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NBN Archives’ second reissue is the debut - and sole - LP of Bay Area group – i.f.A aka International Family Affair. A lethal fusion of G-Funk and R&B, this self-titled album was first released on Rollin Record Enterprises in 1997. After having dropped their first single on Capitol in 1996 and being shelved right after, band-leader Derrick Shaw had the plan to start over his i.f.A project independantly. With roots in and around Oakland, East Palo Alto and Stockton, it was only a matter of time before these musical minds would meet to form their own “Family Affair.” Derrick Shaw aka D-shoot was a vocalist and musician with a well-known band called Kashmir before he met the self-dubbed Godfather. After an introduction on the basket-ball court, the two became friends and immediately went to work flushing out many of D.’s musical concepts. In stepped Bias, a rapper born into the game. His versatile rap styles blended perfectly with i.f.A.’s old school Funk and R&B vibe. SOS, a rapper from the streets of Oakland with a unique cadence, added his “gangsta rap” and “rough edge” background which compliments the style of i.f.A. Produced by D-Shoot and Ivan Johnson this LP is loaded with rapping and singing backed with smoothed-out instrumentals that gives off that "laid-back/bumping" vibe with that "something for the ladies". “It’s so different you can’t help but like it. We will appeal to a wider fan base because we’re not trying to sound like every other act coming out.” - D-Shoot.

Strictly limited vinyl edition!
Only one copy per customer!
At Tuff Kong Records they like to keep an eye out for up and coming artists, that hidden gem that can fit their catalog and blow your mind, and this is just the case. Nicolò Pandolfo aka Icon Curties is a young Italian beatmaker from Cagliari, Sardinia who started making some noise in 2012 with his first release "Quarti Marziali" as well as several collaborations with Italian MC's, and as 1/2 of the group Miles Dailies. Some time ago he started reaching out to artists overseas and gathered a proper underground hip-hop army to deliver on his productions, the result of his grind is "Modus Operandi". A quick look at the tracklist and the names featured on this album will make you understand what you've got coming your way, with appearances by Daniel Son, Pounds, Lil Eto, Hus Kingpin, SmooVth among several others. Tuff Kong Records decided to welcome him into the family and bring you this killer album on both vinyl and CD. Limited edition of 300 hand-numbered copies on electric blue vinyl.

After their 2015 EP "Dinosaur" Hubert & Mehmet are finally back with a new record.

It's been a long journey from playing shows while mostly improvising on stage to spending countless hours in the studio shelter before they finally shaped all those improvised sketches into the beautiful album that has become "A Common Third" - Outstanding beat music for Hip Hop heads and open minded jazz lovers alike.

Proudly presented by Daily Concept. In a world full of inequality and artificial norms that no longer have anything in common with our nature, it's easy to see what divides and separates us. In such a time, despite all the borders, it's important to find and recognize the common third. In its purest form, Hubert & Mehmet stand for exactly this. In order to make the unity visible, they created this album. So it was only a logical consequence to give the work the title "A Common Third". No matter what divides us, we should also look for what brings us together.

Cologne’s finest is back with the first single of his upcoming lesson in instrumental hip-hop beatmaking called »A Diezel Odyssey«. One of the true originators of the craft that started way before anyone could even spell Lo-Fi Beats, Hubert Daviz has been keeping a consistently low profile despite inspiring countless imitators.

This limited edition of 500 hand-numbered copies comes as double vinyl with the "Replacement Service Tape" EP as bonus vinyl with printed inner sleeve.

You should not be misusing this music as a generic backdrop for studying in your Altbau apartment. Instead, you can make it work as an exercise in mindful listening – as each element in the mix has been tastefully chosen, carefully placed and then underpinned by the most subtle and refined drum sounds ever sampled. To hear is something entirely else than to listen.

Don’t sleep.

Hubert Daviz has been lingering at the creative forefront of the German beat movement for more than a decade now. In 2010, he released his debut instrumental album »Proceduri de Rutina«, a collection of tracks based on jazz samples originating from his birth country of Romania. Hubert consciously kept a low profile since then, producing solo albums and projects with like-minded artists such as Wun Two, Retrogott and Hulk Hodn. »A Diezel Odyssey« is his latest collection of deep jeep beats to soundtrack your late night walk to your local Bodega – imagine Drake’s »Summers Over Interlude« recorded to analog tape and then buried six feet underground.

Only two featured artists came along for this bizarre ride II the far side: One is Anthony Drawn, sax wiz extraordinaire and Daviz’ partner in crime on the recently-founded casual low grind imprint. The other one is L.A. weirdo rap king Pink Siifu. Hubert has been championing his visionary lo-fi-rap-update since his breakout project »Ensley« in 2018 – now Siifu returns the favor via a mystical guest verse on an untitled track on »A Diezel Odyssey«. Hubert has never really bothered to produce beats for MCs to rhyme over them in mind, but in this case the collaboration with a rapper turned out like a match made in nerd heaven.

In a certain way, this 23-minute suite of music is the culmination of Huberts work leading up to this album, becoming somewhat more and more experimental in the last few years, trying to stay ahead of the biters while not losing his unrivaled chill. To be clear: His trademark slowed + reverb sound and his talent for sourcing ultra-crisp drums are very much alive and kicking on this record. It’s that almost magical, dare I say spiritual side to his music that separates Hub Deezy from the competition. Nothing has really changed in essence, but still everything is different. To really understand, listen mindfully. »A Diezel Odyssey« can take you places – just surrender and let go.

Da Buze Bruvaz own Him LO returns to take on the role of executive producer to introduce the newest members of the Grilchy Party team, world-famous, renowned, Graffiti Legend, Enem SKI of TDK crew. Enem was a star of the groundbreaking Graf film "infamy". He was initially recruited to Grilchy Party for his masterful graffiti styles and supreme street artistry, but once it was revealed that he was also a veteran emcee, a 6 track EP was created to showcase his ambidexterity. What emerged is an impressive display titled "vandal TO Van'gohg". This project is laced with hard, knocking beats from talented producers such as Wino Willy, Giallo Point, Senz Beats, and HIM LO himself. This EP touches on a myriad of topics from graffiti to reminiscing over lost loved ones, escapades with females, the harsh realities of life, and much more. Fans of bare-bone, hardbody-karate rhymes from the ice-cold streets of Philly will be satisfied as this project has something for everyone. Features are limited to only DA Buze Bruvaz (him LO & Clever One) and the artwork was done by Emperor Enem himself. Get ready to take a ride through the back blocks and rooftops as Enem tags your mind with a colorful display or his notoriously luxurious styles on the microphone.

Following the critically acclaimed "Pillars" EP with MindsOne, Kev Brown teams up again with Ill Adrenaline Records, this time collaborating with fellow Low Budget Crew member Hassaan Mackey to bless listeners with "That Grit".
Both the Washington D.C. based producer-on-the-mic and the Rochester, NY emcee are longtime members of the prolific artist collective and have previously worked together various times, but this mini-album marks the first time the two embark on a full project. Most boom-bap enthusiasts should already be well acquainted with both Kev Brown and Hassaan Mackey: double threat Kev Brown already showcased his skills on microphones as well as production boards on countless releases and has been dubbed "king of basslines" by fans worldwide. In addition to his solo recordings Kev's credits include beats for heavyweights like Busta Rhymes, Biz Markie, De La Soul, Jazzy Jeff, and Marley Marl just to name a few, as well as handling entire album production for LMNO, Kaimbr, and Raw Poetic. Hassaan Mackey released a string of albums, including a full-length LP with Apollo Brown, and appearances on releases by Oddissee, Kaimbr, The Left and L'Orange.
Recorded during a series of impromptu bus and train trips Hassaan took from Rochester to visit Kev in Washington, "That Grit" was created with a spontaneous approach, reflecting both Mackey's freestyle background and Brown's proven "random joints" formula. Entirely produced by Kev Brown and featuring his signature bassline-driven and raw but soulful sound, "That Grit" consists of an intro, eight full-length tracks and six instrumentals. Hassaan and Kev share mic duties on most of the songs, inviting close friends/frequent collaborators Kaimbr, Toine, yU, Kenn Starr, Eye-Q, Asheru (of Unspoken Heard) as well as the Younger Soul Brother Grap Luva along as feature guests, turning the record into a true family affair.

Guttr is not only a collective of respected legendary Hip Hop emcees and up and coming artists, but also a mindset. Guttr is a collective, and in a sense, Rap’s first unionization. The entire project was produced by Havoc from Mobb Deep and spearheaded by Executive Producer, Storm. This debut project is front-manned by West Coast renowned lyricist Ras Kass and Philly's newest buzz, R.J. Payne. The two share sharp bars along with a star studded list of stellar guest features. With Havoc supplying the entire album's soundscape, the music is respectfully reminiscent of the classic Mobb Deep albums we all know and love. Having a West Coast lyrical perspective by Ras Kass on this production is like having Kendrick Lamar on a QTip track. This combination creates a sound that is different, unique, and magical. To quote Ras Kass, "We all miss P(rodigy) and that classic Mobb Deep Energy, there is no replacing that or him, period! I did want to pay homage to them and channel that vibe. Havoc being on board to set the musical canvas on an entire album for brothers to paint these bars has been the opportunity of a lifetime." Coming in hot with 11 tracks of straight up Bars, this album marks a once-in-a-lifetime collab that has been years in the works.

This is Guice with 'Ashes of my Blunt'. One of the sickest and smokiest classic rap albums Memphis got to date. First time on vinyl and official as fuck. Tracks like 'Murder on they Minds', 'Fire it up' and 'Find myself' are genius and timeless bombs for your eardrums. Enjoy them tunes while drinking Alizé and smoking a big fat blunt. Wet dreams come true!

This is Guice with 'Ashes of my Blunt'. One of the sickest and smokiest classic rap albums Memphis got to date. First time on vinyl and official as fuck. Tracks like 'Murder on they Minds', 'Fire it up' and 'Find myself' are genius and timeless bombs for your eardrums. Enjoy them tunes while drinking Alizé and smoking a big fat blunt. Wet dreams come true!

Limited edition of 300 copies on 2LP in gatefold sleeve incl. bonus 7" ("C'mon" b/w "Instrumental"). One per customer!

"Down To Earth" marked the debut album by Chicago's very own Grav. Originally released in 1996, the deep-voice MC flows on productions by No I.D., Dug Infinite, Big Q and a young Kanye West. Album guests include Al' Tariq and Lil Ray as well as DJ Nu-Mark on the cuts.

Underground lyrical terrorist, Grav, is among Chi town's most jovial and modest rappers. His personality is a blend of tranquillity and sangfroid, whether he's belting out razor sharp metaphors or head-nodding in time with a hip hop DJ. He grew up in Harlem when hip hop's street poets began taking a firm hold on the minds and hearts of New York's disenfranchised urban youth. He often journeyed to a park within the Lincoln Projects at 135th Street between Fifth and Madison avenues to hear such emerging hip hop artists as Doug E. Fresh beat box or rhyme. Grav remembers a special camaraderie emanating from those park jam sessions. "Everybody just grew up being cool with everybody," he says. "It was like a second family." In 1992, Grav moved to the Midwest to major in computer animation and sound engineering at the Art Institute of Chicago. Once he got to the Windy City, Grav decided to settle in the section of town referred to as Wicker Park. Wicker Park is the Midwest equivalent of Greenwich Village with it's ultra bohemian clubs, art galleries, cafes, bookstores, and theaters. Grav was then introduced to the city's underground hip hop scene through his roommate, Free. Grav spent most of his days with his head buried deep in his university school books to master the heavy scholastic work load. But his nights were spent flexing in freestyle sessions and ripping ciphers to shreds at clubs with an open mic night. He took on the name "Grav" when he teamed up with rapper, Magpie. In 1993, the two of them organized the group Indigenous Theory. Commenting on his unique moniker, Grav says, "My name reflects my down to earthness with people and how they react to me when I perform. I'm not just up there kicking lyrics. There's something in my style that attracts people to me, like the force of Gravity." Eventually Grav went solo when the group broke up in 1994. During this time Grav decided to seriously enter the rap game and lie concentrated on captivating audiences with the machine gun rhythm of his incredible flow and delivery at the legendary B Side Café. Grav rapidly graduated from headliner to host, with shows on Chicago's underground rap circuit. His debut album "Down To Earth" adds to the handful of projects that Grav already has on his plate, like rhyming on countless underground mix tapes and contributing to producer No.ID album (beat maker supreme for Common, Al Tariq, etc.).

Available in a limited run on 2LP+7", CD in jewel case, cassette and digitally on all major platforms.

Limited edition of 300 copies on CD in jewel case.

"Down To Earth" marked the debut album by Chicago's very own Grav. Originally released in 1996, the deep-voice MC flows on productions by No I.D., Dug Infinite, Big Q and a young Kanye West. Album guests include Al' Tariq and Lil Ray as well as DJ Nu-Mark on the cuts.

Underground lyrical terrorist, Grav, is among Chi town's most jovial and modest rappers. His personality is a blend of tranquillity and sangfroid, whether he's belting out razor sharp metaphors or head-nodding in time with a hip hop DJ. He grew up in Harlem when hip hop's street poets began taking a firm hold on the minds and hearts of New York's disenfranchised urban youth. He often journeyed to a park within the Lincoln Projects at 135th Street between Fifth and Madison avenues to hear such emerging hip hop artists as Doug E. Fresh beat box or rhyme. Grav remembers a special camaraderie emanating from those park jam sessions. "Everybody just grew up being cool with everybody," he says. "It was like a second family." In 1992, Grav moved to the Midwest to major in computer animation and sound engineering at the Art Institute of Chicago. Once he got to the Windy City, Grav decided to settle in the section of town referred to as Wicker Park. Wicker Park is the Midwest equivalent of Greenwich Village with it's ultra bohemian clubs, art galleries, cafes, bookstores, and theaters. Grav was then introduced to the city's underground hip hop scene through his roommate, Free. Grav spent most of his days with his head buried deep in his university school books to master the heavy scholastic work load. But his nights were spent flexing in freestyle sessions and ripping ciphers to shreds at clubs with an open mic night. He took on the name "Grav" when he teamed up with rapper, Magpie. In 1993, the two of them organized the group Indigenous Theory. Commenting on his unique moniker, Grav says, "My name reflects my down to earthness with people and how they react to me when I perform. I'm not just up there kicking lyrics. There's something in my style that attracts people to me, like the force of Gravity." Eventually Grav went solo when the group broke up in 1994. During this time Grav decided to seriously enter the rap game and lie concentrated on captivating audiences with the machine gun rhythm of his incredible flow and delivery at the legendary B Side Café. Grav rapidly graduated from headliner to host, with shows on Chicago's underground rap circuit. His debut album "Down To Earth" adds to the handful of projects that Grav already has on his plate, like rhyming on countless underground mix tapes and contributing to producer No.ID album (beat maker supreme for Common, Al Tariq, etc.).

Available in a limited run on 2LP+7", CD in jewel case, cassette and digitally on all major platforms.

Limited edition of 100 copies on cassette.

"Down To Earth" marked the debut album by Chicago's very own Grav. Originally released in 1996, the deep-voice MC flows on productions by No I.D., Dug Infinite, Big Q and a young Kanye West. Album guests include Al' Tariq and Lil Ray as well as DJ Nu-Mark on the cuts.

Underground lyrical terrorist, Grav, is among Chi town's most jovial and modest rappers. His personality is a blend of tranquillity and sangfroid, whether he's belting out razor sharp metaphors or head-nodding in time with a hip hop DJ. He grew up in Harlem when hip hop's street poets began taking a firm hold on the minds and hearts of New York's disenfranchised urban youth. He often journeyed to a park within the Lincoln Projects at 135th Street between Fifth and Madison avenues to hear such emerging hip hop artists as Doug E. Fresh beat box or rhyme. Grav remembers a special camaraderie emanating from those park jam sessions. "Everybody just grew up being cool with everybody," he says. "It was like a second family." In 1992, Grav moved to the Midwest to major in computer animation and sound engineering at the Art Institute of Chicago. Once he got to the Windy City, Grav decided to settle in the section of town referred to as Wicker Park. Wicker Park is the Midwest equivalent of Greenwich Village with it's ultra bohemian clubs, art galleries, cafes, bookstores, and theaters. Grav was then introduced to the city's underground hip hop scene through his roommate, Free. Grav spent most of his days with his head buried deep in his university school books to master the heavy scholastic work load. But his nights were spent flexing in freestyle sessions and ripping ciphers to shreds at clubs with an open mic night. He took on the name "Grav" when he teamed up with rapper, Magpie. In 1993, the two of them organized the group Indigenous Theory. Commenting on his unique moniker, Grav says, "My name reflects my down to earthness with people and how they react to me when I perform. I'm not just up there kicking lyrics. There's something in my style that attracts people to me, like the force of Gravity." Eventually Grav went solo when the group broke up in 1994. During this time Grav decided to seriously enter the rap game and lie concentrated on captivating audiences with the machine gun rhythm of his incredible flow and delivery at the legendary B Side Café. Grav rapidly graduated from headliner to host, with shows on Chicago's underground rap circuit. His debut album "Down To Earth" adds to the handful of projects that Grav already has on his plate, like rhyming on countless underground mix tapes and contributing to producer No.ID album (beat maker supreme for Common, Al Tariq, etc.).

Available in a limited run on 2LP+7", CD in jewel case, cassette and digitally on all major platforms.

When you get the chance to re-release a piece of Hip-Hop history, then it would be churlish of us not to surely? So, when we stumbled into Grand Wizard Theodore again, we thought it would be nice to get an affordable, mint 12 inch reissue out there of this early Hip-Hop classic.

This is the guy who invented scratching no less. Two cuts that any music head needs in their collection, "Can I Get A Soul Clap 'Fresh Out Of The Pack" and "Hey What's Your Sign, What's Your Name, What's On Your Mind" Instrumental. This version hasn’t been reissued since 1982 and sells for up to £300, with the cheapest original at present clocking in at £200, over 10 times more than this “mint” remastered reissue. This is a crucial slice of musical culture right here - a double sided Hip Hop belter, with original Soul-O-Wax imprint labels.

Magnetic is the 10th studio album by rock band Goo Goo Dolls, released on June 11, 2013, through Warner Bros. Records. The recording process took place during the latter half of 2012 and into early 2013. Rzeznik thought of the album title during a phone conversation with his manager, who told Rzeznik to "think of a title for the record. Try to use one word." Magnetic was the first word that came to Rzeznik's mind. This is the last album to feature drummer Mike Malinin who left the band in December 2013.

Bologna-based producer, DJ, and sound collector Godblesscomputers (122k Spotify listeners) has returned with the release of his fourth full-length record, "Faded Views." Godblesscomputers's latest LP "The Island" (2020, La Tempesta Dischi) earned him placement on Spotify playlists like "Brain Flood" and "Coffee Club." Since then, his appearance on Willie Peyote's track "La colpa al vento" landed GBC on "Best of Indie Italia 2022." On "Faded Views," it was Godblesscomputers's creative project to explore the sonic potentials of his direct environment, picking up recordings and threads of inspiration from the most commonplace occurrences. A sonic scavenger, Godblesscomputers explored the expanses of his-both digital and physical-soundscapes. "Faded Views" does the work of crafting a unified, yet complex compilation of the noises that mark the experience of being digital natives in ever-expanding dimensions.

Godblesscomputers's use of musique concrète and found-sound composition melds curiously with his undeniable electronic and techno acumen. Superimposing metallic electronica onto esoteric sound bytes creates the occasion for complex sound collage. "Faded Views" marks a decade since the genesis of the Godblesscomputers project; the entire LP testifies to how time warps perception and sound. Godblesscomputers's music seems to decorate time, both commemorating the moments passed with mind-melting sonic collages and looking forward to the infinitudes of the future with frenetic electronic experimentation.

Themes of impermanence and transience-hence "Faded Views"-pervade the record. Godblesscomputers blurs time as each track seeps into the next in what feels like a seamless transition. He makes these swift passages in genre as well-the record opens on "Colors" with a rich horn section which frictionlessly becomes a lo-fi dance groove. It is this melding of the analog and the electronic that makes sense of his found approach to beat-making: Godblesscomputers marries the found and the synthesized; the creator and the created; the past and the future. The process of sonic dissection and recomposition that drives much of Godblesscomputers's creative process yields not only assertive breakdowns and animated dance tracks, but also complex tapestries of sound that keep the listener ever-intrigued-piano, saxophone, and modular synthesis all find a natural home on tracks like "Hello." In an apt description, the producer's work has been described as "sounding like wood, metal, and microchip."

Godblesscomputers's artistic objective lies in blurring definitive lines, constantly shifting perspectives, genres, and origins of inspiration. On "Faded Views," this design cultivates a folktronica record that truly evades definition.

As moody guitars swing and sway around dust encrusted drums and melancholy voices, story's of the the lonely and broken hearted begin to form in your head. "Falling Down" by Glen Porter is a journey into the darker side of instrumental music. In the fasion that only he can, he sets the mood and provides the soundtrack for you to sit back, paint pictures and conjure up stories to the music flowing through your mind. Free album download code included. Limited edition of 450 copies worldwide!

A new series starting via Grilchy Party to further expand its reach into the instrumental HipHop world. Providing Lush soundscapes and highlighting up and coming producers who may not yet have broken through to the masses. We pride ourselves on being early when it comes to shining a light on talents which may have been overlooked by both the underground as well as the mainstream.The series continues with Grilchy Party Favors vol 2 Letters From Tomorrow.The album combines kerrek’s signature synthesizer and sample based soundscapes with the raw sounds that come from working mostly outside of a computer on vintage samplers. Listeners will find touch points in many of kerrek’s genre spanning set of influences, from Ohbliv and Afta-1 to My Bloody Valentine. The album is a journey through kerrek’s mind and an intimate glimpse into the process of creating an album, staying true to one’s goals, and the struggles that come along with the paths we choose to follow as artists and as people.Vocal interludes, heavy headnod energy, and sublime sample selection puts Letters From Tomorrow in good company alongside any beat tape or instrumental hip hop playlist.

This is the text that will be used to solicit your product, and will appear word for word on most online store listings. Please limit to 2 or 3 paragraphs maximum (about 300 words total). We reserve the right to adjust the length of the submitted text in order to conform to the indicated length requirement. Geology is the next album by New Orleans based producer and multiinstrumentalist Ryan T aka friendkerrek, and his second album for underground hip hop label Grilchy Party. Geology was created from the ground up without genre in mind, instead focusing on the very bedrock of the friendkerrek sound. After some reflection, the toolkit took shape: knocking drums, heavy bass, warm synthesizers, and plenty of atmosphere were chosen as the primary building blocks. The resulting songs were largely a departure from the normally sample heavy production of kerrek’s older records with faster tempos and more hand crafted melodies. Whereas previous friendkerrek records fit comfortably into the “instrumental hip hop” genre, Geology spans this as well as many other labels: electro, funk, and house music were all big influences as well. The album’s title comes from the scientific practice of the same name. The earth tells its stories if we know where to look for them, just as there is much emotion and meaning to be found in an instrumental album if we pay attention. Grilchy Party has always appreciated varied, diverse, productions and instrumental albums. This one right here takes things up a notch as it introduces the label as a multifaceted outlet for talented artists who are not afraid to experiment and expand.

A staggering work of mind-warping electronics, fuzzed-out psych and devastating hip-hop beats, the impending release of Ctrl Alt Delete will catapult Free The Robots to the forefront of the world renowned L.A. beat scene.

Finally, we have it in our hands. The long overdue 6 Track Monster EP by Franky Roar (Hamburg Hardcore City) and Alikazam (of Dookie Squad). 6 superdope tracks bringing together the classic Hardcore HipHop / Britcore Vibe in a modern way, 666% our cup of tea with hevay features by DJ Specifik (of B-Line Recordings), Mr.Memory (of Dookie Squad), Chrome (of Def Tex / Chrome/ill Inspired), Mistha Bohze and DJ Krashslaughta (of Two Tone Committee), MC Oliver Twist, Whirlwind D (Solid ‘n’ Mind / B-Line Recordings) and Remark (of Deliveranc).

check the snippets here or on youtube, we are sure, you gonna love it as we do.

full picture cover with incredible Artwork by John Dyer.

This is the limited red vinyl edition with additional cover artwork once again made by the incredible Skat himself, only 100 made.

South London producer and musician Fr1th, presents Mind Blossom - a 13 track album displaying his creative output of over two years. It draws on influences as wide as J Dilla to Ludovico Einaudi. A blend of piano beats based production that spans true lo-fi, chill, ambient, electronic, jazz and Hiphop. Hypnotic head-nodding rhythms from this brilliant debut. Kaleidoscopic • Lush Lo-Fi • Keys Driven • Night Sky Beats

Given his noted love of anime, scoring a fantastical retelling of a 16th-century samurai warrior of African descent serving under a Japanese daimyo, must be a dream project for Flying Lotus. But, as we’ve come to expect from the man who brought us the mind-bending 2019 LP Flamagra and his own written, directed and scored full-length surrealist fever dream Kuso back in 2017, Steve Ellison is anything but predictable.

Where his recent work has ventured deep into the hitherto unexplored avant-garde reaches of contemporary electronic music, jazz and hip-hop, FlyLo’s score to renowned anime creators Studio MAPPA’s Netflix original series Yasuke — on which he also acts as story consultant and executive producer — sees FlyLo eschew his digital maximalism with rumblings of traditional instrumentation, sweeping romanticism and widescreen cinematic scope.

Broadening the canvas of show creators LeSean Thomas and Takeshi Satou’s alternative-historical Sengoku period of magic and swordplay, with a soundtrack of Morricone-style epic tones, traditional Japanese percussion instruments and West African percussion, the feudal yet futuristic world of Yasuke is summoned.

The drum-driven drama of ‘Your Armour’ and ‘Your Lord’ simmer with synth flutes, strings and koto, as the bubbling arps of ‘War Lords’ recall the cyberpunk noir of Vangelis’ Blade Runner score, while frequent collaborators Thundercat and Niki Randa, also make an appearance in this parallel universe.

Another spellbinding FlyLo release even without the stylish animations of the show, Yasuke is set to be one of Ellison’s most prized releases.

Lost Children of Babylon offshoot group The Flying Dutchmen is a project that took years in the making. Produced exclusively by group member Vanderslice, The Dutchmen feature the non-stop, in your face lyrical bombs by Jon Murdock and Lex Starwind. Also featured on this album are Cappadonna (Wu-Tang), Philadelphia legend Burke the Jurke, Ricky Fitz, Grand Scheme, Natsy Knuckles, and Dave Vegas. This album is an instant classic, and presents some of the hardest tru-school beats known to mankind. Fans of hardcore underground East Coast Hip-Hop are going to lose their minds over this one, as there is really nothing out there on the market quite like “Foul Weather”. The trio are immediately showing pride in their Pennsylvania roots with the whole Dutchmen imagery, and skits, and their lyrics and musical backdrop only further enhances it to create quite the mysteriously dark mood. This is Pennsylvania settler rap at its best.

Following his critically acclaimed debut studio album Frank, Fly Anakin returns with new offering Skinemaxxx. It’s produced entirely by Foisey—fellow member of Richmond rap collective Mutant Academy—with features from founding Mutant Acade-mician Big Kahuna OG and frequent collaborators Pink Siifu, Ankhlejohn and London-based vocalist Demae, who joined Anakin on his 2022 UK tour. The physical release features mind-boggling packaging design by Commission Studio and illustrations by River Cousin. The vinyl includes a cut-out TV screen cover and pull-out 2-chan-nel lenticular that allows fans to reenact the channel switch moment that inspired the project. “After dropping one of 2022’s best rap albums, Fly Anakin goes two-for-two in his Skinemaxxx campaign with another high voltage performance.” Okayplayer

Flughand and and Smuv, 37 and 27 year old producers from Germany, collaborate on their debut EP “Fluo”. They are both giants in the streaming game and known for their laid back, dreamy, lofi hip hop beats. They are two of the most well-known artists in the genre of lofi, with streams counting more than 100 million clicks. BeatPete, a fellow German and widely respected DJ, is the link here for the release on KingUnderground. BeatPete is a friend of KU owner, Dan Englander, since they met on a tour in Berlin in 2015. BeatPete sent links to some music he was enthusiastic about to Dan and then KingUnderground reached out to Flug & Smuv. The two had never met but were fans of each other. From there it was quite straightforward. They have like-minded inspirations in music and they follow the same ethos:
music is for fun, not a consumable; any money they make from being creative is a reward. They each have their own distinctive style of cover art for all their solo projects and this time they worked with an Italian artist, “Heey Studio Design” for the “Fluo” EP illustration. It conveys the two of them, a cat (Smuv) sitting on a little island, chilling with a cocktail in the middle of an ocean and a dog (Flughand), flying an airplane up in the sky.

“I’m always living this life with one foot in, one foot out…”

‘Cosmic Scenes’ is the latest single from HF wordsmith Fliptrix.

Teaming up with the incredibly talented Greentea Peng, the epic new track sees two of the UK’s most conscious minds come together to spread messages of freedom, pursuing your dreams and being the change you want to see in the world.

With Leaf Dog at his mesmerising best on production; ‘Cosmic Scenes’ stretches the listeners’ imagination beyond the limits of the real world, and in doing so, has all the makings of a Massive summertime anthem.

Accompanied by a new unreleased track ‘The Glow’ (Prod. Illinformed) on Side B, which shines Brightly in its own right, this Limited Edition 7” is pressed on Eco-mix wax; a sustainable process that guarantees no two vinyls are the same.

Limited to 250 copies, hand-numbered, never to be repressed.

Beat Art Department and HHV proudly present this limited edition of Flips new album that comes with a bonus 45 including two productions by Flip with vocals by Sadat X & Fokis as well as ONYX! Only 100 copies. Only at HHV.

As instrumental HipHop albums seem to be at an all-time high, ranging from so called lo-fi aesthetics to progressive sounds with electronic vibe, one of Austrian HipHop’s godfathers and OGs on the boards has finally dropped an instrumental album on his own. The title “Experiences“ has been chosen not without reason as it both reflects the personal experiences the artist has gone through in his 25 years plus career but also hint the influences and musical aspects that went into this album.
Flip has tried to give insight into his musical influences that began in the 80ies with groups like Public Enemy or EPMD into the 90ies era with sounds ranging from Native Tongue territory to a DJ Premier or Pete Rock or the DITC producers, when he started making beats on his own for his rap group Texta. You can hear links to other production wizards like J Dilla, Hi-Tec or Madlib that changed the sampling techniques post 2000 with albums like Donuts, Hi-teknology or Madvillain. So yes, „Experiences“ is sample-based but further developed by Flip with original basslines, keys, guitar riffs played by the producer himself.
The final result though is not just a simple look back into the golden era but more a retro-futuristic approach that Flip tried to execute within those sixteen compositions. Additional scratches and vocal chops add more flavor to the tracks and as one song flows with ease into the next one, this makes „Experiences“ an experience for the listener, too. While a lot of HipHop instrumental albums just let some loops run for two minutes, Flip took a more ambitious approach where continued listening to the album will reveal new details and musical ideas every
time.

Another fact that won t go unnoticed is the heavy punch of the drums which is due to the As instrumental HipHop albums seem to be at an all-time high, ranging from so called lo-fi aesthetics to progressive sounds with electronic vibe, one of Austrian HipHop’s godfathers and OGs on the boards has finally dropped an instrumental album on his own. The title “Experiences“ has been chosen not without reason as it both reflects the personal experiences the artist has gone through in his 25 years plus career but also hint the influences and musical aspects that went into this album. Flip has tried to give insight into his musical influences that began in the 80ies with groups like Public Enemy or EPMD into the 90ies era with sounds ranging from Native Tongue territory to a DJ Premier or Pete Rock or the DITC producers, when he started making beats on his own for his rap group Texta. You can hear links to other production wizards like J Dilla, Hi-Tec or Madlib that changed the sampling techniques post 2000 with albums like Donuts, Hi-teknology or Madvillain. So yes, „Experiences“ is sample-based but further developed by Flip with original basslines, keys, guitar riffs played by the producer himself. The final result though is not just a simple look back into the golden era but more a retro-futuristic approach that Flip tried to execute within those sixteen compositions. Additional scratches and vocal chops add more flavor to the tracks and as one song flows with ease into the next one, this makes „Experiences“ an experience for the listener, too. While a lot of HipHop instrumental albums just let some loops run for two minutes, Flip took a more ambitious approach where continued listening to the album will reveal new details and musical ideas every time.
Another fact that won t go unnoticed is the heavy punch of the drums which is due to the ́ usage of old samplers like the legendary SP-1200, the ASR-10 or the MPC2000XL that Flip is still using, blending it though with the power of modern soft and hardware. So put your headphones on take a trip through Flip s musical mind.

Here’s the summer 2k24 banger from Flexi Cuts. This time they’ve roped in Daniele Tomassini, aka Feel Fly, DJ and producer from Perugia who’s graced labels like Hell Yeah, Internasjonal, Bosconi, International Feel, New Interplanetary Melodies, and co-founded the Afro Templum party. “Sole” is a euphoric, powerful, liberating track that’ll blow your mind and get you moving. It's a little anthem, versatile and dance-worthy, with those beloved Italo-house vibes that Daniele (and us) are totally into. Flip it over for the “Tramonto Mix” on the B-side, which teleports you to ethereal Balearic atmospheres, be it mesmerizing sunsets over the sea or dawns at the end of a club night.

With I Will Make a Baby in this Damn Economy, Fat Tony embodies the kind of quixotic figure he would rap about; a singular entity who’s motivated, confident, and hungry; a perpetual-motion-machine locked in a staring contest with his country. It’s the latest album in his catalog produced entirely by L.A-based producer Taydex since 2020’s Wake Up. Later that same year Fat Tony released Exotica, and ever since he’s demonstrated he is in his own lane as a professional rapper with the mind of a magician, as quick to conjure an image as pull it out from under you, deftly manoeuvring through so many details and references a listener feels as if they have witnessed the work of an illusionist. He paints these canvases inside of songs that rarely spill past three minutes; they’re pocket-sized diaries replete with acute observations, character studies, microdoses of storytelling, and single-minded ruminations on a topic that bud, blossom, and fade before too long. Fat Tony & Taydex’s I Will Make a Baby in this Damn Economy cements Tony’s status as someone whose albums are not so much lyrically-lyrical as they are picaresque.

As with any Fat Tony project, the bars are tight as ever, but are so fluid for the 34-year-old it’s almost easy to take for granted the details, warmth, and humanity inside his free-associative tales of day-one friends who’ve passed, edgelord grifters who want to spit game, and nights on ketamine. Taydex’s production sprints through disparate yet simpatico styles, dipping its toes into Pi’erre Bourne-esque bass (see lead single “Spectacular”), house (“Loosen Up”), and even hyperpop. Meditations on loss and grief are woven throughout, but Tony throws a few curveballs as well: Consider “Alexis,” which sweetly reflects on a long-term platonic friendship. Taydex finds a Teddy Riley-indebted New Jack Swing groove just deep enough for the feeling to land and underlines the song’s sincere candor. This is the appeal of Fat Tony writ-large: his boisterous voice and genial personality invite you to the party, then you stick around to hear what he’s saying, which is frequently more introspective and complex than one assumes.

Written and recorded in Taydex’s new studio in North Hollywood, Tony says, “We had much more freedom and flexibility in making this album and you can hear it. It felt like a family project.” If the album is comfortable and loose, it is also dense and substantial. The album’s final two tracks contextualize the immediacy of what came before it—the mezcal with ices drank, Paul Wall swangin’ through to drop knowledge, the Polaris Prize-winning rapper Cadence Weapon providing a vibe check. “Make a Baby” accounts for Tony who’s seen everything, and knows he’s met the one to be a father with, and yet chooses to take his time to get it done. Taydex’s beat recalls turn-of-the-century R&B and the millennial promise of an endless good time. Sombre closer “Jasper, TX” is Tony coming to grips with the story of James Byrd, Jr., a Black man from East Texas dragged to his death by three white supremacists in 1998. These songs are not only trademarks of Tony’s fastidious rapping—they are deeply personal examples of his approach to artistry and life itself, where every decision is made in the shadow of history.

It’s here the mission statement of I Will Make a Baby in this Damn Economy comes into focus—you get the sense he means it, he’s ready for it, he’ll fight for it. He’s waiting to take the world at its word.

Scorpion is the second studio album by Eve. It was by Ruff Ryders Entertainment and Interscope Records on released 6th March, 2001. The album’s title is a reference to Eve’s zodiac sign, Scorpio. It features the Grammy-winning hit single, “Let Me Blow Ya Mind”, a duet with Gwen Stefani, winning their first Grammy Award for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration, a new category at the time.

Scorpion was a critical and commercial success, debuting at number four on the US Billboard 200 and became her second consecutive number-one album on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. Scorpion was later certified Platinum by the RIAA on 10th May, 2001. Scorpion was also nominated for Best Rap Album at the 44th Grammy Awards in 2002

Scorpion will release on 16th April in 2LP 180 gram black vinyl.

First album released by Escape Artists. An underground gem featuring Tommy V.

Listening to 3D Massacre on the 20th anniversary of its birth, I get a vibe of nostalgia. I remember the young man from those days and how records like this one became my secret weapon against the stresses of college and financial strains of the time. That feeling that returns you to an era when you discovered an artist's demo or debut and heard something in the music that just grabbed hold of you. 3D is a raw record indeed and what it lacks in cohesion it makes up for in interesting, poetic lyrics, charm, and a tremendous whirlwind of creative energy. With its focus on lyrics and barely a chorus to be found, the record is a barrage of verses with Xczircles, Amnesia, and Aamir even having solo tracks intermingled throughout the record. 3D Massacre is moody, dusty, atmospheric, ripe with imagery, and beautifully obscure, but most importantly, it always makes the head nod and sets the mind adrift.

-William Barker, Poet & Author

Mississauga, Ontario emcee, Es joined forces with Scarborough, Ontario beatsmith J. Pal on his 6th solo release entitled “You Want A Piece Of Me?”. The two met through mutual friends back in ‘97 as McMaster University students who also had a mutual love for hiphop. J. Pal was host of an underground hiphop radio show at the time. Es, an avid fan and listener got put on to many a gem played on his show, “In Tha Kut” on Cfmu 93.3 in Hamilton.

Fast forward to 2012, the two would collaborate on two songs on Es’ debut album entitled “Feud For Thought”. After a 9 year hiatus, the two would decide to collaborate again. This time, on a full length release which speaks to the different aspects that define Es, the family man, the hiphop enthusiast and emcee.

About “You Want A Piece of Me?”: Chronicling who he is, where he came from, what inspires him, and what helps him to stand out, Es was supplied with the perfect backdrops to let you into the mind and soul of Es. This project was labeled “You Want A Piece Of Me?” to bring clarity, not a piece of [me] like physically challenge [me]. You want a piece of me? At 10 joints and around 35min run time, the goal with this project is to share pieces of Es' world that you may or may not have heard before. The aim was also to keep your palettes wet and wanting more.

Known for weaving together complex rhymes with style, Elzhi has been rapping circles around the competition for more than two decades. After years as a member of iconic group Slum Village, Elzhi’s impressive solo career has included projects produced by acclaimed artists like Black Milk, Georgia Anne Muldrow, Khrysis, and Will Sessions. Now, the Detroit emcee is linking with California beat maestro Oh No for the new collaborative album Heavy Vibrato. A multitalented underground hip-hop luminary, Oh No has built a formidable resume behind the boards, crafting tracks for Mos Def, Freddie Gibbs, MF Doom, Action Bronson, Talib Kweli, Ab-Soul, Danny Brown, and more. Heavy Vibrato is a thrilling showcase for Elzhi’s lyrical wizardry and cinematic storytelling, as Oh No breathes new life into a compelling tapestry of jazz samples, producing the entire collection. “The only thing you need to absorb this experience is an open mind,” says Elzhi. With guest appearances by Blu and Guilty Simpson, Heavy Vibrato taps into an undeniable frequency.

After scoring a surprise hit in 2006’s red-hot 7” funk market with their cover of “C.R.E.A.M.,” El Michels Affair quickly turned around another smash 7” double-single of re-imagined takes of the Wu-Tang Clan. “Duel of the Iron Mics” sees the hypnotic piano hook of the “Liquid Swords”-classic elevated to intriguing heights with dramatic strings and Catch the blast of a hype version on the b-side, where “Bring Da Ruckus” is brought to life in imaginative ways not hinted at on the bulletproof original. The raw sample stabs and sub-bass of the stripped-down Wu-Tang stunner are replaced with mind-bending bass notes, and the re-played organ hook turned way up. Both of these tracks would eventually feature prominently on El Michels Affair’s landmark LP “Enter the 37th Chamber,” celebrating its 15th Anniversary in 2024.

Eevee: "here's my new ep called seeds

I want to say thank you, it's amazing how you all support my music it means a lot to me <3

there happened so many bad things in my life and I always felt depressed in my youth when my dad died I felt like I was dead inside but that opened my eyes to see what I was doing with my life and it turned into a period of beautiful transformation my mind state changed, I enjoy all the little things in life and let everything come on my path I'm so thankful for all the good things that happen to me the last couple months I feel much more happy and free

I wanted to share this because I always felt alone in my fight but you're not alone, there are many people who feel the same good things will come to you, if you focus on the positives and let go of the negatives I just hope that everyone at some point in life, find their way to be happy <3"

Dope KNife is a Liberian-American MC/producer and self-described “Rap Junkie.” Born Kedrick Mack, to a Liberian mother and American diplomat father, he spent his childhood hopping the globe before being taken by Hip-Hop and claiming Savannah, GA as home. As one of the founding members of the Dope Sandwich hip-hop collective, he gained a reputation as a formidable freestyle rapper, as well as honed his unique style of “Progressive Boom Bap.” His style was cultivated in Savannah's freestyle-heavy scene of the early 2000's, where he distinguished himself with a darker and more abrasive approach. He has officially dropped several well-received solo projects including 2017’s Strange Famous Records release NineteenEightyFour, and the EP Weekend At Brodie’s on Fake Four Inc. As he prepares a new body of work, his mantra has remained the same: “Dope raps, dope beats, dope songs, it ain’t rocket science.” After nearly two years of touring the country with the likes of Sage Francis, DJ Abilities, and Ceschi Ramos, he started to put the pieces in place for what would become Things Got Worse. A self-contained project (Dope Knife produced all of the songs as well as designed the artwork), KNife calls the album a “collection of visceral songs, crafted to serve as Rorschach that we can project or reflect meaning onto. From claustrophobic Black paranoia, to Grindhouse Hip-Hop references, Things Got Worse is whatever your mind hears it to be.”