One would be remiss to say that there was any less than an abundance of stupendous rap and hip-hop being released over the past couple of years.
Last year especially, it would seem as though different generations in the genre are all firing on all fronts. Established rappers such as Tyler, the Creator and Freddie Gibbs released great records in Don’t Tap the Glass and Alfredo 2, respectively. Legendary Rappers like De La Soul and Clipse put out some of the best rap albums of the decade so far in Cabin in the Sky and Let God Sort Em Out. And several relatively newer rappers have continued to establish themselves and are proving to audiences that the art form of hip-hop is in extremely good form. And like the mainstream, many lesser-known voices are also out there making great, solid music. Among the vast underground scene, one artist who seems to have no end to their creativity and inventiveness is Virginia-born McKinley Dixon.
McKinley has a very soulful, loving and heart-filled nature to his music. This may not come through to many, as a rap artist with a heavy voice and heavier lyrics and beats that’ll give you a neck injury. However, the love and loss he talks about on all of his albums combined with the jazz and R&B influences throughout the production really comes through. Resulting in overall songs and records which have both the ability to get you moving and that display a really beautiful ability for introspection and storytelling on Dixon’s part.
Dixon was born October 28, 1995 in Annapolis, Maryland. However, he attended college at Virginia Commonwealth University in his home city of Richmond, Virginia. While there studying for an animation degree, he released his first 2 full-length LPs: His debut – ‘Who Taught You to Hate Yourself?’ , and his sophomore album – ‘The Importance of Self Belief’. In 2021, he released his 3rd album ‘For My Mama and Anyone Who Look Like Her’, which received widespread critical acclaim. Dixon has been releasing albums and EPs since 2016 and has not yet failed in delivering fans, critics, and general audiences alike projects that are anything less than extraordinary. His most recent project – Magic! Alive – is being coveted as one of the best albums of 2025. The album was released along side singles Sugar Water and the titular track, and was released through the label City Slang.
His most recent albums – Beloved! Paradise! Jazz!? and Magic! Alive – are amazing feats of music, no doubt. They feature songwriting chalk-full of insatiable rhyming, groovy and catchy hooks, choruses, and verses. Immersive and interesting concepts and stories told, backed up by raw, immense, and unbridled performances. And not only some truly hard-hitting beats, but also live instrumentation. Which – while it is undeniable that they serve the straightforward song styles – are simultaneously ornate, luxurious, and has a jazz influence which is prevalent throughout and adds a very interesting color to the records’ style(s). The two also have been associated with the recent sparks of Southern Gothic styles and influences. the former of the two albums is named after 3 different Toni Morrison titles, an acclaimed novelist. Both of the records feature subjects of life in the south, the love McKinley shares for his family, the stories that get made and told, as well as the pain of loss and grief.
