#THE OG MIXTAPE SCENE
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Wait I just thought of it.
Imagine au where after merlin confesses to his magic, at the end he was somehow able to save Arthur. They make it back to Camelot but there is some awkwardness between the two, like they've forgotten how to act around eo.
After years of hiding, Merlin is hesitant to show Arthur his magic, to make himself vulnerable to his King in that way. And Arthur takes longer to believe merlin's stories, there are more questions and double takes than there used to be.
Merlin tries to return the sigil one day, thinking that he doesn't deserve to have it since he doesn't have Arthur's full and unwavering trust any more (his words not the king's).
Arthur presses it back into his palms, "It's a gift, Merlin. You keep those."
obviously inspired by:
#merthur#merthur au#merthur prompt#Merlin#Arthur Pendragon#Ficlet#Liya writes#Bbc merlin#THE OG MIXTAPE SCENE#also love the idea of post reveal merthur being..... strained#like they aren't pissed at eo or want the other dead#both of them still love the other and understand eo#they just... awkward#insecure of where they stand in the other's life#stilted#KSUGFKJF#idk I just love that idea of them#having to find and rebuild parts of the relationship again
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things i want from a s2 of the winchesters (besides the obvious):
deanna fucking campbell !!!!!!!!!!
john acquiring thee brown leather jacket
mary makes john a zepp traxx mixtape........and it is explicitly romantic
crypt scene parallel and robbie gets to use his og i love you line
sapphics !!! adamillie or adarowena or latamaggie or all of themmm
also just more backstory re: maggie. and maybe she comes back from the dead bc nothing stays dead in spn :)
the squad using dean's journal as a roadmap and resource the way they used john's journal in the early seasons of spn
..........use dean's journal to summon dean again........(ok that's part of the obvious ^ which is more dean somehow. and cas)
rowena !!!! two rowenas even !! i still think the rowena we saw was *our* rowena for reasons. so, what if we see her again. and then also actual 70s AU rowena
angels. are there angels in this universe. they clearly weren't trying to intervene re: john and mary this time
multiverse shenanigans. there's no way the squad is not gonna be curious abt thee friggin multiverse. i think they should cross over into the main spn universe and meet jody + donna (who are canon) and the girls and garth and eileen. the bane twins?? literally so many people
jack........jack-chuck........as......thee new big bad (well. he's BEEN the big bad. but they just don't know that yet)
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As I recall, we recorded this at Converse Rubber Tracks in like 2013-2014 probably. I wanted to add more to it and get it mastered and crispier sounding.
But as I listen back to it now, I like the gritty unfinished Lofi element it has to it, feels like a mixtape cut off an old DJ Clue tape.
As two enlightened black men from Brooklyn public housing who made it past 25 years of age to thrive and create art, there's much to celebrate with this track. I titled it "War Elephants" because Hannibal of Carthage crossed the Alps on Elephants and stomped on many an enemy head in war and this felt like that kinda proclamation.
He might hate this story, but the first time I saw exQuire rock, was at Bowery Poetry Club. His skinny jeans ripped that night mid-performance because mans was going HARD and rapping for his life on that tiny stage. It left an indelible mark on me. He gave me a copy of his mixtape on CD. The cover was a collage of all his influences, like comics, wrestling, rap, etc. I still have it.
The next time I seent duke was in Pathmark (RIP) on the late night and bruh was acting kinda suspicious so I figured he was shoplifting lol. He later told me he was just nervous. To meet me? I really am just a project baby from Fort Greene who be rapping so when anyone tells me they were geeked to meet me or my music had ANY impact on them, it throws me for a loop.
But, I paid attention to brody because I knew what time he was on. Vibes don't lie and him (and SickSentz) were making moves around the city & country. This video is like from 2013. Crazy that's 10 years ago, right?
If you know him as an artist in the mid to post-blog era NYC rap scene, he quickly rose to rap prominence off a Mishka-assisted single that boasted one of the hardest remixes feat. the long-heralded return of indie rap OG EL-P. That rise included a record deal, a single with Gucci Mane, and a host of other things. During this time, I faded to the back to focus on myself and my event series brand. But despite where HIS lengthy accomplishments in music took him, whenever brody & I crossed paths, he always acknowledged my skill, my influence, and my accomplishments. I did a lot for the culture in my hometown to little or no recognition and definitely no pay or recompense. Especially when ppl blow up, they tend to forget all the ppl who they rocked w/ on their ascension. So when people who are doing good in this culture acknowledge ya boy, it holds weight, cuz a nigga was really outside giving many folks the blueprint before I faded to black (that's a Jiggaman reference right there lol).
Peep my tiny cameo in this video at 5:01.
vimeo
It's dope to be appreciated after dipping & returning. Shouts to BMB Spacekid who used to send me beat tape after beat tape and this one was on it. I played beats for eXquire and I skipped this one, but he asked me to run it back, and picked this one to my utter surprise. The rest is history.
Here's a flick of me, eX, MURS, and El-P
Feels right to let this one loose. Enjoy. Support if you can (it's $5) If you can't just share it. Thanks!
#Fresh Daily#Mr. Muthafuckin' eXquire#exquire#Rap#indie rap#hip-hop#indie hip-hop#MURS#El-P#Run the Jewels#White Mandingo#bandcamp friday#Bandcamp#Vimeo#musicmusings
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Drego & Beno — Sorry We Was Trapping (TF Entertainment \ EMPIRE)
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The idea of Drego & Beno’s comeback promised much but fails to deliver anything on a level of their early albums. Since their last tape in 2019, the Michigan duo moved to California, Drego started his solo career and a reunion seemed unlikely.
Drego & Beno’s first mixtape, 2018’s Sorry for the Get Off, was good enough to establish them almost immediately as Detroit’s best rap duo. And until Rio Da Yung Og and RMC Mike hit the scene, Drego & Beno carried that title. In their songs they made goofy jokes, boasted of coke deals, traded bars like investors trade assets and wrote songs that were fun and catchy. Drego was a nominal leader of the duo, he also produced a few tracks, but it was working in tandem that distinguished their sound and delivery.
In 2021 Drego dropped two tapes, Krazy Man and The Red Print, which cast him in a different light. Longer, carefully crafted songs, with more serious and even socially conscious topics (to the degree possible with the artists as unserious as Drego). More important is that a lack of his sparring partner didn’t diminished the quality of the tracks.
But when the pair got back together again, the result was just short of a disappointment. Sorry We Was Trapping is a quickie between lovers when there is no chemistry anymore. Beno is still good at goofing around with silly jokes like “Put his ass up on the wall, yeah, just like Mona Lisa” or “So many legs hangin' off thе Drac', it look like a centipede” but apart from occasional punchy lines and hooks the tape has little to show. Drego even steps back in the shadow here letting Beno run it, and this might be the reason why Sorry We Was Trapping is so chaotic. Compared to Drego’s brick solid albums, this one is a mess two kids made during an hour session in the studio. On “Rta” they rap: “Hundred thousand stacked in all dubs, it look like a midget \ It won't take me long, give me five minutes in your kitchen.” It seems like they “cook” their songs in the same speedy manner.
A first few cuts on Sorry We Was Trapping are still fun to listen to but the second half is a damn mess. And they should be sorry about THAT.
#drego#beno#sorry we was trapping#tf entertainment#EMPIRE#ray garraty#albumreview#dusted magazine#hip hop#rap
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Big Moochie Grape Released From Prison, Drops From The Block Video For New Song "Wake Em Up"
Turning heads with his fast-talking flow and force of personality, Big Moochie Grape always stands on business. Getting to work immediately after ending a short prison stay, the Paper Route Empire rapper shares "Wake 'Em Up," his new single. The new single releases via 4ShootersOnly's renowned platform From The Block–the East Memphis rapper didn't waste a second of his freedom, performing the new song in front of a hanging microphone the same night after leaving the corrections facility where he spent his sentence. Produced by his favorite sound architect, PRE's own Bandplay, Moochie injects a jolt of energy into a rap scene, vowing to rouse anyone who might have slept on him.
The new FTB video continues a saga that started with Moochie's new project, East Haiti Baby: Incarcerated, the follow-up to 2022’s East Haiti Baby. The high-octane mixtape welcomes guest verses exclusively from other incarcerated rappers, including YFN Lucci, who who turns in a sing-song counterpoint to Moochie's machine gun patter on "I Made It," Rio Da Yung OG on "Bars," a Memphis-meets-Michigan-style banger, and his PRE cohort Big Unccc, who tears it up on "L.A. Lakers." Notably, the project welcomes an interlude from C-Murder, a close friend of Moochie's late mentor Young Dolph, the No Limit soldier who has been locked up for decades and has much wisdom to share. Honoring the project's theme, Big Moochie Grape and Paper Route Empire partnered with the Bail Project, a non-profit that advocates for bail reform and provides free bail assistance to those in need, to match donations up to $20k in December 2023.Featuring an additional guest appearance from Bankroll Freddie, East Haiti Baby: Incarcerated is available all on platforms via Paper Route Empire.
Big Moochie Grape burst onto the scene in 2019, with boisterous Memphis rap tunes like "Uh Huh Uh Huh Uh Huh," which appeared on his debut EP, Eat Or Get Ate. Inspired by his late PRE mentor Young Dolph, Moochie went hard in 2022, releasing East Haiti Baby, home to street hits like the Bandplay-produced "Acting Up" (30 million Spotify streams) and "Christopher Wallace" (10 million Spotify streams). The mixtape earned praise from Pitchfork, who said, "the Young Dolph associate’s latest album is full of hard-working hustler music that never lets up."
youtube
Now that he's free, Big Moochie Grape is hellbent on stepping on necks throughout 2024 and beyond. Stay tuned for much more music from the "Gigantic" rapper as the year moves along.
#big moochie grape#pre#paper route empire#paper route business#flippa#long live flippa#long live dolph#young dolph#dolph#music#artist#big moochie#memphis#Youtube
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Memphis rap
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Memphis rap, also known as Memphis hip hop, or Memphis horrorcore,[2] is a regional subgenre of hip hop music that originated in Memphis, Tennessee in the mid-late 1980s.Memphis rap
Stylistic origins
Southern hip hop
horrorcore
gangsta rap
lo-fi
East coast rap[1](atmosphere)
Cultural origins
Mid-Late 1980s, Memphis, Tennessee, United States
Typical instruments
Sequencer
sampler
keyboard
drum machine
synthesizer
Other topics
Crunk
trap
phonk
AestheticEdit
It has been characterized as being low budget, using repetitive vocal hooks and a "distorted",[3] lo-fi soundscape[2] that utilizes the Roland TR-808 drum machine[4] and minimal synth melodies.[5] The genre commonly features double time flows with triplet flows,[3] and routinely uses samples ranging from soul and funk to horror film scores and classical music, as well as hooks from songs by related rappers in the same genre, although DIY productionwithout sampling is common as well.[6]Because of the lack of resources, bedroom studios were often pushed to the extreme. Usually, the lyrics are quite dark and depict graphic subject matter.[3] And similar to New York, their samples are known to be raw and pitched with some scratching in the background.[7] DJ Spanish Fly had introduced the synthetic drum-kit sound with the TR-808, splitting the Memphis scene in two between those who preferred the live versus the digital sound. Alongside a strong drum beat were, "cowbell, syncopated rhythms, powerful sub-bass, and sharp digital snares", these elements becoming the hallmarks of the Memphis rap sound. Looping is also a signature with no steadfast rule, although looping is used over chopped edits.[3]
Memphis artists released recordings on independent labels. The dominance of New York and Los Angeles's hip hop scenes forced southern artists to form an underground style and sound to compete with the other regions. Artists used a grassroots approach through word-of-mouth in the club scene and mixtapes to promote their music.[8]
ArtistsEdit
DJ Spanish Fly is commonly cited as one of the pioneers of the genre,[9] being the bridge between 1980s electro-funk and the heavier gangster rap of the following decade.[3]
Other early artists and groups associated with Memphis rap include T-Rock, C-Rock, Gangsta Pat, La Chat, Skimask Troopaz, Gimisum Family, Project Pat, Tommy Wright III, Princess Loko, Baby OG, II Tone, DJ Squeeky, DJ Zirk, DJ Sound, Blackout, Playa Fly, Gangsta Boo, Al Kapone, Mental Ward Click, MC Mack, Lil Noid,[10] 8Ball & MJG and Three 6 Mafia, with the latter two achieving relative commercial success.[11][12][13] Three 6 Mafia's Mystic Stylezand other releases by members of the group such as Come with Me 2 Hell by DJ Paul and Lord Infamous[14] and Lil Noid's Paranoid Funk[10] were particularly influential in the genre's development.
Influence and modern soundEdit
Despite largely staying underground, it has attained a cult following on the internet from MP3 blogs, influencing rappers such as Lil Ugly Mane, Freddie Dredd, Denzel Curry, and SpaceGhostPurrp, and has seen a large boom in popularity though other artists including the Suicideboys and other artists under the G59 record label. It has also brought in the rise of crunk, trap music, and phonk.[2][15]
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DJ Henry Light – Amen Afrovibe Mix 2022
DJ Henry Light – Amen Afrovibe Mix 2022
Amen Afrovibe Mix 2022 By DJ Henry Light MP3 Download
Nigerian incredibly skillful Disc Jockey, singer and songwriter DJ Henry Light comes into the music scene with another fire mp3 mix to blossom your heart with swift and groovy sounds.
This is one of the mixtape to groove this season. Enjoy constant vibes from this channel that is the number music portal.
Featured Songs Includes:
Endless OG –…
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yoongi was sus about jin early on ?!?! i didn’t know this please explain more
im not really good at explaining their predebut and debut years but tldr; the og group (namgiseok, supreme boi, iron, e11evn etc) was UBER SUPER hiphop and when the group transitioned to be an idol group a lot of people jumped ship, and basically adding jin on as visual (he was street casted to be an actor on his way to konkuk and basically had no previous singing rapping dancing experience whatsoever) was the nail to the coffin. the remaining members couldnt be sure of jin's commitment, and apparently joon took him out on a cafe interrogation to see if he was really committed to the group. theres some fans who say that yoongi gave jin a whole mixtape of hiphop songs to kickstart jin's education too.
the first years were tense af between the hiphop scene bashing the boys for "selling out" (most notable in that one infamous interview) and the idol sphere going "yall are ugly what you doin" and they also debuted during the big boyband explosion. not only were they not really getting traction and they would always be cut from broadcast, but they were also getting a lot of hate from claims that the boys were misogynists and buying their own albums to inflate sales and lyrical and conceptual plagiarism to death threats (i mean this kinda remained even when wings was out like #breakwings was trending i think to sabotage the boys). the boys really went through a lot and those first few years until dark and wild, and later, their first win w i need u weren't great. this reddit thread explains it better than me it you wanna take a gander.
#anyways im so proud of them. so proud#i was there when the bitch fight for best rookie group was between BTS BAP and another b group....uh......#anyways i wasnt paying too much attention bc i was too busy laughing at the busker busker memes#im sorry this is so lengthy#i tried my best to make this short#ans
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@iotiamo follow for follow? <3
Schrödinger’s Leak
We’re extremely sorry to say: this is fake. We made it because we’re agents of chaos to prove that it was possible to do something like this in two days. It took a lot of work at the sacrifice of our sanity, but we did it, and filmed on a phone like the original leak was, it could pass off as real. (Look through this blog if you want to see the ugly truth of the HD version.)
The problem is...we were originally doing this to prove that the leak was real, because “no way someone would do this in two day, especially without getting paid”, and instead not only we realized it’s possible, but we’re left with more doubts than before. Keep on reading if you’re interested in what we (didn’t) find out, and what we did to put this together.
We could have posted this a bit earlier, but we didn’t want to distract from the #SomethingToSay campaign.
IO TI AMO
Guys. Guys, we wish we could explain the sheer amount of things Vittorio Guerrieri, Cas’ voice actor, has been in. This man is in every anime dub ever, it’s impressive—we knew finding that specific “Io ti amo” was a losing battle, but we still tried.
Oh, God, did we try. We went through English scripts of all the rom-coms he’s dubbed; compared that to the Italian subtitles of those same movies, looked for working links to stream the Italian dub and check if the “I love you”s we found were the right one....brain cells were lost. Progress was not made.
We settled on using the one in Marley & I (lmao), that Owen Wilson’s character says to the dog to his wife. It’s even better than the one in the leak, in our humble opinion, @ og leaker, suck our collective dicks.
Pictured here: Owen Wilson confessing his undying love for Dean Winchester (as he should).
ANCHE IO
The closest match we had is Dean's Anch'io, (me too).
Although it wasn't a Supernatural "exclusive" line, we decided to search within the original scripts and look for an Italian corrispondance. We found it.
2x20 [9.54] - What Is And What Should Never Be
It not only was a perfect match in terms of sounds, but after analyzing the file with Audacity we had no doubt about it. Furthermore, if you overlap the OG leak's "me too" with the one we found, they seem to perfectly fit.
Listen to the cleaned and compared audios here, and stay tuned for our mixtape, it’s gonna be straight fire.
Here are the graphs. The “Anche io” from 2x20:
“Anche io” from the leak:
Obviously we didn’t expect them to look the same, considering the differences in audio quality, but they’re still very similar. It was listening to the audios side by side that convinced us.
...Is this proof that the leak is fake? Idk. Probably yes. But what if it’s a coincidence that they’re so similar? How different could the two graphs for two small words said by the same person possibly be, after all. And what about all the other lines that we couldn’t find a match for? You see now why we’re conflicted.
CASTIEL
The original idea was to go through every. single. time. Dean says “Castiel” in the Italian dub, hoping to find a perfect match for the one in the leak. We figured every other line could have been taken from the voice actors’ older works (both Castiel’s and Dean’s are very popular here in Italy, and their voices have appeared in...everything, basically)—but that “Castiel” had to come form Supernatural.
We didn’t find it. We went through a lot of the episodes with Castiel in them, the ones with more emotional scenes first, and found nothing...we ended up getting distracted by the search for Mi dispiace, Dean, when we realized that also had to come from Supernatural. We settled on using the first close match we thought of: the scene in 09x01 where Dean is praying in the hospital’s chapel.
This is not the “Castiel” used in the leak, so we can’t prove that it’s a recycled line stoled from an older episode of the Italian dub. For all we now, Stefano recorded it for 15x18.
“Castiel” from 09x01:
“Castiel” from the leak:
Does this prove anything, considering how bad the audio quality of the leak is? We wouldn’t get the same exact graph even if it was the same snippet of audio.
(By the way, when we started this we thought that Dean had rarely said Castiel’s name like that in the dub. We’d forgotten than Italian!Dean never calls him Cas, the asshole.)
The same problem remains: did the leaker find some obscure anime episode where Guerrieri says Io ti amo and used it to dub Castiel, or is this all very real, and that’s why we couldn’t find it anywhere? We don’t know, we just don’t know.
MI DISPIACE, DEAN
Apart from the very wistful "Castiel..." right before Dean gets chucked on the ground (lol get rekt), the other line that came without a doubt from Supernatural is "Mi dispiace, Dean."
I'm sorry, Dean, a sentence that Cas doesn't say that often throughout the show: we checked the English scripts, and we found only three instances where it happens (we only have up until season 13 dubbed in Italian, so if he ever says it in the remaining two seasons, it certainly doesn't have an Italian version).
5x22 - Swan Song: Cas says it, and it's very obviously not the one in the leak. The tone is completely different.
6x22 - Meet the new boss: again, close but no cigar.
7x01 - Reading is fundamental: at first we thought it was the exact same one, and that's why this particular Mi dispiace, Dean is the one you can hear in our fake leak. After checking with Audacity, the one in the episode and the one in the og leak don't correspond. It's just the closest we could find.
So...? What does this mean? We don't know. It's very possible that Italian!Castiel does say Mi dispiace, Dean somewhere in another episode, straying away from the original English script, but without transcriptions of the Italian dub available online, we had no idea where to start.
It's also possible that the leak is real, and that's why we found no doubles for this line.
Also: we've seen people in various posts about the leak saying that the change from "Goodbye, Dean" to "I'm sorry, Dean" is suspicious. It's not uncommon to change lines if it means lipsinking them better, and considering what was happening in the scene, it's not out of place to have Cas apologize to Dean. It wouldn't sound weird to someone who has never watched the original episode.
But, there's another argument to make...Cas has never said goodbye, Dean in older episodes (as far as we could find), and the og leaker was forced to use the next best thing they could find in the Italian dub.
THAT MONITOR...THAT DAMNED MONITOR...
That monitor in the leak looked so sus at first. Is it normal for professional studios to use equipment older than some people on this hell site?
Apparently yes.
We've found a bunch of photos of voice actors in front of the screen they use at work, and they all look like that. Dusty.
These pictures also confirmed that the punctuation in the frame rate changes—sometimes it's all :, sometimes it's all ; (like in the case of the OG leak), sometimes it's mixed. Once again, we can't prove anything one way or another.
This is a pic from 2009 of Davide Chevalier, Sam's voice actor, and the framerate looks different from the one in the leak...then again, it's from 2009. What does it mean? What does it all mean?
FINAL CRIES FOR HELP
If you know more than us, please tell us:
Did we read the Audacity graphs correctly? Do they prove/disprove anything that we didn’t mention?
Does the framerate make any sense? Are we being bamboozled?
Do you have any insight on whether or not season 15 is already been dubbed? We know that season 14 will go on air in bundles of three episodes starting from the 12th of December, so it’s not crazy to think season 15 is already in the works.
Was this worth it? Was any of this worth it? We slept very few hours last night.
tl;dr: in conclusion, we CAN’T affirm with absolute certainty if the Italian leak is fake or not, since we have evidences leading both way. Sadly, the final word will be when the episode will actually air next year.
IRTF - Internet Research Italian Rogue Task Force
#destiel#supernatural#destielgate#italian leak#italian dub#supernatural 15x08#spn 15x18#jackles longcon
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***Best of the 1st Half of 2021: SONG EDITION***
Six months into 2021 and since 2020 wrapped up...some things in the world have changed, while other things remain the same (for better or worse). Folks, it’s time to talk about rap music in 2021...
One trend definitely has continued well into 2021: the underground rap world - I’m talking the artists, the aesthetic, the sound, the full projects, every box you can think of - continues to kick the mainstream rap world’s ass. There are already signs of the two imaginary separate worlds intermingling more and more, and we will have to deal with the pros and cons of that down the line...but one thing is for sure: rap music runs deeper, and more sonically diverse than ever before, and as long as there is an internet to enlist the ears and talents of artists from all over the world, the art form will continue to divide, change shape, borrow from the old and add some new, again and again. And we will all be better for it.
So let’s dive right in. As usual there are about 1,000 more songs that I would love to cram into this list, but there are only so many spots...and I’m married with a toddler, so even though I am listening to rap music for a concerningly large portion of my day, it takes a lot of extra coffee and less sleep to keep these posts going (but it’s still worth it, I love connecting with folks over the same under-discussed but ridiculously dope songs and artists).
There are many lists but none quite like this one, here is THE RAP PUNDIT’S LIST OF THE BEST RAP SONGS FROM THE FIRST HALF OF 2021....hope you find some joints you never heard before and really enjoy. And to all of the MCs, Producers, mixers, singers, curators, readers, writers, critics - anyone that contributes something to this music I love....thank you, as always. 🙏
[Bonus joint] 55. “GANG GANG” - Polo G feat. Lil Wayne
https://soundcloud.com/polo-g/polo-g-lil-wayne-gang-gang?in=polo-g/sets/hall-of-fame-675200176
[Bonus joint] 54. “Furious Styles” - Illa Styles feat. Nickelus F https://illastyles.bandcamp.com/track/furious-styles-ft-nickelus-f
[Bonus joint] 53. “Box of Churches” - Pooh Sheisty feat. 21 Savage
https://soundcloud.com/ceo-mrpooh/box-of-churches-feat-21-savage
[Bonus joint] 52. “Beating Down Yo Block” - Monaleo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GnMPEfV0bSA
[Bonus joint] 51. “BUZZERBEATER” - Rahiem Supreme feat. Al.Divino & Estee Nack
https://franksvinylrecords.bandcamp.com/track/buzzerbeater-feat-al-divino-estee-nack
50. "A Man Apart” - Rx Papi
https://soundcloud.com/rxpapi/a-man-apart-prod-by-noisy?in=rxpapi/sets/100-miles-walkin
(Face it: you’re either feelin’ the Rx flow or you’re not. The endlessly quotable MC is not always taken seriously, but similar to how the saddest clowns are most adept at masking their pain behind a smile, Papi needs to be taken seriously as a talented rap artist.)
49. “Moving On Up” - Evidence feat. Conway The Machine
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5F35OOXvQ4c
(Evidence, Babu, Daringer and Conway all joining forces on a record feels like a timeline altering reach between two completely different generations of elite underground hip-hop artists, but in the case of “Moving On Up”, it’s not just a “hey wouldn’t it be dope if” fantasy, it’s a sweet reality. Ev has connected with the Griselda camp before and of course the results are dope. Add this one to the list, one of the many fine moments off of Unlearning Vol. 1.)
48. “Gordon Ramsay Freestyle” - Remble
https://soundcloud.com/remble2/gordon-ramsay-freestyle-prod-by-laudiano
(An attention grabbing MC if ever I heard one, Remble clearly hails from the same camp as Drakeo The Ruler - Stinc Team - but with that flow and sense of humor, he may develop a lot more than just a strong following out on the West Coast. Look out for Remble, he is knocking on the door of blowing, he’s just one key feature away...)
47. “The Shifts” - maassai feat. AKAI SOLO
https://maassai.bandcamp.com/track/the-shifts-feat-akai-solo
(If you haven’t checked out one of 2021′s most quietly impressive albums, I cannot recommend With The Shifts enough.)
46. “BOXINABACK” - Bris feat. Alphie Blood
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3ai7WYivGo
(The career of Sacramento’s Bris was really beginning to pick up momentum in 2020...sadly, he was killed the same year. I cannot pretend to be an expert in the Sscramento rap scene, I just know that it’s been bubbling for a while, and this song really captured my attention as soon as I heard it. RIP, Bris.)
45. “Last Day Out” - Rio Da Yung OG
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sB51CUUod1w
(Right before Rio Da Yung OG entered the penitentiary, he dropped “Last Day Out”, a song that perfectly captures what the rap game will be missing while he’s gone - and more brutal honesty than we are accustomed to hearing from Flint, Michigan’s punchline killer.)
44. “Thousand Miles” - MAVI
https://mavi.bandcamp.com/track/thousand-miles
(The whole EP is impressive, but I think this joint most actually captures MAVI’s rhyme skills, flow and song writing ability. With young talent like this bubbling up from the underground scene, the future of rap music is as strong as ever.)
43. “Appletree” - Valee & KiltKarter
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPO2AXgZMSc
(Not necessarily a vibe that everyone will be into...but one that if you are into it, you will reap the rewards in abundance. It’s so enjoyable to hear Valee applying his unpredictable cadence to new music once again, made that much more enjoyable by the fact that he has already dropped THREE mixtapes in 2021 and it’s only July!)
42. “Next Chamber” - Peter Rosenberg feat. Method Man, Raekwon & Willie The Kid
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1amHQefki98
(Admit it: this is the type of production we have all been wanting on Wu-Tang albums for years. We won’t get it, but this is closer to the sound that they represented....and of course let’s not forget about the always welcome WTK feature, who does more than hold his own over the NY legends.)
41. “St. James Liquor” - Skyzoo feat. Aaria
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VWC_tFzqUz8
(Pen game’s don’t come much finer than Skyzoo’s. The Brooklyn MC put a lot of work into All The Brilliant Things, and the final result was a collection of thoughtful rap songs like this one: descriptive, autobiographical rhymes over beautiful instrumentation that conjures memories of classic Roots records, and the headspace that only the greatest early 90′s East Coast lyricism could provide. Great song, great album.)
40. “10″ - Drakeo the Ruler
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XIRJoQFyS6c
(One of the best stories in 2020 rap music was when Drakeo hit the street once again, after a painfully long stretch of time in prison. He really hit the ground running in 2021, dropping one quality track after another...but then again, he never really stopped making dope rap in the first place, be it in the studio or over prison phone.)
39. “MASSA” - Tyler, The Creator feat. DJ Drama
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vGz0bFutZs
(When folks were saying that Tyler was RAPPING rapping on his new album, this is what they were talking about. Not since Kanye West has a polarizing rapper-producer excelled so well at spilling his guts all over a track, and moments like this "MASSA” make Call Me If You Get Lost the standout project that it is.)
38. "DARTGUNZ” - Chuck Strangers
https://soundcloud.com/chuckstrangers/dartgunz-produced-by-samiyam
(Chuck Strangers remains low-key one of the best MC / Producers in the game, but Chuck is merely flexing his bar-work on this Samiyam produced gem.)
37. “Messy” - Nappy Nina & JWords
https://nappynina.bandcamp.com/track/messy
(Big shout-out to Pitchfork for putting me on to Nappy Nina within their rap song of the day section, The Ones. I love her music, and when paired with the incredibly gifted producer JWords - who I was only somewhat familar with thanks to previous terrific collaborations with MIKE and maassai - the result is a dope ass album like Double Down.)
36. “Nobles” - The Alchemist feat. Earl Sweatshirt & Navy Blue
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQoKO_v93g0
(The instrumental sounds as a triumphant as you could expect music from this trio to sound. My only complaint about This Things Of Ours was that it wasn’t 10-50 songs longer.)
35. “Nothing Like The Sun” - Tree feat. Roc Marciano
https://mctreeg.bandcamp.com/track/nothing-like-the-sun-feat-roc-marciano
(Okay so for the past few years, I had been pressing Tree, Closed Sessions, and just about anyone that would listen that a less than a minute clip from an old Tree promo featured an unreleased Tree & Roc Marciano joint. So finding out that this joint would *finally* being released on Tree’s Soul Trap album, it felt like Christmas morning. Now the world finally gets to hear two of the finest rap artists from the past decade plus!)
34. “nine lives” - maassai
https://maassai.bandcamp.com/track/nine-lives
(A great example of a song that seems to get better and better as it goes on, maassai & that horn sample are undeniably good on here.)
33. “Lemon Pepper Freestyle” - Drake feat. Rick Ross
https://soundcloud.com/octobersveryown/drake-lemon-pepper-freestyle?in=octobersveryown/sets/scary-hours-2-1
(This one really radiates, “YES, you have heard this before”...but when it works so well, that’s not such a bad thing. Drake came ready to rap, and it will propel this joint to the top of many lists you will find on those other web sites.)
32. “triboro.” - Remy Banks feat. Mr. Muthafuckin’ eXquire, Wiki & A-Trak
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwSJ-DtZRBk
(I dig this in a big way. A few of NYC’s finest, flexing over what feels like blasting Kraftwerk out of a boombox on the L Train? I’m so on board.)
31. “Safe To Say” - Good Gas, Fki 1st & Band Gang Lonnie Bands feat. Band Gang Biggs & Glockboyz Teejaee
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aykhcv625u0
(Of all my favorite projects that dropped in 2021 thus far, I don’t know if any have been as inexplicably under-discussed as the Good Gas, Fki 1st & Band Gang Lonnie Bands banger, Street Dream Team. I stumbled upon the project completely by accident one week while thumbing through all of the new joints that dropped from Detroit MCs one week, and I have kept it in heavy rotation ever sense. While not necessarily a spot-on snapshot of Band Gang Lonnie Bands’ typical sound, for a Michigan outsider like me, it makes for a great entry level intro to one of my favorite rappers out of the Motor City right now.)
30. "Early Exit” - Lloyd Banks
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BUofKVrb-A
(Yeah the Roc Marciano verse sounds like it was recorded over an old radio on cassette tape, but as someone from the real mixtape era, I’m not going to let shaky sound quality distract from the fact that every other part of the song is fantastic. The bars are there of course, but the beat and hook are all spot-on, and sound quality be damed it’s just great to hear Banks & Roc together.)
29. "Yonkers” - Wiki & NAH
https://wiksetnyc.bandcamp.com/track/yonkers
(Rife with experimentation and half-freestyles, and sonically living somewhere between Company Flow and Ratking, the subterranean metro sounds of Wiki and NAH’s Telephonebooth might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but if you have been checking for Wiki’s music prior to this point, chances are you are going to be feeling this collaboration with NAH, a producer that I was previously not familiar with, but became a huge fan over night thanks to cuts like “Yonkers”.)
28. “John Wick” - AKAI SOLO & Navy Blue
(Whether you still believe “lo-fi” rap is a legitimate sub-genre or not, there’s no denying the abilities of these two gifted writers/artists. The wind is blowing in this direction my friends, I just hope you get on board soon and stop neglecting all of the great rap music rising from this corner of the underground.)
https://akaisolo.bandcamp.com/track/john-wick-prod-navy-blue
27. “Let It Roll Interlude” by IAMNOBODI feat. Phonte & BeMyFiasco
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVA1hXEnwnE
(Hard to believe that arguably the strongest rap verse of 2021 would be so under the radar, but here we are...)
26. "Taylor Made Suit” - Evidence
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qLIuc3z7KQ
(Perhaps the thing I love most about this new Ev - both the song itself, as well as the entire album - is how incredibly effective he sounds over minimalist production throughout. “Funeral suit, same as my wedding suit”...shout-out to the legendary MC and producer, both for everything that has has endured in his personal life and his ability to turn his pain into art.)
25. “GOOFIEZ” - Mother Nature and Boathouse feat. Valee
https://mothernaturebarz.bandcamp.com/track/goofiez-featuring-valee
(When Chicago talent gets busy on a record, not many can hang with them. Be on the lookout for more and more big things from the likes of Mother Nature, Valee, and Boathouse.)
24. “Peach Cobbler” - Navy Blue
https://navybluethetruest.com/
(I’m not sure if there is a “chosen one” right now, someone destined to reach such levels of success and/or respect that Drake & Kendrick-esque waves are felt over a generation...but if there is, the mega-talented producer/MC/skater/whatever he wants to be Navy Blue might fit the bill.)
23. “Rose Gold” - 42 Dugg feat. EST Gee
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhmKfKZr-PQ
(There are more than a few songs off of 42 Dugg’s Free Dem Boyz that belong in my Top 50, but “Rose Gold” gets the nod off the strength of the menacing beat paired with 42 and one of the most scorching hot rappers walking the earth right now, EST Gee)
22. "MANIFESTO” - Tyler, The Creator feat. Domo Genesis & DJ Drama
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VnDXCoHRl4o
(The Selena Gomez/Justin Bieber bar will garner most of the hype around this joint, but don’t let it distract from the fact that this song is one of the best collaborations between former Odd Future members since the collective’s creative peak.)
21. “What’s Next” - Drake
https://soundcloud.com/octobersveryown/drake-whats-next?in=octobersveryown/sets/scary-hours-2-1
(Pay attention to this Drake guy, I think he has a shot of making it. He makes it seem so easy, yet he has no peers at his level right now. There’s the growing underground elite...then there’s Drake, and little competition to duke it out with him when it comes to smash rap hits....assuming that is still supposed to be a thing?)
20. “MOMENTZ” - Mother Nature and Boathouse
https://mothernaturebarz.bandcamp.com/track/momentz-2
(You would be hard pressed to find a more enjoyable, high quality tape than SZNZ. The Chicago MCs rock a beat that sounds like a Camp Lo leftover - and I mean that in the best way possible - and show a natural penchant for earwormy choruses that should serve them very well in this biz.)
19. “Grace Jones” - maassai
https://maassai.bandcamp.com/track/grace-jones
(Somewhere between spoken word and where Lyricist Lounge-era Rawkus resides, you can find the warrior poet that is maassai: quite simply one of the most impressive MCs in rap right now.)
18. “How It Feels” - Lil Baby & Lil Durk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BAsRTTO8L2k
(I know how it feels to care relatively little about a collaboration project between two of the game’s more revered Lil’s, then be blown away by both of them rapping their asses off for like 20 songs.)
17. “Falling Out the Sky” - Armand Hammer & The Alchemist feat. Earl Sweatshirt
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ctmTme9cG74
(There’s wavy, and then there’s wavy in the hands of The Alchemist, Earl Sweatshirt and Armand Hammer. One of Haram’s many standouts, this one is probably not what fans expected when they first saw the album’s tracklist, but it might actually be more special than we expected.)
16. “Capitol 1″ - EST Gee
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Ng7Sg1_RTM
(Mark my words: by the time we reach the end of 2021, EST Gee will be in the top 10 of every reputable rap site’s best MC list. At least I know that he will most likely be on mine.)
15. “LUMBERJACK” - Tyler, the Creator feat. DJ Drama
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9WOjaYotX1c
(Who knew we needed Tyler to join forces with DJ Drama to rap over a Gravediggaz joint? Never one to do what everyone expects, when this cut dropped about a week before his new album was released, it was clear that he was ready to pick up where he left off with his impressive bar-work on a flurry of features in 2020. Now that I think about it, after “Something To Talk About” and “327″ maybe we shouldn’t be surprised that Tyler dropped one of the hardest joints of the year.)
14. “The Stellar Ray Theory” - Mach-Hommy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3GWJrL2ht0
(The single that Mach & Griselda stans were terrified to hear, at the risk of revealing their no-longer-a-secret project to be a painful example of how far the parties had drifted since their over-publicized fallout, only to find the opposite: Mach & Gunn didn’t just find their chemistry once again, they improved upon it.)
13. “Sandra” - MIKE
https://mikelikesrap.bandcamp.com/track/sandra
(With his new Disco! album, MIKE managed to step outside of his typical lane of delivery, showing how nimble he truly is as a MC, and even takes his skills to another level as a producer, delivering what might be the most enjoyable album of his career thus far.)
12. "No Time” - Your Old Droog feat. Wiki
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Y8Ozq9tMLE
(The new YOD album sounds so painstakingly written and executed, you would never believe it just casually dropped out of the blue one evening. Few are better at crafting themes without compromising the joy of listening to the music, Droog delivered once again.)
11. "What The Money Taught Us” - Skyzoo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JV2QEbxMYgU
(This new Skyzoo album has so much beauty to unpack, please dig in if you have been keeping it on the back-burner for some reason.)
And now the Top 10...
10. “Folie Á Deux” - Mach-Hommy feat. Westside Gunn & Keisha Plum
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LF1-VvJsbqI
(Conductor Williams does it again, putting his own unique touch to one of Pray For Haiti’s standout cuts. The song is almost beautiful sound if it wasn’t for Westside Gunn, Mach and Keisha Plum pumping their own unique rawness into the beat. This one represents everything going right with Griselda right now.)
9. “Hallways” - Peter Rosenberg feat. Roc Marciano & Flee Lord
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TrDrvozDzo4
(Superior to anything on last year’s Mt. Marci, Disco Vietnam really blessed Flee Lord and Roc Marciano with the type of late night loungin’ in New York banger that Roc knows how to knock out the park better than anyone. “Hallways” screams late night underground radio in a way that feels both nostalgic and fresher than just about anything out right now.)
8. "Seeing Green” - Nicki Minaj feat. Lil Wayne & Drake
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=diUcHDlCqMo
(Many have tried to recapture the skill, swagger, and star power of The Roc in the early 00′s, but most have not been able to come close. Leave it to the diamonds in Young Money’s crown to come through and capture the pomp and circumstance so successfully, it’s amazing that Just Blaze wasn’t somehow involved. If you aren’t feelin’ at least one of these verses, time to join a hater support group.)
7. “Prayers Over Packages” - DJ Muggs & Rome Streetz & DJ Muggs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2r2AYxN20ZI
(Most underground artists must be so excited to have the legendary DJ Muggs lace them with a full project, and I’m sure Rome Streetz was honored. But while Muggs delivered another strong performance on Death & The Magician, it’s Rome that elevates the material to truly masterful levels.)
6. “Wants and Needs” - Drake feat. Lil Baby
https://soundcloud.com/octobersveryown/drake-wants-and-needs-feat-lil?in=octobersveryown/sets/scary-hours-2-1
(Yes Drake still has the touch, one of rap music’s few legitimate hitmakers left....but hot damn, it’s Lil Baby coming through to turn the joint to ashes that carries “Wants and Needs” to song of the year caliber levels.)
5. “S.R.D.” - Peter Rosenberg feat. Styles P, Ransom & Smok DZA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-tzSrIZ8tso
(Don’t overthink it: the watery boom-bap backdrop provided by Buck Dudley is exquisite, and all three MCs go in. I think it’s time to admit that if it wasn’t for the like him or passionately hate him aura around Peter Rosenberg, a lot more folks would. be praising this compilation as one of the finest since peak DJ street tape era.)
4. “Black Sunlight” - Armand Hammer & The Alchemist feat. KAYANA
https://armandhammer.bandcamp.com/track/black-sunlight-featuring-kayana
(What more can I say about this union by now? Al dipping into his breezy bag to bless the lyrical onslaught of billy woods and ELUCID was not something that I thought I needed, but after hearing them cook together I don’t know if I ever want Armand Hammer to go back to the bleak soundscapes they’re often know for. The contract in style was so effective throughout Haram, bringing out the best from all parties, in my not-so-humble opinion...hopefully even more to come from this alliance.)
3. “TV Dinners” - The Alchemist feat. Sideshow & Boldy James
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kuUGrlVivic
(A slick, seemingly harmless little head nodder from The Alchemist, Boldy and the rapidly ascending main-stage level Sideshow. I felt this one right from the jump the day Al’s This Thing of Ours EP dropped, and it’s remained high on my list of 2021 favorites ever since. Give me a bunch of chill MCs doing deceptively slick pen-work over a jazzy but simple loop, and I’m set.)
2. “The 26th Letter” - Mach-Hommy feat. Westside Gunn
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7jcjW8h230
(Forget the albums that go for thousand of dollars. Forget the mysterious aura around him, forget the Twitter stan-dom and those that loathe them, and forget the flames of Griselda gossip that are fanned by both fans and doubters....and just imagine you never heard this MC rap before and you have just pressed play on “The 26th Letter”. )
1. “Kill All Rats” - Conway & Big Ghost LTD. feat. Ransom & Rome Streetz
https://bigghostlimited.bandcamp.com/track/kill-all-rats-ft-ransom-rome-streetz
(Whenever attempting to wrangle my favorite songs into one tidy list, there is one ex-factor that can elevate a collection of bars to an elite song: execution. You already know that when punchlines kings the caliber of Ransom, Rome Streetz, and Conway The Machine get on a record together, it’s bound to be a bar-fest....but to the extent of “Kill All Rats”??? Not expected. The name of the song itself invites a certain degree of redundancy, but when three great MCs jump on a track and write verses near the top of their skill level - and when a producer like Big Ghost sounds equally incensed with the instrumental that he brought to the table - even a straight-forward posse cut can end up being the best rap song of the year thus far.)
*COMING SOON: BEST RAP ALBUMS, AND RAP VERSES OF THE FIRST HALF OF 2021...stay tuned.* 👀
See also:
https://therappundit.tumblr.com/post/649527317251670016/best-of-the-1st-quarter
https://therappundit.tumblr.com/post/638904640503726080/the-best-rap-songs-of-2020-great-songs-that
#Best rap projects of 2021#best of the first half#Armand Hammer#Griselda#Mach-Hommy#Pray For Haiti#Rome Streetz#Conway#Navy Blue#The Alchemist#tyler the creator#earl sweatshirt#Drake#EST Gee#42 Dugg#Skyzoo#MIKE#peter rosenberg#Weezy#Nicki Minaj#Lil Baby#lil durk#maassai#MAVI#Bruiser Brigade#Detroit hip-hop#Nappy Nina#JWords#Ransom#J. Cole
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What do you think about the new nbhd album?
It’s a chill album that has its moments but it’s nothing to write home about.
I genuinely feel like Jesse badly wants to go solo and he probably thinks his obligation to the band/their fanbase is stopping him from that. I also don’t quite understand the evolution of their music...? I remember when NBHB first came onto the scene, they were really unique because they blended West Coast rap, trip-hop, alternative rock and RnB together. They evolved that sound until (I think) they thought they peaked with the ‘#000000 & #FFFFFF’ mixtape - a consistent narrative throughout the project, experimented with tons of trap beats that really shouldn’t work over the vocals but did, great use of hip-hop features that complimented the production instead of overshadowing it. Then that influence carried onto ‘Wiped Out,’ which is what I would consider their last good album. ‘Hard to Imagine...’ was everywhere and it felt like they wanted to retain some of the RnB flavor but move towards a lo-fi sound that they kinda dabbled in with some of the deep cuts on ‘Wiped Out.’ Again, nothing wrong with playing with different sounds but imo, it was a massive overhaul of their OG sound which obviously would have confused a lot of their fans. Ever since then, they’ve lost that individuality that separates them from the rest of the alt-indie scene. ‘Chip Chrome & the Mono-Tones’ is a weird concept that doesn’t really fit within their discog. Lyrically, it’s fine but musically, it was very boring to me. ‘Devil’s Advocate,’ ‘Hell or High Water’ and ‘BooHoo’ are the highlights for me, ‘Lost in Translation’ is the catchy, no-brainer single but the rest of it was just kinda there imo. I still think that Jesse is ridiculously gifted and one of the most versatile artists that have come out of the indie scene in the last 10 years. That doesn’t change the fact that their last couple of releases have felt flat and uninspired.
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Bassline (& 2020 in general): Re-e-wind
What a strange year, as everyone, everywhere has said a million times… Writing-wise, I’d been doing Record Collector magazine since 2014, and uDiscover (the Universal Records online mag) for not much less, & that all just seemed to (understandably) stop dead with the onset of the pandemic. Since then, I’ve polished off my chapter on the work of Simon Morris and the Ceramic Hobs for Palgrave, & that’s about it, so you’re more likely to find me over on Twitter at Sniffy (@philblackpool) / Twitter these days, blurting out the odd sentence. I hence thought it might be time to revisit a very old piece…
Like many, I’ve been working from home for much of the year, and although I’ve occasionally wanted to pull out my own eyeballs, it has generally been very pleasant for a voracious music-lover. I started by catching up on the vast majority of my insane, years-deep second-hand vinyl buy piles, and then chomped through a load of ‘long listen’ stuff I’d had on the backburner forever (including, astonishingly, eventually getting through something like 40 hours of Pan Sonic live sets someone had dumped online). I graded hundreds of releases for sale on Discogs, and revisited umpteen musical thangs extensively, including 90s gabba, Sun Ra, music hall, Schoenberg, dancehall reggae, the acknowledged worst albums ever, happy hardcore, Italian house, bounce and makina (I’ve lost track of how much time I’ve spent checking out youtubes to try to identify a couple of most-wanted bounce and makina tunes), Britpop (!), cosmic disco, and Belgian popcorn. It’s been an extraordinary year, packed with cultural discovery and rediscovery. In amongst this, in no way ashamed of my abject love of Discogs, and already having used and edited it for many years, I read the entire guidelines and decided to go hard on sorting out stuff I care about on there. Seeing they’d finally added various more recent ‘styles’, I’ve spent the last month and a half doing a ridiculous amount of edits on a dozen or so niche genres of importance in recent times (footwork, Jersey Club, yadda yadda). My tweakings around Bassline and UK Funky eventually drew me to the attention of UK Garage legend Karl ‘Tuff Enuff’ Brown, a fellow Discogs obsessive not so keen on the editing side of the site, who wondered if I might give him a hand sorting out the mess of his own and his label’s (2Tuf 4U) discographies. His entertaining phonecalls were enough to convince me.
I dug out all my stuff related to Karl’s label to listen to along the way, and found myself noticing how much UKG has been back in the spotlight of late (key, and brilliant, article here: RA: Like A Battle: The Push For UK Garage's Future (residentadvisor.net) ). While by no means unaware of this (I’ve had some lovely promos from Kiwi and the like of late, plus some moodier bits from various El-B worshippers), my status as a confirmed middle-aged semi-retired raver had hidden much of this from me. This leads me onto one of my big philosophical points of recent years: I listened to dance music avidly before I ever went out dancing, and listen to it now in lockdown, and in semi-retirement. There is far too much an emphasis among ever-rejuvenating dance music correspondents on ‘the club’ as the only way to enjoy dance music, but we know that OG disco fans are 60+ and unlikely to be out every weekend these days – is their experience now worthless? Online fans talk up their love of dance music for exercise soundtracks, bedtime calming soundtracks, etc: this is reality. Dance music is as valid to all these people as rock is to people who haven’t been to a gig in 40 years.
The style I felt myself most drawn back to was bassline (largely via Karl’s low-key issue of some DJ Q material). My love of UK Garage and all its offshoots largely stems from how physically removed I have been from it from virtually its entire history. Only my 2000-03 stint in Essex perfectly matched the garage waveform, and that was the 2-step era, quite the opposite of bassline. Despite being largely a northern phenomenon, Blackpool is largely untouched by bassline, being all about punk and bounce to my mind. An instant love for me circa 2007, bassline feels like one of those genres with unfinished business, but remains one I’ve rarely danced to. Cut off in its prime, it is now back, enormously popular, and rightly so, but, due to the vagaries of the digital music world, some of its key material remains tough to access in any decent form.
I originally wrote the piece I have butchered for this one in March 2008, on Myspace (remember that), in reaction to the exciting waves of bassline and UK funky then reinvigorating the world of UKG. It looks a bit embarrassing now, with more writing experience, although I continue to applaud my own willingness to be open about my innocent appreciation of things I love but am not truly part of.
The most notable misstep in my original piece was the presumption that bassline would become the latest enormous chart sensation. Like happy hardcore before it, the ball was, in reality, fumbled. Instead of hoped-for freaky innovation, the producers also opted, as many in years gone by, for smoothed-out commerciality (in unholy alliance with low-grade grime crossovers), although the main adversarial issues seem to have been police crackdowns and the London-centric ‘cool police’. Although I was long aware of such problems with Niche in Sheffield (the genre’s spiritual home), it appears that the police interference had a devastating effect across the board ( Banned From Sheffield: How Jamie Duggan fought for bassline… And won (ukf.com) ). This largely explains why many of the bassline producers gravitated towards the largely wack bass house/house & bass style so beloved of teenyboppers in recent years. Thank heavens that era is now largely over.
Niche reputedly specialised in an arguably unholy mixture of dated late 90s speed garage and ‘bassline house’ (think ‘Let Me Show You’ by Camisra, and MK’s ‘organ house’), way past their sell-by date (I still only really like a handful of Shaun Banger Scott bits in this style, one single 2009 Brummie CD EP, and one Virgo remix). Ultimately, though, this experiment unexpectedly created something magical. The crucial element here is the 4/4 beat. While undoubtedly skippy, the vast majority of the material favoured had a firm 4/4 beat, always favoured across all key scenes in the north of England from northern soul onwards. When they ran out of tunes to rinse, in time-honoured fashion, they made their own. Long, rumbling walls of bass, organs, and hoppy-skippy beats, with raggafied samples and gunshots over the top. Popular in Birmingham as well (pretty much the centre of a vinyl glut at the time, and now notable in the popularity of DJs such as Chris Lorenzo and Hannah Wants), B-side titles hinted of coke overload. Disenfranchised by London’s movement away from the holy 4/4 (despite a slight revival in the early noughties), and via messenger services and the like, northern producers began to exchange a new hybrid in the mid-00s which took these speed garage and bassline house influences and updated them with current R’n’B bootlegs, with influences from grime (regional grime producers were key here) and, most notably, with rococo basslines. Its most obvious comparison point was Sticky’s garage productions, concurrent with the early grime era. Southern producers such as Agent X, Delinquent (who featured Gemma Fox on their magical 2006 ‘Boxers’), and Dexplicit (Fox again, 2005’s ‘Might Be’) ran with that, and the north lapped it up. Key early pointers also included DJ Narrows’ superb 2001 4/4 tune ‘Saved Soul’, and early 00s DND work (Artwork, later part of dubstep supergroup Magnetic Man). A notable increase in output came in 2006, and 2007-9 were the genre’s original glory years. And the bulk of producers and up-&-comings delivering serious anthems to the scene came not from London and the south-east, but from Leeds (T2, Wittyboy, Nastee Boi), Bradford (TS7), Manchester (Murkz, Burgaboy, Subzero), Nottingham (Virgo, IllMana), Leicester (JTJ, H20, FB & Zibba), and Wolverhampton (EJ, TRC, Brett Maverick). EJ’s Ejucation mix series (all up on Soundcloud) is a good place to start, beginning as the bassline house began to be overtaken by the pure bassline numbers.
Distribution for serious UK garage music has often been woeful, with only high street compilations & the chart singles (‘Heartbroken’ by T2, ‘What’s It Gonna Be’ by H20, etc) making it all over the country, and this helped stymie the true development of bassline, although vinyl prices, dreadful video promos, and the leap to digital in some ways didn’t help. Years on, as an incorrigible vinyl fanatic, I still only have handful of bassline 12”s. Yes, you can now access this stuff the world over via Youtube etc, but decent, high-quality copies of full-length tunes (they are often hacked about to great effect, but in a way which obscures the original intentions, in the mix) are not always the easiest to come by, although the classic producers are increasingly putting out digital compilations of their original work. Material that would, for previous genres, be fiended after, is lost to being just more online links. At the time, I looked high and low for 12”s, succeeding only rarely, largely on the flip of UK Funky releases. The (mixtape) audience, going by comments online, were often extremely young, are probably now still only in their mid-twenties, and are seemingly happy enough with this chaotic model. Bassline originally, as all rave genres, largely ran off mixtape boxsets, and a 2007 ‘Pure Bass – Fantasy’ box from Stoke remains my key document of that era: seven bassline CDs, with many tracks repeated, but packed to the gills, with most tracks only lasting a minute or two in the mix. As with all rave mixes, it has taken me years to suss the majority of the track IDs. In the Resident Advisor piece linked above, DJ Q (from Huddersfield) talks about thousands of lost bassline tunes, the bad side of the digital revolution. My recent Discogs ferreting suggests more bassline tunes than one might imagine did make some sort of decent release, but too many only made white labels, promo CDs for commercial releases (before being snipped from the main release), mix CDRs, or Youtube’s grainy depths. Classics such as TS7 featuring Bianca’s ‘Seems Like’ appear to never have had any decent release whatsoever, despite TS7 going on to be a big name in bass-oriented house, and Bianca Gerald having kept at the vocal turns ever since.
T2 hit biggest, with ‘Heartbroken’, a gorgeous, smashed-vocal garage dub so popular that it even inspired a Jersey Club refix. His catalogue was immediately deep, although I get the impression he has stopped adding to it. One complaint about bassline, including some of the T2 work, regards the untutored vocals, which can sometimes be rather flat, and certainly lacking in dynamics compared to the dazzling US vocalists featured on some earlier UK garage pieces (I refer here, as always, to TJ Cases’ remarkable ‘Do It Again’). I kinda like that - it shows amateur enthusiasm not far removed from punk, and most obviously links to lover’s rock, as does the production at times: it gives a feeling of melancholy entirely suited to the vocals. Other bassline heroes include TS7, who briefly brought to the fore sassy female garage MC T Dot. His productions also include ‘Smile’, one of my very favourite bassline tracks, full of that Simon Reynolds-quoted 'weird energy’ possessed by DJ Hype & co in the early nineties. Male bassline vocalists such as Ideal also remain unfairly forgotten, although some of the female vocalists have gone on to work in related genres since bassline’s peak.
Paleface, an ex-member of London garage rap crew Stonecold GX, runs Northern Line Records (FB, TRC, Wittyboy, Nastee Boi), something of a quality mark for bassline productions, while also making highly successful UK Funky tunes as part of Crazy Cousinz, and later progressing into commercial house territory. He chronicled much of bassline’s high-water mark (including being married to Kyla, since sampled by Drake). Wolverhampton-based Northern Line signing TRC proved particularly adaptable, spewing out a legion of original tunes and remixes before retreating for a while to grime. Leeds’ Nastee Boi was a favourite of mine at the time, with his pitch-black gangsta bassline tunes, but pushed on towards a mixture of underwhelming R’n’B vocal cuts and nursery grime toons. Wittyboy started similarly punishingly but also went smoother, unbalancing the classic bassline rough and smooth combination.
Now that the dubiously poisonous rep of Niche has been dispatched, the key bassline acts have returned to their key battleground, and the genre seems in full throttle again. Much of the new material seems a little one-dimensional to me: producers invariably big up Bristol’s My Nu Leng as, I suppose, a bridge from bro-step to 4/4. Everything, as acknowledged by the DJs, is huge drops and nothing much else. It still sounds pretty hot though – not the updated lover’s rock of a decade ago, but worth supporting. Bassline is NOT finished!
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Rising Hip-Hop Meets Trap Artist Isaacjacuzzi Releases the Atmospheric Till It's Over [Q&A]
Isaacjacuzzi is an innovative artist dripping with style and swagger. Unleashing his latest 14-track offering Till It's Over, produced by mega hip-hop producer Royce David (Lil Mosey), the artist seamlessly melds a myriad of genres, from reggae and hip-hop, to trap and R&B, creating a diverse and atmospheric mixtape that has it all.
Oozing with sun-soaked feels, the album features tracks such as “Never Lie” and “Gucci Steppin”, showcasing ambient hip-hop vibes and touching on themes such as money, girls and substance abuse. Delivering a modern day, relatable anthem for twenty-somethings, the artist gives an honest look into the life of a young, Seattle-based rapper.
“Ooh Lord” exudes an upbeat reggae feel, demonstrating his ability to blend his effortless, relaxed energy with feel-good party anthems. Isaacjacuzzi is more than just a gifted singer, with the new release highlighting his talents as a producer, rapper and songwriter. Proficient in all areas, he takes artistic control, allowing his music to follow its true direction while simultaneously paying homage to his West Indian roots.
With an ever-growing fan base cultivated through his tireless devotion and intoxicating music, Isaacjacuzzi is quickly becoming a force to be reckoned with, leading the movement in the Northwest hip-hop scene. Ones To Watch had the pleasure of speaking with Isaacjacuzzi discussing the meaning behind his name, collaborations and the masterpiece that is Till It’s Over.
Ones To Watch: First off, your artist name is so unique. What is the inspiration behind the name Isaacjacuzzi?
Isaacjacuzzi: Isaac is my name giving to me by my mother and the rastas, jacuzzi relates to my energy I be chillin, and shordy always says my voice sounds like water ♨️👆🏾
Your latest album Till It's Over, was produced by prolific hip hop producer Royce David (Lil Mosey). How did the two of you connect and what was your experience like working with such a prominent figure in the industry?
Royce David was one of the first people to believe in me. He took me in and helped me develop as an artist and has a good friend. Our experience working together is always a vibe and positive energy.
Your music seamlessly fuses trap, hip hop and reggae. What first drew you to these genres?
I grew up in a reggae household and learned a lot about reggae and the Rastafarian belief system from my OG’s. When I got into high school I started to learn more about hip hop and trap. The youthfulness of playboi Carti and Chief Keef motivated my Hustle early on. When I met Royce, we fused these worlds together.
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I understand you come from a West Indian Family, how has your heritage influenced your music?
My parents first met in a reggae band that practiced at my grandma's house. From early on I saw them take stage and it motivated me to do the same. The Rastafarian culture is big on moving forward and staying in a positive light. I carry these themes throughout my music and throughout my life.
What are some common themes that run through the release and what was your creative process when writing the songs for the album?
I keep it real throughout my music, my album is a rollercoaster of vibes. From my darkest days to my best, ima keep giving the people what they need.
Your mesmerizing track “Gucci Steppin” features rapper Lil Keed. Can you tell me more about that collaboration?
Royce and I ran into Lil Keed in Vegas for a fashion show. He showed us love and pulled up to the studio that night. Real recognize Real.
The infectious “Ooh Lord” is an upbeat danceable summer anthem. I know with quarantine, beaches, clubs and many restaurants are closed. How are you keeping yourself entertained and creating fun summer vibes?
With all the closers the suns still shining on jacuzzi. Ima do my part in standing up for what’s right and keeping the summer vibes going. Through music we the world can heal.
In addition to rapping and singing, you also are a producer and songwriter as well. How did you become interested in pursuing so many facets of the music industry?
Once you dive into the studio life you wanna be aware of every aspect. From the drums to the lyrics I create awareness with my tracks and slide with the water melodies.
What’s the next step for Isaacjacuzzi?
The next step for Isaacjacuzzi is to keep motivating the youth and help my family. From the dirt road to the shows on the road. I’ma keep putting on for mines.
Lastly, who are your Ones To Watch?
Watch out for all the hustlers in Seattle. Just like the waves created in places like Atlanta, New York, and LA. Seattle’s coming with a new wave to heat up the scene.
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The June 27th Post | A homage to Houston rap culture One Time For The Homie DJ Screw | A brief history of Chopped & Screwed music A pioneer of Houston rap music but also the creator and godfather of Chopped and Screwed music. Robert Earl Davis, Jr. aka DJ Screw started slowing down records in the early 90s. He began the Screwed Up Click (SUC) on the Southside of Houston, TX in 1990. The group consist of but is not limited to Big Moe, Lil Keke, Lil Flip, Big Pokey, Mike D, H.A.W.K., Lil-O, Clay Doe, 3-2 and Trae. The notable rap duo UGK (Underground Kings), formed in 1987 and consisting of Chris “Pimp C” Butler & Bernard “Bun B” Freeman, were SUC Affiliated. The click put out over 100 tapes, all produced by Screw, in 1998 alone.
Purple Drank is a popular substance cocktail, popularized by Houston rappers in the 90s. The drink consists of Promethazine and/or Codeine cough syrup mixed with alcohol and/or soda and/or juice. DJ Screw and SUC were avid users of the fusion drink. Unfortunately, the drink comes with lethal side effects such as rapid weight gain, slowed heart rate, loss of balance and addiction. The effects took a toll on Screws life and resulted in an overdose and ultimately his demise. Subsequently, Kenneth “Big Moe” Moore and Pimp C, died within months of each other due to sipping syrup combined with their own individual pre-existing conditions.
Since Screwed Up Records, DJ Screw’s recording studio and record shop were on the Southside the Northside felt the need to compete. So in 1997, Michael “5000” Watts and Ronald “OG Ron C” Coleman established Swishahouse, a record label. Watts was already picking up the slack right before Screw died because Screw had semi paused production due to his constant use of syrup. So naturally, Watts was up next for the Chopped and Screwed scene. Later, in 2011 OG Ron C & the ChopStars would go on to create Chop Not Slop where they essentially do what their predecessors did, make remixes of popular songs and albums where the tempo is slowed tremendously. Swishahouse consists of but is not limited to Slim Thug, Lil Mario, JDawg, Big Tiger, Big Pic, Lester Roy, Archie Lee, Mike Jones, and Lil Keke. If you notice, Lil Keke repped SUC but officially signed with Swishahouse after DJ Screw died. A very political yet sensible move. Big Moe | City of Syrup & Z-RO | Mo City Don My mom played City of Syrup the Chopped version so much when I was a child that I was under the impression that Big Moe was the only artist who sung in a low tone and occasionally would restart his songs by accident. Thankfully my family corrected me. Thus beginning my interest in Chopped and Screwed.
City of Syrup was Big Moe’s debut album and featured hits like “Barre Baby”, “Maan!” and “Freestyle (June 27)”. It featured many artists from Screwed Up Click such as Big Pokey, H.A.W.K., Lil-O, Tate Eyez, Mike D, DJ Screw and Z-RO.
The distance between Alexandria, LA, where my family is from, and Houston, TX is only a little over 200 miles. Most of Alexandria’s music, even to this day, is heavily influenced by Houston artists. So it’s very plausible that my mom’s music taste is influenced a lot by Houston because of where she grew up.
For the year of 2017, I lived in Houston and in more ways than one it was eye opening. I gained a whole new appreciation for music. I made a lot of forever connections so much so that my good friend Sarah, whom I met at work, ended up asking me to be a bridesmaid in her wedding. I humbly agreed. Fast forward to the wedding day and the entire wedding party is being transported to the reception via party bus. The groom has the AUX cord and he began to play a familiar tune. The whole bus began to sing in unison the lyrics to “Mo City Don” by Z-RO. I awed in wonder, wishing I too knew the lyrics. And then, just as the song is about to end, he shoutouts Lake Charles, Lafayette then my hometown of Alexandria. I had such a sense of pride in Alex at that moment. Houston Up-and-Coming Artists Spotlight | Megan Thee Stallion | Tobe Nwige | Té Allen | The H Town Hottie | Megan Thee Stallion Megan was born and raised in Houston, TX and she is the hottest female rapper out right now. The self-proclaimed “H Town Hottie” is hitting airwaves with her woman empowerment mantras and sexually liberating rhymes. At only 23 years old Megan is already topping charts all while being enrolled at Texas Southern University. My favorites of hers so far are as follows: “Running Up Freestyle”, “Big Poppa Freestyle”, “Big Ole Freak”, “Sex Talk”, “Shake That”, “Best You Ever Had” and “Stalli Freestyle”. ALL STREAMING SERVICES: Megan Thee Stallion
ALL SOCIAL MEDIA HANDLES | @theestallion #GetTwistedSundays | Tobe Nwigwe Actually hailing from Alief, TX, a subsection of Houston, Tobe Nwigwe is ahead of his time. With songs like “MURDER.”, where he flips Sister Nancy’s “Bam Bam” into a song all his own, and “RĖÂŁITY” where he flips Mtume’s “Juicy Fruit” into a song about his reality growing up and present day. Tobe has a series on Youtube called Get Twisted Sunday’s. On the series, every week he recorded himself getting his hair either twisted or braided by his wife whilst premiering a new song. EVERY WEEK for months straight. His sound reminds me of the great Andre 3000, with his futuristic sound and originality. ALL STREAMING SERVICES & SOCIAL MEDIA HANDLE | @TobeNwigwe Birthday Cake | Té Allen Té Allen is an all-around star. Being born and raised in the south, his musical influences can be heard throughout his music. His first mixtape, Smooth Vibes (2015), was his breakthrough into the world of music. Since then, he has released a series of songs and an EP, Birthday Cake (2018). Interesting enough, the promo for Birthday Cake went viral. Té decided to put a rather embarrassing picture of himself as a child as the cover art and offered his audience $100 for the best roast of the picture. Needless to say, the cover was not only shared for laughs but was a genius way to promote his project. He is currently prepping for the release of his next project. The first single off his upcoming project, AIM Blue is accompanied with crisp visuals as per usual for Té. ALL STREAMING SERVICES |Té Allen
Instagram|Twitter| teallen3
Snapchat| lavonteallen3
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— skz inktober
✧ day 4: mixtape era ✧
i was originally going to do a scene from the young wings mv bc that's the song that got me into skz, but instead i went with the og hellevator teaser pics, and what better way than to draw my baby jeongin
#his face is too short#sigh#thats smth i do ig#yang jeongin#skz jeongin#stray kids jeongin#skz yang jeongin#fennec fox babe#inktober 2018#skz inktober#skz art#stray kids inktober
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