New York Rap Roundup: Ratking, Heems, Grand Daddy I.U., Saga, Roc Marciano, Cavalier

Welcome to the latest New York hip hop roundup. This time, we’ve got new heat from a hip hop veteran, a surprise drop from much buzzed-about new jacks, an ex-groupmate’s solo release, new music featuring a true journeyman and a video from a very creative indie favorite. Here we go!

MUST LISTEN: Ratking’s 700 Fill

Their debut album So It Goes established Ratking as instant entrants into upper echelon new New York rap. Capitalizing on their already buzzing buzz, Ratking just sneak-dropped their latest mixtape project, 700 Fill, leaving no doubt that they deserve the spotlight. It’s as trippy as it is tight, and it was released exclusively in an alliance with BitTorrent. You can download the nine-track present (complete with visual and instrumental bonuses) here.

Heems: Eat, Pray, Thug

The disbanded Das Racist’s lyrical murderer Heems just dropped his highly anticipated solo offering, “Eat Pray Thug,” much to the delight of eager fans. The Punjabi-by-way-of-Queens star (born Himanshu Suri) is a little more politically leaning than his former bandmates, and he continues this trend with this latest project. Pay attention to the call-out against American society in “Patriot Act,” where he spits, “Product of partition / dripped in Prada for the stitchin’ / proud of superstitions/ got powder in the kitchen.” Provocative lines and thoughtful critique abound, as does personal storytelling.

Snatch up Eat, Pray, Thug on iTunes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DK75KPD4GEs

Grand Daddy I.U.: P.I.M.P. (Paper is my Priority)

The smooth-voiced, Strong Island spitter came up around the time of the legendary Juice Crew, put on by Biz Markie himself, and had a bonafide hit with “Something New,” a smoothed out reworking of 1960’s hit “I’m Your Puppet.” Despite his breakout hit, conflicts and lack of follow up promotion sidelined the rapper’s career. Grand Daddy I.U. returned to rapping after an extended hiatus, and since, has never shied away from delivering the best work possible, and even if he’s not as prolific as some of his contemporaries, it’s clear he strives for quality over quantity.

I.U. is back, with his latest offering, P.I.M.P. (Paper is my Priority). Check it out below.

Saga ft. Roc Marciano: “City Streets” produced by Marco Polo

Here’s a preview of what you can expect from Saga’s forthcoming album, From Out of the Shadows. This album was produced entirely by New York by way of Toronto’s own Marco Polo (known for his work with countless area icons like Large Professor, Sadat X, Master Ace, Pharoahe Monch — in other words, he’s a godfather of the new New York sound). As an added bonus, Brooklyn representative Saga called upon Long Island representative, the gritty rap journeyman Roc Marciano to contribute a hot 16. Check it out below.

Cavalier feat. Iman Omari: “East Coast Medina”

Cavalier isn’t afraid to do all the work himself. On “East Coast Medina,” he wrote the song, produced the song, shot the video and directed the video. (Hey, at least it saves him a few bucks…) The Jim Morrison of New York hip hop, combining shamanism with street-savvy, and inviting Iman Omari to do his part to bring the elements to life. Dig the video below.