Ben Hedibi & uMaNg "Stray Dogs" [Album]

Stray Dogs is a cold, cinematic masterpiece of modern underground hip-hop. It is a relentless exploration of survival, heritage, and the refusal to be tamed. Spanning 18 razor sharp tracks, this milestone release marks the debut full-length collaborative album between two veterans, Toronto producer Ben Hedibi and Salt Lake City based emcee uMaNg, showcasing an effortless, natural synergy between two masters of their craft.

In a Rap scene where almost everyone tries to play a TV character, acting like the meanest and most untouchable bulldog in town, uMaNg and Ben Hedibi opted for vulnerability and realness. In a miserable world crowded by masks and appearances, they chose the path of authenticity, identifying more as stray dogs than fake pitbulls. This album marks a spiritual collaboration between two souls, both humbled by a hard existence, who had to learn how to navigate life while being fully marginalized & constantly underestimated. Unlike many, they learned to embrace their failures and shortcomings. Like Stray Dogs they are fully covered in scars, but each and every mark on their bodies is a badge of honor. A war story.

Forged across state lines and international borders, Stray Dogs chronicles a dark, gripping thematic arc tracing the long shadow of childhood trauma, abandonment, and isolation as it hardens into an untamable, predatory adult persona. Ben Hedibi’s elite production delivers a versatile sonic landscape, balancing soul-stirring, haunting boom-bap loops with hard-hitting, high energy bangers. This rich backdrop allows uMaNg’s technical ability to shine as he delivers dense multi-syllabic schemes, vivid horror thriller imagery, sharp subversions of classic idioms, and intricate double entendres that demand repeated listens. The majority of the album was recorded in a lightning-in-a-bottle fashion, capturing an "in-the-moment" magic while delivering a timeless sound built to stand the test of time.

An uncompromising, cohesive experience throughout, Stray Dogs stands as a defining statement for true lyricism and craft: there are no clean redemption arcs, only the instinct to endure.

Planet Asia & Method Man "Haunted House" SINGLE

Planet Asia’s partnership with Rasco began with a meeting in Fresno, years before the two established Cali Agents. That history of working within a duo provides one point of connection with Method Man, his collaborator on “Haunted House.” The single pairs artists whose solo catalogues developed alongside enduring group relationships. Asia appeared on Rasco’s “Time Waits For No Man” in 1998, before their joint album “How The West Was One.” Cali Agents gave that existing relationship a shared identity, while both continued to record individually. Method Man’s solo introduction likewise retained close ties to his group. Released through Def Jam in 1994, “Tical” was produced mainly by fellow Wu-Tang Clan member RZA, with other members appearing as guests. His partnership with Redman subsequently became another substantial strand of his recording career, yielding their collaborative album “Blackout!” in 1999.

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Eleven And Jason D "The Vibe" SINGLE

“The Vibe” reached Eleven and Jason D’s radio audience before its release as a single. Jason D included it among the unreleased songs in an E&J studio performance on The Wreck, alongside earlier recordings including “I Am” and “Carefully Crafted.” The Boise duo introduce it as the lead single from an album planned for early 2027, with Eleven on the mic and Jason D handling production and cuts. Radio has been part of Jason D’s work since the late 1980s, when he began broadcasting with KutMasta Kurt on The Wyse Up Show at UC Santa Cruz. He learned his DJ craft from Pam the Funkstress of The Coup. Eleven brought a different background to their partnership, moving from San Diego to Boise and combining his work as an MC with teaching and basketball coaching. They began working together in 2016 and released “E&J” the following year. The Wreck also provided an early public account of another version of “The Vibe”: in comments accompanying the performance on Mixcloud, Jason D confirmed a remix by Tone Spliff.

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Crack Sizzlack "Midnight Oil" ALBUM

P-Ro helped shape more than the verses on Crack Sizzlack’s 2014 compilation “Audio Crack.” Alongside several guest appearances, he worked with Sizzlack on sequencing and supplied the artwork. “Midnight Oil,” presented by Sizzlack as the follow up to that release, brings P-Ro back on “Mr. P,” “Press Rewind” and “Capes R Us.” The connection continued between those two albums. Sizzlack produced the P-Ro EP “7 Signs of Stupidity,” which also paired the rapper with G Fam Black on “Putting Others Down.” That release identifies Sizzlack as part of CLOAQXDAGGER. He also produced G Fam Black’s “Brocky Marciano” in 2021, with Tali Rodriguez handling mix and mastering. Both rappers appear within the wider cast of “Midnight Oil”: P-Ro shares “Capes R Us” with New Villain, while G Fam Black joins Kingdom Kome on “Destroy Build” and B1 the Architect and Dj Decepta on “Burnt Fingertips.”

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Foul Mouth "Take Cover (BOMBS AWAY PART 2)" VIDEO

“Take Cover (BOMBS AWAY PART 2)” revisits a title from Foul Mouth’s “Everybody Goes Crazy Once.” That album contained “Bombs Away! (4XL Beef Cake),” produced by Mike Kush; the official “Take Cover” video accompanies the announced first single from E.G.C.2, the next instalment of the Detroit producer and MC’s series. His history on the microphone predates those solo records. He performed with PHD as Da Bash Brotherz and with Jake Knew and King Juke in JFK, alongside production work with Bizarre, Fatt Father and Isaac Castor. For “Everybody Goes Crazy Once,” released in 2025, Foul Mouth described resuming rapping after a decade away. He presented the record as a way to address personal struggles and addiction, expressing experiences he had been holding back. He also recorded and mixed the album himself. The announced E.G.C.2 continues that solo sequence, with “Take Cover” explicitly naming its connection to the earlier “Bombs Away!” in its subtitle.

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Ramson Badbonez & Illinformed "Crystal Skull" ALBUM

Leaf Dog moves from producer to guest as Ramson Badbonez follows “White Rabbit” with “Crystal Skull.” The 2025 album was produced entirely by Leaf Dog; its continuation pairs the North London MC with Leaf’s brother Illinformed. The release account describes Badbonez connecting with Illinformed within weeks of “White Rabbit,” then developing ideas between London and Bristol. That family connection has a musical history of its own: Illinformed produced the 2013 Brothers Of The Stone album alongside rappers Leaf Dog and BVA. On “Crystal Skull,” Leaf joins the vocal lineup for “Blessing.” Farma G supplies another connection to Badbonez’s earlier work. He appears with Jess Keeble on “True Colours,” having previously contributed production to Badbonez’s debut album in 2012. Badbonez’s relationship with Task Force reaches further back, to his discovery in Highbury as a teenager and appearances on their “Music From The Corner” releases. The fourteen tracks of “Crystal Skull” also include Kakarot on “Terrors” and Mr Rozzi on the closing song, “Spirit Science.”

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Chekar Kareem and PIC Chambuz "Watch The Crown"

“Wunderland” provides an earlier meeting point for Chekar Kareem and PIC Chambuz. Produced by Nazar Mark, the song brought Kareem onto Chambuz’s 2025 release “Red Pill Blue Pill.” “Watch The Crown” expands their connection into an eleven song release carrying both artists’ names. Their catalogues also intersect geographically in North Carolina. Kareem identifies with Monroe and Chambuz with Greensboro, a city already present in Kareem’s recording history. Much of his 2021 release “Black Messiah Rap Vol. 1 " The Resurrection "” was recorded, mixed and mastered by 1stUp at LiveWire Studios in Greensboro. That record also featured Mundae Boones from ILLPO on “Puppet Master.” Chambuz’s “Red Pill Blue Pill” gathered collaborators including Veteran Eye, Celinski and Dirt Da General. Within those existing circles, “Wunderland” documents the direct collaboration that preceded “Watch The Crown.”

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Errol Holden & 2000 SOULS "CAKEMAN & STEVEN BAKER 2" EP

The title of “CAKEMAN & STEVEN BAKER 2” reaches back to Errol Holden’s 2023 EP, while the shared billing with 2000 SOULS reflects a collaboration established across several other releases. The Harlem rapper and German producer previously teamed up on “DEATH MARCH.” 2000 SOULS also supplied much of the production for “Mulberry Silk Road,” executive produced by Roc Marciano, and produced a majority of “SUPREME MAGNETIC 3.” Their continuing work draws on a writer who has described his source material in direct personal terms. Speaking to Throw Up Magazine, Holden explained his departure from street life as a conscious decision and his lyrics as recollections of events he had lived through. He described “Joe Frog” as a tribute to his father, whose encouragement to give himself a chance helped inform his decision to pursue music. Holden told the magazine that a single week of his former life could furnish an entire album, explaining the scale of the memories available to him as a writer.

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Boldy James & Real Bad Man "Strobelight" ALBUM

“Strobelight” adds twelve tracks to a partnership that began with Boldy James and Real Bad Man’s “Real Bad Boldy” in 2020. The Detroit rapper and the producer from Los Angeles bring Taj, El Cousteau, Grip and Wiki into this instalment of their shared catalogue. Taj joins “Gourmet,” El Cousteau appears on “Silver Surfer,” Grip contributes to “Beef The Bag Up,” and Wiki joins “Flowers at the Bezzle.” The pair’s earlier albums include “Killing Nothing” from 2022 and “Conversational Pieces” from 2025, which featured Conway The Machine, dreamcastmoe and El-P. Their continuing collaboration sits within Real Bad Man’s broader independent operation. A designer as well as a producer, he works across clothing and record releases, bringing those activities together under the same name. “Strobelight” follows that established sequence of records with Boldy, while introducing a different group of guests from “Conversational Pieces.”

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Daniel Son x Asun Eastwood x Futurewave "Dirty Weaponry" VIDEO

Futurewave also works behind the camera on “Dirty Weaponry”: he produced the song and shot its official video, with editing by Son Tzu, Daniel Son’s alias. Taken from “Nom De Guerre,” the recording brings Daniel Son, Asun Eastwood and Futurewave together again after “Physics of Filth” and “Bite the Bullet.” On “Physics of Filth” in 2018, the two MCs wrote the lyrics while Futurewave produced, mixed and mastered the album. “Bite the Bullet” followed in 2020. Speaking to HOTMC that year, Eastwood described their sessions as informal gatherings rather than elaborate plans, explaining that they could accumulate an album’s worth of music in a couple of weeks. He connected that album’s title to being dismissed by others, turning an instruction to endure rejection back on those doing the dismissing. Their shared work also has an organisational home: Daniel Son and Futurewave were already running WAVGODMUSIC together when Son spoke to WORDS WITH WORD$ in 2023. The label releases “Nom De Guerre,” with “Dirty Weaponry” closing the album.

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Asharri The Vagabond "Armageddon In Retrospect"

All four bonus tracks on Asharri The Vagabond’s “Armageddon In Retrospect” feature Knife Star, a collaborator whose connection to him reaches back to 2007. The two worked together as Hatchet Men, while Knife Star also joined Underground Elements, the group Asharri formed with DJ and producer TQF, later known as Man At Arms. Their partnership runs through “Closed Doors (Remix),” “Comin To Get Ya (Remix),” “Desperation (Remix)” and “Master The Craft (Jazz Mix).” The release brings together remixes, Redux versions and alternate mixes from an artist who also records as The Derelict and Self Taught Knowledge. Born in Austin and raised in South Dakota, Asharri began rapping and producing in Rapid City in 1992, before forming Underground Elements in Austin in 2004. His work across those identities appears in the Half-Breed Productions catalogue alongside Underground Elements and Uncanny Hatchet Men. Jon Blaq and SL provide another connection between “Armageddon In Retrospect” and that group history: both previously appeared on Underground Elements’ “Think Back,” produced by Derelict.

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Mic Sessionz "PROlific"

Writing, production, mixing, mastering and art direction all came together in Mic Sessionz’s work on XCELR8 in 2025, with only one track’s production handled elsewhere. PROlific follows that record in a catalogue extending beyond his work behind the microphone. Based in Miami, Sessionz also records under names including Thoughtz Optik RNF and The RNF Status, and traces his music making back to 1999. Coverage of his earlier release EXIT documented his work with Audio Theatrix and a series of collaborations with B Dope, placing his solo recordings within a wider South Florida network. On PROlific, ArchAngel of MonstroCity appears on “ODDieties.” That group name also connects with Sessionz’s public catalogue, which includes MonstroCity’s Knowledge Be The Key. The guest appearance sits within a release of eight tracks, alongside solo selections including “Safe Travels” and “Paying tha Price.”

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