As the title suggests, the fucking emperor is back! Napoleon Da Legend, the man who has already dropped what many are calling ‘Album Of The Year’ with his record with JR Swiftz, ‘Great Minds’, and this time with the amazing Sol Messiah to create another head banging, neck twisting, bopping track that will damn near break your neck trying to bop to!
From the beginning of the track, you hear that drum beat combined with this distorted vocal sample loop that kind of sounds like a guitar chord, but when combined makes for a raw and skeletal rhythm that is perfect for someone like Da Legend to set it off with!
Across his two verses, as per usual, he’s flawless. Wordplay, penmanship, flow— he’s firing on all cylinders!
When you’re the man, you know it, you feel it, you LIVE IT, and that’s exactly what Napoleon is doing this year. He’s confident, and his cadence screams ‘MVP’, and with AOTY contender already in his pocket and a possible second coming in February with ‘F.L.A.W’, this track is nothing more than a reminder not to sleep on the king or should I say ‘The Emperor’.
Without much surprise, it’s time for another new artist discovery! This time it’s the artist ‘Ceverely Yours’ and his EP from November 28th, 2024! So let’s get into it!
This compact project has 6 tracks with a 15-minute run time. I must say, upon a few listens for this review, I’m pretty intrigued and pleasantly impressed with the sound and composition of this project, although short in length.
I felt a sense of composure and easygoing nature in the way this sounded, meaning it most EP cases (especially ones of this length) normally feel fast-paced and sometimes ‘rushed’ due to its lack of time present, but even with the time constraints, there were so many tracks where the lyrics didn’t come in till the end of half of the track or even examples of spoken word skits ‘On Dawgs’ where he’s just casually telling a story to the listener without a care in the world for the time, and utilisation of ‘patience’, a virtue I fuck with HEAVY in music and one you rarely if ever see in EP’s.
As far as the production goes, we have a few fair names to thank for the sounds such as:
-Tajh Malik
– Theatre Truth
-DJ Vitamin D
-Rockwood Productions
-Gotti Gator
-Blaze Gator
All who create a diverse and interesting Hip Hop landscape for the listeners. It sounds like a blend of experimental/underground and indie hip hop. It’s not the traditional sounds you’d expect to hear from a rap album, and that’s another thing I love about this project, so many things against the grain and yet they all work wonderfully on this, and I can’t help but praise all the artists involved for this approach!
Ceverely himself has this confidence in his cadence that’s just damn near infectious, it’s like he’s not even rapping or practicing his verses; he’s just spinballing first takes with that pure off-the-top emotion and passion! (If this actually happens to be the case, I’d be blown away) regardless, I felt every word of his due to his nature and character on the songs themselves!
The rap features such as:
-Tajh Malik
-Billy Escobar
-Brezze
-Donnsday
-Bonnie Stone
All help matching his energy and conviction on the songs they are provided and it helps set the tone for the whole EP!
All in all, fantastic effort on this one and for those hip hop or just straight music heads looking for something new then this could be the thing for you!
It’s time again for that new single review, and this time it’s Mason Graves and his latest work, ‘Pain and Laughter’.
From the second this song starts, you can hear that lavish and smooth key samples which sound like they were ripped from an 80’s montage scene. It sounds equally warm and crisp at the same time, absolutely fuck with this instrumental-heavy!
Not long into the beat starting, we get going with Mason, who delivers his trademark deep and powerful voice for his opening verse. As usual, strong and vicious wordplay. He takes his time with his words, methodically delivering and sonically delivering his daggers into the ears of every listener over this contrasting, inviting, and peaceful beat!
This time around, he ain’t alone because to close the track off, we have Arizona legend Maze Overlay here with his trademark slick, smooth, and hypnotic vocal flow to slide all over this beat as per usual.
It’s not even February yet, and Maze has inserted himself into your favourite rapper’s favourite rap songs of 2025, and he ain’t even dropped a new project yet! Absolutely surreal work by Overlay, and of course, he murdered the verse this time around as he’s done on any song he’s on!
Also, I love how the song ends on these jazz chords to fade the track out. Such a small yet beautiful detail to conclude an already fantastic song!
This is definitely a song you don’t want to miss, so make sure you give these two the respect they’ve earned and deserve by playing the track below!
Nothing quite as satisfying as finding a short and dope EP, and this is exactly what we have here with the latest release by Solute.
On this one, we have three tracks:
-Solute Scorsese
-Kuabara Bars
-Doja
All tracks produced by Lou Daydream, who helped create a smooth, fresh, and what feels like a Lo-Fi/Ambient/Jazz fusion across these Hip Hop beats.
Across the three tracks, they all sonically resemble a beautiful Sunday morning walk through a forest on a windy spring day. This is the kind of production I could release to stress out and just relax throughout the day. I love beats like this, and it kind of reminds me of the production ‘Milo’ or ‘R.A.P Ferreria’ would use, and I love every second of it.
Now, on to Solute, he’s found himself pairing well with the instrumentals provided. Even though this EP is only short, he doesn’t let that stop him from spitting fresh bars across all three, solid verses, wordplay, and penmanship to match the wonderful production.
I feel the last track is where he shows us a more ‘bragging’ tone and confident cadence, a tad bit more aggressive than the first two but equally as impressive lyricism. I take it as him trying to make a statement on the outro track, which would make sense if that was the intention, especially considering that’s the song featuring the legendary ‘Maze Overlay,’ and that’s not the kind of guy you’d want to sound subpar next to! Great chemistry between the two!
Overall, short, sweet, and successful performance in this 7-minute project. I know there will be more coming throughout the year, but for now, this is a great little appetiser to keep the palate satisfied and waiting for more!
You heard it from me first, this is the year of the 6th man!
After an incredible run from all artists involved last year, I know they are hungry, they are thirsty for blood, and Hip Hop ain’t ready for the attack they have prepared for the culture. Although this is merely the second instalment of the 6th man 2025 run of this latest collaboration between Crotona P and KNG Bondalero, ain’t nothing to fuck with, and trust me, this one will have all the cats talking panthers back in their kitty kat holes because when the real step up, the fake SHUT UP.
This is a 13-song, 24-minute duo project, and I’ll be honest, as dope as Crotona P’s album last year was, it wasn’t my favourite of the 6th. It had me wanting more, feeling like there’s still another level of evolution waiting to be cracked, and that level is here and now that he’s that guy. Everyone else ain’t nothing but shadows in comparison.
From the first track, the rhymes and flows just hit different. The wordplay, penmanship, lyricism— all of it just comes out more seamless than it ever has before!
This project ain’t just about hard bars but about the synchronous nature between words and production and finding the perfect middle ground between both, and that’s what’s been achieved on this one!
Speaking of production, I honestly feel KNG is the perfect man to be behind the table for Crotona. It’s as if he’s reading his mind with instrumentals, like they both speak the same language but in different forms of communication. One with a pen, one with the beats.
There are a few different styles across this one, such as:
-Underground
-Boom Bap
-Ambient Aesthetic
-Soul/Jazz inspiration, and each beat is done so masterfully that it makes your mind travel across songs and makes you think. This is the key sign of a professional at work when the music transcends the music itself and makes you feel something mentally and emotionally, and when you combine that with the lyricism, it’s nothing short of beautiful.
Across this project you also have underground powerhouses such as
-MercyDaharlemkid
-Jus Daze
-The Bad Seed
Each of which could easily hold their own individually so to come together as a power trio on this one is a statement in and of itself!
All in all, this is the 6th man we need! The ruthless yet masterful showing. No more doubting, no more anticipating THE TIME IS NOW and I guarantee you when it’s all said and done whether your talking
-Griselda
-Umbrella Collective
You’ll be making sure to put some respect on the 6th man in the same lane because the revolutionary is happening NOW check this shit out!!
It feels as though it’s a daily occurrence these days where I discover a new artist, and today is no exception as I found the new ‘BLUEHILLBILL’ album called ‘BYRDS’.
I didn’t know what to expect with this album (as is the case with all new artists), but based on not only the visuals of the album cover but also from a friend’s recommendation, I expected at very least a dope hip-hop record, and I must say after listening through, that’s exactly what I got.
Now, starting with the production side of things, it’s very reminiscent of the ‘Indie/Underground’ scene with its raw and grimy elements and sound structures as well as at times its ‘Lo-fi/Ambient’ inspirations in the production undertones. All and all, making for a unique and interesting head-banging listen from start to finish!
My favourite track (instrumentally speaking) would have to be ‘Have More’ with its repeating key loop beat; it’s something I can imagine getting high and listening to for hours on loop!
Now, onto the rapping himself. I’ll admit it took me a minute to get used to his voice, similar to the experience for what it took for me to get used to an artist like ‘Danny Brown’, but equally as quick, it didn’t take long, and it was out of mind fast. When it comes to the lyricism and flow, I was pleasantly impressed with the level of penmanship, wordplay, and puns.
I saw there were a few wrestling bars, which as a wrestling head made me happy, and overall just a lot of clever verses and quotes across the 16 tracks’ runtime!
Overall, an interesting and refreshing listen that should make any hip-hop head of all tastes and cultures happy, and I recommend everyone should listen!
Shoutout to all the features who helped make the album pop!
Today, I get the privilege to review the latest 2025 release by producer ARNAM, who in the past few years has been making waves in the underground circuit, and with albums like these, it’s not hard to see why! With 11 tracks and a 24-minute run time, this project is sure to blow you away!
Firstly, I must add that this record has a certain ‘aura’ behind it that most albums I’ve heard this year don’t! A certain level of passion and enthusiasm, creativity, and originality, all tied up into one!
You can hear woven in every word, bar, and verses delivered by the Rarefield Air boys, men I only discovered from this record yet their conviction for the art and their determination to be the best going this year is as evident as ever in this record!
Across the 11 tracks, Aram provides you some of the grimiest and bass-heavy hip-hop tracks I’ve heard in a minute. The smooth beats crossed with that underground trademark vibe make for the kind of record you’d want to bang your head to on a hot day, windows down, music blazing!
I really love about this record is the Synchronicity and fluency of the features. Some projects just incorporate a bunch of voices for guest’s sake, but here each person joined feels like an important element to the album as a whole, as if they are sharing one mind and pen in creating each song. I absolutely love it! Shouting out the features including:
-Solute
-Lord Ra
– Unorthodocks
-Gorgeous Jefe
-Dr. LaFlow
-Maze Overlay
Arizona is looking strong as of late. Of course, legends like Maze have already set the table, but with upcoming legends such as Arnam on the way, without a doubt, you can expect a takeover by this state, and you can put my name on that! Go check this shit out!
This is an exciting single for me to review because it features a man who is part of one of my favourite bands in the world! The bassist of ‘Tyr’, Gunnar Thomsen, has decided to go out solo, and it’s something I couldn’t be more excited for than I am now!
So, as the track starts, we have this lavish, beautiful chord progression before the song kicks off its badass metal tunes with those heavy guitars and rhythmic drum patterns!
Since he was also backing vocals for the band, it’s no surprise his singing voice is incredible on this solo project! He has a very deep yet smooth vocal style that fits this kind of music he’s playing perfectly.
I also love how towards the back end of the track, we have this switch-up which consists of a slow-down in pace with some distorted sounds and melodies before the track returns to its regular rhythm for the closing!
All in all, I love this song. It’s an exciting new venture into his life and career, and I can’t wait to see it progress! Make sure you all check this new song out and get ready for more! 🤘🏼
Also shoutout this Guns daughter for creating this amazing artwork for the singles!
As someone who has been a fan of Rome since he came to my attention with his debut Griselda release ‘KISS THE RING’ he’s been on my radar since.
From his numerous underground/Griselda feature verses to his album collaboration with Daringer ‘Hatton Garden Holdup’ to his upcoming project with Conductor Williams he’s been on a role most can only dream of and on his way to that new release he has released this single with Cuzzin Howie called ‘Namaste’
Firstly, this production is a lot different then what we are use to him from this point in his career. It’s a lot smoother, sweeter on the ears, that vocal loop is beautifully done and helped enhance that ambient/lo-fi vibe instrumental making for the kind of track that you’d assume off the bat might be too mellow for the type of style Rome presents but that’s not the case at all.
Rome, pulls off a killer two verses in his usual braggadocio tone and flow. I feel with every new release his skill as a lyricist and wordsmith improves as the more he spits the more seamless his verses and bars become. This is definitely the case here as he absolutely kills this beat and makes it work for him!
All in all, a fun single to keep us going until his new album and I would be interested to hear more collaboration between these two because I feel they have great chemistry and it would work well!
Once again, it’s time for me to discover a new artist and their latest 10-track album. This time it’s that new ‘Benny Holiday’ project, so let’s talk about it!
This project runs just over half an hour with 31 minutes in length, and I gotta say even though I didn’t know what to expect, the production of this one surprised me for its variety and creativity almost for each individual song.
For example, from the first song to the last, every song has a different stylistic choice and different instrumental choice to change the whole structure of the track from the one that came before!
Shoutout to the producers for doing their thing with the sounds such as
-Snowgoons
-Al’tarba
-I.n.c.h
-Shookz
We have hardcore tracks like ‘Payback’, which featured a posse-like vibe with multiple features on the one song like
-Conway The Machine
-Caskey
-Dope D.O.D
-DJ Illegal
And it feels like an Onyx or M.O.P. track
And then on the final track ‘Francisco Goya’, has this soulful, slower, and smooth aesthetic to it to close the album off. So in that respect of sonic diversity and variety, I fuck with this album
As far as the rapping goes, I feel similarly to the production. Benny likes to switch it up and try new styles, flows, vocal parts, and things of that nature. He’s a dope rapper and he has solid verses and lyricism, but in the same way, an ODB or even a Sticky Fingaz who might talk in an unpredictable manner on a track, or ODB being completely untrained in his style, I feel the same way here, not to mean it wasn’t enjoyable but unpredictable!
All in all, a very interesting listening experience, and I feel those who are looking for something different, this would be the one!
The Serpent Tongue Reviews 