Gabe 'Nandez and Preservation made one of the albums of the year with "Sortilége." @sonraw.bsky.social spoke to them about recording in Nola, pulling inspirations from DMX & The Lox as well as from around the globe, collaborating with billy woods, and much more www.passionweiss.com/2025/09/14/g...

Imagine seeing Styles P live…whilst he’s on mushrooms 🤯🍄 Big up @sonraw.bsky.social for sharing this story on the show with @freemusicempire.bsky.social 👏🤣

For what it's worth, I can vouch for the awesomeness of this EP. At least once a week I get the hook from their 2023 song "The General" stuck in my head. Also, shout out to Five Steez for including lyrics on his Bandcamp page. I'm always surprised more rappers don't do that!

It's Bandcamp Friday! Check out my latest with Kingston's own Five Steez: The Test Of Time Steez on the 🎤 Son Raw on the 🥁 fivesteez.bandcamp.com/album/the-te...

It's Bandcamp Friday! Check out my latest drop: Distorted Axe Tokyo Cigar on the ✍️🎤 Son Raw on the 🥁💿 son-raw.bandcamp.com/album/distor...

This is some really good rap music

👀👀👀 @sonraw.bsky.social son-raw.bandcamp.com/album/distor...

Making a very rare appearance on this app cause we're live! Tokyo Cigar - Distorted Axe EP [Prod. Son Raw] is now available on Bandcamp. Ill, abstract word play and beats from the deepest dungeons of rap son-raw.bandcamp.com/album/distor...

MF DOOM love in Montreal 🇨🇦 (📸 @sonraw.bsky.social)

Five Steez + Son Raw - The Test Of Time is out now! 4 heaters for your tweeters, 4 dubs for your subs. Big up to everyone who's supported us on our musical journeys. Hope you enjoy. fanlink.tv/TheTestOfTime

A track by track breakdown of Lex Boogie & Senz Beats' "Dharma" – an adventurous take on post-Roc Marciano, post-KA strain of hip-hop. "The rare grown man rap that isn’t just a polite euphemism for “old man rap" says @sonraw.bsky.social www.passionweiss.com/2025/04/09/l...

ICYMI! To go with the jams, Bonus Beats has 14KT doing a behind the beat for his latest single, Ripped To Shreds live at Bandcamp Studios, the homey @elmattic.bsky.social's music picks for March, and @sonraw.bsky.social interviewing Lex Boogie and Senz Beats for @passionweiss.bsky.social

New single ahead of an EP from Five Steez and @sonraw.bsky.social fivesteez.bandcamp.com/track/soul-i...

Five Steez & Son Raw - Soul in the Music definitionoffresh.blogspot.com/2025/05/five... @sonraw.bsky.social #fivesteez #sonraw #soulinmusic #kingston #jamaica #jamaicanhiphop

I didn't think there was anything left to be said about Mobb Deep's "The Infamous," but @sonraw.bsky.social wrote a brilliant essay about its cultural impact and timelessness on its 30th anniversary. www.passionweiss.com/2025/05/08/d...

Also, a Bonus Beats section with writing for @passionweiss.bsky.social from @sonraw.bsky.social and @elmattic.bsky.social, live performances from Gelli Haha and Jeff Parker IVtet, new Fiona Apple in advocacy against pretrial detention, my homey @seasidefm.bsky.social on the radio in an hour!

🚨 NEW EPISODE We dig into Armand Hammer's classic 3-album run of Rome, Paraffin and Shrines with @premrock.bsky.social 💎 Ft. a stellar guestlist of @rapmusicplugpod.bsky.social @freemusicempire.bsky.social @sonraw.bsky.social @gingerslim.bsky.social, Defcee and more 🔥 📲 linktr.ee/Crate808

Five Steez & @sonraw.bsky.social let another one go from their upcoming EP. youtu.be/nrmGQQUf6aU

An examination of the ancient question: Am I getting old or has pop music sunk into a precipice of mid? @sonraw.bsky.social brilliantly breaks down nostalgia cycles, the art of skepticism (and hating) & a timeless reminder that most of this shit won't age well. www.passionweiss.com/2025/03/06/n...

@sonraw.bsky.social this is EASILY my favorite Mike Shabb album tidal.com/album/419977...

Tokyo Cigar and August Fanon created the next great rap concept album. @sonraw.bsky.social explains why "Raymond" is a rightful heir to Prince Paul and Breeze Brewin's "Prince Among Thieves," Deltron 3030 & Masta Ace's mid-career classics. www.passionweiss.com/2025/02/19/t...

While you're sipping Remy Martin on diamonds, I also highly recommend reading this "Supreme Clientele" retrospective from @sonraw.bsky.social Invaluable context for the era in which it emerged and its long shadow of influence. www.passionweiss.com/2021/01/19/2...

Every year, I come closer to concluding that Livin Proof is Premo's best produced album.

BEAT SALE! I never do these, but I've got some expenses coming up, so why not try something new? 12 soul beats up for grabs, 100$ USD each. Preview on Insta, cause BSky's video limit is mad short www.instagram.com/reel/DFst9wg...

Living in Quebec is perilously close to serfdom at this point. Thank God I'm in a decent place now, having dealt with abusive/criminal property management firms, I can't imagine having to choose between life in their slums or being homeless. www.ctvnews.ca/montreal/art...

The discipline needed to make so complete a tune with so few elements and so much empty space... www.youtube.com/watch?v=jW07...

Tony Kelly split the atom with this beat www.youtube.com/watch?v=TIur...

Is this place popping yet?

What do music critics want from rap? A state of the union from @sonraw.bsky.social examining the lack of energy in the mainstream, the problems w/ suburban brain rot internet-core, the structural issues w/ culture journalism & the predictable takes & cliches. www.passionweiss.com/2025/01/15/n...

New year, new album drop, another run, time well spent with @crate808.bsky.social and @sonraw.bsky.social with incredible Ka insight from @freemusicempire.bsky.social sankofa.bandcamp.com/album/shoes-...

Wrote about Future for the world's best best albums list www.passionweiss.com/2024/12/31/t...

Been thinking a lot about Ka and how he just didn't engage with aspects of the music industry he wasn't feeling. I need to take a good hard look at how I operate and implement that, even if it'd look totally different from the approach he ended up with.

Ain't no other kings in this wrap (up) thing, nothing but our chil'ren, one shot, they disapearin' www.passionweiss.com/2024/12/29/t...

ICYMI: What's Good is up for the week! Along with new music, the Bonus Beats has links to @sonraw.bsky.social writing about instrumental Grime labels Butterz and Boxed, interviews with Blvck Svm and Nilüfer Yanya over on @passionweiss.bsky.social, and @elmattic.bsky.social on ELUCID's REVELATOR.

New writing: I take a look at what I personally consider to be instrumental Grime's golden age, as seen through the output of its two finest collectives, over at Trench trenchtrenchtrench.com/features/but...

Wrote about Pa Salieu's Belly and Kendrick Lamar's Not Like Us For The Fader's Best Songs Of 2024 www.thefader.com/2024/12/19/b...

Oh yeah. Thanks for the reminder. I haven't played this in a minute. youtu.be/TatKL4bV0Hc?...

Proud to once again contribute to @thefader.bsky.social 's year end wrap up. In today's best albums list, I pen a few words about Cavalier's Different Type Time and the legendary Ka's The Thief Next To Jesus www.thefader.com/2024/12/17/t...

My favorite Hip Hop albums (and collected runs) of 2024 in alphabetical order.

Free alternate firmwares make the world go round

Ol Dirty Bastard was also caught in a McDonalds in PA while on the run.

The guests start having doubts, the host nowhere to be found It's ghosts in the building's bones, so many skeletons in the ground When everything collapse, he just melt into the crowd Suitcase packed, melted down the crown But a haven's only safe as long as they want you around

Didn't expect to write 2 full on Bass Music tracks this week but here we are. Son Raw club comeback era coming 2025.

Had it been Shkreli, we could have narrowed the suspect killers down to Ghost and Masta, but this guy? Could be anyone.

Sounds about right.

Just wrote 2000 words for my last POW column of the year.

Going through your year end lists and counting the amount of rap records.

I'm starting to think that letting an old man hold onto power past his prime, skipping a primary election to ensure the establishment favorite is your party nominee and then letting said old man pardon is son may not be the best way to advocate for democracy.

Message In a Bottle is one of the first songs that caught my ear as a really young kid - I have a lot of love for that tune - but this Snoop song is NOT it. Not even a little...