Welcome to our Rap Weekly number 48. It is a format where we bring you all the hot news from the scene, all new releases, clips, and announcements that you should not miss. Today’s news feed is filled to the brim: Nas and Hit-Boy are back! Apollo Brown and Planet Asia will serve us dirty Sardines. The wait is over, Noname will release her third studio album. Spanish Ran & Bloo Azul is a duo that really has little competition. Look at the sky, the moon is bloo again. Mickey Diamond & SadhuGold? You shouldn’t take these Death Threats lightly. This week, you’ll get some quick news that you can’t miss. What dope albums and music videos have been released last week? That and much more can be found by scrolling down.
NEWS OF THE WEEK
You don’t know what Avant-Garde is. Fatboi Sharif and steel tipped dove will introduce you to it. Postmodern rap, modernity, digital chaos, Dadaism, decay. Two artists who are pushing the boundaries of the genre with their every work have teamed up under the auspices of renowned label Backwoodz Studioz to release their latest opus Decay. Forget everything you know about rap, the record lives in its own world where there are no rules.
Fatboi Sharif has an immeasurable number of unique projects to his credit. The albums Gandhi Loves Children, Preaching In Havana, and Planet Unfaithful are shining examples. On his latest project, however, he has gone a step further and created his most elaborate world to date, full of nightmares and strange timelessness, where ancient history and the distant future come together. Fatboi’s world is apocalyptic and more reminiscent of Lovecraft books, 70s horror films, and movies like Gummo and Tetsuo: The Iron Man than gangster movies. Fatboi’s lyrics are absolutely breathtaking, and his voice is hypnotic. Moreover, the destroyer of all conventions keeps rapping better and better, so we hope he will win over a whole new audience with his latest album.
The steel tipped dove also did an excellent job. His beats are sophisticated to the last detail, imaginative, and original. The unique atmosphere of them simply breathes, yet they are not as chaotic as Fatboi’s albums usually are. We would even dare to write that behind all this evil we can find sometimes almost lilting music that will thrill many listeners. Each beat is different, yet the whole album holds together, and nothing will disturb you. The fact that there is not a single guest on the album helps with the final experience. Fatboi Sharif and steel tipped dove have created an album that will fascinate for decades to come. Excellent work.
NEWS
Apollo Brown and Planet Asia will serve us dirty Sardines
Mello Music Group is unstoppable. The renowned label recently announced Signature (Joell Ortiz & L’Orange) and Omakase. So they’ve got August under their thumb, and now they’ve decided to conquer September. That’s because veterans Apollo Brown and Planet Asia are following up their 2017 gem, Anchovies, by serving us Sardines on September 8. According to the artists, the album is even better than its predecessor, so look forward to dirt, gravel, mud, sticks and stones. Leave your boots on. The album features fourteen tracks and guest appearances from Marv Won, TriState, Sick Jacken, and Ty Farris. Listen to the pilot single Get The Dough Off and let us know which of the three upcoming Mello Music albums you’re most looking forward to. We think we have our favorite.
The wait is over, Noname will release her third studio album.
It’s been five years since acclaimed rapper Noname released her second studio album, Room 25. Since then, we’ve gotten a few singles, but a new album is still in sight. Fortunately, that has changed, and the new album Sundial will be released on the 11th of August. We can look forward to eleven tracks, with guest appearances from Common, Jay Electronica, billy woods, Eryn Allen Kane, Ayoni, $ilkmoney, and Stout. Yes, you read that right; we will see a track featuring Noname and billy woods. If the expectations were huge before, now they’re astronomical. Noname was planning on releasing a pilot single, balloons feat. Eryn Allen Kane and Jay Electronica, but after a dispute with her fans, she changed her mind, and we will hear the track together with the whole album.
2000ent. x RRR Music Group; big things are in store for us
RRR Music Group is one of our most beloved hip-hop groups. It’s only been a few weeks since YL released Don’t Feed The Pigeons and producer zoomo released The Policy (w/ Aasir). However, the artists are not slowing down and have more projects in the pipeline. We’ve been looking forward to Starker and zoomo’s collaborative album for a while now, but the release is still in sight. But another album is coming soon. zoomo will release his anticipated project with Theravada on August 15th. Both artists are among the best in their fields, so we can’t wait for their joint album. The track attached below is from zoomo’s album Cloyd and serves as a perfect teaser.
QUICK NEWS
- A$AP Rocky releases the track RIOT (Rowdy Pipe’n). Will we finally see the anticipated Don’t Be Dumb?
- Producer V Don and rapper Boldy James have shared photos from their joint studio session. Is there a joint album on the way? We’d like to be told.
- Mike Shabb reveals the cover and release date of his new album. Circle the date 7/28. Will the album be called Sewaside III or Hood Olympics?
- The album announcement is not enough, so Mike Shabb shared a great Look At Me Now!(Freestyle). The production is by none other than Shabbo himself.
- The modern classic Skelethon by rapper Aesop Rock celebrated its ten-year anniversary. To mark the occasion, the rapper has dropped an instrumental version of the record with a new cover on his Bandcamp.
- Ovrkast. releases a new track Month in Brooklyn, produced by himself together with amayo and rigpapi. The beat is very good, the artists even managed without using a single sample.
- Cypress Hill visited NPR to play with a live band. In addition to a great live performance, they also talked about their early days.
- SmokeDZA has fulfilled his dream and is preparing an album Flying Objects, which will be completely produced by Flying Lotus. Listen to the pilot single Drug Trade feat. Black Thought.
- Lord Apex is unstoppable and besides the music video, which you can find below in the article, he releases the single Smokers Lounge feat. BONES.
- The latest episode of Top Shelf Premium featured BA PACE and BLK RMBNDT. This is a must see.
BEST RELEASES
Spanish Ran & Bloo Azul – Bloo Moon 2
Last week in Rap Weekly, we marveled at the fact that producer Spanish Ran has three more records coming out this year. After the four gems he released in 2023, this is a truly fascinating achievement. We didn’t even have to wait a week, and the first of the three planned records has arrived. Rapper Bloo Azul, who like Ran hails from the Bronx, has teamed up with the talented producer for the umpteenth time, and together they are releasing Bloo Moon 2. This follows their collaborative projects MF BLOO, Danger Bloo, NoWhere Bloo, Once In A Bloo, and the Bloo Moon EP. This duo is absolutely unstoppable and gets along like few others. Bloo Moon 2 is an album that seems to stand on the edge of a bad and difficult past and a bright tomorrow. Bloo Azul reflects with complete calmness and focus on the experiences of the past that have caused him many wounds and have made him who he is today. Along with Ran’s atmospheric productions, a confession that is as honest and vulnerable as a man standing alone in a night landscape, repenting into the moonlight, lines itself into the listener’s ears. As we wrote, however, a better tomorrow is dawning. Flawless work.
Mickey Diamond & SadhuGold – Death Threats
We really didn’t expect this. Detroit’s hardest rapper, Mickey Diamond, whose voice will sink into you like Japanese steel, has been supplying us with one great project after another this year. However, after albums like Oroku Saki, Smoke Face, and Nobody Bleeds Like Flair, he’s teamed up with the absolute production elite that is SadhuGold. A collaboration between these artists is something we wouldn’t have dreamed of, but the resulting work is absolutely meticulous. As usual with SadhuGold, the beats are hypnotic, and Mickey Diamond sounds like a demon. Barking dogs, gunshots, the bustle of the night city, alarms, and car chases complement the rapper’s confession and add to the sense of constant danger and paranoia. Unfortunately, no video was released for the album, so we’re attaching a clip for the track GG Buckets from Gucci Ghost.
Nicholas Craven, Raz Fresco & Estee Nack – Gia... À La Carte
Sit back as Nicholas Craven, Raz Fresco, and Estee Nack serve Crostini aux crevettes nordiques épicées. Buon Appetito. After a show in Montreal in February, where Estee Nack and members of the BKRSCLB group joined Craven, the artists celebrated at Gia Vin & Grill, an Italian restaurant. After a great dinner, they recorded almost the entire Gia… À La Carte EP, which features more than one skit containing conversation from the aforementioned dinner. As you can guess, a collaborative EP between these three names couldn’t go wrong. Nicholas Craven never misses a beat, and his perfect, lilting productions laced with excellent samples suit both Estee Nack and Raz Fresco perfectly. We must highlight the last track, Born King, which features guest appearances from Jimmie D, The 6th Letter, and Mike Shabb. Unfortunately, no video was released for the album, so we attach the video for the track Bad Reflection.
Pro Dillinger & Wino Willy – Dirty Work
Pro Dillinger is one of the artists who supplies us with great art almost every month. Whether it’s guest verses, videos, or albums, not a month goes by where Pro Dillinger doesn’t make his presence known. After his first release this year, Dirt Don’t Hurt, which was produced entirely by Machacha, the rapper has teamed up with one of our favorites, Wino Willy. The talented producer set the bar really high this year with his album MANGROVE MAZE (w/ Obijuan), but the Dirty Work record didn’t disappoint in the slightest. We can’t think of another producer who so masterfully combines a strict hard-street sound with experimentation that wraps beats in mystery and abstraction. Add guests like Bub Styles, Mondo Slade, and Snotty, and you have a recipe for an underground gem. Unfortunately, no music video was released for the album, so we’re attaching the track Swear To God.
Sefu – SWEETHEART
Sefu is one of our biggest discoveries this year. We noticed the talented rapper from Texas thanks to the album FREE_NEGRO_ARCHETYPE_. He immediately dazzled us with his vulnerability, sensitivity, and lyrics full of empathy and honesty. On his latest project, SWEETHEART, he once again puts unprecedented tenderness, honesty, and pain into every word. The very first track, Mmmm, where lyrics about how an artist feels broken spill over into the sounds of rain and an excellent second track with a great sample, sets the tone for the whole album. Sefu never ceases to fascinate us, coming up with at least three fresh ideas on each track. Listen to SWEETHEART, you are in for an extraordinary experience. There is no music video for the album, so we are attaching the complete album.
ANOTHER DOPE RELEASES
The five albums mentioned above are not the only ones you should hear. We’ve picked ten more dope albums that no one should miss. Give all the projects mentioned a chance; every single one deserves it. al.divino releases another chaotic masterclass in the form of “SHEET MUSIC” VOL. 1000. You can buy a special edition with lyrics on Bandcamp. After four years, the talented Black Milk also returns with his new album, Everybody Good?. It features guest appearances by Quelle Chris and Phonte. Nas and Hit-Boy are also releasing their fifth project together. Are you enjoying Magic 2 more than the first one? Rim takes on the persona of a Rembrandt painter on his latest record and paints precise songs. The perfect album for long summer evenings is brought to you by Monday Night & Nitty Blanco. Other great projects have been released by Villa Velli, CloaqxDagger & Judge The Disciple & Oblivious, Doza the Drum Dealer & True Cipher, Dough Networkz, and Sphere47.
al.divino – “SHEET MUSIC” VOL. 1000
Black Milk – Everybody Good?
Nas & Hit-Boy – Magic 2
Monday Night & Nitty Blanco – Any Given Scheme Day
Rim – RIMbrandt (Oil Based)
Villa Velli – Hard to Watch
CloaqxDagger & Judge The Disciple & Oblivious – Ghost Faction
Doza the Drum Dealer & True Cipher – La Cura Part One
Dough Networkz – Dis for the project vol 1
Sphere47 – Homegrown
BEST MUSIC VIDEOS
Gabe ‘Nandez and Argov release a track that will last in our playlist as long as the reign of Louis XIV.
Sideshow & Alexander Spit announce the release of JAM on August 4th.
Vel’s Nail Salon is now open for business. The album is on its way.
We are blessed to live in the same time as The Alchemist. The legendary producer releases the third video for his EP.
WALTER kNOWS! and BA PACE open BOOK OF WALTER. Dive into the atmosphere-soaked track.
ANOTHER DOPE VIDEOS
We’re definitely not done with the best music videos. We’ve picked out ten more dope clips that you definitely need to see. Give all the artists below a chance; they deserve it. Da$H releases the new track Copacetic pt.2, announcing that a new album is on the way. Both AJ Suede and Vega7 The Ronin x Superior remind us of their projects from this year. Check out both great videos below. Lord Apex is also speaking out and will soon release an anticipated album. chester watson reminds us with the track grey theory that he has released one of the most interesting albums this year. Top-notch videos were also released last week by artists Denzel Curry, Lord Juco & Finn, STACK SKRILLA, Inzom & Mark 4ord, and Joey Majors & ETO.
Vega7 The Ronin x Superior – NightShade ft. Lord Owen
Denzel Curry – BLOOD ON MY NIKEZ
Lord Juco & Finn – Exacto feat. HWY 308
Inzom & Mark 4ord – Dont Postpone The Sunrise
Joey Majors & ETO Feat. Flash Is Hip Hop – Power
And that’s it all the important news on the scene from the last week. What caught your eye this week? Let us know on Instagram or Twitter. You can expect another one next Monday. It’s going to be really interesting, so don’t miss it.
Translated from Czech by Rado.
