Tag: rap

[Hip-Hop/Breakdance Origins] [B-Boy Rap Beats] KRS-One – Steady Bounce

Check out this classic KRS-One anthem dedicated to b-boys and b-girls across the world, “Steady Bounce”.


[Breakdance Hip-Hop:] Steady Bounce – KRS-One

Steady bouncin’ them jeeps on the New York streets
steady bouncin’ them jeeps on the New York streets
steady bounce-steady bounce-steady bounce….

For this Hip-Hop & Rap Origins post we’re featuring a classic, beat-heavy KRS-One track dedicated to b-boys and b-girls. From the album Strickly For Da Breakdancers & Emceez “Steady Bounce” is relatively simple in its structure and layers — and that works perfectly here. The result is a certifiably, windmill-ready mix of beats and repeating hooks harkening to the days of olde; sweats, fresh sneakers and bodies contorting over cardboard boxes on the sidewalks and them city streets.

Check out more from KRS-ONE here:

KRS One Website
KRS One Twitter

[Rap Game Japan Heavy:] KOHH’s Mixtape “Riverside” Embodies American Hip-Hop & Japanese Flavor // Check out 25 Japanese Rappers You Need to Know


Hiroi Sekai (Worldwide) – J $tash, KOHH & Young Sachi (Andy Milonakis)

“貧乏なんて気にしない” Official Video [Translation: I don’t mind if I’m poor]

Japanese rapper KOHH has been making waves in the international hip-hop scene for quite some time now. After joining up with rapper J $tash’s Relax Gang for the track and comedian, former TV star and social media star Andy Milonakis. KOHH’s Riverside mixtape goes beyond the highly catchy, viral song as he dives into American street rap and trap music on tracks like “NBA” with his semi-frequent use of the “N” word, and a club-ready “definitely goes hard” remix of his “Hello Kitty” by Watapachi.

The second track has KOHH reminiscing on his upbringing in the streets of Japan. Kohh explains this is where he saw plenty of drug use, violence, killings and other aspects of growing up in rough neighborhoods that most Japanese people are never even exposed to. KOHH said in an article in Public Radio International he “lamented the fact hip-hop culture is seen as strange in Japan. But he hopes to change that…” His breakout-single “Hiroi Sekai” is making waves on Youtube, WorldStarHipHop, Vimeo and many more sites as are his mixtapes on illMixtapes and HotNewHipHop.

[Original Article from UK Complex: 25 Japanese Artists You Should Know]

Chill Instrumental Beats from Japan / Evisbeats

Ambient Hip-Hop / Electronic – 水曜日のカンパネラ『ミツコ』

Want to know about more Japanese rap acts, like a Japanese woman who raps about Finaru Fantaji (Final Fantasy), the Edan-reminscent Issugi from Monju, or hip-hop and ambient instrumental producer Evisbeats (reminscent of Pharcyde, Flying Lotus, or even Nujabes. Check out this blog post from the UK version of Complex for more great Japanese acts:

25 Japanese Artists You Need to Know About (UK Complex)

{New Rappers} [Chill Deep/Meaningful Rap:] SAFE – Feel (Prod. by Habib D.) // Roy Wood$ – Talk to Me // Devontée – Bare Tings


Feel (prod. Habib Defoundoux) – SAFE

For today’s rap/hip-hop post we have a dark, ambient-chill rap track coming from up-and-coming rapper, and suspected soon to be OVO member, SAFE. Word on the Internet is that Drake’s label and collective, OVO has been looking to add new members and SAFE is one rapper several sources claim may be next up. With two tracks released, “Now” and “Feel”, the two generated enough buzz to give SAFE some pre-release hype. This track “Feel” has a very atmospheric, almost foreboding feel and rhythm that is certainly along the lines of Drake, The Weeknd, and other singer-songwriter rap acts.

Talk to Me – Roy Wood$

Along a similar vein with the dark, ambient moody rap we have “Talk to Me” from Roy Wood$ which similarly channels Drake or Frank Ocean. The result is a very calm, relaxing groove with lyrics describing a lost love. Woods’ cadence and cycling between rapping and singing are a breath of fresh air in the hip-hop world.

Bare TIngs – Devontée

Devontée‘s “Bare Tings” is a catchy and manages to use the phrase “my woes” without coming across as annoying or lame. Devontée’s rapping style and the overall flow of the beat reminded me very much of Chip Tha Ripper or someone along those lines. Check out the song above and check out more from Devontée on his Soundcloud.

[[Fetty Wap Features]] [Rap & Hip-Hop:] Don Lu – One Night Only (feat. Fetty Wap) // Big Bankhead – Party Girl (feat. Fetty Wap)

Don Lu & Fetty Wap’s “One Night Only” is a smooth street trap cut, definitely worth checking out.


Ironically enough, this hip-hop/rap post features a song with the same title as my last post, but with a much different feel. For one, it’s not EDM! (lol) but an appreciable rap song with radio appeal from rapper Don Lu but with massive backup from hip-hop’s current shining star, Fetty Wap. Check out this very nice, smooth track you may have missed, released earlier this year in April.

Next, we have yet another low-key rap hit also featuring Fetty Wap coming from Big Bankhead. “Party Girl” continues the party rap, radio-ready sound that Fetty Wap and whoever else he is on the track with continue to find. Fetty delivers some top-notch catchy lyrics here, “You gon’ show me how you twerk? Or nahh, baby?!”

BONUS: Squad or Nah

[Throwbacks] [Conscious, Underground Hip-Hop:] Charles Hamilton – Writing in the Sky // [Unsigned Hype] I-An-I – My Grind (feat. Willow Smith) & chad. (Purple Reign)


Throwback Post:

Charles Hamilton – Writing in the Sky [Soulful Sample]

Charles Hamilton’s timeless “Writing in the Sky” was a bonus track off of his early mixtape, The Pink Lavalamp. Sampling the timeless R&B/Soul hit by The Stylists “Betcha by Golly, Wow” the song is a very calming and inspiring anthem with Charles spilling his heart out over the track. The echoing soul-filled vocals in the background sample further contribute to the chill, spacey ambiance set by the song.

Hamilton has largely been quiet in terms of releases since his short run from around 2007 to 2010. He has recently begun to re-enter into the industry, however. Hamilton was featured on the soundtrack for the break-out music-industry drama and TV-show, Empire. He raps alongside songwriter group, The Invisible Men on “New York Raining”.

Charles Hamilton with The Invisible Men – New York Raining (feat. Rita Ora)


[Indie Underground Hip-Hop | Conscious Rap:]

I-An-I – My Grind (feat. Willow Smith)


I-An-I is a little known hip-hop group introduced to me by my brother, that released a stunningly “real hip-hop” mixtape titled, Free Love around 2010. Released through I-An-I’s music group Purple Reign, the EP is chock full of “real hip-hop” beats, smart, conscious lyrics and soulful samples.In the underground banger “My Grind” I-An-I samples Will Smith‘s daughter and pop music songstress, Willow Smith. With a very catchy hook and some quite emotional heartfelt lyrics, “My Grind” is not a song to be missed by rap enthusiasts.

“Free Love” is not Purple Reign’s only “fye” extended play, member of the group, chad. (born Chad Charles) released a similarly scorching hot, authentic underground rap album, Conquering Lions with some amazingly clever raps and one-of-a-kind beats you won’t hear anywhere else. Here are a few standout tracks from that mixtape, which can be found on DatPiff, Bandcamp and ReverbNation.

The Set:

Me, Myself & Hennessey (Tell Me – Smilez & Southstar Sample):

Int’l Fly Niggas (French Music Sample):

[Music Video:] Fetty Wap – 679 (feat. Remy Boyz) & Remixes


[Music Video] Fetty Wap – 679 (feat. Remy Boyz)

If you haven’t seen it yet, be sure to check out the music video for new artist on the scene Fetty Wap’s “679”. The track, popular on airwaves throughout the US and the world features more of Wap’s characteristic singing over a quite laid-back and chill beat predominately found in “radio rap”. Neverthelss, the song is very catchy, with Wap receiving back-up from his squad, the Remy Boyz.

Check out more from the New Jersey rapper below, including a remix of 679 featuring Meek Mill and Rick Ross:

679 [Remix feat. Meek Mill & Rick Ross]:
https://youtu.be/CnkcavK9JPM

679 [DJ Taj Remix]:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_JCv5t53FE

679 [Jersey Club Remix] *DJ Friendly!! play it at 1.25x speed!
https://youtu.be/LKRFrEA8L2E

Fetty Wap’s Soundcloud
Meek Mill Soundcloud
Rick Ross Soundcloud
DJ Taj Soundcloud

[Hip-Hop/Rap Origins:] Wiz Khalifa’s more “indie & underground hits” // PRE-Celebrity Wiz // [Conscious Hip-Hop / Intelligent Rap:] Common – The Game


Keep the Conversation – Wiz Khalifa

To keep the conversation light, I tell the girl a comical line…

Off of one of Wiz’s earliest mixtapes, Show and Prove, “Keep the Conversation” is a favorite with it’s smooth use of sampling and the very original, unorthodox beats that Wiz often rapped over in his days of coming up. Wiz’s production team was just as fire as the rapper himself and delivered top-quality music that would set the course for a new direction in hip-hop music that began when Wiz emerged (from 2006 onward) and ushered in an era of “unorthodox” rappers such as, Kid Cudi, Curren$y, Charles Hamilton, J. Cole, Wale and many more.

Other notable smash-underground tracks by Wiz include: Moolah and the Guap, Homicide (Remix), Still Blazin’, Won’t Land (with a Lucini sample) and Stu (feat. Juicy J)

The Game – Common

It’s global warmin’,
the world is shifting
watchin’ Sweet Sixteen,
bitchin-ass rich kids!

The ever-classic Common is one of the rappers at the forefront of the “conscious hip-hop” movement or “intelligent hip-hop/rap” as I also call it. Music in this genre (and subsequently, in my playlist of the same name on my iPod) are focused more around the message of the lyrics, use more old-school style or soulful beats or are otherwise non-mainstream.

Common’s Finding Forever was a very iconic album for many reasons and some would say it was the album that jettisoned Common onto the national and international stage. It also signaled his induction into Kanye West’s G.O.O.D. music group. He collaborated on the album with British Pop/Hip-Hop songstress Lily Allen (Drivin’ Me Wild), Kanye West (Southside) R&B singer D’Angelo and the late legendary beat-maker, J Dilla (So Far to Go).

So Far to Go (feat. D’Angelo & J Dilla) – Common