Styles P "Presence" (Album Stream)

Styles P is determined to go down as the hardest working emcee in 2019 as the rapper adds another project to his long list of releases. The New York rapper has delivered Presence, which on the cover art of the album Styles shares is "the state or fact of existing, occurring or being present in a place or thing." The 10-track record is delivered via The Phantom Entertainment LLC and EMPIRE. Presence is sonically aligned with Styles P's streetwise lyricism and delivery that fans have continued to love throughout the years. The veteran rapper calls on a few artists to help him round out the project including Conway The Machine, Benny The Butcher, Chris Rivers, Cris Streetz, I-Man, Xander, and Butta. - HNHH. You can listen to Styles P's latest effort, Presence, below...

Mastermind "Tape 42: Back By Popular Demand '98" (Mixtape, 1998)

This is Canadian DJ Mastermind's Tape 42 aka Back By Popular Demand '98. Once again, Mastermind hits us with some underground flavor on tracks from KRS-One, Black Moon, Black Star, A Tribe Called Quest, Showbiz & AG, Def Squad, Fat Joe, Diamond D, The Roots, Lord Tariq & Peter Gunz, Nonchalant, Saafir, Sauce Money, Ras Kass, Paula Perry, Nas, Cam'ron, Wyclf Jean, King Tee, Lauryn Hill, Xzibit, Kid Capri, Defari, and a bunch more! Enjoy Mastermind's Tape 42 mix from 1998 below...

Slick Rick "Behind Bars" (The Source, May 1993)

Slick Rick, hip-hop’s greatest storyteller, spoke from prison (Woodbourne Correctional Facility in South Fallsberg, New York) in an exclusive interview with The Source in May, 1993. As Def Jam prepared to release his third solo album, “Behind Bars,” Slick Rick reflected on life behind bars and his turbulent past. “Titled Behind Bars, the third album brings producers like Pete Rock, Large Professor, Marley Marl and Easy Moe Bee into the picture, remixing - and in most cases re-remixing tunes that were completed months ago… “Behind Bars,” Rick’s account of life in the joint, is a graphic account of inmates getting their sneakers taken, “rape attempts,” fights for the telephone” and more. “While his lyrics shine, some people feel the album shouldn’t be released as is, that it isn’t representative of Rick’s best work. The decision lies in the hands of Russell Simmons.” As you saw in the Def Jam documentary, “The Show,” this conversation played out in the film, with Rick less than pleased with some of the production choices. I recommend reading the full article for all the back details, and I’ll close it out with a note from Slick Rick, saying “I’d like to say peace to all the brothers incarcerated, hold your head. And all the cross carriers, keep the faith.” Slick Rick was released from prison in 1997 after spending five years in prison. Slick Rick's album, Behind Bars, was released on this day in 1994. Happy 25th Anniversary. Art from Andre LeRoy Davis below.

Redman "Dare Iz A Darkside" (Press Kit, 1994)

"You are now about to embark on a unique adventure where time, sound, and reality all have different meaning. No you won't be hanging with Pee-Wee Herman money, your guide for this ride is none other than Reggie Noble BKA Redman, and the place with all the bass just happens to be The Dark Side. There's no need to go into how Redman came on the scene housin' S%&! right ? What! Your memory is failing you? Don't ask somebody, I'm about to school ya. After years tearing it out the frame doing classic freestyles across the Tri-State area, Redman burst out upon the Hip-Hop scene in 1991 by catching wreck with his gift of vocab on the EPMD tracks "Hardcore" and "Brothers On My Jock." Soon after he gained more props by releasing his first funky single "Blow Your Mind" off the now Gold debut album "Whut? Thee Album." It contained gem tracks such as "Time 4 some Akshun" and "Tonight's The Night." Besides that, Redman was also a powerful force in The Hit Squad, a crew in Hip-Hop so revered any mention of the name brought instant respect."

"But that was two years ago, and a lot has happened in between. In 1993 Redman was voted by The Source as the top rap artist of the year. And now Redman returns to reveal "Dare Iz A Darkside," his highly anticipated follow-up on Def Jam Recordings. The title for the new platter came easily as the MC has gone through a barrage of stress, trials and tribulations career wise, in addition to the everyday struggle of maintaining out in society. After a quick trip to the corner store for a couple of Phillies, he broke it down to me, 'My meaning of the dark side is deep and real. All that shit I was GOING through, I was like 'This don't make sense.' So you know what? I may just let shit go on this album to the dark side. Everybody's got a dark side, but they don't let it come out by pretending and grinning up in your face, and when they get home, they're on a whole different note. It wasn't about no gimmick. It's strictly real. The shit is dark but it's still funky'." - Press Kit, 1994 (Def Jam)

David Bars "The Bar Code" (EP Stream)

D.I.T.C. is ushering in a new wave that will be led by David Bars, who comes with high praise from some hip-hop legends. The Bar Code EP features production from DJ Premier, Buckwild, Showbiz, Lord Finesse and Da Beatminerz, as well as guest appearances from Fat Joe and Cory Gunz. DJ Premier adds, "David Bars brings back the joy of hearing lyrical skills and wordplay. The competitive voice and confidence he presents makes it exciting to keep that foundation alive for the culture to live longer." With D.I.T.C. and DJ Premier on the co-signs, the buzz is strong, but David Bars backs it up with the music! Listen to his new 7-track EP, The Bar Code, below and support our new talent...

DJ Enyoutee "The Planet Asia & Milanono Constantine EP"

Planet Asia and Milano Constantine have team up for six hard-hitting, lyrically-charged tracks for their collaborative EP helmed by New York’s DJ Enyoutee. And as the deejay tells it, getting these two together not only felt right but completely necessary. “Planet Asia and Milano respect each other as artists, so when I reached out, they were both down to make it happen without hesitation,” Enyoutee explains. “We all felt it was something that needed to be done.” The two emcees remain at the top of their game with their rhymes, and they make their intentions clear straight from the jump. Enyoutee picked out a collection of neck-snapping boom-bap from six different producers, and he was able to keep the sound consistent and cohesive throughout. “Being a deejay, I know that combining the two artists would work from a sonic perspective, while also being something that their fans would want to hear, so I knew the beat selection had to be rugged but also diverse,” he says. It all makes for another stellar entry in the already-impressive catalogues of both Milano and Planet Asia. These two have been at it for years and refuse to slow down, all while maintaining the same level of passion and desire. Dig into the collaborative EP below...

Common, Black Thought & More "Freestyle" (1998)

From the mid 90s through the early 2000s, the epicenter of Philly Hip-Hop culture could be found every Monday night at a small second floor nightclub directly off South Street. That club was Fluid, that night was The Remedy, hosted by Cosmo Baker & Rich Medina. Threaded through the evolution of the music at the time, through the rise of independent movement, concurrent with the very beginning of the Neo-Soul scene, The Remedy became the destination for music and culture lovers alike. Everyone from Kid Koala to Madlib, Questlove to DJ Craze, Bobbito to Goldie - would play the most underground and obscure tunes to a hungry and receptive crowd. And it was also not unlikely to have some immense talent jump up into the DJ booth and grab the mic, whether it was local talent from the Philly Neo Soul movement, or Slum Village, or Pharoahe Monch, or Bahamadia, or Kurupt. On this particular night in 1998, it was DJ Jazzy Jeff on the ones and twos, and we brought up Philly’s own Black Thought to bless the mic, followed by Common who ripped it to pieces. The freestyle session continued with Dice Raw, Scratch, Maylay Sparks and Rehani… everyone in the pocket. Also you can hear Black Thought kick a bunch of the rhymes he’d later on go and use on the masterpiece album by The Roots “Things Fall Apart”. Listen to this classic '98 cipher below...

Evidence "Squirrel Tape Instrumentals" (Vol. 1)

As a multidisciplinary artist, Evidence is able to effortlessly express his creativity in many forms. From his early success, rapping in the seminal independent hip-hop group, Dilated Peoples, before excelling as a solo artist, to earning praise as an esteemed photographer, to becoming a Grammy-award winning producer, it’s clear that Evidence has an ability to achieve greatness in his creative endeavors. No matter what discipline he chooses to explore, all of his compositions are lauded as both cutting edge and familiar. Evidence continues his production legacy with a brand new series to raise the bar. Squirrel Tape Instrumentals Vol. 1 is a 26-track collection of unreleased instrumentals, packed full of emotive melodies woven into hard-hitting drum breaks. Each beat transports the listener to a hypnotic state of nostalgia, perfect for study sessions or writing your own hits.