Homework is an artist/producer from Memphis, Tennessee signed to Westham Records. For his debut single, he enlisted the aid of three Memphis artists: Cities Aviv, Taktix, and 60 Seconds alumn Ify.

Kevin Youngblood, aka Max Ptah, has been a mainstay of the Memphis underground hip-hop community for years. Originally in the group Piranha U, Ptah has come into his own over the years as a solo artist and producer for several hip-hop artists such as the Iron Mic Coalition. His latest mixtape, Absolute Zero, showcases the maturation of this Memphis hip-hop vet while also hinting at his future growth.

PAT24seven is a Memphis emcee that has been steadily building a buzz. Fresh from performing in a concert with such emcees as rapper Curren$y and Chris Blake, PAT is preparing to release a mixtape very soon, but the artist decided to share three tracks from the upcoming mixtape as a “warmup” and to satiate his fans until the mixtape actually drops.

Artistik Approach is a phenomenal trio made up of Siphne Sylve, Jonah Westbrook, and Brandon Tolson. The multi-talented crew—their songs combine singing, rhyming, and beatboxing—formed at the Memphis College of Art. What also makes them unique is, in the words of Biz Markie, that they “make the music with their mouth”.  They are a completely self-contained, highly creative force. On The First Steps, Artistik Approach has recorded a few songs to educate those who are unaware of their “approach”.

Chris Blake is an up-and-coming emcee in the Memphis area that has been making a lot of noise recently. He released his first mixtape, Check the Campaign, a few months ago. Now Chris is preparing to release his second mixtape, Everybody Loves Chris Blake: Season One. The title and cover art are a brilliant homage to the cancelled, criminally underrated show Everybody Hates Chris. Unlike that show, however, Chris Blake has a style that should help him gain critical and commercial acclaim.

Memphis rap veteran Furious Stiles is back on the scene with another album, In the Purist Form. With the assistance of his Mentalee Ill Records family and a few others, Furious Stiles treats listeners to another solid hip-hop offering.

Little Richard. Chuck Berry. Ike Turner. Fishbone. Living Colour. African-Americans have always played an influential part in the progression of rock and roll. However, in recent memory, black rockers have been overlooked by the masses in favor of other urban genres such as R&B and hip-hop.  What can be done to remind people that “Black Rock” is an equally important genre? It is time for a Black Rock Revival.

Marcellous Lovelace aka Infinito 2017, is a rapper, artist, filmmaker, and magazine publisher. A Chicago native who is preparing to end his second stint in Memphis, Infinito may well be one of the most prolific emcees to ever reside in the Bluff City. He releases several albums a year with several labels, many of which are available on different internet hip-hop sites. Divided Souls: African in America was released last year, but definitely merits a closer look.

Do you follow your friends or do you follow the path that could get you more money and more fame? That’s the question posed by the film Potential, Gord More’s documentary about Vaughn Stokes, the lead singer/guitarist/primary songwriter, drummer Shawn, and bassist Steven Taddei, otherwise known as The Object War, a garage band from British Columbia with rock star dreams. 

Memphis-born rapper Gyft has been making noise on a nationwide basis since winning the “Next Big Thing” contest on local hip-hop/r&B station K-97 with his single “They Just Don’t Know”. He has been touring the country and appearing on shows like BET’s 106 & Park. Now, Gyft has released the mixtape Now They Do. With a mixture of new and original beats, this release finds Gyft showcasing his skills and giving those who loved his first single another dose of his lyrical talents.