Juno Recommends Hip Hop / R&B: May 2022

Review: The EastSide Edits label outta Canada is here to provide big moments of fun for jobbing DJs. Their first EP sold out in quick fashion because of the irresistible nature of the mash-ups it contained. Now comes a second volume, this time in the form of a couple of edits. Demiur's Jacked Payboi edit of his own take on massive rap hit 'WAP' is smoothed out into a chunky house groove with all the controversial original lyrics from Cardi B and Megan the Stallion left in place. On the flip is a big, shimmering disco epic in the form of Double A - 'Oh My God' (Double A's Mid Tempo Rework).

Review: The unstoppable and multi-talented creative force that is Donald Glover is the man behind Childish Gambino. Kauai is the combined release of the seventh mixtape and second EP by the American artist and as ever it is a mix of raw, confrontational sound and textures and super sweet, heart aching R&B grooves with closely mic and seductive lyrics. This unfolds fast, with many different ideas packed in and all of them hitting differently, but equally heavily in their own way. It's another win from Gambino.

Review: This is a conceptual long player from Dan The Automator who is known for his work with Gorillaz, Dr. Octagon and Deltron 3030, and Prince Paul of Stetsasonic, De La Soul and Gravediggaz association. There are some hard guest spots from the likes of Beastie Boys main man Mike D, cut up and sample specialists DJ Shadow and Grand Puba. It is a smart blend of old-school hip hop, guitar-driven alt rock and more trip hop and experimental styles that re hella catchy as they roam through dark and mysterious cuts and more raw floor fillers.

Review: The Record Store Day drops are coming in thick and fast now and for hip-hop fans this is a heavy one. Neither of these tunes have ever been on a 45 rpm together before. They are classics from the legendary Philly crew with hard breaks and headier bars on 'My Part Of Town' set over a jostling bassline and tough hits. On the flip is 'Mountain's World' which is a deeper and more vibes-joint with less in your face energy and a smarter wordplay as well as some super scratch-work.

Review: The Record Store Day drops are coming thick and fast right now. This is another one from the Soul-O-Wax Inc crew featuring a couple of potent early era-b-boy gems. Grand Wizard Theodore and The Fantastic Romantic 5 first offer up 'Can I Get A Soul Clapp Fresh Out Of The Pack' is a retro rap gem with lazy beats and hip swinging claps and some colourful rhymes up top. On the flip is 'Hey What's Your Sign, What's Your Name, What's On Your Mind' with a squelchy bassline and tumbling drum work that locks you in.

Review: Doja Cat went big on her recent album Planet Her, which was the qui follow up to 2019's well received Hot Pink. It came on Ministry of Sound and saw the American singer, rapper, producer and songwriter collaborate with superstars such as The Weeknd, Ariana Grande, Young Thug, SZA and others. This 19 track deluxe version has them all and made for a thrilling ride that showcased her eclectic style, chaotic nature and kaleidoscope take on pop. Across the record Doja raps with flair, switches up her style along the way and manages to range from anguish to soul and back.

Review: Biz Markie was one of the true titans of the early East Coast hip hop scene - a staple of Marley Marl's Cold Chillin' label with a cheeky demeanour which showed even the toughest hip-hop didn't have to be moody. 'Just A Friend' originally dropped in 1989 and became a mainstream hit in the US, breaking Markie to the world and ensuring the success of his second LP, The Biz Never Sleeps. Nearly a year since he passed away, Cleopatra have revisited one of his most enduring classics and given it a fresh airing on this tidy red 7". If you don't already have it and you take your old-skool hip-hop seriously, don't sleep on this one.

Review: Vice Beats is riding high off his recent official J DIlla tribute "Dilla: The Timeless Tribute" a then served up his Beats N Bobs album. It is a collection of hip hop and soul grooves that covered all his many years as a producer. Now it is followed up on EQ Music with another new single in the form of 'That Love' which features Audessey, Greg Blackman & Knuf. It's sweet as you like beat work with soul drenched synths a cool rhymes. It also comes with a smooth mix on the flip.

Review: Here comes one you've been waiting for - the vinyl release of Vince Staples' triumphant self-titled 2021 album. As one of the leading lights of modern rap and RnB, Staples offers a subtly off-kilter take on the style without losing sight of immediacy and relatability. From 'Are You With That?' to 'Law Of Averages' you can hear an artist growing ever more confident in himself and his message, whether he's rolling with that sung-spoken swerve or dropping bars. The oddball hooks get under your skin while the lyrics clamp onto your brain with one listen - it's a true landmark release for Staples which his career will be measured against from here on out.

Review: The brilliant DJ Bacon is back with another of his hard hitting mega mixes, two years after his much loved 2018 opus "Back In Hell". This one serves up two 10 minute-plus sides of thrilling new remixes of Beastie Boys and Pink Floyd. Some of the restive groups biggest and most well known material is pulled apart then reworked into new forms before being put into mega mixes that bang together rock and rap in electric fashion. This is another bold and ambitious project with cues and borrowings from both iconic bands in equal measure.

Review: Perfectly straddling the transition from the bling rap era and the conscious rap movement, Killer Mike's 'RAP Music' was raved about when it released in 2012, receiving an 8.6 by Pitchfork and ending up high on countless end-of-year lists from publications. Killer Mike's hardstyle political lyricism, and exclusive star-studded line-up (including the likes of Scar, T.I. and E-IP) made this one of 2012's best releases. A consistent, high-quality flow with a fire pen and even hotter samples makes this one of the most overlooked hip-hop projects when it comes to the conversation of essentials. 'Go!', 'Untitled' and 'Southern Fried' are textual delights, to be expected from 2012 MVP front-runner EI-P. The latter being an ode to southern rap, often overlooked since the departure of Outkast (referenced in the lyrics "Ain't I Fresh, Ain't I Clean?"), even using the now infamous "Break" vocal sample used in Stankonia. Expect high class rapping, backed by soul claps, organ filled boom baps and funky bass. On a green double vinyl featuring those incredible instrumentals, this is the perfect treatment for what may be the most slept on rap project of that decade.

Review: To commemorate the 30 year Anniversary of Cypress Hill's debut album, Get On Down presents the complete album on 7 inch vinyl singles for the first time ever housed in a deluxe casebook. Cheeky, goblin-like rhymes come courtesy of lead vocalist B-Real and hypeman Sen Dog, doing justice to the two-tone rapper-hypeman formula of the day, trailblazed by Public Enemy. An important slice of history homing in on one of the few hip hop acts to straddle the rivalry between East and West Coast rap at the time.

Review: Vice Beats is riding high off his recent official J DIlla tribute "Dilla: The Timeless Tribute" a then served up his Beats N Bobs album. It is a collection of hip hop and soul grooves that covered all his many years as a producer. Now it is followed up on EQ Music with another new single in the form of 'That Love' which features Audessey, Greg Blackman & Knuf. It's sweet as you like beat work with soul drenched synths a cool rhymes. It also comes with a smooth mix on the flip.

Review: North Carolina's L'Orange has been making his own path for a decade now. He makes music that is hazy and often a little delirious. This new album is him wanting to "confront my own creative process and day-to-day wellbeing managing mental illness in a healthy way for the first time." It is an inventive one from start to finish with a deeply personal vibe and additional vocals from none other than Nish Kumar, musical maverick Marc Rebillet and Mark Cox amongst others. The beats are deep and laced with soul, loose percussive jumbles and hooky melodies that linger long in the brain, and the heart.

Review: Jasmine is a talented vocalist with a great range. She works in R&B, hip-hop and neo soul and now comes her first proper solo release. This tidy 7" gives great amount of her sound on new a-side single 'Fallin' which was produced by T.O.M. It is taken from her 2019 album and features 5lack. The crisp boom-bap beats are easy to latch onto, and the vocal is a super sweet and 90s tinged bit f heart melting work. On the flip, Mitsu The Beats is on the beat making so they hit that bit harder and more underground with a more tender and nuanced vocal from Jasmine. Superb.

Review: Apollo Brown, Red Pill and Verbal Kent are the hip hop supergroup Ugly Heroes. They released the first of their two albums Ugly Heroes in 2013 on Mello Music and has remained a popular record amongst fans of the conscious hip hop style. The record is full of old r&b samples and has a slow and creeping sense of drudgery that conveys what life on the streets is like. In that regard it is a potent and powerful album that conveys real narrative as well s serving up plenty of fine grooves.

Review: As a powerhouse for new hip-hop, Washington D.C. still stands strong, and it centres on two masterminds known as Raw Poetic and Damu The Fudgemunk. Here the artists present the limited LP version of their latest album, 'Laminated Skies', self-described as a 9 track meander through blossoming feel-good funk, hip hop, chamber music and pop. Fans of Chance The Rapper or

Review: Mple Soul's Fat Jon is back on top form with this new slice of blissed out hip hop. It comes in 7" form on Ample Soul and opens up with the a-side roller 'Your Purpose' which was originally featured on the Samurai Champloo series. It has dreamy chords and gently tumbling drums that are imbued with an enchanting melody line. Flip it over and you will find 'Why We Dream,' a cut with noodling bass and airy broken beats and that is no particular hurry to go anywhere specific. Add in the cute vocal stabs and there is enough soul to keep you warm for weeks.

Review: Belgian reissue powerhouse Hip Hop Enterprise continues in their mission to bring forgotten hip-hop albums back to the fore. This time they resurrect a 2009 compilation from Brooklynite Spencer Bellamy aka. the East Flatbush Project, whose NY thug rap monopoly came by way of his very own record label 10/30 Records. On it, he released some of the most boundary-breaking instrumental hip-hop beats known to man, and this, his only album, is the definitive collection of them.

Review: DJ Nu Mark is best known as one of the producers for West Coast hip-hop heroes Jurassic 5, but he keeps himself busy outside of those duties with a devoted studio practice in search of killer grooves by any means necessary. Last year he created the Creme De La Crate pack for use in Ableton Live, using vintage recording techniques and years of studio prowess to deliver heavyweight drum hits, breaks, loops and fills. Now he's committed some of those sounds to wax, giving turntablists something to get busy with if they like to do things the good old way. Here's hoping we get to see some seriously skilled jugglers creating patchwork delights from these dope beats and breaks.

Review: The Shea Butter queen aka Che Noir is back with a new Food For Thought album that is her first release in over year. After 12 was her last work and a fine one it was too but once again she has upped her game here with a coherent body of hip hop work. Her own bars are razor sharp and come thick and fast throughout the record while guests include 38 Spesh, Ransom, Rome Streetz, Armani Caesar, 7xvethegenius, and more. She has produced a whole bunch of these tunes herself, too, will some up and comers and the likes of TrickyTrippz, JR Swiftz & Motif Alumni and Chup also produce six of them.