Robb Bank$ ft. Sir Michael Rocks, Shorty K & Boldy James - Top Shottas 2K25
(From the internet; 2025)
Top notch posse cut belonging to Shaggy's son Robb Bank$. Everybody did their thing and sounded cognizant of each other’s presence over a beat which is effervescently effective. Personally, I'm pretending this is a sequel to Too $hort Back which was recorded for Boldy James' first album.
Seiji Oda ft. Iamsu - HUU!
(From HUU! single; 2025)
That's four hot singles in a row from Seiji Oda: A Gentle Gigg, Last Summer, Peaceful 2 and this new HUU! joint. The kid is back and cooking with Slap-Classico gas again. Someone call up Tariq Nasheed & his FBA cult and tell them Oakland Rap is now a 50% AZN genre.
Iamsu would have won the Worst Rapper's Trousers of February™ award if it weren't for Kendrick Lamar's superbowl flares. Finding the ugliest trousers in the world is now the first element of Hip-Hop kulcha.
Juvenile ft. Mannie Fresh - Party
(From 400 Degreez deluxe reissue album; 2024/YouTube; 2025)
I completely missed last year's deluxe reissue of 400 Degreez featuring a new Juvenile & Mannie Fresh song which sounds exactly how I want a new Juve & Mannietronix song to sound (like an old Juve & Mannietronix song, but not quite.) Luckily it's they've just dropped a video for that very song where Juve & Mannie dreamt of Californication.
Juve definitely missed a trick by not including 187 and Cash Money Gorilla on the 400 Degreez deluxe reissue.
PS: is Skip's verse on the Nolia Clap remix one of the most amusingly violent verses ever on an actual hit single?
"If I catch you on my porch, you gon' die by that
Right there by them leaves, go & lie by that
Right side of that dog doodoo, you gon' dry like that!"
"Shooter and the driver at the end of the day
Because I had to learn both like it's MMA"
Ezale - Can U Blame Me
(From Town Taxes mini album; 2025)
The cool thing about this new Ezale mini album is that every song is a single - literally since he's shot videos for all nine songs. Ezale videos always draw a vivid picture but the industry makes it hard for him to shoot for the stars. MC Ez' put his daughter in Ezekiel's Bakery as his video co-star like she's Willow Smith. To all you rapper's offspring out there who wanna be on a record label where you're all in the videos cookin'... sweepin'... then go to Foreal Foreal Entertainment! Like I said before, Can U Blame Me is the most DJ Fresh soundin' ass song which wasn't actually produced by DJ Fresh. Pure ToNHTe Show-core which uses some 80s Boogie to recreate the warm glow of MDMA.
The one thing this Town Taxes MLP does lack is a heartfelt jam in the vein of In A Day. Ideally, it woulda been a tribute to Ezale's dearly-departed DJ/best M8 HawkBeatz.
Richie Rich - Wires And Vogues
(From Richard album; 2025)
I've been fiendin' for a new legit choon by Richie Rich after his verse on LARussell & P-Lo's shit, his "rhyme away the pain" incident in LaRussel's backyard and his Splash Bakery live performance. Plz believe Wires And Vogues here will do just nicely as that new legit choon. A grown man's car jam where Richie reflects on life in the rear view mirror. One thing Richie Rich has always had a knack for is rhyming about cars and making them sound like the coolest shit in the world; no mean feat because there's nowt more boring in real world conversation than a bloke telling you about his car. That's the magic of Rap music innit.
Mello Buckzz ft. Monaleo - Move Pt. 2
(From Move Pt. 2 single; 2025)
Two of my favourite singles of the past five years are Move by Mello Buckzz and We Not Humping by Monaleo. Both songs are my ideal standard for modern Rap singles: high BPM big choonz full of big shit talk. And so it makes perfect sense that Monaleo should be the guest for the remix to Mello's Move. Most modern remixes bring out my John Self and have me thinking "what is the point of you?", but, much like the We Not Humping remix with Flo Milli, you can jam the original Move and the remix back-to-back like late buses. Props to Monaleo for selling that "if you scared, bitch, call ya mom because I'm The Bomb.com" with the sheer chutzpah of a Lyricist Lounge rapper in 1998.
Bonus beats: this Mello single from last year has really grown on me. Back when it first dropped I listened to it a few times and thought it was cool. But now I stay spinnin' this shit like a CD. This shit should be retitled Brrr.. BD because it's some Chicago street-Rap that's colder than no clothes in some place like Nova Scotia.
Even when Mello drops a single 4 the streetz she still keeps the video packed with more arses than the women's toilets in M&S. Pray 4 those old dears with weak bladders waiting in the snaking queues for the M&S bogs.
Related golden-era white boi rapper thoughts: I heard David Bowie & Queen's Under Pressure in full for the first time ever the other day and was flabbergasted at how unlistenable it is other than the intro break. In hindsight, I shouldn't have been so surprised because Bowie and Queen are two of the worst offenders for middle-class British stageschool music. Hearing that bag of shite song in full only makes me appreciate Ice Ice Baby even more than I already do.
Obligatory wrap-up post of those songs I've played most during the month when Lord Jamar became Brand Nubian's answer to Russell Brand. It's always hilarious to see a conspiracy-theorist grifting windbag get utterly humiliated. The elephant in the room is that Lord Jamar is now Donkey of The Day for the rest of his life.
Bonus bloggin: 1nce again I'm gonna use my monthly wrap-up post to keep track of the best movies and TV shows I've been watching. * indicates rewatches dunnit.
PS: that Tweaker is pretty cool as a legit hit because it sounds like Maine Musik made a Nelly song. BUT I'm already sick of hearing it in 7 out of 10 Instagram stories.
Ezale - Hang Wit' Them
(From Town Taxes mini album; 2025)
Yeah, my best of Ezale playlist is cool, but how about Ezale droppin' a 9 song mini album which contains all his comeback singles plus some new songs? I've been waitin' on Hang Wit Themsince last summer and this shit delivered the hella hyphy dirtbag Charlie Hustle vybz I was hoping for.
What are the chances this Ezale mini LP will get a physical release? When I say physical release, I mean a CD which costs less than £20, not some coloured raer vinylz LP which costs £60 and you only have a 12 minute window of opportunity to buy.
Discovered via Noz's 2024 wrap up. DCG x2 goin' back-and-forth like EPMD over Keezo Kane's Ga Ga Ga. Big two-steppin', shit will turn ya feet into lethal weapons. If the DCG bruvs fancy some future tag-teaming over some Chicago dance shit which samples James Brown then may I recommend Cajmere's So Happy.
Let's talk favourite Chicago Rap songs with James Brown & affiliated artist samples. I got these 5 on it.