Juno Recommends Hip Hop / R&B February 2021

Review: 2 slabs of classic Hip Hop history from American 45 only label imprint.300 It would be fair to say that debutant label Hip-Hop Fire is fittingly named. The imprint was apparently established to deliver seven-inch singles showcasing a variety of much-loved vintage rap hits. Release number one kicks of with 'Still ' & flipside features a 1994 conscious rap classic

Review: West Coast Classics brings the heat on this latest super 7" with one fo the biggest name sin the game taking care of the a-side. 2 Pac's 1993 gem 'Keep Ya Head Up' features R&B singer Dave Hollister. The tune was dedicated to his godson Elijah and Latasha Harlins and also points out the abuse black women face in society. It's a cut that brims with warmth and a beat sampled from Zapp's 'Be Alright.' Flip it over for King Tee's slow motion, deep cut funk jewel 'Played Like A Piano' which is another vital tune.

Review: Hardcore funk and breaks lovers rejoice - the latest Heat Rock is a real winner. This 7th and final entry into the first series has a pair of world music-influenced bangers on it. The first tune is produced by Bounce Castle from Chicago and is primed for the dance floor with its Bollywood-flavoured vibes and big beats. It's a fresh take on a big tune from QB's Finest. And if you reverse it, fellow Chicagoan Altered Tapes mixes up a Cumbia slash dancehall slash breakbeat version of an iconic song from legendary Wu Tang album 36 Chambers.

Review: Longtime hip-hop mainstays People Under The Stairs have a wealth fo great material but their 2002 album O.S.T. is one fo their best. It now finally gets a long overdue reissue after the group disbanded in 2019, a full 25 years after first hooking up and making a name with their inventive styles. This third record furthered their sample heavy sound and gave rise to one of their best known and most loved hits, 'Acid Raindrops.' Elsewhere the languid beats flow freely as the verses and the whole thing was produced in Thes One's home by him and pattern in rhymes, Double K.

Review: RZA is a fascinating character who has become a cult figure on social media after his major role as part of the Wu Tang Clan. He has along obsession with Samurai and all the culture around it - as did the band - and here his original motion score for Ghost Dog Way of the Samurai is pressed up onto red wax with plenty of appearances by Wu Tang Clan members. It's darkly soulful, occasionally haunting and bares all the hallmarks you would expect when it comes to the crisp boom bap beats.

Review: When Blackmarket Seminar first surfaced in 2014, it was already ancient. Kazi, then a mic man as much as a beat-maker, recorded it with the mighty Madlib way back in 1996, but for whatever reason it was never released at the time. The fact that it has been reissued is a very good thing indeed, because many hip-hop heads may have missed it previously. Kazi's rhymes are of course good, but what makes the album so special is Madlib's incredible beats, which are typically dusty, crackly, jazzy and atmospheric, with samples and scratches complimented by the legendary producer's own subtle instrumental touches and tight drum programming. If you dig the deeper, more blunted end of the hip-hop spectrum, you need the album in your life.

Review: What You Gonna Do When the Grid Goes Down? is a mash up of tunes from a free album and plenty of classics. As such it bangs for hardcore fans but doesn't offer much new for anyone else. Guests like George Clinton and Cypress Hill, Mike D, AD Rock & Run DMC and DJ Premier all help make each track standout and the powerful likes of 'State Of The Union' will always need t be heard nice and loud, especially the line 'fear the combover' which is a perfect anthem for the outgoing 45th President of the United States. This special gatefold also includes inserts and stickers.

Review: In 2007, Blu & Exile released an album that went on to make a seismic effect. This is the long anticipated follow up with another carefully curated list of collaborators such as CD Armstrong, Jacinto Rhines, Fashion and many more. It is a long record that muses on the social and cultural forces that shape all of us, with the LA backpack rapper in fine form as the Dirty Science producer serves up some lush beats. There are jazzy instrumentals, but also tracks that dig into each artists heritage such as the afro sounds of "Requiem Of Blue". With its stunning sampling and broad array of styles, this is stunning record.

Review: Vinyl plays from the inside out.Place the needle on the Inside of the record and watch it spin to the Outside!

MAY NOT BE COMPATIBLE WITH AUTOMATIC TURNTABLES (when the tonearm lifts at the end or places the needle at the start of the record automatically)

Review: Hiero Oldies is a collection of early works from the Hieroglyphics crew. It takes in a crack team of beat makers such as Del The Funkyhomosapien, Casual, Pep Love, and Souls of Mischief and marks the first time the timeless tune 'Step To My Girl' has ever been on wax. Oakland-based Hieroglyphics crew might not have the headlines of some of their peers but they sure have made a valued contribution to underground rap over the years as this collection proves with its freestyle rhymes, battle verses and often psyched-out beats.

Review: Rhye's last full-length studio album, 2018's Blood, was touted as the gender-fluid Canadian artist's best to date - a typically emotive and soulful set that blurred the boundaries between future R&B, lo-fi soul and heart-aching, piano-powered balladry. The reviews of Home, his first album since, have been equally as impressive. Listening to the clips, it's easy to see why. It is undoubtedly a very cohesive and well thought out set, where the artist's unique vocals rise above a mixture of off-kilter beats, emotion-soaked piano motifs, orchestral sweeps and, on selected tunes, some particularly celestial choral work courtesy of the Danish National Girls Choir.

Review: A Beat Maker Named Crate Head says he "spent a long time digging through crates, searching for samples, buying records and creating these 20 tracks" as well as consuming lots of his favourite brews. He says that means each of the cuts is inspired by a particular drink and come with plenty of back stories and references to other topics. The whole record is made from music sampled from vinyl and each track comes with its own hand drawn illustration. Louche beats, jazzy motifs and classic golden era boom bap all make this one for the lovers of the classic sound.

Review: Koralle gets 2021 off to a sure start with his second album, Fonografie, Eight singles from it have already been dropped over the last year - a difficult one for the artist who hails from Bologna, where COVID-19 hit particularly hard. Cologne beat smith Twit One, London MC Isatta Sheriff, Houston rapper Anti Lilly and Turt from Summers Sons all collaborate throughout and make this jazz-tinged, piano laced record one for romantic late nights in, or hazy summer afternoon smoking sessions. From the twinkling keys to the warm, underlapping bass via the well placed vocals, this is a mini classic of the genre.

Review: Spanish Sauce brings together the slick soundscape skills of Spanish Ran and the hard hitting, raw verses of Sauce Heist on one compelling record. Touching on classic boom bap, hardcore and golden era hip-hop, it kicks off with a direct movie dialogue that sets a mean tone. 'Deli To The Stoop' then gets going on a dark and soulful sound and 'Kennedy Fried' tells takes of trapping on corners while paying homage to what street dealers eat to keep them going. It's insightful always, and guests Rigz, Has and Ty Da Dale add their own flavours and ensure this is a fully formed record.

Review: Auerbach's Garden is a dope new record from producer Grubby Pawz from East Boston. For it he has linked up with talented lyricist Codenine from Lynn, Massachusetts, and the results pay homage to two basketball legends, Kevin McHale and Larry Bird of the Boston Celtics. The sound is perfectly warm and soulful with dusty beats and a lo-fi, crackling old vinyl aesthetic that means it could be 30 years old as much as brand new. Aged samples are well chosen and well deployed and guests like Tragic Allies leader Estee Nack, Long Island MC SmooVth and hotly tipped rapper SullyNomad and The Egg McMuffin of Beards from Boston all feature.

Review: Back in 2019, beat-maker and MC R-Juna made his solo debut with a seven-track set that blurred the boundaries between dub, reggae and hip-hop. On Intelligent Design, his second set, the Indiana-based artist has gone back to his roots, returning to the mic to rap over his own boom-bap and golden era hip-hop beats. It was a wise choice. His chunky, head-nodding beats and layered jazz, soul and funk samples provide a perfect backdrop for his own largely conscious raps, which on some tracks come accompanied by guest verses from A7mc, Zagnif Nori and Chuck Chan.