Queen Herawin has another solo project dropping. A long overdue one! As a member of The Juggaknots (one of the most revered indie hip hop crews) she showcased a true gift in rocking the mic. Now the spotlight shines direct once again and she shows why she’s a top tier emcee. On the song Manifest, she links up with veteran wordsmiths Apathy and Mickey Factz as they bring the house down on a superlative banger from Supastition! This is pull-no-punches hip hop right here.
Supastition – Look At God! (ft. E.Smitty) (Video) (Short Version)
Supastition is back! And if you don’t know, that means ‘real man rap’ is also back in the building. Supa’s been taking us on the highs and lows of life for over two decades, and on the track, Look At God!, he allows us to see some of what’s at the peak! This short video incapsulates the recognition and resiliency of what needed to be done to avoid serious pitfalls and achieve goals.
He has a new EP which I strongly suggest you all cop on his bandcamp. I am often time indifferent to where we purchase are music (as long as we purchase) but this man deserves direct support, so please go check out an pick up his EP, All That Was Left Unsaid.
Top 25 Songs Of 2023
I think I have probably about 4,000 hip hop songs added to my library in 2023 so it’s no small feat to narrow it down to the Top 25 for the year, hence my time in taking to create this list. I could spend an eon trying to make a longer and more inclusive list. But the songs mentioned below were “no-doubters”. I play them over and over in a world where new music is released daily. This list is personal, but they are obvious recommendations of music I know that you would love and enjoy. It’s also a tribute to artists making this remarkable music. So have at it. I have also put a short blurb as to why the joint was favored and enjoyed along with links to the artist and music where applicable. Here are my favorite independent hip hop joints of 2023 in their respective order.
- Waterr & Lupara - Whenever The Drama Comes (ft. Defcee): I obviously thought alot about the top joint in 2023 and landed here. First, Bohemia Lynch crafts a beautiful production that is in perfect sync for the emcees who drop both exceptional and thought provoking lyricism. And Waterr’s chorus was the perfect bridge to it all.
- Paradime – The Reign: While this joint was not on his actual album but on a single, it still held the highest of places for me musically this year. The music, lyricism, and chorus were all top notch, and resonated with me since it dropped. Just a dope body of work.
- DJ Access & Meeco (ft. Dice Payne) – Honestly: Speaking of a song that can get stuck in your head over and over again. This is a head nodder and a half, and Dice Payne’s has so much style in his flow and lyricism.
- Nef & Bobby J From Rockaway (ft. Hush) 718213 Interlude: This was a favorite from the jump. This flip is incredible and brings such energy. The verbal exchange with this production is just special.
- DJ J Hart – Brookland (ft. RIM and Eddie Kaine): - Speaking of exchanges…there is NO BETTER collaboration than RIM and Kaine. None. And DJ J Hart sets off this duo with a banger. Not since Smooth and Trigga. This is a flamethrower.
- Speaker Bullies – Bad Rap: - I could have gone with a couple of songs from this album, but Praise and Supastition brought so much energy and dopeness on this one. It had to be this one in my mind. Great album by the way.
- Maze Overlay - Atonement: Powerful song. This is just something that spoke to me which is what music is supposed to do. The whole feeling of redemption and making a path forward is more than relatable.
- DJ Akil & Starvin B – Aliens: This is a straight hip hop joint right here. It’s boom bap in it’s purest form with a Dragnet appeal. I dare you to try and stop your head from nodding.
- Supastition – Cold Blood: This is another one I can feel to my core. And Supastition may be one of the most relatable emcees who has ever done it. He conveys his and thoughts in the dopest of fashions and allows his story to speak to yours.
- Will4Prez & Hobgoblin – The League: This is the most slept on artist of the year. No doubt in my mind. And he is verbal flame thrower! These bars I will put up against anyone. And Hobgoblin is one of the dopest producers.
- Living Legends – If I Was Car: The Legends were back collectively in 2023 and what a blessing for hip hop fans everywhere. There’s a reason they have “legend” in the name. The creativity of this track coupled with the funk makes this track, well….fun…!
- J. Rawls & Cas Metah – Seven Kings: Yes this is the best posse cut of the year. Rawls laces the perfect beat for so many talented emcees to rock over. And EVERYONE on this track demolishes. So much talent condensed into five minutes can’t be ignored.
- Mickey Diamond – Tex Avery: I could have put five Mickey Diamond tracks on this list. In my mind, he rules the roost in hip hop right now. He delivers dope music after dope music, but this song knocked the hardest to me! “One Eye Open….Fetty Wap”
- RJ Payne – The Rack: Putting this next to Tex Avery is no accident…that plus this song from RJ Payne and Cartune Beatz are too tough for the competition. I listened to this relentlessly. Payne’s pen game is next level.
- Kahlee & XP The Marxman - Don’t Take It Personal: A union of west coast talent proves to be a problem on with this single. Dope production with Tone Spliff on the cut makes this such a memorable hip hop joint!
- Planetary – Ruin Ya Life: The Outerspace veteran delivered a great solo album, and showcases a career built on talent. He’s still razor sharp with his wordplay.
- Substance810 & Hobgoblin – Untimely Demise: Off of one of the better albums in 2023, this joint again puts talent on full display. This production by Hobgoblin is fantastic and brings the best out of Substance810. This joint is vicious.
- 38 Spesh – Dark & Grim: Short but ominous describes this joint. Very few possess the talent that Spesh does. Production and emceeing are at the upper echelons. And even though this joint is short, it’s potent.
- Real Bad Man & Blu – The Golden Rule (ft. CL Smooth): So much talent on this track. Real Bad Man is an incredible producer and not mentioned enough. And these artists really blend and shine.
- Spit Gemz – Abbadon: Nobody drops it with more intensity than Spit Gemz. He delivers every bar like he was taking head shots. Such great mic presence.
- Skyzoo & The Other Guys – Straight Drop: Who is smoother than Skyzoo on the mic? Who? When I think of microphon charisma, this is where I turn and The Other Guys know exactly how to do smoooooth.
- Boot Camp Click – Wotcha Call Strength: Not very many groups in hip hop can stand with the talent in the Boot Camp Click, and they decided to let you all know in 2023 that they still deliver in ferocious fashion. Message delivered.
- Eddie Kaine & BP Infinite – Forever: I know you feel this. BP is another producer more people should give dues to. This guy concocts memorable production. Listen to this vocal loop! And Kaine demonstrates that he’s on his “shit forever”. Love this joint.
- DJ Low Cut – Last Day (ft. Daniel Son): Low Cut is back and brought in the incomparable Daniel Son to assassinate some epic production. These two artists once again prove to be a force on this one.
- Boldy James & Chanhays – Strange World: Last track for this list was not easy but I think Boldy and Chanhays aced it with this song. Harmonious. Beautiful. And meaningful. You can’t miss.
Speaker Bullies (Supastition & Praise) – Godspeed (ft. Skyzoo) (Video)
What else can I speak on about this song? We featured the single last week and this week we get the video. It’s one of the dopest joints out from 2023, which makes the forthcoming album, Art Of Disrespect (due out July 7th) one of the most anticipated of the year. Between this cut, and their single Bad Rap, the Speaker Bullies are building a buzz that’s impossible to ignore. Again featuring an amazing verse from Skyzoo, Supastition and Praise are doing something remarkable.
Single You Out: Speaker Bullies – Godspeed (ft. Skyzoo)
New single from the combination of Supastition and Praise as the Speaker Bullies, and this time the track features none other than Skyzoo.
Praise laces an uptempo and high energy banger for some of the most talented and accomplished emcees to ever do it. The talent level on this track is high and the duo plays really well together. There is a smoothness and effortless way that both Supa and Skyzoo flow. These artists have done things their way and on the merits of their own talent and persistence.
Can’t wait to hear the new album, The Art Of Disrespect, which drops on July 7th. You are going to need that!
Single You Out: Supastition – Scatterbrained
The answer to new dope from Supastition is always a resounding ‘yes’. It’s been a while since he’s released a project and he’s about to unveil the world he has been living in these last couple of years with the release of his new project, Every Last Word, which drops on Tuesday. It’s a project where he not only does he provide the rhymes but also handles the production. The project is a personal narrative, and the single Scatterbrain was the lead single which actually dropped a few monthst ago but sharing now. It’s where Supa constructs and follows the bassline, narrating the course of his life and career.
DJ 2-Tone Jones – Buddhists on Beatties Ford (ft. J Scienide & Supastition) (Video)
I love when artists advance hip hop through creative samples, beats and rhythms. DJ 2-Tone Jones travelled to India and when he came back he had an assortment of traditional Bollywood records which he then sent out to various producers to sample from. Ill idea, right? In the end he wound up with the record, Contraband From India.
On the track, Buddhists on Beatties Ford, The Mighty DJ DR gets the nod to create something dope, and that he does with J Scienide and Supastition invited to rock the mic over this Indian infused beat.
Dope concept and execution.
Single You Out: Supastition – Solitaire
Supastition is back!!! And he’s back showcasing both his lyrical talent and his skills behind the board. He’s a Top 5 emcee in my mind. He’s clever, has a great flow, brings it with emotion, and he’s extremely relatable. Sacrifice is his new EP and it’s dropping on July 26th so stand prepared.
“I ain’t seen a cold spell since elementary winters”
Single You Out: Supastition – Thanks, Ghost
Supastition is putting together a monthly series called Solitaire, where he will release a song that he alone produces, writes, records, and does the graphic design for.
For the most part, I don’t mess around with these series type projects because they are hard to keep up with, but I do appreciate the entire discography of Supastition. So I am going to give this one a go.
On Thanks, Ghost, Supa pays homage to Ghostface Killah’s storytelling ability while narrating a couple of his own. He flips on a couple of events that occurred in his life while listening to tracks from the Wu-Tang vet. Pretty clever if you ask me.
Take a listen and pass it on!
Single You Out: Supastition – Flawless (prod. by Praise)
One of my all time favorite emcees is back with a single from his forthcoming album, Gold Standard. If I could use one word to describe Supastition it would be ‘authentic’. When you listen to his music you are getting the real deal…his thoughts…his music…his vision. This track, Flawless, produced by Praise, sounds like a celebration of lyrical integrity to me. Also, a special set of props is deserved for that Great Kabuki line….(I know most of you won’t get that one…)
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Hip Hop Dependency 