UK Hip Hop 401 Items

In Germany, Switzerland and Austria, this edition is exclusive to HHV customers. 500 units.

Limited 180gm vinyl LP pressing. 2019 release, the sophomore album from the British hip hop artist. Not Waving, But Drowning is Carner's follow-up to 2017 debut Yesterday's Gone. This release features collaborations with Jorja Smith, Kwes, Sampha, Tom Misch, and more. Not Waving, But Drowning features the singles "Ottolenghi" and "You Don't Know."

“Introvert” is an expansive piece of music that begins with a mighty orchestral fanfare and doesn’t let up as Simz peels off bars that grapple with fear, frustration, and possibility on both a personal and more universal level. “My speech ain’t involuntary,” Simz raps, “Project with intention straight from my lungs/I’m a black woman and I’m proud one/We walk in blind faith not knowing the outcome/But as long as we unified then we’ve already won.”

Sometimes I Might Be Introvert follows Little Simz’s 2019 album, Grey Area. Simz produced the album with her regular collaborator Inflo, and it will feature guest appearances from Cleo Sol, Obongjayar, and even The Crown star Emma Corrin.

“GREY Area” continues to cement herself as a prominent artist not only in the UK, but across the globe, with her genre-bending sound and the undeniable honesty of her lyrics. “GREY Area” is a glorious melting pot of neo-soul, deep funk and experimental pop, without neglecting her roots of hip-hop and grime, providing a deeply personal commentary on her own life experiences alongside wider observations in society. Little Simz comes across experienced, free and at times ferocious - navigating through this world with political awareness, intelligence and integrity.

The incredible follow-up to an magnificent predecessor. Now on vinyl. This is the regular white edition.

Little Simz' debut album from 2015 reissued.

Pitchfork gave a 7.8 rating back then and wrote: "At 21, the London rapper Little Simz raps with a shapeshifting hardness and ragged sense of spiritual burden that brings to mind Lauryn Hill and Kendrick Lamar. Both Lamar and J. Cole have cosigned her, and her debut is a tense, terse concept album wrestling with her sense of destiny."

Here's the all new The Mouse Outfit album with guest appearances by IAMDDB, Black Josh, Dubbul O, Sparkz, Dr. Syntax and many more. Another quality release by one of our favorite UK crews. Tip!

Stellar debut south-londons rising star Loyle Carner! No exaggerations, no fakin', just pure UK flavor. Tip!

CASQUIAT's ability to balance heavy, floor-filling beats with thoughtful, experimental layers is on full show in this new 7" from Datum. The two cuts push the boundaries of hip-hop and bring in a raw electronic edge. 'The Stopper' is a high-energy cut that collides skittering percussion and intricate rhythms to make for an intense yet hypnotic club vibe. In contrast, OG Ranks takes a deeper, more introspective route with moody undertones, spacious production, and a sharp focus on atmospheric tension. They make for a fine yin and yang and cannot fail to make their mark in the club.

Blots is a collaboration between Dabbla and GhostTown, an alliance held together with pure adrenaline and Mescal.

Prepare to have your senses strapped to a spinal board and catapulted into the void across eight tracks of pure chaos; seven quintessential Dabbla anthems and a fever dream interlude written by the man himself.

The feature list includes Tis Zombie, Dubbledge, Pav4n, and Smuj, plus cuts from Matt Frost.

Complete with artwork from one of Dabbla’s local neighbourhood heroes Opake, and presented on the first custom-cut picture-disc ever released on High Focus Records, Dabbla describes this as:

“The rawest, most bonkers and off-the-chain record ever made. I had to embody the spirit of 2005 LDZ Dabbz for this one."

Green Vinyl Edition.

Blots is a collaboration between Dabbla and GhostTown, an alliance held together with pure adrenaline and Mescal.

Prepare to have your senses strapped to a spinal board and catapulted into the void across eight tracks of pure chaos; seven quintessential Dabbla anthems and a fever dream interlude written by the man himself.

The feature list includes Tis Zombie, Dubbledge, Pav4n, and Smuj, plus cuts from Matt Frost.

Complete with artwork from one of Dabbla’s local neighbourhood heroes Opake, and presented on the first custom-cut picture-disc ever released on High Focus Records, Dabbla describes this as:

“The rawest, most bonkers and off-the-chain record ever made. I had to embody the spirit of 2005 LDZ Dabbz for this one."

Damon Albarn's brainchild which includes the massive hit Clint Eastwood feat. Del!

We are very very pleased to come up with the exclusive vinyl pressing of "Escape Music", a heavy 19 track album from Manchester's The Mouse Outfit with such vocal guests like Dr. Syntax, Sparkz, Dubbul O, Fox and Black Josh.

Take your time and check out the official videos to a few certified bangers off the album and you'll know why we are so damn enthusiastic about this release.

Limited TO 150 Copies!

Having risen through the ranks to the very top of the drum and bass scene, shutting down raves worldwide and breaking Guinness World Records in the process, acclaimed lyricist Harry Shotta returns to his roots on ‘Odyssey’; a 21-track opus that shines a powerful light on his adventures in music and the significance that hip hop has played in every chapter of his extraordinary journey…

“This is the album I have always wanted to make. An album that I spoke about for many years but never fully committed to. Back in 2022, my mentor and long time partner in rhyme Skibadee sadly passed away and I was left to reflect, not only on music but life in general.

After much reflection and time away from it all, I decided that I needed to make my legacy project because none of us know how much time we have. I wanted to leave behind a body of work that would both cement my legacy as an artist but most importantly as a human being.

Hip-hop has been the back bone of everything I do; lyrically, musically and spiritually for as long as I can remember. If I was to make this album, I had to reconnect with my roots and build a project with hip hop as its bedrock, but at the same time I wanted to showcase my ability to blur genres, moods, styles and BPMs that have shaped me as a vocalist known to take on any genre in the UK underground.

‘Odyssey’ is without question my most innovative, creative and personal piece of work. It’s a 21-track voyage into my mind, with an array of features from across the UK and US underground over incredible productions from an array of amazing producers. From the deeply autobiographical debut single ‘It Wasn’t Easy’ to the link-up of-all-link-ups with Rag’N’Bone Man, P Money and Spyda on ‘Imposter’, this album is my legacy piece.”

Limited TO 200 Copies!

Follow the White Rabbit.

Underground legend and High Focus stalwart Ramson Badbonez re-enters the chat with new album ‘White Rabbit’, his first full length release on HF since 2022’s ‘Fusion’.

Teaming up with the infamous Leaf Dog on production, the collaboration plays out perfectly across all 14-tracks; Leaf providing a pitch-perfect soundtrack for Badbonez to showcase his full arsenal of multi-syllable flows, punchlines and infectious hooks as he adventures further down the rabbit hole…

Marrying his street poetry with the macabre at every turn, ‘White Rabbit’ is a potent reminder of Badbonez at his lucid best; searching out the truth in the music he makes.

Stacked with features from The Four Owls, Smellington Piff on lead single ‘More 4 Less’, Verbz, Mysdiggi, Phoenix Da Icefire, Tex & Cymarshall Law, ‘White Rabbit’ has all the makings of a classic from Badbonez, but moreover, a timeless High Focus release in 2025.

Central Cee, is a British rapper and songwriter from London. He rose to prominence in 2020 with the release of the singles "Day in the Life" and "Loading". His first mixtape, Wild West (2021), debuted at number two on the UK Albums Chart, while his second, 23 (2022), debuted atop the chart. Central Cee achieved further success with his 2022 single "Doja", which peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart and became the most-streamed UK rap song in Spotify history. In June 2023, he released the single "Sprinter" (with Dave), which became his first UK number-one single and preceded their collaborative EP, Split Decision (2023). The song also became the longest-running number-one rap song in the UK, holding the position for 10 weeks. His debut studio album, Can't Rush Greatness, released through Columbia

The Menu is a 16 track album by Leaf Dog & BVA. The album features M.O.P and Keith Murray with most of the production done by Leaf Dog but featuring production from Illinformed and Stevi Beats

Nice remixes of Mobb Deep, Raekwon, MOP, Children Of The Corn, Black Moon, Camp Lo and many more!

Imagine curating a dream lineup of MCs and producers from every corner of the rap world—sounds impossible, right? Not for artist and illustrator Gangster Doodles, who has been bringing this vision to life for the past decade. Now, with “Gangster Music Vol.3”, the trilogy reaches its grand finale, and it’s bigger, bolder, and more unpredictable than ever before.

Gangster Doodles himself puts it best: "It’s hard to believe that I’ve been actively working on this Gangster Music series for the past 10 years. The most gangster music trilogy of ALL Time is almost complete!! And in my humble opinion Vol.3 is the most exciting out of the 3, both from a music standpoint (special shout-out to all my music heroes on Vol.3) and artistically speaking this is the most fun I’ve had in years”

Since launching Volume 1 in 2019 and following up with the second volume in 2022, Gangster Doodles has been shaping the Gangster Music series into a one-of-a-kind sonic universe—an unfiltered mix of underground titans, unsung legends, and rising stars. Volume 3 is the biggest installment yet, boasting a staggering 30 tracks that traverse the entire spectrum of rap and beat culture.

This time around, the lineup is as eclectic as ever. From legendary pioneers like Lee Perry and Tommy Wright III, to veteran producers such as Mr. Scruff and Peanut Butter Wolf, the album pays homage to hip-hop’s roots while pushing forward into fresh territory. The roster also includes established up-and-comers like Devin Morrison, Low Leaf, DJ Harrison, Quelle Chris, Homeboy Sandman, and Suzi Analogue, ensuring a mix of classic flavors and new-school innovation. The bubbling underground is well represented too, with artists like Raz Fresco, Atlanta’s 645ar, and Pro Era’s Chuck Strangers bringing their own distinct heat.

From pioneering SoundCloud rappers like Pouya to genre-bending composer John Carroll Kirby, from Birmingham’s Romderful to Chile’s Rvyo, the album encapsulates a truly global soundscape, proving once again that Gangster Doodles’ ear for cutting-edge talent is second to none.

As always, the cover art is a vital piece of the puzzle. This time, Bootleg Garfield & Friends take center stage, bringing the same playful irreverence that has defined Gangster Doodles’ artwork for years. Fans are encouraged to engage, remix, and make the cover their own, staying true to the spirit of interactive creativity that has always fueled the series.

After years of meticulous curation, countless DMs, emails, and behind-the-scenes wrangling, Gangster Music Vol.3 is here to complete the trilogy in legendary fashion. Expect boundary-pushing beats, next-level lyricism, and a lineup that celebrates hip-hop in all its many forms.

“Thanks to everyone who’s actively supported and continues to tap-in. Believe & trust when I say I've got more dope stuff cookin’. Stay Tuned!! Gangster Doodles 4ever. 1LUV."

Gangster Music Vol.3 is out April 7th on All City. Stay tuned, stay tapped in, and get ready for the most gangster music experience yet.

Juga-Naut, cultural Renaissance man, master of crafts, has done it again. Out of the deepest recesses of Nottingham’s underground caves, in brain-melting stereo and mesmerising technicolor, comes… Bem II.

Following on from 2020’s Bem, while defying the outdated belief that a sequel never outshines its predecessor, this is a lyrically ascendant, sonically euphoric, genre-defying, fever-inducing, hellcat of an album. Built upon the backbone of Juga-Naut’s inimitable production, wry, streetwise and knowing poetics, with hooks so catchy they cause problems when swallowed, Bem II gives listeners more funk, more soul, more grooves, more breaks, and more grit than ever before. The album’s co-stars include incredible artists and collaborators from both sides of the Atlantic, such as Crimeapple, Vandal Savage & Yumah.

Inspired by legendary cinema, each track is filmic in and of itself, a collection of twelve potent and timeless songs that together mean more than a million vapid viral videos. If played in the presence of the planet’s most infamous haters in a darkened theatre on a moonless night, Bem II has the power to unite even the most acrimonious of enemies.

This album is best listened to just before your decide to ask Jugz in 2024 after a decade plus of releases if he is 'still doing his little music thing?'.

All tracks written, performed, produced, recorded, arranged, mixed & mastered by Juga-Naut.
featuring Crimeapple, Vandal Savage & Yumah.
Recorded at The Lodge Studios.
Artwork & layout by Juga-Naut, 2024.

cLOUDDEAD's debut album, compiling six 10" EPs that appeared between 2000-2001, is aurally dense and obscured. A sprawling mass of miniature beat-suites and Dadaist lyrics, this strange and beautiful 3xLP would influence a myriad of sub-genres (cloud rap, hauntology, lo-fi hip-hop, etc.) in the two decades since its initial release.

Only the three members of cLOUDDEAD – Why?, Doseone and Odd Nosdam – can speak to the group's origins, but in the context of underground hip-hop towards the end of the 20th century, their arrival makes perfect sense. Cincinnati had a vital scene; home to Scribble Jam, an annual confluence of MCs, DJs, B-boys and graffiti artists. While the trio soon relocated to the Bay Area where they co-founded the Anticon collective, their Midwestern roots – in ramshackle basements of off-campus hovels, as the "cerberus of Southern Ohio" – would remain the atomic heart of their early recordings.

As Chris Martins writes in the liner notes, "The only reason we know their names today is because of how loudly and curiously they aired their insularity. They rewrote the entire world as they knew it through their own fucked perspective, and when those mysterious 10-inches started popping up in record shops, it wasn't just a puzzle to investigate: there seemed to be a whole cosmology hidden in those grooves."

Each side of the album represents one of those elusive 10-inches, each embodying a universe unto itself. Opening salvo "Apt. A" and "And All You Can Do Is Laugh" are perhaps most emblematic of the cLOUDDEAD experience. Why? and Dose create a new language through boundless non-sequiturs, sing-song non-choruses and call-and-response hooks, while Nosdam's dexterous production shifts from crackling ambience of Flying Saucer Attack to tight Ohio Players drum breaks and oblique film samples.

Taken all together, cLOUDDEAD is an original interpretation of hip-hop in the surreal Y2K glow – a bizarre meeting point between William Basinski's Disintegration Loops and MF DOOM's Operation: Doomsday. All it took was a Dr. Sample Sp-202, Tascam cassette eight-track and cheap RadioShack mic. There's truly nothing like it.

This edition has been faithfully restored by Nosdam. Comes with poster.

East London-born music legend and all round boundary-breaking innovator, Dizzee Rascal, today announces the release of his 7th studio album, entitled ‘E3 AF’ and new single ‘L.L.L.L (Love Life Live Large)’, out via Island Records. This new release marks the genesis of a new era for Dizzee and is the first album wholly written, recorded and produced in the UK in over a decade. ‘E3 AF’ is a 10-track layered, purposeful statement of intent, rooted in Dizzee’s inedible ties to both east London and Black British music’s legacy. He sound is sharper, stronger and more self-assured than ever, and it is obvious that he has poured the creative energy of the past few years into ‘E3 AF’ as a body of work. First single, L.L.L.L (Love Life Live Large), features Tottenham born MC Chip and kicks open the door with the force of a steel toe capped boot. Chip, adds another thwack of bravado to the rumbling, Dizzee-produced beat. ‘E3 AF’ confirms Dizzee’s status as an artist still very much in his prime, sonically it draws on the infectious pace of grime and resolutely forward-thinking UK rap. From one song to the next, you are taken on a journey through Black British musical excellence. Ice-cold UK drill drips on Smoke Boys-featuring ‘Act Like You Know’ (produced by MK the Plug) and Eastside pulses with pure grime courtesy of Chubby Dreadz and Platinum 45. Self-produced opener ‘God Knows’ (featuring P Money) and high-octane ‘You Don’t Know’ pull from dubstep, grime and drum ‘n’ bass while threatening to wreak havoc with your speakers. By the time Alicai Harley’s warm up vocals float over sunny syths on the deeply personal ‘Energies + Powers’ (produced by Steel Banglez), the album practically radiates heat. Dizzee Rascal is a unique artist that has inspired many for multiple generations. From his 2003 debut album release, the Mercury Prize-winning ‘Boy In The Corner’ to date, Dizzee has continued to push expectations and boundaries. He is British musical royalty. Every album that followed stacked up another marker of success. Between 2004 and 2017 all album releases blasted firmly into the Top 10 Official album chart, won awards, critical acclaim and amassed Dizzee a huge following of devoted fans. ‘E3 AF’ is set to confirm Dizzee Rascal’s status as the master at the top of his game.

Vinyl LP pressing. Debut studio album by the British rapper, featuring lead single 'Doorman' and other singles 'Peace of Mind' and 'Gorgeous'. The album features guest appearances from Mura Masa, as well as fellow British rappers Skepta and Jaykae.

The new Sleaford Mods 7" single on white vinyl! Taken from the album "Eton Alive"! The single b-side is also called "Eton Alive" but previously unreleased and not taken from the album of the same name. "Discourse chapters that dark silence in the vaults of the unskilled worker. The acceptance of all that is horrible and endured. Moments of connection between living vessels are rare but sometimes they they do pass through the wire and lives are understood for a flicker of a second." - Jason Williamson

London Calling 2008: great dubstep, grime, digital dancehall tracks feat. Warrior Queen, Spaceape, Flowdan of Roll Deep Crew, Tippa Irie, ... highly recommended!

‘Hot Winter’ features production by aloisius, founder of life is beautiful records (a london based gesamtkunstwerk/ label & collective that regularly host & perform at venues like Cafe OTO & Ormside Projects). James Massiah was the special guest for the first ever life is beautiful show, which was in early 2023 at Ormside Projects, which was the start of a prolific two years of live shows and releases by life is beautiful records, who’ve since worked with artists such as Mica Levi (via spresso & Good Sad, Happy Bad), DJ Spanish Fly (UK Debut), Novelist, Lord Tusk, Lolina, fakemink (debut performance), Pretty V & Jadasea. James Massiah is a well known, and loved poet & musician from South London. He is known for his poetry works over the past ten years, prolifically writing and performing poetry both in London and around the world. In addition to this he is a member of Dean Blunt’s enigmatic group ‘Babyfather’ (under the name ‘DJ Escrow’) with which James has performed around the world, and been part of many recordings/ albums, such as the seminal ‘"bbf" Hosted By DJ Escrow’, which featured credits from Mica Levi & Arca.

Limited TO 100 Copies!

Follow the White Rabbit.

Underground legend and High Focus stalwart Ramson Badbonez re-enters the chat with new album ‘White Rabbit’, his first full length release on HF since 2022’s ‘Fusion’.

Teaming up with the infamous Leaf Dog on production, the collaboration plays out perfectly across all 14-tracks; Leaf providing a pitch-perfect soundtrack for Badbonez to showcase his full arsenal of multi-syllable flows, punchlines and infectious hooks as he adventures further down the rabbit hole…

Marrying his street poetry with the macabre at every turn, ‘White Rabbit’ is a potent reminder of Badbonez at his lucid best; searching out the truth in the music he makes.

Stacked with features from The Four Owls, Smellington Piff on lead single ‘More 4 Less’, Verbz, Mysdiggi, Phoenix Da Icefire, Tex & Cymarshall Law, ‘White Rabbit’ has all the makings of a classic from Badbonez, but moreover, a timeless High Focus release in 2025.