Hip Hop Preorder 213 Items

Long sought-after Benny the Butcher album nally available in a wide-release Black vinyl pressing! The underground hip-hop collective Griselda has long established itself as a go-to source for the classic hardcore sound of 90s hip-hop artists like Mobb Deep and Raekwon, and unrelentingly gritty boom-bap production, and Benny The Butcher is one of the group's most proficient contributors. Now signed to Def Jam, Benny began leaving his mark on the underground as far back as 2004 and has made his incomparable, street-savvy presence known on tracks by the likes of Ghostface Killah, Paul Wall, Jim Jones, and a slew of other top-tier rappers. His 2017 mixtape Butcher On Steroids is just one example of Benny's raw power and lyrical deftness. Across 12 tracks, the Butcher delivers the kind of authentic street flow that has come to define the Buffalo, NY rap scene, backed up by guest appearances from his Griselda brethren ElCamino and Conway, atop a bed of stark and intense beats courtesy of guest producers DJ Green Lantern, Daringer, IceRocks, and more.

NOW PRESSED ON 180 GRAM VINYL!

Cold Busted has navigated the smooth seas to unearth Sailing, the new album from Moroccan guitarist and beat-flinger saib. The Casablanca-based producer has steered his sound into warmer waters. Mixing tempered hip hop beats with jazzy vibes and a lounge sensibility, saib. touches on a style that's both chill and opulent. The album's opener, "Archipelago," sets the scene with gentle piano, swirling strings, and beachside sounds that would make Martin Denny proud. "Tropics" pushes the agenda further, featuring delightful vibraphone lines, stand-up bass, and boom bap beats, providing the perfect soundtrack for poolside cocktails. The sleepy crooning of "Blue Memories," the future-retro sing-a-long of "Mermaid Dreams," and the guitar/vibes interplay of "Pastel" provide other highlights. Sailing's twelve songs show saib. as an artist capable of bringing a sunny climate to any listening environment.

We’re honored to reissue an album by a truly unique voice in hip hop and dearly missed friend, Tame One. The year is 2007, Fresh off collaborations with the likes of El-P, Cage, and The Weathermen, Tame One - one half of the Newark duo The Artifacts, was approached by a Montclair skateboard shop Division East, as he personified their East Coast new school culture of skating, graffiti, and MCing. This relationship gave way to Division East Records and their first full length release entitled "The Grudge." Despite its merits and the efforts of those involved, the album went largely unheard outside of NJ hip-hop circles. Call it a casualty of the post-CD/pre-streaming musical landscape of the early 00’s. Now, 17 years later and almost 2 years after his heartbreaking transition, issued for the time on purple vinyl, Tame One’s The Grudge.

BEN plg's music is an accurate reflection of reality, with no smoke and mirrors: harsh but tinged with luminous notes of hope. Those little nothings that imprint themselves on our memories, those "diamonds in the retina". The man from Lille has delivered an intense, intimate, authentic and universal debut album. Faut pas oublier de dire je t'aime. With contributions from Niro, Georgio, B.B. Jacques and Loud

With words as weapons and public infrastructure as his blank slate, John Fekner’s City Squad are always questing for the ineffable, even as they yearn for concrete change. Make no mistake, Idioblast is a serious party where everyone is welcome.

Released in 1984, Idioblast is a lost classic, a future shock narrative ahead of its time, and yet completely of its era, like few artifacts before or since. The cover tips you off from the jump—a crude but effective collage featuring classic Fekner slogans like Toxic Junkie, Growth Decay and Soft Brains Watch The Screen And Buy The Jeans. In an uncanny and tragic coincidence, the very first lyric on the album—“The place to be is on the space shuttle/if you’re brave enough to get on it”—seems to anticipate the Challenger disaster just two years later. But for the most part, the tracks on Idioblast directly reference the concepts that inspired Fekner’s visual art.

Musically, “Rapicasso” utilizes pneumatic pounding with an industrial edge as Fekner equates the great and controversial painter with risk-taking graffiti kids bombing trains and billboards across the city. Art is in a constant state of exploding—forms, paradigms, outdated ideas. Splitting the difference between hip-hop and new wave, the Santaniello-sung “The Beat” is like Thomas Dolby meets Run-DMC and should’ve been a radio staple for at least one sticky summer. It could soundtrack either a couples roller skate or a drug-fueled evening out.

Channeling Fekner’s slogan-stencil aesthetic, “Travelogue The 80’s” is a tour de force reminiscent of Negativland’s experiments in audio culture jamming. As Fekner details, “I grabbed all of the sounds via a shortwave radio picking up transmissions from LaGuardia airport and the TV. I recorded and edited on a Sony Pro Walkman and an Aiwa dual cassette deck.”

Young Roddy & Trademark Da Skydiver's "Day Ones" from their latest series of projects. Available on vinyl with all new artwork exclusively from Near Mint.

Torae and Marco Polo return with their sophomore release, Midnight Run, the follow-up to their classic debut album Double Barrel. Midnight Run packs 11 tracks that will instantly satisfy fans of the elite lyricism and hard-hitting production the duo is known for. The intro, “Reloaded,” sets the tone from the very beginning, and stand-outs such as “The Return,” “Makin’ Up,” and “Oh No” maintain the momentum throughout. With no guest verses, no bars off, and no filler, Midnight Run gets directly to what you’ve been waiting for from the “Gray Sheep,” Torae and Marco Polo.

Jenova 7 emerges once again as a beacon of auditory innovation with his latest opus, Lost Sci-Fi Movie Themes. Released under the banner of Cold Busted, this collection of 16 tracks serves as a time machine, whisking listeners away on a journey through dimensions both familiar and uncharted since his last foray with 2019's Dusted Jazz Vol. 3. Jenova 7 has meticulously crafted an album that resonates with the essence of ‘90s trip hop nostalgia while propelling us into the cosmos of futuristic soundscapes. The album's standout tracks—“The Future 1995,” “My Zero G Love,” and “Downtown Lost In The City Of Lizards”—are masterclasses in genre-blending and atmospheric storytelling. "The Future 1995" envelops one in a nebula of boom-bap beats, cosmic sound effects, and b-movie vibes, creating a sonic experience that feels like intercepting radio signals from a distant, funk-infused galaxy. Meanwhile, “My Zero G Love” floats the listener through the velvety darkness of space with its sexy lounge feel, portamento synth lines, and the undeniable funk that glimmers under starlight—evoking the sensation of grooving in weightlessness. Then, there's “Downtown Lost In The City Of Lizards,” a track that saunters through the urban jungle with sparkling keys, evocative guitar spurts, and strutting jazz bass, painting a picture as vivid and surreal as its title suggests. Jenova 7's skill lies in his ability to fuse moody, jazz-inflected samples with grooves that draw one into a distinctly atmospheric sound—a cinematic journey through time, space, and emotion. His tracks are experiences, wrapping the listener in a cocoon of vibrant soundscapes that are both introspective and expansive. Lost Sci-Fi Movie Themes is an invitation to explore the unknown, to lose oneself in the depths of imagination and emerge on the other side transformed. For DJs looking to transport their audience to another dimension and for music fans yearning for a taste of nostalgia wrapped in the allure of the future, Jenova 7's latest release is a must-discover treasure. Dive in and let the odyssey begin

Dan-e-o’s hard-hitting 6th solo album “Vigilante” is equal parts lyricism clinic and seething social commentary. From the graphic novel album cover to the unapologetic lyrical content, “Vigilante” harshly critiques social media misuse, gun violence, anti-black racism, self-hatred, jealousy and self-doubt. Inspired by both the “Dexter” and “Death Note” series, Dan-e-o’s new album title represents his commitment to “kill” all of the negativity mentioned above. Well-known for his classic debut 1996 single, “Dear Hip Hop”, Dan-e-o is every bit as punchline-heavy as you would expect on “Vigilante”. The album is also the veteran Toronto lyricist’s most provocative project to date. Taking zero bars lightly and sparing no feelings, Dan calls out such personalities as Kanye West, Donald Trump and Candace Owens while condemning Fox News, murderous police officers and the Ku Klux Klan. He even finds time to address a past toxic relationship while not missing a beat tearing into talentless rappers. The soundscape of “Vigilante” can best be described as “heavy neck-snapping boom bap”. The head-nodders are supplied by Toronto’s Big Sproxx (Freedom Writers) and frequent collaborator Charisma a.k.a. Skizzz (Monolith) as well as Japan’s S-ky THE Cookinjax. With an impressive list of featured guests including such legendary artists as Masta Ace, Saukrates and even comedy superstar, Russell Peters, Dan-e-o has created a recipe for hip-hop perfection. “These are the best 12 songs in the history of my catalogue,” insists Dan-e-o, “Period.”

Pressed ON Orange Colored Vinyl With Hand Numbered OBI Limited TO 1000 Copies 2023 is the year of Too $hort at Get On Down with our 4th reissue and album number 7 in the catalog of the Bay Area legend. Shorty The Pimp was released 31 years ago on July, 14, 1992 and has not been in print since we originally reissued it on wax in 2018. Taking the title from the incredibly rare 1973 Blaxploitation film, Too $hort does what he does best on Shorty The Pimp: funk beats, boastful braggadocio, a few conscious rhymes and layers of straight up pimp talk. The lyrical content can certainly be considered comical and entertaining. Shorty The Pimp is also a stand out project for producer Ant Banks who did many of the beats for the project, his first working with Too $hort with many more to follow over the next decade.

The debut album from T-Max that was originally supposed to be released back in 1993. Limited edition of 250 CD's only!

* This 10th Anniversary Edition will be one pressing and then gone, the album is remastered, pressed on Transparent Red Vinyl, features new sleeve art by Cold War Steve, comes with a fanzine and a flexi disc featuring an unreleased track. **

Attention: This copy comes with a bent corner. There is no other damage. As this is a rare record, we decided to offer you these copies.

PRESSED ON BLUE & WHITE SWIRL VINYL!

HOUSED IN A HIGH GLOSS JACKET WITH EACH LP TUCKED INTO A PRINTED INNER SLEEVE
Nasir "Nas" Jones' 2001 record Stillmatic was considered a major comeback for the 90s rap icon. It signaled a return to the gritty, urban chaos of his acclaimed debut album, after releasing record after record of gradually more mainstream material, and Nas' return to prominence in the highest echelons of hip-hop. In spite of this newfound critical clout, Stillmatic's release did nothing to squash his then ongoing feud with fellow New Yorker Jay-Z, who had gone so far as to challenge Nas to a pay-per-view rap battle. A challenge Nas rejected, stating "If Jay-Z wants to battle, he should drop his album the same day I do and let the people decide."

Nas fans never would get the no-holds barred lyrical battle with Jay-Z many had speculated. What they got instead was one of Nas' most personal and introspective releases to date in 2002. Not long after Stillmatic's release, Nas spent much of his time away from the limelight to tend to his ill mother, who would pass on from breast cancer in 2002. His experiences with his mother's mortality as well as the fallout of his feud with Jay-Z, who continued to produce diss tracks as Nas tended to his mother, would inspire much of the lyrical material on his next record.

God's Son was released in December of 2002, and like Stillmatic before it, was subject to major critical acclaim. On God's Son, Nas effectively took the battle-hardened demeanor he had cultivated and tore it down across 14 tracks that were emotionally insular, though still dusted in urban grit, and still finding time to shoot back at Jay-Z's potshots on tracks like "Last Real Nigga Alive" and "Mastermind." Assisting Nas was a slew of top-tier producers like The Alchemist, Eminem, Ron Browz, and Salaam Remi, over samples of James Brown, the Incredible Bongo Band, Fela Kuti, and Beethoven, and guest vocals from Alicia Keys, Kelis, Claudette Ortiz of City High, and even a posthumous 2Pac.

God's Son has been out of print on vinyl since 2020. This deluxe pacakge was remastered from its original audio and pressed on colored vinyl!

DJ Quik is a giant of West Coast hip-hop. With his fourth album Rhythm-Al-Ism he created his masterpiece, a perfect hip-hop album. As Quik explains, “the name Rhythm-Al-Ism alone tells you what I was doing. I was mixing up rhythms. I was meshing R&B with hip-hop and jazz. And a little bit of comedy”. It’s absolutely sensational and as with a lot of mid-90s albums those original vinyl copies are now rare so here’s the Be With re-issue. A preternaturally gifted producer/rapper, DJ Quik has produced scores of LA gangsta rap classics. He’s released platinum and gold records of his own, as well as helped craft them for the likes of Tupac, Snoop Dogg, and Dr Dre. Quik has always been quirkier and more interesting than his gangsta rap peers, both musically and lyrically. An old-school funk producer at heart, he’s also incredibly nice on the mic. His raps often deal in boasts, jokes and good times but also cover his beefs, his trials and his trauma. Partying and pain, all mixed up. DJing and producing hype beat tapes from age 14, Quik’s tracks blended the languid funk and rubbery synths of Zapp and George Clinton with a gangsta aesthetic, creating a more danceable foil to Compton’s more typical nihilistic hedonism. Ultimately, his records sound custom engineered to drift out over sun-soaked barb

2021 double vinyl re-issue, 140g vinyl, includes “Pure Thought” bonus track from the original CD version, original picture sleeve and printed inner sleeves based on the original one. Innercity Griots, the second album from Freestyle Fellowship, is perhaps *the* essential West Coast left-field rap album of the early ’90s. Released in 1993 on 4th & Broadway, it’s a towering, progressive hip-hop masterpiece that expanded rap’s boundaries through lyrical elevation and production innovation. Their talent was ahead of everybody else by light years. This is pure b-boy jazz. The original single vinyl LP is now hideously scarce, and of course the sound suffers from not being officially released as a double. This Be With re-issue fixes both problems, and for completeness also includes “Pure Thought” from the CD version of the album. This incredible display of imaginative hip-hop sounds better than ever. Freestyle Fellowship were some of the earliest technically dazzling rappers to come out of California. Mikah 9, P.E.A.C.E., Aceyalone and Self Jupiter - along with DJ Kiilu - forged their famed lyrical dexterity in the ultra-competitive crucible of the Good Life Cafe. Founded in Leimert Park, South Central LA in December 1989, this earthy health-food store and cafe was where the city’s finest microphone fiends would gather to showcase their freestyle skills at the Thursday night open-mic.

The definitive scratch tool! Available for the first time as a deluxe double-vinyl edition, DJ Js-1 has compiled both volumes of his best-selling series “Scratch Roulette.” These records contain several hundred sound fx, phrases, hits, drums, and tones. No redundant looped beats--only scratch sounds and phrases. Over 60 minutes of scratch-friendly material: from the typical “kaaa” and “fresh” to new and never before used sounds and phrases, these 12”s cover them all. The inside of the gatefold jacket features an exclusive original illustration from the legendary Queens graffiti artist Jerms of the Rail Killas.

Originally scheduled for release way back in March 1996, "The Raw Factor" by North Carolina native Omniscence is one of the last of the unreleased mid-90's albums to see the light of day. Despite being awarded The Source's coveted "Hip Hop Quotable" and dropping two well-received singles ("Amazin" and "Touch Y'all"), record label politics meant the full-length "The Raw Factor" album was never released and fans were left wondering what might have been.

28 years later, "The Raw Factor" is finally being released on vinyl, CD and digital stores. Featuring punchline-driven lyrics from Omniscence delivered in his unmistakable cadence, and backed by head-nodding production from Fanatic, the album is a must-own for fans of 90's Hip Hop.

Omniscence haunted the same early 90's cyphers and stages that many lyrical greats from the era had to cross. With a gruff delivery and equal adeptness with punchlines and metaphors, his high finish at the 1994 edition Battle For World Supremacy at the New Music Seminar assured heads across the culture were watching. After this, Omniscence locked in with producer Fanatic (who also laced tracks for Notorious B.I.G., Ma$e and Michael Jackson). The result was "The Raw Factor" album, fifteen plus tracks of jazzed out boom-bap, replete with crackin' drums.

Now Below System Records has not only given the album its first deluxe physical release (including 2xLP, CD and digital) as well as a slew of bonus/unreleased tracks.

Professor Creepshow presents his newest LP - Dreamcast. At 17 tracks, this album is a soundscape of the dimension between dreams and reality. Enter the journey in the defined experience of Playawave.

The original Jazz Playa from New Mexico, Mackjunt. returns with Sonic Motions

YELLOW COVER: 2xLP, Widespine Jacket, Black & White Cookie SplitVinyl, Alternate Yellow FrontCover, Marketing Sticker. Ltd to 50 copies.

With help from Jerry Seinfeld himself, one of the classics from the mixtape era, Wale’s More About Nothing sees its first official release on CD & Vinyl. Originally released in 2008, the album is nothing short of a masterpiece in his celebrated catalog, and features appearances from then-budding artists Wiz Khalifa & Fat Trel, among others. True fans of the musician will undoubtedly know how crucial this project is to the culture; a Jerry Seinfeld collaboration with Wale finally available for all.

The Midst of Things is a multi-layered expression of my views on the state of the culture in America today. The album explores ways our humanity is being impacted by rapid globalization and technological shifts. The paradox of social media's ability to both connect us and cause us to be more disconnected than ever.

This album questions what our priorities are. What are “American values” in 2023? “Who can I trust in a world of deep fakes?” I ask in the song Bliss. Is there any objective truth in a world with “alternative facts”? Is there one true reality or is it all subjective?

This album is also the culmination of my processing of the trauma and hardship I experienced over the pandemic and civil unrest in Minneapolis over the last few years. The deep levels of depression that come with living in a black body in this country. The rejection, the anger and frustration, and the fear of having my body destroyed simply for expressing that anger in the presence of the wrong white body.

My goal with this album is to provoke conversations and create engagement around these questions and themes. but also to give you something new and inspiring while opening you up to the full spectrum of my sound and voice.

I decided to release this album independently. Mainly because I wanted to get it to you all sooner and not have to fit it into a label calendar. However, because I’m releasing independently I couldn’t afford to pay upfront to produce vinyl with all of the other expenses surrounding the album’s production and release. Because many of you have been asking if vinyl will be available for this project and I really want to make it happen, I’m humbly asking for your support in funding the production of The Midst of Things vinyl. This album represents a very important milestone for me. I haven’t released a full album since ‘Trouvaille’ in 2018 and I have yet to release a full album on vinyl.

With your help and contributions, I know we can make it happen!

I am forever grateful for your love and support!

7 Shots in a Neon Violet pressing with full color OBI strip 38 Spesh has quietly become tastemakers’ top pick for “next to blow.” Just ask LeBron James, Kevin Durrant, DJ Premier, Sway, Method Man, or Lloyd Banks, all of which have co-signed this Upstate New York emcee. His 7 Shots EP, the third and final instalment in his fan-favorite “Shots Series,” marked the moment that many caught on to the Trust movement. The 8-track offering gives underground Hip-Hop fans exactly what they want, hard bars over soulful beats. The project features guest verses from Freeway, Ransom, Eto, and Che Noir, as well as production from Streetrunner, The Heatmakerz, LT Beats, Thanos Beats, and more.

After a brief pause in the Medicine Show series, Madlib returns with a 28-track, full-length hip-hop album of collaborations with AG, Guilty Simpson, MED, Oh No, Strong Arm Steady and others. Karriem Riggins pops in for a short Supreme Team session, Madlib & Oh No debut their group The Professionals, and we hear for the first time a Jaylib-era track from Madlib & Dilla's never-realized second album. Limited edition 3LP contains 14 additional Madlib beat instrumentals.

This album is about influence, inspiration, perception & reality. Every song was written in an outside environment, so that I could observe the subjects that would become my subject matter. All too often in Hip Hop, reality is limited to that of the artists own, actual experiences. People Hear What They See is my attempt to liberate the MC from those constraints & allow reality to be penned other than my own. Listening to congressmen & lawyers converse on the steps of the supreme court inspired 'American Greed', Watching a couple argue over the phone in a bar inspired 'Maybes'. By having a visual representation of my subject matter, my hopes are that the listener will see them through the worlds & melodies of my songs.

The collaboration album from Brooklyn MCs Skyzoo and Torae is available once again after its original debut in 2014. For years, fans of both Skyzoo and Torae asked the two to collaborate on a full-length LP, following the multiple singles they released together over the years. Classics such as the DJ Premier-produced "Get It Done" and "Click," and the !llmind-produced "Barrel Brothers" off Skyzoo's 2010 "Live from the Tape Deck" have been highly anticipated by their followers since 2006. The idea behind "Barrel Brothers" is what the people have asked for and come to know: the two wordsmiths for pure lyricism. Skyzoo, known for his picturesque storytelling and jazz/orchestral background, and Torae, known for his gritty Coney Island depictions of life with a vintage yet modern lyrical approach, have briefly put their normal fortes to the side and crafted this album with one game plan in mind: lyrical exercise over hard New York City soundscapes. The current resurgence of NYC hip hop is the perfect grounds for two of its premier flag holders to continue doing what they never stopped doing in the first place: representing the city.

Featuring appearances from Jsoul, Georgia Anne Muldrow, JUS, J Felix, Guilty Simpson, Inkswel, BLU, Pugs Atomz, KID Sublime, and many more, this star-studded 2x LP comp from Australia's Inner Tribe runs the gamut from RnB & Neo Soul to Hip Hop, House, Broken Beat and Boogie. Full pic sleeve.

Marv Won is a Detroit musical alchemist – a street poet laureate entrenched in the battle rap scene, as well as a cinematic world class producer as capable of channeling Dr. Dre as Donald Goines. Marv breaks new ground with his first Mello Music Group album “I’m Fine, Thanks For Asking” - a soul-baring endeavor, that weaves tales of struggle and triumph, drawing inspiration from his storied life in the Motor City. As one of the most esteemed battle rappers, Marv Won brings a lyrical ferocity to his unapologetically raw and heartfelt rhymes. This album collaboration with Mello Music Group marks a pivotal moment in his career, showcasing a seamless fusion of his word play and production. The album, featuring collaborations with Quelle Chris, Elzhi, Freeway, Rapper Big Pooh of Little Brother and more, cements Marv Won's status in the rap game. Marv Won's storytelling transcends mere verses, painting vivid portraits of life in the D. Over ten self-produced tracks Marv showcases his ability behind the boards with tracks that blend epic orchestration and Joe Louis drums that hit like Tommy Hearns.

2024 repress

Official reissue of the Souls' masterpiece! Essential pick!

Limited to 100 copies on 180 gram galaxy color way. Featuring Breeze Brewin, Elzhi, Rasheed Chappell & more.

"The Remedy," is I G Culture's latest album under Likwid Continutal Space Motion, Culture draws parallels between the complex world of fungi and London's Underground dance music scene. Both are intricate networks that thrive beneath the surface, connecting diverse elements and influencing one another. The London dance music scene, like fungi, encompasses a variety of styles and genres, from drum and bass to Garage Dance Subcultures may go unnoticed to the casual observer but are musical corner stones in our society. Dance floors and clubs serve as spaces for communal healing, allowing people to let go of daily stresses and connect through music and dance. I G Culture's "The Remedy" celebrates this vibrant underground culture and highlights the interconnectedness of all musical styles. Through his innovative production and thematic depth, he underscores the transformative power of dance music, emphasizing its role in promoting well-being and unity. The idea of Fungi also is expressed in the artwork by Amsterdams 'Machine' with IG's direction, who used fungi in an original collage revealing a secret world.

This Japan edition was produced as a limited project for Willie The Kid's Japan tour in 2011 and it's compiled based on "The Fly 2.0" which featured The Alchemist, V DON, Styles P, Cory Gunz and Lee Bannon etc. Although it was originally released just in digital format, it is now available in a long-awaited vinyl format with obi-strip.

Always Give Everything 111% . . . MF Khaos releases his 11 track playa soundtrack, including production from Professor Creepshow, Funk Finger, Tracisgrey

Now available on 12" Vinyl Records, Cassette Tape, Compact Disc

vinyl record includes exclusive instrumental version on side B, instrumentals will not be seen in any daylight of digital streaming media

saiah Deshon & Professor Creepshow team up to extend the Mac God's prophecy. Tymg

Mac God Chronicles is now available on digital streaming, vinyl records, cassette tapes & compact discs

vinyl record includes exclusive instrumental version on side B, instrumentals will not be seen in any daylight of digital streaming media

Edition of 150 Copies.

The definitive scratch tool! Available for the first time as a deluxe double-vinyl edition, DJ Js-1 has compiled both volumes of his best-selling series “Scratch Roulette.” These records contain several hundred sound fx, phrases, hits, drums, and tones. No redundant looped beats--only scratch sounds and phrases. Over 60 minutes of scratch-friendly material: from the typical “kaaa” and “fresh” to new and never before used sounds and phrases, these 12”s cover them all. The inside of the gatefold jacket features an exclusive original illustration from the legendary Queens graffiti artist Jerms of the Rail Killas.

Giants Of The Fall is the highly anticipated debut collaboration between Guilty Simpson and Kong The Artisan. Detroit legend Guilty Simpson needs no introduction - he has already cemented his legacy with his collaborations with J Dilla. "Giants Of The Fall" finds Guilty Simpson at his lyrical peak and at his most introspective version. Kong The Artisan is a former UK DMC DJ Champion and rising underground hip hop producer, whose credits include Cappo, Sonnyjim, Da Flyy Hooligan and others.

Pete Rock is the man who J Dilla told, “I wanted to be like you.” Kanye once called himself the “new Pete Rock.” But the original Pete Rock remains permanently vital. The evidence bangs in his latest opus, Petestrumentals 2, the sequel to the 2001 classic that helped define the hip-hop instrumental record. It marks the legend’s first album on Mello Music Group, a fitting union between the author of the boom-bap blueprint and the label that’s expanded upon his legacy. Petestrumentals 2 conjures memories of BBQ cookouts and 70s Blaxploitation scores, rattling summer jeep cruises and blunted Jamaican vacations. There’s a gorgeous requiem to Dilla (“Dilla Bounce (R.I.P),” where the originator pays tribute to the prodigy. You see the full range of Rock’s gifts on display: the meticulously chopped horns, unquantized drums, and air raid sirens. It contains the emotion of a thousand eulogies. An even 20 slaps and rhythmic levitations. It’s Pete Rock at his best, accelerating and kicking cosmic slop, extending wishes, hope, love, gritty drums and eternal wonder. This special 24 for '24 Artist Series Edition is a one time pressing on metallic gold vinyl w/ original KipDaFog oil painted cover art.

Joell Ortiz & Kxng Crooked met the year they both won XXL's coveted Freshmen of the Year Award. The two's careers are as legendary as any in the rap game. Joell Ortiz started by signing to Dr. Dre's Aftermath label, then moving to Shady records as part of the Super group Slaughterhouse with Joe Budden, Royce Da 5'9 and Kxng Crooked. Add to that a fresh feature on Eminem's newest album "Music To Be Murdered By." Meanwhile, Kxng Crooked was signed to Virgin Records at just 17 before joining Death Row Records. He's had a flourishing solo career including collaborations along the way with TechN9ne, 2Pac, Benny The Butcher, Raekwon, Akon, Ray J and more. The West Coast LBC representer Kxng Crooked and Brooklyn's Joell Ortiz have finally come together for the the joint project "H.A.R.D." on Mello Music Group. Album produced by Heatmakerz, Erick Sermon, Boogeyman, Illmind, Apollo Brown, J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League This special edition vinyl features the 24 for '24 Artist Series painting by KipDaFog.

‘Lightweight Heavy’, Fat Jon’s third solo offering, is a concoction of “loping beats, dub bass lines, classical piano, breathy vocals and sparkling harmonies…” (bbc). From the gentle piano-led intro of ‘Talk to Me’ and threading through the album’s 14 dazzling tracks, Fat Jon’s subtle use of vocals and his bass-heavy beats take listeners on a heartfelt journey. “I lived in Japan while I made this record and produced the whole album there. Being able to make a project like this from beginning to end the way I had envisioned it was a dream come true,” Jon reflects. “I recorded and produced the whole album in my friend Nujabes’ studio. I told him about my concept for the album, and he said I could use his studio while I was there. We had similar studio setups so it was a very easy transition and fun experience.” We are very pleased to announce that ‘Lightweight Heavy’ is getting its first vinyl reissue via YHS Records, a vinyl-focused imprint of Detroit label Young Heavy Souls.