Feb 5, 2021 Is probably the last thing you hear before somebody tries to put you on artists like ssgkobe and SoFaygo, who once again found a solid listenership through the miracle that is Soundcloud. But are these artists really special or are they just the chosen icons of the current "I'm different than the rest" fraction? I guess I have to weigh in on this polarizing matter of highest political dispute and give my honest opinion on this new generation of rising soundcloud stars. Feel free to join the discussion! By the way is @Hypebeasts the right group to tag for this kind of stuff? Or is it actually time for awhellnoSXN as my boy @Fire Squad once pointed out? Well anyways, I'm starting with ssgkobe: Spoiler The first time I've ever came across ssgkobe, was when a facebook site called Fresh: Hip Hop & RnB, was promoting him, more specifically his Mixtape M3. Let's just say it didn't click with me. Matter of fact I pretty much forgot about it until Kaash Paige's last years album Teenage Fever, that I've religiously listened to. Who's that featured on track 4 Soul Ties? Right, ssgkobe. Soul Ties happened to be one of my favorites off that album, so I decided to check this kid out. And to my surprise, upon looking at his soundcloud I remembered my short encounter with him in the past. Relistening to M3, I've realised that my first impression still stands. But what I didn't know back then: ssgkobe was only 15 during the release of this project. Not impressive, since the incredible reign of Chief Keef but still: people grow, and so does their music. And what can I say: His recent s--- sounds way better. He has developed an ear for catchy melodies and his flow is something that can definitely be highlighted. Does he bring anything new to the table, that makes him stand out against current spotlight favored and Internet Money backed up artists like Lil Tecca? Not at all. Not knowing ssgkobe wouldn't result in some kind of shortfall in you musical horizon. Nonetheless, he's a kid who makes good, enjoyable music and there is nothing wrong in pointing that out and trying to put other people on him. Just don't be an a--- about it.
Feb 5, 2021 #awhellnoHIVE I knew you'd be up on ssgkobe, I discovered him recently from FNF, that hook just got me. havent heard anything else he's dropped, excpet for his latest single, definitley got big potential.
Feb 5, 2021 d--- first track slaps Also tried to join Hypebeasts but I get an error saying I don't have permission and s---!
Feb 5, 2021 I think you gotta do it like this: Mention Groups --> scroll to Hypebeasts --> Join, incase you tried to directly click on the tag in the thread
Feb 7, 2021 SoFaygo Spoiler SoFaygo was mentioned quite often in the Twittersphere for being one of those underground artists that are bound to succeed. His song Off The Map is blowing up right now and was also my proper introduction to him. Yeah it's one of the most blatant Carti clone songs I've heard so far (the video and the exact same outfit like Cartis cancun snippet one made it even worse) but holy s---: it still bangs. Naturally I've had to take a deep dive into his earlier discography and I gotta say: I'm not sold. He's a lil bit Durk here mixed with a lil bit Carti there but his own personality and style doesn't really come to surface. I mean this combination is a foolproof formula. He has some catchy songs that I would listen and bop my head to, but there is nothing that justifies all the praise he gets. He lacks the distinctiveness of say TyFontaine but eventually he might find his lane. Nevertheless a save bet if you like this type of style.
Feb 7, 2021 d---, Off the Map is pretty good. You're right though he mostly seems like a halfway point between Durk and Carti, needs to develop his own sound more. Still, mad potential.
Feb 14, 2021 Dro Kenji Spoiler My first thought listening to Dro was: Man, I miss Juice Wrld. Not surprisingly, from beat selection to Internet Money signee, one can find many similarities between the late rapper and Dro Kenji. He's definitely going down the mainstream route and makes some good sounding tunes but once again, I miss the freshness that the underground scene used to deliver. Just like Faygo and ssgkobe, he's another poster child of the former, bound to blow up soon. His sound is polished and upon second listen his voice doesn't sound like Juice Wrld at all. Quite the contrary even: You might recognize a Dro Kenji song just based on his voice, an attribute which shouldn't be undervalued. Still, he doesn't bring a fresh breath of air to the rap game, as some people on Twitter claim. His songs just stick to the familiar formula way too much, to be able to accomplish this. If you wanna check out Dro: Tears and Pistols and Race Me To h--- are nonetheless enjoyable projects. @Hypebeasts
Feb 21, 2021 Lancey Foux Spoiler East Londons Lancey Foux is currently on a path bound to succeed. From making music in his bedroom and freestyling over youtube beats in 2015 to releasing his most successful album to date Friend Or Foux in 2019, Lancey doesn't seem to stop anytime soon. From all the underground artists I've reviewed, this one's my personal favorite. With Playboi Carti as an obvious influence, Lancey still manages to distinct himself and develop his own sound. Being the support act on Skeptas europe tour certainly helped him gain more attention. He still dwelves in the spheres of underground rap music, since his jump to mainstream hasn't happened yet. Selling out his first headline show after Friend Or Foux dropped and modelling for certain brands are only indicators for what is yet to come. I definitely have high hopes for him. Check out Friend Or Foux before his new album Life In h--- drops. @Hypebeasts
Mar 20, 2021 Weiland Spoiler Weiland is starting to become another upcoming household name when it comes to melodic underground rap, with an ever growing fanbase. You might have seen him posing with comically large guns like rocket launchers on social media but there is much more to him than just an online persona. His music can be considered as a part of the genre, I'd personally like to call 'Hypertrap', with ethereal instrumentals, autotune and other vocal effects, but he seemed to make a more mainstream approach with his latest self titled album Weiland. On there he also manged to work with one of his influences, Chief Keef, on the track Haha, which is my favorite cut from the album. Once again, his music isn't revolutionizing the genre, but I can see the appeal he has. I personally really enjoyed Weiland and I'd suggest using this album as your starting point, since it's his most fleshed out piece of work yet. @Hypebeasts
Mar 24, 2021 The last time someone told me that I ended up discovering Danny Brown and Acid Rap so I can't complain. But times have changed and I'm not even sure what's considered "underground" anymore since the Internet and social media has changed everything about music.
