As hip-hop culture has spread outward from its New York epicenter, other cities have made a serious play for the throne. Lately Atlanta, arguably the genre’s new home base for some time now, has been a hotbed for weirdo, slippery rappers with AutoTune-drizzled sleeper hits; TDE and YG put LA back on the map; and Drake forced Americans to concede that a Canadian rapper is better than their favorite. Remy Banks is having none of that. Banks makes unapologetic New York rap that doesn’t pander to the trends that blow through the genre like hot, heavy winds. Instead, Banks is a steely rapper with a precise, icy flow that channels the past without getting stuck in it. For instance, New York pride aside, Banks raps over production from LA-based Odd Future member Left Brain on new single “rem.” using the tweaked out keyboard sample to reminisce about ’02-era 50 Cent. Banks enlists Nasty Nigel — a fellow member of Queens-based collective World’s Fair — for what feels like a “C.R.E.A.M.“-inspired mantra of their own on the hook. “rem.” is the first single off Banks’ forthcoming solo project higher, which is due out this spring. Listen below.