“Nipsey has been gone a while now, but he’s certainly not forgotten, and this track conveys the emotions and passion of his fans quite well.
The flow is low key, but the earnest feelings come through loud and clear and you can feel the grief, disillusionment, and anger in every word.”
“Kick it back to 1990 something with this throwback to a Hip-Hop sound that you don’t get much of these days.
Lyrically, the track offers fresh contemporary lines that hit hard at times and offer up wry humor at others. Balt Getty and Chino Xl play off each other and the track packs in a lot in two short minutes. I did find myself wishing the track lasted a bit longer.”
“It’s been a long hard year, and for many we had to find our calm where we could. ‘Atshitshi’ starts as Hip-Hop track that falls into a nice soulful R&B groove and there in the smoke of this Cannabis ballad is a tranquil vibe and flow that unfurls like a nice high.
Add this one to your 420 playlist for those times you want to fire up and chill.”
“It. A simple word that often means nothing, but when it comes to entertainment, having ‘It’ means everything.
Poetik has it.
The IT factor that captivates sand holds you. ‘FAME’ is a track about the contradictions of remaining true to who you are in the face of rising stardom and thanks to Poetik’s calm verve, this single simply works.”
“With an uplifting backing that feels like a choir urging you on, Call Me Ace drops his truth with sharply written lines and a rising passion that builds as the track progresses. This track is part of NBA 2K21 in game experience so while many will hear ‘No Assistance,’ it is vital that you take time to stop and digest the lyrics for the full experience to land.”
“The truth delivered here in these lines ... Everybody dies, ‘Not Everybody Lives’ ... is a sentiment we have heard before, but K.M. drops this hook amid a lyrical build that feels both passionate and earnest. The flow is steady and deliberate, yet still conveys a heartfelt belief that makes every word land with conviction. It is this, that allows the track to break through and land in a meaningful way.”
“Icon South teams up with fellow Texas artists Neko Savvy & Lil Twist to lay it down on this crazy Zetra & Sham beat.
The beat and progression make it easy to put a little bounce into your sway as you let this track settle down on your shoulders. The unique vocal tones mesh well and leave the track standing out in a time when a lot of tracks sounds exactly the same.”
“The unique tone caught me first, and the strong writing kept me leaning in. Both flows deliver a nice bit of passion and emotion and the beat production feels right for the track — hitting hard at times, but staying out of the way where need be.
’What is Hell Like?’ ... well I can tell you Hell is not listening to good music and talented artists like this, so the question will have to be answered another day for me.”
“Chris Divine’s new song ‘Don’t Let Up’ was inspire by Tupac’s ‘Brenda’s Got A Baby’. The song serves as motivation for women to keep their head up even when they are tired. Sometimes unplanned motherhood strengthens women when they least expect it. Shot in Black and White the aesthetics is to show emotion and that there is a such thing as having a family and love.”
“Born Allah teams up with Rakaa on this track to come straight at you here with a flow that demands your attention. The confidence and razor sharp wordplay provide the hook, over the top of a horn and percussion heavy track created by German beatsmith Zpu-Zilla, which finished off an energetic track with yet another layer that refuses to let you turn away.
Born Allah’s new album Analog Baby drops January 7th. ”
“This is a track that shakes up the norms. Coming almost with a medley like vibe of shifting styles and delivery tones, Suspect Ed is tough to classify in any one genre. There is a definite Hip-Hop flow that works well, but the track also offers a nice 80’s style vocal hook that feels nostalgic, while also managing to come across as a modern Pop arrangement. Through multiple listens, I remained on the hook for this ‘First Class’ trip. ”
“Tell someone they can’t and they do one of two things — quit — or work harder to prove their doubters wrong.
Sjr has obviously taken the latter path and honed his craft until it was razor sharp. The flow on ‘Said I Couldn’t’ comes steady and smooth like a Hip-Hop/Soul blend that conveys just the right passion and emotion without allowing the production to get in the way.”
“There are no shortage of tracks calling out haters and naysayers, but FCG Heem gives us a little something different with the laid back easy going vibe of his track, ‘Haha.’ Lyrically the flow is easy to follow and and settle in on and overall the vibe is light and airy coming with an almost island like vibe at times.”
“Sometimes a track just works with a simplistic, heartfelt delivery. ‘The Way It Is’ landed for me in such a way.
Evan from Heaven delivers the track with a stripped down, no frills flow that works in a genuine and honest way. The production behind the track stays out of the way, while still managing to add a bit of emotion to the groove. I did find myself wishing the track were a little longer and took the lyrics just a bit further.”
“The world has been on fire for a while now, and it is easy to become desensitized to it all, but Rasheed Chappell and Buckwild have given is a stripped down spare track that infuses the news of the day with a beat and a flow that brings the perfect attitude to makes us feel the injustice, the fear, the anxiety, and the rebellious anger to stand up and do something about it all.”
“Ray Wright delivers a pure unapologetic West Coast track with his new single ‘Chess’ featuring Dom Kennedy. The beat comes in smooth with a Hip-Hop melody. As Ray drops his verses he hits us with the lyrics of how he moves and how people around him move . With a 50/50 reputation these two are pure success no matter how people look at it because like isn’t checkers its chess”
“The world is in flux, and yet some offer flippant platitudes such as ‘Boys Will Be Boys’ to excuse archaic and toxic stereotypes.
Anna Straker is having none of it with this hard hitting Electro Pop Hip Hop fusion of Rock attitude. “‘Boys Will Be Boys’ is my feminist anthem to tear down the patriarchy,” explains Anna. “After recovering from a sexual assault last year, I realised what men are really capable of and this sarcastic anthem is my angry response to the double standards we face as women. I want to squash these stereotypes with my big platform boots and remind the world that women are more than sexual objects.”
There is no denying her talent and voice on this track. ”
“An early line delivers this message ... What did you expect when dumb people got smart lines.
I knew right then, Dax was saying something I wanted to hear. ‘GOTHAM’ puts a spin on the famous city of Batman fame by tying it to our everyday lives and the state of our society. DAX, as always, infuses passion into his flow and the writing is sharp and poignant, in this slow tempoed yet oh-so-powerful track. The video is as engaging as the single.”
“There are a lot of pissed-off angry voices out there and everyone of them brings merit, though Conor Michael Smith brings a passion and ernest that unexpectedly hits harder than most.
The emotions of the production behind him, especially that violin along with a hard hitting flow, really gripped me. Smith is part of a movement in this country that is demang change and this track is one of the anthems for that charge.”
“The storytelling aspect of this track held my intrigue and attention as the track delivers more in that capacity that I often hear. The delivery is smooth with just enough quirk to go with the unique lyrical hook of the chorus.
This is more Emo Hip-Hop than anything else but the writing grips hard and it is a hard song to look away from. ”