Music

Russ Resurrects BET’s ‘Rap City’ In His ‘Who Wants What’ Video With Ab-Soul

Even Big Tigger makes an appearance to react to some of the harder-hitting punchlines. …

For a certain generation of hip-hop heads, BET’s Rap City (and later, Rap City: Tha Basement) were staples in their diet of new rap videos. New Jersey rapper Russ, who is promoting a star-studded new EP titled Chomp, resurrects the nostalgic Basement Booth set — complete with a cameo from Big Tigger(!) — for his first video from the EP, “Who Wants What” featuring Ab-Soul.

Russ provides a nostalgic, crate-digging beat reminiscent of the early ’90s New York hip-hop heyday as he and Ab-Soul roam the booth with a classic set-up from Big Tigger. During his verse, Russ throws a subtle salute to Cam’ron, whose money-counting antics during his 2001 freestyle became a fan-favorite and a lasting image in the minds of hip-hop fans who continue to share grainy videos of it on social media to this day.

Ab-Soul does what he came to do as well, spitting a ferocious flurry of punchlines that will leave permanent fingerprints on rewind buttons everywhere (I know how dated that reference is but, in this case, it works). The video is also cleverly mixed so that the track continues to play even as we get to listen in to Tigger’s reactions to some of the juicier lines.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by RUSS (@russ)
Advertisement

Russ teased Chomp via Instagram yesterday, sharing a tracklist that includes Benny The Butcher, Black Thought, Busta Rhymes, DJ Premier, and Kxng Crooked. No release date was shared but such a tape could go a long way toward revamping — or at least justifying — Russ’ holier-than-thou image.

Watch the “Who Wants What” video above.

Tweet LinkedIn PinShares0

Album Review

Kamila Csenge explores the unknown with a powerful debut album “Behind the Universe”

Some albums tell stories, while some invite you to experience a different worldview. And that is precisely what Kamila Csenge does on her debut album, “Behind the Universe.” A collection of 7 crafted tracks exploring what lies beyond fear, pain, and the limitations we so often put on ourselves. The album is an invitation to curiosity and reflection and growth, not to easy answers.

The journey begins with a reflective jazz fusion ballad, “The Void,” opening space for silence outside of simple ideas of right and wrong. Next track, “Against the Wall,” moves from there, with a stark look at the courage to overcome obstacles and make a difference. Then, “Music Forever” goes on with a sincere reflection about being true to yourself in a world that asks for attention and speed.

The emotional and imaginative range of the second half of the album goes even further. “Guardians of the Garden” is a peculiar universe, a universe of hope and light in the darkness. Next up is “The Metamorphosis,” which explores the silent yet powerful evolution of a human being, as growth usually begins with the loss of our former selves.

“This World” turns inside to the quiet wars many people fight each day with honesty and compassion. The album ends with “The Point of No Return,” a perfect song to end the album, accepting that the only way to go is just to go. Kamila Csenge’s debut album “Behind the Universe” is a record that prizes emotion, imagination, and resilience and is at once deeply personal and open to infinite interpretation.

Connect with Kamila Csenge on | Website | IG | FB | Spotify | TikTok |

Tweet LinkedIn PinShares0

Artist Spotlight

Kai Moa delivers an electronic journey of loss and identity with “L = ∅”

One of the few electronic releases to communicate emotional collapse so intensely is “L = ∅” by Kai Moa. The track is a dramatic shift in weight and atmosphere, the second single from the artist’s forthcoming debut EP, which will be out by August 2026.

The production of “L = ∅” has a nice balance of mechanical force and emotional tension. The song is about the emotional fallout of losing a job and the meaning it held. Instead of a straightforward representation of grief, Kai Moa takes on the mindset of a character who is sliding into nihilism, rejecting ideas of work, security, relationships, and meaning itself. This is an artist who can take personal disappointment and make it into a meditation on identity.

“L = ∅” is an immersive listening experience that defies expectations. Kai Moa has a real talent for blending cinematic storytelling with a bold sound design. This release feels like it could make its way into the ears of underground electronic fans and those searching for substance in their music. Kai Moa is an artist who isn’t scared to jump headfirst into uncomfortable ideas with fearless production and ambitious creative vision, and the first track leads into the debut EP.

Connect with Kai Moa on | IG | Spotify |