Browsing Tag

US Hip Hop

Smokerface Chris Clay created the ultimate hip-hop anthem for morning mourning, Don’t Wake Up

Smokerface Chris Clay pulled out all the subversive stops in his latest single, Don’t Wake Up, by fusing consciousness regret with jazzy high vibe hip hop instrumentals to create a sonic contradiction that is wholly relatable to anyone who knows how it feels to greet the cold light of day with morning mourning. Don’t Wake Up is the ultimate testament to his playfully pensive autonomy, which proves that no picture can be painted in only tones of black and white.

When it comes to rapper origin stories, Smokerface Chris Clay’s is hard to beat. When driving through Hurricane Isabelle, he hit a car head-on and was ejected from his back windshield, unbeknownst to his friend, who was driving behind him, who ran over his head. He was declared head on-site but later revived before he was comatose for a month. When he woke, he freestyled to the nurses – despite never having expressed an interest in rap before. In his semi-conscious state, he made his determination to become a rapper known; in 2022, he stayed true to that promise by dropping his first official single, Live It Up.

Don’t Wake Up is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Spotlight Feature: Cuttaman 100gran rides his own new wave in his vindicating rap hit, Bump My Music

Cuttaman 100gran

After opening for Pastor Troy in South Carolina, recording records for Dr Dre and performing in front of 8,000 people at a concert in Rockingham, NC, the Charlotte, NC-hailing luminary rapper, Cuttaman 100gran, is here with his latest single, Bump My Music.

Slick with style and vibing with an infectious attitude, Bump My Music is the ultimate middle finger to the people in your life that stay on the sidelines instead of getting behind you. Paying homage to his muses, Cuttaman 100gran rides his own wave while staying in the fast lane with his sharply steady rap bars and beats that break the hip-hop mould.

Any fans of Kevin Gates, Roddy Ricch and Rod Wave will be addicted once they get a taste of the grinding urban aesthetic that balances hard-hitting percussion with wavy reverb production – engineered by the legendary sound designer, Bungies.

“When you have women in your life that are inspired by your stories, telling them becomes a lifestyle. Them being around me on a day-to-day basis makes every lyric that much more surreal. Their enthusiasm inspired the track.”

Stream Bump My Music on Spotify and Apple Music. Follow Cuttaman 100gran on Instagram.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

JD True pulled back the curtain in his groove-slicked hip-hop track, Red Pill

While some hip-hop artists need an entire discography to prove their dynamism, the songwriter and rapper JD True only needed three minutes. With superlative style and soul, his latest single, Red Pill, pulls back the curtain on formerly hidden facets of society and how they make their mark on the psyche.

Kicking off with a smooth old-school prelude with funk-chopped staccato guitars, the atmosphere pulls into the mix simultaneously with the melodicism as JD True uses the intricately weaved instrumental layers as a rhythmically mesmerising platform to filter his energetic flow into.

Based on Red Pill alone, it is no wonder that the artist who takes inspiration from Kanye, J Cole, and Big Krit has had no issues garnering hype since his 2021 debut single, Crown Me.

Red Pill was officially released on January 19th. Check it out on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Solomon Jones released the dualistic hip-hop single of the year with the subversive single, Snowberry

Taken from his album, Glass, the standout single, Snowberry, from the up-and-coming New Jersey-residing hip-hop artist, Solomon Jones, is a lesson in subversive expression.

From a smooth and jazzy prelude that drips pure soul and seduction through the backing vocals around his hushed spoken-word timbre, the track abruptly yet seamlessly takes a drastic turn in direction.

After confessing amorous feelings, Solomon Jones exhibits his dark and “cursed” side before bringing the soul back in, proving that the line between light and dark resides in us all and we’re only fooling ourselves by denying our intrinsically dualistic nature. Sonically, Snowberry is subtle. Yet that didn’t stand in the way of the versatile artist from delivering one of the most impactful hip-hop singles of the year.

The album was released on December 10th; it is now available to stream and purchase via apple music.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Numb up with Poppa King Oats’s trap hit, Painkiller

Driven by the inspiration of Jay Z and LL Cool J, the Massachusetts-born and raised trap artist Poppa King Oats started rapping at 15. By the time his latest single, Painkiller, arrived, he was primed to unveil a killer of an atmospheric rap track that encompasses the human proclivity to numb the pain.

The minimalistic yet efficaciously melodic beats create a solid platform for his rap bars that carry an old-school sense of conviction. Nothing about Painkiller feels inhibited. Not the lyrics that get to the crux of the issue. Not the energy of the rap style. And certainly not the authenticity demonstrated that will see the up-and-coming artist go far in the trap scene.

Painkiller is now available to stream on YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Nour Rakha exhibits his killer cadence in his perceptively galvanising latest single, Poet Turned Rapper

Nour Rakha (previously Tut the King) set the bar lyrically high with his latest old-school East Coast hip hop single, Poet Turned Rapper, but your jaw will drop just as hard as the mic when it metaphorically hits the floor after every flawlessly insightful line delivered.

The superficiality of modern reality that is stained with false pretences and egos didn’t stand a chance against the Egyptian American rapper and producer whose expressive cadence always submerges you in the depth of his introspection.

While the bars give you a candid view of Rakha’s relatable dim opinion on 21st-century disparity, the smooth summery beats set up by producer Rifado Beats bring a stylish sense of soul, complementing Rakha’s always authentic expositions. We are officially obsessed with Rakha’s new style and sound.

Poet Turned Rapper was officially released on September 27th. Check it out on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

KingTay shared his infectious high energy in his Trap track, Feels GOOD

A new wave of hip hop just crashed in through KingTay’s high-vibing latest single, Feels GOOD. The Philadelphia-born up-and-coming artist broke through the dark cloud that overbears youth and communities in America to share his high inspiring energy. Feels GOOD is one of his most efficaciously uplifting tracks yet; over the cinematic beats, he runs his consistently dynamic bars through lyricism that takes introspection to the next level.

“It feels good to be finally living” is a powerful hook – a powerful hook that proves KingTay has endured a stagnant transition. It’s an infectious affirmation for anyone going through the same.

As an artist not just inspired by the hip hop greats but by songwriting visionaries such as the Beatles, every track from KingTay is charged with individual artistry. It’s not often hip hop artists break boundaries lyrically and sonically, but clearly, he is a force to be reckoned with.

The official music video for Feels GOOD premiered on September 7th. Check it out on YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Pluto Mars proved that casual relationships can be a lifeline in his RnB hip hop single, 3 AM

Richmond, CA rap luminary Pluto Mars poured romanticism into booty calls in his latest single, 3 AM, which captured the intimacy of the late-night connections by proving that insomniacs need love too while feeding the soul through his seductive amalgam of hip hop, pop, and RnB.

Every artist in the industry attests to having a unique sound; Pluto Mars is one of the only innovators with stake to that claim. His deep and sonorous rap bars that bleed gruff smooth alchemy against his distinctively melodic instrumental flows prove to be a hypnotic combination in the track that subverts usual toxic tropes around casual relationships that can be a lifeline in these isolated times.

The official video for 3 AM is available to stream on YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

B.A.G Freaky is off the Richter scale with his fiery rap track, SEGREGATION

Baltimore rapper, B.A.G Freaky, is fresh from the release of his cinematic bass-drenched rap track, SEGREGATION; the massive production would barely register on the extreme end of the Richter scale.

Between the cheeky hustler wordplay in the lyrics, the energetic delivery and the boom-bap rooted beats, SEGREGATION is undoubtedly one of the most visceral independent hip hop releases to hit the airwaves this year. It scarcely comes as a surprise that B.A.G Freaky is making a steady ascent up from the underground with his loyal fans that are eating up his fiery approach to hip hop.

SEGREGATION is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Yoyo Sumz has released her addictively authentic pop-rap track, Red or Nah

Authenticity may be a rare commodity in the hip-hop scene in 2022. Yoyo Sumz still managed to bring it by the smorgasbord in her latest pop & trap-tinged single, Red or Nah, which has appeased critics as much as her international fanbase.

Between the strong melodies and equally as robust harmonic resonance from the soulfully unfuckwithable vocals, Red or Nah is a fierce urban earworm that demands repeat attention from the first hit. Any fans of XXX Tentacion, Lil Durk and Yung Bleu won’t want to let his artistically produced release slip them by.

Red or Nah is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast