Vinyl - Hip Hop

As somewhat of a follow up to the “Os Afro Sambas Reworks” project, “Bruxo” is another release inspired by Hoyle’s deep love for Brazilian music. Sampling rich sounds from flutes, Fender Rhodes, guitar and melodica, it fluctuated between being a completely vocal or instrumental-only album throughout the creative process, eventually leading to a mix of the two with contributions from Tom Scott, Cazeaux O.S.L.O & N’fa Jones. The backbone of these pieces is formed by the world-class Myele Manzanza, who played drums on every track, shifting between boom-bap grooves and also flexing his incredible chops. Damian Smith also adds life to this project with various solos and keyboard parts that colour in the instrumental pieces.

Mixing emotive & unusual progressions with hard edged beats and some evocative lyrics, “Bruxo” feels like a journey somewhere through South America where paths cross between hiphop, jazz, and instrumental music.

“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

Item description:        

“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

Item description:        

“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

Item description:        

“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

Item description:        

“Eminem's claim that "nobody listens to techno" notwithstanding, hip-hop and dance music have often enjoyed a mutual respect in Detroit. Countless artists have tried their hand at both—just look at the tracklist for the 1998 compilation Eleven Phases. J Dilla, possibly the city's most loved hip-hop producer, had two posthumous releases on Moodymann's label, Mahogani Music. Danny Brown, the city's biggest rap export at the moment, put out an album on Warp Records that began with the line, "I'm sweatin' like I'm in a rave."…”

“…In this context, a figure like Tadd Mullinix makes sense. Alongside the grimy techno he makes as JTC (or James T. Cotton), the Ann Arbor producer has, over the last two decades, sidelined in glistening hip-hop beats, most of which have come out in a three-part series of albums on Ghostly International. Three/Three, which lands nearly 12 years since the last installment, is the final chapter in the series, but not, we're told, the end of Dabrye's run…”

“…The cast of collaborators on Three/Three shows this is more than a techno artist's side project. There are two generations of MCs, from Detroit old guard like Guilty Simpson and Phat Kat to newer names like Danny Brown and Nolan The Ninja. There's a bit of rap royalty as well, namely MF Doom and the Wu-Tang Clan's Ghostface Killah. Fellow Ghostly International staple Shigeto stops by as a guest producer.” - Resident Advisor

“Three/Three is stacked with features from Detroit area MCs (Danny Brown, Clear Soul Forces) and heavy-hitting veterans (MF DOOM, Ghostface Killah), but only a handful of his guests truly rise to the occasion. On “Pretty,” Los Angeles journeyman Jonwayne effortlessly delivers tongue-in-cheek punchlines overtop muffled horns and jazzy keys. Elsewhere, the eerie, Sunday morning cartoon-sampling “Lil Mufukuz” reunites the producer and DOOM, who gleefully schools SoundCloud stars and “snotty-nosed club rats.” Less successful are the relatively unknown trio of Kadence, Intricate Dialect, and Silas Green, whose clunky socio-political musings on “Culture Shuffle” will make listeners wish somebody had gotten Mullinix a landline to Jay Electronica instead.” - Pitchfork

Item Description:

 "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 

Item description:

Item description:

“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

Item description:        

Item description:

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. 

Item description:

A TAV Essential Listening Album.

Blending hip-hop with traditional soul and jazz vocal stylings, Erykah Badu took the music world by storm with her first album "Baduizm" in 1997. Politically and socially engaged, Badu drew comparisons to Billie Holiday and Nina Simone. "Baduizm" rose all the way to #2 on the Billboard 200 album chart, also scoring a big hit with the song "On & On." Badu won the Grammy for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance on that song. Better yet, "Baduizm" won the Grammy for Best R&B Album.  The Roots served as co-writers and co-producers on "Sometimes (Mix #9)" and "Sometimes..." – Press Release

“When Baduizm debuted on February 11, 1997, it was … jam-packed with concepts that spoke to a higher consciousness. Lead single “On & On,” the song that first brought her to wider public attention, makes several references to the teachings of the Five Percent Nation, a cultural movement grounded in the belief that all black people are divine. A core part of the Five-Percenter doctrine revolves around the idea of the black man as God. But Baduizm was more concerned with the empowered black woman, putting her work, relationships, family values, and quest for knowledge under the lens.

The album’s melodies and instrumentation reflected a range of influences, most notably jazz, soul, hip-hop, and R&B. Blended as they were on Baduizm, the result was branded as neo-soul, a concept attributed to record exec and D’Angelo manager William “Kedar” Massenburg. He signed Badu to her first label deal and released Baduizm on Kedar Entertainment, his imprint via Universal Records. Massenburg was already marketing D’Angelo as an alternative R&B artist when an early Badu demo landed in his lap, and “Erykah [was] a natural for me to follow that blueprint,” he boasted to Billboard.

Erykah Badu’s role in neo-soul made her a visionary of the modern soul revival, and it’s an influence that reverberates still through Janelle Monàe, Solange, D.R.A.M., and many more. But more than just representing a moment in time, Badu emerged from the neo-soul haze unscathed, with a classic debut firmly in her pocket and an unwavering drive to inspire and create. That’s what she’s here for. And she’s still fly.” – Pitchfork

Item description:        

“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

Item description:        

“Lord Giveth, Lord Taketh Away is a collaborative EP by American rapper Freddie Gibbs and producer Statik Selektah. It was released on June 24, 2011, by Showoff Records and CTE World” – Wiki

Item description:        

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

Item description:

“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

Item description:        

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

Item description:

Guilty Simpson's third full length album, produced entirely by Quakers producer Katalyst.

2/LP gatefold with metallic copper/silver sleeve, includes 1 bonus track ("Liquor") and digital download card.



Item description:        

"First of a Living Breed is the fourth studio album by American rapper Homeboy Sandman. It was released through Stones Throw Records on September 18, 2012. 

was listed by NPR Music as one of their "50 Favorite Albums of 2012". It was ranked at number 5 on The Village Voice's "Ten Best New York City Rap Albums of 2012" list." - Wikipedia



Item description:        

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

Item description:        

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

Item description:

Item description:        

Madlib's remix of Champion Sound with a previously unreleased track – “Da Rawkus” – recorded in the original Jaylib sessions. 

A TAV Curator's Pick.

“To make soul and jazz-tainted hip-hop available to all ears was the first challenge the Jazz Liberatorz pulled off with their first LP “Clin d’Oeil”. Damage, Dusty and Mahdi are now back with their classical vocals and beats. Ancient fruits that have today fully ripened now render a rich, smooth and noble new album “Fruit of the past”.

The already six year-old vinyl discography of the Jazz Liberatorz is not due to chance. From the very beginning they collaborated with renounced musicians, thus enfolding a new musical era in wich acoustic sound is blended with virtual sound. In order to assert their desire to share their music beyond French borders, the band offers listeners a previously unreleased number featuring one of US hip-hop’s top MCs, the boogie man Mos Def. This record is absolutely essential to all quality music amators, who may enjoy it at any time of day or night. You will be thrilled to hear the Jazz Libs’ new original tracks, but also remix versions of the already well known Drum Brothers featuring T Love, or the famous and talented producer Dela remixing Fat Lip and of the great 20syl of Hocus Pocus remixing Mr Dudley Perkins aka Declaime.” – Album liner notes

Item description:

The rapper, who also lives in the German capital, has cooked 10 gorgeous tracks where beats, samples and smooth flows perfectly intertwine into a staggering sonic experience.

The record focuses heavily on themes like spirituality, something you can pick up from "Intro" - album's opening track. There's something utterly mysterious engraved in those beats. That being said, those who dig the good old school hip hop vibe won't be disappointed. With production that flows from laid back hip hop to contemporary trap, JuJu's multi-faceted identity is in the spotlight. 

Born to an American GI out of New Orleans, and a German mother with Austrian roots, JuJu was raised in Schweinfurt; a southern-German city filled with stationed US Army troops. From this, he was exposed to a rich New Orleans musical heritage, alongside the German culture. These influences have manifested into a unique perspective, perfectly reflected in 40 Acres N Sum Mula. - Stereofox

A TAV Essential Listening Album.

“Good Kid, M.A.A.D City (stylized as good kid, m.A.A.d city) is the second studio album by American rapper Kendrick Lamar. The album was released in 2012 by Top Dawg Entertainment, Aftermath Entertainment, and was distributed by Interscope Records. The album serves as Lamar's major label debut, after his signing to Aftermath and Interscope in early 2012. It was preceded by the release of Kendrick's debut studio album Section.80 (2011), released exclusively through the iTunes Store independently.

The album was recorded mostly at several studios in California with producers such as Dr. Dre, Just Blaze, Pharrell Williams, Hit-Boy, Scoop DeVille, Jack Splash and T-Minus, among others. Billed as a "short film by Kendrick Lamar" on the album cover, the concept album follows the story of Lamar's teenage experiences in the drug-infested streets and gang lifestyle of his native Compton, California. Good Kid, M.A.A.D City received widespread acclaim from critics, who praised its thematic scope and Lamar's lyrics. Good Kid M.A.A.D City earned Lamar four Grammy Award nominations at the 56th Grammy Awards including Album of the Year.

The album's release was supported by five singles – "The Recipe" featuring Dr. Dre, " ", "Backseat Freestyle", "Poetic Justice" featuring Drake and "Bitch, Don't Kill My Vibe".

Good Kid, M.A.A.D City has a low-key, downbeat production, with atmospheric beats and subtle, indistinct hooks.It eschews contemporary hip hop tastes and generally features tight bass measures, subtle background vocals, and light piano. Writers draw comparisons of the music to OutKast's 1998 album Aquemini.

 Andrew Nosnitsky of Spin cites the music's "closest point of reference" as "the cold spaciousness of ATLiens-era OutKast, but as the record progresses, that sound sinks slowly into the fusionist mud of those sprawling and solemn mid-2000s Roots albums." Sasha Frere-Jones of The New Yorker finds its use of "smooth" music as a backdrop for "rough" scenarios to be analogous to Dr. Dre's G-funk during the early 1990s, but adds that "Lamar often sounds like Drake ... whose various dreamy styles have very little to do with the legacy of the West." Okayplayer's Marcus Moore writes that its "expansive and brooding" instrumentals eschew "California's glossy West Coast funk" for a "Dungeon Family aesthetic."

Lamar exhibits a tempered delivery on the album and raps with dense narratives, internal rhyme, double and triple time flow and multiple voices for different characters. Music journalist Jody Rosen characterizes him as "a storyteller, not a braggart or punch-line rapper, setting spiritual yearnings and moral dilemmas against a backdrop of gang violence and police brutality."” – Wiki

"Kendrick Lamar's good kid, m.A.A.d city is fearless and brilliant, an unvarnished and nuanced peek into the rapper's inner life that ties straightforward rap thrills directly to its narrative." - Pitchfork

Item description:        

A TAV Essential Listening Album.

To Pimp a Butterfly is the third studio album by American rapper Kendrick Lamar. It was released in 2015 by Top Dawg Entertainment, Aftermath Entertainment and Interscope Records.

The album was recorded in studios throughout the United States, with executive production from Dr. Dre and Anthony "Top Dawg" Tiffith. Boi-1da, Flying Lotus, Terrace Martin, Pharrell Williams, Knxwledge, Sounwave, Thundercat and several other hip hop producers also contributed.

The album incorporates elements of free jazz, funk, soul, and spoken word and its lyrics explore a variety of political and personal themes concerning African-American culture, racial inequality, depression, institutional discrimination and materialism.

To Pimp a Butterfly debuted atop the Billboard 200 and received widespread acclaim from critics, who praised its musical scope and the social relevance of Lamar's lyrics.

Additionally, it was ranked as the best album of 2015 by many publications, including Rolling Stone, Billboard and Pitchfork Media.

It was nominated for Album of the Year and won Best Rap Album at the 58th Grammy Awards. Its singles "i" and "Alright" each won Grammys for Best Rap Song and Best Rap Performance, with the latter also nominated for Song of the Year. Additionally, "These Walls" won Best Rap/Sung Collaboration.

Lamar described To Pimp a Butterfly as an "honest, fearful and unapologetic" work that draws on funk, free jazz, spoken word and soul while critics also noted elements of West Coast hip hop[28] and conscious hip hop.  Kyle Anderson of Entertainment Weekly described the album as "embracing the entire history of black American music." Dan Weiss of Spin noted "shades of Miles Davis' On the Corner and free jazz all over [...], as well as Sly Stone’s There's a Riot Goin' On and Funkadelic and Erykah Badu's similarly wah-crazy but comparatively lo-fi New Amerykah (4th World War)," but stated nonetheless that "the sense of this album is vividly contemporary." Greg Kot of Chicago Tribune also noted the album's affinities with previous black music, but argued that "Lamar takes familiar musical tropes into new territory." The Atlantic noted the influence of collaborator Flying Lotus, writing that "his signature sound—jazz instrumentation and hip-hop layered into chaotic collages—is all over the album." Steve Mallon of The Quietus noted an "eerily warped psychedelia bursting out of its idiosyncratic arrangements."

In an interview with MTV, Kendrick discussed the meaning behind the tracks "Wesley's Theory" and "King Kunta".The album's opening track, "Wesley's Theory", is a reference to Wesley Snipes and how the actor was jailed for tax evasion. In the interview Lamar stated that "no one teaches poor black males how to manage money or celebrity, so if they do achieve success, the powers that be can take it from right under them". He continues by elaborating that "King Kunta" is concerned with the "history of negative stereotypes all African-Americans have to reconcile". The interviewer finishes by asking about Lamar's criticism of rappers who use ghostwriters on "King Kunta", after which Lamar reveals that he came to prominence as a ghostwriter, therefore having respect for writers, but says that "as a new artist, you have to stand behind your work... and honor the code of hip-hop." "These Walls" has been described by Billboard as "pondering sex and existence in equal measure; it's a yoni metaphor about the power of peace, with sugar walls being escape and real walls being obstacles."

Lamar revealed that "u" was inspired by his own experience of depression and suicidal thoughts. He also mentioned feelings of survivor's guilt as inspirations for the album. "Alright" begins as a spoken-word treatise before exploding into a shapeshifting portrait of America that brings in jazz horns, skittering drum beats and Lamar's mellifluous rapping as he struggles with troubles and temptations. Yet at the end of each verse, he reassures himself that "We gon' be alright" - a simple rallying cry for a nation reeling from gun violence and police brutality. For critics a "celebration of being alive", Lamar described "Alright" as a message of hope. "The Blacker the Berry" features a "boom bap beat" and lyrics that celebrate Lamar's African-American heritage and "tackle hatred, racism, and hypocrisy head on." The song's hook is performed by Jamaican dancehall artist Assassin, notable for performing on Kanye West's 2013 LP Yeezus, whose lyrics similarly address racial inequality, specifically against African Americans. - Wiki

 Pitchfork - Best Album of 2015 - #1

 Rolling Stone – The Best 50 Albums of 2015 - #1

 2016 Grammy Award Winner

• Best Rap Album
• Best Rap Performance: Alright
• Best Rap Song: Alright
• Best Rap/Sung Collaboration: These Walls

Item description:        

A TAV Essential Listening Album.

““I wanted to make a record that would be weird forever.”  — Kid Koala

Part radio play, part comedy, all turntables… and next to no beats!  Carpal Tunnel Syndrome includes the hits “Barhopper 1,”  “Barhopper  2,” and “Drunk Trumpet,” as well as the Thom Yorke-approved “Like Irregular Chickens.”” – Kid Koala

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is the first album by turntablist Kid Koala.

The track "Like Irregular Chickens" is a reference to fellow Ninja Tune artist Amon Tobin's track "Like Regular Chickens" on the album Permutation, which itself references the David Lynch film Eraserhead. – Wiki

“"Carpal Tunnel Syndrome was not an easy record to make," says Kid Koala, erupting into one of his trademark peals of laughter. It's a fair point, too. First, there was the pressure of being signed to his dream label, Ninja Tune; then the fact that he told them he'd deliver an album in six months. Four years later, he handed in Carpal Tunnel Syndrome - possibly the weirdest artist album the label had put out, and for them that's saying something.

It runs at just over half an hour, but takes the listener on a timeless and phantasmagorical journey through the mind and record collection of this celebrated Canadian turntablist and producer.

The striking thing about it is that it was made almost entirely by hand-cutting vinyl records onto an eight-track recorder. No computer splicing or looping was used to arrange it, and no samplers were employed to trigger the hundreds of records that were assembled to piece the tracks together.

"None of these tracks are songs," says Kid Koala. "They were more inspired by the Monty Python mantra of, 'Now for something completely different', or the sketches from The Muppet Show. That's what was informing Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, more than me making some type of dancefloor destroyer or something. It was much more on the topic of it being an adventure in sound and records."

The results were staggeringly good. Not that Kid Koala likes to blow his own trumpet. In fact, at the time, he was riddled with self-doubt over his attempt to be an artist.

"The sample that rings truest for that whole era in my life is at the end of A Night At The Nufonia and says, 'And that, of course, is what he deserved for pretending to be a musician when he was only a butcher' [laughs].

"I wanted to make this album purely on turntables, so the question was, can this be musical? I had to wrestle with that throughout. At times, it did break through and transcend that realm, and go into a place where I could see it as a future."” – Music Radar

“Koala makes it easy for listeners to follow the transformation of his source material into totally different creations, and builds some deceptively dense, layered tracks; plus, his explosive scratching (best heard on "A Night at the Nufonia") is the equivalent of a guitar shredder soloing. His infectious sense of fun is simply a gateway to Carpal Tunnel Syndrome's readily apparent musical sophistication. All in all, a superb and accessible introduction to a specialist art form.” – AlMusic

About Kid Koala:

Kid Koala is a world-renowned scratch DJ, music producer, and award winning graphic novelist. He has released four solo albums on Ninja Tune the most recent being 12 bit Blues. He has also released two graphic novels: Nufonia Must Fall and Space Cadet. He has also been involved in collaborations such as Gorillaz, Deltron 3030, and The Slew.

Kid Koala has toured with the likes of Radiohead, the Beastie Boys, Arcade Fire, Money Mark, A Tribe Called Quest, Mike Patton, DJ Shadow, and The Preservation Hall Jazz Band. He has contributed to scores for the films Shaun of the Dead, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, Looper and The Great Gatsby. He has composed music for The National Film Board of Canada, the Cartoon Network, Sesame Street, and Adult Swim. He has also been commissioned to create music for runway shows for Belgian fashion designer Dries Van Noten. Kid Koala’s unforgettable live shows range from silly touring turntable carnivals like Short Attention Span Theater (featuring turntable bingo) and Vinyl Vaudeville (including puppets and dancers) to quiet-time events like Music To Draw To and his Space Cadet Headphone Experience. – KidKoala.com

Item description:

As his alter-ego, "Kid Koala", might suggest, Eric San applies a joyous childlike vision to his music on Some of My Best Friends Are DJs. Following turns with Money Mark, Deltron 3030 and Lovage, Canada's cheekiest mixologist defied weighty expectations with his beguiling debut album, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. Three years later, and Kid Koala has retained his youthful verve. Packaged with a 52-page, self-penned comic and a travel chess kit, Some of My Best Friends Are DJs offers less in the way of music, with the 35-minute running time meaning the restless sonic snippets wisely end before his humour has a chance to grate.

Mixing sleazy whisky-bar vibes with adolescent antics, his second album never allows the listener to settle. Moments of playful mixing magic are at times followed by baffling inanity as "Skanky Panky"--with its wonderfully shattered Ska rhythm and frantic scratches--runs into "Flu Season", ostensibly a series of beat-accompanied coughs, sneezes and sniffs. Blending blues, jazz and funk with a myriad of bizarre samples, moments of pure eccentric genius such as "Robochacha" and "More Dance Music" make this a flawed yet fascinating slice of beat-driven bravura. - Christopher Barrett

Item description:

“A Grand Love Story is an irresistible romp through the lighthearted, pastoral side of trip-hop by way of orchestral pop paragons like Bacharach, Gainsbourg, and Love. Songs like the single "Relaxin' With Cherry" and "She's My Lover" are beautiful pop songs, constructed mostly from sampled material with a few live guitar and basslines plus vocals by Prieur and the Pastels' Katrina Mitchell. If the '70s fixations of Air were shifted back a decade, the results would be quite close to A Grand Love Story.” – All Music

Item description:        

“Drogas Light (stylized as DROGAS Light)[6] is the sixth studio album by American hip hop recording artist Lupe Fiasco, released by 1st and 15th Productions on February 10, 2017. This is also his first album under Thirty Tigers following his departure from Atlantic Records.”– Wiki

Item description:        

“Fuck What You Think is the second and final album by Canadian/American hip hop group Main Source. It was released by Wild Pitch Records in March 22, 1994, and it was shelved after Main Source broke up later that year. However, the album was re-released as a CD and double LP in 1998. Large Professor, one of the group's founding members, left the group before the making of this album. On this album, Sir Scratch and K-Cut combined their talents with Mikey D, an emcee previously signed to Sleeping Bag Records, who demonstrates a raw voice and delivery. The song "Set It Off" includes verses from Jadakiss and Sheek Louch of D-Block before they became successful a few years later. In addition, there is a female emcee named Shaqueen (Kool G Rap's wife) who contributes to "Set It Off" and "Fuck What You Think.” – Wiki

Item description: