Ghostface Killah "Set The Tone" (Album Stream)

Ghostface Killah is ready to "Set The Tone" with his new album, featuring a blend of tracks catering to both male and female audiences. Expect a mix of hard-hitting New York rap and melodic, laid-back records. Additionally, Ghostface has collaborated with hip-hop heavyweights such as Kanye West, Nas, Raekwon, Method Man, Fat Joe, Busta Rhymes, Ja Rule, Remy Ma, AZ, Jim Jones, Sheek Louch and more. Ghostface also has a special edition release on CD in a collector's tin with unique art inspired by the album title. Whatcha think of the album? Stream Ghostface's Set The Tone below...

Copywrite "T.H.E. Last Supper" (Album Stream)

Underground Hip Hop veteran and esteemed lyricist, Copywrite enlists indie golden age emcees and producers from his early Rawkus, Eastern Conference and Fondle 'Em Records days with his seventh studio album, "The Last Supper". The album boasts thirteen tracks bringing back that early 2000's Weathermen feel. DJ Mighty Mi and Cop link back up for a few songs that are guaranteed to tide heads over until their joint EP drops later this year. The Juggaknot's resident monster, Breeze Brewin also shows up alongside underground champion Bobbito Garcia over a banger by Swab who handles a good portion of the albums tracks and the outcome is pure 89-tek-9 nostalgia reminiscent of the WKCR hey days. The always honest and lyrical depth of Atmosphere's Slug compliments Copy's tales of lost ones and pain over the years on "Turn the Page". This is Copy's best work if you ask me. The songs are all super dense and packed with effortless detail that all require several listens to fully digest. Twenty years of being one of independent rap's elite shines on Pete Nelson's magnum opus, "T.H.E. Last Supper". Listen to Copywrite's T.H.E. Last Supper below...

Black Rob "Life Story 2" (Album Stream)

Life Story 2 is a posthumous album from former Bad Boy recording artist, Black Rob, who passed away on April 17, 2021 (he died of cardiac arrest at age 52). Executive produced and spearheaded by D. Dot, Life Story 2 includes features from Kid Capri, Sway, Faith Evans, Smoke DZA, G. Dep, Kali Ranks, Joell Ortiz, Grandmaster Caz and of course, D. Dot as The Mad Rapper. Production is handled by Hitmen producers Nashiem, Carlos Broady, Yogi (Cru) and D-Dot, as well as Buckwild and more. With several interludes, the album boasts an ambitious 31 flavorful tracks and may represent the entirety of his vaulted music. His debut album is still a gem with several classic records that I revisit to this day. I recommend checking out this new nostalgic gem at your earliest convenience...

Cypress Hill "Black Sunday" (30the Anniversary Mix by Filthy Rich)

DJ Filthy Rich celebrates 30 years of Cypress Hill's classic sophomore LP 'Black Sunday' with a mix of original samples, remixes, b-sides and original blends. I remember coppin' the 12 of "Insane In The Brain" with the b-side, "When The Shit Goes Down" and knowing the follow-up LP was gonna be a smash. The album cuts were just as hard and while the content wasn't always "my bag", I appreciate the artistry and especially the production by DJ Muggs. You can definitely understand why it crossed over and made such an impact in the rock and hip-hop communities. The 30th anniversary Expanded Edition of Black Sunday includes a remix from Statik Selektah, DJ Muggs and more if you haven't had a chance to cop that release. Meanwhile, dig into the mix from DJ Filthy Rich below...

Nas "Illmatic" 30th Ann. Mix (Side B, DJ Filthy Rich)

As promised, when Side B was released by DJ Filthy Rich, that mix would be posted ASAPually! Here it is, Side B aka 41st Side South; the 30th Anniversary Mix for the Nas classic, Illmatic. Like his previous mixes, Toronto's DJ Filthy Rich digs in the crates and blesses us with original samples, unique and original blends and remixes. Joints like "It Ain't Hard To Tell," "Nas Will Prevail," "Life's a Bitch," "Memory Lane," "The World Is Yours," and "One Time 4 Your Mind" are heard in original, remixed or blended form here on this mix. What else you wanna know? Click through and enjoy + hit the tags for more mixes and posts in tribute to the single greatest hip-hop album of all time. Dig in!

Brother Ali & unJust "Love & Service" (Album Stream)

Love & Service is an analog album and animated film by Ali "Brother Ali" Newman and Justin “unJUST” Herman. Evoking the sound and spirit of 1970’s educational cartoons, this project is a musing for modern adults seeking wholeness in community. Brother Ali and unJUST, strangers who were fans of each others' work, connected through a series of voice notes and quickly built a friendship rooted in healing via music-making. They began collaborating on songs from opposite sides of the globe. Justin created musical beds on his Ensoniq ASR-10, a thirty-year-old analog sampling keyboard. Cut off from record stores (the lifeblood of every hip hop producer), he turned to a stash of children's educational films on 16mm and VHS looking for his inspiration. Ali recorded vocals from his new Turkish neighborhood of Uskudar. The music they were writing asked the questions hanging over them both. In an internet age, how do we learn to communicate from a place of love? How do we settle grievances and address harms without replicating the oppressive structures we're fighting to dismantle? How do we push past generations of trauma and create cultures of healing? In the "Love & Service" film, eight songs from this duo are elevated and amplified through vivid and at times surreal imagery. Each song features a unique style of animation meant to harken back to the days of pen scribblings and charcoal drawings. These are not the slick, hyper-realistic computer graphics that define most modern animation. This is textured, choppy art with fingerprints and smudges. "Love & Service" packs a lot into 13 tracks. It's a spectacle without any gloss. It's beautiful but asks uncomfortable questions. It incorporates a multitude of styles, but feels cohesive and organic. And while it explores the myriad ways that humans are failing one another, it lands with the affirmation that we're all worthy of love. Listen to Love & Service streaming below...

Cavalier "Different Type Time" (Album Stream)

Different Type Time feels like a revelation—a sonic suspension bridge between his rich history and the artform’s future. Different Type Time doesn’t sound like the future though, its vibrations are somewhere all their own. It sounds like jazz, like a conversation overheard in roti shop, or a pool hall, or the foyer of your old building on a fall day, front door propped open with a brick. The blues is in there too, and the south—the American South, and the Global South, and South Brooklyn. It’s not that it sounds like the past, but you can hear everything that came before in the thick of the basslines and the yearning of the keys. Different Type Time also doesn’t sound like now, it sounds like RIGHT NOW; the bounce of the lyrics like the staccato of basketball in the park, carried on a spring breeze. Quelle Chris plays a pivotal role; producing eight songs and serving as associate producer/consigliere to Cav throughout the creative process. Messiah Muzik, Wino Willy, Ohbliv, Ahwlee, Child Actor, Fushou and several other producers round out the credits, all lending their talents to the album’s spaciously soulful sound. At the center of all these alchemies is the New Orleans-based MC, Cavalier, nimbly dancing in and out of pockets like a sidewalk game of jumprope. Different Type Time is a masterclass in this thing we call hip-hop; daring and original, yet always standing deeply rooted in the culture. Listen to Cavalier's Different Type Time streaming below...

Nas "Illmatic" 30th Ann. Mix (Side A, DJ Filthy Rich)

A tribute to the classic Illmatic? Sure you right. Toronto's DJ Filthy Rich has blessed us with another fine mix; this is Side A in honor of the 30th Anniversary of the debut opus from Nas, Illmatic. Side A aka 40 Side North, includes a mix of original samples, original blends and remixes including early gems like "Live at the BBQ," "Back To The Grill," a freestyle from '93 on Stretch and Bobbito; blends to "Genesis," "Represent" and "Halftime," as well as the remix to "One Love" and more. Y'all already know, this is the single greatest hip-hop LP of all-time, to me... always has been. When Side B comes out, you bet it'll be posted here as well. Meanwhile, listen below and hit the tags for a dozen posts in honor of Illmatic over the years (press kits, publicity photos, mixes, reviews + more).