The “Rap-Up” is a bi-weekly series highlighting new hip-hop music out of Boston. For this installment (June 28-July 11), we have new tracks from Cousin Stizz, Black EL, OG Swaggerdick and Bakari as well as two collaborative songs from Gio Dee & Frank Write and Avenue & Deon Chase, respectively.
| Cousin Stizz – “Fireman” |
With his debut mixtape, “Suffolk County,” expected to drop sometime later this month, Cousin Stizz keeps his momentum rumbling forward with “Fireman.” The Humbeats-produced single is powered by raw raps and a clamoring instrumental, acting as an impressive follow-up to the 22-year-old emcee’s well-received leadoff cut, “Life.”
| Black EL – “White ’95 Maxima” |
Black EL’s #spacewave movement is picking up steam. This week, he and producer Durkin let loose the latest of their many collaborations in the form of “White ’95 Maxima,” a smooth, atmospheric cut that will make you want to hop in a car, roll all the windows down and cruise down the nearest coast as soon as possible. No word on exactly where EL’s recent consistency is leading, but it’s hard to believe it isn’t leading somewhere very promising.
| OG Swaggerdick – “D.O.L.L.A.R.” |
Boston’s rarest artist unleashed the Ben Neary-produced “D.O.L.L.A.R.” (“Dreams of Living Like a Rapper”), and with it, revealed the official release date and tracklist for his forthcoming mixtape “Game Boy Colored.” The 15-song project is set to drop on July 16th and features appearances from Bauce Sauce, Cam Meekins, Lil Silk, Jitta On The Track and many more. “D.O.L.L.A.R.” is undoubtedly OG’s waviest single to date and should have anticipation for the tape at an all-time high.
| Bakari J.B. ft. C Roc Smooth – “Soul Cats” |
Hinted at by its title, the latest single from Bakari J.B. is refreshingly soulful. The C Roc Smooth-assisted “Soul Cats” provides an always essential dose of heart, and the accompanying visual has just the vibe to match. It’s one of the standout cuts off Bakari’s latest project, “Fear & Desire,” so if you’re feeling this one, go give the rest of the tape a spin.
| Gio Dee ft. Frank Write – “Don’t Want It” |
The Chefboyz have been steadily rising since they first splashed onto the Boston scene three years ago, and with “Don’t Want It,” Gio Dee and Frank Write reminded listeners why the collective continues to make waves and why they don’t plan on stopping anytime soon. The D Fresh-produced record is an undeniable party-starter laced with a catchy, melodic hook, and Frank’s verse may be one of the best out of Boston this summer.
| Avenue ft. Deon Chase – “0 to 100 (Freestyle)” |
These two frequent collaborators have been on a tear, and after releasing a handful of well-received tracks on Soundcloud over the course of the past month, they chose to supply their “0 to 100” freestyle with a visual treatment. The first half of the video is straightforward and street-friendly, allowing Avenue and Deon’s respective characters to shine, and the latter half is shot in black-and-white, made up largely of B-roll to match the introspective mood of Ave’s bars over the soulful production.