Halftime: Bubbling Projects That Have Run The First Half of the Year
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The First Half
The sad reality of indie music releases today is that full-length albums are increasingly becoming harder to come by, whether it’s because of the audience’s shrinking attention spans or even just the cost of time and money that developing and distributing a full-length project demands. Albums provide so much meaningful context to an artist’s creative vision and provide them a longer-form medium to explore and create significant moments with their music. Don’t get it twisted, we love singles over here too, but we think it’s time to tip our hats to those that are taking artistic risks to put together cohesive projects and experiences to surround their art despite all the leg work it might take.
“Halftime” is a collaboration between The Finger Printed Mag & The Music Clique, where we rounded up our favorite underground projects from the first half of the year and put them in one spot for your ease of listening. If you missed the first half, we got you with the highlights! The following are our six favorite projects that have dropped since January. Tap in and discover your next favorite artist:
From Whence It Came - YUNGMORPHEUS
Esteemed LA-based rapper/producer, Yungmorpheus aptly captures the feeling of luxury through the carefully curated sonics of his artistic output, and he went above and beyond with the delivery of his most recent project, From Whence It Came. His attention to detail is apparent down to the millimeter, and as a result, listening to the album from front to back comes naturally. There’s a culinary theme to the project, and every track feels Michelin star. Morpheus doesn’t spare a single detail as he proudly articulates anecdotal tales of making a living by any means through his wide-lensed perspective that’s expertly spread over luscious production. Although he wears a casual and nonchalant delivery throughout the entirety of the project, he keeps you conscious through his clever wordplay that rifles through the deep-cut samples like a hot knife through butter.
The fifth cut off the project, Cassava Bread, is nothing short of a masterpiece co-piloted alongside the beyond-talented Fly Anakin, who absolutely murders his verse on the track. His recognizable tone and cadence, married with the humming sample, is a match made in heaven. The sample flip by Graymatter is simply an addicting listen by itself, and Morpheus and Anakin painted their verses with a masterstroke. Needless to say, this is one of my favorite tracks of the year so far. There is so much soul and substance throughout this project, and Morpheus knows his worth. In the midst of the track, he finally articulates his feeling of self-belief that was unspokenly apparent up to this point when demanding, “Your final offer need to triple the starting amount,” Each track is packed with unapologetic honesty and interludes that complement the project's flow down to a tee. His lyrics breathe life into every instrumental he touches. Additionally, his mellow and laid-back tone caters so well to the bouncy and soulful production, underlining his Westcoast influences. The structure and sonics of the project are so inherently hip-hop. It’s packed to the brim with retro RnB melodies infused with convertible driving raps. Its presentation of his laid-back cadence and looping instrumentals transport you into a haze as Morpheus anecdotes with a full course reflection seasoned throughout with his “by any means” approach to life.
Warm keys, saturated horns, and relaxed dissertations wrapped and served as a deeply rich and cohesive body of work. Food references fill the table as the rapper/producer curates an amazing experience, from the appetizer to dessert.
- Jack Kissane of The Finger Printed Mag
GODISLOVE - Willyynova
Willyynova is a Chicago-based artist that has been pushing the envelope with his commitment to authenticity and an unmatched approach to consistency throughout his artistic output. He quite simply has done the impossible, marrying quantity and quality time-and-time again throughout his releases. GODISLOVE is his fifth project within a two-year period – a feat impressive within itself, let alone having each release of his being filled to the brim with substance and quality. Nova picked up momentum thanks to some influential cosigns and his commitment to keeping a consistent presence across mediums. Having been following his growth for a minute now, when I heard there was another project in the works, I was excited needless to say.
Upon the first listen, I was blown away. This project carries real weight to it, a testament to the substance that lies within his introspective pen that’s masterfully weaved between soul-filled sample chops. Every ingredient that goes into his music feels authentic, and it bleeds through with each listen. I’d be remiss not to touch on Nova’s production ability when covering his music. The self-proclaimed “SampleGod” delivered once more with rare samples you can’t find on Ricardo Maraña’s YouTube channel. Nova has this unique ability to harness loops in a hypnotic fashion that paints his music with soulful soundscapes that complement his vocal tone and cadence so well. Nova’s autobiographical lyrics are confidently articulated through measured bars and tasteful double entendres, and its this ability that gives me another reason why he is among my favorite artists on the rise in this current moment in time.
Although the album is packed with 16 tracks, it still holds a concise runtime of 35 minutes that seems to fly by with each listen. Some of the standout tracks on the project were Meridian Pathway, 4YOURLOVE, Smedium Ugly, and Moscato. This album is fresh off the press, having been dropped a few weeks ago, so tap in and let us know what you think!
- Jack Kissane of The Finger Printed Mag
Don’t Feed The Pigeons - YL
Growing from the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan, YL has been a grounded staple of the New York underground for some time now, and the honesty of his art truly personifies everything great, grimy, and real about his city. YL’s authentic lyrics focus on spelling out an intricate autobiography of the luxuries and pitfalls of his daily life detailed through weed smoke. YL has an extensive and consistent discography of stellar music, but on this project, he has tangibly honed in on his sound featuring his signature laid-back, nearly reserved vocal delivery married with beautiful sampled production, highlighting his natural curating ability. YL is insanely skillful with his delivery, and on this project, he hits pockets within the beats like few can. Don’t Feed The Pigeons is simply an incredible project, tied together by YL’s substantive pen, ear-worm punchlines, and some of the illest production this year; get familiar with YL and his output and tap in!
YL voices a stream-of-conscious approach to his storytelling that’s filled to the brim with deep-cut references and braggadocious stunting. The 19-track project’s consistency is impressive and carries an unrelenting momentum as YL transitions from track to track, painting a clear self-portrait of himself and his surroundings over incredible production from the likes of Roper Williams and Junie, among others. The sparing features on the album are a clear tip of the hat to RRR member STARKER and rising artist Anklejohn who did not disappoint in their contributions to the project. The mixture of YL’s soft delivery and the project’s looping production is intoxicating on each listen, offering the project the unique ability to make my long commute from Queens to the UWS fly like no other. Over time, YL’s sound has evolved as he carved out his own lane deriving from a melting pot of influences from artists like AZ, Raekwon, Nas, to Styles P. It’s one-of-a-kind tracks like Open Arms – the intro track of the project – that have sparked interest among new fans. The track features one of the hardest soul-sample flips I have ever heard, pulling from drill production with booming 808s and high-tempo hi-hats that frame YL’s perfectly presented braggadocio that details his hustle and the luxuries he reaps from it. Another standout track on the project is track 7, Back On The Wall, a sharp tempo switch that really exemplifies YL’s unnerving versatility as he meticulously anecdotes about overcoming doubt, all while staying independent and true to his mission. YL’s confidence in his experimental approach to testing different sounds on tracks is noteworthy and incredibly measured. Tearz is an amazing example of YL pushing boundaries with a double-time flow flooded with witty bars. The textures used within the production throughout the project are truly something special and really put the icing on the cake of this well-rounded project.
- Jack Kissane of The Finger Printed Mag
A.G.N.B. - SONNY
The aptly titled project, All Gas No Breaks [stylized: A.G.N.B.], stamps Sonny’s presence in the conversation of the next class of talented artists breaking out of the underground with another quality release under his belt. Although the project is relatively concise with a 20-minute run-time, it packs a punch featuring high-octane energy brought to you by Sonny’s uber-confident delivery paired with atmospheric production from frequent collaborators MyFriendNate, Luke Almighty, and Dom J, among others. Being able to witness Sonny carve out his own sound and aesthetic and grow from one release to the next has been special, and this project is a great representation of Sonny playing to his strengths with his crazy flow switches and infectious energy.
Headstrong in representing his city, he doesn't shy away from speaking on his foundation growing from the low end, out of The Greater Grand Crossing neighborhood of Chicago. Sonny has been spearheading Chicago’s next generation of talent, frequently working alongside the city’s tight-knit community of boundary-pushing artists. Sonny sports a calm demeanor beyond the mp3, but as soon as that red recording light is lit, there’s no catching him. Although the project was dropped in February, it’s remained in my rotation heavily and for good reason. On this project, Sonny keeps his collaborations within the family and close to the chest with standout verses from his peers nombreKARI and Bandhunta KT with their track, Believe, that perfectly articulates the unrelenting energy of the city, and Kari’s angsty verse pinpoints the everyday anxiety and prejudice he experiences growing from the city.
The project’s energy is contagious and will have you ready to run through a wall, a natural release of the pent-up aggression as a result of injustices, all professionally articulated through Sonny’s genuine pen that sketches a detailed world of its own informed through his very real human experiences. Sonny’s approach to his production is unique – fittingly low-end heavy – that frames his lyrics and honest perspective in a unique light, fit for the stage. Sonny has garnered some impressive momentum recently, from opening for Pusha T, being featured on 2k23’s soundtrack, to indirectly going viral on TikTok via his track Kill Bill. Sonny is quickly becoming a staple of Chicago’s sound, and we’re here for it! Tap in with his most recent project, A.G.N.B.
- Jack Kissane of The Finger Printed Mag
REEBORN - La Reezy
Hailing from New Orleans, Louisiana, La Reezy is a welcome change to the state of music. He is another example of an artist not being tied down to only one path in a genre. Not only does his latest album, Reeborn, break loose from the average rap cadence. It is done in a way that when he chooses to go down a path that is less traveled, he creates tracks like “Lil Kid in a Big World.” A track that embodies childhood exuberance while also pushing forth such a powerful message that is not told enough to the youth. The project itself has strong versatility in the lyrical content as well as the way it is produced. La Reezy fully self-produced the tracks on Reeborn, and his influences and own artistic prowess come through clearly.
Reeborn’s discourse is uniquely La Reezy’s while remaining graspable to new fans. With mature vocal inflection, his delivery fails to go stale. With clever wordplay, he keeps you engaged. However, it is his vulnerability and passion in his voice that keep you spinning the record. Tracks such as “Birth” put all those skills on display; at only eighteen years old, he has the experiences and the ability to express them creatively that most would assume come with being 10 years older. On the other side of the album La Reezy delivers another phenomenal storytelling track, “Hello” a 6-minute track in which he gives insight into his life growing up, humanizing him early in a career that as of now, has no ceiling. He is currently preparing to perform the whole Reeborn album live on August 13th.
- Kelen Chen of The Music Clique
Gemini Moon - Deb Fan
Born and raised in Hong Kong, Deb Fan, an artist based out of LA, introduces a colorful mix of genres, sounds, and melodies in her debut EP, Gemini Moon. The project is layered with vocals that are so uniquely fresh yet reminiscent of psychedelic rock. She completely opens her mind and immerses you inside, where you can see she is free of the limitations and boundaries of trying to fit into one specific genre.
Gemini Moon’s content holds conversations about the longing to be chased yet not being fulfilled, which leads to her next topic about past loves. The intricate beat selection that combines crunchy melodies and drums with a vocal mix that floats above it all allows for each verse to resonate through every track. While keeping each song short yet complete, she leaves her audience yearning for the next project from Deb. Tracks such as Rules can’t help but feel like they would fit perfectly within a 50 Shades of Grey-esque movie with a distorted guitar that carries us home. While in the same project, she delivers a glimpse into what her take of a hyperpop track would look like in, Three Nights. Currently getting ready to open for Hojean on tour in October, Deb Fan has delivered one of the most refreshing pieces of music this year from the underground.
- Kelen Chen of The Music Clique
Sincerely,
Two genuine perspectives
