Tkay Maidza brings a new era with ‘Must Be’
We’ll be the first to admit Tkay isn’t exactly underground. But every now and then, you make an exception, especially when you haven’t heard from her in a minute. We checked: two songs in the last 24 months. Like Frank Ocean or Rihanna fans, we just had to be patient. Anyway, good things take time, which made ‘Must Be’ a must-listen.
Yet again, our Australian women are really setting the bar high in the hip-hop scene. There are so many quotable bars, I’m not sure where to start. You’ll want to listen on repeat to catch it all. She flows through the track like a slalom skier cutting through gates – effortless.
Honestly, just listen:
ALLCAPITAL gets you in your feels on ‘Breathe’
ALLCAPITAL’s ‘Breathe’ is less about heavy bars and boom-bap rap, which his fans have come to expect, and instead takes a step back.
It’s a more reflective cut. It’s about emotional honesty and introspection, sitting on top of a weightless beat that allows him to croon and unpack. ALLCAPITAL says the shift was intentional: ‘I wanted to make something different and show everyone I’m not restricted to one sub-genre of rap.’
There’s a cloudy, late-night feel to it, but the writing is more grounded in real-life mess: drugs, love, emotional dysregulation and the struggle of just trying to get through it. That rawness comes from lived experience: ‘It was describing a low point in my life – a bloody messy mess. Mentally and physically.’
It’s a solo listen, the kind of track that will have you in your feels, but not without a way through them. As he says, it’s for anyone who’s been there and might ‘just need some time to breathe.’
‘Oi!’ Villyszn is keeping the Aussie underground moving with a busy March
Channeling the underground sound pushed by Cult Shotta, 4orttune and Jords, Villyszn has been busy. This month alone, he dropped ‘O Week’, ‘David Jones’ and ‘Resches’.
‘Resches’ is our personal favourite, with that typical UDG sound – distorted bass and subtle electro touches. We hear a subtle lean slur, yet a coke-rush, high-energy speed to it; it’s hard to pinpoint. What makes Villyszn unique is how he approaches his rap. For him, that difference comes down to authenticity and where he’s coming from: ‘For me I feel like it all comes down to being authentic, music has evolved so much in the last couple years and you don’t have to be a “gangster” to rap. I embrace where I’m from and really want to put on for the northern beaches. Being from Mosman and making hoodtrap doesn’t really go hand in hand and that’s what I find exciting and fun to experiment with.’
All three singles barely clear 90 seconds, which only leaves you wanting more. This recent run feels deliberate too: ‘I’ve been making music for a couple years now and the one thing I learned is that consistency is key. I’ve recently locked in with @jordayung and we’ve just been making so much stuff we have been itching to get it out...The more my supporters have to listen to, the more they have to support if that makes sense.’
There’s more coming too: ‘To be honest I didn’t expect this much support so early on. I have a lot in the vault with some of the guys killing it at the moment...For now expect a lot of singles and Jorda and I might have an EP on the way.’
Have a listen, this sound is growing and should take off:
