Fat Beats US Vinyl & CDs

Review: Queens, NY rapper Craig G offers us a new and harsh stovetop burn of an album, themed around the fossil-fuelled burning of the Earth. "The whole GAME is cooked... cooked... cooked..." echoes G's voice in the opening skit, before launching into a boom-tastic creed against the prodigal ills of today's rap game. With the rap game serving as a microcosm for the world, G's conceit is a compelling one - folding in diatribes against social media and precarious world affairs - and it comes wrapped in block-rocking, nightcrawling beats, shrink-wrapped in loudness boosting effects and rattling hums. Clock 'America's Dumbest Criminals', a rebuking detour of two acquaintances and ultimately enemies of G who were arrested on the same night as their crime.

Review: Ill Bill, Danny Boy, Slaine, DJ Lethal, and DJ Eclipse return with their second full-length for Fat Beats Records, plotting hardcore hip-hop plans before a raw, no-frills execution. Ill Bill, formerly of Non Phixion, brings his signature dark lyricism; Danny Boy made his name with House of Pain; Slaine cut his teeth in La Coka Nostra and Boston's unctuous underground; DJ Lethal's production chops span from Cypress Hilly boom-bap to Limp Bizkit era chaos; and DJ Eclipse, a key figure in NYC's pirate radio scene, downs anchor on the crew's sound. Production comes from DJ Premier, Statik Selektah and DJ Lethal himself, ensuring a retentive grittiness, while guest spots from Vinnie Paz and the late Sean Price help the crew hammer hone a collective lyrical point.

Review: Richmond Hill, the highly anticipated follow up to Masta Ace and Marco Polo's Breukelen Story, is inspired by Marco's childhood in the titular neighborhood, a small town in Ontario, just outside of Toronto. Between interstitials about Marco's passion for hip-hop and cartoons, his struggle with addiction, and the support of his parents, Marco Polo and Masta Ace tackle the issues of the day head-on with clarity, the rapper using his decades-worth of rapping experience to slice through the producer's warm soul samples and crisp percussion. A cinematic journey that explores how the past echoes through the present, the album welcomes guest appearances from notable names from all eras of rap history, including Inspectah Deck, Coast Contra, Blu, Che Noir, Speech of Arrested Development, Masta Ace's longtime collaborators Stricklin and Wordsworth and many more.

Review: Mista Sinista is a true hip-hop head who started DJing in the mid-eighties and then joined the X-Men - later the X-ecutioners - in 1992. Tow albums followed as did many global tours for Mista Sinista who also Died on the road for legends like Common, Beatnuts, Joe Fatal and Lauryn Hill. His debut album ReBorn on Fat Beat Records is a showcase of his skills that takes the form of a mix of well-produced tracks along with live turntablism. Guest include MCs like Mr. VooDoo, Ill Bill and Vinnie Paz, with production credits going to Nick Wiz, Statick, Cee da Cuban and DJ Safire amongst others.

Review: In an era where originality was essential for respect, few hip-hop groups earned more admiration than Organized Konfusion. The Queens-based duo of Pharoahe Monch and Prince Po reached their peak with their 1994 sophomore album Stress: The Extinction Agenda, now being reissued for its 30th anniversary. Supported by moody, bass-heavy, and jazz-infused production, Stress highlighted Pharoahe and Po's intricate, ever-evolving rhyme styles and undeniable chemistry. The result was an album that remains a beloved classic among hardcore rap fans, standing the test of time as a defining moment in the genre.