Welcome to our Rap Weekly 58: Armand Hammer’s album is the sound of a crumbling society hurtling towards apocalyptic collapse. 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: Lil Yachty surprised the whole scene when he jumped on the neo boom bap beat in his new track, Blockhead announced the indie hip-hop All-Star game of an album, Chuck Strangers shined in Audiotree Live, Rome Streetz has released the final installment of the legendary Noise Kandy series and Defcee & Messiah Musik have brought the book The Golem of Brooklyn to life. 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
Armand Hammer’s album is the sound of a crumbling society
It’s here; the Armand Hammer duo’s sixth album is out, and it’s called We Buy Diabetic Test Strips. No point in praising Backwoodz Studioz again here; the renowned label proves again this year that they are among the absolute top. billy woods and E L U C I D are masters in their field, and their ability to create coherent, unique, and original projects is absolutely fascinating. After Haram (2020) comes a record that sounds diametrically different, and the rappers give room for new concepts on it.
We Buy Diabetic Test Strips is the sound of a crumbling society—an elusive and unstoppable chaos hurtling towards apocalyptic collapse. The record is very experimental; the beats are constantly changing, containing a bunch of layers and a lot of distracting elements. Everything has a purpose; the main protagonist of the record is people trying to survive in the crumbling system of late capitalism. The immersive and chaotic beats make you feel like they are just little useless slaves of said system, which is crushing them alive with its constantly spinning mechanisms.
The duo created a massive body of work that would be written about for decades to come. Everything is subordinate to the concept and atmosphere, from the beats to the song titles. A number of talented producers are behind the productions, including JPEGMAFIA, Preservation, DJ Haram, and Kenny Segal. The record also features great guests who are exactly where they should be. Armand Hammer delivers another comprehensive work that you can get lost in for weeks and still find something new. Whether you’re more suited to the sound of the Shrines, the Haram album, or the latest record, we’ll leave it up to you, but you can’t say it was a mundane experience. “Life is basically tomorrow’s breakfast. If a lion wakes up in the morning, he knows to hunt a gazelle. But I’m okay.”
NEWS
The unique Chinatown Sound project gave us a plethora of great episodes
We mention the Chinatown Sound project quite often. It has something magical that we can’t get enough of. Seeing rappers rap in the streets of cities using only acappellas is something unique. Last week, the YouTube channel for the project was really packed. New episodes of the show featured strict raw from The Hidden Character, talented Jamal Gasol, and young Finesse Mo. But also listen to great performances by rappers Ricky Rikkardo, Dun Dealy, 12k Gotti, and Four50.
Blockhead announced the indie hip-hop All-Star game of an album
Check out the News of the Week a few lines above. See that? Yes, Armand Hammer have released a record, which means the Backwoodz label is dominating again. However, releasing one of the most anticipated records of the year isn’t enough for them, so they’ve come up with a monster announcement. They will be releasing The Aux, the new album from producer legend Blockhead. The record will be released on November 17, executive produced by billy woods himself, and you can pre-order the vinyl now. Blockhead has put together a team full of underground rap stars. Well, just check out the guest list: Aesop Rock, billy woods, Danny Brown, Navy Blue, Bruiser Wolf, Open Mike Eagle, Elucid, Koreatown oddity, Breezly Brewin, Casual, Brian Ennals, Fatboi Sharif, RXK nephew, Ugly Frank, Quelle Chris, Curly Castro Creaturenomics, Defcee, Premrock, Despot, and AKAI SOLO. We can’t believe it either. Listen to the pilot single, The Cella Dwellas Knew, and be ready for November.
Chuck Strangers shined in Audiotree Live
Chuck Strangers visited Audiotree and brought renaissance harmony with him to the studio. Chuck is a true artist who has no problem working his magic on beats or lyrics. But what’s perhaps even more unique is his performance, which you can get a taste of in the aforementioned session. As soon as Chuck lets out his first few words, his bars will completely absorb you. With his dark and charismatic voice, he floats very gracefully over downtempo beats, creating an almost psychedelic atmosphere. In addition to the brilliant tracks, you can look forward to interview breaks where you can learn about his past or inspirations.
QUICK NEWS
- Westside Gunn has released the second installment of his documentary And Then You Pray For Me. In the new episode, he travels across Atlanta, New York, and Houston and reveals how important family is to him.
- Big Hit teases his debut solo album, The Truth Is In My Eyes. The video, which takes you behind the scenes of the rapper’s life, features Hit-Boy, who produces the album.
- Onry Ozzborn, the underground rap legend, releases a great Pipistrello Film on the DEHH channel. The music video also features Aesop Rock.
- Rasheed Chappell & The Arcitype give you an insight into the process of making the great Sugar Bills album in the BTS video.
- Cise Greeny and Obijuan released the track 24K KANOE. These two artists should work together more often; the fusion of their distinctive styles brings something completely unique.
- Smoke DZA appeared on a new episode of “Off Top” Freestyle (Top Shelf Premium). That’s not all; the rapper also stopped by the Street Market Pop Up.
- Rapper Ty Farris and producer Graymatter will release their collaborative album Sounds That Never Left My Soul on October 6.
- 38 Spesh appeared on a new episode of Rap Radar. The rapper talked about his latest project, Independence, Griselda, Ransom, and his label, TCF.
- The Alchemist has released the second episode of the excellent European Vacation series. In the latest episode, the producer takes us to Germany and explains why finding samples in vinyl stores is still magical for him.
- Conway the Machine, Conductor Williams, and 7xvethegenius teamed up on the track Flame. And yes, this trio guarantees the most blazing flames.
BEST RELEASES
Rome Streetz – Noise Kandy 5
Rome Streetz, one of the best rappers of our time, comes with the latest installment of his legendary series, Noise Kandy 5. The tracks on the album were mostly recorded back in 2020, which is quite admirable as they still sound fresh. This fact confirms Rome’s proven quality. After listening to the album and, at best, the whole series, you will definitely understand why the razor is its signature symbol. When Rome jumps on the beat, there is an earthquake, during which you won’t miss the sharpness of the words and flows. Streetz is truly unique, and no one in the world raps like him. The record features guest appearances from Curren$y, Joey Bada$$, Rigz, Double Dee, and Boldy James. Rome never misses a beat in his selection of productions here, with SadhuGold, Evidence, Wavy Da Ghawd, Conductor Williams, and Piff James, to name a few. When you see the name Rome Streetz anywhere, you can be sure that it will be a rap gem.
Roper Williams – Infinite Victory Loop
Roper Williams released great instrumental albums Recap and Back To Blocked 🖤 this year and produced projects Hatched Caviar (w/ OneShotOnce), Planet Unfaithful (w/ Fatboi Sharif) and Ancient Rhythmn (w/ Axel Holy). Besides that, he was the main pillar of the sound of rapper YL‘s Don’t Feed The Pigeons album. Now he’s come up with a totally unique album, Infinite Victory Loop, which contains enough ideas to last three more albums. Four rappers, AKAI SOLO, Fatboi Sharif, Pootie & YL, teamed up on the project and recorded the entire record in twenty-four hours. Yes, you read that right, this studio sesh will definitely go down in history. All the rappers mentioned have a completely different rap style, making the album an ever-changing entity that will please any rap fan. Fascinating work.
Maxo – Debbie’s Son
Maxo surprised us this year with his second album, which is called Debbie’s Son. From the record, you can tell that Maxo’s style is still evolving, and perhaps you could say he is still finding the position that works best for him. After listening to the album, you’ll realize that he’s heading down a good path. You can look forward to the jazzy rap that suits Max best. You will also find R&B and lo-fi undertones on the album, which Maxo fine-tunes to perfection. The only guest on the album is Zelooperz, who is on the track PlayDis!, which, after the subdued intro, works as a great energetic start to the project. Aside from the aforementioned track, the other tracks are pretty intimate and subtle. Maxo has a lot of things to say and isn’t about to stifle them. You can look forward to beats from Alchemist, Ahwlee, Alexander Spit, and Roper Williams.
Defcee & Messiah Musik – The Golem of Brooklyn Original Soundtrack
Rapper Defcee and producer Messiah Musik showed the world their best artistic selves last year. Messiah completely produced the excellent Church (w/ billy woods) and Defcee weaved his impressive rap talents into the album For All Debts Public and Private. This year, the artists teamed up for the second time in their careers to release The Golem of Brooklyn Original Soundtrack. The duo has created an utterly unique, important, and epic work that will go down in history. The album is a companion piece to Adam Mansbach’s novel of the same name. Defcee uses the book and its characters to explore Jewish-American culture in all its beauty, ugliness, and the spaces in between. Yes, you read that right. The artists not only created a record based on the book but also offer a view of Jewish culture as complex as we’ve ever had in rap. “When I first read The Golem of Brooklyn, it was instantly relatable to my experience as a Jewish millennial. I saw too much of myself in Len’s shlubby anxiety,” the rapper revealed. Dive into the unique album and get to know the mythical Golem. Unfortunately, no video for the album has been released, so we’re attaching the video for the track Learning Gravity.
Daniel Son & Wino Willy – Gris Gris
Finally, we’re all here. The highly anticipated Gris Gris album from artists Daniel Son and Wino Willy has arrived on streaming platforms. We can enjoy a unique hardcore rap experience. Rapper Daniel Son and producer Wino Willy are names that have been resonating with us for some time now, and we’re constantly enjoying watching their growth and creative progression. Willy is one of the top producers in the underground at the moment. Aside from this record, he released a collaborative project with Rahiem Supreme this year, Snack & Crane Secret, where he once again showed his mastery. Daniel Son is already badass to look at, but as soon as he picks up a microphone, you realize that his badassness in appearance only begins. Daniel is an uncompromising and strict rapper, of which there are fewer and fewer in the rap game. Gris Gris is a fusion of great talent and a great enrichment of the culture. Unfortunately, no music video was released for the album, so we are attaching the video for the track One Bar.
DOPE ALBUMS
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. Alecs DeLarge takes you to Wonderland, Lord Sko pays tribute to Lifestylez ov da Poor & Dangerous on the cover of his great album, UFO Fev is EASTSIDE FEV, and Drill Scott Heron & Kiin know that even thugs can cry. Other excellent records have been released by Rome Mallory & Perseo, Joey Majors & Eto, Kingdom Kome & Dawit Justice, RhymeStyleTroop & The Dead Poetz Society, DJ J Hart, and Señor Gigio.
Alecs DeLarge – Alecs in Wonderland
Lord Sko – UNITED PALACE
UFO Fev – EASTSIDE FEV
Drill Scott Heron & Kiina – When Thugs Cry
Señor Gigio – Differentia
Rome Mallory & Perseo – Brave New World
Joey Majors & Eto – Plausible Deniability
Kingdom Kome & Dawit Justice – Kingdom of Justice
DJ J Hart – Street Fighter
RhymeStyleTroop & The Dead Poetz Society – The Heart Of The City
BEST MUSIC VIDEOS
Lil Yachty surprised the whole scene when he jumped on the neo boom bap beat in his new track. J. Cole has his back with a great feat. Yeah, we need to hear rappers like Lil Yachty on beats like this more often.
Vel Nine has conquered the absolutely unique beat of Rude Bone. The charismatic rapper proves once again why she is one of the best artists in the rapgame.
Bravo! Nick Grant releases a minimalist yet immersive video for the atmospheric track Bravo from Sunday Dinner.
UFO Fev brings a banger! VAYA CONMIGO is a dope raw rap anthem that will be in rotation for a long time.
AJ Suede and his one last hurrah before the Reoccurring Characters drop on 10/13. Watch the video for Radiation.
DOPE VIDEOS
We’re definitely not done with the top five 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. Bub Styles and CRIMEAPPLE have released a video for their new banger. Sauce Heist and Ty Da Dale are the top of uncompromising street rap, and Fuego Gawdz & Vago deliver a cinematic video that includes prison phone calls. Jay Worthy, Kamaiyah & Harry Fraud are up at 9 AM, and Deziner Drugz delivers a rap variation on the track Hallelujah. Top-notch videos were also released last week by artists Drill Scott Heron & Kiina, NEMS, Scram Jones, Tish Hyma, Eto, Spoda & AnkhleJohn, Starz Coleman, and Alecs DeLarge.
Drill Scott Heron & Kiina – Copacetic
Sauce Heist – Whoodini feat. Ty Da Dale
Bub Styles – Dipped In Glass feat. Crimeapple
NEMS, Scram Jones, Tish Hyman – KEEP ON
Starz Coleman – ACT 1: JEWELED SQUID ( PROD BY GOLDENNFINGAZZ)
Alecs DeLarge – Megabus Dreams Feat. King Kashmere
Jay Worthy, Kamaiyah & Harry Fraud – 9AM
Eto, Spoda & AnkhleJohn – Panic Room
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.
