If It's Too Loud...

Photo by Alexander Richter For their latest single, billy woods and ELUCID (aka Armand Hammer) team with producer The Alchemist and rappers Silka and Cleo Reed. "Calypso Gene" keeps the group's stripped down and intense hip hop intact. Somehow Armand Hammer are able to have a song as laid back as "Calypso Gene" with an intensity lurking underneath. The Alchemist's production centers on minimal jazz piano and chilled out beats. 2025 has been a fantastic year overall for underground hip hop, and Armand Hammer keep pushing the genre forward. You can watch the video for "Calypso Gene" below. Mercy is due out November 7 on Backwoodz Studioz and Rhymesayers Entertainment. For more on Armand Hammer, check out the artists on Instagram .

2025 has been a great year for hip hop, and one of the albums we're looking forward to most is the upcoming release from Evidence. His album is out next week, but we have one more single to check out while we wait. "Dutch Angle" is pure underground hip hop. It's a minimalist track, with production very limited and the focus on Evidence's flow and lyrics. Due to his time in Dilated Peoples, it would be easy for Evidence to keep mining the 90's throwback thing for new music, but "Dutch Angle" aims to move hip hop forward. It's going to appeal to old school fans and fans of Dilated Peoples, but this is hardly mining nostalgia.  You can watch the video for "Dutch Angle" below. Unlearning Vol. 2 is due out August 15 on Rhymesayers Entertainment. For more on Evidence, check out the artist on Instagram and Facebook . Upcoming tour dates are below the video. Aug 9 - Biel, Switzerland @ Lakelive Festival +  Aug 16 - Los Angeles, CA @ Rhyme Fest...

If you love classic underground hip hop, you're going to love the latest from Evidence. On "Rain Every Season," the Dilated Peoples emcee enlists The Alchemist for a verse over some sparse piano and laid back beats. While the song does have a certain vintage flair, it's hardly a throwback song. The production and the use of keys sounds much more modern than vintage, but the spirit of the classic days of underground hip hop is there. "Rain Every Season" is cool in that effortless way that makes something truly cool. Despite how laid back the song is, Evidence and The Alchemist bring a certain intensity to the song. If you typically hate modern rap, give "Rain Every Season" a shot.  You can watch the video for "Rain Every Season" below. Unlearning Vol. 2 is due out August 15 on Rhymesayers Entertainment. For more on Evidence, check out the artist on Instagram and Facebook . Upcoming tour dates are below the video. Jul 26 - Mannheim, German...

Photo by Stephen Vanasco If you love early 90's hip hop, you're going to love the latest from Evidence. That makes sense considering he was a member of Dilated Peoples, one of the most underrated hip hop groups of the late 90's. "Outta Bounds" is pure, laid back hip hop, without a trace of R&B. The song feels effortless, with Evidence's flow taking over the song and nearly hypnotizing the listener. This sounds like the soundtrack to my high school years despite being brand new and still sounding like a modern song. "Outta Bounds" should be the song of the summer, and would be if there was justice in this world. This one is sure to end up on your On Repeat playlist for quite some time. You can watch the video for "Outta Bounds" below. Unlearning Vol 2. is due out August 15 on Rhymesayers Entertainment. For more on Evidence, check out the artist on Instagram and Facebook . Upcoming tour dates are below the video. Jul 17 - Amsterdam, Neth...

Photo by Beth Saravo Part of Sa-Rock's upcoming tour with Rah Digga is celebrating fifty years of hip hop, and her latest single is pure classic hip hop. "Talk to Me Nice" sounds like it was released in the early 90's. It has more in common with artists like A Tribe Called Quest and De La Soul than anything being made in 2023. Most modern hip hop is more of a hybrid form with pop and electronic music. "Talk to Me Nice" is just hip hop. It's amazing how fresh a song can sound by reaching back into the past like this. Sa-Roc also has this flow that's irresistible. It somehow has the force of rappers like Chuck D and KRS-One with the laid back charm of Snoop Dogg. This is an artist you're going to want to keep a close eye on. You can watch the video for "Talk to Me Nice" below. The song is available as a single via Rhymesayers Entertainment. For more on Sa-Roc, check out the artist's website . Upcoming tour dates are below the video. 8...

Photo by Dan Monick It's hard to believe that Atmosphere has been around for over twenty-five years, but the duo of Slug and Ant released their debut album back in 1997 and continue to release great new music. Their latest single is "Holding My Breath," a laid back hip hop song that dabbles in dub. It's the kind of song with one foot in the old school of rap and the other in the present. The Minneapolis group have crafted a single that is going to appeal to their underground hip hop base while stretching into the mainstream. It's the perfect kind of song for the summer, and just driving around with the windows down. You can listen to "Holding My Breath" below. So Many Other Realities Exist Simultaneously is due out May 5 on Rhymesayers Entertainment, and is available for pre-order here . For more on Atmosphere, check out the artist's website . Upcoming tour dates are below the song. 5/11 - London, UK @ Electric Ballroom ^ 5/12 - Amsterdam, NL @ Melkw...