ROUNDUP: 2020 is Already on Fire
As expected, the new year has been a relentless run of dope projects, and it’s not even February. We’re really at an all-time high water mark for the scene, on every front. All I can really say about that is “Thank You All.”
What follows is a rundown of some of the standout joints — or at least, my personal favorites. (If you’ve been following The Feed, a new feature delivering daily music, you’ve already heard a few of these.)
The return of Bar None The Best is a big deal. The Barre rap duo was on the path to big things before some real life shit derailed them, but both emcees are back in the booth putting in work in 2020. M.Rich has been quietly dropping gems — check out “Feel” and “Root of All Evil” — and J-Hess has rebranded as Hesakya Munson and he’s working on a new solo project, A Real Munson. He also came blazing out the gate with a killer sixteen on the latest Grind Mode Cypher miniseries, BARS in the BRONX. He’s holding his own with a bunch of tight spitters, so definitely check out the whole shebang.
Yung Breeze is a force of nature. Fresh off the release of his debut LP, Sofia Grace, he’s linked up with Maine powerhouse 6ix5ive6ix Records for “HUH,” a hot single with Brodie James. The recipe is pretty straightforward here: just raw flows over a banging beat. Expect a lot more heat from the Street Religion extended family as 2020 rolls on, starting with Kasidon. (More on that soon.)
Eyedos was quiet for awhile there in 2019, but he was clearly putting in work the whole time. This is one of the most talented, consistent and prolific rappers in Vermont, and “Bottom Shelf” is just wall-to-wall murder. I expect to see this artist start making waves way beyond the Green Mountains before this year is through.
The whole JynxINC team has been busy, too: they’re wrapping up a new concept / narrative LP with a huge cast of guest artists, Stir Crazy, and Krypto Man is executive producing the upcoming Underground Hustlin’ Vol. 70 mixtape. That’s a lot of responsibilities, but he’s equal to the task. For “Bootstraps,” they’re teaming up with two of the 4 Horsemen, Just Cauz and the always-impressive Flex 45, for a track about the brutal realities of the indie rap hustle.
Maiden Voyage member Teece Luvv has been building an impeccable solo catalog in recent years, and he’s about to drop a new EP, Johnny Bounce, which is already one of my favorite albums of 2020. He’s just unleashed the lead single, “MUH,” and it’s a stripped-down banger — which is completely consistent with the rest of the project. Expect pure fire.
Finally, we turn to KASUKE, a busy new artist carving his own distinct lane. It’s weird as all hell to see trap conventions getting interpreted by a big redneck with a righteous fro, but I’m into it, no irony, no jokes. There’s something compelling about his energy and his style, and I’m curious to see what he develops into as he keeps cultivating his own voice. This video, courtesy of the non-stop hard worker Humble Among, looks damn good, too — a reminder of how much you can add to a low-budget video shoot by putting some elbow grease into your camera work.