The Dutch beat maestro is back with Smoetsie, his third release. (No pun intended!) It’s not been that long since we discovered Thijsenterprise and his sophomore release, Stepbacks & Setbacks. It’s actually been 6 months between that album and his latest offering which is a long time in an age of Bandcamp hip hop. This one is called Smoetsie (Dutch slang for “smutty) and it’s a concept…
Seeing as JAE didn’t want you to be his Valentine, we haven’t published this on Valentine’s Day. Sometimes you’ve gotta keep it real and be honest. Especially when it comes to love and romance. That’s exactly what JAE did on his freestyle, Don’t Be My Valentine. The LA-based rapper-producer gave a heartfelt speech on what you could expect from him on Valentine’s Day and it…
South London rapper Mr Ekow spits the ultimate flames in his eponymous freestyle. I have a backlog of submissions to get through. It’s not something bloggers talk about in the open but we get a lot. I’m glad I kept this one. Mr Ekow is a rapper from South London and in his “Ekow Freestyle”, he raps incredible bars over the Nas and Swizz Beatz’s…
The innovative indie label is calling for pledges to sustain its operations for 2019. It’s tough out there for an indie label. Stones Throw has often acted as a blueprint for indies on how to survive in tough economic times. But not many can keep going as costs increase and maintaining sales becomes more difficult. Our good friend Darko The Super and his label U…
The UK producer drops the second album from his #Road2Switch series. We covered Starchildluke’s last album, Boas Festas, when it came out for Christmas. His aim was to release one album a month in 2019 for his #Road2Switch series, a fund created to buy a Nintendo Switch. January’s album is called VENOMTAPE and uses a variety of rock samples and frantic samples. Inspired by Madlib’s…
The Japanese duo return with a new collab project. Japan’s influence on hip hop should not go unmentioned. The nation gave us anime which has become synonymous with the genre’s lo-fi variant. Some of the greatest DJ’s were born there: DJ Kentaro, DJ Krush, The Silent Poets, and the late Nujabes. From the underground, Bugseed continues to reign supreme. His heavy style of boom bap…
The iconic night for Dilla is back for another year, featuring usual suspects Spin Doctor, Kidkanevil, DJ Lok, and a live performance from Phat Kat. Due to commitments every year since I last went in 2012, I’ve yet to return to J Dilla Changed My Life. It makes me sad but thems the breaks (pun intended). But the UK’s only official Dilla tribute night continues…
86 Witness, the long-awaited collab album from Sean Price (RIP) and Small Professor is just days away. Until then, enjoy the lead single “John Gotti”. We miss Sean Price. But while his physical may no longer be with us, the spiritual lives on and thanks to Small Professor, there’s an upcoming collab album on its way. 86 Witness is out on 8th February and features a slew of top…
When he snaps, he’s like an alligator. Aminé’s huneybee remix is a great way to start the year. Very few artists spark my interest with the hint of a new album, besides the greats. That’s not to say they aren’t worthy of my time but there are so many to keep track of. But I always find time for Aminé and his video teaser for…
Lo-fi boom bap with Zelda and Mario samples? AC3Beats’ Nostalgia lives up to its name. I didn’t get my first games console until 1998 but I played on a few in the preceding years. Whether you were like me or you had them growing up, you’ll appreciate the subject matter on AC3Beats’s new album. Nostalgia has been described as “the musical equivalent of a big, warm…
