Welcome to our Rap Weekly 63: The Alchemist is a master magician, even behind the mic. 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: Howdy partners, its time for some rootin tootin spook action!. Rome Streetz raps on the highest floors of the Empire State Building, Benny The Butcher is Big Dog, debut album under Def Jam is coming. Rapsody is throwing Asteroids again. A new album is coming, with a pilot single produced by Hit-Boy. 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
The Alchemist is a master magician, even behind the mic
The Alchemist is an artist whose name is mentioned on our website almost every week. This veteran has his hands everywhere, loves the rap game like few others, and even after decades in the game, he has the drive of a rookie. This year, he’s gifted us with The Great Escape (w/ Larry June), Faith Is a Rock (w/ Wiki & MIKE), Voir Dire (w/ Earl Sweatshirt), and the Flying High EP. As usual with Alchemist, he likes to split his EPs into two parts. That’s why, after about four months since the release of the first part, we got to see the Flying High, Pt. 2 project. The Alchemist could earn our cover space with any project, but we like to give artists we haven’t had there a chance. What makes Flying High, Pt. 2 so special that we couldn’t resist this time either? The Alchemist doesn’t just sit behind the beats; he raps on every track. Yes, The Alchemist is a master magician, even behind the mic.
It’s not news that Alc is a great rapper. Think back to 2014’s Lord Steppington, for example, where he’s behind the mic alongside Evidence. Yet we don’t see Alchemist as a rapper very often, and it’s only this year that he’s been rapping more frequently. That he’d be rapping on the entire EP, however, was something we didn’t expect. The record is incredibly dope, with Alc fine-tuning both his rapping and beats to perfection. The project is laid back, and you can look forward to a plethora of talented guests. Curren$y, Gangrene, Action Bronson, and Conway the Machine have all conquered Alc’s beats. Immerse yourself in this unique project, but be careful not to let the high quality make you Vertigo.
NEWS
Benny The Butcher’s Big Dog, debut album under Def Jam is coming
It’s been a year and a half since Benny The Butcher released his last solo project, Tana Talk 4. Back in August, we were supposed to see Benny’s debut album under the Def Jam label, Everybody Can’t Go. The rapper delayed the record because he really wanted to make sure we got the best album possible. Benny even said that we’re in for the best Def Jam album since It’s Dark and Hell Is Hot, the classic from the legendary DMX. Those are strong words; on the other hand, we all know what Benny is capable of. The entire album would be produced by The Alchemist and Hit-Boy, with the release of a new video single, Big Dog feat. Lil Wayne suggests that we will see the record soon. Benny recently revealed that Westside Gunn, Conway the Machine, Stove God Cook$, Rick Hyde, Snoop Dog, and possibly J. Cole will appear on the record. Check out the great clip below and hope with us that the album will be released this November.
Rome Streetz raps on the highest floors of the Empire State Building
Peter Rosenberg, aka New York’s king of underground radio, has invited another king of the underworld, rapper Rome Streetz, to his Midnight show at Hot 97. While they both rule the underground, this time they went up high to see New York from above. They created a very captivating scene, with Rome Streetz spitting a freestyle over a beat from Daringer and a night-lit New York City in the background. Rome Streetz proves once again that he is one of the best in his field, and no one can take that away from him.
Howdy partners, its time for some rootin tootin spook action!
Sadhugold and spook! released No Country II: Hell on Wheels (The Ballad of Isom Dart!) exclusively on their website and Bandcamp in March this year. However, the album didn’t last long there, so the lucky ones were able to listen to this gem ahead of time. The duo announced that it was time to show off this treasure to the wider public, so we can look forward to the album’s release on streaming services in the coming months. In addition to these guys, expect to see guests like Nicholas Craven, Conductor Williams, Evidence, Quelle Chris, and Preservation on the record. Names that are moving the scene will obviously not be missing here. If this is what hell looks like, we don’t even want paradise. Check out the first single.
QUICK NEWS
- Earl Sweatshirt and The Alchemist discuss the things they love and hate. Find out who their favorite producer or rapper is.
- Nicholas Craven has dazzled us with many beats, but this is the first time we’ve heard a beat produced on a washing machine from him.
- Spanish Ran is the star of the new episode of “Off Top” Beat Set (Top Shelf Premium). The talented producer further revealed that he already has four projects lined up for next year.
- Joffy, Saneli and Oswin Benjamin appeared in the latest episodes of Chinatown Sound. You have a lot to look forward to.
- Dibia$e produced a beat using the sounds of spoons. Yes, we’re totally serious.
- Mach-Hommy has released a previously exclusive track No Golden Calf feat. Tha God Fahim to streaming services
- Open Mike Eagle has released the fourth episode of the fourth series of the What Had Happend Was podcast. Questlove is the guest on the latest series.
- One and only Rahiem Supreme appeared in an Under Armour commercial.
- Kenny Beats has released the second episode of the fourth season of The Cave. D4VD is behind the mic.
- Foule Monk, Figerson and Anomolly teamed up on the PETEY WHEATSTRAW project. Halloween may be over, but this combination of artists is still scary.
BEST RELEASES
Phiik, Lungs & No Face – Planet X
Phiik and Lungs are traveling through space again. This time they are not flying with LoneSword but boarding the Noface space shuttle, which will take them to Planet X. Phiik and Lungs are two of the most fascinating artists in contemporary rap. Their album Another Planet 4 ranks as one of the best to come out this year, and their latest project, Planet X, matches it without question. If you don’t know these rappers, we promise you one thing: you haven’t heard anything like this. The entire album was produced by the one and only Noface, whose beats we still don’t understand how they exist. Fascinating rap is mixed with equally impressive beats, and you have no choice but to listen with your mouth open. Don’t be fooled by our introduction about the universe, though. Despite the fact that it’s not easy to catch the endless amount of original lyrics and associations, both Lungs and Phiik rap in a very human and hilarious way, reflecting on everyday life. Look forward to critiques of capitalism, consumerism, macho rap, and a plethora of other interesting topics. Tase Grip Above All Things.
The Hidden Character & Grubby Pawz – HOOD ALCHEMY
Grubby Pawz is one of the best producers working today. The Boston magician has played a huge part in co-creating the new wave of rap that has been coming out of Massachusetts for several years now, and we’re devouring it every day. In recent years, he has teamed up with some of the leading rappers of said wave, such as al.divino and Estee Nack. This year, he gifted us with a top-notch record, Wavy Bullet (w/ BoriRock), and last week he added another gem to his discography. ???, aka The Hidden Character, jumped on his hard beats and conquered each one with a cadence all his own. The Hidden Character is the epitome of evil; once he holds the mic, you have no choice but to marvel at his street stories. Of course, the album features the aforementioned talents like Divino, Nack, and BoriRock, and there’s no shortage of Bub Styles and Pro Dillinger. This Hood Alchemy is one you won’t soon forget.
YL – Gone By Tomorrow
YL released Gone By Tomorrow two weeks ago, which fans could only purchase through his DM’s, but they had to be quick as YL only allowed this sale for 24 hours. For those of you who didn’t get a chance to purchase the album, don’t despair; YL wants to give everyone a chance, so he released the record on his Bandcamp. It’s still worth not hesitating, though, as even on Bandcamp, the record will only last a few days. It is possible that the project has disappeared again. See for yourself. It is a six-track EP with beats from Zoomo, Roper Williams, Graymatter, Grimm Doza, Look Damien!, and Boogaveli. But that’s not all; YL has made available two tracks that will pretty much make you want to buy the whole project. The producers have cooked up the beats that suit him best, so look forward to atmospheric productions with sampled vocals that YL handles best. No music video was released for the EP, so we attached the video for the track More Life.
NappyHIGH – Menace
NappyHigh has released a new album, Menace, which features eighteen tracks and gives space to several artists. We find some of the best names in rap today, and they include Westside Gunn, Your Old Droog, Boldy James, Benny The Butcher, Blu, Mick Jenkins, Ransom, and Jay Worthy, as well as legends like Raekwon. In addition to the star guests, there are some truly cinematic productions awaiting you, with each rapper playing a starring role. The atmosphere will completely engulf you and keep you listening the whole time. Menace offers both boom-bap beats inspired by the nineties and trap beats, so every listener will find their own. Be sure to feel free to listen to this full-length that will take you to the underworld.
Estee Nack x Starker x Mr. Rose – “CHANGO MACHO: THE BOOK OF DREAMS”
Estee Nack, aka Mr. Rose and Starker, literally brought us THE BOOK OF DREAMS. Mr. Rose cooked up spacious productions in which both artists sound excellent. Starker once again boasts his tongue-in-cheek flow and doesn’t care what beat he gets his hands on. Estee lets himself go more with the beats and raps over them smoothly. The fact that the duo have great chemistry between them doesn’t even need to be mentioned; even though each is completely different, they work together masterfully. The album features guest appearances from ???, YL, BoriRock, al.divino, Shaykh Hanif, and Nita Slay; in short, the best names in the contemporary underground. This is not just a gem of their discography; thanks to such projects, they will go down in history. No one was, is, or will be like these artists. Support them, love their art, and, in conclusion: Free Palestine.
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. Lloyd Banks returned to the Halloween Havoc series after six years. J. Arr is also making an expected return with another great installment of his Hoop Dreams series. We don’t know how many albums Napoleon Da Legend has released this year. There were definitely a lot of them, and all of them were of very high quality. Gold Saints is no exception. SUBSTANCE810 & HOBGOBLIN warn that Death Waits in the Dark. WateRR teamed up with producer Machacha and released the great album Almighty. Other excellent records have been released by Snotty, FastLife & Madhattan, A.M. Early Morning & Jelify, Knuckle Dragguz, and Maze Overlay.
Snotty – CHAPTER II
Napoleon Da Legend – Gold Saints
FastLife & Madhattan – Fear City
SUBSTANCE810 & HOBGOBLIN – Death Waits in the Dark
J. Arr – Hoop Dreams 3
A.M. Early Morning & Jelify – Oakley 3
Maze Overlay – Honor Amongst Thieves
Lloyd Banks – Halloween Havoc IV: The 72nd Hr
Knuckle Dragguz – Earth’s Dirtiest Heroes
WateRR & Machacha – Almighty
BEST MUSIC VIDEOS
ANKHLEJOHN is A GOD IN THE FLESH. After the latest clip, you’ll be hungry for a new record.
MIKE has released another beautiful video for another heartfelt track. Only he can do this.
Rapsody is throwing Asteroids again. A new album is coming, with a pilot single produced by Hit-Boy.
DFNS raps completely effortlessly on the track BILAL PACK. The beat by producer OLASEGUN will get under your skin. Dom$port took care of the great music video.
Deante’ Hitchcock continues his freestyle series. This time he jumped on the beat of Sorry Not Sorry from Tyler’s latest album.
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. Rome Streetz has promised to bombard us with new clips. And he’s keeping his promise. Pink Siifu and Turich Benjy have released an atmospheric and adrenaline-pumping video for their new album. The duo Atmosphere knows well that life is a constant journey. Jamal Gasol staged his Nightmare on Elm Street. Also releasing top-notch videos last week were The Musalini x Khrysis, WateRR & Machacha, Passport Rav, BLAKE ANTHONY, and Agallah.
The Musalini x Khrysis Ft. O Finess, Famus AAA – Pharaohs & Kings
Passport Rav – Devil in Disguise
BLAKE ANTHONY | “UNKNOW” Prod. by JUNO
Wiz Khalifa – Indigo Freestyle
Jamal Gasol – Never Sleep Again
WateRR & Machacha – Boxing With Fate
Pink Siifu, Turich Benjy – Pig Head..’!!
Atmosphere – Traveling Forever
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.
