In a digital landscape that demands our constant, fragmented attention, silence has become a radical act. We are scrolling through a ceaseless feed of curated perfection, feeling the edges of social media burnout fraying our nerves. It is a loud, bright world that often leaves us feeling dimmer. But in the cracks of this concrete jungle, green shoots appear. Creativity is not just content; it is a method of survival.
The artists below are not just making noise; they are carving out sanctuaries. Some are gritty, some are ethereal, but all are navigating the chaos of the modern industry—fighting for survival, then thriving. These ten tracks remind us that while the algorithm feeds on our exhaustion, art feeds our spirit.
1. “Sun in June” — Mumbay
About the Artist:
Mumbay is an emerging talent blending the rhythmic pulse of UK Garage (UKG) with melodic rap. Based on recent releases like Empty Roads and “Today We Die,” Mumbay has been steady in 2025, crafting a sound that feels both nostalgic for the dancefloor and introspective for the drive home.
| Niche | Review (Intimate & Poetic) | Score (1-10) |
| Electronic / Hip-Hop | There is a specific kind of melancholy that exists only in the summer—a brightness that exposes the shadows. “Sun in June” captures this with a mix of UKG percussion and fluid rap flows. It feels like a memory of a party you left early to walk home alone in the warm air. The production is crisp, yet the harmonies offer a soft place to land. It survives the generic trap of “summer anthems” by admitting that even in the sun, we need shelter. A promising, if slightly safe, fusion. | 6.8 |
2. “20/20 Vision” — Adot New Shit (feat. RMB Justize)
About the Artist:
Adot New Shit collaborates here with RMB Justize, a producer and artist associated with Room 2254 Recordings in Chicago. The track, released in December 2025, positions itself in the lane of conscious, narrative-driven hip-hop, aiming to bridge soul samples with modern storytelling.
| Niche | Review (Intimate & Poetic) | Score (1-10) |
| Conscious Rap | This track feels like reading a handwritten letter found in a dusty attic. The cinematic soul backdrop by RMB Justize provides a heavy, velvet curtain for Adot’s verses. It tackles the theme of clarity—leveling up after the fog of hardship. While the delivery is honest and the intent is pure, the “journal entry” style occasionally lacks the poetic abstraction needed to make the personal truly universal. It survives on its sincerity, even if the flow feels occasionally tethered to the beat rather than floating above it. | 6.4 |
3. “Blackface” — Barefoot River
About the Artist:
Barefoot River is an indie hip-hop project that maintains a low profile, letting the music speak from the underground. Released in late 2025, their work often challenges listeners with stark titles and raw presentation, eschewing the polished veneer of the mainstream.
| Niche | Review (Intimate & Poetic) | Score (1-10) |
| Hip-Hop / Rap | The title alone demands a pause, a confrontation with history and identity. The track attempts to navigate the muddy waters of perception versus reality. There is a rawness here that is commendable—a refusal to be palatable for the infinite scroll. However, the execution feels like a sketch rather than a finished painting. The ideas are there, struggling for air, but the production doesn’t quite elevate the message to the profound height it reaches for. It is a brave survivalist in a polished room, but it needs more sharpening to thrive. | 5.2 |
4. “there’s a lot goin on” — AU
About the Artist:
AU is a hip-hop artist with a prolific output in 2025, including the album HOODLUMS and singles like “IF IT WAS EASY”. The artist often collaborates with 067Red, building a catalog that reflects the grind of the streets and the complexity of modern life.
| Niche | Review (Intimate & Poetic) | Score (1-10) |
| Hip-Hop | The track title is an understatement for the overwhelmed modern mind. AU captures the frantic energy of trying to keep your head above water when the waves are relentless. The beat knocks with a sense of urgency, mirroring the anxiety of “a lot going on.” Yet, lyrically, it sometimes falls into recounting struggles rather than transforming them. It is a solid document of survival, a soundtrack for the hustle, but it lacks the quiet moment of revelation that turns a struggle into a triumph. | 5.9 |
5. “Phone on Mute” — Deangelo Breuer
About the Artist:
Deangelo Breuer has been active throughout 2025 with his album ALL OR NOTHING: SYSTEM OVERLOAD and singles like “Dancing With The Devil”. His work often touches on the mental toll of the digital age, seeking to build a fanbase grounded in “real listeners” rather than algorithmic spikes.
| Niche | Review (Intimate & Poetic) | Score (1-10) |
| Hip-Hop | “Phone on Mute” is a direct response to the burnout we all feel—a plea for digital silence. It’s a timely anthem for anyone wishing to disconnect to reconnect. Breuer’s delivery is competent, riding the beat with the confidence of someone who knows his lane. However, the irony of using a polished, radio-ready sound to critique the noise of the world is palpable. It feels a bit too designed for the very playlists it claims to transcend. A catchy act of resistance that ends up playing by the rules. | 6.1 |
6. “F1 CREW” — Young Thad F
About the Artist:
Young Thad F released “F1 CREW” in November 2025, following his album Life’s a Trip. He frames his music through the metaphor of racing—high performance, precision, and the courage to finish the race regardless of the vehicle you drive.
| Niche | Review (Intimate & Poetic) | Score (1-10) |
| Hip-Hop / Soul | There is a playful joy here, a celebration of the “Pinto” in a world of Ferraris. The track uses the metaphor of Formula 1 racing to talk about the endurance of the everyday grind. It’s colorful and spirited, like a blurred photograph of a speeding car. But the novelty of the racing theme wears thin quickly, and the “instrumental & rap” balance feels slightly disjointed, as if the track can’t decide if it’s a background vibe or a lyrical statement. It survives on charisma, but the engine needs fine-tuning. | 5.5 |
7. “prada > problems” — str0llr
About the Artist:
Known as “neptune,” str0llr is a rising artist who has collaborated with SSGKobe. This track, released in November 2025, represents a push for higher visibility, with visual content gatekept behind streaming milestones.
| Niche | Review (Intimate & Poetic) | Score (1-10) |
| Hip-Hop / R&B | The equation in the title suggests a materialistic salve for emotional wounds—a common trope, yet delivered here with a hazy, dreamlike quality. It sounds like late-night scrolling set to music, a numbness packaged as luxury. The collaboration with SSGKobe adds a layer of legitimacy, but the track floats away like smoke. It captures the fleeting high of retail therapy but fails to excavate the “problems” underneath. It is a beautiful, shimmering facade that leaves you hungry for something substantial. | 6.0 |
8. “gowiththebeat” — Toku Excelsior
About the Artist:
Tokunbo Amadasun, known as Toku Excelsior, was born in Nigeria and raised in Italy. A self-described “simple guy,” he has moved from covers to original compositions, releasing “gowiththebeat” in November 2025 as part of his journey of self-expression.
| Niche | Review (Intimate & Poetic) | Score (1-10) |
| Hip-Hop | This track is stripped back, almost vulnerable in its simplicity. Toku’s multicultural background whispers through the rhythm, offering a perspective that feels distinct from the American mainstream. However, the “go with the flow” messaging feels a bit passive in a world that demands active resistance. The production is raw—perhaps too raw—feeling more like a demo than a finalized thought. It has the charm of a sketchbook drawing, honest and unpretentious, but it struggles to stand out in a crowded gallery. | 4.8 |
9. “Hope” — Pat G and The Justice League
About the Artist:
Pat G is a performer with significant stage experience, having opened for Lupe Fiasco in 2024. Backed by “The Justice League,” his work aims to infuse classical and instrumental elements into high-level lyricism, prioritizing uplift and optimism.
| Niche | Review (Intimate & Poetic) | Score (1-10) |
| Orchestral Hip-Hop | In an era of cynicism, “Hope” is a daring, unironic beam of light. The blend of classical instrumentation with hip-hop cadence recalls the grandiosity of early 2000s conscious rap. It tries to lift the listener physically. Yet, hope is a heavy thing to carry, and the track sometimes buckles under the weight of its own sincerity. It risks feeling like a motivational poster rather than a complex human experience. It thrives on its good intentions, but musically, it feels like a throwback rather than a path forward. | 6.3 |
10. “Que’” — LoCi Gemini
About the Artist:
LoCi Gemini is a hip-hop artist who released the album Time Machine in September 2025. “Que’” represents a stylistic shift for the artist, incorporating a beat change that signals a desire to experiment and break the mold of his previous work.
| Niche | Review (Intimate & Poetic) | Score (1-10) |
| Hip-Hop | The beat change here is the heartbeat of the song—a jarring, necessary shift that mimics the unpredictability of life. LoCi Gemini is testing his boundaries, stepping out of the comfort zone. The track feels like a conversation that suddenly changes tone, keeping the listener on edge. While the ambition is clear, the two halves don’t always suture together seamlessly. It is a jagged piece of art, rough to the touch, but in its survival against safe, repetitive structures, it finds a unique, if imperfect, voice. | 6.6 |
From Survival to Thriving
We often mistake survival for the end goal. We think if we can just keep our heads above the digital flood, we have won. But as these artists show—through their experiments, their failures, and their quiet victories—the true lesson is in what comes after survival. It is the refusal to let the social media burnout turn us into passive consumers. It is the act of creating, even imperfectly, that allows us to thrive. These tracks, in their own ways, are small rebellions against the silence.
Ou bat tanbou epi ou danse ankò.
