Culture Report
On The Radar does not miss.
Gabe P dropped the New Class Cypher Vol. 1. Ten MCs, one beat, no filler. Marco Plus, Reuben Vincent, Ovrkast., Marlon Craft, Ben Reilly, Swavay, NASAAN, Lareazy, Ray Vaughn, and Chris Patrick. Ovrkast. built the instrumental himself and then rapped on it. The cipher immediately sparked conversation.
But here is what stood out to me.
Before the cipher dropped, Rob Markman had already been putting people on to most of these artists. Rob is a Brooklyn native, VP of Music and Content at Genius, and one of the most credible voices in hip-hop journalism for the past two decades. At the end of last year he did a roundtable at Revolt, then followed it with a YouTube video and an IG cut. A personal list of artists he was excited about heading into 2026.
Count the names. Most of the artists in that cipher were already on his list.
That is not a coincidence. That is what it looks like when somebody is doing the actual work.
These are not overnight stories. No algorithm shortcuts, no viral moments built to expire. These are MCs building the right way. One verse, one show, one listener at a time. OTR built its name the same way the hosted mixtape did. By putting the right people in a room and letting the talent speak before the industry catches up. Ice Spice performed on that green screen before the world knew her name. Cash Cobain built momentum through OTR long before his moment came.
Looking at this class, it is hard not to wonder what a hosted mixtape with these artists would actually sound like.
The full piece breaks down every MC in the cipher, what Rob Markman saw before the rest of the room caught up, and why this class might be the most important group of MCs to watch in 2026.
Read the full story →
Visual Influence: Culture on the Pavement
Talisa Almonte
The same pride those DJs brought to the decks on February 27th is what Talisa Almonte laid down in Washington Heights. Literally. The Queens-based Dominican illustrator and muralist just completed De Lo Mio, a sweeping public mural at Audubon Plaza that celebrates Dominican culture through plátanos, dominoes, and the colors of the flag painted right into the asphalt. Street-level art, rooted in community, built to last. That is the same spirit the mixtape was always built on.
Explore her work: @almontestudio
Aerial photo courtesy of @dezinedigital
One More Thing: OTR Celebrated Dominican Independence Day Right
February 27th was Dominican Republic Independence Day. 182 years of sovereignty. On The Radar marked it the right way. They handed the decks over to Dominican DJs for a full Independence Day Takeover, powered by @whoknows.us and @hausdeflornync, with decks by @rythm_official.
The DJs who held it down:
@djlilony | @rod_evant_nyc | @dadacozmic | @udgthedj | @djlegacy_nyc | @leordproduciendo | @djstephcakes | @iamfrankroth | @bombitznyc | @itspresence | @djzoomnyc
That is how you celebrate culture. Respect to OTR for making space for it. 🇩🇴
Experience the culture at mixtapekings.com
— Diony C.