Chaka Boy Says Stay Unboxed
Chaka Boy’s “North Division” sounds like a reminder that hip-hop gets a little more interesting when nobody’s asking permission. Released October...
Montener the Menace Brings the Bars Back
What happens when the underground stops asking for permission and starts calling in the heavyweights? There’s a particular kind of hip-hop album that doesn’t...
TheRealSkitsoās āMercyā Brings Buffalo Grit to a Heavyweight Hip-Hop Link-Up
What happens when Buffalo’s independent grind meets Yonkers street wisdom, Brownsville’s full-force aggression, and West Coast funk? Somebody better turn the...
J-Grazeās āReminisceā: Old-School Hip-Hop, New Memories
When was the last time a rap song made you smile about the past instead of wishing you could change it? Nostalgia can get messy. Sometimes it feels like flipping through...
Droussā āAll I Didā: Growth Sounds Different After the Storm
Can a rapper turn the mess of becoming somebody into a record that actually stays with you? Drouss is betting on it with “All I Did,” a release that puts...
Droussā āFirst Bookā: Ambition, Faith & the Fight Within
Can you chase the life you want without losing yourself in the process? That’s the kind of question that doesn’t leave when the music stops, and it sits...
Cam Be, Neak & Co. Find a Higher Frequency on āGod Somewhereā
Some records want your attention. Others ask you to sit with yourself for a minute. “God Somewhere,” the new collaboration from Chicago-connected creatives...
DCoop & Nessy the Rilla Turn Lifeās Everyday Moments Into Jazz-Hop
Some hip-hop records demand your attention. Others give you a little room to breathe. DCoop’s “It’s Just Life” featuring Nessy the Rilla sits in...
Roisin Quinnās Beauty From Ruins: Turning the Wreckage Into Art
What if the parts of your life you’re trying hardest to hide are the very things that make your art worth hearing? There’s a particular kind of honesty that...