Hip-Hop Vinyl New Releases - News

BBE's new 7 vinyl imprint Alim Music presents its latest release, a limited edition pressing from two of the label's most prominent artists, will.i.am and Pete Rock.

First up on the 45 is a classic cut from Black Eyed Peas frontman will.i.am's 2001 debut solo album 'Lost Change'. Featuring vocals from R&B singer, songwriter and actress Terry Dexter, 'Lay Me Down' is a smooth and soulful slow jam, undoubtedly one of the album's highlights.

On the flip is 'Pete's Jazz', a boom bap classic taken from Pete Rock's 2001 album 'Petestrumentals', originally recorded in the early to mid 90's and containing all the smooth, laid-back swagger Pete's productions are known for.

About Alim Music:
Celebrating its 22nd year of barely breaking even, respected underground label BBE announces the birth of ALIM Music, a daughter label releasing 7' vinyl in strictly limited numbers. Digging deep in the BBE archive as well as issuing exclusive edits and original material, Alim Music offers up a series of choice cuts on that most magical of formats, the vinyl 45.

Barry Brown Is One Of The Enigmatic Roots Reggae Vocalists That Rose Up From The Sound System Circuit And Talent Shows Of Western Kingston, Which Has Always Formed The Bedrock Of Jamaican Popular Music. Horace Andy Was An Obvious Vocal Influence, But Brown's Phrasing Was Distinctly Different, His Slurring Interjections Leaning Towards The Dancehall Style Of The Future. During The Late 1970s, Tons Of Material By The Singer Surfaced From Recording Sessions For Producers Such As Bunny Lee, Sugar Minott, Carlton Patterson And The Hookim Brothers At Channel One, And By 1980, Brown Was Also Issuing Finely-crafted Self-produced Work. Vibes Of Barry Brown, An Album Of Deep Roots Reggae, Surfaced In Limited Quantity In 1981 Via Sonic Sounds' Gorgon Imprint, The Sub-label Reserved For Producers That Lacked An Established Label Of Their Own, And Although Production Is Not Specifically Credited, The Album Is Likely Self-produced Work, Since Brown Is Credited As Sole Songwriter, Just As He Was On The Self-produced Cool Pon Your Corner Lp From 1980. The Albums Are Stylistically Similar Too, With Brown Singing Over Hard Roots Rhythms, Most Likely Laid At Channel One With The Core Of The Roots Radics, And Voiced And Mixed At King Tubby's.

Super Sweet Heat Right Here! If You're Into The Slow Jams, The Lowrider Cuts, The Doo-wop-ey Sort Of Vibe, This Is Right In Your Wheelhouse! Ben's First New Material In Several Years Just Scratching The Surface For What's To Come With His LP!

Some copies are Gold Vinyl version some are Black Vinyl version, they will be randomly picked at Cinram.

Here's the single that put Mr. Ben Pirani on every soul DJ's radar a couple of years ago. Now finally this single is back in print along with a new one leading up to Ben's full length LP later this year. This 45 is dance-floor heaven. Super sweet, super catchy, one cannot be controlled when you're listening to "Light Of My Life" and "Dreamin's For Free" is just that.....dreamy. A killer two-sider that was hard to come by until now.

Twenty-eight Years Ago, Pissed-off Twelve-year-olds Around The Universe Discovered A New Planet, A Black Planet. Public Enemy's Aggressive, Benihana Beats And Incendiary Lyrics Instilled Fear Among Parents And Teachers Everywhere, Even In The Border Town Of Laredo, Texas, Home Of The Future Founders Of The Latin-funk-soul-breaks Super Group, Brownout. The Band's Sixth Full-length Album (out May 25th) Fear Of A Brown Planet Is A Musical Manifesto Inspired By Public Enemy's Music And Revolutionary Spirit.

Chuck D., The Bomb Squad, Flava Flav And The Rest Of The P.e. Posse Couldn't Possibly Have Expected That Their Golden-era Hip Hop Albums Would Sow The Seeds For Countless Public Enemy Sleeper Cells, One That Would Emerge Nearly Three Decades Later In Austin, Texas. Greg Gonzalez (bass) Remembers A Kid Back In Junior High Hipped Him To The Fact That Public Enemy's bring The Noise' Is Built On James Brown Samples, While A Teenaged Beto Martinez (guitar) Alternated Between Metal And Hip-hop In His Walk-man, And Adrian Quesada (guitar/keys) Remembers Falling In Love With Public Enemy's Sound At An Early Age. when I Got Into Hip Hop, I Was Looking For This Aggressive Outlet . . . And I Didn't Even Understand What They Were Pissed Off About, Because I Was Twelve And Lived In Laredo . . . But I Loved It And I Felt Angry Along With Them.'

Joseph Abajian (fat Beats' Owner) Must Have Sensed The Deep Hip-hop Well Lying Beneath The Versatile Band's Latin-funk Veneer. i Thought Their Sound Would Work Covering Public Enemy Songs,' Abajian Says, And, it Was Good To Know They Were P.e. Fans . . . We Came Up With A Track Listing And They Went To Work.' Despite The Band's Eagerness To Work On New Original Material (an Album Of Original Songs Is Slated For Next Year), They Couldn't Pass Up The Opportunity To Pay Homage To This Iconic And Influential Posse.

Translating Sample-based Music To A Live Band Turned Out To Be More Of A Challenge Than They Anticipated. Adrian Tried To Get Inside The Bomb Squad's (public Enemy's Producers/beat-making Team) Head In Order To Find The Inspiration To Reinterpret P.e.'s Songs: imagine The Bomb Squad Going Back In Time And Getting The J.b.s (james Brown's Funky Backing Band) In The Studio And Setting Up A Couple Analog Synths And Then Playing Those Songs.' While Some Songs Closely Follow The Original Musical Blueprint, Others Use The Source Breakbeats As Jumping-off Points Later Sweetened By Trombonist Mark speedy' Gonzales' Horn Arrangements, Synth Wizardry Courtesy Of Friend-of-the-band Peter Stopschinski, And Dj Trackstar's Turntable Scratches. But Don't Listen Expecting To Hear Paint-by-numbers Recreations Of Classic Public Enemy Jams. our Approach Is Never In The Tribute Sense,' Adrian Explains. we've Always Taken It And Made It Our Own, Whether It's The Brown Sabbath Thing Or This Public Enemy Thing.' Coming Off Numerous Tours As Brown Sabbath And Even A Stint Backing The Late Legend Prince, Brownout Is Arguably The Tightest And Funkiest Band On The Road Today And They're Psyched To Bring This Revolutionary Music To The People. For A Band Without An Overt Political Agenda, They Collectively Couldn't Resist The Opportunity To Play This Music Live, Especially Now. if There's Any Way That We Can Use The Already Political And Protest Nature (of P.e.'s Music), We Would Like To Try,' Beto Says. the Album's Title, Fear Of Brown Planet Is Definitely A Relevant Idea Today And We're Not Afraid To Put It Out There, Because We Want To Speak Out.' By Reinterpreting These Hip Hop Classics In Their Unique Style And Channeling The Spirit Of Public Enemy That First Echoed Around The World And Captured Their Imaginations All Those Years Ago, Brownout Is Doing Exactly That.

Since bursting onto the scene in 2012, Brooklyn hip-hop collective Pro Era has sent shockwaves through the culture. Crew leader Joey Bada$$ has become one of rap's biggest stars, and Pro Era artists like Kirk Knight, Nyck Caution, and CJ Fly have launched their own successful solo careers. Chuck Strangers has been a key member of Pro Era from the start, producing classic Joey Bada$$ tracks like Daily Routine', FromdaTomb$' (which he was also featured on), Summer Knights', My Yout', Escape 120', Rockabye Baby', and more. A true double-threat who's just as skilled on the mic as he is behind the boards, Chuck is poised as the next breakout star from the Era. Now, the talented artist is announcing his highly-anticipated debut solo album, Consumers Park. Set for release on March 16th, the album features guest appearances from Joey Bada$$, Kirk Knight, and Issa Gold (of The Underachievers). Primarily produced by Chuck Strangers himself (with the notable exception of the lead single Fresh' produced by Alchemist), Consumers Park is sonically masterful, with a heavy emphasis on raw, soulful vibes. This provides the ideal platform for Chuck to showcase his impressive rap skills, with vivid, nostalgic, witty, personal rhymes that perfectly capture the rising star's ongoing journey from Flatbush to international hip-hop notoriety.

5 Borough Breaks Do It Again With Another Larger Than Large Hip Hop Classic On One Side, On 45 For The First Time Ever And The Original Sample Source On The Flip. As Usual, Limited To Only 300 Copies, So Don't Snooze.

he first new material from Durand Jones & The Indications since their debut LP was released in July of 2016! And man, they didn't disappoint! Two covers from the Numero catalog that are earth shattering. "You And Me", a tune originally by Penny & The Quarters is reinterpreted by the current kings of sweet soul, with drummer Aaron Frazer taking the lead on this one.

The world has barely recovered from the previous sting of the Scorpio Man, when he lands in another dose. "Cold Turkey Time" from Ernie Hawks' debut album gets a single treatment here arriving back to back with the 45 only track "Tracking Down". The latter should make the b-boys move even if heard in the relaxing steams of a Turkish bath, where its breezy melodies eventually point at.

"Cold Turkey Time" is a serious slab of jazzy funk that shares many of the exotica qualities of its partnering side. It might sound nice, while driving a fine European sports mobile down on a spiraling mountain road, preferably in a 60's dandy state of mind. The eerie wordless vocals at the end tie the package together so nicely that Dario Argento could have made a scene out of it.

The continental vibes emanating from this vinyl single are bound to appeal to rare groove fanatics and secret agents alike. Ernie Hawks and his merry bunch of professionals are on a mean streak here, so keep listening.

One Of The Great Forgotten Sounds Of Mid-70s Funk Was The Washington D.c.-based Ensemble Experience Unlimited. (later Shortened To Eu.) Though Best Later Known As Pioneers Of The "go-go" Subgenre Of Dance/funk, And For Their Billboard-charting Hit "da Butt" In The Late-80s, The Group Was A Potent Collective Of Jazz-funk Musicians, In The Vein Of Innovators Like War, Earth, Wind, & Fire, And Similarly Overlooked Dc Contemporaries Oneness Of Juju. Experience Unlimited Were Renowned For Their Ostentatious Instrumentals, Winding And Precise Rhythms And Grooves, And Party-ready Jams, All Of Which Are On Full Display On Their Debut Record Free Yourself, Which Came More Than A Decade Before Their Greatest Commercial Success, But Is No Less Heavy On The Classic Deep Funk Sounds.

He Was Born In Sierra Leone In The 1930s. Fact Is That Gerald Pine Was Son To A Lawyer Working In Nigeria, Lost His Mother And Sister At A Very Young Age And Found Relief In Music. He Played Social Clubs By The Early 60s With His Newly Founded Band The Heartbeats Delivering Cover-versions Of American Hits And Congolese Rumba Tunes That Were Then Utterly Popular In The West Africa Area. Due To The Influence Of Congolese Popular Musicians Franco And Dr. Nico He Adopted The More Exotic Sounding Stage Name Of Geraldo Pino And He Moved On From There. The Heartbeats Literally Played Until Their Fingers Bled In Popular Night Clubs In Sierra Leone, Became One Of The Highest Earning Bands Of Western Africa And Were Even Able To Put Up Their Own Television Show After Television Had Been Introduced In Sierra Leone In 1962. All Those Developments Put Geraldo Pino And His Band In The Position As Leading Figures In The African Popular Music That Even A Legend Such As Nigerian Cult Musician Fela Kuti, Who Is Often Credited With Originally Creating The So Called afro Beat' Style Stated Geraldo Pino And The Heartbeats As Major Influence Which Even Made Him Setting Sail To The Usa To Introduce His Musical Vision Over There For He Could Not Match With Geraldo Pino Concerning Popularity In Africa. This Of Course Is A Whole Different Story. Geraldo Pino Lived And Played In His Area, Sierra Leone, Ghana, Nigeria And Created Some Of The Hottest Funky Sounds With Sophisticated Sound Gear, Outstanding Clothing And Songs That Made Your Blood Boil. After A Few 7' Releases Throughout The 1960s The First Real Album Of Geraldo Pino & The Heartbeats Hit The Scene In 1972. afro Soco Soul Live' Is As The Title Suggests An Album That Has Been Recorded At A Concert And Geraldo Pino Often Communicates With The Utterly Enthusiastic Audience, Gives Longer Announcements Between The Songs Or Introduces His Lead Guitarist Before He Starts A Simmering Solo. All Songs Here Have An Average Length Of Six Minutes And Despite Their Composed Parts They Show This Free Jammy Flow. The Basic Style Is Funk With Soulful Vocals Which Gets Mixed Up With Traditional African Percussion Grooves. This Album Swallows You With Its Mesmerizing Rhythms. It's Afro Funk At Best With A Frantic Atmosphere Whirling Up From The Ever Flashing Percussive Arrangements. The Funky Hammond B - 3 Organ Is Omnipresent On All The Tracks And Duels With The Wild And Completely Unleashed Lead Guitar From Time To Time. Repetative Chord Progressions And Harmonies Decorate The Solid Rhythmmical Base And Deprive You Of Your Senses While You Get Deeper And Deeper Into A Trance Like State Moving And Floating Along On The Dancefloor. Due To The Crisp And Clear Sound This Record Gives You The Feeling Of Being Right At The Scene, Everything Sounds And Feels So Vivid, Even After More Than Four Decades. So It Is No Wonder That This Record Is A Popular Gem In Western Africa But How Is The Reception From The European And American Fans Of Furious Funk Music Well, Geraldo Pino Has Become A Legend In His Home Area But Just A Short Time Before His Death In 2008 People From The Western World Really Discovered Him And His Amazing Band. Original Copies Of This Album Go For Several Hundred Usd If They Ever Turn Up. So A Reissue Of This Sacred Gem Of African Funk Music From The Early 70s Has Been Long Overdue. A Record That Is Made To Let Dancefloors Smoke And Tremble And The Musicianship Is Sheer Amazing!

* 180g Limited Edition Poppy Red Vinyl - Only 300 Copies Worldwide
* Exclusive Artwork By Manga Artist Shintaro Kago
* Full Press & Radio Campaign

Bajan-Brooklynite Haleek Maul announces his debut release on Lex Records the In Permanence EP.
Born in Brooklyn, New York, 21-year-old rapper, singer and producer Haleek Maul was sent to the tropical island of Barbados at a young age to attend school and be raised outside the city.
Inspired by the sounds that filled his childhood environment, he began creating music while in secondary school, and what started off as innocent rhyming and mimicry of his favourite artists became an obsession which led him to pursue production and greater musical exploration. Formative influences on his style include Vybz Kartel, Damon Albarn, Aphex Twin, Tricky, Crystal Castles and Kanye
West, as well as visual artists like Araki, Kenneth Anger and Chris Cunningham.
Haleek Maul first surfaced in 2012 aged just 16 with the Oxyconteen EP. An album with Chicago production duo Supreme Cuts titled Chrome Lips followed, plus collaborations with Ryan Hemsworth, Le1f, Black Noise and others. After a short hiatus in order to complete his studies, Maul now 21-years-old has been back in the studio and will be releasing his first EP on Lex.

Ian Dury, Like Ray Davies And Paul Weller Was A Very English
Talent. The Colourful, Metropolis Inhabiting Characters Like
Billericay Dickie Or Plaistow Patricia He Sung About And The Ever So Cockney Music Hall Accent He Chose To Sing In Were A Big Part Of That. But Most Of All It Was The Detailed, Poetic Way He Catalogued English Life And The Melting Pot Of Musical Styles Used To Do So, From Punk To Funk To Jazz And Rock 'n' Roll, Which Left The Listener In No Doubt That Dury's Work Could Only Come From One Place: The Very Heart Of England.
Released On Yellow Coloured Heavyweight Vinyl, This Is All Killer And No Filler. With Dury's Most Loved Songs, Including 4 Uk Top 40 Singles And The Number 1 Smash, Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick.

The Previous 3 Volume Series Is Now Compiled As A Compact 2lp. The Late, Great J Dilla Is Rightly Celebrated As One Of The Greatest Hip-hop Producers Of All Time, In Part Because His Ear For Music Was So Diverse And Expansive. As Dilla's Mother Ma Dukes Explains, he Didn't Come With A Limited Capacity, And Real Producers Produce, Produce, And Produce. there Are No Formats For Genius Workers...just Non-stop Creations.' Now, A Fresh Batch Of Those Creations Will Be Made Available To The World For The First Time, In The Form Of The Latest Official J Dilla Release, Dillatronic. Presented By Ma Dukes And Compiled By Djs Alien Villainz (fellow Detroit Natives Who Worked Closely With Dilla), Dillatronic Contains Over 40 Rare Instrumentals That Showcase Dilla's Undeniable Electronic Influences. J Dilla's Music Was Impacted By The Diverse Musical History Of Detroit - The Birthplace Of Techno And One Of The Most Important Cities In The History Of Electronic Music. you Can Hear It In Songs Like 'raise It Up' For Slum Village Or 'make It Hurt' For Busta Rhymes,' Says Young Rj (dilla's Protégé And Member Of Slum Village). the Detroit Influence Is Part Of What Gave Him An Edge In Production.' With Today's Music Sounding More Electronic Than Ever, Dillatronic Has A Shockingly Contemporary Feel. these Tracks Are Still Ahead Of Their Time Sonically,' Explains Rj. the Things Producers Are Doing Now, Dilla Did That 15 Years Ago.'

After Another Short Hiatus, The Og Crew Are Back With Another Bomb. Side A Sees Bristol's Mr. Fantastic Put The Knife To Joe Farrell's All Time Classic, upon This Rock' And Cuts It Down From The 12 Minute Original To A Dancefloor Friendly 3m50s - A Perfect Fit For Our Favourite Format. On The Flipside, We Have Chosen The Artifacts whassup Now Muthafucka' From Their 1994 Debut Lp between A Rock And A Hard Place' Which Is Kinda Where We At Right Now! Don't Sleep - Doubles Essential! #artifactsapproved @orignals45s

First Time Reissued On Vinyl! This Is In Fact More Than Just A Rare Record And Definitely More Than Just A Vinyl Share For Insatiable Collectors Who Only Judge A Record By It's Monetary Value. This Is A Prime Example Of Overflowing Talent Coupled With A Simmering Passion For Music And The Hunger For Life Right At The Moment. The Story Begins On Jue 7th 1957 In A Small Ghanaian Village Where Kofi Kwarko Gyan, Nicknamed Kiki, Was Born Into A Middle Class Family. Soon His Talent As A Musician Began To Show When He Started Taking Piano Lessions By The Age Of 5 And Went Professional By The Age Of 12. He Dropped Out Of School Shortly After And Began Living A Life On The Road With Regional Ghanaian Bands. One Trip Abroad Took Him To London In The Early 70s Where His Career Received A Giant Push At The Age Of 15. He Joined Afro Rock Legends Osibisa In 1972 As Their New Keyboardist After His Predecessor Had Left The Band. By The Mid 70s Kiki Gyan Had Played With Osibisa To Giant Audiences Allover The World And Met Personalities From The International Music Scene Such As Elton John And Mick Jagger. He Was Not Only A Steady Keyboardist For Osibisa But Also A Very Popular Session Man For Fellow African Bands And Musicians, Among Them Ofege From Nigeria. He Released A Couple Of Solo Albums And We Take A Closer Look Now At His Second Effort From 1979, feeling So Good'. The Music Keeps What The Title Promises As This Is A Delightful Example Of Joy Manifesting In Music. Everything Is Bright Here, The Grooves Are Complex And Powerful, Yet Always Accessible. The Harmonies Enchant You With Their Friendly Approach. The African Sun Shines From Each Note Played On This Record. Gyan Mixes Western Disco Sounds, Funk, African Traditional Chants And Reggae Sounds Into An Ever Flowing Groove Music That Has Lot's Of Melody And Mesmerizes By The Swirling Percussion Patterns. feeling So Good' Is An Equally Physical And Spiritual Affair And Contains Six Lengthy Tunes. Tunes That Live From The Tight Interplay Of All Instruments, The Crisp, Clear And Powerful Production And A Wild And Steaming Atmosphere. Kiki Gyan Was On The Step Of Entering The 'hall Of Legends' Like Stevie Wonder Did, To Whom He Often Got Compared To. His Legacy Remains Huge, Not Only For African Music But For All Black Music That Ruled The Early Disco Scene In The 70s And Whose Popularity Is Still At Full Blossom. Next To Fela Kuti And Geraldo Pino, Kiki Gyan Can Be Called A True Force In African Pop Music Of The 70s!

Not to be confused with the 80s heavy rock/funk band from the US, this Living Color track was written, produced and released by Tony Kalangis on his Sophisticated Funk label in 1974. Kalangis, who sadly passed away in 2017, was a man of many talents who could not only write a great tune but also novels, poems, and film scripts.

'Plastic People' has one of those faultless grooves that goes where you want it to go and does what you want it to do. Small but perfectly formed, somewhere between mellow funk and a mid tempo 2 stepper. A great niche if ever there was one.

The clavinet riff is gently twangy and instantly funky, the horns punctuate an uplifting melody, while the backing vocals float in and out celestially. The relevant lyrics are carried off with a vocal style full of emotional urgency. Pure joy.

"Plastic people, better make some changes soon, or you'll never find a dancer for your tune". Thankfully not the case on this groove! Clavinet freaks will love the instrumental on the B side.

Two Seminal Releases From Milo, Originally Only Available On Cassette, Now Pressed Together On 12" Vinyl Courteous Of Ruby Yacht And The Order Label. "things That Happen At Day // Things That Happen At Night Is A Double-ep Exploring Duality And Responsibility. It Is Unavoidably Obtuse, Overwhelmingly Self-important And I Am Not Sorry." - Milo

In naming her among the greatest singers of all time, Rolling Stone magazine described of blues/jazz singer Nina Simone: "her honey-coated, slightly adenoidal cry was one of the most affecting voices of the civil rights movement." A ground-breaking and innovative performer, Simone's songs are among the most influential of the 20th century, inspiring a wide-reaching range of artists, from Madonna to David Bowie to Alicia Keys to Kanye West to Maynard James Keenan of Tool, to name just a small sampling. Throughout her career, Simone wrote, recorded, and composed innumerable albums and singles, many of which would become standards, including her versions of "My Baby Just Cares For Me", and "Wild Is The Wind." More than just her recordings and performances, Nina Simone paved new ground for African-American women for frequently breaking away from the musical industry to inject social commentary into her music. (One of her most famed songs, the civil rights anthem "Mississippi Goddam" courted wide controversy in the South.) It was certainly this social awareness that led Simone to release the live album Emergency Ward in 1972. Considered to be her statement on the Vietnam War, (At the time still escalating) the album was a medley of gospel-jazz with high-running emotions reflecting the events of the time. Featuring orchestrations by Weldon Irvine, choral arrangements from the Bethany Baptist Church Junior Choir Of South Jamaica, and Simone's own velvet croon across somber and introspective material, including several George Harrison covers.

Ultimate Block Party Breaks Volume 6 Continues The Tradition That Began In The Bronx In The 1970's, Where break Djs' Would Take That One Part Of The Record That Dancers Would Go Absolutely Crazy For. That Part Where All The Music Breaks Down To Nothing But The Essence: Drums And Percussion. These Are All Truly Timeless Beats That Sound As Fresh Today As They Did When The Founding Fathers Like Kool Herc, Bam, Flash And Hollywood Were Catching Them For The First Time In Community Centers Throughout The City. We've Edited And Extended These Breaks For Maximum Effect On The Dance Floor - So You Don't Have To. Enjoy!

We Are Presently In The Post-marcberg Era Of Rap. After Roc Marciano Released His Solo Opus In Spring 2010, A New Continuum Began Which Gathered Tremendous Momentum In 2012 Following The Release Of His Metal Clergy Compatriot Ka's grief Pedigree' And Roc's Amazingly Concise Sophomore Effort Reloaded. Subsequently, A Divergent Path Opened In Modern Rap Heavily Influenced By The Sonics, Tone, And Aesthetic Of Those Three Projects. Since Then Roc Marciano Has Released A Critically Acclaimed Producer Album (marci Beaucoup) Bookended By The Release Of His Project the Pimpire Strikes Back' In Multiple Formats. In The Years Since This String Of Releases, A New Crop Of Emcees And Producers Emerged Heavily Inspired And Influenced By Roc's Oeuvre While Many Others' Careers Have Been Left Doing The Running Man In Their Wave... With Multiple Modern Rap Classics Already Under His Ferragamo Belt, Last Year Roc Marciano Liberated The First Half Of His Two Part Project Titled Rosebudd's Revenge. If The Initial Offering Showcased Marc Re-establishing Himself As The Innovator Of The Present Rap Wave Then rr2 - The Bitter Dose' Will Cement Roc Marciano's Status As Its Linchpin. From The Opening Bars Of respected' To When power' Finally Fades Out He Fashions Another Top To Bottom High End Sonic Experience That Will Be Both Envied And Emulated For Years To Come While He Administers A Double Dose Of Pimpin'. Production On rr2: The Bitter Dose' Is Handled By Roc Marciano In Addition To Animoss (arch Druids) (on bohemian Grove' & happy Endings'), Don Cee (arch Druids) (on c.v.s' & major League') And Element) (on respected' & 67 Lobby'). Knowledge The Pirate Appears On Both bohemian Grove' And major League' While Action Bronson Contributes A Verse To corniche.' Whether It Comes To Hard Bars, Slick Talk Or Hustler Wisdom Roc Marciano Is Unmatched. The Bitter Dose Is Nothing More Than An American Master Lecturing A Captive Audience. It's A Guidebook On How To Manipulate The English Language And Convey Ideas And Concepts And Visuals That Will Evoke A Wide Range Of Emotions In Listeners. The Wait Is Over. Thank God For Roc Marci. Rr2 - The Bitter Dose Is Released By Marci Enterprises, Roc Marciano' S Omnimedia Company.

Two northern soul dance floor destroyers that rocked the dance halls of the 1970's. Roscoe & Friends powerhouse instrumental Broadway Sissy' has been a perennial favourite for the last 40 plus years and can rightly lay claim to being regarded as a northern soul classic. While Robert Tojo' Barnes falsetto dancer Broken Hearted Lover' rose to prominence under the cover name of Ann Perry Have You Ever Been In Love' in the later days of Wigan Casino but fell away during the ensuing years. That is until recently when some of the more adventurous northern DJ's who look to reactivate titles which still have some life in them are giving Broken Hearted Lover' it's well deserved second coming. The Broadway Sissy' too is enjoying more widespread popularity having crossed over and found a new audience with the funk scene.

RSN is a producer, DJ and musician from Athens - Greece. his upcoming album "Strange Eyes" is his 4rth one, but also his debut on Agogo Records. this single features the song "Black Sky" feat. Thaliah in the original version and a pretty great rework by Amerigo Gazaway.

Re-mastering By: Ray Staff At Air Mastering, Lyndhurst Hall, London

Once Fired From Lucky Millinder's Band, It Was The Great Duke Ellington Who Recommended Ruth Brown To Herb Abramson And His Fledgling Atlantic Records In 1949. Good Thing, Too, Because It Was Ruth Brown Who Put Atlantic On The Map, Make No Mistake. She Did That With 24 R&b Hit Singles From 1949 To 1960, Five Of Which Crossed Over To The Billboard Pop Charts.

Ruth Brown's Second Lp Is A Minor Masterpiece, Built Around A Handful Of Hit Singles And B-sides From The Prior Year ("book Of Lies," "just Too Much," "when I Get You Baby," "this Little Girl's Gone Rockin'," "why Me") And Containing A Pair Of Current Single Sides, "jack O' Diamonds" And "i Can't Hear A Word You Say." Brown Is Amazing In Her Range, From The Upbeat, Romantic "i Hope We Meet (on The Road Someday)" To The Jaunty Shouter "why Me" -- Her Timbre Ranges From Sweetly Romantic To Hard And Raspy, And Listening To The Transformations, Between The Smooth, Quick Tempo "just Too Much" To The Hard, Lusty "somebody Touched Me," One Thinks Of A Distaff Sam Cooke. Brown's Accompaniments May Have Lacked The Polish Of Cooke's Sides, And She Wasn't Really Shooting For Pop-crossover Success (though She Saw Some). Her Singing Even Overcomes Excessively Pop-oriented Arrangements On "when I Get You Baby." At Various Times, In Her Upper Register, Brown Recalls Clyde Mcphatter's Falsetto Singing, While In Her Middle And Lower Registers, As On "i Can't Hear A Word You Say," She Comes Up With A Power That Could Melt A Microphone Stand. Bruce Eder/amg

Executive production by The Alchemist.

The hours. Some stories just have to be told. But often, little is written of the hours. The writer Malcolm Gladwell describes the process of attaining mastery in any given field as a discipline. One that takes, at the very least, 10,000 hours to achieve. 10,000 hours of constant mistakes, constant doubts, constant frustrations, constant starts, constant stops, and constant incompletions. While there are those who get a glimpse of that, very few truly achieve it. Maybe it's because of the toll that the path to mastery takes on you. It's something akin to a monastic order, practicing the same thing day in, day out. It's the difference between a new + trendy sushi spot in downtown LA and Jiro Ono's modest sushi stall in the Ginza ward of Tokyo. Tucked away at the bottom of a stairwell in a subway station, Ono's nondescript shop is easily passed up. There are no outwards signs hinting at a master dwelling within but those who know, know. The sushi that he and his staff prepare - day in, day out - is simply the best. You can taste the work in it. All of those hours mixed down to one bite. Just the same, you can taste the work in Sebb's music. Hussle Crowe, the scientist, a craftsman who spends countless hours in a lab, hidden in a basement in Lausanne, Switzerland, just off Lake Geneva. It's a most unsuspecting location for a musical master to be situated. It's not the mecca that LA has become and certainly not the cultural center point that is NYC, but it serves it's purpose. And those who know, know. If you know how to hear it and what to listen for, then you get it. Take Gladwell's 10,000 hours, multiply that a few times, add in some authenticity, a whole bunch of sacrifice, a brain that's equal parts simple + complex. Two golden ears and one monstrous creative drive + output. There you have it. That's the recipe. Sebb Bash.

Re-mastering by: Ray Staff at Air Mastering, Lyndhurst Hall, London

With his big, powerful voice and fervent but controlled emotionality, Solomon Burke was one of the early pioneers of soul music, though his contributions were not fully recognized until the new millennium, when he belatedly won his first Grammy.

By the age of nine, Solomon Burke (b. March 21, 1940, Philadelphia, PA) was a preacher and choir soloist at his family's Philadelphia church, the House of God for All People. At twelve he began hosting his own gospel radio show, "Solomon's Temple," and touring the gospel circuits billed as the "Wonder Boy Preacher." In 1955 he began recording both religious and secular music for Apollo and Singular before signing with Atlantic Records in 1960.

At Atlantic Burke made some of the first soul records by setting his gospel "preaching" style in song forms borrowed from R&B, rock & roll and other secular music styles.. He was a major influence on Mick Jagger, who covered Burke-related songs "You Can Make It If You Try," "Everybody Needs Somebody to Love," "If You Need Me" and "Cry to Me" on early Rolling Stones albums. Otis Redding also covered Burke's R&B variation on the traditional folk ballad "Down in the Valley."

Brother And Sister Eric And Arrontette Mcclinton Had Been Recording For Many Years. Around 1976 They Did A 45 Release Together On Honey Records Called "where You Are" Under The Their Christian Names, Although Eric Was Spelled Eryke! The Single Didn't Have Much Success But Both Brother And Sister Still Went On To Be Amazing Backing Singers Working For Legendary Producers Mike Theodore And Dennis Coffey. Whilst They Were Under The Watchful Eye Of The Production Team They Recorded Some Material Again And A Duo For Theo/coff In A Bid To Get Them Another Record Deal And Show Their Capabilities. These Songs Never Got Releases. Eric Became And Prolific Song Writer And Also Joined The Group High Fashion .
We Are Super Pleased To Finally Release The Shelved Songs From 1978.
This In One Of Two Releases By The Duo.

As we enter the Summer months, Excursions welcomes back The Showfa, with A Gospel Excursion Volume Two. Four more dishes of hot spiritual gumbo for your mind, body & soul.

Once again The Showfa has expertly cut together a concoction of gospel, soul, disco, latin, jazz, funk, and spiritual rhythm & blues. The glorious disco rework of a track called 'Amazing' sets the tone with an infectious piano riff and powerfully uplifting vocal. 'Surely Surely' follows, with a more vigorous strut, a short, sweet slice of disco funk, no messing about. 'Praising' keeps the groove and tempo solidly in a delicious eighties boogie formation, slap bass and sax in tow. The set closes out with beautiful latin-jazz tinged vibrations sauntering through 'I'll Show You The Way', before switching to the sweetest sweet soul you ever did hear. Soul food of the highest calibre.

The previous volume was shown love last year by an assortment of selectors and tastemakers, including Tony Humphries, Horse Meat Disco, Gilles Peterson, Craig Charles, BBC 6Music, Mi-Soul, Rinse FM and Mixmag, and also saw The Showfa spinning on the airwaves on NTS with Charlie Bones, and for Wax Poetics.

Another joyously ethereal platter, and another one that will never leave the box.

This is the only album from The Tutt Band known to ever be recorded. The ultra rare and sought after boogie-funk LP on Spoonful Records out of Phoenix, Arizona was released in 1988, but style-wise it sounds much more like being recorded in 1983 or 1984. It contains ten very solid and good tracks - both club tunes and slow jams - that all hit the required spot. There's also some treats for all Roger Troutman and vocoder lovers. Head straight to the ultra dope tracks 'Get It On' and 'She's Got It Going'. In retrospect The Tutt Band has been one of the little known but essential groups whom created the funky and beat heavy new jack swing sound that dominated American r&b from the mid eighties and early nineties.

Wing Vilma is a title Miles Coleman has been using for just under a year. His debut album was created by harvesting found sound and crafting percussive sequences and melodic texture. His work is rooted in exploring the non-conventional jazz structures and grooves in an electronic context. Vast layers of dynamic percussion move vaguely familiar instrumentals across the soundscape to take the listener through the many rooms of thought housed under Coleman's ideas. At 19, this young Grand Rapids native has proved that his ear for captivating arrangements and non-conventional production styles rivals that of his seasoned peers. Safe by Night' takes it time establishing mood and tension through extended rhythmic movements, often culminating in euphoric, dense finales.

The Smooth Jazz Configuration Of Young-holt Unlimited Was Based Around Two Key Figures: Drummer Isaac "redd" Holt, And Bassist Eldee Young, Both Of Whom Were The Former Rhythm Section Of Jazz Pianist Ramsey Lewis. As Young-holt Unlimited, The Duo Released A Slew Of Instrumental Soul-jazz Which Frequently Invoked The Spirit And Vibes Of The Jazz Crusaders, Lou Donaldson, And Dr. Lonnie Smith. Their 1968 Record Soulful Strut Was The Ultimate Peak Of Their Artistic Output, Which Rendered A Billboard Hit Out Of The Title Track, Which Consisted Of The Instrumental Track To The Failed Single "am I The Same Girl" By Barbara Acklin. (stories Go That Holt & Young Never Actually Played On The Track However.) The Hit Single Would Also Be Bolstered By Breezy Covers Of Tracks By Carl Davis, Bobby Russell, And Eugene Record, Among Others. Though Soulful Strut Was A Smash Success, The Duo Never Managed To Produce A Worthy Follow-up, Leading Young-holt Unlimited To Disband Back To Smaller Acts In Chicago, And Eventually Return To Ramsay Lewis' Trio.

This is the translucent red vinyl format of the 11 track album that was released on CD in January 2018.

Greensleeves classic dancehall re-issue on vinyl 12 inch backed with "Trench Town School"

'Voyager' is the third full-length album from LA's Moonchild, whose candid style of soul and newschool jazz has propelled them onto a swirling, emotionally charged journey of the heart. Since 2014 they have dedicated their time and energy into honing dreamlike and ethereal compositions which explore the intricacies of relationships with emotional nuance.

Since cementing themselves into the vibrant LA soul scene, Moonchild have released two albums and collaborated or toured with highly-respected names in the soul-jazz crowd including Stevie Wonder, Jill Scott, India.Arie, Leela James, The Internet (Odd Future's Syd tha Kyd & Matt Martians) and more. Along the way, Moonchild have accumulated a host of iconic supporters from Robert Glasper and Laura Mvula to James Poyser, Jazzy Jeff, Jose James, 9th Wonder and Tyler, The Creator who have all shown love for the band.
Praise for Moonchild...

* Natalie Prass Had Her New Album Written, Her Band Ready, The Recording Studio Booked. Then The 2016 Election Happened And Out Of Her Despair And Disappointment In Those Results Came An Impulse She Could Not Ignore: She Rewrote The Album To Reflect These Swirling Emotions. The Result Is 'the Future And The Past', A Stunning Snapshot Of A Musician In A State Of Personal Rediscovery And Surging Femininity.
* The Celebratory And Defiant 'the Future And The Past' Also Signals A Significant Artistic Leap For Prass On The Heels Of Her 2015 Breakthrough Debut Album. It Finds Prass Tapping Into Deep, Dancey Grooves That Glisten With 80s Pop And 90s R&b, Nestled Alongside Quivering, Lushly Orchestrated
Ballads.
* Like Her Debut Album, Prass Made 'the Future And The Past' In Richmond, Va With Long-time Friend And Collaborator Matthew E. White At His Spacebomb Studios. She Added Some New Collaborations To The Mix As Well: Blue (solange's 'a Seat At The Table,' Blood Orange, Carly Rae Jepsen) And Michael Brauer (elle King And James Bay). 'future' Is Ripe With String
Orchestrations And Piano Flourishes, Snaking Synth Lines And Fuzzed Out Guitars.
* 'the Future And The Past' Is Bursting With Myriad Grooves And Natalie's Vocals Float On Top, Light As A Feather And Tough As Nails. 'short Court Style' Dials The Tempo Into 90s R&b Territory - Punctuated By Handclaps, Sampled 'woo's And A Dr. Dre-esque Whistling Synth Line. Lyrically She Wields A Sharp Knife As Well. The Love Torn 'lost' Begins With: turn Up The Fader, It's Like A
Lightning Bolt / We Can't Be Saved, So Now I'm Listening On My Own / Once There Was A Time When You Had Me Hypnotized / You Realized That Your Finger Prints Were On My Bones.' Funky Feminist Anthem 'sisters' Is An Empowering Rallying Cry: i Want To Say It Loud / For All The Ones Held Down / We Gotta Change The Plan.'
* Natalie's 2015 Self-titled Debut Earned A Perfect 5/5 From The Guardian, 9/10 From The Line Of Best Fit, Cos, Drowned In Sound, Raves From Rolling Stone, Pitchfork (best New Music). She Toured With Fleet Foxes And War On Drugs And Appeared On Hbo's 'vinyl' (as Karen Carpenter), Jools Holland And Cbs Saturday.
* The Lp Format Is Pressed On Rust Coloured Vinyl And Contains A Booklet And Digital Download Code.
* this Is Disco-funk As Fluffy As A Pomeranian After A Blow-dry - Reminiscent Of Feist, And, Further Back, The Kind Of Singer Found On The Brilliant Ladies Of Too Slow To Disco Compilation: Carly Simon, Laura Allan And The Rest. Will Have You Clicking Your Heels Amid The Bleak Midwinter.' - The Guardian

There are experimental musicians that know how to well craft the best of pop music, and there are pop musicians that know how to experiment at upper echelons of instinct. Samara Lubelski is both of these musicians in

one. It may be a bold statement, but yes, it is true, every word.Her breadth of experience in both of the otherworldly sides of these spheres grants her an enlightened gift in song writing. It is elegant and transporting,

and it coalesces in that golden new age of purple and orange psychic pop music that ducks its head into the present realm from time to time. Flickers at the Station' is an album that showcases Lubelski at a creative apex. Beautiful and

breathtaking, it is a forever keeper of a baroque pop record. Its late evening music. Its early morning revelation music. Its a glorious day unto itself. The pure connection between Lubelskis outr improv and instrumentation and her

poppsychic songwriting is in complete harmony.

* Born In London To South Indian Parents, Mercury And Bbc World Music Awards Nominated Singer Susheela Raman, Alongside Producer / Guitarist / Real World Boss Sam Mills, Has Released A Chain Of Adventurous Albums And Is Known As An Intense, Captivating Live Performer .
* 'ghost Gamelan', Recorded In Solo, Indonesia, Is A Collaboration With Javanese Contemporary Gamelan Composer Gondrong Guanarto And His Team Of Virtuoso Gamelan Players. Gamelan, For Non-Initiates, Is The Music Of Bali And Java - Played Mostly On Tuned Gongs - Which Has Long Inspired
Smart Western Music Makers From Debussy, Messaien, Philip Glass And Steve Reich To Sonic Youth. Traces Of Its Shimmering, Loopy Dna Are Over Everything From Modal Jazz To Electronic Dance Music.
* London Date In September

On The 50th Anniversary Of The Band's Inception At An Event In Harlem, Ny To Commemorate Malcolm X's Birthday On 19 May 1968, Influential Spoken Word Artists, Poets And Commentators The Last Poets Are Set To Make A Glorious And Relevant Return With Their First Album In Over 20 Years, 'understand What Black Is'.

Produced By Ben Lamdin (nostaglia 77) And Brighton Legend Prince Fatty, Whose Speciality Is Traditional Reggae And Dub Production's, 'understand What Black Is' Is A Ten-track Album Which Speaks Of A Revolutionary Struggle Defined By Both Race And Identity, That Has Never Sounded More Relevant. Released On Studio Rockers, There Will Also Be An Accompanying Single Featuring Remixes Of The Title Track "understand What Black Is" By Mala (south London Collective Digital Mystikz) And Uk Dance Music Innovators Dego And Kaidi.

Since The Initial Line-up Of Dahveed Nelson, Gylan Kain And Felipe Luciano Formed In East Harlem's Marcus Garvey Park, The Last Poets Have Produced Under Various Guises Over The Subsequent Years. However, It Was Their Seminal Output, Namely 1970's 'the Last Poets' Under Both Umar Bin Hassan And Abiodun Oyewole That Secured Their Legacy, Becoming One Of The Most Important Influences In Early Hip Hop.

Throughout The Last 20 Years, The Band Have Remained Largely On Hiatus. But Their Influence Could Still Be Felt With Their Tracks Being Sampled By The Notorious B.i.g, Nwa, A Tribe Called Quest, Dr.dre And Snoop Dogg. Umar Has Recorded Various Solo Albums And Featured On Common And Kanye West's Grammy Nominated 'the Corner'. Abiodun Appeared On The Red Hot Organization's Album, Stolen Moments Which Was Named "album Of The Year" By Time. He Also Conducts Weekly Open House Poetry Readings, Where He Constructively Critiques Upcoming Poets, Helping To Nurture Them. He Has Also Conducted Classes At Columbia University, Where He Teaches Creative Writing.

The Inauguration Of Donald Trump As Us President In 2016 Inspired Hassan And Oyewole To Resurrect The Group To Create A Brand New Record, Modern And Edgy, And Deeply Relevant And Reflective Of Our Times.

Tracks On 'understand What Black Is' Include 'how Many Bullets', Which Bridles With Defiance As Oyewole Works Through A Litany Of Injustices Suffered By Black People In The Us: " You've Tried

To Blow My Brains Out With Bigotry, Chopped Off My Wings, So I Couldn't Fly Free, And Dared Me To Be Me, Took My Drum, Broke My Hands, Yanked My Roots Right Up Out Of The Land, And Riddled My Soul With Jesus" 'what I Want To See' Describes A Utopia - A Refuge From Hurt And Those Who'd Make "our Vision Blurred, And Our Faith Obscure", Whilst The Title Track 'understand What Black Is' Aims To Transcend Ethnicity: "understand What Black Is....it's The Source From Which All Things Come...black Is A Hero, Not A Villain."

The Album Even Takes Reference From Prince's 2003 Album Of Instrumentals, 'news', Which Hassan Drew Comparisons From With His Own Childhood Experiences: "that Poem Took Me About A Year To Write....i Just Kept Writing And Writing But Not Getting Too Far And Then I Heard That Album And The Musicianship Was Amazing. I Was Left Wondering If It Was Jazz, Classical, Rock Or Maybe Something New But All Those Images That I Write About Came To Me From Listening To That Album. I Loved Prince In That Movie Purple Rain Because My Father Was A Talented Musician But He Was Into Brutalising Mama At Times And In The Movie There's A Jerome And My Name Is Jerome, So It Was Like He Was Telling My Life Story As Well."

The Album Acts As A Body Of Work Between Individual Members Each Speaking Of Their Own Personal Journeys, But Feeding Into The Much Larger Narrative Of Struggle And Oppression, Alongside A Fervent Hunger For Social Change. These Are Struggles And Tests Of Personal Resolve That Have Directly Shaped And Moulded The Bands' Unique Sound Over The Course Of An Impressive 50 Years, And Their Powerful And Influential Commentary Remains As Relevant As Ever.

Tower Of Power - The Most Dynamic And Distinctive Band Of Survivors In Soul Music - Is Roaring Into Its Unprecedented 50th Anniversary With A Dynamic Disc Of All New Material. A Labor Of Love, Definitively Titled Soul

Side Of Town, This Package Is Charged With 14 Filler-free Songs. As Always, The Songs On Tower Of Power's Soul Side Of Town Were Primarily Composed By The Hit-making Team Of Founding Members Emilio Castillo And

Stephen doc' Kupka Who Also Hold Down The World Famous 5-man Tower Of Power Horns. For The Special Occasion Of Tower Of Power's 50th Anniversary, Leader Emilio Castillo Brought In A Most-astute Choice In Co-producer, Joe

Vannelli In Addition To Mastering Engineer Bernie Grundman. Along With The Legendary Rhythm Section Drums And Bass Lock Of David Garibaldi And Francis Rocco Prestia, Respectively, T.o.p. Consists Of Guitarist Jerry Cortez,

Hammond B3 Organist/keyboardist Roger Smith, 1st Tenor Saxophonist Tom Politzer, And Trumpeters Adolfo Acosta And Sal Cracchiolo. Soul Side Of Town Is Also Blessed With Not One But Two Lead Singers: Outgoing

Ray Greene And Incoming Marcus Scott (boldly Introduced On Several Selections, Including hangin' With My Baby'). The 10-piece Tower Of Power Band Is Prepared To Throw Down With A Celebratory Tour That Will Include Sweet

Spots Around The Globe.