Search "dave+aju+heirlooms" 464 Items

It's safe to say that 2018 was a very busy year for both Klever Skemes and Willie The Kid, as they both delivered several bodies of work on their own and managed to put together these two incredible chapters of their "Gold Rush" series. Klever Skemes spotless productions perfectly combine with Willie The Kid's unique flow to deliver the perfect sequel to the "Gold Rush", featuring guest appearances by Roc Marciano as well as Manic, who fuels the engine behind the "Gold Rush" operation with his Romanic imprint. This incredible team is stepping their game up is ready to leave a mark in the game. We are glad to team up with Romanic once again to bring you the sequel complete with all instrumentals on the Bside as a limited edition of 500 handnumbered copies, with the first 200 pressed on white vinyl with gold splatter, and the remaining 300 on black vinyl.

It’s been 6 years after the last collab from Statik Selektah & Termanology as 1982. Since the last album, 2012, both have dropped critically acclaimed albums such as What Goes Around & More Politics. They return with their signature sound on songs such as “Can’t Let It Go” & “Different Now”. They also continue the tradition of introducing new talent, as they previously have with the late Mac Miller, Action Bronson, & Freddie Gibbs. Meet UFO Fev, Fat Joe’s newest signee. CJ Fly of Pro Era & battle-champ NEMS also appear. STILL 1982 fills the gap in an era of auto tune & repetitive sounds that
will last the test of time. We have teamed up with the legendary duo to release "Still 1982" on vinyl as a limited edition of 500 hand-numbered copies, 300 pressed on black vinyl.

Limited to 200 copies on black vinyl. Individually, Justo the MC & maticulous have impressive resumes in the underground hip hop circuit. Justo, who came up under the Gang Starr Foundation, has worked with Lord Finesse, Rockwilder, Marco Polo and DJ Skizz, releasing numerous projects, most recently “Black Ops,” produced entirely by Showbiz of DITC.maticulous, who came up under Fat Beats NY, has delivered several producer albums and instrumental projects having produced for the likes of MF Doom, Masta Ace, Your Old Droog, Fame Of MOP, Blu, RA the Rugged Man and many more. After a chance meeting at SiriusXM studios, the duo started to craft what would become “Mind Of A Man.” This album showcases the feeling of Brooklyn hip hop that stands firm on tradition, giving you true school flavor you’ve been missing.
Featuring guest appearances by Kev Brown, Rasheed Chappell, DJ Eclipse and Davenport Grimes. Limited edition of 300 hand-numbered copies, with the first 100 pressed on black / grey A-side B-side vinyl, the remaining 200 pressed on black vinyl.

Australian producer Flu keeps delivering dope collaborations with some of the best MC's in the new breed of Upstate New York hip-hop, and after dropping his "Motion Picture" EP earlier this year with Eto, he's now brought out another banger with Da Cloth's Rigz entitled "A Piece of The Action". Five tracks of raw bars and killer productions, with guest appearances by Eto, Maverick Montana and Mooch. We are happy to once again collaborate with Crate Cartel to bring you this limited edition

Collaboration project by Colorado producer Klever Skemes and Grand Rapids MC Willie The Kid. Featuring guest appearances by Roc Marciano, Eto and Manic. Limited edition of 300 hand-numbered copies black vinyl

Limited to 200 copies on black vinyl! New collaboration by roman producer Cuns, as he recruits Long Island MC John Jigg$. Features guest appearances by Daniel Son, Benny, Crimeapple and extra cuts by PF Cuttin.

Cover with seam split on top spine. Copy 279/300. Orange/black vinyl

The Original Tuff Crew DJ's First Solo Album! Extremely powerful instrumental hiphop with masterful cuts by the legendary tuff crew turntablist. Don't sleep on this if you dig the golden age vibe and energy!After very limited CD release in 2022 now on vinyl! Tuff Crew founder DJ Too Tuff presents his debut solo album. Putting his turntable skills on full display, Behold The Detonator is nearly 40 minutes of scratch wizardry over block rocking beats. You don't need emcees on tracks like theese. Also features an exclusive DJ favorite: an instrumental version of the Tuff Crew hit My Part of Town!

DITC’s legendary producer Buckwild is back with his second producer album of 2020, aptly titled “Music Is My Religion”. His devotion to the craft has made history and continues to do so, with the Bronx’s producer collaborating with more and more interesting new names in today’s game. On this new offering he has gathered guest appearances by Fred The Godson (RIP), Willie The Kid, Planet Asia, Milano Constantine, Has Kingpin, Flee Lord Daniel Son, Rim of Da Villins and Jay Royale among others. With the first limited edition pressing selling out quickly, the record is now available once again for retail distribution.

Polyglot on Chloroform presents two of the best kept bicoastal secrets in an effort of linguistic expressionism and genre abolition. In 7 tracks Los Angeles’ Rhys Langston turns his rapping into a conceptual artist’s toolkit. And in the 20 min runtime, Brooklyn’s steel tipped dove employs his decades of experiences in the dungeons of leftward rap to take texture and timbre to task. Tearing through the boundaries of experimental rap, Langston rhymes abstraction and absurdity, with poetic English peppered in Romance language phrases, – even as he croons like an alternate-reality grunge singer, and mutters spoken word in Spanish. Bouncing off the contemporary underground’s dour flavor, dove crafts tilt-shifting beats, pliable chord progressions, and oddball foley– nestling the maximalist approach to language and meaning in careful impressionism. Released on Fused Arrow Records, it sees Rhys Langston’s music for the first time ever on vinyl, and builds upon steel tipped dove’s emergent role as prolific underground curator, collaborator, and mastermind.

Slingbaum One is produced by Slingbaum, Tariq Khan, and Rashad Ringo ''Tumblin Dice'' Smith and features Erykah Badu, D'Angelo, FKA twigs, Oumou Sangare, Nick Hakim, Damon Albarn, Bilal, Syd, Ahmad Jamal, Ron Carter, Cory Henry, Masayuki ''BIGYUKI'' Hirano, Jameel Bruner, Marcus Strickland, Chris Dave, Justin Brown, Keyon Harrold, Nicholas Semrad, Aaron Liao, Bendji Allonce, William ''Cito'' Vjvas, Ben Tiptonford, Rob Moose, Zach Brock, Celia Hatton, Malcolm Parson, Perrin Moss, Fernando Diaz, Simon Mavin, Jake Sherman, Paul Kowert, Amani Fela Greene, Austin Williamson, Rashad Ringo ''Tumblin Dice'' Smith, Tariq Khan, and Slingbaum. It is also co-written by all aforementioned artists.

180gram black 12'' vinyl manufactured at RTI
24-pt board sleeve in poly-vinyl bag
Total record duration is approximately sixteen minutes

R.I.P. MF DOOM

Superhero? Supervillain? Super WHAT? CZARFACE & MF DOOM's newest team-up record Super What? is, much like the Avengers' arch-enemy Thanos...inevitable (and all-powerful!). The icon MF DOOM unleashes his wizardry and wordplay throughout the record, while CZARFACE (bolstered by the legendary Wu-Tang Clan's Inspectah Deck and Esoteric) slash through each of the Czar-Keys' produced tracks as the team raises the bar on their previous LP, Czarface meets Metalface (2018). Featuring golden-age superhero DMC (of RUN-DMC) and Hieroglyphics' leader Del The Funky Homosapien,
With art by longtime CZARFACE co-creator Lamour Supreme, this album will bring all the thrills of a cosmic summer blockbuster. Recorded and slated for an early 2020 release, and paused while COVID raged, this collaboration of masked men is finally finding its way to you on all formats.

And here we have it people – the previously CD-only-released 1992-1993 demos on vinyl for the very first time. Classic unreleased Tuff Crew business from back in the archives of legendary DJ Too Tuff. All these joints were recorded on a Tascam 488 8-track cassette with the beats created on an Akai MPC 60. Some killers on here for fans of the group as well as the golden era heads out there. Here are 6 crazy nice joints from the project, all transferred from original tapes, reels and DATs. If you don’t know, now you know. BAM!!!!

After a three year hiatus, the rap trident known as Death At The Derby is back with another full LP, this time entirely produced by Toronto based producer Finn. An 11 track project, “Capitano” is themed behind some of the games most respected & legendary captains to rock the honorary armband.

Inspired by their previous 2020 release “Ballon D’Or”, this latest LP is both the first official drop, yet second installment to their newest series entitled Club & Country. With the third & final season of their celebrates derby series around the way, this record is the next phase in their wave of worldwide work.

Cuts provided by their resident DJ, DJ Dubplates, the project is both a rare & raw blend of potent underground production, cultured sound bites, top flight lyricism & love for the beautiful game. Whether El Salvador, Romania, North Ireland or Argentina, the roster is monster. Centered around a tracklist aligned by the player’s actual jersey numbers, this collection of stars shine bright as any constellation.

Limited to 600 copies. A one-time pressing with this cover. An exclusive only available at Fatbeats in the US and HHV for rest of the world. For all DJs, graffiti enthusiasts and collectors. In celebration of the 20th anniversary of Non Phixion’s seminal LP, The Future Is Now, Uncle Howie Records is pleased to announce the release of a special instrumental edition 2xlp.

Comprised of group members ILL Bill, Lord Goat (f/k/a Goretex), Sabac Red and DJ Eclipse, The Future Is Now remains the group’s sole full length effort, garnering much acclaim among both critics and fans alike. Considered by many as an underground classic, Tfin boasts a production dream team that includes DJ Premier, Pete Rock and Large Professor, who had yet to appear credited together on the same album since the release of Nas’ Illmatic.

With additional production supplied by JuJu of The Beatnuts, Dave 1 of Chromeo, T-Ray and Necro, this special edition instrumental offering is sure to be a treasure for both fans of the group, as well as true school audiophiles the world over. To boot, this release marks the first time the instrumentals have been made available on vinyl in nearly 20 years!

Production aside, the LP jacket will be adorned with an overhauled version of the left half of the never before seen ‘final’ mural illustrated by Mear One. Why just the left half, you ask? Well, Uncle Howie Records will also be releasing an acappella version of the album for the first time—also as a 2xlp—which will feature the right half of the mural, making this a true collector’s edition to reel in the milestone!

This 20th anniversary instrumental edition of The Future Is Now is set for release on March 24th via Uncle Howie Records in partnership with Fat Beats Distribution.

First time, the instrumentals have been available on vinyl since 2003! Production supplied by an all-star line-up of DJ Premier, Pete Rock and Large Professor, among others. When purchased with the acappellas, both album covers will form an overhauled version of the ‘final’ Mear One designed mural, making this a true collector’s piece

tbc

Legendary Bronx producer and Ditc representative Buckwild doesn’t need much introduction, his credit list speaks for itself having produced for a plethora of legends such as Notorious BIG, Faith Evans, Nas, 50 Cent, AZ, Big L and the list goes on. Recently he’s been getting busy with several up and coming names and on this brand new album he’s bringing the heat with a few of them as well, having gathered well established names such as Raekwon, Meyhem Lauren, Little Brother and Chris Rivers together with new buzzing cats such as Madhattan, Rasheed Chappell and Asun Eastwood. Buckwild has delivered an album that’s as “Fully Loaded” as the title says, proving once again his legendary status in this game.

Following last year's collaboration with Boldy James on "Real Bad Boldy", LA producer and watch slinger Real Bad Man is back with the 4th instalment of his On High Alert series! On this new chapter he recruits an incredible line-up of rappers, featuring The Alchemist, Cappadonna, Evidence, Marlon Craft, M.A.V., Maxo, Meyhem Lauren, Mooch, Rigz, Roc Marciano, Rome Streetz, Sachill Pages, Sauce Heist, Stove God Cooks and Willie The Kid.

Blood Smoke Vinyl.The Instrumental version of the underground classic El Michels Affair & BlackThought collaborative album Glorious GameWhen Leon Michels and El Michels Affair released their rst record, SoundingOut The City, in 2005, it was hard to guess what was next for Michels andhis then-introduced, now-patented "cinematic soul" sound. Now, four EMAstudio albums and scores of tribute and remix projects later_all whileproducing for some of the biggest names in the industry_Michels hastrademarked his sound, with each project taking audiences somewhere newand pushing the boundaries of what he is known for. The man is a river, not alake and this time he takes his golden touch into the realm of hip-hop layingdown a musical bed for one of the greatest to ever rhyme into a microphone:Black Thought of The Roots crew.Releasing on Big Crown Records, the LP is called Glorious Game and it is aremarkable debut partnership in more ways than one. Michels provides hisbottom-heavy, soul-tinged production for Black Thought who gives us some ofthe more personal and transparent verses we've ever heard from him. Michelsand Black Thought have been in each other's orbit for a while now. The tworst met in the 2000s when Thought was rst getting familiar with thecontemporary soul scene. "Out of that whole world, Menahan Street Bandwas probably my favorite," recalling the funk and soul group Michels was afounding member of back in 2007. Fast forward a few years and musiciansfrom that collective_Dave Guy on trumpet and Ian Hendrickson-Smith on sax_are now full time players with The Roots. This connection eventually ledLeon and Thought to doing a few fundraising events around NYC and Phillytogether. "Before long, Black Thought was coming around the studio andwould jam with us from time to time," Michels explains. "Then, fast forward to2020 and COVID lockdowns, he just hit me up out of the blue, wanting me tosend him stuff to write to. We both were looking to stay busy."Bei...

2021 pressing Fresh off 2018's collaborative LP with the enigmatic MF DOOM, "CZARFACE meets METAL FACE,"
the adventure continues as CZARFACE now faces off with Wu-Tang Clan's GHOSTFACE KILLAH.
"Czarface meets Ghostface" brings strictly mind melting beats and bars as 3 emcees clash like villains & heroes in the Savage Land. Czarface, a hip-hop & comics force comprised of WU-TANG CLAN general Inspectah Deck, Esoteric (who recently penned an X-Men comic for
Marvel) and super
producer 7L team up with Ghostface aka Iron-Man aka Tony Starks for murderous meyhem!
Czar commando's Rebel INS & Esoteric trade lines such as "follow in my footsteps might tear your Achilles," & "flow customized got that Dapper Dan touch" with Ghost on the assist "chain is off the cooler, charm look like a shrunken head". With Track titles like "The King Heard Voices", "Mongolian Beef", "Czarrcade '87", "Masked Superstars" & "Powers and Stuff" expect nothing short of a super charged collaboration!
12 brand new tracks Produced entirely by The Czar-Keys (7L & Jeremy Page)

MAX Tannone, the man behind Jaydiohead, drops "mos Dub" mashing up 10 fresh MOS DEF raps like "MS. FAT Booty", "travellin Man", and "hurricane" feat. Common & Black Thought with classic dub & reggae cuts from Desmond Dekker, LEE Perry, King Tubby & Errol Thompson.

CZARFACE, iron clad crime fighter, heroically returns to his lair after two spine-chilling adventures with MF DOOM and GHOSTFACE KILLAH. In his secret hideout, he has whipped up a few uncanny surprises for longtime Czar fans...expect curveball concepts, solo exploits, and noggin nodding neck-snappers alike.
“The Odd Czar Against Us” launches this winter on compact disc and vinyl, and CZARFACE goes full Voltron, employing every asset in his arsenal, maximizing lyrical efforts from Inspectah Deck & Esoteric and pulse-pounding production from in house beatsmith 7L & Jeremy Page. This album stands to be the group’s most ambitious and challenging effort to date. Are the odds against him this time, or are they against the underworld? Tune in to find out!

Debut vinyl release and monster underground hip hop producer-project from AJ Munson. Heavy new producer-project from west coast beat maker AJ Munson. Damn, the production on this one is out of control. MC’s Include Ruste Juxx , M-Dot, Pawz One, Recognize Ali, Reks, Supreme Cerebral, El Gant, Rapper Big Pooh, Verbal Kent and more. 19 of em in total plus 3 fly dj’s. There will be 350 copies pressed only. 230 are on traditional black wax and that is the version we got here.

Plain white no-hole jacket with 20 cm x 20 cm Black & Blue colour sticker

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.

What happens when you bring together a space hop juggernaut with a spacey electro-soul outfit? The Hue collective, hailing from Space City, is the aftermath of combining the critically acclaimed groups H.I.S.D. (Hueston Independent Spit District) with their cosmic kinsmen and rising sensation Radio Galaxy. Their mission is to explore the creation of music with no boundaries. Features Grammy Award winning drummer Chris Daddy Dave (D'Angelo and the Vanguard), Grammy Award winning bassist Derrick Hodge (Robert Glasper Experiment) and Grammy Award winning rapper Ladybug Mecca (Digable Planets).

Sleepy Soldier finds Tanna pushing the boundaries of his creative expression while embracing a certain emotional complexity in his storytelling. The core message of the album is love, humanity, endurance. He likes to describe it as “human music” because it’s very honest about the span of emotions we all go through in a single day on this planet—all the sadness and disappointment and stress and also the joy. In a perfect counterpart to that vast scope of feeling, Sleepy Soldier offers up such sonically eclectic tracks as “Picasso” (a punk-leaning anthem that transforms frustration into pure catharsis) and “Death n’ Taxes” (a gorgeously ethereal, guitar-laced piece graced with wisdom Tanna gained during a mind-expanding trip to the ocean).

53CREE: BAD LUCK is the debut fulllength by Buffalo seasoned emcee Lucky Seven, entirely produced by himself and featuring guest appearances by buzzing Griselda artists Conway, Benny The Butcher and ELCAMINO, as well as other local Buffalo acts Billie Essco, Young Squire, Mitch Arizona and Braden Blair. Coming from a dark place, this debut record perfectly displays Lucky Seven spotless skills both behind the mic and handling the production side and is set to be a classic in the history of Buffalo and leave its mark on modern day hip-hop. We have teamed up with Howhood University Records to bring you this limited edition of 300 hand-numbered copies with the first 100 pressed on clear red vinyl, and the remaining 200 on black vinyl.

Rising from the wreckage of a war torn planet, Czarface joins forces with MF Doom in the epic Czarface Meets Metal Face!
Blending Doom's trademark abstractions and Czarface's in-your-face lyrical attack, this album is ripe with cartoon violence, societal observations and pop culture musings. Over banging beats provided by The Czar-Keys, the armored team give you the witty unpredictable treats any hip-hop fan can sink their fangs into.
Expect beats, rhymes, and metal as Czarface controlled by Wu-Tang Clan powerhouse Inspectah Deck and 7L & Esoteric team up with everyone's favorite villain, MF Doom. With track titles like "Nautical Depth","Meddle With Metal", "Astral Traveling"
to "Madness of Badness" this album packs a punch with 16 brand new tracks. Add that with features from Open Mike Eagle and Jedi Mind Tricks' Vinnie Paz, we promise you mind-bending metaphors and brain-melting beats as this powerful pairing sounds off in
March 2018!

2023 repress.

Described by music journalists as German wonder boy and multinational phenomenon, Berlin-based music producer and beat maker Meeco has been an internationally respected big name among music lovers and music experts for quite some time. Deeply rooted in jazz and soul music, he has released four albums featuring an eclectic mix of star guests from different genres including Talib Kweli, Gregory Porter, John Scofield and Casey Benjamin (Robert Glasper Experiment), always moving effortlessly between jazz, soul and hip-hop. Not a conservative musician by any stretch, Meeco is used to doing things big, out of the norm and striking new approaches. On this new venture, WE OUT Here, Meeco delivers a pure hip-hop album. Again, he did not skimp on star power as the featured artists include big names such as Smif n’ Wessun, Masta Ace, Little Fame (of M.O.P.), Big Shug, and A.G. (of D.I.T.C.). All of the tracks were exclusively produced on the legendary EMU Sp1200, a 12-bit sampler, providing a particular grit and signature boom bap sound.

DJ/Producer and musical storyteller J.PERIOD (The Hamilton Mixtape, Black Thought, The Live Mixtape) is back with his highly-anticipated Story To Tell (Chapter Two), a sonic adventure through Hip Hop, Soul, R&B and Reggae featuring performances from Andra Day, Aloe Blacc, Joss Stone, Kardinal Offishall, Estelle, Mumu Fresh, Camp and Mayda Del Valle; narration from Dave Chappelle; co-production from Rance Dopson (1500 or Nothin), J.Mo, DJ Khalil, Tall Black Guy and Stro Elliot; and original illustrations from acclaimed artist, Dan Lish.

Grafh is one of only a handful of rappers from the early 2000s NYC scene to successfully transition into the new underground movement. After releasing two solo LPs and collab albums with Flee Lord and DJ Shay (rip) in the last four years, he recently dropped his highest profile project to date, Art of Words, entirely produced by the top emcee/producer in the game, 38 Spesh. The 10-t+W29rack offering reaffirms Grafh is a force to be reckoned with on the mic. To add gas to the already blazing fire recruited an all-star guest line-up for the album that includes Conway The Machine, Rome Streetz, Bun B, Dave East, and Giggs.

Lonely Horizon is the 1st full length solo album by the talented funk musician and composer Michele Manzo. Drifting along a crest of lush chords, rhythmically driving vintage drum machines and rich, piercing bass lines Manzo has created a work which puts the mind at ease and compels the body to move.

Manzo’s Lonely Horizon was produced in his Italian studio and mastered by the legendary Dave Cooley of Elysian Masters in Los Angeles. With brilliant features from long respected Brooklyn MC J-Live and Mo’Funk Records resident boogie queen Moniquea, This 8 track vinyl is a must have for groove hounds, dance floor junkies and perpetual chillers alike.

In mid march of 2018 Manzo will be touring with UK soul staple Omar in promotion of Lonely Horizon’s record store day release. Two additional Italian vocal edits are included on the cassette recording and both cassette and vinyl are complete with exciting artwork which fits the sounds so closely that the lines between your visual and audio experience may feel blurred. Don't stress though, you’re just drunk on the funk.

With a name as bold as Junglepussy and an artistry to match, Shayna McHayle is New York's premier rap rule-breaker. Honest, funny, and freaky, her rhymes span from the explicitly audacious to the tenderly relatable. Her unfailingly confident flow accentuates her roots in Brooklyn (her parents are from Trinidad and Jamaica), and her bars land with cool impact. In the universe that is Junglepussy, relationships are complicated, vegetables are magic, and an excellently delivered flex on an ex is one punchline away. Jp4 is Junglepussy's stellar next phase. With contributions from vocalist Ian Isiah, rapper Gangsta Boo, and producers Dave Sitek and Nick Hook, Jp4 is Junglepussy ascended. After almost a decade of experimenting, Junglepussy feels she's finally living up to her name. The numerology of four, in its foundational symbolism, is an apt frame for Jp4. Over an eight year career, Junglepussy's music has led her to lecture at Yale and Columbia, create her own Junglepussy Juice, star in 2018 feature film Support The Girls, and embark on sold-out domestic and international tours. For Junglepussy, Jp4 is a culminating moment_one that holds the essence of closure while hinting at an exciting and expansive future.

Nas returns with Kanye West produced Nasir.

Building on his already impressive resume, DJ Kay Slay returns to set the streets ablaze with his latest offering, Accolades. Featuring the next installment in the highly-acclaimed posse cut series, Rolling Deep, DJ Kay Slay blesses listeners with the ultimate version, Rolling 110 Deep, containing over 40 minutes of pure bars from some of hip-hop royalty, including Sheek Louch, Styles P, Dave East, Crooked I, Black Thought, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah and many more. Other standouts include 72 Bar Assasin (feat. The Game), Extravagant Lifestyle (feat. Raekwon, Sheek Louch, Ghostface Killag & Tragedy Khadafi), & Harlem Block Money (feat. Dave East, Vado, Jim Jones, Shoota 93 & Talkit Trigga)

Limited Edition.
No. 232/500

Cover corners dented, otherwise VG+
Record with just a few paper scuffs.
Includes original insert.

Vinyl with a couple of light scuffs. Copy n° 115/300

Still shrink wrapped but opened.
Cover with a beginning seam split at the upper edge.

Limited edition of 250 hand-numbered copies on black vinyl.

Yogisoul returns with his first album in 8 years, after breaking through creative blocks and discovering a newfound love for his producing craft rooted in his childhood.

A timeless throwback offering, an instant classic that will leave you wondering if you somehow missed this record reminiscent of 90’s West Coast Rap. It’s that blunt rolling record, with the deep G-Funk grooves, skits, and raps by Woof. A record inspired by the albums Yogisoul grew up listening to. A combination of his imagination of the West Coast California landscape portrayed by 90’s records on Death Row Records, and the real-life experiences of California-based rapper, Woof.

But before Yogi could get started on the project, he had some creative barriers to work through, hurdles that had him wondering if he’d continue making music at all.

“A few years back I became a father, worked as a teacher, and didn't really feel inspired by the music I was making. I was kinda fed up with the lane I was in musically and had doubts about continuing. Which was very strange since I´ve been into music so heavily since I was a kid. Time for music was a bit limited and I just hit a creative stop for a while.”

Sometimes an existential crisis is all you need to unlock the tools to look deep within and take stock of what inspired your love for making music in the first place. For producer Yogisoul, it was thinking about the golden era of hip hop that initially sparked his interest in becoming a producer, and revisiting the albums that remain deep within his canon that inspired the beginnings of his new LP, Let the Dopeness Begin! Yogisoul began an inward journey that found him trying to produce from the perspective of himself as a kid.

“I started listening back to the records I really loved as a young teen. When I listened, I loved and felt very connected to the music, but had no idea of how it was made or what went into the record-making process. I found it very refreshing trying to make music from that perspective of the young mind just feeling the music, not understanding it or breaking it down. I really found my creative output again that way. When I grew up, the rappers and producers I listened to were like superheroes, larger than life.”

As Yogi dove deeper, he was able to move past the self-doubt that had him overanalyzing what he was creating and started producing beats that he felt could set the stage for storytelling. He wanted to make music that made you feel like you were watching a movie or listening to a soundtrack, cruising the streets in a lowrider in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. Let The Dopeness Begin, taps into that storytelling not only with Woof’s raps but by offering multiple layers of production and sequencing that leaves room for skits that invite you into the sonic world of the album. When Yogi was trying to find a vocalist to collaborate on the album with, he had a vision for what the right voice would be for the project.

“In the process of finding my sound, I wanted to work with vocalists or artists that tell a story. Not necessarily by storytelling or in the lyrics, but just by hearing their voice you instantly know where they are from, what they represent, and what they are about. Like an outlaw on the prairie with an out-of-tune guitar is more interesting than a studio musician. Woof is that guy! Not on the prairie but in a lowrider under the streetlights sipping on gin & juice. My ability is not in living that life, but in the musical experience of knowing what can facilitate him in the best way sonically. Setting the scene for him with the beats, the talkbox, the scratches, and the skits on the record.” - Yogisoul

Yogi had become aware of Woof’s raps back in 2012, he always felt as if Woof was overlooked or going unnoticed. He made attempts to track him down, but it wasn't until more recently that Woof popped up on a social media page, which allowed Yogi to reach out in regards to the possible collaboration. The two made the record completely remotely, never even having a single conversation on the phone, it was all orchestrated via text. Yogi would send beats and Woof would send raps back, always making the recorded raps work for the beat, no matter the approach. Forcing Yogi to be creative with his production in ways he hadn’t before, testing his abilities to create a polished sonic world to lose yourself in.

“I worked a lot to make his vocals sound as good as they do, and have used a lot of analogue gear and processing to get them sounding the way they do now. The stems he had sent me have felt like a puzzle, and I pieced it together to a record in the end. I think that is what makes the record unique.” - Yogisoul

The first track they worked on was “94 Heavy”, which would become the first single on the album and is first the song on the record, past the album's introduction track. It wastes no time setting a vibe and transporting you back to 1994, the record is not just a record, it’s a time machine. A true representation of the whole record in one track, and a quintessential track within this collaboration of Yogisoul and Woof. It’s an undeniable head nodder, with smooth horns, deep synth bass that will leave no question about the record's low-end power, and a dope drum swing.

Other notable tracks on the record are “Comin Thru”, which is a braggadocious, G-Funk, banger! It contains all the ingredients of classic West Coast Rap albums. A smooth beat for Woof to weave in and out of, talkbox, scratches in the hook, and samples of legendary Los Angeles voices. A track that will make you feel like you should have a forty and a doobie nearby.

The title track, “Let the Dopeness Begin”, the self-titled track on the album is an homage to the West Coast Classics radio station on GTA: San Andreas. A cruise with the windows jam that slaps! “I want people to put this record on when the summer is incoming, when they pull their windows down, when they roll by the old court where they used to play basketball.”
For a record that comes in at just under 30 minutes, it is absolutely packed with material, and opportunities to explore the world created with the production, raps, and skits.
credits
releases August 16, 2024

All songs written by Colin Beverly AKA Woof
All songs produced by Lasse Mandelid Karlsen AKA Yogisoul
Mastered by Christian Øbermayer at Strype Audio
Recorded and mixed by Lasse Mandelid Karlsen
Vinyl lacquered by Shane "The Cutter" at Finyl Tweek
Cover art by Will Child
Art direction by Elliot Baxter