A few weeks back, listening to the ninth episode of OVO Sound Radio this season, I came across the premiere of an unreleased track called “OVER” from Philly artist Cove. I immediately started digging around to learn more, and found myself completely enthralled in the world of Cove and the Philly-based collective he helps lead, NÜÜNEPTUNE. While “OVER” remains unreleased (although you can here the full song at 1:34:40 in the OVO Sound Radio mix), Cove is here to engage new listeners today with a SoundCloud-released single, “NOTAVAILABLE!,” produced by fellow NÜÜNEPTUNE member Yuso. Landing at just under three minutes in length, “NOTAVAILABLE!” is a darkly-melodic release, built around head-smacking punches of bass and the endlessly catchy tagline, “Call you when I’m on my way up, way up, way up…” Cove’s lyrics, for lack of a better description, fill in the details of an almost lifestyle-based artistry, where songwriting builds the world around the artist with each and every line, and is accented by high-flying hooks, evocative production, and a certain Philly-tinted grit that make Cove and the entire NÜÜNEPTUNE collective so exciting. Quite clearly, there’s something deeply exciting happening under the surface in Philly right now, and “NOTAVAILABLE!” is an engaging step …

EST Gee has been on an insurmountable rise over the past few years. He’s arguably one of the best and most consistent bar-for-bar lyricists in rap right now, he comes from Louisville which isn’t widely known for its hip-hop output (which could very well be changing with the recent explosion of both Jack Harlow and EST Gee, among others), and most importantly, his music stands on a level of focus that very few artists are touching at the moment. Every new verse from Gee feels like he’s trying to bring the house down, and this concoction of deeply vivid street tales and hard-nosed deliveries has anointed Lousiville’s own as the next superstar in rap. Today, he places an exclamation point on an incredible run of albums over the past few years with his major label debut, Bigger Than Life Or Death. After giving this one a thorough first-listen, I scrolled through Twitter this morning to read a tweet comparing the album to a project from the classic Gangsta Grillz series, known for its ability to bring out the most focused and hungry version of some of the best rappers alive. I don’t think I can come up with a better way …

SoundCloud is in an amazing place right now. There’s a fast-growing scene on the platform being built out by the day, and the best part is, it’s led by artists making music in exactly the way that SoundCloud allows for — at a rapid pace, and with nothing but a laptop and a bedroom to record in. One such artist helping lead the way in this new scene is wolfacejoeyy, who appeared on our pages a while back with the undeniable cut “hi hater!“. Today, Staten Island’s own is back on the LL pages with an undeniable new single, “Miss Me.” Produced by the ever-talented iankon, “Miss Me” feels like a seamless marriage between the energy in ian’s production and the melody-soaked charm of wolfacejoeyy. Over the course of two and a half minutes, Joeyy attacks the beat in what feels like a million different ways, sliding between lines with colorfully-accented adlibs and unforgettable lyrics. He’s making the kind of songs that get stuck in your head after just a few listens, and “Miss Me” is certainly no exception. It’s an earworm tune loaded with energy and personality, marking the exact reasons why wolfacejoeyy is such a promising up-and-comer. Don’t just …

Like many other fans, I’ve been tuning into OVO Sound Radio every two weeks for nearly all of season 3, doing a second run through the mixes the day afterward when they’re posted to SoundCloud. Not only has this season put me onto countless gems, largely from some of the regional hip-hop heavyweights of the moment, but it’s also gifted fans with a few premieres of unreleased music. This week, in one of my favorite mixes to date, a Shlohmo remix of Pop Smoke’s “Shake The Room” was played. While the remix has been out there for a few months now via For Tha Summer Vol. XXX, the OVO Sound Radio version also included a verse from Toronto artist Smiley, who we’ve featured on our pages in the past. Smiley is always a joy to listen to, mainly because of the humor and enthusiasm in his voice, easily recognizable by his strong Toronto accent and loads of Toronto slang. Smiley is a natural entertainer, but his “Shake The Room” verse took things in a bit of an unexpected direction, letting loose what has to be the most personal verse I’ve ever heard from Toronto’s own to date. Following Smiley on …

Seattle artist Highway is certainly no stranger to our pages at this point. With a well-developed sense of artistry and a fairly consistent release schedule over the past few months, he’s building out a lane entirely of his own design, and isn’t showing signs of slowing down anytime soon. Today, Highway hits our pages yet again with a brand new song and video entitled “Count Fast Island.” First premiered on OVO Sound Radio last week courtesy of G0HomeRoger, “Count Fast Island” is true to its name, bringing listeners to an island where evocative production, money-minded lyrics, and melodic, malleable deliveries are all that decorate the surroundings. The song itself builds on a plush sonic base, while Highway’s lyrics shift between reflective, focused, and clever with seamless precision. By the sounds of it, Seattle’s own is becoming and more comfortable in his deliveries, and with such a unique voice and creative vision to match, releases like “Count Fast Island” place the rising talent in a fast lane toward success. Add all of this to a colorfully simplistic set of visuals, and the world of Highway reveals itself in a deeply infectious way. “Count Fast Island” is yet another impressive step on the road …

A few weeks back, I was introduced to SKIIFALL via “Ting Tun Up” — a YAMA//SATO-produced release centered around slice-of-life lyricism and soul-soaked production, which was followed up with an equally impressive sequel: “Ting Tun Up Part II” featuring UK artist Knucks. As seems to be the case with many listeners, SKIIFALL’s thoughtful songwriting and charmed voice kept me coming back to both songs, which eventually led me to his most recent effort: “Bentayga Dust.” With a title inspired by the Bentley Bentayga car, SKIIFALL’s latest is a bit darker than “Ting Tun Up,” building upon an echoed vocal sample, hard-nosed percussion, and occasional brass complements courtesy of producer Xav Leon. The flows and vocal tones etch themselves into the fabric of this almost haunting sound, while the accompanying visuals — directed by Don’t Grow Up Too Fast — take viewers on a cinematic journey around snow-covered Montreal, where SKIIFALL hails from. Meanwhile, the rising talent’s brilliantly-vivid lyrics develop a picture of life in SKIIFALL’s shoes, while car references and movie-like descriptiveness maximize the memorability of the release and its effect. Between “Ting Tun Up” parts 1 and 2 and now “Bentayga Dust,” SKIIFALL is quickly establishing himself as a …

In the current climate of music, it feels as though a considerable portion of new releases are designed to be marketable – to fit some sort of “mold” that will be palatable for a large base of listeners, and to catch on with fairly quick success. Frankly, while this approach may make digital marketers look good, it ruins so much of the risk that makes art worth it, which only strengthens my appreciation for those who make a hard left when everyone else goes right. Few artists today are taking this hard left as confidently as BEAR1BOSS right now, who’s here today with an impeccable new project, Super Fancy 2. 25 tracks in length, the project was released via Popstar FM – the brainchild of Popstar Benny, whose dedication to left-of-center art for years at this point has been nothing less than brilliant. It’s a long one, but in all of the tape’s eccentricity, Super Fancy 2 is a comprehensive look inside the truly one-of-a-kind character that is BEAR1BOSS. He’s fully committed to creating a world of his own design, and in all of its insane glory, Super Fancy 2 accomplishes this with unbelievable detail, fervor, and creativity. To try and capture all of my …

There’s something to be said about music that captures more than just an emotion, but a moment – the full package, from feelings to sights, surroundings, thoughts, people, and everything in between. It takes immense cohesivity between songwriting, vocal tones, sonic direction and visuals to do so, but when executed well, you can’t miss it. Massachusetts artist STEFAN THEV has captured just this with his impassioned new offering, “ON THE EDGE WITH YOU.” Supplied with a matching visualizer, STEFAN’s latest is the kind of sunsoaked, passion-packed release that lends itself perfectly to the fast-approaching summer months. The production – courtesy of PROSWERVEZ – is glittering and breezy, adding a romantic undertone to the release that contextualizes the emotions presented in the lyrics. Tying everything together, STEFAN’s vocals are the melody-tinted puzzle piece that complete this one, driven by emotion but formed by experience. Add this to a cinematic visualizer that perfectly captures the feeling and sound of the song — not to mention thoughtful songwriting that seamlessly walks the tightrope between personal experience and universal applicability — and you have a must-watch release from a massively talented voice coming out of Massachusetts. STEFAN THEV has taken his time in putting …