I’m From Cleveland has compiled a list of 25 very dope projects released in 2017 by Cleveland rappers and singers. In an effort to shine light on as many artists as possible while putting this list together, no artist is included more than once!
*There is no particular order to this list! Enjoy!
After some delay King Chip & Big Duke dropped their project titled Thornhill. For those who don’t know, the project is titled after the street that Chip and Duke grew up on together as childhood friends. The album has features from Trinidad James, Ray Jr., C Mack, & Raheem Devaughn. Duke executively produced the entire project, which is dope because this duo has a proven track record of making great music together.
Ezri had one hell of a year. be right back was his first project release since signing with Nas' label Mass Appeal. The 9 track EP starts out with a skit.. where Ezri’s father explains to him that everything he does is a direct reflection to the family – but more specifically his father himself. We’ve known for years the impact that Ezri’s family has had on him, and the young rapper doesn’t stray away from shining the light on that fact in this project. There is no denying Ezri’s song-writing ability, which is up to par with anyone else's in the game right now.
bloom is a follow-up to Machine Gun Kelly's previous album release of General Admission. The first two singles that were released, “At My Best” & “Bad Things,” both reached higher on the Billboard charts than any other song MGK had previously released. The third single “Trap Paris,” features both Quavo and Ty Dolla $ign. Other features on the new project include James Arthur and DubXX. MGK has created a unique sound that listeners experience throughout the entire 13 tracks. He’s fusing rap with rock, and adding a little pop as well. Bloom album is certified gold!
Freebandz & Cleveland rapper Doe Boy released the second volume of his In Freebandz We Trust projects. It begins with an intro featuring the coolest DJ in the world: DJ ESCO. Features include the one and only Future, Lil Durk, YBS Skola, and DJ Scream. It runs 18 tracks long.. the last one being a “bonus” track and the popular smash hit “Freeband Anthem.”
My Name Is Earl was Cleveland artist Earl St. Clair's debut project release. It contains 7 songs and only 1 feature: Pj. He performed a song off the project “Ain’t Got It Like That,” on The Late Late Show with James Corden. Talk about being on a national stage!
Throughout My Name Is Earl, listeners will experience many different emotions. The first track is appropriately named "Pain," and the lyrics will make anyone glad they aren't in Earl's exact shoes. "Three Story Home" gives off the same vibes.. As you continue listening to the tracks that follow, you'll realize the entire album isn't a sop story. It turns into the exact opposite actually, as Earl shows off his adversity by delivering inspiring lyrics and uplifting funk!
55Bagz signed to Yo Gotti's label CMG back in February 2017, and then followed up a month later with his first album titled Bond Money. Bagz' voice comes off very gentle on each track, as he rides the smooth production provided by Hype Beatz, CashMoneyAP, Yung Lan, & more. His lyrics are often deep, and also very honest as he speaks on his emotions and tribulations he's faced during his lifetime. It's a very solid project all the way through.
Dave Love has established himself as one of the best RnB singers in The Land. Although that is the category he falls in, some of his music sounds like a mix between poetry & rap. His project Social Media Love is 9 songs in length. He closed out the year on a very strong and flex-worthy note; Eminem posted a video of Dave covering his song "Walk on Water."
Krayzie Bone & Bizzy Bone released a collab project under the collab name Bone Thugs. The other members of Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, Layzie Bone, Flesh-N-Bone, & Wish Bone, do make appearances on a couple tracks such as “Waves” and “Ruthless.” Throughout the entire project many other features exist. Contributions are made by Bun B, Yelawolf, Uncle Murda, and more.
Kipp Stone has been consistently releasing enough dope music to be considered one of Cleveland‘s finest emcee’s. Dirty Face Angel.
He released a visual for “Vacation” and a solo track for “Celebration.” Another track, “Megatron,” features 1 of the albums 3 features in Nuke Franklin. The fellow Cleveland rapper provides his usual aggressive approach on the dope track. Other features include V’Ari & Niia.
Paper Paulk went on a country-wide tour supporting headliners Kap G & Taylor Gang’s JR Donato during this past year. His 5-track EP Stay Committed is entirely produced by Chase N Cash. Paulk put out a dope visual for the stand-out track “Push The Button” which displays a very motivating and up-tempo beat. It resembles the BET cypher feel a bit.
Layzie Bone is the #1 Assassin!! That’s also the title of his 2017 mixtape that runs 19 tracks long. There are legendary and very notable features all throughout: Other Bone members, Bun B, Stephen Marley, Lil Jon, and more!!
Fly Tye is one of the hardest working artists in the city. When he drops it’s always top quality, and on top of that it packs a punch. Big Woa is no exception. The full-legnth project has a single feature from 30 Glizzy on the song “Pressure.” Matt LightDaFlame produced every track except for “Grind Hard,” which was produced by Sport. "Big Woa" is the stand out track on this one, and Tye put out a super dope "Friday"-themed music video for it which you can watch here.
Lorine Chia makes music for the soul! You'll have her 2017 release Remedy on repeat. The Cleveland singer teamed up with J.KERL (1/2 of The Blended Babies), and the production he offers syncs magically with her amazing voice. There are a number of notable features throughout the tape which include Chuck Inglish, Rome Castille, Michael Christmas, Jez Dior, and Finding Novyon.
Yes, Shuicide Holla's 2017 project is ALL about The Good Box. The title of the first song “Pussy So Good” (and undoubtedly the cover of the EP) give that away as well. Multiple features pop up from time to time on the project, and those include Ray Cash, Billie Mitchell, Tiffany, and more. The biggest of them all comes from Jazze Pha! Overall, it runs 8 songs long with an additional bonus track as well. Shuicide keeps his lyrical appeal on the project, but he also explores new sounds that are a bit foreign to his usual style. All in all it makes for a very solid project all the way through!
The streets had been waiting for Pooh Gutta to drop for some time! This full-length 2017 project includes contributions from a lot of other Cleveland talent ranging from production to raps: Lil Cray, Lost Tribe, Doe Boy, Arod Da God, Preme Dibiasi, Erika Kayne, P The Artist, Sosa 808, RJ Da Fool, Pyrexxz, & more. The single "My Gang" also got the visual treatment!
Cleveland rapper Keezy, who is signed to Warner Music Group, always comes correct when it comes to the quality of his work. His album Rain Man is lengthy, running 24 tracks long. Features throughout include Reezy, J@y Gotti, Homegrownlife, Lil Bravo, and more. Standout tracks "Fall Back" and "Off The Blue" both got crazy visual treatments.
Believe, 100bandxan, Givtyd, Goldfacemoneywatch are all the producers that created the vibes for Bankie iZ‘s newest 10 track album Josh White. This project is super nice. It’s pretty much what you would expect from Bankie. There’s a lot of straight rapping, auto-tuned singing, and other unique techniques he uses to define his sound. All of this is done over beats that can be described as spacey, trippy, and all-around catchy.
Adi Rei is an artist, producer, and engineer from the Cleveland area, and his 2017 project shows all of that in one. Something In The Water has a huge list of features from some of the cities finest: Josh White, Shawn K, Weswill, Sarah Skinner, Polaris, 55Bagz, Freshie, and plenty more! Adi engineered and mixed this entire project himself, which shows t hat he isn’t limited to just one talent. We're diggin' the artwork heavy too!
As a listener, you know what you’re getting into when you see artwork of a person being stabbed in the back multiple times. In these 12 tracks you’ll hear Ben West’s signature sound, as he uses his music as an outlet to express his emotions. It’s best to take it in while you’re under the influence of some kind. Overall, the pretty slow and spacey production on each track meshes with Ben’s mumbly & harmonic rap vocals. Warmest Winter definitely has an acquired taste, appealing mostly to listeners that enjoy artists' experimentation with sounds.
Noetic has been hard at work putting together his debut project. It’s always essential to come correct on your first release as an artist, and that’s exactly what he did here! Split Decision is an EP that runs 16 tracks long. It's delivered to listeners stacked with great features. Whether it be Lili K on the appropriately titled intro song “Better Late Than Never,” or Cleveland’s Ezri on “Clearing My Mind,” Noetic recruited artists who already have their own buzz and could contribute in an organic way to the sound of his project. Other features include Elhae, Jean Deaux, CallMeFaded, Kirk Stillz, Aaron James, Schama Noel, Spazzy D, Serra Sellers. Another impressive feature comes in the form of narration by J.I.D.
RAGE serves as the debut project by Cleveland's DJ TOPGUN. Some of these tracks were released as singles before the full EP dropped. TOPGUN is responsible for putting all of the tracks together, and its cool seeing him bridge some really dope talent. The artists on this tape are from all over. However, there are a ton of Cleveland contributions which come from Freshie, Shawn K, CHXPO, & 55Bagz.
Earlier this year Cleveland lost one of its most promising rap stars to the justice system, as Lil Cray was sentenced to 4 years in prison.. That hasn't stopped the artist from keeping his career moving forward. Although serving his time, Cray still managed to release an entire project titled C.R.A.Y. (Counting Racks All Year). The 10 tracks include production from Zaytoven, Sosa 808, and more.
Lil Cray even recorded a "For The Pussy" freestyle during visiting hours.
Related: Best Of The Land 2017: Singles Best Of The Land 2017: Videos Best Of The Land 2017: News (COMING SOON)
King Chip - Thornhill
After some delay King Chip & Big Duke dropped their project titled Thornhill. For those who don’t know, the project is titled after the street that Chip and Duke grew up on together as childhood friends. The album has features from Trinidad James, Ray Jr., C Mack, & Raheem Devaughn. Duke executively produced the entire project, which is dope because this duo has a proven track record of making great music together.
Ezri - Be Right Back
Ezri had one hell of a year. be right back was his first project release since signing with Nas' label Mass Appeal. The 9 track EP starts out with a skit.. where Ezri’s father explains to him that everything he does is a direct reflection to the family – but more specifically his father himself. We’ve known for years the impact that Ezri’s family has had on him, and the young rapper doesn’t stray away from shining the light on that fact in this project. There is no denying Ezri’s song-writing ability, which is up to par with anyone else's in the game right now.
Machine Gun Kelly - Bloom
bloom is a follow-up to Machine Gun Kelly's previous album release of General Admission. The first two singles that were released, “At My Best” & “Bad Things,” both reached higher on the Billboard charts than any other song MGK had previously released. The third single “Trap Paris,” features both Quavo and Ty Dolla $ign. Other features on the new project include James Arthur and DubXX. MGK has created a unique sound that listeners experience throughout the entire 13 tracks. He’s fusing rap with rock, and adding a little pop as well. Bloom album is certified gold!
Doe Boy - In Freebandz We Trust
Freebandz & Cleveland rapper Doe Boy released the second volume of his In Freebandz We Trust projects. It begins with an intro featuring the coolest DJ in the world: DJ ESCO. Features include the one and only Future, Lil Durk, YBS Skola, and DJ Scream. It runs 18 tracks long.. the last one being a “bonus” track and the popular smash hit “Freeband Anthem.”
Ripp Flamez x Ray Jr. – GWHW
Ripp Flamez - Project Melodies 2
Ray Jr. – Lyrics Playlist (Gold Packs 2)
CHXPO – 900 Paths of Madness 2
Cleveland rapper CHXPO is known for providing LOTS of music for his fans. During 2017, he released a minimum of 15 mixtapes via Soundcloud alone. That being said, we chose 9000 Paths of Madness Episode 2 to represent his work over the previous year. It runs 9 tracks long, starting off with CHXPO's most popular record "BVNDGXD." All of the songs are produced by OOGIEMANE.
Earl St Clair – My Name is Earl
My Name Is Earl was Cleveland artist Earl St. Clair's debut project release. It contains 7 songs and only 1 feature: Pj. He performed a song off the project “Ain’t Got It Like That,” on The Late Late Show with James Corden. Talk about being on a national stage!
Throughout My Name Is Earl, listeners will experience many different emotions. The first track is appropriately named "Pain," and the lyrics will make anyone glad they aren't in Earl's exact shoes. "Three Story Home" gives off the same vibes.. As you continue listening to the tracks that follow, you'll realize the entire album isn't a sop story. It turns into the exact opposite actually, as Earl shows off his adversity by delivering inspiring lyrics and uplifting funk!
55Bagz – Bond Money
55Bagz signed to Yo Gotti's label CMG back in February 2017, and then followed up a month later with his first album titled Bond Money. Bagz' voice comes off very gentle on each track, as he rides the smooth production provided by Hype Beatz, CashMoneyAP, Yung Lan, & more. His lyrics are often deep, and also very honest as he speaks on his emotions and tribulations he's faced during his lifetime. It's a very solid project all the way through.
Dave Love – Social Media Love
Dave Love has established himself as one of the best RnB singers in The Land. Although that is the category he falls in, some of his music sounds like a mix between poetry & rap. His project Social Media Love is 9 songs in length. He closed out the year on a very strong and flex-worthy note; Eminem posted a video of Dave covering his song "Walk on Water."
Choppa Lu - Probation
Choppa Lu pretty much just began rapping, and he's already making enough noise for you to be paying attention to his moves. "Shit Talking" and "Saturday" are standout tracks that received visuals. Choppa has been working hard to put out quality work for his fans. The only feature that makes an appearance is fellow Cleveland rapper 55bagz.
Bone Thugs – New Waves
Krayzie Bone & Bizzy Bone released a collab project under the collab name Bone Thugs. The other members of Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, Layzie Bone, Flesh-N-Bone, & Wish Bone, do make appearances on a couple tracks such as “Waves” and “Ruthless.” Throughout the entire project many other features exist. Contributions are made by Bun B, Yelawolf, Uncle Murda, and more.
Kipp Stone – Dirty Face Angel
Kipp Stone has been consistently releasing enough dope music to be considered one of Cleveland‘s finest emcee’s. Dirty Face Angel.
He released a visual for “Vacation” and a solo track for “Celebration.” Another track, “Megatron,” features 1 of the albums 3 features in Nuke Franklin. The fellow Cleveland rapper provides his usual aggressive approach on the dope track. Other features include V’Ari & Niia.
Paper Paulk – Stay Committed
Paper Paulk went on a country-wide tour supporting headliners Kap G & Taylor Gang’s JR Donato during this past year. His 5-track EP Stay Committed is entirely produced by Chase N Cash. Paulk put out a dope visual for the stand-out track “Push The Button” which displays a very motivating and up-tempo beat. It resembles the BET cypher feel a bit.
Layzie Bone - #1 Assassin
Layzie Bone is the #1 Assassin!! That’s also the title of his 2017 mixtape that runs 19 tracks long. There are legendary and very notable features all throughout: Other Bone members, Bun B, Stephen Marley, Lil Jon, and more!!
Fly Tye – Big Woa
Fly Tye is one of the hardest working artists in the city. When he drops it’s always top quality, and on top of that it packs a punch. Big Woa is no exception. The full-legnth project has a single feature from 30 Glizzy on the song “Pressure.” Matt LightDaFlame produced every track except for “Grind Hard,” which was produced by Sport. "Big Woa" is the stand out track on this one, and Tye put out a super dope "Friday"-themed music video for it which you can watch here.
Lorine Chia & J Kelr - Remedy
Lorine Chia makes music for the soul! You'll have her 2017 release Remedy on repeat. The Cleveland singer teamed up with J.KERL (1/2 of The Blended Babies), and the production he offers syncs magically with her amazing voice. There are a number of notable features throughout the tape which include Chuck Inglish, Rome Castille, Michael Christmas, Jez Dior, and Finding Novyon.
Shuicide Holla – The Good Box
Yes, Shuicide Holla's 2017 project is ALL about The Good Box. The title of the first song “Pussy So Good” (and undoubtedly the cover of the EP) give that away as well. Multiple features pop up from time to time on the project, and those include Ray Cash, Billie Mitchell, Tiffany, and more. The biggest of them all comes from Jazze Pha! Overall, it runs 8 songs long with an additional bonus track as well. Shuicide keeps his lyrical appeal on the project, but he also explores new sounds that are a bit foreign to his usual style. All in all it makes for a very solid project all the way through!
Pooh Gutta – Last Autumn
The streets had been waiting for Pooh Gutta to drop for some time! This full-length 2017 project includes contributions from a lot of other Cleveland talent ranging from production to raps: Lil Cray, Lost Tribe, Doe Boy, Arod Da God, Preme Dibiasi, Erika Kayne, P The Artist, Sosa 808, RJ Da Fool, Pyrexxz, & more. The single "My Gang" also got the visual treatment!
Keezy – Rain Man
Cleveland rapper Keezy, who is signed to Warner Music Group, always comes correct when it comes to the quality of his work. His album Rain Man is lengthy, running 24 tracks long. Features throughout include Reezy, J@y Gotti, Homegrownlife, Lil Bravo, and more. Standout tracks "Fall Back" and "Off The Blue" both got crazy visual treatments.
Josh White – Little Boy In A Glass Jar
Believe, 100bandxan, Givtyd, Goldfacemoneywatch are all the producers that created the vibes for Bankie iZ‘s newest 10 track album Josh White. This project is super nice. It’s pretty much what you would expect from Bankie. There’s a lot of straight rapping, auto-tuned singing, and other unique techniques he uses to define his sound. All of this is done over beats that can be described as spacey, trippy, and all-around catchy.
Adi Rei – Something’s In The Water
Adi Rei is an artist, producer, and engineer from the Cleveland area, and his 2017 project shows all of that in one. Something In The Water has a huge list of features from some of the cities finest: Josh White, Shawn K, Weswill, Sarah Skinner, Polaris, 55Bagz, Freshie, and plenty more! Adi engineered and mixed this entire project himself, which shows t hat he isn’t limited to just one talent. We're diggin' the artwork heavy too!
Ben West – Warmest Winter
As a listener, you know what you’re getting into when you see artwork of a person being stabbed in the back multiple times. In these 12 tracks you’ll hear Ben West’s signature sound, as he uses his music as an outlet to express his emotions. It’s best to take it in while you’re under the influence of some kind. Overall, the pretty slow and spacey production on each track meshes with Ben’s mumbly & harmonic rap vocals. Warmest Winter definitely has an acquired taste, appealing mostly to listeners that enjoy artists' experimentation with sounds.
Noetic – Split Decision
Noetic has been hard at work putting together his debut project. It’s always essential to come correct on your first release as an artist, and that’s exactly what he did here! Split Decision is an EP that runs 16 tracks long. It's delivered to listeners stacked with great features. Whether it be Lili K on the appropriately titled intro song “Better Late Than Never,” or Cleveland’s Ezri on “Clearing My Mind,” Noetic recruited artists who already have their own buzz and could contribute in an organic way to the sound of his project. Other features include Elhae, Jean Deaux, CallMeFaded, Kirk Stillz, Aaron James, Schama Noel, Spazzy D, Serra Sellers. Another impressive feature comes in the form of narration by J.I.D.
DJ TOPGUN – RAGE (EP)
RAGE serves as the debut project by Cleveland's DJ TOPGUN. Some of these tracks were released as singles before the full EP dropped. TOPGUN is responsible for putting all of the tracks together, and its cool seeing him bridge some really dope talent. The artists on this tape are from all over. However, there are a ton of Cleveland contributions which come from Freshie, Shawn K, CHXPO, & 55Bagz.
Lil Cray – CRAY (Countin Rackz All Year)
Earlier this year Cleveland lost one of its most promising rap stars to the justice system, as Lil Cray was sentenced to 4 years in prison.. That hasn't stopped the artist from keeping his career moving forward. Although serving his time, Cray still managed to release an entire project titled C.R.A.Y. (Counting Racks All Year). The 10 tracks include production from Zaytoven, Sosa 808, and more.
Lil Cray even recorded a "For The Pussy" freestyle during visiting hours.