Back again with more fresh Colorado-grown hip-hop. This week's batch features some classic hip-hop stylings from Big House and Ace, a pleasantly surprising track from newcomer Lytes Edison, a club anthem from Cash Addict's DC Smilez and KooQua shinning on a new cut. Keep reading to see what's good this week.
See also: Colorado hip-hop: That's a Rap archives
Big House feat Ace - "Snazzy" "Snazzy," the song Big House dropped featuring Ace, showcases a flashy flow that will instantly appeal to classic hip-hop fans. The up-tempo beat is masterful work of the Girlgrabbers with horns keys dripping with funk. Ace is sharp and intellectual with his flows, cutting back and forth, dropping a line mid-bar about this fishwrap, "pissed off I'm still reading the Westword," before Big house chimes in with his deep voice and smooth delivery, flexing some impressive assonance: "We move accordingly/Cordially courting all of these/Morally right women/ Who take care of me orally." This is a great track from some veterans in the scene.
Lytes Edison - "Lytes in America" The song offers a rarity, a young MC with charisma and relevance over a more classic hip-hop style beat. The loud trumpets of the sample-chopped beat scream M.O.P. but the flow of Lytes's tone is slightly high pitched, and verses are punch-line driven with couplets like, "Everyday is Christmas when I rap/I'm gifted." The charm Lytes exudes mimics his rhymes with lines like,"Damn your boy bright/Its Lytes in America," as he's draped in a U.S. flag in the video. Lytes's flow is interesting and different from a lot of younger MCs right now. Keep an eye out for this rising talent.
DC Smilez - "Tell Her" The big beat of DC Smilez's new single "Tell Her" will have Top 40 listeners hooked off the jump, and so will the video, which features the typical tropes -- a room of seductive women, a slew of cameos, a couple bottles and stacks of money. And DC's Auto-Tune-assisted vocals, as well as his subject matter, fits that lane nicely. Producer Dok of the Cash Addicts delivers another bodacious, booming beat with harmonized chords that fit that radio-friendly style. DC's cadence is surprisingly fast for the beat, and his ad-libs are sung like Future.
Koo Qua Feat. B-Nice - "Koo Swag" Koo Qua has a fiery, potent flow, and not just for a female MC but rather as an MC in general. Although she slows it down a little on this song, she delivers her flow with such confidence you won't notice. The beat starts off with a deep, chiming bell and timpani drums that give the beat a marching sound. Koo Qua's relaxed flow shines here, and her variation of patterns is just as impressive.
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