SEARCH FOR: EVENTS

Artists all over the world have received some pretty impressive recognition as 2022 came and went, but I like to focus more on the local emcees who really made some waves this year. For most of these musicians, they found themselves at the center of most Chicago rap-based discussions, but one artist seemed to make his way out of the city into discussions about the bigger picture. Of course, the emcee I’m referring to is PGF Nuk, one of the newest and most exciting drill spitters in the Windy City, and I feel like the more I listen to him, the more I am absolutely consumed by all of the thrilling sounds he brings to life. While it is hard to think of anyone from this city or other places that have had a bigger year than Nuk, it’s clear that he isn’t even close to being finished with the release of his latest single “Sko”. Over the intense and shadowy instrumental courtesy of Acb3, 9ine, and CaseyProd, Nuk is on the hunt, going on an undeniable rampage against his opposition. This might not be unexpected from the often aggressive emcee, but the one thing that always keeps my intrigue …

There are plenty of cities in California that are known all around the globe. While some of them have gained a reputation for beautiful weather, breathtaking views, and unbelievable beaches, other hubs have certainly earned a name for the events that have been known to unfold on the streets, something that artists have been talking about for years. Compton and South Central LA are two places that have caught the world by storm due to the massive amounts of emcees who grew up there and made it out of the trenches, but no matter how much time surpasses us, there are always going to be more and more talents coming out of these areas. Kill Jasper is a 21-year-old dynamo who has been taking the scene by storm and changing the way listeners view the areas in which he grew up. His latest project The Color Reed certainly opened my eyes and made me realize just how different artists from Compton or South Central can be when compared to the styles that we’ve come to know and love from other local hitmakers. Although there are just 8 songs on this effort, Jasper makes sure to use every last bit of …

Neek by name and unique by nature, the Houston-raised rapper has been making significant waves since relocating to LA. Now dropping his latest track titled “Toyota Tales,” he is truly marching towards the inevitability of a successful career in the music industry. After appearing on the NBA 2k22 soundtrack, his future appears to be even brighter as the single is set to expand his growing legion of fans. Accompanied by an extraordinary video that captures the journey he has been on, “Toyota Tales” is the perfect example of when an artist believes in themselves and constantly rises to the challenge. The son of a Nigerian DJ father, that melodic heritage is on full display as Neek delivers a laidback flow and then rises to the vocal challenge as the track requires. “This record was inspired by real-life events,” Neek says. “My first car was a 1996 Toyota Camry, then my 2nd was a 2006 Camry. To me, my Toyota’s were a symbol of both struggle and strength. It was a significant piece of my journey that I embraced then and still do to this day. This record is for the ones who can relate.” Neek understands his responsibility to engage the …

After first thinking Rich Brian was nothing more than a meme rapper (but a talented one at that), I have watched him turn a career built on individuality into one of the most captivating and multifaceted tenures in the entire music business. I mean, his story is already fascinating with the fact that he moved to America alone at only 17 years old from his home in Indonesia, learning English online. Determined to make an impact on this world, Brian has become a mainstay in the hip-hop world, collaborating with world-renowned icons like 21 Savage, Playboi Carti, Offset, and more as well as putting on performances at legendary venues and festivals all around the globe. While I admittedly don’t listen to him on my own very often, he is someone that I never overlook or underestimate, either, so when I realized that he teamed up with $NOT on his brand-new self-produced single “Vivid”, I wasn’t going to miss out. Over a uniquely soothing instrumental that changes up at the perfect time to add some energy to the track, Brian shows off both his rapping and singing abilities without breaking a sweat, and when $NOT comes in for his verse, he …

It feels like Los Angeles has been a breeding ground for immensely talented musicians of all kinds, and I think the wide demographic has a large part to do with this. There are so many cultures, events, and ways of life for the people in this region of the country, and I think all of the different things that individuals who call this place home are exposed to help shape the music they make. Considering there are so many different styles and sounds coming from the West Coast, it is a place that a true music lover could never grow bored of, and the ones who really stay tapped in constantly even find their admiration growing by the day, at least I know my love for the city’s artists is. Thanks to a mutual friend, I was linked up with someone who put me onto King Isis, an individual who is as powerful as a musician can be without going above and beyond to throw that fact in everyone’s faces. With a name like King Isis, you might expect them to be super aggressive or over the top, but they’re anything but in terms of outward energy, and that’s abundantly …

Although there are numerous noteworthy duos in the history of hip-hop, it feels like two of the most unignorable emcees come in the form of EL-P and Killer Mike. Coming together to make up the duo Run the Jewels, these two dynamos have been raved about for close to a decade as a tag team and even longer individually, but there is just something about their music that gives people no choice but to listen when you first catch a whiff of their assertive, confident bars on any song they’re a part of. If you somehow aren’t familiar with either emcee, you should know that neither rapper is going to shy away from a debacle, and if anything, they seem to embrace debate regardless of the subject of conversation. While Mike has become a voice for those who feel as if they’ve been silenced, EL-P has continued to wow fans with his music throughout the years, so basically, you can’t overlook either rapper regardless of how hard you may try for whatever reason. Back in 2020, they dropped their project RTJ4, an effort that seemed to further their legacy as one of the top duets in the music business, but …

I always love hearing stories of artists who make music just for the fun of it, but their friends hear their talents, see their potential, and want to help them step things up a notch so that they can actually turn their hobbies into a career. When my homie sent through IZZIHOT!’s latest music video, I wasn’t familiar with the local talent, but my friend explained that after going through a life-threatening accident their freshman year of college, things were put into perspective and IZZI started to take his art more seriously with a little bit of help. After buckling down and zoning in on his skills, he went from 60 monthly listeners to 2,000 in just a month, a feat that shouldn’t be taken lightly when compared to other artists of his scale. Although these numbers might not turn many heads right now, I think it is a great sign that his growth is going to continue to unfold, and with the talents that I witnessed after listening to just one song, I believe he is going to be making a lot more noise moving forward. The song I was put onto is called “F THA CAM” produced by …

As we approach the end of the year, I always find myself looking back on the events that unfolded in the world of rap since January to see who I think had a bigger year than the rest. Sure, there are always emcees who were big that got bigger, and then there are the artists who came out of nowhere and blindsided the industry with an entirely new sound that you couldn’t ignore even if you wanted to for whatever reason. When looking at 2022 so far, a few notable names come to mind. Locally, I think PGF Nuk had an absolutely magnificent year, breaking out of the local scene to become a nationwide gem. Yeat continued his world domination tour and became a household name and a character in pop culture, not just the music industry. In terms of overall notoriety and proving themselves to be a force, though, I think it’s safe to say that SleazyWorld Go made all the right moves and became someone that the music business couldn’t overlook. I’m sure early features and remixes with emcees like Offset, Lil Baby, and others along with cosigns from the aforementioned artists as well as Jack Harlow helped, …

Over the past couple of years, I have been raving about all of the talent pouring out of Detroit because emcees like Icewear Vezzo, Babyface Ray, whiterosemoxie, and so many others have really been putting on for their city and making it a true hip-hop destination. One person that I’ve been sleeping on, though, is Boldy James, and I think it’s about time that I woke up. I mean, I knew that he had worked with plenty of immensely talented producers like The Alchemist, Real Bad Man, and Nicolas Craven, and he is in the same circle as some of my all-time favorite rappers like Action Bronson and Earl Sweatshirt with whom he toured with recently, but considering the Milwaukee show that I was going to be at got canceled, I had to wallow in my sorrows and persevere through the FOMO. I just had this dumb preconceived perception of him for some reason that was entirely false, so now I have no choice but to play the catchup game, but thankfully, he just dropped a brand-new album entitled Mr. TEN08 that was entirely produced by Futurewave, so I know exactly where I need to start this rediscovery process. While …

As much as I love hip-hop music, it is very easy to find things in the industry that aren’t typically favored by most music fans. I mean, it just feels much simpler for an artist from the streets to talk about violence, drugs, or other destructive events rather than really putting themselves out there and revealing their inner passions. When the streets raised you and they’re all you know, I would never argue with that outlet, but when you are able to really dig deep and share your innermost thoughts, I always tend to try and give credit to those people even if the specific songs aren’t my typical go-to styles. Fat Meech seems to do this as well as anyone else in the industry, and his latest single “Ghetto Love” certainly displays his gratitude for life, love, and all of the blessings that have been coming his way. The instrumental paves the way for an easygoing, gracious hit, but Meech’s effortless croons just prove his positive messages because you can almost feel him smiling through your headphones. His overview of finding love, staying committed to that person, and really appreciating them as much as you know they appreciate you …