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TOP 10 - Hip Hop, Rap & R&B 13/05/2022

NUMBER 1

Aimee - Beautiful

Chicago, Illinois, US





I have to kick things off with a fresh new find this week in Illinois artist, Aimee's single 'Beautiful'. With an early background in poetry, Aimee has embraced her R&B tendencies of late, and the production quality in this track certainly embodies that, complimenting the style she has inherited.


In addition to the unique sound on display, she also does an efficient job at getting her message across throughout the song: emphasising the true essence of self love and assurance. Definitely a promising artist to watch out for.




NUMBER 2

Noah Calderon - Bad For Me

Melbourne, Australia




Melodic Pop artist, Noah Calderon has stayed consistent with his releases dating back to 2020, and he has showed some tangible progress with his latest release, 'Bad For Me'. The song highlights Noah's talented vocal range, while also being quite catchy.


It is the kind of song that would stand out being performed live on stage, something that Noah always revels. A persistent artist to look out for this year, for sure.




NUMBER 3

Dolce Diablo - Changes

Cape Town, South Africa




Gaining a lot of traction with his unique Alt-Pop style, South African artist, Dolce Diablo dropped another banger titled 'Changes'. The instrumental to this track fits perfect with what Dolce Diablo is trying to do, and the combination of the stylistic production and backing vocals compliment it even more.


Another really impressive drop from an artist who looks to be finding his feet in the underground scene, South Africa doing it different!




NUMBER 4

Tarli, Wes. - Heaven Sent

Melbourne, Australia





Two artists who coincide nicely here, Tarli and Wes. have produced a track that's definitely worth taking a listen to. Playing off eachother's wordplay with a sense of looseness, they run this beat in a way that reminded me of Kendrick, straight off the bat. The double pitching in the vocals is a really solid addition to what is already a track which is easy on the ear.


I'm looking forward to seeing what's mext on the horizon for this pair of emerging talents.




NUMBER 5

King Kruzadar - In No Time

Canberra, Australia




King Kruzadar has put out an absolute head bopper here with 'In No Time'. Adapting to a crossover of a rap and drill flow, this song is just back to back bars throughout. He makes it sound so natural and authentic, and personally, I think his accent is perfect for a track like this.


Sometimes, songs with this particular rhythm can become monotonous as they run their course, but the Melbourne rapper did a good job at varying up his flow to keep the listener engaged. Really solid job carried out by the artist here.




NUMBER 6

CHIZO_, Akresky

Austin, Texas, US




Bringing a dark vibe to the table here, Austin-based rapper CHIZO_ collabs with Akresky for their track, 'Tell the Devil'. Overcoming some grave struggles himself, CHIZO_ discusses the details of that throughout the track. He conveys his feelings and experiences with hard-hitting bars and flow switches.


The minimal style of production here suits a track like this a lot more, it puts a deeper focus on what is actually being talked about in the song. Very impressive work here by both artists.




NUMBER 7

Shai Sevin - STR8 BARS

South West London, UK





You may notice some familiarity in the instrumental Shai Sevin used here for his track, 'STR8 BARS'. I won't ruin it for you. He has jumped straight in with a freestlye approach and killed it. A seasoned producer and artist out of the UK, Shai flexes his adaptability in this performance, not only switching up the beat, but switching up languages too!


This isn't an easy beat to run for almost three minutes, but I will vouch for Shai in saying that he pulled that off with ease. Great work overall.




NUMBER 8

Dough Beverly, Contemplating

Toronto, Canada




Let's start with the instrumental here, so loomy and immaculate. You can anticipate what kind of energy an artist should enter with on a track like this, and Toronto-based artist, Doug Beverly was the one to bring it.


I'm getting Travis Scott vibes from this track, it's so calming and the vocal effects are not overwhelming. I'm curious to hear more from Doug and I fully advise that you take a chance on this track.




NUMBER 9

Gxbriel - Too Pretty

DFW, US




One for all the trap lovers out there. If you love your fix of Nicki, Cardi, and artists alike, definitely pree this fresh find from DFW rapper, Gxbriel. Coming with a consistent flow, and the right amount of arrogance, Gxbriel adapts to this beat perfectly, adding her own twist to the lyrics throughout.


This isn't the only impressive piece of work on display in Gxbriel's extensive catalogue, I suggest you check out more of her work if you're a fan of this latest drop.




NUMBER 10

Spencer - SOUL 4 SALE

Los Angeles, California




With some crisp vocal production on show in his new track, 'SOUL 4 SALE', LA musician, Spencer gives us reason to think he could be creating a new wave. One thing I found about this track that stood out was it's unpredictability. He teases the intro to the song, before playing around with his rhyme scheme in a unique manner.


This is the first time I've come across Spencer, but it won't be the last time I take a listen to his work.




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