A Lawrenceville bedroom, a PG County basement during a snowstorm, a Chicago birthday reintroduction, and a San Diego apartment tribute to Nas: hip-hop this week is four artists working entirely on their own terms.
BXMBI – Too Much
BXMBI’s “Too Much” is a brilliant piece of hypnotic trap-R&B: hard-hitting production, an angelic hook from Bovell, and a stunningly intimate bedroom recording
“Too Much” explores the particular burden of seeing through situations and recognising people’s true feelings: the discomfort of knowing too much in a world that prefers comfortable illusions. The production has the wavy, hypnotic quality that keeps thing compelling, and the touch of grit combined with Bovell’s soft, angelic hook is the track’s defining move. BXMBI found Bovell at a showcase hosted by a close friend and immediately knew the original hook needed replacing. It was a great call, cos the place this has ended up in is great. Recorded entirely in BXMBI’s own room, it’s a compelling peice.
BXMBI is an emerging artist from Lawrenceville whose music is built on the philosophy that life is 5% what happens to you and 95% how you react to it. That framing runs through “Too Much” as a structural principle: the song is not about the situations themselves but about the weight of awareness. He is currently building both online and local presence with live performances planned. “Too Much” is a great single, and we can’t wait for more. Keep an eye on BXMBI.
Dem Boyz from Gorgeous ft. Somos Animales – PG Bama (The Go-go Anthem)
Dem Boyz from gorgeous turn a snowstorm basement tribute and 50 years of go-go into a proper stunner for summer 2026
“PG Bama (The Go-go Anthem)” was recorded in a PG County basement during a snowstorm and released a musical vow fulfilled to the duo’s late sister, DJ K-la. The track channels the ancestral pulse of go-go music, propelling things very much into the 21st century to mark the genre’s 50th anniversary. Best of all, the track is huge, a genuine vibe. It’s unapologetically fun, full of pride and musically has a load of groove and character. These guys have got some new fans over here at BOPS.
Dem Boyz from Gorgeous are Frank Cisco “STEEL” Anderson and Lavell “Magnus” Copeland, both rooted in Prince George’s County, Maryland. STEEL is an Amazon bestselling author, disabled Naval officer veteran and creator of the Amerisoca music genre, serving as the project’s executive producer and conceptual architect. It’s quite the line up, and they’re joined by Magnus; an award-winning performer, producer and engineer whose live-band instincts give the duo’s sound its rhythmic foundation. Together, they’ve build a real banger here, and we hope there’s more on the way.
Joey P. – Walked In
Joey P.’s “Walked In” is an excellent lo-fi astral R&B track: the fan-favourite that defined his signature sound, reintroduced as he turns 25 and proves it has lost none of its pull.
“Walked In” was originally released in August 2021 and has been a fan-favourite since, defining what Joey P. describes as his signature lo-fi astral R&B style. It’s a lovely combination of words, and even better when it reaches your ears. And with thousands of new listeners finding his music in the years since, he is reintroducing the track as a milestone marker: he turns 25 on 30 June 2026, and “Walked In” is where the journey started. The track very much holds up, and if you are coming to Joey P. for the first time, this is the right place to begin. Vocally it’s great, produced all right, and builds gloriously. A real head-nodder over here.
Joey P. is a singer-songwriter and guitarist from Chicago, Illinois, who plays across lo-fi, R&B and alternative registers with a fluid ease that makes genre categories feel beside the point. He has been building his audience steadily since his teens, and “Walked In” remains the clearest single statement of what he does and why it works. This guy’s just getting started, and I honestly can’t wait for more. It’s great.
Ray Gibbz – If I Ruled
Ray Gibbz turns solo apartment production and a deep Nas obsession into a proper hip-hop beauty
“If I Ruled” pays direct homage to Nas’s “If I Ruled the World,” one of Ray Gibbz’s primary creative touchstones, and was produced entirely by him in his San Diego apartment without formal schooling or traditional production infrastructure. What the track lacks in polish, it makes up for in heart, landing as both a tribute and an original statement too. It’s got a real vibe and I’d much prefer that then overproduced stuff. It’s wavy, hazy and lyrically great. So there’s definitely promise here, and the way my head my won’t stop nodding is all the evidence we need.
Ray Gibbz is a songwriter and rapper from San Diego who handles every element of his music independently, building a sound rooted in classic hip-hop influences while developing his own voice through relentless self-directed practice. He is actively seeking live performance opportunities and building his audience on his own terms. More of this please Ray, it’s great.