CR’s latest project, Remember Me As This , shows why he’s one of DMV’s most thoughtful voices in rap. There’s a strong sense of self-reflection throughout the entire project. CR is one of those artists who knows how to talk to himself in his music. Some of these songs feel like reminders he made for himself first, conversations he needed to have internally, and we’re just listening in. That level of honesty is what makes the album land the way it does. Released on December 11

Baltimore continues to redefine what pain-talk sounds like, and Taee Slickk’s new album Money Bags & Broken Hearts  is another strong entry into the city’s growing wave of raw, emotional rap. Produced entirely by Davonta Ayers, with one feature from WLC ROD on “30 Days,”  this project blends charged-up street energy with melodic introspection, creating a full-circle listening experience that captures Slickk from multiple angles. One of the most refreshing aspects of the album

Out of Louisville’s rising underground scene, Lul Skii returns with “Girls Like You,” a September 2025 drop that pushes the boundaries of pain-talk with a punk-influenced twist. Instead of leaning on the usual trap or melodic formulas, Skii delivers a record that blends raw emotion with big, distorted energy, a sound that feels equal parts diary entry and mosh-pit anthem. The track centers around a feeling almost everyone has experienced: knowing you and someone could be grea

Out now from kenton and 4Daez’s October 25 drop, “C’EST LA VIE”  is the kind of record that sneaks up on you being smooth, spiritual, and cool without ever feeling preachy. Where a lot of artists turn Christian references into surface-level slogans, this flips faith into swagger. This is theology with fun, not a HomeGoods quote about being kind. Opening lyric  “I wouldn’t shake your hand if God made new hands for me” hits with cold honesty, a boundary drawn in divine ink. In

Southeast DC has been producing talent for years, but few artists capture the city’s energy like Paco Panama . A DMV vet, he’s been making noise locally for some time, and if you know Paco, you know exactly what kind of music you’re about to get — hustler music, motion music, trap-influenced bars that reflect real life in the streets. His latest project, SouthSide Sopranos, Vol. 2 , dropped November 4th , featuring 23 tracks  with appearances from Smoke Chapo, Dee Muney, and

Philly has a way of producing artists who bleed honesty in every bar, and Yachapo is stepping right into that lineage. He only started rapping in late 2023, but he’s moving like someone who’s been sharpening the pen for years. His debut “Life Ain’t Fair”  dropped in February 2025  and quickly picked up momentum, catching looks from PhillyFirst48 , No Jumper , StreetJuiceTV , and earning a co-sign from Johnnie Mac . I found the track while digging for our Philly Release Radar

Impress your friends with a real find before anyone's found him. Out of Chicago we'd like to introduce Jonny Darko and his vibey, unknown hit "Why They Een Worried." This track is pure late-night confidence. It’s for the dreamers who are catching heat for carving their own lane, the people who keep hearing “why are you doing that?”  when they’re just figuring life out their own way. But make no mistake this isn’t pain talk. It’s determination wrapped in smooth production, wi

With “LYFE’S A MOOD,”   Alithe$tar  shows us how to surrender control and still find your rhythm. The video opens with a narrated recap from Monophilia , a fictional show that sets the stage for the world we’re about to step into. The voiceover explains that the artist is anxious about leaving his room… until he wakes up to find his bed perched on a rooftop. Bewildered but curious, Alithe$tar grabs a joint, exhales, and leans into the moment. The track drops and suddenly the

It’s rare to see upcoming Baltimore artists truly invest in a high-quality visual, but Tyboog just did that. Linking up with Clay Stackks  and Glasshouse Productions , he delivered a video that feels like a moment. This is the kind of work that can reset the standard for what Baltimore visuals should look like moving forward. The track itself? Fire. And honestly, not what most people would expect from Ty. He first went viral a few months back on TikTok with his breakout track

Every once in a while, a new artist comes out of Baltimore with a sound that feels raw, and Trelly is exactly that. His latest release, “Gangsta,”  dropped on October 27th and marks just the second song he’s ever put out. He’s not on streaming platforms yet, but both tracks available on YouTube already show major potential, and we’re proud to say VA SHIFT is the first to expose him to the industry. “Gangsta”  thrives on subtle hype and heavy 808s, blending Baltimore’s drill p

0617LilTwin  first caught attention with his breakout track “Hate Being Sober” , a record that started gaining major traction and introduced his emotionally charged, melodic sound. His latest release, “Letter to Jack” , takes that emotion even deeper. Released on October 16th , Letter to Jack  feels less like a song and more like a message to someone he’s still trying to reach. LilTwin opens up about loss, grief, and trying to make sense of life after an unexpected death. The

RGP Spook is one of the DMV’s most active rising voices right now, and his latest single “Sand”  (released September 28th) proves he’s carving out his own sonic territory. The track pulls from the digital trap wave of the 2016-2019 SoundCloud era, channeling that neon-glazed Uzi Vert energy—but Spook flips it with a hard D.C. flow, merging nostalgic internet-era melody with a modern trap cadence. The beat feels spacious, bright, and highly digital, like it’s moving through a

OTR Chaz and Roddy Rackzz have been fan favorites in Baltimore for years — and for good reason. Most people in the city will tell you these two are the top dogs, especially when they link up. From early classics like “Get In Dere”  and “Wit Da Mob”  to more recent drops like “Going”  and the “Sorry Not Sorry Remix,”  their chemistry has always hit different. The energy between them is like Jordan and Pippen  or Shaq and Kobe  — the best one-two punch the city has to offer. An

Photo by @is0Shots Every once in a while, an artist pops up that makes you double back like— hold up, who is this?  That’s exactly what happened when our VA SHIFT production head, Chucky , kept telling me about a kid out of Baltimore named IzzyMoney1008 . For weeks, he was saying, “Bro, you gotta tap in. He’s bringing a new sound to the city.” One night after a Live Mic shoot, Chucky threw on Izzy’s project Young Rich Junkie —and from the first few tracks, I knew it was diffe

Baltimore’s underground scene has been quietly evolving, and “Lately (Romantic Homicide)”  by 54Von featuring Lor YB captures that shift in real time. Released July 5th, 2025, with the accompanying music video dropping August 21st, the track has already done a couple thousand views—a small but telling milestone for two young artists redefining what Baltimore’s next generation sounds like. The record blends an ambient Baltimore drill style with the heavy pulse of a dirty, cons

Two months back, yaemulli teamed up with director Theo Edwards to deliver the visuals for “Adore” —a video that elevates the track’s...