Browsing Tag

Old School Hip Hop

West Philly rap artist Jus NBL hits all the right notes in his album ‘Fine Wine’

Posted on 2 January 2022

West Philly rap artist, Jus NBL, dropped one of the freshest hip hop albums of 2021 with the release of his lyrically driven LP, Fine Wine. In the title track, the minimalist beats create the perfect platform for his high-energy rap bars as they grind through the gritty lyrics and the resilience that allowed him to find the light regardless.

Right from the first verse, Jus NBL proves how grounded he is in his lyricism. There’s none of the usual ego-fuelled grandeur, just an honest and direct lyrical delivery that is more than easy to connect with. The Jay Z reminiscences are strong, but they do little to dampen the intoxicating hit of Jus NBL’s authenticity in Fine Wine. Every rap fan should have room for him on his radar.

Jus NBL’s 2021 album, Fine Wine, is now available to purchase on apple music.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Tony Newbury speaks up for the voiceless in his latest single, Westwood

Posted on 24 November 2021

Tony Newbury’s mission as a rap artist is to prove that no one is as alone in their depression and anxiety as they think they are. For anyone who has experienced a loss that has alienated them from the rest of the world, the artist’s latest single, Westwood, which explores the raw emotion left in the wake of his brother, has what it takes to resonate on a deep level.

The old school jazzy grooves and gospel nuances bring cathartic ease to the otherwise fiery and volatile rap track which perfectly depicts the disquiet storm that our minds have to navigate in grief. After listening to Westwood, you’re left with the sense that Newbury truly respects the relationship with his fans and never gives less than 100% when putting a new track on the airwaves.

Westwood was officially released on October 15th. It is available to stream on Spotify and SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast.

Rex Mundii transcends typical rap tropes with his lyrical flex in his debut single, Majintai.

Posted on 4 November 2021

Cleveland, Ohio newcomer Rex Mundii introduced the hip hop world to his ensnaring lyrical flex through his debut single, Majintai, on October 9th, 2021.

His prophetic rap style and dark atmospheric beats make for a volatile pairing in Majintai that transcends the usual rap tropes to deliver mindful introspection you’ll want to hear on repeat. With every listen, you pull new fragments of self-actualised wisdom from the debut track that has already allowed Rex Mundii to amass over 11k monthly streamers on Spotify alone. We’d put money on Mundii blowing up in 2022 and beyond; he’s billboard multi-platinum material.

Majintai is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Chris Wade delivers fiery modern gospel in Save Me, featuring KARTIER.

Posted on 30 October 2021

The hip-hop artist and mental health advocate, Chris Wade, has been making major waves with his poignant lyrics that make emotional engagement mandatory in his tracks that groove with modern gospel vibes. Based on his standout single, Save Me, he’s still criminally underrated.

There is no overstating his ability to turn wordplay into cutting dissections of our society’s sickest facets. I’ve heard my fair share of raw rap tracks in reaction to the varying atrocities since the start of the pandemic but Chris Wade’s humility and tendency to paint with light and dark introspection made Save Me an experience that I will never forget.

You can check out the official video for Save Me on YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Wade Wilson brings the adrenaline to jazz hip hop with Be There.

Posted on 20 October 2021

The up and coming old-school-inclined hip hop artist and mental health activist, Wade Wilson, has dropped his highly anticipated debut album, Chop House, featuring the standout single, Be There. The Brooklyn-based artist’s hyper hip hop style practically brings a brand-new meaning to the term high vibe hip hop.

Right from the intro, you’re thrown into an electrifying jazzy hip hop ensemble that creates a viscerally adrenalizing platform for his high fire rap bars. While the intense BPM won’t be for everyone, anyone looking to be galvanised won’t want to miss out on this monolithic hit.

Wade Wilson’s debut album, Chop House, is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

PRETTY TONY GETBUCK brings the future to OG hip hop with ‘POCKET GOT ZEROS’.

Posted on 20 October 2021

PRETTY TONY GETBUCK’s latest release, POCKET GOT ZEROS, starts with an electrifying jolt of bass-dripping nasty electro before the glitchy techno stylings are tamed under his fiery rap bars that will be instantly adored by fans of Snoop, Xzibit and Tupac.

With the Matrix references in the witty lyrics, this glitchy stormer of an alt-hip hop track isn’t only bang on trend; it deserves to define the future of gritty gangster hip hop. Considering the US artist averages on over 100k monthly Spotify listeners, PRETTY TONY GETBUCK is unstoppable from here on out.

POCKET GOT ZEROS is now available to stream via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

CPTime brings it ‘Home’ in his latest high-vibe poppy hip hop single.

Posted on 19 October 2021

Douglassville-hailing artist CPTime has sent ripples through the Pennsylvania hip hop scene with his dynamic flows, constantly evolving style and commitment to keeping his lyricism clean.

His latest single, Home, pays ode to the people that instantly make us feel right at home in their company – regardless of where we are or how long they’ve been lighting up our lives. The grooving pop elements in this old school-inspired hip hop track ensure that right from the intro, you ironically feel right at home in the smooth, chill, soul-infused soundscape.

Home is a major sonic shift from CPTime’s popular Halloween track, Let Us Out, which saw his lyricism go conceptually dark as he channelled Freddy, Jason and Chucky to offer nefarious high vibes. There’s no anticipating where CPTime will take his sound next with his tendency to bounce between party hip hop, inspirational tracks and holiday tracks; high-quality remains the only constant.

Since 2012, he has released over 50 tracks on official streaming services; the most popular has racked up over 350,000 streams on YouTube alone.

Home is now available to stream on Spotify.

Follow CPTime on Facebook and Instagram.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

John Anthony proves why his freestyle flow is one of the fiercest in the game with ‘Sincerely Yours’.

Posted on 14 October 2021

With his standout track, ‘Sincerely Yours’, John Anthony proved that he’s got one of the fiercest freestyle rap flows in the game.

The trailblazing artist used the 7-minute duration to create an exposition of the grittiest and most frustrating factors in our warped 21st-century society; every line delivers introspective gold. From the corrupt nature of the music industry to the danger of anti-mask stupidity to fucked up abortion laws, Anthony poetically goes for the jugular on many contemporary aggravators in Sincerely Yours.

It’s beyond cathartic to hear an artist touch on so many raw issues in a chilled jazzy hip hop soundscape that practically begs for repeat attention. The producer, Logic, knew just what kind of vibe to put behind Sincerely Yours.

Sincerely Yours is available to stream on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Anomaly Da’ God brings GUCCI-level style to the airwaves with his old school hip hop revival, B.Y.P.T

Posted on 10 October 2021

The up and coming hip hop artist Anomaly Da’ God paid a lo-fi ode to old school New York hip hop with his latest soul-filling drop, B.Y.P.T (Before You Pearl That).

After a hazy chill-wave intro, the track grooves through the glitchy progressions that have been fed through plenty of tape deck saturation to get their old school feel. When the luxe track hits peak momentum, Anomaly Da’ God’s lyrical canter picks up to a smooth yet rapid pace; any fans of Jay Z, Kendrick Lamar, Kanye and Dre won’t want to hang around on this nostalgic yet paradoxically fresh track.

B.Y.P.T is now available to stream on YouTube

Review by Amelia Vandergast

LaurenAsh evokes 90s hip hop nostalgia with her latest release, Where is the Love.

Posted on 9 October 2021
LaurenAsh

Right from the first verse in her latest single, Where is the Love, LaurenAsh starts laying down spoken word lyrical gold around the instrumentals that take you right back to the golden age of jazz hip hop.

The NYC-based poet and artist known for her stylish fusions of RnB and hip hop has been on a mission to bring her spirit and soul to the world through music through tracks such as Where is the Love; which finds a succinct way to remind you that love makes the world go around, so you may as well start giving a little. It’s a stellar track that any fan of soul-infused hip hop will want to delve into.

Where is the Love was officially released on October 8th; you can check it out for yourselves on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast