International Hip Hop 364 Items

“Classe Operaia” is the 2nd volume of “Moderna Sonorizzazioni”, a series of instrumental hip hop inspired to library music. The italian beat-genius JayBee Vibes tells the story of his half-tunisian half-sicilian family emigrated to Milan. 15 hip hop beats with evocative sample-chops and dope drums

Jahmal Padmore’s debut solo album, Esparonto, arrives via Telephone Explosion Records on May 28th, 2022. Padmore has been honing his producing, songwriting, and drumming skills since 2007, working with artists like Mstrkrft, The Carps, Just John and Brendan Philip. This extensive studio & collaboration experience has primed Jahmal for a standout debut, one that encompasses the diversity of his past musical work. Esparonto is a stunning collection of ten post-Afropunk R&B tracks that are languid, sexy and wry.

There is an undeniable sense of self-reflection that runs throughout Esperanto. Lyrics about distant regrets, ego detachment, and unconditional self-love are reoccurring, sung through Padmore’s signature lyrical croon. “... I can’t give you the things you need, without forsaking a part of me,” sings Padmore in the chorus of album opener Sorted, perfectly encapsulating the overarching vibe of Esperonto. Guitarist Benja’s foggy haze of abstract jazz chords provide a welcoming and warm atmosphere required for such deep contemplation.

Esperonto kicks it up a notch on the more hip hop-leaning tracks. Operator (ft: Matthew Progress), Ingestion (ft: Keita Juma) and Pretty are all rife with energy, with the latter taking the cake as the song most likely to be stuck in your head for the next 10 months, at least! The classic combination of a sample pack-worthy beat and a massive chorus are at work here. The song begins with the lyrics “I can’t help it if god made me pretty,” setting the hook for a stadium-sized chorus where Padmore proclaims “My ego gets me high/My ego tells me who I really am.” A follower of spiritual guru Ram Dass, Padmore appears to be one step closer to his goal of enlightenment, and is not ashamed of it.

The album closes with “So Cold,'' its most delicate track and a perfect come-down after such tireless self-evaluation. The epic crescendo sees Padmore repeatedly announcing “I’ve lost myself.” It’s clear that he has shed some unnecessary facets of his personality and is ready to move forward. Recording at Telephone Explosion’s Studio Z, the trio of Padmore, Benja and OBGMs drummer/keyboardist Colanthony Humphries began with lengthy jam sessions which eventually became the cores of each track. Padmore plucked the most progressive bass and percussion

elements from the sessions and added samples to create Esperonto’s uniquely live aesthetic. The album was then mixed by Louis Cremades at House Of Balloons (The Weeknd) and mastered by Kevin McPhee at East End Mastering.

Esparonto’s title is drawn from the name of the constructed language that Polish ophthalmologist L.L. Zamenhof created in the late 1800s. On this album, Padmore constructs a musical language all his own, with songs firmly rooted in R&B that expand to include elements of jazz, ambient, house, hip hop and pop. After years of holding space for other artists and productions, Padmore’s thrilling debut is a clear proclamation from an artist who is ready to step out of the shadows and into his own light.

Rapper Isao Bitoh dazzles with his flow. The legendary "Ashita no Joe Rap" was miraculously cut as a 7-inch single. Minimal loop of "Ashita no Joe" intro, Schoolly D - P.S.K's rabid drums, and the small scratch and so much perfection of the track.

Formed in Osaka’s American-village, hip-hop supergroup, Infumiaikumiai is comprised of members from Chief Rokka (satussy, Erone, DJ Kan), Headbangerz (hidaddy, ?? (Yugi), DJ Kitada KEN, Mentol), Notable MC (ohya (from daruma-san), Akira (from Evisbeats), and ILL Mint’s very own Mint. Their debut album, Critical 11, gained them a cult following and recognition within the scene. Their second album, Jangal, saw them polishing their skills even more, and saw them gain mainstream success, with many music magazines calling it a landmark album for Japanese hip-hop. This pair of iconic albums is being remastered and reissued on vinyl for the first time ever, exclusively from P-vine Records.

Formed in Osaka’s American-village, hip-hop supergroup, Infumiaikumiai is comprised of members from Chief Rokka (satussy, Erone, DJ Kan), Headbangerz (hidaddy, ?? (Yugi), DJ Kitada KEN, Mentol), Notable MC (ohya (from daruma-san), Akira (from Evisbeats), and ILL Mint’s very own Mint. Their debut album, Critical 11, gained them a cult following and recognition within the scene. Their second album, Jangal, saw them polishing their skills even more, and saw them gain mainstream success, with many music magazines calling it a landmark album for Japanese hip-hop. This pair of iconic albums is being remastered and reissued on vinyl for the first time ever, exclusively from P-vine Records.

I.B production and DJ Yosuke team up again. After 8 years since their last release, they are releasing a 12-inch album. Strictly Hiphop with a great mixture of fat rhymes by I.B production, dope and addictive beats, and Yosuke's colorfully developing beats and sharp scratches. Includes a DL code for 14 songs, including all songs from this album!!

Up-and-coming Kobe-based rapper hyunis1000 releases his first 7" single!

HF International is a unit of DJ/beatmaker KH (Magic Ways) and multi-instrumentalist Seiki Fukuda. The long-awaited reissue of the Lovers Rock cover of Taeko Onuki's "Tokai" released in 2013! The B-side features a jazzy rework by Nautilus, which has never been released before!! This one-of-a-kind killer cover, with its carefully crafted rock steady groove and silky Shiho.C's vocals gently enveloping the floor, deserves your attention now more than ever. The flip side features a jazzy reworking by Nautilus, a new generation rare groove band well-known for their Urban Discos releases. A double-sider 7inch that will be favored by many in the scene!

The reputation of the Japanese hip-hop production team Grey October Sound is spreading both in Japan and abroad. While they have released quality albums such as "Timeless" and "The Cave," their two lo-fi hip-hop cover albums, "Lo-Fi Ghibli" and "Lo-Fi City Pop," have become hits in record stores around the world. For the third installment of this series, they have set their sights on Japan's world-famous anime songs!

They will be covering songs from "Bleach", "Saint Seiya", "Puella Magi Madoka Magica", "k-on! and "Dragon Ball", all of which are lo-fi arrangements of theme songs and insert songs of high quality, while still showing respect for the originals. The cover of this album was designed by Rika Hase, an illustrator who also created the artwork for "Lo-Fi Ghibli" and "Lo-Fi City Pop".

Lifted from a lost CD with old premasters some 20 years ago. Newley remastered and sounding heavy, this is Great Ezcape at their ferocious best. Ahead of the curve back then, and still sounding fresher than ever.

Chicago-born MC RacecaR and producer Grant Phabao met at Paris DJs' studio in 2014, thanks to an introduction from hip hop activist Miska with whom the French label has been doing hip hop-themed compilations. Soon they decided to try something new together. Grant Phabao had never produced any hip hop artist before. And RacecaR had never tried to write and record on afro, funk or reggae music in the past. So they planned to produce new tunes together, and blend RacecaR's unmistakable flow with Phabao's unique take on deeply funky American, African and Jamaican grooves. The album features Taiwan MC on "We Do Anything" and other great French musicians.