Welcome to Championship Season
Apologies for the long pause — I’ve been doing rodeo things with my rodeo friends. (Really, yes.) There is much VTHH work to do, however, and I’ve been spending my Saturday basking in the sun and getting caught up on all things 802 hip hop. It’s a lot … and it damn well better be, too.
2019 has been, hands down, the busiest and craziest year our humble scene has witnessed so far. With about 45 days left, everyone is scrambling to finish projects and make their mark. This pressure is, of course, arbitrary, all in our heads, but that doesn’t make it any less real. It’s time for Best of 2019 lists and Apple Music gift cards and a bunch of crazy shows & house parties before the college kids leave Burlington for the holidays. It’s Championship Season, bud.
Obviously, nobody had a year quite so great as 99 Neighbors did. Facts are facts. They started off 2019 with what remains one of the best albums of the year, Television. This here ain’t a Best of Anything list, but they’ve been on an absolute tear of killer video/single drops lately, so I have to start here. “Fuck No” was one of the best of the batch, and it’s become something of an anthem for them as they continue to tear through the festival circuit nationwide. Also check out “Thunder” and “19” — this young collective is continuing to push themselves and improve their game.
2019 has seen a slew of strong debuts, including proud St. Albans representative D.FRENCH, whose breakthrough LP Highest Lows was also one of the year's finest releases. (So far). He’s just dropped a dope new single/video, “WHAT IT IS,” in collaboration with Raw Deff. As it happens, Raw Deff has another one of them there top ten contender albums, The Impeccable Nobody. Here, they’re uniting on some pure flossing rap braggadocio, complete with a catchy hook and crushing mix.
Speaking of crushing mixes, Elder Orange has started hyping his next album, Bricks in the Bathwater, which is slated for January 2020. The first single pairs him with Philly spitter Curly Castro, a charismatic & electric artist with a crazy nice catalog. “NO MORE LOUD MUSIC” is a monster cut, and a change in direction from Elder Orange’s 2018 all-instrumental debut, All My Friends Believe In Ghosts. Expect more surprises, more genre-mashing, and more psychedelic boom bap.
The Aztext founding members and extended family have been hustling heavy all year — consider them unofficially back, despite the lack of a reunion album. (So far.) Learic dropped two standout projects, the SkySplitterInk collaboration The Theorist and the Es-K produced throwback gem Thought Instruments, which has been making waves far outside Vermont. Pro has been busy with GOOD WTHR, and way back in May, he dropped his solo debut, After Dinner Before Dawn. “For Ya Mind” is a classic 90’s slice produced by Rhode Island beatsmith ShoKass.
Earlier this afternoon, I threw on Weekend in Mayfield, an instrumental collaboration between Rico & Santos, and really enjoyed the ride. This is a refined, smart project built around upstate New England diners, musical compositions, and some tasty guitar work over dope — and often experimental — Rico James beats.
Now, there’s plenty more to cover, but a weekend is a finite resource, and besides, there’s a long week of new material ahead. We’ve got new names, new singles, new interviews and even actual news. For now, though, enjoy what you can, while you can. Props to the creators, agitators, and innovators.