Homosexuality and hip-hop are hardly, if ever, mentioned in the same conversation. Homophobic hate speech has always been a part of hip-hop culture and, homosexuality, despite the wide spread awareness in today’s world, is still considered taboo in the aggressively heterosexual world of rap.

With the recent coming out of hip hop and R&B star Frank Ocean, a member of Odd Future, many of the top names in the rap industry have pulled together in support of him. Read more here…

Murs has put together a track entitled, “Animal Style,” that we could only expect from a handful of hip-hop artist, which details the struggles of young homosexual men in this country. With no support network, ostracized, and usually bullied or physically abused, many young men like the ones described in this song have no escape. Check out the video below…

You can call in “soul” rap, or “conscious” rap, or just straight up good hip hop. Without all the auto-tune and bells and whistles, electronic synth and church bells banging off, New Orleans artist Dee-1 has delivered an uplifting, soulful track with veteran emcee Murs. Every now and then, as hip hop fans, we need a reminder, that this music wasn’t built on gun-talk and drug innuendo. Reminiscent of artist like Common, Q-tip, and The Roots, Dee-1 uses beautiful woman, sunny days, and his charismatic ambition to recreate the romance and allure that hip hop has lost in some ways. He has already worked with some big names in the industry, and has been well received by the veteran hip hop community. It is a shame that there is such an under appreciation within the mainstream for an emcee like Dee-1 but we here at Irrational Monster throw our support behind artist such as himself. check out his new video for, “Ridin By Myself”, as well as another track we think you guys should hear, “Jay, 50, and Weezy”.

Two EPs deep and still on the grind, Chill Bump released their latest EP, Hidden Strings, early last week. Beat-maker Bankal and wordsmith Miscellaneous make up the duo that is, Chill Bump. Both men hail from Tours, France, and this rapper/producer duo have enjoyed critical acclaim and gained a faithful following due to their flawless production, and raw sound. This socio-politically charged group delivers a heavy dose of real world factoids that will diverge you from the normal hip hop routine, but not without some sick samples and ingenious wordplay from Miscellaneous.

Here’s a sample track off of the new EP, which is available for free download…



Hidden Strings is a follow-up to the duo’s second EP, Back To the Grain which was released back in March of this year. Hidden Strings is the perfect sucession to Back To the Grain, as the group has toned it downed and hit us with some real mellow vibes.

Video for “Leakin” from their last EP, Back To the Grain…