Most rappers can only dream of making a song as powerful as PGF Nuk’s breakout single, “Waddup.” Superficially it sounds like a pretty standard drill track—terse verses in a wrought-iron […]
Tag: Chicago rapper
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Sharp Chicago rapper F.A.B.L.E. tries on different stylistic hats with Green Room
Emerging Chicago rapper Christopher Horace charmed me a couple years ago with the first EP he released as F.A.B.L.E., (IX) The Hermit. His downy voice makes his playful raps sound […]
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Chicago native R.A.P. Ferreira can make you see your everyday in a different way
In the 2010s, Rory Allen Phillip Ferreira became a national force in underground hip-hop rapping as Milo. He retired that name in 2018 and now performs as R.A.P. Ferreira, but […]
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Chicago rapper, producer, and singer ’Kechi maps his future through his family roots
Chicago producer, rapper, and singer Ikechi Chijiuba Ihemeson, aka ’Kechi, performs as though his entire life has led up to the moment he steps to the mike. He started recording […]
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Chicago rapper Supa Bwe demonstrates the unity of the personal and political on No Thanks
Supa Bwe’s ear for melody and taste for sweet hooks make him one of the city’s best rappers. Since breaking out in 2014, he’s amassed a cult audience with performances […]
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Underground rapper Defcee connects with Closed Sessions producer BoatHouse on For All Debts Public and Private
If you need an introduction to Defcee, you haven’t been paying attention to underground hip-hop in Chicago. The rapper had a banner year in 2021, thanks to three collaborative releases […]
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Luke Titus and Cisco Swank graft jazz skills to beat-tape looseness on Some Things Take Time
Chicago drummer Luke Titus and New York rapper-singer Cisco Swank unite jazz, R&B, and hip-hop on their new album, Some Things Take Time (Sooper). Brief but stimulating, the record feels […]
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Elton Aura specializes in hypersmooth hip-hop that’ll stick in your head
Vocalist and producer Elton Aura is part of a network of Chicago artists who’ve modified hip-hop by splicing the grounded mood and melodicism of old-school R&B into its DNA. For […]
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Chicago rapper CantBuyDeem makes loosies with more energy than most radio hits
If an MC has put in enough work that they can wrap a verse around a beat so tightly you can’t separate the two, then the odds are good they’ve […]
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Myquale makes hip-hop for your midwestern heart
Milwaukee native Myquale moved to Chicago in 2014 to attend DePaul, and the music he’s made as a rapper and producer owes a debt to both cities. On his self-released […]
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Sending love letters from Saba’s future
“Saba’s releases are such special moments for Chicago and the west side,” Reader contributor Tara C. Mahadevan posted to Twitter this week. His previous album, 2018’s Care for Me, claimed […]
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Chicago rapper Vic Spencer sticks to his ideals on Spencer for Higher 4
Chicago rapper Vic Spencer has built a catalog worthy of a book-length exposition, but for the time being I’ll restrict myself to a handful of observations about December’s Spencer for […]
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Chicago rapper Femdot invested in himself, and it pays off with Not for Sale
On September 7, Chicago rapper Femi Adigun (aka Femdot, often styled femdot.) tweeted a loosie called “happyseptember.” that he’d recorded on a recent late night. “A lot of times I […]
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Chicago rapper Mick Jenkins points out the Elephant in the Room
On “Stiff Arm,” three songs into Mick Jenkins’s new Elephant in the Room (Free Nation/Cinematic Music Group), Chicago performer and activist Ayinde Cartman delivers a scorching rumination that doubles as […]
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King Louie: he’s arrogant
Southeast-side rapper King Louie brings a dose of southern swagger to Chicago hip-hop