Hip-Hop Vinyl New Releases - News

SOUL/DISCO/FUNK SINGLE HERE FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER ON VINYL 7'/45!
FROM THE INDEPENDENT UK LABEL SIX NINE RECORDS Ltd, BASED IN
NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE, COOL MILLION IS HERE WITH TWO BRILLIANT SONGS.
'TONIGHT' (FEATURING GLENN JONES) HAS GOT A STUNNING REMIX BY YUKI
'T-GROOVE' TAKAHASHI MAKING IT SOUND REALLY FRESH AND CRISP. 'LEAVE
ME' (FEATURING LAURA JACKSON) IS NOW GETTING ITS LONG OVERDUE FIRST
VINYL RELEASE, TRULY A TIMELESS MID-TEMPO MOVER. DEFINITELY NOT TO
BE MISSED AS IT IS A LIMITED UK PRESS WITH SMALL HOLE AND FULL
COLOUR PRINTED PICTURE COVER!

Don Drummond became famous as one of the original members of the instrumental ska band The Skatalites. He composed most of their tunes and recorded different tunes in the '50s and '60s. He was an excellent trombonist and the famous producer Duke Reid remixed a couple of his tracks years after his death. The instrumentals which are blended together searching for the famous ska sound. The different musicians, who never seem to be out of the Jamaican Hit Parade, bring you 12 numbers packed with the infectious West Indian beat which will make you want to dance and keep on dancing. The so-called Memorial Album illustrated how Drummond's talent would change the future of Trojan.

Don Drummond was convicted for murdering his girlfriend in 1965. He was imprisoned in Kingston, where he died four years later. The official cause of death is still unknown, but different theories saying that he was killed or poisoned.

Memorial Album is available as a limited edition of 750 individually numbered copies on orange coloured vinyl.

Support for My Life at 45 part 1 came from Huey Morgan and Craig Charles on BBC 6Music

The second instalment of Dr Rubbefunk's 'My Life At 45' series. 'Canvas Cathedral' on the A-side is a jazzy all-instrumental affair that will have you head-nodding like nobody's business. Over uptempo hip-hop flavoured beats reminiscent of early 90s golden era hip hop, chopped and looped riffs from sax man Ben Castle give way to rolling melodies and rapid fire solos.

On the flip, unstoppable gospel powerhouse Izo FitzRoy is here, flexing her soulful tones over one of the most elastic basslines ever pressed on wax. Underpinned by signature laidback drums that groove like a classic rhythm section of yesteryear, tasteful guitars and chiming electric piano weave their way between Izo's lyrics and, bingo! That's 'A Little Blahzay' right there! Always keen to give the DJs a bonus, the good doctor even squeezes some 'Canvas Beats' onto the 7" for good measure.

South London virtuoso keys wizard Joe Armon-Jones returns with two freaked out dub versions, re-rubbing two entries from his debut for Brownswood earlier this year. 'Starting Today Dub' is stripped back and stretched out to maximum effect. 'Mollison Dub Vocal Version (Feat. Asheber)' spaces out the original and adds in extra vocals from West London dub staple Asheber.

His debut album, Starting Today, came out in May 2018. Part of the vibrant young jazz scene in London, it brought together a bunch of players under that umbrella. It was praised by Pitchfork, Loud and Quiet and CLASH. In the words of The Wire, it's "bass-rich music hustle straight out of the London soul-jazz-dance lineage.

Mikey Dread Was A Jamaican Singer Who Played An Important Role In The Popularization Of The Reggae During The 1970s. His Second Album, Dread At The Controls, Was Released In 1979 And Can Be Seen As A Crucial Album In The Reggae World. Some Of The Most Superb Rhythms He Recorded For This Album, With The Help Of Musicians Like Robbie Shakespeare, Ranchie Mclean, And Earl "bagga" Walker. With Dread And Some Other Fine Studio Professionals Behind The Controls In The Studio He Recorded Some Of His Best Known Songs. The Fantastic Sound And Great Atmospheres Showing The Best Side Of The Fantastic Music Mikey Dread Recorded.

Mikey Dread Began Recording In The Early 70s And Worked Together With A Lot Of Different Artists From The Reggae Scene.

The 45 of Everyday People - World full of people is well known on the modern soul and funk scene and it relatively easy to find a copy for maybe 500 pounds. What was always less well known was that there was also an LP by the same band but labels as People Pleasure. I first came across this LP in Turku, Finland in the early 2000s when at the house of DJ and Collector Felix Manell who pulled a pile of rare and interesting bits that day. I did not really appreciate the true rarity until trying to source my own copy. The next copy I saw was in Japan in 2004 but was not going anywhere. Roll on 15 years, Russell Paine, collector, DJ and super record researcher called me saying he had finally unravelled the mystery and was talking to Bill brown & Al Hall Jr. Russel sets himself the hard task of only putting out unreleased material on his own label so we also work together on LPs and Singles on Athens of the North. After we managed to clear the rights the final hurdle was finding a clean copy, not an easy task. After asking loads of deep collectors, Zaf put me onto DJ Nick the Record who very kindly lent me his minty personal copy, a huge favour considering how rare this record is, almost impossible to replace. So we mastered from the vinyl (no tapes exist) and while it still sound pretty raw it is twice as good as the O.G. Been a long time coming.

We can attest 'Despertar' is one of the most intriguing and beautiful albums to emerge from the Spanish's electronic music scene in 2017. A celebrated debut by the artist Piek, emerged from the most versatile musical scene, not in vain he creates inspired by the magic of great names such as Sigur Ros, Moderat or Bonobo.'Despertar' is the title chosen for the debut LP of this producer and dedicated music lover from Pamplona

The Seeds of Fulfillment by David Drazin (November 2018)

Andrew Venson founded Seeds of Fulfillment (SOF) in early 1978. In the 1960s he had played electric bass with Arthur Conley, and later the original Peaches and Herb. On the same bill with Big Brother and the Holding Company, he hung out backstage with Janis Joplin. Yes! Vince was hoping SOF would get all of us to the top. He composed three tunes for the band, and we always had a ball playing them.

Roger Myers is a marvelous drummer. We co-composed Namaste. Roger would settle on a drum pattern of four measures at a time that he wanted to keep, and I'd put chords and melody right on top of his pattern. When he layered a second drum pattern on top of the first one, we'd get two melodies at the same time. We thought we were going to collaborate on more songs this way, but it didn't happen.

Lee Savory is a very inventive jazz man. He's musically literate, and wrote excellent transpositions. I remember Lee's asking for my input while he was composing Tight Squeeze, but it was clear he had it down. Once when I was visiting a DJ who played the album in a local radio station, the total of checks next to Tight Squeeze for number of plays was by far the highest!

Randy Mather's sax playing always knocked me out. I could hardly wait to hear him solo. When he left SOF to go with Woody Herman's orchestra it was amazing, but true.

Jeanette Williams had recorded 45s for the Duke and Peacock label when she was 17 years old. Her powerful singing was incredible to me. When we needed an original for Jeanette, Vince composed it, and Roger's wife Linda wrote the lyrics.

In 1978 I was in my senior year at Ohio State University when I met Vince. He came into a bar called My Brother's Place where I was playing with a trumpet player named Bobby Alston. When I was a freshman at OSU I'd played in an off campus band called Akadama. Before that I played in my home town of Cleveland, Ohio in the Brush High School Stage Band and a jobbing band called The Midnight Combo.

Everyone in the band contributed something to Egg Cartons in a composition jam session. We rehearsed in Vince's basement, and he had covered the walls with egg cartons to make the room sound more like a recording studio. The Provider was inspired by Country Preacher by Joe Zawinul. In those days I especially admired the way Zawinul would get his soulful feelings across, but also loved Herbie Hancock and to a lesser degree Chick Corea too. It took two years (with a break of several months) for the band to conquer Self-Fulfilling Prophecy. It shows you what consideration and dedication is, that ultimately they felt it was worth learning.

We recorded at Fifth Floor Studios in Cincinnati, Ohio. While we were there I got to shake hands with Bootsy Collins, who was recording in the rooms downstairs at the same time. Years later, Fifth Floor burned down and all the master tapes were destroyed.

If You Need Me Is An Early Solomon Burke Album, Named After Its Opening Cut. It Contains 12 Songs He Recorded During The Period 1959-1962. Solomon's Legend Was Built Upon This Material, Consisting Of Bluesy Surroundings And Country Ballads. The Single "if You Need Me" Became A Huge Success, Originally Written And Recorded By Wilson Pickett. Each Song Shows How He's Able To Reach His Audience In An Emotional Way.

A welcome branching out into the reggae universe, Rocafort is proud to present The Circle of Confusion featuring the legendary sweet falsetto voice of Cornel Campbell. Lausanne Switzerland meets Kingston Jamaica in this heartfelt, stripped back, feel-good homage to the late 70s roots reggaestyle.

The Circle of Confusion are a Swiss production duo: Seb.K (Shakedown productions) and Phil'eas (Black Diamond Sound). Diehard reggae fans, they dared to contact their favourite Jamaican singer and got a result with Campbell delivering the lyrics on the spot, written on the day of Nelson Mandela' death. There's depth and feeling in this wonderfully lilting, plaintive song, typical of Campbell's social consciousness and beautiful soul. Hard to believe it was all strung together in a shiny, clean Swiss studio when the sound is so simply warm and Jamaican. Beautiful run on the keyboards by Jah Lou.

If you were moved by the Rhythm and Sound album of 2001, you will not be disappointed with this splendid roots collaboration. We can only hope there's more to come.

The Beloved Harmony Jamaican Group The Ethiopians Released Their Debut Album Engine 54 In 1968. Train Imagery Is The Main Focus On The Album, With Excellent Falsettos And Consistent Music From The Prime Of The Rock Steady Period. "train To Skaville" Is The Hit Classic Which Appeared On This Specific Album. It Made An Huge Impact Overseas And It Brought The Group Their First Tour In The Uk.

The Ethiopians Was One Of Jamaica's Most Popular Bands During The Late Ska, Rocksteady And Early Reggae Periods. The Band Was Founded By Leonard Dillon, Stephen Taylor And Aston Morrison.

The Beloved Harmony Jamaican Group The Ethiopians Released Their Debut Album Engine 54 In 1968. Train Imagery Is The Main Focus On The Album, With Excellent Falsettos And Consistent Music From The Prime Of The Rock Steady Period. "train To Skaville" Is The Hit Classic Which Appeared On This Specific Album. It Made An Huge Impact Overseas And It Brought The Group Their First Tour In The Uk.

The Ethiopians Was One Of Jamaica's Most Popular Bands During The Late Ska, Rocksteady And Early Reggae Periods. The Band Was Founded By Leonard Dillon, Stephen Taylor And Aston Morrison.

Names You Can Trust presents the second installment of Rueda de Bullerengue, a collaborative series with NY-based Bullerengue collective, Bulla En El Barrio. Named after the group's ongoing monthly performance and workshop in Brooklyn, Bulla's collaborative spirit and dedication to the tradition of los bailes cantados has made an indelible mark on the bubbling tropical music scene of New York City, and in turn, found their way into the crates and sets of DJs and vinyl aficionados via their first 7-inch release on NYCT in 2017. Since those initial moves, Bulla has continued to grow and add working members while maintaining a philosophy and connection grounded in the traditions of their Colombian origins. They've studied and collaborated with elders and legends like Emilson Pacheco and Darlina Sáenz, and this past year embarked on a recording with Barranquilla-based collective Tonada Baile Cantado — the focus of this edition's recording and release.

Considered one of the premier groups advancing the tradition of Bullerengue within Colombia, this incredibly talented group of young musicians are a rarity for their skill and age. In a region where there are ongoing festivals celebrating the tradition of Bullerengue that still command massive audiences and performers, Tonada is a true representative of what can happen when such an amazing tradition is passed forward to an eager next generation. Produced by Bulla members Camilo Rodriguez and Diana Herrera (aka Carolina Oliveras) in between their time smashing stages across the U.S. for Combo Chimbita, this is a carefully nurtured and powerful bridge to the beloved traditions of Colombia's Caribe region.

Without further ado, here lies Volume 2 of Rueda de Bullerengue, featuring Tonada Baile Cantado, a new generation of traditional Colombian dance music transmitted directly from Barranquilla — Four dance floor crashers in the styles of fandango and chalupa, ready-made for your 45 spins in the inimitable style of Names You Can Trust.

"I love you" is arguably one of the best obscure soul ballads out there. The highly anticipated re-release of this rare and collectable 45 is another collaboration with my good friend Brian Sears, Brooklyn based collector/researcher. Hailing from Dallas, Willie Griffin is a self-taught guitarist and singer-songwriter with a very unique style, which is on full display on both sides of this record. Although "I Love You" has long been a favorite among ballad collectors, do not sleep on "Where There's Smoke, There's Fire". For this limited release we were ecstatic to uncover the original master tape from 1984, in pristine condition, yielding the perfect reproduction. We hope you enjoy this special record.

SKRS are back on Boomarm!

Following the Black Mazda Soundclash tape on Liquorish Records, Lost & Found Vol. 2 offers up two bubbling and buoyant sides of upfull, dubwise riddims. Crafted in the lab by the SKRS crew (aka Seekers International) as an antidote to counteract all the doom and dreadfull hearts, SKRS remedy the dance!

Limited to 500 copies, comes in picture sleeve with art by MYSTERYFORMS.

Bomb the Bass' second album Unknown Territory was a venture into the progressive dance music. 'Winter in July' was the album's single hit, peaking at number 7 in the UK charts. The midtempo hip-hop was later being dubbed as trip-hop. Music writer Simon Reynolds searched for a way to 'combine the art of sampling with the energy of rock and roll.' This combination worked out pretty well and the ten songs shows how they developed to a band who integrated different aspects from electronic music in their hip-hop sounds.

Bomb The Bass were one of the first acts to bring sample-based music and scratching to a mainstream audience.

Unknown Territory is available as a limited edition of 1.000 individually numbered copies on coloured (green & black swirled) vinyl. The package includes a mini poster.

- 180 GRAM AUDIOPHILE VINYL
- INCLUDING MINI POSTER
- FEAT. THE HIT SINGLES 'WINTER IN JULY', 'DUNE BUGGY ATTACK' & 'LOVE SO TRUE'
- LIMITED EDITION OF 1.000 INDIVIDUALLY NUMBERED COPIES ON COLOURED (GREEN & BLACK SWIRLED) VINYL

A founding member of Anti-Pop Consortium, Prizm has consistently challenged the boundaries of hip-hop, collaborating and performing

alongside a diverse cast of creative musicians, including Wadada Leo Smith, Anthony Braxton, and Vijay Iyer.

Composed and recorded throughout last year, Magnetic Memory is guided by Prizms desire to reconnect with a more traditional approach to sampling. In

constructing Magnetic Memorys rhythms and atmospheres, Prizm chose to work within the technological constraints of his earliest days as a producer. Not

a lot of gear, says Prizm. To make it more basement. Its not about nostalgia. Its about applying old constraints to new technology in an effort to reconnect

with a voice. Prizm is joined on Magnetic Memory by New York City-based jazz musicians, James Brandon Lewis, Heru Shabaka, and Shawn Keys

Roy ayers - most iconic LP, Includes the super funky 'We live in Brooklyn' and the Dilla sample 'Aint got time' first time on 7', don't miss out.

In 1978 multi talented New Jersey singer songwriter Steve Willoughby recorded an incredible piece of music, arranged by his good friend, the late great Tony Camillo, 'All My Life' will make you feel good about living and loving!

The original version will whet your appetite for the main event; an extended version which has been miraculously restructured by Phillip Ward, building to a mind blowing crescendo, never heard before until now!

1967's Mr. Soul of Jamaica was the first album by rocksteady star Anton Ellis. As one of the innovators of this genre who was given the informal title 'Godfather of Rocksteady' he wrote some original reggae hits which contains a lot of soul. A familiar mix of heated horns, fine harmonies and impressive key works filling the air. The album is packed with some wonderful, melodic songs, ones that will appeal to vintage reggae lovers as well as soul music fans. Ellis is fabulous on every song on this record, including 'You Make Me So Very Happy', 'Why Birds Follow Spring' and 'Ain't That Lovin' You'

Anton Ellis was inducted into the International Reggae And World Music Awards Hall Of Fame in 2006. Two years later he died of cancer at the Hammersmith Hospital in London. He played an important role in the trajectory of dancehall, reggae and hip hop.

Mr. Soul of Jamaica is available as a limited edition of 750 individually numbered copies on orange coloured vinyl.

- 180 GRAM AUDIOPHILE VINYL
- LIMITED EDITION OF 750 INDIVIDUALLY NUMBERED COPIES ON ORANGE COLOURED VINYL

1967's Mr. Soul of Jamaica was the first album by rocksteady star Anton Ellis. As one of the innovators of this genre who was given the informal title 'Godfather of Rocksteady' he wrote some original reggae hits which contains a lot of soul. A familiar mix of heated horns, fine harmonies and impressive key works filling the air. The album is packed with some wonderful, melodic songs, ones that will appeal to vintage reggae lovers as well as soul music fans. Ellis is fabulous on every song on this record, including 'You Make Me So Very Happy', 'Why Birds Follow Spring' and 'Ain't That Lovin' You'

Anton Ellis was inducted into the International Reggae And World Music Awards Hall Of Fame in 2006. Two years later he died of cancer at the Hammersmith Hospital in London. He played an important role in the trajectory of dancehall, reggae and hip hop.

Mr. Soul of Jamaica is available as a limited edition of 750 individually numbered copies on orange coloured vinyl.

10 Years After His Last Lp On Vinyl, The Legendary Funkmaster Ozone, One Of The Kings Of The Underground Funk Movement Is Back With An Explosive New Lp!
As Always On His Records, There Is A P-funk Side And An E-funk Side.
There Are All The Elements That Have Characterized Its Unmistakable Sound Since The Beginning Of The Funkmaster Ozone Era!
Power Analog Synthesizers, Talkbox, Vocoder, Dmx, 808 And His Absolutely Amazing Funk Touch.
The Lp Includes A Featuring With The Wonderful Voice Of Jamie Davis & The Touch Of H.m.klotz In The Song "freaky Friday", An Incredible Master Piece Which Seems To Have Come Directly From The 80s!
And Also A Great Collaboration With Another Superb Artist Like Eddy Funkster On "integrity".
The Lp, Is A Full Trip Into The Universe Of Funkmaster Ozone, A Must Have Release!

Keepers of the Funk is the second record by the Newark hip-hop trio Lords of the Underground. The variety of the beats and the energy of the different rappers can be felt in the gritty, rock-solid and low-end groove tracks. Influences of funk music increased and their rap flows are still worthwhile to listen to. Whereas their debut was somewhat harder and grittier this is a more structured recording. Deep hard beats, smooth basslines and horn samples are mixed to perfection on the 13-track record.

Lords of the Underground consists of MCs Mr. Funke, DoItAll Dupré met DJ Lord Jazz. They recorded a couple of remarkable albums during the 1990s.

Keepers of the Funk is available as a limited first pressing of 1.000 individually numbered copies on transparent blue vinyl.

- 180 GRAM AUDIOPHILE VINYL
- PRINTED INNERSLEEVES WITH CREDITS
- 25TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION FEATURING 'TIC TOC', 'WHAT I'M AFTER', 'FAITH' AND MORE TRACKS
- LIMITED FIRST PRESSING OF 1.000 INDIVIDUALLY
NUMBERED COPIES ON TRANSPARENT BLUE VINYL

· 1x Std. heavyweight vinyl
· 12' matt card outer with spine outer sleeve is currently set up with gloss finish
· 1x fold out poster: 24" x 36" poster - to print 4/4 on matt coated paper
· Clear plastic sleeve
· Custom download card

After more than 20 years since The Soul Assassins Chapter 1, DJ Muggs drops the long awaited sequel - Dia del Asesinato. Like previous Soul Assassins projects, Muggs features a slew of legends including MF Doom, Raekwon, and Kool G Rap, balanced with a crop of today's top rhyme spitters including Freddie Gibbs, Meyhem Lauren, Mach-Hommy, and Eto. Many of the guest MC's make multiple appearances, different from previous Soul Assassins projects which featured unique guests per track. However, the extra reps from Raekwon, Kool G Rap, MF Doom, Meyhem Laruen and Mach Hommy present the opportunity to flex their lyrical muscle on a variety of signature Muggs production.

Released in 1992 this recording is a unique and beautifully crafted album combining hip hop, funk and synth elements with a pulsating Japanese sensibility Hoodoo Fushimi's masterpiece recording has stood the test of time gaining a cult following along the way and we're honored to be reissuing this important recording in the Japanese musical lexicon.

Creating songs of both eulogy and revolution, the expansion of 21st century black consciousness is felt in waves through Ohio's Mourning

Officially licensed reissue of the 1993 Pete Rock produced Golden Era classic featuring guest rhymes from Pete Rock & CL Smooth. Original Artwork by Ricky Also"I love record sleeves that have a bit of a story behind them, I used to spend hours checking out every detail on every vinyl I brought, and you could always tell which covers were created with love, they would have that extra level of detail and story behind them. Down with the King is such a dope release, it still sounds as fresh as it did when it was first came out in the early 90's. I wanted to create a cover design that looked as fresh as the record sounds, but also had that nod back to its past and the original sleeve design. The original sleeve shows Run, JMJ & DMC sat on a fenced wall in front of a graveyard and church. After a fair amount of research, a few educated guesses and a lot of routing through street view maps I found the same church on Jamaica Ave, Hollis, Queens NY. I was then able to create a broader view of the scene and show JMJ floating above the graveyard and Run and DMC still in the same position on the fence. It felt like a nice story to be able to tell, it reflects the history and roots of the group and almost gives the song a new perspective now that the legend Jam Master Jay is no longer with us." - Ricky Also 'Amped to play this!' - Bobbito Garcia

Available for the first time ever on Limited Edition Clear Vinyl, limited to 500 copies, no re-press. The Seattle group led by Palaceer Lazaro (aka Ishmael 'Butterfly' Butler formerly of Digable Planets and Cherrywine) has surpassed all genre confines and captured the imaginations of spectators. Containing a sublime mixture of funk, jazz, dubstep, and structures un-echoed by the typical style of 16-bar hip-hop, Shabazz Palaces quickly gained critical admiration following an unprecedented string of epic performances across their home city. Shabazz Palaces' music is defiant in the face of musical norms both in terms of sheer musicianship and lyricism. Experimental, innovative, and irresistible, 'Of Light' is sure to be heralded by listeners.

The second album from SpaceArk. More brilliant self-released, private-press jazz/soul from 1976 Los Angeles.

'SpaceArk Is' came out on Color World records in 1976, on a limited run of about 5,000 copies. It followed their self-titled debut (also available now on Mr Bongo) on the same original label, the year before.

For a handful of years in the Seventies, SpaceArk was one of the most promising and electrifying bands in Southern California. Although their music was far greater than the sum of its parts, those parts made for a very original style. R&b, soul, rock, pop, jazz, classical ... it all came together in blissful stream of intricate compositions that swept up crowds from US military bases to Northern Soul clubs around the UK.

SpaceArk wrote and performed more than 100 songs during their time together. Most of them were not recorded and are now either lost or forgotten.

Official Mr Bongo reissue with liner notes by Amar Patel. Licensed direct from Peter Silberg.

The Wings were a band from the South Eastern region of Nigeria who enjoyed wide reaching success in their homeland in the early 70's as a plethora of rock bands emerged mainly for the purpose of entertaining federal troops. Led by their charismatic frontman Spud Nathan they enjoyed a string of hits such as Kissing you so Hard and Gone With the Sun.

The Wings story would take a tragic twist in 1974 when Spud Nathan while riding in a car driven by the guitarist Manford Best was killed in an accident on the infamous Njaba Bridge in Imo State. Nathan's death created widespread controversy. Most of the band (and fans) blamed best for the accident since he had been behind the wheel. Also he had allegedly had sex with a groupie in the brand new car before it had the chance to be properly blessed which was considered to be bad juju. To add insult to injury while the rest of the band wanted to go on hiatus to mourn Best insisted that the Wings resume activity with him in the lead singer spot. The band would eventually go on hiatus and Best would break away to form the Super Wings to relatively little success due to fan resentment whilst the other members of the group reformed as the Original Wings causing a bitter rift not just between the ex bandmates but amongst the rival fans.

Time has been kinder to their legacy as their second album My Love is For You has since been heralded as a classic of it's genre. A unique album with earnest vocals, sincere songwriting and the encapsulating grooves that once made their former band the talk of the town.

A relatively obscure recording until now. Good Find Records presents My Love is For you in it's entirety. We'll let you be the judge.

Italo and Funk! A long standing relationship that goes back to American R&B artists connecting with the Italian audience in the 60's. At that time the Italian music market was still influential on a global scale and you could find an artist like Wilson Pickett singing in Italian (with a quite puzzling accent!) at the Sanremo Festival in 1968. The song he performed, "Un'Avventura", was written by Ludo Battisti the biggest Italian pop star of all time, a lover of all black American music, who has recently been re-discovered by global diggers, for his psychedelic, latin, funky period of the mid to late 70's. But the market was ready for that real funk: in 1971 James Brown performed "Sex Machine" live on national TV. Then Umbria Jazz festival opened for business in 1973 bringing the likes of Weather Report and Horace Silverto the more intellectual side of listeners. While the mainstream crowd was grooving in cinema theaters to the orchestral funk of masters like Piero Umiliani, Piero Piccioni and Armando Trovajoli and their soundtracks of the 'Poliziotteschi' B-Movies. With the 70's giving us the Mediterranean soul-funk of Napoli Centrale, directly influenced by the nearby NATO American base dwellers, the picture was complete: it was time for the Disco revolution! From Moroder to Mauro Boncaldi the list of Italian pioneers that molded dance music into a new hybrid of electronic basslines and over the top melodies is endless. The enormous international success of Italo Disco created a market of independent labels and distributions that were the basis of the next mutation of funky dance music: House. Italo Disco influenced the birth of House in America and then House came back to Italy and gave a new generation of producers the kick in the ass to start their own thing.

It's been 4 years since Jme's highly acclaimed album 'Integrity' the innovative Boy Better Know CEO is back with an almighty bang. "Grime MC" is further proof of why Jme is the leading light in the UK.

This is a release like no other... over half a dozen videos, an exclusive cinema screening tour, a physical only release launch featuring various limited formats and much more... the rules of a 'release' have just been broken once again.

Features on the album include Skepta, Giggs, Wiley, P Money, Big Zuu, Shakka, President T and Merky Ace whilst production comes from the likes of Preditah, Tre Mission, S-X, Blay Vision, Lewi B, Splurt Diablo, Deeco and of course Jme himself.

6LACK gilt gewissermaßen als der Songwriter in der aktuellen Hip-Hop Landschaft. Den Durchbruch
schaffte er 2016 mit seiner Single - Prblms', die in den USA mit Doppelplatin zertifiziert wurde. Ein
Gold-Debutalbum (- Free 6LACK') und 1,7 Mrd. Streams weltweit später, kehrt der 26-Jährige nun mit
einem neuen Album zurück: - East Atlanta Love Letter'überzeugt mit einem spannenden Mix aus
Hip-Hop und RnB sowie hochkarätigen Features von Future, J. Cole, Offset und Khalid. Neben seinem
Auftritt auf dem Splash! Festival spielte 6LACK dieses Jahr außerdem eine ausverkaufte Show in
Berlin.

Die Singer und Songwriterin Ella Mai aus London bringt mit souligen Balladen und herzzerreißenden
Trennungssongs den R&B-Sound der 90er Jahre zurück. Den Durchbruch erreichte sie mit ihrer
Dreifach-Platin-Single "Boo'd Up', mit der sie darüber hinaus Geschichte schrieb: In diesem Jahrzent
konnte noch keine andere weibliche Künstlerin 14 Wochen lang an der Spitze der R&B/Hip-Hop
Billboard Charts bleiben. Neben einer ausverkauften US Headlining-Tour resultierte ihr Erfolg
außerdem in zwei Nominierungen bei den American Music Awards.
Am 2. November erschien ihr langerwartetes Debutalbum "Ella Mai". Neben der Erfolgssingle "Boo'd
Up" enthält das Werk außerdem die Singles "Trip' (Platz 1 der US R&B-Charts) und - Whatchamacallit'
gemeinsam mit R&B-Star Chris Brown.

Groove Curse is Rakei's long-awaited follow up to highly-acclaimed debut EP Franklin's Room, his modern take on reggae-infused soul music. Groove Curse takes an evolved turn, with a sound Rakei describes as 'raw, vocal-driven, groove'. With the first single off the EP, Street Light featuring Gwen Bunn (vocalist and Grammy nominated producer of Schoolboy Q's Collard Greens feat. Kendrick Lamar), the release celebrates the skills of upcoming young musicians who are writing, self-producing and taking full advantage of their vocal and multi-instrumentalist talents.

'Jordan Rakei is one of those few and far between up and coming artists that is making music from a truly authentic place. I liked what I heard from the get go and couldn't wait to play it on my 6Music show. It seems like he is consistently evolving and producing very impressive innovative music. I'm excited by where he is at, but even more so by the potential places he can go.' - Gilles Peterson (BBC 6 Music)

'...a bad ass artist, not to be slept on!' - Osunlade, Yoruba Records

First he gave you "The Dinnersty" the world's first musical cookbook to a fanfare of praise, quotes such as "Not bad", "Reasonable stuff" and "Satisfactory" sum up the massive impact his debut album had on society, but now if you have room in your bellies, MC Cashback is serving up "Just Desserts" a bloody powerhouse of an album, guaranteed to stuff your ears with a multitude of sickly sweets sounds that will have you slavering like a dog, diabetics beware this album is potentially dangerous, the sugar count alone could rot a single tooth in under a minute. It's going to be delectable, delicious, divine, heavenly, scrumptious, mouth watering and other words that say the same thing, it's going to be ruddy good, it might just blow your arse off. That's right ladies and gents, you are about to get, your just desserts!