Rap Blog: ivvys and #stepTeam have better drums than your fave

thefader.com:

Rap Blog is a weekly showcase of a standout rap song. Connecticut producer ivvys has an ear for stuttering earworms that’ll skip across your mind days later.

These glitchy rhythms are the North Star for his mini-collective #stepTeam, a trio that includes Maajins from New Jersey and the DMV-based sxprano (best known for his work with ian and Jaeychino).

Their joint output ranges from micro-beattapes to peculiarly mesmerizing rap songs, but the unifying thread is a penchant for contemporary samples, subsequently chopped, distended, and filtered into phantasmic soundscapes.

Even reworking “cheat codes” (Earl Sweatshirt circa 2023, iconic Playboi Carti loosies, etc), these songs never feel boring, surprising on first listen and rewarding on repeat.