Curtis Williams — the Two-9 legend, himself — is the kind of artist whose effortless cool will never fade. It’s not that he can “adjust with the times” or keep up with new trends, but rather, Williams has an individualistic style that will never burn out, fueled simply by a sense of authenticity that can’t be faked. Needless to say, ATL’s own is still putting out noteworthy music, just as we saw a few weeks ago with his “Darren Waller Freestyle.” Today, Williams brings this full circle with the main entree: a new project entitled i have so much to tell you.  As reflected by the title, this project gives listeners a chance to update themselves on what Curtis Williams has been up to as of late, and if not anything else, I love just how well this project reflects where his spirit is at. Right away, Williams takes things to an intimate, eye-to-eye level with listeners, balancing a beautiful, soul-stricken harmonica run with wisdom from none other than the Based God — and before you ask, yes, this is the best idea for an introduction I’ve heard in quite some time. From there, i have so much to tell you …

Coming out of Atlanta over the past few years, few artists, if any, have matched the level of consistency and individuality that Young Nudy brings to the table every time he hits the mic. Not only are Nudy’s eccentric vocals and alluring deliveries pleasing on a sonic level, but the lyrics that they highlight are just as impressive on a technical scale, proving the mark of an artist who seemingly can do no wrong. Today, as fans still impatiently await the release of Nudy and Pi’erre Bourne’s forthcoming project, Slim’erre, Nudy is back to bless us with an appetizer entitled Faded in the Booth. 12 tracks long, Faded in the Booth was actually a surprise release, and immediately after being texted by a friend that it was released, I ran over to Twitter to see what the conversation was about Nudy’s latest. As expected, the main sentiment was that Young Nudy really dropped a for-fun mixtape before the album, and it’s still one of the best projects of the year, and after listening to this one three times in the past two days, I can’t help but agree. Faded in the Booth is a title connotated with a certain intimacy and effortless cool that …

Lifestyle music can come in many different forms. Whether focused on the lowest of lows or the highest of highs, lifestyle music allows listeners to escape into a world often unlike their own, and further, a world that they can feel a part of simply by clicking play on an album or a song. Today, reflecting this idea, ZaeHD and CEO are here with their brand new project, HighDefGang Vol. 1. The reason that I bring up lifestyle music here is because this project is the perfect example of music’s ability to change a listener’s surroundings. Simply by listening to any one of the 9 songs at hand, a given listener is immediately thrust into ZaeHD and CEO’s endlessly fun world of partying and dancing. From malleable, sometimes abstract production to the raw individuality shown throughout the ambitious flows and off-the-wall lyrics here, both of these two artists know how to have a good time, and they clearly put no bounds on the creativity that allows them to get there. As a result, HighDefGang, Vol. 1 creates a fascinating, animated world of sound and lifestyle that I truly haven’t heard anything quite like, and at the very least, it’s the kind of …

Massachusetts native Bouvé is, and has been, one of the state’s most exciting artists to watch grow over the past few years. From a production placement on YG’s album, Stay Dangerous, to the sheer improvement I’ve heard in his immaculate catalog of solo work, I’ve had the pleasure of watching Bouvé develop into an artist who truly lives up the potential that myself and so many other fans have seen from the beginning. Today, bringing this story full circle, Bouvé is back with quite possibly my favorite song of his yet, “Satellites.” If I’m not mistaken, Bouvé actually posted a preview of this one on social media a number of months ago, and as you can tell by the fact that I remembered the song throughout all that time, it’s an exciting moment for “Satellites” to finally see the light of day. That said, this song is densely packed with the clever, partially humorous and partially braggadocious lyricism that I’ve come to know and love Bouvé for. Atop a supply of mesmerizing, deeply melodic production, Massachusetts’ own glides right along, displaying a profoundly entertaining ability to bend his cadences to the sound at hand. Beyond this, however, lines such as “Mattress on the …

Often times, I find that the most powerful music I listen to tends to be that which describes an entire lifestyle rather than a particular idea or occurrence. Lifestyle music always feels larger than life in its applicability, and consequently, it can move listeners to become infatuated and inspired by the lives of the musicians they listen to. Today, making this sentiment clear is New York City’s own TySkoota with his brand new offering, “25/8.” Reflected in the title of the song, the lifestyle at hand in this one is that of ingrained ambition, as TySkoota’s lyrics paint a picture of fervent motivation and work ethic for his musical career. However, rather than focusing on the rewards that can come from rap (money, cars, chains, etc.) as many artists tend to do, Skoota is far more honest and introspective with his audience, explaining that music keeps him determined and away from the street life, acting as an outlet for his energy that gives him a sense of purpose and an end goal, in many ways. With this mindset, the aforementioned rewards will come when they’re supposed to — it’s just a matter of time and hard work. That said, TySkoota …

Love isn’t a concept that can be simplified to any single definition. Rather, love is a spectrum of emotion that manifests itself in a plethora of different ways, all of which attest to an innate feeling that often changes the way we look and feel about the world. Today, speaking to this point, an artist by the name of Cartier is here with a brand new single, “What Its Like.” The central idea of this song is a description of all the different ways that love can shift itself into one’s life, but even more importantly, the way that Cartier chooses to communicate this concept with an entire atmosphere of sound is absolutely brilliant. Lyrically, “What Its Like” is a stellar performance, describing specific examples to create a vivid image in the listener’s head. Meanwhile, the swing of the passionate, lo-fi production adds to this narrative by making it feel as though the movement of the instrumental is inevitable, mirroring the way that love often provides direction in life. All in all, “What Its Like” is a fantastic offering, so I encourage all of our readers to check this one out below and let us know what you think in …

Often times when I hear and enjoy new music, I immediately pair the music with some aspect of my life, seeing how it can act as a soundtrack to my everyday life. Heading into the warmth and energy of the spring and summer, this is exactly how I feel about Luna Luna’s brand new offering, “Running,” alongside Pretty Boy Aaron. Set to the tune of an electrifying, upbeat instrumental, this song is the perfect complement to long, lovely days and nights spent in the warmth of the sun. Riding right alongside the impassioned guitar riffs, the vocals seem to bounce off the production with a lively sense of excitement that I can’t quite put into words, and if not anything else, it just proves how perfect of a pairing Luna Luna and Pretty Boy Aaron truly are. That said, “Running” is the kind of song that you’ll understand once you hear it for yourself, so I encourage all of our readers to check this one out below! There’s no doubt in my mind that I’ll have this one on repeat all summer long.

While the title of the song is often just whatever lyric takes up the bulk of the chorus, I believe that it’s far more important than anyone gives the title credit for. Not only is the name of a song a preview as to what idea the song communicates, but further, it’s a chance for the listener to think about the connotation of the name and what the artist’s mindset was when creating it. Here to speak to this function, Brockton, MA artist MEECH and Luke Bar$ are here with a brand new single, “No House Parties (Stay Inside)”. The reason that I mention the title of this song is that although it is comprised of the chorus’ central lyric, this one goes far beyond the surface, speaking to the reflection and overall thoughtfulness that each of the two emcees put into this one. One verse after another, they explain the exogenous elements of life that determine the way we think and behave, pointing to notions such as love, violence, friendship, and ambition to explain why they’re not heading out to any house parties. In such a way, “No House Parties (Stay Inside)” is one of the best lyrical performances …