Hip Hop July Selection

Umbrella is probably the crew that is following the path traced by Griselda Records in the underground rap scene in the most similar way. With the necessary differences, it conveys the same raw and dirty vibes, as well as a magnetic energy and an intriguing aesthetic that have attracted collectors from all over the globe. Mickey Diamond is certainly at the moment the most symbolic member and the fact that he has found the right formula to craft an album entirely produced by the enigmatic producer SADHU GOLD, confirms what daid above. In fact, anyone who knows the beginnings of Westside Gunn & Co. knows the important role played by this producer in crafting perfect productions for that type of musical aesthetic. That being said, DEATH THREATS is a fire album. The dark and arcane vibes drawn by the beats of SADHU GOLD blend perfectly in the unmistakable gritty voice of Mickey Diamond who, as usual, leaves signs of his art with his pen. If subway underground tunnels have a proper sound, DEATH THREATS would be their soundtrack.

If the Music World were a meritocratic place, Ransom, in our opinion, would be in the same discussions along with the names of Nas, Jay-Z, Jadakiss… If it’s not today, maybe it will be one day, because the series of tapes made one after the other, since in 2020 he returned from his retirement  are to take off people’s hats and clap them hands. We must say that for this Director’s Cut Series, now in its fourth volume, the Canadian producer Nicholas Craven has sewn on him , perhaps, the perfect suit to enhance the voice and skills of the Jersey MC, but the precise flow, the rhymes, the Ransom’s charisma, technical mastery, and “knowledge” elevate him, as our peers, above 99% of active rappers.

One thing’s for sure about Charlotte, North Carolina rapper Lord Jah Monte Ogbon: there’s no other like him out there. Distinguished by that originality that can create conflicting opinions among the listeners, you either hate it or love it. Equipped with a unique vocal timbre, flow and personality, with his rhymes Lord Jah Monte Ogbon can also tackle everyday problems or personal and relational issues with the braggadocio approach typical of street rappers. The great beats selection creates the perfect frame for the streams of consciousness of Lord Jah Monte .

Ok, forget summer for a moment, put Jay Royale’s new album into play and you will feel like you are walking alone in the middle of the streets of the Baltimore ghettos, in a pouring rain, like in a The Wire scene. This is surely the most important album for the rapper from Maryland, Jay Royale (of which you can read our old interview). Just by reading the tracklist you should get an idea of ​​the kind of project he has stood up this time. Among the featurings the names of Kool G Rap, Havoc, Styles P, Willie The Kid, Saigon grab the attention of those one who grew up with a certain Rap. The atmospheres are dark and obsessive for the entire duration of Criminal Discourse, so much so that it seems to be catapulted into the midst of a violent summer storm.

Raz Fresco as a mad scientist or a alchemist works and combines sounds in his laboratory near Toronto. He almost doesn’t seem to care about the directions that music takes outside of it, continuing to elaborate his many projects head on, experimenting and developing his ideas both as producer and MC. Young and ingenious, rationality and knowledge make Raz Fresco one of the leaders of the underground Rap intellighenzia. Pocket Operations II is yet another project that demonstrates the creativity and versatility of the Canadian mc and producer.

The rapper from Brussels with Spanish origins, Caballero and his Maghreb homie living in Charleroi, JeanJass, return with a reissue of the second chapter of the High & Fines Herbes mixtape: a project without a precise artistic direction other than to have fun, just following their own creative flow on different sounds. Obviously the underlying theme is clearly marijuana but that’s not limited the two rappers’ flair. Caballero e JeanJass take on the beats ranging on every kind of flow and topic. The perfect soundtrack for tetracannabinoidal trip.