All the New Hip Hop you need this Weekend.
Hello Fellow 88ers and New Readers. Here at the Cyph Lyfe blog we pride ourselves in digging for all the latest in dope Indie Hip Hop, and compiling it all in 1 place for you to find easily. Make sure you give the blog a follow to stay up to date with all the articles, reviews, upcoming events in South Florida Hip Hop and the hottest new Hip Hop from the Global Underground. Enough formalities, lets play some music.
FRESHLEY BAKED
SANKOFA & DJ MATTY LITE: FLOODGATES
DJ Matty Lite has been one of our biggest supporters since we started streaming on Twitch and writing the Weekend Bag, back when we used to call it “FRIDAY FRESH PRODUCE” (Remember that horribly long name). This is not the reason I write this review. It takes more than financial support of our dreams to launch an Underground Hip Hop Radio Station / Publication to get a good review from 8ch2Owens, I’ll tell you that much ( Please send a donation and I’ll make you look like a Rap God on our blog). All jokes aside, when MATT LITE approached me yesterday and asked if I would do a write up I almost slapped him over the Instagram DM. Not only have a covered practically every single release of his, but this specific project is the one I have been waiting for the most. FLOODGATES, The colab project between Fort Wayne Indiana’s SANKOFA and Chicago/Massachusetts Producer MATTY LITE is finally here, and after hearing only 2 exclusive leaks MATTY LITE blessed WVCC Radio with last night, we knew it was everything we had been waiting for. From the moment we pressed play on the self titled opening track FLOODGATE, it was evident we were in for a deluge of hard beats and multilayered lyrics. SANKOFA is in full beast mode after his recent BLKCHP solo release, and the combination of his rhymes and LITES Production seems to be elevating them both to a new height. Track 3, RAZER BLADE SUIT is easily one of my favorites records on the ep. Long time Rhyme Partner JON?DOE joins the flood of filth, and delivers an excellent “trilingual” feature verse that sets off this insane duo cut. SANKOFA has told us about JON?DOE in the past, but this track makes me want to go back into the SILVER SMITHS Catalogue and become a lot more familiar. Let the song ride out all the way, MATT LITES choice of closing sample just adds a little musical grit to the mix, Like a dash of cinnamon flavored rust. MONKEY CLAWS slides in (Pause, Skip) immediately afterwards, as easy as a Corona Vaccine Needle. Doing significant damage while providing inner healing this song is hands down my pick for song of the Project. This is some of the best I’ve heard from MATTY LITE. A hauntingly beautiful vocal chop, layed over a funk guitar strum, and jazz piano bop that KOFA takes off on for a 10 mile jog on ( 1 Group of Henchman, 8 Seesaws, 1 Violin, 1 Crooked Smile, Countless Dodged Compliments and Bullets’, 0 Weed Clouds). This gem ends with an eerie sample, as blood curdling as the short story that shares a similar name with the song. We are then swept up into DALI ROLEX where KOFA & LITE are on full White Water Rapids mode, and this is the experienced rafters only course. The White Giant from Fort Wayne is unmatched with his syllable work, hitting you a thousand times in the face on ever verse, like slap boxing with Goku. The Industrial Grime production on this one keeps the song marching for 3 verse at a break neck speed. Make sure you were a helmet and life vest while listening. LITE pads the album up with 2 untitled instrumentals and ends it with an ominous death march of a banger NAPALM THRONE where SANKOFA burns the Earth to the gravel and returns it to Water Covered Dust. FLOODGATES is neck hurting good time, and short enough at 7 tracks for multiple re-spins. The excellent pen work and production will make it hard not to come back for multiple flooding’s.
Support the project at https://sankofa.bandcamp.com/album/floodgates where you can pick a copy of the Limited CD which comes with bonus tracks and a chance to win a pair of SANKOFA’S COLLECTABLE SNEAKERS.
TRPL-Z & THE EQUATION BEATS – DEMETER
We had a blast talking to the home TRPL-Z last night on WVCC Radio. For all those that missed it, You can still catch the Restream for the next 2 weeks at WVCC RADIO. We spoke about Z recent cross country move to Los Angeles California, Cuban and Latino Pride, The shiestiness of the Medical Marijuana and Cannabis industry, and his New Album DEMETER produced by Columbian Beat Lord THE EQUATION BEATS. DEMETER more of an EP than an album, coming in at 6 banging tracks, but this little bitch packs a punch like Rosy Perez. The Black Hand Clan Front Man reps the old hood on MANANERA, Shits on the corrupt system on THE STATE, which he says wrote during the George Floyd Protests. He Teams up with Miami/ Argentinian Low Life KINGDOM KOME on BERRACOS to blow your mind open like a half ounce of shrooms to the face. SOUTHERN LOVIN was one of the audiences favorites last night as TRPL Z flips the english spanish rhymes effortlessly. It has already been added to the BODY ROCK playlist for Aug. ME AN U is a fly love song to the green lady that helped TRPL-Z get back on his feet when he first landed in L.A., as working for the Cannabis Industry helped Z with the needed finances to get his own place quickly. Z and EQUATION BEATS close the album in epic BLACK HAND CLAN fashion as they invite fellow Desperado, KING TETRUS to put the finishing touches on a fantastic audio piece. The two CIPHER IN THE CIRCLE ALUMNI and label mates show their instant chemistry and bring the vibe back to where it all started, in the cypher. DEMETER was the the Greek Goddess of Agriculture and Prosperity, and TRPL-Z Invites you to roll up some Agriculture, and support this project with some of your end of the week prosperity. We can cosign, this will be well worth your investment.
BOLDY JAMES X ALCHEMIST – BO JACKSON
New Alchemist and Boldy James, I just started listening so I aint reach a verdict yet, but here is an insightful write up from those wizards at Rolling Stones Magazine. https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/alchemist-boldy-james-new-album-interview-1211937/
TRUECIPHER – TRUECIPHER LP
The Broward Co Florida Production Team known as TRUECIPHER keep raising their stock in the Underground. Coming off the heels of their Remix Album, $1000 PLATE OF MANGU, with ESTEE KNACK, the sibling squad of O THE BEATSMITH & 7TONES are now back with their self titled compilation album featuring some of the hottest voices bubbling in the subscenes. On this project I was introduced to new voices like AIDA, Who kills it on DIVINE AND UNTOUCHABLE & RUDE REPTILE. BRAINORCHESTRA slime skates through the sewer pipes on DA PAPER. WVCC Radio Favorite MIDAZ THE BEAST delivers 10 fold on THE SKINNY. R.I.B.S. makes a mess of things on NEEDLE LACE where they bloody up the beautiful scenery created by TRUCIPHER. THE REAL MPK brings the Bilingual Spanglish Slang in like an Uzi sweeping under the tables in the club. NAMELESS by ECHO started off a little slow, but then ECHO beats you into submission with his relentless bar dropping. This is a Cypher Emcee’s snack right here. The brothers even employ foreign shooters PIQUE ROSCOE on BLADEWORK who works his pen like a butterfly knife. The two beat forgers effortlessly create backdrops with every submission, making it easy for each guest artist to lay short films over the beats. Take THE WORK feat SMOOVTH for example, which could be the score for a 80s heist movie filmed in the Maldives Islands. He then teaches a MASTER CLASS on closing out albums. The album is littered with other features that you have to check for yourself. My only complaint about the album if any is that all the songs are just 1 verse long, just a tease of things to come. This album is worth the scratch tho, so head over to their bandcamp and support real hip hop instead of complaining their aint nothing new thats good.
https://truecipher7.bandcamp.com/
Ka – A Martyr’s Reward (Album)
If there is a name I have heard thrown around as a “slept on problem” in this modern Golden Indie Era, its that of KA’s. The corner mate of ROC MARCI has been heralded as having some of the deepest albums of the last 4 years. I will not front, I have never been able to get into a KA album, but 2 songs into his latest offering, MARTYERS REWARD and I’m all ears. This guy’s pen is flying and doing graceful flips in the process. Lyrics your thing? This is worth your time. I’ll share my full review after a couple of listens. This is worthy of sitting with for the weekend.
#CyphLyfe #SingleFiles
The Doppelgangaz – Fit 2B Tied (Official Video)
New DOP GANG. Oh yeaaaahhhh…this is a good Friday. Looming Tropical Storm and all. Press play and get tied up in the new funk bop from the Groggy Pack. FIT 2B TIED features the cloaked click enjoying a day in an abandoned mansion of some sort where their just getting Noosed, I mean loose. This is a groovy vibe that you can play at any gathering, the beats so ill they wont know its about bondage.
NATIVE SLANG (8ch2Owens x Ekym1536) x Oso Negro – NO SUBSTITUTES [prod. by Mute Speaker]
The Swamps of South Florida and Desert Mountains of New Mexico have combined their distinct Hip Hop dialects to bring us NATIVE SLANG, the Duo of 8CH2OWENS, and EKYM1536. Their first Single NO SUBSTITUTES featuring Boise Idaho’s OSO NEGRO, gets us ready for “Back To School” season as they hold a workshop on wordplay and mic wreckage. The smooth low rider funk production of the U.K’s MUTE SPEAKER makes this a lesson worth listening to over and over again, and Miami’s DJ PROOF cuts the wax up to a close, making us “Mad that the Class Was Dismissed”.
Stay tuned for more from NATIVE SLANG as they prep the underground for their debut album “NATIVE SLANGUAGE” dropping this Fall.
EVAIZE – GALAXY ft C L O (Prod. by Dr. Bowzer)
From the slums of Westchester, the Emcee known as EVAIZE has been relentlessly dropping bangers on us all year. Since his link up with the RAW DOG SEWAGE RAP Squad he has dropped 4 Group Projects, and a slew of singles. Several produced by Kendall Beatsmith DR. BOWZER, including this new comet called GALAXY. Forwarded by an intriguing voice sample breaking down the reality of Humanities place in the vast universe, EVAIZE waste’s no time in slicing through all of the fallacies that have been fed to us about our place in this solar system. C L O sucks you into the Black Hole of her Songbird Soul with an entrancing hook. Her voice takes me places I have only visited to listening to the likes of Portishead and Esthero back in the days. The DOC BOWZER beat is the just the right vessel to travel the deep reaches of space with as EVAIZE makes you question everything from our origins, our future, and especially if you should even think of picking up that pen and writing another verse. Take the trip up into the Cosmos with EVIAZE and DOC BOWZER, for much less then what Jeff Bazos or Elon Musk will charge you. They simple request a meesly Dollar for your support. The Ride is well worth it.
Support the Single Here – https://evaize.bandcamp.com/track/galaxy-feat-clo
Taiyamo Denku ‘Mind Drug’ ft. Fashawn (Produced by BoFaat)
The MC / Producer Duo of TAIYAMO DENKU & BOFAAT continue their reign, dropping yet another fantastic video for their stinger, MIND DRUG feat Cali’s FASHAWN, who puts on a fantastic flow and bar fest. DENKU lands Punches like Rocky Marciano in his prime as he has become so consistent in displaying. These guys have about 4 albums in the chamber and have yet to disappoint. DENKU & BOFAAT need to be talked about more.
Run The Jewels – JU$T ft. Pharrell Williams and Zack de la Rocha (Toy Selectah Remix)
RTJ, ZACH DE LA ROCHA & PHARRELL over some Latin Funk. Yeah…This is Miami Underground all day. Expect to hear this at BODY ROCK Aug 27th. Tickets Hear.
J FLIZ – TRANSMITTING LIFE
Massachusetts JFLIZ has been a relentless work horse this past year. Since dropping his GROWN album, he has been on a terror, dropping project, after single, after, single, after project, intent on becoming part of the conversation. All of the UGHH Outlets I frequent are talking about him, and I know why. This dude is just an honest grinder. He believes in his product and he pushes it to max. Now that he has gained some attention, he is making sure he has something to say to people. On TRANSMITTING LIFE, a Battle Cry/ Call to Action produced by MARO, JFLIZ challenges the listener to be part of the solution rather than simply complain about the problem. Be a force for Positive Change, not Negative Decay. I can dig that. Its mixed and mastered by known accomplice TALI RODRIGUEZ who is racking up production and engineering credits left and right, so you know the sound quality is going to be top notch. Give this a spin on BANDCAMP and show JFLIZ some support for his hard work.
HORSESHOE G.A.N.G. – SHOEGANG
New HORSESHOE G.A.N.G. on Slaughter House Records. The crew put together by SLAUGHTER HOUSE‘s KING CROOKED comes through swinging the hammer passed down to them from the big bros. These guys are Bar Monsters. With all this ROYCE vs LUPE beef bringing extra heads into the conversation, if these dudes inject themselves in the fude shits going to go nuclear. You want that “take your head off rap”, press play and duck.
UglyJon – Ugly As Sin (Album)
Them KNUCKLE DRAGGUZ are still running the streets, fucking shit up, making the Neighborhood all types of UGLY! This time you can blame it on Japanese Producer UGLY JOHN who has gathered the garrison of gorillas together again for his new album UGLY AS SIN. Featuring all the DRAGGUZ we hate to Love, Oblivious, G Fam Black, P-Ro, Tali Rodriguez, Slick Jack all move furniture all over the place, and JOHN even employs some outside help with the homies M DOC DIEGO, LEO CASEENO, GRIMEWAV LURCH, AZTECH from HYBRID THOUGHTZ, JUDGE THE DISCIPLE, and GRIMM all putting their muddy Timbo prints on the upholstery. Its futile to complain about it, just get used to the fact that whenever you see the KNUCKLE DRAGGUZ logo, shits going to get broken. Get your insurance coverage up and press play.
“Hungry” EP Ft. Jae Skeese, Brainorchestra, Dunny Cold-Facts, A.M. Early Morning, Blass 89
Happy I pressed play on this. The homie JORDAN COMMANDER hit me with blazing meteorite filled with some of the nicest you going to hear on the device. They worked on a thorough album break down so I’ll let them tell you the back story of HUNGRY.
The initial concept for “Hungry” was simple: invite half a dozen up and coming emcees to record songs over Ro Data production, put the EP on cassette, and bundle them with the new issue of LTD ED. However, we then had the idea to have Ro strictly sample records with food-based titles to reinforce the theme. So, for example, he used a loop from the Leon Haywood track “Cornbread & Buttermilk” to create one of the beats. We also asked the rappers to give their joints food-based titles to really hammer home the concept. As “Hungry” started to take shape, our excitement grew and we decided to expand the scope of the project by producing an Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe type of comic to put a spotlight on each artist. If you’re not familiar with the aforementioned line of comics, they are a comprehensive guide to Marvel’s characters. We commissioned illustrator Milad Taleghani to render Ro and the emcees as anti-heroes and supervillains for our “Official Handbook of Hungry” comic.
Digital available from: https://lorettarecordsusa.bandcamp.co…
Cassette + comic bundles available from: https://ltd-ed-magazine.myshopify.com
