Despite what others might tell you, 2014 was a pretty great year for rap. At least in the Midwest. And as most of the influential bloggers and rap writers reside on the coasts, they tend to overlook the gems the Midwest has to offer. But that’s where we come in. That’s where we thrive. That’s…
Category: Features
FSD Feature: 10 Essential Bop Songs Of 2014
Words by Holiday Kirk (@HolidayKirk) As 2013 gave way to 2014, the excitement and enthusiasm that ran through Chicago’s bop scene began deflating. The energy and attention generated by Sicko Mobb’s high profile deal with Sony & RCA and the DLow Shuffle’s virality gave way to rumors of bad contracts and stagnation as no other artists…
FSD Feature: 15 Essential Doughboyz Cashout Songs From 2014
Words by Taylor Made (@taylormade_hbm) Quiet as kept, Detroit’s Doughboyz Cashout faction had an incredible 2014. Simply put: these guys were (and still are) WORKING. At the top of the year they dropped one of the most slept on projects of ’14, We Run The City Vol. 4, which was chock full of quality Detroit street…
FSD Feature: 10 Essential Chief Keef Songs From 2014
Words by Ty Howard (@someguynamedty) Chief Keef has been flooding the e-streets with new music since the beginning of 2014 and it doesn’t look like he’s going to stop anytime soon. Aside from the countless loosies that Keef has dropped, he also served up his Back From The Dead 2 mixtape and plans to drop…
FSD Feature: 5 Things People Need To Stop Doing At Concerts
Words by Ty Howard (@someguynamedty) One thing I’ve learned is that rap shows can either be really fun or really suck. The artist isn’t always to blame either. I’ve been to more concerts and events that I can count over the last few years, but what I do recall from a majority of them is…
FSD + Noisey Present: Music To Fake Shore Driveby Vol. 2: Midwest Is The Best
via Noisey, who we’ve partnered with for our new series: Music To Fake Shore Driveby Last month, we introduced Music to Fake Shore Driveby, a mix series partnering with our friends at the Midwest’s pre-eminent hip-hop blog, Fake Shore Drive, in which Andrew Barber and Ty Howard share and weigh in on some of the…
FSD Feature: Chicago Summer Records We Loved In 2014
A list by Matt Albin (@malbin34) Summer in Chicago will always supply you with these three things: unpredictable weather, many losses from the Chicago Cubs and a boatload of great new music. Summer 2014 was no different, as we were hit with an influx of music from both veterans and emerging stars. Chicago was able…
FSD Feature: 20 Dope Songs In Chicago-New York Collaboration History
Words by Todd Levy & Andrew Barber NYC and Chicago share a rich hip-hop history. From Jay Z’s work with numerous Chicago legends including Kanye West and R. Kelly, to the early bridge builders like Grav, Twista and Common — the Big Apple and the Windy City have banged out numerous classic rap records from…
FSD Feature: 15 Artists We’d Like To See At Lollapalooza 2015
Words by Ty Howard (@someguynamedty) Time flies. Lollapalooza 2014 is already over and before you know it, we’ll all be gearing up for next year’s festivities. This year’s lineup featured some of our favorite artists, but we have a few others that we would like to see performing live in Grant Park for the city’s largest…
FSD Feature: Best Songs Of 2014 (So Far)
Yes, it’s hard to believe that half of 2014 has already vanished — but with the first six months already under our belt, we’ve received some incredible music from the Chicago scene. From newcomers, to vets — it appears just about everyone has put their best foot forward this year — and many artists have…