SEARCH FOR: TOP 50 CHICAGO PROJECTS

8matiklogan had a pretty solid year in 2020 despite all of the adversities that year brought us, he even landed a spot on our Top 50 Chicago Projects list, and he’s already kicking off the new year with a new project called 888. This project is eleven tracks in length and the run time is just over thirty minutes long, and the lone feature comes from Logan’s homie FLEX. Anyone who has been following Logan’s carer for the past several years knows that his sound has evolved from what it used to be to a more modern-day style, and I believe this project has some of his best music yet in that newfound approach. This is a super solid project in my opinion, what a fantastic way to start 2021 for Logan, let’s stay tuned to see where he takes it from here.

Whenever an artist releases a singular song that literally hoists them into the spotlight and skyrockets their career, it’s most likely a track that is played all over the radio all around the country. While admittedly I haven’t listened to the radio in quite some time, I can only assume that Lil Eazzyy’s break out song “Onna Come Up” has been on repeat because that’s how it is for me even on the aux cord in my car. There’s just something about this song that is aggressive, inspiring, hard-hitting, hopeful and motivating all at the same time, and while it might have overtones of Chicago Drill sounds, Eazzyy makes sure to differentiate himself from many of the Chicago legends that originated this style of music. In fact, it’s evident that he’s not nearly a singular artist when listening to his unbelievable EP Underrated, which landed at #8 on our top 50 Chicago projects of 2020 list and could have even arguably been higher up depending on who you ask. While Eazzyy has drawn comparisons to Chicago artists like Polo G and G Herbo, he has clearly made a beyond sturdy case as to why he is a completely different kind …

It’s been an amazing experience to watch the growth of Chicago native Cdot Honcho over the past handful of years, he has grown tremendously and is rapping better than he ever has before. Today, Cdot is back on our website with his brand new two in one music video for “Who To Blame” and “AKA”. Last year Cdot released an outstanding project called H5, which landed pretty high on our Top 50 Chicago Projects of 2020 list, and he just recently announced that the deluxe of that project will be dropping this Friday! It appears as if these two records here will be apart of that deluxe, and if the rest of the songs are as good as these two, then expect the new version to be much better than the already good original. Get familiar with one of Chicago’s finest by pressing play below!

Just when we thought 2020 was coming to an end, Chicago’s very own Lil Durk decided that he wasn’t about to end the year without a bang. This bang, of course, came in the form of a brand-new surprise album entitled The Voice, an effort that clearly pays homage to the dearly departed King Von on multiple songs as well as on the cover art where Durk and Von hang out like the brothers they truly were. Although it might’ve been unexpected for most, it caught us by surprise in all the right ways, leading to its addition to our very own top 50 Chicago projects of 2020 list high up at number 4. As usual, there typically isn’t an album without at least a couple of music videos to accompany it, and Durk decided to bring his track “Coming Clean” to life. If you’ve heard the song, it’s clearly one of Durk’s more sensual, lustful records on the album, and the video matches this aesthetic overtly well, so I’d give the viewer discretion advisory warning before going into this risqué CROWNSOHEAVY-directed visual. As it opens, Durk stands up from a table where he’s wearing countless sparkling diamond pieces of …

OG Stevo is one of my favorite new artists coming out of Chicago, but that’s no secret, I have raved about him countless times and he was even featured very highly on our Top 50 Chicago Projects of 2020 article! Today, OG Stevo is back on our lemon filled pages with the release of his brand new visual for “Be Something”. This track was one of my favorites off of his most recent EP called Stevo Reloaded, so I was glad to see it finally get the video that it deserved, but Stevo truly went above + beyond for this one. In his own words, Stevo had to get “Groovy one time”, and that’s exactly what he did, as this visual finds him in a fit that makes him look fresh out of the disco era, in a room with his peers having a good time. I have a ton of belief that OG Stevo will continue on his upward trajectory and become one of Chicago’s best talents in the near future, but you should get in tune with him while he’s still on the rise, press play below!

It’s obvious that 2020 didn’t turn out nearly how anyone expected at the top of the year. With a global pandemic shaking things up, a pivotal presidential election coming to a head, numerous generational talents passing away, and racial injustice protests taking place across the country, it’s safe to say that this year was beyond unpredictable from even the most seasoned psychics. Nonetheless, Chicago persevered like only we know-how, bringing attention to these issues while also divulging into a plethora of other, more personal narratives in the form of music. Throughout the year, some mainstays in the city continued to impress us here at Lyrical Lemonade while other up-and-comers made some very valid, attention-grabbing claims as to why they’re the next rising star that deserves a place at the table. Also worthy of note, Chicago had some truly excruciating losses this year in terms of music legends whose work still shined through as some of the most impressive of the year, primed to carry on their legacy for years to come. All of that said, we’re more than excited to round this farfetched year out with Lyrical Lemonade’s Top 50 Chicago Projects of 2020. This is our 5th year bringing …

When I first discovered WemmyMo’s music, it was a refreshing change of pace compared to a majority of what I was hearing, he brought an energetic + youthful approach to his music that was raw but you could see the potential that he possessed. I was extremely impressed when I first listened to Wemmy’s debut project Bittersweet, it was a sensational body of work that had plenty of ear-pleasing jams on it, which led me to eventually meeting him not so long after + I have been rooting for him ever since. Wemmy is still very young, so he has a ton of time to continue to grow + develop his sound, but in some years I could easily see him being one of the hottest artists in Chicago. Wemmy is well on his way to that already though, so I wanted to bring him by the LL office for a new ‘Conversation With’ segment, read/watch the interview & make sure you follow Wemmy on social media below! Follow Wemmy on Twitter here • Follow Wemmy on IG here   — EM: How was the quarantine for you? — EM: I first discovered your music when you dropped your debut …

Every once in a blue moon, an artist will come by in hip-hop that bridges the ever-dividing gap between the new and the old – someone who embodies the best of both, and someone that everyone can agree on. Joey Bada$$ and the Pro Era crew were just that when they first came out. Employing a 90s-influenced style and a classic aesthetic that inspired a generation of artists in New York and beyond, Pro Era had the technical skill and “pure hip-hop” lyricism that one would expect from a 90s act, while they also possessed a sense for style, sound, and group comradery that resonated with current-day listeners. It was an incredible marriage of innovation and influence that came from a crew of artists talented and wise beyond their years, spearheaded by none other than Joey Bada$$: an artist now with several undeniable classics to his name, all the way from pure-as-it-gets hip-hop tracks to high-flying, radio-ready anthems. Frankly, Joey Bada$$ has done it all, and his still-growing contributions to hip-hop – aesthetically, lyrically, sonically, and otherwise – are not to be underestimated. Not often do we get a talent of Joey’s caliber that fans of any age can get behind, …

Lupe Fiasco is my favorite artist. Notoriously known for his sheer lyricism that only Harvard graduates can fully comprehend, Lupe is likely your favorite rapper’s favorite rapper. Lupe is a true lyricist, but this label alone is not sufficient enough to describe the thirty-eight-year-old unfettered music veteran. Some have even claimed that the musical work and career of Lupe Fiasco was simply ahead of its time, with an audience not yet prepared for the boldly unfiltered content he delivered. Nonetheless, Lupe’s resume is among the very best, with seven studio albums, one Grammy, (twelve nominations) 2006’s GQ man of the year, along with million-plus records sold and streamed. However, these accolades aren’t what matter most to Lupe; it is instead the lifelong respect/acknowledgment from his music peers that shaped and influenced him. For instance, in a joint Instagram live conversation with Joe Budden, Joe revealed Jay-Z himself once stated that he thinks Lupe Fiasco is the best rapper ever. Lupe also tweeted that Jay-Z wanted to sign him to Roc-A-Fella records. Moreover, when legendary emcee Nas was asked by N.O.R.E which rapper most reminds him of himself, Lupe was his answer. Most recently, Off-White CEO and fashion designer Virgil Abloh tweeted that …

Lasy year Rockie Fresh dropped a dope new album titled Destination that was a favorite of mine and even landed on our Top 50 Chicago Projects Of The Year article at the end of the year, and this afternoon the Chicago native is back with a brand new music video for a fan favorite off of that album, with “Feelings Hurt” featuring Casey Veggies & 24hrs. This feel-good song needed a dope visual to match it, and that’s exactly what we got in large part thanks to music video director Nem Perez, he brought Rockie’s vision to life as they created a concept based all-around a kickback with his homies. Watch this brand new music video below and if you like it, make sure you hit the like button on YouTube to help it circulate & grow!