Hip Hop 323 Items

In listing the greatest albums in hip-hop history, one title never seems to stray from the upper echelons, no matter how many years pass: Boogie Down Productions’ undisputed classic from 1986, Criminal Minded. Released amidst a battle between BDP and MC Shan that would redefine the New York rap landscape as it was then known, the album, which features the songs "South Bronx," "Criminal Minded" and "The Bridge is Over," captures the excitement, urgency and raw power that embodies hip-hop culture as we know it, with KRS-One’s aggressive yet intelligent lyricism backed by Scott La Rock’s hard-hitting, stripped-down beats. A true classic, Criminal Minded has been recognized by Vibe Magazine, The Source and Rolling Stone as one of the most important albums of all time.

The long-awaited second album from NxWorries - the cult duo of superstar singer Anderson Paak and GRAMMY award-winning beatmaker and producer Knxwledge.

8 years after their groundbreaking debut album Yes Lawd!, NxWorries are back. With Why Lawd? - a successful combination of Knx's unmistakable beats and .Paak's unmistakable vocals. This time, special guests such as H.E.R., Snoop Dogg, Thundercat, Earl Sweatshirt, Rae Khalil and many more are also on board. Knxwledge is a GRAMMY award-winning artist and producer. In addition to successful solo albums, he has collaborated with Kendrick Lamar, SiR and Khruangbin, among others. Anderson Paak is a multiple GRAMMY-winning singer and rapper.

Jenova 7 emerges once again as a beacon of auditory innovation with his latest opus, Lost Sci-Fi Movie Themes. Released under the banner of Cold Busted, this collection of 16 tracks serves as a time machine, whisking listeners away on a journey through dimensions both familiar and uncharted since his last foray with 2019's Dusted Jazz Vol. 3. Jenova 7 has meticulously crafted an album that resonates with the essence of ‘90s trip hop nostalgia while propelling us into the cosmos of futuristic soundscapes. The album's standout tracks—“The Future 1995,” “My Zero G Love,” and “Downtown Lost In The City Of Lizards”—are masterclasses in genre-blending and atmospheric storytelling. "The Future 1995" envelops one in a nebula of boom-bap beats, cosmic sound effects, and b-movie vibes, creating a sonic experience that feels like intercepting radio signals from a distant, funk-infused galaxy. Meanwhile, “My Zero G Love” floats the listener through the velvety darkness of space with its sexy lounge feel, portamento synth lines, and the undeniable funk that glimmers under starlight—evoking the sensation of grooving in weightlessness. Then, there's “Downtown Lost In The City Of Lizards,” a track that saunters through the urban jungle with sparkling keys, evocative guitar spurts, and strutting jazz bass, painting a picture as vivid and surreal as its title suggests. Jenova 7's skill lies in his ability to fuse moody, jazz-inflected samples with grooves that draw one into a distinctly atmospheric sound—a cinematic journey through time, space, and emotion. His tracks are experiences, wrapping the listener in a cocoon of vibrant soundscapes that are both introspective and expansive. Lost Sci-Fi Movie Themes is an invitation to explore the unknown, to lose oneself in the depths of imagination and emerge on the other side transformed. For DJs looking to transport their audience to another dimension and for music fans yearning for a taste of nostalgia wrapped in the allure of the future, Jenova 7's latest release is a must-discover treasure. Dive in and let the odyssey begin

I feel it will be a real head- turner for anyone who knows my music. I'm really
proud of that. It's exactly what I wanted to do... Make music that I'd listen to and
I'd put on my playlist."
Destined for a playlist, speakers and stage near you imminently: 'Dog Eat Dog
Food World' simultaneously takes things back to Niko's roots but also zooms out
to reveal a much wider picture of who he is and what makes him tick. He
describes his new creations as happy music and that he feels it's a refection of
what it's like to be a British teenager but each cut comes with a barbed tale of
high, lows, lols and woes.
Featuring singles such as 'trespass coat', 'ur bundle of joy!', '14 days', 'miniclip'
and 'it's not litter if you bin it', Niko's nak of sharing relatable smalltown stories,
deconstructing the concept of trying to adult in the 21st century and the
challenges of living, laughing and loving under the late stage capitalist kosh
secure his role as a Gen-Z Mike Skinner.
We're going to really hone in on Niko's engaged and strong online presence with
an abundance of fun, unique content. There will be 3 skits released in between
each of the singles to tease elements of the album and showcase the narrative of
the lyrics and themes. We will be collaborating with the likes of Buzzfeed/Evening
Standard/The Metro/Dazed/The Face and connect with fans via live streams

Rockabye Baby transforms rock favorites into beautiful instrumental lullabies. Guitars and drums are traded for xylophones and bells, and the volume is turned down from an eleven to a two. Tonight, the cradle will rock.

Do noisy babies have you saying miss you sleep? Rockabye Baby's quiet versions of eminem's favorites will turn the lights off and help keep 'em off all night long. Do it for the kids.

2024 Repress!

2024 Repress!

The one thing we know about DA Buze Bruvaz is they never stop workin...no rest and no days off..Always cookin up something new for your ears..They have now returned with their next project “trigga Twinz” completely produced by the supreme duo themselves..The multi-talented tag team champions once again prove why they are levels above the rest..Clever One (homasidal Hitz) and HIM LO (airmaxwell Trax) return to cause mass murda on sinister beats..Pour yourself a shot of cognac, twist up and get nice while you experience fly talk from the top shelf, drunken street crime blowing ya mind rhyme sayers..CHEERS. This will be available on limited edition vinyl and cd.

feat. Tha Liks, Pharcyde, J-Zone, Prince Po, ...

* This 10th Anniversary Edition will be one pressing and then gone, the album is remastered, pressed on Transparent Red Vinyl, features new sleeve art by Cold War Steve, comes with a fanzine and a flexi disc featuring an unreleased track. **

Chicago hip-hop outfit Angry Blackmen made up of Quentin Branch & Brian Warren (abm) have been stretching their arms and tapping into different sounds since they smashed onto the scene with their debut single “OK!” in 2017. A prime introduction starring two emcees showing they deserve to wield the microphone and do so with good cause. Then barely a month later ABM released sophomore single ‘Riot!’ a complete shift in sound that still housed the foundation set in ‘OK!’ A few years later the duo would drop their debut project ‘Talkshit!’ which saw them amass the following they have today. ‘The Legend of Abm’ immediately smacks the listener in the eardrum leaving no second wasted and jumping straight to the point. The 11-track adventure truly presents an expression of hip-hop that we haven’t seen before, infusing multiple sounds with the 50-year old genre. To go even deeper, Quentin Branch & Brian Warren are teaching a masterclass in top-notch poetic lyricism, creating both accessible and mind-bending music. “Stanley Kubrick” has both heroes shattering the beat with their braggadocio for what is just the appetizer to prepare the listener for what’s to come in the next ten tracks. ‘Sabotage’ tells the story of two Black men hustling through the trenches of capitalism and the effect that this journey has on them. While the album exudes catchy wordplay and spine-splitting production, if you lift up the hood, ABM is spinning a tale of depression, existentialism and self-reflection that isn’t always pretty. “Dead Men Tell No Lies” is another mutation in sound for the duo, where the industrial sounds clash, violently yet perfectly together with a blistering hook harkening to the end of time. Warren & Branch’s raw poetry educates the listener of the pre-apocalyptic world we’re already living in throughout this project. ‘The Legend of Abm’ is not an excursion for the weak, the production is meant to snap your spine in half, the lyrics from Quentin & Brian are pathos infused and relatable to anyone simply trying to survive.

The definitive scratch tool! Available for the first time as a deluxe double-vinyl edition, DJ Js-1 has compiled both volumes of his best-selling series “Scratch Roulette.” These records contain several hundred sound fx, phrases, hits, drums, and tones. No redundant looped beats--only scratch sounds and phrases. Over 60 minutes of scratch-friendly material: from the typical “kaaa” and “fresh” to new and never before used sounds and phrases, these 12”s cover them all. The inside of the gatefold jacket features an exclusive original illustration from the legendary Queens graffiti artist Jerms of the Rail Killas.

Originally scheduled for release way back in March 1996, "The Raw Factor" by North Carolina native Omniscence is one of the last of the unreleased mid-90's albums to see the light of day. Despite being awarded The Source's coveted "Hip Hop Quotable" and dropping two well-received singles ("Amazin" and "Touch Y'all"), record label politics meant the full-length "The Raw Factor" album was never released and fans were left wondering what might have been.

28 years later, "The Raw Factor" is finally being released on vinyl, CD and digital stores. Featuring punchline-driven lyrics from Omniscence delivered in his unmistakable cadence, and backed by head-nodding production from Fanatic, the album is a must-own for fans of 90's Hip Hop.

Omniscence haunted the same early 90's cyphers and stages that many lyrical greats from the era had to cross. With a gruff delivery and equal adeptness with punchlines and metaphors, his high finish at the 1994 edition Battle For World Supremacy at the New Music Seminar assured heads across the culture were watching. After this, Omniscence locked in with producer Fanatic (who also laced tracks for Notorious B.I.G., Ma$e and Michael Jackson). The result was "The Raw Factor" album, fifteen plus tracks of jazzed out boom-bap, replete with crackin' drums.

Now Below System Records has not only given the album its first deluxe physical release (including 2xLP, CD and digital) as well as a slew of bonus/unreleased tracks.

Minneapolis' own Muja (formerly known as Muja Messiah) teams up with producer Dub Sonata for a collaborative album titled Break The Stereo. Spanning 11 tracks, the rapper-producer duo takes you on a journey from the Twin Cities to the Five Boroughs, calling on frequent collaborators Slug, Nejma Nefertiti, Nazeem (of Blood $moke Body), Bobby J From Rockaway, Tone Spliff, and Queensbridge legend Tragedy Khadafi to appear on the project. Muja’s discography includes releases with Atmosphere, Black Thought, Raekwon, and Brother Ali, while Dub has produced songs for Sage Francis, Rhymefest and Sadat X. The two first connected when Muja released his 2017 EP Saran Rap, produced by and featuring Roc Marciano, on Man Bites Dog Records. After gracing a song on Dub's Tranquilizer Dart album, Muja locked in on Dub's production, resulting in their joint offering Break The Stereo.

Rappin' Ron & Ant Diddley Dog a.k.a. Bad-N-Fluenz, are from Oakland, CA. Originally released in 1994, this limited edition 7" single re-release comes on clear vinyl and is limited to 300 copies online & 200 copies reserved for the streets.

Nobody Planning To Leave is the new album from Curly Castro and PremRockaka ShrapKnel, fully produced by Controller 7. Featuring Open Mike Eagle, Onry Ozzborn, Lungs, Breezly Brewin, D-Styles (of the legendary Beat Junkies), and Elucid. The title represents a duality. Both a boastful claim and also a resigned recognition. Sometimes you’re planting your flag and sometimes you’re acknowledging that it’s all ultimately out of your control. With the exception of a few cases, nobody plans to leave. Nobody plans to abandon their passion either. Usually the slow grind of necessity chooses that for you. What started as a few DMs between Castro and Controller 7 in 2021 slowly morphed into a fully fleshed opus. Close your eyes and imagine De La Soul is Dead if the Plugs were steeped in the murky tea of the early aughts independent scene. It’s a propulsive, cohesive listen, that finds the rappers forging new ground both sonically and stylistically. The first ShrapKnel LP was wind, a self-titled sheer force that awoke the masses to the New. The second album was fire, forged in a Metal Lung, seasoned by smoke and libation alike. This third offering is earth, rooted in our influences, from soil-turned-vines-turned blades that scale the highest of structures.

Pharoahe Monch is one of the most revered and influential emcees in the history of hip-hop, and 2024 marks the 10th anniversary of his fourth studio album "PTSD: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder".

In PTSD, Pharoahe Monch continues the story he began telling in his previous LP, "W.A.R. (We Are Renegades)" from 2011. The Queens emcee narrates, in both literal and metaphoric ways, about the trials and tribulations of an independent artist who is at war with the music industry and the struggle of the black male experience in America.

In 2012, during an interview with Shawn Setaro, host of the podcast The Cipher, the rapper explained the connections between the two projects, beyond their titles. “The W.A.R. album was like, I’m going to battle against the machine, I’m doing this independently. I’m putting some things out that I learned and I’m going to expose about the music industry. PTSD is the result of me doing that, where I am emotionally now. It’s similar to how someone comes back from war and is stricken by re-adjusting to a regular situation.”

Monch told MTV Hive that PTSD is “more mental, emotional and personal” because it came out of the depths of a period of depression. He also gave the internal and external factors that helped him create the album. “I was working on the title track, which took me to a point in between Internal Affairs and Desire, where I was heavily depressed. Through the waiting period, the industry period, and going through a lot emotionally. Then there was the physical [problem] with asthma. It was the worst. So I started off with that title track and my manager was like, ‘Yo, let’s really dive into that state and how you got to where you are now, and how this follows what people go through to get back to a so-called ‘normal’ situation’.”

The concept album follows a veteran through combat experience, his return home, relationship dissolution, drug addiction, painful depression, and, finally, a triumphant but realistically rendered decision to keep living and struggling.

Holy grail hip-hop alert! Superstar Quamallah's Invisible Man was never released on wax so, to celebrate the 15th anniversary of this astounding record, we present the first ever vinyl edition. A stunning record which gained accolades upon its initial release, such as a prominent feature on Gilles Peterson's renowned Best Of 2009 show, it's one of the most essential jazz rap albums of all time. Cut across double vinyl, it’s exceedingly limited, with just 500 pressed for the world.

Deep jazz rap on that mellow-melodic tip, Invisible Man is an unforgettable album with nothing but dope beats and dope bars. There's a strong chance this album has passed you by but we truly believe it to be a lost hip-hop masterpiece. It supremely captures the essence of a golden age classic without being slavish to the past. No, this ain't some facile throwback rap. It's a fresh and deeply soulful, original album shot through straight from the heart. Perfect to chill to, Invisible Man is profoundly jazz-oriented and captures with simplicity and sincerity the essence of hip-hop circa 1983-1994. It sounds like vibing with your nearest, dearest and oldest friends on a long hot summer night as the tantalising thought that anything is possible fills the air. You know what, we can just call this "magic hour rap" and we think you'll know what we mean. It's just beautiful. Just Listen.

Brooklyn-born, California-based emcee, DJ, and producer Superstar Quamallah was active in the West Coast underground scene throughout the 90s and recorded extensively with such revered names as Defari and Tajai. His parents were some serious artistic heavyweights, too; his father was soul organist Big John Patton, a giant in the jazz world known for his releases on Blue Note whilst his mother was an active designer. However, he remains relatively unknown. Invisible Man, named ostensibly after the classic Ralph Ellison novel, could also refer to how he is viewed by the public at large. With close affiliations to the Hieroglyphics, Dilated Peoples and Likwit crew, his debut EP "Don't Call Me John" arrived in 1999 on ABB Records, after which he took a sabbatical from recording which included graduate school, travelling, teaching at Inglewood High and eventually a professorship of African Studies at Berkeley.

With a laidback flow and deep, relaxing presence on the mic, Superstar Quamallah is equal parts Big Daddy Kane, Rakim and Guru. Invisible Man is refined, soulful, feel-good hip-hop of the old school. Its wise, spiritual and literate sound, combined with the summertime vibes projected by the smooth beats and the nostalgia-inducing samples and vocal scratches, created jazzy boom-bap rap reminiscent of prime De La Soul, A Tribe Called Quest and Gang Starr.

Irresistibly bouncing opener "You Need Knowledge" loops sparkling pianos, horns and a nagging whistle refrain with scratched vocal refrains from Slick Rick, Mobb Deep and Guru. The super-smooth head-nod classic "88 Soul" also utilises a beautifully swelling piano line and dusty breaks whilst Quamé reminisces about his childhood in NYC. Deeply moving, the silky, sultry "Black Shakespeare" is built around an elegant piano loop and goes hard on the superman lover tip whilst "For My People...It's Spiritual" is transcendental rap in conversation with Rakim and older gods. The "Moment Of Truth"-sampling "Lonely At The Top" is striking for its undiluted boom-bap stylings and the staccato flute-hop of "Just Listen" is riddled with soulful refinement. The deeply-affecting, wistful-yet-triumphant bells and horn-drenched single "California Dreamin'" is top-tier rap of unimpeachable quality. What a flow!

Another highlight is the rich melodic piano-rap of "Purity", a beautiful ode to the foundations of rap and those keeping the culture authentically alive. Beautifully played instruments and spiritual jazz samples elevate the deep thinking present on "Kunta Kente" whilst the darker jazz-tinged battle-rap of "93 Shit" goes super hard both in a lyrical sense and with its no-holds drum punches. The breezy Rhodes and string loops that serve as the sonic backdrop to the slinky jazz rap of "We Got Plots" are just gorgeous as our hero evokes Common's "I Used To Love H.E.R." with a head-spinning tale of crime, deception and double crossing. And some twist! "Do Win-Dis" has a tense crime-funk backing and rolling beats which complement Quamé's flow perfectly before the record is rounded out by the tough yet jazzy brilliance of rap confessional "Hope She Remembers Me". Just sensational.

Upon its original release, Quamallah himself declared: "My favorite time period for Hip Hop music was definitely between 1983 and 1994 with 1988 and 1993 being two years that standout as extremely impressive years musically and culturally. The fashion, slang, movies, TV shows and vibe during those years was incredible. While totally submerged in the feelings and music of that entire time period, I went to work on Invisible Man and I am excited for people to hear the result! It is an album that I would want to hear from some of my favorite artists of the past and present today. This is not a RETRO trip for me; this is me at my best lyrically and spiritually using the accessories of the 80s and 90s to fuel me. I am a 88 soul as the song states!"

This album goes deep. It goes all in. When Invisible Man first came out it had a real hold on us here at Be With HQ. We couldn't stop listening to it. We'd venture to say it's one of the top 25 rap records of the 2000s. In the years since its release, it has remained a criminally underrated record, an increasingly hidden gem. We sincerely hope this first time double LP release will go some way to correct this. It's been mastered for vinyl by Simon Francis, cut by Cicely Balston and pressed at Record Industry. Finally available on the format it should always have been on, it must never be rendered invisible again.

The first signs of Spring: snow melting, sunshine peeking through the clouds, and new plants starting to sprout. While we love all four seasons equally, there's something hopeful and optimistic about the beginning of Spring. Here to enhance that feeling is Chillhop Music's Essentials Spring 2024. 28 new instrumentals in 2xLP form to help you welcome a new season and a new year.

With help from 38 artists in our ever-growing Chillhop community, this Springtime compilation is one for exam season, Spring Break, road trips, late nights with friends, and more. Featuring some of your favorite Chillhop familiars like Ian Ewing, SwuM, Arbour, Cygn, Misha, Leavv, Evil Needle, Yasper, and many others.

We hope you vibe with this 73 minute compilation. A new year, a new season, and a new chapter for us here at Chillhop.

Introducing Volume Four from the popular series "32 Bit Breaks" By Professor Creepshow - crafted with meticulous care for Lofi Beat enthusiasts and gamers who cherish video game soundtracks. Dedicated to those that relive the joy and escapism found in racing, rpgs and fighting games.

Featuring appearances from Jsoul, Georgia Anne Muldrow, JUS, J Felix, Guilty Simpson, Inkswel, BLU, Pugs Atomz, KID Sublime, and many more, this star-studded 2x LP comp from Australia's Inner Tribe runs the gamut from RnB & Neo Soul to Hip Hop, House, Broken Beat and Boogie. Full pic sleeve.