Review: Black Grape was founded by former members of The Happy Mondays, Shaun Ryder and Bez (a.k.a. Mark Berry). New band members included rappers Paul "Kermit" Leveridge, Carl "Psycho" McCarthy, drummer Ged Lynch (all three from the first wave of UK hip-hop and influential Hulme, Manchester act Ruthless Rap Assassins), guitarist Paul Wagstaff (from the Paris Angels), and Oli "Dirtycash" Dillon on ocarina. It's Great When You're Straight... Yeah contains ten catchy songs, most prominently the album's preceding hit single 'In The Name Of The Father', with influences from indie-pop, alternative, funk, disco, with rough guitar, rapping all glued together and produced by American Danny Saber. On release in 1993, the debut album immediately charted at the very top of the UK Albums chart and was certified Platinum.
Review: Black Milk’s fourth studio album, the humbly titled Album Of The Year, was produced almost entirely by himself, with minimal assistance from Will Sessions, and originally released in 2010 via Fat Beats. Boasting the massive, bulldogging ‘365’ for starters, Black Milk’s perennial achievement only extends to ever more gain, nailing an idiomatic bossy, noughties-to-tens stadium hip-hop sound. This nonetheless varies itself, as we move from funk-sampling bombasts like ‘Deadly Medley’ to on-the-floor ass-slingers such as ‘Distortion’ and romantic bouncing-car lowriders like ‘Over Again’, on which Monica Blaire’s vocals especially shine. Now Vinyl Me Please reissue the rapper’s milestone record on limited edition "gold nugget” vinyl, limiting it to just 1000 copies.
The Main Thing Is To Keep The Main Thing The Main Thing
Yonders
Supreme Alchemy
Frequency (feat Black Thought)
No Fear Of Time (feat Yummy Bingham)
Review: The long-awaited sequel to Black Star's classic debut, No Fear of Time, showcases bursts of inspired lyricism and highlights the duo's evolution as artists. Yasiin Bey (fka Mos Def) and Talib Kweli continue to reflect on the passage of time, weaving their signature references to Black culture with contemporary relevance. In a world grappling with social issues, their return feels timely, as they channel righteous indignation into cathartic moments, especially on tracks like 'So be it' and 'Yonders'. While some of the chemistry from their youth has shifted, there are still standout moments where their interplay shines. With Madlib's eclectic production guiding them, the duo explores varied sonic landscapes, from the energetic shuffle of 'So Be It' to the jazzy vibe of 'Supreme Alchemy'. As Black Star continues to build on their legacy, No Fear of Time resonates with a thoughtful maturity, inviting listeners to reflect on their journeys through hip-hop and beyond. While its difficult to reach the heights of their debut, it certainly may surpass it to many.
The Main Thing Is To Keep The Main Thing The Main Thing
Yonders
Supreme Alchemy
Freequency (with Black Thought)
No Fear Of Time (with Yummy Bingham)
Review: No Fear of Time, the long-awaited sophomore album from the legendary hip-hop duo Black Star, is finally available in physical formats, including a stunning gatefold LP. After a digital-only debut in 2022, this release celebrates the dynamic collaboration between yasiin bey and Talib Kweli, who first captured hearts with their iconic 1998 album. Produced by Madlib, No Fear of Time showcases the duo's evolved artistry, recorded in diverse locations worldwide, including hotel rooms and backstage at Dave Chappelle's shows. The album's unique style flows seamlessly, with tracks like 'So be it' and 'Sweetheart. Sweethard. Sweetodd', igniting old-school vibes while addressing contemporary issues with sharp wit. With their powerful reunion, Black Star reaffirms their influential status in hip-hop, reminding listeners of the genre's rich cultural depth.
Review: Benjamin Reichwald, better known as Bladee, rose to prominence as one of the intrinsic members of Drain Gang; the Swedish alternative hip-hop collective of outsider mega star Yung Lean. Eversince (stylised as 3V3R51NC3) served as the official debut LP from Bladee, originally released in 2022, and showcased a continuation of the vaporwave indebted stylings of the prolific artist's myriad of mixtapes while taking creative leaps in its expansion to encompass elements of new wave, synth-pop and even gothic post-punk, with Reichwald's hazy, xanned out deliver submerged under aquatic levels of reverb and auto-tune, bouncing from synth-laden trap textures to more stripped down, emotive, abstract minimalism.
Review: Lil Yachty and James Blake's Bad Cameo showcases their fearless creativity, blending Yachty's dynamic vocals with Blake's signature production. Tracks like 'Missing Man' and 'Transport Me' shine with captivating depth, while 'Red Carpet' offers a soulful, gospel-infused highlight. The album's experimental nature, especially on tracks like 'Save the Savior' and 'Midnight', reflects the duo's bold approach, pushing boundaries with each song. Even in its unexpected turns, Bad Cameo remains an exciting exploration of sound. Available on limited magenta vinyl, this release is a fresh, innovative take from two artists unafraid to try something new.
Review: QB Legend Blaq Poet of Screwball fame's all new Blaq Dawn album has been produced in its entirety by Furio and features some old school scratching through done by DJ Clif and DJ Tray. This is dark and menacing hip hop with edgy synths and low slung grooves that keep you locked on. The lyrics are storytelling and the beats cinematic with plenty of scene-setting skits in between the main tunes. Cuts like 'Who Want Beef?!' and 'No Questions' are some of the standouts amongst many here.
Review: Originating from Hameenlinna, Finland, the DJ and producer duo Tuure Tammi and Juha Sarkkola are The Blassics. What started as a small instrumental funk project has since grown into a nine-piece instrumental band and that aims to distil the energy of their live shows into equally captivating records. Their style harks back to rough original funk 7" and draws on Afrobeat and jazz. Breaks & Juicy Takes is their new LP and one with 11 brilliantly infectious blends of broken beat, dub and nu-jazz and it's a lively, vibrant blend of hooks, basslines and melodies that will never grow old.
Review: Following her 2022 effort Good Morning Gorgeous, Gratitude reflects Blige's current state of grace and resilience while retracing the musical motifs that defined her 1990s heyday. Kicking off with 'Breathin', featuring Fabolous, the track melds nostalgia with fresh energy, sampling classics like Notorious B.I.G.'s 'Kick in the Door'. Blige's powerhouse vocals shine, though the production occasionally feels mismatched. Tracks like 'Need You More' featuring Jadakiss and 'Beautiful People' deliver rich grooves, revisiting her roots while embracing contemporary sounds. Highlights include the anthemic 'You Ain't the Only One' and the genre-defying 'Never Give Up on Me', which seamlessly blends funk, disco and soul. Ballads like 'Here I Am' and the empowering 'Superpowers' reaffirm Blige's vocal prowess and emotional depth. Collaborations with Fat Joe and A$AP Ferg on closing tracks 'God's Child' and 'I Got Plans' bring the album full circle with a nostalgic yet dynamic finish. Gratitude only serves to reinforce Blige's legacy, her vocals stronger than ever and her storytelling as compelling as it is heartfelt.
Review: Blk Odyssy's third studio album 1-800 Fantasy, as any artist long player really should, marks a sonic shift. It takes him away from his dark r&b and G-funk blend to a brighter, more upbeat alternative sound. This concept album tells the coming-of-age story of a teenage boy in the 90s exploring love and lust. The 13 tracks include singles like 'Want You,' 'XXX' (feat. Wiz Khalifa), 'Stank Rose' (feat. Joey Bada$$) and 'Changes' along with the new track 'Phase.' With this album, Blk Odyssy embraces a new era in his career, blending fresh storytelling with innovative production. It proves again he is a boundary-pushing artist.
Review: A decade after Blockhead dropped his seminal Interludes After Midnight album it gets a deserving reissue on Ninja Tune. Blockhead is of course an alias of the revered New York producer Tony Simon who is reissuing all his albums at the moment. This one set a blueprint for the broken beat and nu jazz scene, with elements of trip hop and downtempo also colouring the grooves. Some tunes like 'Never Forget Your Token' have a Latin feel thanks to the keys and breaks, others are more psyched out late night store jams like 'Hungover Like Woah.' All are great.
Review: Blockhead is New York producer Tony Simon, a revered talent who has put out a wealth of crucial albums. They are all getting reissue treatment now as some are almost 20 years old, but they have weathered that time well. Music By Cavelight is another of his masterful takes on broken beat and nu-jazz and this one comes on nice orange-marbled wax. It peaked at number 43 on the UK Independent Albums Chart back in 2004 when it first landed and it only came to be on Nina Tune after its original label stopped answering the artist's calls.
Review: 20 years on from its initial release in 2004, Ninja Tune share the first ever reissue of Blockhead's Music By Cavelight. The New York-based alias of Tony Simon, this record is the quintessence of Ninja Tune's smoked-out trip-hop sound at the time, and for which Simon himself likewise came to be known. Recalling a time when instrumental beatsmiths were much likelier to consider their crafts artful enough to warrant calling their studios beat-smithies (as compared to the sadly throwaway feel of much instrumental hip-hop today), one can really hear the subtlety and care poured into each vignette here, our favourites among which are 'Bullfight In Ireland', 'Graveyard Hunt' and 'Bloop Bloop'; all play back like studies of a gritty, degage, sun-bathed vision of a bygone big smoke.
We use cookies to personalise content and ads, to provide social media features and to analyse our traffic. We also share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising and analytics partners who may combine it with other information that you've provided to them or that they've collected from your use of their services.