The Doppelgangaz – “Cloak Makes The Man” (@TheDoppelgangaz / 2020)
Taken from the NY duo’s forthcoming “G Pack Vol. 2” project.
The Doppelgangaz – “Cloak Makes The Man” (@TheDoppelgangaz / 2020)
Taken from the NY duo’s forthcoming “G Pack Vol. 2” project.
The Doppelgangaz – “Live Rugged” (Groggy Pack Entertainment / 2014)
The NY duo put some shopping trolleys to good use in these latest visuals from their recent album “Peace Kehd”.
The Doppelgangaz – “KnowntchooTahLie” (Groggy Pack Entertainment / 2014)
The NY duo give their trademark cloaks a well-deserved wash in the visuals for this second single off their new album “Peace Kehd”.
The Doppelgangaz – “Holla x2” (Groggy Pack Entertainment / 2014)
Drum-heavy lead single from the NY duo’s forthcoming project “Peace Kehd”.
Benny Diction & Able8 – “Life Moves” (Boom Bap Professionals) – UK emcee Benny Diction teamed-up with Australian producer Able8 for this quality collection of insightful rhymes and boundary-pushing beats. Able’s swirling synths, thick bass and dense drums provided an unpredictable soundscape for Diction’s unique view of the world around us.
Wyld Bunch – “Unbreakable” (Effiscienz) – Backed by the soulful boom-bap production of France’s DJ Brans, the Brooklyn-based Bunch effectively captured the essence of golden-era East Coast Hip-Hop on this eight track EP which also featured the lyrical skills of Masta Ace, Torae and Roc Marciano.
Life MC – “Gift Of Life” (LifeMC.BandCamp.Com) – Having remained a staple of the UK Hip-Hop scene since his 90s debut as a member of Phi-Life Cypher, Life continued his successful musical chemistry with producer DJ Nappa, dropping another worthy addition to his solo catalogue which was packed with his usual blend of poignant social commentary and emcee bravado.
DJ Format & Phill Most Chill – “The Foremost” (Project Blue Book) – Taking it back to the future, UK producer Format and veteran Philadelphia-based emcee Phill Most Chill delivered an uptempo blast of true-school b-boy flavour celebrating dusty breakbeats, lyrical agility and a shared love of Hip-Hop culture.
Truth Universal – “Invent The Future” (Truth Universal Music) – At a time when many would argue that lyrical substance has been lost in Hip-Hop, New Orleans emcee Truth Universal dropped some serious edutainment on his latest project, tackling issues such as urban violence, health and poverty with insight and authority over dope beats from the likes of P.U.D.G.E., Kev Brown and Khrysis.
Esoteric & Stu Bangas – “Machete Mode” (Man Bites Dog Records) – Not content with having already dropped a quality album in 2013 as one third of CZARFACE, Boston mic icon Esoteric joined forces with Stu Bangas to spit sharp lyrical barbs over the producer’s trademark sonic aggression on this hard-hitting project. Well-placed guest appearances from the likes of Ill Bill, Vinnie Paz and Celph Titled kept the hardcore levels of “Machete Mode” peaking throughout.
Qwel & Maker – “Beautiful Raw” (Galapagos4 Records) – The Chicago duo journeyed through a myriad of emotions on this multi-layered project which took the listener from the pain of struggle to the joy of success and everywhere in-between. Qwel’s passionate verses were a perfect match for Maker’s masterful musicianship, resulting in an album that will no doubt stand as an enduring body of work for years to come.
The Doppelgangaz – “HARK” (Groggy Pack Entertainment) – NY’s Matter OV Fact and EP continued to promote the Black Cloak Lifestyle on their latest shadowy opus, mixing hypnotic, drum-heavy production with off-centre rhymes about questionable substances, personal hygiene and the finer points of the fairer sex. Like a good liquor, the ‘Gangaz once again proved themselves to be sonically dark, intoxicating and addictive.
K-Def – “One Man Band” (Redefinition Records) – Taking inspiration from the likes of A Tribe Called Quest, 24-Carat Black and DJ Premier, the gifted New Jersey producer gave a new lick of musical paint to some familiar grooves on this ambitious instrumental EP, mixing the old with the new and adding another dimension to K-Def’s already impressive skills behind the boards.
Heavy Links – “Heavyweight” (HeavyLinks.BandCamp.Com) – UK trio Habitat, El Tel and Donnie Propa dropped another quality EP in 2013 that was packed with speaker-busting beats and vivid wordplay, providing further proof that Heavy Links are one of the most promising crews currently making music in the British scene. Heavyweight champs, indeed.
John Robinson & Kyo Itachi – “The Path Of Mastery” (Shinigamie Records) – Making his name in the 90s as a member of NYC’s Scienz Of Life, longstanding wordsmith John Robinson continued to prove that true talent is timeless on this collaborative album with France’s Kyo Itachi. Mixing his usual brand of lyrical positivity with Itachi’s jazz-influenced beats, Robinson proved, once again, that the creative path he’s on is the correct one.
Ryan Proctor
Check Part One, Part Two, Part Three and Part Four.
Posted in East Coast Hip-Hop, Midwest Hip-Hop, Southern Hip-Hop, UK Hip-Hop
Tagged Able8, Beautiful Raw, Benny Diction, Boom Bap Professionals, DJ Brans, DJ Format, DJ Nappas, East Coast Hip-Hop, Effiscienz, Esoteric, Galapagos4 Records, Gift Of Life, Groggy Pack Entertainment, HARK, Heavy Links, Heavyweight, Independent Hip-Hop, Invent The Future, John Robinson, K-Def, Kyo Itachi, Life MC, Life Moves, Machete Mode, Man Bites Dog Records, One Man Band, Phill Most Chill, Project Blue Book, Qwel & Maker, Redefinition Records, Shinigamie Records, Southern Hip-Hop, Stu Bangas, The Doppelgangaz, The Foremost, The Path Of Mastery, Truth Universal, UK Hip-Hop, Unbreakable, Underground Hip-Hop, Wyld Bunch
The Doppelgangaz – “On The Rag” (Groggy Pack Entertainment / 2013)
Hypnotic NY boom-bap from the duo’s recent album “HARK”.
The Doppelgangaz – “Sun Shine” (Groggy Pack Entertainment / 2013)
New visuals from the NY duo’s recent album “HARK”.
The Doppelgangaz – “Barbiturates” (Groggy Pack Entertainment / 2013)
The NY duo take to the water for these latest visuals from their recent album “HARK”.
The Doppelgangaz – “Skin Yarmulke” (Groggy Pack Entertainment / 2013)
Third video from the NY duo’s new album “HARK” which dropped today.
Check the official stream of the NY duo’s brand new album “HARK” here and then make sure you support Matter Ov Fact and EP by purchasing the project when it drops next week on both digital and CD format via Groggy Pack Entertainment.
The Doppelgangaz – “Oh Well” (Groggy Pack Entertainment / 2013)
Drum-heavy second single from the NY duo’s forthcoming album “HARK”.
The Doppelgangaz – “Hark Back” (Groggy Pack Entertainment / 2013)
Visuals for the lead single off the NY duo’s forthcoming album “HARK”.
The Doppelgangaz – “Hark Back” (Groggy Pack Entertainment / 2013)
NY’s cloaked Hip-Hop crusaders Matter Ov Fact and EP return with some typically atmospheric beats and rhymes off their forthcoming album “HARK”.
Beneficence – “Concrete Soul” (Ill Adrenaline Records) – This veteran New Jersey emcee’s latest album boasted enough featured golden-era talent to make true-school enthusiasts think they’d woken up back in the 90s, with the likes of Lord Tariq, El Da Sensei and Da Beatminerz all making solid contributions to this impressive release. But Beneficence didn’t allow himself to become a guest on his own project, ensuring his forthright lyricism kept him centre-stage throughout.
Brother Ali – “Mourning In America And Dreaming In Color” (Rhymesayers Entertainment) – The Minneapolis-based Ali has long been one of Hip-Hop’s most interesting and inspiring emcee’s, with this fifth full-length project finding the lyricist teaming-up with Seattle producer Jake One to delve into politics, economics and spirituality, resulting in a rousing soundtrack for society’s everyman to struggle to.
Juga-Naut – “Battle Of The Bulge” (Juganaut.BandCamp.Com) – The talented UK emcee delivered some serious verbal darts on this self-produced EP which also featured fellow Nottingham wordsmith Vandal Savage, with the pair expertly wielding vivid imagery and metaphors to paint potent pictures of lyrical excellence.
Craig G – “Ramblings Of An Angry Old Man” (Soulspazm Records) – Irrespective of the actual music contained on this project, the former Juice Crew member would have still gotten props for one of the year’s best album covers. The ever-reliable Queensbridge emcee did, however, also have the beats and rhymes to add extra weight to the sentiment expressed in said artwork, with Craig executing non-stop lessons in timeless lyricism over production from the likes of Marco Polo, Jake One and Da Beatminerz.
George Fields – “From The Sticks” (GeorgeFields.BandCamp.Com) – With influences ranging from Pete Rock to D.I.T.C., this young producer from Dorset, England concocted a soulful mix of heavy drums, filtered basslines and floating horns on this instrumental release which only appeared to hint at the quality to come from Fields in the future.
Soundsci – “Formula 99” (Crate Escape Records) – Combining the transatlantic talents of UK producers Jonny Cuba (Dynamic Syncopation) and Ollie Teeba (The Herbaliser) with Stateside emcees Audessey (Mass Influence), U-George (Hemisphere) and Oxygen (Sputnik Brown), this polished underground gem was packed with quality beats, entertaining rhymes and all-round good vibes, with the group’s far-flung members clearly proving themselves to be on the same sonic page throughout.
The Doppelgangaz – “Beats For Brothels Vol. 2” (Groggy Pack Entertainment) – Fresh off the cult success of their 2011 “Lone Sharks” project, NY duo Matter Ov Fact and EP returned with this largely instrumental project, compiling a head-nodding selection of atmospheric, dusty-fingered tracks perfect for late-night strolls shrouded in one of the Ghastly Duo’s trademark black cloaks.
Murs & 9th Wonder – “The Final Adventure” (Jamla Records) – The Living Legends emcee and Little Brother producer ended their successful musical partnership on a high-note with this final release in their series of collaborative albums. Choosing the if-it-ain’t-broke-don’t-fix-it route, the project contained typically soulful production from 9th matched with Murs’ own unique brand of personal reflection and entertaining story-telling.
Meyhem Lauren – “Respect The Fly S**t” (L-R-G.Com) – Having spent recent years building a reputation via various mixtapes and collaborations with homie Action Bronson, 2012 will go down as the year Queens, NY’s Meyhem Lauren truly stepped into the spotlight in his own right. Recorded in a Texas hotel suite over two days during the SXSW music conference, this spontaneous Tommy Mas / Harry Fraud-produced project contained plenty of Lauren’s obligatory clothes and food references over a choice selection of samples, with the likes of Roc Marciano, Thirstin Howl and AG Da Coroner bringing new meaning to the term ‘room service’.
K.I.N.E.T.I.K. – “The Kinesis Thesis Vol. III” (Kinetik.BandCamp.Com) – A shining example of an artist who has consistently striven to perfect his craft, this latest intalment in his “Kinesis Thesis” series found London emcee K.I.N.E.T.I.K. delivering his finest creative moment to date, wrapping up his positive, thoughtful rhymes in melodic soundscapes which perfectly matched the emotional tone of his subject matter, which ranged from the plight of inner-city youth to pondering the responsibilities of fatherhood.
Timeless Truth – “Rock-It Science” (RTTNC) – Having kick-started 2012 with the brilliant “Brugal & Presidentes” EP, NY duo Solace and OPrime39 ended the year by making good on their promise to release their official debut long-player. A punchy collection of boom-bap bangers, the pair evoked images of graffiti-covered subway trains, Timberland boots and Polo gear as they travelled back-to-the-future, bridging the gap between the Rotten Apple’s Hip-Hop golden-era and the present day. Queens get the money.
Ryan Proctor
Check Part One, Part Two, Part Three and Part Four.
Posted in Album Reviews, East Coast Hip-Hop, UK Hip-Hop, West Coast Hip-Hop
Tagged 9th Wonder, Battle Of The Bulge, Beats For Brothels Vol. 2, Beneficence, Brother Ali, Concrete Soul, Craig G, Crate Escape Records, East Coast Hip-Hop, Formula 99, From The Sticks, George Fields, Groggy Pack Entertainment, Ill Adrenaline Records, Jamla Records, Juga-Naut, K.I.N.E.T.I.K., Meyhem Lauren, Mourning In America And Dreaming In Color, Murs, Ramblings Of An Angry Old Man, Respect The Fly S**t, Rhymesayers Entertainment, Rock-It Science, Soulspazm Records, Soundsci, The Doppelgangaz, The Final Adventure, The Kinesis Thesis Vol. III, Timeless Truth, UK Hip-Hop, West Coast Hip-Hop
The Doppelgangaz – “Something’s Off” (Groggy Pack Entertainment / 2012)
Some new atmospheric instrumental flavour from the NY duo.
The Doppelgangaz – “Whole Wide World” (Groggy Pack Entertainment / 2012)
Visuals from the NY duo’s “Beats For Brothels Vol. 2” release featuring footage from their recent appearance at Hip-Hop Kemp in the Czech Republic.
The Doppelgangaz – “What Am I” (Groggy Pack Entertainment / 2012)
Second single from NY duo EP and Matter Ov Facts’ forthcoming “Beats For Brothels Vol. 2”.
The Doppelgangaz – “Tranq” (Groggy Pack Entertainment / 2012)
Atmospheric head-nod beats from the NY duo’s upcoming instrumental project “Beats For Brothels Vol. 2”.
The Doppelgangaz – “Schemes” (Groggy Pack Entertainment / 2012)
Infamous NY duo EP and Matter Ov Fact return from the shadows with this first single from their forthcoming “Beats For Brothels Vol. 2” project.