New releases last two weeks: Hip Hop/R&B

Review: Bruno Berle hails from the coastal Brazilian city of Maceio, and he charmed the world in no uncertain terms with his 2022 album No Reino Dos Afetos. Berle's music is steeped in the tradition of MPB and Brazilian music overall, but he combines dreamy songwriting with an artful kind of lo-fi production which makes his sound all the more charming. This follow-up record once again finds Berle working closely with Batata Boy, drawn from the same seven-year period of developing ideas while moving from Maceio to Sao Paulo via some recording sessions in Rio de Janeiro. It's diaristic and scrapbook like, but rendered with such conviction it swoops in around your grey matter and carries you off to somewhere very pleasant indeed.

Review: Maya Blandy's latest single, Lemons, is a vibrant and infectious track that seamlessly blends upbeat urban funk with an acid jazz sound, resulting in a potential pop hit. The song takes a spin on the classic adage about making the best out of life's challenges, presenting it with a fresh and edgy perspective. With its catchy hooks, groovy rhythm, and Maya Blandy's convincing vocals, Lemons is destined to be an instant hit once heard.
The Side-2 is equally as good with 'BIB (Bitch In Black).' This song oozes with soulful vibes, showcasing Maya's mesmerizing vocals against an urban beat backdrop. The addition of a horn section adds depth and richness to the track, elevating its sonic experience.

Review: Sizzling-hot hip-hop duo Blue Lab Beats are on everybody's lips now, thanks at least in part to the announcement of their latest full-length album, Blue Eclipse. Heralding an exciting new era for the duo, these 12 songs reveal the depth and breadth of producer NK-OK, and multi-instrumentalist Mr DM's musical ambition. Throwing back to their debut EP 'Blue Skies', which even pre-dates their involvement with record labels, Blue Eclipse signals a circling back to their origins while also embracing the new; the pair's usual jazztronica remit is lent the utmost contemporary spin, with notes of drill, neoclassical, trap and Jersey bounce - all still prevalent styles - peeking through in these latest productions.

Review: France's faves Battle Weapons deliver two heady new edits, only for those ready. On the A comes an ingenious, probably never-done-before, almost laughably why-hasn't-anyone-else-ever-thought-of-this-until-now breakbeat rendition of Peter Bjorn & John's 'The Young Folks'. To be frank, they've not done much besides beef up the backbeat a little, but a simple sprucing up is sometimes all a tune needs. On the flip comes a phattened version of 'Forgot About Dre' mashed up with the Azzido Da Bass UK garage classic 'Dooms Night', also produced to hilariously, surreally arresting effect.

Review: In 1994, legendary hip-hop stoners Cypress Hill took the stage at Woodstock '94 and left an indelible mark on the iconic festival. With their groundbreaking fusion of hip-hop and rock, the 'Hill captivated the Woodstock crowd with their electrifying performances and brought all of the raw energy and innovative sounds they are so well loved for. The group's set at Woodstock '94 showcased their ability to command any stage, drawing fans from diverse musical backgrounds as they worked through many of their most well loved hit and in doing so solidified their status as pioneers of the rap-rock genre.

Review: Tyler Daley is a UK hip-hop mainstay and the vice of the brilliant Children of Zeus. Here he branches out with his own solo album, Son of Zeus - see what he did there? It comes on the band's home label of First World and bares plenty of their signature sonic hallmarks - dusty, undercooked production, lazy hip hop beats, and gorgeous vocals that sit somewhere between neo soul, golden era boom-bap from Tribe and something else a little unique. It's a warm world where yearning bars, lush harmonies and hooky melodies all float around the stripped back but bumping beats. Superb stuff.

Review: Well, well, well. We did not see this one coming, never in a month of stoner Sundays. he might have become the nation's sweetheart thanks to his unlikely hit show with Martha Stewart in the US but did you ever expect Snoop Dogg to be putting out an album of kids hits featuring him on the mic? It's an actually quite wonderful collision of words that pairs all the big hooks and melodies with a more modern style of production and charming vocal guests spots from Snoop on each tune. Amazing stuff.

Review: The Cold Diggin label out of Dresden has long been serving up the work of The Duke Ya Love To Hate, which is one of myriad aliases of an artist who gets by the name of Stefan Senf. They are generally few and far between but are always worth copying when they do drop and this one comes on lovely hand-numbered 7" in a special screen-printed sleeve. 'Introducin' is a loose-limbed funk workout with classic hip-hop breaks and free-wheeling pads. 'Prescribin' is more slow and seductive with its florid melodic leads and lovely lazy beats.

Review: While rooted in the quintessential sound of the late 1950s and early 1960s, UK jazz ensemble The Jazz Defenders explore fresh territory while honouring their jazz heritage on their third album, Memory In Motion. Tracks like 'Chasing Fantasies' and 'Fuffle Kerfuffle' showcase their swing jazz finesse, while 'Meanderthal' and 'Snakebite Playfight' infuse soulful grooves akin to 1960s jazz legends. Collaborations with UK rapper Doc Brown on 'Rolling On A High' and the uptempo funk of 'Net Zero' add modern flair, while introspective moments like 'Take A Minute' and the closing 'Enigma' offer a serene balance. Memory In Motion celebrates jazz's legacy and innovation, blending tradition with contemporary influences for an immersive listening experience.

Review: Scaring The Hoes was the 2023 collaborative record by unequivocal avant-hip-hop crown bearers Danny Brown and JPEGMAFIA. The album was almost instantly met with widespread critical acclaim, most notably for its weird use of contemporary political imagery in music videos (frequently Donald Trump and Kim Jong-Un, for some reason) and its staunch defiance of the misogynistic injunction to "stop scaring the hoes" with weird, left-of-centre music. Now comes the 'DLC' and/or 'expansion pack' version of the album, which includes four exclusive new mixes from the album sessions; Brown shines on an ultra-kooky, SFX-laden intro, 'Guess What Bitch, We Back Hoe!', followed by the crackly soul-bap of 'Hermanos' and the crossticking lo-fi of 'Tell Me Where To Go'. Closer 'No! No! No!' presents an incredible gospel timestretch-spaghettification, over which a medley shared between both MCs makes their enduring talents ever more apparent.

Review: Son of Todd Osborn (Soundmurderer/Ghostly) Kaito Ian makes a hugely impressing first outing on the Galaxy Sound Co label with a series of lo-fi hip-hop beat-strumentals that cannot fail to get your head nodding. He is a dedicated music lover and skater with a deep knowledge of his craft and that shows here with some refined sounds starting with the soul drenched 'Revert', then on to the warped angelic vocal samples of 'Sequoia' and the percussive jumbled and scratching of 'Trek'. 'Wait Up' is another excellently blissed out joint and 'Sloan' is a sunny, laid back, lazy vibe to close down a superb EP.

Review: KLIM is a producer who hails from Aviv and is based in Ukraine. He grew up on the classic hip-hop of New York and Detroit and it shows in his crisp boom-bap beats. There have been an eye-watering amount of them to date with over 40 albums to his name. Each one comes laden with soul and this new one, Planet SL1200, which no doubt named after the hardware he used to make it, is another doozy. The short, sketchy tracks convey great vibes and ride on compelling beat work that cannot help but encourage you to zone out and daydream.

Review: There's been rather a lot of noise about Jaguar II, Victoria Monet's much-delayed full-length follow up to 2021's Jaguar mini-album. The hype is, in many ways, understandable - it did recently scoop the 'Best R&B Album' award at the GRAMMYs. More importantly, it's also very good, with the decorated songwriter-turned-pop star confidently serving up retro-futurist gems who's punchy 21st century r&b beats come cloaked in musical motifs that frequently offer nods to black American music of the 1970s, 80s and early 90s. The plentiful highlights include Lucky Daye hook-up 'Smoke', the dancehall-fired excellence of 'Party Girls' (featuring Buju Banton), the Fugees-esque beauty of 'How Does It Make You Feel', and the glossy disco-soul dreaminess of 'Hollywood', where her young daughter Hazel and Earth, Wind and Fire both play starring roles.

Review: There are not many songs in the history of hip-hop that are more important than 'Hip-Hop Hooray'. The track single handedly helped catapult underground rap sounds into mainstream success. The song was a massive hit moving into the top ten on the Billboard and #1 on the hip-hop chart and with a memorable video directed by Spike Lee, it was in heavy rotation on every music and video platform. Naughty By Nature became household names and the single went on to sell platinum status. You could not escape this anthem of the streets. Now, the groundbreaking song is reissued on 7" for the first time in over 30 years.

Review: ProleteR's Curses From Past Times is a captivating blend of instrumental hip-hop, jazz, and lo-fi beats. Originally self-released in 2011, crafting heavy-weight boom bap beats infused with sprightly chanson samples. Drawing from the tradition of sample-based hip-hop, each track is a seamless fusion of jazz and Charleston influences, complemented by intricate guitar arrangements and smooth synth layers. Curses From Past Times is a testament to ProleteR's ability to create a nostalgic yet innovative sound that resonates with both hip-hop enthusiasts and lovers of jazz-infused beats.

Review: Back in 1991, PT House's debut album Big World introduced Soweto rapper Nelson Mohale (who was later known as Dr House) to South Africa's burgeoning house and kwaito scene. Collaborating with producer Danny Bridgens, known for his work with Yvonne Chaka Chaka and Margino, the newly formed pair fused US and UK hip-house influences with local flavours and always imbued their music with a positive outlook for the future. Now reissued for the first time on Afrosynth Records, the small but well-formed four-track record remains a bold testament to their vision and has more than stood the test of time with its vibrant energy and forward-looking spirit.

Review: Say She She is the psychedelic soul group from Brooklyn that's exploded onto the scene since their debut in 2019. Receiving critical acclaim for their two albums to date, and the pleasure of touring Europe and North America, the Nile Rodgers-inspired female trio even got a video message of approval from the legend himself. Authentic and organic are two words that fit the classically trained troupe to a tea and, in the great soul tradition, covers are a necessity. Jim Spencer's 1979 attempt at foraying into disco 'Wrap Myself Up in Your Love' wasn't received amazingly at the time, but thanks to the adoration of archive label The Numero Group, the song has seen a resurgence in covers and fans. The original vocal is zany and expressive against some jangly funk guitars, whilst Say She She's rendition hones in on the sultry aspect of the track. Guitars are muted down to transform the song into a lovemaking slow jam, wind passages are introduced and the vocal is subtly powerful and sexy. This 7" contains both Spencer's original track and the interpretation by the trio, pressed on white vinyl.

Review: Brooklyn-based psychedelic soul group Say She She have exploded onto the scene since their debut in 2019. Receiving critical acclaim for their two albums to date, and multiple TV performances, the Nile Rodgers-inspired female trio even got a video message of approval from the legend himself. Organic and authentic are two words that fit the classically trained troupe to a tea and, in the great soul tradition, covers are a necessity. Jim Spencer's 1979 track 'Wrap Myself Up in Your Love' didn't get much attention at the time - his attempt at doing disco wasn't well received - but thanks to the adoration of archive label The Numero Group, the song has seen a resurgence in covers and fans. The original vocal is expressive and powerful against some jangly funk guitars, whilst Say She She's rendition hones in on the sultry aspect of the track. Guitars are muted down to transform the song into a lovemaking slow jam, wind passages are introduced and the vocal is subtly powerful and sexy. This single has both Say She She's cover - as well as the original - on a 7" disc.

Review: Producer Soul Supreme is back with another 7" record, delivering two new phat'uns to that subsection of fans who prefer things on the wonkier side. Following earlier, acclaimed tributes the likes of A Tribe Called Quest, J Dilla and Mos Def, the new 'Dues and Don'ts' b/w 'Fraud Fades' 45 features two, all-original jazz-funk groovers by the Amsterdam-based keyboardist and producer. The former track burns slowly, carefully building up around a harpsichord improv, Herbie Hancock style, coming heavy-set by a thick and booming drum backing that soon enough late-blossoms into a cinematic, stringed soaring-on-high. The latter track pays complementary homage to the funk drum breaks of yore, with the central drum line around which the track is built echoing Serge Gainsbourg or Clyde Stubblefield, albeit making conspicuous its own electronically sequenced, not entirely live-performed, feel.

Review: Alongside the wicked new 7" 'Dues And Don'ts / Fraud Fades', Amsterdam producer Soul Supreme simultaneously drops another 45 - of no less import - this time enlisting the fiduciary flows of American producer and emcee Thes One. 'Taking The Stand' includes both the original vocal number and the instrumental on the flip side, with Thes One musing on life's (in)justices, trials and negotiations as Supreme the wunderkind himself segues through wildcard turntable scratches, knocky drum hits and blue-note piano hits.

Review: This project, which translates to "The Way of Music" in English, is a collaborative initiative spearheaded by Groh, founder of the esteemed Polish hip-hop label JuNouMi which was established in 2002. It marks a fusion of talents between Polish and Japanese artists and commenced with Twardowski crafting music using samples from Japanese albums followed by the inclusion of MCs KANETSUGU and Prykson Fisk. DJs 1an from Tokyo and DJ Eprom from Warsaw joined the ensemble while the design, handled by Magorzata "Mauko" Korczak, explores Japanese Shod? calligraphy. This 7" release marks the start of a new Polish-Japanese collaborative series with more to come.

Review: Waajeed is a top tier talent - a producer, DJ, expert beat maker and label head at Dirt Tech Rack who moved away from his deep house sounds to cook up this masterful hip hop record back in 2006. It now arrives on vinyl almost 20 years later but time has not diminished its quality. It finds the Detroit native, who thrives on breaking conventional boundaries, telling the story of the kidnapping of Patricia Hearst as an emblematic American tale that he pairs with a raw beat framework that taps into the vibes of artists like J Dilla and Slum Village. It is a serious work from a serious artist.