If you look deeper than the surface in terms of artists who have impacted an entire generation of music, no one in the past decade or so has been quite as influential as ILOVEMAKONNEN has been. The Atlanta icon has been in music for longer than some of his fans have even been alive, and he has been pushing the limits of what is typically expected in hip-hop ever since he entered the business. If you hear from other artists, there is a good chance that he helped mentor them or give them advice to further their careers, so while he might not be in the public eye nearly as much as he was about 8 years ago when “Tuesday” popped off, he is still changing the game on a consistent basis. One thing I love about Makonnen is his inability to conform as he constantly experiments and delivers some of the most obscurely beautiful records, something that he continues to do on his brand-new project Stay Hydrated. Throughout the 25 minutes that these 7 songs last, Makonnen mixes together completely out-of-the-box instrumentals comprised of uncharacteristic melodies and some more classic trap percussion. Meanwhile, he shares some unique deliveries, intricate …

Over the past few years, the Michigan rap scene has exploded out of nowhere. Out of everything that we’ve witnessed, though, I think the wildest realization I’ve had is the fact that many of these emcees have been crafting their sound for many years, so I’m not sure if they just turned it up a notch or if the masses were just ready for a new and innovative sound, but either way, these musicians are finally getting the recognition that they deserve. Detroit phenoms like Babyface Ray and Icewear Vezzo have become mainstays in the industry, but as they continue their rise to fame, other spitters aren’t far behind. In the same breath, Rio Da Yung OG has been doing his thing for quite some time now, and although he might not be as widely recognized as the aforementioned hitmakers, he is just as well-respected considering he pretty much has just as many hits under his belt. Despite the fact that he’s from Flint instead of the Motor City, these two hubs have so much in common that I believe they’re almost one and the same, and the fact that all of these talents work together and show each other …

There aren’t too many people in the rap world that don’t need an introduction, but one of these individuals is without a doubt G Herbo. He has been at the top of the Chicago scene ever since he first began taking off over a decade ago under the name Lil Herb, and even though his name might’ve changed over the years, his dominance hasn’t gone anywhere. He is just one of those artists that you can’t forget about whether we’re talking strictly about Chicago hip-hop or discussing the genre as a whole. His aggression has always captivated me, but the way he has been able to incorporate so many other sentiments and emotions into his music throughout his tenure in this industry is something that will never fail to impress me, regardless of how many new names come across my radar. This year’s album Survivor’s Remorse was one of the most highly anticipated efforts of the past 12 months, and even after dropping the original version, he couldn’t wait to release the extended edition just 3 days later which unleashed another 13 songs that more than doubled the album’s tracklist. Despite these additions, one song that stood out to everyone …

Music can be as hands-on or as hands-off as you want it to be, but I personally feel like a song is always better when an artist contributes as much of their art as possible to any given record. Whether it’s rapping, producing, mixing, mastering, directing, editing, or doing anything else, the more say a musician has in their releases typically allows them to craft that effort however they see fit. It just helps their artistic vision come to life much more than it would if someone else had full reign of any given aspect of the track. For Superior James, he’s no stranger to hard work or diverse artistry considering he already has 4 self-produced albums under his belt, and you can hear his progression as time continues to pass. Although he’s a newer name in my arsenal of artists, I was definitely impressed with his individuality when it comes to his latest project 60 FWY Music, a 9-song, 25-minute adventure that truly displays his unique style in such a fascinating fashion. I almost feel like he has an indie hip-hop sound, using his raw vocals where necessary over some calmer, more composed instrumentals before adding some vocal alterations …

In my personal opinion, music is the best when an artist actually uses personal experience or honest feelings to ideate a record. When a musician does this, I just think it provides a lot more authenticity and sincerity to a track, and even if they embellish some of their ideas for the sake of intrigue or interest, when the overarching theme is truthful, the music is just typically more gripping from my own experience. One emcee who has been putting himself out there for his entire career is TheHxliday, a Baltimore-born talent who has created a very ominous and unique style of music that is broad enough to let him get experimental but not too extensive to the point where it is all over the map. Throughout his rise to fame, Hxliday has been the definition of versatile, proving that he can hang with the best rappers on any track, but he has also shown off his singing skills, crooning some of the most angelic and captivating notes that I could ever imagine. Even though Hxliday has been pretty quiet throughout 2022, I know that he’s working on something special, so while I think last week’s hit “Devil in the …

I think DC the Don has had one of the biggest years in 2022 than anyone, but it’s amazing to think that he is just barely getting his feet off of the ground. Back in October, I had the absolute pleasure of seeing him perform live, meeting up with him after the show, and chopping it up a little bit, but even with so much excitement and chaos going on all night, there was one thing I noticed that stood above the rest. DC was genuinely appreciative of everything that he has earned. Whether it was the various articles I’ve written, the die-hard fans that came to the show, his day-one teammates, or just the success he has achieved, I knew nothing was being taken for granted and he was one of those artists that I am elated to know has accomplished so much, even this early on in his career. Ahead of his album FUNERAL, DC has blessed fans with a handful of unbelievable works of art, and while I’m later than usual when it comes to his SevenEight-directed video single “Poison”, I wasn’t going to let time prevent me from checking it out. Produced by Lovesick, this one …

The holidays are a time for happiness, friendship, and togetherness, and part of this means going to family parties. While I was at a party this past weekend, my cousin’s fiancé surprised me by mentioning he used to produce music pretty frequently, and after going down that rabbit hole of all sorts of music talk, he threw out a few local artists to see if I was familiar. Although some names had rung a bell, I wasn’t completely confident that had actually listened to these musicians, but I love the music scene here in the city and I wanted to make sure to give them a listen as soon as I got the chance. One artist that was mentioned is Freddie Sunshine, a super imaginative and intriguing musician who has been DIYing almost every facet of his career for years, and when I know someone is as hands-on as Freddie, I know that the quality and creativity are going to be through the roof. As I assumed, this is the case, so when I tapped in with a little 2-pack of records he dropped a few weeks ago entitled “Bliss” and “Slip Under”, I was instantly converted into a fan. …

Music is one of those things that is great for more reasons than I can count, but one thing that I truly appreciate is that it allows an artist’s voice to remain relevant even after they aren’t around anymore. Jaah SLT was one of those emcees that I simply could overlook as soon as I tapped in with one of his songs more than a year or two ago, and even though the Charlotte, North Carolina music scene isn’t the most notorious, he was blazing a trail regardless of what the industry norms had to say about it. Unfortunately, Jaah passed away earlier this year in a tragic way, but he was a workhorse, always recording whenever he could, so he did a wonderful job of continuing his legacy as his team drops more and more of his previously unreleased recordings. After going viral, hitting Shazam and Rolling Stone charts, and receiving quite the admiration from his loyal fanbase, Jaah’s team decided to continue the fun, dropping a brand-new album called 12.23.22 on the same date as the project’s title, and I couldn’t waste any time before checking it out. Although it is only 7 songs lasting almost 17 minutes, …