Youngstown, OH hip-hop artist Unc Doe returns with his latest self-produced single, “Heart Of Gold.”
Built around Unc Doe’s signature approach to storytelling and authentic hip-hop, “Heart Of Gold” delivers a reflective look at staying genuine, remaining true to your values and navigating life while holding onto the qualities that matter most. The production provides the perfect backdrop for Unc Doe’s direct and personal delivery, allowing the message of the track to take center stage.
“Heart Of Gold” showcases Unc Doe’s ability to combine raw lyricism with soulful, purposeful production, resulting in a track that feels both personal and relatable. The single is available now on all major streaming platforms!
Buffalo, NY’s Therealskitso dropped a bi-coastal bomb of a track this morning. “Mercy” boasts the lyrical firepower of Styles P, M.O.P (Billy Danze & Lil Fame) as well as a chorus by G-Funk pioneer Kokane. Riding over a soulful soundscape courtesy of Skitso, this is a display of the producer’s versatility while keeping the essence of that raw & gritty core of hip-hop.
Listen to “Mercy” ft. Styles P, M.O.P & Kokane:Here
“Mercy” is a leak from the forthcoming Therealskitso album, The Asylum Vol. 1. Three other singles from the forthcoming album have previously dropped including “Fired Up” featuring Project Pat and “Well Connected” featuring Tha Eastsidaz and Kokane. Media coverage included "Well Connected" being played on BET Jams and Therealskitso and Kokane being invited onto Roxanne Shante's Have A Nice Day show on Rock The Bells (Sirius/XM).
In addition to the aforementioned tracks, The Aslyum Vol. 1 will also feature appearances from Cormega, Phat Kat, Guilty Simpson, Pete Rock, Westside Gunn, 38 Spesh, Devin The Dude, Berner and many more!
Five Steez from Kingston, Jamaica, went silent for over a year. Now he returns with "Keep It Blazing" — the first single from the upcoming EP "Re:Emergence" with producer Chosen One. Fya Da Flame supplies the scratch hook. The MC himself describes it as "the type of track you've come to expect" — rugged beats, bars that can tear you open, no gimmick. What makes Five Steez special in the underground: he represents Kingston. Not Toronto-Jamaica, not London-Jamaica, but directly from the island. That gives his perspective a different grounding than most of his North American or European peers. Hip-hop from Jamaica is rarely visible in the international underground discourse, even though the connection between Jamaican sound system culture and the beginnings of hip-hop is historically documented — DJ Kool Herc of the Bronx came from Kingston. Five Steez closes that circle by rapping, not toasting. "Re:Emergence" as an EP title is deliberately chosen: resurfacing. Not a comeback (which implies disappearance), but a return after a conscious pause. Chosen One produces everything. The Bandcamp release structure suggests a step-by-step rollout — "Keep It Blazing" first, then more singles, finally the full EP. For heads looking for a Jamaican perspective inside boom bap underground: here it is in pure form.
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"Changes" is the visual from the four-track "Prolific Immortality" EP, which was just covered in the program. Knowledge Da Nerd produces, MAR and Liym Capital handle vocals, The 17th Cipher maintains the curatorial frame. The video gives the EP rollout a visible layer and extends the "CHICAGOSPEL" infrastructure that The 17th Cipher has been building over recent months. What works here: the EP was short enough to make every individual voice audible. The video reinforces that by centering the performance. No overloaded concept, no visual trying to reinterpret the track — just three MCs and a curator showing what they have.
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No joke: Crack Sizzlack and G Fam Black drop the second part right behind the first. "The Night Crew" was just in the program, now "The Night Crew II" is already here. Ten tracks, same role division, same frame. That's either risky — because the danger of diluting the same sound immediately is real — or consistent, because the night shift doesn't stop after one round. With G Fam Black and Crack Sizzlack it's more the latter. Anyone who used part one as an entry point gets the immediate continuation here. Both parts appearing this close together practically turn them into a double album packaged in two halves. The question is: does the quality hold across twenty tracks in this short a timeframe?
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The history behind "a calm killing" reaches back to 1999, when Poor Righteous Teachers took Grand Agent on tour and introduced him to a tradition built on literacy, clarity and responsibility. Culture Freedom — PRT co-founder, one of the most underrated producers of the 90s East Coast school — produces the entire album. Both engineer and mix together. Released through Interworld, vinyl and CD on ElasticStage. Six tracks, from "peenhead rapper" through the title track "a calm killing" and "sword & shoulders" to "callin' on jesus." The title track examines how harm becomes ordinary, respectable and profitable without requiring spectacle. "wasn't gone see me" treats longevity as intelligence rather than nostalgia. "callin' on jesus" narrows the focus to personal choices and the quiet explanations people use to live with what they do. Grand Agent — who released through Groove Attack and Eastern Conference in the early 2000s — never received the attention his pen deserved. Culture Freedom as a producer is a genuine rarity: PRT had their own sound, one that fit neither the classic DJ Premier template nor the RZA tradition, but held a spiritual, rhythmically independent line between both. That both artists finally deliver a complete project over a quarter century after their first tour connection gives "a calm killing" more weight than its brief runtime might suggest.
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"Metal Hands" receives its own video as the first proper track from the "Machines" album — placed directly after the intro. Yung City Slicka films. What matters here: Snowgoons distribute the physical album and push the content through their channel. That's a strong signal for Novatore: the Goons infrastructure — GoonsGear for physical releases, the YouTube channel for visual reach — gives an underground album like "Machines" a distribution pipeline many independent MCs don't have access to. C-Lance's beat on "Metal Hands" sets the tone for the entire album: heavy, dark, metal-leaning, not a millimeter of room for softness. Novatore raps with the physical presence that defines his style — "Metal Hands" as a title promises: these hands aren't flesh, they punch through. As an album opener the track works exactly that way: no negotiation, immediate entry.
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Benny Slumz and HardMoney already proved their chemistry works with "Myself" in the program. "The Strip" adds Black Silver as feature — the title can mean a street stretch or the stripping away of illusions, the reduction to the core. Which reading dominates depends on the track. Benny Slumz remains one of Boston's most honest voices, his delivery staying unpolished and direct. HardMoney on the boards maintains the melancholic yet pressurized undertone that defines their shared work. No feature overload, one targeted guest.
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This is a time capsule. In the summer of 1998, childhood friends Pigeon John and bTwice from Inglewood recorded their one and only album as Brainwash Projects — in Matt Wignall's Tackyland studio in Long Beach, on Ensoniq ASR-10s, through a vintage 70s 24-track desk. Soup The Chemist (formerly of SFC) mixed, Matt Wignall engineered. The album made noise in the West Coast underground and shaped the sound both artists carried into their later careers. Pigeon John went on to become part of L.A. Symphony — that Christian-influenced LA underground collective that also included CookBook (The Visionaries), Joey the Jerk and Flynn Adam Atkins. The credits read like a family album of the late-90s LA indie scene: Gr. Jsn Beits and Vibe as guest producers, Drunk Kings featured on "Speeding Porsches!," L.A. Symphony as the surrounding collective. The whole thing is dedicated to the memory of Marcus Irving, Julia Griffin and Loncee "Soda Saducee" Thompson — the original Brainwash Projects member from 1991 to 1997. This album appearing on Bandcamp now is not nostalgia marketing. It's preservation of material that circulated only limitedly in the pre-streaming era and had practically vanished. Seventeen tracks including a hidden track "Dedicated to MC Shan" — a bow that shows how deeply this West Coast duo's roots sat in New York rap history. The ASR-10 production sounds exactly like 1998: warm, crunchy, organic. No remaster tried to modernize it. Exactly right.
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Mom's kitchen. The title automatically brings in everything attached: origin, safety, the smells you never forget, the place you ate as a kid before the street started. Chase Fetti and Harrd Luck — whose "NARCAN" album was already in the program — use that image for a track that has to navigate between nostalgia and realism. "Moms Kitchen" in a street rap context is never just warm-hearted; it's also the last safe space before outside gets uncomfortable, or the room you miss when you're long gone. The official video gives the track its own visual identity. Without additional credits for the visual, focus stays on the MCs and the space the title opens. That a more intimate excerpt now comes from the "NARCAN" world shows: Fetti and Harrd Luck aren't building a one-subject universe, they're building a world with different rooms. "Moms Kitchen" is the warmest one.
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Hieroglyphics are a Bay Area cornerstone — Del Tha Funkee Homosapien, Casual, Souls of Mischief (A-Plus, Opio, Tajai, Phesto), Pep Love, Domino and DJ Toure. "All Said And Done" as an album title sounds like a deliberate reckoning: everything has been said and done, so now what? Sixteen tracks from a collective that has existed as one of the West Coast's most important independent rap alliances since "3rd Eye Vision" (1998). What makes this return significant: Hieroglyphics were pioneers of direct music distribution. Their website Hieroglyphics Imperium Recordings was one of the first to sell music directly to fans, years before Bandcamp or other platforms existed. With sixteen tracks they deliver not a brief statement but a complete album. Casual recently appeared with the Pandamonium remix in the program, Del The Funky Homosapien featured on Kool Keith's "Sonic Psychosis" — individual crew members have been active. Now they stand together again.
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"THE HANDS OF FATE" references the infamous 1966 B-movie "Manos: The Hands of Fate" — one of the worst-rated films ever made, which achieved cult status through "Mystery Science Theater 3000." 2 Dolla Will turns that into seven tracks with Iceberg Theory, GLYDAN, Jazzylionman and LUNAR producing, curated by Yung Regis. Track 5 has what is probably the longest song title of the year, and it's simultaneously wild, paranoid and best left without commentary. The MST3K character Torgo appears as a track title, "Grabbed by the Ghoulies" references an obscure Rare Xbox game. 2 Dolla Will operates in a field where absurd references, underground paranoia and deliberate lo-fi aesthetics converge. Not the most accessible entry point, but for heads who enjoy cult B-movie material, gaming deep cuts and unorthodox rap thinking, this hits the exact intersection.
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Curly Castro hadn't collected comics in over 20 years. Then Krakoa happened — that X-Men era where mutants build their own nation. He came back and made "SuperDOPE" out of it. The track is his tribute to mutantkind, a ride through the X-Men lore of his youth translated into the image of a perfect flower — that Krakoa bloom, rolled as Funk into a Doobie, capable of saving the planet. It sounds deliberately absurd, and that's exactly where the strength sits: Castro constructs a nostalgia nexus event as a rap song. Locust produces, Mo Sebo directs and animates the video, iAlive mixes, Willie Green masters. The track previews "Yaphet" — Castro's upcoming album on Backwoodz Studioz, distributed worldwide by Rhymesayers and Secretly Distribution. Those aren't small partners: Backwoodz (billy woods, Armand Hammer, ELUCID) ranks among the most committed indie rap labels of the present, Rhymesayers (Atmosphere, Brother Ali, Aesop Rock) among the oldest and most respected. Castro landing his record there says something about the standing of his writing in the experimental underground. "Yaphet" arrives September 18, 2026. The name likely references Yaphet Kotto, the actor — "Alien," "Homicide: Life on the Street" — who himself negotiated multiple identities and roles across his career. Castro describes Yaphet as "the many sides of your friendly neighborhood re.Bel," the spelling deliberately fractured. Curly Castro has belonged for years to the most idiosyncratic voices at the left edge of hip-hop — absurd, political, surreal, but always bar-heavy enough for the pen game to carry the concepts.
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The 17th Cipher has established itself over recent months as a curatorial entity — as a frame for Chicago-adjacent projects like "CHICAGOSPEL" with Rufus Sims and IAMGAWD, and as a connection point for different MC configurations. "Prolific Immortality" brings Knowledge Da Nerd, Liam Capital and Mar together for a four-track EP format. The title is the actual statement. "Prolific" means productive, high-output — "immortality" points to what remains from that work. Both terms together form a tension: can you be productive and still create something that lasts? Or does sheer volume dilute the resonance? Four tracks are a deliberate answer to that — not twenty tracks that vanish in the algorithm, but a compact collection with enough room for every individual cut. The 17th Cipher as concept curator, Knowledge Da Nerd, Liam Capital and Mar as voices — that's the kind of configuration in which the Chicago underground is currently reforming itself. Not as a monolithic scene, but as a network of projects supporting each other. "Prolific Immortality" is part of that network. Not the biggest, but an important one.
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The tracklist is the concept. "Punch In," "Feed The Furnace," "NoDoz," "Entry Denied," "Night Crimes," "Road Rage," "Awkward Grip," "Sleep Deprivation" — that's night shift as a rap condition, written by someone who knows what he's talking about. G Fam Black comes from Brockton, Massachusetts, and has established himself over recent years as one of the most reliable voices in the New England underground. Crack Sizzlack produces, records, mixes and masters everything — complete technical control in one hand. G Fam handles the artwork. We already knew this configuration from "Melt Mics" featuring Ruste Juxx, which now sits as the fifth track on the album and works even better in context. P-Ro features on "NoDoz" and returns later alongside Kingdom Kome and Sankofa on "Pole Vault." The guest selection comes from the tight circle powering G Fam's current phase — not from some arbitrary streaming-optimized feature list. The format is deliberately compact: ten tracks, no bloat, not a single filler. G Fam Black's voice is the center — deep, roughened, immediately recognizable. Crack Sizzlack's beats are functional, dark, non-decorative. No beat tries to be prettier than the voice, every beat carries it. That's exactly what a one-producer album should look like. "The Night Crew" is an album about work that itself sounds like work — in the best sense. No shine, no show, just the truth of those who keep going when others sleep.
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Papa Shango was an early-90s WWF wrestling figure — Charles Wright under voodoo makeup, with a smoking skull, Caribbean villain aesthetics. The character was briefly active but iconic enough to live on in rap references. Snowgoons, C.RAE and K3voh use the name for a track with Mnops, Demrick and DJ Flipcyide. Snowgoons — the German producer crew around DJ Illegal, Det and Sicknature — have been among the most internationally connected European beatmakers for years, with a catalog full of US MCs. Demrick was recently present with Ineffable/Serial Killers and fits this kind of dark, cinematic track. DJ Flipcyide brings the turntable element — anyone who knows current DJ Flipcyide collaborations knows he deliberately carries the 90s sound forward. The title "Papa Shango" sets the frame: dark aesthetic, exaggerated menace, no half-measures. This is Snowgoons in their most recognizable form — atmospheric beats, hard drums, clear role division.
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This one deserves attention. Darkim Be Allah, Bronx native and longtime Wu extended family affiliate, works with Shakim Allah from Queens. Shakim is the nephew of Father Allah — the founder of the Five Percent Nation of Gods and Earths, that spiritual movement which since the 90s has been one of the most defining intellectual sources for Wu-Tang and Rakim. "Corpus Christi" is the first part of a planned three-album trilogy. The format is unconventional: thirteen tracks, most of them exactly one minute long, only "Street Monk" breaks out at 1:36. That's deliberate compression — every position a concentrate, no extended song, no hook stretching. Titles like "Street Monk," "NY English," "Black Fact (King Crush It)," "First Born (We The Gold)," "God City," "Genius On The Blackside," "Never Prostrate," "Corpus Christi" work with Five Percent vocabulary and carry it in dense, quick fragments. "Never Prostrate" is particularly sharp — Five Percenters don't "prostrate" in the Islamic prayer sense, they refuse submission to any authority outside their own knowledge. Shakim Allah produces, records and mixes everything for Dr. Van Sertima Productions — named after the Guyanese-British historian whose books about African presence in the Americas before Columbus are part of the intellectual foundation for many Five Percenters. Howie Weinberg masters — legend, has mastered Beastie Boys and Public Enemy among many others. Artwork by Myse One, the Queens graffiti father. The whole thing is dedicated to King Asiatic Allah and Bernice Inge, Father Allah's sister. What makes this album special: it's an educational work that makes no concessions. If you don't know the Five Percent terminology, you'll miss many references. But that's exactly the point. Darkim Be Allah and Shakim write for their community and simultaneously document a system of thought preserved in rap form. That's underground in the deepest sense — not economically, but intellectually.
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"Euro Steppin" is a solid title. The Eurostep is a basketball move — a change-of-direction maneuver you use to shake defenders by faking one way and driving the other in a single motion. Manu Ginóbili brought it to the NBA, since then it's standard. As a rap title it works twice: physical movement through the street and international movement — Euro. 4FIVE6 NICE delivers eleven tracks, a full album format. Without detailed producer or feature information, the focus stays on the title and format. Eleven tracks make a statement: this isn't a short piece, this is a developed position. The title implies motion that runs between cultures and continents, but always with the same trick: dodge without giving up, change direction without losing the ball.
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The track is part of "4 The High," which UFO Fev and Machacha built together as a full album — that was already in the program. "Us Never Them" brings Eto as feature. That configuration makes sense: Fev from Harlem, Eto from Rochester, Machacha from Copenhagen. Three cities, one sound. And that sound is Machacha's specialty — dusty, cool, cinematic beats that lean restrained rather than pushy. Machacha has had one of the most distinctive European producer footprints in the US underground for years, with albums and collaborations spanning Daniel Son, Ty Farris, Rome Streetz and many more. Eto fits especially well here. His delivery is dry, precise, street-rooted — Rochester school, the same one that produced 38 Spesh, Rigz and Mooch. Next to Fev, who writes from a Harlem Italian-American perspective, you get a contrast that makes both sides stronger. The title "Us Never Them" is classic loyalty language, but without pathos — two experienced MCs who know exactly what they exclude and what they protect.
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The story behind "STILLWAVE" matters more than the usual "producer met MC" template. Jonny Empire heard Igory's production first through a beat tape, picked one and freestyled over it on the Lord Sear Special on Shade 45 — that show that's been one of the last real underground radio holdouts since the 2000s. After the freestyle both connected on Instagram, traded music back and forth, and eventually it turned into a project. "Where I Belong" was the first beat Igory sent and the first track recorded. From there more songs accumulated until an emotional through-line emerged: reflection, confidence, balance, figuring out where you are in life without losing the hunger to rap like you've got something to prove. That's exactly what the Bandcamp notes state and exactly what you hear in the track sequencing. "Don't Play With Me" was already known as a preview, now it sits as the third track in context. The closer "Last Freestyle On The Lord Sear Special" closes the loop — the thing ends where it started. Six songs, all produced by Igory, everything recorded, mixed and mastered by Meerzy Blu. Artwork by Stu. What makes this project special: it isn't over-engineered. The freestyle origin isn't hidden, it's incorporated into the narrative. "STILLWAVE" feels like something that had to happen — not like a marketing deliverable.
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Fuego Base belongs to the extended BSF universe and has been present multiple times recently: feature on Flames Dot Malik's "CRYSTAL," on Benny Watts' "1000 Watts," on Benny The Butcher's "Like It Is." "Still The Biggest" is now his own album under the BSF frame, eleven tracks. The title states the claim without hedging: not "on the way back," but asserted continuity. What separates BSF from pure feature-roster albums: the label has been operating for years with a clear internal hierarchy and a shared sonic foundation. Benny The Butcher sits at the top, Rick Hyde, Heem, ElCamino carry the second tier, artists like Fuego Base build themselves into the structure through consistent feature presence and their own projects. That internal progression is exactly what separates BSF from loose collectives. Anyone tracking the last few months sees it: Fuego Base isn't a guest anymore, he's part of the core. Eleven tracks give him the room to prove that musically instead of just through presence on other people's albums.
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"Machines" is the complete album after the singles "Machines" featuring Merkules, "Apple Pie" featuring Copywrite and "Message From Beyond" had already run through. Ten tracks, C-Lance fully on the boards — the producer from the Jedi Mind Tricks and Army of the Pharaohs orbit who's been one of the most reliable names in heavy, cinematic underground sound for years. Novatore executive produced, his uncompromising horror rap edge meets C-Lance's metal-affiliated beats. That combination has conceptual logic: both sides work in dark, cold aesthetics, nobody has to bend. The feature selection matches the title concept. Merkules from the Canadian underground brings his hard, direct delivery, Copywrite from the Weathermen orbit adds a technical layer you rarely get, A.M. Early Morning extends on "Action Stars," and Goretex — Non Phixion legend — on "Lords of Chaos" references the Non Phixion/UGHH era and fits perfectly into that underground genealogy. "Terminator 91" is a deliberate nod to the T2 era and to a rap motif that's been circulating for decades. Tone Spliff cuts on two tracks, Denno Gee on "Lords of Chaos" — DJ presence as integrated component, not decoration. Jeff Arenson records and premixes at Classick Studios, Nato handles final mix and master at Up in Arms. The credits show it: nothing left to chance here. The album is a genre statement — metal, horror, sci-fi, rap — from a single mold. Anyone who knows C-Lance's catalog knows he's been perfecting this aesthetic for years. "Machines" is another block in that signature.
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"MoreThanYouNeed" works through its title. Without detailed producer or album credits attached, the track stands on its own as a single. NapsNdreds pulls on a double meaning deeply embedded in street rap vocabulary: "more than you need" can mean abundance, but it can also read as warning — more than you can actually handle, more than you ordered, more rap than the competition brings. The English idiom "give someone more than they can handle" sits right underneath. In the current underground climate, one-track releases aren't a shortcut, they're a format. If you have a solid base as an MC, you can push singles without constant album pressure. The upside: every track has to stand on its own, no filler spots, no "this will make more sense later" logic. With "MoreThanYouNeed" that's the right approach — title, voice, direct statement. If you know the name, you know what you're getting. If you don't, you have three minutes to make up your mind.
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The clip does two things at once. "Indeed" quickly folds in Piff Treats — Gasol has built his own marijuana brand alongside the rap, and with him that's never a sideshow, it's part of his whole economy. Then it shifts into "Tell Me Bout It" where the facade drops and Niagara Falls, New York gets shown for what it actually is: a city under 50,000 people, rust belt erosion, nothing like the waterfalls on the postcards. Gasol raps about it like someone who knows origin isn't a romantic category. The Standouts provide the frame, DJ Trap-A-Holics hosts — that name alone sets a certain register, he's been one of the defining mixtape DJs since the late 2000s. BlackBelt Jonez shoots. What Gasol keeps doing across his whole career: he doesn't sell his hometown as a trauma narrative, he treats it as working material. That's the difference from rappers who turn their city into a concept. With Gasol, the city is the precondition that lets the rap exist in the first place. Piff Music Empire as his own frame behind everything shows he's been thinking past the individual track for a while. Brand, music, distribution — running in parallel, all coming from the same source.
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Northeast Ohio producer Anthony Church connects with the distinct style and voice of Chester Watson to deliver “Staring”, the lead single to his upcoming compilation album “Grateful Is An Understatement”.
Delving into the realms of astral projection, this cut sees Watson weaving intricate lyrics over a Jazzy Hip-Hop melody that soars past the cosmos.
The track's energy is captured in full force with its accompanying visual piece animated and directed by Sigmund Washington.
Grateful Is An Understatement offers a dose of reflection and is a testament to Church's perspective on life at the 10-year mark of his music journey.
The 12-track effort brings together 15 artists over entirely self-produced soundscapes, blending soulful boom bap textures with melodic, emotionally rich cuts. Every record creates space for honesty with stories about struggle, growth, faith, resilience, and the quiet victories we sometimes overlook.
Featuring appearances from the likes of Chester Watson, Jacobdeloakland, Heno. and more, the album feels cohesive yet diverse, unified by intentional decisions and a shared willingness to speak truth.
At its core, the project explores appreciation in its purest form. Gratitude for health. Gratitude for creativity. Gratitude for community. Gratitude for simply waking up and having another opportunity to try again. It acknowledges that even the smallest blessings, the ones we often take for granted, deserve recognition.
For Church himself, the album also served as real-time healing following a rough patch of personal events. Each beat crafted, each collaboration formed, and each story told became part of a path toward clarity. The result is a body of work that feels lived-in, thoughtful, and grounded.
The credits place the project clearly in the Australian underground infrastructure: Ciecmate of Broken Tooth Entertainment records, mixes and masters at Chess Sounds, Must Volkoff handles one track at Pang Studio. Klirx writes and performs everything, Skitzo.Prod builds all the beats. "Agent Of Khaos" — thirteen tracks ranging from "Killer Instinct" through "Know Thy Enemy" and "New World Dissorder" to the eight-minute closer "All Apologies." The titles draw a picture of confrontation, distrust and system critique — "Overlord," "Venomous Medicine," "Uncharted Sea." An eight-minute closer in today's short-format climate is a deliberate decision: whoever goes that long has something to say and takes the room for it. Australia's underground has built its own raw identity around the Broken Tooth orbit for years, one that doesn't model itself on US or UK templates. Klirx adds another chapter to that landscape.
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Here$ Johnny — recently in the program as a voice on Omar Glomar's "No Mercy Cypher" — delivers his own cut with "C U when I C U" over LucaBrasi753 production. The title carries that casual noncommittal farewell tone: see you when I see you. Figerson — also from the cypher orbit — edits the video. The whole thing runs through Fat Hippy Records, where CDs and vinyl are also available. Small circle, short paths, physical release — that's the underground economy where cohesion matters more than reach.
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Ace SL was recently in the program as co-producer and feature on Exxtru God's "Ashanti" — now comes his own album, and it's considerably more than a footnote. "PERIDOT" — named after the green gemstone — brings seventeen tracks with a feature list that commands attention: AA Rashid opens on the intro, Rome Streetz on "All My Life," Sauce Heist on "Nights at Rao's," Remy Banks on "Livin' Like That," Teeg Austin on "Murrays Corner," plus Plaza, Pyrex P, O Dawg and Mari Niko. The guest selection draws a map of the current New York underground — from Rome Streetz' Griselda-adjacent hardness through Sauce Heist's Heist Life universe to Remy Banks from the World's Fair orbit. "Nights at Rao's" as a title is a nice detail: Rao's is the legendary, practically inaccessible Italian restaurant in East Harlem — a status symbol beyond chains and watches. The closer "Diplomas (Public Apology)" hints at a more personal, reflective level. Seventeen tracks is a statement, but the cast and the range of titles suggest Ace SL delivers his most complete work yet here.
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Avirex — the US brand founded in 1975, famous for its leather aviator jackets that belonged to the hip-hop uniform of the 90s and early 2000s. Roc One and Zecobeats use the name as the title for the second track of their album "Internazionale," and the reference lands: the Avirex jacket is one of the strongest visual symbols in rap history. Roc One handles raps, concept and execution, Zecobeats the complete soundtrack including mix and master. Charles Days delivers the graphics, a whole camera team stands behind the video. This is Spanish-language underground with clear structure and professional rollout — the scene keeps growing and organizing itself without waiting for US validation. The album title "Internazionale" says where this is headed.
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The self-description gets it right: The Mighty Capeech never mumbles or yells, he raps with a calm, steady voice. "Pictures Painted On Walls" is reality rap in the literal sense — images from daily life around the way, captured like murals. Eight tracks, from "Circles" through "Grateful" and "Stone Love" to "Neva Neva Die." The quoted line sets the tone: "Talk sh*t many want to criticize / but the Big Mac ain't for small fries" — dry humor instead of aggression. The Worship tag behind the name suggests a spiritual grounding. Capeech belongs to the MCs who draw their authority from composure rather than volume, and exactly that type gets overlooked in a loud environment. Wrongly so.
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Queen Herawin is one third of the Juggaknots — that Bronx crew around Breeze Brewin whose "Clear Blue Skies" belongs among the great underrated works of the 90s underground. PA. Dre is currently one of the most in-demand producers in the Wu-adjacent universe — the man behind the majority of Inspectah Deck's "Dragon's Breath." That combination alone makes the album interesting. "DOTOM: Death Of The Old Me" — the title announces transformation. Sixteen tracks on which an MC veteran buries her old self and starts fresh. That's a bold concept for someone with her history, because it means not resting on the Juggaknots legacy but making her own evolution the subject. Herawin was always one of the most distinctive female voices of the New York underground, and with PA. Dre she has a producer working in peak form right now. For everyone who only knows Juggaknots as a footnote: this is the occasion to dig deeper.
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al.divino belongs, together with Estee Nack, to the core of the Lynn, Massachusetts school that decisively shaped the abstract underground of recent years. "ICHIBAN VINO VOL. 1000" — ichiban means "number one" in Japanese — is a 21-track project that wears its Japan love openly: "I LOVE JAPAN," "SHIBUYA MANDARAKE," "KONICHIWA BITCHES," "VINTAGE OVA VHS." That's not surface aesthetics, it's a lived-in reference world — Mandarake is the legendary manga and collector store chain, OVA are Original Video Animations from anime culture. Production-wise Divino handles most of it himself, Lord Unknown supplies five beats, plus one each from Budamunk — the Tokyo-based beatmaker, which makes the Japan connection real instead of just thematic — Subjxct 5 and Hdnroots. The tracks are short, often under two minutes, classic Divino economy: thought in, thought out, next. If you know his aesthetic — raw delivery, abruptly chopped loops, art ambition with zero willingness to explain — you get a full dose here. If you don't: this is a deep pool, but you can jump in.
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The idea is simple and that's exactly why it works. "Embellish" means to adorn, and normally rap adorns chains, houses, cars. Drex flips it: he wants to embellish what actually has meaning — life, growth, family, relationships, the lessons that shape us. In a culture that constantly demands showing off, that's a deliberate counter-position. Not an anti-materialism lecture with a wagging finger, but a personal setting of priorities. What you own doesn't define you — what you stand for does. Tracks like this live or die on the MC's credibility, and the concept holds here because it doesn't arrive as a sermon.
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Four tracks, one continuous scenario: "Storming Hell's Gate," "Underworld Onslaught," "The Requisition," "Annihilation." That reads like the chapter structure of a battle, and that's exactly the intent. J Pun handles the vocals, D.A.R.K. Productions produces, mixes, masters and programs — Rick Lucero composes, Jeremy Thomas Lee writes the lyrics. That division of labor is unusually detailed in the credits and shows this is thinking in soundtrack categories rather than classic rap roles. The project is short, but it doesn't want album length — it wants to tell one battle, from storming the gate to annihilation. Concept work in small format.
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"Urban Opulence" — the EP title itself works with a contradiction. Urban daily life and opulence, street and wealth, placed side by side instead of played against each other. BroGawd raps, MUTE WON produces, and "And Not To Mention" is the visual, shot by PhreshVision — the same cameraman who's worked for 38 Spesh. Rochester remains one of the most active underground corners in the country, and "Upstate of Mind" as a label name basically says everything about the self-image. The MC-producer setup gives the EP a unified signature — no rotating beat suppliers, just one sound from one workshop.
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The debut single from Awon, Beneficence, Doodlebug (of Digable Planets) & Jazz Spastiks is now available on all DSPs worldwide. The limited 7" vinyl edition is also out now and available at well-stocked record stores around the globe.
Warm jazz loops, dusty drums and sharp lyricism — "Bubblin" is hip-hop with depth, history and soul.
A new hip-hop collective is quietly taking shape under the name Jazz Akrobatiks, bringing together some of the most respected names in underground and classic hip-hop. The group unites MC's Awon, Beneficence, and the legendary Doodlebug of the Grammy-winning hip-hop group Digable Planets, backed by the unmistakable sound of UK producer duo Jazz Spastiks.
Known for their warm, jazz-infused boom bap aesthetic, Jazz Spastiks provide the sonic foundation - dusty drums, soulful samples, and head-nodding grooves - perfectly complementing the sharp lyricism, experience, and individuality of three seasoned voices on the mic. The result is a project rooted in tradition yet alive with fresh energy.
The first single from Jazz Akrobatiks is out now, including a limited 7" vinyl release for the true heads. What comes next remains intentionally open… this could be the beginning of something bigger, or a rare moment captured on wax. Either way, those paying attention will know: this is hip-hop with depth, history, and purpose.
"Mad Technology" sits as track eight on "Czarface Meets Frankie Pulitzer," the newest chapter in the group's "Meets" series following collaborations with MF DOOM and Ghostface Killah. Czarface remains the constant: Wu-Tang's Inspectah Deck alongside Boston's 7L & Esoteric, known for their comic-book aesthetic and the dusty, cinematic boom bap sound the Czar-Keys have built their catalog on. Frankie Pulitzer, also known as FacePuller, is now confirmed as actor Tom Hardy's rap alter ego, having already appeared on Czarface's 2021 "Good Guys, Bad Guys" EP and the 2022 album "Czarmageddon!" Method Man joins for "Mad Technology," a reunion of sorts, since the two previously linked on "Knull & Void" for the "Venom" soundtrack. The beat stays gritty and widescreen at once, and the bars don't let up — Pulitzer has to hold his own next to Deck, Esoteric, and Method Man, and does so without hiding behind the gimmick of his day job.
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This is the heaviest track on this list, thematically. "My Empty World" by Benny Slumz and Tone Spliff is about the pain and grief of losing someone you love. From the album "Behind The Smile," produced entirely by Tone Spliff. The video is explicitly meant as a tribute to those who've passed — the memory, the love and the legacy of those who are gone as a source of strength to keep going. Tone Spliff is one of the most reliable producers and turntablists in the current East Coast underground, and his production gives the track the necessary weight without tipping into sentimentality. Benny Slumz delivers the honest, unvarnished perspective. Filmed by Hafice Slader, mixed and mastered by MWX Audio. CDs via Bandcamp, vinyl through ElasticStage. What sets this track apart: it doesn't romanticize the grief and it doesn't preach. It names the emptiness and still finds a reason to keep moving. That's the kind of grown-man rap that's gotten rare — no flex, no battle, but genuine emotional reckoning. A worthy closer.
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This is nerd rap in the best sense. Shinobi Stalin produces himself and builds the track with GR3YSON and DJ Stranger around Final Fantasy VIII metaphors. "Occupational Hazard" — occupational risk — is used as a frame for a "clandestine mission," entirely threaded with video game references. DJ Stranger provides the transitions between the MCs. Gaming references in rap have a growing tradition from Nán Fiero through Mega Ran to today, but it depends on whether the references show real knowledge or just surface namedropping. Shinobi Stalin goes deep — FF8 isn't a mainstream title, it's a specific deep cut. Rugged beats plus vintage gaming flair. For the intersection of rap diggers and gamers, exactly right.
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Killah Dilla delivers "Bad Choices," a track over Frizzy Astro production, filmed and edited by "The Muckman himself." The title is self-explanatory: bad choices and their consequences, a core theme of street rap. Without further album context this stays a standalone cut. The artist name probably winks at J Dilla but is its own figure. Direct underground, no detours.
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OT The Real is a solid presence in Philadelphia street rap — known for his "Blican Nights" freestyles and a hard, experience-based storytelling style. "Heat" comes as a single, the title in the classic double sense: weapon and pressure/attention at once. Philly has its own, often underrated rap tradition between the New York and Atlanta poles, and OT The Real represents the hard street corner of it consistently. No feature, no big frame — a direct statement.
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"Don Gorgon" is a term from Jamaican dancehall and sound system culture — the top boss, the authority. Bigg Chedda uses that iconography via On Da Grind Records. It points to the deep connection between Caribbean culture and New York hip-hop that's existed since the culture's beginnings — DJ Kool Herc himself came from Jamaica. Without further detail this stays a direct street statement with Caribbean flavor. The title alone sets the authority pose.
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Stevie Crooks builds a real concept album here. Almost seven years ago he delivered "Street Elegance," a raw boom bap long-player about the world of a hitman. "Lord Of The Shadows" continues that story — but with a twist: the killer falls in love with his target. Same shadows, different story, as he writes himself. All thirteen tracks written and produced by himself. Titles like "Old Rifle," "Burst Fire," "Metal Gear," "Ballistic," "Cleaner" maintain the hitman world, while "Fatal Distraction," "Angel Eyes" and "Berserk" hint at the romantic and psychological conflict. "Gray Man" as an interlude references the killer terminology — the invisible man in the crowd. This is cinematic hip-hop in the truest sense: a narrated story across a full album, with a clear narrative arc. Fully conceived concept albums like this have gotten rare, and Crooks follows his through consistently. For fans of storytelling rap, a highlight.
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QB Rap P carries Queensbridge right in the name — that housing project which produced more influential MCs than almost any other place in rap history, from Nas through Mobb Deep to Cormega. "QBC What's Missing" with Fly Ty comes from his project "QBC Bklyn Queenz Day," which he produced entirely himself. The QBC frame (Queensbridge at the center) anchors the whole thing geographically. An MC-producer carrying his neighborhood's tradition forward while keeping control over the complete sound.
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Junk from Vancouver, Daniel Son from Toronto, and Imperativ (also written IM'PERETIV) from London, Ontario — that's a purely Canadian configuration across multiple provinces. Junk recently had presence with the "Together in Pieces V" rollout and IM'PERETIV, Daniel Son is one of the most reliable hard voices of the Toronto underground. "Hantavirus" — the title goes for the image of a rare, dangerous virus, classic hard underground metaphor. Three names that all stand for uncompromising boom bap. The Canadian scene networks here across the geographic distance.
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Heem, one of the founding members of Black Soprano Family, delivers the lead visual for his album "Bars & Noble 4." "Sunday to Sunday" — the title describes the continuous week, the constant grind without a rest day, the hustle mentality as everyday life. Video in 4K. Within the BSF universe Heem has his own niche: less general pose than Benny, more the calm, experienced street perspective. "Bars & Noble" is his own series inside the label machine, and part 4 continues it.
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DaneUno keeps it minimal: one track, "Bag Media," self-produced under the Cromazone Muzik banner. After "Nemesis Program" this is the next compact drop. The title "Bag Media" plays on the money-and-content economy — "get the bag," plus media as distribution route. Without further context this stays a direct signal of life: an MC-producer pushing out standalone pieces at a fast pace without waiting on big album cycles. That's the current underground economy in pure form.
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The title "Ralph Lauren" invokes the whole Lo-Life tradition — that Brooklyn movement around Thirstin Howl III that turned Polo Ralph Lauren clothing into its own code. Josh Alias and Yung K use that iconography over a TapeVillain beat. The video comes from Stinky Merch and Jay Vanity, edited by Rain The Ruler. The track is part of Josh Alias' album "ATLAS." Clothing as environment language has been an East Coast rap tradition since Raekwon's days, and "Ralph Lauren" continues that line. Urbvn Architects NYC in the background.
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This is an event. Kool Keith is one of the most influential and idiosyncratic MCs in rap history — Ultramagnetic MCs, Dr. Octagon, a catalog full of abstract, sci-fi-drenched, often completely unhinged music. Mike Redman from Rotterdam produces, mixes and composes the entire album, and the feature list is a who's-who across generations and scenes. Look at this: Ras Kass and DJ Lord on "Lyrical Insanity," Killah Priest on "Psychedelic" (with additional words from B-Real), Del The Funky Homosapien on "Traveling Through Time," Craig G on "Times Square," Sadat X, Mr. Lif, Young Zee and Trackstar The DJ on "From Beyond The Galaxy," DJ Shadow on "Uh-Oh It's Me Again," and — as the peak — Chuck D and DJ Lord on the title track, with additional words from George Clinton and Kid Capri. Rah Digga contributes words to "Ultraman 7000." Redman scratches most of it himself, DJ Lord, DJ Shadow and Trackstar handle individual tracks. All recorded at Redrum Studios Rotterdam, Keith's vocals in NYC. And — this is explicitly stated — "No form of AI was used in creating this album." In this era, that's a statement. The titles ("Giant Robot," "Ultraman 7000," "From Beyond The Galaxy") show: this is Keith in his element, the cosmic sci-fi corner he's lived in for decades. An international project connecting the abstract underground tradition across continents. For Kool Keith fans and diggers alike, essential listening.
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Mike Shabb built a solid brand in the Montreal underground with the "Sewaside" series. "Reminisce!" is the next visual from "Sewaside 4," shot by Blue The Architect. The title points to a more introspective, memory-focused track — with Shabb that always swings between aggressive bars and more reflective moments. Montreal has its own rap identity, shaped by the bilingual environment and a scene that clearly differs from Toronto. Shabb represents that corner consistently.
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