Arlington, Texas MC CalenRaps has been a buzzing figure in the underground over the past five years. From the time he went viral off of the success of his #TenToesDownChallenge in 2016, he's maintained a steady hustle, maintaining pride in his independent success as he rises up the ranks of Southern hip-hop.
CalenRaps recently kicked off his #MondayMedicine series where he'll be offering new music at the top of the week for the remainder of 2021. This week, he slid through with his latest freestyle, "Can't See Me (Freestyle)." Over minimalistic production, CalenRaps takes aim at the growing trend of fake independent rappers who make it seem that there isn't a major label machine behind them. "Why are so many names in n***as writin' credits/ Just me and my pain in all my writing sessions," raps Calen on the record.
Check his latest offering below.
Quotable Lyrics
If there's more than one pen in, you ain't independent
You ain't put every cent in, you ain't independent
Somebody check your e-mail, somebody check your mentions
Somebody do the detail, somebody test the engine
You ain't independent
About The Author
Aron A. is a features editor for HotNewHipHop. Beginning his tenure at HotNewHipHop in July 2017, he has comprehensively documented the biggest stories in the culture over the past few years.
Throughout his time, Aron’s helped introduce a number of buzzing up-and-coming artists to our audience, identifying regional trends and highlighting hip-hop from across the globe. As a Canadian-based music journalist, he has also made a concerted effort to put spotlights on artists hailing from North of the border as part of Rise & Grind, the weekly interview series that he created and launched in 2021.
Aron also broke a number of stories through his extensive interviews with beloved figures in the culture. These include industry vets (Quality Control co-founder Kevin "Coach K" Lee, Wayno Clark), definitive producers (DJ Paul, Hit-Boy, Zaytoven), cultural disruptors (Soulja Boy), lyrical heavyweights (Pusha T, Styles P, Danny Brown), cultural pioneers (Dapper Dan, Big Daddy Kane), and the next generation of stars (Lil Durk, Latto, Fivio Foreign, Denzel Curry). Aron also penned cover stories with the likes of Rick Ross, Central Cee, Moneybagg Yo, Vince Staples, and Bobby Shmurda.
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