2Khiphop v1

Artwork: Queen Street Graffiti Ally

FIND IT ON SPOTIFY

A new-school hip hop playlist with some familiar names for an old-school crew. Artists include, Fabolous, Nipsey Hussle, Nicki Minaj, Anderson .Paak, Arrested Development and Pete Rock.

This is a series I will compile with a certain degree of trepidation. There was a time when I was fully engrossed in hip hop culture, but those days are long past. Outside my discoveries on Spotify, I’m very much disconnected from this world.

Nevertheless, my repository of fresh hip hop grows each week. I find myself back in the mix more now than I’ve been at anytime throughout this century. I feel like I’ve rediscovered my rhythm with some really cool rhymes.

“Come Down” from Anderson .Paak is without a doubt my favourite track on the playlist. It’s pace, it’s groove and subtle funk is everything I love about hip hop. My only complaint is that it’s not long enough. You gotta stretch that shit out when it sounds so good.

That gold blends perfectly into “Play With Fire” from hip hop legends Arrested Development. With its Rasta sample, this new-school jam certainly has the old-school style I’ll forever connect with. The entire “Don’t Fight Your Demons” album is sensational and proves the African vibe will never die. Once a trailblazer, always a trailblazer.

barney’s hiphop

I’m definitely not on the pulse of what’s really hot in today’s hip hop, but it’s a genre I’ll always respect to the fullest. I was introduced to DJ culture through hip hop and real cultural issues through gangster rap. It’s a big part of who I am in music and life.

2Khiphop is me giving a shot at what’s hot. You’ll undoubtedly see some old-school names kick’n some fresh cuts in these playlists, but trust I don’t ignore the dope rhymes of the next gen. No matter the artist, barney’s selections are filled with phat beats, slick groove and tons of attitude.

listening pleasure

All barneysUNMIXEDtapes have an intended beginning and end. For optimal listening, it’s recommended you listen to the playlist in the order it’s programmed, NOT on shuffle.

The tracks are obviously UNMIXED, but set the crossfade feature in Spotify’s Playback settings to 10 seconds for smoother transitions. If you’re listening on Sonos, 10 seconds is the default.

track list

Below are links to each track on Spotify, as well as Apple Music where applicable. Please visit and support the artist pages. If you like the tracks and playlist, remember to add them to your favourites and share with friends! If you find a broken link or notice a track is no longer available to stream, please let me know through the Let's Connect page.