Browsing Tag

West Coast Hip Hop

River Bandit exhibited his electrifying versatility in his high-octane rap track, Work Night

Posted on 26 February 2024

River Bandit’s latest single, ‘Work Night’, is a high-voltage journey through the avenues of alt-hip-hop, showcasing an artist unafraid to push boundaries and force constraints to erupt. River Bandit’s tumultuous journey from a challenging childhood to a firebrand of musical innovation is palpable in every beat of this energised to-the-nines track, which is relentlessly fuelled by retro synths and a rhythm that pulsates with life.

‘Work Night’ is a masterclass in stylistic versatility, blending elements of boom bap and trap into a seamless, electrifying experience. The track refuses to let the listener settle into complacency; instead, it demands attention with its rapid-fire bars and unexpected twists. River Bandit’s rhyme scheme is anything but typical, delivering each mic drop with refreshing intensity, candour and introspective gold.

River Bandit’s lyrical prowess is on full display, offering not just entertainment but also wisdom and insights, a reflection of his own life experiences and struggles. It’s this authenticity that elevates ‘Work Night’ from a mere song to a narrative of resilience and determination.

For fans of alt-hip-hop, ‘Work Night’ is a revelation that showcases River Bandit’s unique ability to blend his Southern and West Coast hip-hop influences into a sound that’s distinctly his own.

Stream Work Night and River Bandit’s other blazingly innovative rap tracks via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Ola Beto flowed right back to ‘Old School’ with his latest rhythmically rendered hip-hop release

Posted on 15 February 2024

Ola Beto has dropped a track that’s nothing short of a rhythmic revelation. ‘Old School’ is a melodious trip through the annals of hip-hop via a route never taken. This single firmly establishes Ola Beto as the undisputed king of retro luxe flows in the modern hip-hop scene.

From the get-go, ‘Old School’ commands attention. The cadence in Ola Beto’s bars makes it impossible to remain indifferent. His flow is a rhythmic force that demands your rhythmic pulses to stand to attention while the use of nostalgic samples adds a layer of authenticity. Yet, it’s in the beats and analogue synths where Ola Beto truly shines, offering a contemporary twist that you’ll want to relentlessly ride the waves of.

Ola Beto’s emotional lyrics, combined with his rhythmic production and catchy flows, create a sonic vision that’s beyond measure.  ‘Old School’ is a statement of Ola Beto’s trajectory that’s set to redefine the West Coast hip-hop domain. If he continues on his grind, it won’t be long before he’s revered as a major player in the genre. For fans of retro pop and hip-hop alike, ‘Old School’ is a track that resonates with the past, thrives in the present, and hints at a future where Ola Beto holds the keys to the kingdom.

Stream the official music video for Old School by heading over to YouTube now.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

$LADEGEEKIN reinvented West Coast hip-hop with his intricately experimental hit, REDO

Posted on 28 January 2023

Indio, California rapper, engineer, and producer $LADEGEEKIN, has dropped his sophomore hit, REDO. If it has been a while since a hard-hitting hip-hop production has left an ever-lasting mark on your rhythmic pulses and psyche, delve right into the hit that makes it impossible to resist the mesmerism in the beats.

After an intro of inventively arranged effect-laden guitars, $LADEGEEKIN starts to bridge the gap between alt-hip-hop and the West Coast style. Even with the passion poured into the narratively vulnerable bars, they keep an assuredly steady pace to become the centre of gravity within REDO.

His debut single, $our Diesel, was impressive. With his sophomore single, he’s proven that he’s got exactly what it takes to make his way up from the Cali underground hip-hop scene. Save a spot on your radar. We’d put money on more infectiously intellectual hits being in the pipeline.

REDO was officially released on December 25th. Hear it on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

 

22Canelo – DIMEPIECE: feel the heat from your new favourite sun-slicked hip hop playlist staple

Posted on 10 December 2022

Bay Area-born new wave hip hop artist, 22Canelo, is known for his hard work, perseverance and charisma; that hat-trick of magnetic tenacity is epitomised in his latest conviction-driven single, DIMEPIECE.

After the jazzy horn stabs and West Coast motifs, his bars start throwing the heavy-weight punches in the high-vibe and sun-bleached track that will show you the beauty in resilience. Between the binary of rappers inviting you to a self-pity party and the artists getting excessively braggadocios about riches they probably don’t have, 22Canelo sits comfortably in the middle as he cheekily makes no bones about spitting harsh truth into the soulful body-rocking anthem that drips with style.

DIMEPIECE will drop on December 10th. Hear it on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Lyrical hip hop gained a new laureate with the drop of Dayo’s single, Eat You Alive

Posted on 6 June 2022

Taken from his latest EP, Sui 3: Man in the Mirror, Dayo’s seminal stormer of a single, Eat You Alive, delivers devilishly sharp wit, luxe West Coast hip hop textures, and vocals that will force you to feel every ounce of vehemence thrown into this upraising single.

Ultimately, Eat You Alive proves that pain is your enemy; you should no sooner get into bed with your archnemesis than swallow the self-defeating lies fed to you by your suffering. Do yourselves a favour and make Eat You Alive a playlist staple, it is the perfect reminder that only you can remove the teeth of torment. He’s gone beyond one to watch. He’s one to get fanatic about.

Check out Eat You Alive now on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Cush Wallace establishes himself as the new West Coast hip hop heavyweight with ‘AMMO’.

Posted on 6 December 2021

LA-based alt-rap artist instrumentalist and producer Cush Wallace is well on his way to securing a place in West Coast hip hop history. His latest EP, DRICO II: THE RISE OF FREDERICO DOWN BY PICO, stands as a testament to his trippy and atmospheric style and his cuttingly sharp wit.

His Afro-Latino roots pull through in the standout single, AMMO, which runs his tens of thousands of listeners through the weight put on him from his haters. Being the inspirational artist that he is, he lyrically fights his way through adversity and shines as before the track reaches its gritty outro.

Cush Wallace is so much more than your average I-downloaded-garage-band-3-months-ago kind of rapper; the classically trained multi-instrumentalist mastered the guitar and cello, those melodic skills notably lent themselves to AMMO.

AMMO is now available to stream on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

The415Fortune seeks to make his mark in the history of hip hop with his dynamic hit, Push N Shove.

Posted on 2 August 2021
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1UX5lJduvU

Each single from The415Fortune is a gritty vignette of his life and an exposition of the streets that raised him; the West Coast-hailing artist mixes up the West Coast sound with a Southern Rap twist to create his dynamic signature sound that is garnering plenty of hype in 2021.

Any fans of Xzibit, Dre, Ja Rule and Tupac will appreciate the convictive grind in his latest single, Push N Shove, which delivers bass-drenched beats, Drill rap bars and unfuckwithable attitude. Beyond his domineering persona is an artist committed to sharing his story and healing from early chapters with his music. We can’t wait to see where his candid, refreshing sound takes him next.

The official video to Push N Shove that premiered on July 21st is available to stream on YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Junior shows us his hand in the high-vibe EDM hip hop track ‘The Cards I Was Dealt’

Posted on 5 March 2021

Rap artist and producer, Junior, has hit the airwaves once again with their galvanizingly dominant single ‘The Cards I Was Dealt’.

With a nod to UK grime in their melodic rap bars, 90s RnB-style charisma and electrifying EDM beats which pay ode to Slim Shady, The Cards I Was Dealt is an infectiously high-vibe hit. Any fans of Pharrell and Dizzee Rascal will definitely want to pay attention.

You can check out The Cards I Was Dealt via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Jozondi waxes lyrical to stylistically ensnaring beats with ‘Broken Halos’

Posted on 9 December 2020

From the new album ‘Boy In The Iceberg’, Jozondi’s new track ‘Broken Halos’ is a chilled, mellow trappy little hip hop number led by a beautiful repeating sampled guitar line and gated handclaps and snare patterns all sitting beneath Jozondi’s laid back vocal.

Ladled with T-Pain-style autotune, Jozondi’s vocal drips with West Coast style and easygoing, unhurried lyrical flow, the cleanly balanced in-and-out style sitting snugly atop the backing track, sing-song and poetic over the rolling bass and guitar.

You can hear Jozondi’s ‘Boy In The Iceberg’ album, and ‘Broken Halos’, on Spotify. Follow Jozondi on Instagram and Twitter.

Review by Alex Holmes

GD4L has paired their blazing beats with catchy lyricism yet again with “Time on Time”

Posted on 24 September 2020

Up and coming rapper GD4L has recently dropped their ground-breaking release Time on Time. After two years tearing up the underground with their blazing beats and catchy lyricism, GD4L attracted plenty of hype around their relentlessly flawless grind.

Yet, Time on Time stands as the perfect testament to how far their sound has come. Any fans of NAS, Biggie, Jay Z and Kanye are sure to appreciate the nuance behind his freshly crafted sound which finds a synergetic balance between mesmeric instrumental grooves and resounding lyrical conviction.

You can’t help but drink in the high-vibe empowerment which this record feeds you. Do yourselves a favour, hit play.

You can check out Time on Time for yourselves by heading over to YouTube.

Review by Amelia Vandergast