It’s been a while, but Happy New Year all. A bit more ‘roadman rap’ from across the pond this year than I’m typically accustomed to but Martorialist might enjoy the Arsenal shout-out in my #1 song… there’s even a non-rap song or two…
Came for the Icewear Vezzo, stayed for the Smiley.
Brand new banger from this unexpected pairing. The Steveo beat goes super hard too. This is the type of song that makes me want to fire in a $1000 parlay on a sport I don’t even follow.
Smiley snaps on this. While a couple of bars fell kind of flat, most of them were fire and the flow/overall presence was captivating. Bro has that supervillain aura going.
“Shout out B cause he gave my first handgun, I was in the trap when I made my first anthem”
“They tried to give my nigga life like he an animal, the worst part about a raid they take your valuables”
Favorite song off the new Boldy album. Just Boldy doing Boldy things. Dude never stops working.
Something about this beat is just haunting with his flow over it and I have no idea what this “Living on the road, my friend” sample is, sounds like an old blues singer or something, but it goes crazy.
“I remember putting 10 in the tank, now a nigga got a M in the bank”
“Before I ever touched a letter H a nigga been a G”
“Creature gang we want all the smoke like a chimney”
“23 with the step ladder, I ain’t really with the chit chatter, stashed 60 in my bitch crib hid it in an empty box of Ritz crackers…”
“3 spots off of Carlyle selling re-rock in them jar vials, youngest son he a star child rocking Burberry but it’s argyle”
As a side note I love the artwork for this album cover.
I didn’t have a track entitled “Sfogliatelle” on my 2024 bingo card but I love the title.
Feeling all the DJ tags too, feel like I’m listening to an old gangsta grillz mixtape but if DJ Drama was a pill-popping zoomer, appreciate the overall intensity
P.S. I do not endorse or use prescription drugs but song goes hard
We’re still out here. Happy holidays and a healthy and prosperous New Year to all my vatos on here.
I didn’t listen to as much new music as usual this year, I listened to a lot of old music and didn’t really post that much this year as I would have liked to, but there was still plenty to be thankful for. The Boldy James album was probably my favorite/most listened to album of the year. I also liked the Young Nudy food-themed album a lot.
I don’t know if leaks should be included on a year-end like this but I really like a lot of the leaks from the new Kanye album. I was never into Kanye when he was at the height of his popularity but I’ve found him more intriguing after he took his heel turn and also feel like his music has become more interesting/compelling, 3-4 leaks from his Vultures album with Ty Dolla $ign all warrant a spot here; the hook and Freddie Gibbs verse on Back to Me are fire. He’s still pretty hit or miss for me, but when he hits they hit hard.
The Lil Yachty album was about as strange as one would expect but I really liked ‘The Ride’ and found myself singing the hook in my head a lot. Yachty also makes another appearance here for his cameo on the Veeze album, which has a few entries here.
I continued to listen to a lot of Detroit/Flint/Milwaukee rap, with SME Taxfree probably being my favorite of the year, with literally like seven projects, my favorite being Standin on Bidness.
Carti’s 2024 is an absolute banger I love the aesthetic of it and it’s a fun song to blast in the car.
Lastly, it was good to see Max B keeping his head up and continuing to release gems, literally turning lemons to lemonade
Boldy continues to strenghten his grip as one of the best rappers in the game right now. This guy released about four albums last year so I wasn’t expecting another full-length project from him so early in 2023, but Indiana Jones has been a pleasant surprise and Electric Blue is my favorite song off it. It seems like Boldy’s recent MO has been releasing entire albums with one producer, like last year’s projects with Nicholas Craven, Cuns, Futurewave, and Real Bad Man. This project continues that trend as all of the tracks are produced by RichGains.
I don’t know what the fuzzy sounding sample here is (or if that’s who Jonathan Chapman is) but it’s got me feeling wavy and Boldy sounds dope rapping over it. Almost sounds like it could be taken from some 80s new wave joint or even some 2000s emo but I have a terrible ear for this kind of thing so I could be way off the mark.
Boldy is apparently recovering from a broken neck and in the hospital after a car accident so hopefully the Big Creature rests up and gets back on his feet soon.
“City of Detroit like a wrecking ball, pick your drug of choice I can sell them all”
The second verse has to have what’s already become one of my all-time favorite sequences…
“Me and Streets we some dog fighters, turned a half a key to a masterpiece, remember that was me pulling all nighters. On a hell block had to peddle white, selling yay where every day was devil’s night.”
Steve Da Stoner, Lil V, Mook G, Mack Daddy Gorjis, ABM Keke, Big 4, J Clay, Richkid Avery, Rubberband Bootsy, Big Jay, Baby Montana – Still Champions Cypher
PINK CHARDONNAY 