One criticism I have heard about the Hip Hop world recently is that it is getting too stale and safe. So many old-heads and critics complain that no one is taking risks anymore and that too many artists are following the status quo and not pushing the genre along. I for one, completely disagree with this sentiment. The Hip Hop genre is more vibrant and diverse than it has ever been. If you think differently, then you are only tuned into the mainstream and are not looking in the right places for new artists. One artist who is definitely carving their own lane and making a name for themselves because of how much of an individual they are is Yhapojj. Although Yhapojj is still a young artist(he is only 19 years old), he has been working hard at his craft for quite a while now. His first upload on Soundcloud was about four years ago, and the first song he posted on Spotify was three years ago. Although Yhapojj has been very active in his releases since he started dropping music, he started to truly take off last year. 2023 was a huge year for Yhapojj, putting him on the map as an emerging artist in Hip Hop who needs to be paid attention to. In 2023, Yhapojj was very prolific in his releases, having dropped many stand-alone singles(including the viral hit ‘Hurt My Feelings), two albums titled Pluto and Gossip Girl, and an EP called Evolution of Xur. Gossip Girl spawned his popular track ‘Hittin,’ whereas Evolution of Xur contained two of his biggest tracks to date, ‘1o’ and ‘You Lookin Gud.’ It is not tough to see why Yhapojj is popping off in the way he is, as his sound is so unique and cool. Yhapojj makes a style of music that is completely his own. It is somehow soothing and exhilarating at the same time, creating a juxtaposition that makes his music very interesting. Yhapojj is ready to capitalize on his huge 2023, as he just released a new single called ‘hope ulike me.’ Below, I wanted to briefly talk about why this song is so good and why it makes Yhapojj so exciting to follow. Please let me know in the comments below how you feel about Yhapojj and this new single, and also comment the names of other rising artists you think I should check out!

‘hope ulike me’ is Yhapojj’s first release of 2024, having come out about a week ago on January 24. This track is already racking up streams, setting up Yhapojj for an even bigger year than he had in 2023. This song is driven by a warm and calm melody with a very cozy feeling to it. This melody is driven by twinkling synths that create a very sweet riff; these twinkling synths are complemented by fatter and more washed-sounding synths in the background, making the melody feel so full. The beat for ‘hope ulike me’ is a little off-kilter and strange. The tempo of the drum pattern on this track is so quirky, giving the song an almost anxious feeling that makes it hit super hard. This beat gives the song so much life and makes the melody feel even more all-encompassing than it probably would without this kind of beat. Yhapojj’s vocals on ‘hope ulike me’ are very low and muddled, contrasting the clean sound of the melody and giving the song texture. I really enjoy the way his harsher vocals sit on this melody, as it gives the song a weird intensity that makes it so snappy. Even though ‘hope ulike me’ is pretty short(it is only 1:42), it feels longer and more poignant than it should be considering its length because of how compact and comprehensive its sound it. ‘hope ulike me’ is a fun and distinctive track from one of Hip Hop’s most compelling artists on the come up, and it makes me super thrilled to keep following Yhapojj and see what he does next.