Mexican/American artist, SHOWTIME RAMON, has been on a tear as of late releasing banger after banger that include features from the likes of Mark Battles (Jet Lag) and Sir Michael Rocks (Clyde Drexler). His EP, ‘Venom Dripp’ claimed the #7 spot on NEW LEASE MUSIC’s Top Ten Albums of 2023. Now the gem spitter drops his ‘Abominable Snowman’ album to open up 2024 bringing along his clever word play filled with his love for pop culture, sports, cars and exotic women.
Weighing in at ten tracks with features from Freetown (DDP) and Chuuwee (Pam Grier), Showtime enters the ring ready and willing to take on the world with his raw talent and flows filled with nitro as he continues to smackdown any competition that tries to tangle with him in a singles match. With raps like “I’m breaking barriers I’m like a Lisa Leslie dunk/I ain’t trying to hear it/I’m sparking up in a Tessie truck” and “I spit that type of dope that Stevie Nix took up her nostril/now I need a JLO with a castle that’s colossal/going worldwide I’m reaching shit that’s impossible” it’s hard not to give the artist the attention he deserves as he continues to put on for himself and the Latino people.
Per usual, Showtime does a fantastic job picking and choosing production that fits him to the tee, aligning his bars perfectly with the drums, snares and bass provided to him by the cast of producers he called upon to create Abominable Snowman. In his own words the artist says “the cover art of the Abominable Snowman depicts my feeling through out the process, cold and alone on my pursuit of greatness as I improve my skill set to survive as the last of a dying breed, a rare breed. The Abominable Snowman is mythical, his actions are unknown just like my word play abilities”.
Showtime Ramon isn’t new to the rap scene as his discography features albums, EP’s and singles with over thousands of streams but this latest set of sounds could be the game changer that solidifies Ramon’s place above other artists trying to reach where he currently is. In turn separating himself even more from the crowd of regulars while he sits on a throne of his own. Showtime Ramon is the lights the camera and the action in his movie titled Abominable Snowman, in the words of Rob Van Dam, Showtime Ramon is the whole effin’ show. Have a listen below…
CAM GNARLY blesses a classic groove with bars straight from the soul on his new single ‘Blessed With, Stressed With’. The video eatures Cam in his element, measuring his path and giving good words to his peers, colleagues, & loved ones, to a thumping, superbly soulful instrumental.
As a performer, Cam has shared stages with Kendrick Lamar, Curren$y, Dom Kennedy, Pac Div, Casey Veggies, Overdoz & more, and already has a healthy discography of superb releases. Northend Gnarly is the newest album from the Inland Empire representative, & it offers a compelling soundtrack to the streets that Cam calls home.
Check out the video for ‘Blessed With, Stressed With’ below…
Hackney rapper NICKI KNIGHTZ latest EP, ‘Lonely Girls Hearts Club’ is a rollercoaster of both extreme highs and painful lows, produced by genre bending partner in crime Henny Knightz. This is her third project following 2020’s ‘For The Uninformed EP’.
‘Lonely Girls Hearts Club’ is an 8 track play which marries early 2000s nostalgia, rap, avant garde samples and classic 808s. A both playful yet intense overlook of how traumatic experiences lead to partaking in activities that are riddled with self-sabotaging themes, which in turn ties into the projects title.
Opening track ‘Lonely Girls Hearts Club’ (Intro)’ tells of how NIcki came to refer to herself as a ‘lonely girl’ relaying her experiences of council estate living and being painfully different from the accepted norms. It also celebrates the solace she found once discovering equally talented and artistic outcasts. Accompanied by a cinematic video which exhibits Nicki and three fellow ‘lonely girls’ that the world has turned its back on. Though they experience extreme highs when together, once alone they are left grappling with sombre thoughts and intense emotions. Inspired by the hit movie ‘Set It Off’ to fight back they take their destinies into their own hands.
Second track ‘Along Came Molly’ a retelling of the high and lows of the experimentation with MDMA, over a whimsical, stripped back bed of instrumentation with Nicki’s husky vocals stabbing through prominently.
Third track ‘Step With Me’ ft. Joe Jas , A nostalgic song with heavy influences from the much praised 00’s era with braggadocios lyrics, smooth tones and a catchy hook By JoeJas. Henny Knightz taps into the early 2000’s creating a beat that brings you straight back to the times of MTV in the first few seconds. A song that has a true sense of individuality, with three of the most distinctive, artistic individuals from London’s weird and wonderful Alternative Hip Hop scene.
Fourth track ‘You Want Me’ ft. Tai A song that explores the fantasy of a girl next door crush, that you are then able to explore and the thrill that it provides, once attained. A quite mellow and chilled, sexy instrumental that features East London multidisciplinary artist Tai.
Fifth song ‘Bigger Things’ ft. Ivohé delves into the nuances of working a 9-5 whilst also trying to fund and prioritise a dream. Berlin based artist Ivohé’s angelic voice reinforces the message being shared.
Sixth song ‘ICY’ Sonically a lot more darker and a lot more focused on rapping capabilities, Nicki vents her frustrations on recent experience, a fuck you so to speak to all.
‘Cherry’ ft. RETROPXSSY, an exploration of how Nicki came into her sexuality. Retropxssy blesses the chorus with her experimental performance, reiterating that sometimes the ‘normal’ way isn’t always meant for everyone.
The multifaceted, multi-layered project, ends with ‘P.O.V’. A song told from a perspective other than Nicki’s. “I created this song not from my own experience, but from a lot of females point of view that I have spoken with. The first verse is me speaking from a woman who is going through domestic, sexual abuse with her partner at home and how on the gram, socials she presents to be happy/perfect but really, she is struggling, she is broken. The second verse then speaks from the male’s perspective who is inflicting the abuse, where he speaks on how he became to be this person, from watching his father do the same to his mother.”
A voice for the outcasts, routing out of Hackney, rapper Nicki Knightz’s emotional turmoil is easily identifiable through her husky tone and self-descriptive lyrics over demanding, bass fuelled alternative production. Nicki’s voice is still nothing short of ‘unique’ and raw, accompanied by her partner @hennyknightz left-field production, making her ‘sound’ even more of a breath of fresh air categorising it underneath the genre – Alternative HipHop. Nicki Knightz released her first EP ‘Hate’ in late 2018, celebrating its release by headlining her own show at Old Blue Last in Shoreditch with supporting artists @HennyKnightz & @BZERK.
2020, Nicki Knightz returned to share an important message about her mixed-race identity with the release of ‘For The Uninformed’ during a pivotal time in history – the uprise after the George Floyd protests. The E.P was congratulated by Toddla T praising ‘India Arie’ by making it his ‘coldest record of the week’ on Radio 1 commenting “this is special, “I’ve never heard anything like it”.
Mid 2022, Nicki released her lead single “Lonely Girls Hearts Club” with a cinematic visual, that premiered on KALTBLUT Magazine – Germanys leading indie print / online magazine for Art, Fashion, Music.
Why not check out ‘Lonely Girls Hearts Club below…
Must Listens: You Want Me?; Bigger Things; Cherry; POV
WINO WILLY presents a raw track that’s made for catching wreck, and Gabe Nandez more than does the honors in the new video for ‘Sutra’. The duo keep it rugged to the core with ruff beats & 52 bars of swordplay, & the visual matches the intensity of the record exceptionally well. ‘Sutra’ is from Willy’s new LP’ Wino From Another Planet’, which features billy woods, MarQ Spekt, Fatboi Sharif, Him Lo, Da Buze Bruvas & more, & is out now on vinyl, CD, and digital via the good people at Grilchy Party.
Wino Willy has produced for modern powerhouse talents like Mach-Hommy, Your Old Droog, Tha God Fahim, Ty Farris, Sonnyjim, and Raz Fresco. As a performer, the Rahway, New Jersey-born, Philly-raised producer has taken his sound to New York, Philadelphia, Atlanta, & New Orleans, the latter with the city’s Jazz Museum for their Dolo Jazz Suite event series. His versatile headnod style sound is placed right up front on his new album, ‘Wino From Another Planet’.
Canadian rapper and producer CLASSIFIED‘ single ‘Wonder,’ which features fellow Canadian native singer-songwriter Ian Janes, paints a picture of an individual grappling with personal loss, societal challenges, substance use, and questions about identity and existence. It’s a profound reflection on life, questioning the ‘whys’ and ‘hows’ of reality and trying to find meaning amidst struggles.
“I’ve had a lot of time to think over the years…really any time I’m not on the go my mind is usually racing. I think a lot of people are like that too…just wondering about things,” says Classified. “It’s like when you go to bed at night and all of your thoughts come at once, this is what that song reflects. Thinking about various personal what-ifs, questioning society, wondering why things are the way they are. The things we wonder can feel personal, but really, we aren’t that unique. This song connects my personal thoughts to what everyone else might wonder about too, giving a glimpse into both my life and our shared experiences.”
This track (penned, crafted, and captured by Classified) skillfully illustrates an individual wrestling with intimate sorrow and daily contemplations. It offers a deep introspection on life, inquisitive about the mysteries and mechanics of this world, while endeavoring to unearth significance amidst life’s trials.
‘Wonder’ is out now via HalfLife Records and Big Story Entertainment, why not check not the compelling video below…
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