Eminem - Music To Be Murdered By (Aftermath/Interscope)

2LP Gategold Vinyl 20.99 Add to basket

Eminem returns with an album title that pays homage to Alfred Hitchcock. The album features collaborations with Ed Sheeran, Skylar Grey, Royce Da 5'9", Black Thought, Q-Tip, Denaun, White Gold, Young M.A, KXNG Crooked, Joell Ortiz, Don Toliver, Anderson .Paak and Juice WRLD.

Ill Bill & Nems - Gorilla Twins (Uncle Howie/Fat Beats)

LP Blue Vinyl 27.99 Add to basket

When you take two beasts on the mic repping Brooklyn neighborhoods' Canarsie and Coney Island, you end up with a pair of gorillas. Gorilla Twins to be exact. Comprised of ILL BILL and NEMS, the two have long been paving their way within the Hip Hop landscape. BILL with his solo career and group affiliations (La Coka Nostra, Non Phixion & Heavy Metal Kings) and NEMS with his FYL brand as well as dominating the battle circuit.

Just this past year alone has shown growth and success with the release of ILL BILL & Stu Bangas "Cannibal Hulk" and NEMS & Jazzsoon's "Gorilla Monsoon" albums which are both some of their best work to date. The new "Gorilla Twins" album is no different. Banging beats from the likes of Scram Jones, Stu Bangas, ILL BILL and more as well as features from Immortal Technique, Vinnie Paz, D.V. Alias Khryst and Lord Goat.

Cypress Hill - Insane In The Brain (Mr Bongo Reissue)

7" Vinyl 11.99 Add to basket

A: Insane in the Brain / B: Insane in the Brain (Instrumental)

So much legendary hip-hop begins with a misunderstanding. You might not realise it on first or even hundredth listen, but ‘Insane in the Brain’ is a diss track. What has become one of the hip-hop’s most iconic party anthems, and one of Cypress Hill’s biggest hits, started out with them taking offence at Chubb Rock.

He’d flipped some of their lyrics on his own ‘Yabba Dabba Doo’ song in 1992 and the group didn’t like it. While B-Real’s lyrical attack on Chubb is subtle and almost subliminal, Sen Dog spends most of his verse making fat jokes at Chubb’s expense.

It’s a little known beef, hidden beneath the vast success of this single in 1993, with it reaching number one in the US rap charts and proving a pop hit worldwide too. At this stage, the group’s producer DJ Muggs had perfected an idiosyncratic sound all of his own, lending it to tracks for the likes of House of Pain and Funkdoobiest.

Here he melds samples from Sly and the Family Stone and The Youngbloods with a beat lifted from George Semper’s instrumental cover of ‘Get out my life, woman’. Those subtle songs are alchemised into a boot-stomping head-nodder that transcended hip-hop to become a festival favourite, a rise that ended in Ned Flanders delivering the line, “this may sound just a teensy bit insane in the old membrane, Homer,” in The Simpsons.

The only official 7” of this was released in the Philippines, and fetches prices in the hundreds of pounds – this reissue puts a hip-hop classic in crate-friendly form.

Black Sheep - Flavor of the Month (Mr Bongo Reissue)

7" Vinyl 11.99 Add to basket

A: Flavor of the Month (Vocal) / A: Butt… In the Meantime (Vocal)

While the powerhouses of the loose Native Tongue collective were undoubtedly De La Soul, A Tribe Called Quest and the Jungle Brothers, the wider family threw up some intriguing groups and unforgettable records.

Black Sheep – the duo of Dres and Mr Lawnge – were a natural fit for the Native Tongue vibe, displaying the same kind of wit and humour as their counterparts, with an off-kilter approach that helped them stand out.

While they only released one truly amazing album – their debut ‘A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing’ was a standout in 1991, one of hip-hop’s best years for LP’s – it spawned five unique singles, with this the first one that really garnered any attention.

While it wasn’t a smash hit outside of hip-hop circles, it showcased their approach perfectly – sinuous rhymes, clever wordplay and a hint of flirtation. If the drums sound familiar, it’s because it’s the same Joe Farrell break – the intro to 1974’s ‘Upon This Rock’ – that Kanye West later used for ‘Gone’. Add in some horns from Herb Alpert and The Tijuana Brass and you’ve got a funky little earworm.

They return to the same Joe Farrell well for the flip, ‘Butt… In the Meantime’, because if the break isn’t broke, don’t fix it. Previously unavailable on 7”, this brace of 1991 sureshots is the perfect introduction to the idiosyncrasies of the Native Tongue era.

Adrian Younge Presents Loren Oden - My Heart, My Love (Linear Labs)

Vinyl LP 25.99 Add to basket
CD 12.99 Add to basket

Romanticism is back and headed in a new direction with Loren Oden’s debut album, My Heart, My Love. This album the listener to experience a uniquely curated sound: a sound with lyrical transparency and vulnerability, reminiscent of classic black soul and progressive R&B. Produced and orchestrated by multi-instrumentalist Adrian Younge, this is one of the most meticulously crafted albums ever to be released on Linear Labs. Being born into a musical family in Compton, Ca., Oden grew up in the church, studying gospel as well as secular greats like Marvin Gaye and Sam Cooke.

Throughout the years, his affinity with lyricism and vocal arranging grew, catching the ear of his long-time friend, Younge. With this connection, Oden became the mellifluous bedrock of Younge’spsychedelic sound: Oden sings lead on most of Adrian Younge’s expansive musical catalog, including but not limited, to Black Dynamite, Something About April, and Marvel’s Luke Cage. Oden is one of the premiere vocalists on The Midnight Hour alongside icons like CeeLo Green, Raphael Saadiq, and Marsha Ambrosius.

My Heart, My Love is a cultivated body of work, for the sophisticated lover, going deep into the guarded emotions we all try to avoid. The inspiration has always come from timeless music, and Oden and Younge have created an aural treasure that is sure to live on.

Lee Scott & Morriarchi - "Friend, Come to Me and be saved" (Blah Records)

LP Colour Vinyl 19.99 Add to basket

Limited Edition Heavyweight 12" Vinyl

ALAS, THE TIME HAS COMETH, FRIEND. YOUR CORRUPT CURRENCIES HAVE DEFILED YOUR SACRED, DIVINE AURAS! SURRENDER THESE EVIL MONIES TO THE CULT AND YOU SHALL AWAKEN THE PURENESS IN YOUR HEART, FRIEND. SALVATION AND REDEMPTION AWAITS ALL WHO CHOOSE THE CULT PATH. FRIEND, COME TO ME AND BE SAVED.

Blah Records heavyweights Lee Scott and Morriarchi team up to deliver salvation and redemption to the masses.

PRESALE - Arlo Parks - Super Sad Generation (Beatnik Creative)

Pre-Order LP White Vinyl 19.99 Add to basket

Shipping 2nd October 2020

Top pick for 2020. think Portishead, Syd of the Internet and Lily Allen. Includes unlimited streaming of all digital tracks from Arlo Parks' first and second EP's, Plus a free spoken word poem London only available with Vinyl purchase. The artwork sleeve is reverse board black -and includes the 'London' poem written by Arlo Parks. Artwork sleeve both front and back created by Arlo Parks. Includes Sophie. Sophie is a song about "crumbling under expectations and feeling helpless, but with a persistent, quiet sense of hope underpinning it”. True to form, it's a melodic and beautifully articulated sonnet, cementing the notion that she is overwhelmingly considered the majestic voice of Generation Z.

Anderson .Paak - Malibu (OBE/ Membran)

2LP 180g Vinyl 22.99 Add to basket

Double 180 Gram Vinyl.

This album by the Rap / Hip-Hop / Nu R&B wunderkind Anderson .Paak features production from: 9th Wonder, DJ Khalil, Madlib, Kaytranada, Pomo, Dem Jointz, Callum Conner, Hi-Tek, Anderson .Paak and The FreeNationals. Featured vocalists include ScHoolboy Q, Talib Kweli, BJ The Chicago Kid, Rhapsody and The Game. Malibu is the maturation of .Paak's journey from Soul and R&B over into Hip-Hop and even modern dance, all the while giving listeners a deep look into his personal experience. Dive into the deepness that makes Malibu a special time and place, and enjoy - If you've into Kendrick Lamar and Vince Staples, then you'll love this.

Positive K - I Got A Man (Mr Bongo Reissue)

7" Vinyl 11.99 Add to basket

A: I Got a Man / B. Shakin’

Positive K was no stranger to unrequited love. A few years before this, his biggest hit, dropped, he’d tried to ply his labelmate MC Lyte with chat-up lines on the First Priority gem ‘I’m Not Havin’ It’ – with little luck.

Fast forward to the 1990’s and he’s at it again. Whether up in the club or in the street, ‘I Got a Man’ sees him chancing his arm and getting the cold shoulder from women who are already spoken for. The difference this time is that it’s actually Positive K delivering the brush-offs to himself, his voice changed with studio trickery to mimic a female’s.

What propelled this to over 500,000 US sales? Perhaps it’s the light touch, the sense of humour that doesn’t cross the line and the insistently funky loop lifted from A Taste of Honey’s ‘Rescue Me’ (1980). Not forgetting the sprinkle of Take 6’s infectious ‘Spread Love’, which has improved every record it has ever been used on.

Produced by the unsung LG, as was the harder-edged flip ‘Shakin’, this is the perfect pop hip-hop record, showcasing Positive K’s flamboyance. Fitting for a man who started out on First Priority Records, with its roster of characterful MC’s.

This is the first ever reissue of this sought after 7”, previously only available as a UK pressing from 1993.

Souls Of Mischief - 93 'Til Infinity (Mr Bongo Reissue)

7" Vinyl 11.99 Add to basket

A: 93 ‘Til Infinity (Vocal) / B: 93 ‘Til Infinity (Instrumental)

While the Souls of Mischief never sold the kind of numbers that would elevate them to a huge audience, for the hip-hop cognoscenti their 1993 album 93 'Til Infinity and the singles it spawned are nothing but classic.

Showcasing a fluent, loose-limbed rhyme style as Tajai, Opio, A-Plus and Phesto combined and bounced off each other, the Souls were part of the wider eclectic hip-hop collective Hieroglyphics, where they were joined by Del tha Funkee Homosapien and Casual, among others. All of them proved to be compelling, unique MC’s with a light touch, and both this single and the same year’s ‘That’s When Ya Lost’ were fan favourites from the off.

It’s built around a handful of different samples from Billy Cobham’s ‘Heather’, which are cleverly connected together and underpinned by a Graham Central Station drum break made indelible by everyone from the Geto Boys to Bizmarkie on ‘Pickin’ Boogers’. As a result it stands in contrast to much of the grimy, headnod hip-hop of the time, providing a melodic, lightly jazzy counterpoint that draws you in to the sinuous lyrics.

There’s no great message in the music, just four MC’s elevating the art of bragging to show you how the west coast rocks it. This is the first time the original album version has been available on 7”, with the instrumental on the flip a must if you’re practicing this for hip-hop karaoke…

Liam Bailey - White Light / Cold & Clear (Big Crown Records)

7" Vinyl 8.99 Add to basket

Liam Bailey comes out swinging with “White Light,” an instant-classic, dancefloor filler. The rough and tough drum break intro catches you from the first beat before the track gives way to an infectious and uplifting reggae-dis- co number. Liam’s instantly recognizable voice showers his muse with praise over deep round bass lines and a four on the floor beat. The combination of Leon Michels’ crushing production and Bailey’s lyrics like “You love yourself, you’re so exciting, like no one else”… is sure to make this a staple in dj sets around the globe.

The B side “Cold & Clear” is a proper lighters in the air, slap the wall, top ranking tune. The track struts in the door with a natural and undeniable confidence. Liam weaves a heavy metacognitive story over the one drop drums, perfect basslines, and organ stabs that will have people stepping in rhythm. The lo-fi production weaves elements from the finest early rocksteady era with touches from the late 70s / early 80s digital era and takes the entire vibe into the present with unorthodox arrangements and vocal treatments. Bailey has a tune here that will hold up next to the classics in the dancehalls from the yards of Jamaica to the discotheques in his homeland of England.

R.A. The Rugged Man - All My Heroes Are Dead (Nature Sounds)

3xLP Black Vinyl 32.99 Add to basket

R.A. The Rugged Man is one of the most fascinating figures in hip-hop history. His career spans decades, and defies simple narratives. The Rugged Man has been an up-and-coming star, an industry outcast banished and forgotten, an underground cult hero, an independent success story, and an influential master of the art form. Now, R.A. The Rugged Man is back with ""All My Heroes Are Dead"", a brand new album that stands as his best work to date. “So many of the greats are gone, and the legends who made it out alive are cast aside,” R.A. explains. “Society left our heroes and their culture for dead. We have to dig that greatness out of its grave, and bring it back with an angry vengeance.” "All My Heroes Are Dead" features an all-star lineup of hip-hop heavyweights, including Atmosphere, Chuck D, Ghostface Killah, Immortal Technique, Vinnie Paz, Ice T, M.O.P., Kool G Rap, Brand Nubian, DJ Jazzy Jeff, Chris Rivers, Onyx, Inspectah Deck, A-F-R-O, Masta Killa, and more.

Black Josh - Mannyfornia (Blah Records)

Green Vinyl 2LP 25.99 Add to basket

Double Slime Green heavyweight 12" Vinyl

Coupling the precocious talents of Ruud a.k.a. Metrodome and Black Josh a.k.a YungSweglawd, the production of this album is one of finesse, artistry and cultural relevance. Ruud’s record collection is a lavish cornucopia of the sounds and beats from the ‘70s to the ‘90’s that drove real music. And Josh’s helium lyrics and rhetorical dexterity meld the layers of sound and samples into one lethal weapon.

Sniff x Lyza - Baby Blue Champion (Blah Records)

Vinyl LP 19.99 Add to basket

It's time to lay seductively beside the fire with the object of your affection and immerse yourself in the sultry world of seduction that Lyza Jane and Sniff have created with 'Baby Blue Champion EP'. Let your ears be caressed by the soft and dreamy vocals provided by Lyza Jane, and the smooth raps provided by Sniff. Caress thighs and stroke hair whilst doing so.

Cult of the Damned - Offie b/w Castles (Blah Records)

7" Red Vinyl 11.99 Add to basket

A: Offie / B: Castles

Cult of The Damned are back with a new single available on heavyweight ruby red 7" limited edition vinyl with exclusive B side bonus joint.

Kid Acne - Fresh To Death

Cassette 9.99 Add to basket

Neon pink cassete - Signed + numbered - Limited edition of 150

The FRESH TO DEATH (Remix EP) is out now on limited edition cassette featuring production from UK soundscape mavericks; HASHFINGER, THEORIST, CHEMO, KING KASHMERE, NORM ODDITY, PERCY FILTH + NAPPA, as well as guest vocals from the great and powerful JUGA-NAUT + JUICE ALEEM.

Kid Acne is a UK-based artist, illustrator and emcee. His formative years were spent writing graffiti, self-publishing fanzines and making experimental hip-hop – invariably designing and printing the record sleeves by hand. His images have adorned products for some of the world’s leading brands, while the man himself continues to paint epic slogans in the back–streets of South Yorkshire.

Tracklist

1 STAND TALL / STAY GOLDEN - Hashfinger Remix
2 OTE FOR NOT (feat. Juga-Naut) - Theorist Remix
3 UNEMPLOYED GODS - Chemo Remix
4 BUBBLEGOOSE EMPIRE - King Kashmere Remix
5 YOU GET WHAT YOU'RE GIVEN - Norm Oddity Remix
6 IT IS WHAT IT IS (feat. Juice Aleem) - Percy Filth Remix
7 NICE WITH IT - Nappa Remixs

www.kidacne.com

The Heliocentrics - Telemetric Sounds (Madlib Invazion)

Vinyl LP 21.99 Add to basket
CD 11.99 Add to basket


The UK’s cosmic, psychedelic-funk ensemble issue their second album on maverick producer Madlib’s label, Madlib Invazion.

The Heliocentrics’ albums are all confounding pieces of work. Drawing equally from the funk universe of James Brown, the disorienting asymmetry of Sun Ra, the cinematic scope of Ennio Morricone, the sublime fusion of David Axelrod, Pierre Henry’s turned-on musique concrète, and Can’s beat-heavy Krautrock, they have – regardless of the label on which they’ve released their music - pointed the way towards a brand new kind of psychedelia, one that could only come from a band of accomplished musicians who were also obsessive music fans. Drummer Malcolm Catto and bassist Jake Ferguson are the Heliocentrics’ masterminds and producers, and they are obsessive weirdos in today’s musical climate, searching, progressive humans who are often out-of-time with current trends.

They have been playing together for nearly two decades and their collective drive is to find an individual voice. The Heliocentrics search for it in an alternate galaxy where the orbits of funk, jazz, psychedelic, electronic, avant-garde and “ethnic” music all revolve around “The One.” With Madilb’s label Madlib Invazion for Telemetric Sounds, the Heliocentrics have returned to develop their epic vision of psychedelic funk, while exploring the possibilities created by their myriad influences – Latin, African, and more.

Track List
A1 Telemetric Sounds
A2 Devastation
B1 Space Cake
B2 Rehearsal 24
B3 Shattered Mind
B4 The Opening
B5 Left To Our Own Devices

PRESALE - Little Simz - Drop 6 EP (Age 101 )

Pre-Order Vinyl 12" Gatefold 10.99 Add to basket

RELEASE DATE: 27th November 2020

Little Simz releases Drop 6 her new five track EP. Drop 6 is her first solo release since the mercury nominated Grey Area album. The EP was recorded during lockdown. Little Simz produced the tracks herself, with additional production from Kal Banx, BLK VYNL, St Francis Hotel, and OTG. The tracks are urgent, immediate, powerful lyrically with a stripped back production.

Track List

1. Might Bang, Might Not
2. One Life, Might Live
3. Damn Right
4. You Should Call Mum
5. Where’s My Lighter

Fabiano do Nascimento - Prelúdio (Now-Again)

Vinyl LP 23.99 Add to basket
CD 11.99 Add to basket

Prelúdio is the third album Now-Again Records will issue from the thrilling, young Brasilian guitarist Fabiano do Nascimento. Produced by Mario Caldato, Jr. and Luther Russell and engineered and mixed by Caldato and Jason Hiller, this album features do Nascimento’s longtime drummer Ricardo “Tiki” Pasillas. It is the first album of solely do Nascimento’s own compositions and, like his previous albums Dança dos Tempos and Tempo dos Mestres, follows folkloric Brasilian music, Brasilian jazz, bossa-nova and samba as experienced through the mind and able fingers of an expansive musician, combing the heady ‘60s and ‘70s experimentalism of Hermeto Pascoal and Baden Powell with the childlike elegance of music played and passed down by native Brasilians for generations.

Ray Alexander Technique - Let's Talk (Now-Again)

Vinyl LP Gatefold 37.99 Add to basket
CD 11.99 Add to basket

Limited gatefold hand-numbered LP + insert + MP3 download code with obi-strip

The elusive gemstone of 1970s Harlem soul and funk from the Ray Alexander Technique – officially reissued for the first time with bonus tracks and previously unreleased alternate mixes.

Renowned for its enviable combination of musical muscle and malleability, guitarist/songwriter Raymond Alexander Jenkins’ tight four-piece unit was so revered on the uptown club circuit that it was offered the opportunity to serve as the Apollo Theater house band. Jenkins demurred, hopeful and confident in his group’s chances at making it on its own, and Let’s Talk is the sublime result of their hard work. Independently released and recorded with a distinctly lo-fi charm, it is a collection of unabashedly sincere songs that perfectly encapsulates the era’s heady milieu of Black pride and cultural awareness, and the plaintive emotion of struggling to realize dreams whilst navigating a city and neighborhood in decline. Personal tragedy coupled with Jenkins’ inability to gain traction as a musician, would haunt him for years. But Let’s Talk’s reputation would eventually spread via word-of-mouth praise amongst soul and funk connoisseurs and record collectors. Now elevated to exalted status, it may finally be more widely appreciated as a testament to Jenkins’ gifts.

The San Francisco Christian Center - The Sound Of The San Francisco Christian Center (Cultures Of Soul)

Vinyl LP Gatefold 25.99 Add to basket
CD 11.99 Add to basket

When most people think of the musical legacy of San Francisco, the first thing that usually comes to mind is the Summer of Love. Much less likely are you to hear about the City by the Bay’s rich heritage of gospel music. Cultures Of Soul is proud to revisit this chapter in the city’s history with the reissue of The Sound Of The San Francisco Christian Center.

The San Francisco Christian Center was one of the first churches to open its doors to disaffected hippies searching for a deeper spiritual substance. This era saw new, youth-driven forms of “Jesus music” that fused gospel messages with rock aesthetics. Chief amongst these new-style gospel artists was the San Francisco-based Andraé Crouch, who was one of the influences behind this recording. As a historical document, it provides a breathtaking view into the roots of contemporary gospel music, but as just pure music, it is a transcendent listening experience.

Various - Black Fire Deluxe Vinyl Boxset (Now-Again)

Vinyl 5xLP Boxset 97.99 Add to basket

This is the definitive reissue by Now-Again of five classic albums from the Black Fire record label. 5 records available individually and as part of an obi-wrapped set that offers a value priced set of the albums. Limited edition, one time pressing.

Five seminal spiritual jazz and funk albums from the brilliant Black Fire label are collected in this eponymously titled 5xLP box set, complete with a booklet featuring extensive liner notes and artwork for each record.

Contents include:

Juju’s Live At The East 1973 live album
Oneness of Juju deep funk classic debut African Rhythms
Experience Unlimited’s Free Yourself album
Juju’s Chapter Two: Nia album
Oneness of Juju’s Space Jungle Luv (a previously unreleased live session)

Experience Unlimited - Free Yourself (Now-Again)

Vinyl LP 25.99 Add to basket

Limited edition, one time pressing.

The go-go band's sought after debut album. Enriched funk. Magical, mystical, Afrocentric, progressive --words that could be used to describe any number of musical compositions by Sun Ra or his cosmic brothers and sisters, from John to Alice Coltrane, early '70s projects on record labels like Detroit's Tribe or Houston's Lightin' or the interests of one Washington, DC native named Jimmy Gray that centered under one, perfect moniker: Black Fire. Gray spent nearly three decades pushing boundaries as a Black American promoter, distributor and, finally, record label owner. Together with Oneness Of Juju's leader James 'Plunky Nkabinde' Branch, Gray oversaw sixteen releases on Black Fire Records between 1975 and 1996. These are the definitive reissues of five of the label's key titles; all were lacquered -- most directly from master tape - by legendary Los Angeles mastering engineer Bernie Grundman, with this set, Oneness Of Juju and Black Fire's story burns forth into its fifth decade, its message not tempered, its sound pure. It's cycle, once again, complete. Each release is packaged in a thick, tip-on sleeve and includes a deluxe booklet with extensive notes on the album, the Black Fire collective, and the musical and cultural revolution they created.

Lloyd Miller Trio, Press Keys Quartet - Oriental Jazz (Now-Again)

180g Vinyl LP 24.99 Add to basket

Possibly the greatest album ever from the enigmatic Lloyd Miller – his legendary Oriental Jazz album from the late 60s, and a really wonderful blend of musical modes! Some of the tracks here really stretch out in the Eastern promise of the title – mixing jazz rhythms with santur, oud, zarb, and other unusual instrumentation – all in ways that are modal one minute, meditative the next, and which even echo gamelan styles on one tune! Other tracks are a bit straighter in the instrumentation, but still sparkle with a globe's worth of influence – Lloyd on piano, carving out sounds in a very unusual way! Some tracks are by Miller's trio, other by a quartet that features him, but which is led by pianist/trombonist Press Keys. Titles include "Hue Wail", "Pentalogic", "Tanya", "Natanie", "Guzel Gozler", "Prelude In The Iranian Mode Shur", "Impression Of Bhairava Raga", and "Njonja Mirah & Yona". Some of these tracks have appeared on Millers Oriental Jazz CD compilation – but others haven't – and this is his reissue of the full original album!

Oneness Of Juju - African Rhythms (Now-Again)

Vinyl LP 23.99 Add to basket

Reissue LP on Now-Again. Limited edition, one time pressing

African Rhythms by Oneness of Juju does what it says on the tin to some degree but also delves deep into jazz and funk making mystical Afro-beat that has drawn comparisons to Sun Ra and Alice Coltrane. This is a one time re-pressing of their classic 1975 era opus which comes with a deluxe booklet featuring extensive liner notes.

Richard Marks - Love Is Gone (The Lost Sessions: 1969-1977) (Now-Again Reserve)

2xCD 10.99 Add to basket

These songs, found on reels that Marks kept in his home, colour Marks’ stylistic development from his earliest work for the legendary Tuska label in the late ‘60s, through his more mature releases on smaller regional labels into the late ‘70s. Marks’ story is that of an unsung soul and funk hero; he was a guitarist, vocalist and songwriter whose phone number was in Al Green’s, Barry White’s and Eddie Kendricks’ rolodexes, but his talents have only been heard in sporadic bursts.

He and his music are unknown to the majority, but to an obsessive minority, he is a lightning rod: that singular point at which numerous Southern soul and funk musicians converged and exploded, spreading wondrous music in all directions. Marks died of cancer in May 2006. His first album was the Never Satisfied anthology, released posthumously. He stands out as a most mysterious talent to originate from Atlanta, a city that birthed no shortage of genius, and Love Is Gone: The Lost Sessions 1969-1977 further makes the case for a reassessment of his talents and his place in the soul and funk canon. Previously unreleased soul and funk from legendary Atlanta guitarist / singer / songwriter Richard Marks, the companion piece to Now-Again’s Never Satisfied anthology.

Maker - Sight Unseen (Now-Again)

CD 10.99 Add to basket

Chicago beatsmith Maker returns for another volley into the Now-Again Music Library series with his first album to include vocal performances. From well known indie-vets like Bishop Lamont and Guilty Simpson to less known but talented vocalists like Adeem and PremRock - Maker’s beats – all based on samples from the Now-Again Catalog – surround them all with swirling pastiches of soul, funk, jazz, rock and music from all over the globe.

Track List:

It Feel Like Yesterday, Heebie Jeebies (feat. Bishop Lamont), Run It Remix (feat. Roc C), Let 'Em Breathe (feat. Mestizo & RTST), Love Me (feat. Decay The Llama), Hardcore (feat. Guilty Simpson), The Same Sound, Paperback Author (feat. PremRock), I Just Want Happiness (feat. Rich Jones), Milk (feat. Deca), The Thing You Do, Together (Down 5 Dumbing) (feat. Qwel), Stranger Things (feat. Deca & PremRock), Summer Streets (feat. Adeem), LAH4E, Hell Therapy (feat. Mestizo), Praise Wild (feat. Edgewise), Mammoth, Mo' High (feat. Guilty Simpson), Holler (feat. Qwel), Any Time Any Place.

Black Geez, Eto - Flour City Street Bible, CD (Air Vinyl)

CD 12.99 Add to basket

Black Geez is an OG of the Rochester scene and as such, he has been working with a lot of the underground's most buzzing artists since before anyone outside of Flour City knew their names. One MC/producer he has seen rise to popularity is Eto (formerly known as Lil' Eto). The two have made classic material together, including last year's "Few More Holes" off Geez' "Concrete Struggles" album. In 2020 though, they uncaged a beast of a collab project titled "Flour City Street Bible," which was produced entirely by Eto. The LP puts Geez raw street raps on display over a variety of vibes. The release features guest verses from 38 Spesh, Che Noir, Street Justice, and Eto gets a verse in as well.

ElCamino x 38 Spesh - Martyrs Prayer, CD (Air Vinyl)

CD 13.99 Add to basket

ElCamino is one of the most important talents emerging from Buffalo, New York currently, and yet he’s still treated as the stepchild of Griselda. As with Benny The Butcher before him, he’s been quietly playing the background until it’s his time. However, considering the momentum he built in 2019 and what he has planned for 2020, that time might be right now. After dropping his self-titled debut in early 2018, Camino appeared on almost every track on Benny’s A Friend of Ours EP the same year. He then followed that up with a strong sophomore effort titled Walking On Water. In 2019 the baby-faced Buff rapper dropped his third LP, Don’t Eat The Fruit, the well-received Lot and Abraham EP, a joint project with Dutch beat architect Oh Jay titled Where’s My Pyrex?, and finished the year strong with his Elcamino 2 album. You’d think that would be enough to start getting on the media’s radar, but as to not leave anything to chance, he just dropped yet another album titled Martyrs Prayer. This offering is fully produced by in-demand multi-hyphenate 38 Spesh. The sole feature on the record is by the buzzing Trust Army lieutenant Che Noir on a track titled “2K20.”

ElCamino - Lott And Abraham, CD (Anti Gun Violence)

CD 13.99 Add to basket

Buffalo, NY-based emcee Elcamino of the underground hip-hop collective Griselda, has released a flurry of EPs and full-lengths of the classic mafioso style of rap from the 90s since hitting the scene in the mid-10s, and has shown no signs of slowing down whatsoever.
His material calls back to the works of legends like Raekwon and Mobb Deep with his grim portrayals of crime and urban chaos, inspired and informed by his own past as a drug-dealer. Frequently Elcamino has found himself paired with Griselda cohorts such as Conway, Benny The Butcher, and Westside Gunn, but on his 2019 EP Abraham & Lot, he's riding solo for a more insular and introspective experience. Amidst his usual tales of street thuggery and cocaine-proliferation are occasionally mellow and reflective, backed by orchestral and piano-driven production from DJ Shay.

ElCamino - Don't Eat The Fruit, CD (Anti Gun Violence)

CD 13.99 Add to basket

The Buffalo, NY-based hip-hop collective known as Griselda has been producing some explosive names in underground rap as of late, and becoming renowned and acclaimed for bringing an unparalelled level of raw grit, and stark realism to the scene. Among this new blood is the emcee ElCamino, whose past as a drug dealer has influenced and informed much of his material, and earned him major praise from outlets like Pitchfork, HipHopDX, and The Needle Drop.

After a slew of EPs and mixtapes Elcamino released his third, 2019's Don't Eat The Fruit, once again drawing from a combination of dire themes of urban decay and criminal degradation, as well as biblical iconography, to craft a record that crams a lot of hard-edged gloom and mafioso vibes into just a little over 29 minutes. On Don't Eat The Fruit, Elcamino is joined by his fellow Griselda collaborators Benny The Butcher and Conway, as well as guest turns from Meyhem Lauren and Crimeapple. Backing them up is an equally grim bed of production from the likes of Termanology, DJ Shay, Boodeini, and more.

Kool G Rap & 38 Spesh - Son Of G Rap (Air Vinyl)

Vinyl LP 23.99 Add to basket

Special vinyl edition featuring new art.

Features Guest Verses From Cormega, N.O.R.E., Meyhem Lauren, Freddie Gibbs, plus guest production from Alchemist, DJ Premier, Pete Rock, and more.

Kool G Rap doesn’t let his legend status stop him from continuing to do what he loves. Last year, the Corona, Queens veteran dropped his ‘Return Of The Don’ album, and in 2018, he’s following up the solid effort with a collaborative album full of heavy hitters behind the boards and on the mic, alongside Rochester native 38 Spesh (aka$pesh), who linked with Griselda Records’ Benny the Butcher earlier this year for the well-received ‘Stabbed & Shot’ album. Thealbum’s tracklisting boasts veteran features like Cormega and NORE, while also brandishing newer school spitters like Freddie Gibbsand Meyhem Lauren, and Griselda Records’ Benny The Butcher. Behind the boards, as mentioned, KGR summoned production akin toMCing prowess. Alchemist heads up “Land Mine” while DJ Premier and Pete Rock lay the beats for two tracks each. Album mainstaysMidnite and 38 Spesh handle most of the rest of the production. Overall, the project is a lot of what you’d expect from Kool G Rap: grimy street rhymes full of stories of peril and the beats to match. On “Land Mine,” the duo of 38 Spesh and Ransom provide a ratherintrospective look-back on their troubled come up while a song like “Flow Gods” reminds everyone that G and his assembly are nothing to be taken lightly when it comes to witty wordplay and velvety smooth bars.

Edan - Beauty And The Beat (Lewis Recordings, Get On Down)

Reissue Coloured Vinyl LP 29.99 Add to basket

PRESSED ON LIMITED COLOURED VINYL!

LIMITED TO 500 WITH PRINTED INSERT AND HAND-NUMBERED OBI-STRIP

While Edan’s critically acclaimed debut, ‘Primitive Plus’, was a celebration of hip-hop’s golden age and a true throwback, his sophomore album, ‘Beauty And The Beat’, is a vast musical collage that contains many different influences; hip-hop, rock, pop, dusty breaks, hazy loops, luxurious off-kilter samples and curveball tempo changes that are all crafted into one cohesive piece of art.

In 2015, FACT placed it at number 30 on the "100 Best Indie Hip-Hop Records of All Time" list. In 2013 NME placed it at number 392 on the "500 Greatest Albums of All Time" list.

TRACKLIST:
A1. Polite Meeting (Intro)
A2. Funky Voltron (feat. Insight)
A3. I See Colours
A4. Fumbling Over Words That Rhyme
A5. Murder Mystery
A6. Torture Chamber (feat. Percee-P & Dubb)

B1. Making Planets (feat. Mr. Lif)
B2. Time Outt (Segue)
B3. Rock And Roll (feat. Dagha)
B4. Beauty
B5. The Science Of Two (feat. Insight)
B6. Smile
B7. Promised Land

Benny The Butcher - 1 On A One (Griselda Records, Black Soprano Family)

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Benny The Butcher has made a name for himself along with the rest of his acclaimed Griselda crew for bringing a sense of danger back to underground hip-hop. Alongside classic boom-bap production, Benny is a consummate practitioner of truly gritty and grimey street rap, coming from places of drug wars, shoot-em-ups, and urban hell.

Though Benny The Butcher and the rest of Griselda are boom-bap practitioners first, this is not to suggest that was always the case, or even that he would not be open to sound experimentation. Take Benny's 2016's 1 On A 1, which recasts his usual threads of city bleakness against comparatively contemporary trap beats. It's a well that Benny wouldn't return to, and stands out as a remarkably solid oddity in the Butcher's catalogue, featuring guest appearances from Rick Hyde, Klass Murda, and G Herbo among others, and of course; top-tier rhymes from the Butcher himself.

Benny The Butcher - Tana Talk 3 (Griselda Records, Black Soprano Family)

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Originally released through Griselda Records in November of 2018, Benny The Butcher's Tana Talk 3 album was produced entirely by Griselda mainstay Daringer and Alchemist, and included appearances from his Griselda/Shady Records label-mates Westside Gunn and Conway and Royce 5’9”, and Meyhem Lauren.

The initial release of Tana Talk 3 on compact disc format sold out quickly and with the success of Benny’s follow up projects, The Plugs I Met and WWCD (by Griselda), Benny has not made any additional TT3 CDs available to his fans, until now. To celebrate the one year anniversary of Tana Talk 3, Benny wanted to bring back TT3 CDs in style with the “Tana Talk 3 – Gold Edition”. This limited edition release of Tana Talk 3 features a metallic gold colored CD, with a gold sticker, and comes housed in a digipack, and is now available for purchase and shipping immediately.

Tana Talk 3 peaked at #4 on Apple’s Hip-Hop chart upon its release and was a mainstay on the charts for months after. Commercial success aside, the album also resulted in tremendous critical acclaim, as it was included in “Best of 2018” lists from Pitchfork, Complex & HipHopWired, which crowned Tana Talk 3 as its favorite album of 2018. Benny also earned a nod from Complex as one of its '20 Rappers to Watch' for 2019. Just over one year later, Benny’s career has sky rocketed and he is widely recognized as one of the best in the rap game today. It is safe to say that after Benny drops a few more insta-classics, rap fans will be looking back at Tana Talk 3 as Benny’s “Reasonable Doubt” or “Illmatic”.

Benny The Butcher - My First Brick (Black Soprano Family)

Reissue CD 15.99 Add to basket

One of Benny's earliest pieces of work "My First Brick" is without a doubt one of his best efforts to date, perfectly showcasing the grimy street sound that helped him carve his name as one of today's top-tier MC's together with his Black Soprano Family and GXFR entourage. Featuring legendary tracks with Conway, Westside Gunn, 38 Spesh and several others.

TRACKLIST:
Me & Doug
My Struggle (feat. Bentlee)
Tom Ford Socks (feat. Westside Gunn, Conway)
Dirty Needles (feat. Conway)
All I Kno (feat. Lo Pro & Rick Hyde)
762
Just Like Rome
MFB
3 Missiles (feat. 38 Spesh, Conway)
Bible On The Coffee Table
Prayer Hands

UGK (Underground Kingz) - Dirty Money (Get On Down)

Reissue Green Vinyl 2LP 29.99 Add to basket

ON WAX FOR THE FIRST TIME!
PRESSED ON MONEY-COLORED VINYL!

After the release of UGK's third studio album, the wildly influential, and critically acclaimed Southern hip-hop classic Ridin' Dirty, the duo of rapper Bun B and rapper/producer Pimp C took a five-year hiatus from releasing albums. This is not to say that the pair didn't keep busy during their time away from putting out records; if anything some of their highest profile appearances occurred during this period. Through guest slots on now iconic tracks like Three Six Mafia's “Sippin' On Some Syrup”, and Jay-Z's Billboard smash “Big Pimpin'” UGK managed to greatly increase their profile, and build even greater anticipation for a fourth studio album.

This album, titled Dirty Money, would arrive in November of 2001, after having been shelved by their label Jive Records since 1998. Across 14 tracks of syrup-soaked, drawling Southern hip-hop tracks, UGK stretched their creative chops and showed that in the five years since Ridin' Dirty they hadn't lost their step in the slightest. Bun B's and Pimp C's rhymes were free-wheeling, clever, and irreverent as they had ever been, while the production was classic Texas rap, courtesy of Pimp C and Southern hip-hop legend N.O. Joe, who shared production duties. Guest contributions from Juicy J & DJ Paul of Three Six Mafia, Big Gipp of Goodie Mob, Too $hort, Devin The Dude, and more helped bolster the duo's codeine-drenched witticisms, over samples from the likes of BB King, Barry White, and The Staple Singers among others.

Riding on UGK's newfound mainstream fortunes, Dirty Money managed a remarkable #19 debut on the Billboard 200 chart, as well as reaching #2 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. In spite of this, Jive failed to capitalize on the attention the duo was receiving; with a lack of promotion and marketing behind it the record left just as quickly as it had arrived. We at Get On Down haven't forgotten this album's greatness though; we now present to you this color vinyl reissue of Dirty Money, an under-appreciated and oft-forgotten relic of Southern hip-hop, one that has never before been committed to wax.

Awesome Dre & The Hardcore Committee - You Can't Hold Me Back (blocGLOBAL)

Red Vinyl (30th Anniversary Remastered Edition) LP 24.99 Add to basket

Back in early 2019 we saw the launch of blocGLOBAL, a distribution partnership with Traffic Entertainment Group as well as the return of Awesome Dré And The Hardcore Committee’s debut album You Can’t Hold Me Back. After logistical /timing issues came up, it was looking like it would see a late 2019 release. However, as the year wore on, it was decided that it’d be a great Record Store Day release and decided to postpone it. The fine folks at RSD picked it up and here we are. So, for the first time in 30 years, you can pick up a brand new copy of that groundbreaking Hip-Hop album. Remastered with care by blocGLOBAL's Mastering Engineer TDX’s Shawn Franklin, the album’s never sounded so good!

Available on red vinyl along with a download card for access to the Digital Edition containing three bonus tracks!

Czarface - The Odd Czar Against Us (Concord)

Green Vinyl (RSD 2019) LP 25.99 Add to basket
Black Vinyl LP 21.99 Add to basket

Czarface, ironclad crime fighter, heroically returns to his lair after two spine-chilling adventures with MF Doom and Ghotface Killah. In his secret hideout, he has whipped up a few uncanny surprises for longtime Czar fans...expect curveball concepts, solo exploits, and noggin nodding neck-snappers alike. The Odd Czar Against Us sees Czarface go full Voltron, employing every asset in his arsenal, maximizing lyrical efforts from Inspectah Deck and Esoteric and pulse-pounding production from in house beatsmith 7L and Jeremy Page. This album stands to be the group’s most ambitious and challenging effort to date. Are the odds against him this time, or are they against the underworld? Tune in to find out!

PRESALE - Liam Bailey - EKUNDAYO (Big Crown Records) Red And Black Vinyl LP & CD

Pre-Order LP Red Vinyl 20.99 Add to basket
Pre-Order LP Black Vinyl 18.99 Add to basket
Pre-Order CD 9.99 Add to basket

RELEASE DATE: 13th November 2020

COLORED VINYL IS CHERRY BOMB SPLASH – BCR Webstore Exclusive limited edition 200 piece pressing.

Big Crown Records is proud to present Ekundayo, Liam Bailey’s debut record on the label. This album is a long time in the making, and after listening, clearly worth the wait. It didn’t take a long time to record, but it did take years for all the stars to line up. Bailey, born and raised in Nottingham, England, the son of an English mother and Jamaican father got his early influences from his mom’s record collection. Bob Marley and Dillinger, Stevie Wonder and The Supremes, The Beatles and Jimi Hendrix would eventually shape the singer/songwriter we know today.

Tracklist: 1. Awkward 2. Champion 3. White Light 4. Don’t Blame NY 5. Cold & Clear 6. Angel Dust 7. Fight 8. Vixit 9. Ugly Truth 10. Young In Love 11. She Hates This Life 12. Where Do I Start? 13. Paper Tiger

Nubya Garcia - Source (Concord)
Black Vinyl 2LP 23.99 Add to basket
CD 9.99 Add to basket

Award-winning saxophonist and composer Nubya Garcia announces her debut album SOURCE, to be released August 21, 2020 on Concord Jazz. Produced by Garcia herself in collaboration with celebrated producer Kwes (Bobby Womack, Solange, Nerija), the album is announced after the release of lead single “Pace” and a rousing live performance on the BBC’s 2020 Glastonbury Experience. SOURCE explores a multidimensional jazz sound layered with soul, afro-diasporic sounds and hints of dub-step along the way.

The title track, Source (out now) arrives reworked in steamy dub overtones, blending together reggae, jazz and myriad sounds from her youth. The sweltering heat generated in the track’s bass-lines and Garcia’s militant sax, place the track as a paean to personal power. Reflecting on what makes her feel powerful, she notes that it’s also about “being ok with reaching out to people and supporting one another”.

In 2018, Garcia won the Jazz FM Breakthrough Act of the Year Award and the Sky Arts Breakthrough Act of the Year Award, followed by the 2019 Jazz FM UK Jazz Act of the Year Award.

Blu & Exile - Miles (Dirty Sounds)

3 x LP Vinyl 36.99 Add to basket
2 x CD 16.99 Add to basket
2 x Cassette 15.99 Add to basket

Ft. Miguel, Aloe Blacc, Choosey and more!

2020 marks eight years since Blu & Exile's last full length album 'Give Me My Flowers While I Can Still Smell Them'. Now in an effort to make up for lost time, the dynamic duo are back to drop the double album 'Miles: From An Interlude Called Life' ('Miles' for short). Released through Dirty Science Records, the album includes features from Blu‘s childhood friend and now platinum recording artist Miguel, Exile’s childhood friend Aloe Blacc, Dirty Science alum Fashawn, along with several emerging artists like The Last, Artful Dodger, Choosey, Iman Omari, and more!

'Miles' is slated for an July 17th release (coincidentally the same day as their lauded debut 'Below The Heavens'). “We planted the seeds of creativity and grew about 40 plants,” Exile says of the release. “We picked the ones that we thought were the best for an album, but that didn’t mean that the other flowers weren’t beautiful.”

Blu & Exile are ready prove they haven’t missed a beat, as their undeniable chemistry is yet again put on display.

Ultra Magnetic M.C.'s - Travelling At The Speed Of Thought (Mr Bongo)

7" Vinyl 11.99 Add to basket

A: Travelling at the Speed of Thought / B: M.C.’s Ultra (Part II Edit)

"Traveling At The Speed Of Thought" comes from their debut Critical Beatdown album in 1989 and is a real hard hitting tune stuffed with all sorts of punchy breaks that are easily recognisable and have since been heavily sampled by the likes of The Beastie Boys. The Ultramagnetic MC's were pioneers of hip hop in the late '80s and this shows why with its confident lyrical flow, big beats and brash vibes. Mr Bongo, of course, always do it right and that's the truth again here with this vital 7".

Ultra Magnetic M.C.'s - Ego Tripping / Funky Potion (Mr Bongo)

7" Vinyl 11.99 Add to basket

Never before released before on 7”, this undeniable hip-hop classic comes complete with bespoke hype stickers incorporating one of the great rap logos of all time.

A: Ego Tripping / B: Funky Potion

Melvin Bliss’ iconic ‘Synthetic Substitution’ (1973) has been sampled hundreds of times. Gracing records from Naughty by Nature’s ‘O.P.P’ to Public Enemy’s ‘Don’t Believe the Hype’, it’s one of the foundations of hip-hop. However, there’s a school of thought that says the sample could have been retired forever after Ced Gee used it for ‘Ego Tripping’. It was the first song to use those wonderful Bernard Purdie drums, and arguably the best.

Their first release on Next Plateau Records, this instant 1986 classic slams from the first bar, that hard-as-hell beat underpinned by stabs and the breathy ‘ultra-magnetic-magnetic’ chant beneath. Meanwhile, Ced and future legend Kool Keith go to town with pseudo-science and a thinly veiled diss of Run DMC – ‘Say what, Peter Piper, to hell with childish rhymes’. It’s a song shot through with promise they’d more than fulfil on their debut album, 1988’s landmark ‘Critical Beatdown’.

The flip, ‘Funky Potion’, doesn’t coalesce with quite the same genius but is still more than a curio, with the MC’s doubling down on their futuristic nonsense approach to lyricism. Rufus Thomas’ ‘Do the Funky Penguin’ is the base for yet more stabs, discordant scratches and a kitchen-sink approach that shows just innovative the group were prepared to be.

Nas - The World Is Yours (Mr Bongo Reissue)

7" Vinyl 11.99 Add to basket

A: The World is Yours (Album version) / B: The World is Yours (Inst.)

Straight out the gate, Nas dropped a classic. Since the release of the seminal ‘Illmatic’ album in 1994, critics and fans have been wondering if Nas peaked too early and if anything in his subsequent catalogue could be held up against this masterpiece. To be fair, it’s hard to follow up something this flawless, a project that allied his most insightful, pitch-perfect heartfelt rhymes with the work of the best hip-hop producers on the east coast.

DJ Premier, Q-Tip from A Tribe Called Quest and Large Professor all take their turns on the album, along with the unsung L.E.S., but it’s Pete Rock in his prime who provides the stunning backdrop for the cinematic ‘The World is Yours’. It’s a perfect nugget of a single, weaving in the brashness of Scarface, the repetition of a snatch of T La Rock’s early Def Jam gem ‘It’s Yours’ and piano courtesy of Ahmad Jamal’s ‘I Love Music’ from his own timeless ‘The Awakening’ album (1970).

Presented for the first time on 7”, the vocals of the album version and the instrumental on the flip provide the perfect opportunity to enjoy and compare the work of two masters at the top of their game. Pete Rock’s seamless weaving of disparate samples into a compelling whole, the then little-known Nas’ statement of intent. With a maturity beyond his tender years, Nas put himself straight at the top of the pile, this Queensbridge chronicle hinting at the ambition and greatness he harboured within himself.

Ultramagnetic MC - Give The Drummer Some (Mr Bongo Reissue)

7" Vinyl 11.99 Add to basket

A: Give the Drummer Some / B: Moe Luv's Theme

The late engineer and producer Paul C’s fingerprints are all over this single from Ultramagnetic MC’s, perhaps the defining release of their career. While earlier records gave notice of their strange and unique talents, they were loveably messy affairs. This, however, is the real deal, as polished as their early sound would ever be.

‘Give the Drummer Some’ grabs a fistful of different elements – from James Brown, Dee Felice Trio and James Brown – but bends them to its own purpose. This is a song with a momentum of its own and endlessly quotable lyrics. One of which, of course, was sampled by The Prodigy – huge hip-hop fans – for ‘Smack My Bitch Up’ in 1997. The now hugely rare 7” of ‘Give the Drummer Some’ edits this out to make it more radio-friendly, but this reissue reverses that cut, giving you the original lyrics. If anyone knows why Kool Keith also changes the word ‘rappers’ to ‘monkeys’ for that edit, answers on a postcard…

The brilliant B-side harks back to the time when every group had a song dedicated to their DJ. ‘Moe Luv’s Theme’ sees Kool Keith at his most straightforward, singing the praises of the turntable skills of Moe Luv. It would be throwaway were it not for the effortless repurposing of Jackie Robinson’s oft-sampled ‘Pussyfooter’. That – and the presence of one of the world’s great MC’s at the height of his powers – elevates it far above a footnote.

Black Sheep - Strobelite Honey (Mr Bongo Reissue)

7" Vinyl 11.99 Add to basket

A: Strobelite Honey (Maybe We Did Mix); B: Strobelite Honey (Original Mix)

Black Sheep – and their 1991 ‘A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing’ album - were definitely an outlier in the Native Tongues fold. They were raunchier and more playful than their peers which, given that those peers were A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul and Jungle Brothers, is really saying something. ‘Strobelite Honey’ catches that difference perfectly, leaning heavily on a pair of 1980 disco samples rather than the jazz of their brethren, and taking a somewhat less chivalrous approach to women. ‘Strobelite’s slender but fun narrative sees rapper Dres up in the club and fooled by the lights – approaching a girl he likes the look off but backing off when they reveal she’s not what he expected. Charmed, we’re sure.

Dres and his partner Mr. Lawnge were always willing to push boundaries, and that extends to the often confusing labelling of the various remixes of this choice single. 12”s dropped with the ‘No We Didn’t Mix’, ‘Yes We Did Mix’ and ‘Maybe We Did Mix’ (not to mention a separate 12” of House mixes). The last and best of these accompanied the original version on the now-rare 1991 7”, as it does here. The ‘Maybe We Did Mix’ adds urgent horns - almost like the buzzing of a bee - and a new beat to completely reconfigure the sound into something much more of its era. It’s a reminder of when remixes were about much more than the same beat with different rappers.

PRESALE - Various - Blue Note Re:Imagined (Blue Note/Decca)

Pre-Order 2LP Black Vinyl 25.99 Add to basket

RELEASE DATE: 25th SEPTEMBER 2020

Legendary labels Decca Records and Blue Note have joined forces for Blue Note Re:imagined; a brand-new collection of 16 classic Blue Note tracks, reworked and newly recorded by a selection of the UK scene’s most exciting young talents. Representing a bridge between the ground-breaking label’s past and future, the project will feature contributions from a rollcall of internationally acclaimed jazz, soul and R&B acts including Shabaka Hutchings, Ezra Collective, Nubya Garcia, Mr Jukes, Steam Down, Skinny Pelembe, Emma-Jean Thackray, Poppy Ajudha, Jordan Rakei and Brit Award-winning Jorja Smith.

Tracklist

1. Jorja Smith “Rose Rouge” – from St Germain Tourist (2000)
2. Ezra Collective “Footprints” – from Wayne Shorter Adam’s Apple (1966)
3. Poppy Ajudha “Watermelon Man (Under The Sun)” – from Herbie Hancock Takin’ Off (1962)
4. Jordan Rakei “Wind Parade” – from Donald Byrd Places and Spaces (1975)
5. Skinny Pelembe “Illusion (Silly Apparition)” – from Andrew Hill One for One (1969)
6. Alfa Mist “Galaxy” – from Eddie Henderson Sunburst (1975)
7. Ishmael Ensemble “Search for Peace” – from McCoy Tyner The Real McCoy (1967)
8. Nubya Garcia “A Shade of Jade” – from Joe Henderson Mode for Joe (1966)
9. Steam Down feat. Afronaut Zu “Etcetera” – from Wayne Shorter Etcetera (1965)
10. Blue Lab Beats “Montara” – from Bobby Hutcherson Montara (1975)
11. Yazmin Lacey “I’ll Never Stop Loving You” – from Dodo Greene My Hour of Need (1962)
12. Fieh “Armageddon” – from Wayne Shorter Night Dreamer (1964)
13. Mr Jukes “Maiden Voyage” – from Herbie Hancock Maiden Voyage (1965)
14. Shabaka Hutchings “Prints Tie” – from Bobby Hutcherson San Francisco (1970)
15. Melt Yourself Down “Caribbean Fire Dance” – from Joe Henderson Mode for Joe (1966)
16. Emma-Jean Thackray “Speak No Evil / Night Dreamer” – from Wayne Shorter Speak No Evil (1964) & Night Dreamer (1964)

Your Old Droog - Jewelry (Nature Sounds)

2LP Vinyl 29.99 Add to basket

Inimitable rap musician Your Old Droog is back. After recently releasing the acclaimed projects "It Wasn't Even Close" and "Transportation", the prolific artist is returning with the brand new album "Jewelry".

The album is a celebration of YOD's Jewish heritage, which he is now officially revealing to the public for the first time.
"Jewelry" features guest appearances from the likes of Matisyahu, MF DOOM, and Mach-Hommy (who also wears the hat of executive producer on the project), with beats by Quelle Chris, Tha God Fahim, Edan, Preservation, and more. "I'm a Jew in America", says Droog. "This is my story. Shalom."

Jehst - Wild Herb / Autumn Nights (YNR)

12" Vinyl 14.99 Add to basket

Limited edition 12" vinyl pressing of Jehst's 'Wild Herb' b/w 'Autumn Nights' feat. Confucius MC. Strictly limited to 250 copies worldwide.

Second edition with alternative artwork.

A-Side - 'Wild Herb' - Vocal / Instrumental / Acapella

B-Side - 'Autumn Nights' feat. Confucius MC - Vocal / Instrumental / Acapella

Stretch And Bobbito + The M19s Band - No Requests (Uprising Music)

CD 14.99 Add to basket
Cassette 10.99 Add to basket
LP 21.49 Add to basket

Stretch and Bobbito’s debut album No Requests explores the legendary club DJs’ vast musical knowledge with covers of songs directly from their record crates!

Featuring the M19s Band, a live band of elite hand-picked musicians, the gatekeepers of ‘90s Hip Hop step outside their foundational genre base to produce Latin, Afro-beat, Samba, Jazz, Reggae, and Soul reinterpretations of dance floor bangers—ranging from popular to rare and obscure—which loosely depart expected structure and create new nuances to familiar tunes. The group also offers original compositions along the sonic journey. All tracks have one goal in mind: GROOVE!

Tracklist

1 Anna From Woohside (Beat Suite)
2 Voices Inside My Head
3 Could Heaven Ever Be Like This
4 Festival Song (Bam Bam)
5 Magnificent Dance Feat. Rich Medina
6 Que Se Sepa Feat. Jose Parlá*, Mireya Ramos
7 The Mexican Feat Mireya Ramos
8 I Know You, I Live You (Edit) Feat. Maimouna Youssef
9 If You Really Love Me
10 Baby I'm Scared Of You

Roy Ayers, Adrian Younge & Ali Shaheed Muhammad- Jazz Is Dead 2 (Jazz Is Dead)

CD 14.99 Add to basket

In February 2018, Roy Ayers performed four sold out shows in Los Angeles as part of the Jazz Is Dead Black History Month series. It wasn’t until 2020 that fans of Ayers discovered that in addition to those shows, the legendary vibraphone player had also recorded an entire album of new material with Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad.

Over the course of its eight original compositions, written collaboratively by Younge, Shaheed Muhammad & Ayers and recorded at Younge’s Linear Labs in Los Angeles, the resulting album sounds both like an unearthed an unreleased album from Ayers’ classic period in the 1970s (which produced the oft-sampled “Red, Black & Green,” “We Live In Brooklyn, Baby,” “Everybody Loves The Sunshine,” and “Running Away), as well as something startling, new and unexpected.

Joining Ayers, Younge & Shaheed Muhammad on this musical journey are drummer Greg Paul, vocalists Loren Oden, Joy Gilliam, Saudia Yasmein, Elgin Clark & Anitra Castleberry, as well as Phil Ranelin & Wendell Harrison of the legendary Spiritual Jazz label Tribe Records. The 8 tracks on this album testify to the love not only of a legendary musician’s legacy, but to the vitality & necessity of this music and these sounds in the present era, a thread that will likely run throughout all of the upcoming releases from Jazz Is Dead Records.

Shawn Lee's Ping Pong Orchestra - Kiss The Sky (Ubiquity)

7" Vinyl 9.99 Add to basket

A1. Kiss The Sky / B1. Kiss The Sky (Instrumental)

Originally featured in Shawn Lee's Ping Pong Orchestra vs. Nino Moschella EP, "Kiss The Sky" has featured prominently on the small and big screens, numerous advertising campaigns and can be heard in the background of your favorite shop or hotel. Shawn Lee revisits "Kiss The Sky" as a solo endeavor, recreating the music while also donning his singer's cap and utilizing his sometimes overlooked voice which can happen to somenone who more than excels as a multi-instrumentalist, musician and producer. His new take retains the emotional weight of the original while also punching up the background elements such as the drums and giving it a more modern feel.

El Michels Affair - Dhuaan feat. Piya Malik b/w Sha Na Na feat. The Shacks (Big Crown Records)

7" Vinyl 8.99 Add to basket

A1. Dhuaan feat. Piya Malik / B1. Sha Na Na feat. The Shacks

Produced by Leon Michels. Features vocals by Shannon Wise of The Shacks & Piya Malik. Picture sleeve art by Ghanian legend Mr Brew.

Last year El Michels Affair released "Unathi" and "Zaharlia". It was EMA's first foray into the world of psychedelic, Turkish-inspired, Bollywood Funk. The enjoyment it brought El Michels Affair and their fans was mutual, so much so, that they recorded an entire record in this unique style entitled, Yeti Season, due out later this year.

The A side "Dhuaan", features the enchanting vocals of Piya Malik. It starts with a barrage of white noise and launches into an unrelenting groove laced with fuzz guitar, crushing drums, and a hypnotic 12 string guitar keeping the whole thing from falling off the rails. Piya's ethereal voice floats atop it all as she sings in Hindi about when a love interest is so powerful, it consumes your every thought. Side B, Sha Na Na, is a more mellow turn and mostly instrumental except for Shannon Wise of The Shacks repetitive hook "sha na na" that adds to the hypnotic effect of the song..

El Michels Affair - Adult Themes (Big Crown Records)

LP Opaque White Vinyl (BCR090LPC2) 19.99 Add to basket
(Forthcoming) LP Black Vinyl 19.99 Add to basket
CD 10.99 Add to basket

Big Crown Records is proud to present Adult Themes, the latest full length offering from El Michels Affair. This album takes the band’s “Cinematic Soul” aesthetic literally and sends the listener on a journey through a whirlwind of moods and energies. With their 2005 debut album Sounding Out The City, EMA spearheaded an instrumental funk / soul movement that inspired a slew of bands and even lead to the creation of a few independent record labels. El Michels has since lent his signature sound to artists from Adele to Dr John, Lana Del Rey to Aloe Blacc, and a who’s who list of others. In 2016 he co-founded Big Crown Records and has since produced the lion’s share of its output. A short stint as the touring band for Wu Tang Clan in 2007 led to the cult classics Enter The 37th Chamber (2009) and Return To The 37th Chamber (2017).

Adult Themes marks the long awaited, highly anticipated return to an album of original compositions from El Michels Affair.

Tracklist

1. Enfant
2. Adult Theme No. 1
3. Kill The Lights
4. Villa
5. Adult Theme No. 2
6. Life Of Pablo
7. Adult Theme No. 3
8. Rubix
9. The Difference
10. Hipps
11. Munecas
12. Adult Theme No. 4

Skinshape - Umoja (Lewis Recordings)

LP Black Vinyl 19.99 Add to basket
SIGNED LP Black Vinyl 19.99 Add to basket

CD 9.99 Add to basket
SIGNED CD 9.99 Add to basket

Fifth studio album featuring Malcolm Catto, D'Alma, Idd Aziz and Modou Touré.

Includes the singles Sua Alma, In The End and Afande.

Artwork by Japanese artist Ken-ichi Omura.

Tracklist

1. Sua Alma feat. D'Alma
2. In The End
3. Afande feat. Idd Aziz
4. Kourou feat. Modou Touré
5. Azon De Ma
6. Amigos e Inimigos feat. D'Alma
7. Sun
8. Sudan feat. Idd Aziz
9. Dourle feat. Modou Touré
10. Lehin Ti Aye Ba Iku

Holy Hive - Float Back To You (Big Crown Records)

LP 'Seafoam Wave' Blue Vinyl 19.99 Add to basket
LP Black Vinyl 19.99 Add to basket
CD 10.99 Add to basket

Big Crown Records is proud to present ‘Float Back To You,’ the debut full length album from Holy Hive.

Homer Steinweiss, the Brooklyn based soul/funk drummer, always had a soft spot for folk music. Paul Spring, a young idealist folk singer traveling the country with his guitar, always had a beautiful falsetto in his back pocket. A family introduction would lead to Homer producing a few solo records of Paul’s, which would eventually lead to the creation of Holy Hive. The two enlisted Joe Harrison on bass and started out recording their first tunes as a group. A tour with soul legend Lee Fields would turn out to have an unexpected effect on their sound as they played their material to crowds of soul fanatics looking to dance. It was this realization that forced the next step in their evolution and gave birth to a sound unique to Holy Hive, a sound that walks a line so perfectly it necessitated a new genre, Folk Soul.

Tracklist

1. Broom
2. Hypnosis
3. Blue Light
4. Oh I Miss Her So
5. Float Back To You
6. Be Thou By My Side
7. Didn’t You Say
8. Embers To Ash
9. Cynthia’s Celebration
10. Red Is The Rose
11. You Will Always Be By My Side Forever
12. Sophia’s Part

The Thompsons - Message (Froz1 Edit) / I'll Always Love You (Brewerytown Beats)

7" Vinyl 10.99 Add to basket

A1. Message (Froz1 Edit) / B1. I'll Always Love You

Brewerytown Beats proudly presents a special version of “Message” edited by Philly’s own Froz1. This version is not found on The Thompsons’ highly sought after 1975 release I'll Get Over It. The album is licensed direct from producers Eric Ward & Tyrone Broxton. The Philadelphia SOUL album that's rarely if ever been heard.

Clams Casino - Moon Trip Radio (Second City Prints)

LP Black Vinyl 23.99 Add to basket

New Jersey-native Clams Casino stands amongst the most respected hip-hop producers in the game today. After several years of underground notoriety, Clams became widely known after producing several of the standout tracks on A$AP Rocky’s monolithic debut mixtape Live. Love. ASAP and has received widespread critical acclaim for his collaborations with Lil Peep, Vince Staples, Lil B, Mac Miller, The Weeknd, Joji amongst others. Clams released his hugely anticipated instrumental album Moon Trip Radio late last year, a stunning collection of tracks that showcase his immense talent as both a composer and producer.

Tracklist

A1 Rune
A2 Healing
A3 NSX
A4 Cupidwing
A5 Glowing Bones
A6 Fire Blue
B1 Twilit
B2 Lyre
B3 In A Mirror
B4 Soliloquy
B5 Moon Trip Radio

Kool Keith - Saks 5th Ave (Volunteer Media)

LP Vinyl 21.99 Add to basket

Arguably poised as Kool Keith’s most sophisticated release to date, “Saks 5th Ave” serves as both a stepping stone forward in the artist’s prolific career, as well as a much needed reminder that the worlds most innovative emcee has a thorough grasp on far more than your average rapper. Touching on everything from the use of high fashion products to personal experiences including a near fatal car crash which occurred in 2017, The 16 track studio album produced by the versatile beat maker Dean “Landon Price Beats” Trotter channels Keith in a smoothly conscious state while laying down effortless bars over modern yet timeless hip-hop production. From the artist who brought you "Dr. Dooom”, “Sex Style”, “Keith” and everything in between, “Saks 5th Ave” is the latest and greatest haute couture in a world of Gap and Old Navy hip-hop.

Pete Rock & Camp Lo - 80 Blocks from Tiffany's Pt. II (Fatbeats)

2xLP Vinyl 29.99 Add to basket

Bronx duo Camp Lo have teamed up with the one and only Pete Rock to drop 80 Blocks From Tiffany’s (a mixtape series available as a full length). With the projects name paying homage to the BX gangs of the 70s, it’s only right that they bring it back to hip-hop’s essence in the video, graffiti, b-boys, rhymin’ on the project stairways, two turntables and a mic.

Pete Rock, whose production work helped define the 90s “golden age” is a rare exception. Rock’s one of the few musicians who made his name in the aggressively unflashy 90s East Coast sound who’s managed to stay continually relevant without capitulating to changing tastes.

80 Blocks from Tiffany's offers proof that amidst the expeditions rap music’s launching into new sonic territories like EDM, noisy psychedelia, and quasi-industrial music, the classic boom-bap stuff still has a place featuring Mac Miller, MOP, Ab-Soul, Talib Kweli and more...

Tracklist

A1 Intro
A2 Ladies & Gentlemen Feat. Talib Kweli
A3 Starlight Glitz
A4 Clean Getaway Feat. Uncle Murda
B5 No Uniform Feat. M.O.P., Pete Rock
B6 Meagan Good Feat Mac Miller
B7 Let's Toast
B8 Don't Ya Just Love It Feat Ab-Soul
C9 You Never Seen A City Like (The Bronx)
C10 Love Traps Feat Feat. Tyler Woods
C11 80 Blocks Party
C12 Glitter & Gold
D13 Dream Journey
D14 Pot Of Butta
D15 Outro

R.A The Rugged Man - Golden Oldies b/w It's Gone (Nature Sounds)

7" Vinyl 12.99 Add to basket

A1. Golden Oldies feat. Atmosphere & Eamon / B1. It's Gone

R.A. The Rugged Man and Atmosphere are two of the most important names in underground hip-hop history. Among the original architects of the independent hip-hop revolution, both of these iconic artists have defied the odds to thrive for decades in the ever- changing rap landscape. Now, R.A. The Rugged Man and Slug of Atmosphere are joining forces for the first time ever to bring some much-needed joy to listeners during these trying times. Featuring a hook by famed singer Eamon, the historic collaboration ""Golden Oldies"" is a feel-good trip down memory lane taken from R.A. The Rugged Man's new album ""All My Heroes Are Dead"". This limited- edition 7"" single gives fans the opportunity to experience the nostalgic anthem in all its old-school glory.

Kool Keith - Computer Technology (Junkadelic Music)

CD 13.99 Add to basket

Kool Keith is an educated man, boasting a pair of doctorates -- one in dooomology and another in octagon mathematics. With this immense medical and scientific background at his disposal, Keith has come to operate. Production on Keith's albums is eerily evil; his music is an LSD experience gone horribly wrong. Bizarre, ethereal sound effects and tight, piercing drum loops prepare the listener for a down and dirty lyrical delivery that's been cultivated since Keith first arrived on the rap scene with the Ultramagnetic MCs. Verses contain unique rhyme structures and original metaphors, and range from classic emcee braggadocio to tales of robbery and street sex. Keith's latest LP "Computer Technology" entirely produced by Junkaz Lou is yet another work of art. No MC on the planet is so grimy and yet so polished -- after years in the rap game, Kool Keith's as unique as ever.

Adrian Younge & Ali Shaheed Muhammad - Jazz Is Dead 001 (Jazz Is Dead)

CD 13.99 Add to basket

Over the last year Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad have been making music with the masters. Composing and producing brand new albums with their heroes. This is our first presentation of work that has come out of these sessions.

Tracklist

1 Hey Lover feat Roy Ayers
2 Distant Mode feat Gary Bartz
3 Nancy Wilson feat Brian Jackson
4 Conexão feat João Donato
5 Down Deep feat Doug Carn
6 Apocalíptico feat Azymuth
7 Não Saia Da Praça feat Marcos Valle
8 Jazz Is Dead feat The Midnight Hour

Smoke DZA - A Closed Mouth Don't Get Fed (Cinematic)

LP Vinyl 26.99 Add to basket

Dza pulls together a star studded group of Hip-Hop's best MCs for a true underground classic album.

Tracklist

A1 Morse Code Feat. Westside Gunn
A2 Praying For My Soul Feat. Flipp Dinero
A3 Dark Web Feat. T-Pain
A4 Bounce
A5 Brick On My Neck

B1 Rules Feat. Tish Hyman
B2 96 Knicks Feat. Dave West
B3 Frankie Carbone Feat. Nym Lo
B4 Get You Sum Feat. Buddy
B5 Fiscal Thoughts Feat. Wale.Ade

Tha God Fahim - Lost Kingz (Nature Sounds)

LP Vinyl 20.99 Add to basket

Known for impressive lyricism and streetwise wordplay set to dusty soul and jazz loops, Atlanta native Tha God Fahim has defied expectations for hip-hop from his city, and his steady stream of output continues to draw attention. Just a few years into his career, the talented emcee/producer has already released more than 100 projects, establishing himself as one of the most prolific artists in rap today. Despite his rapidly growing audience, Tha God Fahim remains an enigma, releasing little background information and maintaining an air of mystery about himself. Now, Nature Sounds is proud to present Lost Kingz, a brand new album from Tha God Fahim featuring Mach-Hommy and Vinnie Paz, plus production by DJ Muggs, The Architect, C-Lance, and Fahim himself.

Tracklist

A1. Iron Fist
A2. Running On E
A3. Blade Fordge (feat. Mach-Hommy)
A4. Play Ground Legend (feat. Mach-Hommy)
A5. Renowned

B1. A Breath Of Winter
B2. Stay Fly
B3. Scarlett Murder (feat. Vinnie Paz)
B4. Life After
B5. Cash Rulez

Andrew Hill - Smoke Stack (Blue Note)

180g Reissue LP Vinyl 19.99 Add to basket

On his second Blue Note album Smoke Stack, pianist and composer Andrew Hill used an unusual line-up of two bassists (Richard Davis and Eddie Khan) along with the masterful Roy Haynes on drums. Blue Note founder Alfred Lion considered Hill to have as distinct and important a compositional voice as Thelonious Monk, and the seven Hill compositions that the quartet explore here contain all the rare beauty to be found in his music. Designer Reid Miles photographed Hill himself for the striking album cover design.

This Blue Note 80 Vinyl Edition is all-analog, mastered by Kevin Gray from the original master tapes, and pressed on 180g vinyl at Optimal.

Tracklist

A1. Smoke Stack
A2. The Day After
A3. Wailing Wall
A4. Ode To Von

B1. Not So
B2. Verne
B3. 30 Pier Avenue

Kenny Dorham - Trompeta Toccata (Blue Note)

180g Reissue LP Vinyl 19.99 Add to basket

Kenny Dorham’s 1964 album Trompeta Toccata would be the final album that the great underrated trumpeter and composer would record as a leader, and it stands as a fitting testament to his prodigious talent. The album featured a stellar quintet with Dorham and his frequent collaborator Joe Henderson on tenor saxophone along with pianist Tommy Flanagan, bassist Richard Davis, and drummer Albert “Tootie” Heath. The brilliant album cover design by Reid Miles featured the bold typography that made his style so influential.

This Blue Note 80 Vinyl Edition is all-analog, mastered by Kevin Gray from the original master tapes, and pressed on 180g vinyl at Optimal.

Tracklist

A1. Trompeta Toccata
A2. Night Watch

B3. Mamacita
B4. The Fox

Larry Young - Into Somethin' (Blue Note)

180g Reissue LP Vinyl 19.99 Add to basket

His first album for Blue Note — Larry Young made it abundantly clear that he had his own unique approach to the Hammond B-3 organ. Rather than the tried-and-true soul jazz sound so strongly identified with the instrument, Young explored more modal territory over the course of his six Blue Note albums including this tremendous session featuring tenor saxophonist Sam Rivers, guitarist Grant Green, and drummer Elvin Jones. The remarkable album cover design by Reid Miles made excellent use of a memorable photograph by Francis Wolff.

This Blue Note 80 Vinyl Edition is all-analog, mastered by Kevin Gray from the original master tapes, and pressed on 180g vinyl at Optimal.

Tracklist

A1. Tyrone
A2. Plaza De Toros

B1. Paris Eyes
B2. Backup
B3. Ritha

Nelly - Country Grammar (MoTown / Universal)

20th Anniversary 2015 Reissue 2LP Vinyl 27.99 Add to basket

Country Grammar is the debut studio album from rapper Nelly. Country Grammar has sold 8.6 million copies, ranking it as the ninth best-selling rap album of all time in the United States. It was certified nine times Platinum, making it one of the highest certified albums in the U.S. history. In celebration of its 20th anniversary, Country Grammar has been reissued on standard black 2LP vinyl.

El Michels Affair - Reasons feat. Bobby Oroza b/w Hipps

7" Vinyl 7.99 Add to basket

A1. Reasons feat. Bobby Oroza / B1. Hipps

Big Crown is proud to present this must have two-sider from El Michels Affair.

The A side “Reasons” is a collaboration that is sure to get all the Soul collectors very, very excited. Last time Bobby Oroza was in New York El Michels invited him to the studio to cut a tune together. Oroza’s voice finds it’s place perfectly over the track, talking us through the human struggle and still creating that energy that is uniquely his and has become his signa- true sound.

The B side “Hipps” is pulled from El Michels Affair’s recently released modern masterpiece Adult Themes.“Hipps” cuts in with a crushing drum beat and is quickly joined by the unmistakable horn arrangements that Leon has become famous for. In true EMA fashion the arrangement on this piece can’t be touche;, closing one’s eyes and listening will induce anyone to a vivid visual fantasy. It turns out to be something of a chapter from a book, and we recommend you treat yourself to the front to back experience of Adult Themes.

Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band - My Jamaican Dub b/w The Healer (Big Crown Records)

7" Vinyl 8.99 Add to basket

A1. My Jamaican Dub / B1. The Healer

Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band are an enigmatic bunch from Hamburg, Germany. One thing that’s not so shrouded in mystery, however, is their tunes. They have graced the decks of many a DJ from Brazil to Berlin. Here we have a 7” featuring two steel drum covers.

Side A is BRSB's's take on Grace Jones' nightclub classic "My Jamaican Guy". They take the tune to a new height from the first beat, laying down an infectious groove that will get people out of their seats immediately. BRSB has received a lot of praise for their choices of covers. Occasionally reworking hits, but, most notably pulling the album cut gems from artists typically more championed by the underground. Well...here they go again, covering Erykah Badu's homage to the late great J Dilla "The Healer" on Side B.

Mo Fingaz - Gusto (We Stay True)

LP Vinyl 19.99 Add to basket

‘Gusto’ is Mo Fingaz first full-length project; a 15 track collection of beats and compositions produced over the past two years. Lo-fi hip hop instrumentals crafted together with love, analog drum machines, samplers, live instruments and dusty old vinyl. After being sat on these beats for a minute, it finally feels like time to let them off into the ether..

Primarily a project that delivers crisp crunchy boom bap, with heavy doses of jazz and soul, and nods to various other genres throughout. The rhodes-laden ‘Groove Definition’ sets the tone, leading into an interpolation of a classic; one simply called ‘Reggie’. ‘Timecode’ raises up the SP1200 bit-crush levels some more, whilst tracks like ‘Astro’ and the album closer ’Netta’ take things a little deeper. The lead track ‘Gusto’ delivers skippier half-time jungle funk drums, with live bass played by his father and guitar by J-Felix atop the track. ‘Thirty-Eight’ and ‘1991 Broadway’ harp back to classic jazzhop of the golden era, whilst ‘Booooj’ adds a little dancehall swagger into the equation, before the classy string section of ‘Uptown’ swings into play.

This album is unashamedly one to nod your head to, and not one to be sleeping on..

Vanishing Twin - In Piscina! (Fire Records)

Blue 7" Vinyl 9.99 Add to basket

A1. Spice Lever 7 A2. In Piscina / B1. Gunky B2. The Third Door

Limited edition blue vinyl new four track 7" from Vanishing Twin. Cocktail umbrellas and chlorinated fantasies! It’s time to get cool in the pool with Vanishing Twin. Here are four streams of analogue consciousness to super-soak your deckchair daydreams.

The The Shacks / Brainstory - Smile Now, Cry later b/w Runaway (Big Crown Records)

7" Vinyl 8.99 Add to basket

A. The Shacks - Smile Now, Cry later / B. Brainstory - Runaway

A 7” single taken from the forthcoming Big Crown compilation album Dear Sunny…, consisting of covers of Sunny & The Sunliners classics executed by artists on their roster. Here, The Shacks energetically tackle ‘Smile Now, Cry Later’, while Brainstory dramatically reinterpret ‘Runaway’ on the reverse.

Gang Starr - Jazz Thing (Mr Bongo)

7" Vinyl 12.99 Add to basket

A. Jazz Thing (Video Mix) / B. Jazz Thing (Movie Mix)

Given that Gang Starr recently reformed and jazz is now all the rage, it seems fitting that Mr Bongo has decided to reissue the rare 7" version of the group's 1990 masterpiece "Jazz Thing". It's a wholehearted tribute to the greats of jazz - and the role jazz records have in hip-hop's sample culture - that comes in two distinctively different mixes. On the A-side you'll find the "Video Mix", a bouncy and suitably jazzy DJ Premier production that layers Guru's fine rap flows above loose-limbed drums, smoky horn samples and his own super-tight scratches. Turn to side B for the "Movie Mix" - so-called because it was created for a Spike Lee flick - where Guru's vocal rides improvised horns and an entirely different beat crafted from Kool & The Gang samples.

Eric B & Rakim - I Know You Got Soul (Mr Bongo)

7" Black Vinyl 12.99 Add to basket

A: I Know You Got Soul / B. I Know You Got Soul (Dub Version)

There can be few hip-hop heads who don't know Eric B & Rakim's "I Know You Got Soul", a Bobby Byrd and Funkadelic-sampling beast from 1987 that remains one of rap's most recognizable moments. The rap from Rakim is iconic, but it's the Eric B beat behind - all loose-but-heavy, snare-heavy beats, recognizable guitar licks and chorus-style blasts of Bobby Byrd vocals- that makes the track such a club-ready hip-hop classic. Here it gets the reissue treatment on "45" courtesy of Mr Bongo, with the duo's brilliant vocal version being joined on the flip by the overlooked, delay-laden "Dub Mix". For those who covet alternate versions of classic cuts, this instrumental revision is a must.

Eric B & Rakim - I Ain't No Joke (Mr Bongo)

7" Black Vinyl 12.99 Add to basket

A: I Ain’t No Joke / B: Eric B. Is On The Cut

Mr Bongo's Eric B & Rakim reissue series continues via a fresh pressing of the hard-to-find U.S seven-inch single release of the NYC duo's second single, 1987 gem "I Ain't No Joke". Rakim's distinctive vocals naturally take centre stage on side A, albeit over a sparse-but-strong Eric B beat high on the kind of crunchy drums, headline-grabbing scratches and sampled horn motifs that marked out the duo's best collaborative work. As with the original American single, the B-side boasts "Eric B On The Cut", a quality cut-and-paste affair in the style of Grandmaster Flash's "On The Wheels Of Steel" that's little more than a highly impressive DJ routine.

Duke Ellington - Money Jungle LP (Blue Note)

LP 180g Vinyl Reissue 30.99 Add to basket

Part of the Tone Poet Audiophile Reissue Series

On September 17, 1962, Duke Ellington, Charles Mingus and Max Roach gathered at Sound Makers studio in NYC and recorded Money Jungle, one of the most celebrated jazz trio albums of all time. Generational and stylistic differences between the three masters led to fearless music-making of the highest order. The album was originally released on United Artists and featured 7 of Ellington’s indelible compositions including “Caravan,” “Solitude,” and a stunning version of “Le Fleurs Africaines (African Flower).” By going back to the original analog stereo master the Tone Poet Edition presents this classic album with superior sound quality.

Herbie Hancock - The Prisoner (Blue Note)

LP 180g Vinyl Reissue 30.99 Add to basket

Part of the Tone Poet Audiophile Reissue Series

Recorded and released in 1969, Herbie Hancock’s last Blue Note album The Prisoner is a powerful but overlooked masterpiece. A moving tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, this nonet session features some of the most exceptional instrumentalists in jazz including Joe Henderson, Johnny Coles, Hubert Laws, Garnett Brown, Buster Williams, and Albert “Tootie” Heath. Hancock said of The Prisoner: “I've been able to get closer to the real me with this album than on any other previous one.”

Mndsgn - Bed (Fatbeats)

LP Black Vinyl 19.99 Add to basket

Mndsgn as you may or may not guess is pronounced Mind Design and is the alter ego of producer Ringgo Ancheta. He's already released several lovely records for Stones Throw but Bed is something different entirely. Originally issued on limited cassette it explores sleep and the places it takes us and also features a heartfelt tribute to Acheta's deceased cat.