It’s the summer of 2013, and while raps had some exciting moments this year that might be considered monumental, I’ve still found it hard to stay excited about the state of the genre today. I keep my hopes high, but between rappers crashing apps and selling 120 dollar shirts, it’s hard not to start feeling like some people are trying to sell a brand more than their art. 

Thankfully, there is a whole underground scene thats bustling and ready to burst with talent. Enter Phlo Deli, a young and enigmatic rapper with a flow sick enough to appeal across all the varying kinds of hip hop heads out there. Keeping a certain level of decorum, yet still ripping apart the floor, he recently came out with a new track “Friend or Foe.” While still not a huge star quite yet, he feels like a well-kept secret I happened to be let on… and hopefully he won’t stay so hidden for long. 

I’ve been bumping him for a good two days, with no signs of him losing his spot on my iPod quite yet. Almost all of his tracks are available for free download, so along with “Friend or Foe,” “4:37 am” will also be posted below.