Wordsworth & Stu Bangas "Two Kings" (Album Stream)

Here we are treated to a remarkable collaboration between Brooklyn emcee Wordsworth and Boston-based producer Stu Bangas, resulting in the album Two Kings. This project seamlessly blends Wordsworth's insightful lyricism with Stu Bangas' hard-hitting production. Two Kings is a 12-track album where Wordsworth delves into themes of resilience, personal growth, and societal observations.​ The album boasts an impressive lineup of guest artists including longtime collaborators Punchline and Masta Ace, as well as Ali Vegas, Breeze Brewin, John Robinson, eLZhi, D.V. Alias Khryst and the homie DJ Jon Doe. Stu Bangas' production is solid from start to finish, and Wordsworth's passionate delivery is evident throughout the project, so dig into their collab LP Two Kings below...

Chino XL & Stu Bangas "God's Carpenter" (Album Stream)

After co-founding the duo Art of Origin, Chino XL was signed at age 16 by Rick Rubin's American Recordings label. In 2014 he formed a hip hop supergroup along with rappers Vakill, Copywrite, Tame One and producer Stu Bangas called Verse 48. Chino XL now reunites with producer Stu Bangas on this new project, God's Carpenter. It features guest appearances from Mystic, Dj Romes, Violet Revenge and Vinne Paz. I've had the pleasure of connecting with Chino XL numerous times over the years and he's always remained a humble giant. His razor sharp lyricism is an excellent home for Stu Bangas' hard, driving beats. More than anything, it's a gift to continue to see the release of music from Chino XL, who spent the bulk of his career without many physical releases, but maintaining the underground respect for the legend that he is. Stream Chino & Stu's God's Carpenter below...

Dres & Stu Bangas "Sheep Stu" (EP Stream)

Legendary MC Dres of Black Sheep returns with his latest offering, a collaborative EP with underground's most prolific producer, Stu Bangas. The 5-track EP, entitled Sheep Stu, features A.G. of the Diggin' In The Crates crew and has Dres spittin' like I haven't heard in a long time. I've lost count of the collaborative albums and instrumental releases that have come from Stu Bangas in recent years, all of which have been consistently dope. The Mr. Lif and Stu Bangas Vangarde project especially. Teaming up with Native Tongue's Dres was a dope, albeit unexpected choice and shows the range of both artists. Dig into their EP below... and hit the archive for more from both artists.

DJ Invasion "Price of Death" (Sean Price x Stu Bangas, Mix)

Price Of Death is the latest mash-up tribute by the talented DJ Invasion. The mix combines the late great Brownsville MC, Sean Price's vocals with long time collaborator and producer, Stu Bangas. DJ Invasion explertly blends these vocals over Stu's punch-you-in-the-face production. The mix also features Lil' Fame, Ruste Juxx, DJ Grazzhoppa, Apathy, Ghost of the Machine, Dirt Platoon, Rockness, Rozewood, Milano Constantine, Tone Spliff, Ill Bill, Vinnie Paz, Nutso, Spit Gemz, and Conway the Machine. The passing of Sean Price left a huge void in hip-hop, but mixes like this help us revisit his material in a new light. Check out DJ Invasion's Price of Death blend mix tape below...

Mr. Lif & Stu Bangas "Vangarde" (Album Stream)

“Our debut album is just the first in what we plan to be a long legacy of high quality, raw, brazenly uncompromising hip-hop. Legacy and adding value to this culture are extremely important to us.” - Mr. Lif on his and Stu Bangas’ self-titled debut as Vangarde. In a year of ongoing civil unrest, political corruption, and a global pandemic, 2020 deserves a punch to the gut like Mr. Lif & Stu Bangas’ debut album as Vangarde. This project addresses each of those topics and deftly tears them apart through incredible lyricism and raw, boom-bap production. Vangarde’s 11 songs represent the culmination of not only what this year has wrought, but also the talents of Lif and Bangas, an emcee-producer duo built for this. What makes Vangarde so impactful is that it doesn’t beat you over the head with the same sound or approach. Lif and his guests may tackle subjects related to oppression and corruption throughout the record, but it’s done through nuance. The same goes for Bangas’ stellar production, which maintains the momentum of his vocal counterparts. It’s no surprise then that the two speak so highly of each other, with Bangas referring to Lif as a “storyteller and a reporter,” and Lif noting that he was saving the name “Vangarde” for a project with an “elite producer.” It’s for those reasons that it’s easy to understand why the album succeeds in its execution, and why the two artists are so proud of the outcome. As Lif says, “Vangarde is that raw rap shit you can rely on to connect you directly to the essence of this culture.” The hard hitting LP includes guest appearances by Murs, Akrobatik, Eternia, Blueprint, Reef the Lost Cauze, Blacastan, Insight, and Puma Ptah. On a personal note, I'm very proud of my brother, Mr. Lif - this is another phenomenal project in his extensive catalog! You can feel the Gang Starr-like vibes throughout the album, but the vulnerability on "8 Minutes 46 Seconds" and "Now Is Only Now" add an extra layer to it, too. Listen to it below and props to Fat Beats for the vinyl on the way shortly.

Mr. Lif & Stu Bangas "Countdown To Vangarde" (Mixed by J.Rocc)

With their hotly anticipated collaborative album due out soon, Mr. Lif & Stu Bangas—collectively known as Vangarde—have linked with legendary turntablist J Rocc to put together an ill new mixtape, ‘Countdown to Vangarde.’ We’re treated to classic tracks taken from Lif’s discography, along with a couple leaks off ‘Vangarde.’ And you know it wouldn’t be a J Rocc mix without his original blends, and so we’re also treated to a pair of dope mash-ups that combine some of Lif’s acapellas over Stu’s previously released instrumentals. Give the mix a spin and mark your calendars for the Friday, Nov. 13th release of ‘Vangarde.’ The 11 track LP includes guest appearances by Murs, Akrobatik, Eternia, Bluprint, Reef the Lost Cauze, Blacastan and Puma Ptah, and will be available on vinyl as well as CD via Fat Beats. Support my brother, Mr. Lif, on this new project, listen to it below...

Stu Bangas "Discernment" (EP Stream)

Discernment is the new EP from Boston, MA producer Stu Bangas. The EP is 7 tracks featuring Ill Bill, Hus Kingpin, Blacastan, SmooVth, LMNO and more, but the real stand-out track is from Connecticut lyricist, Apathy. Brutal Music is the label home, and that should tell you enough about the aggressive production and hard-hitting lyrics you should expect from this EP. Listen below...