#37 - Aha Gazelle, Hulvey, A.I. the Anomaly & More...
NRT's CHH contributor Joshua Galla collects what's new in Christian Hip-Hop and Urban Soul for the week of Friday, January 29, 2021. (Photo: A.I. the Anomaly)
Each week, dozens of singles and a handful of projects are released in the Christian Hip-Hop (CHH) and Urban Soul spaces. Below, we listen to a few highlights and list the rest for your own discovery. As always, follow our New Christian Rap & Hip Hop playlist on Spotify to listen to all the latest.
Soul's Acrylic by A.I. the Anomaly God Over Money's latest signee, A.I. the Anomaly, drops her debut project with Bizzle's esteemed label. "Lyrical lioness," proclaims A.I. on "Eastside." A perfect label to define this artist. She possesses an arsenal of talent spread out through poetry, spoken word, lyricism, art on canvas and breathed through photography. The beauty of her expression through multiple mediums is encouraging and a testament to God's creation. God equips us with multiple talents and lanes of expression to display the love of His Son Christ. The soundscape and instrumentation scream loudly spread through echoes of variety beyond trap drums and hats. Some highlights include "Grab My Hand," "Grwn Woman," and "OK OK." Being a huge Jill Scott fan back in the early 2000's, I can't help but hear an influence of her reborn in A.I. The rawness. The poetic flow. The freedom. It's all so, so beautiful. Right now, this stands as the top project released in 2021. It's going to take a masterpiece to dethrone Soul's Acrylic.
Aha Gazelle - "Cuttin' Up & Must Be Why"
Independent artist Aha Gazelle closed out the first month of 2021 with two singles. "Cuttin' Up" and "Must Be Why" are both accompanied by a music video too. "Cuttin' Up" sticks more to that classic Aha vibe with the dope, timely pristine bars mixed in with subtle elongated notes previewing his harmonic abilities too. With "Must Be Why," Aha cemented his talented ability to not only spit insane bars but harmonize with the best of them in the R&B space. It could easily be picked up as a radio hit as the melodies and hook are catchy and nearly hypnotic. For the past eight (2013) years, Aha has blessed core hip-hop fans with one quality project after another. With the many highs and lows of CHH, artists can easily become discouraged. However, Aha seems to be picked up momentum moving forward as his displayed talents become fine-tuned as the years add up. Check out the two singles, as they represent elite artistry from start to finish.
Hulvey - "Back in the Wick"
Reach Records' Hulvey returns with yet another quality release shortly after his one-year anniversary of joining the label. "Back in the Wick" celebrates his hometown of Brunswick, Georgia as well as stamps his ownership of one of the top lyricists out there. The single almost has that freestyle vibe as Hulvey rattles off strong bars one after another laced with dope rhyme schemes and creative wordplay. The track requires several replays just to capture everything said. I really wanted to just fill this space with fire emojis and call it a night because it sort of rendered me speechless. The progress Hulvey has made after several singles and two EPs dropped last year and moving forward is beyond encouraging. He'll continue to be one of the top artists to watch in 2021.
