It’s like Skintay couldn’t figure out where to go with his sound. The good news is that it works. He’s able to give listeners an array of styles that fall under one grand umbrella. “Yall Gotta Go” was a surprise and proved you can’t judge a book by its cover. I was expecting some gangster rap. Instead it had this funky ‘70s inspired beat teamed with rhymes that really come across like a good time. It reminded me a little of a Will Smith song. Jre Riley joins Skintay on “Hard to Get.” Here we have R&B tossed into the mix. With “Do Dat” things pick up and it sounds more like a run of the mill rap song that lives in the club. That smoothness comes back with “Boyfriend” featuring Rodney Poe. What comes to the surface here is the fact that Skintay doesn’t have one style. He went from funky to Jiggy to very Common-like here with a poetic feel. If you like artists who can really change lanes swiftly when it comes to making music you want to listen to, check out Milwaukee’s Skintay today. (https://soundcloud.com/skintay)
Gray Smoke Productions has a lot up their sleeve and it’s not tricks, but a plethora of treats. First up is “Take Them Clothes Off” by Dj TB featuring Ross Kelly. The beat of this one is okay, but it’s really the rhymes that stand out. Ross steps into the driver’s seat on “Goin In” with DJ Kellz by his side. It’s not as hype as the last, and has more of a chill factor to it. The people behind Gray Smoke bring us “Party Problems” next and it has a good bounce to it. I’m not sure who is behind it, but they have a good technical skill when it comes to delivery. We get a feminine touch with Maegen’s “Ease My Pain,” which is also the first time we hear some R&B from this camp as well. It’s clear that Gray Smoke know the ins and outs of making a great hip hop track. The proof is in the tracks they churn out like clockwork. Skills and precision are what these folks focus on and if that’s what you like in your hip hop, make sure to keep tabs on Gray Smoke Productions. (https://www.youtube.com/user/GraySmokeProductions/videos)
P-Wonda Ooh Wee is an emcee who blends the hardness of the pavement with the beats of a night out. Odd intros can make or break a track. When it comes to “Just Sent It at The Juggathon,” it makes it. The obscure start really makes you want to stick around to see what’s next. It sounds like something you’d hear the youngest brother on Fox’s hit series “Empire,” spit out. With “Think She a Stripper” you get this very dark delivery that tells a story. One would think a subject would rely on a catchy club beat. Instead it has more of a story to it with a great hook. P-Wonda Ooh Wee is all about setting you up with the intros and that goes with “Hood Certified” too. This one comes at you like an attack. With “Dat Aintcho Girl” has a very Southern feel to it. It smells like it came from the streets of Hot-Lanta. If you like hip hop that has a very club meets street vibe, check out P-Wonda Ooh Wee today. (https://m.soundcloud.com/p-wonda-ooh-wee)
Leathal Weapon raps like he’s from the street and sings like a radio star. It’s all about the sick rhymes and disses with “I’m The Hottest.” It’s pretty easy for this artist to point out what someone isn’t and to declare you’re the best. At least it is for Leathal Weapon. Things don’t come across as menacing as the last on “They Just Salty.” One would expect this one to be a little more sassy just because of the title. It’s just so-so. GB and JC of the Finest hop on to help out with “In These Streetz.” It’s a departure from where we started. This one is based more on storytelling and has a great R&B hook. It’s not best for this time of year, but wait a few more months and you’ll have your hip hop Christmas classic is “All I Want.” It’s niche but not corny and actually fun with a great beat. We stick with that R&B feel with “Fantasy Man.” If one had to choose which side of Leathal Weapon was best, it’d definitely be this Chris Brown like thing he has going on when he slows it down and goes more mainstream with it. If you’re a fan of urban music that is fine tuned, check out Leathal Weapon today. (https://soundcloud.com/leathalweapon918 )
7 Solo has an abundance of things going on when it comes to “The Grand Incredible Mixtape.” “Relocator” opens us up to an emcee who has a light beat but a fierce bite. As we head onto “We Gone Make It Jump,” the intro sounds a bit like Jay Z welcoming us in, then things stray away from that and it turns into something that sounds like a song LL Cool J may have released around the same time he did that track for “Deep Blue Sea.” We pick things up and head to the dance floor with “Write One” and then strap up for “Boot Camp.” What’s great about that one is that it sounds like something you’d hear at an actual boot camp, one that Major Payne ran. When it came to “Wild With Cheese,” it was hard to say you knew exactly what to expect. It was a little street, but a little funky - in a good way. If you were to ask the direction this mixtape had, you’d be spinning in circles. It’s all over the place but in a way that makes you want to try and navigate it. If you like rappers who never cease to come up with something interesting, check out 7 Solo’s “The Grand Incredible Mixtape.” (https://www.datpiff.com/7-SOLO-The-Grand-Incredible-Mixtape.600441.html)
AG’s Empire is a place where hip hop talent shines. They have a tight knit group of skilled rappers and producers looking to make their Empire reign supreme. Mani feat. R.O.B. “Big Bang” has a sweet beat that people are going to attach themselves to instantly. It has this Snoop Dogg in the ’00s feel to it. With “You Already Know What It I$” starts with this beautiful lounge like piano. When the rhymes drop in, they come hard but the music stays elegant. It’s a nice contrast between the two that works out great. We circle back to Mani but stick on the elegant path as far as music in concerned. This time though the lyrics are reality based and have a great story behind them. We hear one produced by R.O.B. now with “Murder in the First.” We step away from the mentality of the previous two and head straight to the street wise ways of hip hop with this one. This guy proves to be a key asset to AG’s Empire as we hear his skills in the construction of “Time Alone” and “Let Me Get It.” If you’re looking for the next crop of artists to get into, check out who’s coming out of AG’s Empire. (https://www.hulkshare.com/AGsEmpire)
Appearing like T.I.’s Tiny intertwined with the skills of Da Brat, REMODY comes through as one of the up and coming female emcees in the hip hop game. Leading her game is her newest track “SWAGG” featuring Fred The Godson. The two together are flawless and seamless. They play off one another well and it comes through in the end result - which is a hot track that oozes charisma and well, swag. REMODY comes through like a clear cut rhymer but what was great was towards the end when she sang some notes and really showcased that she could do more than spit rhymes. She’s a well-rounded artist who will definitely be a must-know in 2015. If you like artists like Da Brat and Missy Elliot, check out REMODY and her “SWAGG” featuring Fred The Godson today. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8t7tMra3Lo)
The Windy City is known for a lot of things, and today we’re adding emcee Ceo Mikey to that long list. “Fathers Keeper” starts with a sample done in a falsetto, but then Ceo comes through with reality driven words. It’s an interesting sample too. It takes a minute to realize, because it’s been even longer since Kings of Leon were relevant. There’s quite the build up to “You Can’t Party with Us.” It’s quite the diss put to song, it’s also very hype and fun - even though it’s a dig at someone you don’t like. We go from keeping it real, to not playing around to a hard hitting joint with “No Love.” This one has a more aggressive take on the delivery end. That feel continues on with “I Did It (Outro).” That’s not where this ends though with Ceo Mikey. We’re going to wrap this up with a very interesting one, “Rigamortis.” It has this lowkey Mardi Gras feel in the beat, while the lyrics come across in a chilled manner. When it all boils down, Ceo Mikey is the full package. He can spit out rhymes about his life, tear you down or build the party. If you like well-rounded hip hop artists, check out Ceo Mikey sooner than later. (https://soundcloud.com/mikeybnice)
Ezy money keeps his cool as one of the latest emerging emcees. “And I” has a swagger feel to it that makes it a stand out right out the gate. We head to the streets, ironically with “Streets Ain’t Safe.” This one has a chilled vibe but still holds a strong intimidation. With “Set Up” it comes across like the others, but has a more whisper tone. We go from keeping things low key to getting a little energetic with “Talk that Talk.” This is the most oomph we’ve had from Ezy money the whole time and it’s refreshing. It seems like that’s where we’re at now because “$tag on it$” has an upbeat. It’s not overdone or anything, it’s not getting crazy but compared to where we started with Ezy money, this is up. Rounding out things with this rapper is “On My Momma.” This is a great one to end with because it has a good beat, a fantastic lyrical flow and makes you want more. If that’s what happens to you - check out Ezy money and keep an eye out for what he does next. (https://www.reverbnation.com/ezymoney)
You don’t hear much about the hip hop scene in Colorado, but Young Z is about to change that. “Life’s Good” featuring David Frederick has a sick beat that goes throughout and sounds like something from The Ying Yang Twins camp back in the day. He’s all about creating a captivating beat that gets you hooked, and the proof is in the butter and the tunes. That sentiment doesn’t stop as we go from “Good” to “Bandwagon.” Then we roll on to “We On” with Eric The Almighty helping out to give this one an extra ounce of oomph. It’s time for a remix as we hit “Believe Me.” This one is easy to follow along to. Young Z isn’t one to spit fire when he rhymes. He takes his time and fans will appreciate his laid back approach to hip hop. Then he proves me wrong and picks it up with “Bitch You Would.” This sounds like a song that would be popular with high school kids, but would never get played at the school dance for obvious reasons; maybe a house party instead. We’ll close this out with “Closet Thing.” What is great about going from “Bitch” to this one is the energy shift.” Young Z can really change lanes swiftly and can showcase a all sides in a definitive manner that’s to be respected. If you like well rounded artists, check out Young Z sooner than later. (https://soundcloud.com/youngz605)
Travis M.’s “The MisUnderstood” is a blast from the past with a note in the present. After we get through the introduction we head into “Process.” It is a really laid back track. I thought from the intro that this one was going to be a ratchet record, instead this song came on and was well composed and straight laced. With the title track we get a fresh beat that has an old school, ’80s feel. With “BEAST” I thought we’d step up the energy a bit, and I was kind of right. The rhymes come a bit faster than we’ve gotten so far and it was a nice shake up. Travis M.’s pal Gina Smith hops on to help out on the anthem-like gem “Faith” while Serene gets in on the fun with “Gennesis.” As the record rolls on you can hear his influences that sound a bit New York in “Dream Land Gone Wrong.” He ends things with “Monsta with Xan.” This one really picks it up and comes across like a different artist. Travis M. gives us an old school feel in 2015 and it’s a reminder that some young emcees are still picking things up from the past and making them new again. If you like chill hip hop that can get hype when it’s necessary, check out Travis M. (https://soundcloud.com/TravisMjustM)
HMK offers up something different at every turn. “Ship It” has a great line about being a cell phone and roaming, but with today’s internet culture - this may be the most unexpected hit among fandoms thanks to the idea of shipping fictional couples. It’d be funny to hear this looped on a fan made video of the stars of say “Supernatural.” All that aside, HMK is creating fine tuned hip hop that fans of that style of music will love. The former was more serious a bit, but “Mr. Inappropriate” lightens up things with its beat, the lyrics - not so much. It’s a little threatening but it’s fun to listen to bounce to the chorus. We step into the club for “Make It Hot.” It’s more a dance track than a hip hop jam with its electronic base. We head back to the basics with “I Waz Gon’ Bol” and then close things out with the old school feel of “Sittin’ In Tha Park.” What’s great about what comes from HMK is that no two songs sound the same. Each press of play is unique. If you like a healthy mix, check out HMK right now. (https://www.jango.com/stations/337271688/tunein?l=0)
