Inspire by Sound steps into the rap lane for Episode 4. The guest curator and DJ, StevieBoyMusiq, pulls together a lineup that feels like he's paying homage. The episode feels like the kind of rap that still remembers its roots while reaching for something higher.
The mix opens in the Bay, “Let Me Know” by J. Morgan featuring Lil B slides in smooth. There’s nostalgia in the way the hosts talk about it, a sense that Lil B’s influence on independent artistry still echoes through new generations.
Then the tone flips. A-F-R-O’s “Get Right Down to It” is pure verbal gymnastics, a masterclass in flow that makes both hosts sit up. It’s the moment where conversation turns into admiration, not for flash, but for craft. The way they break down A-F-R-O’s delivery feels like two producers dissecting a classic record: technical, but still awestruck. This is the kind of rap that reminds you the pen still matters.
But the mix saves its gravity for “With God”, Locksmith and Xzibit in a lyrical spar that hits like a sermon. The hosts speak on it with quiet respect, noting how Locksmith’s presence always carries weight, how his verses feel like confessionals for anyone fighting their own uphill climb.
By the time Mix 2 arrives, StevieBoyMusiq slides the energy into motion. The songs slap harder, looser, and more like a night that’s grown comfortable in its own skin.
DMac’s “Nasty (Like That)” loosens the shoulders. The hosts call it playful, West Coast through and through, that bounce that turns a living room into a party. It’s a clever pivot, one that keeps the episode’s pulse alive without losing its sincerity.
Then comes “Elevation,” and everything gets spacey. Thom Genius layers smooth production with intention, the kind of track that sounds best on a late drive with city lights flickering off the dashboard. There’s a calm hunger in it, ambition that doesn’t shout but still fills the room.
Closing with Thurteen’s “Knock Em Out the Box,” the episode circles back to essence.
“Rap (StevieBoyMusiq)” moves like a live set rather than a playlist, raw, evolving, self-assured. More than anything, it shows what happens when curation meets conviction when two friends and a guest DJ.
Mix 1:
Doin Bad - Tido Love
Let Me Know - J. Morgan ft. Lil B
Quarantine Flow - Stinje
Get Right Down To It - A-F-R-O
Nothing But Love - Stevie Ray ft J Lately
Love Life - Self Provoked
With God - Locksmith ft. XZibit
Mix 2:
Red Cup - Andre Nickatina ft. CB
Diosa De IG - Deuce
Eclipse Secret Song - Sam Sage
Nasty (like that) - DMac
Back for the first time - Priceless Da Roc
Elevation - Thom Genius
Quarantine - Locksmith
Knock Em Out The Box - Thurteen
Ayo 4 Yayo (Stevieboy Bootleg) - Andre Nickatina