It’s mind-boggling that nearly a decade ago, Bobby Shmurda first made his name known as a hitmaker in the rap world. The New York icon dropped hits like “Hot N*gga” and “Bobby Bitch” and instantly went viral, being recognized as one of the most prominent figures in the industry, and no one ever questioned it. In the blink of an eye, though, we found out that he was going to jail for not snitching, a move that made him as honorable as it did notorious, but I had no idea what 7 years from that first day was going to look like. After serving 6 of the 7-year sentence, Bobby got out in 2021 and was greeted with love and admiration from fans and musical counterparts alike, but the one thing that I was surprised by was that he wasn’t diving right back into music. I mean, I don’t blame him because he has a lot of life to live and didn’t want to go from being locked up in a cell to locked up in the studio, but as time passed and we were given a few songs here and there, I wasn’t sure where he would eventually find …

It seems like the music scene in Detroit had barely gotten its feet off the ground before Icewear Vezzo completely took off, but after hearing a handful of his songs, it’s abundantly clear why he has become so ridiculously successful. His skill set is diverse, his work ethic is unmatched, and he has this personality that you can’t ignore even if rap music isn’t really your thing in general. Whether he’s dropping entire projects, singles, or even being featured on other artists’ songs, he is literally everywhere, and due to the fact that he always works with different emcees with various styles, it shows just how adaptable he is, and he proves that every chance he gets. I know I already mentioned it once, but his work ethic is seriously insane, and even though he isn’t even a month removed from dropping his latest album Rich Off Pints 3, he is back with a brand-new Antt Beatz-produced single entitled “Its All On U” featuring none other than Kodak Black, as well as a Kardiak Films-directed visual that brings out his entire city once again. In this one, prominent horns shape the melody as splintering percussion and pounding drums paint the …

As I have gotten older, I have realized the importance of honesty and being transparent with everyone I interact with, even if it’s online. I just feel like there are way too many people who tell simple lies or just aren’t as honest as they could be, and this leads down a path of dishonesty and overall untrustworthiness. The same goes for these articles, because although. I do my best to get the facts and give my genuine opinion of the songs I write about, the simple fact is that I can’t always get all of the details right, so I either don’t include them or write down something I heard or surmised rather than something that I definitively know is factual. I try my best to not let this happen, but I say all of this because I have written extensively about Kelo of Dopeness’ music in the past, and most of the time I refer to him as a Chicago artist. Well, since my last article, it has come to my attention that he is actually from Los Angeles, so I had to clear the air and set the record straight. Regardless, he does so much work for …

Although it feels like hyperpop is a genre that is bigger than anything else right now, I think that has to do with my own listening habits and the news/releases that I personally pay attention to. Clearly, it’s a genre that is still heavily underground and very niche but considering my social media newsfeeds are filled with brand-new drops, various artists, and so much love being shown to up-and-comers, it just feels like it’s a movement that’s so much bigger than it actually is. Well, I have no doubt in my mind that this is the future of music. Even if the mainstream media isn’t going to show it too much attention beyond the likes of superstars like 100 Gecs, glaive, midwxst, or ericdoa, I am always going to show love to artists that truly deserve it. Juno is a musician who is at the very top of my list. Back in July, juno dropped what appears to be a 3 song EP called open your moirai, and even though it came up just short of 5 minutes long, it was a quick offering that I was a massive fan of. As most hyperpop fans know, these artists don’t take …

There is no hiding the fact that literally thousands of new artists try and make a name for themselves in the rap world every single day, and while a minuscule fraction of these people will actually gain some traction, the rest of them will most likely give up after releasing a couple of songs and not putting in the time. While this might be tough to cope with for some, the fact of the matter is it’s the name of the game, and if you’re not willing to put in the hard work and effort that it takes to eventually find some success in your craft, then it’s probably better off that you leave things as they are and find out something that might better suit you in the long run. Regardless of if we’re talking about the current generation of musicians who have made an impact or the ones who cut their dreams short, I think one commonality amongst most of these people is the fact that they were more than likely influenced by Trippie Redd. Whether you like it or not, Trippie has been one of the most influential characters in music throughout the better part of the …

Although this isn’t the case for everyone, there are certain emcees in this industry that when they’ve been relatively quiet, you know something big is coming. I mean, everyone seems to have their own cadence as far as releasing things goes, so whether they release something new every day, every week, or every few months, you know when to expect a fresh drop. As I grow used to these behaviors, though, I notice when they begin to stray away from what is usual, and considering Detroit’s whiterosemoxie seems to be relatively quiet over the past few months, I can only hope that this means he is about to drop something epic. I’ve made my stance on the Michigan music scene as clear as day quite a few times at this point, and while it is one of my favorite hip-hop destinations in the current climate, moxie is undeniably one of my all-time favorite emcees out right now, so I have to speculate, otherwise I just wouldn’t be being honest. He has dropped a slew of hits exclusively on his SoundCloud page over the past few months, and while I’m not sure what these are leading up to, I do know …

The history of Detroit rap is one of great talent and also many stories. At one point in time, the Michigan scene was pretty much carried by Eminem, one of the most notorious emcees of all time, but this narrative has shifted with time, and there is definitely a new wave that has changed the way the modern music business views the midwestern hub. Regardless of the current scene, there is no denying Eminem and his cohorts’ legacy considering they all paved the way for these contemporary emcees to shine, and that’s something that I don’t think can be overlooked. D12 was one of the most vibrant and game-changing groups in the entire saga of rap music, and while Eminem might’ve been the poster child, there were plenty of others who made an impact along with him, including the late, great Proof. Well, music seems to run in his family because the homie just put me onto Nasaan who appears to not only be one of the most buzzing talents in the city right now, but also Proof’s son. “STOP PLAYING!” is the name of Nasaan’s most recently released song, and after tuning in, I completely understand why he’s making …

Music itself is often an art that draws people into a certain artist or a specific sound, but I personally love learning about these individuals and their backstories. This additional info seems to just help me connect with a talent on a much deeper level and understand why they make the type of music that they do bring to life and what has happened throughout their lives to get them to this specific moment in time. Ray Emmanuel is a name that is pretty new to me personally, but considering he has been buzzing on social media for years and blew up at the young age of 14, he certainly isn’t a newcomer to hundreds of thousands of others. Ray is from North Carolina, a place where the rap scene is booming despite the rest of the world seemingly overlooking the up-and-comers from this state, but he is here to change the narrative in a captivating fashion. Growing up, Ray’s mom was an English teacher who showed him the world of poetry which sparked him to create some rhymes of his own before he even entered his teenage years, so his extensive lyrical history has come in handy more often …