The precocious Chester Watson has seemingly remained out of the bounds of rap’s radar; a lack of attention that could be framed, in addition to his music’s pillaring features (a tongue-twisting low-key rhyme, impending, decrepit instrumentals), as an ode to the DOOM-ish alternative underground sphere from which he scarcely crawls out—as much as he, as […]
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I told Wayne I was ready for the paper like Usher He said cool, sit back, stay away from busters Now Thug got the big (?), I am a gusher I am not the best but I am better than others Young Thug there on “Achieve” (from I Came From Nothing) at one of his many […]
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It feels like surprise release drops have been the talk of major labels town ever since Beyoncé’s self-titled tornado tore through social media, towards that increasingly rare thing – actual album sales. Even though Beyoncé is hardly the first artist to have gone down that route (though she may have been the first to successfully […]
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The NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award is given to the player who has been the most important over the course of the season, while not being part of the starting lineup. They usually move to another team to be the main piece, “a smartass pawn/James Harden”, and can then potentially compete for MVP. […]
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Since his debut release Japan back in 2012, James Prudhomme alias Suicideyear has come a long way. Japan was a self-released project that started as a vivid dream he had in the period where he quit smoking weed in his bedroom in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. It soon circulated the internet and eventually caught the ear of Swedish […]
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Livening the discourse surrounding the health of New York hip-hop in recent years (and concurrently providing somewhat of a chew toy for salty genre purists), Ratking made their full-length debut a year ago on the XL offshoot Hot Charity. The tripartite of Wiki, Hak, and producer Sporting Life have sidestepped label mediation however, for a new surprise […]
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If Truly Blessed was a departure from the excellent Life Of A Savage 3, SD’s latest mixtape sees him continue evading confinement to any particular style. Young Chop drinches the record here and there with splashes of intricate organ melodies, while “Amnesia”, produced by Zaytoven & Will A Fool, makes for a more unusual track than you’d expect […]
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Introductions to Curtis Cross have become infrequent and unnecessary in recent times. But if need be, Black Milk is a producer and MC from Detroit who, in light of a growing economy of critics and fans who credit the real and raw in their hip-hop fandom, remains drastically undersung in either capacity. Considering his contributions towards and collaborations with […]
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You probably know Travis Scott as the mysterious protege of Kanye West. You may have seen him on the 2013 XXL Freshman List and you may have seen him in the credits of Kanye’s Cruel Summer and Yeezus. You’ve probably heard controversies surrounding stolen artwork and betrayed associates. With no standout single to his name, his production […]
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Chicago upstart (how many times have we heard that since 2012?) Kit is something of an anomaly. At some point along the lengthy, recreating spectrum of hip-hop and R&B the Midwest provides us with year after year (and which enthusiasts avow to pick apart), Kit is situated at a very liminal position, owing his artistic […]
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Spring is a great time of the year for hip-hop. It’s that time of the year when rappers start pumping out tracks to fuel your parties and act as your means of celebration. Summer albums are being revved up, singles are dropped like it’s nothing, and the internet waits to see which songs gain momentum […]
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‘When I first started working with Madlib, I had heard how he and MF Doom had made such a classic album. And I was like, man, I think I’m way better, or at least as good, as MF Doom. I can do that too. It started off as a challenge—no disrespect to MF Doom, he […]
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