Album Of The Week: MIKE 'Showbiz!'
The first time many of us heard about MIKE, we were listening to Earl Sweatshirt’s Some Rap Songs in 2018.
Articles
Explore a rolling collection of my writing below.
Kendrick Lamar Puts On for LA on ‘GNX’ But The Truth Remains Unsaid
Kendrick's latest project GNX marks the return of K. Dot – an impressive showcase of his versatility and love for the LAnd that still fails to acknowledge the truth.
This is 40: ‘MIXTAPE PLUTO’ Delivers Exactly What You’d Expect
Although a little predictable, Future's latest is more evidence of a true Trap pioneer still working indefatigably to perfect the lane he’s created.
An Interview With Robb Bank$
Yousef Srour speaks to Robb Bank$ about early collabs with Spaceghostpurrp and Denzel Curry, taking inspiration from his father Shaggy, and his latest, "i think i might be happy pt. 2"
The Summer of Kendrick Lamar
After a dominant summer that ended in a unanimous win against Drake in their beef, Yousef Srour crowns Kendrick Lamar with his long-deserved title: the greatest rapper alive.
7 from the 707: Vallejo’s hottest rappers
Some of them are fresh to the scene and some have been at it for years.
Bay Area Type Beat: 707.10
Yousef Srour serves up the latest edition of Bay Area Type beat – highlighting new heat from Oakland's Mitchell, EBK Trey B rapping over baile funk, new Yatta and more.
Vallejo native DJ Gutta Butta puts his own spin on ‘hyphy’
DJ Gutta Butta is a modern apostle of the Hyphy movement, repackaging decades of Vallejo history into contemporary sounds that garner the smirk of a thizz face and the pop of your collar.
Bay Area Type Beat: 707.9
Yousef Srour returns with the latest edition of Bay Area Type Beat to highlight new music from EBK Jaaybo, Lou Deezi, Verde Babii and more.
(Fear) The Reaper: A Glimpse Inside EBK Jaaybo’s Last Concert of the Year
Yousef Srour re-lives the prolific Stockton rapper's first and last show of 2024 – a memorable night full of West Coast Hip-Hop and stoicism before Jaaybo was arrested again just ten days later.
The POW Best Albums of 2023
Contributed:
#21: 03 Greedo – Free 03
#21: 03 Greedo – Free 03
The POW Best Rap Songs of 2023
Contributed:
#28: EBK Jaaybo – “Apocalypse”
#28: EBK Jaaybo – “Apocalypse”
It’s time to bring live hip-hop back to Vallejo
Local venues and police pressure have largely deplatformed the city’s main cultural export.
Evilgiane & Surf Gang Are Changing The Sound Of Hip-Hop
Meet the collective changing the course of hip-hop, producing for A$AP Rocky & Playboi Carti, Earl Sweatshirt, Baby Keem & Kendrick Lamar, and more.
Childish Gambino's 'Because The Internet' Turns 10
Allow me to reintroduce Because The Internet, the prelude to Donald Glover's 'Atlanta.'
The 50 Best Albums Of 2023
Contributed:
#38 - 'Girl In The Half Pearl' by Liv.e
#33 - 'GANGER' by Veeze
#30 - 'Larger Than Life' by Brent Faiyaz
#38 - 'Girl In The Half Pearl' by Liv.e
#33 - 'GANGER' by Veeze
#30 - 'Larger Than Life' by Brent Faiyaz
Tipsy’s ‘Buzzz’: A Vintage Looking Glass Into San Francisco’s Nightlife
15 years after its release, Yousef Srour dives into the historical significance of this experimental, electronic-leaning album and its forward-thinking yet overlooked contributions to San Fransisco's beat scene.
SONGS OF THE SUMMER 2023
Contributed: Metro Boomin & Future – “Superhero (Heroes & Villains)”
The Rap-Up: Week of September 4, 2023
Yousef Srour returns to deliver the latest edition of The Rap-Up, featuring a new care-free Robb Bank$ track, ZAYALLCAP's latest re-imagining of autotune, new Armand Hammer and more.
Open Mike Eagle: Another Triumph of Ghetto Engineering
Armed with advice for the next generation and lots of thank-you notes, Open Mike Eagle’s funny and reflective ninth album seeks a sense of closure within his discography.
At The 'Doris' Anniversary Show In LA, Earl Sweatshirt Was Free
10 Years of Earl Sweatshirt's 'Doris'
Veeze's 'Ganger' Is An Odyssey That Would Leave Homer Shook
At no point on Ganger, Veeze’s first album in four years, does he lend himself to any singular subgenre, theme, or era within Hip Hop.
Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop: The 50 Greatest Hip-Hop Executives of All Time
Wrote about E-40, Eazy-E, Stephen Hill, Sylvia Rhone, Bryan “Birdman” Williams and Slim Williams
The Rap-Up: Week of July 31, 2023
Yousef Srour makes his Rap-Up debut to write about a highlight off of LUCKI's newest project, a bar-heavy Mac Miller B-Side, the greatest posse cut of the 2010s and more.
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