Best Releases Of 2015 So Far

Music

After writing my massive round up of last year’s releases I was intending on doing similar articles monthly going forward. As usual the beginning of the year was a bit slow so I thought I’d wait a little longer so I had more to write about. In that time things have really picked up and there has been a flood of great releases. Below I have listed all the releases I have been enjoying along with a genre description, a link to listen on Youtube (where available) and a link to buy/download the release. I have also put all the Youtube videos in to one playlist here.

Action Bronson – Mr Wonderful

Hip-Hop.

Listen on Youtube

Buy here

Azizi Gibson – The Last

Synthy underground hip-hop.

Listen on Youtube

Free download here

BADBADNOTGOOD & Ghostface Killah – Sour Soul

Modern jazz ensemble collaborating with hip-hop legend.

Listen on Youtube

Buy here

The Black Market – VLME 1

Laid back and jazzy instrumental hip-hop.

Name your price download here

Boldy James – Trapper’s Alley 2 Risk vs Reward

East Coast gangster rap.

Listen on Youtube

Free download here

Bones & Dylan Ross – SongsThatRemindYouOfHome

Dark, trappy, alternative hip-hop.

Listen on Youtube

Free download here

Cakes Da Killa – #IMF

Gay rap bangers.

Listen on Youtube

Free download here

Cannibal Ox – Blade of Ronin

East Coast boom bap.

Listen on Youtube

Buy here

Chris Travis – Live From The East 2015

Lo-fi trap vibes.

Listen on Youtube

Free download here

Clear Soul Forces – Cheat Codes EP

Boom bap.

Buy here

Dawn Richard – Blackheart

Intricate neo soul / RnB.

Listen on Youtube

Buy here

The Doppelgangaz – Rhyme Over Beats

Jazzy instrumental hip-hop.

Listen on Youtube

Buy here

EarthGang – Torba

Underground hip-hop.

Listen on Youtube

Free download here

Esbe – Bloomsday

Smooth trip hop.

Listen on Youtube

Name your price download here

Fashawn – The Ecology

West Coast hip-hop.

Listen on Youtube

Buy here

The Four Owls – Natural Order

UK boom bap.

Listen on Youtube

Buy here

Future – Beast Mode

Smooth auto-tuned hip-hop.

Listen on Youtube

Free download here

Future Brown – Future Brown

Futuristic grime / hip-hop.

Listen on Youtube

Buy here

FWUK Trax Eight

UK footwork / jungle label sampler.

Name your price download here

Gucci Mane – Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Trap.

Listen on Youtube

Buy here, here and here

Heems – Eat Pray Thug

Alternative hip-hop.

Listen on Youtube

Buy here

Hodgy Beats – Dena Tape 2

High energy hip-hop.

Listen on Youtube

Free download here

Homeboy Sandman – Tour Tape

Alternative hip-hop.

This album was only available on cassette tapes sold on Homeboy Sandman’s recent tour so you’ll have to do some digging to find it.

Infinite Livez vs Stade – Trans Europe Excess

Bizarre UK hip-hop.

Name your price download here

John Robinson – We The Prolific

Underground hip-hop.

Listen on Youtube

Buy here

Johnny Rain – 11

Electronic RnB.

Listen on Youtube

Buy here

Kendrick Lamar – To Pimp A Butterfly

Jazzy hip-hop.

Listen on Youtube

Buy here

Kenn Starr – Square One

Boom bap.

Listen on Youtube

Buy here

Kiings – WWYDF

RnB infused bass music.

Name your price download here

Knxwledge – Hexual Sealings Prt.8

Jazzy RnB remixes.

Listen on Youtube

Buy here

Knxwledge – WT.PRT.7.5

Jazzy hip-hop remixes.

Listen on Youtube

Buy here

Lil Scrappy – Merlo’s Way

Trap.

Listen on Youtube

Free download here

Lofty305 X DJ Complex – Haitian Silk

Psychedelic hip-hop.

Buy here

Lxury – Into the Everywhere

Crazy electro vibes

Listen on Youtube

Buy here

DJ Madd – R&F Unlimited EP

Footwork.

Buy here

Mark Battles & Dizzy Wright – Lost In Reality

Hip-Hop.

Listen on Youtube

Buy here

MC Eiht – Compton 2 Vienna Vol. 1

West Coast gangsta rap.

Listen on Youtube

Free download here

Memory Man – Broadcast One

Gritty jazz sample based hip-hop.

Listen on Youtube

Buy here

Nacho Picasso & Blue Sky Black Death – Stoned and Dethroned

Spacey hip-hop.

Listen on Youtube

Buy Here

Nell – The Screw Tape

Gangster raps over DJ Screw tracks.

Listen on Youtube

Free download here

Nneka – My Fairy Tales

Reggae infused soul.

Listen on Youtube

Buy here

OG Maco – 15 EP

Alternative trap.

Listen on Youtube

Free download here

Open Mike Eagle – A Special Episode Of

“Art Rap”.

Listen on Youtube

Buy here

Pharoahe Monch – Lost In Translation

Smooth hip-hop.

Listen on Youtube

Name your price download here

Phony Ppl – Yesterday’s Tomorrow

Jazzy RnB / hip-hop.

Listen on Youtube

Buy here

ProtoType – Lost Boy

Electronic RnB.

Name your price download here

Ratking – 700 Fill

Underground hip-hop.

Listen on Youtube

Free download here

Raw Poetic & K-Def – Coll Convos in Quantum Speech

Smooth boom bap.

Listen on Youtube

Buy here

Rome Fortune X OG Maco – Yep EP

Alternative trap.

Listen on Youtube

Free download here

SD – Life of a Savage 4

Chicago drill.

Listen on Youtube

Free download here

Sinitus Tempo & The Regiment – S.O.U.L. Sound of us Living

Boom bap.

Listen on Youtube

Buy here

Skizzy Mars – The Red Balloon Project

RnB / hip-hop.

Listen on Youtube

Buy here

Slim Thug – Hogg Life The Beginning

Pimped out Southern hip-hop.

Listen on Youtube

Buy here

Substantial and The Other Guys – The Past

Boom bap.

Listen on Youtube

Buy here

THEEsatisfaction – EarthEE

Experimental hip-hop.

Listen on Youtube

Buy here

Theory Hazit – Fall Of The Light Bearer

Underground hip-hop.

Listen on Youtube

Buy here

Toro Y Moi – What For?

Chillwave.

Listen on Youtube

Buy here

Traxman – Tek x Tar Vol. 5

Footwork.

Buy here

Tree – Trap Genius

Trap.

Listen on Youtube

Free download here

Zion I – The Sun Moon and Stars EP

West Coast boom bap.

Listen on Youtube

Free download here

Yeti (ZGRA) – Hip-Hop Collection VI

Bizarre instrumental hip-hop.

Name your price download here

Young L – Final Fantasy

Strange trap vibes.

Listen on Youtube

Free download here

Yung Simmie – Yung Smokey

Smoked out trap.

Listen on Youtube

Free download here

ZeBaDee – The Way Forward

Scottish hip-hop.

Listen on Youtube

Name your price download here

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Things You May Have missed 2014 Part 13

Music

Click here for part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4, part 5, part 6, part 7, part 8, part 9, part 10, part 11, part 12, part 14 and part 15.

OG Maco – Maco EP

Maco spits his maniacal raps over murky trap beats.

Free download here

OhBliv – LewseJoints II

OhBliv has an interesting style, similar to Knxwledge. He takes silky soul samples, loops them up in to knots and layers clattering drums behind it all, creating a fantastically unique sound.

Buy here

P Money – Originators

More bangers from the recent grime resurgence.

Buy here

Planet Asia & TzariZM – Via Satellite

Straight up soulful West Coast rap.

Buy here

Ransom – Pain and Glory The Album

New York gangster vibes.

Buy here

Rapsody – Beauty And The Beast

Rapsody further cementing herself as one of the best rappers of recent years and giving us more of that silky smooth, soulful hip-hop that we love.

Buy here

Ras G – Down 2 Earth, Vol. 2 The Standard Bap Edition

Space beats from the Stones Throw producer.

Buy here

Rasco – 7 Days EP

Solid EP from California veteran.

Buy here

Ratking – So It Goes

Young up and comers with some of the most brutal beats you’ll hear. A little overindulgent at times but showing a lot of promise for future releases.

Buy here

Reks – All Eyes On Reks

Reks is an unbelievable rapper but sometimes is let down by his beat selection, fortunately they’re pretty solid on here making this worthy of your time. As good as these tracks are Reks needs to get back with some more established producers so we can get more of the magic we heard on Rhythmatic Eternal King Supreme and Straight, No Chaser.

Free download here

Proceed to part 14