UK Hip Hop Vinyl 229 Items

We are delighted to unveil TrueMendous' sophomore album ‘Great. On Purpose’. ⁠ Sporting 15-tracks of evolutionary music, ‘Great. On Purpose’ is without question True's most ambitious body of work to date.⁠

Since sharing the unrelenting lead single 'Talkk' Feat. Mysdiggi, and after a double serving on follow up 'Really Wanna Love' x 'Still Don't Wanna', the album is a rollercoaster ride. Just listen to her most recent single 'Yourself or The World?' featuring the almighty Skinnyman if you're in need of anymore proof.

Featuring a heavyweight lineup of guest appearances from the aforementioned Skinnyman and Mysdiggi, but also including Janel Antoneshia, Vaddy, Princess, Ashley Allen, and DJ Sammy B-Side, complemented by Illinformed, GhostTown, Pitch 92, Forest DLG, Muckaniks, Mark Fear and Bear on production duties - ‘Great. On Purpose’ is Stacked from top-to-tail.

'Great. On Purpose' is available to pre-order on a Super Limited run of 2 x 12" Sunset Splatter Vinyl (250 Copies Only). Never to be repressed in this colour way again, be sure to secure yours now!

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.

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.

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.

Something a little special for the landmark AE Productions catalogue number Ae050. Recorded circa 2012 and intended for release on High Noon Music, Mr Fantastic and J. Todd’s follow up to their superb ‘All The Critics’ has sat in the vaults ever since. With AE’s 50th release coming up we arranged with the kind help of High Noon Music to release ‘Don’t Worry’ on AE as originally intended on 7” with the instrumental on the flip, albeit around 11 years later.

The beat starts with a nice slice of Funk guitar which leads into Mr Fantastic’s customary big crunchy drums and a booming 808 sub kick. The intro sample then doesn’t reappear as is but is chopped to pieces and replayed with all guitar and bass parts taking on an entirely new groove which sits on the drums perfectly and is augmented with additional sounds.

Milwaukee’s finest J. Todd graces the track with a nice aggressive pacey flow which works as a nice counter balance to the vocal on ‘All The Critics’ and giving the track a more hardcore underground feel. J. Todd’s freestyle and tongue in cheek braggadocios battle rhymes ride the beat with ease which provides an easy listen considering the tough feel of the track.

We dug out an image taken around the time of recording to keep it in keeping with the image that may have been selected at the time had it been released. The audio is the original master from 2012 so as to retain the original flavour of the track but was done by our mastering engineer of choice Rola @ Khameleon Sounds. We hope you agree that the wait was worthwhile.

This year Natty Wylah has been cementing himself in London’s rich contemporary music scene with festival performances at Glastonbury, We Out Here with Silhouettes Project and a headline Southbank show as part of Nabihah Iqbal’s ‘Glory To Sound’ series. As well as contributions to Rhythm Sections, compilation ‘Shouts’ all in the run up to his next EP, Willowisp. Moth Wings / FB Trap is the perfect introduction to Natty’s world where magic, slime and reality all mix together. With his cinematic lyrics on MothWings, Natty conjures up the imagery of celestial moths, who when seeking the moonlight end up stuck chasing flickering artificial light bulbs. The track features the unmistakable characteristics of Natty’s sound: traipsing across hip-hop, the psychedelic and punk, all adorned with ethereal vocals and woozy synths from Poppy and Finn Billingham. Moth Wings/FB Trap are the first tracks available to listen to from his debut EP, Willowisp. Taking its name from a painting by Jamaican artist John Dunkley based on the myth of Will-’o-the-wisp, a ghost light seen by travelers over bogs and swamps at night that often led them to their demise. This world of light and dark is expressed by Natty throughout the EP, questing through the unknown forest in the dark, wet air and moss, in order to move past constraints and to find freedom.

Got dust? Krash Slaughta has. In fact, for him, Everything’s Turning Up Dusty right about now. Surely this can’t be his brand-new double-vinyl LP journey into sound which finally realises an ambition to create a cut n paste opus held since his pre-turntable days of pause-button mixes? It certainly can! The project comes in four parts corresponding to four sides of 12″ vinyl which weigh in at approximately fifteen minutes each and each side of which took around a month to make! Man, that is epic! When did he ever get the time and concentration to put such a beast together? Wait – are we talking about yet another Krash Slaughta lockdown project? We are! And this bad boy stitches together vintage vocal loops, rare breaks, library records and obscure samples along with remixes of Stetsasonic, O.C., Tanya Winley, Jurassic 5, Edan, Nas, ODB, Gang Starr, Super Lover Cee & Casanova Rud (any one of which would be straight fire on 7″or 12″) along with pretty much whatever the hell else he wanted to put on there. Pressed at 45 rpm, this one features two differently-coloured slabs of wax: one mauve and one blue while even the centre labels and cover art get in on the cut n paste vibe having been created by hand by Krash homie Saleem Andrew McGroarty. As with previous such efforts from the KS camp, there will be no re-press! Sleep at your peril.

The adequately titled ‘The Album To End All Alien Abductions’ sees UK stalwart King Kashmere and producer/rapper extraordinaire Alecs DeLarge unite for a 24- track ride through an epic space age boom bap odyssey. “F**k with your boy Judas Ascariot, who came back swinging - whipping the super chariot” declares a triumphant King Kashmere on the album opener ‘Angel Strike’, proving he hasn’t lost a step since his last full length rap project, #lp4080 dropped back in 2017. Thematically Kash’s lyrics are routed in sci-fi and Jack Kirby era comic lore, but on cuts such as ‘Old Earth’ (an ode to his Mother and coming of age on a North London council estate and ‘House of Cards’ (an exploration of mental health) the Iguana Man shows a rare glimpse into the man behind the freshly pressed super suit. Several cuts also see Alecs stepping from behind the boards to join Kashmere on mic duties, a pairing best displayed on the dusty bubbler ‘Most Blunted’ in which the duo trade verses in a puff puff pass of lyrical spliff boxing.

Following hot in the footsteps of his debut HF release ‘Cocoa Butter’, ‘Off The Grid’ sees Renelle 893 team up with producer Bay29 on a body of work that offers an escape route from the monotonous every day; the duo taking us further and further off the beaten track, marrying moments of purest hedonism with stark reminders that the real world lies in wait, just after sunrise, with no pause button in sight. Laying the foundations with summer anthem (and lead single) ’Spaghetti’, Renelle wrestles with the fleeting nature of youth, and his topsy turvy relationship with the finer things in life. The dynamic is both gritty and nostalgic as Renelle walks the fine line between Hollywood hedonism and slurry excess, his mood swinging between moments of invincibility and vulnerability, expertly scored by Bay29’s ethereal, bass dripping instrumentals. Another SE London / Brighton hook up, one of many on the label in recent years, Renelle utilised his late night train rides to-and-from Bay29’s Brighton studio as an opportunity to refine the verses that make up the bones of the project. Twelve-tracks; six vocal, six instrumental, ‘Off The Grid’ is the first in a series of new works from Renelle 893 & Bay29. A perfect scene-setter for what’s to come. As Renelle 893 explains… “Off The Grid is about soul searching and figuring out what kind of adult I am looking to be, navigating a world filled with distractions that will do everything to numb the pain as life inevitably passes you by…”

Due for release on July 28, 2023 on High Focus Records, a new collaborative LP ‘Sight Beyond Sight’ from the powerhouse trio of producer Mr Slipz with rappers Verbz & Nelson Dialect. This new LP is a continuation and culmination of the sounds heard on their previous records. The dynamic rhyming partnership of Nelson Dialect & Verbz going back and forth with relentless wordplay over the signature hard hitting drums & jazzy samples of Mr Slipz production. Showcasing a variety of moods throughout the record from neck snapping, classic rap joints like 'Strike Back’ & the album title track 'Sight Beyond Sight’ to more reflective & personal songs about loss and relationships heard on 'Homecoming’ or 'Beside Me’. To vivid storytelling and conceptual cuts like 'Cause and Effect’ Verbz and Nelson communicate the aspirations and the choices of young artists in the modern world like a roadmap any individual can reference; ‘Sight Beyond Sight’ truly offers something for every listener. There are notable features on the album including the deeply reflective cut 'Homecoming’ with Hiatus Kaiyote back up vocalist Jace XL on the chorus. There is also the blistering posse cut 'Starting 5’ featuring UK Hip Hop legend King Kashmere, NuphZed & Renelle 893, who recently signed to High Focus. Having already released critically acclaimed albums on the cult UK Hip Hop label High Focus, the anticipation is brewing and stage is set for another landmark release for the label from this exciting new trio with ‘Sight Beyond Sight’.

Due for release on July 28, 2023 on High Focus Records, a new collaborative LP ‘Sight Beyond Sight’ from the powerhouse trio of producer Mr Slipz with rappers Verbz & Nelson Dialect. This new LP is a continuation and culmination of the sounds heard on their previous records. The dynamic rhyming partnership of Nelson Dialect & Verbz going back and forth with relentless wordplay over the signature hard hitting drums & jazzy samples of Mr Slipz production. Showcasing a variety of moods throughout the record from neck snapping, classic rap joints like 'Strike Back’ & the album title track 'Sight Beyond Sight’ to more reflective & personal songs about loss and relationships heard on 'Homecoming’ or 'Beside Me’. To vivid storytelling and conceptual cuts like 'Cause and Effect’ Verbz and Nelson communicate the aspirations and the choices of young artists in the modern world like a roadmap any individual can reference; ‘Sight Beyond Sight’ truly offers something for every listener. There are notable features on the album including the deeply reflective cut 'Homecoming’ with Hiatus Kaiyote back up vocalist Jace XL on the chorus. There is also the blistering posse cut 'Starting 5’ featuring UK Hip Hop legend King Kashmere, NuphZed & Renelle 893, who recently signed to High Focus. Having already released critically acclaimed albums on the cult UK Hip Hop label High Focus, the anticipation is brewing and stage is set for another landmark release for the label from this exciting new trio with ‘Sight Beyond Sight’.

Tkay Maidza, the first female rapper signed to 4AD, releases her highly anticipated new album "Sweet Justice." The follow-up to her 2016 self-titled debut features production from Flume and Kaytranada. It's a shimmering and zeitgeisty kaleidoscope of current pop from an artist reaching for the stars to become one herself. The second album from Los Angeles-based, Zimbabwe-born, Australia-raised Tkay Maidza, is radiant, soulful and seductive, showcasing all facets of the irrepressible Tkay: her mordant wit and infectiousness, her unwavering belief in herself and her refusal to compromise. Maidza switches between styles, effortlessly overcoming genre boundaries - music without constraints, rules and guidelines

Uluru is back with a Reggae Hip-Hop future classic. Following the teaching of masters like J-Star, Dj Maars and L'Entourloop, Dj Dibba makes is own solo debut on vinyl with 2 heavy weight dancefloor killers, meticulously assembled in Rome, Italy. Fusing rocksteady with hip hop, spicing it up with dub influences and modern drum beats, this 7” will definitely give a shake to the reggae hip-hop scene.

Pull up guaranteed!

Pressed on high quality black and yellow/orange vinyl (48 gr.) Edition of 500, cut it loud and fat, highly recommended for big sound systems.

Uluru is back with a Reggae Hip-Hop future classic. Following the teaching of masters like J-Star, Dj Maars and L'Entourloop, Dj Dibba makes is own solo debut on vinyl with 2 heavy weight dancefloor killers, meticulously assembled in Rome, Italy. Fusing rocksteady with hip hop, spicing it up with dub influences and modern drum beats, this 7” will definitely give a shake to the reggae hip-hop scene.

Pull up guaranteed!

Pressed on high quality black and yellow/orange vinyl (48 gr.) Edition of 500, cut it loud and fat, highly recommended for big sound systems.

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.

UK rap legend Verb T returns with ‘The Tower Where The Phantom Lives’, a mesmerising new LP that sits alongside the most enlightened and adventurous in his glittering discography.

Bound by a set of contrasting emotions and energies; fiction and fantasy wrestling with everyday curveballs, ‘The Tower Where The Phantom Lives’ showcases Verb T at his razor sharp best. It is the wisest version of Verb T to date; complemented by the wonderfully melodic production of Vic Grimes, the Canadian producer proving to be the perfect ally for Verbs to deconstruct the world at large, his magnifying glass growing more-and-more forensic as each track unfolds.

Mental exploration, self deprecating humour, didactic story telling woven together by haunting movie samples, ‘The Tower Where The Phantom Lives’ listens like an OST; each track / scene propping up a wonderful narrative arc; Verb T the lead role and Vic Grimes the composer of their very own psychological thriller, extreme highs and lows eventually settling into a contemplative groove on final track (and lead single) ‘Your Heart Deserves’.

UK rap legend Verb T returns with ‘The Tower Where The Phantom Lives’, a mesmerising new LP that sits alongside the most enlightened and adventurous in his glittering discography.

Bound by a set of contrasting emotions and energies; fiction and fantasy wrestling with everyday curveballs, ‘The Tower Where The Phantom Lives’ showcases Verb T at his razor sharp best. It is the wisest version of Verb T to date; complemented by the wonderfully melodic production of Vic Grimes, the Canadian producer proving to be the perfect ally for Verbs to deconstruct the world at large, his magnifying glass growing more-and-more forensic as each track unfolds.

Mental exploration, self deprecating humour, didactic story telling woven together by haunting movie samples, ‘The Tower Where The Phantom Lives’ listens like an OST; each track / scene propping up a wonderful narrative arc; Verb T the lead role and Vic Grimes the composer of their very own psychological thriller, extreme highs and lows eventually settling into a contemplative groove on final track (and lead single) ‘Your Heart Deserves’.

CoN and KwAkE are Confucius MC and Kwake Bass. They share long and entwined histories with saxophonist and Native Rebel label owner Shabaka Hutchings, and with many of the incredible London musicians and producers who have emerged over the last decade.

Eyes In The Tower, their debut album released one year ago, was the second release on Shabaka Hutchings’ Native Rebel Recordings, where he invites friends and family to RAK Studios improvise around sketches he’s written specifically for the invited artists. A uniquely London evolution of classic hip hop, it was brewed for over a decade before being made in three days.

Two tracks from the album have now been remixed to celebrate the one year anniversary of the album: 15 Minutes gets reworked by Daisuke Tanabe and Dance In The Dark by Anja Ngozi.

Confucius MC has been embedded in UK hip hop since the early 2000s. He was the support of choice for Mos Def, and recently toured with UK hip hop stalwart Jehst.

Kwake Bass is musical director for Sampha and Kae Tempest. Behind the kit he has become the player of choice for travelling US heavyweights, playing with MF Doom, The Roots and Joey Bada$$, as well as UK major players Lianne La Havas and Mica Levi.

While most spend their days wading through the treacly undercurrents of a decaying hometown, Jam Baxter spends his days carving out on a new existence in the heart of Mexico City.

With a forest of rare succulents of house plants on his eighth floor balcony, a notepad in his back pocket (for lizard spotting) and a flea market typewriter primed in his writing room, Baxter affords himself the time and grace for his new surroundings to seep into him, watching his writing take on new life in the exchange; days and nights spent in quiet contemplation as he sharpens his skills in unpacking the universe.

Granuja has eschewed the at-times chaotic metropolis of Medellín for a quiet life in the hills of La Ceja, where he produces and writes (followed around by his pack of loyal dogs). Six years since his debut solo LP ‘Círculo Vicioso’ dropped back in 2017, Granuja has been steadily carving a name for himself in Latin America and beyond with a series of critically acclaimed rap releases.

Baxter & Granuja first met in 2020; the former taking an impromptu 2-hour taxi cab in thickest night to Granuja’s studio way up in the winding hills of Antióquia. As with all great creative endeavours, plans to record ‘a couple of tracks’ snowballed; a single became an EP became an album, the momentum fuelled by a new Jack Danz’ instrumental landing in Baxter’s inbox every fortnight.

Before sunrise the bones of ’De las Sombras’ were born.

There is no question that Granuja and Baxter bring out a different side of one another. The two artists hopping borders, barriers and time zones; switching languages as often as they switch flows across an album unified by an all-encompassing sense of doom.

At its core, ‘De las Sombras’ is a gothic listen. A haunting, swooning downward spiral. Blacks, whites, purples and greens bubbling a thick concoction. Life and death at loggerheads in the back-and-forth; expertly soundtracked by Jack Danz most haunting works to date and complemented by a series of curated vocal samples furthering the gloom.

We like to think of ’De las Sombras’ as an OST for the album artwork. The castle a picture perfect symbol of an album persistently flirting with the supernatural.

While most spend their days wading through the treacly undercurrents of a decaying hometown, Jam Baxter spends his days carving out on a new existence in the heart of Mexico City.

With a forest of rare succulents of house plants on his eighth floor balcony, a notepad in his back pocket (for lizard spotting) and a flea market typewriter primed in his writing room, Baxter affords himself the time and grace for his new surroundings to seep into him, watching his writing take on new life in the exchange; days and nights spent in quiet contemplation as he sharpens his skills in unpacking the universe.

Granuja has eschewed the at-times chaotic metropolis of Medellín for a quiet life in the hills of La Ceja, where he produces and writes (followed around by his pack of loyal dogs). Six years since his debut solo LP ‘Círculo Vicioso’ dropped back in 2017, Granuja has been steadily carving a name for himself in Latin America and beyond with a series of critically acclaimed rap releases.

Baxter & Granuja first met in 2020; the former taking an impromptu 2-hour taxi cab in thickest night to Granuja’s studio way up in the winding hills of Antióquia. As with all great creative endeavours, plans to record ‘a couple of tracks’ snowballed; a single became an EP became an album, the momentum fuelled by a new Jack Danz’ instrumental landing in Baxter’s inbox every fortnight.

Before sunrise the bones of ’De las Sombras’ were born.

There is no question that Granuja and Baxter bring out a different side of one another. The two artists hopping borders, barriers and time zones; switching languages as often as they switch flows across an album unified by an all-encompassing sense of doom.

At its core, ‘De las Sombras’ is a gothic listen. A haunting, swooning downward spiral. Blacks, whites, purples and greens bubbling a thick concoction. Life and death at loggerheads in the back-and-forth; expertly soundtracked by Jack Danz most haunting works to date and complemented by a series of curated vocal samples furthering the gloom.

We like to think of ’De las Sombras’ as an OST for the album artwork. The castle a picture perfect symbol of an album persistently flirting with the supernatural.

Written during a year of hedonistic isolation whilst exiled to a forgotten mining village, Alecs in Wonderland’ is the debut self-produced rap album by rap enigma and ‘one man band’ Alecs DeLarge.

Alecs navigates ‘Wonderland’ with a bulging backpack of references to 90’s Toonami imports, king skins and rap nerdology, multi-syllable boxing through beats in a smoked out stream-of-consciousness drawl. From the cartoonish braggadocio on ‘Scooby Snax’ and ‘AM To AM’, to proclaiming his love for his anthropomorphic MPC 2000 on ‘Girl Joint’, Alecs emphatically proving that he’s much more than just the man behind the boards. Merging classic New York rap sensibilities with sarcastic British humour, 110’s and Berghaus coats taking the place of Timb boots and Lo sweaters.

Musically Alecs draws inspiration from Quasimoto’s anything goes approach, feeding his sampler a range of ingredients from 80’s pop to private-press French prog. Grainy samples of VHS TV recordings warble atop rumbling 808s, diced up jazz and funk fragments punch their way through stuttering MPC drums, whilst guitar loops rock back and forth, all glued together by a loose narrative made up of cut up cartoon dialogue, movie trailers and adlibs.

Wonderland is Alecs’ custom built version of The Matrix, a perfect world created to escape the one outside his council flat window, idyllic living in Lynchian reality. A therapeutic outpouring of the lonely man’s psyche, or maybe just a slow descent into madness, polished and delivered to your ears

in Long Play form.

For the majority of ‘in Wonderland’, Alecs is the sole cast member. The first of the two guest spots going to the ever brilliant King Kashmere, reuniting with Alecs to ruminate the two sides of fame on ‘Megabus Dreams’, whilst Hpblk swoops in to drop a “stack on your conscious” on ‘Empty Pocket Posse’.

LP+CD+7"

Tkay Maidza, the first female rapper signed to 4AD, announces details of her highly anticipated new album, Sweet Justice. The follow-up to her 2016 self-titled debut will be released on 3 November and includes the recent Flume-produced earth-shuddering single ‘Silent Assassin’. Today, Tkay shares a blistering new track, ‘Ring-A-Ling’ and official video directed by Jocelyn Anquetil.

“I’m never choosing compliance,” a defiant Maidza utters ‘Ring-A-Ling’; a warning from the Zimbabwean-born, Australian-raised, Los Angeles-based rapper, singer and producer and a mantra for Sweet Justice. Produced by Two Fresh, Tkay says of ‘Ring-A-Ling’, “I wanted to make an empowering song that tells others that my biggest focus are my goals.”

The result of a dark night of the soul—and ensuing epiphany—that led to a series of professional and personal reckonings, Sweet Justice isn’t a revenge album, but it does stem from a profound sense of karma. In a traditional sense, it’s a breakup record: about Tkay splitting off from her self-doubt and warped sense of self; the toxic figures that populated the last chapter of her life; and the idea that she should stick to any one lane.

After severing ties with old friends, she found some new ones on the same creative wavelength: Canadian producers Stint and Kaytranada, and fellow Australian Flume, all of whom contribute production. Sweet Justice is an album that embodies the beautiful contradictions of Tkay’s art: it’s a coming-of-age record by someone who’s mastered the game; an album about karmic justice and accountability that’s bright, breezy and incredibly fun. In Tkay’s mind, it’s a rebirth album, a record about harnessing the feminine power that was innate in her the whole time.

Tkay Maidza says, “Sweet Justice was a way for me to channel my emotions from what I’ve experienced in the last two years. It’s a diary of things and thoughts I’ve kept to myself. Making the record was a healing experience and I’m grateful to have worked with producers who have inspired me throughout my career.” Sweet Justice follows the 3-year-long, 24 song-strong genre-bending Last Year Was Weird trilogy exploring Maidza’s own African-Australian experience. The project earned her a 2021 ARIA Awards win for Best Soul/R&B Release and an NME Award for Best Solo Act From Australia in 2022. Following on from tours with Billie Eilish and Dua Lipa, Tkay is currently in the southern hemisphere for arena shows with Lizzo with her own headline shows to be announced soon.