SEARCH FOR: EARL SWEATSHIRT

When Raé Luna’s “Pass The Water” went viral on TikTok back in March, I finally started to have faith in TikTok’s sacred algorithm. This week the young abstract rapper returns with her debut EP Oblivion – a soulful and introspective collection of tracks perfect for fans of artists like Mavi, Earl Sweatshirt, and Chynna. Though clearly a seasoned poet, Raé’s writing is just as much an asset to Oblivion as the project’s mixes are – synthesizing nostalgic samples with modern production techniques to create a record that is refreshing while also revering those that came before it. EP openers “Fair One” and the previously-mentioned “Pass The Water” bleed blissful soul, and are easily some of the best hip-hop tracks to drop this month. Oblivion’s second single “domepiece.” is dark and meditative, however, with Raé’s carefully-crafted lyrics breaking through the hazy dejection of the track’s beat. The next moment Oblivion’s eponymous track turns listeners on their heads once again with an explosive and victorious banger that is later succeeded by the melodic victory-lap “Moonrocks”. From the EP’s writing to its production, Raé’s attention to detail is so unparalleled that Oblivion sounds like it could have been something made during a TDE or …

Whether you know me from my articles and social media, or we’re actually tapped in personally as friends, you should know that Action Bronson is one of my favorite emcees to ever do it. Lucky enough, I am finally fulfilling a dream of mine this Friday as I travel up to Milwaukee from Chicago to see him on the NBA Leather Tour alongside The Alchemist and Earl Sweatshirt who are some of my other favorite musicians ever, so it’s sure to be a show that I’ll never forget. As for Action, I just feel like he incorporates this old-school vibe with new, inventive sounds that bring both worlds together, and whether I talk to old heads or fans of the new generation of rap, everyone seems to agree that he is as talented as it gets. I literally lose sleep when I know a new album is about to surface, so I had a lot of sleepless nights leading up to the release of his album Cocodrillo Turbo, but after it landed on Friday, I knew immediately that it was worth the wait. I mean, with production from The Alchemist, Daringer, Roc Marciano, and even a bit of Action’s own …

I have been seeing Destroy Lonely’s name pop up left and right, and this has been a constant for the last couple of months or more. While I have liked what I have heard so far, I have somehow not gotten nearly well-acquainted enough with the rising star, and after doing a bit of research, I realize just how much I respect this dude. Citing inspirations ranging from Tyler, the Creator and Earl Sweatshirt to Lucki and Chief Keef, he seems to rock with the exact type of music that I have adored for years, and even though he is in a lane of his own when it comes to his individual music, I can totally see this inspiration, and it makes every track he puts out even better than ever before, at least for me personally. The other day, Lonely dropped off his song “20YRS OLD”, and although it was artist Kodone who put me on considering he did the cover art, this song was so much better than I ever expected. With a very synth-heavy, futuristic-sounding instrumental, I can see why fans flock in his direction, and since I’m a big Ken Carson fan, I am still blown …

Boston artist DiZ returns to Lyrical Lemonade with a head-nodding banger titled “Point of Madness Reprise.” Off his debut album ULTRA.VIOLET, this track stood out to me because of how well-suited the production fits DiZ’s nonchalant yet emotional rap flow. Fans of elite lyricists such as Earl Sweatshirt, Chester Watson and Navy Blue will instantly appreciate how raw DiZ’s words are, as each line comes across as intense despite his serene nature. Sonically it’s easy to get to lost in the ambient, tranquil instrumental, but DiZ does a fantastic job to project his voice so he’s clearly understood. With an impeccable rhyme scheme and mature storytelling, it’s especially impressive how many bars I counted within a brief two-minute span. DiZ may not be an artist that you moshpit to for festival season, but it’s quite easy to get lost in his highly-personal discography during the times you need it most. Listen to “Point of Madness Reprise” and be sure to stream all of ULTRA.VIOLET!

Blvck Svm is a name that has come across my radar a few times, but it wasn’t until I read his bio on Spotify that I knew I had to tap in with this perseverant emcee. Although he is from South Florida, he decided to go to college in Chicago, remaining here after school in order to chase his dream in a bigger city than his home. Covid caused problems for everyone, but his main debate was either staying here to pursue a risky career in music or moving back home and finding a normal, everyday job. Luckily, he decided to grind it out and find his own path in the music business, and while this is something that a very select few talents can claim that worked out for them, after seeing the numbers that he has been putting up, it is safe to say that he definitely made the right choice. My introduction to this promising rising emcee is his EP fiftypercentgratuity, a collaboration between him and producer Sebastian Kamae, and while it is much calmer than my typical preferences would say, I found myself instantly entrenched within his incredible sonic world. Sebastian does an insane job on …

It’s been a minute since we last heard from the dual coast duo KWAMZAY, but this month the two hip-hop prodigies make their long-awaited return with Mountain – their sophomore mixtape. Comprised of New Jersey-born rapper Kwame Adu and LA-via-Sacramento producer ZAYALLCAPS, Mountain is the latest offering from a duo caught in the wake of overnight success. Following the release of their debut project Motherland! earlier last year, Kwame and ZAY have seen viral TikTok success, stamps of approval from the platform’s most decorated curators, and even a spot opening for MAVI late last year. Despite the influx of attention and opportunity, Mountain sees the duo delivering their most focused offering yet – a five-track mixtape that bleeds undeniable charm and charisma from Kwame Adu and ZAY. If you missed Motherland! last year, worry not as Mountain is the perfect place to start becoming a fan of one of hip-hop’s most soulful upcoming acts. Fans of sample-laden and wordplay-heavy hip-hop like Earl Sweatshirt, Armand Hammer and Moor Mother are sure to gravitate towards KWAMZAY – as all acts are instilled with a deep spiritual reverence for the genre’s past, present, and future. While “Peanuts” and “Get Like You” showcase Kwame and ZAY …

I feel as though recently more than ever, I have been blessed to be able to write about some of my favorite artists because even though they can be absent from the spotlight for years at times, they come back stronger than ever when they finally drop something. When it comes to an artist like Earl Sweatshirt for me personally, he has been a top favorite rapper of mine for over a decade, and even though his releases have gotten fewer and further between as the years have gone on, it just makes them that much better when he finally pops up and drops something new. At the end of last year, he started to promote his upcoming album SICK! which was his first solo effort in years, and this was enough to get me excited about the new year so we could finally get a taste of what he has been working on. Ever since it came out a couple of weeks ago, it has been a project that I listen to multiple times per day, and I find something new to admire about it with every additional listen. I do wish that there was more than just 24 …

If you and your friends are true fans of music of any kind, it is an inevitable occurrence that the debate of your top 5 favorite artists will come up probably more than once in your lifetime. These discussions always get me going because considering I write about music on a daily basis, everyone always expects me to have an unarguable list that is bulletproof, but the simple fact is that this probably isn’t the case because these things are all subjective. At the same time, my opinion of the top 5 best artists out, as opposed to my personal favorite top 5, is definitely drastically different but I truly and firmly believe that Earl Sweatshirt fits into my list no matter what. Earl has been one of my all-time favorite artists for over a decade at this point, and while his more recent music has been much more experimental and has appealed to a more niche audience, I feel like it just shows his creativity way more than ever before. Additionally, Doris is one of my all-time favorite albums of all time and I believe that there isn’t a single second to skip on the project itself, so whenever …

At this point in my career, there aren’t many things I hear that truly make me take a moment to sit back and ingest a song without allowing any sort of impedances or distractions to break up my attention. When I first got into hip-hop music, Odd Future was a group that I legitimately couldn’t get enough of, and whether it was the music, their connection as a collective, their antics, or anything else, I found myself not even going a day without listening to their music or watching their videos. I was fully obsessed, to say the least, and while Tyler, Frank, Hodgy, Mike G, and everyone else in the group were constantly blowing my mind, Earl Sweatshirt was someone who I just couldn’t get enough of. Early on, he was showing exactly how complex and unique his creative process was, but I think the thing that had me addicted was the fact that he did some of the most inventive things in the entire history of music without the bells and whistles, humbly spitting bars that were so intricate that it could take dozens of listens before you fully understood and appreciated a single lyric. As time has …

Navy Blue might be somewhat of a newcomer to the music scene, at least over the past few years, but he’s definitely not an unrecognized face in the culture. This is because he is actually the alter ego of Sage Elsesser, a multitalented individual whom I’ve been following for almost a decade now thanks to his relationships with brands like Supreme, which I’ve been a fan of for the better part of my life. I first found out about him through his skateboarding career, considering I have always been a fan of that scene even if I was never good on a board myself, and after getting familiar with the Supreme skate team, Sage was one of the most prominent members of the group. After a while, I rewound my memories even further and realized that artists like Earl Sweatshirt was close friends with him and has even mentioned him in songs, so my knowledge extends even further back than I thought. Over the years, Sage has always dipped his toes in various creative waters, and when he entered into the rap game back in 2015, it was another hidden talent of his that he knew couldn’t be hidden for …