“Minasta Scruge brings an old-school type flow with his track ‘Integrity.’ Clever wordplay marks the lyrical flow and the rhymes play off each other with a simple brilliance that keeps you leaning in eager for the next line. Snoop Dogg joins in to deliver his only brand of cool smooth relaxation. ”
“Ice Meez is bringing the West Coast vibes on his latest track, ‘What It Do.” Sharp lyrical punches land with precision and power, and the beat hooks the listener to pull them along.
Ice Meez knows how to create a vibe and he does so here with a skilled expertise. The track does a good job of fitting in the space between old school and contemporary and no matter the era this one simply hits.”
“Nazzy the Mic is a talented young artis I have been keeping my eyes and ears on for awhile. Here in this track, Nazzy delivers a smooth unconventional love song. The flow is fire and while at times I craved less production to better allow the emotions to come through, the song is too good to let a small thing stop the world from digging in.
’Cheatin’ is a new twist on side pieces, and it comes from a voice the Rap world could use more of. Nazzy the Mic always delivers solid emotion especially for an artist so young.”
“Repping the Bahamas, Sleepy Lexx delivers ‘Going Fast’ with a raspy flow that hits and meshes well with the beat behind it. Lexx’s flow is confidant and precise and the lyrical play holds the build together keeping the listener leaning in for the next line.
I was left wanting more which is both bad and good but at only two minutes the track could have used another verse to keep the punches landing.”
“Ice meez unleashes a track that is personal in nature but also speak to all of us. ‘Tomorrow’ is not promised and it is vital we embrace the present rather than spend all our focus chasing the future. The video for this track is well done and effectively adds to the emotions of the track.”
“Culture Jam delivers a beat and hook that goes all day long. Vocally the track has verve and confidence to sell the hard lyrical punches. That backing is infectious and stays with you long after the track ends. There are not enough strong female voices in the Rap world right now but this track definitely hits as hard as anything currently out there.”
“P.U.R.P. joins forces with Rosita and Akeem Ali to give us a heart wrenching tale of a jilted sidepiece. ‘Jody’ turns the trop on its head given this time we are talking side dude rather than side chick. The track has some wry humor and irony as well as genuine grit and emotion lurking there in the irony.”
“You might know Regan Aliyah from her starring role in Netflix’s “XO Kitty” or from Marvel Studios’ “Ironheart,” but welcome to a new side of the multi-talented star. “Walkout’ is the latest creation from this artist and the infectious Hip-Hop anthem is one you are about t hear a lot more.
The track comes in with verve and a old school backing, but then her flow hits and hooks the listener for the entire ride. Attitude, and a hint of sultry vibe come along with the intense delivery and confidence that borders on cocky.”
“Peach3 is the Gen Z version of TLC you didn’t know you needed. Old school Trap Hip-Hip with a bit of Pop sensibility gives this track the Commercial edge to stand out in the marketplace, but it is the verve and attitude that truly separates the trio from everyone else. Either you have it or you don’t and these Atlanta natives clearly do.
Lyrically, I did crave more as ‘Ghostrude It’ relies heavily on the hook and bounce to carry the song, but I am eager to see where this trio goes as they establish themselves.”
“This has a classic west coast beat to it. It reminds me of Too $hort but also has its on identity. Despite the cursing in every verse especially the hook the song makes you want to break down and dance. It does have a little kick back when the beat drops. The sound makes it seem like there is static or a speaker is broke.”
“Lyrical power and a hard beat lend this track all the punch it needs. D!V!DENT is joined by WESTSIDE BOOGIE on the track and both flows hit with the force of vintage Tyson. ‘YDYAIDM’ is the perfect blend of old school, in your face aggression and smooth Contemporary lyricism.
A true banger I needed to experience after starting to think modern Rap was trending too soft. ”
“Who would have thought a little bit of Memphis and a whole lot of New Zealand would hook up to establish a smooth groove like ‘CRASH DUMMY MUZICK.’
This is one of those tracks best digested in a cloud of smoke so you can kick back and enjoy the smooth ride. Each listen gave me a new nuance and thought. Simply a vibe!”
“This track offers good artistic talent and yet it missed reaching its full potential. I liked the tone and the passion that pushed the flow forward and the premise or hook of the track is also rock solid but the elements did not quite combine to land with full force.
’LasT LetteR’ certainly owes a nod in style to Eminem, and Conflixx has that same sharp delivery that lands when he is truly feeling it. Though there are times when the delivery felt forced and artificial. However, in the end, it was the writing that just didn’t stick the landing. The rhymes often felt forced, or at least predictable. There were not enough surprises or twists to take this one to the next level for me despite the obvious potential and talent.
Give it a listen and let me know in the comments of you agree or disagree, and don’t forget to explain why or why not.”
“Yung Jewelz brings the straight in your face passion on this track. The Dirty South is front and present on ‘Dirty Diana,’ a trap track with that deep south bounce pushing it forward.
The flow hits hard, and the writing cracks open your skull and lets the words pour straight in. A gritty and real, punch directly to the gut!”
“Dude It’s Nolan utilizes multiple voices to deliver this track, but each one of them hits with passion and precise timing. The beat and production pair perfectly with the intensity of the lyrics.
Hard hitting and sharp at every turn, ‘Long Way’ is a song that proves these talented dudes are in fact, only a short way from breaking out in a very big way.”
“Riding a sultry beat, Dfils delivers an exotic flow that hooks all on its own. Add in a slithering lyrical arrangement and this deadly build lures the listener in and holds them tot he build. Dfils has that extra bit of verve tos ell it and keept he listener under his trance. ”
“We tend to feature one song at a time here at LA on Lock but every once in awhile a project comes our way that can’t really be broken down into those bite sized bites and still articulate the particular artist’s passion and talent. Downupright has given us such a project with ‘We’re Doomed, We’re Dancing.’
Call this one a Hip-Hop Rave for the end times of you want, but this collection of sixty, on-minute tracks to usher us through to the other side, is more than the sum of its parts. This is a statement and a collection that really digs and and deliver something new and fresh without going to far around the bend. ”
“The song is decent. It makes you want to go out and have a good time. The only take a way I had was in the end when the artist was talking without much context. I can still see this track being played a few times.”
“Amp Melo gives us an old school Boom Bap style track honoring the ‘Hoop Dreamz’ many of us had back in the day. Sadly, reality usually comes knocking on the door for most of us, but that nostalgia, for the time when anything felt possible keeps us all thinking about the what ifs. This track is the soundtrack for that, and the smooth groove makes it a song you can jam to alone or with a group.”
“Daimo Dunkin doe a great job of honoring the old school era of Hip-Hop and infusing contemporary emotions and ideas into this hard hitting track.
’Posies’ is a hype track, but not in the traditional sense as it does the job of motivating with low-key grit and resolve rather than through hyper boasts and hard beats. The production behind the flow adds to the grime of determination on the track, and the flow is unrelentless in its emotive power.”