Dio Gin ft. Cube Ref “Steamboat vs Savage” [Video ]

 

“Steamboat vs Savage (East Coast Kings Remix)” by Dio Gin featuring Cube Ref. The single is off the wrestling concept album, “The People’s Champion”. 

The song is produced by Chairman Chow and is heavily influenced by classic old school wrestling. The title of the song is a homage to a classic wrestling match that took place in 1987 at Wrestlemania 3. The bout was an intercontinental championship match between Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat challenging the champion, Randy “Macho Man” Savage.

The video was filmed and edited by Queen Philosophical. 

Presenting the Jazzy Lofi-esq instrumental new single by C.Scott "1922 Murray Ave"

This new offering "1922 Murray Ave" is taken off the studio album “Phase 2” by producer C.Scott, and leads the project down a joyfully jazzy moment of instrumental Lofi.

C. Scott - Phase 2

Pittsburgh’s favorite beatsmith is back with his new project, Phase 2. Packed with rich textures and soundscapes sourced exclusively from sampling vinyl records, C.Scott proves he is well on his way to mastering the craft of sample-based beat production. The whimsically abstract yet deliberate cover artwork handcrafted by Pittsburgh artist Steph Neary is the perfect representation of this musical voyage, providing a sense of journey and self-discovery.

C.Scott holds a solid catalog of releases dating back to the early 2010s, but feels his first official solo LP was Phase Shifting in 2019, making Phase 2 his triumphant return to a fully self-orchestrated expression. This is apparent right off the bat as the intro track plays with triumphant horn blasts bouncing perfectly off the drums and finalized by a few existential questions provided by a mysterious vocal sample narration. Immediately to follow is The Very Top, an undeniable head nodder accompanied by classic East Coast Hip-Hop vocal samples sporadically yelling throughout, officially starting the party. An Imaginative dreamscape of beats follow with some pleasantly comedic moments where, at times, C.Scott himself is the subject of the humour.

The track Do it! feat. Aarie presents the first vocal feature of the album and reminds the listener that this is indeed a Hip-Hop record, as he rocks the party with his undeniable hard hitting yet nimble flow and lyrics that offer lightness and humor amidst the challenges of life over C.Scott’s playfully in-the-pocket production.

Aggression is not lost on this project when the uptempo track So Hip smacks you into a realm of excitement and tension over splashy booming drums and relentless bass tones where C.Scott displays his urge to “juxtapose the expectations I felt were put on me as a 'hip' young upstart early in my career with my current trajectory and pursuit of my own individual sound and direction”. 

For those that have been following C.Scott throughout the years, there are some moments they will appreciate, like another rap feature from long-time collaborator, Moemaw Naedon, a house track, and overall, a clear advancement in production techniques.

For those just getting hip to C.Scott, they are in luck, as this project could sit alongside any veteran beat-maker's catalog.

The studio album Phase 2 is out now - https://lnk.to/rgNMMimu

Also in physical format via Soul Slime Records -  https://soulslimerecords.bandcamp.com

For more information on C.Scott: 
https://linktr.ee/cscott412 
https://www.instagram.com/cscott412
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100070435617345 
https://www.tiktok.com/@cscott412

https://linktr.ee/Soulslimerecords 
https://x.com/soulslimerecs
https://www.instagram.com/soulslimerecords
https://www.facebook.com/soulslimerecord

Mike Titan x Tali Rodriguez "The New Gods III" [ALBUM]

 

Trilogies in underground hip-hop live or die by whether the finale earns the architecture that preceded it, and "The New Gods III" arrives with the scale to justify the conclusion. Mike Titan and Tali Rodriguez anchor thirteen tracks with a roster that functions like a genuine summit of the independent underground: Generalbackpain, O The Great, G Fam Black, Slik Jack, Crotona P, Money Mogly, J. Vengeance, Mic Murphy, New Villain, Andre DeSaint, Here$ Johnny, Sankofa, and others all contribute without fragmenting the project's coherence. The production is expansive and atmospheric, building a conceptual space large enough for the ambition without losing the specificity that makes it land. The two protagonists remain the center of gravity throughout — guests are contributors, not the point. A definitive closing chapter.

Confucious & Lilman "48 Hours" [VIDEO]

KILOBARS is a six-track collaborative album from Confucious and Lilman, built entirely on production from JimmyDukes, and "48 Hours" functions as the project's calling card. JimmyDukes works with a lean, focused sensibility — beats that give MCs something to move on without requiring them to work around the production. Confucious and Lilman take that framework and push each other upward, their back-and-forth rooted in a shared commitment to technical proficiency over posture. The chemistry is audible: two MCs who know exactly what the other is going to do and prepare accordingly. Short-form projects live or die by their execution, and this one doesn't waste a bar.

ethemadassassin x D.R.U.G.S. Beats "The Manual" [SINGLE]

North Carolina has maintained a consistent underground presence that rarely gets the placement it deserves in the broader conversation about regional rap scenes, and ethemadassassin is among the names that have sustained that presence over time. "The Manual" finds him working with D.R.U.G.S. Beats on a track that prioritizes directness — sharp production, high-energy framework, no wasted motion. ethemadassassin's delivery is authoritative and technically precise, the wordplay layered enough to earn repeated listening without performing its own complexity. This is a collaboration built on the understanding that craft speaks loudest when it doesn't have to announce itself.

Joffy Top Tiger x General Deezy x Ghetto Ghost x Baisley La "Love Don't Live Here" [VIDEO]

The Baisley Projects sit in Southside Queens with a specific weight in the borough's rap history, and Joffy Top Tiger operates from that address with a crew that understands what the address means. "Love Don't Live Here" builds around a sample that earns its place immediately — poignant and grounding, setting the tone for what follows. General Deezy, Ghetto Ghost, and Baisley La each bring a distinct voice and perspective, and the track works because the four don't converge into one — they stay distinct while sharing the same ground. The writing is grounded in loyalty, loss, and the specific emotional economy of life in the projects. No flash, no distance from the material. This is hip-hop as community document.

Royal Council "Clash In Cairo" [ALBUM]

 

Royal Council returns with their second album, following 2024's Gold Pyramids, and this time they work exclusively with producer Machacha to build something with greater internal consistency. The lineup of Supreme Cerebral, O The Great, and Alphabetic operates as a genuine collective voice rather than a rotation of featured rappers — the three share a conceptual framework that threads through the project without requiring each track to explain itself. Machacha's production is dusty and atmospheric, lo-fi in texture but deliberate in construction, the kind of sonic environment where Egyptian historical imagery and street-level philosophy can coexist without friction. The result is a project with its own specific gravity. Billy Bonks handles the artwork.

Jackpot Scotty Wotty "Walkin' On Sunshine" (Prod. Shaka Amazulu The 7th) [VIDEO]

Jackpot Scotty Wotty is a name that has moved through Wu-Tang lore for decades without ever fully materializing — RZA has described him as GZA's rhyme partner and the figure who originated the Park Hill style that Meth and Raekwon would later carry, and he was reportedly present at the formation of All in Together Now alongside GZA and ODB before life pulled him away from the original collective. Shaka Amazulu The 7th, the London-based producer behind Black Stone of Mecca and a significant Wu-affiliate operator in his own right, handles production and brings the same philosophy to the sonic environment: dark, architecturally deliberate, built to carry weight. "Walkin' On Sunshine" follows the Parkhill Nightmare single as the second step in what appears to be a longer narrative project. The title is the inversion — in Scotty Wotty's world, sunshine exposes rather than comforts.

Eddie Kaine x MillsSkillz "Know The Rules" [SINGLE]

Brooklyn's underground has always rewarded MCs who operate without excess — no performance for its own sake, no reach toward trends — and Eddie Kaine has spent his career working in exactly that space. "Know The Rules" pairs him with MillsSkillz on production that sits at the intersection of rugged and melodic, East Coast aesthetics handled with enough confidence that it never sounds like it's trying to prove a point about the era it draws from. Kaine's delivery has the calibration of someone who has logged the hours: every syllable in its place, the narrative grounded in experience rather than abstraction. This is craft in the service of a clear artistic identity.

CRIMEAPPLE "Blue Angel" (Prod. Preservation) [VIDEO]

Preservation operates in a production register that few others occupy — his sampling approach is genuinely avant-garde, constructing atmospheres that sit between dream states and confrontation, dense with reference while remaining immediately accessible as music. "Blue Angel" is taken from CRIMEAPPLE's album Beemer on Broadway, and the pairing continues a collaborative run that has produced some of the most formally interesting work in the current underground. CRIMEAPPLE's wordplay is sophisticated and unhurried, delivered over Preservation's haze with the ease of someone who trusts the environment completely. The visual, directed by Honey JD, extends the cinematic quality of the audio. The two together push at the edges of what underground rap can be without losing contact with what makes it rap.

CODENINE x ??? "THEFIRSTSUPPER" [ALBUM]

 

23 Incredible Industries operates as one of the more coherent underground collectives currently active — the work tends to have a consistent internal logic regardless of which names are attached. "THEFIRSTSUPPER" pairs Codenine with the unnamed Hidden Character across thirteen tracks, with production split between Boneweso, Cedar Law$, Karnate, A1Beatz, and Pagez — all mixed and mastered by Boneweso at the Mini Mansion. The result is stripped-back and visceral, the kind of project where every bar is expected to carry its weight because the production creates no cushion for loose writing. Codenine and the Hidden Character don't need the window dressing. The hunger is in the execution.

Stu Bangas & Wordsworth feat. Sage Francis & Wrekonize "Strangers" [VIDEO]

Stu Bangas builds his productions with a particular density — drums that arrive like they mean business, arrangements that don't overstay, a Boom Bap sensibility that has made him one of the more sought-after figures on the current independent circuit. "Strangers" is a single from the collaborative album "Chemistry" with Wordsworth, and it brings in Sage Francis and Wrekonize for a track that earns the word. Four MCs with meaningfully different voices and styles, placed over production that gives each of them something to work against rather than simply occupy. Wordsworth leads with his characteristic lyrical precision, and the guests contribute contrast without disrupting the track's internal logic. Available on CD and vinyl.

Taiyamo Denku "Darker Side of Light" [ALBUM]

 

Taiyamo Denku has maintained one of the more consistent underground careers out of Milwaukee, and this re-release of "Darker Side of Light" reframes the project with production reworked and rearranged by Bofaat, mixed and mastered by J. Miller at Denku's Garden Studios. The original material is preserved in spirit; what changes is the sonic architecture around it, which Bofaat reshapes into something more cohesive and directionally clear. The guest roster spans a significant cross-section of the current underground: 38 Spesh, Killah Priest, Planet Asia, Che Noir, Joell Ortiz, Big Shug, Cambatta — a lineup that works because Denku's lyrical precision can hold its own across all of those rooms. The re-release functions both as an introduction and a proper document for those who already know the name.

KOGZ "Letter of a Wordsmith" [VIDEO]

KOGZ comes out of the Australian underground with a track that strips the format down to its essentials and then executes at a high level. "Letter of a Wordsmith" is exactly what it says it is — a document of technical craft: intricate rhyme schemes, precise delivery, a flow that sustains pressure over the full duration without losing form. The production understands its role, staying understated so the lyricism can take the foreground. There's no distraction here, no attempt at novelty beyond the quality of the bars themselves. The MC tradition is alive and specific on this track, and its geography is beside the point — skill at this level speaks past any regional qualifier.

Ruc Mr QB — "Still Up"

Queensbridge is one of the few places in hip-hop with a sound so codified that it functions almost as a genre unto itself — the stark drums, the minimal arrangement, the particular weight in the MC's voice that comes from growing up around Nas, Mobb Deep, and Tragedy Khadafi. Ruc Mr QB operates inside that tradition without apology. "Still Up" is built on production that descends clearly from that lineage, and his narrative is grounded in the language of inner-city survival — loyalty, consistency, the cost of staying true. His delivery has the measured poise of someone who has lived the material rather than researched it. This is straightforward, honest street rap that functions because its foundation is solid.

Writeous Ruler x Boneweso "RULES & REGULATIONS" [VIDEO]

Boneweso is one of the more reliable names in the current underground production pool — his work runs stark and purposeful, beats that make space for the MC rather than competing for attention. "Rules & Regulations" is a pre-release single from the upcoming collaborative album "Gold Mind, Silver Tongue" via 23 Incredible Industries, and it functions exactly as a lead single should: establishing the tone without exhausting the project. Writeous Ruler's presence is commanding and focused, his delivery carrying the authority of someone who has earned the room. The chemistry between the two is grounded and specific rather than performed, the product of a genuine working relationship within the 23 Incredible Industries collective.

Ant Kelly x Jamis "FREEMY$OUL" [ALBUM]

 

Ant Kelly and Jamis build "FREEMY$OUL" around a philosophy that the production makes literal — dusty samples, laid-back rhythms, a deliberate refusal of anything polished or hurried. The project moves like a continuous session rather than a tracklist, each piece flowing from the last without urgency. Ant Kelly's bars treat the concept of freeing one's soul not as a tagline but as a genuine orientation, introspective writing that earns its tone through specificity rather than abstraction. The lo-fi aesthetic isn't a limitation here — it's the right container for the content, creating a space where the listener either settles in or moves on. Contributors Ceverely Yours and FlyG appear without disrupting the project's consistency.

James Joyce the Squatch "Pick Your Poison" [VIDEO]

There are pockets of the underground so far from any center that they operate by entirely their own logic, and James Joyce the Squatch belongs to one of them. "Pick Your Poison" is the kind of track that resists the usual reference points — the production is unconventional, the delivery doesn't follow a familiar template, and the energy shifts in ways that keep a listener off-balance in a productive sense. What's consistent is the conviction. This is music that comes from a specific place and doesn't make any effort to meet the listener halfway, which is its own kind of commitment. For those who dig into the margins of independent hip-hop, this is exactly the kind of find that makes the digging worthwhile.

Beedie & Nice Rec "b4 tha meal" [EP]

 

Four tracks is sometimes exactly the right amount. Beedie and Nice Rec don't use "b4 tha meal" to set up anything or make a statement about their range — they use it to show what happens when two collaborators are in complete alignment. Nice Rec's production leans on warm samples and drum patterns that breathe rather than push, and Beedie's writing meets that energy with a maturity that earns it: personal struggles and small victories handled with perspective, not performance. Mixed collaboratively by Big Jerm, Nice Rec, and Beedie, the project holds together as a unified piece rather than a collection of singles. In the Boom Bap framework, the human element is always the deciding factor, and here it's front and center.

LIV "In The Air" (Prod. Lou Zarra) [VIDEO]

Chur, in the canton of Graubünden, has maintained a small but genuine hip-hop scene since the mid-nineties, and Lou Zarra — operating as Lou Geniuz and running the Audioloft studio — has been one of its central figures for most of that time, his production and engineering fingerprints on a significant portion of the region's output. LIV is among the longest-standing voices in that ecosystem, and "In The Air" arrives as the lead single from the upcoming album Essenz. The production is handled entirely by Lou Zarra, who manages every element from arrangement to mastering, and the result reflects that level of investment — Boom Bap foundations with a careful attention to space and clarity that goes beyond the standard underground template. LIV's delivery is unhurried and introspective, carrying a weight that suggests the full album is being built toward something specific.

Ankhlejohn x V Don "KING, PAWN & ROOK" feat. CRIMEAPPLE [SINGLE]

V Don has established himself as one of the more distinctive voices in current underground production — his beats carry a specific atmospheric tension, expansive and claustrophobic at once, the kind of sonic environment that pushes MCs toward their best work. ankhlejohn has spent years as one of the more committed figures in the grimy East Coast revival, and his performance here matches the production in intensity and focus. CRIMEAPPLE brings a different register — effortless, almost conversational in flow, but layered in a way that earns repeated attention. Together, the three move like the title suggests: deliberate, strategic, every placement earning its position. It's a high-stakes joint that doesn't need to announce itself.

QB Rap P "Can't Leave You" [VIDEO]

Queensbridge carries a weight of expectation that few zip codes in hip-hop history can match — Nas, Mobb Deep, Tragedy Khadafi, Cormega — and every MC who comes out of those projects steps into that gravity whether they want to or not. QB Rap P has operated in that lineage with consistency, connected to figures like Beretta 9, Solomon Childs, and Planet Asia, and "Can't Leave You" is a direct statement of that affiliation. The production is built around a compelling loop with drums that land exactly where they need to — no excess, no compromise. His delivery is measured and authoritative, the approach of someone who has spent time around the real thing and understood the lesson. This is Queensbridge Boom Bap done with care and conviction.

Wolfman Jeckyll & Lord Willin' "Once Upon A Time In Crooked City" [ALBUM]

 

Crooked City is the Providence, Rhode Island duo of Wolfman Jeckyll and Lord Willin', and their second collaborative album arrives with a sharper sense of its own architecture than the first. Wolfman Jeckyll's production operates in a register that sits between late-night atmosphere and crime-film score — smoky drums, deliberate pacing, a palette that keeps everything in shadow. Lord Willin' moves through the material with precision, his lyricism grounded in street-level detail and delivered with the poise of a narrator who knows exactly which scenes to linger on and which to cut. The album functions as a cohesive audio graphic novel, building Providence into a character as much as a setting — crooked deals, contested turf, the cost of choices. Narration and guest contributions fill in the scene without disrupting the film.

Sutter Kain x Savage Souls "Brutal Nights" [VIDEO]

Sutter Kain — Queens-raised, now based in the Carolinas — has spent decades building the Ghetto Metal aesthetic from the ground up through his Never So Deep Records, a sound that cross-wires East Coast hip-hop fundamentals with the weight and menace of metalcore. "Brutal Nights" is a track from The Death Letters, the full-length collaboration with Savage Souls, which finds Sutter Kain producing while Kae G The Original Seed steps up as lead lyricist. The result is exactly what the concept demands: cinematic dread, production that arrives heavy and doesn't apologize for it, and bars that read like they were written from somewhere the light stopped reaching. It's a record that understands the Ghetto Metal framework as a genuine philosophy, not a gimmick, and executes it accordingly.

Filthy Heir "When God Turned Silent" [EP]

 

Filthy Heir is the project of Tha Soloist, a name well-established in the experimental underground for a near-relentless release pace and a production sensibility built around decay — dusty samples, textures that sound like something left out too long in the wrong weather. "When God Turned Silent" is among his more deliberately structured efforts: six tracks that don't resolve so much as accumulate. The beats feel like architecture coming apart at the joints, providing exactly the kind of haunted backdrop his introspective, often bleak lyricism requires. The sequencing resists conventional song structure in favor of emotional logic — each piece adds pressure to the one before it. It rewards patience and close listening, and it has nothing to offer anyone looking for comfort.

Sirrealist & Coyote "F.E.S." [VIDEO]

Sirrealist has spent years building one of the more quietly consistent catalogs in West Coast underground rap — his 2025 album Lotus on Rowdy Dawg Records placed him firmly among the best of that year's street rap output. "F.E.S." finds him alongside LA's Coyote over production from CortezBeatz that commits to a single temperature: cold, deliberate, unhurried. The two MCs don't try to match each other — they contrast, vocal texture against vocal texture, and the space between them is where the track lives. CortezBeatz keeps the drums purposeful and the atmosphere sealed, resisting any impulse toward decoration. It's the kind of collaboration that works because neither party is reaching — both are simply where they should be.

The Lyricists "Legacy EP" [EP]

 

The Lyricists deliver the Legacy EP — five tracks self-released on their own imprint, with features from The Gathering, Nova, and Shark the SOB. The tracklist moves through Astral Travelin', Lakes 81, Legacy, Repeat Offenders, and What Chu Wanna, spread across just over twenty minutes of runtime. The project is too recent to have accumulated a verified paper trail, so rather than speculate on background and context, it's worth noting the structure itself: a lean, five-track EP built around a crew feel, with each guest slotted on a dedicated track rather than scattered across the project. That's a disciplined approach. The title and tracklist signal a project concerned with legacy-building in the classical sense — not nostalgia performance, but the active work of constructing something that means something to your circle. No major label machinery, no marketing scaffolding — just the music. Legacy EP stands on its own terms.

Codenine x ??? "DOZIER" [VIDEO]

Codenine has been one of the most reliably excellent MCs operating out of Lynn, Massachusetts for well over a decade — a veteran of the Tragic Allies network, signed to 23 Incredible Industries, with a catalog that spans from the 2017 double-vinyl IX through last year's The Cost Of Gold with BoneWeso. His discography reads like a who's who of serious underground hip-hop: Estee Nack, Eto, Vic Spencer, Daniel Son, Lord Jah-Monte Ogbon, Bub Rock — all people who don't lend their names to projects that don't deserve them. "DOZIER" is the lead single from The First Supper, dropping tomorrow, a collaborative project with an unnamed partner tagged cryptically as @THEHIDDENCHARACTER_ — the project's reveal mechanic is part of its rollout energy. Pagez handles production, REVENXNT handles the visual. What the track confirms is that Codenine hasn't lost any of the precision that made his catalog worth tracking: the bars are dense, the delivery is measured, and nothing is wasted. Lynn doesn't always get its due in the broader Massachusetts underground conversation, but Codenine has been holding down that geography consistently, and The First Supper looks like another statement chapter.

Flee Lord & Starz Coleman "40 SHOTS" [VIDEO]

Flee Lord operates at a frequency that most rappers can't sustain — the LordMobb boss has been putting out consistent, volume-heavy work for years, his music deeply tied to the Infamous Mobb tradition of Queensbridge street lyricism taken dark and unfiltered. Everything I Never Said is his latest full-length on LordMobb, LLC, twelve tracks with producers including Ra Lee, Harry Fraud, Rox Ran, Bryan Blox, and Crisis, and guests ranging from Eto to Mickey Factz to the late Ra Lee's posthumous contributions. "40 Shots" is the album's lead single and among its hardest entries: Bryan Blox builds a saxophone-laced, noir-inflected boom-bap backdrop that has the feel of Griselda architecture built on a Queensbridge foundation — eerie, heavy, deliberate. Starz Coleman comes in with boastful, street-level verses that don't overstay their welcome, and Flee Lord delivers with the authority of a man who has never needed to announce that he's serious. The Westside Gunn-esque ad-lib energy is there, but the DNA is unmistakably New York underground in the truest sense. This is what an album sounds like when the catalog does the talking.

K.Burns x $aveMe "Before I Met The Plug EP" [EP]

 

K.Burns has been one of underground hip-hop's most reliably prolific operators for nearly two decades — BET Rap City Cypher alum, Sway in the Morning veteran, and the driving force behind Brooklyn's Team Fame GVNG collective, which he runs as both CEO and recording artist. The man dropped ten tapes last year. "Before I Met The Plug EP" is what comes after all that momentum: a deliberate six-track project with Team Fame's UK producer $aveMe, thematically centered on the period before access arrives — the years when hunger is the primary resource. The production from $aveMe is locked in and purposeful, and the features — Kaeson Skrilla from Brooklyn/Long Island, OSVN from Queens, Bear Essentials from Hempstead — map a specific geography of New York underground lineage without ever turning into a scenery exercise. This was recorded in motion and dropped quietly, which is very much the point: this isn't a statement project trying to announce something, it's the kind of tape that earns its respect over time. K.Burns has been making music with enough volume that the catalog speaks for itself, and this EP adds another clean chapter to it.

Rosco P Coldchain & Nicholas Craven "Magnesium Chloride" feat. Malcolm Kamal [VIDEO]

Rosco P Coldchain's history reads like a cautionary tale that somehow loops back into a testament. North Philadelphia, early 2000s — Pharrell signed him to Star Trak after a chance encounter at a video shoot, two memorable verses on Clipse's Lord Willin' and Hell Hath No Fury followed, and a debut album with Alchemist, DJ Premier, Timbaland, and Kanye West production sat finished and shelved when Arista folded. A few years later, he was incarcerated in connection with a fatal shooting and did 14 years. He buried his uncle, his best friend, and his younger brother while inside. When he came home in 2023, he started recording immediately. Play With Something Safe — produced entirely by Montreal's Nicholas Craven — is the first of those post-release records that sounds fully settled rather than rushed. Craven's drumless, soul-heavy loops don't compete with the narrative, they support it, and Rosco writes about the life he lived the way someone writes when there's nothing left to perform. "Magnesium Chloride," the fourth video cut from the album, brings Malcolm Kamal alongside for a track mixed and mastered by Roberto Viglione and shot by Kogan. Craven's track record — Boldy James, Mach-Hommy, Roc Marciano, Westside Gunn — means his beat selection here lands exactly where it needs to. This is an album about survival told by someone with receipts.

Benny The Butcher & Fuego Base "Like It Is" [VIDEO]

Ashes In The Safe is the project that finally gives Fuego Base a proper platform alongside BSF founder Benny The Butcher — nine tracks, 25 minutes, no wasted movement. "Like It Is" comes packaged with a short film directed by THIRDEYERAZ, and the cinematic framing fits: the production across the album leans heavily on eerie loops, heavy drums, and dark orchestral textures that push everything toward a specific atmosphere — cold, deliberate, dangerous. Benny operates with the effortless authority of a man who's been through enough to stop trying to prove anything, every verse land-weighted without being showy. What makes this project worth noting is how Fuego Base, the Connecticut emcee who's been one of BSF's quieter engines since Biggest Since Camby in 2023, rises to the occasion — he doesn't shrink into feature-mode, he controls momentum on multiple tracks. "Like It Is" specifically showcases that back-and-forth dynamic, a pitched piano sample cutting under crime narratives that move with loose, lived-in confidence. OT The Real, Rick Hyde, and Sule fill supporting roles without overcrowding. This is the Griselda-adjacent formula applied by people who built it rather than borrowed it.

Snok Brown & Mush Beats "VENTICINQUE" [EP]

 

Venice doesn't often come up in conversations about European boom bap, but Snok Brown has been holding it down there for over two decades — early work with TK Family, years with the Musou Sound collective, and a 2014 cult record Nobody Knows on Unlimited Platform that put him firmly on the map for anyone paying attention to Italian underground hip-hop outside of Milan's orbit. Venticinque is a lean, five-track EP with Mush Beats, a fellow Venetian producer, handling all production. Recorded at the BrownBread Studio in Marghera — right across the lagoon from Venice proper — with Snok managing mix and mastering duties himself, the project has an entirely self-contained feel. The production sits in a classic boom-bap framework, unhurried and confident, and the Italian-language lyricism carries a directness that doesn't need translation to communicate its intent. Five tracks, no filler, released on We Bring Bass Records. This is what regional underground hip-hop looks like when you've spent twenty years building something that actually matters to your city.

MRKBH x Rico James "House of the Almighty" [VIDEO]

MRKBH and Rico James have been building the Righteous Gemstones series with a methodical patience that feels increasingly rare in underground hip-hop — Part 1 arrived in January 2025 with Killah Priest on the roster, Part 2 followed in August with Sadat X in tow, and now Part 3 continues the run with "House of the Almighty." Rico James operates in a dark, jazz-inflected pocket, his production carrying the kind of menacing undertow that serves the project's quasi-biblical thematic weight. MRKBH's lyricism is dense and deliberate — he isn't trying to impress with velocity, but with density and precision, a bar-for-bar construction style that rewards close listening. The Indiana emcee's output on Dark Ages Music Group has been quietly consistent, and the Righteous Gemstones arc has given that consistency a narrative spine. "House of the Almighty" is the latest proof that this collaboration has legs beyond any single entry point.

Tone Chop & Frost Gamble "Gawdbrovas Connect" feat. Grea8gawd [VIDEO]

Tone Chop and Frost Gamble have been doing this a long time — basement sessions, demo tapes, an MPC60, and a bond that never fractured even when Frost relocated to Canada for a stretch. Beautiful Foundations, dropping in May through New Dawn Records, is the official monument to the years of that partnership, and "Gawdbrovas Connect" is its fourth single: a reminder of exactly what makes this duo worth paying attention to. Frost's production lands with that low-end, grimy weight he's been perfecting for years — nothing decorative, everything load-bearing. Tone Chop brings the battle-tested bars he's been sharpening since his Binghamton rap-circuit days, sharp and unhurried, the kind of delivery that doesn't need volume to land. Grea8gawd steps in from New York and keeps pace without missing a beat, trading fire rather than filling time. Turntablism remains part of the album's DNA throughout — DJ Eclipse, Pa Pa Fresh, and DJ J Smooth are all aboard for the full project. This is a single that does exactly what a fourth advance cut should: it makes you want the whole album.

Epic x Inky "Us" [VIDEO]

On "Us", the fourth and final single from Heater in My Truck II, Epic and featured guest Inky (aka Trevar Fox) provide a glimpse into who they are as individuals before claiming "the only people that we can count on is us". The “us” in this case is not only Epic and Inky but also those old school Canadian hip hop kids that grew up on Rap City in that golden age of Much Music from 1995 to 2009. The downtempo original production from Infinite Potential aka I. Peezy is boom bap heavy on jazzy piano while Trevar Fox's multi-layered remix sounds like a jazz quartet composed of drums, upright bass, piano and organ. It's still jazzy like the original but a whole lot funkier, too! And the laidback flows of the two MCs also bring a lot of chill to the vibe. Trevar Fox also directed an accompanying video that has been released with both the original and remix audio.

Kingdom Kome x RUEN "Shimmy Ye" (feat. Ill Bill & Skam2?) [SINGLE]

 

Kingdom Kome x RUEN are giving out head crack’s with new single “Shimmy Ye.” In addition to the sinister instrumental via RUEN and Kingdom Kome’s lyrical assault, microphone firepower is bolstered by guests Ill Bill and Skam2?. Speaking on the link-up Kingdom Kome said “Skam2? is family, we’ve been working on a lot of stuff recently. He made the introduction to Ill Bill and I told him to get on the track as well. It’s a BANGER.”

Watch official lyric video for “Shimmy Ye”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nm_p0iNpnGA

Listen to “Shimmy Ye” on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/track/3HkKBoZH9D9NxvO7Ke8RWw?si=Cdo0u1iUTNaDmFArrzIhcA

Listen to “Shimmy Ye” on Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/album/shimmy-ye-feat-ill-bill-skam2-single/1895301907

“Shimmy Ye” will appear on the forthcoming Kingdom Kome x RUEN album Mint Misprints (Walking With Enoch Music) to be released on May 22nd. The duo have already leaked several other singles from the album including “Bullseye!”, “No LLove” featuring the legendary D.V Alias Khrist and the tribute to Kingdom Kome’s son “Letter To My Seed.” Links to all tracks appear below.

Watch official video for “Bullseye” here: https://youtu.be/xcyoTorARa0?si=_cVKQqVkat-tdbUF

Watch official video for “No LLove”: https://youtu.be/4J248abPL40?si=-Y0LtFA1rVK-Pm23

Watch official video for “Letter To My Seed”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NfOGvIUGYY0

Speaking on the forthcoming album Kingdom Kome stated “I feel like this is our best work together. The concept of the album is beauty within the errors and flaws in art as well as in one’s life. Sometimes the more flawed the art is, the more its value appreciates.”

Kingdom Kome released five albums last year and RUEN produced a few of those, including Dirty Linens 2, the second full-length collaboration album between Kingdom Kome and Brockton, MA’s masked menace G Fam Black. RUEN also fully aced the Barrel Reserve LP, a more elegant and hazy work.

More Info: https://www.instagram.com/kingdomkome/ https://www.kingdomkomemusic.com/

Tha God Fahim & Sharp "The Blacker The Berry" [ALBUM]

01. Max Pain

02. Can’t Be Stopped

03. Marathon

04. No Brakes

05. Redemption

06. Risk N Reward

07. Cuban Linx

Young Zee x Psych Major "Brick City Let's Go!" (feat. Cutsupreme) [VIDEO]

Brick City stand-up! Lyrical legend, Young Zee returns with new single, Brick City Let’s Go! This is another collaboration between Zee and Psych Major (who produced the track) and features turntable wizardry courtesy of Cutsupreme. The track is available via all digital platforms, and an official video was also released (link below). 

 

Links to the previous Zee and Psych collaborations to manifest this year appear below. 

Listen to “Hold It Down”: https://youtu.be/HgRWZfuXzLw 

Watch official video for “Get Down” (Zee verse): https://youtu.be/uIekItgzEJg?si=uU0ctro5rw0vpqea 

Stream “Get Down” in full: https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/youngzee7/get-down-feat-psych-major-keylow-mix 

In addition to these new tracks, the two have worked together previously including Psych Major producing “Nobody Gon’ Die” for Zee’s Da Bros album (2023) and Zee appearing on two tracks on Psych’s 2023 EP The Late Starter. 

More Info: https://www.instagram.com/youngzeebars/

https://www.instagram.com/psychmajorbeats/ 

https://www.instagram.com/cutsupreme1/

DJ Mirage & Loui$ Menace "Bass Out The Fortress" (feat. Eto, Flee Lord & AZ) [SINGLE]

Just eight months after the release of his debut album "Background Check," DJ Mirage is already back with a brand new project. This time, he joins forces with producer Loui$ Menace for a raw, gritty and brutally uncompromising underground rap album.The first taste of the project arrives with the new single "Bass Out The Fortress" featuring an all-star lineup of Eto, Flee Lord and AZ. The track is now available on all streaming platforms and sets the tone for what promises to be one of the hardest underground releases of the year.

The full album "Darius" is scheduled for release in May and will also feature appearances from Hus Kingpin, Daniel Son, XP The Marxman, Big Twins, G Fam Black, Reek Osama, Jae Hussle, Jamal Gasol and many more and will be available on all DSPs as well as on vinyl.

Skinny Bonez Tha Godfatha "Lion of Shakya" [ALBUM]

Dutch producer Skinny Bonez Tha Godfatha releases his seventh full length international producer album ‘Lion of Shakya’.

This 20-track album features established heavyweight MCs from the underground hip hop scene, who deliver a range from hardcore boom bap, to soulful tracks, to introspective tracks.

This blend of different vibes is becoming a trademark on the producer albums by Skinny Bonez Tha Godfatha.

The ‘Lion of Shakya’ represents strength, wisdom, leadership, and the ability to overcome obstacles.

These are trades that the Dutch producer tries to apply to his daily life, and as a musician.

Rod Wallace "Regalia" [ALBUM]

01. Prologue

02. The Sun Gets In Your Eyes feat. Quan Neloms

03. I Can Deal With That

04. Busy Body feat. DJ Clark Da Spark

05. Oculus

06. Regalia

07. Can't Make It Up

08. His Hands feat. Quan Neloms

09. Dawn feat. Chill Place & Jacob Carter

10. Goodies feat. Mr. P-Dro & Dave Colder

11. Mixed Messages

12. Recondo feat. LI Tha Don & D'EtNam

13. Let The Trumpets Blow

14. Faith feat. Mama Sol

15. Hear Me Out feat. Queso Tone & Zanyé

16. Outer Heaven (Epilogue)

This album is a primary artifact of an academic research project. Its core purpose is to document, preserve, and analyze the cultural narratives, lived experiences, and socio-economic information pertinent to middle-aged Black men in America. The use of any copyrighted material (such as audio samples, news clips, or cultural references) is strictly for educational and transformative purposes. It serves to provide social commentary and historical context that adds new meaning and insights to the original works within a scholarly framework.

Regalia is a non-profit, educational endeavor. While the medium is a musical album, its function is that of a scholarly report and ethnographic study. The project prioritizes factual and cultural documentation over commercial marketability, utilizing the hip-hop medium as a pedagogical tool to reach its target demographic and the broader academic community.

Any copyrighted material incorporated into Regalia is used in limited, specific portions necessary to facilitate the research objectives. Great care has been taken to ensure that no more of a source work is used than is required to convey the intended cultural or social critique, thereby respecting the "heart" of original compositions while establishing a new, distinct creative identity.

This work does not intend to, nor does it, substitute for the original market of any sampled material. As an academic project focused on a niche sociological demographic (middle-aged Black male educators), it occupies a separate market space from the original copyright holders. The dissemination of this album is intended to foster public discourse and academic scholarship, which traditionally increases the cultural value of referenced works rather than detracting from their commercial potential.

Curren$y, Wiz Khalifa & Harry Fraud "Roofless Records For Drop Tops: Disc 2" [ALBUM]

 A big release by three of the biggest names in the game: Curren$y, Wiz Khalifa, and Harry Fraud. You know these guys' pedigree, so you should know what to expect!

Vado x Strictly Business & Tha Trinity "Yeah Ha" (feat. Dave East) [VIDEO]

New visual video from Vado "Yeah Ha" featuring Dave East. Produced by Strictly Business & Tha Trinity. Available on https://lnk.site/1/yeahha

Casual "Whatever They Like" [VIDEO]

New music video from Casual, from his latest project, "Black Magic".

Available on all streaming platforms.

Action Bronson x Daringer "TRICERATOPS" (feat. Lil Yachty & Paul Wall) [VIDEO]

Action Bronson & Daringer drops de new video "TRICERATOPS" featuring Lil Yachty & Paul Wall.

Available on All Streaming Platforms!

Chip Fu "Have Mercy" (feat. Busta Rhymes) [SINGLE]

Chip Fu is back for the new single "Have Mercy" featuring the great Busta Rhymes.

Available on All Streaming Platforms!

Kail Problems "Rafiq Bennett" (feat. DJ Hoppa) [SINGLE]

"Rafiq Bennett" is a deeply introspective and emotionally driven record, bringing together Kail Problems and Grieves over DJ Hoppa’s soulful, cinematic production. The track leans into storytelling and reflection, delivering heartfelt verses that carry weight and purpose. With its raw honesty and layered depth, *Rafiq Bennett* is a perfect fit for playlists focused on conscious hip-hop, emotional rap, and meaningful lyricism that connects beyond the surface.

Erv100 x Blaq Medici "Super Soniq" [ALBUM]

 01. Soniq Pimpin’

02. Rapid Fire feat. Reek Osama & William Bostick

03. Galaxy Raps

04. Slow Motion

05. Living In The Clouds feat. King Adroit

06. Gotta Stay Paid

07. LifeStyle

SUPER SONIQ is the second collaboration from Virginia rapper ERV100 and UK producer BLAQ MEDICI, a follow-up to 2024's "Really Different".

This record leans even further into the retro vibes of the first, as Blaq Medici provides 7 cinematic space jazz cuts for Erv to riff over, with features from REEK OSAMA, WILLIAM BOSTICK and KING ADROIT.

Vinyls, Boxsets, CDs 22nd April via www.MAISONDEFUNK.com

KESS (THE MC) x WILLIAM BOSTICK "DOUBLE AGENT" [SINGLE]

KESS (THE MC) drops the new single "DOUBLE AGENT." Production by WILLIAM BOSTICK.

Available on all streaming platforms!

Jus One x Vacant Dreams "Deviant Or The Saint" [SINGLE]

Jus One & Vacant Dreams are back for "Deviant Or The Saint" Available on Bandcamp!

Ziz "STiiiL Ziz" [SINGLE]

"STiiiL Ziz" is a new single from Ziz produced by himself. Available on Bandcamp!

Smoke DZA x DJ Muggs "Harley Race" (feat. Premo Rice) [SINGLE]

 Smoke DZA & DJ Muggs drops "Harley Race" featuring Premo Rice.

Available on All Streaming Platforms!

Grafh x 38 Spesh "Word Up Son" [SINGLE]

 Grafh & 38 Spesh releases the new single "Word Up Son." Available on All Streaming Platforms!