Artist Interview: XRITUAL Talks Turning Pain Into Music and Carving His Own Lane in South Florida

Marty McFly Oct 22, 2026

Miami Gardens artist XRITUAL is building a career around versatility, independence, and turning real-life experiences into music. His sound moves through dark hip-hop, gothic rap, melodic rap, emo rap, psychedelic influences, rock-inspired energy, and other styles that resist easy classification. For XRITUAL, however, the darkness is not an aesthetic for its own sake. It comes from lived experience, loss, survival, ambition, and what he describes as a process of turning pain into art. Beyond recording, XRITUAL is also helping develop South Florida’s independent music scene through The Reckoning Artist Showcase,…

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Rick Ross omits Drake vocals during May 7 Verzuz battle in Los Angeles

Marty McFly May 11, 2026

Rick Ross sparked heavy discussion across hip-hop social media after appearing to leave Drake’s vocals off “Aston Martin Music” during a May 7 Verzuz battle against French Montana in Los Angeles. The battle featured both rappers revisiting major records from their catalogs, bringing out surprise guests and leaning into nostalgia from the mixtape and blog-era peak of rap. While the event included multiple viral moments, one of the biggest reactions online came during Ross’ performance of “Aston Martin Music,” a song strongly associated with Drake’s iconic guest appearance. Fans immediately…

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Director X: How One Visionary Shaped the Visual Language of Hip-Hop

Marty McFly Apr 22, 2026

Hip-hop has always depended on image as much as sound. Certain songs hit because they are undeniable, but certain eras feel immortal because somebody found the perfect way to make them look larger than life. Few directors have understood that better than Director X. Across decades of rap, R&B, dancehall, and crossover pop, he helped shape the way power, cool, excess, color, motion, and charisma were translated onto the screen. For casual viewers, his name may not always come first. The artists often take the spotlight, and the songs naturally…

Slyky rapper standing on the street in red tracksuit

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Slyky: Diving into the Talent Pool

Marty McFly Jan 23, 2025

There is no denying, Hip-Hop music has evolved and transformed the music culture over the past four decades and counting. Each generation brings something new and unique to the table, causing the landscape to change continuously over the years. The endless sea of artists flooding the talent pool allows us to find that particular someone who suits our taste. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVZsdO0g3_0 Slyky is a 12-year-old Canadian born artist looking to dive into that pool next, hoping to get his feet wet with the whole learning experience. He's been a fan of…

tommy danger album cover "the now and later man"

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Tommy Danger – The Now and Laterman: Motivation + Confidence = Success

Marty McFly Jan 20, 2025

The Harlem, New York native Tommy Danger - The Now and Laterman, started making music to escape the harsh reality of growing up in a broken household. Using his music as a conduit, Danger vowed to use his platform to motivate and inspire others who may have had similar life experiences. With 20 years of music-making under his belt, 13 independent project releases, a weekly podcast, and an eBook entitled "Motivation and Confidence Vol. 1 - The 7 Steps", he epitomizes hard work and dedication to the fullest extent. With…

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A Space Adventure with Ucancallmety

Marty McFly Jan 1, 2025

Those who fail to think outside the box will eventually trap themselves in one. Creativity is the most important tool an artist can have at their disposal. Allow yourself to utilize your full potential by traveling the road less traveled. Our story takes place in a galaxy not too far away (Los Angeles, to be exact). A student of the Hip-Hop culture known as Ucancallmety is hard at work studying the art form of musical melodies. Often hesitant to express himself, everything changes after discovering the therapeutic nature of creating…

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Jonni Apollo: New EP Coming Soon!

Marty McFly Dec 25, 2024

Jonni Apollo has a new project set to drop later this year titled, "Jonni Apollo & The 5 Oracles". I had the chance to listen to an advance copy of the project before the official release at a private listening session earlier this week.The 5-song EP plays out like a roller-coaster of emotions. The highs and lows of one man trying to overcome every obstacle he'd ever known in life. Unlike a typical album release, this project will be dropping in chapters. Every Tuesday, a new track will be available…

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Crazyaimone is Taking Off with New Song “Hijack A Jet”

Marty McFly Dec 19, 2024

Crazyaimone is an inspiring Hip-Hop talent who was born in Slovakia and spent most of his life growing up in Denmark. The 20-year-old rapper, singer, and songwriter have spent the past couple of years cultivating a unique sound of his own alongside FettyFetty Records. During this time, tragedy struck the young artist close to home. Coping with the untimely loss of his mother, he felt his love for creating music slip away momentarily until a close friend reminded him of the passion that fueled his creativity. https://open.spotify.com/album/3ppklee4mopw2BIKFuLFZQ?si=FehPvruMTNqtJW0LVt0aow Crazyaimone built a…

Rey Spyder & Tito Moet - The Ruiz Brothers - Raptology

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New Project by Rey Spyder & Tito Moet “The Ruiz Brothers” Dropping January 1st

Marty McFly Dec 17, 2024

Rey Spyder and Tito Moet have lived through a saga of hardships most could not imagine. From life-threatening shootouts to grueling prison stints, their journey is marked by struggles that could have torn them apart. Yet, these experiences only solidified their brotherhood, forging a bond strengthened by shared pain and an unyielding drive to persevere. After years of personal battles, the duo is ready to release The Ruiz Brothers, their first fully collaborative project. This six-track EP, dropping January 1st, is a patchwork of survival, redemption, and loyalty—a long-overdue dream…

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Cardo Loot Shines On New Album: The Sun Also Rises

Marty McFly Dec 13, 2024

An opportunity is like a sunrise. If you wait too long, chances are you’ll miss it. Cardo Loot is an eager Hip-Hop artist/producer originally from The Bronx, New York (currently in Miami, Florida). Drawn to the culture like so many before him, he admired everything Hip-Hop related. Finding inspiration around every corner, he started his music journey by producing and making beats. Producers like Kanye West, Metro Boomin, Tainy, and Flow La Movie, helped fuel the fire that kept him motivated. When Cardo Loot transitioned into rapping, he turned to…

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Memoirs of a Hardknock Life with Motor Mouth

Marty McFly Nov 30, 2024

Micah DuBeau, stage name Motor Mouth, is a Hip-Hop artist who currently resides in Los Angeles, California. After moving from Hawaii to Washington, the youngster faced a life-changing incident where he lost his pregnant mother in a fatal accident with a drunk driver. Spending most of his childhood bouncing around the system, he used the power of music to escape the hard-knock reality haunting his day-to-day life. Joining the US Army Infantry at the age of 17 gave Micah some much need structure. He served in Iraq in 2004 as…

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Heavy Drugs 3 with Chise Up

Marty McFly Nov 29, 2024

There's no need to test the potency of your product, especially when it exemplifies dopeness. Why change the formula when the results are working as planned? Stay on track and continue to supply your clientele with the work they expect. Cognac Classic and Daws Lotto make up the Hip-Hop group known as Chise Up. The Southside Chicago duo has been making music professionally as a team since 2012 and has yet to show any signs of fatigue. When asked about their creative style, they describe it as poignant, laid back,…

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Avalanche The Architect: Bare Knuckle Fight Music

Marty McFly Nov 8, 2024

Avalanche The Architect is a Hip-hop recording artist from Toronto, Canada (originally from NYC), committed to leaving his mark on the independent circuit. His mixture of boom-bap rap and new school fight music is just as aggressive as it sounds. With his “in your face” approach to music and energetic vocal presence, every track will leave listeners gripping the edge of their seats in anticipation. Inspired by some of the most versatile rappers Hip-Hop has ever known (Canibus, Big Pun, Redman, and Das Efx), Avalanche The Architect is a firm…

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MaseratiSparks: Butcher Season Vol 1. Starts Today

Marty McFly Oct 25, 2024

The art of beat-making is an essential component that allows the music industry to accelerate forward each year. All though overlooked at times by fans of the culture, the producer is the most vital key needed when it comes to driving a track up the charts. MaseratiSparks, the music producer from Long Island, New York, has been doing just that for the past 14 years. In 2006, Maserati decided to bank a small investment on himself and purchased his first 8-track Casio keyboard. Shortly after, he made an executive decision…

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Tommy Danger & the Squad of Knights are Winning with Latest Single

Marty McFly Oct 4, 2024

Networking is not the collection of contacts but rather the building of relationships. Harlem entrepreneur Tommy Danger recently joined an online community led by multi-platinum, Grammy-nominated producer Illmind (@illmindproducer) called the Squad of Knights (@squadofknightsnft). The collective currently consists of 2000+ members, which include artists, producers, graphic designers, videographers, engineers, entertainment lawyers, and music industry disruptors in the Metaverse. To gain access to the elite squad, one must first be an NFT holder. This step allows each artist to maintain total control over the rights to their music and profits.…

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Rich Loyrd making moves with “ToDieRich” EP

Marty McFly Sep 30, 2024

In times of great stress and adversity, it’s always best to pour your energy into something productive. Rich Loyrd is a hip-hop recording artist from Fayetteville, North Carolina. Since 2017, the rising talent has been using his music to show people what life is like in the hood. A product of his environment, he’s now ready to do whatever it takes to forge a path towards a better tomorrow. In October 2021, the founder of Dungeon Boyz Entertainment released his debut EP titled “ToDieRich.” The project was well-received and helped…

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BlueHunnidss: Valuable and Dangerous

Marty McFly Sep 15, 2024

Straight out of Fresno, California comes a hungry independent rapper by the name of BlueHunnidss. The So-Cal artist spent most of his music career traveling the country and becoming acquainted with both coasts, allowing him to infuse a signature sound all of his own. Before making an impact on the game, he had to deal with the trials & tribulations life had waiting for him. The split of his parents came first, followed by an unforgiving street lifestyle, and ending with a 2016 court case. With all that in his…

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Rashadsofly: A Bird’s Eye View to the Future

Marty McFly Aug 25, 2024

Mississippi rapper Dailan Rashad Claiborne, stage name Rashadsofly, is a Hip-Hop artist looking to make an impact on today's culture. Creating music for Rashad has always been an instrumental part of his life. At the early age of 5, Rashad's father taught him his very first rhyme, so it's no surprise he credits both his father and uncle as the motivation behind his drive. After losing a close friend to gun violence, Rashad enrolled in college and started pursuing a career in Physical Therapy. Though he graduated with a Bachelors…

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Ike Breeze: From Tampa Bay to Long Beach

Marty McFly Aug 22, 2024

The Hip-Hop art form is a blank canvas of potential. It’s up to the artist to draw inspiration from the world around them. As the paint begins to dry, creativity will start to take shape. Now it’s time to share your masterpiece with the world. BMT Music Group recording artist, Ike Breeze, is a talented rapper from Tampa Bay, Florida. His mother was a gospel singer/pianist, while his father was a member of the Grambling University band. Coming from a line of musicians made his introduction to music inevitable. He…

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Deposits Only with Spits Nelson

Marty McFly Aug 17, 2024

Every successful person in history began by pursuing a passion, usually against all odds. Persistence and motivation separate those who fall short from those who persevere. In the music industry, an artist could be one song away from shattering that elusive glass ceiling. Deposit all you can into your dreams and bank on your talent to get you there. Creating music for the past 17+ years, Spits Nelson is the epitome of commitment. The New Jersey artist uses his voice to share his perspective on life and the experiences that…