UK Hip Hop Sale 23 Items

Picture the scene; King Kashmere goes down a rabbit hole watching Cuth playing live on his Instagram channel. After catching much wonderment from the experience, KK DMs Cuth to propose the idea of working on some music together…

Fast forward a few and Kashmere finds himself riding a wave of overwhelming nostalgia as he listens through the zip Cuth swiftly sent his way. All the beats ‘Sound Like Home’. Potent flashes of his formative years in-and-around NW London begin to dominate his writing; all the time wrestling with the otherworldly references that have become synonymous with King Kashmere’s penmanship.

Fast forward a few more and ‘Sounds Like Home’ lands in our inbox; a 13-tracker home to some of KK’s most emotive work to date. Reminiscing on simpler times, long lost friends and offering up a fresh perspective on the beauty (and brutality) of the human condition, ‘Sounds Like Home’ is both the first HF release of 2024 and an enlightening reminder of Kashmere’s view of the world.

Back on black vinyl.

High Focus Records are excited to present 'Ever Since', the brand new album from prolific Brighton-based producer Mr Slipz and the newest member of the HF family, Australian rapper Nelson Dialect - A landmark release and signing for High Focus with Nelson being the first international signing on the label.

UK listeners might have first heard Nelson collaborating with Verbz & Mr Slipz on the song ‘Hope’ from their acclaimed LP ‘Radio Waves’ released on High Focus in 2020. Nelson has a cult following in his own right in Australia, and previously released music on the legendary U.S label Fat Beats to great acclaim.

Now teaming up with one of the most exciting and respected UK producers, Nelson & Mr Slipz deliver ‘Ever Since’. A statement piece by two artists with well over a decade spent on their craft which sounds as urgent and refreshing as if it were their first time releasing music. The album’s title is a reference to the endless quest for a timeless sound, reflecting the creative partnerships which spark from a seemingly forever existing thread of music.

The album features a slew of impressive guest verses including label mates Vitamin G & Verbz on the emphatic ‘Oxford Scholars’. Two legends Jehst & Confucius MC combine on ‘Smooth Ride’. Bronx pioneer & D.I.T.C legend A.G delivers a show stopping verse on ‘Trembling the Marrow’. There are hypnotic singing performances by Indira May on ‘First Date’ & ‘Open Book’ as well as Hiatus Kaiyote back up vocalist Jace XL on the soul stirring anthem “Figure Out What’s Right”. U.S rappers SickInTheHead & Cazeaux O.S.L.O round out the impressive guest list on the album with their inspired verses.

Unlike countless previous campaigns for his established labels Finders Keepers, Twisted Nerve and various other imprints, Andy Votel hasn’t come here today to try to persuade you to buy his latest record. From the quietest stall on a very niche market these late-to-the party U.K rap recordings simply Needed to be released, for sanity’s sake. And if it’s taken 30 years to do so, then so be it. Dirty laundry doesn’t air at the bottom of the basket. Demons don’t exorcise themselves. Even if you’re not a feline fan, this cat is now out of the bag. Emanating from a “prehistoric” existence, near the end of the last millennium, schoolies Votel and his slightly older college mates, were once best recognised in Mancunian clubs and bars as teenage vinyl nerds and bum-fluffed battle-rappers under the collective name “Violators Of The English Language” (which in acronymic form explains Andy’s own exotic pen-name). As steadfast supporters of the 80’s/90’s Brit-core rap scene coming out of London, the multicultural “Violators...” Mancunian accents were perhaps a bridge-too-far to secure dream-job contracts for humble labels like Kold Sweat and Music Of Life. An unlikely constructive meeting with Gang Starr’s DJ Premier (while Andy helped out at a radio station) and playing warm up DJ sets for countless US rap hero’s might have temporarily added inspirational fuel to the fire, but after an active period combining graffiti, rapping, scratching, obsessive record digging and beat making into their daily operations, adulthood eventually began to rear its unwelcome head. The tragic teenage death of one member was shortly followed by another’s young parental commitments, and then came the concept of “proper jobs”, an avenue that Andy would then partly evade by becoming a DJ and designer for labels like Fat City and Grand Central (who soon invested interest in the crews instrumentals) and the next chapter is now committed to a fertile Discogs database history. A decade later Andy Votel (with his reluctant moniker) and his digging skills would begin to provide direct sample material for the likes of Madlib, Mos Def, JayZ, Nas, Dr Dre, Ghostface Killa and Action Bronson amongst others, and the “Violators…” black book of break-beats and catalog numbers soon began to feed a same-but-different rap beast.

Verbz & Mr Slipz have been jumping on the train (52m, 0 changes) between Croydon and Brighton to reconnect on ‘Where It Started’; a 10-track EP that does everything (and more) you have come to expect from the duo.

Shimmering with nostalgia, but with one eye firmly on the next motive, ‘Where It Started’ offers a front row seat to the trials and tribulations of Verbz & co. doing what they did (and still do) to thrive and survive on the streets of Croydon, expertly scored by the meditative swing of Slipz’ 100% sample-free production.

Think classic hip hop aesthetics, beautifully reincarnated; chunky MPC drums, deeply personal multi-syllables, tales of loss, heartache, learning the hard way but coming back stronger. 5 x vocals and 5 x Instrumentals, Where It Started’ is a 50/50 deep dive into the hearts and minds of Verbz & Mr Slipz; perfectly poised as a duo, the EP is an unmissable trip down memory lane

You know Krash Slaughta right? The man behind the recent wildly successful Doom/Sugacubes mash-up LP Sugar-Coated Doom, not to mention his unofficial remixes of the Wu’s K.R.E.A.M. and P.L.O. Style and collab. 45 with Phill Most Chill, Rebel Base? ‘Is he at it again?’ the monkey hears you ask. Yes, he is at it again, though the closest of the the three aforementioned releases to what he’s about to drop is the Wu remix 45. And what he’s about to drop is Diggin Deeper, not a single this time but a whole remix album of one of his (and the monkey’s!) all-time favourite hip-hop LPs – to wit, Niggamortis – more usually known as Six Feet Deep (especially in the U.S., though minus the best track under that name) by hip-hop supergroup Gravediggaz.

As many will know, this LP with its horror-movie fixated lyrics gave birth to a whole hip-hop sub-genre – that of ‘horrorcore.’ However, none of those who came after seemed to manage the lyrical humour of The RZArector, The Grym Reaper and The Gatekeeper (a.k.a. RZA, Poetic and Frukwan) and the only bit of production by The Undertaker (a.k.a. Prince Paul) that they seemed interested in was the sub-metal rap sludge of the shouty Bang Your Head – i.e. the LP’s one weak spot. But don’t worry, Krash isn’t interested in that sort of thing. Not only does he avoid rap-metal beats for Bang Your Head, he doesn’t use any on the LP at all – hurrah! What he does do is employ, arguably, as eclectic an array of sample sources as Prince Paul on the original – though with an entirely different end result. Bang Your Head with its apparently sixties garage band-derived beat for example is one of the standouts. The skeletal piano skank of 6 Feet Deep is another, while a beat featuring spaced-out eighties synths forms the new musical backdrop to Constant Elevation. Two more of the monkey’s favourites on this one are Here Comes The Gravediggaz, now underpinned by double-bass-led funk and the glorious inappropriately joyous bounce of Blood Brothers. The result? Your favourite cuts on this one might not be the same as your favourite cuts on the original. Two different versions of a much-loved LP, then; it’s why people remix hip-hop. All the vocal stems were created by Krash and the ultimate intention is to do a limited vinyl release. Cover art is by the Dead Residents’ Junior Disprol.

Referencing the cult alien sitcom from the turn of the 80s, ‘Mork Calling Orson’ is Jehst’s sixth album reaching a typically supreme standard of syllables and similes bearing a red-eyed hue.

Featuring the tracks ‘Daily Planet’, ‘One Horse Town’, ‘Wild Herb’ and ‘Autumn Nights’, and with Confucius MC, Eva Lazarus, Lee Scott, CW Jones and SINDYSMAN guesting, Jehst continues to unlock his superpower of making the melancholic incisively slice through all before him.

His partiality for provocative references to the fore, and sloganeering that “you hear the voice of God when I rock the mic”, “Jehst for president” and “I’m Nas in that ‘Illmatic’ phase” without either irony or pretence, ‘Mork Calling Orson’ begins as drowsy, clouded and dry-mouthed, occasionally letting light peer through the curtains, otherwise at peace with self-imposed exile (“ain’t no sunshine, regardless of climate change”). Nostalgic soundbites are interspersed with namechecks of Audio Two, Vanilla Ice, Daley Thompson, Mayor Quimby and Aloe Blacc, and Keor Meteor and Beat Butcha provide subtleties of assistance on production.

The classically 90s, NYC beats of ‘Footsteps’, and ‘Lonely World’ mutedly following its lead, have Jehst rising up, alert to self-examination and the outside world. Returning to familiar sticky green comforts on the G-funked ‘Wild Herb’, is a trigger for the album to find strength and leave its shell, with the subsequent ‘Doctor’ and soft rock lineage of ‘Daily Planet’ and ‘Flight to L.A.’ allowing for streams of consciousness and the sort of word association and reactions to reality that have been Jehst’s hallmark for decades.

The lullaby of ‘One Horse Town’ is the album’s centrepiece, gently ascending and fighting any previous pessimism, before Jehst retreats behind the ‘Front Door’ and on the graceful ‘Skyline’; a fractured soul conflicting his previous status of “mentally irate, physically primate”, stays eloquently, edgily tack-sharp to the last.

Produced by Sonnyjim (1/2/12) Jehst (3/5/6/11) Sam Zircon (4) Mr Brown (7) Beat Butcha (8) Keor Meteor (9) Taharka (10)

2 Years since the drop of the aptly titled 'A Fleeting Now' Capriisun returns to Group BraCil to flex that dexterity over glistening grand piano and Spanish guitar

laden beats we know him so well on, in fact he demonstrated this expertly on his recent collaborative project with Group BraCil family and affiliates Verbz and Mr Slipz ('Pass Thru'), yet on Calliope we have some surprises. On the latest release Cap opts to show off his more suave and brash side. 'Calliope' is a more of a series of themed paintings than a collage like the album proceeding it, less dense , more like scenes from a european film noir than excepts from a chunky holiday novel. Attune to his work on Clbrks x Morriarchi's "Bonito", Cap is out the garden and firmly on the bustling strip, and with both the aforementioned artists appearing on the project, its definitely a continuation of Cap's more mischievous persona.

Hit plus 2 unreleased tracks

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.

10 years since their debut LP, Jam Baxter, Dabbla and GhostTown make their long-awaited return with 'Cherry Turbo / Death By A Thousand Cocktail Sticks'.

‘Cherry Turbo / Death By A Thousand Cocktail Sticks’ is available to Order.

Limited edition pressing on vinyl, full colour 350gsm reverse board gatefold sleeve. 6 track album. Shrink wrapped.

Village Live Records is proud to announce the highly anticipated '10 year anniversary' reissue of Micall Parknsun's critically acclaimed album, 'Me, Myself & Akai,' originally released in 2013. This special reissue marks the first-ever availability of the album on vinyl, making it a must-have for collectors and hip-hop enthusiasts.

Produced entirely on the iconic Akai MPC 1000 by Micall Parknsun himself, 'Me, Myself & Akai' showcases his impeccable production skills. The album features captivating guest vocalists including Joker Starr and Ramson Badbonez, along with razor-sharp cuts by the legendary Jazz T.

Vinyl enthusiasts and fans of Micall Parknsun's work can secure their copy by pre-ordering the limited edition vinyl release. Pre-orders will be available exclusively on the Village Live Records Bandcamp store, with sales going live at 7 PM UK time on Friday, July 7th.

With only 300 copies available, this reissue promises to be a highly sought-after collector's item. Fans are encouraged to act swiftly to secure their copy of 'Me, Myself & Akai' and experience the raw talent and captivating production that Micall Parknsun has to offer

Self Produced Album By Oliver Sudden

Cookin Soul x Lord Apex
7 Inch vinyl with 4 tracks - The Bullshit / For all my Hustlers + Instrumental versions
Red colourway limited to 200 copies.

'Ren's Brain' edition: matte with foil and debossed detailing.

Digipak.

Debut album by UK trio following their “Undertones” EP on Meltin Pot
Music, the label that brought you Twit One, FloFilz, Suff Daddy, Brenk
Sinatra, Dexter and others!
"Uhuru" is the debut album by Summers Sons & C.Tappin from London and Bristol.
The journey of this album started back in 2015 and was inspired by the people and
places of Tanzania. After three years of channelling the vibe into beats and bars, it is
finally here!
Summers Sons are Turt (rap) + Slim (beats) who are actually brothers. They are
longtime friends with vocalist and pianist C.Tappin. Their music can be described as
rap with a lot of jazz. We like to call it cool bap.
Turt first got into hip-hop through Grime but also cites UK wordsmith Jehst as a
major influence. Slim was doing UK Garage for a while, when his brother asked him
for some more chilled beats to rap to. Tappin came up in a musical family, picked up
the piano as a kid and played in indie bands.
With such diverse backgrounds Summers Sons and C.Tappin are not your average
rap group. They would actually rather name their crew a band. Which makes total
sense when you catch them live. Slim slices up the beats on his SP404. Tappin gets
busy on the keys and adds vocal harmonies while Turt holds down the vibe on the
mic, spitting lyrics with a message.
Still only in their early twenties Turt, Slim and Tappin are somehow old souls when it
comes to music. If you listen to "Uhuru" you are unmistakably reminded of the
Soulquarians school of fusing hip-hop, soul and jazz. Follow the Sons' "Road To
Uhuru" playlist on Spotify and you are treated with gems from D'Angelo, Dilla, Badu
and Bilal back to back with new UK Jazz tunes from Alfa Mist or Ezra Collective.
Rounded up with a selection of dusty beats from German beatmakers like Hubert
Davis and Twit One. On their own songs Summers Sons and C.Tappin are
connecting these dots in their very own style and fashion.
While Slim had already released beats on Banoffee Pies and Brownswood, Turt and
Tappin made their official debut on the "Hay Luv" album by Twit One , who they had
met when he played a DJ gig in Bristol some years ago. With the release of the
Summers Sons' "Undertones" EP on MPM in early 2018 the London - Cologne
connection became official. The six tracker introduced the sound of the Summers
and Tappin to a bigger audience and included remixes by FloFilz and Twit One.
Now get yourself ready for "Uhuru" ! To learn more about the album we recommend
the liner notes: We’re all as simple complex as the next man. No one really comes
correct with a set plan. It’s all guesswork. Feet stepping, Keep checking with my
head first.

Ramson Badbonez returns with his brand new album ‘fusion’.

Embedded in the streets and lanes of Dalston, Hackney and Islington, where Badbonez made his way up, no stone is left unturned as Badbonez dissects the many highs and lows that took him from a life running the roads, to documenting his experiences across thirteen brand new tracks.

The most impressive thing about ‘fusion’ is the dexterity Badbonez showcases across the release, expertly traversing a catalogue of rhythms and tempos with his now signature delivery; crystal clear, unapologetic, razor sharp, yet intricate and highly complex multi-syllables.

This genre blurring offering is, in part, down to the curated production talent joining forces to ensure a formidable spectrum of neck-snapping sonics are offered up to both Badbonez and the listener. From album opener ‘Alpha’ produced by the one-and-only High Plains Drifter Jehst, to offerings from Dead Players’ very own GhostTown, long-time collaborator Mark Fear and heavy-hitter Forest DLG, and with a features list that includes TrueMendous, Datkid and Confucius MC, ‘fusion’ marks a significant moment in Ramson Badbonez career; elevating his position as one of the great commentators on life in London town, but further, as one of the rap games most innovative outliers.

The ‘fusion’ Neon Green limited edition 2 x 12" vinyl comes with a digital download on release day & is limited to only 300 copies!

Following up from 2019's 'Confessions of a Crudlord' Datkid makes a long-awaited return to High Focus in collaboration with the legendary Illinformed with their brand new album; 'Wakmo'.

Available to pre-order on all formats now, 'Wakmo' is due for release on 17/06/21.

Album is available on limited edition 2 x 12" black vinyl.

Vinyl comes with a digital download of the album upon fulfilment of your order.