Vinyl - Hip Hop

People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm is the debut album by alternative hip hop group A Tribe Called Quest, released in 1990 on Jive Records. Although the album was critically acclaimed, it had little mainstream appeal. However, the album did earn the band a devoted following among the alternative hip hop community. The album was praised for its lyrical inventiveness and bizarre sense of humor, mixed with socially aware and literate message tracks.

One of three A Tribe Called Quest albums to be included in The Source's 100 Best Rap Albums, certified gold by the RIAA on January 19, 1996. The record was given the perfect rating of 5 mics in The Source in 1990 — according to Pitchfork, it was the first album ever to receive this honor.

“The group is marked for their social consciousness, but not merely because of their awareness, but their ability to wax simultaneously about politics and art. On "Push It Along", Tip traverses police brutality, community unity, and rap dreams in a few bars, managing to be an approachable advocate for responsibility without seeming didactic: "The pigs are wearing blue/ And in a year or two/  We'll be going up the creek in a great big canoe / What we gonna do? Save me and my brothers?/ Hop inside the bed and pull over the covers?/ Never will we do that and we ain't trying to rule rap/ We just want a slab of the ham, don't you know, black?" The lyrics are 25 years old. But were they released today they'd seem right on time, while being out of place—because all these many years later People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm is more than a nostalgia artifact. It's a worthy listen, not because of what it was, but because of what it is.” - Pitchfork

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“Sought after instrumentals for critically acclaimed album Sour Soul, by Toronto jazz/hip hop band BADBADNOTGOOD and Staten Island rap champ, Ghostface Killah. Inspired by 1960’s and 70’s music and taking inspiration from the recording techniques and production of that era, they embrace live instrumentation and zero sampling. BBNG in collaboration with producer Frank Dukes created a dramatic, cinematic musical staging for Ghostface’s vivid storytelling.

"Sour Soul is sublime” “It’s instrumental class” - 9/10 Drowned in Sound

"The Canadians deliver in spades, with lush arrangements" - Q Magazine

"Exquisite ‘70’s soul" - 8/10 Uncut Magazine

“How the group redefines the genre is through their unconventional influences, youthful vigor and musical experimentation” - Hypebeast

“…a vital, luxuriously live backdrop” - The Skinny

"A vivid pulsing rhyme banquet that’s out-there, edgy and kaleidascopic" - Mojo

“...even given the fairly proud lineage of wild musical juxtaposition, these kids are making waves.” - The Independent

“As self-confessed hip hop heads as well as jazz academics, BADBADNOTGOOD have the audacity to mix the unexpected and pull it off with finesse.” - Dazed & Confused” – Lex Records

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The third and fourth installments of Madlib's Beat Konducta series take listeners on a tour of Bollywood, circa 1975. Beat Konducta in India pays sincere tribute to musical giants largely unheard by Western ears, while keeping the funk levels up all the way. – Press Release

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A1        Enter: Hot Curry          

A2        Indian Hump   

A3        Movie Finale    

A4        Raw Tranquility Pt. 3     

A5        Freeze  

A6        Masala 

A7        Onthatnewthing           

A8        Indian Deli       

B1        The Rumble     

B2        Dancing Girls Theme   

B3        Piano Garden   

B4        Dark Alley Incidental Music       

B5        Early Party       

B6        Fifth Chant      

B7        The Rip Off (Scene 3)   

B8        Sitar Ride

About Beat Konducta:

Beat Konducta is a 7-album series released by hip hop musician Madlib. "Beat Konducta" is also an alias which Madlib uses. The series began officially in 2006 with the release of Beat Konducta Vol 1-2: Movie Scenes. The album was stylistically a companion to (James Yancey) J Dilla's Donuts, which was released a month earlier just before Yancey's death. He has since followed with Beat Konducta Vol 3-4: Beat Konducta in India in 2007 and Beat Konducta Vol. 5-6: A Tribute to...(Dil Cosby and Dil Withers Suite) in 2008, which is a tribute to Yancey. – Wiki

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“In recent years, Los Angeles rapper Blu has become one of hip-hop’s most prolific artists, releasing more than a dozen acclaimed projects and building a worldwide fanbase. The gifted lyricist often joins forces with a single producer for an entire collection, leading to classic collaborative releases with Exile, Nottz, Madlib, and more. Now, Blu is back with The Blueprint, a new mixtape produced by Shafiq Husayn. Known as one third of visionary production team Sa-Ra Creative Partners, Shafiq has produced for the likes of Erykah Badu, Kanye West, Andre 3000, John Legend, Anderson .Paak, Thundercat, Bilal, Ty Dolla $ign, Ice T, and many more. Dedicated to the gang culture that permeates the city they both call home, The Blueprint reflects Blu’s eternal L.A. state of mind, with Shafiq’s eclectic soundscapes providing the perfect backdrop.” – Fat Beats

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“BROOKZILL!'s debut album, Throwback to the Future, is an exuberant mash-up of old-school hip-hop, funky jazz, and Brazilian funk and pop that captures the best aspects of all the separate ingredients and revels in the combination they make. Created by legendary producer Prince Paul, Digable Planets' Ladybug Mecca, keyboardist Don Newkirk (who trainspotters might remember from his voice-overs on De La Soul's Three Feet High and Rising), and Brazilian hip-hop icon Rodrigo Brandão, the project is good-time grooves and grin-inducing fun from beginning to end. With guests on board who range from Gil Scott-Heron collaborator Brian Jackson to Del the Funky Homosapien and a raft of Brazilian artists, Throwback plays out like a street party where the alcohol flows and people are dancing like the weekend will never end. Prince Paul holds down the turntables, dropping in samples and locking down rock-solid hip-hop beats and rollicking Brazilian grooves while Ladybug lays down rhymes like it was 1993, and her sweet vocals add some honey to the mix.” – All Music

“About half of the lyrics on BROOKZILL!’s debut, Throwback to the Future, are in Portuguese, but this doesn’t obscure the album’s overarching themes of unity, tribute, and spirituality for non-native speakers. While they possess more polemical meanings, certain words and phrases, like “macumba,” a Brazilian religious practice, will ostensibly be accepted at face value for its celebratory invocation on “Macumba 3000.” Macumba is an encapsulation of BROOKZILL!’S syncretic purpose: bringing people together under the banner of music.

BROOKZILL’s cultural synthesis wouldn’t be possible without the skillfully realized instrumentation: 808-style breakbeats are masterfully mixed with samba percussion on “Raise the Flag,” “Mysterious,” and “S. Bento MC5,” creating unexpected rhythms, but ones which still make sense within a traditional hip-hop framework. On “Nascido No Céu,” bossa-nova horns and woodwind instruments align with synthesizers and turntablism to lay slow-jam groundwork for Ladybug Mecca and Gorila Urban’s rhymes. Though the beats never threaten to become generic like on “Mad Dog in Yoruba” and “BROOKZILL Suite,” which lean more on the album’s Brazilian musical influences, they emphasize Throwback to the Future’s individuality and cross-cultural appreciation in a way a more streamlined mash-up would not.” – Slant Magazine

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THE GROOVE SESSIONS VOL.1 is the compilation of the 3 maxis that the group CHINESE MAN released between 2004 and 2007: The Pandi Groove EP, The Indi Groove EP, and The Bunni Groove EP.

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“Cigarette Boats is an EP by American rapper Curren$y and producer Harry Fraud. It was released for online download on July 10, 2012. XXL named it the "2012 EP of the Year.” – Wiki

“Curren$y is back at it again. Following the release of his recent album The Stoned Immaculate, he teams up with producer Harry Fraud for the brief new EP, Cigarette Boats. Despite its short length, the project allows Spitta and Harry Fraud to pack plently of punch with each track, as one of the hottest producers in rap and a grizzled vet link for a tape fans are sure to remember.” – XXL Mag

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CZARFACE (Wu-Tang Clan's Inspectah Deck & 7L & Esoteric) is back! Fresh off the heels of their collaboration with Marvel Comics the trio continues to combine music and art with their latest release "A Fistful of Peril."

The back story of this album begins in the summer while Deck and Esoteric were in the studio recording some new Czarface material. During this time Marvel Comics had reached out to Czarface wanting some music to soundtrack their Black Panther web series, promoting their breakout comic of the same name. This Marvel meeting spawned the lead track "All in Together Now" and served as the primary inspiration for a fleshed-out album that nobody saw coming. The group camped out in the studio playing beats, talking comics, video games, and pop culture....what came about was "A Fistful of Peril."

Starting the album off with the ARP keyboard odyssey of "Electric Level 1" is like entering the vortex of color and light in Kubrick's 2001. The aptly titled "Two in the Chest" showcases Deck & Eso's ability to deliver punchlines and pop culture references with ease over an exceptional bass and guitar combo. "Czar Wars" has the two sparring back and forth bringing that 'X-Men/Danger Room' mentality that Deck often to refers to when in Czar-mode. Psycho Les of The Beatnuts steps in on "Dust" while "Lizard City" introduces 'Czarface Pajamas'. Yes you read that correctly. The off-kilter "Steranko" has Meyhem Lauren and Rast join forces with Czarface as they weave their way through a mind-bending array of varying beats. Other features on the album are Conway on "Machine, Man & Monster" and AOTP's Blacastan on "Tarantulas." Another one of the album's highlights is "Dare Iz A Darkseid" which along with "Talk That Talk" is the perfect balance of wit and humor that make up the core of Czarface.

Building on an already rock solid foundation with two critically acclaimed albums, "A Fistful of Peril" features some of the groups most cohesive material. The chemistry between the hungry-as-ever Deck and Eso overflows as the two mc's trade lines, humor and plenty of razor sharp lyrics over the backbone of 7L and Todd Spadafore's production.

"A Fistful of Peril" in a word? "Excelsior!" – Press Release

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“Czarface is the eponymous debut studio album by American hip hop supergroup Czarface. The album was released on February 19, 2013, by Brick Records. The album features guest appearances from Roc Marciano, Oh No, Ghostface Killah, Action Bronson, Cappadonna and Vinnie Paz. The album's production comes from 7L, Spada4 and DJ Premier.” – Wiki

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 "Vignettes is a true example of 'art imitating life.'  All the commentary/music is a collection of my personal experiences and those reflections applied to music to document an honest depiction of my current perspective on life and the world we share." - Damu The Fudgemunk / Redefinition Records 

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“Due to popular demand, Damu The Fudgemunk's "Supply For Demand" LP (2010) is back in stock. This time redef's go-to visual artist Joseph Buckingham, who recently contributed to De La Soul's mega successful Kickstarter campaign, decided to completely redesign the album packaging from the ground up. Besides the updated artwork, the music remains the same as heard on last year's remastered pressing, featuring a potent mix of instrumental and vocal tracks featuring Damu himself as well as a Y Society collabo in the form of "Don't Do It."

We here at Redefinition Records appreciate the simplicity of this arrangement and are certainly not of the mind to buck fundamental economics. We're also in the enviable position of having a loyal fan base that keep pushing us to put out quality product (that's the supply bit in case you weren't paying attention).

Supply For Demand is therefore what you've come to expect from Damu: Gimmick-free head nodders that wrap themselves around you like sheets of sonic velvet. Keep askin' and we'll keep givin'. The pleasure is all ours.” - UndergroundHipHop.com

About Damu The Fudgemunk:

“Damu the Fudgemunk (born Earl Davis on June 8, 1984, in Washington, DC) is an American hip hop music artist and producer from Washington, DC. In addition to his career as a solo artist, music producer, and DJ, he is a member of the groups Y Society and Panacea.

Damu released his official debut album as a member of Y Society, Travel at Your Own Pace, on October 10, 2007, to positive reviews. The album is reminiscent of true-school hip-hop with its liberal use of jazz and soul samples and scratching throughout. In 2008, Damu released two free albums primarily composed of instrumental music, titled Spare Time and Overtime. He built himself a respectable and loyal fan base through his unique YouTube videos and live street performances around Washington, DC, and New York City, which require him to use a portable electricity generator to power his sampler and speakers.

Damu the Fudgemunk releases the bulk of his music through Redefinition Records, a label that he co-owns and operates. The label focuses on releasing vinyl records and cassettes even if the records are also released on CDs.” - Wiki

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The Mouse and the Mask is a collaboration album by Danger Mouse and MF Doom under the name Danger Doom, released on October 11, 2005 by punk label Epitaph Records in the United States, marking it the third hip hop release for the label. The album is composed almost entirely of raps by MF DOOM, performed over beats created by Danger Mouse sampling music from various television shows airing on Cartoon Network's programming block Adult Swim. – Wiki

“MF Doom, Danger Mouse, and Cartoon Network's Adult Swim have each ascended to countercultural glory using the sum of popular culture as their outsized playpens, reconfiguring cartoon and comic-book iconography and/or old sounds into giddily ridiculous yet strangely fitting new arrangements. Collectively, they've transformed third-rate superheroes into attorneys and oblivious talk-show hosts, deadpan rappers with an endless reservoir of obscure pop-culture references into comic-book supervillains, and The Beatles and Jay-Z into unwitting collaborators. Separately, they've radically appropriated other people's creations to fit their own ends with the kind of brash, smartass irreverence that tends to result in obsessive cult followings, legal threats, or both.

Danger Mouse provides the beats and Doom the rhymes, while the cult icons and sentient meat patties of Adult Swim run amok in the margins, heckling the headliners, making bids for the spotlight, and rhapsodizing about "heartwarming but rarely amusing Ziggy cartoons." […] Danger Mouse knows this territory well, and he lays down happy horns and a day-glo retro vibe for "Old School," where Doom and guest Talib Kweli trip giddily down memory lane, reminiscing about the simple pleasures of Saturday morning cartoons and sugary cereal. Danger Mouse overlaps rubbery and sci-fi synths on "Benzie Box," as Cee-Lo Green purrs an infectious chorus that could double as Doom's super-villainous theme music.” – AV Club

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“The jazz rap trio’s 1993 debut questions the very fabric of our existence while celebrating its nuances. Seconds into any Digable Planets’ song and you’ll hear it: the Afrofuturism of Sun Ra, the unorthodox free jazz of Albert Ayler, the black spirituality of John Coltrane’s A Love Supreme, the spoken-word funk of the Last Poets. Freedom, progressivism, oneness, harmony, and serendipity are the core tenets that would come to define the rap trio and their ideology throughout their career. How fitting, then, that intuition and a kiss of luck would birth their first jazz rap odyssey, 1993’s Reachin’ (A New Refutation of Time and Space), which is both a product of community and exploration.

Digable Planets followed in the conscious footsteps of the ’90s New York collective Native Tongues—spearheaded by A Tribe Called Quest, Jungle Brothers, and De La Soul—which was cultivating a more positive-minded, jazz-influenced rap community. Linking from varying backgrounds, the three Planets MCs—Ishmael Butler, Craig Irving, and Mary Ann Vieira—sought to embody the inclusivity their forebears had brought to rap. Reachin’ tested the limits of hip-hop alchemy, creating otherworldly transmissions that sampled hard-bopping jazz acts. They turned Karl Marx, Sonny Rollins, and Parliament into pillars of their cool, communal space.” – Pitchfork

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“Legendary DJ and GRAMMY award-winning producer releases the long-awaited final installment of his “Magnificent” series…

…DJ Jazzy Jeff brings extraordinary artists together to present a multigenerational perspective on life, love, the current state of society, and the music industry. The Trinity, comprised of Grammy and Oscar award-winning MC Rhymefest, Philadelphia MC Dayne Jordan and multitalented artist Uhmeer, serves as M3’s primary storytellers. With three distinct styles, the trio is a recipe for an unprecedented flow and a magical delivery. The Trinity lays the foundation of real hip-hop with tracks including The Beginning, Scars, and Where You At. Things lighten up with feel good tune Skater’s Paradise, and a tribute to the ladies, Stronger Than Me. And M3 wouldn’t be complete without a few soulful voices. Singer/Songwriter Aaron Camper provides his sultry sound to Midnight Escapade and The Way We Cool. Maimouna Youssef lends her soulful harmony to Child of God, and Masego adds his signature trap-jazz flair to 2Step.” – Bandcamp

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Widely hailed as the Japanese incarnation of Pete Rock, DJ Premier and J-Dilla,  DJ Mitsu the Beats has earned a notorious reputation amongst the underground Hip-Hip community as a masterful turntablist and serial beatmaker with a career spanning over 20 years.

Check out this stylish and emotional LP from the man himself. Limited edition Jazzy Sport release on 180g vinyl. 

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“ “Think J-Dilla or The Roots and you’re probably hitting the mark.” – JazzBreakfast

DJM trio breathes fierce artistry into grooved out renditions of Solange, Patrice Rushen, Slum Village, Madvillain, Ohbliv and more. There’s writing on the wall that speaks of time immemorial, where symbols exist on the edge of language and abstraction. It’s upon this precipice that Dominic James Marshall makes his mark, at the helm and on the keys of Cave Art Two - a slate of scintillating digital sounds, spontaneously arranged, etched in wax. The project is a thoughtful and inventive response to a long tradition of musical sampling. Familiarity is a vessel through which Marshall channels a fierce artistry and selection is at the heart of what moves it. The trio build upon what makes beat music burrow into us so deeply, maxing out their offerings of giant synths, splintering chords and impactful beats to soul-shifting degrees. Marshall plunges into the uncanny valley and frolics in it, inventing a fresh path for the genre with irreverent wit and divine grace.

The DJM Trio is led by Dominic James Marshall, an Amsterdam native who is a current member of renowned British nu-jazz and electronic outfit The Cinematic Orchestra. A rising jazz piano star, Marshall was nominated for the Edison International Jazz Award, and the trio earned a coveted set at BBC’s Manchester Jazz Festival, as unanimously selected by a jury including Gilles Peterson, Jamie Cullum and Jez Nelson.” – Bandcamp

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“I Don't Like Shit, I Don't Go Outside: An Album by Earl Sweatshirt is the second studio album by American rapper Earl Sweatshirt. It was released on March 23, 2015, by Columbia Records and Tan Cressida Records. It features guest appearances from Dash, Vince Staples, Wiki, and Na'kel Smith. The album received widespread acclaim from critics, debuting at number 12 on the US Billboard 200, selling 30,000 copies in the first week.” – Wiki

Earl's latest release feels like the realization of a voice he's been working towards: one that is both fluid and all angles, vacillating between naked introspection and pushing us as far away as possible. He is whittling away carefully at the tendencies he's always had, remaining confident that he’ll light upon something that feels fresh and honest. So far, he's right. – Pitchfork

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"Eric Lau has released engaging instrumental hip-hop LPs before, but neither one of them has the elegance, restorative spirit, and subtle power of Examples. Known more for his collaborations with scores of noted singers, rappers, musicians, and fellow producers - Georgia Anne Muldrow, Guilty Simpson, and Yussef Kamaal among them." 

"Lau might be at his best when unaccompanied and in beat-tape mode. Concise enough to fit onto one side of a C90, Examples criss-crosses elements sourced primarily from the jazz, soul, and Brazilian bins, put together with all the finesse of a veteran whose mentality is in line with that of J Dilla, Ali Shaheed Muhammad, and Q-Tip (the last of whom is present via sample)." 

"Knockouts "Spooky Fonk," "The Sun Beyond," "Gold," and "Lullaby" are brief to the point of vexation, dealing out clawing basslines, reversed-sounding strings, clamping beats, dazed keyboards, and whining synthesizer melodies to striking effect. There isn't a lull among the other 23 cuts -- and each one sets up the next -- making for instinctive complete and repeated playback." Allmusic

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“Weather or Not is the third solo studio album by American rapper and producer Evidence. It was released on January 26, 2018 via Rhymesayers Entertainment. Production was handled by several record producers, including Alchemist, Budgie, DJ Babu, DJ Premier, Nottz, Samiyam, Twiz the Beat Pro, and Evidence himself. It also features guest appearances from Catero, Defari, Jonwayne, Khrysis, Krondon, Mach-Hommy, Rakaa, Rapsody, Slug, Styles P, and The Alchemist. This album is a follow-up to his 2011 album, Cats & Dogs, and is final on his "Weatherman" series.” – Wiki

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Shadow of a Doubt is the second studio album by American rapper Freddie Gibbs. The album was released in 2015 by ESGN and Empire Distribution.

“After dropping last year’s Piñata with Madlib and two subsequent EPs, Freddie Gibbs is back with his third full-length studio album. Shadow of a Doubt features over a dozen wide-ranging names contributing beats, from Canadian hitmaker Boi-1da to 808 Mafia’s Tarentino, and his roots and aspirations have never been clearer.” - Pitchfork

“Gary, Indiana rapper Freddie Gibbs is a tough, urban storyteller who can rifle off a steady stream of greatness before he lands on the hook, and with his 2015 release, Shadow of a Doubt, the hooks, plus production, are on the same level as his rhymes.” - AllMusic

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“You Only Live 2wice is the third studio album by American rapper Freddie Gibbs. It was released on March 31, 2017, by ESGN and Empire Distribution. The album includes eight tracks with no guest appearances.” – Wiki

“You Only Live 2wice doesn’t put Gibbs on a Makaveli cross, but does paint him as a Christ-like figure, resurrected and floating on the album cover’s modern-Renaissance depiction of him. Whose sins he’s ready to die for, he’s not saying; he calls himself “20 Karat Jesus” on the crystal chandelier of a leadoff cut but focuses more on the actions (“Fresh up off the highway with that higher power how you want it”) and the consequences (“Don't sleep, bags under my eyes is designer”) than the casualties. Throughout the album, he’s haunted by both the things that have and haven’t happened to him, what he has and hasn’t done, ruminating over a tight 32 minutes across eight tracks that feel haunted even at their hardest.” - Pitchfork

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“Overload is Georgia Anne Muldrow's 16th album, and first for the Brainfeeder label, after a two-year break that, given Muldrow's abundant previous output, seemed like an eternity.

It was worth the wait. With Flying Lotus, Aloe Blacc and Muldrow's partner Dudley Perkins as executive producers, Overload is a tonic of exquisite psychedelic soul. Eschewing the experimental jazz of her Jyoti efforts and the straight hip-hop of 2013's Thoughtiverse Unmarred, Overload is a declaration and celebration of romantic love and loyalty as a fuel of collective resistance.

The title track and "Canadian Hillbilly" are romantic respites in the face of oppression, where cosmic synths bathe the cuts in an intimate aura, as Muldrow pledges lifetime trust and devotion, further emphasized on an endearingly spacey future funk take on the Gap Band's "You Can Always Count On Me" (which features Shana Jenson).” – Exclaim

a deep mix of jazz atmospherics and humid R&B, with a crate-digger's ear for collagist beatmaking. It's made her a natural collaborator for Erykah Badu and Madlib, and her boundless creative energy pushed her from the psych- and funk-inflected work of 2007's Sagala to the gracefully composed hip-hop of A Thoughtiverse Unmarred. That latter album capped a prolific nine-year run when it came out in 2015. Since then, she's worked mostly behind the scenes, collaborating with simpatico jazz artists like Robert Glasper and Keyon Harrold, and occasionally producing for other artists…

… Overload is suffused with love: love for self, love for community, and especially love for Muldrow's longtime creative and romantic partner, the rapper Dudley Perkins. Nowhere is this more evident than on the sumptuous title track, built around a dizzy calliope riff that she dedicates not only to the object of her affection, but to her own ability to love so powerfully for such a long time. - Resident Advisor

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“The Lost Tapes, the 13th studio album by Ghostface Killah (one of the Wu-Tang Clan's most revered rhymers), is a release that — considering the year that hip-hop has endured — may have slid in under radars. That's really a shame, because with this LP, produced entirely by writer and Griselda collaborator Big Ghost, he's crafted something special that OG fans and '90s heads will swoon over.

Big Ghost provides the GFK with an incredibly cohesive, soulful, sound bed that at times feels like MPC chops left over from Ironman and Supreme Clientele sessions. There are no solo moments here. Ghost is at a point in his career where an overly stacked playlist could signal desperation, but that isn't the case at all. While this playlist could be considered "star-studded," it's niche. The LP is swimming in features that range from obscure names like LA the Darkman, and newer acts like Big Pun's son Chris Rivers, to heavyweight MCs like KXNG Crooked and Ras Kass. None overpower Ghostdini, and none are out of place.

Some of the album's most obscure points are ultimately the most intriguing. Snoop and E-40 rapping on "Saigon Velour" sounds bizarre on paper, but is seamless in its execution.” – Exclaim

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“Dark Days + Canapés is the fourth album by British vocalist and musician Ghostpoet. Described as a standout track, the first single from the album, "Immigrant Boogie", was released in April 2017. Three more songs, "Trouble + Me", "Freakshow" and "Dopamine If I Do", were also released prior to the album. Music videos were released for "Immigrant Boogie" and "Freakshow". It was produced by Leo Abrahams and mixed by Abrahams and Kristofer Harris. "Woe Is Meee" was the second collaboration of Ghostpoet and Daddy G. In an email to The Fader, Ghostpoet said "I wrote this one for the struggling minds, trying to make sense of an ever-increasingly technologically connected, but lonesome world.” – Wiki

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Everybody Looking is the ninth studio album by American rapper Gucci Mane. It was released on July 22, 2016, by 1017 Records and Atlantic Records,[1] serving as Gucci's first studio release since The Return of Mr. Zone 6 (2011). Recording sessions on the album took place in under six days. The album features three guest appearances from Drake, Kanye West and Young Thug, while the majority of production was provided by Gucci Mane's longtime collaborators such as Mike Will Made It and Zaytoven, among others.

Everybody Looking was met with positive reviews from critics, with the album peaking at number 2 on the US Billboard 200 and becoming Gucci Mane's highest-charting album. – Wiki

“Executive produced by Mike WiLL Made-It, Everybody Looking features a spacey, brooding backdrop that’s custom built to help Guwop find his footing once again. As an integral part of his original sound, Zaytoven also does a majority of the heavy-lifting, providing an occasionally lively contrast to Mike WiLL’s typically murky aesthetics. Their collaboration on “Waybach” perfectly matches Gucci’s air of nostalgia, while their work on the sunny instrumentation for “At Least a M” makes it an instant contender for summer anthem. Despite only making brief appearances, Murda Beatz (“Back on Road” w/ Drake) and Drumma Boy (“All My Children”) also fit comfortably into Zay and Mike Will’s newfound dynamic. Everything is methodical, from the thunderous “No Sleep” intro to the way the “Waybach” hook comes back around for an encore towards the end of “Richest Nigga In The Room.”” – HipHopDX

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“Beneath the Surface is the third solo studio album by American hip hop musician and Wu-Tang Clan member GZA. The album was released on June 29, 1999, by MCA Records.” – Wiki

“Genius/GZA's Beneath the Surface is a worthy continuation and development of the Wu-Tang Clan conglomeration. The best tracks here, "Amplified Sample" and "Crash Your Crew," are quintessentially Wu-Tang, but with important tweaks to the trademark sound. The crisp, clean production -- by Wu associates Inspectah Deck, Mathematics, and Arabian Priest -- sounds much better than any project that had been recently issued (even RZA's Bobby Digital), and GZA's raps prove he's the most innovative and talented vocalist Wu-Tang had to offer.” – All Music

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“Liquid Swords is the second solo studio album by American rapper and Wu-Tang Clan member GZA, released on November 7, 1995, by Geffen Records. Recording sessions for the album began midway through 1995 at producer RZA's basement studio in the New York City borough of Staten Island. The album heavily samples dialogue from the martial arts film Shogun Assassin and maintains a dark atmosphere throughout its course, while it incorporates lyrical references to chess, crime and philosophy. Liquid Swords features numerous guest appearances from the entire nine piece Wu-Tang Clan, and also Wu-Tang affiliate Killah Priest.

Upon its release, Liquid Swords peaked at number nine on the Billboard 200 chart, and number two on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) certified the album platinum in sales nearly 20 years after its release. Upon its initial release, Liquid Swords received critical acclaim for its complex lyricism and hypnotic musical style. Over the years, its recognition has grown, with a number of famous publishers proclaiming it as one of the greatest hip hop albums of all time. In 2007, the Chicago Tribune cited it as "one of the most substantial lyrical journeys in hip-hop history". Liquid Swords is often cited as the best solo record by a Wu-Tang member.” – Wiki

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A TAV Curator’s Pick.

“Kindness For Weakness is Homeboy Sandman's third full-length album on Stones Throw Records. The album's title comes from Sandman's internal insight saying “mistaking kindness for weakness is a weakness I need to have more kindness for.” One of Sandman's most poignantly lyrical releases to date, the album centers on the MCs discomfort in his comfort zone and addresses themes such as his personal insecurities, rapper stereotypes and morality.

Since signing with Stones Throw Records in 2011, Homeboy Sandman has made himself at home releasing 3 full-lengths – First of a Living Breed, Hallways, and now Kindness for Weakness – along with a series of 5 short records and most recently, releasing a free EP with collaborator Aesop Rock named Lice. Sandman has once again established himself as one of the most productive and creative lyricists of this generation.” – Stones Throw Records

“Homeboy Sandman tapped into a unique energy, and parlayed the vibe into a rap career. The Stones Throw MC, with his penchant for haphazard deliveries and a strong command of rhythm, continues making headway in the indie and underground circles with his latest effort, Kindness for Weakness. Running just over 36 minutes, it’s a quick, concise listen, with everything the Alternative Hip Hop-listening crowd could ask for. …

Kindness for Weakness is a strong album with a permeating message. The whole vibe is original, and exquisite minimalist production tips the scales, in tow with strong lyricism. Homeboy Sandman’s abilities as a MC, paired with a strong supporting cast of guest MCs and producers, execute accordingly without being repetitive. Best of all, he offers up a valuable life lesson: be kind always. The album’s biggest strength is the number of wells from which it draws inspiration. Kindness is more than just good manners; it’s a modus operandi.” – HipHopDX

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Hallways is the fifth studio album by Queens, New York rapper Homeboy Sandman. It was released in 2014 by Stones Throw Records.

“It's here: Homeboy Sandman's Hallways, his second full-length album on Stones Throw Records. Producers on Hallways include Blu, DJ Spinna, Oh No and Jonwayne, who produced the first single, "America, The Beautiful," and Knxwledge, who produced "Problems."

Since signing with Stones Throw Records in 2011, Homeboy Sandman has made himself at home releasing a full length, First of a Living Breed, along with a series of five short records, establishing himself as one of the most productive and creative lyricists of this generation.

"Hallways is simply the sound of a master rap writer at work" – Village Voice's #1 NYC rap album of 2014.” – Stones Throw Records

“Hallways is an accomplished addition to Homeboy Sandman’s ever consistent output. He notes in the album’s first few bars that he’s stuck between street and scholarly aesthetics, but Hallways reinterprets both ends of the spectrum. The material belonging to the former glorifies the smallest details of working class culture, while the material belonging to the latter raises heavy questions without claiming to know the answers.” - HipHopDX

“Hallways represents the latest unfurling from the Ivy League-educated Queens native, whose wry angst and self-reflection have filled up two full-length albums and five EPs since signing to Stones Throw in 2012. Over restless slaps and cartilage-cracking beats from Oh No, Jonwayne and Knxwledge, Sandman unleashes a therapist's office worth of anxiety fit for a lost rap soundtrack to Deconstructing Harry. He frets over infidelities, hypocrisies and loneliness; the smell of tobacco smoke and what his proximity to hipsters says about him. Obsessed with the noise in his head and the rapidly changing neighborhoods surrounding him, Homeboy re-works rap forms and functions into something truly personal.” - Rolling Stone

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"Dillatronic marks the tenth posthumous release from Dilla since Donuts dropped just days before his passing.

The steady stream of unreleased gems has been continued by his mother, Ma Dukes, who teamed up with Vintage Vibez Music Group for this collection.

'I can smile in my heart, knowing my son's work is being shared with the people as we planned before he passed. I only share the best, and I only hope to continue introducing the world to the genius of J Dilla.' - Ma Dukes" - DJBooth.net



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A TAV Curator's Pick.

“Initially intended for release in 2002, The Diary is the final batch of unissued material that Dilla had assembled for release during his lifetime, lending crucial insight into the producer’s prowess and thought process in the period leading up to his break with the major label system and the extremely fertile period that followed (which encompassed the making of the canonical classics Ruff Draft, Jaylib, and Donuts). The Diary features vocal performances by J Dilla, Snoop Dogg, Bilal, Kokane, Frank and Dank, Nottz and Boogie, over production by Dilla, Madlib, Pete Rock, Hi-tek, Nottz, House Shoes, Supa Dave West, Bink! and Karriem Riggins. The album was announced in an interview with Nas on Zane Lowe’s show on Beats1 with the never-before-heard song “The Introduction.”

The Diary was Dilla’s attempt to take advantage of the attention afforded him after his brightest period as a behind-the-scenes hit-maker and influencer. However, the project stalled and the album was literally shelved, the reels languishing in storage in Detroit as a relocated Dilla began a creative renaissance in Los Angeles. The Diary in this, its final form, was painstakingly assembled over a ten year period from two-track mixdowns and multi-track masters found in J Dilla’s archives after his death in 2006. The completion of The Diary was overseen by The Estate of James Yancey’s Creative Director Eothen Alapatt, long term general manager of Stones Throw Records and A&R for Donuts and Jaylib, whose previous archival Dilla work includes the expanded Ruff Draft issue from 2008. The Estate of James Yancey is overseen by California’s Probate Court on behalf of Yancey’s four heirs – his mother, Maureen “Madukes” Yancey, his brother John “Illa J” Yancey and his two daughters, Ja’Mya Yancey and Ty-monae Whitlow.

The musical landscape has shifted mightily in the wake of J Dilla’s final album. Donuts’ release and Dilla’s subsequent death forced a critical and fan-level reexamination of his work and importance on the global stage. J Dilla was marginalized in the years leading up to his death, as he, battling the rare blood disorder that would eventually take his life, eschewed the major label-led music industry where he created or aided some of the music industry’s brightest – D’angelo, Erykah Badu, Common – in the late 90s and early 00s, moved to California from his native Detroit and dug deep into the deepest recesses of his creative spirit to offer a new take on hip hop’s decades old art form of sampling. After Donuts, the likes of Kanye West and Pharrel Williams could be heard echoing words read on a fan’s shirt from one of J Dilla’s last European tours in 2005: J Dilla Changed My Life. They were not the only ones: Justin Timberlake opines openly that the world needs more Dilla. J Dilla became a critical signpost for these stars, and others: the archetype figure that birthed everything they loved and cared for in hip-hop.” – J Dilla.com

“PayJay Productions, Inc. was the company James Dewitt “J Dilla” Yancey founded in 2001 to house his production company and his publishing company. The Estate of James Yancey has revived PayJay as a functioning imprint, and announced the release of J Dilla’s long lost vocal album, The Diary. The tracks come straight from multi-track masters found on 2-inch tape shortly after Dilla’s passing in 2006. Many were mixed by Dilla himself. Those that weren't have been mixed by engineer Dave Cooley, who worked extensively with Dilla during his years in Los Angeles. Using Dilla’s original demo mixes as his guide, Cooley attempted to finalize Dilla’s vision for these tracks, while keeping all of the elements that Dilla had in place in his original demos present.

The Diary is an album of vocal performances recorded between in the early 2000s over production by the likes of Madlib, Pete Rock, Nottz, House Shoes, Karriem Riggins and others. The Record Store Day vinyl issue of The Diary includes a special 7” pressing of "The Ex" that will only be found on the RSD issue of the LP.” – Record Store Day

Tracklist

A1        The Introduction          

A2        The Anthem    

A3        Fight Club        

A4        The Shining Pt. 1 (Diamonds)   

A5        The Shining Pt. 2 (Ice)   

A6        Trucks 

A7        Gangsta Boogie

B1        Drive Me Wild 

B2        Give Them What They Want     

B3        The Creep (The O)       

B4        The Ex

B5        So Far  

B6        Fuck The Police

B7        The Diary        

C          The Ex

D         The Ex (R&B Version)

Note:

• Record Store Day 2016 release. Limited to 4000 copies.
• Includes download card, bonus 7" and a 12-page book detailing the story behind this legendary album.

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Jalal Salaam and ewonee’s Past Lives stands among the top releases of 2016. In 2017, it sees a deluxe vinyl release via House Shoes’ Street Corner Music. Beats by Ewonee and raps by Jalal Salaam.

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