“Nightshade,” the new single from St.Bedlam and DeliPres is out now. The track’s instrumental is reminiscent of early Westside Gunn production with its menacing piano stabs and grimy boom bap drums. A muted trumpet provides a melodic lead, but it’s just as eerie as the rest of the track’s elements.
St.Bedlam’s rapping reminds me of Little Simz with her clever lines and aggressive flows. Her charismatic delivery brings a lively feeling to the track. St.Bedlam is proving there’s more than enough room in the boom bap scene for women to take over.
Check out “Nightshade” on our Hip Hop 2025 Playlist.
Akanimo’s song “Room Service” is a groovy boom-bap track with lots of room for him to continuously flow. The track is driven by its bouncy drums and unique rimshot pattern, which remind me of certain KAYTRANADA productions. It feels like the drums are pushing and pulling the track forward with sudden stops every few bars.
There is no lead or complex melody distracting listeners from Akanimo’s raps, with certain sections consisting just of his vocals, drums, and bass. The vacancy of a distracting melody allows Akanimo’s laid back flow, which reminds me of a more relaxed jev., to shine through over the ambient synths in the background. The tranquility of this track made it a great listen.
“Room Service” is on our Hip Hop 2025 Playlist.
Hoog$traten and Devon Delorme have collaborated with MoJo Beatz Music for their track “Space Between Fear (Demo).” The track’s melodically intricate hook, sung by Hoog$traten, is parted by verses that consist of both Hoog$traten and Devon Delorme’s vocals. They bounce off of each other with call and response gambits that work to their advantage and layer their vocals on top of each other which bring interesting harmonic tendencies.
It feels like Hoog$traten and Devon Delorme have known each other for years, as their chemistry is on point throughout the tracks entirety. Something that caught my attention was the few times on the song where the production was simplified so Hoog$traten could showcase her rapping abilities. Her monotone flow at these parts showcased her ability to transition from singing to rapping in a matter of seconds. I hope to hear more collabs from Hoog$traten and Devon Delorme in the future.
Hear “Space Between Fear (Demo)” on our Hip Hop 2025 Playlist now.
Charles Edison’s new track “Florence” brought me to tears on my first listen. The song is a beautiful ode to his late grandmother and all she went through to help raise him. From reminiscent lines about specific moments he spent with his grandmother to regretful lines about what he wishes he could’ve done better, Edison stays on topic and puts his whole heart in every line.
The beat for the track contains an infectious sample that is chopped and reworked to create an entirely new masterpiece. With lines like “When you were diagnosed, I wasn’t there nearly enough, I stayed away to save myself and the feeling is rough,” “Florence” is a track I’m sure many people can relate to on some level. The strength and vulnerability it takes for somebody to release a song like this is rare, and it’s one of the many reasons why artists need a platform. I think this song can help people who are going through similar situations and I’m happy Charles Edison had the courage to make this track.
You can find “Florence” on our Hip Hop 2025 Playlist.
The Wild Is Calling 