Listen to 448 Riq’s “5am in New York”: New Rap Music Today

From Young Moose to Shordie Shordie, Baltimore just does pain rap right. Next up is 448 Riq. No matter if he’s channeling the upbeat bounce of Detroit or the gutter raps of Philly, he has this casual lilt to his melodies that gives his songs a hint of gloom. Take “5am in New York,” off his recent mixtape Free the Cartel. The bright beat sounds ready for Quiet Storm radio, and he’s going on about his come up. It should be a feel-good joint, but he can’t quite get there. Paranoia looms from the very first bar: “I got a lotta opps, but I still serve the whole city,” he sing-raps. He sounds too stressed by the journey between rags and riches to celebrate.

With artists releasing songs at a fast and furious pace, it’s difficult for the average hip-hop head to keep track of it all—no matter how tapped in they are. That’s why we created The Ones, a daily post to highlight the song you need to hear.

Check out previous Ones, and listen to new rap from 448 Riq and more on our Spotify playlist.