(I painted this over the weekend.)
It’s me, Iswayski. This time around we’re going to dive into some New York rap.
In general, hip hop is in a good place right now. Whether you’re looking for some ignant club joints, deft lyricism, or skater comedy, it’s probably available. There’s a gang of different styles floating around out there. And here in NYC, things are in a similar state. You’ve got the turnt coke boy rap of French Montana, some pretty flacko rare shot from A$AP Mob, and the late 90s throwback flavas of Pro Era. It seems we’re finally starting to climb out from under the weight that years of tradition and hierarchy that the genre’s birthplace had imposed on the game. So let’s go over a couple lesser known recent efforts.
[youtube]http://youtu.be/kCArANQIuAY[/youtube]
Matt Cody – “Channeling†ft.Tone Hooker, BrandUn DeShay & Louwiggz
Matt Cody‘s first single off his upcoming album of production, Send/Return, portends good things. The cut has a spiritual tone, with a beat featuring humming synths that evoke prayer. It’s full of quiet determination, moving along with a steady fluidity, unrushed but forceful. The verses match it well, with Tone falling back from the hype to do him and BrandUn comfortable in his future prospects.
“Dankenstein” is on some trippy Halloween steez. Get wavey and throw a mask on type shyt. The rolling drums in Voduz‘s beat keep things flowing over a bed of sub bass while 40Thousand‘s verse is rapid and full of goons and goblins. 40 reps the Tree High Cartel.
[youtube]http://youtu.be/rSNHZxd3CU0[/youtube]
Slim Dollars – Dopeman Where Art Thou?
Getting even creepier, we have Harlem’s Slim Dollars on some Candyman vibes, hinting at a dope fiend’s worship of their dealer. The production of Greg Beats is epic and shadowy like the once ornate but now dilapidated buildings and gothic churches in the video. Slim’s lyrics are standard rap fare filled with his preferred slang and delivered with dexterity while his hooks ring with an uncomfortable reality. Also peep his “Steez” joint and the Treasonable Doubt mixtape.
Some more fire: Kris Kasanova’s “Pyro (Feat. Flatbush Zombies)” off his mixtape, 24K; Pusha T – “Trust You ft. Kevin Gates” which has a brand new video; “Rude Boy Jamaican (Prod. by Yuri Beats)” by Y C The Cynic off the New York Renaissance mixtape; and most of new tape by The Underachievers, Indigoism.
See you all next week. Be safe.