 24 March 2025

Taken from The 3 EP, ‘Shadow Boxing’ is Mystic Lovelle’s melodic statement of intent. old-school hip-hop converges with even older-school soul in luxe layers that form a meditative introduction to the artist’s ethos and aura. Instead of indulging in fantasies of excess, Lovelle turns the spotlight inward to document the hard-won clarity earned through personal unrest.

Everyone loves a rags-to-riches narrative, but Lovelle brings something far more grounded. With steady pacing and meticulously metered bars, the verses map out what it means to move through adversity and arrive in a place where self-respect eclipses regret. The lyrical weight is matched by the production’s depth, where the soul vox weaves around Lovelle’s words like incense.

The track is a smooth reflection carved from strife, shaped into something close to spiritual resolve. Every lyric reinforces the idea that hardship can inform strength without becoming identity, and that mental sanctity grows from resisting the urge to fold beneath pressure. The message doesn’t preach—it presents. Without self-pity or inflated ego, Lovelle builds an atmosphere where wisdom carries more currency than ego.

Tonally, lyrically, and vocally, ‘Shadow Boxing’ is soaked in an affecting sublimity. The cinematic scale meets the intimacy of confessional writing, creating a track that lingers not just through its sound, but through its intention.

Shadow Boxing is now available on Spotify and Apple Music.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Grimreepa Wields His Bars Like Blades in ‘THE EVILS’

Posted on 6 March 2025

Grimreepa raps with the force of someone who has fought too many battles to waste a single breath. ‘THE EVILS’ is a tirade against the deception and injustice that keeps stacking up, delivered with the conviction of an artist who has lived through the worst and come out swinging. His bars cut through the noise, fuelled by a decade of sharpening his craft and a refusal to let anything dilute his message.

Boger Beats’ production is built to hit hard. The stabbing piano keys keep the intensity honed to a razor’s edge, while the oscillating electronic motifs pull the track into the future without losing its 00s hip-hop backbone. The weight of the instrumental leaves room for Grimreepa’s flow to land with impact, sitting somewhere between Jay-Z’s precision and Xzibit’s raw energy, but charging ahead with his own firepower.

With insidious forces reaching new heights, ‘THE EVILS’ arrives as a necessary release for anyone who feels the weight of it all. It’s a rallying point for those who see through the smokescreens. If hip-hop is a battleground, Grimreepa is making sure his voice carries.

 ‘THE EVILS’ is available to stream on Apple Music and Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Breezy BRG’s SHE – HER – A Valentine’s Day Revolution

Posted on 4 March 2025

Released on Valentine’s Day, SHE – HER is Breezy BRG’s unapologetic strike against the clichés of saccharine love songs. This Floridian rapper’s high-energy, scene-storming delivery turns the typical Valentine’s vibe on its head, infusing raw emotion and unfiltered confidence into every bar. Her flow is relentless, a constant undercurrent that sweeps you into her world, where self-assurance reigns and every verse leaves no room for pause.

There’s an undeniable power in Breezy’s sound, built on a foundation of experience and adversity, propelling her into a league of her own. Her lyrical delivery doesn’t just demand attention—it pulls you under her dominating aura.

The single oozes the kind of confidence forged through struggle, a celebration of self-worth that’s impossible to ignore. Breezy BRG is playing at another level, transcending mere hip-hop to carve out a space where both rhythm and soul collide.

SHE – HER is available to stream on Spotify now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

4KPHIL. Schools the Scene with ‘Truancy’

Posted on 24 February 2025

Truancy doesn’t start with a whimper—it kicks the door in with a bang of cinematic old-school hip-hop nostalgia, setting the stage for 4KPHIL.’s bars that never miss. Mellifluous yet sharp, his flow rides over soul-soaked syncopated samples with the ease of an MC who knows every syllable is worth hanging onto. His hypnotic cadence pulls you in, revealing his world inch by inch with every line cascading over motifs that pull you straight back to hip-hop’s golden era.

Phillip Mitchell is no stranger to reinvention. Raised in Connecticut by Jamaican and Grenadian parents, he soaked up the sounds of the East Coast, from New York to Toronto. His early years saw him juggle ambitions as an athlete and academic, but a bullet rewrote his path, leading him to pour everything into music. For years, he built his name under a different alias, crafting a reputation through freestyles and independent releases before feeling the need for something greater. In 2021, 4KPHIL. was born.

Now a key figure on Paperjack Productions’ roster, his evolution is undeniable. With Truancy, he keeps his streak intact, executively producing, refining, and expanding his vision with longtime collaborator RunnitBack. His ability to blend old-school soul with contemporary grit proves he’s not just looking back—he’s carrying hip-hop forward with every track. 

Stream the official music video for Truancy on YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast