San Francisco rapper and artist Malleous delivers a heavy rap anthem with a catchy hook and quirky, carefree verses; the likes of which lean towards the playful freedom of early Hip Hop. H.A.R.D is a fiercely confident collaboration with NippyBoy, and leads with bars and echoing production as attention-grabbing as its artwork.

Ultimately driven by this sense of being the best, the search for success and the relentless climb to the top, the chorus of H.A.R.D is naturally a motivational anthem of its own – a rhythmic outpouring devoted to the unrelenting ambition of both Malleous and NippyBoy. The verses, however, let things get a little more unorthodox and carefree, with vocal dynamic between sections, and a certain level of openminded personality; which effectively counters much of the Hip Hop scene to date.

Built around a classic soundscape of a recognisable synth riff, and rising and falling waves of distorted intensity, H.A.R.D is musically minimalist on the one hand, but hard-hitting on the other. Both the production and performances from Malleous and NippyBoy ignite a degree of self-belief and unyielding self-empowerment that’s likely to connect with a whole new audience of modern rap. It’s fun but focused, and speaks volumes on behalf of what we can expect from this creative corner of rap in the near future.