Hip-Hop Vinyl New Releases - News

Arguably the most influential and charismatic rapper of the the last 10 years. Gucci Mane has become a cult figure and cultural phenomenon through his countless mixtapes, movie roles, and brushes with the law. Mama's Basement takes us back to the very beginning of Gucci's career, with some of the first known recordings from Wop. Gucci teamed with long term collaborator and legendary rap producer Zaytoven to lay down 12 tracks in his Mama's Basement. The tape was only released to the public last year just before Gucci's release from prison.
Omerta Inc. will be giving Guwop&Zaytoven the vinyl treatment with a very limited pressing.
Limited to 500 copies worldwide on Cocaine white and black splatter vinyl 180gm heavy weight vinyl, each copy hand numbered and house in a high quality matte finished sleeve with original artwork.

Legendary London Posse MC, Rodney P, teams up with London poet Lanre Sulola for this haunting backdrop to last year's critically acclaimed BBC4 documentary, Hip Hop World News. Co-produced by the talented record label owner Max Cyrus and recorded in the Metropolis studios with Liam Nolan (previously worked with Adele & Jess Glynne) who oversaw the whole project. Available now first the first time on vinyl, Dinked Records and Max Cyrus Music have created a very special package for the 10th Anniversary of Record Store Day, featuring the track and instrumental on pure white vinyl with picture sleeve and photo insert.

Omar has a totally unique, individual style and sound still marks him out as a future thinking and utterly unrivaled artist, who has collaborated with so many legendary names that it would be foolish to deny his worldwide reputation - who would dare contradict the likes of Stevie Wonder, Erykah Badu, Carleen Anderson, Angie Stone, Common and fellow fans and followers like Maxwell and Jarrod Lawson

Following on from 2013's album The Man, 2016 sees his new long player further cement this undeniable reputation. Love In Beats is Omars' 8th studio album of his long, illustrious career and may just be the most eclectic & varied to date. Somewhat more electronic in it's conception and sound than it's predecessor, Love In Beats incorporates soul, Caribbean rhythms, an undercurrent of funk, with touches of zouk, a jazzy waltz, spoken word and also features collaborations with Us soul legend Leon Ware, Blue Note pianist Robert Glasper, grime MC Ty, Guadeloupe born singer Jean-Michele Rotin, and Uk soultress Natasha Watts, The Floacist and Mayra Andrade, the Cape Verdean born singer who lives and records in Paris.

Co produced by Scratch Professer, Omars Grammy winning brother,this collection should create excitement worldwide, the sounds are varied - but all have Omars' unique fingerprint on them, style and substance beautifully merged!

Slugabed's record label Activia Benz has been growing steadily since its birth just two months ago, with releases from Deech and 813 receiving great feedback.
Activia Benz's third release comes from Danish hip-hop/trap/bass producer Eloq. As an artist he has already received support from Diplo, Manchi, Salva and more.
The C'mon EP has had early support from Skream & Benga, Bobby Tank, Chrissy Murderbot, Deft, Danny Drive Thru and Seb Chew (RinseFM) and has been played on BBC Radio 1, BBC Radio 1Xtra and Rinse within the first week of promo.
It includes five original tracks as well as an electro-esque (but not really electro) remix of the title track from our very own Slugabed.

Channeling a love affair with classic 90's hip hop, an affinity for otherworldly themes and an ear for raw funk, Barclay Crenshaw uses his given birth name to bare his soul and deliver a slowed-down, emotive collectiob of collaborations and instrumentals. This self-titled debut album is a left-field deperature from his better known allias, Claude Von Stroke, but the quality is undeniably the same. The themes of alien abductions and exploring of time and space are discovered and brough to life over ten tracks that sound like a mixture of gold rope chains and new age enlightenment. Modern organic beats mixed with gorgeous melodic movements and underlying grittiness create an experience that is eclectic, expressive, and expansive. Coded art furthers the sense of mystery and the unkown. Harking back to the past while gazing into the future.

Following the release of Commodo's acclaimed debut LP, 'How What Time', and Memotone's 'Chime Hours' album earlier this year, Bristol label hub Black Acre have enlisted new recruits in Wallwork — co-head of burgeoning club collective, Nervous Horizon — and London grime emcee, Nico Lindsay, to deliver their latest record.

* Two-track single, 'Facts' / 'Fyah', taps into the experimental zones that both Nervous Horizon and Lindsay operate. Wallwork and Tsvi's hard, steadfast drum workouts have been a feature of their work with the label and on 'Facts', the pair turn a stripped-back, minimalist hand to a beat that Lindsay takes on with a relaxed, near-horizontal flow. With neither afraid to deviate from grime's more familiar 140bpm template, their collision of styles is not only refreshing — it's fully vindicated.

* On B-side 'Fyah', Wallwork — assisted by Nan Kolè — leans more toward UK funky, with the beat patterns softer and the percussion less harsh, instead driven by a fierce, chugging groove and twisted, wonky bass notes that Lindsay again navigates. Only featuring across certain sections of the track, his vocals phase in and out almost at will, as the beat's unrelenting sense of rhythm carries 'Fyah' firmly into club banger territory.

The new studio album from RJD2, 'Dame Fortune', continues the sonic exploration that was started 14 years ago on his seminal debut, 'Deadringer'. An entirely self-produced and engineered affair, longtime vocal collaborators appear here in the form of Blueprint, Son Little (aka Aaron Livingston, the other half of the Icebird duo), Phonte Coleman and Jordan Brown, along with newcomer Josh Krajcik (runner up on the 2011 season of X-Factor).

Always soulful, perpetually psychedelic, this album has found the lost threads connecting Aloe Blacc, Tangerine Dream and King Crimson. From the jagged, angular deconstruction of 'A New Theory' and 'The Sheboygan Left', to the poignant elegance of 'Peace Of What' and 'We Come Alive', 'Dame Fortune' further cements RJD2 as a force to be reckoned with behind the boards.

RJD2 catalogue has over 250k units sold worldwide and has previously released on XL Recordings & Definite Jux. There's support for first single from Rolling Stone, Spin, Complex, Pitchfork, Stereogum, Fact Magazine and Brooklyn Vegan.

'Funky and upbeat backdrop that pairs well with Jordan Brown's smooth vocals' - Complex Mag

'The album maintains RJD2's hip-hop-leaning production style and experimental streak, but was also inspired by the soul music of his hometown' - Rolling Stone

'Right horns, cleverly syncopated drums, and rhythmic string flourishes bolster warm, stirring vocals' - Stereogum

Kölns bester Rapper Veedel Kaztro hat es wieder getan: Am 31.03.17 erscheint der dritte Teil seiner Büdchen-Trilogie. "Büdchen Tape III" zeigt einen hörbar gereiften "Veezy", was Delivery und Flow, aber auch Themen und Inhalte angeht: "Coach Veezy" ist ein "Hund ohne Leine", der "Respek" einfordert. Der besorgten "Almans" und ihrer "Angst" den Spiegel vorhält und allen Rassisten, Sexisten und AfD-Wählern ein "LMS 2017" entgegen schmettert. Dank abgeschlossenem "Flermanistik"-Studium gibt es zwar jeden Tag nur "Falalel", doch das tut seiner "Veezyness" keinen Abbruch. Musikalisch baut Veedel Kaztro Brücken. Knarzige Samples werden mit der 808 tiefergelegt. Veezy nimmt seine Boom Bap-Wurzeln mit in die Trap, denn Scheuklappen kennt er auch hier nicht. Produziert haben Yourz, Spexo, Dufsen, Shawn The Savage Kid, Kevoe West und True Lyes. Aufgenommen und gemischt wurde von und bei Dienst&Schulter, die ebenfalls mit zwei Beats auf dem Album vertreten sind. In Sachen Features hält Veedel K es lokal und teilt sich das Mic mit Sparky, Tami und Simon Grohé.

Apparel Music return with the introduction of a brand new sub label - Apparel Tronic. The intention for this new division of sound is to shift focus towards UK-rooted Beats, Nu-Jazz, Downtempo and Jungle - a collection of styles the label like to term 'Bliss-Beat'. This treasured and futile basis of influence gives rise to Giuseppe D'Alessandro a.k.a KiSK and Ludovico Schilling SCHiLLiNG's new project which they inaugurate with the 'Hella' LP from SCHiLLiNG himself: a collection UKindebted dance tracks that meld influences from Jungle, Breaks and Hip Hop. Originally born in Milan - Schilling relies on a process he likes to describe as 'contamination' of sound which entails the layering of field recordings and the sounds of his home environment with those of synths, real instruments and samples. This approach brands a clear stamp on his productions and enables him to create a truly singular strand of dance music and it's this that glues together the 9 disparate tracks of Hella. Moving from the cascading breaks of the LP's introduction 'Anarcoide' to the woozy and textural 'Black Lighter' - the album begins to build a spectral mood as it progresses. Tracks such as 'Flesh Is Weak' and 'Madting' draw influence from the golden-era of Bristol's Trip-Hop while tracks such as 'Snooker Club' and 'Viejos' delve into more caliginous, IDM territory. The result is a rich and varied collection that demonstrates Apparel Music's unwavering ability to continue to keep listeners guessing.

FIRST TIME ON VINYL: This diverse production and sharp lyrical feast resonate K-Lash s trademark status as a lyrical connoisseur and one of the pioneers of the UK hip hop scene. It s what old fans will love and new fans will enjoy. Four words : beats, bars, flows, jokes. Dat Time sets the undertone for the album with heavyweight producer Beat Butcha providing that raw gritty beat which will have you snapping your neck in agreement with every drum kick and snare. K-Lash equally brings fire to this track with punchlines galore and an intoxicating chorus, making it a certified anthem this year. In contrast there are songs like Got To Be Right , produced by Show And Prove, with its soulful almost West Coast classic laid back vibe, sprinkled with Klash s descriptive word play and effortless delivery. It will transport the listener back to that Sagas feel, but with a new found energy. Ftlt , the title track for the album, features production from up and coming producer B Clever, who K-Lash met in Portishead through fate . They have been working closely ever since, and Ftlt' has all the ingredients needed for a classic underground hit. Raw intro, raw beat, raw bars...check, check, check. Banger! The album also features production from DJ Whoo Kid & Red Spyda, Beat Butcher, Last Resort and more. This is a confident comeback that illustrates Klashnekoff s legendary status and assertive originality. He describes it as new energy, same essence . Classic production and lionhearted lyrics, juxtaposed with an array of effortlessly comical skits make Ftlt an impressive addition to Klashnekoff s catalogue, showcasing all his different talents. Here is an accomplished artist that can produce seriously good music without taking himself too seriously. And the album speaks for itself. There s no theme to the album, just vibes. Half of it was made in London when I was thinking a bit more introspective, and the other half when I was outside London and more relaxed. So it s a combination of both vibes, but more to the point it s just good music. Ftlt..F*** The Long Talk!

Physical release of English singer-songwriter Rag N Bone Man's 2014 EP entitled Wolves, he fuses soul with indie, folk, hip-hop and rock that creates an addictive vibe that creates solid, genre-defying anthems that hold a rocky edge with big beats and raw vocals.
'Wolves' carries a weight of epicness from start to finish, like Michael Jackson's 'Earth Song' - minus the ripped shirt and a wind machine. Each track is layered with the booming vocals from Rag 'N' Bone man, far away from the hip hop dominant game we have seen him develop in. You can hear hints of influential greats in the singers flexible voice, from Muddy Waters, Jnr Kimbrough and the more contemporary soul singer Cee Lo Green. However it's his rich and soulful touch to his voice that define the artists unique sound. - Wordplay Magazine

Physical release of English singer-songwriter Rag N Bone Man's 2014 EP entitled Wolves, he fuses soul with indie, folk, hip-hop and rock that creates an addictive vibe that creates solid, genre-defying anthems that hold a rocky edge with big beats and raw vocals.
'Wolves' carries a weight of epicness from start to finish, like Michael Jackson's 'Earth Song' - minus the ripped shirt and a wind machine. Each track is layered with the booming vocals from Rag 'N' Bone man, far away from the hip hop dominant game we have seen him develop in. You can hear hints of influential greats in the singers flexible voice, from Muddy Waters, Jnr Kimbrough and the more contemporary soul singer Cee Lo Green. However it's his rich and soulful touch to his voice that define the artists unique sound. - Wordplay Magazine

A Safe Place to Be Naked is S. Fidelity's debut longawaited debut record via Jakarta Records featuring Juju Rogers, Bluestaeb, Shuffle Jack, Tesla and Harleighblu)













A

If you have seen these guys on tour recently you will have heard this boom bap banger which is set to be another Dinked 45 Sure Shot!! The renowned and respected Krafty Kuts teams up with J5 legendary MC Chali 2na to bring you an instant classic, Hands High with an unbelievably catchy hook. Dope original sleeve art with cut out mask of Chali's alter ego, The Purple Assassin! Limited Edition of 500 - don't sleep!

Cousin Stizzs Debüt Mixtape-Album bekommt erstmalig eine limitierte Vinylveröffentlichung als 180g Pressung in Farbe.

N'toko on his influences: "Musically I consume a lot of american commercial hiphop as well underground experimental stuff from Japan, bollywood music, 80s new wave and shaabi. Politically I'm a marxist, active on the radical left and very inspired by revolutionary movements across the globe."
N'toko is an experimental hiphop artist and producer from Slovenia. He first made a name for himself as frontman of a local hiphop collective called Moveknowledgement. He became well known for his technical skills and speed as a rapper, winning two national freestyle championships in a row. Competitions scored him his first record deal as a solo artist, the result being 3 Slovenian language albums which brought him into Slovenia's mainstream spotlight. N'toko released several EPs and albums in English, two of which were released in Japan. These records gained cult status among underground hiphop fans and alternative music lovers for their open approach, blending influences from rock, free-jazz, electro, noise and psychadelia to name a few.

At the same time, N'toko performed anywhere he could, from poetry slams to impro-sessions and electronic parties, no longer just rapping, but also using his voice as an effect-processed instrument, playing other instruments and often screaming his brains out.

He continues his work with Moveknowledgement, which has morphed into an experimental dub, rock group and released 3 albums. N'toko is now constantly moving between Slovenia and Japan, where he has played over 40 concerts and worked with many artists in the Tokyo music scene. He has also played extensively around Europe as well as the USA, performing in clubs and festivals (Reeperbahn Festival, Glastonbury, Exit, Inmusic, Best Buy Theatre NYC). Currently he is also involved in activist work in Slovenia, where he has become a widely read columnist and author.

What a luck that N'toko could find some time to record his new record "Emirates", out on Unique Records in March 2017. This piece of music agains contains N'toko's strenghts - critical lyrics, straight beats combined with dark electronic sounds.

Limitierte Vinylauflage des Three 6 Mafia Klassikers von 2005 als Deluxe 180g Doppelvinyl. Featuring Young Buck, 8Ball, MJG, Project Pat, Paul Wall, Mikes Jones, Slim Thug, etc.

ATKR with his debut on Ta-ku's & Repeat Pattern's 10inch label BRRWD.

As they wrap up celebrations for their 10 year anniversary, Boston duo Arms & Sleepers prepare to ring in the new year with a new full length, Life Is Everywhere, out on January 27th, 2017. The album, which was produced by Sun Glitters and features appearances from acclaimed MC Serengeti and Airøspace, expands on the melodies of their previous work but with a darker and more reflective quality. In a recent interview with Impose Magazine, Mirza Ramic (half of the duo) stated, 'Integrity has no borders' when talking about his past as a child refugee, the importance of art, and the socioeconomic and systematic discrimination we face today — the latter being what inspired the album after he spent the summer with underprivileged youth in Chicago's notorious South Side. With its 90s hip-hop and jazzy vibe, Life Is Everywhere combines an 'end of times' feel, which perfectly captures our world today, with glimpses of hope.

House Is OK, but Oli, Janis and Homeboy never said they were exclusively a house label. Introducing House Of Life and DGF to the world, they make a slight change in direction. This split 7 single leaves the world of 4/4 interpretations and takes the imprint to the land of creep hop' and trip pop". House Of Life is a project of Chaveli Sifre Riestra & Nikias Chryssos. They make songs about men who dance with no pants, Jesus Christ, Satan, and darkroom murderers. Their lyrics are channeled through occult rites, internet forums, computer codes, and therapy sessions. Hans With No Pants' tells the story of a guy who likes to party with kids, eat cake and serve cool drinks. He lives in a house by the beach and invites guests to dance with him, but what goes on in his basement remains an unspoken mystery. On the flip, a number from DGF, a project of Nikias & label honcho Janis. Greif Meine Hand' was originally written for the original soundtrack of Nikas' short film The Grandfather". After it got to the 2nd place on the Intergalactic FM demo competition and got props by the likes of I-f, Rude66 and DJ TLR, we decided to give it a second chance by putting it on this lush 45.

N'toko ist ein experimenteller Hip Hop-Künstler und Produzent aus Slowenien. Seine ersten Sporen verdiente er sich als Frontmann eines lokalen Hip Hop-Kollektivs namens Moveknowledgement. N'toko wurde schnell durch sein technisches Können und seine Schnelligkeit als Rapper bekannt und gewann dadurch sogar zwei nationale Freestyle-Wettbewerbe hintereinander. Neben drei slowenisch-sprachigen Alben veröffentlichte er mehrere EPs in englischer Sprache, von denen zwei auch in Japan auf dem Markt kamen. Diese beiden Scheiben haben mittlerweile Kultstatus bei Underground Hip Hop-Fans und Liebhabern alternativer Musik erreicht. Parallel dazu spielte N'toko ausgiebige Touren in Europa und den USA, wo er Gast auf diversen Festivals war (u.a. Reeperbahn Festival, Glastonbury, Exit, Inmusic, Best Buy Theatre NYC). Derzeit engagiert N'toko sich auch politisch in Slowenien und hat sich zum viel-gelesenen Kolumnist und Autor gemausert. Auf Unique erscheint sein neues Album "Emirates", und es vereint kritische Texte, straighte Beats und düstere, elektronische Sounds.

* Back in the early 90's a crew from Buckinghamshire released some of their bedroom made Hip Hop on 12". 300 copies were pressed and sold and became part of Hip Hop history. Produced on the floor of Spatts bedroom! The DAT masters have been long lost having been passed over the the vinyl cut and never claimed back.
* This EP has been ripped from the cleanest copy TCM could find. It was a hard job to restore the tracks to the usual high standard we have. These tracks were made using samples from records that already has a lot of surface noise and crackle. Sampled direct from a 1210 for use in the tracks that were recorded to a 4 track cassette deck. It was a hard job to find a nice compromise between killing the feeling and soul in these tracks for the sake of a bit of surface noise, but we feel we've got it right! * Like John Peel said.. 'Listen, mate, *life* has surface noise."

Cariño is BodyMoves' most ambitious release to date. An 18 track beat tape that contains a diverse mixture of beats crafted over the last four years. This dust coated voyage draws on global inspirations and rhythms, refusing to be tied down to any specific sound or style. The EP takes cues from South America, Europe, Asia and Africa, classic soul, jazz, funk, library music and obscure TV audio into a 28 minute long beat journey. The album title was inspired by the birth of the artist's son in April 2016.

The music has respectful nods towards a diverse range of beatmakers, from Al Dobson Jr. to Flying Lotus to Tuamie and has been mastered by Will Horrocks of LV fame. The stunning artwork is a specially commissioned piece by artist Emily Evans. Emily has previously designed artwork for Paul White, Mr Beatnick and Broshuda.

Cassette releases are enjoying a renaissance of late, and true to hip hop culture this beat tape will be released on a strictly limited run of 50 blood red cassettes, and also includes a digital download.

"Cariño" follows up on BodyMoves' recent collaborative EP "Dual Thought" with Tom Central. Both are released on Shapes Of Rhythm Records, a burgeoning label he runs himself, alongside Tom.

BodyMoves has been rising steadily on the scene over the last few years. Known for his eclectic beats and DJ sets, his releases have gained support from the likes of Gilles Peterson, Josey Rebelle, Taro (Jazzy Sport), DJ Gilla and Dom Servini.

playDead's third release is a full length studio album made by this two very unique characters - Shuzin & Rejoicer.

The Duo has been putting out music and playing live shows since 2013 and were celebrated by crowds in the biggest festivals in israel, big clubs in Tel Aviv and all over Germany.

Appearing for the first time on Instagram in 2014, POORGRRRL is the culmination of the Miami based artist Tara Long's worst dreams and best nightmares. As an online identity or IRL, POORGRRRL challenges viewers and listeners with convoluted lyrics and a lo-fi "fuck it" demeanor. She presents an alternative personality to pop culture, appropriating it where she must. She is on a quest to save Miami, her birthplace and home, from it's own reputation, before it goes underwater.
In October 2015, shortly after her premier performance at iii Points Music Festival, she released "Triptic," an 11-minute music video, ending with the single "we Trashy." It ignited a debate amongst YouTube and Reddit users over the artistic validity of the work. The critics such as, Go Fu ck Yourself, pointed out the obvious, describing it as "garbage," while defenders used hash tags such as #hatersdontgetit and #futureofmusic to describe the video.
During Art Basel 2015 in Miami (December), after appearing on the cover of the Miami New Times Art Basel edition, she installed audio/visual work at the "Littlest Sisters Art Fair" (Spinello Projects), and performed alongside Shamir at The New Contemporary Art Museum (ICA). In 2016, she has performed at the International Noise Conference in Miami, Okeechobee Music Festival and alongside Le1f.
Her debut EP, "PITIPARTI", is a collection of her work so far, preceding a full-length set for release in the near future.

Golden age hip-hop by a multi-talented Spanish beatmaker, a French singer and three US MCs. The multi-talented Alex Rocks is back with his debut album Rise N Shine! After his 7" "Get Em Up" featuring Replife, the Madrid DJ, musician and beatsmith hooked up with French singer Jessica Fitoussi and US based rappers Sleep Sinatra, Junclassic, and Jack Jones. He carefully selected the tracks he felt would sit well with each artist, and they did not disappoint. From the Pharcyde-evoking title track to the raw soul on "Moonlight Creedence", the rugged vibe of "My Time" and the fiery "All In Your Mind" - the heart-made beats are the perfect backdrop for the socially conscious and intelligent lyrics provided by his collaborators.
Alejandro Melero grew up in Madrid in the eighties, when the Spanish capital was living a cultural revolution, still crawling out of the dark hole that had been the 40 years of fascist dictatorship. Apart from jazz, flamenco, rock and pop, at the end of the decade and the start of the next, the radio started playing rap and hip-hop coming from across the pond. At the time, Spain was quite unfamiliar with hip-hop culture, but there were a few artists emulating their American cousins' music and style, and for the fans, tape trading was an excellent way to share and discover the music of Young MC, Run D.M.C., Pete Rock & CL Smooth, Gang Starr, Leaders of the New School and the like. The way they made music made a lasting impression on young Alex.
Throughout the nineties, he kept digging, stumbling upon and investigating new and different sounds. He built up a substantial record collection and got in contact with dozens of other vinyl junkies just like him. It would, many years later, inspire him to start Spain Diggin': a series of short videos featuring Spanish record collectors talking about their records and antics, shot, directed, and edited entirely by him. He came under the influence of the Beat Junkies and the Invisibl Skratch Piklz, resulting in him having a go at turntablism before he got his first Ensoniq EPS 16+ sampler and started to make his own beats.
Now using an Akai MPC2000XL, Alex Rocks' sound is not like any of his Spanish peers. While there isn't really an easily identifiable "Spanish sound", one could argue that in most Spanish hip-hop, the music is secondary to the lyrics. Not so with Alex, who got guitar and harmony lessons from a former guitarist of Spanish rumba heroes Los Chichos and taught himself to play bass and piano as well. Add that to the fact that he's never been afraid to show his admiration for the sonic aesthetic of the East Coast, and you get a jazz-tinged sound with a definite Golden Age hip-hop quality to it.
Besides beatmaking, Alex Rocks is currently keeping himself busy with his jazz-funk live band, his aforementioned Spain Diggin' series, and deejaying in clubs and on Radio Gladys Palmera.

After over a year spent in a slight creative slump in a crumbling terraced house in Tottenham, Jam Baxter rang his label boss while heavily intoxicated to request they fly him to Bangkok forthwith, to rejoin forces with '...so we ate them whole' producer and engineer, Chemo. After an initial period of understandable hesitancy, the flights were booked and Baxter found himself suddenly regurgitated from the belly of a Jet Airliner into the magical and surreal surroundings of Mansion 38.

Mansion 38 is the name of the apartment block in Bangkok in which Baxter wrote the entire album, all the while going slowly insane on a heady mix of local liquor and multicoloured pharmaceuticals. The album is very much a product of the month he spent there in a dream-like state, becoming a delusional half-man half- goat figure to be admired and feared in equal measure.

Despite not being the wholesome and creative Zen retreat he anticipated and most probably needed, the backdrop of seedy late nights and impulsive tropical hedonism has resulted in some of his most intriguing and honest work to date. Chemo once again provides the haunting and evocative canvas that is all too perfect for Baxter's colourful imagery and dark psychedelic storytelling, blending a huge array of influences into an album that flows seamlessly from start to finish.

With comrades Lee Scott and Trellion flying to Bangkok on a whim to record their contributions and with videos shot in Bangkok, Hanoi and London this is truly an international project born of grand ambition and abject madness.

Mansion 38 is clear proof that after several years and multiple solo and group projects, Jam Baxter is still angrily shoving the boundaries of hip hop and lyricism further outward.

Swindle completes his 'Trilogy of Funk' series with the 'Purple Walls' EP recorded in LA last summer. He is joined by soul singer Daley and regular collaborator Terri Walker on his first record of 2017. It is a full departure from his 140 bpm previous outings on Deep Medi & Butterz, but still retains his signature style he has been honing over the last ten years. The previous EP's 'Connecta' and 'Funk & Grime' have long sold out, and the final edition won't stick around long either.

The Wound Up Beat Tape takes inspiration from long car journeys sat in the backseat whilst growing up. The sensation of watching the world go by blasting cassettes on your Walkman. A deeply personal way of consuming music these teenage experiences have never left the artists and still inspire them to this day.Transported to a world of breaks whilst in reality sat in the back seat of your parents car, these were intimate sessions of being totally consumed in music. This tape reflects how producers from around the world, whilst having wildly different upbringings, share the same nostalgic experience.This has spawned a wonderful compilation ranging from nineties boom bap to modern jazzy atmospherics. A wide spectrum of music held together with one common goal. Trans- porting you to your own back seat musical journey.Like all Next Phase releases packaging of the physical product is equally important as it's music. Attention to detail is paramount with each cassette supplied with a painstakingly hand crafted outer sleeve. These were produced by cutting individual pieces of cardboard then spraying them with paint.A paper transfer was then layered over the custom paint job before nally scratching away the paper so only the ink and paint were left. Keeping with the nostalgic theme the supplied booklet was printed using a risograph duotone. This gives it a dated comic book feel whilst using a current digital technique.This juxtaposition of retro and modern is one of the driving forces behind Next Phase

A two city bridge with Tokyo's finest, the Jazzy Sport rep Budamunk on the A, and Chi-city beat-monger Radius on the flip. Pure smoke-laden beats, heavy on the nod.

Released in collab with BBE, taken from the forthcoming BBE digital LP, Colo(u)rs Of The World, Hip Hop production man of substance, Chris Read hooks up Chicago 's Pugs Atomz to bring us these two jazzy hip hop choons bringing back memories of early Pharcyde vibes. Limited Edition of 500 - don't sleep!

Composed of members Buckshot, 5ft, and DJ Evil Dee, Black Moon simultaneously kicked off and defined the rap renaissance of New York with the release of Enta Da Stage in 1993. Whereas plenty of earlier groups had spit rage-filled rhymes to tear down the world's unjust establishments, no one had evoked brooding pathos or introspective anger quite like Black Moon. Underground hip-hop might have been dominated by the sunny sound of G-Funk when Enta Da Stage dropped, but from then on the scene turned to the dark side. Black Moon was rising. Working closely with the original members, Fat Beats Records is proud to present the definitive Enta Da Stage box set. Reissued together for the first time across three formats - 6xLP, 3xCD, and 3xCassette - this album is the complete encapsulation of an era for anyone seeking to understand the origin and the essence of New York's Golden Age. All formats include the Da Beatminerz (Evil Dee and Mr. Walt) instrumentals and remixes, plus extensive liner notes by David Ma (Pitchfork, Wax Poetics) with rare and unreleased visual ephemera in an 18 page booklet. The story of Black Moon, alongside their peers Biggie, Big L, Nas, Kool G Rap, and Wu Tang, reminds us that the bleakest times produce the most profound agents of cultural change. And as we stand at the precipice of a new age of anxiety, Enta Da Stage has never been more relevant... or more necessary. Although Black Moon would go on to release three more albums - and its members would go on to greatness with Da Beatminerz, Boot Camp Klik, and various solo projects - Enta Da Stage remains the perfect distillation of tight lyrical menace, rowdy crew hooks, stripped down breaks, and deep basslines on all of its fourteen tracks. Although Enta Da Stage might stand in the shadow of East Coast albums such as Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), Illmatic, Liquid Swords, Ready to Die, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx, and The Infamous, history will remember that Enta Da Stage preceded those releases. To understand Enta Da Stage is to understand the origin and the spirit of New York hip-hop once and for all.

The 'Beat Week' concept came about in 2008 when Myspace still was the main internet platform for spreading independent music. SRAW wanted to use the social media platform to his advantage and make a release that was adapted to the specific ways of posting music and maintaining an audience on Myspace. He came up with the idea to publish one song a day for the duration of a week so that it would exist as a whole in the Myspace player after the week had passed. The beats were simply named after the day it was published, making the final beat tape hold 7 tracks. Beat Week #1 was received very well so a year later Beat Week #2 was released in the same way. Around this time Myspace had lost most users to Facebook, and Soundcloud slowly began to take over as the new platform for musicians.