Music
Russ Raps Alongside Some Of Hip-Hop’s Top Lyricists On His ‘Chomp’ EP
Getty Image The controversial indie rap advocate challenges himself to keep up with Ab-Soul, Black Thought, Busta Rhymes, and more. …
Before developing a reputation as a pugnacious gatekeeper and instigator of rap beef, Russ built an impressive fan base on the strength of his rapping, singing, and songwriting, leading to a very successful independent career built on boisterous bars and a diligent, DIY approach to his pursuit of stardom. Now that rap fans have turned on him, it looks like he wants to re-establish his credentials as an upper-echelon wordsmith, releasing the star-studded Chomp EP, on which the controversial indie rap advocate challenges himself to keep up with Ab-Soul, Black Thought, Busta Rhymes, and more.
After making his major-label debut in 2017 with There’s Really A Wolf, Russ unfortunately began alienating fans with his anti-drug t-shirt. After memeing his self-serious sartorial choice into oblivion and back, fans seemed to have decided that the New Jersey-born, Atlanta-based rapper was a self-righteous jerk — a perception Russ himself did little to mitigate as he continued to double down on his criticisms of mainstream stars. He may even have furthered it with physical altercations between himself and relatively harmless party rappers like Smokepurpp and Guapdad 4000.
However, Russ has his defenders as well, while his recent actions have toned-down his image somewhat. By teaming up — and in some cases, actually going bar-for-bar — with respected vets and newcomers like Kxng Crooked and Benny The Butcher on Chomp, Russ may get fans to once again focus on what’s important — his music — and not his antics.
Chomp is out now. Get it here.
Artist Spotlight
Neurolapse opens up buried feelings into a rebellious release “Fvck These Feelings”
Neurolapse channel released feelings that had been held inside for too long with “Fvck These Feelings.” That emotional urgency also translates into the writing process itself, with some of the lyrics coming in the early hours of the morning and insisting on being put down. From there, it was developed into a track that turns personal emotional pressure into a collective experience for listeners.
What is interesting about the song is the tension between the emotional base it draws on and the freedom it seeks to create. The song is born of the difficulty of releasing painful feelings, but its effect is anything but restrained. The band wants the song to make listeners dance, shout along, and let go of the emotions they have been carrying. This gives “Fvck These Feelings” an intuitive quality, turning frustration and emotional exhaustion into an opportunity to let go.
Something is refreshing about the song’s directness. Instead of bottling up feelings and keeping them a secret, “Fvck These Feelings” celebrates the messy process of letting them out. It gives people a chance to identify what they’ve been holding on to, and a place to let it out. Neurolapse takes a tough internal experience and turns it into something energetic, expressive, and communal. This is a track designed not simply to be heard, but to be felt and released through movement.
Artist Spotlight
KUILL unveils a testimony from the pain of memory on latest release “Last Night”
KUILL‘s latest release, “Last Night” is a very human approach to memory. It is about those moments we only realize were important after they are already gone. This song is not about a specific event, but about growing up, about time passing and about people and places we once assumed would always be there. Its emotional core is born of the painful realization that a final moment rarely announces itself as it unfolds.
“Last Night” is subtle yet cinematic, letting KUILL’s signature voice do the heavy lifting in telling the story. His restrained vocal delivery creates space for the listener to bring his own memories. Its shimmering world can be the last evening before leaving home, a family holiday, or a carefree summer with childhood friends. The result is intimate, yet it doesn’t constrain the listener’s interpretation.
The artwork accompanying the piece enhances that feeling with broken reflections of KUILL, placing him between past and present. It’s the essence of the song: memories tend to fade with time and become less about the details of what happened and more about how those times made us feel. “Last Night” takes that quiet sadness and lets you sit with it.
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