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New York rapper Your Old Droog and Atlanta rapper/producer Tha God Fahim present their latest collaboration in Tha Wolf of Wall Street. While Fahim trades in brass-tacks metaphors, Droog leans more toward punchlines and pop culture-laden double-entendre. Like any effective duo, their contrasting styles dovetail seamlessly on their new EP Tha Wolf on Wall St. The entire project is an assured slice of underground rap, but the pair’s compatibility shines brightest on the title track. Fahim and Droog move back and forth like co-stars on a long-running cable drama, and Fahim’s production provides a more serene mirror reflection. Fahim laces each of the EP’s eight tracks with sedate loops, splitting the difference between his and Droog’s clashing styles.

Embracing his career path as an emcee/entertainer, Crimapple returns with his latest solo effort, El Cantante, which serves as an ode to Hector Lavoe and The Fania Era of salsa music's profound storytelling. Although devoid of any guest appearances, Crime is joined by a supporting cast of praise-worthy producers throughout the project whom include Bohemia Lynch (Westside Gunn), Michaelangelo (Avenue, Vel the Wonder) as well as his frequent collaborator, Buck Dudley, among others. And while there’s tracks that borrow aesthetics akin to latin music—such as the syncopated rhythm patterns on “Tuesday,” or the looping pan flute heard on “Out the Way”—you’ll still find the archetypal soundscapes that have defined Crime’s discography. These include the soulful/zone-inducing loops on tracks like the album opener, “My Song,” as well as “Together,” “Encore,” and “Precious.” And then there’s the chest-pounding bangers like “Cosos,” where Crime lyrically remains in his bag with unrelenting, braggadocious rhymes: “You cheesecake, rappers know I get on this shit and eat great / Get better at any take and drop on anyone’s release date” All in all, El Cantante is a self realization of sorts as the New Jersey emcee shares his current life perspectives as he touches on what it’s like to be considered a hip-hop legend by many, while also reflecting on the path that brought him to this point in his career.

For over 20 years, Atmosphere have pursued the underbelly of what it means to be human with a rabid curiosity. Ant’s dusky production has provided the pulse for Slug’s evolving and matter-of-fact pen. As Slug transitioned from throwing-up-in-the-backseat-raps to holding-hands-when-you-cross-the-street-raps, Ant has grown to be a master of crate digging and unearthing the humanity of a drum loop. Thriving at the intersection of guttural and self-effacing, Atmosphere will go down as some of America’s best archivists.

On Whenever, the duo continue to move in lockstep. Within the minutiae lie clues they’re still struggling with mortality and the need to protect emotional energy, as on previous releases, but there’s a quiet romanticism now, with Slug sounding—reluctantly—in love with life. And no other producer can pull truths out of a rapper like Ant fishes the blues out of Slug. Be it the twinkle of “Bde Maka Ska” leading into twanging guitars, or the anxious skitter of “Lovely,” Slug finds obvious comfort in working with Ant. “Postal Lady” recounts the simplicity of Slug’s life over warm and enveloping production, while “Romance” recalls God Loves Ugly with its undulating glitches, as if we crawled through Ant’s drum machine. It’s clear the pair’s harmony is reaching new peaks.

These aren’t dad-raps, these aren’t anti-establishment-raps, and these aren’t chasing-old-fire-raps. Even at its darkest (“You’re Gonna Go”) Whenever houses blessed-to-be-alive-raps. The album breathes in the way only Slug and Ant could summon a collective breath. On Whenever, the duo inhale panic and exhale greatness.

Known for impressive lyricism and streetwise wordplay set to dusty soul and jazz loops, Atlanta native Tha God Fahim has defied expectations for hip-hop from his city, and his steady stream of output continues to draw attention. Just a few years into his career, the talented emcee/producer has already released more than 100 projects, establishing himself as one of the most prolific artists in rap today. Despite his rapidly growing audience, Tha God Fahim remains an enigma, releasing little background information and maintaining an air of mystery about himself, similar to frequent collaborator Mach-Hommy. Now, Nature Sounds is proud to announce "Lost Kingz", a brand new album from Tha God Fahim. Available worldwide on CD, vinyl, and digital outlets, "Lost Kingz" features appearances from Mach-Hommy and Vinnie Paz, plus production by DJ Muggs, The Architect, C-Lance, and Fahim himself.

“This is me at my most imaginative, freakiest, and yet still most grounded and introspective,” says Japanese American rapper/actor Lyrics Born not only about his new album Vision Board, but also his “self” and his existence. “I feel like a new man! I’m healthier physically, spiritually, mentally, and emotionally.” The lead single and video “Diamond Door” is a pop/rap banger that lands you with an infectious barb and keeps you hooked for days, and is a thinly-veiled tribute to a particular style of female appreciation, but it can also be taken as a welcome mat to the new era of Lyrics Born. The accompanying video which shows Lyrics Born in his current physical form - svelte, stylish and with a confident swagger - reinforces this next chapter in his life. 60 pounds lighter, he lost the weight during the pandemic when he knew he needed to make a change. “Touring was becoming harder, and I was having all these weird health problems, but nothing that anybody could put their finger on,” he explains “My anxiety was high. I was not sleeping well. I was on the verge of really bad health.” And this improvement brought more confidence which shows in his new album. Vision Board is a focused affair that found him stretching his creativity farther and challenging himself to write in a way he’s never written before. Recorded primarily in New Orleans and produced by Rob Mercurio of Galactic (who also produced 2015’s Real People and 2018’s Quite a Life), it posited him in a new environment that helped his creative juices flow even more fluidly. “There’s nothing like recording in the Crescent City. It just gets in your blood, and the results are always funky and wild.” “This is about as psychedelic as I’ve ever been,” LB says. “I’m so proud of this album. I’m in a different space. The world is in a different space, and I wanted to celebrate that, loosen up and really create some imagery and share some emotion that I never have. I was listening to a lot of Shuggie Otis; a lot of obscure psychedelic soul and later Temptations,” he explained. “This is like if Alice in Wonderland was Japanese.” Vision Board was also inspired by another Bay Area rap luminary, although one who’s no longer with us - Gift of Gab. The dexterous Blackalicious MC and fellow Quannum Projects alum had a profound effect on Lyrics Born’s life, both creatively and philosophically. “I asked myself on some of these songs: ‘How would Gab approach them?’” he said. “I’d play with certain cadences, certain styles; I tried to stretch stylistically, lyrically and vocally on every single song. None of the patterns are the same.” Lyrics Born’s vulnerability shines through on the nine-track effort, something he’s not ashamed to admit (nor should he be). At one point during the pandemic, he was losing one friend, peer or family member every other week - from Zumbi of Zion I to Gift of Gab to Digital Underground’s Shock G. While many of the songs are deeply introspective, he had to “write some fun shit,” too. Celebratory horns, uptempo rhythms and fiery bars pepper the project from start to finish, and truly encapsulate Lyrics Born’s evolution of not just a groundbreaking Asian-American MC but also a human being. As the only Asian-American MC to release 10 studio albums, the first Asian-American to play major music festivals like Coachella and Lollapalooza and the first Asian-American to release a greatest hits compilation, Lyrics Born has been breaking barriers his entire life - and he’s not going to stop anytime soon. From the bombastic and tribal “I’m the Best Rapper in the World” with its self-winking boastfulness to the playful scat of “Bang Bang Bang” that slinks like an outtake from West Side Story, to the smooth and seductive “Who's The Best? (Dear Young LB)," to the psychedelic and swoony ”Alligator Boots” with it dreamy “Walk on the Wildside”-esque reverby sway, Vision Board sees Lyrics Born tackling different tones, textures and genres without fear and making them completely his own. It's an eclectic body of work that boasts more synths, more psychedelia and is generally more abstract.

Strictly limited edition of 300 copies only!
Only one copy per customer!
Pornofunk Oscuro presents the 1st release of the new Double Split Series. This is a double A-side record and features 2 of the most extraordinaire, raw lyricists in the game.
Chicago's own Vic Spencer on a beat provided by Truskull Zerokappa, his s950 and a stack of mood records. On the other side EatGood's ambassador Sonnyjiim on an obscure Indian loop produced by il Torsolo. Grab this fat double joint at the price of one. TIP!!

Oxnard CA, Triple Threat Producer/Emcee/DJ Body Bag Ben drops new album with Washington DC based Emcee/Producer J Scienide "Enough To Plague A Saint"



Ben has been busy with production credits from M.O.P, Canibus, and his latest project "Hide The Body Bag" with BSF/Griselda affiliate Rick Hyde. J Scienide is coming off the massive success of his latest album "Stray From the Pack" with legendary Producer/Emcee Kev Brown.



"We started working on this album right at the height of the pandemic while on lockdown. Ben kept sending me beat after beat daily. My creativity was sparked after many nights of listening to straight up head nodders.



The Album features some of hip hops elite wordsmiths Rome Streetz, Rasheed Chappell, Napoleon Da Legend, Wordsworth and Ill Conscious.

Embracing his career path as an emcee/entertainer, Crimapple returns with his latest solo effort, El Cantante, which serves as an ode to Hector Lavoe and The Fania Era of salsa music's profound storytelling.

Although devoid of any guest appearances, Crime is joined by a supporting cast of praise-worthy producers throughout the project whom include Bohemia Lynch (Westside Gunn), Michaelangelo (Avenue, Vel the Wonder) as well as his frequent collaborator, Buck Dudley, among others. And while there’s tracks that borrow aesthetics akin to latin music—such as the syncopated rhythm patterns on “Tuesday,” or the looping pan flute heard on “Out the Way”—you’ll still find the archetypal soundscapes that have defined Crime’s discography. These include the soulful/zone-inducing loops on tracks like the album opener, “My Song,” as well as “Together,” “Encore,” and “Precious.” And then there’s the chest-pounding bangers like “Cosos,” where Crime lyrically remains in his bag with unrelenting, braggadocious rhymes: “You cheesecake, rappers know I get on this shit and eat great / Get better at any take and drop on anyone’s release date”.

All in all, El Cantante is a self realization of sorts as the New Jersey emcee shares his current life perspectives as he touches on what it’s like to be considered a hip-hop legend by many, while also reflecting on the path that brought him to this point in his career.

Gregory Keltgen (aka DJ Abilities) gravitated toward the turntables at a young age, becoming a DJ at only 17, before going on to compete in the legendary DMC DJ competitions only 2 years later in 1999. He won the regional title and advanced to the U.S. finals that year, before doing it again in 2001. Soon after, Abilities was also garnering attention for performing all the scratches on indie classic, Fantastic Damage, the debut album by El-P of Run The Jewels' fame, as well as contributing his turntable talents and production skills to other Hip-Hop cult favorites like The Anti-Album by Semi.Official, and The Taste of Rain... Why Kneel? by Deep Puddle Dynamics. But above all, his name would become most celebrated throughout the 2000's as one-half of the dynamic Hip-Hop duo Eyedea & Abilities. DJ Abilities had first met Micheal "Eyedea" Larsen in the mid-90's, and the two soon began a working relationship that would eventually play a prominent role in the burgeoning Indie-Rap movement of the time. Together, the pair developed a near symbiotic creative union that produced three albums _ First Born; E&A; and By The Throat _ a catalog animated by the burning fusion of Eyedea's introspective and technically adept rhymes with Abilities' precise scratches and versatile production. Tragically, his partner Eyedea passed away in 2010 leaving Abilities to soldier on by himself, but the influence of their partnership continues to shape DJ Abilities' music to this day. His latest project, Phonograph Phoenix, finds the DJ/Producer returning to the forefront and embracing an entirely new approach to making music. A departure from previous work that was primarily sample-based, Phonograph Phoenix finds Abilities opting to build the album's compositions from the ground up, creating his own sound through Ableton Live and various soft synths, with razor sharp cuts and select vocal chops providing a voice where his fallen partner may have once stood. Abilities' new production techniques breathe an awakening essence into Phonograph Phoenix, whether that's in the deep, cavernous bass and funky drum loops of "Worldwide", the gorgeous atmospheric synths he conjures on "Waves", or the sinister head-nodding groove of "The Badman" with its vulnerable-but- not-self-pitying vocal samples. Throughout its creation, Abilities sought to remain as truthful as possible, ensuring that each song held qualifying meaning and that the album on a whole made a definitive statement. The process inspired Abilities to dig deep and pull up some heavy, heartfelt beats and, speaking with his hands as all great turntablists do, he used this space to address grief, loss, and his own personal shortcomings, all while making room for hope and optimism.

When you hear the phrase, “everything’s fine,” we immediately understand it as emotional shorthand. In daily life, we depend on those perfunctory clichés (hope all is well, good to hear from you, etc.) to spare ourselves from the psychological unpacking that the truth requires. For that, there’s art. For that, there’s Everything’s Fine from Jean Grae and Quelle Chris, a jagged, acerbic odyssey that brilliantly riffs on this dystopian zeitgeist.
The thing is, anyone without a lobotomy and a toxic red hat understands that things are definitely not fine. The crush of modern anxiety, the late capitalist scramble to survive, and the brain warp rot of social media has left most of us half crazy.
“We have a dickhead for a president, and before our eyes, racial, religious, and sexual identity rights are moving backwards,” says New York’s (by way of Detroit) Quelle Chris. “Money is still a thing (I’m waiting for Star Trek life to start). There’s war, your kids may be sick, but if someone randomly asks ""how's it going?"" most people will say ""fine.""
Released on Mello Music Group, this album replaces that reflexive cliché with honest and eloquent tangents. It’s specific and subtle in its execution, achieving equilibrium between lackadaisical detours to smell the flowers and the frantic acknowledgement that there’s an inferno raging outside.
If the great political albums are often grim polemics, Everything’s Fine achieves its goals partially through withering satire. See the opening skit, a Prince Paul-style game show in which three contestants (including a futuristic robot) numbly croak that everyone’s fine despite flying high on every imaginable drug, crying themselves to sleep at night and being unemployed for a decade and a half despite having a Master’s in Fine Arts. I promise it’s much funnier than it reads off a screen.
“We’re both perfectionists in different ways,” Jean Grae describes their working relationship. “We both see huge pictures and concepts. So while listening, pay attention to the subtleties, the nuances, the dissonance and the harmony. The conversations and pieces of ourselves in the words, the flows, the beats. All of the open spaces. .Be uncomfortable and be okay with that. Be layered and be okay with that. Be angry and be okay.”
It’s rare to find a record where two rappers are so seamlessly intertwined. Yes, that’s partially a by-product of the teamwork that goes into being in any normal relationship where you wake, sleep, and dream together. But the album also bears the hallmarks of two singular creative geniuses trading bars, collaborating on beats, and combining fun with internal therapy and external observations. It features indelible cameos from Denmark Vessey, Grammy Award winner Anna Wise, Your Old Droog and Big Tone, as well as comics Ashok “Dap” Kondabolu, Michael Che, Nick Offerman, and Hannibal Burress.
In the streaming era, we tend to naturally overlook albums that require multiple listens. This is a record that will grab you on first listen, but it’s greatness only reveals itself through its careful construction, slick wordplay, and esoteric allusions.
On “Zero,” Jean artfully references Rachmaninoff and The Donner Party in the first two bars. With “Scoop A Dirt,” she name-drops the Babadook alongside the truth bomb that Friends was little more than a whitewashed rip off off Living Single. Meanwhile, Quelle balances boasts about bags of cash the size of Chris Christie with poignant existential laments. Somewhere in between, Jean will stealthily slip in jewels like, “it took me until my 30s just to put my finger on it, once you accept the knowledge/solace doesn’t follow/honest.”
It’s a record with only a couple antecedents: De La Soul is Dead, Organized Konfusion’s Stress: The Extinction Agenda, Blackstar, and maybe Cannibal Ox’s Cold Vein. Yet it doesn't sound remotely like any of them. It’s spontaneous and free, yet refined and meticulous. Even if everything is abject, it’s a reminder that music can transcend.
“This album is full of our minds. Our hearts. Our love for production, and words. flow and a lot of musicality,” Jeans says. “We don’t approach topics, issues, writing, or making beats in the same way. I’m harsh, blunt, quick, technical, I arrange classically and play more than I sample. I make joints with 80 tracks. I’m layers upon layers upon layers. Quelle is patient, he’s kinder. More loose and minimalistic. He makes sounds work together that shouldn’t fucking work. How? I have no idea. These are dreams within dreams.”

"And here we are – the end of another year of Herring fillets. To celebrate we have an EP of 6 unreleased joints from IBM Nation member Mac G outta Philadelphia. Hardcore collectors will know IBM Nation from their 1990 grail the Brainiac EP which dropped on small indie label Inner City Recs back in the deezy. Unfortunately Mac G had a couple of his crazy nice solo demo tapes stolen from his studio by a shady acquaintance. Those tapes appeared on Ebay shortly afterwards and sold for crazy loot [2k+]. We’re hoping that one day the new owner of those 1992 – 1994 demo tapes will hit us up to share them with the fans, on a limited vinyl Herring release. But what we do have here are his extra dope unreleased mid 90’s demos. Peep the snippets and we’ll be back 1st week of January with the final vinyl release of the Dec/Jan Cycle as well as 4 new CD releases. Props for supporting the Herring in 2019 – we have some sureshots already lined up for 2020, the 20th year of the Herring!!!" - Chopped Herring

Nicki Minaj - "Beam Me Up Scotty" - Nicki Minaj is blessing fans with the commercial release of her third and iconic mixtape, Beam Me Up Scotty. The original version was released in 2009 with classic tracks like "I Get Crazy" and "Itty Biggy Piggy." The 2021 rerelease arrives with loosies from that era like "Boss Ass Bitch (Remix)" with PTAF and "Chi-Raq" with G Herbo, as well as three brand new tracks to hold fans over: "Seeing Green" with Drake & Lil Wayne, "Crocodile Teeth" with Skillibeng and "Fractions."

Gregory Keltgen (aka DJ Abilities) gravitated toward the turntables at a young age, becoming a DJ at only 17, before going on to compete in the legendary DMC DJ competitions only 2 years later in 1999. He won the regional title and advanced to the U.S. finals that year, before doing it again in 2001. Soon after, Abilities was also garnering attention for performing all the scratches on indie classic, Fantastic Damage, the debut album by El-P of Run The Jewels' fame, as well as contributing his turntable talents and production skills to other Hip-Hop cult favorites like The Anti-Album by Semi.Official, and The Taste of Rain... Why Kneel? by Deep Puddle Dynamics. But above all, his name would become most celebrated throughout the 2000's as one-half of the dynamic Hip-Hop duo Eyedea & Abilities. DJ Abilities had first met Micheal "Eyedea" Larsen in the mid-90's, and the two soon began a working relationship that would eventually play a prominent role in the burgeoning Indie-Rap movement of the time. Together, the pair developed a near symbiotic creative union that produced three albums _ First Born; E&A; and By The Throat _ a catalog animated by the burning fusion of Eyedea's introspective and technically adept rhymes with Abilities' precise scratches and versatile production. Tragically, his partner Eyedea passed away in 2010 leaving Abilities to soldier on by himself, but the influence of their partnership continues to shape DJ Abilities' music to this day. His latest project, Phonograph Phoenix, finds the DJ/Producer returning to the forefront and embracing an entirely new approach to making music. A departure from previous work that was primarily sample-based, Phonograph Phoenix finds Abilities opting to build the album's compositions from the ground up, creating his own sound through Ableton Live and various soft synths, with razor sharp cuts and select vocal chops providing a voice where his fallen partner may have once stood. Abilities' new production techniques breathe an awakening essence into Phonograph Phoenix, whether that's in the deep, cavernous bass and funky drum loops of "Worldwide", the gorgeous atmospheric synths he conjures on "Waves", or the sinister head-nodding groove of "The Badman" with its vulnerable-but- not-self-pitying vocal samples. Throughout its creation, Abilities sought to remain as truthful as possible, ensuring that each song held qualifying meaning and that the album on a whole made a definitive statement. The process inspired Abilities to dig deep and pull up some heavy, heartfelt beats and, speaking with his hands as all great turntablists do, he used this space to address grief, loss, and his own personal shortcomings, all while making room for hope and optimism.

Third Man Records has been searching for a hip-hop artist whose multidisciplinary vision,
immovable work ethic and natural sense of aesthetic are compatible our label's mission.
The label is proud to release Pure Beauty by mysterious Queens, New York visual artist,
designer and rapper SHIRT.
SHIRT has been heavily invested in the legendary NY rap underground and praised by
various online tastemakers and critics for his vital perspective, refreshing production
choices and thoughtful lyricism. Everything about his creative output is ''classic New York
shit…melding high art with lowbrow aspiration; it's champagne and loosies, bottle service
and Metrocards'' (Pitchfork). Pure Beauty will be SHIRT's fi rst full-length album since the
release of Rap Money EP on Closed Sessions/Nike Adidas Records in 2015.
Pure Beauty is an ode to the work of artist John Baldessari and features his 1968 conceptual art
piece of the same name as the album artwork, courtesy of Baldessari and his team. The album's
central theme focuses on beauty in its simplest and rawest form-selected beats are recorded
and re-recorded, stripped down and left blaring. Verses exist as fi rst and only takes. iPhone
voice memos are dispersed throughout studio recordings; live conversations left unedited.
Pure Beauty was meant to drop as a self-released digital album in November 2017,
until Third Man Records entered the picture. In the 25th hour via Instagram DMs, SHIRT
responded to our DM slide and allowed us to listen to the record early.
With no physical version planned, Third Man offered to sign SHIRT, release Pure Beauty
digitally, and press this tour de force on vinyl at our pressing plant in Detroit.

Limited CD edition!
Black Market Mob / Out the Mud’s $ha Hef is far from your “average rapper.” Hailing from the streets of the Bronx, NY, Hunnit Round Hef is a direct reflection of the grimey hard knock lifestyle from that which surrounds him. Since arriving on the scene with the classic street album B.O.A.T.S. Hef continues to deliver hard hitting lyrics over sum of the most villainous production you will find, while giving a voice to the hustlers as well as the have-nots in every city throughout the world.
New York OG $ha Hef has released his latest album “Out The Mud”, and fans of that NY sound will be most pleased. With grimy percussion and hazy synth loops, the sonic aesthetic conjures images of smoke shrouded back alleys, of drug dealers on the corner, of shoes dangling from telephone wire. - www.hotnewhiphop.com
$ha Hef has been on the competition’s neck this year, dropping a handful of singles, videos, performing at SXSW, as well as Rolling Loud and Yams Day. He also opened up for Westside Gunn and Conway, and Freddie Gibbs on their respective tours alongside Jay Worthy of LNDN DRGS.
The 15-track project might be his best yet and finds $ha Hef utilizing new flows, stepping it up lyrically and bringing you his signature hazy, dark, grimy sound. The album boasts guests features from Bodega Bamz who shows up on “Time 4 This” and the late Prodigy who drops a killer verse on “Made Me Do.” - therapfest.com
He’s definitely bringing some heat on his new project “Out The Mud” though, so if you’re completely unfamiliar this would be a good place to start. Think RetcH and Da$H levels of grimy with guest appearances from Bodega BAMZ and the late Prodigy. - nahright.com

Acclaimed producer, songwriter, and vocalist Shafiq Husayn has been a vital force on the Los Angeles music scene for decades. A member of trendsetting trio Sa-Ra Creative Partners, Shafiq has produced tracks for a staggering spectrum of talent, including Erykah Badu, Ty Dolla $ign, Pharoahe Monch, Robert Glasper, Ice T, Bilal, Jurassic 5, and many more. Over the last few years, the Grammy winner has also become the leader of The Dove Society, an expansive L.A. musical collective. Now, Shafiq Husayn and The Dove Society are debuting the new album So Gold, an eclectic masterpiece emerging from sessions Shafiq describes as “pure love, magic, inspiration!” A worthy follow-up to Shafiq’s acclaimed 2018 opus The Loop, the album features contributions from Anderson .Paak, Syd (of The Internet), Peyton, Thurz, Jimetta Rose, Speed Walton, and many more. Bursting with the kinetic energy of vibrant creative collaboration, the album synthesizes disparate styles into a cohesive tapestry of lush cosmic soul. “It’s new age everything and above,” Shafiq explains. “Focused and direct in the songwriting and production, but still adventurous and refreshing.”

Hip Club Groove’s Trailer Park Hip Hop is set for re-released this month. Originally released in 1994 on Sloan’s Murder records imprint, the seminal project will be featured as part of a double LP along with the group’s 1996 follow-up Land of the Lost on Halifax-based independent hip hop label Black Buffalo Records.

Having sold 12,000 copies upon its initial release, Trailer Park Hip Hop spurred the group to extensive touring with Sloan, Len and other Halifax alternative scene bands like Thrush Hermit, Hardship Post, Plumtree and others.

A supporting video for the lead single Shoot the Gift featured a who’s who of Halifax’s entertainment scene. Directed by Trailer Park Boys creator Mike Clattenburg, the video features DJ Moves, Cheklove, and D-Rock competing in a battle of the bands. A cameo appearance from collaborator Stinkin’ Rich (Terfry) aka Buck65 sets the scene for the group to grab the prize loot and flee the venue while Buck65 provides the getaway.

While Hip Club Groove haven’t performed since 2011 at a Halifax Pop Explosion reunion, the vinyl re-release is sure to spur new energy for the Halifax hip hop scene. Black Buffalo Records boasts a recording roster that includes DJ Moves projects and production on a range of veteran and blossoming talent including Tachichi, Lxvndr, Fatt Matt, and others.

About Hip Club Groove

Formed in 1990 in Truro, Nova Scotia by high school friends Brian “DJ Moves” Higgins, Derek “D-Rock” MacKenzie, and Cory “Cheklove Shakil” Bowles, Hip Club Groove launched the careers off the three founding members, as well as frequent collaborators Robert “Sixtoo” Squire and Gordon “Gordski” Campbell. After releasing two records, Higgins and MacKenzie moved on to roles in Len, while Bowles went on to a role in cult Canadian TV hit Trailer Park Boys.

Limited edition to 300 copies. Double LP on Sky Blue vinyl

YRap virtuoso Your Old Droog is among the most consistent artists in hip-hop today, releasing phenomenal music at an increasingly impressive rate. Now, the Ukrainian emcee is back with the new project YOD Wave. The collection finds Droog levitating over soulful loops, conjuring pure hip-hop euphoria with sophisticated rhymes and an impeccable flow. YOD Wave features appearances by Mach-Hommy and Tha God Fahim, with all beats handled by acclaimed Montreal producer Nicholas Craven.

As one of hip hop’s premier auteurs, Danny Brown has been no stranger to conscious themes and current affairs; much of his discography features blisteringly honest verses set to explosive productions. But on his sixth album Quaranta, Danny Brown shows a new side: with his forlorn face half obscured by the shadows of his past, he delivers a raw, autobiographical clarity that we haven’t seen before.

Part of this comes with age. “Quaranta” means “forty” in Italian, marking pivotal moments and epiphanies in the years since his breakout record XXX. It’s also where the word “quarantine” originates, not only referring to the decade defining lockdowns the album was written in, but to a deep sense of isolation and self reflection that colours Danny’s storytelling. As the album’s very first line says, “This rap shit done saved my life and fucked it up at the same time”: there’s no begging for pity here, rather Danny is telling all, with ‘Maggot Brain’-esque shreds framing his bare, wisened voice.

Danny’s vanguard status as an artist allows him to school the youngins of the rap game while unpacking his own downfalls. In that way, Quaranta becomes a case study of the rapper, reckoning with the realities of his dream career. ‘Y.B.P.’ is as much an admonishment of destitute living situations as it is a celebration of Detroit’s ingenuity, leading into an abstract thesis on gentrification in ‘Jenn’s Terrific Vacation’, where musical structures are knocked down and rebuilt just as quickly as the architectural ones are, while freezing tones depict stagnation in the midst of immense change.

Part of the “Ultimate Supreme Ninja Champion” series which is loosely based around 1980s bootleg ninja movies. The a-side is a rap / heavy metal song produced by Mr. Green featuring Gucci Mane and the new band Garden of Fire. The song is entitled “Gucci Ninja Assassins 2: In The Metal Garden of Fire” and the songs instrumental and drums stems are also included. The b-side is music from the 緑 music library, which is music for tv/film that is also popular for producer to use as samples.

n linguistics, “lingua franca” is a term for a language used to communicate across cultures. For instance, the lingua franca of the Internet is typically English; in post-colonial Africa, French is often the lingua franca. For Athens, Georgia-based rapper, linguist, activist, parent, and politician Mariah Parker (they/them), aka Linqua Franqa, music is the tool they use to communicate – and educate – across cultural boundaries. Parker is a linqua franqa for the people.

Weaving a rich tapestry of hip-hop lyricism and neo-soul hooks, Parker imbues every song with a sense of urgency and keen social consciousness. This is particularly evident on the forthcoming sophomore album Bellringer, produced by Parker, Reindeer Games, and Joel Hatstat and featuring guest spots from Jeff Rosenstock, Of Montreal, Kishi Bashi, Dope KNife, Wesdaruler, and Angela Davis. On Bellringer, Parker does not hold back, touching on issues like police brutality, social media addiction, mental health, anti-capitalism, labor organizing, among other topics ripped from the headlines.

As a county commissioner serving the poorest district in Athens, Georgia, Parker is well-versed in the forces that threaten vulnerable communities. But as the pandemic took hold and threw the world into a constant state of tragedy and unease, Parker began writing the songs that would shape Bellringer as a way to “process the crisis we were living through, and then use that as a form of mass political education.” As Parker puts it, Bellringer is about taking the “aesthetic pleasure of hip-hop to educate people about why things are so bad and what can we do about it.”

The name Bellringer, which follows Parker’s 2018 debut album Model Minority, reflects Parker’s love of language play and double-entendres. “I thought of the word bellringer in two ways,” they explain. “A bellringer is a jab to the face that knocks someone out completely, but it also invokes someone ringing the bell to sound the alarm about something.”

Parker started out their artistic journey scribbling notes in their journal during high school anatomy class and traveling with their mother, a touring gospel singer. By the time they got to college in Asheville, North Carolina, Parker started exploring slam poetry and freestyling. “There was these white boys in my dorm that would have Freestyle Fridays and freestyle together,” Parker says. “And I was like, ‘what the?’ Like, I'm not gonna sit back here with my notebook full of sick bars and not show these cats what's up.”

Parker has arguably spent their entire career to date doing just that. Channeling issues-minded lyricists like Noname, Jay Electronica, Meek Mill, and Immortal Technique on the clattering, modern day labor anthem “Wurk,” Parker directly addresses frontline employees and calls for organization in the face of exploitation. “The pandemic saw the greatest transfer of wealth from the working class to billionaires, perhaps in the history of humanity,” Parker elaborates. “I'm shouting out the people driving FedEx trucks and getting spit on in the hospital and whipping the grocery carts around the parking lot of Kroger. I’m saying, ‘Y'all don't have to take this. Come together and fight and you can get what you actually deserve.’”

Meanwhile, the album's cacophonous title track loops in Jeff Rosenstock to revisit the 1991 murder of 15-year-old Latasha Harlins, who was shot in a South Central convenience store. Both reflective and braggadocious, Parker nods to the ways that trauma like Latasha’s manifests: hot temperedness, antagonism, substance abuse, and belligerent boasting.

In the same vein, album closer “Abolition” considers the work left to do to free the people. Over a looped harmony of civil rights hero Angela Davis’ famous quote – “to be radical simply means grasping things at the root” – Parker calls out performative (and ultimately empty) gestures made by prominent politicians when members of the Black community are killed by police. The song’s outro then features Davis herself describing her excitement about the new vigor of the abolition movement after 50 years of lonely anti-prison activism. “What shocked me the most was her humility and willingness to learn from the younger generation,” Parker says of working with Davis. “She expressed a lot of excitement about the current moment that we're in.”

Bellringer is also not without its intensely personal moments: On the soulful, funk-flecked “Necessity,” Parker dissects the chaos of pursuing ill-fitting relationships in lieu of self-actualization while dropping in references to Parker’s since-passed cat Eggs and the since-shuttered Athens dive bar The Max Canada.

Later, Parker offers a sequel to Model Minority track “Eight Weeks,” where they described the difficult decision to have an abortion. Here, on the piano-accompanied “13 Weeks,” Parker, who recorded Bellringer while pregnant with their first child, ponders the joy and anxiety of parenthood.

Ultimately, Bellringer is a natural continuation of the work Parker has committed themselves to both as an artist and politician. Boiled down to a word, Bellringer at its heart is about liberation – and the obstacles that prevent us from achieving it.

Acclaimed producer, songwriter, and vocalist Shafiq Husayn has been a vital force on the Los Angeles music scene for decades. A member of trendsetting trio Sa-Ra Creative Partners, Shafiq has produced tracks for a staggering spectrum of talent, including Erykah Badu, Ty Dolla $ign, Pharoahe Monch, Robert Glasper, Ice T, Bilal, Jurassic 5, and many more. Over the last few years, the Grammy winner has also become the leader of The Dove Society, an expansive L.A. musical collective. Now, Shafiq Husayn and The Dove Society are debuting the new album So Gold, an eclectic masterpiece emerging from sessions Shafiq describes as “pure love, magic, inspiration!” A worthy follow-up to Shafiq’s acclaimed 2018 opus The Loop, the album features contributions from Anderson .Paak, Syd (of The Internet), Peyton, Thurz, Jimetta Rose, Speed Walton, and many more. Bursting with the kinetic energy of vibrant creative collaboration, the album synthesizes disparate styles into a cohesive tapestry of lush cosmic soul. “It’s new age everything and above,” Shafiq explains. “Focused and direct in the songwriting and production, but still adventurous and refreshing.”

When Curren$y, Smoke Dza and Harry Fraud got together at a Times Square recording studio one night in the summer of 2013, they didn't know that they would be recording The Stage EP in one session. However, once they got into the room together, they locked the door and didn't come out until they had laid down four heaters, all over classic Harry Fraud style beats. The trio immediately knew they had something special and enlisted the services of French Montana and Big K.R.I.T. to round out their masterpiece.

Turning an impromptu studio session into the foundation for a full collaboration project is nothing new to these industry vets, with Curren$y and Harry Fraud creating /recording their Cigarette Boats EP in similar fashion. The Stage was initially released as a "mixtape" on DatPiff in October of 2013, and only recently made available on DSPs. On June 7th, 2019 fans of Curren$y, Dza and Fraud will finally be able to add to this gem to their vinyl collection by ordering this limited edition pressing, available on Opaque Purple wax, and with the Instrumentals included on the b-side... With only 1000 copies of this colorway being pressed, make sure you don't miss out!

Your Old Droog has been releasing music at a remarkable pace lately, and he isn't showing any signs of slowing down, as the prolific Brooklyn emcee is back with the new album “yod Wave”.

Featuring appearances by Mach-Hommy and Tha God Fahim, the collection is pure hip-hop euphoria, with Droog’s sophisticated rhymes levitating over soulful loops. “yod Wave” is entirely produced by famed Montreal artist Nicholas Craven, who has worked with the likes of Roc Marciano, Westside Gunn, Conway, Boldy James, Styles P, and more.

Masta Ace joins forces with the metal faced MF Doom for Son of Yvonne, a highly personal concept album that celebrates the life and legacy of Ace’s recently departed Mother. Like his 2004 landmark Disposable Arts, Son of Yvonne is meticulously constructed with stories, settings, and characters that resonate with flesh and bone humanity. Interstitial vignettes provide a thematic backbone to the experience, and each track complements and completes the previous to form a narrative whole: a sometimes visceral, sometimes nostalgic slice of Ace’s young life in Brownsville, Brooklyn.

Entirely underscored by MF Doom’s iconic Special Herbs instrumentals, Son of Yvonne features the Juice Crew general Big Daddy Kane, new comers Pav Bundy (The Bundies), Reggie B and even MF Doom on the mic. It’s Masta Ace’s no frills flow, however, that looms largest above the dusty samples and digger loops that define Doom’s production. Ace’s photo-realistic rhymes about stick-up kids, spraycan artists and wack emcees add extra gravity to his already celebrated reputation as “truly an under-appreciated rap veteran and underground luminary” (Allmusic Guide). Like Eminem recalls in his 2008 autobiography The Way I Am, “Masta Ace had amazing storytelling skills. His thoughts were so vivid.”

Your Old Droog has been releasing music at a remarkable pace lately, and he isn't showing any signs of slowing down, as the prolific Brooklyn emcee is back with the new album “yod Wave”. Featuring appearances by Mach-Hommy and Tha God Fahim, the collection is pure hip-hop euphoria, with Droog’s sophisticated rhymes levitating over soulful loops. “yod Wave” is entirely produced by famed Montreal artist Nicholas Craven, who has worked with the likes of Roc Marciano, Westside Gunn, Conway, Boldy James, Styles P, and more.

How would Roc Marciano and MF Doom sound if they were born in Athens to immigrant parents? MC Yinka & DJ Booker provide an answer by teaming up to bring us their first LP “Night Lights”. MC Yinka finds inspiration in blighted areas, urban struggles and multicultural subcultures. With a unique and characteristic voice, he touches on various social and spiritual matters and concerns.

Night Lights is fully produced by DJ Booker who surprises with his sample selection and the overall approach on the production. He balances between trippy and minimal sounds with dark and abstract samples. The beats vary from broken to “J Dilla – inspired” rhythms to discreet patterns that trigger the imagination and the expectations of the audience.

Not to mention the scratching skills of DJ Booker which spice up the music production and established him as one of the best scratch DJs in Europe according to British magazine “Undercover Hip-Hop”.

The album features one of the most “conscious” MCs, Mr. Lif, well known for his collaboration with the Thievery Corporation, and the hip-hop street performers Twinsanity who call our attention to the raw reality from Athens to Boston.

After a 3 year break Shuko & F. Of Audiotreats are finally back with a new Cookies & Cream Edition. This is the Soundtrack for your summer jams, pool sessions and late night rides. A full length Album full with good vibes by the producers behind a lot tunes from acts like Talib Kweli, Big Pooh of Little Brothers, Kev Brown, B-Real of Cypress Hill, C.L. Smooth, Evidence, Fashawn and more. Cookies & Cream 4 is the first release on Shuko´s own music label „For the love of it“ and the start for a lot upcoming jams this year.

Rising Syracuse, New York artist Stove God Cooks has teamed up with producer Superior for a maxi-single collaboration entitled "The God That Sat by the Stove". On his first offering since "Reasonable Drought", Stove God thrives over the sample-heavy productions by the German producer. With a distinctively East Coast attitude and a production style that perfectly matches the rapper’s gruff delivery, the two make a compelling pair.

If it's really a post-genre world, why does everything sound the same? The two halves of Tampa rap duo They Hate Change_Dre (he/him) and Vonne (they/them)_first came together in front of the apartment complex where they both lived as teens. Dre had just moved down from Rochester, NY; Vonne was trying to sell him bad weed. It was clear from the start that the two listen to music differently from most people_they're sonic omnivores, obsessive deep-divers, lovers of rare and radical sounds. Starting as kids trawling the internet for tracks, they've been collecting music from around the world and across the decades, amassing a shared sonic knowledge so deep that "encyclopedic" barely begins to cover it _ not just the East Coast hip-hop that Dre grew up on, or the hyperlocal bass-music variants like jook (the Gulf Coast's twerkably raunchy answer to house) and crank (think "Miami bass meets Nola bounce"), but also drum `n' bass, Chicago footwork, post-punk, prog (they're, like, seriously into prog), grime, krautrock, emo, and basically any genre on the map. Once they graduated to DJs on the Tampa DIY scene _ which includes everything from punk rock house parties to the black "teen nights" that pop up in rec centers and ballrooms _ they figured out how to pull all these disparate sounds together into a cohesive style. More importantly, they figured out how to make it something people will actually move to. When they made the transition to rapping and making beats, they brought that pleasure-seeking approach to sonic experimentation with them. "With this album, Vonne says, "it's really like, okay, you know how you talk about the internet breaking down borders? Here's what that actually sounds like. It's not just a hip-hop record with a couple more weird sounds. You want homegrown DIY? This is a record that was written, produced, and recorded in a 150-squarefoot bedroom from the least cool city you could think of." Finally, New is what a truly post-genre musical landscape is supposed to be: building deep connections that transcend outdated distinctions between them, spilling over with the joy of exploration and possibility, and daring other artists to think broader, go deeper, take bigger risks. Let the rest of them keep playing by the old rules_They Hate Change will keep changing the game.