Back catalogue: Hip Hop/R&B

Review: This long-lost De La Soul gem, originally a promo-only release from 1994, finally sees the light of day. Featuring four tracks from their acclaimed Buhloone Mindstate album, this 12" also boasts two exclusive cuts showcasing De La Soul's collaborative spirit. 'sh.Fe.Mc's' sees them trading verses with fellow Native Tongues posse members A Tribe Called Quest, while 'Stix & Stonz' unites them with hip-hop pioneers Grandmaster Caz, Tito of the Fearless Four and Prince Whipper Whip. The real magic of this release lies in its ability to transport listeners back to the golden age of alternative hip-hop, where Tracks like 'iN tHe WoOds' and 'i aM I bE' showcase the group's signature blend of jazz-infused beats, playful lyricism and socially conscious themes. The presence of Maceo Parker, Fred Wesley and Pee Wee Ellis adds a layer of soulful funk, further enriching the sonic tapestry. This limited edition release offers a glimpse into a pivotal moment in De La Soul's career, where their adventurous spirit and collaborative nature were in full effect.

Review: An eagerly awaited repress of DJ Shepdog's 2006 mashup of Damian Marley's 'Welcome To Jamrock' with Dead Prez's 'It's Bigger Than Hip Hop', effortlessly juxtaposing one of contemporary dancehall's most iconic vocals with undeniably one of the fattest basslines ever laid. This iconic pairing is flanked by ultra fun cut 'Sleng Hop' uniting the original Dead Prez acapella with another of the world's most famous basslines- Prince Jammy's Casiotone MT-40 'rock & roll' rhythm... You do the math!

Review: Romanian psych-house outfit DRG Series follows heartily in the tradition of dropping vowels and rendering titles in all-caps, helping us to vascularly administer a heavy dose of DRGs. Four disinhibitors - we mean it, as these tracks are incredibly loose in feel - 'Track 1' and 'Track 2' pump and sway through unholy garage house swings and vintage hauled, shoop-a-doop sample oddities; it's only at the point of the B-side when we reach a whistling version of Ciara's '1, 2 Step' set to clinching electro, and 'Track 4' befuddles further with tense, materially informed exercise in soulful bruk. A real eclectic release from an even kookier label, well worth the spin.

Review: Neo soul singer and producer Lynda Dawn follows up her 2019 debut At First Light with the sophomoric sopor 11th Hour. Prompted by the trauma of the global pandemic, which stunted the momentum garnered by her first LP, 11th Hour was made after Dawn found a defiant space of resilience and took up a music production course. Thus flaunting a newly strung skill, the record is a consumptive blend of emotions, with moods of both criticality and soothing. The subtlety of Dawn's ear in the company of producers Jackum and Blake Rhein is astounding, the likes of 'Love Is Callin'' and 'Do You Dream' exemplarily working down a slow-jammed, psych-soul sensitivity; Dawn's vocals also play out like gauzy mists, seemingly ungraspable and palpable at the same time.

Review: The Grind Date is now two years strong so gets a customary Anniversary Edition that invites us to revel in the album's enduring impact on hip-hop. It features the iconic American trio's signature eclectic style which is of course to blend thought-provoking lyrics with laid-back beats. With standout tracks like 'Shopping Bags (She Got from You)' and the title cut, De La Soul's ability to remain relevant while experimenting with fresh sounds is very much laid bare. This edition includes remastered audio but with a sympathetic edge that retains the nicely undercooked sound of the oringal.

Review: Here's a timely re-issue that reminds us all just how quickly time flies. Already alternative rap OGs by the time this first saw the light of day back in 2004, De La Soul brought together the hip-hop elite to collaborate on their seventh studio album. Featuring cameos and production from the likes of J Dilla, Madlib, 9th Wonder, Supa Dave West, and MF Doom, the LP was met with critical acclaim when released and continues to stand up nearly 20 years later. Nostalgic yet forward-thinking, the well-formed album includes plenty of high points. 'Shopping Bags' offers a cautionary tale flow over dusty beats with a mightily hooky chorus, 'Rock Co.Kane Flow' demonstrates the group's ability to evolve with the changing times, while the feel-good flex of the title track is a standout, hands-in-the-air classic.

Review: This De La Soul's classic is a coveted release among hardcore hip-hop fans. Originally issued in 1994 as a promotional item to top DJs, it's considered the holy grail of their catalogue. The album includes four tracks from Buhloone Mindstate and two exclusive tracks: 'sh.Fe.Mc's' featuring A Tribe Called Quest and 'Stix & Stonz' featuring The Fearless Four, Grandmaster Caz and Prince Whipper Whip. With only 500 copies pressed at the time, this legendary gem is now being reissued in a limited edition that is sure to fly off the shelves.

Review: The debut album by hip-hop duo Dead Prez was released in 2000 and quickly earned critical acclaim. Praised as a "return to politically conscious rap," it drew comparisons to acts like Public Enemy, Brand Nubian and The Coup. Let's Get Free features stark, direct lyrics delivered over sparse beats with M-1 and stic.man addressing issues like media manipulation, the music industry, poverty and systemic oppression - all of which remain relevant battlegrounds to this day. They advocate for socialism and black power while condemning societal inequalities and for that, Rolling Stone awarded the album four stars, highlighting its powerful commentary on the connections between classrooms, prisons and systemic control

Review: Released in 1994, Deee-Lite's follow-up to their colossal hit 'Groove Is In The Heart' and the World Clique album that contained it finds the trio taking a more adventurous route of funky rhythms, electronic experimentation and blissful psychedelic vibes. Tracks like 'River of Freedom' tap into a carefree dancefloor energy, while 'Picnic In The Summertime' evokes sun-soaked nostalgia, its bouncy beat an effortless backdrop to the dreamy, carefree lyrics. Deee-Lite's willingness to explore genres and sounds is evident throughout, with samples from The Orb and Carl Craig, among others, meshing seamlessly with live instrumentation and infectious grooves. One of the album's defining features is its ability to balance quirk with cool. The smooth transition in 'Somebody,' where the track slows down into a human beatbox rhythm, exemplifies the experimental nature of the band. And then there's the entrancing 'Party Happening People,' a track full of playful vibes, layered synths, and an unmistakable 90s energy. This isn't just for fans of the groupiit's a record that captures the essence of the 90s club scene. A perfect soundtrack to the era's fashion and carefree spirit, its sounds still hit fresh today, reminding us of the euphoric, experimental days of early electronic music. For anyone who has ever found themselves lost in the vibe of house, techno, or the club, this collection is essential listening.

Review: The third instalment in Quattro Bambole Music's Moderna Sonorizzazioni series is anotther doozy that explores instrumental hip-hop as a contemporary form of library music. Created by Roman producer Delphi, the album blends raw beats, nostalgic loops and samples to craft cinematic sketches. It captures moments tied to football and sports and evokes memories of family Sundays, street games and stadium atmospheres that you may not have actually experienced. With 12 introspective tracks, this record offers a more conceptual and emotional narrative than danceable rhythms which makes it all the more crucial.

Review: DJ Motive hails from he charming city of Gifu, Japan, and has spent 20 years crafting a signature blend of Latin, jazz and hip-hop both solo and with DeadBundy. His latest release draws on all that experience to cook up a tasteful soundtrack that will transport you from dawn to dusk. Tracks like 'Sunrise' offer dreamy broken beats and nostalgic samples, while 'Chill On A Lotus' melts vocals and chords into an ambient haze. Jazz drums meet Balearic vibes in 'Howling 2 You' while 'Walker grooves with squelchy synths. This reflective, escapist trip rewards deep listening and is another high class album from sophisticated Italian label Hell Yeah.

Review: This debut album is sure to prove a solo breakthrough for DJ Narciso. It taps into Lisbon's rich reserves of kuduro and puts a devastatingly fresh new spin on the sound in the wake of pioneers like Nidia, N Fox and P. Adrix. Narciso pushes drill-adjacent rhythms and tresillo syncopations here and creates a unique European counterpart to Havana's wild sense of rhythm that is, at its core, deeply rooted in West African traditions. Tracks like 'Ziu Ziu (Reprise)' and 'Cabelinho' explore quirky textures and unpredictable grooves while 'Vai Estragar a Camera' echoes early Nazar's cantankerous vibe and '5 Do Jo' and 'Jogo' deliver heavy basslines and experimental sounds that cement Narciso's distinctive style in Lisbon's unique landscape.

Review: Chicago's standout beat innovator DJ Slugo is back to reclaim his throne as the self-proclaimed "king of ghetto house" with this new seven-track album. It is packed with some of the most real and raw ghetto sounds of now with hip-house and Miami bass also checked into the mixer and spat out the other side in time for Record Store Day 2025. Killer dance floor weapons are everywhere you listen here - 'Drop It Low 112707' has chopped and screwed vocals and corrugated drums and bass. 'Back Da Fuck U' (feat Missy - remix has tumbling kicks and bass and sleazy vocal samples and 'F*ck These Hoe' is as silly as it is seriously effective.

Review: DMX was a mould-breaking force. Twisting a savage gangstra rap energy around a barking flow, he imparted street knowledge in a soul-rattling voice that, to this day, still leaves us feeling thoroughly sergeant-drilled. Some deemed him a snarling negative of 2pac, though deeper heads knew him better for his unexpected vulnerabilities, on full display as early on as his studio debut, It’s Dark And Hell Is Hot. Earl Simmons had endured an abusive upbringing and struggled with crack addiction from a young age; his later life would be marked by prison stints and rehab, but his music was a way to "create concerts that felt more like a church service”. These pious emphatics - the moment, the church, duty - certainly contrasted his manifest badboy, raw-dog persona. From ‘Let Me Fly’ to ‘Stop Being Greedy’ through to the skit ‘Prayer’, DMX presented a downcast debut with enduring, parabolic lessons, going beyond the morose veils of moral dubiety and antiheroism.

Review: On Alligator Bites Never Heal, Doechii blends her Tampa roots with her current Los Angeles life, embodying the past, present, and future of music in under an hour. A verbal banjaxer of countless genres, she delivers an eclectic mix of sounds, striking a pose on the cover as a stone-faced albino alligator queen. The mixtape follows the success of her Eurodance-ish hit 'Alter Ego', which was praised by SZA and remixed with a verse from JT. Doechii now finesses her streak, with such energetic tracks as 'MPH' and 'ROCKET' making for remarkable, cutting summer anthems.

Review: Following her weekly Swamp Sessions on YouTube - in which the rapper demonstrated her biting bars against eye-catching, patinated visuals - came the third mixtape from Doechii, now released on vinyl. The album's name suggested unwound hurt, marked by the caiman power of a perfidious love interest, whose bite has indeed left its mark. Philosophical, penumbral yet still lively in spirit, the American artist spans a variety of hip-hop styles here, with 'Denial Is A River' serving her ex a "gotcha" in thickly laid bars and booming beats, and 'Nissan Altima' bringing further skeeting rhythms and autofire bars, which order her male competitors to bow down, as the claim is laid to the crown of new hip-hop Madonna.

Review: Doechii drops a vivid, genre-blurring mixtape, riffing on her Floridian roots and personal battles, relaying them over an arresting artistic statement. Raised in Tampa, she first gained attention with the viral hit 'Yucky Blucky Fruitcake' before signing with Top Dawg Entertainment in 2022. The mixtape's title and cover, with Doechii holding an albino alligator, nod to her "Swamp Princess" nickname and symbolize resilience" as she explained, "This mixtape is my riposte. I am no one's prey; I was born to be the predator." Doechii confronts industry pressures, sobriety, and self-worth with sharp lyricism and stylistic versatility, over standouts like 'Denial Is A River' and 'Boom Bap'.

Review: Doseone teams up with New York prodder Steel Tipped Dove for a sharp-edged, forward-charging record, playing talents of both back at full voltage. After not quite finishing another ShrapKnel record, Doseone felt a creative jolt in the other direction, after which knife-tip moment he would reach out to fellow artists Dove and Fatboi Sharif. Such redirections often cause the creative process to loosen, and here was no exception, with APNC going from a stagnant entanglement to blistering rollout. Within weeks of receiving the first beat pack in late 2023, dose had recorded five tracks; and by Spring, the end was in sight. Though not typically down for guest spots, Dose called on a tight circle of kindred spirits - Open Mike Eagle, M.Sayyid, Billy Woods, Fatboi Sharif, Myka 9, and Andrew Broder on turntables - whom all lend the project extra scratchy, verbal dimensionalities. The result is a taut, unsentimental record that marries Dove's vivid, shape-shifting production with Doseone's most surgically precise writing in years.

Review: "Some of the best never make it too far/eventually, had to let the dream die, get a 9-5/not really livin', now, just stayin' alive, raisin' kids, drinking away the pain and stayin' high..." So intones the title track of the front smasher of this LP, 'I Get Phunky'. The fantasy of a hard schism between always-hungry go-getters and kaput has-beens can be problematic, but on the latest record by Phill Most Chill and Djar One, we can certainly hear why the idea remains compelling: from the rest, the Le Havre and Bronx artists use it to set themselves apart. But perhaps it's this record's golden-aged, clavinet-ridden, breaks-bowler instrumentals that really galvanise this motif. 'Ill Rhymin' and 'Hell Yeah' further the sense with unabashed appeals to certitude in the lyrics and beats, standing apart from the doomers and gloomers. Nothing on this record doesn't "land"; not a hit, not a bar.