United Grind Put Their Bars to the Test on Their Grindin’ Freestyle Cypher

Midwest rap movement, United Grind takes control of a modern hip-hop classic in the slick new video for “United Grind Cypher.” It’s a distilled dose of rhyming from six emcees at the forefront of the United Grind movement, as they get set to drop their collaborative Grind or Die (Vol. 1) LP this spring. Heading off the cypher are Ohio’s Play Havoc (HiJinks & Vice Souletric) and Detroit’s Game Changers, all of whom get to showcase their skills over the Neptunes’ seminal instrumental, Clipse’s “Grindin’.” There are few better beats to choose for a showcase like this, and everyone gets a chance to shine on here.

With DJ Nu ERA holding it down on the decks, we get to watch as HiJinks, Vice Souletric, Nu Face, Sand Man, Lee Harvey, and Juggernaut June (in that order) tackle one of the genre’s most well-loved instrumentals. While everyone involved has been in the game for a minute, this really feels like a proper reintroduction to their talents with plenty of wordplay, punchlines, and autobiographical bars to unpack in repeated viewings.