DEFINITION OF FRESH

Omen44 releases the official video for his single “Da Games People Play” , which is already ruffling feathers and stirring commotion inside the political ring. Audiences see Omen44 in a new fashion from long hair, dark shades, bandana, to fringed attire. Bold imagery on a projector behind Omen44 puts the message front and center. A gritty, thought-provoking performance reinforces the track’s political stance and raw honesty. Each bar and visual transitions into a statement: direct, unapologetic, and meant to be felt as much as heard.  Watch the official video for “Da Games People Play” and stay tuned for more releases form the forthcoming ‘u.s.’ album.

Earl Sweatshirt, MIKE & SURF GANG share the official video for the single "Home on the Range" produced by Harrison .  The video is filmed by Richard Philip Smith & Ian Lope z and edited by Ian Lopez   The single will appear on the release  'POMPEII // UTILITY' by Earl Sweatshirt , MIKE , and SURF GANG 

Rap vetersn Maino addresses some of his most viral controversies and calls out his foes on his new track, "Rumors 2026" .

Westbay reunites with Joe Josh Beats once again on “Secret”,  offering an intimate look into his life at home in New York City. The Brooklyn artist invites viewers inside as he reflects on fatherhood and the lessons that will shape his two sons over time. The track appears on his new album OLD (One Lucky Dude) — out now on all platforms.

Earl Sweatshirt , MIKE . and SURF GANG share the official video for the single "Leadbelly" produced by Harrison, Elipropperr , Tony Seltzer ,   Shot by Richard Philip Smith & Ian Lopez  and Edited by Ian Lopez . ' POMPEII // UTILITY' by Earl Sweatshirt , MIKE , and SURF GANG - out April 3.  Pre-save: https://theharp.ffm.to/pompeiiutility

Awkword is a 20-year NYC Hip Hop veteran who seamlessly blends 90s boombap and postmodern angst. Best known for his work with producer Harry Fraud , Awkword has toured the US with The Cool Kids , collaborated with Sean Price , Joell Ortiz and Jadakiss , and been featured by the likes of Complex , MTV , Hot 97 , The Source , XXL , Vibe and Village Voice . Now back after a half-decade hiatus, Awkword releases the White Shadow produced “Hands Off! Melt ICE” to share his take on the state of America today.

The Musalini x Don D share their collaborative release "Don Dada" , that features 10 tracks with guest appearances by Silent Snipers , Seattle's Key , Izzy Hott , The Real Ice Lord , AJ Snow , O FINESS , Eli Tha Don .

"I Guess U Had To Be There" , the new album from NYC rapper ELUCID and veteran producer Sebb Bash , is one of those ones. So fresh it sounds like it was made tomorrow, but bet money you could put this on in ’89 and get heads bopping. The album.features 12 tracks with guest appearances by Mattie , Estee Nack , Shabaka Hutchings , billy woods , and Breeze Brewin .

The long anticipated "Face Value" LP is finally complete. J-Live has revisited songs from previous EPs "At The Date of This Writing" and "Lose No Time" and comboned them into the "Face Value" LP as originally intended. While strongly considered, J opted against retconning the original versions and scrubbing them from the discography. He instead enlisted long time collaborator and amazing producer Illastrate to remix and reimagine the entire project, Including the two teaser tracks released in 2024 and the all new title track.

New York-bred LIFEOFTHOM shares the visualizer for the single "I O U" featuring Kota The Friend and CJ Fly . The visualizer is shot by Kota The Friend and edited by LIFEOFTHOM & Drehartwell .  Listen to I O U - http://lifeofthom.lnk.to/IOU

Wu-Tang founder and producer RZA  aka Bobby Digital links up with the legendary Juice Crew for the release "Bobby Digital Presents: Juice Crew" , that features 7 tracks with guest appearances from legends Roxanne Shante , MC Shan , Big Daddy Kane, Grand Daddy I.U. , Craig G , Mathematics , Pearl Gates , and Masta Ace .

From the new album by I Guess U Had To Be There by E L U C I D & Sebb Bash , coming out on 3/13/26 from @backwoodzstudioz distributed worldwide by @rhymesayers & @secretlydistribution   Video by Joseph Mault ( @josephmaultiii / www.josephmault.com )  Chain Performance by Rughda Baldo @cr33pi3crawlii3   PRE-ORDER the album 👉 https://bwdz.net/IGUHTBT STREAM "First Light" 🔊 https://ditto.fm/first-light-elucid-s...   PRE-SAVE the album 🔒 https://ditto.fm/iguessuhadtobethere

Charlotte, NC rap artist MAVI shares the official video for the single "Triple Nickel" featuring NYC based rap artist MIKE . The video is directed & edited by Wyeth Collins and co-directed & 35mm photography by Jaylen Brannon .  the pilot. out now: https://i.mavi4mayor.com/thepilot

Brooklyn, NY rap artist Your Old Droog shares his single "RAINDROPS" featuring New York City based rap artist WIKI and procued by DMV (PG County, MD) rapper, songwriter, and record producer redveil .

 "Big Monsoon" is pressure from every angle — heavy bars, soulful textures, and timeless energy. The Musalini and 9th Wonder created something cinematic, something soaked in truth and triumph. Then Izzy Hott pulled up and set the tone perfectly.

NY rapper Coast LoCastro and Houston producer Johnny Slash return with a hard-hitting new single, “Mean While In Gotham” featuring CT underground heavyweight Apathy alongside Coney Island's buzzworthy Lil Dee . Dark, cinematic and unapologetically raw, “Mean While In Gotham” captures the gritty pulse of street-level hip-hop, blending sharp lyricism with menacing production. Johnny Slash ’s signature gritty soundscape sets the tone, while Coast LoCastro delivers razor-edged bars, matched seamlessly by Apathy’s seasoned lyrical acrobatics and Lil Dee ’s commanding presence. The track is the latest release from their forthcoming collaborative project, "Slash Coast 2" , set to drop soon ( Date TBA ) via Broken Complex Records . Mean While In Gotham feat. Lil Dee by Johnny Slash, Coast LoCastro & Apathy

Mighty Joseph is the combination of Vast Aire ( Cannibal Ox ) with his long-time rhyme ally Karniege . The duo’s sole album, Empire State (2008) was released during the tail-end of the last great non-commercial hip-hop period. Never released on vinyl before the album will be available on double LP vinyl edition. Rooted in the concrete streets but lyrically abstract, features and beats are provided by equal musical foils including Madlib , Camu Tao , Murs , J-Zone , Poison Pen and Vordul Mega ( Cannibal Ox ) among others. Fan and critical attention were positive with All Hip Hop summing the album as "solid post-millennium product that bridges the gap between gritty street tales and a paranoid view of the future” . Empire State by Mighty Joseph

To mark the 30th Anniversary of their groundbreaking debut, Do You Want More?!!!??! , The Roots present a stunning live recording from their March 2025 three-day, six-show residency at New York’s legendary Blue Note Jazz Club . The group performed the album in full — bringing to life tracks that hadn’t been played in decades and joined by special guests Ursula Rucker , Dice Raw , and Rahzel .

The peerless Shane Ingersoll delivered an all-timer for "California Games" , taking all four artists on a vintage video game rollercoaster ride. He has a bunch of great videos under his belt, but this one might already be the favorite at Backwoodz Studioz .  From the album #mercy by ‪ @armandhammernyc ‬ & ‪ @alanthechemist ‬ out 11/7/25 from ‪@backwoodzstudioz ‬ distributed worldwide by ‪ @rhymesayers ‬ & ‪ @secretlydistribution ‬   Written, Directed, and Animated by Shane Ingersoll ( / shane_ingersoll ) featuring ‪ @EarlxSweatshirtMusic‬

The self-proclaimed producer of disgruntled sounds Psych Major returns with a new freestyle. Available as a free download via Bandcamp and with a video clip , the emcee/producer gives some audio therapy over a classic Hova beat. "Jus' Alright" Freestyle by PsychMajor/Psych101