P-Ro "lowkey haiku"

For “lowkey haiku,” P-Ro places syllables and the relationships between word sounds at the centre of his writing. The Boston MC and producer describes it as a continuation of “villainelle novella,” which he designed to suggest one continuous piece of melodic spoken word. On that earlier release, he paired free form, stream of consciousness writing with his own drumless beats, blending instrumentals together to move beyond conventional song boundaries. For “lowkey haiku,” he says he chose a darker production tone to give the lyrics additional depth. He writes, produces, records and performs all nine tracks, also handling mixing, mastering and artwork. That individual control sits alongside his work in Knuckle Dragguz: on “APE SHXT,” he and G Fam Black shared vocal duties over production by Tali Rodriguez, who also mixed and mastered the record. G Fam Black connects the group work with these solo releases, appearing on “duper” from “villainelle novella” and joining “incident” on “lowkey haiku.”

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WateRR x Wavy Da Ghawd "Larry & Jordan" (feat. Bub Styles) VIDEO

“Larry & Jordan” reconnects WateRR, Wavy Da Ghawd and Bub Styles after “Broadway,” their collaboration on the 2024 album “Washed Ashore.” The video upload accompanies a track from “Did You Miss Me,” extending the partnership between the MC from Chicago’s South Side and the Brooklyn producer. WateRR and Bub also share experience building platforms for other rappers. WateRR has curated the Renaissance of the Culture showcase and Out The Mud ciphers, while Bub cofounded Chinatown Sound with Gee to showcase emerging artists in New York. In a 2025 interview with Okayplayer, Bub described regularly spending time in Chinatown coordinating episodes. On “Did You Miss Me,” he joins a guest cast that includes Ty Farris and Imani Nichele. Wavy produces the album, with WateRR writing, performing and serving as executive producer. There is continuity in the studio, too: Doc Da Mindbenda, who mixed and mastered “Washed Ashore,” mixes this album, while ILL Brown handles mastering.

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Sage Poet "Prison Planet" ALBUM

Sage Poet takes sole charge of production on “Prison Planet,” an album of ten songs from the MC based in Lilongwe, Malawi. It sits alongside work made with other producers, including “Unsung Heroes” and “The Uncool EP” with RebelMusiQ, and “Alchemy” with Justus. His catalogue also includes an unusually explicit account of how he builds a narrative. In a 2019 interview with Nyasa Times, Sage explained the fictional premise behind the album available as “Secrets”: a drowning boy encounters the spiritual realm between life and death. Its seven songs take their names from the seven deadly sins, providing a structure for that story. He also cautioned against treating the fiction as historical fact. For “Prison Planet,” Sage combines his work as writer and performer with responsibility for recording, mixing and mastering, extending his involvement to the artwork.

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Sage The 64th Wonder "Sagewav: Eat2Slump"

Danny Barz appears on half of “Sagewav: Eat2Slump,” continuing a partnership with Sage The 64th Wonder documented on their earlier single “1 OF THEM ONEZ.” Across this release’s six tracks, another returning collaborator helps connect Sage’s own catalogue with his guest appearances: speci previously featured him on “Recess” and now joins him, Danny Barz and Nahla Gem on “Chamber of the 777th.” Collaboration has involved family as well as fellow artists in Sage’s work. The Chicago rapper, producer and graphic artist brought his cousin Kyd Wahlee together with TL Beatz on the earlier single “BLESS,” produced by Emperor Bohe. “Eat2Slump” broadens the gathering, with Orlando Coolridge on the opening “6 Arm Illusions” and Aubs on the closing “Spirit State Type.”

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PEP57 & DJ MASTAMIND "FIX THE NET FREESTYLE" VIDEO

“FIX THE NET FREESTYLE” pairs Queens rapper PEP57 with Maryland beatmaker DJ MASTAMIND in a video upload from PUBLICHOUSINGNYC. Their partnership also extends to the shared release “THERE'S NO "I" IN QUEENS!” PEP57 has explicitly placed his music in conversation with his borough’s rap history. Introducing “stILL at it” in 2023, he named Large Professor’s work with Nas as an inspiration and saluted predecessors including Mobb Deep and Kool G Rap. That release brought him together with producers including Elmer Krupt and DJ Koost. MASTAMIND arrives at their partnership with a catalogue of instrumental work and his own stated cultural reference points. His 2019 beat tape “INCA FACE KILLAH” contains 32 tracks, all produced by him, and is dedicated to Indigenous people, from Pipil to Inca.

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Action Figure 973 & Ned Schimmelfinney "Seweygenerous" EP

On “Seweygenerous,” Action Figure 973 changes jobs with every track. Ned Schimmelfinney produces songs one, three and five for Action Figure to rap over; Action Figure produces songs two, four and six for Poet Substratum. The six song EP, released in 2024, gives equal space to the two disciplines behind Action Figure’s name. In a 2024 interview, the Belleville artist explained that the name began as a producer alias, prompted by his action figure collection when a friend asked what to call him as a beatmaker. He later concentrated more on rapping because he felt it helped his music reach people faster. Schimmelfinney had already featured him alongside Treasure on the 2023 release “Look For The Answer.” Their collaboration also extends to a companion comic for “Judge Not” and “Analog Antics,” pairing one song from each production assignment. Comics have accompanied Schimmelfinney’s music before: his 2021 EP “Shades of Night” offered one for “Belly Flop,” featuring Skeerap, made with Dummie Comics Inc., written by Skeerap and illustrated by Frank Castro.

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L-Storm "4am In Harlem Ep (Volume 1)" EP

L-Storm has planned “4am In Harlem Ep (Volume 1)” as the opening installment of twelve songs released in groups of four. The rapper raised in Harlem describes the series as a place for thoughts and epiphanies that arrive around four in the morning, with life lessons connecting the songs. Autobiography already has a specific place in his work. In an interview with itsHIPHOPmusic, he described “1995,” whose cover used his sonogram, as an attempt to express himself while emotionally exhausted. That conversation also traced his beginnings to C.I.A, short for Creating Intelligent Art, a group he formed in high school. The first “4am In Harlem” volume draws on an established partnership as well: E.D Matrix joins “Make A Move Remix,” revisiting their earlier collaboration “Make a move.” In the same interview, L-Storm discussed working with Matrix and his collective O.s.k on “Get out my face.” Magnus AP also guests on this volume, with production contributed by Montreezy Productions and C Fire Productions.

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Spit Gemz "Build Destroy Build 2" VIDEO

Spit Gemz dedicates the video upload of “Build Destroy Build 2” to Chino XL, calling his late collaborator “our friend and hero.” Their connection reaches back to “Heavens Dungeon,” the 2017 song produced by Stu Bangas and released ahead of Gemz’s album “The God Who Forgot Himself.” The dedication comes from someone who had shared a recording with Chino, giving it a history beyond admiration from a distance. “Build Destroy Build 2” itself was already documented in 2024. Nickel Plated produces the track, continuing a working relationship that also includes “Ice Pick Lobotomy” from “Eulogy For The Devil.” Gemz handles the writing, recording and visuals, while Nohokai Productions mixes and masters. That practical involvement reflects the working method he described in an interview with Raw Side: recording and engineering himself allowed him to make music from his own home.

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Invaders of the Universe "Season of the Witch" (feat. Mister Misk & Kromeatose) [VIDEO]

Season of the Witch is the new video from Invaders of the Universe, featuring Mister Misk and Kromeatose, produced by Johnny Slash, with Tyler Harrison of Thriving Era directing once again. The collective's last appearance on this site, Deep Waters, sent the camera along New Jersey's coastal terrain like evidence from an unexplained event; this one carries the Halloween assignment in its title. Mister Misk and Kromeatose, the Staten Island half of the crew, trade the verses; Johnny Slash, who produced their Ghost Mantis, keeps the palette. A group named Invaders of the Universe releasing Season of the Witch in spooky season is exactly on brand. The season gets its soundtrack.

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Sankofa "Bootleather Lollipops" [SINGLE]

Bootleather Lollipops is the new single from Sankofa, lifted from The Proseletariat, his album with P-Ro, out in October with a cassette edition that bundles Belle Isle's Abandoned Zoo. The Fort Wayne, Indiana MC has been a fixture on this site this year, from Babar and Jack Palance Tears to Everyone's Favorite Tattoos, the previous P-Ro pairing. Ten tracks with titles only this catalog could produce: Danny Mcbride Starter Kits, Cat of Nine Thieves, Seven Seconds or Less, RZA Type of Flood, Sharpies on the Cardboard. The vocabulary is built from basketball, cinema and midwestern pragmatism, and it has been for years of releases with Detroit's Chef Mike. The single is the invitation; the album is the exhibit.

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Onyx x Snowgoons ft. Knuckles "Monsters Gorillas (Halloween Remix)" [VIDEO]

Monsters Gorillas returns as a Halloween remix, and the video arrives as a memorial. V Knuckles, born Rahim Muhammad, the Cambridge, Massachusetts MC of N.B.S., died in September at forty six after a sixteen month battle with brain cancer. The original Monsters Gorillas featured him alongside Onyx over Snowgoons production, and N.B.S. and the Goons go back to the Trapped In America series. The remix was requested by Fredro Starr and built by Sicknature of the Snowgoons, and it appears on the SnowMads deluxe edition this site covered last week. For a crew that has spent three decades at maximum volume, the quietest available gesture is the one with the late man's name on it. Rest in peace to Knuckles of N.B.S.

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Miggs Sonny & Kyber "Dog Ears" [SINGLE]

Dog Ears is the first single to ooze out of The Art of Surgical Technique, the new EP from Miggs Sonny and Norwegian producer Kyber. The release notes do the staging: the blades are sharp, the operating table is prepared, take a listen and rate your pain from one to ten. Miggs Sonny is the New York MC also known as Maxwell Lipson, a working illustrator, designer and animator who handcrafts every visual in his orbit, including the covers for Four Elements & Beyond, the group he runs with Freak Tha Monsta and WRD Life; he is Philadelphia based now. Words by Miggs Sonny, sounds by Kyber. Surgery rap is an old tradition. This operating table is set with care.

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