My favorite thing about Hip Hop music is the rawness. Before it became cliche and corny to ‘keep it real’, that phrase used to mean something, and that something was the shit. The first-person narratives of Nas, the true anger of Chuck D, the humorous honesty of the Beastie Boys, that’s what fueled my earliest desires to hear Hip Hop music, and contribute to its culture. That lineage still continues to grow, as new generations take the place of the artists mentioned above. Just as past generations battled with Hip-Pop and other misuses, the current landscape is also filled with a fast-food equivalent of Hip Hop music. Yes, it satisfies the hunger for something new, but provides nothing of lasting value. So, when I hear a new artist with that raw aesthetic, I take notice. Minneapolis’ MaLLy is one such artist.
In his mid-20’s, MaLLy has been making music for half a decade. This past summer, Slug of Atmosphere repped a MaLLy t-shirt at SoundSet, setting off a chain of events that would see MaLLy on tour with Atmosphere, and his music spreading throughout the online world. His last release, Free on The 15th, is a remarkable collection of raw and reflective Hip Hop, dazzling wordplay, and a true-school mindframe. As he works on his new project, set for a May release, we turn our spotlight on MaLLy in this exclusive RH First Look.