Hip Hop 14 Items

Indie Exclusive Black Vinyl Edition.

Stakes is High is the 4th studio album by De La Soul, released on July 2, 1996. Stakes is High was critically lauded for its music, lyricism, and its overall message concerning the artistic decline rap music began to face in the mid-90s. The title track and first single was produced by J Dilla and the album's second single, "Itzsoweezee (HOT)", with only Dave on vocals, was accompanied by a creative music video. The album spawned a third single "4 More", featuring Zhane. The album did provide a launching pad for future star rapper and actor Mos Def, who appeared on the track "Big Brother Beat" and Common who is featured on "The Bizness".

Don't forget to grab your Stakes Is High poster from our Bonus Coin section.

McKinley Dixon calls the late Toni Morrison the greatest rapper of all time; and the way he tackles topics like survival, violence, and religion within the expansive landscape of the Black experience, evokes her novels. It is from the title of Morrison’s Beloved trilogy where he finds the title of his new album with City Slang Records out June 2: Beloved! Paradise! Jazz!? Musically, his household was defined by “artists whose first name was Mary,” including Mary J. Blige and gospel duo Mary Mary. Discovering Outkast was formative for Dixon, deepening his love for hip-hop while he also grew curious about the more theatrical rock of groups of the day, bands like My Chemical Romance and Panic! At The Disco that his Maryland friends introduced him to. “Those groups also helped me with my sense of longing, since their music reflected a sense of longing,” he says. Eventually, he channeled these competing influences into a debut EP he released in 2013. With time, his music became his primary means of self-expression, whether discussing Blackness or his own relationship with healing. Across his next releases, his style evolved, and his confidence grew, especially when it came to live instrumentation. His 2021 debut album For My Mama and Anyone Who Look Like Her was a game changer, as Dixon set his sights on heartache and grief. “I was making these really dense and chaotic songs, stuffing whatever thought I had into five and a half minutes,” Dixon says of that project. Beloved! Paradise! Jazz?! is an attempt at channeling different impulses. Sometimes rough and other times delicate, this record is a journey into is a journey into the psyche of McKinley Dixon, with all the attendant peaks and valleys.

A transatlantic collaboration between five musicians from the UK jazz collective Steam Down (and DoomCannon) plus eight musicians from Colombia's folk, jazz, hip-hop, salsa and electronic scenes and groups such as Ondatropica, Frente Cumbiero and La Perla.
Radio support for first single Arroyo came from Jamz Supernova, Cerys Matthews, Huey Morgan and Jamie Cullum on BBC 6music, 1xtra and Radio 2 – with radio interviews and sessions now confirmed for these 3 shows.

The band's debut live shows are for the album release at London's Village Underground (7.5), Manchester's Band on the Wall (6.5) and Bristol's Beacon (5.5) plus two shows at Brighton's The Great Escape (10-11.5).
BBC Radio Features + Mixes BBC 6music – Cerys Matthews – Member to intro next single - TX March BBC Radio 2 – Jamie Cullum - 'Colombia' music guide from N. Hardem – TX May BBC 6music – Huey Morgan - Block Party Mix - TX May BBC 6music – Jamz Supernova - Live session to be recorded - TX May BBC World Service – Music Life - Member to take part in feature - TX May
BBC Radio Spot Plays 18.2 BBC Radio 1xtra – Jamz Supernova 'Arroyo' spot play 14.2 BBC Radio 2 – Jamie Cullum 'Arroyo' spot play 28.1 BBC 6music – Huey Morgan 'Arroyo' spot play 21.6 BBC 6music – Jamz Supernova 'Arroyo' spot play
Print/online Jazzwise Featured confirmed (May issue) DJ MAG Review confirmed Sounds AND Colours News story THE Prisma News story
Online Reprezent Radio 'Arroyo' spot play Jazz FM 'Arroyo' included on the Jazz FM playlist Music IS MY Sanctuary Mix confirmed
Mestizo is: UK musicians: Ahnansé (Steam Down) - tenor + soprano sax, vocals (UK music director) Shantéh (Steam Down) - vocals Benjamin Appiah (Steam Down) - drums DoomCannon - keyboards, synths, electric guitar Grifton Forbes-Amos (Steam Down) - trumpet
Colombian musicians: Jose Miguel Vega (Ondatropica) - trombone León Pardo (Ondatropica) - trumpet + gaita Diana Sanmiguel (La Perla) - percussion, vocals + gaita Marco Fajardo (Frente Cumbiero) - clarinet + tenor sax Daniel Michel (La Boa) - bass + synths (Colombian music director) Ronal Balanta (Chambimbe) - keyboards, synths, electric guitar + percussion Alejandro Cifuentes (Bandejas Espaciales) - drums + percussion Salomé Gómez Burbano - marimba + trumpet Luis Luque (La Boa) - euphonium N. Hardem - MC

Produced by Hit-Boy

British-German jazz rap super group Syrup returns with their second album “The Questions” on Melting Pot Music. Syrup are Twit One (beats), Turt of Summers Sons (rap) and C.Tappin (vocals & keys). Twit One is from Cologne and a true universal artist: producer, DJ, curator and record store-owner are some of the many hats Twit is wearing. Turt is one half of South London duo Summers Sons (the other half is his brother Slim) and best friend with C.Tappin with whom he and Slim form the Lightworks crew. Twit, Turt and Tappin share a friendship and musical partnership based on similar musical tastes and live values since they met in Bristol in 2015. Their first album “Rosy Lee” was released in 2021 on Melting Pot Music.

All tracks produced and mixed by Twit One at The Dojo, Cologne. All lyrics written and performed by Turt and C.Tappin. Vocals recorded at Studio 18 Artists, London. Photo (front) by Twit One. Photo (back) & artwork by Robert Winter.

British-German jazz rap super group Syrup returns with their second album “The Questions” on Melting Pot Music. Syrup are Twit One (beats), Turt of Summers Sons (rap) and C.Tappin (vocals & keys). Twit One is from Cologne and a true universal artist: producer, DJ, curator and record store-owner are some of the many hats Twit is wearing. Turt is one half of South London duo Summers Sons (the other half is his brother Slim) and best friend with C.Tappin with whom he and Slim form the Lightworks crew. Twit, Turt and Tappin share a friendship and musical partnership based on similar musical tastes and live values since they met in Bristol in 2015. Their first album “Rosy Lee” was released in 2021 on Melting Pot Music.

All tracks produced and mixed by Twit One at The Dojo, Cologne. All lyrics written and performed by Turt and C.Tappin. Vocals recorded at Studio 18 Artists, London. Photo (front) by Twit One. Photo (back) & artwork by Robert Winter.

Limited to 500 copies for 20th Anniversary of the classic album