It never seemed like this day would come but here we are: Boston’s hip hop artists have finally emerged from studio quarantine with live rhymes and beats booming once again. A largely vaccinated city is giving way to live shows returning (including one of our own) and a string of searing new releases setting the stage for a red-hot summer in a reanimated society. From block-party bangers to lo-fi underground, here are our Listen Local hip hop picks for the month to help you remember that care-free feeling and party-focused groove that only hip hop can provide.
“Eartha Kitt” by MonaVeli
“Eartha Kitt” kicks off with a clip from former NBA player and current coach Juwan Howard, defiantly shouting: “I told you, we gon’ shock the world.” It’s fitting, considering MonaVeli spits rhymes brimming with that same confidence: “I cut checks just ‘cus of my features / Pretty ass face this tongue like Nina’s.” In the music video, an animated MonaVeli is front and center onstage—and the only face we see. On the song, her vocals are also the main focus: only the snap of drums, low synths and atmospheric, garbled background vocal samples accompany her. Don’t get in her way: it’s clear she’s ready to for the spotlight. – Knar Bedian
“Let Me Talk my sh**” (music video), by Red Shaydez
It’s been almost a year since local hip hop icon and Boston Music Award winner Red Shaydez dropped Feel The Aura, the award winning album whose thermogenic force created a new bar in the Boston hip hop scene. Now her new music video for “Let Me Talk My shit” has brought Shaydez, and the rest of Boston, to the screens of rap fans around the world. Recently Featured on BET Jams, “Let Me Talk My Sh**” has been caught in the spotlight of the longest-running industry standard for certified hip hop, bringing Red Shaydez officially onto the national stage. The song features her signature brand of filler-free, craft-distilled lyricism over a thunderous baseline that knocks hard against your chest with every loop. With the help of Director, Snaps By Cat, the video brings out Shaydez’s multimedia range, starting with creative characters and costume design. Playing everything from a politician to a school girl, to a Lyft Driver and a tennis star–whose disembodied head is still rapping– the production quality is an enchanting show of special effects that takes Shaydez’s video (and the Boston scene) to the next level. – Jared Steinberg
“CHAPO” by Millyz and Dave East
Central-square native and long-time Cambridge rap god Millyz has recently been taking his skills to global audiences. Millyz teamed up with Dave East, the Harlem-native turned international hip hop celebrity, and the two recently unveiled their new collaborative EP, Pablo & Blanco. The title pays homage to classically-styled New York rap fantasies via the infamous Colombian drug lords Pablo Escobar and Griselda Blanco. With Scarface-inspired wordplay, Millyz rhymes about big dreams of international wealth and globe-trotting, rapping, “we separate the paper by color / look like we’re doin’ laundry”. The WorldStarHipHop exclusive video, “CHAPO,” is a celebratory, hard-hitting track with the two rappers flexing their lyrical muscle and youthful bravado over scuffed, gritty East Coast-style production from another Boston hip hop local turned NYC legend, Statik Selektah. Nodding your head to this beat will make you want to raise a glass and toast to the rise of this Cambridge success story who has just become a hip hop industry mainstay. – Jared Steinberg
Song Pick: “Warsaw” by Ynonymous
Brand new to the Boston scene, Ynonymous immediately draws comparison to other underground and lo-fi artists (such as MF Doom) with his slow vocal delivery and layered samples. “Warsaw” starts off with a bang, as the sound of a gunshot fades into glittery electronic beats and Ynonymous comes in with the lyric: “Life is like a gamble / Open palms over a candle.” As the dreamy rhythm meanders, punchy drum beats and Ynonymous’ lyrics about the dangers of everyday life add bite to this chill track. At only 1 minute and 30 seconds long, “Warsaw” manages to be as tight as it is expansive. Left wanting more? Check out Ynonymous’ debut album Relax, which features “Warsaw” and seven other tracks that open with similar vocal samples, carrying a jazzy flow and nostalgic crackle-and-pop sound throughout the mixtape. – Julia Bernicker
“What you tryna do” by Deeboe ft. Tr3y
The perfect, slick track for the season, “What you tryna do” opens with a bouncy four-count start that rides into an infectious beat reminiscent of West Coast hip-hop. With the first time in a year where clubs are [somewhat] a possibility, this is absolutely the kind of song you would drag your friends to the dance floor for. Tr3y opens the track by slyly serenading the audience with smooth vocals, “what you tryna do? / let me dive in that pool.” Yet, Deeboe quickly grabs the mic and spits out verses asserting the dominance of hot boy summer, “shorty tryna cuff / I’m just tryna bust a nut.” Confidence drips off every second of the four minute track, as the Lowell duo continue on with an energetic back and forth flow to warn against anyone that tries them, and welcome in the playful mood of the summer. – Astghik Dion
Graphic created by Madison Arrichiello