ITSNitti - My Time (itsnitti.com)
ITSNitti a very commercially talented local emcee, and even though his new mixtape, My Time, is only 8 tracks long, it's got a lot of radio appeal, and you can definitely hear it getting played around RVA. The entire project is produced by Rick Rodgers (winner of the 2011 VA Unity Producer Of The Year award), and features some really catchy bass lines, mixed with the swagger of ITSNitti, which should make for a great appeal to any A&R and label he presents with this project. "Stoopid” is a song that's definitely for the "new crowd” of hip hop fans, and turns the word “stupid” into its total opposite (just check the spelling). Another song I particularly liked was the title track, “My Time,” which tells the listeners that it’s Nitti's time to shine on the game with a chorus that goes, "It’s my time, you can’t take this from me.” ITSNitti has the appeal and the swag, so keep an eye on him, and we will see if his clock really is set right.
Must Listen: Stoopid, My Time, Drop It Low
Hot Bars Music Group - Cheese And Liquor (Datpiff)
I have been waiting a while for a project from this group of locally talented, globally minded emcees. If you’ve ever been to Mid-Week Madness at The Camel, which is one of the most successful midweek showcases I’ve been to thus far, Hot Bars Music Group are the guys responsible. F.Low (whose EP, Nameless, I reviewed last year), Wize aka Dub-I, Solo Doloric, and Biggie Deaf are the members of the group, about which Biggie Deaf says, “Hot Bars is not a label, it is a family." Each of these members individually has a collection of good music and solid standing in the RVA hip hop community, and now as a group, they have brought to us an appetizer of good music entitled Cheese And Liquor. This mixtape, which was mixed by DJ Mac, Hot Bars's personal DJ, is refreshing to listen to, as they demonstrate their versatility by incorporating all elements of Hip Hop. They pull this off through their charismatic lyrics and excellent production. My favorite track is “Stop Lyin,” which talks about so-called “Hollywood locals” and how they put making a name for themselves ahead of working together to support their local scene. Another song I particularly liked, which was produced by Hot Bars member Solo Doloric, was “Hammer,” with its tremendous amounts of 808. That song keeps trunks rattling and screws loose. Overall I give this mixtape high marks not just because of its content, but because of the reality that brings to life through punchlines and wordplay.
Must Listen: Stop Lyin, Hammer, Nightlife