Check Part One here.
Beneficence & Jazz Spastiks – “Summer Night Sessions” (IllAdrenaline.Com) – Who got the jazz? When A Tribe Called Quest posed that question back in the 90s the answer was clearly the kids from Queens themselves. In 2023, however, New Jersey’s Beneficence and UK duo the Jazz Spastiks put in a strong claim with this quality album. Beneficence’s punchline-heavy rhymes blended seamlessly with the Jazz Spastiks infectious, upbeat production, with guests such as Skyzoo, J-Live and El Da Sensei all adding their lyrical weight to this celebration of true-school Hip-Hop.
Vitamin D – “Ultimate Broken Beats” (TallHomeyVitamindD.BandCamp.Com) – Inspired by 2023 being Hip-Hop’s 50th anniversary, Seattle’s Vitamin D paid tribute to Louis “Breakbeat Lou” Flores and Lenny “Breakbeat Lenny” Roberts of “Ultimate Breaks & Beats” fame, putting his own production stamp on a number of the classic musical moments that helped provide the sonic foundations of this incredible culture.
1773 & Strange Soul Music – “The Strange Soul Project” (1773Live.BandCamp.Com) – Chicago’s Wisdm Uno and Jay Nagoma have been extremely busy in recent years dropping an impressive string of releases with a variety of producers. This EP found the Windy City duo joining forces with the UK’s Strange Soul, a talented individual who complimented Uno and Nagoma’s positive, life-affirming rhymes with his polished, melodic sound.
Supastition – “Every Last Word” (Supastition.BandCamp.Com) – North Carolina’s Supastition has stood as a prime example of what a skilful, well-rounded emcee sounds like since he debuted over twenty years ago. This self-produced EP featured Supa at the top of his game, offering his thoughts on the music industry, his place in it as a veteran underground artist and the balancing act required to juggle real life with rap life.
Sacred Geometry – “142,857” (SacredGeometry1.BandCamp.Com) – Former members of the Electric Company crew (who dropped the “Life’s A Struggle” album in 2003), Boston’s Dagha and Mike P combined their lyrical talents on this 1st Official-produced album with memorable results. The pair’s experience as artists was evident here and could clearly be heard in the commanding, confident verses and insightful social commentary on offer, ensuring this album had character which made it stand out in today’s oversaturated rap world.
Lloyd Luther – “These Are The Times” (LloydLuther.BandCamp.Com) – Once again proving himself to be one of the most essential voices in the UK rap scene, this latest long-player from Leicester’s Lloyd Luther was another tour de force of powerful lyricism. Giving his perspective on both the Black British experience and the complexities of today’s wider world, Luther’s urgent delivery and ability to craft concept-based tracks with a message resulted in another release from the Midlands emcee which demonstrated why he deserves to be given as much attention as possible by anyone who believes substance is missing from music today.
Monk-One – “City Slicker” (Monk-One.BandCamp.Com) – Described by Monk-One as an “extended instrumental excursion for the loners, stoners, freaks and geeks”, this collection of head-nod vibes from the Brooklyn, NY producer looked back in places to the beats of the 90s golden-era whilst also offering a futuristic, abstract feel along the way.
Menace Mendoza – “Jungle” (Lab79.BandCamp.Com) – Rough, rugged and raw, the debut solo album from D.S.O.T.M. member Menace Mendoza was a heavyweight dose of hardcore UK Hip-Hop. Part personal therapy, part streetwise philosophy, Mendoza’s densely-packed verses were backed by the ominous, atmospheric production of Manage, with the end result sounding like it should be listened to on headphones at two-in-the-morning on the backseat of a night-bus watching the streets of London pass by.
Kurious & Cut Beetlez – “MONKEYMAN” (WeaponizeRecords.BandCamp.Com) – 90s favourite Kurious teamed-up with Finland-based production duo Cut Beetlez for this invigorating, upbeat album. Sounding inspired and enthusiastic, the NY emcee avoided wallowing in nostalgia and attempting to retread and recreate his previous musical steps, choosing instead to embrace the unique Cut Beetlez sound and take the opportunity to add a fresh new chapter to his legacy.
Killah Priest – “Forest Of The Happy Ever After” (KillahPriest.Com) – A truly unique and entertaining album, if someone had described “Forest…” to me upon its release and I hadn’t heard it with my own ears I may not have believed it actually existed. Killah Priest has never been an artist known for taking the obvious route with his subject matter, and on this album the Wu-Tang affiliate pushed himself even further out there, rhyming about various aspects of the global ecosystem that ranged from the importance of bees and the impact of deforestation to the intelligence of killer whales. If there was an alternate reality in which natural historian David Attenborough made a Hip-Hop album, it would sound like this.
DJ Nappa – “Capital Beat Tape Vol. 2” (DJNappa.BandCamp.Com) – Following-up last year’s epic explosion of 80s throwback greatness that was DJ Nappa’s first “Capital Beat Tape” release, this second volume once again paid tribute to the late London-based Capital Radio deejay Mike Allen whose shows had a huge impact on listeners here in the UK thanks to his support of artists like Mantronix, Roxanne Shante and Just-Ice. Nappa’s ability to recreate the energy and excitement of that time through his production once again hit the spot, taking listeners on a journey into sound with a cosmic blast of nostalgic beats, breaks and samples.
Whirlwind D – “Libra” (WhirlwindD.BandCamp.Com) – The fourth album from the UK’s Whirlwind D, “Libra” was a fast-moving collection of quality beats and rhymes designed to highlight both sides of the artist’s musical personality, ranging from funky, feel-good cuts laced with humour to darker tracks offering serious social commentary. Backed by production from the likes of Specifik, Farma G and Lewis Parker, Whirlwind did a good job here of picking tracks that best captured the album’s concept, with his engaging verses and passionate delivery ensuring “Libra” came together as a cohesive, rewarding listening experience.
Apollo Brown & Planet Asia – “Sardines” (MelloMusicGroup.BandCamp.Com) – As online debates about the merits of drum-less Hip-Hop seemed to rage throughout 2023, Detroit’s Apollo Brown and Cali’s Planet Asia rose above the background noise and unleashed a cool-but-deadly combination of sumptuous, laidback loops and razor-sharp wordplay, further highlighting the pair’s undeniable creative chemistry.
Kid Abstrakt & Leo Low Pass – “Still Dreaming” (MeltingPotMusic.BandCamp.Com) – Breathe. Reflect. Slow it down. That was the advice given by Los Angeles emcee Kid Abstrakt on the opening track of this album and he provided the perfect soundtrack to accompany those sentiments. Warm, vibrant and uplifting, “Still Dreaming” was medicine for the soul. With Amsterdam-based producer Leo Low Pass supplying a superb selection of jazzy, head-nodding beats, Abstrakt proceeded to drop verses full of positivity that were sure to make your day feel that little bit better.
Dillon & Diamond D – “Uncut Gems” (FullPlate.BandCamp.Com) – Following-up their 2017 collabo release “Black Tie Affair”, Atlanta-based emcee Dillon asked production legend Diamond D to go diggin’ in his crates once again for this aptly-titled collection of timeless music. Dillon came correct with confident, smoothly-delivered verses which were perfectly paired with the dusty-fingered dopeness of Mr. Stunts, Blunts & Hip-Hop.
Alecs DeLarge – “Alecs In Wonderland” (HighFocus.BandCamp.Com) – A colourful and imaginative journey into the musical world of the UK’s Alecs DeLarge, this self-produced album was pure Hip-Hop escapism – playful, creative and thoroughly entertaining with endless replay value. Making magic on his MPC whilst taking a break to “crumble planets into spliffs” before picking up the mic, DeLarge turned the ordinary into the extraordinary with understated flair.
Fly Anakin – “Skinemaxxx” (LexRecords.BandCamp.Com) – Produced entirely by fellow Mutant Academy member Foisey, this latest release from Virginia’s Fly Anakin found the charismatic emcee gliding across mellow, melodic loops with ease, joined by Big Kahuna OG, Pink Siifu and Ankhlejohn for this hazy, vibe-filled escapade.
The Opioid Era – “Black Tar” (PillPressRecords.BandCamp.Com) – King Kong Gotcha, Ambassador Rick and Grunge Gallardo have consistently been supplying the underground with uncut raw Hip-Hop for a number of years now. This Nottz-produced album further cemented the Virginia trio’s reputation as one of the illest groups currently out there doing it. With each member possessing formidable skills, the knocking, drum-heavy beats of Nottz provided a speaker-shaking backdrop for the crew’s rugged and witty street-savvy rhymes.
Charlie Smarts & DJ Ill Digitz – “Charlietape” (Charlietape.BandCamp.Com) – Members of North Carolina’s Kooley High crew, Charlie Smarts and Ill Digitz came together for this album following a move to NYC, with the end result being one of the most well-crafted releases of the year. Smarts’ clever wordplay was matched here with strong production from the like of Muneshine, 9th Wonder and Jansport J, with guests such as Tab-One, Skyzoo and J Scienide offering assistance on the m-i-c.
Goomson & Broke/ – “Heavy Wreck” (Goomson.BandCamp.Com) – Clearly students of the game who fully understand the science behind low end theory, California’s Goomson and Broke/ showcased the unmistakable crunch and thump of the SP throughout this sublime collection of jazz-influenced instrumentals.
Check Part Three here.
Old To The New - Ryan Proctor's Beats, Rhymes & Hip-Hop Nostalgia 