Philadelphia artist Mxtthew Txylor has long been in a search for identity. With often turbulent surroundings and chaos, it’s hard to know who you are or where you can find peace. A stage name and image change in 2022 followed a climax in his struggle with mental health, but these challenges can be seen as the culmination of years of conflict with others that eventually turned inwards. Txylor was bullied as a kid for not fitting in with others, his artistic and creative side drawing him in a different direction from his peers. This led to independence which bordered on isolation, causing more conflict with those closest to him including his former girlfriend ‘May’. These conflicts only served to increase the difficulties Txylor faced, continuing and worsening the cycle. The impact of external conflicts on Txylor’s internal health can best be seen by an incident in the spring of 2022 where he was robbed at gunpoint in his own neighborhood - forever changing the way he viewed the city around him.

Jay Activist has followed up his previous project, 2021’s ‘Warm Nights, Vol. 1’, with a seven track tape filled with hits and his most notable work to date. Each song includes his trademark smooth flow and melodic delivery, but he varies the energy from song to song more than we’ve ever seen from him before. This is by far his most complete and well-rounded project, marking an impressive shift in his musical career. This is a new era of Jay Activist, one in which he sounds more confident and capable as ever. His vocal production and sound quality has improved drastically…

Every noteworthy or classic track has some element of creative tension to keep it engaging and interesting throughout — this could be lyrical (such as the shifting perspectives of Vic Mensa’s ‘Heaven on Earth’), instrumental (the varying beats of Travis’s ‘SICKO MODE’), or stylistic (Kanye and Bon Iver’s ‘Lost in the World’). Txylor utilizes this final method to create a gripping track with a captivating energy curve that rises and falls through peaks and valleys across the nearly four minute runtime. Widow’s high energy blown out vocals and intense hook are counterbalanced by Txylor and Nivana’s more lowkey verses. However, there is still contrast between their verses — Txylor utilizes a straight delivery, firmly in the field of rap…

It is rare to find an artist that is able to connect the raw, passionate emotion that Asher displays with the technical ability and lyricism found throughout the project. Even rarer is this union found alongside deeply creative production that pays homage to rap’s roots and foundations while interpolating and sampling it in innovative and fresh ways. These three attributes (emotion, technique, and production) form the core tenets of Asher’s artistry…

When you think of iconic hiphop groups like the Wu-Tang Clan and NWA, you might most remembered their lyricism, storytelling, or technical ability. However something often overlooked, yet at the core of any successful artist or group, is personality - each of the roughly dozen members associated with the organization brings to the table a unique spin on what it means to be a Dallas music vet. The ways they present themselves to the world through both their writing and delivery unveil a series of complex…

Jay Nivana is a complicated artist to put into words. Consistently shifting his sound, he evades definition and refuses to be confined to a box. This enigmatic yet incredibly accessible style can truly only be called his own - nobody else can do what he does, because nobody else has his perspective. Jay pursues a larger-than-life worldview that allows him to feel every emotion deeply and intensely, and he uses this to fuel his passion and drive his creative process. His music can be viewed as…