Looking Back At The Best New England Hip-Hop Of The Summer

This past summer epitomized the growth of New England hip-hop that we’ve seen over the last few years.

Joyner Lucas ended up on an Eminem song.  Justin Clancy released a phenomenal debut album.  The Tragic Allies continue to put out one great project after another, as do Reks, Termanology, and Statik Selektah.  Cousin Stizz, Token, Michael Christmas, Millyz, BIA, and Dutch Rebelle continue their respective rises to stardom.

Spose and his PDank crew are still holding shit down in Maine.  JZAC, Everett Gibbons, and Mike Wing are dominating New Hampshire.  Apathy and Chris Webby have paved the way in Connecticut for artists like ANoyd and Rez4Real.  Rhode Island’s Flawless Real Talk can probably out-rap your favorite rapper.  Even Vermont is joining in on the fun.

The reason the local hip-hop scene is flourishing right now is because of the hard work and consistency from individuals like the ones on this list. All six states brought the heat this summer.

(I counted May as the summer and went to 9/21)

Here it is:

Albums/EP’s

May 9^th: ‘Veintiseis’ – Wizz Dakota (Massachusetts)

May 11^th: ‘Veib’ – Shane Reis & God.Damn.Chan (Maine)

May 11^th: ‘Uninvited Guest’ – Raw Deff (New Hampshire)

May 18^th: ‘Going Home’ EP – Spose (Maine)

May 18^th: ‘Off The Boat’ – JZAC (New Hampshire)

May 19^th: ‘Weight Gain’ – Phil Blount (Connecticut)

May 21^st: ‘Fool’s Gold’ – REZ4REAL (Connecticut)

May 30^th: ‘The Quintessential’ – Purpose & B.B.Z. Darney (Massachusetts)

June 4^th: ‘469’ – D-Reck$ & Wizz Dakota (Massachusetts)

June 7^th: ‘VEDA’ – Estee Nack & al.divino (Massachusetts)

June 22^nd: ‘The Color Blue’ – Justin Clancy (Massachusetts)

June 22^nd: ‘Role Model’ – Michael Christmas (Massachusetts)

June 22^nd: ‘Broke Problems Bring Rich Thoughts’ – Obi The Voicegod (Vermont)

June 22^nd: ‘Dad Bars’ – Big Dese (Massachusetts)

June 25^th: ‘Pomagranite Music’ – Everett Gibbons (New Hampshire)

July 4^th: ’23’ – Shang-High (Maine)

July 7^th: ‘Louder Than Words’ – Alyssa Marie (Massachusetts)

July 24^th: ‘20Flaw7’ – Flawless Real Talk (Rhode Island)

July 24^th: ‘El Circulo Vicioso’ – Codenine & A1Beatz (Massachusetts)

August 2^nd: ‘Husso Wright’ – Phil Blount (Connecticut)

August 3^rd: ‘Brookside Terrace’ EP – Haze & Grubby Pawz (Massachusetts)

August 7^th: ‘Collision’ EP – Sam. (Vermont)

August 10^th: ‘Bad Decisions’ – Termanology (Massachusetts)

August 11^th: ‘2Smashed’ – Baylen & Philly G (Massachusetts)

August 17^th: ‘All Adds Up’ EP – Cousin Stizz (Massachusetts)

August 20^th: ‘Elevater’ EP – Knasty (Massachusetts)

August 24^th: ‘Saints & Sinners’ – Millyz & Statik Selektah (Massachusetts)

September 1^st: ‘Problem Child’ – HANKNATIVE (Vermont)

September 7^th: ‘Holy Cow!’ – Cam Groves (Maine)

September 7^th: ‘Ra2’ – Dylan Raw (Maine)

September 8^th: ‘The Black Tape’ – Freddie Black (Rhode Island)

September 8^th: ‘#MINIMANSIONDUST’ Vol. 3 – Estee Nack & Friends (Massachusetts)

September 11^th: ‘Order In Chaos’ – Reks & Shortfyuz (Massachusetts)

September 21^st: ‘Yellow’ EP – Cam Meekins (Massachusetts)

September 21^st: ‘Nice Girls Finish Last’ EP – BIA (Massachusetts)

September 21^st: ‘Cold Times’ EP – Cousin Stizz (Massachusetts)

On May 18^th, Boston-based hip-hop promoter Leedz Edutainment released ‘Eastern Standard’, a 21-track compilation album consisting of some of the best hip-hop acts in the Eastern Standard time zone.

Boston producer The Arcitype took care of the production on 19 of the 21 songs.  Ten of those songs feature artists from New England:

“The Motions” – Rite Hook (Massachusetts) & Chris Rivers

“Where The Wild Things Are” – STL GLD (Massachusetts), Ransom, & Blank Face

“Source Of Power” – Slaine (Massachusetts)

“Buy My Shit” – Spose (Maine)

“Never Lived It” – Cam Meekins (MA), Sap, & Michael Christmas (MA)

“On The Run” – B. Dolan (RI) & Rite Hook (MA)

“Mechanical Movement” – Blacastan (CT) & Marvalyss (CT)

“Enjoy The Movie” – Rite Hook (MA) & K.A.A.N

“Scream” – Jarv (Vermont)

“Seem So Hard” – Granite State (New Hampshire)

Singles (no particular order)

“Double Dare” – Suriel feat. Stupidgenius (Massachusetts)

“Stacks” – Suriel feat. Rockie Fresh

“Code Red” – Token (Massachusetts)

“One Like Equals’ – Token

“Flamingo” – Token

“Today” – Latrell James (Massachusetts)

“Mona Lisa Bonet” – Latrell James

“Replay Interlude” – SuperSmashBroz feat. Jefe Replay (Massachusetts)

“U Thought” – SuperSmashBroz feat. Gio Dee & Polo $ummers

“Bomb” – ANoyd (Connecticut)

“Always Something” – ANoyd

“Delcobra” – ANoyd

“Solid Gold” – ANoyd feat. Cool Que

“See You Again” – J. Spin (Maine)

“In My Blood” – J.Spin, Shang-High, Pauly Beats (Maine)

“Lesson Learned” – Donnell White (Massachusetts)

“Rap’s J.R. Smith” – Weapon E.S.P (Massachusetts)

“I Deserve That” – Oompa feat. Cliff Notez (Massachusetts)

“86Zoe Anthem” – BigBreadJrock & 60ShotBlake (Connecticut)

“Cain Vs. Abel” – Kenny Klutch (Massachusetts)

“I’m Witit” – Radar feat. FreshFromDE (Massachusetts)

“Feelin’ Good All Day” – FreshFromDE & A.B. Soarin (Massachusetts)

“Greene Eyes” – Phat Astronaut (Connecticut)

“Remember The Drip” – Riggz Two Nice (Massachusetts)

“Games” – Riggz Two Nice

“Which Side” – Tim Nihan(Massachusetts)

“We Could” – Tim Nihan feat. Bakari J.B.

Swang (Say My Name) – Tim Nihan

“Termanator & The Machine” – Termanology (Massachusetts) feat. Conway

“Miss Me” – Mike Wing feat. Sechion (New Hampshire)

“Codman Park” – Grimey Gurt (Massachusetts)

“Up, Up, & Away” – Lateb & Oblivious feat. M-Dot (Massachusetts)

“Tedium” – M-Dot & DJ Nelson (Massachusetts)

“Going Home” – Spose feat. Sara Hallie Richardson (Maine)

“W.I.N.” – Mike Stud (Rhode Island)

“Life Now” – Mike Stud

“Stay Focused” – Edo. G & DJ Nelson (Massachusetts)

“I Don’t Die” – Joyner Lucas & Chris Brown (Massachusetts)

“Live Raggamuffin” – Singapore Kane (Massachusetts)

“Lately” – Charlie Mayne feat. Notation (Vermont)

“SupaFly” – Dutch Rebelle (Massachusetts)

“Scars” – Kid Angel (Maine)

“Juneteenth” – Reks & Shortfyuz  (Massachusetts)

“Hollywood” – Bia (Massachusetts)

“The Curse” – JZAC (New Hampshire)

“Mirage” – Stupidgenius (Massachusetts)

“Big Joints” – Cam Meekins (Massachusetts)

“Vying With Jupiter” – Te feat. Everett Gibbons (New Hampshire)

“People Up” – Bryll feat. Everett Gibbons (Massachusetts/New Hampshire)

“Eye For An Eye” – JZAC (New Hampshire)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UBYpxadyBA0

“Just Know” – Corey Ellis (Maine)

“Hurt Nobody” – Corey Ellis

“Ran Off” – Corey Ellis

“If I Had A Daughter” – Jazzmyn RED (Massachusetts)

“Million Dollar Meetings” – Grubby Pawz feat. Haze, Kadeem, SPNDA, Estee Nack, Codenine, Chronic Tone, & JuneLyfe (Massachusetts)

“#SnapSzN” – Passionate MC (Rhode Island)

“How You Feel” – Phil Blount (Connecticut)

“Knuckle Sandwich” – Apathy (Connecticut)

“Mob Ties Freestyle” – Millyz (Massachusetts)

“Addiction” – Millyz & Statik Selektah (Massachusetts)

“Let It Go” – Millyz & Statik Selektah feat. Jadakiss

“The New Flesh” – BRZOWSKI feat. Asthmatic (Maine)

“Respect” – Easty (of EnF) (Massachusetts)

“War” – Young Roe Escobar feat. Roxx The 96er (Maine)

“Yank Riddim” – Snowprah (Connecticut)

“One Call” – Vick Mucka & Lil Santana (Rhode Island)

“D.I.Y.M.F.S.” – Epic Beard Men (Sage Francis & B. Dolan) (Rhode Island)

“Fool Em All” – March Davis (Vermont)

“Look Around” – Flawless Real Talk feat. Breanna Marin (Rhode Island)

“Girls” – Skipp Whitman (Massachusetts)

Eight singles from Just Juice (Massachusetts)

Six singles from Hush Harding (Massachusetts).  Here’s “Friendless”:

Nine singles from Chris Webby for his ‘Webby Wednesdays’ series (Connecticut).  Here’s “Sell Your Soul”:

Nineteen songs over the summer from Sky Jonez for his ‘New Music Fridays’ series (Rhode Island)

Baylen released a single every Saturday this summer for his ‘Saturbay Single Summer Series’ on Soundcloud (Massachusetts)

Featured Verses (on songs by artists outside of New England)

“Lucky You” – Eminem feat. Joyner Lucas (Massachusetts)

“Brain On Drugs” – RJ Payne feat. Apathy (Connecticut)

“One In A Million” – Page Kennedy feat. Elzhi, ANoyd (Connecticut), & Nick Grant

“Lucid” – DZ The Unknown feat. EMS (M-Dot, Rev, & Kore) (Massachusetts)

“All Business” – V Don feat. Eto, Willie The Kid, & Avenue (Massachusetts)

“Freak (Remix)” – Victoria Monet feat. Bia (Massachusetts)

Hopefully this sheds light on some of the New England rappers who deserve it most.  Let me know if I missed anyone.

If you’re a fan of the culture, it’s important that you support your favorite local artists.  If you don’t have any, choose from the list above.  There’s something for everyone.

Follow Jack Bardsley on Twitter @BostonsBigFour

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