Welcome to our Rap Weekly 70: Big-Hit, Hit-Boy & The Game? The unique rap story continues. 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: Metro Boomin will release at least three albums this year, The Chinatown Sound project is celebrating two years and JID started 2024 with an excellent freestyle. CRIMEAPPLE and Preservation have announced a joint album and The Alchemist & Boldy James have released the first vlog from their The Six Million Dollar Man Tour. Al-Doe & Spanish Ran remind us of one of the best albums of last year with an amazing music video. Guest appearance by the one and only Ab-Soul. 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
Big-Hit, Hit-Boy & The Game? The unique rap story continues
We ended the last Rap Weekly of last year with the great story of rapper Big-Hit and his son, Hit-Boy. The story behind their collaborative album, The Truth Is In My Eyes, is absolutely fascinating, and every rap fan should be familiar with it. The year 2024 is here, and with it comes a new Rap Weekly full of the best rap stories. We’ll convince you that rap is a magical genre right at the beginning of this article. We didn’t expect to open the new year with Big-Hit and the continuation of his unique story. Welcome back to the place where culture flourishes. Happy Ru Year.
On New Year’s Day 2024, the rap world was surprised by the release of Paisley Dreams by Big-Hit, The Game, and Hit-Boy. The Game, a rap veteran from California, visited Hit-Boy and Big-Hit’s studio four days before the album’s release. The duo wanted to capitalize on his visit and record a remix of Bang Freestyle or any other track with him. The three ended up creating Paisley Dreams in one night, which they released three days later. Yes, you read that right; history was made here again.
Paisley Dreams is West Coast gangster rap at its finest. Big-Hit and The Game have incredible artistic chemistry, and on every track they compete to see who can put the coldest bars to Hit-Boy’s beats. The productions are a fusion of excellent old-school flavor with modern spice. The whole album is truly a unique rap delicacy because of all the aforementioned ingredients, proving that the rap genre will offer plenty of Michelin-starred dishes this year as well.
NEWS
Metro Boomin will release at least three albums this year
Metro Boomin is one of the most successful and respected contemporary producers. He took the year 2022 by storm with his album Heroes & Villains, and last year he made his presence known with METRO BOOMIN PRESENTS SPIDER-MAN: ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE: SOUNDTRACK FROM AND INSPIRED BY THE MOTION PICTURE, which he curated. The successful producer assured his fans that this year would be even more active. He revealed on Twitter that he will release at least three records this year. It is speculated that the albums will include projects with rappers Future and JID, as well as the follow-up to Heroes & Villains. We’ll see.
The Chinatown Sound project is celebrating two years
Chinatown Sound has just launched their latest project, a debut segment called Chinatown Sound-Off, celebrating the platform’s two-year anniversary. The latest episode of the unique project features 27 prominent lyricists bringing storming bars to 12 original beats produced by the court’s talented production family. The list of featured artists includes familiar names like Bub Styles, David Jame$, Passport Rav, JaefrmJerz, Fre$co Van Gogh, Emilio Craig, Noah-O, Tree Mason, Bloo Azul, WhoIsBravy, Def Soulja, Scott G, Dot Demo, and many more. What really makes this compilation stand out is the diversity of the production team behind this project. Pounds, Crisis, Farma Beats, Revenxnt, Wavy Da Gawd, Retrospec, Remain Raw, and more bring diverse sounds and atmospheres that lend a unique character to the entire Sound-Off.
JID started 2024 with an excellent freestyle
JID didn’t release an album last year, but he appeared on some great tracks. We don’t dare to guess whether he will release a new album this year, but we are very happy that he started 2024 with the track 30 (Freestyle). The beat was made by our favorite Conductor, with the co-production of artists Christo and Tane Runo. Hearing world-famous rappers on beats like this is a treat for our ears, and we hope to hear many more tracks like this this year.
QUICK NEWS
- The Alchemist & Boldy James have released the first vlog from their The Six Million Dollar Man Tour.
- In the latest episode of the second season of The Renaissance Show, rapper/producer Brainorchestra introduces you to his creative process.
- The album GOD Is Good (A Soundtrack To Life) by rapper Blu is available to listen to on streaming services.
- Mike Shabb has revealed the incredibly packed list of rappers who will be featured on his anticipated album, Sewaside III. Obijuan, Navy Blue, and Boldy James are among the names on the list.
- CRIMEAPPLE and Preservation have announced a joint album. We never dreamed of these artists coming together. We can’t wait.
BEST RELEASES
LORDY – IN HIM WE TRUST (SIDE B)
As we mentioned at the beginning of December, Pride of a Man is one of the most anticipated albums of next year. ANKHLEJOHN, the unstoppable talent from Washington, D.C., announced the record well in advance, building up huge anticipation. Ahead of the release of the anticipated record, the artist has entered a new phase and started releasing under the pseudonym LORDY. At the beginning of December, we saw the release of IN HIM WE TRUST (SIDE A), and now comes SIDE B. The double album is the essence of everything we love about the rapper’s music. Once again, LORDY has selected beautiful beats that contrast with his bone-chilling voice to make listening to the album a unique experience. LORDY spares no humor; the lyrics are full of dope rhymes and life truths. In addition, the artist exchanged a few tweets with the one and only Alchemist. Could we be in for a collaborative single or an album? FREE PALESTINE.
Da Flyy Hooligan & Wun Two – Nocturnal Hooli Vol. 1
Enter the fascinating world of Nocturnal Hooli, a new EP that combines the lyrical genius of Da Flyy Hooligan with the masterful beats of Wun Two. This five-track work offers a compelling look at Hooli’s expressive voice and distinctive style, paired with Wun Two’s unique beats. Hooli has a signature aspect to his rap, not only through his voice but also through the content of his lyrics. His words weave tales of urban mystique and street wisdom, painting vivid images of the night world and transporting the listener into the mysterious atmosphere that Hooli so faithfully captures. The EP is further highlighted by Wun Two’s masterful approach to production. His ability to create cinematic and intimate soundscapes lends the album a unique allure. The virtuosic instrumentation moves the listener into nighttime scenery while giving space for Hooli’s lyrics to stand out and grab attention. We look forward to the sequel. Unfortunately, no music video was released for the album, so we are attaching the video for the track Cold Sphere Remix (feat. eLZhi).
AMXXR – THE CITY NEVER SLEEPS BELOVED
AMXXR is a rapper you may not know, but you definitely should. He is the first rapper to be signed to Tru Soul Records, the label of the legendary Pete Rock. Together with the aforementioned producer, he released the mixtape 21 Grams: Worth It’s Weight In Soul in 2021, making himself known to a wider audience. He kicked off this year with the brilliant THE CITY NEVER SLEEPS BELOVED, on which the rapper’s almost old-school lyrical sensibilities shine through. AMXXR guides you through his city, planting one life truth after another into the lilting beats. Unfortunately, no music video was released for the album, so here is the video for FRIED HARD.
Jamal Gasol – The World Is Piff 3
Jamal Gasol has just kicked off the new year with the release of his latest album, The World Is PIFF 3, produced by 38 Spesh, The Historian, known for his work with Tha God Fahim and Al Divino, Denny LaFlare working with Westside Gunn, Vinyl Villain, who has collaborated with artists like Eto and Al Divino, and WorkScorcese, who has worked with Rome Streetz, and many more. The third installment of this successful series offers an exceptional look at the Western New York emcee and his connections with various talented producers. The World Is PIFF 3 delivers the next chapter of the fan-favorite series, combining Gasol’s signature style with the diverse sounds of each producer. This series hasn’t disappointed in previous installments or this time around. Gasol brought in his signature Piff Music Empire artists, Rico Tellem and GBlock Tez, who add another layer of complexity and dynamism to the entire project.
The Musalini – Uptown Bandits 2
The Musalini brings the follow-up to his Uptown Bandits project with an impressive list of guest artists, including names like Estee Nack, Famus AAA, UFO Fev, O Finess, Izzy Hott, Pr0fit Diner0, Termanology, Eddie James, and more. In addition to a great line-up of artists, we can expect top-notch beats from renowned producers such as 9th Wonder, Smoove, John Dutch, Khrysis, Termanology, DJ Skizz, and more. These names tell us that the album will be musically strong. And that it is. All involved have created an album that will keep you in suspense from start to finish.
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. Sleep Sinatra ended his illustrious year with an excellent album. twogeebs released a deluxe edition of The Geeb Tape 4, which is packed to the brim. LordwillN’s new album says that GOD is from 1500Beach. Other great records were released by Cappo & Kong The Artisan, Skip The Kid, O Dawg, Azariah & Kidd Called Quest, Lil Derik & blank thought, Showtime Ramon, and Dizzy Wright.
Cappo & Kong The Artisan – Canon Chapter 2: Escapism
Showtime Ramon – Abominable Snowman
Sleep Sinatra & HaNN_11 – CIDVISCIOUS
twogeebs – The Geeb Tape 4 Deluxe : Out Of Spite Edition
Skip The Kid – Mean Gene’s Ringside Series 2
O Dawg – SHIT GETTING EXPENSIVE
LordwillN – GODisFrom 1500Beach
Azariah & Kidd Called Quest – Once Again Its On
Dizzy Wright – Trial And Error
Lil Derik & blank thought – STUCK IN A DAZE
BEST MUSIC VIDEOS
Al-Doe & Spanish Ran remind us of one of the best albums of last year with an amazing music video. Guest appearance by the one and only Ab-Soul.
G’s Us have released a new music video that combines authentic footage from their tour together and their magical rap.
Renelle 893 dives into a dark spiral and describes the gritty reality of modern urban life.
Kris the $pirit behind the mic and Mike Shabb on the beat? This duo fears only God.
Ty Da Dale and Shaykh Hanif on the same track? You’re in for some modern, hard-hitting, authentic rap.
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. Jeff Markey reminds us of his 2022 album. What better way than with a song featuring billy woods. LORD APEX delivers a regular dose of the best of British rap, and Cise Greeny retains his title as an artist who never disappoints. Top-notch videos were also released last week by Will Kobus, SEAN LINKS, Jeff $mith, Benny Watts, Joey Majors x Eto, Sonny Blanco, and Jonny Empire.
Jeff Markey “Floaters” feat. billy woods
Cise Greeny – “COIN POUCH” (PROD. BY SCAPE.GHST)
SEAN LINKS “MARVELOUS” PROD BY SEAN LINKS
Jeff $mith feat. Rigz – Stack Up
Benny Watts – Bob Marley’s Bedroom
Jonny Empire – Let Me Introduce
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.
