Hip-Hop Vinyl New Releases - News

Rap Album Two is the latest offering of music from the California based MC and producer, releasing the album on his label Authors Recording Company. Rap Album Two follows up on four maxi-singles released over the last twelve months, further entrenching the archives and material available through his new imprint. Recordings for Jonwayne's new full-length took place at the Cosmic Zoo in Los Angeles, CA and features contributions from close allies Shango, Danny Watts, Low Leaf and Zeroh. Production guests include D-Styles, Eets, Oliver The 2nd, Babu and Dibiase, with mastering facilitation by Low End Theory's Daddy Kev. Conceptually, Rap Album Two serves as a detailed painting of Jonwayne's life changing experiences over the last few years, diving into the inner realms of conflict and the alterations of life that followed. The album has been praised from journalists and radio all over the world, adding to the success of his sold out Rap Album Two European tour. Rap Album Two has been coupled with a series of music videos, including the already released Almost Raymond directed These Words Are Everything' and the Ruffmercy animated Live From The Fuck You.'

Californian keyboardist & beatmaker Kiefer (birthname Kiefer Shackelford) drops his debut LP on Leaving Records, which has enough jazz piano chops to transform L.A.'s Low End Theory into a smokey speak easy.' The title track from Kiefer's debut album, Kickinit Alone, is a striking entry to this lineage of hip-hop inextricably tethered to jazz. Kickinit Alone' moves with a patient step, its short piano phrase looping like it was ripped from a dusty vinyl and brought to life. The warm hiss of tape noise and subtle effects give the track a smokey vibe. But then the piano suddenly flips to a Rhodes-y sound, and the melody moves from its blues center towards more muted hues. Even in brief divergences, Kiefer is a subtle showman, bringing depth to quiet flourishes.' - Pitchfork

'A psychedelic induced hypnotic state, crossing over borders of the physical realm...'
Ramson Badbonez, one of the most revered MC's in the UK underground is back!
In his last musical offering, Ramson Badbonez took us through the conceptual 'Year In The Life Of Oscar The Slouch', a gritty seasonal account of the harsh realities of London inner city street life. This June, the illusive skull clad lyricist makes his grand return to the airwaves with his brand new collaborative effort alongside producer DJ Fingerfood entitled 'Hypnodic'. As the title suggests, this is a much more cerebral journey onto the astral plains of the mind of Ramson Badbonez. However, do not be mistaken, Badbonez' signature gritty rapping style is still as prevalent and as sharp as ever and is a perfect match for Fingerfood's 'Hypnodic' production style. The album is tied together with a string of esoteric vocal samples and interludes as well as razor sharp cuts provided by the dexterous hands of DJ Fingerfood.
In a day and age where UK rap music is diluted with generic concepts and weak lyrics, Badbonez is back to demand respect through his impeccable lyricism. With big hooks, lyrical jabs and stomping production amidst features from the likes of Leaf Dog, Res One, Gadget & MAB to name a few this album is set to get some serious rotation.

The God Spell Beat tape just happened. I always make quick freestyle beats at work. I work at a WrekaStow' so I'm always surrounded and listening to random records and after my Bluntch breaks. I would come in make a few quick joints on my SpaceProgram 303 And I just ran thru the gospel section that round and in 2 weeks I Had. - Ras G

Much anticipated series of 3 new 12's from SBTRKT - SBTRKT launches 'Transitions', a collection of six instrumentals written and produced over the past year that reference the creative process that led to his debut album

"This is music written over the last year, whilst recording for my second album. Much of the music I released before my debut album was instrumental and I want to continue to share this side of the music I make. This series of tracks is titled TRANSITIONS. " - SBTRKT

Auf den ersten Blick ein leiser Mann, doch gib Boshi San ein Mic und du begreifst es.
Seine Musik inspiriert durch die Schritte, die er geht und die Einflüsse, die ihm auf seiner Reise begegnen. Mal geht es hoch hinaus, dann wacht er am nächsten Morgen wieder am Boden auf. Durch Höhen und Tiefen, Upgrades und Abwege. Hauptsache nicht aus der Bahn werfen lassen. Über 30 und immer noch ein Rapkid, das genau weiß, was es will.

Jeder hat seine eigenen Ziele und Herangehensweisen - gut so, denn Uniformen gibt es genug. Umso angenehmer, mal wieder jemandem zuzuhören, der bewusst lebt und Ahnung davon hat, wer er sein will. Jemand, der mit sich selbst im Reinen ist und weiß, worauf es ankommt. Nämlich auf das, was du dir mit diesen bunten Scheinen nicht kaufen kannst. Die Selbstreflexion macht ihn zum reichen Mann - auch wenn er sich davon nichts leisten kann. Bescheiden bleiben lautet die Devise.

Aber was kann sich ein Mcee eigentlich mehr wünschen, als ein Album, das fast durchgängig von Glammerlicious produziert wurde (Track 7 & 8: Herr Minute) Vielleicht einen Freundeskreis aus talentierten Musikern, die eine Zusammenarbeit nicht als Promo Move, sondern als eine gute gemeinsame Zeit im Studio sehen Die zwei Hauptakteure bekommen auf ein - Reicher Mann' Unterstützung von Sara Lugo, David Pe, Wasi, Roger Rekless, Minute, Ebow, Get Open, Lux, Malarchi, Sujazz und SVB. Aber ganz abgesehen von der unantastbaren Produktion und den dopen Featuregästen - wahrscheinlich hätte der ein oder andere vor allem gerne etwas von dieser smoothen Art und Weise ab wie Boshi San über Glams Instrumentals flowt.

Musikalisch gesehen liegen der Main Concept-Produzent und der facettenreiche Rapper auf einer Wellenlänge. Mal jazzig, mal verdammt soulful, mal straightester Rap - ein rundes Ding, das locker Live-Hymnen und R'n'B-Einflüsse mit tiefen Lyrics vereint. Ein Album, das pusht und sich gut anfühlt. Positive Vibes für positive Menschen, die nicht stehen bleiben, bis sie mit den Händen den Horizont berühren. Seid ihr down Dann hebt die Pfoten hoch!

Twenty Five years has passed since Main Source created Breaking Atoms, one of the most influential Hip Hop albums of all time.

To celebrate this occasion Smoove has crafted a detailed tribute cut and paste mix by meticulously sourcing the samples originally used.

Such a mean feat seemed like the impossible but after three months locked away in the studio, Smoove has delivered a full eight minutes and thirty seconds of organized madness!

Mit Casin wird Österreich einmal mehr auf der musikalischen Landkarte markiert und macht deutlich wie vielseitig die Alpenrepublik in Sachen Hip Hop sein kann. Bereits die Vorab-Single "Volle Kraft Voraus" mit Österreichs Ausnahmetalent "Dame" (sein Kanal ist mit 540.000 Abonnenten einer
der erfolgreichsten in Österreich) macht deutlich wohin die Reise geht: kraftvoll, melancholischer Straßenrap, der ganz ohne prollige Attitüde auskommt und seine Authentizität aus den ehrlichen - weil nachvollziehbaren - Texten zieht. Zwischendurch rappt Casin lässig über seinen musikalischen Werdegang, macht tägliche Beobachtungen zu kleinen lyrischen Ereignissen und erzählt mit Augenzwinkern von falschem Fame und all die Möchtegerns, die öffentlich Wasser predigen und doch heimlich Wein trinken. Die Beats - die im Studio teils mit echten Instrumenten aufgenommen wurden - reichen von verspielt bis düster, von hart bis melancholisch und geben Casins authentischen Texten genau den richtigen Raum, sich zu entfalten. Neben eingangs erwähnten "Dame" geben sich auf dem Album einige Feature-Hochkaräter ein Stelldichein, wobei
sicherlich Deutschrap-Legende "Manuellsen" heraussticht, der seinen Status als Groove-Monster einmal mehr untermauert.
Casin kennt das Leben und beleuchtet auf "Volle Kraft Voraus" die unterschiedlichen Eindrücke und Perspektiven, die sich auftun, wenn jemand mit offenen Augen durch die Welt geht. Der Albumtitel gibt dabei die Richtung an: Stets vorwärts blicken, immer wieder aufstehen, Dreck abklopfen und Kragen richten - und dann am Ende steht da "Ups and Downs", die in Form gegossene Essenz des Albums - eine Hook für die Ewigkeit, die
ehrlichen Worte eines suchenden Jungens, der schließlich Erwachsen geworden ist. Am Ende wird immer resümiert, doch selten so gekonnt wie hier! Erstaunlich was Casin hier mit seinem Debütalbum abliefert. "Volle Kraft Voraus" - ein mutiges Statement in Zeiten wie diesen!

Profusion (noun): an abundance of something rich.

The sonic partnership of K15 and Emeson originated in the days of MySpace. A future of combining their skills was inevitable, and now in 2017, it's time to unleash their debut studio album into the ether.

The solo-projects of Tottenham-raised Kieron Ifill (aka K15) date back a decade, but were truly kick-started on labels such as Kyle Hall's Wild Oats and WotNot Music, with a number of genre-crossing releases dropping ever since, including the WU15 project (along with Yussef Kamaal's Henry Wu, on Eglo Records). Additionally to his production work, he has established himself internationally as a DJ, from the Jazz Cafe to the CoOp parties.

Partner in Profusion, Emeson, has many skills to his bow - singing, songwriting, producing, promoting, DJing (under the alias Ed Nice) and acting. As a musician, his varied skill-set has seen him work with Chico Hamilton, Carla Duke, Karmasound, Uzo Madu and Chris Jerome. A frontman for soul-jazz groups LifeSize, The One and Saturn's Children, he has featured on releases for BBE and Tokyo Dawn, and appeared live on stage at the likes of Ronnie Scott's.

The debut single was supported by tastemaker blogs Wonderland, XLR8R and Stamp The Wax, has been bumped by selectors such as Lefto and Jazzie B, and played on NTS, Worldwide FM, Mi-Soul, LeMellotron, Balamii Radio, Itch FM, Invader FM, Soho Radio and various stations across Europe and the US.

This album is full to the brim with summery sun-soaked synths, drifting across the warmest of basslines and heavyweight beats. Emeson's rich vocals gracefully ride atop of K15's delectably bruk twist on neo-soul sonics and electronics, this is some seriously classy contemporary London soul music, that manages to incorporate flashes of various dance music techniques, sound-system etiquette and jazz-tinged rhythms. As future-thinking as it is subtly retrospective, it doesn't lend itself to one genre, it intentionally embodies the best of many. An array of everything that is great about British black music in 2017. The message the album conveys itself couldn't have come at a more poignant time. Where do we begin

Profusion - an abundance of something rich indeed.

Widely known for his outlandish style and fashion sense depicted in several highly innovative music videos as well as his intricate rhyming technique, rapping at a high rate of speed with heavy use of internal rhyme and half rhyme, Busta Rhymes is considered to be one of the best American rap MCs.

One of the most idiosyncratic personalities in rap, with his halting, ragga-inspired style and incredible complexity, inventiveness, and humor, Busta Rhymes is universally respected and is still appreciated after all these years.

This mixtape mixed by DJ Smoke recalls his career with 38 titles, between his first 7 albums, supported by prestigious featurings like Missy Elliott, Lil Jon, Nas, Dr Dre, Will I Am, etc.

Trevor George Smith Jr. (born May 20, 1972), better known by his stage name Busta Rhymes, is an American rapper, actor, record producer and record executive. Chuck D of Public Enemy gave him the moniker Busta Rhymes, after NFL wide receiver George "Buster" Rhymes. He is widely known for his outlandish style and fashion sense depicted in several highly innovative music videos as well as his intricate rhyming technique, rapping at a high rate of speed with heavy use of internal rhyme and half rhyme, and to date has received 11 Grammy Award nominations for his musical work.

About.com included him on its list of the 50 Greatest MCs of Our Time (1987-2007), while Steve Huey of AllMusic called him one of the best and most prolific rappers of the 1990s. In 2012, The Source placed him on their list of the Top 50 Lyricists of All Time. MTV has called him "one of hip-hop's greatest visual artists."

"2" A Jungle Brother The Jungle Brothers' 1988 debut, Straight Out The Jungle, was important for many reasons. It was sloppy and goofy but had moments of real focus and social consciousness. It was a true kitchen sink' record, that caught a rap fanbase enraptured by Eric B. & Rakim, Public Enemy and Boogie Down Productions a bit off-guard. Also of note, beyond the excellence of the album itself, the Jungle Brothers were the fulcrum for what would become the Native Tongues movement - they came first, De La Soul and A Tribe Called Quest followed, under their guidance. By 1989, the group had even more confidence, plus a Warner Bros. contract and advance in their back pocket. They used it to great advantage on the self-produced and criminally underrated Done By The Forces Of Nature, expanding their sonic palette and continuing their Afrocentric approach to music and life. Singles like What 'U' Waitin' 4' and Doin' Our Own Dang' (with De La and Q-Tip, alongside Monie Love) showed the group's fun side, which has also lead the way in the hip-house' movement. But things weren't all fun and games, as deeper, more pensive album tracks like Black Woman,' Beeds On A String,' and Acknowledge Your Own History' show. It was another accomplished mix of fun, frolic and knowledge-of-self, proving that you could be serious in the rap game but still let off steam and fill the dancefloor. Done By The Forces Of Nature stands as one of the most cherished hip-hop documents of the late '80s among true-school heads, and this edition is the perfect way to revisit this classic thinking-man's (and woman's) rap platter. Issued for the first time ever on 2-LP with the original picture sleeve artwork, it also comes with a reproduction of the original insert, with credits and lyrics.

Beat Art Department releases an EP with remixes from the upcoming album of the Vienna DJ and producer Urbs by Retrogott, Brenk Sinatra and Cookin' Soul

ll Camille, LA hip hop's female perspective.

Ill Camille has been a vital member of the LA music scene for some years. Kendrick Lamar used her vocals prominently for the 'good kid, m.A.A.d city' track 'Sing about me', she has been working with other TDE artists occasionally and spend a lot of time writing for different projects Terrance Martin was involved with.

At the same time Camille was developing her own material with her fellow peers such as MNDSGN, Iman Omari, DJ Battlecat, Like (Pac Div) Georgia Anne Muldrow & SIR who are all featured on her album 'Heirloom' just like TDE co-president Punch. 'Heirloom' productions range from smooth, g-funk esque west coast beats to live & organic soulful beats, working as the perfect backdrop for Camille's powerful, intelligent and thought thru lyrics

The album is deeply personal revolving around the issues that mater in her life from friends and family, her role as a woman and the heirloom of her and her surrounding: 'I feel like everyone are heirlooms of our mothers and fathers. An heirloom is just something that's passed down through a family. We get heirlooms in the form of game, encouragement or wise words. I know everyone has an aunt or uncle that's given them some bars about life in general. I have a village around me that have given me heirlooms in the form of conversations'.

L One is a young Munich Hip Hop beat smith and a lover of drum computers. With only 24 years, he already has a considerable discography as producer. Including projects such as ATP's "C'est La Vie Or What" (2016 on Bumm Clack) as well as Weltuntergäng's "Dogmatikers Elfen" (2014 on Tieftonkultur). As a part of Akere and Manufaktur, he also ventured into new genres in the recent years and provided new approaches to TripHop and Dubstep.

Amongst hip-hop fans, Boogie Down Productions' first two albums - Criminal Minded (1987) and By All Means Necessary (1988) - both loom very large. And for good reason: they both captured one of the late 1980s' most important and influential crews at their highest powers of lyricism and musical invention. That being said, too many people sleep on BDP's third LP, Ghetto Music. Released in 1989, when the hip-hop world was truly beginning to explode and reach new heights of sales and exposure around the world, the album is arguably as powerful as the group's first two. As on By All Means Necessary, in the wake of the tragic death of original founder, producer and DJ Scott LaRock, KRS-One pushed along mightily on the production side, with help from his extended crew. Musically the sound created on albums 2 & 3 was funky, catchy, and continually innovative, giving him the perfect backdrop to build his Edutainment' syllabus. Lyrically there was never a question about KRS' power, and on Ghetto Music he continues to impress, teach and ask important questions. Clear cases in point are two of the album's singles, You Must Learn' and Why Is That' but he gets even deeper on lesser-jocked tracks like the anti-police thought-piece Who Protects Us From You' (still sadly relevant in 2017), Ghetto Music' and World Peace.' Still as strong and entertaining today as it was almost three decades ago, this new reissue is a perfect way for younger fans to embrace one of the most underrated hip-hop platters of the era.

A repress in soon finally. Sermonizing Black Nationalism, Pan-Africanism and the benefits of a healthy and just lifestyle during the height of the Bad Boy / Roc-AFella era of nihilistic excess in the late '90s, Dead Prez also signed to a major label (Loud / Columbia) despite leaning much more towards the burgeoning indie aesthetics of the day. But this was a good thing - using major label muscle to wake up righteous hip-hop fans who might have fallen asleep at the wheel. The group itself - consisting of MCs stic.man and M-1, who produced or co-produced most of the duo's music - was formed in Tallahassee, Florida in the early 1990s. By later that decade, the duo had started making significant waves, having their music heard on the soundtracks to Soul In The Hole' and Slam,' as well as appearing on albums by Big Pun and The Beatnuts. By 1998, they released their first official single, the serious, stark Police State,' on Loud, appropriately brought to the label by Lord Jamar of Brand Nubian. After building a solid rep over the next two years with fiery live performances, in 2000 they unleashed their debut album, Let's Get Free. The album was a welcome return to provocative and often radically political rhetoric that hearkened back to hip-hop forebears including The Coup, Public Enemy and KRS-One (as well as poetic descendants like the Last Poets and Watts Prophets). Let's Get Free was critically acclaimed and benefited from multiple singles, including the infectious, thick analog drive of Hip-Hop' It's Bigger Than Hip-Hop,' with a remix co-produced by a young Kanye West, Mind Sex' (with Abiodun Oyewole of the Last Poets), and the poignant I'm An African.' But the singles weren't the only worthy songs, as just about every cut here has deeper meaning than most full albums by their early 2000s peers. Highlights: the thought-provoking, anti-drug album opener Wolves', We Want Freedom' They Schools' and Propaganda' . All in all, this is one of the more underrated and possibly Top 5 fully-realized political hip-hop albums of all time.

A repress in soon finally. In the early 90s hip hop took a turn and gangsta-style rap dominated, making waves off the West Coast that rattled throughout the world. The East Coast's dominance was descending despite the success and positivity of Native Tongues acts like De La Soul and A Tribe Called Quest, who favored thought-provoking humor and cleverness over gangsta rap's grittiness and grim outlook. It was in this landscape that Oakland, CA's Del The Funky Homosapien emerged in 1991, with his debut release

I Wish My Brother George Was Here. Cribbing equally from the East Coast's irreverence and wit, and the West Coast's P-Funk inspired production, (the album was produced by Del's cousin Ice Cube) Del's debut has rightly been heralded as a benchmark album for underground hip hop. I Wish My Brother George Was Here not only produced the underground classics "Dr. Bombay" and "Mistadobalina" (#9 on the 1992 Hot Rap Tracks Charts), but also set the scene for the success of the other less gangsta West Coast artists like The Pharcyde, Digable Planets, and of course Del's compatriots in Souls of Mischief. Above all else, Del is credited with injecting some much needed light-heartedness at a moment when it was truly needed. Since his debut Del has gone on to work alongside Gorillaz, Wu-Tang Clan, El-P, Handsome Boy Modeling School, and as a member of the acclaimed hip-hop supergroup Deltron 3030, and even with Dinosaur Jr. Traffic Entertainment now presents I Wish My Brother George Was Here as a special double LP reissue, featuring the original artwork, and all of The Funky Homosapien's witty and innovative rhymes intact.

The mark that the late producer J Dilla left upon hip-hop during the 90s and early-to-mid 00s is undeniable. His work with De La Soul, Busta Rhymes, The Pharcyde, and of course Slum Village long been cemented his prominence in the annals of hip-hop history. Of the many words one can use to describe J Dilla's legacy, one that's not used enough is prolific. Dilla made beats constantly. So new Dilla compositions are still being discovered. One of the places where those works are still being unearthed is the archives of the Ne'Astra Music Group, who proudly present here 8 Dilla tracks previously unissued on vinyl. Dilla's legacy continues to be shared and celebrated by today's hip-hop audience - with help from the tireless efforts of Ne'Astra.

Repressed !

Note small price change. Special Ed's debut LP presented in a gatefold jacket with liner notes by Brian Coleman that include interviews with Ed and Howie Tee. In 1989, Hip-Hop was truly bona fide. It had shed the just a gimmick' tag years before, as it showed not only artistic growth, but serious sales numbers. In short, it was here to stay. After the explosion of Run-DMC, the Beastie Boys and Public Enemy in New York and the rise of the West Coast seen in multiplatinum successes by N.W.A. and Ice-T, the music started to truly expand, letting new voices and approaches join the party and make their own waves. One of those was a young man from Brooklyn who went by the name Special Ed. Only 16 when his debut hit shelves (and then quickly flew off them), his age was indeed just a number. Beyond any gimmicks, Ed had serious skills. Fortunately, Ed found his way into the recording studio with fellow Brooklynite, Hitman Howie Tee. Howie had seen some success as part of the group CD III earlier in the 80s, and also did uncredited production on the worldwide smash Roxanne, Roxanne' by UTFO in 1984. With skills and experience under his belt, he was waiting for his true big moment.' Ed was the MC that Howie had been waiting for, and together they made history. Once it hit, Howie's instincts were proved correct - Youngest In Charge was a smash, rocked on radio, in clubs and on boomboxes around the world. It shot up the Billboard 100 and Rap / R&B album charts with ease, and hit Gold status by the late '90s, proving the album's staying power. Even considering the novelty of Ed's youth, the Youngest In Charge album stands very firmly on its own as a hip-hop classic, the ultimate in late '80s New York brag swagger, with hit singles I Got It Made' and Think About It,' both which showed off Ed's battle stances and Howie Tee's masterful, never-endingly catchy productions. Add to it deeper album cuts that still resonate like Taxing,' Fly M.C.' and I'm The Magnificent' (a later single, in 1990), and it brings you back to a time when hip-hop was all about skills and chemistry. Special Ed and Howie Tee certainly had both, with dopeness to spare.

Pressed On Clear Vinyl! To celebrate the 25th Anniversary of UGK's first album, Get On Down goes the extra mile, presenting it for the first time ever on vinyl. AND 2LP clear vinyl at that, giving the strutting, funky grooves the chance to really stretch out on your system. Back in 1992, Southern hip-hop was still proving to the world that it could sustain a fan base that was chiefly raised on rap from New York and LA. The Geto Boys and 2 Live Crew had made strong cases by the earliest '90s, and Pimp C and Bun B were ready to make their own. Most of the trunk-bumping bass comes from drum programs and basic sampling on these tunes - in later years they would build their sound into something even fuller and deeper. Self-produced with additional work from Houston locals Bernie Bismark and Shetoro Henderson, the tracks here are minimal, slow and menacing, which matched their lyrical approach quite nicely. You can hear the beginnings of the group's true greatness in these early lyrical workouts - several taken from the regional cassette-only EP The Southern Way that got them signed to Jive - with tales of street hustles, relationships and self-reliance in a world stacked against them. They may have been done early-on, but that doesn't mean they aren't crucial to UGK's legacy - cases in point being the three singles: Something Good', a charismatic update to Bill Withers' Use Me Up', and Pocket Full Of Stones' (the latter featured on the Menace II Society soundtrack). Beyond the singles, deeper cuts like I'm So Bad,' Feels Like I'm The One Who's Doin' Dope' and Cramping My Style' made it clear to the world that this crew had the attitude and charisma to make even bigger waves in the years to come.

Not a label to just rummage around in old drawers, the Rocafort heartbeat also pounds to the sound of the fresh and current. Coming at you like a welcome slap on the back from two familiar faces, this latest 7" release sees DJ Format & Abdominal reminding you why you may be pushing 40 but can't turn your back on the funky rap thing.

Taken from their new LP "Still Hungry", these mature B-boys continue to breeze effortlessly through what they do best: bold sharp beats, ingenious instrumentation, a crisp, fresh lyrical style that harks back to the carefree early 80s.

"We're back" does what it says on the tin. DJ Format whips up a banging soulful groove, buoyed along by an upbeat flute and Abdominal's accomplished, perfect diction - as always, voracious and loquacious. "Diamond hammer", a reference to "excavating gems" is more frantic and scratchy, equipped with horror film organ loops and psychedelic guitars. A pumped up, supercharged affair delivered in brash, brazen style by the most likeable duo in rap.

Busta Rhymes' massive third studio album(Extinction Level Event): The Final World Front gets it's first vinyl reissue since its original release back in 1999.
- Pressed onto heavyweight 180gm vinyl.
- Limited to 300 copies, preorders essential
- Pressed onto orange + cream vinyl
- Remastered specifically for vinyl.
- Housed in a high-quality textured matte sleeve with original artwork & insert in shrinkwrap.

J Dilla's brother Illa J takes us on a trip to his hometown Detroit with his third solo album HOME

Whole Darn Fam's classic 7 Minutes of Funk gets cut in half here to fit the 45 and needs no introduction and neither does the flip, EPMD's It's My Thing' which samples it - what more can I say, Top Billin! Grab doubles while stocks last!

Hip Hop instrumentals in a Western Movie State Of Mind !

Long Beach serial chiller Ahwlee is a beat vet who delivers smooth buttery samples with a nostalgic vibe. 1991 is a cult classic cassettenow reissued for the first time. These tracks are dusty, mellow and easy-going. Don't mistake mellow for boring, however, because Ahwlee's production is nuanced and intricate underneath the minimalist overtones. There's jazzed-up Rhodes all over the place, and the percussion work masterfully includes a ton of negative space in between perfectly chopped breaks. They'll get your head nodding.

The Notorious B.I.G. is widely recognized as one of the world's most influential rappers and has sold more than 17 million albums in the U.S. alone. Before his murder in 1997, Christopher Wallace recorded two classic albums as The Notorious B.I.G. His debut Ready to Die arrived in 1994 and helped revitalize the East Coast rap scene with massive hits like Big Poppa' and Juicy.' Faith Evans has enjoyed worldwide success as an award-winning singer, songwriter, actress and writer. She has recorded eight studio albums, including the back-to-back platinum smashes, Faith (1995) and Keep The Faith (1998).

Faith Evans and The Notorious B.I.G. famously met at a photo shoot in 1994 and were married nine days later. What followed would become one of the most legendary love stories in hip-hop history. Evans has now, 20 years after B.I.G.'s still unsolved murder, created THE KING & I, a brand new album that tells the story of their life together. The LP includes 24 tracks, including newly recorded vocals by Evans melded with vocals by Biggie Smalls, some well-known but also a selection of rare and unheard rhymes from the B.I.G. vault.

THE KING & I also includes an impressive list of guest appearances by rap royalty including Busta Rhymes, Jadakiss, Lil' Cease, Lil' Kim, Sheek Louch, Styles P, and Snoop Dogg. Evans has also brought on some of the most acclaimed producers in hip-hop, many of which produced some of B.I.G.'s most famous tracks, including DJ Premier, Just Blaze, Salaam Remi, Stevie J, and Chucky Thompson.

Lefto (Belgium) and Free The Robots (California) found themselves on tour together a year and a half ago and had the wise idea to do a record together with the beats they were making from inspiration collected along the way. Fast forward to the present,and that idea has grown into Karavan - an album of international exotic melodies and heavy rhythms - that reflects the sound gather through their years of consistent nomadic touring.