Daisha McBride (photo by Daniel Meigs), nobigdyl., Priestess of Planet X, 2'Live Bre
If you’re interested in excellent songwriting and inspired performances, don’t overlook Nashville hip-hop. Throughout 2019, the scene has continued to bubble with an array of artists building momentum. We’ve assembled a playlist featuring some top picks from the tracks they’ve released, which you can stream below. Also, find our notes on a handful of them.
Daisha McBride, “Nashville to L.A.”
Daisha McBride nails several styles across her debut LP WILD, and it feels like the sky’s the limit for the Knoxville-born, MTSU-educated Nashvillian. This track is essentially a status update following a visit to Los Angeles, and something of a companion piece to “If You Really Knew Me,” one of the best WILD tracks. Where her concerns about staying true to herself are still present, she’s optimistic about her prospects: “We up till the mornin’ / My gas pedal floorin’ / My formula perfect / I can’t help but grin / And it’s just the beginnin’ / I work like there’s two of me / They call it twinning.”
Chuck Indigo, “Introverted”
It’s become increasingly clear how important it is to talk openly about mental health, and that’s a central theme in Nashville-born rapper Chuck Indigo’s LP Indigo Café. But the record isn’t just a litany of pain wrapped in next-level production: “Introvert” does an especially good job of looking at how feelings of isolation and frustration break down communication. (Indigo plays Exit/In on Saturday — see our Critics’ Pick for more on that.)
Lackhoney and Count Draco, “Galactica”
You don’t often hear hip-hop that includes bass-heavy post-trap beats as well as rhythmic and melodic influences of Indian pop and Muslim spiritual music — that alone makes the work of Aly Lakhani, aka Lackhoney, stand out. This track from Sticky, Lackhoney’s collaborative EP with Darien Cox (aka Count Draco), is also a showcase for inventive production and some serious bars about the pressure that comes with having a little disposable income.
Virghost and Kingpin da Composer feat. D’wynter Cold, “Shades & Umbrellas”
Virghost has been on a roll this year with two full-length releases. On top of his springtime LP Good Intentions, he put out Summer in September III, the third installment of an ongoing series of collaborative albums with Kingpin da Composer. This deep cut from the record features rich soulful vocals from D’wynter Cold and a beautiful message of empowerment from Virghost to his young daughters.
Priestess of Planet X, “Sometimes”
If you’re not familiar with Priestess of Planet X, her name might lead you to expect an off-the-wall Kool Keith sci-fi vibe from her music. “Sometimes” is very much the opposite of that, with a laid-back beat that leans toward ’90s R&B, and a focused, athletic, almost Lauryn Hill-esque flow about respecting yourself and taking stock of your strengths.
Kent Osborne, “Wrong Reasons”
Kent Osborne has been extraordinarily busy this year, playing shows all over town, from DIY punk gigs to Third Man Records’ Halloween blowout. His music traverses territory between hardcore punk, hip-hop and various intense varieties of metal. This song has lyrics spotlighting his concerns about how his generation is handling the stress of living in a world where chaos feels very near at all times, and it’s particularly interesting. Speed it up and add more guitars, and it could scan as descended from the Circle Jerks; change up the beat, and it might feel more like one of Ice Cube’s ferocious raps. But it’s Osborne’s own very intense creation, and that’s the best thing you could ask for.
Petty, “Exorcist”
I’m a sucker for well-made Halloween-themed music (see: locals Boo Dudes), but prolific MC Petty’s How Low We In is something else entirely: a fully fleshed-out horror film for your ears. You’ll want to hear the whole story, so start with the opening track, in which we meet a young boy named Alex. He has two obsessions — his GameBoy and fortune-telling — that prove to have far-reaching consequences.
The BlackSon, “Hammers and Nails”
If you went to The Underflow, a local-rap showcase in August at Marathon Music Works, you might have gotten the idea that longtime standout The BlackSon has big plans. In this jazz-tinged song from his EP Fresh Air, he points out how he’s built his career without the hip-hop infrastructure you find in some other cities.
nobigdyl. feat. Kaleb Mitchell, “Lottery”
In a year of grand-scale explorations of Christianity in hip-hop (via rappers like Kanye West), Dylan Phillips, aka nobigdyl., continues to examine his faith in his work in ways that are a bit less bombastic. In this track from his mixtape LOWERCASE TAPE., the MC and his colleague Kaleb Mitchell take an earnest look at how trying to make a career can be like a game of chance.
2’Live Bre feat. Trapperman Dale, “2’Good”
If you followed the Netflix reality series Rhythm + Flow (a kind of hip-hop analog to The Voice), you hopefully caught Nashville’s 2’Live Bre. His phenomenal charisma and stage presence are his biggest assets. They didn’t carry him that far on the show, but they have helped him forge some great professional relationships (like with fellow contestant Londynn B, from Atlanta — catch his feature on her “Common Sense”). They also help him deliver the swagger you long to hear in tracks like this one from his debut album 2’Live, featuring fellow Nashville MC Trapperman Dale.
