Hip Hop May Selection

The flair and originality of the Lynn (Massachusetts) rapper with Dominican origins Estee Nack, met the vision, as usual brilliant, of Griselda Records patron, Westside Gunn, who curated the artistic direction. Anyone who is in tune with the US underground scene and our pages already knows the extraordinary qualities of Estee Nack, who manages, with sharp, sometimes ironic rhymes, and a more unique than rare style, to unite different languages and worlds: from the Caribbean culture influences, to the philosophical teachings of the 5 percenters, passing through the street codes. This melting pot of influences and contents, combined with an unconventional voice and flow, make, in our opinion, the Rap of “Nack” one of the most interesting things in the US rap industry at the moment. Westside Gunn’s artistic direction for the album adds that extra touch to Lynn’s rapper’s talents, providing him with Griselda Records-style beats, greater attention to details and even throwing in some Wrestling-related elements, as demonstrated by the beautiful cover designed by Sam Evans.

We have already warned you about the crazy talent of BoriRock, another guy with Central American origins ( it’s not a case he’s from Boston not too far from Estee Nack and Al.Divino base in Lynn) with a very interesting interview from the beginning of this year (which you can read here). Now, however, confirmations and recognitions are starting to pour in for the Boston rapper. Starting from his latest project, entitled “Wavy Bullet” (produced entirely, in our opinion, by one of the best producers of the US underground scene at the moment, Grubby Pawz) which, we are already certain, will be among our favorite projects of 2023. To confirm our good premonitions also comes the publicly cosign received by Borirock, no less than by Westside Gunn himself, who took the stage during the live show to present the album. The leader of the new American underground scene, he rarely goes out of balance like this and when he does, he’s never wrong.

Texas rapper All Hail Y.T. finally returns with a new project entirely produced by Observe Since ’98, a producer from Wisconsin, who managed to intercept the vibrations and atmospheres that have distinguished the Texan rapper in the past, but giving this album a personal and fresh touch. The All Hail Y.T.  flow and the instrumentals of Observe Since, in fact, make the sound of this project, Ill Gotten Gains, perfectly homogeneous and highly enjoyable, above all, on a sunny day, sipping maybe a good glass of white wine, while the Texan rapper’s motivational rhymes make you ponder the successes and failures of life.

Those who have followed Conway The Machine‘s epic journey up to now have always wondered what the Buffalo rapper’s next step would have been as, among the members of Griselda Records, The Machine has always followed the least linear and most unpredictable path. When you least expect it, it can suddenly change register, take an unexpected path, following his instincts in every choice. In fact, if his brother WestsideGunn has always been the fine strategist and his cousin Benny The Butcher, the born hustler, Conway is the one who, in our opinion, most of all lets himself be guided by his heart both in his own stylistic and strategic choices. The content of his music also proves it. In fact, often, in addition to experiencing the versatility of his skills, it is not uncommon for Conway to vent his emotions and open up to intimate confessions in his songs. In Won’t He Do It, his latest project born under the Drumwork mold, he demonstrates all the different aspects of his style and repertoire, also returning to Daringer productions, and he expresses the different sides of his personality, giving us an overview 360 degrees of his complexity as an artist and as a person.

Few pens in Italy can count the prestige, authority, weight and credibility of that of NTO’, 1/2 of what was the most impactful duo in the recent history of Italian rap, the Co’Sang. Since the historic duo broke up, NTO’ has continued his musical journey, making coherence his flag and creating Stirpe Nova his own record label too, an independent label from the corrupt and drugged logic of the Italian rap industry. Through Stirpe Nova, NTO’ also highlights other talents and authentic stories from Naples and its suburbs, such as Baloo, a rapper from West Naples that we had the pleasure of interviewing some time ago, and with whom he decided to create this project, titled ROYALTY. ROYALTY is not only a project of raw poetry, but it is the manifesto of the Stirpe Nova movement vision about reality and music that NTO’ and his fellas, such as Baloo, have.

Few young Italian talents have managed to capture our attention as Less Torrance did in this Fountain Of Youth, his first solo album, under the Santa Sede collective umbrella. A well-studied street lyricism, but spontaneous and authentic, that follows on raw and dirty beats the imaginary of the new American underground “wave” in its local best fashion. The rhymes of Less Torrance represent, in our view, the link between the Milanese rap from the  ‘00 school, based on stylistic research and the arrogance of street rap, like that of the first Club Dogo, with the freshness and contemporary of the new generations. For the future, we are betting on this kid and his acolytes of the Santa Sede collective.