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Rap

Esmee Transmuted Emotional Weight into Ether on the Hypnotic Hip-Hop Cut ‘Heavy’

Heavy, the latest single from Esmee’s LP Under a Still Moon, cuts right through every hip-hop cliché with a sound that defies the sonic throwaway culture we’re locked into. The vibe within Heavy is addictive; hypnotic waves of reverb pulse and oscillate through the atmosphere of the mix, lulling you into a transcendent state before the trip-hop-esque beat kicks in and Esmee locks in with bars that hold wit, precision and weight.

The meditative ease never slips, even when the rhythm deepens and the intensity creeps in. With scintillatingly soft sonic vapour around his cultivated cadence, Esmee drops mic-drop lines into an ethereal atmosphere that carries everything but heaviness. He doesn’t shy away from folding the weight he’s carrying into the mix, but instead of offloading it, he holds space for anyone who finds themselves struggling under their own emotional burdens. That self-awareness gives the track its clarity and strength. Frankly, we’re obsessed, and we can see how the world will be too.

Hailing from Houston, Esmee created Under a Still Moon as a tribute to his late grandfather, drawing from the lyric “the moon stood still” in Blueberry Hill. With long-time collaborator MXNNY producing the project, the album finds beauty in the stillness between the storms. Heavy captures the soul of the LP perfectly; it’s as reflective as it is rhythmically immersive, and as spacious as it is deeply personal.

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

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Nabi Awada Transformed Club Voltage into Cultural Commentary in ‘Run It Up’

Nabi Awada effortlessly ran up the streams with his massive debut single that boasts a production so indomitable, it leaves little space in the genre for any fresh contender. Run It Up throws down arena-ready hip-hop with unapologetic intensity. Between the throbbing EDM basslines that shake adrenaline into the foundation and his voracious vocal presence, it swallows you whole and spits out any inferior earworms before the chorus even lands.

If Run It Up dropped in a club, the dancefloor would be pushed to rhythmic fervour by the strobing synthetics that slam provocative momentum into every beat. Awada knew exactly what he was doing. Every element amplifies the aural hype until it amalgamates into an EDM hip-hop juggernaut that even Chase & Status would be forced to respect.

Born in Beirut and raised in the shadows of war, Awada arrived with more than bars. After scaling a $100M business, he stepped into the booth not for accolades but to architect a legacy. There’s no label push here, just calculated execution, elite storytelling and cinematic trap sonics sharp enough to cut through anything dull in the charts.

His sound fuses club energy with cultural commentary. His bars hold weight because they come from survival, not spectacle. Run It Up doesn’t just reflect a come-up — it is one, with every line a testament to grit, ambition and generational intention.

Run It Up is now available to stream on all major platforms, including Spotify. 

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Apollo Spoke Through the Smoke – An Interview Etching Two Generations into Scottish Hip Hop

Few debut mixtapes arrive with the weight and intention carried by The Origins from Apollo and Yung Kenz. Built entirely in-house and fuelled by lived experience, the project is more than an introduction, it’s a reckoning with bloodlines, generational grief, and the pride of representing overlooked postcodes. In this interview, Apollo lays bare the roots of the collaboration, the creative discipline of keeping everything DIY, and the responsibility he feels carrying a movement for North East Scotland on his back. From lyrical clarity to engineering grit, every aspect of The Origins holds purpose. Read on to hear how pain forged a shared purpose and how Apollo is channelling legacy into a louder future.

Welcome to A&R Factory, Apollo. It’s a pleasure to speak with you about The Origins and the powerful story behind your collaborative work with Yung Kenz. “Two Generations – One Legacy” is a powerful statement. What does it represent for you personally, and how does it resonate throughout the mixtape?

For me, it’s not just a tagline – it’s the truth of our lives. I started rapping over a decade ago but never followed through until my nephew Yung Kenz picked up the mic. We’ve both grown up in the same struggle, just in different eras. This project is about honouring the pain, purpose, and power we share as two generations of the same bloodline – and making sure the story of where we’re from gets told properly.
Hip hop has often served as a mirror to personal and societal issues. How did the weight of family history and shared trauma shape the lyrical and production choices across the mixtape?

Our whole sound is built on truth. From the bars to the beats, everything had to feel real. We’ve both lost family, grown up in chaos, and carried pain that doesn’t get spoken about where we’re from. So we turned that into the foundation – soulful samples, raw verses, and moments of light cutting through the dark. This isn’t just music, it’s therapy in motion.

You’ve built this project entirely DIY, from production to engineering, within your own home studio. What have been the most rewarding and challenging parts of keeping the process in-house?

The biggest reward is freedom. Every line, every mix, every choice is ours – there’s no outside pressure or compromise. But that also means the workload’s all on us. It’s late nights, technical headaches, and constantly learning on the go. Still, I wouldn’t trade it. This is how you build something solid from the ground up.
There’s a clear emotional pull in your lyricism, but you’ve also woven in elements that carry a broader commercial appeal. How do you decide where to draw the line between vulnerability and accessibility?

For me, the vulnerability is the hook. People relate to honesty – when it’s not forced, it connects. I don’t write to be commercial; I write to be clear. If the truth sounds good, people will play it twice. But we’re always aware of the flow, the bounce, the delivery. It’s about speaking deep while keeping the vibe alive.
With the mixtape being a collaborative effort between you and Yung Kenz, how did you navigate the generational perspectives within the writing and recording sessions to ensure both voices came through equally?
We gave each other space to be ourselves. Kenz speaks from a fresh point of view – he’s 19, coming up now. I bring the lived experience, the perspective of someone who’s seen it all twice. The key was respecting each other’s voice. We’d challenge each other in the booth but always with the same goal – making it real and making it ours.
You’ve mentioned wanting the project to speak directly to young people growing up in overlooked areas. What message do you hope they take from The Origins, both musically and personally?

That their voice matters. That they’re not alone. That where you’re from doesn’t have to define where you’re going. We’ve both made mistakes, seen hard times, lost people – but we’re here. This mixtape is proof that you can build something powerful even when nobody gives you the blueprint.
Scotland isn’t always the first region that comes to mind when people think of hip hop. What has your experience been like representing Scottish rap, and how do you see your role in expanding its reach?

It’s a blessing and a challenge. Scottish rap doesn’t always get the same light, but that’s changing – and we’re part of that shift. We want people to hear the soul in our stories, not just the accent. Our role is to raise the bar, stay authentic, and open doors for others coming up in the North East and beyond.

As you move forward beyond this debut release, what are your priorities for evolving your sound and strengthening the identity of your label and movement from the North East of Scotland?

We’re just getting started. Another collab project is already in the works – the bond me and Kenz have is too strong not to keep building on. Alongside that, we’re both working on solo EPs to show our individual voices in full, and if we can close the year with a debut album? That would be incredible. The focus now is consistency, quality, and making sure the movement from the North East keeps growing louder.
Check out The Origins mixtape on all major platforms via this link. 
Interview by Amelia Vandergast

Aye Pizzle Payne Set the Drill Genre Ablaze with the Hyper-Rap Heatwave of ‘The Lo$+ B0¥s are On Lock’

This isn’t a drill. It’s Aye Pizzle Payne hyper-charging the genre with a polyphonic riot of eccentricity and ambition. The Lo$+ B0¥s are On Lock doesn’t ask permission to enter your psyche, it hijacks it. The beats slap with sun-bleached heat, the synths twist with afrobeat-pop chromatics, and the flow darts through the chaos with a gritty-goofy charisma that flips the tone without dropping the intensity.

The Connecticut-born, Virginia-based independent rapper is putting in the kind of groundwork that other rappers would gloss over with hollow bravado. Every bar is laced with personality, every verse a stake in his claim to build a new sonic system where no two releases orbit the same centre. While some artists get lost trying to follow the algorithmic trail of others, Aye Pizzle Payne reprograms the GPS and writes his own terrain in ink and attitude.

With Peachy on the production and ThoseNewYorkKids crafting the visuals, the single lands as a fully-formed statement. It’s raw. It’s unfiltered. It’s self-aware without sacrificing hunger. Language of the Gods, the EP this visual heater is lifted from, is more than a project. It’s a transmission from a mind that found expression through isolation and connection alike. The artwork, the bars, the sound – it’s all Pizzle’s. You just have to decide how far you’re willing to lock in.

The Lo$+ B0¥s are On Lock is now available to stream on all major platforms, including YouTube. 

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Trofye Caused A Cinematic Hip-Hop Power Surge With ‘You Already Know Dat’

Trofye landed another seismic blow to the hip-hop scene with ‘You Already Know Dat’, produced by Hawky and brought to life visually by Chieffography in the official video, which dropped on 9th May. From the first pulse, the track launches a hypersonically augmented hit of pure hip-hop fire, bolstered by boom-bap beats and a production so cinematically intense you can almost see the credits rolling on a Hollywood blockbuster as it pummels through your speakers.

This is hip-hop delivered with unflinching conviction; every syllable lands with the velocity of a sledgehammer. Trofye’s lyricism is wired for high voltage – enough to power a grid while he leaves no risk of repetition, driving home his individuality and sharp intent. The delivery never drops below full throttle, and with each verse, Trofye puts himself in prime position to collect both reverence and momentum, with sync deals waiting in the wings for a track so ready-made for the cinematic spotlight.

While his reputation may have started in Franklin, TN with hits like ‘Eat’, ‘Dead or In Jail’, and ‘No Hooks’, ‘You Already Know Dat’ is the statement piece that brings Trofye to new heights, both musically and visually. The production choices make no apologies, giving the single an edge that demands repeat listens and respect across the hip-hop spectrum.

‘You Already Know Dat’ is now available to stream on all major platforms; for the full experience, check it out on YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

UK Rapper, AK CEEZ, Reloaded Reality and Resilience in ‘Ricochet’

https://soundcloud.com/ak-ceez/ricochet

UK Rap titan in the making, AK CEEZ, has launched ‘Ricochet’ with the kind of dark, gritty instrumentals and scathing bars that leave no safe corners for complacency. Each line lands with dominance and razor-edged conviction, slamming into the psyche and refusing to fade, while the beatwork and scratchy turntable effects draw you further into a world built on raw truth and unvarnished experience. Meanwhile, there’s an arresting ease in the production, making no effort to soften the punch; the polish here is purely for impact, not for comfort.

AK CEEZ is rapidly rewriting the script for Scottish hip-hop, turning pain into poetry and struggle into something sonically formidable. Since stepping into the booth for the first time in 2024, he’s set the scene ablaze with his ability to channel trauma, identity, fatherhood, and the full weight of lived experience into rhythmically hypnotic, lyrically charged releases. With a reputation already cemented by Wordplay Magazine’s recognition for his “top-tier lyricism, eminent flow and unique sound,” he’s set on dominating every playlist in his path.

‘Ricochet’ is a track forged for the real UK rap faithful—nothing diluted, nothing left unsaid. Every lyric is delivered with the self-assurance of someone who knows precisely where he belongs: right at the apex of the rap hierarchy. The resilience radiates through the relentless cadence, proving AK CEEZ isn’t just up and coming, he’s already fully actualised and taking no prisoners. With each scalding verse, he marks his territory as an artist with purpose, designed to motivate, move, and last.

‘Ricochet’ is now available to stream on all major platforms, including SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Xocoa McGee Torched the Past and Soundtracked Sovereignty in the Alt-Pop Firestorm ‘Bye Bye Ali’

Xocoa McGee, a veritable renegade in the alt-contemporary pop scene with her so-raw-it’s-off-the-bone rap verses and cinematically augmented drops, struck the airwaves with the impact of a meteor on Earth in Bye Bye Ali. When she isn’t waxing lyrical with the conviction of Cardi B and Minaj, Xocoa McGee is proving she’s no stranger to pitch-perfect harmony. Lyrically, Bye Bye Ali strikes a far more empowering chord than the iconic hit Flowers by Miley; consider the track as the antivenom equivalent to remedying your world after it has been ran through by someone who paraded pain as love – if your breakup playlists are missing this hit, it’s time to amplify the vindication of riding solo and on your own terms.

Raised in Marlow, Buckinghamshire, and musically forged through formal training at the Royal Northern College of Music, McGee builds entire emotional terrains. As the sister of Ben Jolliffe from Young Guns and the niece of a member of Tangerine Dream, her lineage practically hardwires her to thrive in a world where storytelling and sonic impact collide. She pulls from the past and the now with equal potency, wrapping visceral narratives in contemporary production that leaves bruises and clarity in its wake.

Bye Bye Ali is now available to stream on all major platforms, including YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Owen Holt & Mesa Sparked a Transatlantic RnB Hip-Hop Flame in ‘She’s the One’

Owen Holt

With his latest release, ‘She’s the One’ Owen Holt, the Northwest fusionist of RnB, Pop, Soul, and Hip-Hop, teamed up with NYC rapper Mesa to ignite a transatlantic collaboration that will set both of their respective scenes alight. Sparks fly through the heat of the fiery proclamation of passion stoked through fresh connection; it is the definition of a hot-under-the-collar hit that deserves to be on every radio A-list through the summer after the track drops on the 16th of May.

Alone, Holt & Mesa are visceral in their ability to flood your senses with emotion; together, creating friction with their alchemic duality, they’re dynamite in the antithesis of a clash of cultures. Momentum is pushed through the mix by mono-cultural mould-smashing instrumentals weaving Latin guitar lines and Afrobeat grooves around the vocalists who represent their roots and hold their ground.

With his cheeky charm, Owen Holt makes it effortless to surrender to his charisma as Mesa proves why the East Coast will always stand ground on the hip-hop map. The magnetism doesn’t rely on brashness or bravado; instead, it spins an intoxicating narrative around intimacy, heat, and the unexpected chaos that blooms from fresh infatuation.

She’s the One is now available to stream on all major platforms via this link.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Infamous C-4 Pulled No Punches in This Candid Interview About Life, Loss, and Lyrical Loyalty

Infamous C-4 speaks with the weight of someone who has lived through more than a few verses could hold. Born on Groundhog Day and raised around Six Flags Drive, he carved out his voice through southern chaos, unexpected cyphers, and a fiercely individual approach to sound. In this no-filter conversation, he opens up about the first rap battle that forced him into the craft, the magnetic pull of artists like Twista and Do or Die, and the long shadow of mismanagement that stalled his early momentum. He also gives insight into what kept him creating after Artykles of Magnitism disbanded, why DIY isn’t just a phase, and how repetition plays a bigger role in rap than many would like to admit. This one is for the heads who still care about lyricism, loyalty, and laying the truth bare, bar by bar.

Welcome to A&R Factory, Infamous C-4 — we’re looking forward to unravelling some of your tales from Six Flags Drive to cyphers and beyond. Let’s get into it, the weird, the wild, and the wonderfully unpolished bits too. Being born on Groundhog Day is a bit of a rare one—do you ever reflect on how time and repetition have shaped your growth as an artist?

Being born on Groundhog Day is rare, and that is part of the reason people like me are so rare. Not just as an artist, but in everything I do. When people go to the left, I move to the right, so I do not follow the crowd. I have never been a crowd pleaser, and you can hear that in my music. Music is supposed to be rare, or it will not last the test of time. I can still play Michael Jackson records and still have the same feeling now about a song like “Beat It” or “Smooth Criminal” that I did decades ago, and that feeling I have is “Wow, that’s a hard song. That is how I want my listeners, or listeners for the first time, to think when they play C-4. Repetition is the key to becoming the artist you are supposed to become.

That first rap battle in high school sounds like a pivotal moment, even if it didn’t go your way. Looking back, how important was that experience in pushing you to take your own writing seriously?

That was very pivotal in my future then, and I didn’t even know it. I wanted to play basketball when I grew up because, as a child, seeing people like Michael Jordan, “Magic” Johnson, Allen Iverson, etc., made me want to be a part of that. Being a very competitive person, because I thought I had to be to play sports, leaked into my trash talking which led me to rap in the first place. However, if you had asked me how I would’ve started rapping, I would have never thought it would have started with me battling. Rap battles were an up north thing, I thought. I never saw a person from the south or of southern origin battle head to head with a crowd to listen live. That feeling alone was a natural high I would never forget, even if I embarrassed myself. Honestly, if that day never happened, I probably would have never started rapping. I believe it went my way after all. Plus, dude was biting off of Biggie Smalls’ rhymes anyway, so by default I won.

You’ve mentioned rapping along to artists like Twista, Do or Die, and Coolio before you wrote your own material—what drew you to those artists in particular when you were younger?

Who knows. It could’ve been the beat, their style, their wordplay and how they can twist words and syllables to their advantage. I do know one thing, though, all of their music was hot.

The Artykles of Magnitism had a unique setup with members from different cities—how did that variety in backgrounds influence your approach to collaboration and sound?

With sound, it taught me that southern beats and southern music ain’t all there is to good music. It made me think outside the box when writing my material. What I look like rapping down south style only when they are rapping all kinds of ways and styles. I would only go so far with my music because I would be limited to only southern beats and rap styles.

I couldn’t freestyle on my own at that time. I had to learn and lean on people from all over whom I respected lyrically. I remember rapping with this dude from Saginaw, Michigan named “Craig”, and he was nice like Jay Z nice in 9th grade, believe it or not. He was an ill dude at the time, so I started hanging out with him and others alike. Rapping all of the time helped me become like them, nice on the mic. I remember Craig’s words to this day. He said, Fred, don’t stop. Keep going. Even if you mess up, keep going. He believed in me when I didn’t even believe in myself. It’s people like Craig and Lamar who help me gain a perspective I didn’t even know I had. Oh, and now when I collaborate, it’s magical.

Atlanta clearly had a big impact on you, especially growing up around Six Flags Drive. What aspects of that environment still feed into your lyrics and perspective today?

Survival. In the 90s, living in Cobb County was wild and dangerous at times. As a child, I saw fights every week, or at least that’s what it felt like. I challenged my first bully in Cobb County. I fought and got beaten up on Six Flags Drive, it taught me much of what and who I am today. You figure I grew up in the era of freaknik and being around that and watching what actually went down influenced how I party and rap. But not just Six Flags Drive, Atlanta itself is a crazy place. I got good and bad times in those environments, and I wouldn’t take it back for anything. I learned to hustle and got hustled. I learned to be good and bad, and when to be good and bad. All of those moments I lived, I rap about good and bad.

After your group parted ways, what kept you going creatively? Was there a specific turning point that helped you stay committed to making music on your own terms?

After the group parted ways, I still had ties with other rappers and singers, so that is what kept me going. I loved music, and when I first started to actually record in a real studio called “SoundLab” in Marietta, Ga. It turned me out musically. The different sounds, effects, and what you can do to manipulate them to make a whole new sound were crazy to me. The more I learned, the more I wanted to keep doing music, whether 1 person heard me or the whole world. My thing was lyrics, though, and it still is.

You’ve spoken honestly about the role poor management played in the group not breaking through—what lessons from that time would you pass on to artists just starting out now? Management, what management?

The manager I had was not a manager. He was a person with a thought, and he tried to run with it. I guess he saw something in the crew back then, but he could never deliver. I don’t wish that on any artists of any genre. It’s a big waste of time, energy, and ultimately money. My advice to you is to be your own manager. Who knows what your manager is doing behind your back? Watching the group TLC taught me that. But if you feel you need a manager to help you out, then get one. But BEWARE.

The early days were full of experimenting—freestyles, beat-making, live shows. Do you feel any part of that DIY spirit has stuck with you in how you approach music today?

Yes and no. I don’t do shows as of right now because even though they are important, I feel I can reach people in a different way without going all over the map. Social media has taken over in a lot of ways, and if you are an artist and are not tapped in, then I don’t know what to say to you, but WAKE UP. Maybe I will return to the stage one day, but right now my goal is set in other ways to achieve the same common goal, which is to get the music out. Nothing else is more important than that as of right now. I do everything myself, mostly. However, nothing will beat a team. I started Infamous Entertainment by myself, and the vision I have for it will be released through a team.

With that said, if you are looking for new music, merch, beats, and more, go to Famousc4.com.

Interview By Amelia Vandergast

Toronto Rapper, Theycallme J, Unloaded a Precision Strike of Truth and Tension in the Lyrical Crosshairs of ‘Drama’

Theycallme J, the Canadian–American army sniper turned lyrical marksman, fired shots with his bars in Drama — a track that locks on target and doesn’t waste a single pull of the trigger. Accompanied by an ‘official bathroom music video’, Drama strips away the smoke, mirrors, and flashy mirages to introduce an artist who refuses to filter truth through industry polish. The lo-fi setting doesn’t lower the impact — it intensifies it. As he waxes lyrical at his own reflection, the rawness builds a humanist lens that reframes every beat.

That emotional clarity cuts through the hypnotically toned East Coast-style instrumentals, steeped in luxe jazz textures and minimalist polish. Yet, what defines Drama is the energy in the execution. There’s no attempt to pacify or dilute the message — he lands each line with intention and weight, letting personal vexations and hatred of double standards when it comes to aggression ripple into collective resonance.

The narrative drills into the ways words betray us when they can’t match intent. As the verses unfold, theycallme J doesn’t just dissect disappointment — he offers it up for dissection, giving space for the broken to recognise themselves in the wreckage.

Theycallme J uses music as his sharpest outlet — cutting through the silence for abused men and anyone still aching from unreconciled truths. Drama is a calculated shot from the soul — and it hits with purpose.

Drama is now available to stream on all major platforms. For the full experience, catch the video on YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast