Saba-Scum

I've said it before and I'll say it again, Chicago's rap game is by far the best right now. Although the west coast's T.D.E. is the best group, the talent coming out of the Windy City is countless. Saba is probably in my top 5 though. I haven't been able to stop listening to his mixtape ComfortZone since it came out a month ago, but it wasn't until recently that I realized how much I love the 7th song on the album, "Scum." It's always stuck in my head and always puts me in a good mood. The unique rhythm and melody on the song is a perfect example of the innovative music coming out of Chicago and the most impressive part of it all is that Saba produced the track, along with many others on his fantastic mixtape.

King Green-Nothing

King Green of the RDGLDGRN trio tries his hand at some solo work. Still rapping over unconventional, heavy instrumental beats, Green discusses his dreams and aspirations while sampling Office Space in "Nothing". Looking at his solo work it's clear to see why RDGLDGRN have been so successful thus far. Each member is incredibly talented and sound just as good on their own. Check out RDGLDGRN's new song "Cornbread."

Jon Bellion-Munny Right

Even if you don't know Jon Bellion is you're probably already a fan of him. Bellion has found his biggest successes as a songwriter in the past, including Eminem and Rihanna's megahit "The Monster", which just hit 200,000,000 views on Youtube. However, if you've been paying attention you'd know that Jon Bellion is not someone who will be kept in the background. Last year he came out with his spectacular mixtape The Separation with Visionary Music Group, the label that hosts Logic and QuESt. "Munny Right" is about the New York artist's journey to his recent success. On top of incredible lyrics (he's a songwriter first), he adds impressive vocals, a blend of pop and hip-hop, and some great production he did himself. Watch out, you'll be hearing "Munny Right" on the radio every day pretty soon.

Common-Speak My Piece

Windy City veteran Common came out with his tenth album Nobody's Smiling pretty recently and proved once again that he's one of the best in the game. While not his most impressive piece of work, the album is great and will be in my rotation for a long time to come. "Speak My Piece", even though it's probably the least lyrically conscience song on the album, it's still my favorite. The B.I.G. sample is incredible when mixed with the percussion, and Common puts up a flow that errs from the usual. Check out Nobody's Smiling, on iTunes now.

Case Arnold-Hope$ and Dream$

Tennessee rapper Case Arnold releases his new single "Hope$ and Dream$." Chiefus (Case Arnold's producer name) provides a minimal beat, giving himself an eerie backdrop to layout some bars. The song showcases Arnold's incredibly focused flow and impressive lyrics. "Hope$ and Dream$" will be featured on Case Arnold's upcoming project So(u)l Theory, due later this year.

August Alsina-Benediction (feat. Rick Ross)

It's been a great year for August Alsina. The impressive R&B artist has been getting some good feature work, was one of XXL's Freshmen, and released his major label debut album Testimony. The album has features from Pusha T, Jeezy, B.O.B., Trinidad James, and more. "Benediction" is a great example of the throwback 90's sound that Alsina is bringing back. He also taps Rick Ross for a solid, radio-clean verse.

Sango & Waldo-Until Then

Although both are incredibly talented, neither Sango nor Waldo would be where they are today without each other. Until Then marks the duo's third project together, following up last years spectacular NSDE/OUTSDE EP and 2012's Pick Your Own Poison. "Purple Heart" and "Kobe's Room" are still played regularly in my rotation. While significantly shorter than their last album, Until Then is still equally impressive. Though it lacks that one standout track it's clear that the two have created a much more focused and consistent sound, excellently working together to bring out each other's best skills as musicians.

RiFF RAFF-LAVA GLACiERS (ft. Childish Gambino)

I may be posting about RiFF RAFF but I still believe he's not a real artist. People say he has freestyle skills but without any meaning to his lyrics he seems pretty talentless. Even if you hate the guy, though, you have to admit he gets to put his voice over some of the best trap/rap beats in the game. "LAVA GLACiERS", off of RiFF's new project Neon Icon, is no exception, as Harry Fraud lends some great production. Luckily the beat wasn't completely wasted by RiFF RAFF, as Gambino gave a solid guest verse.

RDGLDGRN-Robots

The multicolored trio comes out with their first single since their 2013 debut RDGLDGRN EP. "Robots" demonstrates their signature style of combining upbeat instrumentals and both rapping and singing.

Capital STEEZ-AmeriKKKan Korruption

I'm pretty late to this one but I need to post about Capital STEEZ. STEEZ was one of the founding members of Pro Era, along with Joey Bada$$. He released a single project before tragically committing suicide. Fortunately, he left behind a legacy. He was one of the creators of the Beast Coast Movement and released an incredible album, featuring Joey Bada$$, MF DOOM, and Madlib. R.I.P. STEEZ. 

Russ-Silence

One of my favorite projects as of late has been Russ's 3rd mixtape of the year, Silence. The man produces, writes, and puts his own vocals on all of his tracks with minimal features and is constantly releasing music. In fact, he's already released another single since this mixtape dropped featuring the long silent Chiddy. With Silence Russ is finally getting the attention he deserves, getting some radio time and a shout out from DJ Booth as one of their new top prospects for the year. Don't sleep on this guy.

Shlohmoh & Jeremih-The End (ft. Chance The Rapper)

Chance has been shy about releasing music for a while. Consumed by his touring, I'm unsure how much time he's had to work on his new album. However, the touring just ended and he's on a break until Lollapalooza so hopefully we'll here some of his new solo work soon. In the meantime, listen to "The End" off Sholohmoh & Jeremih's excellent new six-track EP No More, which features a short but good verse from Chano.

Angel-Keys

It's been more than a month since my last post but I assure you I haven't stopped finding new music. For the next few days I'll be trying to catch up on posts and then I'll return to the regular daily posts. First up is Angel. I can't find too much information on this guy but it's clear from his new EP, The Lost Tapes, that he's talented. Each song has an impressive backdrop and a pretty dynamic and interesting flow from the newcomer. "Keys", howerver, is far and away my favorite track of the project. Angel finds a perfect balance between Hip-Hop and R&B and makes the beat seem like it was tailor-made just for him.

Pro Era-Hail Razor

Pro Era is continuing to prove their bottomless talent with their new single "Hail Razor." Even without lead member Joey Bada$$, the group still thrives on the chemistry they have with each other. A La $oul, Dessy Hinds, and CJ Fly's verses work perfectly together and all over Backpack's ill beat.

Jurassic 5-The Way We Do It

When I went to check on my regular music blogs this morning, I couldn't believe what I saw. Jurassic 5, a group that I started listening to 3 years ago, released a new song. Last time I had checked Jurassic 5 had split up in 2007 and I never expected to hear any new music from them. Apparently, they got back together in 2013 and just today released their first single in 8 years "The Way We Do It." Once you press play you'll realize that the group is starting from where they left off, over a hard beat from the immortal Heavy D the group unceasingly trade off verses.

Purrple-Tide (ft. Term K)

Prepare yourself, summer is coming. Everyday the weather is getting warmer and artists are releasing the music they've been saving for the season, and "Tide" by Purrple is a great track to kick it off. It starts off with a cut of "Mr. Sandman" but quickly turns into a great pop song. The song stays fresh thanks to Term K's rap verse that wouldn't work on its own but fits in perfectly with the track.

GoldLink-Sober Thoughts (prod. Kaytranada)

GoldLink shows no sign of slowing down. It was only a month ago that the rapper released his debut tape The God Complex and then his hit single "Wassup", produced by Sango. Now, he has another great track produced by incredible Montreal producer Kaytranada. The result is a mellow electronic beat combined with GoldLink's crisp flow and a catchy hook.

ProbCause-Chicago Style (ft. Twista)

ProbCause dropped his mixtape Waves a couple of days ago and unfortunately it wasn't as strong as I had hoped. I've come to the conclusion that he's better in small doses, really shining in songs that have guest verses. His verses seem more thought out and energetic in songs like "Three Course Meal", "LSD", and more recently, "Chicago Style." The standout track features an incredible beat and good verses from both ProbCause and Twista.

Vic Mensa-Down On My Luck

I'm not sure if Vic Mensa is planning on dropping a project any time soon but that hasn't stopped him from releasing fresh songs at a pretty constant rate. It seems as if he, like his often collaborator Chance, is experimenting with different sounds. First with the freestyle "When The Fire Starts To Burn" and the more rap than hip-hop "Feel That", and now the club track "Down On My Luck." Even over techno-esque production, which most rappers could never lay good bars over, Vic Mensa owns the track with his energy.

Russ-Brain Dead

DIEMON member Russ Vitale drops his mixtape Brain Dead. The self-produced mixtape follows a strict rise and fall format. Switching between rap and a R&B/Reggae fuse. The slower songs are a refreshing break from the R&B standard today(Future, The Weeknd, Jhené Aiko). The production on the slower tracks have some reggae instrumentals and see Russ adding some soulful vocals. On the rap joints, his voice actually sounds pretty similar to Eminem but his flow is unique. It's choppy but it still works thanks to the insane amount of energy he brings. The lyrics are pretty LSD influenced, and while not quite at Acid Rap level they entertain over the wide range of beats, from Kanye-esque soul samples to keyboard heavy bars. The production is simple as it is on many self-produced mixtapes and I'd love to see what Russ could do over a veteran producer's work. Download Brain Dead today.

Best Tracks: "Lucy", "Murder Me", "Purple"