If there’s one region on the map that is extremely slept on when it comes to delivering fresh and groundbreaking artists, it would be the DMV. As much as we like to credit Atlanta with running the game as of late, every once in awhile the DMV blossoms in a new wave of creatives waiting to take over the rap game in every way they can. In an era where a majority of the music sounds a certain way, it can be very refreshing to hear something that you can simply just put on and catch a vibe too. That being said, DMV artist dopeSMOOTHIESis making his Lyrical Lemonade debut with his newest single and visual for his track titled “S’mores” featuring SMII Much. Produced by Gekkoh, this track is the embodiment of what feel-good music sounds like. Everything from the classic sample of Cal Tjader’s “Invitation” in the rear of the track, to the slowed breakbeat in the front– dopeSMOOTHIES glides over the track with ease while maintaining his laid-back flow–creating a pocket of his own. The visuals are edited amazingly which is always adds to the overall aesthetic of the track as well. The video shows dope and SMII galavanting through an …

Authentic and in a lane of her own words that I can definitely use to summarize when speaking on behalf of the New Jersey-native rapper/singer 070 Shake. Most of the world began to become hip to her music from her features on Kanye West’s ye album, and her vocals on Pusha T’sDaytona album as well. Since her signing to G.O.O.D. Music, fans have been waiting eagerly for a full-length release from her. She has been growing tremendously since I first discovered her shortly after the release of her Glitter EP, so it’s been nothing less than amazing to see the amount of progression I have seen in not only her vocal capabilities, but her creativity as well. About a week ago, she released the first single “Guilty Conscience“–an 80s-themed, synth-heavy track about her catching her significant other in the act of sleeping around–all while her hiding the same situation happening to her and watching karma work its ways. As soon as I heard this track, I told myself that if there was anything like this on the album, then I’d be all in. Turns out, her album delivered much more of this and then some–that album being Modus Vivendi. The title derives from a Latin term which translates …

Many of us may look at Jhene Aiko as the soft-spoken, soul healing queen of R&B–and would not be wrong for those depictions. However, very seldom do we see the other side of her–the side where she becomes more in tune and expressing her sexuality and intimacy within her music. Of course, we all remember the “groceries” that went viral, and her 2017 track “Maniac” in which this is when we first caught a glimpse of the luscious side of Jhene. Now that we have seen both sides, there’s no telling where she will go, what subject matter she will speak of, or the direction she will go on her next full-length project. She has been releasing music and features pretty frequently, but just a few moments ago she debuted her newest single titled “P*$$Y Fairy (OTW” (stylized for the sake of cleanliness I’m sure). In this song, we receive much more of the lusty side of Jhene Aiko as she sings about her intimate interactions with her love interest. “You can’t get enough of me, well I guess it’s looking like you stuck with me” she sings–speaking to whomever she has sprung on her love at the time. Of course, …

“If I was half as good as I was, I’m still twice as good as you’ll ever be.” -Eminem on “Premonition (Intro) Currently, there aren’t too many artists that are afforded the luxury of being able to release an entire full-length project with no warning what so ever. Come to think of it, there aren’t even many legacy acts that can release albums in this matter. Being active for well over 20 years now, a lot of us can agree that Eminem has had a project or two that have stuck with us during our upbringing. As of late, he hasn’t been getting the recognition that he deserves, due to the lackluster outing we received on his 2017 album Revival. Feeling dismayed by the responses of that album, Eminem came right back in 2018 with the surprise album Kamikaze in which he strayed away from the pop sound of the last album and went back to more of his Hip-Hop roots. Better critically received this time, yet still received some backlash for his means of dedicating the entire album replying those who dissed him over the years. Here we are in 2020 and Eminem seems to put the nail in the coffin and …

Regional impact is a concept and a subject that I frequently speak of here on the site, and it is something that will always amaze me in the realm of music. Ways in which a certain artist or song could be elevating in one city or state and not the rest of the world yet is and always has been mind-blowing to me–especially now in terms of how fast the internet works. In terms of Hip Hop, New York native Pop Smoke has been making moves for a while, and many New Yorkers would agree that he had the song of the summer when he released “Welcome to the Party” about 7 months ago. Since then, he has been on the rise and has yet to hit the brakes yet. Many of us may be getting hip to him as of late due to his feature on “GATTI“–the feature he provided for Travis Scott & Cactus Jack album Jackboys back in December of last year, but just know that he has been making noise all throughout New York for a while now. Nonetheless, he recently released his new single and visual for the track “Christopher Walking”. Staying true to his usual sound, Pop Smoke …

It would be extremely difficult when speaking about rap groups that had a better year than Dreamvillehas had last year. Dropping possibly one of the biggest collaborative projects in Hip Hop history Revenge of the Dreamers III, the controlled chaos that J. Cole was able to create, it delivered an energy that has been unmatched to this day. It was around this time last year (January 2019) where the recording sessions for the album took place–and out of the 142 songs recorded, only 18 were selected. There were rumors about a deluxe edition dropping–and by the looks of it, that may be happening pretty soon. Dreamville dropped a pack consisting of two songs: “Buss It” by Ari Lennox and “Still Up” by EARTHGANG feat. Reason. “Buss It” is one of the solo cuts that Ari Lennox was working on that didn’t make the official cut for the album. We first caught glimpse of this song during the Revenge Documentary (around the 15:00 mark) and many fans assumed that since it didn’t make the album, that it would Gian a placement on Ari’s sophomore project whenever she begins working on it. This song is simply a seductive cut about intimate attractions between Ari and a …

Miami-native PUKU is making his Lyrical Lemonade debut with his new single titled “Move Right Past” to start the year off on the right foot. Part of the Tell Your People collective, PUKU’s style is one to be remembered in time, for he is one who takes pride in his artistic approach on every single aspect of his composition. From the artwork to the instrumentation and his crooning vocals–it’s as polished as can be and that’s something that I can wholeheartedly get behind and champion. “Move Right Past” is a song about the uncertainty of knowing your significant other, as well as coping with a new relationship while trying to get accustomed to a new one. When speaking to PUKU about the direction of the track, he had this to say: “Convinced we know our significant others like the back of our hand, when they disappoint us by acting out of character we quickly come to the realization that we barely know ourselves. These defining moments in your life are mandatory in order for us to become the best version of the man in the mirror. This transitional period doesn’t last forever, no matter what your heart tells you.” Stream “Move Right …

Pure artistry when it comes to music creation is something that I will always respect when it comes to those who produce as such. The artists who take lots of pride in every single aspect of their work without diminishing their craft, and sticking to their integrity goes such a long way and is something that I will forever praise. An artist who I can with most certainly say that has maintained true to himself over the last decade has been Wale. Back in October, I wrote my review here on Lyrical Lemonade of his latest project Wow… That’s Crazy which aged tremendously since its release. Of course, it’s only been a few months since it’s release, but we know that a lot of music ages like dog years. This album was one of my favorite picks for Album of the Year in 2019 (not only just my opinion but according to my Spotify Wrapped as well)–and today, he premiered the official visual of my personal favorite track off of the album “Love … (Her Fault)” feat. Bryson Tiller. I always speak very highly of Wale not only because I have been a fan of his for so long, but I always …