Hailing from Sandusky, Ohio, is the versatile recording artist and passionate dancer FlipzWorld with his first stab at a full-throttle hip-hop album titled RAW.
Kyle, professionally known as FlipzWorld, started his journey with a drum machine and dance, leading him back to music production in his late twenties to early thirties. He dedicated himself to mastering the craft during the COVID-19 shutdown, beautifully resulting in numerous singles and his debut album, Mad World, a reflective piece on the world's state of chaos.
Since releasing his first EP, Glitch, FlipzWorld has expanded his sound to know no bounds, offering hints of deep house, trap, R&B, electronic, and drill. And now, his latest album brings you FlipzWorld's rendition of the essence of hip-hop, packed with gritty, grimy sounds and hot new artists.
The 16-track album RAW kicks off with the instrumental intro, "Ignite," instantly sparking our speakers with a powerful mid-tempo foot-tapper that's equally as bold as it is groovy. It sets the tone for the powerful and dynamic album while leading into track two, "Lost," another instrumental that leans on the snares for a snappy sonic impact. And we love the sweet sample of ZERB and Sofiya Nzau's "Mwaki," perfectly incorporating FlipzWorld's love for deep house.
But the heat turns up in track three, "CRASH" featuring Lowkea, jumping through the speakers with an upbeat club-banger that melds bouncy hip-hop production with Lowkea's quick flow perfectly. The same heat radiates from "Pipedown" featuring SomeoneCalledSomeone, who takes this track by the horns with a boss attitude and heavy bars alongside FlipzWorld's nostalgic hip-hop production reflecting on classic eras of the past.
Leaning into a more modern sound is "Bebop" featuring Fuze and Lowkea, offering a sweet blend of melodic R&B and sensual hip-hop that leaves us weak in the knees. Both artists crash the speakers with power and authority, commanding our attention from start to finish. The same goes for "Precision," featuring Jeffrey iLL, who wastes no time jumping into his heated bars alongside FlipzWorld's mysterious and sultry production that turns up the heat in the best way possible.
The power is at a high in track seven, "Move," featuring Vice Carter, who genuinely smacked our speakers with his no-BS flow that perfectly blends with FlipzWorld's bass-heavy production for maximum impact. It's a track that'll get you off your feet and moving to the beat. Track eight, "The Cost," featuring Lowkea and SomeoneCalledSomeone, brings us another massive R&B meets hip-hop banger with a velvety hook and drilling verses that pack equal amounts of desire and power.
Swaying us back to a couple of prime eras ago is track ten, "It's Like That," featuring Bam Keith, who lights the scene with his melodic yet authoritative verse that commands our attention alongside FlipzWorld's hazy and drum-heavy production. Vice Carter makes his way back in track eleven, "VHS," pumping up the furnace with cut-throat bars that springboard off FlipzWorld's ominous and drum-focused production, lighting a fire that keeps us locked in.
In an even more ominous and eerie track, "Code X" with Rsin, FlipzWorld spins a dark web of power and grit alongside Rsin's dominant flow that perfectly maintains the song's rough edge. That same sort of dark energy lends itself to the album's twelfth track, "Euphoria," featuring Curtiss King, whose swagger and charisma are palpable within seconds of hearing this instant-banger. He sets his own pace, walks the walks, talks the talk, and leans on his buddy FlipzWorld to lay the beat down to perfection.
The darkness continues in track thirteen, "One of a Kind" featuring Mxntis, kicking off with FlipzWorld's eerie tones and keys alongside muted snares and heavy bass for a distant, open-space feel. But Mxntis' no-BS flow asserts the pace with his empowering bars that honor his unique essence. Just when we thought it couldn't get any darker, the "Grim Reaper" comes haunting the album on track fourteen alongside TrigNO and AJ Hargreaves, who offer a Joey Bada$$-type feel alongside FlipzWorld's bouncy, melodic, and rich production that chills the spine.
Taking us through the flames is track fifteen, "TON 618" featuring SPdoubleOG, lighting a fire with unique drum rhythms and SPdoubleOG's impressive flow that leaves us bopping our heads alongside FlipzWorld's rich production. Channeling all the power of the 15 tracks prior is the album's massive outro track, "RAW (The CYPHER)," featuring the talented likes of Lowkea, Vice Carter, Someone Called Someone, Gio the Genius, and SPDoubleOG to close off the album with a high-energy, infectious groove that leaves us coming back for more.
If FlipzWorld has shown us anything, he's a force to be reckoned with in just about any genre he sets his mind to, and RAW is no exception. Hear it yourself and find the new album on all digital streaming platforms.
Welcome to Buzz, FlipzWorld! We love your rendition of hip-hop in the new 16-track album, RAW. What inspired you to venture into this particular genre for an album?
Well, RAW was initially going to be an instrumental album, but as I kept making more tracks, I could hear rap vocals on them. So, each song has a nice little backstory to how they came to be. The idea of RAW was just straight bars, I wanted every artist to leave no stone unturned & to give me their best verses they could possibly deliver. We don’t really have that in hip-hop right now. I wanted to go back to my roots & what made me fall in love with the genre in the first place. My supporters, friends & family all told me that I did an amazing job on the project, hearing this made me feel sense of relief cause I tend to put a lot of pressure on myself. I’m grateful that it had such a great turnout, down to the rollout of the album.
What was your experience working alongside the many talented artists featured on RAW? What was that collaborative process like?
The collaboration process was a bit stressful at times as I was waiting for verses to get back to me. Some of my artists had other complications going on in their lives, etc. I wouldn’t change any of that for the world. Working with amazing artists such as Lowkea, SpDoubleOG, Vice Carter, and SomeoneCalledSomeone, just to name a few, was nothing short of an amazing experience. I’ve also gotten closer to these individuals as my closest friends. Working with everyone was truly fun, to say the least.
In terms of the production on RAW, were you inspired or influenced by any particular artists or producers? What sounds and styles impacted this album?
Oh most definitely! I was heavily inspired by Wu-Tang Clan & Mobb Deep on the production side of things. I knew I wanted that gritty, grimy sound, so I had to pull from the history in the 90’s style of how did all those tracks sounded like back then. I wanted the theme to match the title as much I could possibly have it. If you go back & listen to those sounds & the production you’ll definitely hear some of the similarities in RAW.
Which song from RAW is your personal favorite and why? What makes that song stand out to you?
This is a tough one cause I absolutely love them all in their own way. If I had to choose, I’d have to say TON 618. My new best friend SpDoubleOG went through a troubling experience years back & I had shared the same experience as he did during the creation of the song. Initially, it was done & then we added more cause I felt like we both had some things we wanted to get off our chest, & to this day, it still gives me chills listening to it cause it’s so relatable. Even if you don’t share the same experience as we did, but you had something similar happen to you but different. I guarantee you’ll feel what we felt when you played this song from start to finish.
What do you hope listeners feel after hearing your new album RAW? How do you want this project to impact them?
I’d love for the listener to feel that this is what hip-hop is missing. RAW is definitely a hip-hop album; hip hop isn’t something you do. It’s something you live. I feel some have lost what hip-hop really is over the years. Me having a strong background in hip hop I wanted that to shine through. Coming from a bboy, I did so much research & studying different elements of the culture & I just wanted to share my experiences through music & take people on a journey with me. It’s definitely a banger from top to bottom. I’m sure you’ll have a few favorites on it as well.