hip-hop/rap

When it began, hip-hop was defined by four essential elements. Today, those elements would number in the hundreds, but two ingredients are crucial: lyrical proficiency and production (or instrumentation) that is innovative without being distracting. The artists here have both of those down cold, delivering hard-knocking albums that are writing the genre’s future today.

hip-hop/rap highlights
all hip-hop/rap releases

new and notable

SoftSweetRadical

by VINSON

This debut EP by the Detroit-born singer-rapper-producer is filled with effortlessly soulful beats and thoughtful lyrics.

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adultSW!M

by deem spencer

Upstart Queens rapper pairs existential themes with cozy, R&B-infused beats; special guests include Orion Sun, DRAM, Eliza Moon, and more.

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cold summer. A playlist by AUNDREY GUILLAUME.

by AUNDREY GUILLAUME.

A radiant commingling of auto-tuned hooks and full-bodied beats, rounded out by splashes of soul, jazz, and techno.

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The Inimitable

by CoCec

Rapper CoCec takes a collection of hard-hitting beats other rappers passed over and uses them to back his soul-searching rhymes.

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Long Way Home

by Rio Thomas

Hard-hitting hip-hop from Virgin Islands-based rapper Rio Thomas with moody production and introspective lyrics.

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essential collection

genre-defining releases curated by our editors

Persona Non Grata

by Pawz One

The LA rhyme slinger holds up a defiant middle finger to the mainstream music industry, complete with veterans MC Eiht and Ras Kass offering verbal support.

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Skinemaxxx (Side A)

by Fly Anakin

Producer Foisey serves up 12 mellow soul-centric beats for Richmond's Fly Anakin to coast over, while Pink Siifu and Big Kahuna OG provide guest verses.

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MONOCHROME

by ELWD

London producer ELWD embellishes sample techniques with live instrumentation on an ambient-leaning rap project that features AKAI SOLO, Yung Morph and VRITRA.

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Life Force

by Eahwee

Producer Eahwee delivers a 16 track collection of celestial beat science that blends together afro-futurist influences with snapping 808 drum lines.

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from the bandcamp daily read more in hip-hop/rap →

At the Intersection of Rap and Rave in Australia

Led by artists with Pasifika, Black, Indigenous, and Asian backgrounds, this new Australian underground is finding their own voice amid the noise. read more

The Ephemeral Life of Blog Rap

With many releases lost to streaming platforms for any number of reasons, we take a look back at the innovative world of underground rap in the early 2010s. read more

For Boldy James, Patience is a Virtue

On his new collab with Futurewave, the Detroit MC continues his winning streak. read more

recommendations from fans

We Buy Diabetic Test Strips

by Armand Hammer

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“Let the beautiful work speak for itself.”

Adam Bates

Home Brew (11th Anniversary Edition)

by Home Brew

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“This has always been a grail. I was lucky enough to bag the OG Vinyl recently and being able to bump the remastered new version gets me excited. ”

James D

Bury The Lede

by Dessa

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“I don't know how Dessa does it, but every album is a tour de force and somehow manages to be an improvement on the perfection of the previous album. This album is 100% gold from start-to-finish, and is intensely personal and lyrically jaw-dropping. I love the evolution of her sound to include more synthwave influences in this album. I think it's the first album I've listened to twice in a row the second it dropped. Bravo!”