Hip Hop June
 Selection

The odd couple made up of Curren$y, boss of the New Orleans based Jet Life collective, and Fuse, who is part of the 808 Mafia producers team, has done surprisingly well with their first conjoined release. The producer hailing from the south side of the worldwide trap capital is a perfect match for the Louisiana rapper, who notoriously seems to prefer chilled out and relaxed type sounds. Curren$y is perfectly able to blend his vocal tone and flow with the soundscapes that Fuse creates, spicing things up just enough with the 808’s. As always Curren$y’s music goes hand in hand with the psychotropic effects of cannabis. The therapeutic power of this combination is yet to be matched.

If you consider yourself to be a hardcore Hip Hop aficionado you simply cannot miss this new release by Rome Streetz, “Noise Kandy 4”. The New York rapper is one of the most convincing acts to emerge from the East Coast underground scene in the past few years and he is now on his fourth installment of the “Noise Kandy” mixtape series, which only seems to get better with every release. His trademarks have always been tight rhyme schemes and claustrophobic imagery of street life and drugs. Rome Streetz will take you on a spooky journey through the Big Apple’s tunnels and darkest corners.

“Milestones” by Skyzoo can be seen as a veritable landmark in the Brooklyn MC’s lengthy catalog. It is intended to be a fundamental stage of his artistic development in which he finally reaches maturity and self awareness. On the other hand Skyzoo had already started 2020 with inspiration. A while ago he released a collabo project with Italian jazz band Dumbo Station in which he solidified his congenial connection with Jazz type vibes.

Trumpet, saxophone and double bass backdrops provide the perfect frame for the Brooklyn rappers warm vocal tone and introspective lyrics, which, in “Milestone” revolve around the importance of father figures in impoverished neighbourhoods. A father’s presence or absence indeed can be an extremely positive influence on the ghetto youth, as Skyzoo and some of his peers realized growing up. “Milestones” is grown man music in form and in substance.

South Carolina native Nick Grant is undoubtedly one of the best lyricists from the Southern states of the U.S. and is naturally able to channel his reflections over various types of beats. On this occasion, on “God Bless The Child” EP, his conscience flows over beautiful soul productions by Tae Beast. In one of the stand out tracks the South Carolina MC defines himself as a cross between Fela Kuti and Jay-Z, articulating his bars with the crystalline tone that distinguishes him and speaking his piece on a variety of topics without ever sounding bookish: from racism in America to the state of Hip Hop and the music industry in general. If by any chance you had not heard the name Nick Grant yet it is now high time to take a mental note.

Mayhem Lauren (from Queens NY) and producer Harry Fraud are both among the most criminally underrated artists of the past 15 years despite the fact that their prestigious curricula are rife with illustrious collaborations. Unfortunately the music industry today is totally immersed in the vortex of clout chasing and social media hype and, therefore, is often unable to even recognize the talent of those artists who contributed to create the “wave” of the moment. Mayhem Lauren is without a doubt one of the most charismatic and talented rappers from the five boroughs. Hardcore rap has been steadily pumping through his veins long before Griselda brought the genre back to the forefront of the North American black music scene. Meanwhile Harry Fraud has been producing hit after hit for the likes of French Montana, Curren$y and Rick Ross, forging a sound that is instantly recognizable. The combination of these two expert talents can only result in a very well put together album. Powerful raps over elegant production, that is one way to describe Glass 2.0.

Take one of the best Afro American rappers from Chicago’s underground scene, pair him with his white counterpart who has been active on the “windy city” scene for more than two decades and add a producer / rapper from Birmingham (UK). You will be left with an extremely potent compound. This is the incredible project born out of the collaboration between Vic Spencer, Verbal Kent and British artist Sonnyjim. Together they form the newborn supergroup known as Iron Wigs. This year “Your Birthday’s Cancelled”, not because of Corona Virus but due to the appearance of these three unique characters who not only share great abilities on the mic and a unique vocal tone, but also a sharp sense of humor that will demolish your comfort zone. Thanks to Sonny Jim’s brilliant production and features by Roc Marciano, Crimeapple and Quelle Chris, “Your Birthday’s Cancelled”, released under quality label Mello Music, is able to entertain all the way through.

There is a corner of this planet on the North East coast of the United States and close to the Canadian border, next to the freezing waters of the great lakes Ontario and Irie, where a dark energy has gathered. It is a force made up of pain, cold and violence which in the past few years has found an escape valve in rap music. This is our personal evaluation of the Hardcore Street Rap wave that has emerged from the triangle Rochester, Buffalo, Toronto (Canada), which also encompasses Syracuse. From this epicentre, and precisely from Rochester NY ( which is also Eto’s, 38.Spesh and Da Cloth’s home town) Family Gang Black a.k.a Black Nazi was also spawned and has made his debut with “Ventilation”. This album narrates the cold streets of this small city and the painful experiences that the street life has inflicted on this talented rapper from this “Black Hole” in the Hip Hop panorama. “Ventilation” by Family Gang Black hosts features by Canadian spitters Daniel Son and Asun Eastwood and is a banging debut album!