CRT FRSH
HipHopWired Featured Video
CRT FRSH, Hip-Hop Wired’s playlist where we showcase music that we believe is “Certified Fresh,” is back again! With our latest update this week, we’ve added some songs you should know and other joints you need to know, so let’s get into it.
The CRT FRSH playlist is a labor of love. We don’t take payments, nor do we do favors. We only add joints to our playlist that fit the theme and vision we’re going for and don’t seek to waste the listener’s time. Further, we don’t stick to one lane of Hip-Hop. We believe that all aspects of the music should get some light, whether it’s young lions in the trenches or those hoping for that one shot to blow up to grizzled veterans puffing out their chests with lots more to say.
I want to explain how I approach curating the CRT FRSH playlist. Most importantly, I don’t segregate my Hip-Hop. Every form of music from the main cultural tree deserves a listen and a look. When I construct the playlist, I want to include all regions across the States and, when applicable, across the globe. I also want to entertain every fan of Hip-Hop, not just those who enjoy one segment of it. Now that we’ve got that out of the way, let’s get to it. — D.L. Chandler, lead curator for CRT FRSH
Welcome back to CRT FRSH, a collection of songs we feel should be on your radar if they aren’t already. With this week’s update, we did our best to put together a playlist that showcases the wide scope of great Hip-Hop music, although we’re sure to have missed some drops.
We open up the playlist with Mozzy’s “WHO WANT WAR” with a guest feature from Polo G, appearing on the Sacramento rapper’s new INTRUSIVE THOUGHTS album. CRT FRSH favorite Raz Fresco links again with Futurewave for their excellent Stadium Lo Champions album, and the track “Cyanide” is one of our top joints.
“Danger Danger” is a new track from Swizz Beatz from the Godfather of Harlem Season 4 original soundtrack, featuring verses from Jadakiss and Pusha T on the closeout. Mathematics, the longtime DJ and producer with the Wu-Tang Clan, delivered his new album Black Samon, the Bastard Swordsman, and the track “Mandingo” is a classic Wu banger featuring Raekwon, Inspectah Deck, Method Man, and a stong anchor verse from Cappadona.
From The Private Selection of Saba and No ID could very well end up being the album of the year for many, and “30seccchop” featuring Joseph Chilliams and a strong performance from Jane Deaux is just one of the heaters from the project. Ray Vaughn, one of Top Dawg Entertainment’s newest signees, delivered his new mixtape, The Good The Bad The Dollar Menu, and “EAST CHATT” features fellow TDE artist, Isaiah Rashad.
Salute to Young Thug, Future, Jack Harlow, Doja Cat, Half-Empty, Partly Vacant, SALIMATA, Khadijat, Larry June, 2 Chainz, The Alchemist, KenTheMan, Niontay, MAVI, Sideshow, Shoreline Mafia, Boldy James, V Don, Wiz Khalifa, DJ Quik, Domo Genesis, Smoke DZA, Dough Networkz, Graymatter, Coyote, Ab-Soul, Python P, 2 Eleven, Low The Great, MOLIY, Silent Addy, Skillibeng, Shenseea, LaRussell, Busta Rhymes, and Mike G Beatz.
Check out out in two more weeks for our next update. If you wish to be CONSIDERED for inclusion, email D.L. Chandler at: dchandler@bhmdigital.com.
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Photo: Getty
HipHopWired Featured Video
CRT FRSH, Hip-Hop Wired’s playlist where we showcase music that we believe is “Certified Fresh,” is back again! With our latest update this week, we’ve added some songs you should know and other joints you need to know, so let’s get into it.
The CRT FRSH playlist is a labor of love. We don’t take payments, nor do we do favors. We only add joints to our playlist that fit the theme and vision we’re going for and don’t seek to waste the listener’s time. Further, we don’t stick to one lane of Hip-Hop. We believe that all aspects of the music should get some light, whether it’s young lions in the trenches or those hoping for that one shot to blow up to grizzled veterans puffing out their chests with lots more to say.
I want to explain how I approach curating the CRT FRSH playlist. Most importantly, I don’t segregate my Hip-Hop. Every form of music from the main cultural tree deserves a listen and a look. When I construct the playlist, I want to include all regions across the States and, when applicable, across the globe. I also want to entertain every fan of Hip-Hop, not just those who enjoy one segment of it. Now that we’ve got that out of the way, let’s get to it. — D.L. Chandler, lead curator for CRT FRSH
Welcome back to CRT FRSH, a collection of songs we feel should be on your radar if they aren’t already. With this week’s update, we did our best to put together a playlist that showcases the wide scope of great Hip-Hop music, although we’re sure to have missed some drops.
We open up the playlist with Mozzy’s “WHO WANT WAR” with a guest feature from Polo G, appearing on the Sacramento rapper’s new INTRUSIVE THOUGHTS album. CRT FRSH favorite Raz Fresco links again with Futurewave for their excellent Stadium Lo Champions album, and the track “Cyanide” is one of our top joints.
“Danger Danger” is a new track from Swizz Beatz from the Godfather of Harlem Season 4 original soundtrack, featuring verses from Jadakiss and Pusha T on the closeout. Mathematics, the longtime DJ and producer with the Wu-Tang Clan, delivered his new album Black Samon, the Bastard Swordsman, and the track “Mandingo” is a classic Wu banger featuring Raekwon, Inspectah Deck, Method Man, and a stong anchor verse from Cappadona.
From The Private Selection of Saba and No ID could very well end up being the album of the year for many, and “30seccchop” featuring Joseph Chilliams and a strong performance from Jane Deaux is just one of the heaters from the project. Ray Vaughn, one of Top Dawg Entertainment’s newest signees, delivered his new mixtape, The Good The Bad The Dollar Menu, and “EAST CHATT” features fellow TDE artist, Isaiah Rashad.
Salute to Young Thug, Future, Jack Harlow, Doja Cat, Half-Empty, Partly Vacant, SALIMATA, Khadijat, Larry June, 2 Chainz, The Alchemist, KenTheMan, Niontay, MAVI, Sideshow, Shoreline Mafia, Boldy James, V Don, Wiz Khalifa, DJ Quik, Domo Genesis, Smoke DZA, Dough Networkz, Graymatter, Coyote, Ab-Soul, Python P, 2 Eleven, Low The Great, MOLIY, Silent Addy, Skillibeng, Shenseea, LaRussell, Busta Rhymes, and Mike G Beatz.
Check out out in two more weeks for our next update. If you wish to be CONSIDERED for inclusion, email D.L. Chandler at: dchandler@bhmdigital.com.
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Photo: Getty
HipHopWired Featured Video
CRT FRSH, Hip-Hop Wired’s playlist where we showcase music that we believe is “Certified Fresh,” is back again! With our latest update this week, we’ve added some songs you should know and other joints you need to know, so let’s get into it.
The CRT FRSH playlist is a labor of love. We don’t take payments, nor do we do favors. We only add joints to our playlist that fit the theme and vision we’re going for and don’t seek to waste the listener’s time. Further, we don’t stick to one lane of Hip-Hop. We believe that all aspects of the music should get some light, whether it’s young lions in the trenches or those hoping for that one shot to blow up to grizzled veterans puffing out their chests with lots more to say.
I want to explain how I approach curating the CRT FRSH playlist. Most importantly, I don’t segregate my Hip-Hop. Every form of music from the main cultural tree deserves a listen and a look. When I construct the playlist, I want to include all regions across the States and, when applicable, across the globe. I also want to entertain every fan of Hip-Hop, not just those who enjoy one segment of it. Now that we’ve got that out of the way, let’s get to it. — D.L. Chandler, lead curator for CRT FRSH
Welcome back to CRT FRSH, a collection of songs we feel should be on your radar if they aren’t already. With this week’s update, we did our best to put together a playlist that showcases the wide scope of great Hip-Hop music, although we’re sure to have missed some drops.
We open up the playlist with Mozzy’s “WHO WANT WAR” with a guest feature from Polo G, appearing on the Sacramento rapper’s new INTRUSIVE THOUGHTS album. CRT FRSH favorite Raz Fresco links again with Futurewave for their excellent Stadium Lo Champions album, and the track “Cyanide” is one of our top joints.
“Danger Danger” is a new track from Swizz Beatz from the Godfather of Harlem Season 4 original soundtrack, featuring verses from Jadakiss and Pusha T on the closeout. Mathematics, the longtime DJ and producer with the Wu-Tang Clan, delivered his new album Black Samon, the Bastard Swordsman, and the track “Mandingo” is a classic Wu banger featuring Raekwon, Inspectah Deck, Method Man, and a stong anchor verse from Cappadona.
From The Private Selection of Saba and No ID could very well end up being the album of the year for many, and “30seccchop” featuring Joseph Chilliams and a strong performance from Jane Deaux is just one of the heaters from the project. Ray Vaughn, one of Top Dawg Entertainment’s newest signees, delivered his new mixtape, The Good The Bad The Dollar Menu, and “EAST CHATT” features fellow TDE artist, Isaiah Rashad.
Salute to Young Thug, Future, Jack Harlow, Doja Cat, Half-Empty, Partly Vacant, SALIMATA, Khadijat, Larry June, 2 Chainz, The Alchemist, KenTheMan, Niontay, MAVI, Sideshow, Shoreline Mafia, Boldy James, V Don, Wiz Khalifa, DJ Quik, Domo Genesis, Smoke DZA, Dough Networkz, Graymatter, Coyote, Ab-Soul, Python P, 2 Eleven, Low The Great, MOLIY, Silent Addy, Skillibeng, Shenseea, LaRussell, Busta Rhymes, and Mike G Beatz.
Check out out in two more weeks for our next update. If you wish to be CONSIDERED for inclusion, email D.L. Chandler at: dchandler@bhmdigital.com.
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Photo: Getty
HipHopWired Featured Video
CRT FRSH, Hip-Hop Wired’s playlist where we attempt to showcase music we believe is “Certified Fresh,” is back again! With our latest update after too many weeks away. We’ve had a lot of catching up to do, so let’s get to the newness!
Disclaimer:
The CRT FRSH playlist is a labor of love. We don’t take payments, nor do we do favors. We only add joints to our playlist that fit the theme and vision we’re going for and don’t seek to waste the listener’s time. Further, we don’t stick to one lane of Hip-Hop. We believe that all aspects of the music should get some light, whether it’s young lions in the trenches or those hoping for that one shot to blow up to grizzled veterans puffing out their chests with lots more to say.
I want to explain how I approach curating the CRT FRSH playlist. Most importantly, I don’t segregate my Hip-Hop. Every form of music from the main cultural tree deserves a listen and a look. When I construct the playlist, I want to include all regions across the States and, when applicable, across the globe. I also want to entertain every fan of Hip-Hop, not just those who enjoy one segment of it. Now that we’ve got that out of the way, let’s get to it. — D.L. Chandler, lead curator for CRT FRSH
What up, Hip-Hop Wired nation?! We’re back with our latest Certified Fresh playlist, and we hope to add to your weekend vibes. This week, we open up the playlist with “EVIL JORDAN” from Playboi Carti’s latest album, MUSIC. We follow that up with “GRITS” from Erick The Architect’s excellent I’ve Never Been Here Before: Director’s Cut project.
$ome $exy $ongs 4 U is still moving on the charts and “BRIAN STEEL” features Drake in big sh*t talk mode, and that gets followed up by Atlanta’s MARCO PLUS and his “omm” single. Texas spitter BigXThaPlug delivered his Take Care (Deluxe) set earlier this year, and we include the “Life Of A Boss” track. PremRock, one half of the dynamic ShrapKnel duo, dropped off his latest work, Did You Enjoy Your Time Here…?, and the track “Doubt Mountain,” produced by CRT FRSH fave YUNGMORPHEUS, is a standout from the release.
Salute to the rest of the CRT FRSH entrants KenTheMan, Goya Gumbani, SALIMATA, Ken Carson, Niontay, Lil Durk, Future, Young Dro, Zaytoven, Trouble (RIP), Turbo, Gunna, P-Lo, Ovrkast., Micheal Sneed, demahjiae, Lil Tecca, Falamoun, SIDESHOW, Wiz Khalifa, Smoke DZA, Lil Yachty, Veeze, Raz Fresco, and Futurewave.
Salute to all of the artists we’ve included in this week’s update. Tune in in two more weeks and we’ll be back with 20, ahem, Certified Fresh joints for the people.To be considered for inclusion, please contact D.L. Chandler via email here – dchandler@bhmdigital.com in case the link doesn’t open.
—Photo: Getty
HipHopWired Featured Video
CRT FRSH, Hip-Hop Wired’s playlist where we attempt to showcase music we believe is “Certified Fresh,” is back again! With our latest update after too many weeks away. We’ve had a lot of catching up to do, so let’s get to the newness!
Disclaimer:
The CRT FRSH playlist is a labor of love. We don’t take payments, nor do we do favors. We only add joints to our playlist that fit the theme and vision we’re going for and don’t seek to waste the listener’s time. Further, we don’t stick to one lane of Hip-Hop. We believe that all aspects of the music should get some light, whether it’s young lions in the trenches or those hoping for that one shot to blow up to grizzled veterans puffing out their chests with lots more to say.
I want to explain how I approach curating the CRT FRSH playlist. Most importantly, I don’t segregate my Hip-Hop. Every form of music from the main cultural tree deserves a listen and a look. When I construct the playlist, I want to include all regions across the States and, when applicable, across the globe. I also want to entertain every fan of Hip-Hop, not just those who enjoy one segment of it. Now that we’ve got that out of the way, let’s get to it. — D.L. Chandler, lead curator for CRT FRSH
What up, Hip-Hop Wired nation?! We’re back with our latest Certified Fresh playlist, and we hope to add to your weekend vibes. This week, we open up the playlist with “EVIL JORDAN” from Playboi Carti’s latest album, MUSIC. We follow that up with “GRITS” from Erick The Architect’s excellent I’ve Never Been Here Before: Director’s Cut project.
$ome $exy $ongs 4 U is still moving on the charts and “BRIAN STEEL” features Drake in big sh*t talk mode, and that gets followed up by Atlanta’s MARCO PLUS and his “omm” single. Texas spitter BigXThaPlug delivered his Take Care (Deluxe) set earlier this year, and we include the “Life Of A Boss” track. PremRock, one half of the dynamic ShrapKnel duo, dropped off his latest work, Did You Enjoy Your Time Here…?, and the track “Doubt Mountain,” produced by CRT FRSH fave YUNGMORPHEUS, is a standout from the release.
Salute to the rest of the CRT FRSH entrants KenTheMan, Goya Gumbani, SALIMATA, Ken Carson, Niontay, Lil Durk, Future, Young Dro, Zaytoven, Trouble (RIP), Turbo, Gunna, P-Lo, Ovrkast., Micheal Sneed, demahjiae, Lil Tecca, Falamoun, SIDESHOW, Wiz Khalifa, Smoke DZA, Lil Yachty, Veeze, Raz Fresco, and Futurewave.
Salute to all of the artists we’ve included in this week’s update. Tune in in two more weeks and we’ll be back with 20, ahem, Certified Fresh joints for the people.To be considered for inclusion, please contact D.L. Chandler via email here – dchandler@bhmdigital.com in case the link doesn’t open.
—Photo: Getty
HipHopWired Featured Video
Source: Westend61 / Getty
CRT FRSH, Hip-Hop Wired’s playlist where we attempt to showcase music we believe is “Certified Fresh,” is back again! With our latest update of the year, we’ve had a lot of catching up to do so let’s get to the newness.
Disclaimer:
The CRT FRSH playlist is a labor of love. We don’t take payments nor do we do favors. We only add joints to our playlist that fit the theme and vision we’re going for and don’t seek to waste the listener’s time. Further, we don’t stick to one lane of Hip-Hop. We believe that all aspects of the music should get some light, whether it’s young lions in the trenches or those hoping for that one shot to blow up to grizzled veterans puffing out their chests with lots more to say.
I want to explain how I approach curating the CRT FRSH playlist. Most importantly, I don’t segregate my Hip-Hop. Every form of music from the main cultural tree deserves a listen and a look. When I construct the playlist, I want to include all regions across the States and, when applicable, across the globe. I also want to entertain every fan of Hip-Hop, not just those who enjoy one segment of it. Now that we’ve got that out of the way, let’s get to it. — D.L. Chandler
Welcome back to the latest update to your newest and favorite playlist, Certified Fresh (CRT FRSH)! We’ve been MIA for a while so we’ll need to dig deep into the virtual crates as we bring the listeners and ourselves up to speed.
We open the playlist with “NOKIA” from Drake and PARTYNEXTDOOR’s collaborative album, $ome $exy $ongs 4 U, which has been making moves on the charts since dropping earlier this year. Taking it to Montreal, Mike Shabb’s “Crews pop” is one of several standout tracks from his hazy, well-executed album, shabbvangogh. Playboi Carti’s new MUSIC album is doing its numbers and the track “GOOD CREDIT” sounds ready for a stadium performance with Kendrick Lamar appearing for a scene-stealer verse.
MARCO PLUS, one of dopest rappers out of Atlanta, has been on CRT FRSH before and the track “gmfu” is more of his usual strong, hypnotic work. Doechii re-released an extended version of her stellar Alligator Bites Never Heal project and “Anxiety” is one of the bonus tracks of note. We took it back to 2024 and Nappy Nina and Swarvy’s slept-on Nothing Is My Favorite Thing and the track “Omakase” features some extremely dope verses from maassai and Stas THEE Boss.
We want to thank the rest of our CRT FRSH included acts such as GELO, GloRilla, Big Cheeok, Dhani, J. Cole, LORD JAH-MONTE OGBON, Freddie Gibbs, Hidden Renaissance, MACADEN, King Quad, JT, Samara Cyn, Sherwyn, Jack Harlow, Doja Cat, Zelooperz, Real Bad Man, The Alchemist, Wale, IDK, Lil Durk, Jhene Aiko, Pyraminds, Planet Asia, and Guilty Simpson.
We’ll be updating this playlist in two to three weeks with some, ahem, fresh updates and new acts along with a revamped structure to the segment. Stay tuned!
To be considered for inclusion in the CRT FRSH playlist, please email playlist curator D.L. Chandler at: dchandler@bhmdigital.com
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Photo: Getty
HipHopWired Featured Video
CRT FRSH, Hip-Hop Wired’s playlist where we attempt to showcase music we believe is “Certified Fresh,” is back again for 2025! Now that we’re nearing the end of the year, we’re trimming down the CRT FRSH playlist and updating the concept with our latest drop which we hope you all enjoy.
Disclaimer:
The CRT FRSH playlist is a labor of love. We don’t take payments nor do we do favors. We only add joints to our playlist that fit the theme and vision we’re going for and don’t seek to waste the listener’s time. Further, we don’t stick to one lane of Hip-Hop. We believe that all aspects of the music should get some light, whether it’s young lions in the trenches or those hoping for that one shot to blow up to grizzled veterans puffing out their chests with lots more to say.
I want to explain how I approach curating the CRT FRSH playlist. Most importantly, I don’t segregate my Hip-Hop. Every form of music from the main cultural tree deserves a listen and a look. When I construct the playlist, I want to include all regions across the States and, when applicable, across the globe. I also want to entertain every fan of Hip-Hop, not just those who enjoy one segment of it. Now that we’ve got that out of the way, let’s get to it. — D.L. Chandler
Happy New Year, Hip-Hop Wired Nation! I’m glad to be back to curating what’s about to be your new favorite Hip-Hop music playlist! Since the year is new, we’ll be featuring quite a bit of music we missed over the past year.
Opening the playlist this weekend is Lil Baby’s “Outfit” from the Atlanta rapper’s new WHAM album, and he invited 21 Savage along for the ride with a verse that some believe was in support of frequent collaborator, Drake. We follow that up with Redman’s “Dynomite” from his fantastic new album, Muddy Waters Too with Sheek Looch of The Lox on the feature.
Offset’s “Swing My Way” sees the Migos artist back in top form. Smoke DZA, one of our favorite rappers, delivered a couple of projects in 2024 and his You’re All Welcome deluxe drop with DJ RELLYRELL had several standouts, including “Another Full Tank In The Bronco” featuring Westside Gunn and Stove God Cooks.
We’re still enjoying CHROMAKOPIA, one of our top albums of 2024, and the track “Thought I Was Dead” featuring ScHoolboy Q and Santigold. That’s followed by Mike Shabb’s “Free Jesus” from the Montreal artist’s Sewaside III album featuring the talented Navy Blue. We slept on that one, our fault.
We want to salute all of the entrants on this week’s playlist and thank you for your contributions to the art.
We’ll be updating this playlist in two weeks, so live with these songs a bit and stay tuned.
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Photo: Getty
HipHopWired Featured Video
CRT FRSH, Hip-Hop Wired’s playlist where we attempt to showcase music we believe is “Certified Fresh,” is back again as the holiday season is in full swing. Now that we’re nearing the end of the year, we’re trimming down the CRT FRSH playlist and updating the concept with our latest drop which we hope you all enjoy.
Disclaimer:
The CRT FRSH playlist is a labor of love. We don’t take payments nor do we do favors. We only add joints to our playlist that fit the theme and vision we’re going for and don’t seek to waste the listener’s time. Further, we don’t stick to one lane of Hip-Hop. We believe that all aspects of the music should get some light, whether it’s young lions in the trenches or those hoping for that one shot to blow up to grizzled veterans puffing out their chests with lots more to say.
I want to explain how I approach curating the CRT FRSH playlist. Most importantly, I don’t segregate my Hip-Hop. Every form of music from the main cultural tree deserves a listen and a look. When I construct the playlist, I want to include all regions across the States and, when applicable, across the globe. I also want to entertain every fan of Hip-Hop, not just those who enjoy one segment of it. Now that we’ve got that out of the way, let’s get to it. — D.L. Chandler
Can you believe it’s already the middle of December? This year breezed by and we’ll soon be sharing our top Hip-Hop albums of the year but first, let’s check out our latest playlist.
We open up this update with “Xmas Time” from GloRilla and Kehlani, a timely track for all the gift-giving that’s set to happen next week. We follow that up with “Knock It Off” from The Alchemist and Roc Marciano’s newest collaborative effort, The Skeleton Key. Lil Baby is gearing up for his upcoming WHAM: Who Hard As Me album and “Insecurities” is a song from November we missed then but are loving right now.
Boldy James, who is always dropping quality music, collaborated with Harry Fraud for their The Bricktionary album, and “Rabies” is a cinematic track with a blistering verse from Black Soprano Family boss, Benny The Butcher. Bossman DLow had a busy year with two albums, and we’re featuring “Mo Chicken” alongside French Montana from his Dlow Curry album. From there, the talented Azizi Gibson teams up with the equally dope duo The Underachievers for the haunting “Street Lament.”
A major shoutout to the rest of the artists on the playlist, including Kendrick Lamar, Freddie Gibbs, Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, Kota The Friend, SALIMATA, Future, Cordae, Skyzoo, Crimeapple, and more.
This will be the last playlist update for the year so we hope you rock with this for a bit until we come back fresh, no pun intended, at the top of the year.
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Photo: Getty
HipHopWired Featured Video
CRT FRSH, Hip-Hop Wired’s playlist where we attempt to showcase music we believe is “Certified Fresh,” is back for the fall season with a truncated selection. Now that we’re back, we’re trimming down the CRT FRSH playlist and updating the concept with our latest drop which we hope you all enjoy.
Disclaimer:
The CRT FRSH playlist is a labor of love. We don’t take payments nor do we do favors. We only add joints to our playlist that fit the theme and vision we’re going for and don’t seek to waste the listener’s time. Further, we don’t stick to one lane of Hip-Hop. We believe that all aspects of the music should get some light, whether it’s young lions in the trenches or those hoping for that one shot to blow up to grizzled veterans puffing out their chests with lots more to say.
I want to explain how I approach curating the CRT FRSH playlist. Most importantly, I don’t segregate my Hip-Hop. Every form of music from the main cultural tree deserves a listen and a look. When I construct the playlist, I want to include all regions across the States and, when applicable, across the globe. I also want to entertain every fan of Hip-Hop, not just those who enjoy one segment of it. Now that we’ve got that out of the way, let’s get to it.
For those devoted few who keep up with the updates, you may have noticed I created a playlist in memory of the late Kaseem “KA” Ryan, perhaps Hip-Hop’s greatest lyricist if not the genre’s most sincere and vulnerable. That playlist, which captures just a small slice of who KA was, can be heard by clicking here.
We open up this week’s playlist with Tyler, The Creator’s “Sticky” from his new CHROMAKOPIA, which features GloRilla, Sexyy Red, and Lil Wayne and is considered an early standout among some. We follow that with Megan Thee Stallion’s “Bigger In Texas” from her Megan: Act II reissue and finds the Houston Hottie in prime form.
The Alchemist is great for dropping potent singles out of the thin blue sky and we’re better for it. Adding to that stellar track record is “Ferraris In The Rain 2” featuring Freddie Gibbs and ScHoolboy Q. Danny Brown dropped his solid Quaranta album near the top of the year and the Detroit-born, Austin-based rapper and podcaster released a deluxe of the project. We include the somber “Keep It To Me” from the drop.
The Underachievers, AKTHESAVIOR and Issa Gold have been creating amazing music since their 2013 debut, Indigoism, along with consistent solo projects between then. Their new single “Have Nots” is a continuation of their esoteric poetics and atmospheric beats. We also have Buffalo’s Che Noir and her single “Black Single featuring Rapsody from Che’s The Black Lotus project, which she produced herself.
A strong salute to Patty Honcho, Lil Uzi Vert, A$AP Ferg, RXKNephew, Knowitall, Chuck Strangers, Milc, Blaq Chidori, Ab-Soul, BigXThaPlug, El Cousteau and the rest of the contributors to this week’s playlist.
Check out the latest CRT FRSH drop below.
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The news of Brownsville rapper KA’s passing, also known as Kaseem Ryan, continues to shock his fans and collaborators alike. In the days since the news went viral, many in Hip-Hop are trying to make sense of the loss and find time to celebrate KA’s audio art as he intended.
I am not beholden to religious doctrine nor do I invest much time in esoteric possibilities of fate, but something continues to nag me about the death of Kaseem Ryan. I was listening to the Brooklyn rapper’s latest album, The Thief Next To Jesus on the morning of the day that the news of his death was posted on social media.
I was listening to the album to find a song to add to our ongoing CRT FRSH playlist series at Hip-Hop Wired, but also just enjoying hearing the FDNY firefighter presenting ideas of how Christianity is a hallmark of the Black community while continuing to grapple out loud with the religion being used as a tool to keep the enslaved in fear of the masters.
Beyond the dissection of Christianity as a whole, KA also deftly examines how the music and art that the masses consume might have deeper consequences that we’re unwilling to face. Yes, music and its enjoyment is a subjective experience but being inundated with certain messages does permeate the senses far more than anyone would admit.
I was not unfamiliar with Ryan’s work as someone who is an avowed Hip-Hop nerd. These days, the volume at which music is released today doesn’t allow me to know every nook and cranny of the so-called “mainstream” or “underground” scenes, but in the 1990s, it was far easier to keep up.
Also back then, I was an active rapper, most especially the sort that would be in freestyle “ciphers” and battles while also making my meager attempts at recorded material. At my core, I was a fan first and I picked up rhyming as a means to get closer to the music.
Natural Elements, currently comprised of L Swift (now Swigga Da Don), A-Butta, and Mr. Voodoo, featured more members and one of them was KA, who later left the group as he felt he didn’t measure up as a rapper in comparison to his compatriots. The group’s 1994 debut The EP was very much a product of its time and wore its rugged street-born style with pride.
The style of Hip-Hop then, especially on the independent side, was replete with heavy basslines, horn stab samples, en masse choruses, and an emphasis on lyrical superiority over direction or substance. The goal for many toiling outside the label structure was to be the nicest in their respective lanes.
Reinvention is not a new concept in the history of Hip-Hop music. One of our most famous examples of this is the late, great MF DOOM, who began his career as Zev Love X as a member of KMD (Kausing Much Damage). Like DOOM before him, KA found a late 1990s surge of creativity which culminated in the formation of Nightbreed alongside the late Kev, and of the unreleased music one can find online, it was clear that he stepped his game up tremendously.
Time would pass before we would hear Ryan’s gravelly vocals again, and admittedly, I was reconnected to the lyricist by way of GZA’s “Firehouse” track from the Wu-Tang Clan swordsman’s Pro Tools album. As I later learned, GZA, a fellow Brooklynite, discovered Ryan’s debut album, Iron Works, and invited him to a recording session.
It feels trite to say that the rest is history but, it truly was a historic run of critically acclaimed albums that would commence. I treated every KA drop like a spiritual experience and whatever ability as a writer I thought I had was easily dwarfed by the mighty pen of the Iron Works honcho. There have been times when I’ve been listening to an album such as 2016’s Honor Killed The Samurai where I would stop the track or else fall into a heap of emotions.
Everything about KA felt authentic, tangible, personal, vulnerable, and ultimately human. It would be some time before I discovered that his day job was that of saving lives as a firefighter. I dare say Kaseem Ryan saved my life and that of countless others via his selfless flood of self-expression, creativity, and missives that should be studied by anyone who claims to love this culture.
As I’m writing this, the tears are forming at the corners of my eyes but my heart is beating strong knowing that the music KA gave to the world was done in a manner that was befitting of all the outpouring of love we’ve seen on social media in the past week and more.
Talented acts such as Chuck Strangers, billy woods, Open Mike Eagle, Roc Marci, Pink Siifu, and far too many acts to name all had similar stories of their run-ins with Ryan or their connection to his music. And it wasn’t just the lyrics. Just like his collaborator Roc Marciano, KA didn’t need to outsource production as an adept producer himself but his collaborative works with producers Preservation, Aminoss, and Roc Marci matched his sonic ethos perfectly.
I’ve undertaken the impossible task of gathering one song each from KA’s projects over the years along with a feature verse, opening with the aforementioned “Firehouse” as a primer for the uninitiated. I hope that upon hearing the music you’ll do what I urge everyone else to do if they ever talk shop with me. Just dive in, allow yourself to feel every bar, and try to walk upright as KA did despite the wickedness of the world at large.
Rest Powerfully In Peace to Kaseem Ryan.
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Photo: Images Obtained From www.brownsvilleka.com