Browsing Tag

Old School Hip Hop

Black Silver is dark and disarming in his latest cinematic juggernaut of a rap track, Silver Linings

Posted on 20 November 2023

Black Silver dropped one of the biggest hip-hop collabs of the year by unleashing the gritty old-school rap track, Silver Linings, featuring Rakaa Iriscience, Griffen, Mykill Myers, and DJ Skilz.

With plenty of record scratching and wavily saturated distortion around the solid and steady beats in the dark and chillingly cultivated production, Black Silver (AKA the Navigator) and his band of lyrical alchemists paid a fitting ode to the 90s hip hop while showing they’re more methodical than Method Man, wittier than Nas with wordplay and boast all the cinematic charisma of Conway the Machine.

When Black Silver isn’t dropping his seminal solo rap tracks, the Las Vegas-hailing trailblazer is at the helm of his independent record label, Sterling World Records and contributing to hip-hop groups, including Analog Brothers, Tha Likwit Crew, 2000 Crows, and Black Ice with Ice T.

Silver Linings hit the airwaves on October 20th; it is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Skee x Bogart. waxed lyrical with maximum conviction in ‘Go Off’

Posted on 10 November 2023

Trip hop meets old-school East Coast flavour in the latest lyrically sharp single, Go Off, from the Switzerland-based producer duo Bogart and the rapper Skee, who more than understood the assignment before he waxed lyrical with maximum conviction over the trippy mix which blends the ethereal with the gritty and visceral.

Layers of reverb ascend from the mix that steadies itself with a rocksteady backbeat and record-scratching to create an immersive atmosphere for Skee to dominate with his bars, which leave you under no illusion that this track was versed from anywhere but straight from the soul. It’s a cutting exposition of how using the spark from your passion can take you to the greatest heights but you’ll only reach the top unscathed with swathes of resilience.

Go Off was officially released on November 10th; stream it on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

The urban oracle Yung Dread Da Prophet struck again with the introspective gold in his latest track, Stabilize

Posted on 22 October 2023

Stabilize is the latest wavy-with-soul, old-school-inspired drop of hip-hop from the artist, enigma and urban oracle, Yung Dread Da Prophet.

It is all too easy to get into the reverb-swathed grooves of the release as the melodies mellifluously run you through the verses which the 22-year-old South Jersey-born, NY-based rapper uses to wax lyrical on the ramifications of living in an epoch that is constantly finding ways to knock you out of cognitive kilter.

Clearly one to always see the bigger picture and project the universe’s parallels into his tracks that are as solid as introspective gold, Yung Dread Da Prophet is one to watch if you like instrumental catharsis synthesised with eyes-wide-open expositions that will make you stop, think, and press repeat.

Stabilize hit the airwaves on October 20; stream it on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Queen LaBelle played with fire in her boundary-transcending spoken-word hip-hop release, Risky Behaviour

Posted on 18 October 2023

Poetry may have been a dying artform before the release of Queen LaBelle’s LP, For the Kings and Queens Spoken Word; following the drop, you can consider the format viscerally reincarnated.

The standout single, Risky Behaviour, featuring bars from Jarren Benton which flow as smoothly as the conviction that bleeds from Nas’ verses, is the perfect introduction to Queen LaBelle’s wordplay which fuses to the exotic instrumentals and snappy hip-hop beats to deliver a striking blow of mesmerism with every spoken word declaration.

Throughout her artistic journey, Queen Labelle has performed alongside icons including Dr Cornel West, inspired courage in trauma survivors by sharing her own stories and providing positive healing affirmations, published collections of poetry, and, on this album, worked with Grammy Award-winning producers, including My Guy Mars (Snoop Dogg, Jay-Z, Nipsey). While some pioneers are worth following for their artistry alone, others inspire devotion through dedication to bettering an increasingly bitter world in the same creative breath. Consider LaBelle an icon of the latter camp.

Risky Behaviour was officially released on October 6; stream it on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Cali Ave Lo delivered lyrical wit so sharp you will get whiplash in ‘Way I Feel’ ft. Monie$

Posted on 15 October 2023

The lyrical wit in Cali Ave Lo’s standout rap track, Way I Feel, is sharp enough to tear a hole in the airwaves, even if the blows of the Machiavellian bars are softened by the jazzy and groove-deep old-school instrumentals, which allow the single to drip in luxe magnetism. He wasn’t playing when he warned he is a beast that can’t be tamed.

The single, created in collaboration with Monie$, is just one of the fresh-with-innovation-and-intellect singles found on Cali Ave Lo’s latest album, Untitled. Uncut. 3, which is already going down a storm with the Chicago-hailing artist’s legion of fans which is growing by the day thanks to his commitment to being one of the most thought-provoking artists on the underground. If your playlists are already filled with hits from Kanye, DMX, Lil Wayne and Jay Z, you will want to make room for Cali Ave Lo.

Way I Feel dropped on September 27; stream it on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

JoeJas scribed the ultimate sonic manifesto in how to be free with his high-vibe rap track, Escape

Posted on 17 September 2023

Speaking directly to the freaks, geeks, and losers, the latest single, Escape, from the high-vibe emissary, JoeJas, is the ultimate sonic manifesto on how to break down the walls that construct self-confidence-crushing prison bars around your psyche.

With punchy lines in the vein of “picked on but never picked me”, JoeJas and his relatable compassion proved that the vicious tendencies of schoolyard bullies and all their crucifying criticism shouldn’t be the blueprint for your self-worth.

The empowering lyricism is only matched by the euphorically jazzy retro hip-hop aesthetics that are strong enough to put you on a new plateau and shift your perception until you can see your own idiosyncrasies as something to embrace; authenticity is a currency that will never lose its market value.

By matching the vibrancy of the production with the youthfully bright colours in the music video, which dropped on September 9th, JoeJas delivered an infectiously upraising track with Escape; catch the self-worth fever by heading over to YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Jfons proved pace is the trick in his soul-driven old-school hip-hop single, Can I Get a Minute

Posted on 22 August 2023

If you’re looking for your next 80s hip-hop nostalgia fix, don’t look past the slick with jazzy retro soul latest single, Can I Get a Minute, by the rap trailblazer, Jfons, who knows exactly how to push euphoria through his grooves to create perennial urban earworms.

The progressive structure of the lush with reverb hit ensures that with every beat, you will become deeper entwined with the smooth melodies and arrested by the sultry narrative that humbly captures the pure and innocent moment of attempting to catch someone’s eye. Even the staunchest romantic cynics won’t be able to proclaim that romance is dead after easing themselves into the grooves in Can I Get a Minute.

Can I Get a Minute has already racked up over 40k streams across all streaming platforms, and it doesn’t look as though the momentum driven by the hype around the track is going to falter any time soon. Get Can I Get a Minute in your ears by heading over to SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

The Awesome Crew turned back the hip-hop clock with ‘Back in the Days’

Posted on 6 July 2023

With more old-school appeal than DJ Jazzy Jeff, the latest nostalgia hit, Back in the Days, from The Awesome Crew is a trip back in time you will want to take time and time again. The ascending melodic keys against the scratching turntables and slow-tempo rap verses will leave you on the razor-sharp hook of the hit, which takes nothing seriously but the soul.

The modern era of hip-hop left its mark on the tonally scintillating record through the RnB infusions, but in terms of attitude, Back in the Days will safely transplant you on the streets of Brooklyn while the 80s were in full swing.

While many modern hip-hop acts are keen to emanate the 80s, The Awesome Crew are one of the only MC outfits that have seen the 80s and thrived within the hip-hop landscape; founded by Smooth D, Daddy D, and Classy D, the history of The Awesome Crew stems back to 1986. Tragically, Smooth D was shot and killed in 1993, but the remaining members are still working tirelessly to secure his and their legacy. Based on Back in the Days, they’ve profoundly succeeded.

Stream Back in the Days on YouTube now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Spotlight Feature: KAIS & Garrison Cade Created a Meditation in Ambient Old School Hip Hop with R.E.M. State

Posted on 30 May 2023

For his latest release, the singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer, KAIS, added an old-school hip-hop top-line to the beat of the standout instrumental single, R.E.M. State, which featured on his 2023 EP, What If I.

Collaborating with the rapper Garrison Cade, who has proven to be at the top of his game in his alt/indie band, Sam the Astronaut, which has taken Canada’s West Coast by storm, the two collaborators answered the question, what does it sound like when two powerhouses collide?

While we loved the artful ambience of the instrumental iteration for the temperate atmosphere that oscillated through our speakers, the hip-hop revival of the single reached the serendipitous pinnacle of visionary synergy.

With the verses flowing with the same transcendent philosophy as the intricate progressions, the reworking of R.E.M. State unravels as a meditation in authentically old-school ambient old-school hip-hop. KAIS & Cade couldn’t be derivative if they tried with their shared tenacity for versing and arranging melodies straight from the soul.

“R.E.M. State is the ‘Kaytranada – Bus Ride’ inspired track that started out as an instrumental on the ‘What If I’ EP released last February. A few ppl were asking for an old-school Hip-Hop top-line to the beat, and I thought Garrison Cade would make the perfect fit. Garrison is a talented rapper who also fronts ‘Sam the Astronaut’, a popular Canadian West Coast, Alternative/Indie band. I believe Garrison has the right pre-reqs for someone I could tour or perform a couple shows with at some point.”

Stream R.E.M State featuring Garrison Cade, which hit the airwaves on May 31st, via Spotify.

Follow KAIS on Facebook, and Instagram


Review by Amelia Vandergast

Goldson versed a meditation on resilience on ‘Don’t Fold on Me’

Posted on 19 May 2023

The UK rapper, songwriter, screenwriter and videographer, Goldson, poured soul back into the London hip-hop landscape with his seminal single and music video, Don’t Fold on Me.

The meditation on resilience is a compassion-soaked declaration of how hard it is to keep your head above water when life’s pressures try and force you under it. The poetically versed hit is a raw reminder that everyone is living a personal battle of wills, whether you see their scars or not.

Instrumentally, Goldson went back to the old school with cinematic grace to create the atmosphere around the solid rattle of the 808s, which constructs a melodious platform for his hard truths and even harder-hitting demand to live more mindfully when it comes to your sanctity and the struggles of everyone around you. The wit in the wordplay could only be described as immense. Clearly, he’s got a luminous career ahead of him.

Check out the official music video for Don’t Fold on Me, which premiered on May 14, on YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast