Career Crooks: Never at Peace (Stream)

Last month gave rise to a flurry of new releases, including the latest from Career Crooks. Never at Peace marks the end of a superb year for Wrecking Crew, as well as a strong finish for Zilla and Small Pro, who dipped back into the same winning formula that had made their earlier projects so successful. Features come from the likes of ShrapKnel, iAlive and Blueprint, while the release itself was accompanied by a bunch of merch and physical options, including a very limited Mini Disc version. You can listen to the album below, then check Bandcamp for the full array of goods.

Felt: Felt 4 U (Stream)

Following on from the surprise arrival of their first single in 11 years, now Felt are back with a whole new album. Felt 4 U is Murs and Slug’s first full-length project since the release of Felt 3 back in 2009, and on it we find the duo reuniting with arguably the most favoured producer from their earlier offerings – Ant. He’s cooked up a batch of beats which draw on his trademarks influences – funk, blues, country – resulting in an album where Ant is very much the driving force, representing a shift in the dynamic from their previous projects. Some superb guest spots too, with Blimes bringing her vocal excellence to the mix, as well as appearances from Felt 1 and 3 producers, The Grouch and Aesop Rock respectively. And finally a feature from Blueprint, but under his singing alias – Shepard Albertson. The whole album is a welcome surprise for fans and critics alike, judging by the initial reaction, and it also serves as a fitting next chapter in the duo’s journey. You can listen to the album in full below and physicals are available via Rhymesayers.

Blueprint: A Hero Dies Once

New visuals from one-man creative powerhouse, Blueprint, as he releases the next video from his Two Headed Monster album. It’s another fine blend of insightful commentary, head-nod inducing production and solid delivery, from one of the most consistent artists to have maintained a position on the scene since his arrival back in the late-90’s. As you would expect, the track was written and produced by Print, plus he directed the video as well. Two Headed Monster is out now on Weightless Recordings.

Curly Castro: TOSH (Stream)

It was already a phenomenal year for hip hop, but the last month is seeing a flurry of releases that are pushing the standards even higher. One of them is Curly Castro’s solo effort, TOSH. The album is apparently inspired by George Orwell, Spike Lee and MF Doom, as well as Castro’s own background – West Indies, Philly and Brooklyn – resulting in a richly diverse sound throughout. That diversity is also thanks in part to the range of producers who are involved. There are beats from the likes of Blockhead, Blueprint, Zilla Rocca, Messiah Musik and NASA, as well as features from billy woods, PremRock and ELUCID, among others. When you put all those attributes together with Castro’s own inimitable talents, you get a worthy contender for your end of years lists. The album is available to stream below and you can grab a download over on Bandcamp.

Blueprint: Don’t Look Back + Album Stream

Blueprint is currently celebrating the release of his latest album, Two-Headed Monster, his first return to the studio since his Aesop Rock produced Vigilante Genesis EP, back in 2016. The album has already given us a few videos and now we are treated to the next offering, as Printmatic releases a new video for Don’t Look Back.
Centred around the curse of getting trapped in the past and the importance of moving forwards with your art and life in general, the video sees Blueprint understandably frustrated at the all too familiar procrastination he experiences while waiting for a trim. Two-Headed Monster is out now on Weightless Recordings and you can stream it below.

Blueprint ft. Has-Lo: Hoop Dreamin

Strong new track from Blueprint, as he gears up to release his latest album, Masterpiece. Themes of social injustice are perused in the self-directed and produced video, ably assisted by the Hard Writer himself, Has-Lo. Masterpiece is out on Weightless Recordings on 22 May.

Blueprint: Masterpiece

As you are no doubt aware, Columbus resident and indie rap champion, Blueprint, has a new album on the periphery. The Two-Headed Monster LP has already given us one excellent single, in the form of the title track and yesterday saw the arrival of the second. Masterpiece is a stripped down string heavy beat, with Printmatic delivering a typically good story – something he has always been one of my favourites for. Two-Headed Monster is scheduled for release on 22 May, with pre-orders available at the Weightless store.

Blueprint: Two-Headed Monster

Blueprint recently announced that he is releasing a new album and yesterday saw the arrival of the first video. Two-Headed Monster is the album’s title track and is a reference to the Columbus MC’s dexterity both behind the mic and on the boards. The album is available for pre-order now, with the release date set for 22 May.

DJ Criminal ft. Blueprint: Leave Me Alone

New music from one of my favourite MCs, as he teams up with DJ Criminal for Leave Me Alone. The track is taken from Criminal’s new project Samples & Marbles, which has been produced using only samples from the band Phish. Its available to download for free here.

Blueprint: Graffiti Writer Killed

Blueprint has always been a master of storytelling raps – listen to Scared w/ Jake One – so when I heard that he had released a mini murder mystery in hip hop form, I was understandably hyped. Taken from his forthcoming Vigilante Genesis EP, which is produced in full by his friend and frequent collaborator Aesop Rock, Graffiti Writer Killed is a lyrical masterclass in building suspense. I won’t spoil anything, just press play and enjoy the story. Watch out for more news on the EP soon.