Scarlxrd

It’s one thing to make enduring records, another still to work with luminaries in multiple fields. Another thing still to treat the rhyme not only as a piece of poetry, but to play with the aesthetics of language in ways that represent the voice as a unique instrument in and of itself. Blackalicious do all of these things, and as evidenced by the reissue of 1993’s Melodica, they have been doing these things for years. Originally released exclusively on cassette, Melodica is being reissued digitally for the first time. It’s a vital document of the group’s progression towards their eventual position as lords of the West Coast Underground, Gift of Gab twisting his words with aplomb, his lyrics more carefree than his later work. Chief Xcel’s beats, meanwhile, tread the same funky, lighthearted waters as many of his left-field contemporaries, but everything on Melodica is coated in a murky scuzz that, somewhat conversely to logic, could place the EP alongside much of today’s weird, lo-fi hip-hop. As an added treat, Melodica contains “Changes,” an unreleased cut produced in part by one DJ Shadow, who joins forces withBlackalicious producer Chief Xcel to offer dusty drum loops and subtle, textured samples that would offer a glimpse into much of Shadow’s later work. In an era where hip-hop devolves into half-baked facsimile with alarming regularity, Melodica serves as a reminder that the true school will always triumph over the bullshit.

At only 18 years of age, Dave is already leaving a lasting mark on the UK urban scene after the independent release of his debut 'Six Paths' EP last September, which debuted at #6 on iTunes album chart & #1 on iTunes Hip-Hop chart. Created alongside production partner 169 & Grammy Award winning producer Fraser T Smith, the six track EP perfectly showcases the intelligent wordplay and social commentary that Dave has become synonymous for over the last 12 months.

Create, innovate, inspire, repeat. It is this ethos that has allowed Adelaide’s Hilltop Hoods to continue to rattle the keys to the Australian Hip Hop kingdomThe trio Suffa, Pressure and DJ Debris began igniting the local Hip Hop scene back when they started grinding out impressive underground gigs off the back of a handful of early releases ("Back Once Again‟, "Left Foot Right Foot‟ and "A Matter Of Time‟). They then smashed the Hip Hop doors open into the mainstream with the break out platinum record "The Calling‟. They turned the heads of rock fans, dance music devotees and even casual radio listeners with their infectious beats. The album produced the smash hit "The Nosebleed Section‟ which became an unofficial anthem for the genre giving the crew widespread national radio play and public props for the most popular Australian hip hop track ever produced, making it in at #4 on the coveted Triple J‟s Hottest 100 of all time poll - the only track from this genre to do so, and the highest of any Australian act. The 2006 follow-up ‘The Hard Road’, which debuted at #1 on the ARIA album chart and went on to become the group’s second platinum album, landed 5 tracks in Triple J‟s Hottest 100, won two ARIA Awards and picked up the coveted J Award. Later, with the assistance of composer Jamie Messenger, the Hoods’ reworked „The Hard Road‟ to create „The Hard Road Restrung‟, incorporating the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra. The album would go on to Gold certification and take home the 2007 ARIA Award for Best Urban Release. The Hoods’ continued breaking new ground when they produced the biggest selling Australian Hip Hop album of all time with „State of the Art‟ (2009). Debuting at #1 on the ARIA chart it held its position for two weeks (simultaneously being certified Gold). The album sailed past Double Platinum status after yielding the Double Platinum single "Chase That Feeling‟ and Platinum single "Still Standing‟. The album won the ARIA award for Best Urban Release and kept the group dominating radio airwaves and filling arenas around Australia and overseas. We last heard from Hilltop Hoods on 2012’s "Drinking From the Sun‟ an album that changed the game again, becoming the group’s 3rd consecutive #1 album and going Gold on the day of its release. It was then certified Platinum within just one week. They once again crossed over, taking one of the world’s biggest pop stars in SIA, and throwing her unique vocal stylings over their most successful single to date, the Triple Platinum "I Love It‟. They also struck a chord with some of their idols, working with Chali 2na of Jurassic 5, and The Roots’ Black Thought. Within a year the album reached Double Platinum with critical acclaim. In support of "Drinking From the Sun‟ the Hoods completed a maiden US tour in support of their recent signing with Fontana (USA). On top of this the Hoods’ released their music in markets all over the world via Universal Music, and subsequently completed sold out dates in Canada, UK, Germany and Switzerland (including festival appearances at Glastonbury, T In The Park, Open Air Frauenfeld, Splendour In The Grass and Wireless). Apart from their accomplishments on stage and in the studio, Hilltop Hoods also established one of Australia’s most well respected Hip Hop Labels, Golden Era Records (GER), to promote some of Australia’s finest local Hip Hop talent (Vents/Briggs/Funkoars/K21). Along with GER, the Hoods have never forgotten their roots, giving back to the Hip Hop Underground each year with the "Hilltop Hoods Initiative‟ – a grant that the trio established in 2005 in conjunction with APRA to support up-and-coming Hip Hop/Soul artists around Australia. The Adelaide trio have managed to once again push the envelope for Australian hip hop with the incendiary ‘Walking Under Stars’, which picks up exactly where “Drinking From The Sun” left off. Literally. The cryptic message left at the end of the 2012 LP opens this record, confirming that the trio were indeed working on two records and their largest project to date. The group have now delivered a project unlike anything fans have heard before – songs that bounce but also provide a deeper insight into the band. The first taste of "Walking Under Stars‟, „The Art of The Handshake‟ was received with open arms by new and old fans alike and quickly made its way to the top of Hype Machine’s hot list. A series of guests appear on ‘Walking Under Stars‟ – New Zealand songstress Aaradhna, UK’s rising soul star Maverick Sabre, the legendary Brother Ali, ARIA Award winning soul rocker Dan Sultan and fellow Best Urban ARIA winner Drapht. While Australian radio has already fallen in love with ‘Won‟t Let You Down‟, Hip Hop heads will relish in the festival anthems in waiting. The undeniable nostalgic swagger of ‘Cosby Sweater‟ and the melancholy harmonies of "I‟m a Ghost‟ both bring a unique sound synonymous with the Adelaide trio on one of the year’s most anticipated releases. Despite the sold out shows, the multi platinum records and the astonishing success they’ve experienced thus far fans can take comfort in the fact that the Hoods’ are still taking risks in order to propel the culture forward.

When Kamasi Washington released his tour de force LP, The Epic, in 2015, it instantly set him on a path as a torchbearer for progressive, improvisational music that would open the door for new audiences to experience music unlike anything they had heard before. The 172-minute odyssey featuring his 10-piece band, The Next Step, was littered with elements of hip-hop, classical and R&B music, all major influences on the young saxophonist and bandleader, who exceeds any notions of what “jazz” music is.   Released to critical acclaim, The Epic won numerous “best of” awards, including the American Music Prize and the Gilles Peterson Worldwide album of the year. Washington followed that work with collaborations with other influential artists such as Kendrick Lamar, Run the Jewels, Ibeyi, and John Legend, and the creation of “Harmony of Difference,” a standalone multimedia installation during the 2017 Biennial at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City.   The fulfillment of Washington’s destiny begin when at age 13, Washington picked up his musician father’s horn and proceeded to play the Wayne Shorter composition “Sleeping Dancer Sleep On” despite never touching a saxophone or knowing how to play. After deciding to commit to his instrument, he became, lead tenor saxophone chair at the Academy of Music and Performing Arts at Alexander Hamilton High School,, where he started his first band—Young Jazz Giants—with pianist Cameron Graves, Thundercat, and Ronald Bruner, Jr.   Washington received a full scholarship to the University of California at Los Angeles, where he studied ethnomusicology. He recorded his first album with Young Jazz Giants during the summer following his freshman year. The quartet’s self-titled debut was dripping with maturity well beyond the players' collective age, and with Washington penning four of the album’s seven original songs, became a platform to spread the “now” sound of jazz all around the country.   Following his sophomore year at UCLA, Washington went on his first national tour with West Coast hip-hop legend Snoop Dogg, performing alongside some of the most talented young musicians in the country. Later that year, the young saxophonist joined the orchestra of Gerald Wilson, one of his biggest heroes. After graduation, Washington toured with Grammy Award-winning producer, singer and songwriter Raphael Saadiq, and later that year, returned to Wilson’s band on the album In My Time.   His mass appeal continues to grow drawing vibrant, diverse, multi-generational crowds to his shows at the world’s most prominent festivals such as Coachella, Glastonbury, Fuji Rock, Bonnaroo and Primavera.  A prominent journalist recently summed it up best when he wrote “in a millennium largely absent of anything new or captivating in the jazz idiom, Washington has just unleashed a musical hydra grounded in respect and intimate knowledge of the past and striking far out into a hopeful future.”  Next up for Washington is the highly anticipated Harmony of Difference EP, due for release this Fall and his sophomore album slated for 2018.

21 Savage

Maître Gims, Congolese born, is a French rapper, singer and producer. He is a former member of Sexion d’Assaut, and a super star in his own right, becoming Paris’ most established hip hop artist with his major label debut solo album, “Subliminal” in 2013.

Nasty C

The rise of Cleveland's Bone Thugs-N-Harmony is a classic example of the American Dream, a group of five young "brothas" who had a goal and would not allow any barriers to stop from attaining this goal. Layzie Bone, Krayzie Bone, Wish Bone, Flesh-N-Bone and Bizzy Bone went from being broke, hungry and homeless in 1993 to watching their brand of flowing, rolling, rapid-clip, harmonized rap -- dubbed the "Cleveland Sound" -- hit the top of the charts.   In November 1993, they bought one-way Greyhound tickets to Los Angeles determined to prove their talents to their favorite rapper, the late Eric "Eazy-E" Wright of N.W.A. fame. They spent months living on the street, constantly trying to contact Eazy-E, until they finally received a call from him. They rapped for him on the phone. He said he'd get back with them, but never did. When they learned Eazy was doing a show in Cleveland, they hustled up more money for bus tickets and headed back. They found him backstage and after their second audition, Eazy signed them to his Ruthless Records label.   Bone's debut single, "Thuggish Ruggish Bone," sold more than 500,000 copies and the video was the cable music channel the Box's most-requested of 1994. Their Ruthless/ Relativity EP debut, Creepin' On Ah Come Up, started moving large quantities shortly after its June 1994 release, shot past triple-platinum sales and became an R&B, and Rap chart topper.   As the EP continued its reign atop the charts, the group began work on their debut LP, E. 1999 Eternal. The new album was released in 1995, and proved a great blend of sweet soul harmonies and boulevard mentalities. The album's tribute to their dead homies, called "See You At The Crossroads," became an MTV smash hit, launching them into mainstream radio play. The song took on an unexpected meaning after Eazy-E's March 1995 death.

$UICIDEBOY$