Yes, this is a list. Yes, it’s my personal opinion. Music is always subjective. Maybe ya’ll know all these songs. But…I think you’re going to find some dope stuff. The site was born off of my passion in sharing great music. That hasn’t changed. Go enjoy! Leona – ASL I first discovered the group ASL … More Hidden Gems of 2021 (That You May Not Know Of…Yet)
The Odd Future movement in the early aughts cannot be explained unless you experienced it. In November of 2008, the LA collective dropped their debut group project The Odd Future Tape. Between 2009 and 2010 Earl Sweatshirt, Domo Genesis, Mike G, and Frank Ocean joined the clan which led to the much better collaborative effort, Radical. 2009 also saw the critically … More Revisiting Earl Sweatshirt’s EARL Mixtape (Editorial)
I am a product of the internet era. In the most important moments of my young adulthood, my soundtrack would usually come from downloaded mp3s off of the legendary mixtape site datpiff.com. I added them to my iTunes library, unwilling to pay for albums from their online store unless absolutely necessary. If I ever purchased … More Revisiting J. Cole’s – Friday Night Lights’ and ‘Lupe Fiasco’s – Enemy Of The State’ Mixtapes
When Mac Miller passed I wrote a heartfelt tribute. Yet, it was when I spoke on his second studio album, Watching Movies With The Sound Off…, that I found myself most emotional and contemplative. This was his groundbreaking moment, the first body of work that showed his creativity and overall genius. We no longer saw the happy … More Remembering Mac Miller’s ‘Watching Movies With The Sound Off….’ (Editorial)
Juice WRLD has died – and it has hit me harder than any death in hip hop history. I was barely a toddler when Big L, Jam Master Jay, The D.O.C., Big Pun, Tupac, and Biggie left us. When Nipsey Hussle passed, it was such a blow to the hip hop community, and I recognized … More I Miss You Juice WRLD
I’m obsessed with collecting vinyl records. I’ll be the first to say it. It runs deeper than just enjoying the music, and if you look up the psychological association with collecting, and especially collecting vinyl, CD’s or cassettes, you’ll see it has a lot to do with trauma, anxiety, depression, and your childhood. A record … More Why Record Collecting Changed My Life (Editorial)
I haven’t written a year-end review since I put together the best Chicago mixtapes and tracks of 2016. As a change of pace, I’ve decided to compile a collection of my favorite albums of the year. This stretches beyond Chicago and is a personal reflection of what I’ve listened to the most, and what I consider … More Favorite Albums Of The Year Part 1
A music duo out of the Pacific Northwest has changed the way I think about music. It all started with ZAK, one half of the aforementioned group, who has put out a slew of records in the last few years. After much consideration, he re-invented himself as SAFE TRVLS, a distinctive and curious name that only … More Rising Talent Spotlight: Lonely Together
Hip hop heads around the globe can thank early New York street gangs for the existence of their favorite genre. Let me explain before you log off… In the 1950’s, New York gangs took over Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan and the Bronx, and wars were mostly found over territory and women. They were often divided by … More The History Of Hip Hop: The Early Years (PART 1)
When I joined Apple Music in 2016 I was awestruck at how many albums I could listen to without having to illegally download them. Mixtapes were always my forte unless I heard about, say, a Freddie Gibbs x Madlib collaboration that I couldn‘t wait to cop. I even set the date on my iPhone, looked out for … More Music Overload: How Much Is Too Much?
