Author: robbiethemook

Things You May Have Missed 2014 part 8

Music

Click here for part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4, part 5, part 6, part 7, part 9, part 10, part 11, part 12, part 13, part 14 and part 15.

Busdriver – Perfect Hair

The Hellfyre Club continued their strong year with another innovative album, this time from probably the most famous of the group, Busdriver. I was disappointed with the 2012 release Beaus$Eros as I felt it was a bit overindulgent but on Perfect Hair Busdriver hits the perfect balance of that bizarre style and something that is thoroughly enjoyable.

Buy here

BVA – Be Very Aware

Dope UK boom bap.

Buy here

The Cancel – Criminal

Buttery smooth and jazzy instrumentals.

Buy here

Chimping – Monkey Biznizz

Jungle and dub influenced footwork.

Name your price download here

Chris Travis – Never Forget, Silence Of Me Eternally and Go Home

Friend and collaborator of Bones releases a number of his own mixtapes with the same raw, melancholy trap style vibes.

Click here for free downloads of Never Forget, Silence Of Me Eternally and Go Home

Copywrite – Murderland

Underground rap mainstay with an enjoyable LP.

Buy here

Cormega – Mega Philosophy

I’m a huge Cormega fan so was really looking forward to this and although it’s not fantastic it’s definitely worth a listen. This album is somewhat of a throwback with relatively simple instrumentals and rhymes but Cormega’s voice is enough to make it entertaining.

Buy here

Criolo – Convoque Seu Buda

Brazilian, funk, rock, rap stuff. Wonderfully eclectic.

Buy here

D-Sisive – The Great Mr. Nobody One

Alt rap done right.

Buy here

Dday One – Dialogue With Life

Stormy instrumentals with a DJ Shadow vibe.

Buy here

Proceed to part 9

Things You May Have Missed 2014 Part 7

Music

We continue with my round up of all the great, under appreciated releases of 2014. I hope you enjoy reading and have found some new music that you love. Check up with the site going forward for more articles like this.

Here is a Youtube playlist with all the available tracks from the article on it.

Click here for part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4, part 5, part 6, part 8, part 9, part 10, part 11, part 12, part 13, part 14 and part 15.

The 1978ers – People Of Today

Infectious golden age vibes that really hit the spot.

Buy here

Amp Live – Headphone Concerto

Eclectic album with some intriguing ideas and epic soundscapes.

Buy here

Apollo Brown & Rass Kass – Blasphemy

Apollo Brown continues dropping real stomping soul beats for legendary MCs to do their thing on.

Buy here

Bambu – Party Worker

Some crazy flows from the Filipino MC with beats that fit perfectly.

Buy here

Black Milk – If There’s A Hell Below

Black Milk has become pretty prolific recently, and that means happy hip-hop fans. His latest release is probably his most ambitious to date, taking things in a very jazz influenced direction with some intricate arrangements and low bass lines. Fantastic stuff.

Buy here

Bones – Garbage, Skinny and Rotten

Bones has been steadily releasing mixtape after mixtape for the last couple of years and although I wasn’t a fan of his early tapes his music has really been coming on leaps and bounds in 2014. Bones makes moody, dark hip-hop that almost has a 90s grunge vibe to it. I’m expecting good things in this guy’s future.

Click here to download Garbage, Skinny and Rotten.

Bop Alloy – Winter Breaks

MC Substantial and producer Marcus D collaborate to drop a funky little winter EP.

Name your price download here

BoxedLDN – Boxed Vol. 2

Collection of new age grime instrumentals.

Free download here

Bronze Nazereth – Thought For Food Vol. 3

Wu-Tang affiliate, producer and MC drops another installment of his Thought For Food series, packed with Wu type soul beats and killer raps.

Buy here

Bugseed – Magnetics

More soothing beats from the Japanese beat maker.

Buy here

Proceed to part 8

Things You May Have Missed 2014 Part 6

Music

Click here for part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4 and part 5.

Ray West and OC – Rays Cafe

Underground legend OC and beat maker Ray West team up for a lovely little jazzy release.

Buy it here

Sango and Waldo – Until Then

Sango lays down some insanely futuristic beats while Waldo holds his own on the mic.

Buy it here

Sendai – A Smaller Divide

Brutal left field instrumentals with enough groove to keep things interesting.

Buy it here

Sisyphus – Sisyphus

Serengeti, Son Lux and Surfjan Stevens team up for a bizarre trip to planet electro.

Buy it here

Skyzoo and Torae – Barrel Brothers

Two of New York’s finest and underrated MCs. Both of these guys really no how to go in on a track and prove it on this album.

Buy it here

Slakah The Beatchild – Soul Movement Vol. 2

A wonderful mix of velvety soul tracks and bumping instrumentals to get your head nodding.

Buy it here

Squadda B – 10th Grade Dropout and Side A-Side B (June)

Weird and extremely Lo Fi beats with slurred raps. Not for everyone but if you like Lil B you’ll probably like this guy.

Free downloads here and here

Step Brothers – Lord Steppington

Alchemist and Evidence combine for one of my favourite albums of the year. Alchemist is undoubtedly one of today’s best producers and he really brings something fresh on here, making some incredibly complex beats that suit Evidence’s precision raps perfectly.

Buy it here

Wen – Signals

Murky grime instrumentals with subtle complexities.

Buy it here

Willie the Kid and Bronze Nazareth – The Living Daylights

MC Willie The Kid and Bronze Nazareth create a cinematic sound scape ,similar to what Ghostface was releasing in the 90s.

Buy it here

Yukmouth – GAS [Grow and Sale]

West Coast Gangsta that really bumps.

Buy it here

Zara McFarlane – If You Knew Her

Deep Jazz compositions accompanied by Zara McFarlane’s bewitching vocals.

Buy it here

ZelooperZ – HELP

The Bruiser Brigade members have now all dropped fantastic mixtapes, making up for the somewhat lacklustre ‘Old’, and it has me extremely excited for their collaborative album. ZelooperZ is one of the stranger guys in the bunch and shines on this tape with frantic instrumentals and maniacal raps. This really isn’t for everyone as ZelooperZ seems to be going out of his way to be as offensive as he can in every way possible but the energy here is off the charts.

Free download here

Proceed to part 7

Things You May Have Missed 2014 Part 5

Music

Click here for part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4 and part 6.

Mello Music Group – Mandala Vol. 1 Polysonic Flows & Mandala Vol. 2 Today’s Mathematics

Two compilations from one of today’s finest record labels.

Buy them here and here

Meyhem Lauren and Buckwild – Silk Pyramids

Hardcore underground East Coast vibes.

Buy it here

Mr. Carmack – Dimebag

The variation in sounds on this instrumental album is sublime, from banging trap to funky head nod tracks.

Buy it here

Mumdance – Take Time

Taking grime in to a twisted future.

Buy it here

Nacho Picasso – Trances With Wolves – The Prixtape

Nacho continues his string of strong releases with is best to date.

Name your price download here

Nell – Boyz ‘n’ The Hood

As the name suggests this EP takes a lot of influence from West Coast gangsta but steers it in a fresh direction.

Free download here

Ohbliv – Blk Love Frequency (a)

Ohbliv has a similar sound to Knxwledge, producing instrumental tracks packed full of clattering beats and soul samples.

Buy it here

Open Mike Eagle – Dark Comedy

Hellfyre Club have had a phenomenal year in 2014 and this album was probably the strongest of the 4 that they produced. A wonderfully eclectic album that somehow manages to stay coherent despite switching between funny, insightful, macabre, pessimistic and silly. But most importantly this album sounds magnificent.

Buy it here

People Under The Stairs – 12 Step Program

The B-boy’s favourite hip-hop legends come back with more fun tracks to get you dancing.

Buy it here

Plus – Rapid Eye Movement

17 year old duo drop a fantastic album full of jazzy vibes and complex flows. These guys are going to be really amazing with a few more years of experience.

Name your price download here

Prince Po – Animal Serum

It’s a travesty that Prince Po is so forgotten. Having been part of the esteemed Organized Konfusion and releasing the exceptional “The Slickness” Prince Po should be cemented as one of the greats but even when teaming with super producer Oh No, the wily veteran still gets slept on. If you know who Prince Po and Oh No are you need no convincing here but if you haven’t then stop what you’re doing and get educated.

Buy it here

Proceed to part 6.

Things You May Have Missed 2014 Part 3

Music

Click here for part 1, part 2, part 4, part 5 and part 6.

Curren$y – Drive-In Theatre

Curren$y is one of my favourite rappers, which is strange because Pilot Talk 2 is his only album that I would label a classic. The thing that makes him one of my favourites is because he is so unbelievably consistent. There is nothing all that new or original about his music, it’s just straight up hip-hop, but it’s done very well and the amount of music he makes is unbelievable. Drive-In Theatre is just another example of how damn good Curren$y is.

Free download here

Damu The Fudgemunk – Public Assembly

Buttery smooth beats.

Buy it here

DaVinci x Sweet Valley – Ghetto Cuisine

Sweet Valley have been impressing me for a while, having dropped some mad instrumental projects, so when I heard they’d teamed with a rapper to make a tape I was extremely excited. Lyrically DaVinci isn’t anything special but he as a perfect delivery for Sweet Valley’s space age trap beats making this one of my favourite projects of the year.

Free download

Deniro Farrar – Rebirth

Not as good as Deniro’s sublime The Patriarch I and II but this EP is still a nice hard hitting collection of tracks that left me wanting more.

Buy it here

Dibiase – Schematiks

Meandering jazzy instrumentals.

Buy it here

The Doppelgangaz – Peace Kehd

2014 has been another excellent year for Mello Music Group and this Dopplegangaz release has added to that. Much like many of the MMG releases Peace Kehd has that golden age vibe but with enough of a modern twist to make it interesting.

Buy it here

G-Side – GzIIGodz

Full of 808s and heavy bass lines but not to be mistaken for your average trap release. Every track fits together perfectly, flowing throughout the album and making you feel like there is a story being told, even if you don’t know what it is.

Buy it here

Gangstagrass – Broken Hearts and Stolen Money

A mixture of hip-hop and blue grass. Sounds ridiculous but it works, just trust me.

Buy it here

Gillie Da Kid – King Of Philly 3

Decent hard hitting mixtape.

Free download here

Grems – Buffy

I’ve never been a fan of most French rap. Apart from the odd track I always found the rapping lacked flow and the beats were very mediocre. This EP from Grems couldn’t be further from that. The beats on here are just incredible; strange, twisting instrumentals with a future beats vibe. Grems’ raps are also really on point, obviously I have no idea what he is talking about, but my gosh does it sound beautiful.

Buy it here

Proceed to part 4.

Things You May Have Missed 2014 Part 2

Music

Click here for part 1, part 3, part 4, part 5 and part 6.

Blanco and The Jacka and Messy Marv – One Hunnid EP

Smooth West Coast gangsta rap. I don’t understand the relevance of the presidential sound bites but the tracks really bump.

Buy it here

Blitz The Ambassador – Afropolitan Dreams

Funky stylings from African MC Blitz.

Buy it here

Blu – Good to be Home

A lot of people have been disappointed with Blu since Below The Heavens which has played a big part in him falling out of the limelight. Those who haven’t been feeling his recent releases wont like this much either as the sound is really rough and lo-fi, but that is obviously what Blu is going for here. I love the rawness of this album with the crackly soul samples and relentless raps, it’s not for everyone but there is a real beauty to this kind of hip-hop.

Buy it here

Blueprint – Respect The Architect

Intelligent and very lyrical, Blueprint’s latest album provides some tunes for the thinking man.

Buy it here

Buckshot and P-Money – Back Pack Travels

Pretty much what we’ve come to expect from Buckshot. Dope album that does what it says on the tin.

Buy it here

Bugseed and Pigeondust – 7th Wonder

Bugseed has been making some beautiful jazzy beats for the last few years and he continues with this new release.

Buy it here

Cakes Da Killa – Hunger Pangs

Le1f seems to be getting all the attention on the gay rap scene this year but Cakes Da Killa deserves some of that light with his new project. More consistent than his first release and catchy as hell.

Free download here

The Celestics – Supreme Laziness

Montreal hip-hop duo bring the funk.

Name your price download here

Chavis Chandler – Dark Skin Jermaine and The Legend Of The Leather Britches

Former member of Bruiser Brigade Chavis Chandler really brought his A game on this mixtape with an impressive flow and some smooth vocals. The mixture of golden age and trap style vibes throughout the tape are balanced greatly. It’s a shame he’s no longer a part of Bruiser Brigade because he complimented the rest of the crew so well.

Free download here

Cities Aviv – Come to Life

I’ve been obsessed with Cities Aviv since Black Pleasure and he’s been honing his style ever since. The tracks on this album sound fuller than ever, the abrasiveness is still there but it’s so much richer sounding now. Some of the most interesting and forward thinking hip-hop of the last few years.

Buy it here

Proceed to part 3.

Things You May Have Missed Part 4

Music

Click here for part 1, part 2, part 3, part 5 and part 6.

Homeboy Sandman – White Sands

Homeboy Sandman is surely one of the best MCs out there right now, he has everything, the flow, the delivery and his lyrics go from being incredibly profound, to hilarious, to viciously political. Combine that with Paul White on production and you have an impeccable collection of tracks.

Buy it here

J Rawls – The Legacy

Long time underground producer gets on the mic with positive results.

Buy it here

Jeru The Damaja – The Hammer

Not one of his best releases by far but it’s always great to hear anything from such a legend.

Buy it here

Ka – 1200 B.C.

Laid back flow with crazy rhyme schemes on melancholy beats. I was excited to see the track “To Hull and Back” on here as Hull is my home town, strangely though the track seems to have nothing to do with the place.

Buy it here

Katalyst – Designer Drugs

I downloaded this tape because I thought it was by the Australian producer Katalyst. Turns out it’s American rapper Katalyst but I was pleasantly surprised as he is a solid rapper and the beats are fantastically varied.

Free download here

Kokane – Shut da F Up and Cut da Checc

When this came out and I saw the name Kokane it really took me back. This guy was featured heavily on West Coast Gangsta albums in the late 90s and early 2000s but despite even making an appearance on the legendary Chronic 2001 he soon faded in to obscurity. Kokane’s style hasn’t progressed a lot since then but it’s a nice dose of nostalgia to hear this kind of music again.

Buy it here

Kool A.D. – Word OK

Das Racist seemed set to blow up back in 2012 but since the group split Kool A.D. and Heems stepped out of the limelight some what. Since that time the two have had some decent releases but where Heems has been a bit inconsistent, Kool A.D. has really come in to his own. Word OK has superbly interesting beats and Kool AD’s relaxed, fluids raps are better than ever.

Name your price download here

Lil Ugly Mane – Absence of Shitperson

Not so much a new mixtape as a collection of previously released tracks from Lil Ugly Mane, which makes this a great place to start for anyone trying to get in to this incredibly fresh producer.

Buy it here

L’Orange – The Orchid Days

Old jazz samples assembled in to a melancholy selection, with some great features from the likes of Homeboy Sandman and Blu.

Buy it here

MC Tree – The @MCTREEG EP

Coming with a sound he calls “soul trap”, MC Tree delivers a beautiful EP, heavy with emotion and pleasing to the ear.

Free download here

Proceed to part 5.

Things You May Have Missed 2014 – Part 1

Music

With 2014 now behind us, it’s time to reflect on the year. Everyone has been putting together their top 10s and arguing over who has been the best but I’m not going to do that. You all know about the releases from Freddie Gibbs, Run The Jewels, Travi$ Scott, Young Thug etc. but what about all the people that got overlooked this year? That’s what this article is all about, shining a light on all the amazing music that hasn’t been fully appreciated.

I’ve included a Youtube link for each release (where possible) and I’ve put them all in to a playlist that you can access here.

I originally split this article in 2 but the site was loading way too slow so I’ve had to split it up in to 15 parts. Click here for part 2, part 3, part 4, part 5 and part 6. The other 9 parts will be coming soon.

100s – Ivry

Holy mother of funk this is the god damn funkiest album I’ve heard in a very long time. Bringing P funk in to the future, 100s somehow manages to make music that is intensely nostalgic but forward thinking at the same time.

Free download here

9th Wonder – 9th Wonder Presents Jamla Is the Squad

A real treat for all you fans of soulful hip-hop with beats from 9th Wonder and Khrysis and raps from underground mainstays like Rapsody, Phonte and Masta Killa.

Buy it here

Akrobatik – Built to Last

After some serious health issues Ak is back and as fierce as ever with one of his most consistent projects yet.

Buy it here

Antwon – Heavy Hearted In Doldrums

Antwon blew my mind with his 2013 album In Dark Denim and this new project doesn’t disappoint. An eclectic mix of sounds and exciting production make this a really interesting listen.

Free download here

Apollo Brown – Thirty Eight

Apollo Brown further cements himself as one of the best beat makers in the game with this selection of intensely chunky, soul infused beats.

Buy it here

Apollo Brown and Planet Asia – Abrasions Stitched Up

These two have worked well in the past and continue that trend on this tasty little EP.

Buy it here

Ashli Orion – King of Nothing

Complex electronic beats on this great free mixtape.

Free download here

Ayatollah – Be Real Black For Me

Old school legend with a nice bunch of instrumentals and stellar guest vocals from the likes of Inspectah Deck and Anthony Hamilton.

Buy it here

Blackbear – The Afterglow

Syrupy sweet RnB with a dark after taste.

Buy it here 

Black Milk – Glitches in the Break

After such a long wait between AOTY and No Poison No Paradise it seemed likely we wouldn’t get anything new from Black Milk for a while but then he surprised us with this fantastic EP. As much as I loved his last LP this new offering is even better, the beats are sublime and the raps compliment it perfectly. With another full length release dropping later in the year Black Milk seems to be back in the swing of things, and that makes me a very happy man.

Buy it here 

Proceed to part 2.