In June, Chicago rapper Chris Crack self-released Cute Boys (The Rise of Lil Delicious) on Bandcamp roughly two months after dropping White People Love Algorithms. Most artists releasing 36 songs in a couple months would qualify as prolific, but Chris Crack isn’t most artists; last year, he’d put out four albums by July. All of […]
Tag: rappers
Posted inMusic
Chicago MC J Wade raps like an all-terrain vehicle on Lily of the Valley
J Wade raps like an all-terrain vehicle, coasting across craggy instrumentals strewn with syncopated samples that could trip up lesser artists. The Chicago MC is part of an emerging collective and label called Creative Mansion, which also includes rapper Sidaka and producer Cloud Boy—the latter made most of the sample-heavy instrumentals on Wade’s new EP, […]
Posted inMusic
Chicago rap star Polo G stands firm on his peak with The Goat
Chicago rapper Taurus Bartlett, better known as Polo G, rose to national prominence so quickly that new listeners could be forgiven for assuming he’s been a star for at least a few years. He broke out in January 2019 with “Pop Out,” a collaboration with New York MC Lil Tjay, where Bartlett mixes irrepressible joy […]
Posted inMusic
Chicago rap duo Mother Nature evoke deferred summertime joy with Portalz
Over the past few years, Chicago hip-hop duo Mother Nature have become so thoroughly embedded in several overlapping scenes that it could feel like they were always playing a show. And when the weather heated up, they sometimes got gigs bigger than any one scene: Subterranean booked them for Wicker Park Fest twice in a […]
Posted inMusic
Harvey rapper Ty Money bids adieu to the career-defining mixtape series Cinco de Money
On May 5, Harvey rapper Ty Money released the fifth and final entry in his career-defining mixtape series, Cinco de Money, which he launched in 2015. Each volume has showcased what makes Money stand out: his vivid narratives of street life, freighted with pathos, delivered in a rush of syllables that cuts through the instrumentals […]
Posted inMusic
Lil Wayne tries to revisit his era of greatness with mixed results on Funeral
Remember the Lil Wayne of 2008 and 2009? He constantly boasted that he was the “greatest rapper alive,” and you know what? He actually was. The 2008 album Tha Carter III, released about ten years into his career, was a full-blown landmark. It gave the world a string of smash singles, including “Lollipop” and “Got […]
Posted inMusic
Lily Allen’s almost annoyingly catchy Sheezus and 15 more record reviews
This month’s stack of record reviews will get you better acquainted with Ben Frost’s defibrillating body music, Dawn Golden’s alchemical electro-pop, and lots more.
Posted inMusic
Chicago MC Caleb James does right by his dad
Caleb James grew up in his father’s studio, and now he’s ready to join his friends Chance the Rapper and Vic Mensa in the spotlight.
Posted inMusic
Gossip Wolf: Locrian’s Andre Foisy teaches yoga for your grimmest chakra
Yoga for your grimmest chakra, new music from Catholic Tapes, and more
Posted inFilm
Artist on Artist: Boots Riley of the Coup talks to ShowYouSuck
Boots Riley of the Coup lays some truth on straightedge Chicago party rapper ShowYouSuck.
Posted inMusic
In Rotation: Ayana Contreras of Vocalo’s Reclaimed Soul on a softly stratospheric Andrew Hill LP
Current musical obsessions of Primeridian’s Simeon Viltz and Ayana Contreras of Vocalo’s Reclaimed Soul
Posted inMusic
Houston rap in photographs
In Houston Rap photographer Peter Beste shares images of one of the new century’s most influential hip-hop scenes.
Posted inMusic
Danny Brown’s thoughtfully raunchy Old and 15 more record reviews
Eight Reader writers take on 16 albums—including Traxman’s user-friendly footwork.
Posted inMusic
Freddie Gibbs mans the ramparts for gangsta rap
Gangsta rap is in decline on the charts, but Freddie Gibbs could keep it alive single-handedly.
Posted inBest of Chicago
Best Place Where Music and Clothes Meet
The bond between local hip-hop acts and the folks behind this city’s streetwear stores and brands is tight.