Review: For Record Store Day 2025, Bloom Japan presents a lovely 7" from the 45TRIO, who reimagine Minnie Riperton's classic 'Inside My Love.' This reinterpretation delivers a lush, jazz-infused instrumental take that honours the original's unique sensuality while introducing a fresh, soulful groove for modern 'floors. 45TRIO's tasteful blend of live instrumentation and vintage tones helps breathe new life into this timeless gem while the B-side offers a stripped-down version perfect for late-night spins or sample hunters. This is one to pick up and drop during those loved-up moments.
Review: LA label Milkcrate Mondays is back with more slick contemporary hip-hop and r&b sounds, this time in the form of a split 7". Abel takes care of the opener with 'Flex'd Up', which has slow, seductive and silky drums and synths making for a sunny sound that is topped with a gorgeously heartfelt r&b vocal that swoons and swoops effortlessly. On the flip, Netwerk's 'Horns Of A Feather' has a duster and more classic boom-bap hip-hop beat that's low in the mix, with muted horns and another aching vocal really finishing it in style. Two different vibes, both are excellent.
Review: UK ensemble Abstract Orchestra is led by producer Rob Mitchell and has built its name through jazz-infused hip-hop tributes to legends like J Dilla and MADVILLAIN. Their latest cut, 'Big Bad Wolf,' features Detroit MC Guilty Simpson, whose booming baritone drives the track's cinematic narrative. Originally shelved and not put out, Mitchell revived the collaboration by rewriting the entire instrumental. The result is a two-part journey: from eerie, dreamlike strings to hard-hitting live drums, textured synths and reverb-heavy vocals. With lines like 'when a good guy becomes a villain' Simpson's in raw vengeance mode and jay lyrical grit meets with tight musicianship for modern hip-hop orchestration at its boldest.
Review: Long Island's Aesop Rock takes listeners deep into the everyday moments that blur the line between the real and the surreal on this, his 11th LP. Self-produced, the album's intricate beats and complex structures provide a perfect canvas for his expansive lyricism. Tracks like 'Movie Night' and 'Send Help' explore this liminal space, mixing reflections on the mundane with eccentric, dreamlike imagery. The production pushes boundaries, channeling a sense of both experimentation and coherence, while tracks such as 'Black Plums' evoke a quiet, wistful nostalgia. Aesop balances cerebral exploration with emotional depth, pulling the listener through his introspective world with both precision and spontaneity. Hailing from New York, his work continues to reflect that city's blend of chaos and contemplation, navigating between complexity and raw instinct. The album's guest featuresiLupe Fiasco, Armand Hammer, Open Mike Eagle, Homeboy Sandman, and Hanni El Khatibiadd distinct layers to the project, each bringing their own energy to the sonic landscape. '1010WINS (feat. Armand Hammer)' and 'Charlie Horse (feat. Lupe Fiasco & Homeboy Sandman)' are highlights where the collaborations are seamless, blending each artist's style with Aesop's own. Throughout, the work showcases his most technically accomplished efforts to date, weaving together complex ideas with an instinctive flow that makes for an album as ambitious as it is enthralling.
Review: Aesop Rock has long thrived on twisting the ordinary into the uncanny, and his latest full-length after 2023's irony-packed Integrated Tech Solutions hears him deepen that fascination. Examining the unseen mechanisms that guide daily life - dream logic, half-formed memories, fleeting emotions - he now blurs the lines between perception and reality with densely packed verses and meticulous self-produced beats. A brooding, cinephilic album recalling the atmospheric street wiles of filmmakers like Wong Kar Wai, the playful 'Send Help', contemplative 'Movie Night' and dusky 'Black Plums' chart strange emotional terrain, brought to life through warped sonic forensic architectures and sharp lyrical precision. Joined by Lupe Fiasco, Armand Hammer, Hanni El Khatib, Open Mike Eagle and Homeboy Sandman, the album pivots constantly, driven by intuition but grounded in detail Speaking on the record's emphasis on public bareness, Rock remarks on 'Checkers', a song "about the neighborhood outside your home being the great leveller. You can't show up feeling one way because the world will show you otherwise."
Review: Ladbroke Grove favourite AJ Tracey's highly anticipated third album arrives after a three-year hiatus and reaffirms his place at the forefront of rap. The record explores themes of ambition, resilience and living life to the fullest, reflecting AJ's journey from humble London beginnings to UK rap's pinnacle. Featuring viral hit 'Joga Bonito' and chart-topping track 'Crush' with Jorja Smith, who contributes two very different, equally stunning parts to that single, this is the sound of an artist who is still growing and joining his craft. His wordplay remains sharp and with and fuelled with fun cultural references and is sure to be heard banging from car radios, Bluetooth speakers and plenty in between all summer long.
Review: On their second release, Atelier Kamikazi continues to deliver raw, collaborative lyrics drawn from their experiences as street kids in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Like their debut on Seismographic Records, the group reflects on the harsh realities and surreal beauty of life in the city as they resist corrupt politics, challenge religious hypocrisy embodied by a figure they call "Priest Cat's Heart", and confront the dangers of "Bomb," a potent street drug. With vivid metaphors and unflinching honesty, they warn against its use while affirming their true tools for survival: words, wisdom and Loketo-the liberating hip-swing of Congolese dance.
Hey DJ/I Can't Dance (To That Music You're Playing) (3:15)
Boo Is Booming (3:20)
Boo's Boogie (3:20)
24 Hours (3:29)
Valentine's Day (4:40)
Doin' The Do (King John 7" mix) (4:08)
Doin' It To Def (4:32)
Don't Know What To Do (3:47)
Shame (5:04)
Mumbo Jumbo (3:40)
Leave Me Alone (4:44)
Review: Betty Boo's irreverent blend of pop, rap and dancefloor sass took UK charts by storm in 1990, and her debut album Boomania here returns by way of a deluxe edition digging as deep into that exact era-defining sound as can possibly be dug. Originally launched off the back of her breakout appearance on The Beatmasters' 1989 single 'Hey DJ / I Can't Dance (To That Music You're Playing)', Boo's first full-length reached number four on the UK charts and went platinum. This expander reissue compiles 12 originals and 14 bonus cuts, including multiple versions of the four hit singles, from the King John and Peter Lorimer mixes of 'Where Are You Baby?' to Vince Clarke's Oratonic mix of '24 Hours'.
Play No Games (feat Chris Brown & Ty Dolla $ign) (3:34)
Paradise (3:30)
Win Some, Lose Some (5:03)
Stay Down (4:14)
I Know (feat Jhene Aiko) (4:44)
Deep (feat Lil Wayne) (5:08)
One Man Can Change The World (feat Kanye West & John Legend) (4:10)
Outro (3:35)
Deserve It (feat PARTYNEXTDOOR) (4:23)
Research (feat Ariana Grande) (3:48)
Platinum & Wood (2:41)
Review: West Coast rapper Big Sean sharpened his pen and darkened his ink for his third album, trading in his bling for a thunderous storm-braving. Out through Good Music and Def Jam in early 2015, the LP, in true rap kingpin fashion, serves to simultaneously enlist and dagger-eye its own collaborators, including Drake, Kanye West, and Lil Wayne. With production from Key Wane, DJ Dahi, DJ Mustard and Kanye himself, the likes of 'Blessings', 'Win Some, Lose Some' and 'Stay Down' seem prescient for the time, when dark unison synths and tension-pluck progressions would parlay Sean's otherwise largely dry, un-effected vocals. Ten years on, Dark Sky Thinking feels like a personal reckoning for the rapper, scratching off the liquid latex gold to reveal a complicated character underneath.
Review: Nick Bike has been at it again, crafting high-grade club cuts that always make an impact. These two have already been well road-tested with great effect. 'Party People (Night & Day)' is the first and is a brilliant collision of some funky, soulful disco classics into one new and strident sound with irresistible claps and vocal hooks. On the flip is the scorching 'Every Night (Hold Me Tight)' which is just timeless and super smooth disco-funk with a persuasive charm. Two no-brainers here that will bring next-level fun to any set.
Review: Recorded live at Brooklyn's Glasshaus in front of just 100 guests, Live at Glasshaus captures a one-night-only performance from Philadelphia-born vocalist Bilal, reinterpreting material drawn from a two-decade discography. Backed by an ensemble comprising his long-time creative circle, the set revisits early breakthroughs like 1st Born Second, cult favourite 'Love For Sale' (still never officially released), and later highlights from Airtight's Revenge and his collaborations on Common's Like Water for Chocolate and Resurrection. At 78 minutes, the session moves between stripped-down soul and expansive jazz-schooled improvisation, with appearances from Questlove and Common woven in. 'Soul Sista', 'All Matter' and 'Funky For You' get fresh treatment, while interludes lend a loose, intimate feel. First pressing gone; second underway with global shipping across 15 territories.
Review: The latest deep dive into Galaxy Sound Co.'s Black Hole series is another carefully dug out delight featuring three essential jazz-funk-psych cuts. Joe Pass' 'A Time For Us' opens with beautiful cinematic strings, sparse drums and ghostly guitar that has been famously sampled by J Dilla and the Slum Village crew, and sounds powerful in situ here. Milt Jackson & Ray Brown's 'Enchanted Lady' follows with hypnotic modal swing, again famously flipped, this time by Pete Rock, De La Soul and Knxwledge. Closing out is Archie Whitewater's 'Cross Country', which is a funky, soulful groove with brass and keys that have been immortalised by Kanye and Common, but remains a burner here in its original form.
Review: Blaque Dynamite is the work of Mike Mitchell, a drummer from Texas who has played with neo-soul queen Erykah Badu, and jazz legends old and new in Herbie Hancock and Kamasi Washington. He also makes challenging, defiantly original house music on his own and on top of a couple of albums worth checking from the last two years, comes this EP, which arrived late last year but now debuts on wax. It has a couple of short, sketchy originals that are lo-fi, low-key hip hop vignettes, while JT Donaldson and Stefan Ringer add their own more club-ready reworks. Ben Hixon & Blaque Dynamite also hot up for a remix that is all shimmering melodies and shuffling percussive rhythms.
Review: Mike Mitchell is an American drummer from Dallas, Texas, who records as Blaque Dynamite. He plays across jazz, hip-hop and fusion and has worked with greats old and new like Erykah Badu, Herbie Hancock and Kamasi Washington. As a solo artist, he has dropped two albums in the last two years, and Stop Calling Me from 2023 is one that now makes it way to vinyl. It is a wild ride between intense jazz workouts that recall Sun Ra, smoky deep house that taps into Detroit and downbeat explorations like 'I'm Not Trippin'' that are densely layered, textural and infused with a new kind of soul.
Dance (feat Phoenix Cruz & Charles Hamilton) (5:24)
Happy (feat Kota The Friend & RAP Ferreira) (2:25)
Knowledge (feat Triune & Tristate) (3:16)
Bible (feat Propaganda & PCH) (2:52)
Human (feat Homeboy Sandman & Asher Roth) (3:07)
Loser (feat Cashus King & Stik Figa) (3:10)
Joy (feat Fashawn & Choosey) (3:26)
Review: Los Angeles MC Blu reaches a reflective milestone with his latest, produced in full by Dallas-based August Fanon. Known for his cerebral delivery and dusty crate-digging beats, Fanon provides unfiltered soul loops - no drum programming, no frills - that frame Blu's verses with raw elegance. Across eleven tracks, Blu revisits themes of ageing, selfhood and faith, delivered in tight verses with a clarity that's unhurried but never static. 'Happy' enlists Kota The Friend and R.A.P. Ferreira for a loose meditation on gratitude; 'Simple', with Sene and Chester Watson, blends memory and melody with ease. On 'Love (1-4)', Blu assembles four different perspectives - Wyldeflowher, Geminelle, Yah-Ra and Lexxus - weaving them into a gospel-centred suite before Noveliss lands the closing verse. 'Bible' is stark and spoken, while 'Human' sees Homeboy Sandman and Asher Roth wrestle with vulnerability. Fashawn and Choosey close the set on 'Joy', trading lines like letters from a calmer future. The tone remains introspective but never heavy: even at its most spiritual, the record feels lived-in and warm. It's not a revival or reinvention - just a seasoned voice, quietly confident in its next chapter.
Review: Released in 1992, Grrr! It's Betty Boo marked a stylistic and personal evolution for Betty Boo, arriving two years after her platinum-selling debut (also reissued now through the Betty Boo estate). While it didn't replicate the commercial heights of Boomania, it still delivered a memorable top 20 single with 'Let Me Take You There' and offered a flurry of follow-ups including 'I'm on My Way', 'Catch Me', 'Thing Goin' On' and 'Hangover'. With its bold visual identity referencing Tigra cigarette packaging and a dedication to her late father, the album hinted at more introspective themes beneath the tongue-in-cheek flair. Critics noted its playful absurdity and inventive rhyming, while Madonna later lamented its lack of recognition, calling it "horribly ignored". Sad to say, this would be Boo's last album before stepping away from music some years.
Review: Released on June 28th, 2004, Afrodisiac marked a major shift in American r&b queen Brandy's sound as she moved away from longtime collaborator Rodney "Darkchild" Jenkins and embraced producers like Timbaland, Kanye West and Warryn Campbell. The record focused on Brandy's personal growth while addressing relationship woes and self-reflection in tracks like 'I Tried' and 'Who I Am.' The standout song, 'I Tried,' samples Iron Maiden's 'The Clansman' and features Brandy's most raw and emotional performance. The shift resonated with fans for its gritty, more relatable edge and remains her most well-received project.
Review: Detroit rap doyen Apollo Brown brings out Grandeur, which plays back like a victory lap and stress test rolled into one. With 19 tracks and a cast sprawling from M.O.P. to Chino XL to Evidence, it's pitched as his most expansive solo record to date, doing swell justice to the theme of personal magnificence. Also entirely self-produced by Apollo, his soul-laced, vinyl-dust production secures an individuality of mood, though collectivity abounds in the collabs, which clock in at 18 out of 19 tracks: 'Red Pill' and Verbal Kent match his pacing effortlessly, while Evidence sounds razor-sharp on 'There's Always Radio'.
Review: The latest release from South London's Loyle Carner pivots inward, offering a tender meditation on fatherhood, early memory and generational reflection. It's a natural progression from his previous introspections, but here the production is leaner and more luminous-stripped-back soul, minimal beats and a focus on clarity over complexity. Carner's delivery is quieter, but the intent feels firmer: gone is the youthful restlessness, replaced by something close to peace. As ever, there are references to family, race, and identity, but they're less rhetorical and more lived-in. With subtle collaborations and an intuitive feel for rhythm and space, Carner sketches an emotional landscape that's quietly disarming. This is one of his most human releases yet-not showy or maximal, but rich in detail and calm in its confidence. A welcome shift from a UK rapper increasingly more concerned with truth than trend.
Review: Tom Caruana's Salsa Verde marks the seventh chapter in Def Presse's Crate Diggers series with KPM, built around exclusive access to the exalted library music production house whose reserves have fuelled hip-hop samplers, among others, for decades. A seasoned producer and multi-instrumentalist with a now 25-year track record, Caruana takes to the craft with easy motor automaticity, handling drums, keys, bass, and guitar himself, all while using samples for colour and melody rather than structure. The result is a rich, boom-bap-rooted album inhumed in live instrumentation, plus contributions from UK and US MCs. Caruana merges subtle humour, reflections on social media, and a refined, not overwrought showmanship.
Review: Cola Boyy tragically passed away in March 2024 so Quit to Play Chess is his final album. He was well known and loved for his unique blend of neo-disco, funk and innovative musical styles and gained fans worldwide from Coachella to Paris. Following his EP Black Boogie Neon in 2018 and debut album Prosthetic Boombox back in 2021, this album is his grooviest yet as it blends hip-hop, r&b and drum & bass while featuring collaborations with Andrew VanWyngarden of MGMT, Jared Solomon and Nate Fox, who has worked with Chance the Rapper. These 12 inventive, passionate tracks are a fitting, boundary-pushing farewell to Cola Boyy's musical legacy.
Review: Loveland, Ohio's Colemine label offer a 7" indie exclusive on this furtive freshener from house engineer and regularly featured artist Leroi Conroy, returning after his last 45 in 2017 with a sharp double-sider flaunting his rhythmatic flair and deeper verbal intuitions. 'No Return' outlays crisp boom-bap drums wrapped in fluttering flute lines from Michael Sarason (of Say She She) and shimmering harp hallelujahs, courtesy of Cincinnati handywoman Rachel Miller. There's a distinct nod to Dorothy Ashby's work here, but reimagined for a 2025 palette; the flip leads the way to the 'Path Of Man', stripping the bark back to murkier moods, pulling from the darker corners of Conroy's upcoming full-length. He's come a long way since vacationing from the cutting lathe, representing himself in a new soulful and cinematic light, one which is yet raw and unpolished where it counts.
Review: This new live release from Californian hip-hop veterans Cypress Hill captures their full-scale collaboration with the London Symphony Orchestra, recorded in July 2024 and reworking their landmark Black Sunday album alongside key tracks from across their catalogue. Conducted by Troy Miller, the performance adds sweeping arrangements and new sonic dimensions to classics like 'Insane in the Brain', 'I Ain't Goin' Out Like That' and 'Hits From the Bong', while tracks like 'How I Could Just Kill a Man' and '(Rock) Superstar' are reimagined with widescreen drama. The orchestra doesn't dilute the impact i instead, it sharpens it, with strings and brass accentuating the menace and clarity of DJ Muggs' original production. 'Dr. Greenthumb' and 'Illusions' sit particularly well in this new context, showing how elastic the group's material can be without losing its edge. It's a new release that avoids the usual crossover pitfalls i the arrangements are built with detail and respect for the original tracks, and B-Real's delivery stays sharp throughout. A rare example of a classical-meets-rap performance that feels earned, not novelty i and a reminder of just how deep this group's catalogue runs.
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