Damn y'all, we finally made it - End of Year Season. Not going to do much talking here, but just wanted to preface that this is MY favorite songs of the year - These aren't the best, so before your out-of-touch ass starts shaking your fist at the computer screen, just take a breather and close this. As for everybody else, I really hope you can find at least 1 new thing today - If not, then I have failed you immensely. However other than that, apologies for the shitty blurbs and here are 100 of my favorite tracks from 2023!!!
100. Calvin Harris & Ellie Goulding - Miracle (Static Monta Bootleg)
Starting off the countdown with an immediate left turn as I got y'all bumping Calvin Harris in the year of our lord, 2023. Sure, he is about as stale as your average end of year music list, but this year, he got together with Ellie Goulding to make one of his best ever tunes, this solid 7/10 trance banger that sounds straight out of 1999. Pure UK dance goodness at its core, however you know damn well that shit needs a Geordie to add some much needed donky bounce to it, and Newcastle's Monta Musica is here to save the day. This makina remix of "Miracle" could even get a nursing home to lose their shit, as this makes me feel like the most important person on the dancefloor - The constant pulse just has you entranced like this makina zombie moving around like prime Alan Shearer to the beat. Y'all could take just about any song on earth, piece of shit or not, and put a makina remix on it and I'm sure it could still heal the world. Just an undeniable genre of music.
99. tisakorean - StOp tExTiNg.mP3 (prod. tisakorean)
Damn, 2 songs in and we're already getting silly? (Don't worry, you'll see him again later). Houston's Tisakorean might seriously be the most consistent rap artist on the planet today - 5 straight years of concept albums boasting a multitude of styles and he just keeps pushing the envelope on each subsequent one. His latest tape Let Me Update My Status brings us back to 2005 where were dusting off our memory cards and charging our Nokia phones, as Tisa revitalizes that old-school, dance-heavy sound that feels like flipping through MTV back in the day. The standout track of the tape "StOp tExTiNg.mP3," funnily enough, strays a bit of a ways from that dirty South sound, and instead relies on this hypnotizing anime loop serving as a backbone to a more ballad-y song from the King of Silly. This is the type of music I would've been playing at 2 am in the Waffle House parking lot by myself right out of high school - Real pondering ass music.
It's cool to finally know what it was like when Snow dropped "Operator" back in the 90s, because this shit is like a phenomenon. Sure, MdotR looks like a mix between a Hobbit and Richard D James if you gave them both a little bit too much Red Stripe, but the energy he gives off on this tune can make anyone's grandma run through a brick wall. Laugh all y'all want, but this is a voice of a generation:
97. DoloRRes - BOSCO
I really don't know much about this dude other than he's Italian and that this tune is incredibly under the radar (Big shout DJ Horse Jeans for putting me on) because DAMN. Rome's (I think he's also Australian as well?) DoloRRes really tickles that "Grandiose Euro Indie Pop Song That You Discover On The FIFA Soundtrack" part of the brain that is always dying for shit like this. It starts out with this super drawn out build up with synth swells and midnight crooning and then the climax hits with those damn triplet kicks and the whole floor starts moving like an earthquake. A relatively fresh take on folks taking the club sound (if you even want to say that - its influence is minimal but still!) and one of those awesome <5k views hidden gems that more folks need to check out.
I don't think we're ever getting a proper release from this dude ever again but as long as he pops his old ass in every now and then and puts out stuff like this, then I'm not going to complain. GAB3 is a SoundCloud OG - Like I was bumping his shit in high school and shit, I'M OLD. That eurodance, trance sound has always been the Greg Jennings of GAB3's appeal and over the years, that sound has been refined to the point where he can make these less than 2 minute bangers that got you sweating more than James Brown. I'm pretty sure him and F1LTHY both got about 400 hours each on Geometry Dash because this beat really does feel like being in the 8-bit scat pack dodging obstacles at warp speed. On top of that, GAB3 is just this rave caveman ugh ugh'ing, talking about some bullshit he's probably too old to be talking about (He's older than Teezo Touchdown oh my god). All in all, I really haven't stopped playing this one and will be one of the first sickos to peep the long awaited 00RAV3 whenever he decides to drop it.
From 30 year olds to 30 minute psychedelic pagodão tunes that you've never ever experienced before - Only on billdifferen dot blogspot dot com baby! If you're wondering what "pagodão" is (just sound it out slowly, it's okay), it's this specific regional genre from the northern state of Bahia that's a mishmash of traditional Brazilian sounds - moreso, a combination of the local Bahian drum-heavy samba-reggae and the Rio-born, more guitar focused poppier genre known as pagode. Modernize it by bumping up the tempo a good bit, getting a whole Tiktok dance ready, making the synths and drums sound like they're coming from another planet, and you get this monstrosity. It reminds me of like a fucked up version of DC Go-Go music with those pitched drums just going crazy. While his big hit this year was "Pitbull Enraivado," Salvador's Oh Polêmico won me over with "Bloco Do Polly 2.0 Hitmado," 30 minutes of being put in pagodão purgatory where it feels like it will never ever end. The drums constantly ringing (That damn reverb), Polêmico doing a whole ass filibuster, acting like he's trying to summon something, and just the looping, repetitive nature of everything in this song that makes you go mad make this one of the most unique experiences you'll have with music this year. Did I mention that this was THIRTY MINUTES? Have fun with this one...
One of the worst things from this year is the big push for Allen Iverson (not the player, he's cool) and all these talentless hacks trying to pass it as the next big thing. All that shit is good for is for making pictures of Homer Simpson smoking weed in a sailor suit and whatever the fuck this is. For as popular as she is, not a single soul has talked about Ariana Grande being a member of the underground Soundcloud collective #twilight this year, as she does her best work in ages, sliding over this incredibly cold beat. If you just believe enough, it's real...
Looking at 2023, I feel like club rap didn't take the mammoth step that I had expected, however, we got some really good shit to still emerge out of it, and one of the most notable culprits here would be the Upper West Side collective SweepersENT. In a city that can make styles and sounds get run into the ground all the way down to the center of the earth, this group of guys brings such a uniquely brooding atmosphere, something desperately needed in a subgenre ruled by more upbeat party hits. Like for real, a lot of this shit sounds straight up evil, reaching some of the deepest depths we've seen in club rap. Case in point, "Focus Up" showcases the Sweepers's two most recognizable members, Sdot Go and Jay Hound, as it sounds like they're treking through No Man's Land during World War 1 like a duo of grim reapers - The bass is like a muddy wasteland full of craters, death, and pestilence seeping and permeating everything around it. Even in the video, it looks like they recorded that shit in the Catacombs (Big shout out to the video editors here - Some of the craziest stuff I've seen in a minute). Just checks every box of on the evilness criteria - One of 2023's best new emerging collectives for sure.
See, even I gotta listen to a quirked up white boy every now and again - LA's Slater has always been a favorite of mine over the years. In terms of outsider pop music, him and the others on Vada Vada remind me of almost like a Dark World if it had washed up ashore from the Pacific Ocean instead. Slater always feels like this reject Disney Channel star who was like an extra one time, but it turns out he can make really good music - Almost like Zac Efron's character from We Are Your Friends (Classic). However, this is probably one of the sorest thumbs of this list in terms of sound, but I just had to showcase this incredibly underrated artist.
91. GG12 x Warren Hunter - RIP AVICII
I really do think Avicii is one of the greatest ever to do. In such a vapid realm that is mainstream EDM music, the late great Tim Berg managed to make some of the most important tunes of that era, in such the short time that he was around. He deserves a bit more respect in my opinion, however this tribute song made by Glasgowian wizard GG12 and collaborator Warren Hunter shows the influence that he still has today. It utilizes a clip of Avicii playing piano and creates this hugely emotional banger that induces goosebumps on someone as pretentious as me. RIP AVICII for real.
90. Tenkay - One Chance (Prod. Sharpboi)
For as stacked that the underground collective 1c is, I feel like Houston's Tenkay doesn't get enough love compared to some of the more prolific members (might be the Texas bias lol). No but seriously, Tenkay feels like this lost member of Metro Zu that I would've been bumping during my high school days, as you can tell that dudes like Ruben Slikk and Lofty305 were big influences on him. Here, Tenkay is gliding over this beat that feels like when you get too drunk in Red Dead Redemption and you're just a constantly-stumbling ragdoll. "I get real money not no Robux" is so damn funny though. Effortless quotables revitalizing a sound that would pop any oldhead born in the mid 90s like me.
Max Verstappen and the Dutch may have single handedly ruined F1 for me but these demons redeem themselves due to the grasp that the Oranje have on the obnoxiously good Uptempo Hardcore genre - A constant guilty pleasure of mine. The pinnacle of that ridiculous, disintegrating sound is easily Urecht's Dimitri K, a billdifferen dot blogspot dot com regular, as this man just continuously finds ways to tear the ACL part of my ears (I'm not a doctor) again and again. Here on "Let's Go," Dimitri mixes that classic 90s Dutch hardcore for dudes with heads balder than Tommy Pickles with the BFG from Doom, as no matter the audio device - either $300+ headphones, speaker systems, Dollar Tree earbuds that barely work - this shit is going to rattle your innards like a Thanksgiving turkey. That anxiety-ridden synth line feels like it's trying to run away from those menacing kicks, which are so absurd, it's like they were mined from an entirely different planet with the sole purpose of blowing the roof off of the iconic Thunderdome. Wear like a helmet or something before putting this one on, as it's THAT loud.
Oh Milwaukee, what a beautiful city you are - From the strange dancing from another planet to some of the most one-of-a-kind sounds coming out of rap today, there's no one doing it like Slap City. While great, I feel like too many folks look at the scene with a surface-level lens. Ask your average "internet music head" about Milwaukee and I'm sure they can only name like a few Certified Trapper songs, a funny beat on Twitter, and maybe a AyooLii song here or there, so these sad souls are really missing out on the really good shit - Case in point, Myaap and Lil Rb are 2 of the city's most underrated artists as they both exude that mad Milwaukee energy through and through. Here on "Wham," it sounds you're at the skating rink having the worst acid trip of your life, as there's this constant barrage of hypnotic claps, minion-like go's, and synth lines that just sound floppy and mopey like Eeyore was in the studio (and I mean that in the best way possible) that almost terrorizes you. Anytime I have this on in my car, my little hatchback turns into Spongebob's pineapple when the jellyfish pulled up and had a rave, as I'm just a jumping jalopy going down the street with Myaap's "She Got a Wham, God Damn" echoing throughout. Real schmackin music.
I didn't stumble upon this until I was in the middle of writing this and good fucking lord, I did not want to leave this out. Diego Raposo is a Dominican artist who caught me by surprise, as his album from August YO NO ERA ASÍ PERO DE AHORA EN ADELANTE, SÍ is one of 2023's most underrated gems (Please don't take this as an insult, but homie really does look like Dominican Danny L Harle I'm so sorry). If you would've asked me back in 2012 what music would be like in 2023, this guy would probably be one of the closest representations - Just a textured mess of drastically different styles, stemming from more traditional sounds from the DR to just straight up IDM, jungle, and hardstyle; Sprinkle in a little bit of avant-garde goodness and you get this shit. "EL UNDERGROUND" was the one track that completely swept me off my feet, a speedcore pop banger that meshes the frantic inhuman nature of the electronic genre with Dominican-style tribal alibaba drums, which are more natural, but just as chaotic. That combination just constantly rattles my brain while you have evil Farruko, mediopicky, bellowing from the depths below, which completes the absurd nature of this tune. Add in the incredibly uncanny and unsettling visuals, you have real 2023 shit. Don't sleep on this one!
86. Niontay ft. Earl Sweatshirt, El Cousteau, & MIKE - Real hiphop (Prod. Tony Seltzer & Vinny Fanta)
I mean, the title ain't no false advertising... This is probably one of the best posse tracks of the year, as you have 4 of the most unorthodox MCs in the game today square up over this beat that almost feels carbonated (I think the Seltzer/Fanta word association is just fucking with my brain lol). Niontay sounds so slick here, slithering like Randy Orton getting ready to RKO a poor soul. Cousteau has probably the most energy here as he really keeps up with some of rap's best. MIKE is doing like Madden Circle Button Spin moves on this shit - He really needs to get on more beats like this. Earl sounds like he recorded this while he was restfully laying on a hammock - It's so effortless, but tactfully brilliant. Just so damn good.
This is like some alternate universe jazz music if it had originated in Tennessee instead of New Orleans, as you have three of this generation's best from a state that is just so well-known for groundbreaking hip hop - percosits, idkcap, and hi-c. It feels like the three are blasting through the sky like those UFOs that folks claim that they can't be spotted on cam as they are all riding this beat on cruise control while they're bumping this alien beat. While he isn't that old, it's cool to see an established SC name like hi-c collab with the newer generation, and even cooler, folks from the same state. It's how the greats stay around for as long as they do.
Oh great now social commentary? Acid Souljah is one of the best out of Houston right now, someone who revitalizes that 2013 feel but makes it so damn modern and fresh. Here he gives us his thoughts about tipping when he has to pick up his food, and man, it's like he's breaking character halfway through because he really meant that shit. While he's ranting, you can't help but laugh your ass off. Easily one of the most legit "based disciples" of this generation - Honestly underappreciated as well.
Ever wanted to know what it feels like to be shot into space at the speed of light? thr33, tdf, and perc40 give you a glimpse at what that insanity feels like as this is like when you have an infinite turbo cheat in Need For Speed blasting into smithereens. thr33 sounds like a ticking timebomb the entire time, as he's rapping so fast here, it feels like a nervous 3rd grader blazing through his lines at the Christmas play. This is just constant, pedal to the fucking road energy that'll get you to uproot a tree by the end of it.
Had to showcase this on here, because there was like a solid 2 weeks in the summer where I was just obsessed with soca music, more specifically soca bouyon, a dancier and faster offshoot of the Caribbean genre coming from the French-speaking island of Martinique. This shit just gets you moving immediately, and there's loads of really great artists from such a tiny area, such as DJ CHINWAX, Mikado, and DJ Yozo, however, this dude here is probably the best that I've come across. Producer Natoxie's output is incredibly varied, ranging from mellow dancehall hookah bangers to sweat-dripping-down-to-your-toes, super fast soca riddims. I'm not sure if it's "riddim" that's tripping me but at times, this seriously feels like an alternate universe version of grime - The nature of multiple MCs getting on the same beat, whose origins trace just as similar as the UK staple (The Caribbean), plus the beats also have this robot-y, repetitive feel to add to the similarity more. Case in point, "Posé Gwo Bondaw" feels like Space Invader lasers are being shot at you while the constant chattering of TKD and bouncy soca drums are your shield of protection. This just has me moving like a madman while I probably look like this guy:
For the 7 people that really wanna fight about it, I think it's safe to say that Harlem's Bobby TooTact is the king of AfroDrill, probably one of the freshest offshoots of the constantly-mutating monster that is drill in New York. Like seriously, these samples choices are second to none (Big Shoutout Lowkeymali) - He's really taking Afrobeats hits and making it even harder. The best of his singles this year is "Who Told U," a callback to the J Hus song, and this gives the same vibe of hearing a hard ass song in public and you're trying your hardest to not look like this guy
Sorry had to bring homie back, but I think it's the hotel lobby nature of the J Hus song itself that gives me that feel. As for Bobby, he is just gliding over beat, talking shit about his opps and then also resident mayor dumbfuck Eric Adams. More shittalking about him please and more unique offshoots of drill pretty please.
Alright, I don't think I've seen a single soul talk about this (understandable) but dude, this seriously might be one of the greatest covers ever. Sure, Imperial Triumphant is pretty much Ghost for motherfuckers who think they're too good for Ghost (me, but like christ, they even have a fucking song with Kenny G), but they sure do make some wacky ass music and are one of most interesting bands in extreme music. Throughout the year, the band has put out numerous insane covers, ranging from Jazz greats such as Davis and Dizzy to rock legends like Rush and Radiohead (old people music), but this old school Metallica cover just about beat the shit out of me because MY GOD. It's practically unrecognizable to the original, other than the obvious riff, but the vocalist is barely coherent, the guitars have more dissonance than Lars Ulrich opening his mouth, and everything feels so fucking scary. Those parts where everything just turns into this suffocating cloud of blast beats and chaotic guitars are terrifying, and then everything dissipates in the last minute where it morphs into this unsettling dark ambient number. Did I mention this was a Metallica cover? None of it should mix but it does so well. A must-listen and an incredible overlooked thing in music this year.
Next up, we have probably the best snippet of the year. Watching this dude posted up in the Blair Witch Project set singing his heart out and letting that beat breathe was one of the funniest and most addicting things I've heard all year - Jitus is a duo from LA and "Inhale" has been their biggest hit to date, mostly thanks to the first dude's vocals, because no offense, the other guy just sounds like every other Raps & Hustles video. In the official song, it sounds like the vocals are being emitted from those voice changers where you can put it on the "Alien" setting - The absurdity of them is quite charming. A pure anthem - Will go to karaoke if they had this on the machines...
The fact that this is probably like a 15 year old tune, and it still sounds so incredibly ahead of its time is just a testament of how important the godfather of footwork truly is. RP Boo is easily one of the greatest of all time, as the Chicagoan's contribution to electronic music is unfathomably immeasurable. A cut off his latest collection of tracks from the 2000s, Legacy Volume 2, "Under'D-Stat" is everything wonderful about this man's music: a ridiculous collage of samples that's more akin to plunderphonics rather than footwork, frantic grooves that have you moving your feet like you're holding onto the power lines, and Boo's charismatic voice echoing over the madness acting as a ringleader to the circus. The Underdog sample just boggles the mind as you're also being bombarded by groovy licks that sound like they belong in either a workout instructional video or a Jet Set Radio game. Much of Boo's music rely on these hypnotizingly loopy grooves and this one just hits the spot perfectly. Great track from one of the best releases of the year.
I feel like this one is more of an experience or a soundscape rather than a song, as resident Soundcloud outsider monker178 takes the Ashanti classic and creates this really beautiful and chaotic sound collage over it. The R&B legend's voice is being met with this really solemn orchestral arrangement that is sometimes being flanked by these jarring mechanical ripples in the sound that is mind boggling. Only the best on this list baby!
Baby you know me I'm out when I'm outamanemena mean nowMeana manu gobadabu gadu jibadau ɢo bo ween wao Ween wao winigabadayou inga gagabaiAbaʒat thi ŋowBavathat bon moon gowɢuχ gigooŋ obay jauŋayBabaɢu↓un ɢui aye, aye, aye, ay Shlingau bayoun kou shmiooŋou (Ween wao) Opayiŋou shwei go put a shau gow (Ba Bwow Wow)Opubayo sɮχlu’ulamai the χligo wawow Jump the box, put themababe ah'ɕ go wow-wow OoooooyowowowUngaɢa gogofreeze gakokoɣreeŋowOoooo hahambishkow, yeah-yeah
74. OsamaSon - Trenches (Prod. LEGION)
Next up we got an Anti-English diss track made by an Argentinian teenager named AgusFortnite2008, one half of the stellar rap duo SWAGGERBOYZ, and man this shit is so good. Classic early 2010s Chicago sound? Check. Beef about the Falkland Wars? Check. Pro-Muslim sentiment? Also Check. Flagrant lines about the late Queen of England? You damn right - "Me hago un asado con los restos de la reina | ¿Qué mierda estoy fumando? Son cenizas de la reina." This kid hates these motherfuckers lmao. Also "A mí no me hables en inglés que entiendo menos que E.T" is funny as hell. If you hate English people just as much as him (if you English and reading this, you cool tho), bump this til the cows come home.
I mean I don't even have to do any convincing here. You see a group of lads like this
You know you are about to listen to some greatness. Add in the Sean Kingston sample and even though you can't even understand a fucking word they're muttering to say, you feel these lads and you almost feel like you're apart of the crew. Keemon.
Teenager producer/rapper Entity is one of the most batshit insane people making music in the guttural depths of the SoundCloud underground. Like seriously, their music feels like it was sent to you from a cursed email that said "Sent 40 Years From the Future" instead of "Sent 20 Minutes Ago." It's just so futuristic, as they always have these malfunctioning mechanical noises just blazing past you. That overwhelming feeling is exhibited the best in "Redemption," a That's-So-Raven-like vision of a club song that does not sound like anything else in the world right now. Thanks to other batshit insane producers myrlu and drevenci, this feels like you're driving out of the futuristic city that you live in, trying to avoid the apocalypse behind you. Entity is just being drowned out by collapsing buildings and airplanes falling out of the sky where you get these insane tempo and pitch fluctuations that are more akin to an Elysia Crampton tune, rather than someone from the Soundcloud underground. Just pure insanity from one of the most underrated artists in the world right now.
70. ធ្លាក់កាន់តែជ្រៅជាមួយ ,,, លេបត្របាក់កន្ទុយដែលរួមបញ្ចូលគ្នារបស់យើង។ 936hz
ኃጢአተኛ ነፍስህ ከመዳን በላይ ናት እናም ሰላምን ወይም ሥቃይን አታውቅም ፣ የንስሐ ቅዝቃዜ ብቻ አብቅቷል ፣ ምክንያቱም ኃጢአቶችህ ከማንኛውም ተልእኮ የላቀ ስለሆነ ፣ መጨረሻው ቀርቧል ፣ የኃጢአት መርከቦችኃጢአተኛ ነፍስህ ከመዳን በላይ ናት እናም ሰላምን ወይም ሥቃይን አታውቅም ፣ የንስሐ ቅዝቃዜ ብቻ አብቅቷል ፣ ምክንያቱም ኃጢአቶችህ ከማንኛውም ተልእኮ የላቀ ስለሆነ ፣ መጨረሻው ቀርቧል ፣ የኃጢአት መርከቦችኃጢአተኛ ነፍስህ ከመዳን በላይ ናት እናም ሰላምን ወይም ሥቃይን አታውቅም ፣ የንስሐ ቅዝቃዜ ብቻ አብቅቷል ፣ ምክንያቱም ኃጢአቶችህ ከማንኛውም ተልእኮ የላቀ ስለሆነ ፣ መጨረሻው ቀርቧል ፣ የኃጢአት መርከቦች
I mean when you start a song off with "He live with his granny, so we still gon' shoot it up | Bullet hit her oxygen tank, we done blew it up," you know you're about to get into some bullshit. Here we got, pound for pound, 2 of the funniest rappers not just in the Detroit/Flint scene, but just the funniest in all of rap right now - RMC Mike and KrispyLife Kidd. This is just 3 minutes of the two lateraling energies like a 2 man rugby team scoring a try against a full squad of 11. Then add in the beat from Lorenz that has that standard Michigan flair - Crispy piano chords, 808s that probably cause seismic activity in Ohio, and a groove that can make you steal any car from the General Motors factory. It's a familiar recipe for success for Michigan rap, but if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Also this shot of KrispyLife Kidd randomly in a sombrero kills me lmao.
Man, people just loved to hate these 2 this year - Either people my age were finally turning into oldheads or the kids just listen to too much Lil Yachty. As a veteran scholar of the scenes and sounds that have been cultivated through SoundCloud, we already know that New York's xaviersobased is one of the best ever already to do it, however, what a year Richmond's Nettspend has had, emerging to become a star of the underground. I'm not going to lie, I completely wrote this kid off at first because he looked like he should be doing promo for Cartoon Network, but damn man, once you listen to a song of his, it just hits you immediately. He just has that bad ass kid who always causing trouble in class energy that is just oozing from his voice. The Ok-produced "otw" gives me almost the same energy of the Most Ass Good Song of All Time, "Fashion Killa," as the repetitive nature of the beat, met with the carefree delivery from the two just tickles that itch inside of my poisoned brain. I feel like they aren't even close to blowing up, but this already feels like a victory lap - If that's the case, 2024 is aught to be scary.
All it took was 65 seconds for the GOAT of club pop music to let us know that they're back and with a vengeance. Throughout the past 6-7 years, there hasn't been too many artists who have mixed various regional club sounds with the trashy depths of MTV late 2000s reality goodness better than LA's Ayesha Erotica, someone who I don't feel like gets talked about enough when it comes to the trajectory to folks like Slayyyter or even someone like PinkPanthress. Ayesha is like if Farrah Abraham took music seriously after their prophetic 2012 album My Teenage Dream Ended and made music that was a bit more grounded to earth, compared to whatever Pluto shit they were on when this was made - That concept alone should get you to appreciate their music. After a 5 year absence, it feels like Ayesha had her Born Again Christian moment on "Mary Magdelene" as it feels like she's emerging from the heavenly Walmart with doves and angels accompanying her. "I don't care what my besties say; I'm gonna fuck you anyway" is probably not something they said in the Bible, but if Ayesha said it, then I'm amening to every line in the song. Bring in that death cult infomercial-like melody over the brisk 2-step beat - It'll get you doing suicides at the pews during Sunday Drag Brunch. With other stellar singles that she's put out recently, it's starting to look like 2024 is going to be the Year of Erotica.
Okay, I might've been a bit too confident when I predicted that the Philly Goats were going to take over the world, but at least taking over Philly is a good start? If there was a pyramid of influence in club rap throughout the last few years, the Philly club rap group would easily be up there at the top, as they have attained some of the most important milestones in the niche subgenre's short history. While their sparse debut "album" was a bit of a disappointment, as it was just mostly already released, but still good singles and some dookie, but at least we got the single "X Em," another undeniable link-up with Philly club wizard DJ Crazy. The aptly-feeling crazy beat feels almost dastardly, like they're performing this inside of the Haunted Mansion (the Eddie Murphy one), but you know the club groove takes over like a zombie strain and within seconds, you're a 24 year old in the emergency room who has to get a hip replacement because you were throwing that shit too hard. I think a lot of their limited output is due to the evil inhuman creatures that are labels but it's shining lights like this here that keeps the hope alive that they'll perform at the Super Bowl in a few years.
Man, Huerco S - What a fucking artist. Been listening to them since I was in high school (and I'm old) - Just classics upon classics upon classics unleashed to the electronic music worl- oh wait, he just mixed that one Morgan Wallen song that cannot escape me living in bumfuck Texas, but with a Kashpaint beat???? Yee haw motherfucker, no but for real, this man can do no wrong. It feels so twinkly and warm while your honkey-tonk patna' is like "Aye what the hell is that bleep bloop shit; put on Cleveland McCudderbuddy man" and they kick my ass. But that doesn't matter because this remix exists and we can thank the evil man that is Huerco S for that. It's honestly up there as my most played tune of the year - Just pure magic.
JUNGLE MOTHERFUCKING GOD DAMN DUTCH. If this your first time on the site, may I introduce you to one of the most underrated electronic music scenes in the world - Jungle Dutch hailing from the Southeast Asian giant that is Indonesia. It's this mixture of Dutch House music with the more traditional Indonesian genres like funkot and breakbeat kota, and once you mix those styles all up, you get this constantly-ravishing barrage of bass that's just a few steps off of early Jersey club, frantic energy that could get you running at the speed of light, and just something that gives you no room to breathe. The thing with this genre is that the gems aren't just sole songs, but are the mixes themselves - They're almost like the music mixes that accompany those insane cheerleading routine numbers - Just all over the place and full of caffeine. On this quick mix from Siantar's Vert Project, you get the perfect summary as to why I love this genre so much - Call backs to Imagine Dragons and One Direction met with beats that make you want to swerve through traffic in the jungle. It's a style just so singular to the country and something that seriously needs more reverence from Western audiences, but what the fuck do I know?
Now this, I can't even describe to you what the fuck this is, but rapper/producer moon is one of the most insanely overlooked artists on Soundcloud. Their music's closest descriptor is seriously just otherworldly - I can't think of anything clever to describe it. It's just their music feels like the eternal void of space and it just embodies that insane fear of the unknowns in space, while you're just endlessly floating towards the Sun. "blood bound/loose end" shows that helpless feeling as you have these lasers of synths fleeting past you until moon's mammoth ship of death is hurling towards you but the ship has about 2000 12-inch subwoofers in the back. And don't even get me started on whatever the fuck that snare is - It's like dragging an object in G-Mod and it starts clipping with shit and makes that noise (you know that noise lmao). But jokes aside, this is truly (and I know I say it a lot) BATSHIT INSANE music. Go spend a few minutes on this dude's profile and get your brain broken.
If Milwaukee isn't rapping about schmackin dannys or whatever the fuck over those Munch Lauren bounce beats, then Slap City is usually taking influence from the flagship Michigan scene and making some really good sing-y offshoots that exhibit that Milwaukee brilliance. "How I'm Feeling" is Milwaukee's best song in that vein this year as it has some of the best in the city - Mula Mar, Dai Ballin, and SME Taxfree. From the positive energy being emitted from rappers' antics the video, to the screechy autotune voices with the most soul I've seen from the Creek Boyz, to the beat that almost sounds like the Sonic Mega Collection Menu Music, I just love everything about this song. Nothing better than getting with the homies and singing y'all's hearts out.
I'm going to pretend that I have CTE for a second (aka pretend that I'm a RYM user) and say that Yuno Miles is the true pioneer for Post-Avant-Garde Michigan Rap, because what in the fuck is going on here. Over the past 2 or so years, Miles has really made a name for himself, as he makes these Tik-Tok-friendly songs that are a cross between random Gen Z meme humor and the musical absurdity of Wesley Willis, whether he's rapping about American abolitionists or even dissing random people over the King of the Hill theme. Lately, his sound has focused more towards Michigan-type beats, but that doesn't mean that he's turned down the absurdity because who else would be shouting out MLK like this. "Aye Martin Luther King Shout out to Big Bro | If it weren't for big bro I wouldn't be rappin' doe" is one of the most unhinged lines of the year, while Yuno is doing this weird tremolo vibrato thing that sounds like a distress signal. It's just laugh-out-loud, as well as introspective. No one else does it like Yuno - Real Outsider Music.
60. Kreizy K - Soy Un Malo (Prod. Sombra El De Lo Palo)
For as small as a country the Dominican Republic is, it's crazy how fast Dembow moves down there (almost faster than how they talk). Stars just constantly emerge, and I feel like I'm hearing new names pass me by all the time. For 2023, the ones who really stood out for me were Polo Joa, Jezzy, Dilon Baby, and this kid right here, Kreizy K. He's got a gap in his front teeth, plus he got braces, so he already looks like this little innocent kid, but he puts those claims to rest with his first big hit "Soy Un Malo." The thing that always intrigues me in Dembow is the way how, on paper, most of the beats have that same riddim to the point where it's almost like this instinctual groove, however it's the the little intricacies in each song that give them their flavor - Especially the basslines oh my god; I don't think there's a single genre of music right now that is doing basslines better than dembow. They're so subtle, but man, there's a reason why there's a genre of Tiktoks of dudes in New York blaring this shit in their car. They're never incredibly melodious or complex or anything - They just know about to get that shit bumping. Bring in Kreizy's bad-ass kid personality sounding like an Energizer bunny going "Que bandidi, soy un malo, que malo, que malo soy" until the cows come home. Make sure you play this in your Roblox Dembow Server right after you're done reading this.
Hitting the penjamin and just speaking in general hasn't been the same since I discovered the Tony Robbins for a vape-addicted generation, Fulcrum, as the Youtuber/Rapper is somehow one of the few internet personalities that I geninunely enjoy. He has this "School of Based" positive aura around himself that is just so invigorating whether he's getting OBLIVIATED OBLIVIATED OBLIVIATED OBLIVIATED OBLIVIATED or going to Dabbington City inside the Home Depot. It's harmless stupid fun. As for the music, it's pretty standard PluggnB, but it's Fulcrum's charm that carries "All at once" to the bop that it is. "I'm in Yodieland Can't Get Out" is the type of shit Confucius was saying back in the day. As for YouTubers (scary word), he's really one of the few who seems geniune and looks like they're having fun with it. Nothing better than getting faded than a hoe...
57. Saya x Lostrushi - ᏉᏬᏝᏁᏋᏒᏗᏰᏝᏋ; ᏇᎥᏝᏝ ᎩᎧᏬ ᏕᏖᎥᏝᏝ ᏝᎧᏉᏋ ᎷᏋ? (Prod. saya)
Ever wanted to know what it's like to be sucked into an anime intro? Well resident occultist otaku soundsmith Saya and one of the biggest breakout stars of the year, Lostrushi, got together to give us the laced digital spliff to transport us to wherever the fuck this song is coming from - Saya utilizes what I can only think is a song from either an waifu dating simulator or an anime ending song (not well versed in this shit lmao) and makes a beat that feels like relishing in the beaming sunlight at the beach with just the sounds of crisp waves and birds passing by. Weirdly specific, but it does invoke that feeling! Saya sounds like this angelic cherub that had about 2 too many Bacardi wine coolers, however especially with the HUGE step-up they've taken this year, Lostrushi sounds like the star that they have potential to be - Just takes over the song the millisecond they can be heard. Super unique and unlike anything else on this list.
Whenever I see Floridian TANK JR's name, I just know for a fact that whenever I press play, I'm bound to experience something similar to this:
It really never fails, as she is easily one of hardcore's more extreme and earth-shattering artists at the moment. Now bring in fellow insane woman and 2023 Planet Mu debutant Nondi_, another out-of-this-world producer who's incredibly versatile, you know damn well heads are about to get busted. The title track off of the incredibly stellar EP Bass Terror, there is no false advertising here, as this is pure auditory terror. It starts off pretty tame, with an upbeat techno groove to set the tone, however as the tune goes on, in a blink of an eye, you are just sucked into a bassy tornado of hell that is just throwing you around in every angle imaginable. The drum breaks that feel like they're tearing through the song are suffocating, the "Do Da Dippity" is just being incinerated over the madness, and it feels like that terror is never going to end. That one part where it has that kid screaming over this weird VHS hiss and then it's suddenly met with a million-man car crash of kicks that are just jackhammers to the ears. None of the music here is ethical for health standards, so consult with your general practitioner if you have any qualms about playing this one - No one can blame me nor these two for fucking your whole shit up playing this tune.
Here we have easily the best song New York has given us this year - 41 is a rap trio from Brownsville consisting of some the city's hottest talent at the moment: Kyle Richh, Jenn Carter, and TaTa. Gift them one of the masterminds of the worldwide club rap boom, Newark's MCVERTT, and you get a hypnotic club banger that is unlike anything else utilizing that Jersey sound. From the slower, more methodical beat that honestly caught me off guard upon hearing it for the first time to the silky smooth rapping from the three, it feels like I popped both a molly and a melatonin so I'm going in and out of consciousness rocking my hips everywhere. It's super unique for a niche subgenre that already feels tired due to how samesy all those club beats are. All is missing here is a proper House Party remake that's actually good where this would sell a million copies off the soundtrack alone.
NEW ORLEANS LOUISIANA STAND UP. If are a reader of the blog, you are aware of 18 year old 9th Ward bounce prodigy DJ Rari9 and how he is easily one of the city's best current bounce DJs, as he is just 150% energy from start to finish. Bring along bounce veteran Fly Boi Keno to act as a drum major performing a sermon to the madness and let Rari go to town, and as a result, you get 9 minutes of pure concentrated live resin bounce music - I don't care who you are, Becky from Ohio or Jimbo from Siberia, once you start playing this shit, you start moving like you were born and raised from down here. It's almost instinctual within you to start wobblin' your legs and shit, but it's the sheer ferocity with how Rari is throwing these beats that makes it feel like you're at a block party during a hurricane. There's so many quick callbacks, stutters that almost feel hazardous to the ears, and an incredible amount of bass to knock the windows off of your car door - It's everything you want in a quick mix, so go play that now and you'll be down in NOLA in no time.
He really did a whole song in the low pass filter shit but pulled an inverse function and did it to the beat instead lmao - I don't even think I can elaborate any further as to why I love this song other than that bullshit. For as good as a MC the Philly native is, he barely says shit here, but it's the feeling that makes this the great song that it is. It's perfect for the cold weather outside at the moment. Just praying for an actual tape or album from this dude next year, he's due for an astronomical call-up in 2024.
It's always so cool to see Duwap Kaine work with the newer generation of Soundcloud greats, plus it's hilarious when you realize that he really isn't that much older than them too, despite being around for 7 years now. Especially with someone who feels like the face of this current generation, xaviersobased, collabs like this feel like the internet version of The Creation of Adam. "Sexy Redd" is one of Duwap's best songs in a good while - Give him a 10/10 beat, he's gonna give you a 10/10 song. Xavier lets that bassline ride the whole song while these celestial synths sound like they're having a space battle shooting lasers at each other, while Duwap just rides the beat the entire fucking time - It's insane. "Young [buddy] but I'm a OG" - Seriously though, Duwap is like those kids who graduated college and got a doctorate by the age of 17 and now just teaches and does other bullshit for fun. One of the greatest ever to do it.
Here's one of the hardest bands in extreme metal today, Tokyo's KRUELTY - They're like this perfect mixture of hardcore and death doom metal, where you just get this demented and evil sounding band with riffs that make your face go inside out. Saw someone say that they are the Japanese version of Xibalba, and honestly I can see it and it explains why I like them so much. Their lead single off of their incredibly stellar album Untopia describes everything great about this band - Vocalist is inhuman (sadly he left the band a few months ago), the rifftitude between the 2 guitarists and bassist is second to none, the breakdowns invoke a caveman-like feeling within. It's everything great about this type of music. AND DON'T EVEN GET ME STARTED ON THAT FUCKING SNARE - PING. Worth the price of admission alone. But seriously, check out this band if you haven't before - Truly one of the best in the world.