Ramz celebrates black women in “Underneath” music video

UK hip hop artist Ramz follows up his “Belong To The Streets” and “Brixton to Oxford Circus” freestyle releases with an official ‘black is beautiful’ statement in his latest single “Underneath”. As nations around the world continue to demand justice for black citizens, particularly in America, it’s uplifting to hear artists standing firm in the […]

Run The Jewels answers BLM call in ‘RTJ4’

What to say about Run The Jewels… what to say about vigilante justice? For that is exactly what rappers El-P and Killer Mike are — lyrical vigilantes. Exposing the world for what it is one track at a time, this renegade hip hop duo bluntly states what’s been on everyone’s mind this past year and […]

Fyah Roiall explodes in “Energy” single

Up-and-coming Jamaican artist Fyah Roiall defies classification, mashing UK grime with American trap and dancehall into something new, dubbed ‘grimehall’. Grimehall — or traphall, depending on preference — is a rising trend for JA artists, taking modern twists from other parts of the world to mix with traditional Caribbean music, rendering edgy rap-reggae paired to […]

Pastor Ayu pledges 365 original songs in 365 days

Washington D.C. has been thrust full-throttle into the front lines of the Black Lives Matter movement sweeping the nation and rightly so, considering that is where country leaders reside! This fight is long overdue to be resolved and fed up citizens are taking to the streets to voice their anguish for the atrocious death of […]

#BlackLivesMatter playlist on Top Shelf Spotify

Contentious clashes between police and protestors have intensified over the past weekend, as people of all colors and creeds speak out on the inhumane and incorrigible death of George Floyd. Following Floyd’s death, there has been a litany of marches around the United States — all justified, most ending in violence. Some police officers join […]

Griselda takes over The Novo in Los Angeles

March 6th in Los Angeles marked a week before COVID-19 hit the west coast hard, allowing a handful of last live performances to take place before the mandated city shutdown. One such performance was Griselda — a gangster rap group made up of members Westside Gunn, Conway the Machine and Benny the Butcher — all […]

NYC to celebrate 10 years of The Governors Ball

If there is one thing about New York — the city is for the people. New Yorkers living as New Yorkers, a lifestyle unlike any other American city. A festival, now reveling in a decade of glory, was built for New Yorkers by New Yorkers a full 10 years ago. It’s the 10th Annual Governors […]

Top Shelf Music News: Episode 1

Welcome to the inaugural episode of Top Shelf Music News, with your host Matt Cook & Kristy Rose guiding you on this daring quest. It being right after the holidays, a lot is going on in the music industry, from festival announcements to new music to hot gossip of the bands you love. This episode […]

KAABOO Del Mar 2019: Day One

A rush of anticipation hit Del Mar, California at the crack of noon on Day One of the 5th Annual KAABOO Del Mar Festival. The best weekend of the year was upon SoCal residents and everyone came prepared. The first of three days of A-list entertainment kicked off with turn-of-Millennium alt rock band Plain White […]

Blink-182 & Lil Wayne satisfy Seattle

Wow, what an amazing night for the people of Seattle, Washington! One of the greatest pop-punk bands and rappers of all time coming full throttle! The White River Amphitheater was full of energy and the fans were ecstatic to listen to rock and hip hop. The stage at the White River Amphitheater was full of huge […]

WORLD TRACK PREMIERE: Teez “Buggy”

Rising Tongan hip hop artist out of Reno, Teez, premieres his third single off his impending debut album R.E.N.O (Real Everything No Ops), out September 27th via Mensch House Records. Following two successful rap tracks, “Lit Bae” and “Murda”, Top Shelf Music is proud to release “Buggy”, a self-inflicted battle of the senses following a […]

Blink-182 & Lil Wayne in San Diego

Blink-182, Lil Wayne and Neck Deep hit San Diego’s North Island Credit Union Amphitheater on August 7th, 2019. Neck Deep, a Welsh punk rock band, kicked off the night with “Motion Sickness”, “She’s A God” and ended with “Where Do We Go When We Go”, warming up the crowd for Lil Wayne. DJ T. Lewis […]

WORLD VIDEO PREMIERE: Inna Vision “Survivor”

Hawaiian rap-meets-reggae artist Inna Vision is hyping up his latest single “Survivor” off his Best Yet: Celebrating A Decade Of Vision album with a raw video showcasing a day in the life. The track off Roots Musician Records features a soulfully smooth saxophone throughout, jazzy keys across the bridge, a wailing guitar outro and lyrics […]