Happy Samhain. We’re back with another roundup of quality cuts from the Vermont scene, where standards and output are at an all-time high. Seriously, this year has been insane. The music, the shows, the albums, the art, the community … well, dang. There’s a lot to celebrate — today, we’ve got four choice slices from a mix of old vets and new voices. Dig in.
First up, a serious banger from down south. The Coalition is Yung Breeze, Selfish Presley, Raw Deff and Gringo Montega — aka Vazy of So.802 Studios. That whole extended crew has been on a serious run lately, and there’s clearly a lot more to come. Especially with Jibba “The Gent” freshly signed to Maine’s 656 Records and gearing up for a very creative private show / video shoot for his “Suite Tooth” single.
After the fever dream blast of his TRIP EP, the one and only Zesty Boi is back with a new album, TINY ALLIGATORS. His early work was a lil’ rough but he’s evolved fearsomely fast since then - a cat worth keeping an eye on. Then again, as his own bio puts it, “up and coming rapper means nothing.” That’s what I’d call an educated opinion. The lad has wisdom beyond his years and energy for days. Go see him live.
Here’s another new artist with great bio copy. As Juni puts it, he’s “a simple rapping dad whose just tryna get paid doing what he loves...but i mostly need a swimming pool.” Clear, realistic goals are the key to a happy life. More importantly, though, this cat can really spit, and “Rum Drunk” is an impressive single that showcases his catchy, carefully calibrated flow. I’m expecting great things from this dude in 2019.
Finally, one from the Late Pass Department: “Too Long” features Teece Luvv over some warm, funky SkySplitterInk production. This is an outstanding piece of work with some sharp bars on deck, too. Mr. Luvv is having a great year and our world is a better place for it. As for SkySplitterInk, not only is he one of the 802’s most accomplished producers, he’s also one of the best engineers you could work with. Peace to the Skylab, and props to both of these upstanding young gentlemen.
As ever, if you’ve got recommendations, suggestions or hot mixtapes on deck, get in touch.