Author: Justin Boland

Last week, I wrote that living legend The RZA has “lent their co-sign to a lot of questionable nobodies over the years.” This week, I am writing about Myalansky. It’s interesting how much highly authentic cocaine rap came out of the Hampton Roads area of Virginia, right? You’d almost have to wonder if the US…

I have never once heard G Herbo half-ass anything. A technically gifted rapper and a brilliant, conversational writer, any & all arguments that G Herbo is slept on are inherently valid. Except the one about how “If He Was From New York…” because that’s just not plausible anymore. Gotham used to crown kings, but the…

You may not agree with me that Bruiser Wolf is one of the best new rappers of the past decade, but you have to concede he’s one of the funniest. His run since his (perfect) debut Dope Game Stupid has been a continuously escalating catalog of heaters. He can turn any beat into an anthem,…

With the TR-808 making a comeback, it makes sense we’d see new music surface from Egyptian Lover, too. I’m talking hardware, not music trends: Roland has actually dropped a brand new “TR-1000” to mark the 40th anniversary of their iconic gear, affordably priced at two and a half stacks. The 808 sound, of course, has…

For a long time there, Godfather Don was an elusive creature of legend. Robbie Ettelman’s work at Unkut trying to piece the mystery together and finally interview him was blog journalism at the highest level. It was also a testament to how little online access, clout and commentary matter: it’s not like dude was ever…

After a long hiatus due to a vocal injury, one of Rochester’s finest is back with a vengance. Not some Hollywood-ass Van Damme vengance, either, I mean something far slower and crueler. This is Old Boy vengance, this is I Saw The Devil vengance. I Got Samples 3 completes a trilogy that dates back to…

Mickey Diamond has been on an impressive grind for many years now. Like Canibus or Curren$y, he’s polarizing: heads either collect him or dismiss him. He keeps his fanbase fed with his sheer volume of releases and duly limited merch, too. It’s been a long winning streak for Umbrella Collective lately, and that’s beautiful to…

Dave Blunts had one hell of a wild 2025 and made it out alive, too. That wasn’t a safe bet. Then as now, old boy is looking mighty grim, but we also live in a world where God took Big Pun and left us Fat Joe. This is cruel to say, even as a straight…

Banjamin Landy Pavlon is a former pro skater who has wisely pivoted out of the hurt game, in order to preserve his bones, joints and overall quality of life. That pivot brought him to rap, a genre he’s using to highlight the customs and culture of Judaism, an obscure pre-Christian sect he was born into…

Norman Sann’s delivery occupies the same limnal space as a crazy person on a packed subway train, coasting somewhere between freestyling unwanted sermons and actually accosting some strangers. This beat is too loud, the vocals are too low, the video is rough, and all of it works because this man is dope. It made sense…