New Joint – Children Of Zeus

Children Of Zeus – “The Most Humblest Of All Time, Ever” (ChildrenOfZeus.BandCamp.Com / 2021)

Hypnotic, bass-heavy flavour from the Manchester duo’s stunning sophomore album “Balance”.

New Joint – Children Of Zeus

Children Of Zeus – “I Need You” (ChildrenOfZeus.BandCamp.Com / 2021)

Flawless soulful brilliance from Konny Kon and Tyler Daley’s triumphant sophomore album “Balance”.

New Joint – Children Of Zeus

Children Of Zeus – “Be Someone” (@ChildrenOfZeus / 2021)

Soulful Beat Butcha / Cam Griffin-produced vibes, poignant rhymes and striking imagery from Tyler Daley and Konny Kon’s forthcoming heavily-anticipated album “Balance”.

New Joint – KinKai / Children Of Zeus

KinKai ft. Children Of Zeus – “Top Down” (KinKai.BandCamp.Com / 2020)

Fresh, Paya-produced summer vibes from the Manchester artist’s recent album “A Pennies Worth”, featuring assistance from hometown heroes Tyler Daley and Konny Kon of the mighty Children Of Zeus.

New Joint – Children Of Zeus

Children Of Zeus – ”Vibrations” (@ChildrenOfZeus / 2019)

Hypnotic, life-affirming soul music from Manchester duo Tyler Daley and Konny Kon’s critically-acclaimed 2018 album “Travel Light”.

New Joint – Children Of Zeus

Children Of Zeus – “Hard Work” (@ChildrenOfZeus / 2019)

Smooth, organic soul from Manchester duo Tyler Daley and Konny Kon’s brilliant 2018 album “Travel Light”.

The Winter Tape Stream – Children Of Zeus

Not content with having released one of 2018’s best albums with their official debut “Travel Light”, Manchester’s Konny Kon and Tyler Daley have dropped a seasonal gift to their fans in the form of this (free!) soulful collection of quality cuts, featuring Black Milk, Peedi Crakk and Milano Constantine.

New Joint – Children Of Zeus / Black Milk

Children Of Zeus & Black Milk – “Won’t End Well” (@ChildrenOfZeus / @Black_Milk / 2018)

New visuals for the dope Black Milk-produced head-nodder from UK duo Tyler Daley and Konny Kon released via Australia’s Low Key Source label.

New Joint – Children Of Zeus / Black Milk

Children Of Zeus & Black Milk – “Won’t End Well” (@LowKeySourceAU / 2018)

Following the well-deserved recognition for their brilliant “Travel Light” album released earlier this year, Manchester duo Konny Kon and Tyler Daley  drop their unique brand of soul-laced Hip-Hop flavour over impeccable production from Detroit’s Black Milk for this release on Australia’s Low Key Source label.

New Joint – Children Of Zeus

Children Of Zeus ft. DRS & [KSR] – “All On You” (@ChildrenOfZeus / 2018)

Mellow Hip-Hop soul off UK duo Konny Kon and Tyler Daley’s long-awaited album “Travel Light” dropping this Friday on First Word Records.

New Joint – Children Of Zeus

Children Of Zeus ft. [KSR] & DRS – “All On You” (@ChildrenOfZeus / 2018)

Soulful head-nod vibes from Konny Kon and Tyler Daley’s heavily-anticipated album “Travel Light” dropping in July – pre-order here.

New Joint – Children Of Zeus

Children Of Zeus – “Slow Down” / “All Night” (@ChildrenOfZeus / 2018)

Two-in-one visuals from Tyler Daley and Konny Kon showcasing the smooth Hip-Hop-flavoured soul of the UK duo’s latest single.

New Joint – Children Of Zeus

Children Of Zeus – “All Night” (@ChildrenOfZeus / 2018)

Manchester-based duo Tyler Daley and Konny Kon return with a new dose of sublime Hip-Hop street-soul as they put the finishing touches to their upcoming album project.

100 Best Albums & EPs Of 2017 (Part One) – Melanin 9 / Roc Marciano / J Scienide etc.

So here we are again. Another year has come to an end. Time to look back over the last twelve months and give my traditional round-up of the beats and rhymes I had in heavy rotation throughout 2017.

It’s never easy putting ‘best-of’ lists together. Regardless of how many releases are included, it’s impossible to compile something like this without always feeling like you’re having to leave something out. But this year has been particularly difficult, given the sheer amount of quality Hip-Hop that has been released over the past 365 days.

In addition to the albums and EPs that actually made it into this five-part overview, there was approximately a further fifty included on my initial short-list, but you have to draw the line somewhere.

So, whilst there will no doubt be projects not featured here that some will feel should have been mentioned, those that made the cut have been selected based purely on being one of the releases I listened to (and enjoyed) the most throughout 2017.

That being said, huge props to every emcee, producer and deejay out there making music that comes from a genuine place of creativity and artistic integrity – your efforts are appreciated by Hip-Hop heads across Planet Rock.

But now, like we always do about this time….

Melanin 9 – “Old Pictures” (Red Snow Records) – A decade after the release of his debut project “High Fidelity”, Triple Darkness member Melanin 9 delivered arguably his best body of  solo work to date. A personal, introspective walk through the experiences, struggles and memories of the London-based lyricist, “Old Pictures” found M9 matching his impressive verses with fittingly mellow, laidback soundscapes from producers such as Ohbliv, Wun Two and Anatomy. Timeless beats and rhymes.

O.C. – “Same Moon Same Sun: 1st Phase” (D.I.T.C. Studios) – One of the greatest emcees of all-time, Diggin’ In The Crates legend Omar Credle personified the term ‘grown man business’ on his seventh solo album, offering an assured blend of social commentary, life observations and lyrical bravado, proving that truly talented artists never lose their importance or relevance in the rap game.

Trauma 74 – “The God Given Image” (Evil Twin Records) – The result of a life-long passion for Hip-Hop that began in the early-80s, this debut album from UK emcee Trauma 74 was clearly a labour of love. Grounded in true-school traditions and creative integrity, “The God Given Image” was packed with accomplished wordplay and soulful boom-bap beats, resulting in a project that any fellow Hip-Hop junkie could appreciate and relate to.

Strizzy Strauss – “The Art Of Summarising Life” (IAmStrizzyStrauss.BandCamp.Com) – The upcoming Leicester-based lyricist definitely made his mark on the homegrown scene in 2017 with this impressive EP, full of personal, heartfelt verses delivered with street-savvy sensitivity and a sharp social awareness. Honest, life-affirming and inspirational, “The Art Of…” showcased the voice of an artist clearly keen to inject his music with substance as well as style.

Milano Constantine – “The Way We Were” (Different Worlds Music Group) – A tribute to the New York of yesteryear, Diggin’ In The Crates affiliate Milano utilised the top-notch, drum-heavy production of DJ Skizz and Marco Polo to reminisce about old-school fashion trends, graffiti-covered subway trains and wild nights at the Latin Quarter throughout this release, drawing on both the youthful energy of 80s Hip-Hop and the volatile Rotten Apple environment of the time for inspiration.

Roc Marciano – “Rosebudd’s Revenge” (Marci Enterprises) – The Strong Island representative gave the game yet another back-handed pimp slap in the form of his fourth solo album, a cool-but-deadly collection of cold-blooded, elegantly-delivered rawness, evoking images of 70s Blaxploitation flicks and golden-era NY Hip-Hop in equal measures. Fresh, fly and bold.

Brother Ali – “All The Beauty In This Life” (Rhymesayers Entertainment) – Long-established as one of Hip-Hop’s most inspiring and warm-hearted artists, Minneapolis’s Brother Ali dropped a truly fitting Ant-produced soundtrack to today’s troubled times, drawing inspiration from both personal situations and global issues as he encouraged listeners to find meaning and purpose in their lives, despite the struggles and hardships we each face on a daily basis.

Funky DL – “Marauding At Midnight” (Washington Classics) – Multi-talented UK artist Funky DL paid tribute to the musical genius of A Tribe Called Quest with this inspired instrumental remake of the Queens crew’s classic 1993 album “Midnight Marauders”. Achieving the difficult balance of staying faithful to ATCQ’s jazzy, low-end aesthetic whilst allowing his own musical personality to shine through, DL proved himself to be both a student and master of the production game throughout this ambitious release.

Saipher Soze – “Godbody” (SaipherSoze.BandCamp.Com) – Rough, rugged and raw flavour from the Toronto emcee packed with razor-sharp rhymes and quality beats, this Finn-produced album found Soze cementing his position as one of the most skilled microphone fiends to have emerged from the Canadian underground in recent times.

Dillon & Diamond – “Black Tie Affair” (FullPlate.BandCamp.Com) – Successful in their promise of crafting “sophisticated rap music”, Atlanta-based emcee Dillon and Diggin’ In The Crates giant Diamond D mixed the rough with the smooth on this five-track EP, resulting in a polished listening experience which still bore the musical marks of dusty fingerprints.

Sons Phonetic – “Deloreans” (SonsPhonetic.BandCamp.Com) – Atmospheric, captivating beats and rhymes from Ireland’s mighty Sons Phonetic crew, with “Deloreans” proving once again why the multi-faceted collective can lay claim to being one of the most consistent groups in the game.

The Almighty $amhill – “The Epilogue” (LowTechRecords.BandCamp.Com) – Bronx native $amhill delivered more of his unapologetically raw street-smart lyricism on this quality EP release, a potent dose of gritty NY flavour direct from the birthplace of Hip-Hop produced largely by the talented Preservation.

Es – “We Are Only Getting Older” (EsMuzik.BandCamp.Com) – Canadian lyricist Es followed up his brilliant 2014 album “Aspire To Inspire” with the equally impressive “We Are Only Getting Older”, a concept-based project dealing with Hip-Hop’s generation gap, featuring production from IV The Polymath, Rel McCoy, Kelpi Nine and more.

Eloh Kush & BudaMunk – “Fly Emperor” (AnglezInc.BandCamp.Com) – Backed by the melodic, drum-heavy production of Japan’s BudaMunk, New Jersey’s Eloh Kush mixed streetwise attitude with vividly creative wordplay on this impressive long-player.

The Cornel West Theory – “The T.A.B.L.E. Too” (TheCornelWestTheory.BandCamp.Com) – Washington D.C.’s Cornel West Theory continued to go against the grain on their fifth album release, a collection of radio-unfriendly soundscapes and challenging, thought-provoking lyrics.

Creestal – “Differences” (MunchieRecords.BandCamp.Com) – Talented French producer Creestal (of CM Jones fame) dug deep in his crates for this sample-driven collection of dusty flavours featuring Roc Marciano, Conway, Torae and more. Blending together raw drums, obscure loops and random film dialogue, “Differences” was a masterclass in sonic creativity.

J Scienide – “The Actual Heat” (JSciende-OfficialCrateMusic.BandCamp.Com) – Washington D.C.-based artist J Scienide delivered his highly-anticipated album “The Actual Heat”, an accomplished collection of sample-based beats and intelligent, witty wordplay, with the likes of Grap Luva, Kev Brown and Nolan The Ninja making notable appearances on what was easily one of 2017’s best releases.

Da Buze Bruvaz – “Adebisi Hat” (Grilchy Party) – Run and DMC. Rae and Ghost. Billy Danze and Lil Fame. The key to a great rap duo is chemistry. Philly’s Him-Lo and Clever One can add themselves to that list. The Lo-Life-affiliated pair have dropped plenty of worthwhile material over the years, but this full-length effort upped the hardcore ante, with the true-school twosome verbally bullying top-drawer production with their trademark brand of boisterous, politically-incorrect punchlines.

MC Eiht – “Which Way Iz West” (Blue Stamp Music / Year Round Records) – Approximately two years after West Coast legend MC Eiht announced his next album would be backed by DJ Premier, the project finally saw a release. Thankfully, “Which Way…” lived up to expectations. With Eiht solidifying his OG status throughout, this long-player deservedly found itself being heralded as a standout dose of Cali attitude. Compton’s still in the house. Geeah!

Children Of Zeus – “The Story So Far…” (First Word Records) – Manchester’s Konny Kon and Tyler Daley have been blessing a cult following with sonic gems for some time now, but 2017 was the year the talented pair’s unique brand of soulful, Hip-Hop-influenced music started to reach a wider audience and receive the acclaim it deserved. This compilation pulled together both previously-released tracks and new material from the UK duo, paving the way for the official Zeus debut album due for release in 2018.

Check Part Two here.

New Joint – Children Of Zeus

Children Of Zeus – “Smoke With Me” (@PickneyOfZeus / 2017)

Sublime Hip-Hop soul from Konny Kon and Tyler Daley’s forthcoming EP “The Story So Far…”.

New Joint – Children Of Zeus

Children Of Zeus – “Tonight” (@PickneyOfZeus / 2017)

Whilst Manchester’s Konny Kon and Tyler Daley continue to work on their official debut album (due for release in 2018), the UK duo give those unfamiliar with their quality brand of Hip-Hop soul the opportunity to catch up via the new EP “The Story So Far…”.

New Joint – Children Of Zeus

Children Of Zeus – “I Can’t Wait” (@PickneyOfZeus / 2017)

More soulful straight-out-the-basement flavour from Manchester’s Konny Kon and Tyler Daley.

New Joint – Children Of Zeus / Caron Wheeler

Children Of Zeus ft. Caron Wheeler – “U Alone – Remix” (@PickneyOfZeus / 2016)

Manchester’s Tyler Daley and KonnyKon join forces with UK street soul legend Caron Wheeler for this drum-heavy mix of melodic vibes and rugged Hip-Hop flavour.

New Joint – Children Of Zeus / DRS

Children Of Zeus ft. DRS – “Still Standing – Lenzman Remix” (@PickneyOfZeus / 2016)

Producer Lenzman blesses Manchester’s Konny Kon and Tyler Daley with some soulful vibes for this Hip-Hop / Drum & Bass hybrid.

New Joint – Children Of Zeus

Children Of Zeus – “Still Standing” (@PickneyOfZeus / 2016)

Sublime soulful flavour from Manchester’s Konny Kon and Tyler Daley.