Chopped Herring HHV Records 211 Items

Limited edition CD!
Produced by J Dilla aka Jay Dee!!
5-Elementz formed in Detroit in 1992. The group met while attending Osborn High School on 7 Mile. The original members consisted of Thyme, Proof, Mudd, Jay Dee & DJ Head.
These great tracks produced by Jay Dee only released on cassette later in 1998. Chopped Herring had access to the original studio DATs and presents to you this great EP. Ya better don’t sleep!

Only one copy per customer!
Produced by J Dilla aka Jay Dee!!
5-Elementz formed in Detroit in 1992. The group met while attending Osborn High School on 7 Mile. The original members consisted of Thyme, Proof, Mudd, Jay Dee & DJ Head.
These great tracks produced by Jay Dee only released on cassette later in 1998. Chopped Herring had access to the original studio DATs and presents to you this great EP. Ya better don’t sleep!

Dope new producer project from the Cali beatmaker A.J. Munson - Heavy Fish!

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

The incredible new album by Souls Of Mischief/Hiero member A-Plus, with ridiculous production from The Architect (Homeliss Derilex].

The excellent Herring vinyl release gets a limited CD release including previously unheard demos and instrumentals. Bangin!!

Straight out of Baltimore, Maryland we have a crew known as Afiliashun. This monster grail has been on indy-heads wants lists for a minute. It took a few years to get hold of the original studio DAT - big up to producer Reg E Ruckus for diggin through his storage unit multiple times before finally finding the crown jewels. 45 rpm loud pressing! Peep it, don’t sleep it!!!!

When I dropped The Perfect Time EP back in 2017 I was begging for some unreleased flava to go along with the 4 tracks on the OG 12″, but they were nowhere to be found. Since then, a lot of digging has been done and finally we are extremely pleased to announce, we have more period Afiliashun material – and boy was it worth the wait!! Here we have 8 unreleased Afiliashun crew heaters from 97-99. Enjoy!!!!!

Cats are always hittin me up saying "When will you drop another Stranger Danger production" and today is that day yo!



Recorded in 2016 and only released on digital at the time, this incredible concept album drags the listener through the crack-littered gutters of skid row, referencing every [non-legal] buzz under the sun. The breaks are typical of that Left Coast, Stranger Danger sound: jazzy horns, funky-b-lines, loads of film samples and drums baby, lots of drums. MC's Amxone the Crooked Tooth Bastard (aka Al Cohol) and Vice the Antihero (aka D.Rugs) are your loyal narrators and drunk drivers for the duration of this psychedelic hip hop trip. I'm reminded of Cypress Hill mixed with The Furry Freak Brothers and a smidgen of Cheech & Chong. Effin love this ish!!!!

Dope 8-track 100% unreleased and unleaked material from the early to mid 90’s outta Texas, produced by Papa Chuk and Landlords of the Morgue producer Ashton “DJ Cassanova” Irons. You will know Teddy Lee from the group Project Crew but the rest are pretty obscure acts that passed through Ashton’s studio in the early to mid 90’s to record their demos. Check out the flava!!

Dope 8-track 100% unreleased and unleaked material from the early to mid 90’s outta Texas, produced by Papa Chuk and Landlords of the Morgue producer Ashton “DJ Cassanova” Irons. You will know Teddy Lee from the group Project Crew but the rest are pretty obscure acts that passed through Ashton’s studio in the early to mid 90’s to record their demos. Check out the flava!!

Here we have a Heavy rarity outta Philly from 1995 by MC, producer and graf artist Jon Doe aka Denske aka Culture Livingston. Check the interview below in the Product Info section for the full story, but homeboy has been part of the Philly scene since way back when. He used to write under the name Denske and heads might be aware of his excellent documentary "Tag City" which delves deep into the Philadelphia writing scene and in particular the esoteric Gangster hand style of the 60s/70s synonymous with the city. He was also featured in Roger Gastman's "History Of American Graffiti". Seriously, peep the interview below - it's full of gems.



So, to the music. There were 3 joints on the 12" that dropped in 1995 [300 copies pressed only] and 6 on the cassette version - here we have 5 of those 6 tracks, 2 of which have never been released on wax. Unfortunately the final track was busted so couldn't be used!! As he mentions in his interview, this project was recorded on an old 4-track and never got mastered before pressing so it is dusty, but that adds to the mid 90's flava!

Here we have a Heavy rarity outta Philly from 1995 by MC, producer and graf artist Jon Doe aka Denske aka Culture Livingston. Check the interview below in the Product Info section for the full story, but homeboy has been part of the Philly scene since way back when. He used to write under the name Denske and heads might be aware of his excellent documentary "Tag City" which delves deep into the Philadelphia writing scene and in particular the esoteric Gangster hand style of the 60s/70s synonymous with the city. He was also featured in Roger Gastman's "History Of American Graffiti". Seriously, peep the interview below - it's full of gems.



So, to the music. There were 3 joints on the 12" that dropped in 1995 [300 copies pressed only] and 6 on the cassette version - here we have 5 of those 6 tracks, 2 of which have never been released on wax. Unfortunately the final track was busted so couldn't be used!! As he mentions in his interview, this project was recorded on an old 4-track and never got mastered before pressing so it is dusty, but that adds to the mid 90's flava!



Enjoy the last 90's Herring vinyl drop of 2023 - and good luck trying to find the OG!!!



Shout out to the man like Onur Unal for the connect - much respect due!!

Jazz-infused instrumental flavours from great Swedish producer B.B.Z. Darney, who is also well known from his String Theory project together with Hex One.

Limited CD version!

Originally recorded in 1991, but finally released in 1994, the "Suckas Brevity/Hostile Lifestyle" 12-inch by New Jersey MC & producer Beneficence is what you would probably refer to as an "obscure record". Only 100 copies were ever pressed on indie label Big House Records, so Herring & Beneficence's label Ill Adrenaline thought it might be a good idea to bring back the 12-inch material and to add some previously unreleased Beneficence jawn from the 90's. Chopped Herring Records is proud to present "Contents Under Pressure". Peep it folks!

Pen Pal’s MC Cynic the Apache as Bobby Noble, droppin this ridiculously nice concept album with killer jazzy beats by Lars Viola.

Pen Pal’s MC Cynic the Apache as Bobby Noble, droppin this ridiculously nice concept album with killer jazzy beats by Lars Viola.

German beatmaker BoFaatBeatz is mad prolific on the boards. Dude has hundreds if not thousands of instrumentals. I hit him up when I saw he’d just recorded features with Recognize Ali and Kwest who’s projects I released earlier this year. We had a good chat and he kindly allowed Herring to have free reign over selecting tracks for an album project on Herring. There were loads to choose from and dude sent us a constant flow of newly recorded joints as well as some stuff from the Hannover archives!! He then remixed a load of those joints and dropped the remixes on digi and limited cd leaving the “original” unheard versions for this “The Original Nothing But Kung Fu LP” on Chopped Herring Records. In some ways similar to the well-received AJ Munson LP we dropped from late 2018, Kung Fu includes verses from a bunch of low key and new mc’s from all over the States. As well as the heavy hitters mentioned above, there is also an ill jawn by Nine & Smoothe The Hustler. What’s not to like?? Check it out y’all!!!

German beatmaker BoFaatBeatz is mad prolific on the boards. Dude has hundreds if not thousands of instrumentals. I hit him up when I saw he’d just recorded features with Recognize Ali and Kwest who’s projects I released earlier this year. We had a good chat and he kindly allowed Herring to have free reign over selecting tracks for an album project on Herring. There were loads to choose from and dude sent us a constant flow of newly recorded joints as well as some stuff from the Hannover archives!! He then remixed a load of those joints and dropped the remixes on digi and limited cd leaving the “original” unheard versions for this “The Original Nothing But Kung Fu LP” on Chopped Herring Records. In some ways similar to the well-received AJ Munson LP we dropped from late 2018, Kung Fu includes verses from a bunch of low key and new mc’s from all over the States. As well as the heavy hitters mentioned above, there is also an ill jawn by Nine & Smoothe The Hustler. What’s not to like?? Check it out y’all!!!

Oh shiiii – monster rarity here – the 1997-1998, previously CDR-only “release”,by dope Canadian crew Bomb Shelta Association. This release follows on from the excellent Shylow “Please Listen To My Demos” LP from the end of 2017. We were fortunate enough to get access to the original studio DAT files, so this one sounds stoopid nice people. Peep a short interview with Shylow from the crew, to get some background info on this incredible and generally slept-on project…..

This is a real low key one, but a helladope one. Cats will know Born-God from NY mid 90’s crew Now Born Click. His cousin, producer and mentor you will know from the previous release on Herring, Russ Prez – and he is responsible for the dope production on this flavasome EP. This project only had a limited cassette release back in 1994 and is extremely hard to find. So we had to bring it on wax for the headz. All joints transferred from the original studio DATs and included is a previously unreleased banger!! R.I.P. Born-God. Shout out to Thomas Stephansen!

Vol 3 of the interviews series – Includes interviews with: DJ Hen Boogie & Izadoe from Bay Area crew The Dereliks, Izniz [Ghettolandz/The Madness/Burn UNI/Boom Bap Nation], Eddie Meeks Insane Cirkle & Southern Vanguard Radio , Charlie Dawk The Superstar from Da Phlayva/Langston, Joseph Caldwell from Lower Level, Supreme The Rudeboy aka DJ Supreme, Dope artwork by AzhqOne.

Shout out to Brian Kayser the interviewer and transcriber who does a load of the work here. I come in on the interludes and we do an amount of editing and proof reading together [as if you couldn’t tell!!]. It’s been cool working on these 4 volumes and I hope we keep em goin into the future. Number 5 virtually in the can yo…


Includes interviews with:
Kwest Tha Madd Lad, Juggaknots, Shazam X, Eb. F (Various Blends) & Omega (Mhorlocks)


Artwork by Mark563 – shout out to Mark for always comin’ through with the dopeness!

Prince Paul hit Chopped Herring up to release this dope early 90's project!!

The first incarnation of the group was formed around 1989 in Amityville, Long Island, New York, although the family grew up in Long Island. The family of four brothers (Anthony, Richard, Joel, and Edward) and one sister (Dawne), of which Anthony (Poetic) was the eldest, were born to Trinidadian parents who moved from Trinidad and Tobago in 1971, making their first residence in Queens, New York for a short time, then moving to Long Island. John Berkeley (a pastor and a local businessman) and Ela Berkeley (a homemaker, cook-nutritionist, and teacher) were both singers and artistic in general, and they encouraged artistic expression in their five children. The family was well-rounded musically, singing gospel and R&B up to their early teens all around New York, other states, and Canada as "The Berkeley Singers". Anthony (Poetic), Dawne, and Joel (Brainstorm) sang, accompanied by Richard on the drums and Eddie (E-Sharp) on the piano or keyboard.

Poetic began rhyming in his early teens in Wyandanch, and was known by many names and building a name for himself as a lyrical battle MC. He changed his name to Poetic around 1985, and in 1986 he formed the crew known as Too Poetic, who in 1988-89 released a modestly popular single called: “God Made Me Funky/Poetical Terror”, under the DNA/Tommy Boy Music imprint. The group’s relationship with Tommy Boy Records eventually panned out for various reasons, scrapping the album and making Poetic very displeased, an early casualty of the politics of the music business.

While Poetic was just beginning his formal hip hop career in 1987–89, Brainstorm was attending college at the State University of New York at Farmingdale, Long Island, where he was the roommate of Brooklyn’s own Super DJ Richie Rich (who had been in Third Base, Clark Kent’s Supermen, and the movie Juice). The university was host to many hip hop artists as visitors for parties and to do shows like Rakim, EPMD, Producer-Super DJ Clark Kent, and Biz Markie.

After Brainstorm finished his college run in 1989, he took time to learn many aspects of the music business, but in 1989 he and Poetic mutually decided to pair up with a hardcore lyrical edge, original word play, and acute metaphors, after many collaborations between them since 1985. Thus, Da Bruthas G.R.Y.M. was born shortly after Too Poetic’s deal with DNA/Tommy Boy had soured. The energy and high chemistry between these true by-blood brothers at the time was, simply put, natural.

In the first Bruthas G.R.Y.M. era (c. 1989–1992), the brothers Poetic (Brother One) and Brainstorm (Brother Two) garnered much respect on the underground hip hop scene of New York Their first official demo featured the underground bangers like “Bruthas G.R.Y.M.”, “Circle-Circle-Dot-Dot”, the politically charged “Popcorn” and “Livin’ In Hell (Had To Survive)”. The demo featured production mastering by Nate "NATO" Tinsley, their in-house producer Semi-Automatic (Pedro Sims, Mr. Semi, Gravediggaz), and the brothers themselves. After blazing underground radio and live shows around New York City, they were listed in The Source magazine as the best unsigned rap group of 1989. The crew was then managed by longtime friend Jack Pope (Jack Sprat, Starving Artists Entertainment), who later became the road manager of the Gravediggaz.

These cassette tape “dubs” floated around the New York streets in the late 1980s and early 1990s, and their demo eventually made their way to the seasoned musical ear of fellow Amityvillain Prince Paul (Stetsasonic, De La Soul, Gravediggaz) from his association with the local Long Island artists who had met the brothers and saw their raw talent. In 1990 Prince Paul decided to fund and executive produce further demos, finding various other known and up-and-coming producers for the unnamed project, as well as being the tentative DJ for the group.

Then the unfortunate happened – being disenfranchised by the politics and games of the music business and life in general, Brainstorm just quit altogether for “personal enlightenment”, before any formal deal could solidify. Poetic understood about Brainstorm’s personal path at that stage in his life, but was silently devastated because they were so close to sealing a major record deal that would have propelled them further into Hip Hop history.

Their original demo, even today, is still one of Prince Paul’s favorites. It was not until 1992 that Poetic, after Brainstorm quit in 1991, that it is said that Poetic “fell on hard times”, including a short period of homelessness.

Brainstorm would continue to write for leisure and therapeutic reasoning, but never to seriously pursue a music career, moving to Brooklyn New York and later down south to various states; in fact, Brainstorm was so “finished with Hip Hop” that he gave Poetic all of his original rhyme books to use at his own discretion – some lyrics ending up on Gravediggaz projects.

The crazy dope 2014 album by Burgundy Blood gets a CD release for the first time. Includes features from Meyhem Lauren, Kool Keith, Sadax X King Caesar. Straight up masterpiece this one!!!!

The new album from Burgundy Blood including bonus joints and interludes! Herring and Burgundy Blood go back like prehistoric cave paintings and garden loungers, but this is the now people and what we have for you is the album of our times. It’s the shiznizzle, the goose that laid the golden egg, the spatchcock chicken, the wind beneath Everyone’s wings AND the cure for our current predicament. Not the Robert Smith, goth-pop Cure, stoopid, but the medicine we all Need to make us feel human again. These are unprecedented times my friends, but ‘The Fall of Man’ will guide you towards the light, then deviate past the light, back into the darkness, then perform an immaculate 3 point turn, eye up the target and foot down, as we proceed, and continue, to rock the mic….

On the really really reel, myself and the man like Matthew have been working together since the early 90’s. I used to spin for Nanosphere Complex, which comprised of Ash-Trai & Z-9, in the mid 90’s; I used to spin and jointly manage their group The Idiots in the late 90’s; the first release on Herring featured Rod Hotley/ly on the cult classic ‘Out To Lunch’ in 2001 and Herring released Burgundy Blood’s debut album ‘Suede Comet’ in 2014 and their debut EP ‘Cordial Stance’ in 2013. So without any cynicism or hi jinx of any kind, I can honestly say, this rare musibiz collaboration which has lasted a few years shy of 30 years, has been the most fulfilling I’ve had in the game [wipes tear from eye, then wipes ass, as writing this on the bog]. Ladies and germs, I give you, the very lovely, the extremely fluffy, the Benedict Cumbabubbly, Burgundy Blood and their brand new planet-saving album ‘The Fall Of Man’.

The new album from Burgundy Blood including bonus joints and interludes! Herring and Burgundy Blood go back like prehistoric cave paintings and garden loungers, but this is the now people and what we have for you is the album of our times. It’s the shiznizzle, the goose that laid the golden egg, the spatchcock chicken, the wind beneath Everyone’s wings AND the cure for our current predicament. Not the Robert Smith, goth-pop Cure, stoopid, but the medicine we all Need to make us feel human again. These are unprecedented times my friends, but ‘The Fall of Man’ will guide you towards the light, then deviate past the light, back into the darkness, then perform an immaculate 3 point turn, eye up the target and foot down, as we proceed, and continue, to rock the mic….

On the really really reel, myself and the man like Matthew have been working together since the early 90’s. I used to spin for Nanosphere Complex, which comprised of Ash-Trai & Z-9, in the mid 90’s; I used to spin and jointly manage their group The Idiots in the late 90’s; the first release on Herring featured Rod Hotley/ly on the cult classic ‘Out To Lunch’ in 2001 and Herring released Burgundy Blood’s debut album ‘Suede Comet’ in 2014 and their debut EP ‘Cordial Stance’ in 2013. So without any cynicism or hi jinx of any kind, I can honestly say, this rare musibiz collaboration which has lasted a few years shy of 30 years, has been the most fulfilling I’ve had in the game [wipes tear from eye, then wipes ass, as writing this on the bog]. Ladies and germs, I give you, the very lovely, the extremely fluffy, the Benedict Cumbabubbly, Burgundy Blood and their brand new planet-saving album ‘The Fall Of Man’.

“The Bowling League is emcee Calcei, from Detroit — now residing in Sacramento, and veteran Chicago turntabilist DJ Archives, who has worked with Southside stalwarts No I.D. and Primeridian. After collaborating on Calcei’s previous album “What Starts Today”, Calcei suggested forming a duo with Archives. Inspired by DJ/Emcee combos like Premier and Guru and Eric B and Rakim, the Bowling League pays homage to the past while keeping it fresh in the present. With classic production from Beatnick Classic, Olos, Monplacebo, TNV, Keef Boxx, and Pimpernal Jones (who also mixed and mastered the album), the Bowling League is hip hop dedicated to grown folks still following their passion.”