Right after his anticipated album “Plates 2”, Black Soprano Family artist, Rick Hyde teams up with Gcasino, Blocklord & Dystrakted for new release “Bricks”. Follow artist on instagram for updates.
Flee Lord is never gone too long, coming off his last project from earlier this year, Rammellzee with DJ Muggs, to deliver his new 10-track offering, Delgado, which is fully produced by none other than Roc Marciano.
Along with the tape, Flee Lord and Marciano dropped a music video for their song “This What Ya Want?” The video finds the duo performing the track at their show at Sony Hall in New York City. Delgado is New York rap distilled in a bottle of Hennessy and left to age in the now-closed Tunnel nightclub. Roc Marciano sets up the perfect plays for Flee Lord to score on, and the two deliver a body of work that plays on the rapper’s skills. Flee Lord talked about his approach to the different projects he makes, and how he tries to evolve on each one. “With each new project I drop I feel that I am gaining the recognition I deserve and expanding my fan base. A lot of fans ask me what my most successful project is, but I honestly cannot answer that because I define success differently than most people” he explained. “For me, a ‘successful’ project is one that causes me to grow as an artist, as a writer, performer, and forces me to expand my skill set, to try new things, and to think outside the box. That’s why I can say Delgado is a success, even before fans hear it. Working with Roc required me to be singularly focused and tune out all the outside noise, and as a result I feel that my lyrics and delivery are sharper than they have ever been. With Delgado I’ve leveled up again and Roc proved once again that he is the GOAT!!”
This is the 4th full-length album from Grand Rapids emcee/producer Bronze Nazareth. Coming up as a member of the group Wisemen alongside his late brother Kevlaar 7 & eventually the Wu-Tang Clan’s in-house production team the Wu-Elements, he would also go on to build a solo career for himself beginning with The Great Migrationin ‘06 & then School for the Blindman only 5 years later. But after returning from a decade-long hiatus at the end of January by enlisting The Four Owls’ very own Leaf Dog to produce Bundle Raps from front to back, Bronze is already kicking off the 4th quarter of 2021 by dropping a follow-up produced entirely by New York titan Roc Marciano.
After the “Proem” intro, the first song “Crazy Horse” starts the album off with a little bit of a jazzy quality to it speaking of something in his spirit burning whereas “The Precipice” takes a grimier route saying you can bet them on the cliff. Skyzoo tags along with Brizz Rawsteen & Termanology on the synth-laced “Brass Jehova” to get on their battle shit but after the “Refocus” skit, the vocal sample that “Survivor’s Vow” is entrancing as fuck saying he has to live it up.
After the “Kevlaar” interlude, Fashawn comes into the picture for the bluesy “Fanta 6” to impressively spit back & forth with Bronze while the track “Kettle Black” with Lord Jessiah brings in a violin addressing elevation. The penultimate song “Papayas ’21” with Roc Marciano & Killah Priest finds the trio on some dusty hardcore shit & just before the “Epilogue” outro, I think “Nosebleeds” with Boldy James serves as the true closer opening up about growing up in Detroit with it’s folksy sample.
As much as I fucked with Bundle Raps, I think it’s safe to say that Ekphrasis is just a tad bit better. Marci’s sample-based production is ever so pleasing to the ear & lyrically, this could very well be the best that Bronze has ever sounded.
Conway the Machine and the Alchemist have teamed up on a new song, a track titled “Piano Love.” It’s the first single from the Griselda rapper’s next record, which is titled God Don’t Make Mistakes. Listen to “Piano Love” below.
God Don’t Make Mistakes will arrive after two albums from Conway the Machine this year—La Maquina and If It Bleeds It Can Be Killed with Big Ghost Ltd. In May, Conway the Machine and the rest of Griselda appeared on DMX’s final album Exodus, joining him on “Hood Blues.” The Alchemist’s new EP This Thing of Ours Vol. 2 is out now.
As one of the original founders of All Fam Entertainment, New Jersey rapper/producer/entrepreneur Sam R.i. is no rookie to the Hip-Hop scene. Previously known as “N.M.E.”, the multifaceted artist has been creating for over 20 years. After a brief hiatus from music he has rebranded his art, delivering a fusion of old and new sounds. A visual artist by trade, he uses music as another platform to tell his story. His latest project, “Thunderheart” is available on all streaming platforms, as well as on CD.
The song/video "D.M.T." has an ambient vibe, driven heavily by the jazz infused sample. The song itself is a first person perspective of the adversity that it takes to follow your dreams and passions, especially in the rap game. There is a major undertone of staying true to yourself and following the path you want to take no matter what people think you should be doing. The video is very earthy and represents the journey/adventure. Shot entirely at an abandoned military base on the beach, It's meant to show that there is beauty within the destruction, and vice versa.
Venice Beach-molded MC and producer Evidence has returned with his latest Rhymesayers release Unlearning Vol. 1, roughly three years after the final curtain call on his ongoing weather schtick. Embodying the same mantra as the single he dropped last year with the same name, the LP is equal parts consistent and engaging.
Off the top, the project is a massive nod to Evidence’s ear for beats and ability to sequence projects to their full potential. He shares production duty with The Alchemist, Nottz, Sebb Bash, Animoss, Mr. Green, V Don, Daringer, Khrysis and EARDRUM in such an organic way one could easily believe Evidence himself produced it solo. The guests — which include Dilated Peoples brethren DJ Babu on some cuts — also find a way to complement the project with no sense of competition. Instead, features such as Conway The Machine (who appears on the Daringer-produced “Moving On Up”) and Boldy James (who sparkles on the self-produced “All Of That Said”) exude camaraderie and chemistry. An overwhelming feeling of authenticity is brimming throughout; Ev’s steady, calm flow is packed with bars that showcase growth, maturity and a looming sense of restlessness — walking a tightrope of ambition and personal fulfillment. One bar on the standout “All Of That Said” is especially poignant: “I wasn’t first in line, I took it slow, did my best through the worst of times.”
7xveTheGenius is just one of those artists that can do it better than all y’all and her latest project, Thy Will Be Done, proves just that. Complete with production from Eke Tyson, Funk Rula, Camouflage Monk and Chuck The Producer, the project reflects the hunger and grit that she puts into her bars. Not to mention, she rhymes alongside Armani Caesar, Heem, Jae Skeese and AA Rashid also contribute to to the seven-track release.
Mentored by Conway The Machine, 7xveTheGenius is the latest evolution of where Drumwork Music Group will go. Over time, the imprint has highlighted the work of Lucky Seven, Shots, Jae Skeese and a few others. In the future, the brand may expand into R&B and several other genres. Who knows. Regardless of where the brand moves from here, 7xveTheGenius has set the bar extremely high for the next artist coming into Drumwork Music Group fold. Check of Thy Will Be Done below.
With Griselda rhymer Benny The Butcher having what seems like an endless run of Ws, his BSF Records imprint appears to be getting more attention by the day. Rick Hyde is one of the top benefactors. His new project Plates II, a sequel to his independent mixtape Plates, positions Hyde as one to watch in the Griselda-wave 2.0.
Sporting production from the likes of Daringer, Sha Money XL, Harry Fraud and the late DJ Shay (who the album commemorates by its release date falling on the anniversary of his death), as well as verses from Benny, Heem, Skyzoo and Westside Gunn, Hyde flexes his connections and curates a solid body of work. The project’s shiniest gems include some of the singles that have already hit the net. “Hustler’s Prayer” features Hyde and Heem interlocked in a battle to see who can drop the most street flexes, complemented by The SoulMonsters’ grainy production. Another noteworthy cut is the DJ L-produced “Alone” featuring Benny and G Herbo — which, aside from the DJ Shay-produced outro “Black Sinatra,” is possibly the project’s most replayable track. One thing that comes across crystal clear is Hyde’s lyricism. He holds his own alongside a formidable tracklist of guests and shows a lot of diversity with his delivery. Look no further than the “Sarah Freestyle,” where the subdued DJ Chopz and Skrilla loop provides an atmospheric backdrop to a relentless, two-minute onslaught.
Prodigal Sunn was the only child of American and West Indian parents and grew up in Brooklyn. His cousin is RZA. During his youth, Prodigal was known as the 'Sun of Man' and was later re-christened "Prodigal Sunn" by childhood friend Killah Priest in reference to the well known parable in Luke chapter 15, verse 32. Along with Hell Razah and 60 Second Assassin, they would form the first group associated with the Wu-Tang Clan known as Sunz of Man. Prior to the groups affiliation with Wu-Tang Clan they were known as Da Last Future. They would go on to release two studio albums, The Last Shall Be First in 1998 and Saviors Day in 2002 (Prodigal served as the executive producer). Compilation albums furthered the group's cause. Prodigal Sunn is a man with the essence of the road running in his veins, growing up traveling back and forth between New York (Brooklyn) and The South.
Prodigal built a reputation as one of the more socially conscious and lyrically deep artists associated with the Wu family. True to his restless spirit, he would cross the Atlantic and become and International sensation winning a Grammy Award in France for La Saga by IAM featuring Royal Fam & Prodigal Sunn and a VIVA Award in Germany for "Ich lebe für Hip Hop" by DJ Tomekk featuring GZA & Prodigal Sunn. He was one of the first artists approached by LRG Clothing for a sponsorship with numerous full page ads running in XXL, Source, URB and many more publications.
Westside Gunn’s work, like that of his Griselda Records partners, comes as steadily as an IV drip, though one imagines he would only accept the metaphor if the IV bag were designer and the needle came from Italy. Last week the second half of the eighth installment in his Hitler Wears Hermes mixtape series was released, following a couple of minor delays, roughly a month after the first. For most artists this hitch would be unremarkable—two discs issued in four weeks under the same umbrella title could reasonably be considered one project—but for the confrontationally prolific Buffalo rapper, it has the effect of making the records feel exactly as distinct from one another as all his prior LPs do, which is to say: not very.
Gunn is fond of the term “curator,” which serves to deemphasize the importance of his rapping per se. This is wise. Gunn’s nasally drawl is wonderful as added texture, but loses its power the more central it is forced to become; the writing is reliably OK—imagine a Balenciaga safety net—though prone to cliche and shapelessness. But he is clearly a superb A&R. The Griselda records are smartly sequenced with the in-house producers’ roles expanding and contracting based on who has the hot hand at the moment, and the near-uniform excellence of the guest verses implies both a loyalty among his collaborators and a willingness to ask for rewrites. And every album is stitched together by interludes of wrestling promos, old fashion ads, or audio from art auctions in a way that highlights the artificiality of the world Gunn coaxes listeners into. Each half of Hitler Wears Hermes 8 (the first is maddeningly subtitled Sincerely Adolf, while the second is simply Side B) leans heavily on collaborators and this mise en scene, the sum total being yet another Westside Gunn project that is supremely competent, yet memorable only in fits. On each disc, Gunn shrewdly cedes space to these guests, who steal song after song: On “Claires Back,” Benny the Butcher doesn’t rap about writing letters in jail as much as he raps about the recipient, and the way she dutifully saves them; Boldy James realizes on “716 Mile” that his watch has Roman numerals where the Arabic digits are supposed to be; Lil Wayne continues his breathless run of features on “Bash Money,” even sliding in a Dash store reference he’s likely had in the chamber since the late W. Bush years. Sincerely Adolf makes a lot of room for the Syracuse rapper Stove God Cooks, whose vignette on “Vogue Cover” about waiting at the plug’s house while he “mowed the lawn, washed all his cars, and watered the flowers” has already earned its own cult fandom online. Gunn allows these guests to play off of him like a generous actor, receding into the background when appropriate—though HWH8 runs a combined 103 minutes, few if any Gunn verses overstay their welcome. If the broader project does not quite distinguish itself in his catalog, HWH8 does contain some of Gunn’s most accomplished moments. The dreamlike “TV Boy” is one of the finest songs he’s ever recorded, Gunn practically gleeful as he weaves his way through utter grime. And his chemistry with Mach-Hommy—the two recently reconciled after a long feud, collaborating on Mach’s astounding Pray For Haiti—continues to yield songs as gripping as “RIP Bergdorf,” where Mach boasts about spending 30 grand on sweatsuits. Still, these peaks—like the infrequent low points—are momentary blips. Even when the halves diverge (where Sincerely Adolf is relatively precise, Side B sprawls; where B skews toward harder drums and more punishing sounds, Adolf is atmospheric) they feel as if they’re part of one long data dump, a perfectly pleasant stream of 1s and 0s. |
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