Internet Hippy

At The Crossroads of Hip-Hop and Internet Culture

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“Born a Star” by CashBently

If you’re reading this, chances are you’ve seen CashBently’s name floating around social media lately, whether it’s because of the worrisome events that landed him in the hospital recently, or the viral video of him trolling some Trump supporters at the mall. Regardless of how you’ve gotten to this point though, you’re in prime position to hear some of Virginia’s best upcoming autotune SoundCloud trap. “Born a Star”, while two months old, is some of the most exciting music of it’s style out right now, and it’s good to see the art getting the attention it really deserves.

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PRXJEK is scatterbrained

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Whiplash'd by Xavier Wulf prod. by Maso (Video by Quintin Lamb)

The Hollow Squad captain, Xavier Wulf’s style is timeless. No matter what type of production he’s going in on, he’s always spitting some fly, instantly memorable bars you can rap along to. Ever since the name change from Ethel to Xavier, this has been the case, and it’s allowed his stylistic approach to age like fine wine, as he coasts from beat to beat no matter the prevailing sonic landscape.  

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“ ##sadd :// ##balmain” by Lil Xelly prod. by sadbalmain

Everyone knows Lil Xelly for the sheer quantity of music that he drops, at times dropping multiple projects in a week, but what they need to know him for, which this project so aptly demonstrates, is the ridiculous number of styles that his music is able to cover. Just in these 7 sadbalmain-produced tracks, Xelly goes from guitar beats, to minimalist trap, to melodic sing-songy shit, & beyond. There’s clearly a reason for his unmatched output, as that’s the only way for him to communicate his true versatility from song to song. 

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Safe Sin in his black Internet Hippy hoodie

https://internethippy.bandcamp.com/merch

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“LEEDLE LEEDLE LEE” by TrippyThaKid prod. by swvde. (Video by Steven Jets)

Now that TrippyThaKid’s out in Los Angeles, I’m excited for the wonderful new music and art that’s to come. I’ve long said he’s one of the most naturally gifted artists in the underground, and now that he’s finally in the perfect place for fruitful collaboration and more convenient promotion, I think his skill can really begin to flourish. “LEEDLE LEEDLE LEE” with Steven Jets is the first of this new era for the Tripmeister, and I’m excited to see where he’s able to take. 

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“ICEDANCER” by Bladee

For an artist of his stature, there’s next to nobody as influential and beloved as Bladee. From the outside looking in, rap fans might know him as the cool autotune rapper that has songs with Yung Lean, but for the dedicated, there’s no one as inspiring and influential as this man. He’s influenced such a large percentage of autotune users on SoundCloud, and his take on “emotional” music can be found in the fingerprints of so many of the most popular new underground acts. He’s the absolute definition of “cult classic” in the sense that he’s quite likely your favorite underground rapper’s favorite rapper.

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a Selfie with Vision4k

1. Where are you from and how would you describe?

I was born and raised in Houston, Texas. There’s so much to do here so it’s a lot of fun going out sometimes and exploring it and finding something to do or somewhere to hang, a lot of diversity when it comes to activities or things of that nature. As a kid i always had something to do in this area.

2. Who are some of your favorite artists of all time and why?

The Smashing Pumpkins really made me wanna get into making music in general, i feel like their ability to truly capture emotion in a song really influenced a lot of the subject matter i bring into the music i’ve been making recently. Yung Lean and Bladee influenced my sound as a whole, i feel like if it wasn’t for them i wouldn’t be making the type of music i do. It felt like i struck gold when i came across their music.

3. How would you describe your process when making a song?

It usually takes me like a whole day or two to finish a song. I tend to work a lot slower than most artists cause I try my hardest to decrease as many mistakes as possible so I always look through thoroughly. I feel like i’m very picky with beats so it takes a bit longer for me to find a beat that I know i’ll do well on. My lyrics tends to vary on what i was feeling that day or week or even month so i find it much easier to write about how i’m feeling. I love playing with melodies and stuff with songs so i'll always try and find a way to really make my vocals pop out more with secondary melodies and stuff like that. I usually mix all of my music myself as well.

4. What are some of your interests outside of music?

I don’t really do much outside of music to be honest but when i get the chance i love doing digital art on photoshop and things of that nature. It feels like an escape whenever music gets me stressed out. I also like to draw and do photography when i have the time to do so as well.

5. What are some of your goals you want to accomplish in the next 3 years?

The main goal i have right now is to completely live off my music and have a really solid fanbase, that’s something i’ve always dreamed of as a kid. I feel like when having something that i’m truly passionate about i can feel complete as a human being. Turning something I love into something bigger.

6. Anything else you’d like to add?

To my friends and everyone who supports me, thank you for all that you do. You keep me wanting to go through endless obstacles for you all. <3

Follow Vision4k on SoundCloud @ https://soundcloud.com/visionhatesyou

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Cold Hart & Yawns got their eyes wide shit

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“On The Run” by Gojibeanbryant [Prod. by TylerGoldChains] (Video by Dxnny Dolphin)

This song speaks for itself, i don’t really need to break it down, but Gojibeanbryant got some of the hardest music coming out of the SoundCloud scene right now. His delivery, flow, lyrical content, and pretty much everything about his music all contribute to the same hard ass aesthetic that not everyone can recreate. If you like this song, check out “Skate Slide” as well, which is another stand out track of his with an A1 visual from Jack Rottier on the way.

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“post teen desolation” by hm.wav

The emo/scene rock vocals you loved from the MySpace era are alive and well pretty much all through SoundCloud right now, but just about the only artist who hasn’t ditched the live band instrumental track-feel, in favor of trendy trap drums, is hm.wav. This gives “post teen desolation” a nostalgic feel you won’t find anywhere else from the up & comers, but what makes it so cool is he brings other dope, upcoming producers into this world with him. Guys like Cartoon Ben & Jakkyboi are known for their hip-hop influenced production, but hm has them stepping outside their comfort zone, and makin some really dope stuff they wouldn’t have otherwise. It’s a great give and take that makes this album sound different then everything else out right now.

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Keshore in his black Internet Hippy hoodie

https://internethippy.bandcamp.com/merch

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"Rock Lee” by RewindRaps prod. ohhmygodnick (Video by JamesBxnd)

If done well, there’s nothing cooler than rapping about forgiatos & getting top over a Kingdom Hearts sample, on a song named after a Naruto character. It’s peak SoundCloud rap, where it’s ok for internet-centric interests like anime & video games to be the focus, but flexing girls & money isn’t lost in translation. This is the type of shit that made Robb Bank$ & Xavier Wulf blow up in the first place, & it’s a tried & true formula that remains entertaining to this day.

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“trinity_b” by mixed matches

It’s truly a breath of fresh air when you hear someone’s music and you can’t think of a single artist in the scene that sounds anything like them. Even artists who have their own unique spin on a given style, and a personality that sets them apart from the crowd, usually have a certain popular genre that you can box them into, for better or worse. Mixed Matches is the outlier though. There’s no one making ethereal dream scapes with their own production & vocal style like this guy. He’s truly one of a kind, and that’s why so many of his peers have immense respect for the way he carved out his own personal lane.

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Hammy after selling his gold

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“High Demand” by Zellyocho (Video by Henny Honky)

I don’t know what it is about some of these Cleveland rappers, but they be putting out so much god damn music, and it’s always hard as fuck. Two years ago, it was Chxpo dropping mixtape after mixtape, but now we got this man Zellyocho dropping a new project every month, & every song slaps. I don’t know if it’s something in the water, or the environment, or what the fuck be going on over there, but you can always count on someone from Cleveland to steadily feed the streets with hard ass music.

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“A BEDRØØM STØRY” by cøzybøy

Your first instinct is probably to classify cozyboy as some sort of “emo” or sad rap artist considering his consistent placement on YouTube channels like Sad Chill, Mefumetto, Sad Boy Vibes, etc, but realistically, his music leans a lot more towards the R&B side of things, than the pop/punk/scene kid side of things. Same thing goes for one of the few featured artists on this project, Lil Zubin, as these guys sing about relationships & sex in a more sensual, and less whiny sort of perspective, than some of the artists you might initially consider their peers. They’ve got their own distinct lane in an under populated subgenre in the underground scene, and they do it quite well.