Mobile rap duo Regenerates have released their first full-length album, a self-titled, self-released set available as a free download on Bandcamp — a striking debut that puts some of the strongest hip hop heard locally in recent memory on record.
Polished production, clean rhymes
The production is the first thing that grabs a listener: hazy synth layers, inventive panning and double-time hi-hat work that invites comparison to the moody Toronto sound Noah Shebib built with Drake. The record opens with a short instrumental slow-burn before “One Time” kicks things off proper — a live-show-ready banger built around a shouted hook.
Highlights stack up quickly after that. “Broken” pairs sampled female vocals with memorable verses; “It Wasn’t Love” is the standout, with a sing-song chorus set against staccato synth rushes; “Somehow” drifts on reverb-drenched vocals before the bars finally drop at the 1:20 mark; and “Chimera” clears the three-minute mark with deep-breath, chest-out deliveries. The rollicking “Glenn Miller” follows with name-checks ranging from Drew Brees to Mark Twain.
Notably for the genre, the lyric sheet stays clean — no misogyny, no profanity — without going soft, leaning instead on local color and big ambitions. A handful of shorter tracks and a stretch of rowdy sing-along hooks fill out the back half.
Catch them live
The group sharpened its stage show at this summer’s DeLuna Fest battle of the bands at the Alabama Music Box, where the material translated well beyond the studio sheen. With local clubs booking heavy on Southern rock lately, Regenerates are worth a slot on any bill looking for solid, homegrown Gulf Coast rap.