Welcome to Rap Weekly 113: Trauma of a gangster. Every Monday, we’ll take you into the world of rap and summarise the most exciting news, announcements and can’t-miss stories. Find out everything you need to know in one place. We only write about the best, so you get the best rap delicacies on a golden platter. Personification is the story of all three personas of Maxo Kream: gangster, rapper, and father. Fly Anakin and Quelle Chris have announced a collaborative album. Listen to the pilot single. Denzel Curry has released a complete edition of KING OF THE MISCHIEVOUS SOUTH. You can look forward to new bangers. Tyler, The Creator has taken off his mask. Go behind the scenes of the making of CHROMAKOPIA in a new video. SCREW4LIFE’! RIPJALEN’! Pink Siifu pays tribute to the legendary DJ in a phenomenal music video. Che` Noir and 7xvethegenius have once again joined forces to create something special. All this and much more in Rap Weekly.
NEWS OF THE WEEK
Trauma of a gangster
Maxo Kream ak Trigga Maxo is an American rapper with Nigerian roots. His four mixtapes, including the iconic The Persona Tape , have earned him the aura of one of the most prominent artists from Houston, Texas. After releasing three studio albums, Punken, Brandon Banks, and Weight of the World, Maxo has become a world-renowned rapper. We’ll stick with the symbolic three, as his fourth studio album, Personification, tells the story of all three of Maxo Kream’s personalities: gangster, rapper, and father.
Personification is a brutally honest record that has no barriers. Like all of the artist’s previous albums, this one is full of anger, violence, and aggression, yet Maxo manages to reflect on these emotions and memories more critically than ever before. We can’t blame him; the way of life he has lived has taken its toll. Personification is the trauma of a gangster, the story of a man who was born into a world where he had to forsake pity and love in order to survive at all. After all these years, though, he still manages to feel some of that love, especially from his daughter. And that’s an emotion worth living for to the fullest.
NEWS
Fly Anakin & Quelle Chris
Wow. We didn’t see that coming. It’s only been two weeks since Fly Anakin released the &Friends 2 projectand about a month since Keep Holly Alive, the debut album from Mutant Academy, yet Anakin has announced a new album that will be produced entirely by Quelle Chris. Yes, you read that right. Fly Anakin and Quelle Chris will be releasing a joint album. You can listen to the pilot single YOUGOTME!!! accompanied by a music video. And if you haven’t heard the &Friends 2 project, go fix that; it was released last week on all streaming platforms.
The Southern Heritage
This July, Denzel Curry released King Of The Mischievous South Vol. 2, the follow-up to his 2012 project. The album is a tribute to the hip-hop heritage of the South; each track has drive, and the beats are thick and 90’s inspired, referencing Memphis and world-famous groups like Three6Mafia. For Denzel, this homage to the Southern sound is so essential that he has released a new and definitive edition called KING OF THE MISCHIEVOUS SOUTH. He has gone through the order of each track from Vol. 2 and added four new ones. This way you can fully immerse yourself in the Southern sound.
Tyler took off his mask
Tyler, The Creator further demonstrates why he is one of the most respected artists today. Following the release of his record-breaking album CHROMAKOPIA, he released a YouTube video titled MASK IS OFF: CHROMAKOPIA, giving fans a unique behind-the-scenes look at the making of the record. The video focuses on the process—from the first ideas to the beats to the final sound. Pure studio work and a showcase of what it takes to create an art piece that resonates with so many people. For those who want to understand how music is made that pushes the boundaries of a genre, this video is a must-see. Tyler reminds us that a true artist puts everything into their work. The goal is not just the final work but the process of creation itself.
QUICK NEWS
- Protect the hive at all costs. Nike has released a commercial for the Wu-Tang Dunk High collection.
- Freddie Gibbs recalls his latest album with an atmosphericDevil Direct Hotline commercial.
- Rahiem Supreme has released a Screwed & Chopped version of The Pretty Prada Papi.
- Daringer has released the vinyl exclusive instrumental album 348 Vol. 2, featuring ten of his iconic beats.
- Listen to a great live performanceof CA$HMERE TEAR$ & Beverly Driv by Erick the Architect.
BEST ALBUMS
Cavalier & Child Actor – CINE
Cavalier is this year’s MVP. The New Orleans artist has always seemed like a wandering ghost who never stays in one place for too long. This year, however, it was time for Cavalier to steal all the spotlight for himself. In April, he released the monumental Different Type Time, his debut under Backwoodz Studioz. In August, he released Death Tape 2: We Gon’ Need Each Other with Quelle Chris & Denmark Vessey. and last week he released another album, CINE, which was produced entirely by the one and only Child Actor. While Different Type Time sounds truly epic, like a record that has no boundaries, CINE focuses on a specific time in the rapper’s life. This album feels like memories covered in mist that come to life through Child Actor’s beats. His beats are truly beautiful and create a strong genius locus of a mysterious place from Cavalier’s memories that you’ll know very well after listening to the record, even if you’ve never been there.
Blvck Svm – michelinman
We haven’t had an album like this before. Blvck Svm is a rapper from Florida who started making music only a few years ago. He has several successful singles and EPs to his credit but only released his debut album last week. michelinman is a concept album that revolves entirely around fine dining. Blvck Svm has taken inspiration from the best restaurants in the world and turned their sophisticated, sensitive, and conscious approach to food into music. Every person in the world can connect to music and food, yet only a chef and an artist can understand the attention to detail with which both worlds can be created. michelinman is a truly serene record to be enjoyed with conscientiousness and delicacy. You can look forward to guests like Boldy James and Curren$y and beats from producers like Mike Shabb. michelinman is a menu from the best chef and one of the most unique albums of the year.
JAY PLUSS x TENTEN – ASHIGARU PART 2: THE HIDDEN SCROLL
JayPluss and Tenten have reunited to expand their Ashigaru saga. The Hidden Scrolls is exactly the kind of project that will make you think, but at the same time let you get carried away by the atmosphere of the smoothest beats. One of the highlights of the project is the track Stay In Yo Lane. JayPluss has his rap language as sharp as a katana and fully exposes the social inequalities, racial manipulation, and stereotypes that still stick in our society like dirt on your shoes. JayPluss mixes street game with metaphors that will surprise you, and his flow is razor sharp. You can feel the insight and the sense of humor, but also the pressure under which he creates. This isn’t just rap; it’s a manifesto that reflects a reality where success requires more than talent. Tenten’s production gives the project a dark but appealing atmosphere; the beats pulse but leave room for words. This duo knows how to create a soundscape that draws you in and doesn’t let go. Ashigaru is a call to consciousness and action. JayPluss bets all in on the truth and challenges everyone to hold their ground or prepare to be defeated. Unfortunately, no music video was released for the album, so we’re attaching the full album.
Codenine x BoneWeso – The Cost Of Gold
When rapper Codenine and producer BoneWeso team up, you can expect heavyweight bars and razor-sharp production. Their new project The Cost Of Gold proves it. It’s a record that draws you into the depths of underground sound and doesn’t give you a chance to breathe. Track Bloodymary with THEHIDDENCHARACTER draws you in with its raw energy. Listening to this record is like watching someone build a temple out of pure chaos. Codenine plays a lyrical game of life and death – a bar full of metaphors and dark imagery that makes you stop and think. BoneWeso’s production adds a heavy, hypnotic vibe that takes you through a dark tunnel with no light at the end. This is not a record you listen to just for the sake of it. This is a record that will absorb you. It’s a mix of raw lyricism, recklessness and real street poetry. Unfortunately, no music video was released for the album, so we’re attaching the whole record.
Roper Williams – Too Beautiful to Die
Producer duo Roper Williams opened their beat vault and let us peek into a world where music doesn’t need pomp, just soul and flow. On Too Beautiful to Die, they serve up instrumental tracks that make you want to close your eyes and immerse yourself in the music, but also tracks with guests who carry the torch of authentic rap artistry. YL, Blu, LORD JAH-MONTE OGBON, AKAI SOLO, Lungs, and Fatboi Sharif—this is a lineup that will make you sit up and listen. Track Glitch with YL is like an introspective monologue written by the thoughts and feelings themselves. YL plays with words like he’s reading from a diary. Bars takes you back to a time when rap was about dreams and hard work. It’s a mix of thinking about success, money, and staying feet on the ground in the pursuit of your own happiness. The production from Roper Williams is minimalistic, but the beats breathe and give the lyrics room to shine. It’s the kind of sound that draws you into the night when you’re trying to sort everything out in your head. Roper Williams sets the bar high and shows that rap can be poetry that both hugs and stabs. Unfortunately no music video was released for the album, so we attach the video for the track Blow My Mind.
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.
SOO DO KOO – AERIAL CONTROL
Tha God Fahim X Nicholas Craven – Dump Gawd : Hyperbolic Time Chamber Rap 2
Eto – Long Way Home
Wish Master & Kong The Artisan – His Story
Jay Cinema & Chow – ALCDELUXE
Moka Only – Arbutus Canyon
Cordae – The Crossroads
Young Nudy – Sli’merre 2
BP Infinite & RJ Payne – A Different Kind of Payne
Katus Myles – Winter Arc: Noir
BEST MUSIC VIDEOS
Navy Blue and Nicholas Craven have released a music video for Red Roses, a track that is as calm and honorable as Ghost Dog himself.
SCREW4LIFE’! RIPJALEN’! Pink Siifu pays tribute to the legendary DJ in a phenomenal music video.
The music video for ICEBULLETTHEORY by ESTEE NACK and GIALLO POINT takes you to the heart of the ghetto.
Che` Noir and 7xvethegenius have once again joined forces to create something special.
Papo2oo4 and YL on the Subjxct 5 beat? Yessir, this is a certified banger.
DOPE VIDEOS
Our list of must-see music videos doesn’t end with the top five. We’ve picked out ten more dope clips that you definitely need to see. Give all the artists below a chance, they deserve it.
Bloo Azul & Good Food “WayneStock”
P-Lo – Players Holiday ’25 (feat. Larry June, Kamaiyah, Saweetie, LaRussell, G-Eazy, thủy, YMTK)
Beedie – Great Product prod. Brainorchestra
Kendall Spencer – The Suffering
Dylan Gray X Manu Mainetti – 6MONTHS
New Villain & Vincent Pryce – Enter Doflamingo
”Rare Occasion” UFO Fev & Spanish Ran
ETO – NO PUN INTENDED Ft. Kurupt & Kokane
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.
