Sometime around 2008, Roc Marciano and Ka started a movement. That was the year Ka released the underrated Iron Works, and two years later Roc gave rap the fix it needed with the critically-acclaimed Marcberg.
Since those two albums were released, I've noticed a reemergence of the East Coast sound—and when I say East Coast sound, I'm talking about music influenced by Mobb Deep, Wu-Tang, and CNN. Those three groups are the blueprint to most quality street music that has ever come out. Ka and Roc made it cool again, and their commitment to artistry hasn't gone unnoticed. They take their time with the music, the rhymes are poignant, the production's crisp, their videos are always executed well; those two have made it necessary to be great. In turn, Roc and Ka have influenced acts like Retch, Dash, and the artists on Griselda Records to make it all the way to the cusp of the mainstream.
Now, there's a new underground movement that's been bubbling for a couple years and hopefully, they'll be able to get some mainstream love. Check out the eight new underground East Coast rappers you should know and support.
Mach-Hommy
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From: New Jersey
Project you should start with: HBO
Mach-Hommy will flip you like various things: Dutch slave traders, chop cheeses, Don Ciccio, etc. When I first heard HBO, I lost my fucking mind; it was like hearing Marcberg for the first time. This type of rap is my favorite, and like Roc Marciano gave me hope for this style of music back in 2010, Mach did the same these last two years. Whenever I find some of his new shit online, I listen on repeat.
At the moment, he's taken all of his music off of Bandcamp, but once upon a time he's had projects on there priced at $1,000. Some say it's crazy, I say it's genius—there are people willing to cough that kind of paper up, so who am I to judge? That model worked out pretty well for Nipsey.
Tha God Fahim
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From: Atlanta
Project you should start with: Dump Gawd
No one thinks of Atlanta when you mention East Coast rap, but Fahim doesn't sound like the usual rapper out of Atlanta . With his shogun motifs, wordplay, and looped beats, his style is more Wu-Tang than it is Dungeon Family. He might sound a bit off kilter at times, but the bars are always there, hittin' you at a rapid pace like an uzi.
The God also produces, frequently collabs with Mach, and has a ton a music on both his Soundcloud and Bandcamp, most of which is priced at $25.25. Tha God Fahim is dumb nice, so you won't be disappointed; 25 bucks is a small price to pay.
Crimeapple
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From: New Jersey
Project you should start with: Aguardiente
Crimeapple sounds like the plug. He spits in Spanglish, but anybody from the Northeast is able to understand where he's coming from.
I first heard him demolish his feature "Bacalao & Provision" on Mach-Hommy's Dumpmeister tape. He said some shit about his car's rims sticking out like iguana eyes, and I've paid attention ever since. Check out his tape Aguardiente with Big Ghost Ltd. if you like bars of the street variety.
Al Divino
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From: Lawrence, Mass.
Project to get started on: Dump Gawd: Divino Edition
Al Divino's voice sounds like violence, his beats sound like the future, and his sound is like GTA Rampage Mode. You can find the good bulk of his music for sale on Bandcamp, some stuff on Soundcloud, and you can find some leaks spread out across YouTube.
He's building a following of loyal fans willing to dish out bread for the art. Like Mach and Fahim, he's going hand to hand with it. He has an album priced at $777.77 and his latest MONUMENTALITY is available for $101.01. So scrounge up some cash and bump on these packs of loud.
Dark Lo
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From: Philly
Project you should start with: The Testimony
"Bandana" is one of the hardest records I've heard this year. Dark Lo goes off for six minutes over V-Don production with a voice that'll give you nightmares. "Make me broad day you in a school zone/I don't give a fuck, in the county with my blues on/Probably eat each other when the food gone" really drives that nightmare point home, doesn't it?
His tape Testimony is more of the same. Check it out if you want that feeling back. Dark Lo and V-Don should think about doing an entire album together, because "Bandana" and "The Message" are fucking nuts.
Lil Eto
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From: Rochester, N.Y.
Project you should start with: Omerta: the Film
When I first met Lil Eto during the filming of his, Dash, and Aston Matthews' Off Top freestyles, he struck me as wise beyond his years—life on the streets and in and out of jail will do that to you. I then sought out some music, came across his tape with V-Don entitled Omerta, and was blown away by the production and the raps. By the looks of his Soundcloud page, it seems like he's trying his hand at production, and making plenty of music. I hope he keeps it up, because the game needs more Lil Eto.
Sha Hef
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From: Bronx
Project you should start with: Super Villain
Sha Hef is one of my favorites. A frequent collaborator with my guys Retch and Dash, the Bronx rapper pulls no punches and offers no gimmicks when he raps. His beat selection is usually on point and his bars are so believable you feel like you're on the block with him. His other projects, 2017's Krime Pays and Out the Mud, are both solid. Plus, he just dropped "3rd Grade," which means he's looking to dropping something new soon. Hunnid Round Hef will make you want to bust a pack down and shoot at cops, and that's the best endorsement I can give.
Benny the Butcher
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From: Buffalo, N.Y.
Project you should start with: My First Brick
Benny is Griselda's underdog and the wise OG of the crew. Where Westside Gunn and Conway come with violence, he brings that other side of the game. He still gets it in, though, and won't let you forget why they call him the Butcher. His features on Gunn and Conway tapes made me a believer, but My First Brick and Butcher On Steroids made me a fan.
