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If you know anything about the music scene in Atlanta, it’s that many new sounds were created in the thriving city over the years. Rich Homie Quan, also known as Dequantes Lamar, emerged on the scene in 2013 and developed a sound that would inspire artists for generations to come. Throughout his career, Quan has been nominated for Best New Artist and Rookie of the Year from BET, earned a spot on the 2014 XXL freshman class list, and went double platinum independently. While the platinum-selling rapper reached many milestones over the years, he is ready to reinvent himself after taking some time off to focus on what matters most. To celebrate his 33rd birthday, Rich Homie Quan released a new body of work titled Family & Mula, which features eight songs and a single feature from NoCap. This project gave listeners a glimpse of what Quan created during his downtime and how his music has changed due to fatherhood.   This month, I had the opportunity to speak with the Atlanta legend about the legacy he has built and what we can expect to come. Check out our interview below. Lyrical Lemonade: What was it like being from Atlanta in 2011 …

It’s pretty safe to say that at this point in time, the A$AP Mob has already solidified its spot in the hip-hop history books, and every release that a member puts out from this point forward is just adding to the collective’s legacy. They didn’t just continue adding artists to their roster without ensuring their status as a top-tier hitmaker, and that’s why they have managed to not only stay relevant for close to a decade, but they’ve managed to stay at the top of everyone’s minds, even during a break in releasing music. Well, there really isn’t typically too much of a break because when one member takes a hiatus, another will drop, so that leaves us with a constant stream of music from emcees that work as well on their own as they do as a cohesive team, and A$AP Ant is one of the most talented of the bunch, at least in my opinion. Back in May, Ant dropped his 16-song effort Lil Black Jean Jacket 3, a project that lasted over 40 minutes long and featured other well-recognized emcees like A$AP Rocky, Lil B, Curren$y, A$AP Twelvyy, KEY!, Larry June, and more, but one of my …

As much as I love finding out about a new artist and doing a deep dive to find out anything and everything I can about them, sometimes that’s just not entirely possible. There are emcees I come across that may not have a massive following so they don’t have countless interviews or bios out that are easily accessible or existent in the first place, so as much as I prefer knowing more about a musician, I have to look at it as a glass half full scenario. I say this because it allows me to go into someone’s music with completely no knowledge whatsoever, so there’s no chance for my bias to show or judgments to be made outside of the music itself. This is how I approached SNLDRE’s song “1,2,3,4”, a track that was sent my way from one of the homies and it certainly was a pleasant surprise. Over an instrumental that boasts an intensifying piano progression, punchy drums, and a menacing melody that gets your head bobbing and your heart pumping. SNLDRE comes in with such an even-keeled demeanor, never really getting too far ahead of himself and just letting his lyrics flow out of his mouth …

Depending on what mood I’m in, I may tend to look for music that has a certain aesthetic over another, but that’s not uncommon for any music fan of any genre. When I’m in the mood to either go hard at the gym, pump myself up, or wake up before a long night out (like I’m sure tonight may very well be), I am on the hunt for something with a ton of energy, a quicker tempo, and an artist who can match or exceed the instrumental’s enthusiasm. When it comes to Sxmpra, I’m not completely tapped in, but I have heard a few of his songs as well as other records he was featured on, and I know that he is exactly the person I’m looking for when I’m in one of these moods. He’s quite possibly the only New Zealand-born emcee that I know of, and the fact that he is making as much noise in this industry as he is certainly means that his style is much larger than life and it couldn’t be contained to his home country only. The song that was sent my way is called “GODZILLA!”, and it’s something that I simply couldn’t …

Photo Credit: Le3ay Studio As we’ve progressed through music, we have grown to see the many mediums that artists are using now to take their careers to the next level. We’ve seen artists get popular from Myspace and older social media platforms. Current social sites such as Instagram and TikTok play a huge factor in emerging artists as well. By far one of the most memorable moments in rap would be the rise of Soundcloud rap and the amazing talent that stemmed from it. Being able to watch artists like XXXTENTACION, Lil Uzi Vert, Playboi Carti, Trippie Redd and Lil Yacthy take that platform and completely skyrocket into fame was such an amazing sight to see. While each of these artists has their own respective art and their own craft, they all share one thing in common being the OG’s of the Soundcloud rap community. Here we are in 2022, and we are witnessing the new generation of artists who catch their big break from Soundcloud and take their career to the next level. Some of those names are SSG Kobe, Yeat, Ken Carson, and none other than SoFaygo. First blowing up in 2019 with his breakout single “Knock Knock”, …

With a lot of the music today focused around a vibe and a central feeling, it goes without saying that a lot of what’s going on in the current climate of music could be noted as the purest-sounding music. Coming from artists who truly focus on their craft, we know that before any collaboration is done, it’s done with feeling and for the love of the music, rather than just trying to collaborate for the hell of it. When R&B and rap collide, it creates a beautiful balance between both genres that, when done correctly, can form one of the greatest bonds in music. This song in particular stuck a certain chord within me, and I fell in love with it instantly. That said, here is “SAMSARA” by SIM, ZAIA, and Tanerelle. Discovering SIM’s music not too long ago, what gravitated towards it was the ability to stop time. It felt like I was encaptured within this void where nothing else around me mattered. Those types of songs are very hard to come by nowadays, and it speaks volumes when artists are able to do this in a way that sounds so amazing. Enlisting LA-based vocalist Tanerelle and ATL’s own …

Riovaz is a rising artist from New Jersey, who has been featured on Lyrical Lemonade a few times this year. It’s not shocking considering that the 18-year-old artist has an abundance of talent to contribute to the music industry. Ever since he applied his friend’s advice of remaining consistent until something blows up, Riovaz’s career has elevated in many ways. His viral hit “Prom Night” went viral back in 2020 with 108 million streams on Spotify and over 100,000 TikTok videos featuring his song.  He was also recently named on one of Pigeons and Planes Best New Artists roundup. On October 27, Riovaz released a new irresistible single titled “Tell Me Your Fears,” along with supporting visuals. On this track, the Darkroom/Geffen Records signee finds himself hypnotized by another person. “This song captures my constant detachment from reality and the sudden reappearance of normalcy,” he explained. “I had just watched Donnie Darko before making this song and video, so that film was the last piece of this puzzle.”  Before his single release, I had the opportunity to catch up with Riovaz and learn a bit more about his journey thus far. Read our conversation in full below!  ——————————————————————————————————————————————————— Lyrical Lemonade: What …

If you’ve scrolled through our blog from time to time, then you’d know that Skaiwater has made an appearance on a few occasions for some of his impressive offerings and today, I’m stoked to be able to welcome him back onto our publication for a special track that I haven’t stopped listening to. Odds are you’ve come across Skaiwater through  TikTok since his various renditions of “#miles” have soared to crazy heights on the platform. If those weren’t already catchy and exciting enough, today the up and comer is being featured for his latest version that comes with a new twist but still maintains the same feel that made us fall in love in the first time. I think what makes this one even better is the fact that it features the legend Lil Uzi Vert! There are just certain features that make so much sense and this is one that completely goes seamlessly together with minimal effort. I’ve had this one on repeat since pressing play and I know y’all will also. I’ve attached the Spotify link down below, so give this one a listen and let us know what you think!

There’s a new girl in town by the name of Lebra Jolie and I must say she is a force to be reckoned with. The Houston rapper has shown star potential since childhood when she would rhyme over Limewire beats and upload them to MySpace. Lebra began to utilize her Youtube channel to build her presence and a strong fan base. Fast forward to 2021, her career began to take off with the release of her two singles “Choppa” and “Jolie (Freestyle).” After catching the eye of Baroline Diaz, Interscope VP of A&R, the rising star began her journey to the top. Her debut self-titled EP featured seven tracks with celebrity appearances from Babyface Ray and Rob 49. Lebra’s signature southern accent mixed with her braggadocious lyrical style are a recipe for perfection. This project allowed me to take a deeper dive into who Lebra is and why she is next up. “My favorite song on the project has to be between “What Kinda” and “F%ck I Look Like.” On What Kinda, I love the amount of aggression and power I hold on the track. This song represents how powerful a woman can be in a male-dominated industry. My bossiness compliments …

I have mixed emotions when it comes to deluxe versions of albums because it feels like every artist has such a different interpretation of what this means, and the execution can be way off at times from my point of view. I just feel like over the past couple of years, an artist will drop a highly anticipated album and then drop a deluxe version a week or two later. Considering these same emcees also include 10 or more songs on the updated version, it’s like listeners don’t have a chance to sit with the original and appreciate it in all of its glory for nearly as long as they should, and the new wave of songs can overshadow some of the other tracks that these musicians worked long and hard on. I know that it’s just more new music which is awesome, but I love when I can sit with a project and really dive into all the ins and outs of it before letting it breathe and moving on before returning to it with new life brought by the deluxe version to fall in love with the collection of tracks all over again. I preface all of this …