Hip Hop 35 Items

As hip-hop's online footprint began rapidly expanding in the early 2010s, acclaimed Los Angeles emcee Blu was a rising star who commanded attention. Just a few years removed from the breakthrough success of Below The Heavens and an appearance on the XXL Freshmen list, the talented wordsmith was navigating the major label system, dropping self-produced mixtapes, and working with artists like The Roots, Miguel, Flying Lotus, 9th Wonder, and more. In 2011, the mysterious album Jesus turned up on Bandcamp, uploaded by an artist calling himself "b". Soon discovered to be the latest project from Blu, the unpolished but deeply soulful collection quickly made waves on blogs and social media. Just weeks later, Jesus improbably became one of Blu's first official solo releases, and it remains a lo-fi masterpiece, with mesmerizing production by Alchemist, Madlib, Knxwledge, Hezekiah, and Blu himself. Now, this classic is receiving a long-overdue vinyl reissue, complete with the Jesus-era bonus track "Arrow & The Sparrow" featuring Jimetta Rose.

Full length from the New Orleans based and ever prolific Wino Willy, who currently has featured productions on a range of records from Mach-Hommy, Your Old Droog, Cavalier, and a million more paired with raps from the appropriately named thesmoothcat from the Westbank of New Orleans. A future classic.

Stoopid dope 4-track 7" EP outta Buffalo, NY.



This one sounds to me a lot like the fabulous MC Paul Barman - It's Very Stimulating EP, produced by my [undisputed] Goat producer, Prince Paul. I know I know, high praise, like smokin a doobie on the roof of the Vatican, but I feel I'm entitled, as I have done sh1t with both of 'em



Just do me a fava, follow Dr Oooo, who is a full time mailman by the way, on his daily rounds, roaming the metaphorical plains and excreting that dopeness. If you need an airmail sticker or require tracking, Ooo is your mf'in man. Backing him up down the Post Office, behind a scratched glass screen and lickin' stamps all day long, is fellow Buff producer and founding Pseudo's member, Tony @, Tommy Quattro & Definition.

Freakin love this [f]ish - pure Eau d'Herring....

And here is Volume 3 in the Souls of Mischief x The Architect Series.

Following on from the 2020 A-Plus record and the 2023 Tajai project, we have the Opio version!!!



Side A includes 9 tracks from the previously CD-only 2008 Vulture's Wisdom album and Side B is a mix of material from Vulture's Wisdom Vol 2. as well as various Opio & The Architect EPs - none of which have ever been released on vinyl.



As usual all tracks produced by Homeliss Derilex producer The Architect. Killer fish!!!





There are 225 copies on Trad Black Vinyl

And here is Volume 3 in the Souls of Mischief x The Architect Series.

Following on from the 2020 A-Plus record and the 2023 Tajai project, we have the Opio version!!!



Side A includes 9 tracks from the previously CD-only 2008 Vulture's Wisdom album and Side B is a mix of material from Vulture's Wisdom Vol 2. as well as various Opio & The Architect EPs - none of which have ever been released on vinyl.



As usual all tracks produced by Homeliss Derilex producer The Architect. Killer fish!!!





There are 225 copies on Trad Black Vinyl

First release of the new season is a corker. Extremely hard to find 12" outta New Jersey by Ikee produced by the legendary Culture Freedom from Poor Righteous Teachers.

Heads will Know how hard this one is to find. Last one to go on Discogs went for 160gbp and it sounded like crap!! Lol. Heavy Heavy rarity here fellas. Straight reissue as there were no other joints available. Here's what Culture said to me:



"I met Ikee in the city of Trenton, New Jersey in 1984, where we both grew up and lived. He was the cousin of one of our first DJs [DJ Divine]. Over a decade later I bumped into him and he was a fully fledged MC so we decided to record. I helped Ikee and his good friend KJ start their own label, “Upshot Records” and produced the EP for them".





And btw, contrary to popular belief [see Discogs] this dropped in 1997 and not 1995.



Big shout out to Simon Pehlgrim for the request. Hope yr feelin better dude.



And we're back to the old Herring steez for a cycle or 2.

There are 225 copies on trad Black Vinyl.

No white labels this season.

First release of the new season is a corker. Extremely hard to find 12" outta New Jersey by Ikee produced by the legendary Culture Freedom from Poor Righteous Teachers.

Heads will Know how hard this one is to find. Last one to go on Discogs went for 160gbp and it sounded like crap!! Lol. Heavy Heavy rarity here fellas. Straight reissue as there were no other joints available. Here's what Culture said to me:



"I met Ikee in the city of Trenton, New Jersey in 1984, where we both grew up and lived. He was the cousin of one of our first DJs [DJ Divine]. Over a decade later I bumped into him and he was a fully fledged MC so we decided to record. I helped Ikee and his good friend KJ start their own label, “Upshot Records” and produced the EP for them".





And btw, contrary to popular belief [see Discogs] this dropped in 1997 and not 1995.



Big shout out to Simon Pehlgrim for the request. Hope yr feelin better dude.



And we're back to the old Herring steez for a cycle or 2.

There are 225 copies on trad Black Vinyl.

No white labels this season.

Warped and dragged through the murky underbelly of the Levantine underground comes 'Volume 1' the x-rated left-field debut from the pseudonymous DJ Gawad.
Via pitched up vocals dripping with delay, DJ Gawad takes us on a tour of the region's most urgent artists, his interjections oscillating between cocky boast and frustrated lament.
Through this new persona, DJ Gawad pulls back the curtain to reveal himself as the protagonist of the mixtape-like album, as replete with features as it is with expletives, an enigmatic ghoul in the back of the studio with an endless supply of broken sample flips, giving the album its old school feel while still speaking to contemporary hip hop aesthetics.
A Jordanian/Palestinian Memphis gangster rap parody par excellence, the album is infused with satirical commentary on the state of the contemporary music scene, yet DJ Gawad shows as much as he tells, expertly fashioning a sound that makes you wonder about the identity of the artist behind the braggadocious persona of the self-titled "best producer in the Middle East."
Drawing heavily from the Memphis rap mixtapes of the mid 1990s, DJ Gawad has clearly identified the same brooding atmosphere in his own surroundings. On Mat3'anish (feat. Bleng & Fara7) DJ Gawad makes his most explicit reference to the Memphis sound, twisting the hallmark cowbells that defined that movement to reflect the equally raw nature of his own setting.
Similarly, in Bandana (feat. Jurum), DJ Gawad finds the perfect tension between his romantic sampling tendencies and the brutal sensibilities of his featured artist. As if liberated by DJ Gawad's anonymity and irreverence, his menagerie of artists appear to have been emboldened, embracing the obscene free naturedness of the album, setting their lyrical prowess free to wander.
No expense was spared in the post production treatment of DJ Gawad's debut, with Iraqi-American artist Mark Gergis incorporating the Nakamichi Dragon cassette deck in the mastering process, as is evidenced by the crisp saturation of the album's sonics.
▄︻デ══━一 ........................... - 一 一 ................. - - 一 .......... 一
DJ Gawad, the self-proclaimed "best producer in the Middle East", is the pseudonymous persona of the Arab artist, pioneer, philosopher and lover. The anonymity grants him complete artistic freedom to pursue his creative endeavors in full. DJ Gawad embarked on a journey from the West to the East to collaborate with local left-field rap artists in the region to produce this masterful debut, released on Drowned By Locals.
DJ Gawad Presents: Volume 1 is his first feature album, and he will continue releasing more projects under this moniker. Stay tuned.
released August 1, 2024
Producer: DJ Gawad
Vocals and Lyrics: Tony Bleng, Fara7, rknddn, Julmud, Movenwomen, MrF13, Twinkie, Jurum
Master: Mark Gergis
Kingpin & Executive Producer: Sukk-Leil
Artwork: 3YN
Video: Hamada DVD & Dr. MP$
Text: Nihal El Aasar
Dbl27ct

>
Brooklyn underground rap heroes Tanya Morgan drop a two-track heatrock of a 7-inch that lights up dancefloors while maintaining their true-school status with clever wordplay and progressive beats.
Since breaking on to the blog-era rap scene in 2006 with their debut LPMoonlightingand solidifying their status in 2009 with the now-legendaryBrooklynati, Tanya Morgan has represented the best of underground hip-hop. Your favorite rapper's favorite group, they combine trademark witty wordplay with tough, headnodding beats that demand rewinds and repeat listens. Bouncing back in recent years withRubber Souland other one-off cuts, the duo of Donwill and Von Pea has teamed with producer 6th Sense and quietly set about building the next chapter of their rock-solid legacy.
"Move It Or Lose It" is the latest manifestation of Tanya Morgan, a cut that is neither throwback nor trend chasing, but does double duty on the dancefloor as well as a headphone banger. Irresistibly funky, with Mathien's guitar and vocal the icing on top, and riding at a perfect tempo to get dancers bubbling, it got immediate attention from DJs when the group teased the digital version online.
The double A-side single continues on the flip with "Don't Look Up," another grown-man rap (as Von Pea asks, "How you want the old me acting brand new?") set to 6th Sense's progressive uptempo beat that recalls Q-Tip's adventurous recent productions, and featuring Mia Jae on vocals driving the chorus. Donwill's commentary on getting older and wiser in the music industry hits home to any of us who've been around the block: "Slow growth while the roots spread / Somebody said rap group's dead / They prolly wrote it as a sponsored ad."
Both cuts are primed to move feet and represent the continued lineage of quality underground hip-hop, proudly coming straight from the heart of Brooklyn as a collab with BK-based indy vinyl masters Names You Can Trust.

Classic album in a new designed sleeve

The debut single from this new unit features two tracks: "Ichiryu," a killer tune set against the backdrop of "Ichiryu," a long-established ramen shop in Shimokitazawa, with a nostalgic and lyrical track, and "Sand Cloud," featuring saxophone player Kids from Zainichi Funk. This premium 7-inch showcases a unique world that blends Jazz, Hip-Hop, Soul, and House Music with rap and scat, creating a sound that is both traditional and new. The mix is handled by ZAK, known for his work with Fishmans and Buffalo Daughter.

When Crimeapple and Big Ghost Ltd fi rst linked up on their "Aguardiente" collaboration in 2016, the two came to shake the game up. The iconic Antioqueño bottle left a mark in underground hip-hop that still stands strong to this day, and to follow up they cooked up the deadliest material to do that once again with "Bazuko". Named after the deadliest and most addictive street drug in Colombia, basuco, the album embodies the raw, uncut and un fi ltered essence of their artistic process, much like the gritty remnants of cocaine paste. Crimeapple's razor-sharp lyricism cuts through Big Ghost Ltd's masterful, hard-hitting beats, creating a visceral, addictive and immersive soundscape. With "Bazuko," the two aren't just following up on "Aguardiente"; they're raising the stakes, delivering a project that is as potent and unforgettable as its namesake.

When Crimeapple and Big Ghost Ltd fi rst linked up on their "Aguardiente" collaboration in 2016, the two came to shake the game up. The iconic Antioqueño bottle left a mark in underground hip-hop that still stands strong to this day, and to follow up they cooked up the deadliest material to do that once again with "Bazuko". Named after the deadliest and most addictive street drug in Colombia, basuco, the album embodies the raw, uncut and un fi ltered essence of their artistic process, much like the gritty remnants of cocaine paste. Crimeapple's razor-sharp lyricism cuts through Big Ghost Ltd's masterful, hard-hitting beats, creating a visceral, addictive and immersive soundscape. With "Bazuko," the two aren't just following up on "Aguardiente"; they're raising the stakes, delivering a project that is as potent and unforgettable as its namesake.

Witches brew and cauldrons bubble, as Halloween stirs up an eerie trouble! Step into the world of spooky beats with Lofi Girl's 'Halloween 2024' compilation. Featuring talented artists from around the world, this potion of ghostly rhythms and haunting melodies sets the mood for a night of chills and thrills. Whether you're conjuring up potions or unwinding under the moonlit sky, let the witchy magic of these chilling beats take over your Halloween night!

Analog Mutants back with the summer hit of the millenium, across the entire galaxy!

Analog Mutants back with the summer hit of the millenium, across the entire galaxy!

Analog Mutants back with the summer hit of the millenium, across the entire galaxy!

Bough is the new album from Deca & Dealz, who blend hip-hop, jazz, and psychedelic instrumentation with introspective and meditative lyricism. Despite never working together previously, the two artists sound like they’ve been collaborating for years—a sentiment Deca explores on the title track: “Dealz makes beats I go in/ A universal language we speak like old friends.” It’s their mutual musical understanding that makes Bough such an incredible project. Not only was Deca inspired by his collaborator’s production on the lyrical front, but he also put his own production skills to work to edit and reconstruct the album’s instrumentals. It makes for such a uniquely crafted sound that only these two could create.