Juga-Naut: Time & Place (Stream)

New music from arguably one of the most consistent and hard-working artists of his generation, as Juga-Naut returns with what is purported to be his magnum opus. Time & Place is a weighty collection of 20 songs, each one forged in the fiercely independent fire that Jugz has been stoking for years.
DIY artistry at its finest and deeply rooted in his hometown of Nottingham, as demonstrated by the album’s featurs, which include appearances from Cappo, Vandal Savage, Scorzayzee and Liam Bailey. Even the artwork is an original painting by local talent, Emily Catherine, resulting in a true celebration of the East Midlands cultural scene and its interlinked communities, as well as another flawless display of Juga-Naut’s all encompassing abilities in the studio.
Time & Place is available to stream below, as well as plenty of other streaming and physical options offered over on the usual platforms.

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Juga-Naut & Giallo Point: Remember & Imagine

Sticking with the UK for the time being, Remember & Imagine is the latest single from Juga-Naut and Giallo Point. If you’ve spent any time with any of their music over the years, you will know the levels are high, so when they join forces, it’s almost unfair on us mere mortals. The track is lifted from their sophomore effort, Smoke Filled Room, which is out now.

Juga-Naut & Giallo Point: Smoke Filled Room (Stream)

Following on from the critical acclaim that their first collaboration garnered, today sees the release of the new album from Juga-Naut and Giallo Point. If you heard the titular lead single, then you will know that this is homegrown hip hop of the highest order. In Giallo Point, Juga-Naut has found his beat-making counterpart. They are both artists who hold the culture in a high regard, they both understand the craft and they’re both have an unwavering passion for it. Not to mention the fact that they are both at their top of their game right now. That’s how you pull off a 15 track album with no features and still hold my attention for the duration. Trust me I get bored easily nowadays, so that is a feat in itself. Anyway, you can hear the album for yourself below and then check Bandcamp for the physicals.

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Juga-Naut & Giallo Point: Smoke Filled Room

Next month, Juga-Naut and Giallo Point release their latest album, which is set to rekindle the fire that Back to the Grill Again set ablaze in 2019. Yesterday they teased us with a sample of their new wares, in the form of Smoke Filled Room, accompanied by some cinematic visuals from Juga-Naut and Nick Smith. The full album, also called Smoke Filled Room, is due for release on 5 July.

Juga-Naut & Jazz T: Marble & Granite

A legendary link-up here, as Juga-Naut and Jazz T combine forces to bring us Marble & Granite. If you’ve got ears, you will know that Jugz is one of the best rappers the UK shores have ever birthed and Jazz, whose DJ career has spanned the generations, is always worth investing in when he flexes his production muscle. The single is out now on Boot Records, accompanied by a very apt video from NS Visuals.

Tom Caruana: Brewing Up (Stream)

In my seemingly endless game of catch-up, I’m shining a light on the latest from Tom Caruana, which surfaced back in March. Thanks to Tom’s dedication to his craft and his flawless ear for pairing rappers and beats, you already know that any release he puts his name to is going to be praiseworthy before you even press play. Brewing Up carries on that long-standing tradition, thanks to another selection of finely crafted production gems and an impressive line-up of featured artists from across the UK. The list is long but to give you an idea of the pedigree of rappers involved, there are tracks with Melanin 9, Lunar C, Juga-Naut, MysDiggi, Scorzayzee and Skuff, to name but a few. You can get a taste of the whole project for yourself below and then head over to Bandcamp to cop a download, or one of the physical formats that are available.

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Juga-Naut ft. Liam Bailey: Been Away

Following on from last year’s release of his album, BEM, Juga-Naut returns to the fore with the latest video from the project. Been Away was already boosted by the ample talents of vocalist Liam Bailey and now it’s being pushed higher up the artistic ladder with a video which serves as a timely ode to Jugz’s much-beloved hometown of Nottingham. The video was directed by Michael Holyk. BEM is out now.

Juga-Naut & Micall Parknsun: Twelve Bricks

Another solid offering from Juga-Naut, as he reconnects with Micall Parknsun for Twelve Bricks. The success of their earlier Six Bricks EP prompted the duo to return to the lab and record a full-length. And we should all be thankful they did. Jugz has been sitting comfortably among the upper echelons of UK hip hop for a while now, so his partnership with a veteran as consistent as Parky makes a lot of sense, even more so when you hear the finished product. A nice variation in the beat selection helps to keep things interesting, especially when you make your way through the album for the umpteenth time in an attempt to collect every jewel that Juga-Naut is dropping. Some decent features too, with his fellow VVV gang stepping up to the plate on GAUDI-GANG, Tommy Nova and Scorz dropping in on The Juice, and Da Flyy Hooligan rounding things off on the album’s closer. You can experience the full thing for yourself below, with physicals also available.

Kid Acne: Fresh To Death (Stream)

New arrival from Kid Acne, as he rejuvenates some of the choice cuts from his 2019 Have A Word LP, with a blinding selection of remixes from some of the UK’s finest beat fiends. Fresh To Death features a handful of tracks from the original album – produced in full by Spectacular Dianostics – which have been tantalisingly reworked by some of my favourite producers. On the bill we find new sounds from Theorist, Hashfinger, Chemo, King Kashmere, Norm Oddity, Percy Filth and Nappa, as well as vocal features from Juga-Naut and Juice Aleem, who both appeared on the original album. Each producer brings their own flair to the proceedings, allowing them to make the track their own, while still keeping the original flavour alive. Fresh To Death is available to download now via Bandcamp, and there are also a limited run of cassettes available, which all come signed and numbered. The run is limited to 150 though so be quick if you want in. You can also hear the project for yourself below. Continue reading “Kid Acne: Fresh To Death (Stream)”