Underground 411 Weekly – March 2, 2021
Welcome back to the weekly Underground 411! We gather all the latest news most pertinent to Loud News Net and the hip hop underground. Lately we’ve had plenty of releases and hype for upcoming music. Let’s dig in!
Ghostface Killah and Raekwon Billed For Next Swizz Beatz “Verzuz” Battle
Verzuz is Swizz Beatz’ latest gift to the hip hop community. A laid back, high-profile lineup of rappers battling it out with their greatest hits, freestyles, and more. The Verzuz TV event has quickly become a favorite between hip hop heads. Many famous 90’s and early 2000’s faces have been recruited for the beat battle series. Born out of the COVID quarantine, this has been the source of many nostalgic moments and a lot of fun.
While it may be new and short-running, Swizz Beatz has capitalized off of the attention video streaming has got to bring us our favorite rappers and producers back into the limelight. Just recently announced, Ghostface Killah and Raekwon will be the next acts to bring their A-list of songs to the table. Timbaland mentioned at the recent D’Angelo and Friends event that him and Swizz were incredibly excited for this next installment, and we would have to say the same!
JID Teaches Us a Lesson with “Skeegee” Track and Video
The music video recently released alongside J.I.D’s latest song “Skeegee” begins with a simple quote by the notable Edgar A. Guest:
“Figure it out for yourself, my lad,
You’ve all that the greatest of men have had,
Two arms, two hands, two legs, two eyes,
And a brain to use if you would be wise.
With this equipment they all began,
So start for the top and say “I can.”
This sets the tone for the Atlanta rapper’s latest song. It remains unclear whether it’s a loosie or a single from the upcoming Forever Story, but one thing stays very clear… We cannot neglect to learn from the terrible events and injustices committed during the Tuskeegee experiments by the U.S. Government. The track covers a lot, from his own upbringing and experiences within the system to the realities of the horrible negligence by the feds in their dealings with the African-American men during the infamous 40 years that encompassed the dark project.
The Plugs I Met 2 EP Produced by Harry Fraud Announced by Benny the Butcher
“March 19th THE PLUGS I MET 2 EP me and @harryfraud linked up on niggas I could sit here and type a bunch of shit but y’all know my work and if u don’t where the fuck u been GxFr B$F”
This is all that needed to be said by Benny when announcing his upcoming album. Not only are we receiving an ever-increasing discography from The Butcher and Griselda, but once again Harry Fraud has been pulled into the project. The producer’s last notable work was this year’s The Fraud Department, but last year consisted of a wild 4 album run that cemented the artist as one of the best in his lane. Benny The Butcher had an incredible year as well in 2020, with Burden Of Proof and the Black Soprano collective album. These two have great chemistry, it only takes one listen to either of their music to see that this is the project we truly needed.
Freddie Gibbs and Madlib Surprise Drop Pinata Deluxe Edition
Freddie Gibbs is at what may be the most prolific point of his career. The workaholic rapper has released a high quality every year for the past few. Last year found us Alfredo in collaboration with The Alchemist, while the year previous was the Madlib-infused Bandana. In 2018 the MC blessed us with a collab tape alongside Curren$y.
2021 begins with a gift from the artist in the form of Pinata (Deluxe Edition). This follow up to the 2014 album by the same name is a welcome addition to his discography. The new version features 13 new tracks and a generous amount of instrumentals. Many of these new tracks were either from the vault of the mysterious Madlib, or ripped from early and unavailable records in Gibbs’ career. While these songs will undoubtedly tide over the rabid fan base clawing for new music, we’re all hyped for the future projects to come out of the rapping machine known as Freddie Gibbs.
