Discover 4 alternative hip hop releases with free Bandcamp download codes from independent artists and labels.
Akira's Storm is the 12th Album by AMU Henry Smalls, the third album in the Storm trilogy (preceded by Tropical Storm A.H.S. and Hurricane Dotty), and the first album since FINAL FORM. After FINAL FORM failed to amplify the virtual underground scene and Dotty's presence in it, Dotty left the virtual underground scene in search of a new sound. Dotty began experimenting with more atmospheric beats and paradoxical, but honest lyrics, which lead to the Storm influenced theme of this album. Some of the songs were loosely about Dotty's falling out with 9enSokyo and how it affected him, while other songs are about how Dotty is finally getting widespread attention across his scene, but still longs for the same kind of respect from the people around him. "I remember watching the Micheal Jackson biopic, and I realized that I can't let anything get in the way of my creativity. Any pain or hardships I have to deal with, I should find a way to turn them into fuel. That way, I don't have to keep being affected by the crazy shit. I am finally getting into the kind of art that motivates me" - DottyB released July 14, 2026 credits: Composer - Akira "Dotty" Ryōsuke Lyricist - Akira "Dotty" Ryōsuke Executive Producer - DJ RdottyBoom Mixing Engineer - DJ RdottyBoom Mastering Engineer - DJ RdottyBoom Cover Art - Otaku Money Inc.
A year ago, Tall Can got out of prison and we put out the last music we made together before he got locked up. Now a year later, his first album of new music, 𝘯𝘰 𝘵𝘰𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘴 𝘭𝘢𝘴 𝘮𝘦𝘨𝘢𝘳𝘩𝘺𝘴𝘴𝘢, is done. Even a cursory look at the lyrics will tell you a lot changed in the years between 𝘱𝘪𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘵𝘺𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘧𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳 and 𝘯𝘰 𝘵𝘰𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘴 𝘭𝘢𝘴 𝘮𝘦𝘨𝘢𝘳𝘩𝘺𝘴𝘴𝘢. These are songs about figuring out how to be a dad in a world whose future is anything but guaranteed, and about what we can do to shape that future. 𝘓𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘴 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘈𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘢 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘪𝘦, he raps on "the end is very near." 𝘎𝘶𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘐'𝘮 𝘵𝘳𝘺𝘯𝘢 𝘴𝘢𝘺 𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘦 𝘨𝘰𝘯𝘯𝘢 𝘣𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵. Tall Can spent the final portion of his sentence on a fire camp, battling the blaze ravaging the Palisades. That news footage in the "land's end" video isn't some stock clip. Tall Can really did that shit. Tupac came out of prison and recorded 𝘈𝘭𝘭 𝘌𝘺𝘦𝘻 𝘖𝘯 𝘔𝘦 in two weeks. Bobby Shmurda, Gucci and Boosie among plenty of other rappers have come home to fanfare amid grand claims they spent every day they were locked up writing new music. Again: Tall Can really did that shit, even dropping 𝘚𝘬𝘺 𝘉𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘈𝘵𝘰𝘱 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘋𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘭'𝘴 𝘋𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘧𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘳 while he was inside. 𝘯𝘰 𝘵𝘰𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘴 𝘭𝘢𝘴 𝘮𝘦𝘨𝘢𝘳𝘩𝘺𝘴𝘴𝘢 is his first record of new material since his release, capturing life's highs and lows in the first year free. 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘨'𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘥𝘳𝘢𝘨𝘨𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘺 𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘶𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘦 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘭𝘰𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘶𝘱, Tall Can dedicates the epic-length closer "correct." 𝘔𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘧𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘥𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘺 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 / 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘐'𝘮 𝘥𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵'𝘴 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵. That confusion comes through in the dark, hypnotic beats and flows across the album's fourteen tracks.
