Cerca:hip hop

Louie Vega is launching a trio of Double Pack 12” releases that includes special unreleased versions of select titles from the Expansions In The NYC album project. Each package also features unique customized art by celebrated artist Andrew Thiele who also created the art for the album jacket as well. This package is a tribute to two of Louie’s musical heroes, namely the late Patrick Adams and Larry Levan. Legendary producer Patrick Adams was the writer of Chimi and Atmosphere Strut, and equally legendary DJ Larry Levan was instrumental in breaking Bernard Fowler’s early releases with The Peech Boys at The Paradise Garage before Bernard was catapulted into worldwide fame as one of the featured back up singers on tour and in the studio for the Rolling Stones. Chimi and Atmosphere Strut also feature collaborations with Louie’s renowned Elements of Life band and New York based House and Hip Hop DJ / Producer extraordinaire DJ Spinna.

Kixnare - one of the best Polish hip-hop producers - made those beats for a special mix with american accapellas. But this boom bap instrumental versions are so classy that we decided to put them on wax.

In a Hip Hop match-up as heavy as Freddy vs Jason was to horror cinema, Los Angeles emcee's Mykill Miers and Pawz One have announced a collaborative album titled "Double Homicide". The project is packed with multi-syllabic lyrical barrages and DJ cuts as gritty as the boom-bap backdrops for a journey through the dark underbelly of the city of angels.

Mykill Miers, the self-proclaimed "Hitchcock Of Hip Hop" has been a threat on the mic since the late 90's, coming up in the same circle as notables including Planet Asia, Dilated Peoples and Phil The Agony. Pawz One has been releasing music for the past decade has been repping hard for the real ish. Speaking on their initial link-up Pawz recalls "I had obviously known of Myk for a while from killing it on the "Wake Up Show" to all the work he dropped. I was circulating around shows in LA a few years back and we ended up on the same bill a few times. We exchanged contact and did a few songs and I felt like it was a combo people would like to hear more from."

Production on the album includes work from Default Beats, Big Bob, Phaisrok, DJ Ray Swift, Science and Mykill Miers himself. Turntablists including DJ Rhettmatic, DJ Merk1200, DJ Breeze, DJ Romes and DJ Fastcut lend their skills and emcees including Ruste Juxx, Mic Handz, Edo.G, El Da Sensei, King Magnetic and Buddah.

When R.A. The Rugged Man dropped his first album, it seemed like he'd been around for years...and, well, he had. The Rugged Man's storied background includes early 90s collaborations with legends like Mobb Deep and The Notorious B.I.G., plus a few epic appearances on the seminal "Soundbombing" compilations. But until this 2004 masterpiece, he had never released a proper album. Thankfully, R.A. delivered "Die, Rugged Man, Die", a defiant opus that kick-started his journey from industry outcast to independent hip-hop icon. Featuring the classic single "Chains", "Die, Rugged Man, Die" proved R.A. could deliver on a full-length album, and remains an impressive body of work. Now, the previously out-of-print collection is available again on vinyl, complete with new updated artwork. Despite the efforts of doubters, R.A. The Rugged Man lives.

Back in 2007, three DJs from a mountainous region in Austria called
Vorarlberg teamed up to form Struboskop.
They’ve always been huge Jazz, Funk and Disco lovers, Hip-Hop
heads and House aficionados at the same time –– and after moving
their homebase to the Austrian capital, Vienna, they’ve made
themselves a name for their versatile and eclectic productions and
DJ sets.
They’re also pushing boundaries with their newest side project
Duboskop, merging hypnotic dub sounds with cheesy 80s pop hits.
Be prepared to expect more craziness from them in the future!
ESSENTIAL!!

2023 re-issue, 140g vinyl, reproduction of the classic Tele Music sleeve, full colour insert with liner notes and archive photographs

Wow! Tonio Rubio's Rhythms is a stone-cold killer, a heavyweight library breaks LP and the inaugural release in Be With's new partnership with legendary French library label Tele Music. Yes, you lucky people, there's lots to come. For this extremely special 50 year anniversary re-issue, we've reproduced the classic Tele Music sleeve with a full colour insert featuring rare photographs, fresh liner notes and personal memories of Tonio from the likes of Jean-Claude Vannier, Jean-Claude Petit and Janko Nilovic.

Sumptuous opener “Latin Leitmotiv” is all funky phasing effects and a killer montuno, with what sounds like piano and bass in tandem, stoking straight up Latin fire. The gritty hard funk of blaxploitation groove "Red Medium" is dripping in wah-wah attitude and head-nod oddness. The atmospheric, exotica-tinged "Dead Slow" emulates the languid, sensual afro groove of Quincy Jones’ wild masterpiece “Gula Matari” whilst the proggy, electric jazz fusion epic "Rock 73" is 9+ minutes of moody, rolling menace.

But the *real* highlight of this cult classic - and why it has long been *so* desirable - is the devastating, deep, hypnotic minimalist groove of "Bass In Action N°1". Very much in conversation with Quincy's rendition of "Hummin'", the loping, rumbling bassline and sweet electric piano over clean, crisp drums making it one of those tracks that sounds like a hip-hop beat 20 years ahead of time. Sensational. “Bass In Action N°2“ features Tonio's own vocal scat performance. Remarkable.

Antonio "Tonio" Rubio Garcia got his start playing the double bass in jazz clubs. In 1962, Tonio joined the Golden Stars, the first backing band of France’s teenage idol Johnny Hallyday. A genius musician with a unique guitar sound, he played on standards of French chanson including Serge Gainsbourg and Brigitte Bardot’s "Bonnie and Clyde", Françoise Hardy’s "Tous les Garçons et les Filles", Gainsbourg and Jane Birkin’s "Je T’aime, Moi Non Plus" and Serge and Charlotte Gainsbourg’s infamous "Lemon Incest". Tonio also lent his brilliance to such legendary figures as Janko Nilovic, Jean-Claude Petit, Hervé Roy, and Jean-Claude Vannier. The latter remembers Tonio as “a secretive, mysterious man, with an endearing personality, albeit difficult to reach out to. His virtuosity as a bass player allowed me to write very innovative basslines, because he was able to play any of my eccentricities!”

The audio for Rhythms has been remastered by Be With regular Simon Francis whilst Christopher Stevenson has brought the original and iconic Tele Music sleeve back to life in all its striking glory as the finishing touch to this long overdue re-issue.

Double vinyl LP pressing. Wagram music present a release chock-filled with jazz tunes that have been appropriated and live on in the sample-heavy world of hip-hop! Includes tracks by Nina Simone, Bob James, Doris Day, Billie Holiday, Dinah Washington, and many others.

North Carolina-based hip-hop producer L'Orange and rapper Solemn
Brigham are Marlowe
Quick-fire vocals and dusty breakbeats. With dazzling cinematic mise en scene,
L'Orange crafts a world that sounds like an old-time medicine show dropped into
90s Brooklyn. Pressed on Red Melting Wax color vinyl.

North Carolina-based hip-hop producer L'Orange and rapper Solemn
Brigham are Marlowe
Quick-fire vocals and dusty breakbeats. With dazzling cinematic mise en scene,
L'Orange crafts a world that sounds like an old-time medicine show dropped into
90s Brooklyn. Pressed on Red Melting Wax color vinyl.

Back in the early days of GAMM we used to release Hip Hop reworks of classic golden era favourites.

After tons and tons of Disco, Jazz, House and Latin reworks we thought it was time to bring it back to the streets of the American east coast with a three part 7" inch series produced (not edited) by the mighty Lee Gomez aka Wipe The Needle.

The beats are all brand new production but you'll probably recognise the vocals.
Over the 3 releases you'll hear shades of inspiration from classic producers like Pete Rock, DJ Premier, Dilla and DITC.
It almost sounds as if these are the original productions. No joke...it's that strong!!

Back in the early days of GAMM we used to release Hip Hop reworks of classic golden era favourites.

After tons and tons of Disco, Jazz, House and Latin reworks we thought it was time to bring it back to the streets of the American east coast with a three part 7" inch series produced (not edited) by the mighty Lee Gomez aka Wipe The Needle.

The beats are all brand new production but you'll probably recognise the vocals.
Over the 3 releases you'll hear shades of inspiration from classic producers like Pete Rock, DJ Premier, Dilla and DITC.
It almost sounds as if these are the original productions. No joke...it's that strong!!

On his debut 12" EP, Chicago producer and bike messenger DJ HANK captures the feeling of racing against traffic and, as he puts it, "trying to make it out alive with the chaos of the city going around you."

DJ Hank grew up in North Carolina, Eastern USA. As a teenager, he began making rap beats on pirated music software while also DJing and playing keyboards in experimental punk band Whatever Brains. In 2011, at age 18, Hank moved to Chicago to pursue a career as a bike messenger. In a city dominated by 21+ clubs and venues, Hank gravitated to the famous footwork hub Battlegroundz due to it's all-ages inclusivity and raw energy. DJ Rashad, DJ Spinn and other luminary figures of the footwork community spun weekly, while dancers spanning multiple generations and crews battled it out on the dance floor every Sunday.

Through the underground network of Chicago footwork events, Hank became a close and frequent collaborator with international footwork collective Teklife. He has released music on Teklife's record label but isn't a member of the group itself. In similar fashion, he's loosely affiliated with dance group Take Ova Gang (TOG) founded by DJ Manny. Hank maintains a fluid relationship with the footwork culture from which his sound draws. Beyond collaborating with his friends, Hank has collaborated with Chilean rapper Catana, Berlin-based DJ Paypal, and Floridian DJ Orange Julius.

On "Traffic Control," however, Hank explores a wide range of sounds, from melodic to experimental, influenced by everything from UK Garage and Grime to Ghetto House and Snap music (or Southern Hip hop production in general). Artists like Kode9, MachineDrum, and Sherelle have been supporters of Hank's music, playing his tracks throughout multiple recorded sets. In a live setting, Hank has shared the stage with such influential acts as Loefah, DJ Deeon, Sporting Life, DJ Spinn, Traxman, and pioneering footwork artist Jana Rush, who has been both a friend and mentor to Hank during his formative years in Chicago.

NO(w) Beauty is a jazz quartet in its most traditional form.
In the perfect continuity of the history of this music, these four young musicians have gathered in Paris, where Hermon Mehari, trumpeter of American origin, has settled, like many of his peers before him. There, in the detours of the jazz clubs, a dialogue was created, then a friendship, thanks to the common language of music. Their personalities and influences mingle and define their sound. Jazz standards, blues, French and European classical music, soul, hip-hop, but also modern jazz and the avant-garde. A traditional quartet, but one that wants to be in tune with the times, and that looks ahead.
The three Frenchmen, in addition to having studied jazz, are largely rooted in French popular and learned music and their influences range from improvised music to Olivier Messiaen via Claude Nougaro... Enzo Carniel and Damien Varaillon both studied at the CNSM in Paris, renowned for its excellence and its very "European" aesthetic. Stéphane Adsuar studied at the Berklee School of Music in Boston, the leading school in the United States. Hermon Mehari, originally from Kansas City, Missouri, brings his unique heritage to the table, while innovating in the tradition of the great American trumpeters.
Together they create a space where all these influences intermingle, without nationality, without borders.

Defected continues to commit the label’s biggest digital releases to wax, delivering some of the best house music on vinyl for the very first time. The thirteenth EP in this series brings some of 2022’s biggest tracks together while spotlighting the experienced producers behind them. The A-side celebrates Harry Romero & Inaya Day’s collaboration ‘Rise Up’, originally released in June, the duo brightened the summer that followed with this instant club favourite. The A-side continues with the Deep In Jersey remix of ‘Rise Up’, offering a deeper and dubbier version of the original for selectors. The B-side showcases two cuts from the industry’s best, ‘Push The Feeling’ by Spanish selector and Urbana Records boss David Penn, featuring expertly layered vocals from Leon Stanford. Next up, ‘When The Dust Clears’ is a soulful collaboration between Defected favourite Mike Dunn and songstress LOA., demonstrating the producer’s revered hip-hop inspired sound.

After the success of their full-length LP earlier this year, Night Owls are back for more and ready to take the bar even higher! This first 45 from a new string of recording sessions features two heavy hitters in the funk/soul community; N'Dea Davenport from London's famed The Brand New Heavies and SoCal's own Trish Toledo (Now-Again Records, Silent Giant, Mango Hill).
Side A is the classic soul body mover "Cramp Your Style" (All the People) featuring N'Dea Davenport, which Hip-Hop heads will recognize as the foundation for Boogie Down Productions' "Still #1" and Cypress Hill's "Real Estate." Davenport's soulful delivery elevates Night Owls' flip, echoing the famous Studio One riddim "Greedy G" by Brentford Road All Stars and the quirks of the original. Side B follows up with Motown classic "Your Old Standby" by Mary Wells and features Latina Soul phenom Trish Toledo. Adding a little more bounce and groove to the original, Night Owls’ flip sets the backdrop for Toledo to shine brightly and deliver a vocal performance that perfectly echoes Mary Wells in her youth.
Both sides are must-haves, be it spinning at a party or slowing things down slightly while cruising around the neighborhood, just in time for the holiday season. Produced by Dan Ubick and Night Owls. Recorded and Mixed by Dan Ubick for DanUbe Productions at The Lions Den in Topanga, CA.

In the Beginning (Vol. 2) continues the treasure trove of the early works of Declaime & Madlib, the longtime collaborators who helped usher in a new sound and style from the city of Oxnard, Calif. This collection is brimming with previously unheard tracks from this beyond-creative duo that blends hip-hop with funk, jazz, soul, and psychedelia to lay the groundwork for so many other emcees and producers.

For Declaime (a/k/a Dudley Perkins), this series serves as a way to honor his friends and the city that raised them. He shouts out names like The Almighty Metaphor (aka MED), Oh No the Disrupt, DJ Romes, Kazi, and more, who he says “created a lane for the city of Oxnard to get the recognition it deserves.” Some of them make an appearance in one form or another on this collection, too—Romes, for example, mastered the project—that compiles 10 previously lost tracks that were recorded from 1993 to ‘96.

In The Beginning (Vol. 2) is entirely produced by Madlib, who provided all the cuts as well. His instrumentals are on that raw and dusty vibe as they move freely through genres and sounds, like on standout cuts “Bandwagon,”WLIX,” and “Signs (feat. Wildchild).” Those are all highlights for Declaime, too, and they demonstrate his ability to blend his observations of the world with bravado and third-eye insights. Even as young kids just getting their feet wet in the studio, these two were firmly on their path.

That path started, in a way, when the two became friends as young kids. “I first met Madlib when he moved across the street from me; I was around nine years old at the time,” Declaime says, adding that their fathers were friendly with one another. Despite the two losing touch after Madlib’s family moved, they reconnected just a few years later and the rest is musical history.
In The Beginning (Vol. 3) is set to drop via SomeOthaShip Connect in partnership with Fat Beats. This alliance will include several new albums and previously unreleased projects from the Cali veteran that have yet to appear on vinyl, in addition to new releases from the SOS artist roster.

Destruct is an MC from Los Angeles who joined forces with legendary
Hip-Hop artists forging his reputation on a global scale in the Hip-Hop
community. Alongside with Mind the Wax, Destruct brings some of his
most ground-breaking collaborations, with fourteen tracks including
classic and unreleased joints featuring Sean Price, Blu, General Steele of Smif-N-Wessun, Moka Only, Jake One, Kev Brown among others,
exclusive to "The Best You Never Heard" vinyl.

The Locket is the coming together of two masters of their craft to create something hopeful in a time of unrest. Its title track refers to memories of happier times: “we fill a locket with memories we protect, and don’t forget to keep it round your neck.” It’s a reminder to focus on positivity in the face of adversity. A collaborative project designed to be enjoyed together. A celebration of music, unity and looking ahead. It couldn’t have come at a better time. The Locket features ten tracks cut from sessions that span over eighteen months. It’s sunshine-dappled, psych-tinged, hip-hop flavoured, leftfield pop. Samples and beats, bars and this unique sort of retro futurism that zips from sepia-tinged to full technicolour almost as fast as Barney’s flow. So many reference points that burst at the seams trying to pick a genre. Perhaps most importantly, it’s an utterly joyful listen from start to finish; invaluable in a time when everyone is hard-pressed to find ways to brighten their days.

Two superb jazzy remixes of classic Hip Hop tunes by Japanese producer Shin-Ski. One-time pressing and strictly limited edition on recycled vinyl.

Single-LP edit of Piñata lacquered at half speed master by Metropolis Mastering in London for the highest fidelity.

After the original release Freddie Gibbs & Madlib's Piñata in 2014, cover artist Jeff Jank made a new sleeve for the album in the style of a 1964 Blue Note album.

Featuring Danny Brown, Mac Miller, Earl Sweatshirt, Raekwon, Scarface, Domo Genesis, Ab-Soul, Polyester the Saint, BJ The Chicago Kid, Big Time Watts, G-Wiz, Casey Veggies, Sulaiman, Meechy Darko & Freddie Kane.

Freddie Gibbs is the product of violent, drug-laden streets but unlike most rappers with similar resumes, he brings the block to the booth without inhibition or an exaggerated rap persona. Piñata, a 17 track collaboration with producer Madlib, is the best distillation yet of his transparent approach to making music, combining an at times stark honesty with electrifying talent as a lyricist and performer.

Piñata is a gangster Blaxploitation film on wax, says Gibbs, who came up on the streets of Gary, Indiana, the disregarded city previously best known for producing Michael Jackson. Here he is joined by Mac Miller, Earl Sweatshirt, Raekwon, Scarface, Domo Genesis, Ab-Soul and a host of others in setting his soliloquies of the streets alongside film snippets and dusted funk, soul and prog musical tapestries. While this is the latest in a series of single-artist collaborations for Madlib, after Jaylib (J Dilla), Madvillainy (MF Doom) and the street-centric O.J. Simpson with Detroits Guilty Simpson, the pairing is unique as it is the first time for Gibbs working with just one producer.

On Piñata, where Gibbs can shift from textbook lessons in robbing and drugging on trackslike Scarface and Knicks, to perhaps the albums most personal song, Broken, a collaboration with Scarface, who, along with Tupac, DMX and 50 Cent, make up the rappers own Mount Rushmore of MCs (Youre getting a hurricane of all those motherfuckers hitting you at once when you listen to Freddie Gibbs, he says). Deeper, a Gibbs favorite and the third single from the album after Thuggin (2012) and Shame, (2013) is an ode to hip-hop in the mold of Commons I Used to Love H.E.R.; High, featuring Danny Brown, is self-explanatory and just what you would expect from Gibbs, Madlib and one of Detroits finest; while on Real, Gibbs addresses an old score just as Michael Corleone settled all family business on baptism day.

As a producer, Madlib, quite simply, is music, and ten years into his career-a time when other artists become comfortable-Gibbs remains restless, focused, with an eye on the competition and their position relative to his ascent. This is because mentally, hes still on the corner hustling, which would be the downfall of the average rapper. With Piñata, Gibbs confirms that he is anything but average.