Welcome to Rap Weekly 151: Once Upon a Time. 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. We review the albums Once Upon a Time by Jay Worthy, THE WAY FWD by Verbz & Mr Slipz, Smoke Sessions 4 by Lord Apex, #P4D4 by Sphere47, RIVER OF JANUARY: RIO DE JANEIRO by Hus KingPin, Dali Ain’t Dead by ZelooperZ. Also look forward to great music videos from Knowledge the Pirate, DAYLAN GIDEON, THOMAS MAGGART, Sadistik, NOWHERE2RUN, Rapsody, Madlib, Katus Myles and Dylan Gray. All this and much more in Rap Weekly.
NEWS OF THE WEEK
Jay Worthy – Once Upon a Time
Jay Worthy, a rapper from Compton, California (originally from Canada), is essentially a rap veteran. Yet on every project so far, he has always worked with one producer or another rapper — meaning his entire career has been a wait for the moment he’d finally release a true solo debut album. That moment has arrived, or rather, the first half of it. His album Once Upon a Time is split into two parts, with the second one set to drop on October 12. Jay Worthy has just released the first half of his monumental rap epic: Once Upon a Time. Get ready for a grand journey through modern West Coast sound and the communities that shape it.
It’s no coincidence that Jay Worthy references Sergio Leone — his album is a truly monumental, cinematic epic split into two halves with an intermission. And as with any grand story, it needs a large cast of characters. Across the first fifteen tracks, you’ll hear appearances from Wiz Khalifa, E-40, Vince Staples, 03 Greedo, Conway the Machine, Boldy James, Larry June, Ty Dolla $ign, Westside Gunn, and Ab-Soul. The record carries a strong narrative arc: the opening feels like the beginning of a saga, while the final track plays like a plot twist — a transition into the second half, which promises to be even more epic than the first. Many of the guest rappers explicitly reference their connection to P Worthy or share unforgettable memories, cementing Jay as the central figure of the story. The beats are top-tier — modern, yet infused with that unmistakable California essence — and the wide range of guests keeps the experience fresh. We can’t wait for part two.
NEWS
Starburst
2023 was a huge year for Detroit artist Danny Brown. Not only did he drop the unexpected and highly acclaimed Scaring the Hoes (with JPEGMafia), but after twelve long years he finally followed up his legendary album XXX with the project Quaranta. That’s why it came as a surprise that we’re already getting his seventh solo studio album this year, set for release on November 7. Danny Brown has announced his new record Stardust, promising raw, melodic, unrestrained, and above all, free-flowing chaos. The album features an impressive lineup of guests, including Quadeca, underscores, JOHNNASCUS, 8485, Frost Children, IssBrokie, Femtanyl, Nnamdï, Ta Ukrainka, Zheani, Cynthoni, and Jane Remover. The announcement came alongside the release of a phenomenal video for the single Starburst, the perfect teaser for what’s to come. As the official synopsis makes clear, Danny has never been freer — and Starbust is the ultimate proof. “Stardust is Danny Brown at his most free – stepping outside the frame to make something raw, melodic, and a little unhinged. The production comes from a crazy cast of outsiders including Frost Children, Underscores, Femtanyl and more. Pulling from experimental pop and underground electronics the final product is messy, emotional, and held together with a strange kind of clarity.”
Human Error Club at Kenny’s House
Backwoodz Studioz has delivered a new experiment: HUMAN ERROR CLUB AT KENNY’S HOUSE, a collaborative album by the trio Diego Gaeta, Jesse Justice, and Mekala Session with producer Kenny Segal. Two keyboards, one drum kit, no bassist — yet a groove that rolls, fractures, and reassembles. The recordings were born from pure improvisation across three sessions at Segal’s home; you can hear it — the music feels like a captured moment, a current of energy nobody sketched in advance. Kenny adds his sonic signature: precise cutting, layers of effects, and open space for guests from the Backwoodz roster — and those are heavyweight names: E L U C I D on Night Time (which already has a video), Moor Mother & billy woods in the seven-minute epic The Center, plus Quelle Chris, Cavalier, and Pink Siifu. While most tracks rest on instrumental interplay, Night Time shows how organically rap can grow into this improvised fabric: E L U C I D balances abstraction and directness, the weight of words, and a free flow of associations. It’s the moment you grab one line — “something true, what I know, how I feel, I’m not the only one” — and suddenly hear your own fatigue, your night-time stillness, and the chaos inside the scatter of beats and keys. The whole record reads like a musical laboratory where jazz discipline meets rap’s rawness and the playful spirit of electronics. This isn’t background music — it forces you to listen, to return, to hunt for details. That’s its power: a document of searching, not a set of finished answers.
Until Night Comes (Behind The Scenes)
Rapper Larry June has won over millions of fans by merging stylish motivational rap — never pandering, never didactic — with an authentic approach to music. The blend of luxury living from someone who truly paved his own way, deep respect for rap and the people around him, and his natural charisma shines through in the Behind The Scenes video for his album Until Night Comes. Released this past July with producer Cardo Got Wings, the album’s journey is captured in full: from studio sessions and music video shoots to live performances.
BEST ALBUMS
Verbz & Mr Slipz – THE WAY FWD
Five years after Radio Waves, the duo Verbz & Mr Slipz return with THE WAY FWD. And it’s a comeback that doesn’t sound like nostalgia but like the natural continuation of two artists who’ve lived through more and collected scars, experiences, and new inspirations along the way. Slipz stays true to dust and samples, but this time his production is far more than a boom bap backdrop — he’s built depth, layers, and a strong sense of form, crafting entire worlds for Verbz to step into. Verbz himself has matured, writing with more introspection, less focus on punchlines and more on moments that hurt and heal at once. His artistic growth shines most in Mémoires De Perte featuring India Shan — a song about memory and loss, about people changing and leaving even when we wish otherwise. Verbz speaks in the language of everyday details, yet behind it lingers a quiet sadness. Shan’s chorus adds tenderness, cutting through the concrete beats like a beam of light. It’s a track that echoes our own stories: the ones we never told, and the ones that will never return. As a whole, the album is cohesive yet
Lord Apex – Smoke Sessions 4
When we think of Smoke Sessions, we think of a vibe, not a specific track, but a feeling: thick smoke, night lights, and beats that sway more than they push. With the fourth installment of the series, Lord Apex shows that his magic lies in continuity. He knows how to create an atmosphere where the listener feels at home, even on a first play. Smoke Sessions 4 is both a return to roots and a step forward. Apex still balances between cosmic perspective and everyday slang, between detachment and a living-room party. On No Worries, this contrast comes alive — the lightness of a party, laughter, and dance, with a hint of melancholy between the lines. It’s rap that feels present but knows how quickly euphoria can fade. The tracklist is long, yet never boring. Vision, Warmest Winter, and The Art of Letting Go showcase Apex’s ability to write verses that go beyond blunt-smoking snapshots, more like diary entries. He transforms everyday situations into vivid images with surprising depth, even where it seems like pure vibe at first. Production-wise, the album is diverse yet held together by a unified mood. It’s the kind of record that works as a soundtrack to life itself — for a tram ride, an evening walk, or when you need to shut out the world and tune into your own mind. Apex stays true to his name and to the community following him, with no pressure for hits.
Sphere47 – #P4D4
Sphere47 returns with a new record, #P4D4, a raw diary of reality stripped of glitter or compromise. Nine tracks, nine manifestos where toughness collides with introspection. He handled most of the production himself, making the outcome even more personal — his beats sound like both the backdrop to his struggles and a place of refuge. The only exception is Footballs by Kingpen Ken, which refreshes the record with a different angle without breaking its flow. On SUPER SCARED/NO COURAGE, Sphere47 proves his rap isn’t just about strength but also about the courage to name fear. The lyrics flow like a stream of consciousness, switching between self-assured lines and moments of doubt. It’s the kind of rap that reminds you that even when you feel lost, you’re not alone. The entire album thrives on contrast: hard bars and fighting spirit on one side, and moments where Sphere slows down to give space to vulnerability on the other. He doesn’t pose as a superhero — instead, he takes on the role of someone trying to survive in a collapsing world while finding peace in what he loves.
Hus KingPin – RIVER OF JANUARY: RIO DE JANEIRO
Hip-hop has a unique ability to look into the darker side of socio-cultural issues and reflect on them empathetically, through the perspective of the communities and people most affected. That’s exactly what Hus KingPin delivers, deeply tied to the city of Rio de Janeiro — or RIVER OF JANUARY, as the title of his latest project reminds us. It’s been a minute since we last covered a new KingPin release, but don’t be fooled — the artist drops plenty of projects. RIVER OF JANUARY: RIO DE JANEIRO is a journey straight into the heart of the city, breaking down stereotypes connected to its underworld and reframing them through top-tier rap. A prime example is Trafficking feat. Nowaah The Flood, an uncompromising dive into Rio’s criminal underbelly, whose outro adds essential context to both artists’ perspectives. As is often the case with Hus, some nights revolve around love and stories of women — 6AM in Rio is just that, a hypnotic dance in the twilight. Meanwhile, Head of the House serves as a reminder of the rapper’s legacy and contributions to the underground scene.
ZelooperZ – Dali Ain’t Dead
Dali Ain’t Dead — beats and words melting into a single captivating whole — ZelooperZ is back with another dose of high-octane surrealist rap. The Detroit artist from Bruiser Brigade already dropped the excellent album Dear Psilocybin (w/ Real Bad Man) this year, yet his mind holds so many ideas that one album isn’t enough. The latest project’s production is handled by dilip, whose signature style is well-known to any ZelooperZ fan. In the album title, much like in Van Gogh’s Left Ear (2021), the rapper references a famous painter. The connection to Salvador Dalí isn’t superficial — ZelooperZ truly crafts surreal, immersive rap that feels like it melts and floods every space. His music engages the senses, and throughout the album, multiple tracks will fully absorb you. From Hypnagogia, through Broke Ass Hoes, to Play W Your Pride — Dali Ain’t Dead is a playful and entertaining record that never lets up on the gas.
DOPE ALBUMS
The five albums above aren’t the only ones you need to hear. We’ve handpicked ten more dope records that no one should sleep on. Give every one of these projects a shot — they all deserve your time.
BA PACE – MR.NICE GUY
SOO DO KOO – 100 FROM THE CLARITY STRIPE
THA GOD FAHIM & Nicholas Craven – Dump Gawd: Hyperbolic Time Chamber rap 16
Young Thug – Uy Scuti
Sol ChYld – ReBirth.Theory
Revenge of the Truence & Ikom – Familiar Roots
Lt Headtrip & Steel Tipped Dove – Hostile Engineering
Cardo Got Wings – SIGAN VIENDO
Santana Fox – SHE’S A REBEL!
Jamal Gasol – Success Il Society
BEST MUSIC VIDEOS
The music video for NARCO by Knowledge the Pirate dazzles with its vibrant color palette, narrative storyline, and, above all, the track itself.
Music to make you float – watch the video for IHYRN by DAYLAN GIDEON & THOMAS MAGGART.
Rap from the very heart of darkness – that’s the video for The Vacants (Feat. Fatboi Sharif) by Sadistik & NOWHERE2RUN.
The visualizer for Daddy’s Girl was just the appetizer – Rapsody & Madlib have now released the full music video.
Katus Myles and Dylan Gray announce their joint album Signals, dropping on October 17, with a phenomenal music video for the track STAINED GLASS.
DOPE VIDEOS
Our list of must-see music videos doesn’t stop at the top five. We’ve selected ten more fire clips you need to check out. Show some love to all the artists below — they truly deserve the spotlight.
BA PACE / THE BUILDER “TEETH AND PALMS”
ERG ONE x BONEWESO – “INTERVENTION” FEAT. ESTEE NACK
Chester Watson – hometown hero
Ntwali & Saint Kay – Morning Coffee Interlude
Musalini f Smoke DZA & DJ Skizz – High Rollers
D.B.C.S (prod. by illsugi) (YL x Another Planet) (BAD NEWS AVAILABLE NOW)
That’s a wrap on today’s news roundup. What caught your attention the most? Hit us up on Twitter, Instagram, Threads or Bluesky We’ll be back next Monday with another dose of the Rap Weekly and fresh heat from the scene — don’t miss it!
