DISCLAIMER
Through to that type of article, we want to offer you a review of the Korean urban scene news.
However we need to make some clarifications.
Firstly, even if we are doing our best to give you the largest range possible, we’ll certainly miss some releases but it doesn’t mean that the project isn’t worthy of interest.
Then, if we are always trying to give you a review as much objective as possible, the fact is that there is always going to have some subjectivity in it. We haven’t the “received wisdom”, our aim here is only to promote the weekly releases and in some angles to express our views. After all beauty is in the eye of the beholder and, if you don’t share the same opinion than us don’t hesitate to tell us in our comment space, on twitter or facebook!
We also liked to say that to stay up-to-date on the current releases, we are leaning, among other, on K-Hip Hop France and HiphopKR pages!
SoundCloud Playlist
03/16
Kimchidope – "Bird Strike" (Prod. DeepHartt)
Kimchidope chose to change a bit and to go for a Trap beat on a quite more clean style and the result is quite nice!
Mars - EP :"ｆｅｅｌ ｂｌｕｅ" (2 tracks)
An EP with very distinct atmospheres.
When 편지 is more on a quite Jazz/Lo-Fi touch, Mars opted for a livelier flow in SOS, a track with a mind-blowing Trap background. The more singing chorus leads to an interesting balance!
29thofmay - "YOU KNOW HOW I FEEL LIKE" (feat. brwn)[prod. 29thofmay]
Pure mellow, the alchemy between 29thofmay and brwn is striking, both artists have very moving universes so the collab produced a quite indescribable result, out of time ~
03/17
마사이 (Masa2) - "동네인트로"
Rap in its more simple form, just like the M/V
LOLLY - Album : "Asian Star Hogwart Avenue: ASHA" (12 tracks)
ASHA for Asian Atar Hogwart Avenue is none other than LOLLY‘s second album and after having listened to the whole twelve tracks, one can only be striken by the specific work on the atmospheres.
With this project LOLLY tried his hands at different kind of vibes: mind-blowing Trap on the tracks Bus Stop and ZIG TECH even with some Alternative Rock notes on the second one. Alternative Rock sonorities which are even more present on the track 한강으로.
There is also a nice wavy vibe induced by the synth in BVLGARI. Jack To Rose is probably the track with the more clean style,it’s very aerial while 69 and Angels are more on Lo-Fi tinted with some melancholy. As for DONTWORRYGOAHED the intensity of the track is more progressive.
More generally, ASHA is all in lightness, an album you better listen to from one end to the other ~
V.et - "TRIGGER" (Feat. CozMo, Lev!tate, Luki$) (Prod By. V.et)
An excellent collaboration, the work on the beat suits really well the rappers’ flows!
박진오(J1NO) - "틱톡(Tic Toc)" (Feat.Realtic)
If you like oceanfromtheblue you might have recognized the beat he made for his track FAN, or at least oceanfromtheblue’s beat has been sampled and the result is quite interesting too.
What’s more, J1NO and Realtic are very good as well. In short a lively collaboration with a quite groovy sonority ~
Lev!tate - "RUN UP!" ( W / RRicky )
Lev!tate is still not that known on SoundCloud but still, it’s obvious that his releases are really nice. It’d not be surprising to see him gain some clout, especially since it seems that he’s only 17!!
$OBER - Mixtape : "X tape" (6 tracks)
X tape is in the range of $OBER‘s previous releases, tinted with melancholy and discreet beats.
Clearly a mood mixtape!
Mac Kidd - 주인공은내가할래 대빵
Mad Kidd offers us a track with an almost mystic atmosphere this week!
YunB - "Rebound Girl"
Second track of the double single Alcoholic, Rebound Girl is on the same spirit.
A very melancholic atmosphere on a rather soft production with this time the breakup for main theme, there is this kind of regret and at the same time a will to move forward. YunB manages to convey this emotional confusion one can feel in this type of situation.
03/18
dasoul94 aka DIGITAL NINJA - "ninja side"
Just like the rapper’s name, this is a Trap track which pretty strands out ~
03/19
THAMA – EP : "Pre" (5 tracks)
With artists like THAMA the Korean RnB scene has a bright future!
It’s hard to find the right words to describe this project so much it’s a pleasure to listen to it. Jazz beats on a clean style and a velvet voice and if it wasn’t already enough, THAMA is even accompanied by Gaeko, Joo Young and SOLE on some tracks.
The EP might only last 17 minutes but the whole is so soothing ! It’s impossible to recommend a specific track, this is a project worth listening to from one end to the other ~
Leellamarz - "Pretty Woman" (Feat. 김효은 (Keem Hyo-Eun)) (Prod. TOIL)
Leellarmarz tagged this track with a #drunk and it quite makes sense since from memory, it’s not really usual to hear him on a such languishing register, it’s almost tearful
ZENE THE ZILLA, MONEYCOLORED HAIR - "술먹고프리스타일"
Trully on a tearful register this time, also a track tagged with a #drunkinfreestyle.
yelloasis - "SHE INSANE" (PROD. BRIX)
New yelloasis’ release !
Pure RnB on a pretty languorous/sensual vibe ~
Vankushuma - "white widow🤯"
Just as the title suggests it (let’s just say that the white widow is a variety of plant) this track can be described as Mind-blowing Trap. There is a lot of sound information, especially high pitched notes.
Heize - Album : "She's Fine" (11 tracks)
Heize offered a pretty much pop album, maybe a little bit too repetitive in its atmospheres.
The featurings include Jooyoung, Colde, Simon Dominic and Nafla.
We especially recommend you Umbrella Calls for Rain with the latter or even the track Doobling!
Owen Ovadoz - Album : "P.O.E.M II" (12 tracks)
P.O.E.M II is truly in keeping with the first one. Muted Jazz atmospheres and lyrics on a rather introspective register, still this conscious rap side with some questions about the society and the whole peppered with some Egotrip and cannabis references (pretty Jane for instance)~~~~~
As often, Owen chose to opt for beats rather on a clean style which mingles really well with his flow.
There is a quite surprising reference to the track Jocelyn Flores by XXXTENTACION at the end of 4youreyezonly when he sings “I know you’re somewhere somewhere”.
As for the collaborations, from the Mkit Rain there is Nafla and Young West and beside them the rapper Changstarr.
In short, a typical Owen Ovadoz’ album!
03/20
KJ & Roocent - EP : "청기와즈" (5 tracks)
If we already knew HASTAG_KJ, it’s through this EP that we discovered the excellent artist Roocent. Both rappers are also accompanied by Sycho, Od Rhomp, 문연휘, Lemma and FR:EDEN.
Overall the tracks are on a Trap register, it’s hard to recommend a specific song, the whole is very good!!
Kumira - "이제 내 눈좀 쳐다봐" ft. NASON
A soft and refreshing RnB collab, very good balance of the production ~
GimGoyard - EP : "돈보다 위" (6 tracks)
This is GimGoyard’s first EP. with 6 tracks, the project is pretty good, maybe just a light problem on the nalance of the beat though, but still very nice overall!!
The first track featuring Killagramz and Jay Moon for instance is exuding a very strong energy. Same for the second collaboration with New Champ and kwai or even the one with KOR KASH!
This is a project which will please the Trap lovers!
wijineedsmore - "Alive For It (DEMO)" [prod. OJYUN]
An excellent Jazz vibe, pleasantly groovy ~
Errday Jinju - "Soolmukgo freestyle (진주)" (PROD. BY Errday Jinju)
There is probably at least 5 different types of atmospheres in this track and well, Errday Jinju displays here a quite impressive flow flexibility!
GLABINGO - "TASTE" (Prod. CHENO)
The type of track which announces the coming of spring, a fresh and zesty RnB track~
Leellamarz - "Pretty Woman" (Feat. 김효은 (Keem Hyo-Eun)) (Prod. TOIL)
Leellamarz keeps refining his style through this collab on a jazz background. Kim Hyo Eun really brings something to the whole, with his voice tone and how he’s marking the beat, he heightens this quite muted aspect.
03/21
RED KEEF - "Gallery" (Feat. Smidboy) [Prod. K3V1N]
In a word: intense.
Tracks after tracks RED KEEF keeps on surprising and the result of this collab with SmidBoy is just excellent 👌👌
brwn - 지구(Feat. Kembetwa) Prod. BadMax
An excellent collaboration and it was not that obvious to imagine brwn and Kembetwa on a same track since the two artist have quite different universes but the result is great!
Hong_Key💔More liquor💉 - "#THUGLIFEOBAMA"
Why #THUGLIFEOBAMA ?
Very good question, very very question!!
But besides that this track is on a Trap register~
Hong_Key💔More liquor💉 - "WANNATOP _" FEAT. LOLLY, UNO, $ATSUKI, Rich Viet Cong, Kimjinxun
Once again a track by Hong_Key💔More liquor💉 but this time a collaboration and on a more aggressive atmosphere with saturated basses as a background.
5hday - "Dun Do That"
Quite hard to describe it, the beat has a quite hypnotising/heady side and 5hday has a flow tinted with some undefined emotions.
Jclef - "지구 멸망 한시간 전" (Prod. Coa white)
Jclef exudes quite a charisma here, a RnB track which stands out!
싶은아이 / iwannabethe - "Painting" (W/ twodollar)
~ Tearful Alternative Rock ~
More seriously the balance of the whole is interesting!
Futuristic Swaver - "Untitled" [Prod. WavYPang]
The weekly releases of Futuristic Swaver and this time on a quite glittering beat ~
Scentok (쎈톡) - "관성의 법칙" (Prod. Zeeky beats)
Scentok offers us a soft and soothing track~
104(백사) - "片想い(KATAOMOI)" (feat. L.Kaison)
Colourful RnB ~
이열치열 (JIRO) - "Straight Outta 서울시"
A quite Old School rap side, very nice!!
BVN GLYC – "FLU"
BVN GLYC keeps fueling his intriguing universe!
Suran - EP: "Jumpin'" (6 tracks)
Suran offers us an EP halfway between Pop and Jazz tinted with very groovy sonorities which mingle well with the singer’s voice tone.
The featurings include Yoon Mirae, pH-1 and Heize!
In short, a quite warm and refreshing project ~
03/22
OWLER🦉 - "방화범" (feat.DOSHi)
Half-way between Trap and RnB, a very pleasant collab!
$OBER - "술먹고프리스타일"
When we said that $OBER‘s releases are quite melancholic these days…
The light grain on the beat brings a really soothing side!
ASH ISLAND - "Paranoid"
Alternative Rock down to the M/V’s atmosphere, a track which will definitely please the genre’s lovers!
Badavice - Double Single : "SALVAGE"
A mainly melancholic double single with nonetheless quite a RnB groove which is especially present on the track Lullaby and heighted by FR:EDEN‘s musical colour while Trippin’ featuring slchld is more aerial. More aerial and at the same more tortured too. The acoustic guitar line accentuates this emotion the track is exuding.
A very soft project!
