Bronx wordsmith, multi-instrumentalist and member of the musical collective Standing On The Corner, Caleb Giles, drops a new single, Diamonds. Like his other work, the track continues to emphasize strong lyrical content with subdued, jazzy beats. Giles is a luminary among a new group of emcees whose lyrics are more introspective and personal, and address …

Brooklyn emcee, by way of Oakland, California, Nappy Nina drops a new single, Freak It, from her upcoming EP, 30 Bag, set to be released on May 8th. The track was produced by Unjust. Nappy Nina released two excellent albums in 2019, marking the beginning and the ending of the year. The Tree Act dropped …

Scarface’s Magnum Opus from 2002. He slays dragons, real and imagined. Freshness Quotient: Fresh as a spring daisy. A stone-cold classic. The Skinny: Face takes a walk around the old neighborhood. Along for the perambulation, pre-mogul Jay and pre-Kardashian Ye, and Beanie (not Feldstein). Also linking arms, Nas, Faith Evans and Kelly Price. The star …

Frederick Thomas, known in the hip hop world as Fred The Godson, passed away last week from complications related to COVID-19. The Godson, who was a member of XXL’s Freshman class of 2009, along with Kendrick Lamar and Mac Miller, was a rapper’s rapper. Big Bronx always had an ache in his voice because his …

Brooklynite Medhane looks out his window and doesn’t like what he sees. Medhane pulls in Chuck Strangers on the beats, which sees the Brooklyn emcee lay down his inventive verses and rhymes with his usual skill and sense of cool, over a glitchy, deep soul backing. Medhane is a man to watch. His album from …

Earl Sweatshirt and his LA buddy Maxo get existential on a new track for Earl’s Feet of Clay, “Whole World.” Fellow Los Angeleno The Alchemist works his magic on the boards. Taken from the deluxe edition of the EP, released last year it’s one of two new songs to appear on the expanded edition, both …

R.A. The Rugged Man, the rap moniker and alter-ego of Long Island, New York native R.A. Thorburn, is the kind of guy who arrives early to a party, and leaves late. He drinks too much and pukes in the bathroom. When no one is looking, he jerks off in the punch and then giggles in …