Hip Hop July Selection

We have told you time and time again not to sleep on the 26 year old chick from Buffalo (NY) who goes by the name Che Noir. You might not trust our taste in music one hundred percent but, when the cosign comes from the great Apollo Brown, one of the most proficient producers in the industry hailing from Detroit, it is difficult to turn a blind eye. Next time around we might just have to conceitedly tell you that “we told you so!”. The refined Motown producer has thus given a classy backdrop to Che Noir’s still underappreciated talent. In this case it’s clear that that the level of lyricism she achieved is so high that it seems almost impossible to match in today’s “rap game”. No one is able to compete with the pen of this Buffalo girl. Che Noir proves her talents again over the elegant soul samples chosen by Apollo Brown and definitely appears to have matured and solidified the gifts that the most high bestowed on her. Her gifts for transforming words into vivid imagery that you may clearly picture in your mind as well as her ability to make the listener reflect, like for example in the songs ” Daddy’s Girl” or ” Freedom”, is truly unparalleled. Therefore it’s no fluke that on “As God Intended” many well established rappers such as Black Thought, Ty Farris, Planet Asia and Skyzoo cross pens with her without overshadowing the young queen at all.

Only time will tell if we were right in … her unique gift.

The galaxy of U.S Hip Hop music these days is so vast and varied that it is easy to get dazed and confused, lost in the multitude of artists and releases on offer. The danger therefore is to not telling the wood from the trees, thus limiting our musical horizon. However with enough curiosity, passion and some kind of orientational map the event horizon immediately is projected further ahead enabling us to discover new artists who deserve more attention. This is the case of the Chicago based rapper WateRR. His biography indicates that he has been active in the windy city’s underground scene since 2009. His latest effort,  Workshop Of The Mind, is an album that contains many different layers of thought and countless pearls of wisdom indicating how to live in today’s world as conscious individuals. It contains exceptional production by The Kurse, Motif Alumni, Beat Butcha and impressive features by Tristate and Ty Farris. This release definitely manages to shine a spotlight on a new rapper who we will continue to look out for in the future.

L.S.D or Lunar Solar Duality by Cambatta, as the title itself suggests is a powerful psychedelic and paranoid journey into the mind of this dope rapper from New Haven, Connecticut. Cambatta has an almost supernatural lyrical ability. He is able to create a quasi hallucinogenic experience as he dwells on his turbulent past and issues with drug addiction combining esoteric knowledge, metaphysics and religious visions. Cambatta showcases exceptional lyrical talent over hypnotic beats which takes the listener on a violent and psychotic path that not everyone can easily handle.

“The Dark Side Of Nature” is that cruel aspect of existence which is dominated by violence and where only one natural law applies: survival of the fittest. This is the domain where the wolf kills the sheep and dog eats dog. This album is about the dark side of nature in street life as described by those who live it everyday and are striving to get out: M.A.V and Rob Gates are members of Da Cloth, one of the most underrated crews in the game, with its headquarters in Rochester N.Y. The perfect musical backdrop for the crude and inhospitable environment described by these two rappers, where crimes are committed because of economic necessity and not to gain clout, is provided by Big Ghost Ltd. who is by now an institution in the U.S underground hip hop scene. After listening to this album you should be able to understand its underlying message: do not venture into this habitat just because you think it’s cool as you might pay the ultimate price!

By now everybody should know that this street rap “renaissance” we are experiencing, with some nostalgia for samples, and underground hip hop, has its center in the northernmost part of New York state. In this area which borders Canada and gravitates around Buffalo, home of the Griselda movement, we can also find other “renaissance towns” such as Niagara Falls. It is known for the world famous waterfall as well as various episodes of poisoning in its water supply. Jamal Gasol is the number one hip hop representative of this community and has achieved his full potential with this new project titled “The World Is Piff 2“. In his street rap demeanor and incisive voice, you can hear his hunger to emerge and solidify his position in the game. This project has masterful production, it is hosted by the legendary Dj Big Mike and has features by Lord Jah Monte, Vic Spence, Dark Lo (#freeDarkLo ), Planet Asia and Ymg Shooter. 

While the city of New York remains in the grip of the Corona Virus outbreak and its streets are shaken by the impetus of the BLM protests, so called “NY Drill” has become the predominant genre in the big apple, driven by the posthumous success of Pop Smoke. However there still appears to be an undercurrent that prospers in the darkest slums of Long Island, the Bronx, Brooklyn and Harlem. Bub Rock aka Bubba Rock is one of those old style spitters who has stayed true to his craft. On this particular release he opens up about his past as well as the mind state and inner world of a typical block hugger, over nostalgic samples. The Rock Period is the type of record that you would listen to on a night time stroll through your neighbourhood while you think about your life and friendships, in other words it is not club friendly rap music. That’s just how it should be, there is a perfect soundtrack for every moment.

https://bubbarock.bandcamp.com/album/the-rock-period-2

In a perfect world a producer like Buckwild would need no introduction, but these days our society swallows and digests music at such a rate that it often forgets past glories and those figures who had a deep impact on the culture. Buckwild is a legendary producer from the Bronx, member of the D.I.T.C (Diggin’ In The Crates) collective together with Fat Joe, Lord Finesse, Big L, AG, Diamond D etc. We are clearly talking about OG status here… Well, Buckwild‘s hunger for more hip hop has not diminished over the years and surely he could not remain indifferent to this new wave of lyrical rap. Therefore, in Fully Loaded he calls upon some of the hottest names in the underground scene right now. His beats seem to be tailor made to exalt the lyricism of the guests he picked, among whom we can mention Mayhem Lauren, Raekwon, Fly Anakin and Rome Streetz.

Street related topics are often overused in the rap game. It is clear to all of us. Many rappers do not speak of direct experiences, while others seem to be describing a trip to an amusement park. Only few are really about that life and are able to convey to the listener real street parables in a mature way. 

38 Spesh is certainly part of this last category as well as being an excellent lyricist and above average beatmaker. “6 Shots: The Overkill“, which is a follow up to his 2019 release “5 Shots“, is a compendium of “street knowledge” and a guidebook for real men. 6 tracks plus an intro produced and rapped by the Rochester vet with the participation of Ransom and Eto.

See, you’re worried about who came with you
I worry about the people not here
It’s clear that we ain’t got the same issues

Raz Fresco – Magneto Was Right Issue This is the fifth installment in a phenomenal series of tapes by Raz Fresco, the rapper from Brampton, Ontario, Canada born in 95′, and it is yet another demonstration of his huge talent. Having resolved the legal issues that kept him away from the mic for a few years he has returned with a vengeance, and in the space of just a few months he has released 5 chapters of “Magneto Was The Right Issue” under the indipendant label BKRSCLB. Raz Fresco mixes “fly talk” and 5 percent knowledge with extreme ease and metaphorically dons a comic book superhero cape in order to dispense the supreme wisdom of an afro canadian lyrical monster. We strongly recommend that you check out every single release in this series which it seems will be released physically by the Italian label Tuff Kong Records.

It is clear that there is a gap in the Italian hip hop scene whose origin is both cultural and generational. While the majority of under 25’s in our country feels represented by “trappers”, those who are over 30 years of age seem to be living through an identity crisis which causes them to hate anything new. Unfortunately mistakes are made on both sides of the barricades. The MxRxGxA collective led by Gionni Gioielli, and of which BLO/B is a veteran member, is definitely trying to bridge that very gap, and satisfies aficionados of raw bars and rugged samples. “B-Movie” is basically 30 minutes of well put together rap, full of cinematic and artistic references as well as ironic punchlines.