May has come to a close leaving us with the prospect of a hot summer looming over the horizon. Suddenly, we’re now halfway through showcasing the top underground Hip-Hop releases of 2013 and UOENO it.
Quality Hip-Hop is now dropping with more and more frequency to coincide with the weather outdoors, so we have new jawns to look forward to.
One of the only drawbacks to independent Hip-Hop artists having multiple digital music venues at their disposal and so many indie labels releasing quality music weekly is it becomes difficult for the average Hip-Hop head to keep up. Worry not, valued readers; this is where our Hip-Hop Wired feature “While You Were Sleeping” comes in handy as we inform you of all the quality indie and underground Rap projects that tend to fly under the radar without a huge hype machine promoting them.
Feel free to go back and review my previous picks for the first five months of Hip-Hop releases in 2013. We are now almost halfway through 2013. Time sure flies, doesn’t it? It never stands still.
The final two weeks of May featured 10 more quality projects; among them are new releases from the likes of producers Apollo Brown (his new group Ugly Heroes), Georgia Anne Muldrow (with her husband Dudley Perkins), Dexter, Cook Classics, Tall Black Guy, P-Money, Kyo Itachi (with John Robinson), Dumhi (with underground veteran MC Reef The Lost Cauze) and several more.
Here’s what you all may have missed, while you were sleeping…
Locksmith – The Green Box (Internet/DJBooth.net) 5.7.2013
You might remember Locksmith from his time on the Rap battle circuit or you might be familiar with his more recent work with Ski Beatz (2011’s collaborative project Embedded). Now Locksmith has gathered a team of producers including 9th Wonder, Eric G., Ka$h, Brandun Desay, Mike TopNotch and more in order to create his latest opus The Green Box. Between Locksmith’s superb wordplay and this all star stable of producers it’s hard to believe it’s downloadable for free. You can find Locksmith’s new project The Green Box available for download and streaming from DJBooth.net , 2 Dope Boyz, The Smoking Section & Locksmith’s own website.
Cook Classics – Cook Classics vs. Now-Again: Now-Again Music Library Vol. 5 (Now-Again/Stones Throw) 5.7.2013
Producer Cook Classics (The New Classics, Recharged & Towards The Future) teamed up with Stones Throw imprint Now-Again to construct beats from their their impressive vaults. If you love music and the art of music production in general then you need to possess this album. Cook Classics vs. Now-Again can be purchased through the following channels: Amazon, UGHH, Dusty Groove or exclusively via Now-Again’s Deluxe Subscription Service. I go back to 2007 with Cook’s production (As half of the duo Nieve & Cook) and it’s evident he gets better and better with the passage of time. Cop this as soon as possible.
Haj of Dumhi x Reef The Lost Cauze – Sirens On Snyder St. EP (Bandcamp) 5.14.2013
Two of Philly’s most wanted (no Pharrell Williams) are Haj of Dumhi and Reef The Lost Cauze. They’d worked on music on and off for years before finally deciding to release a collaborative EP together. After enlisting a lineup of special guests that comprised of Random, Burke the Jurke, Ethel Cee, & Side Effect the end result was the excellent EP Sirens On Snyder St. which transports it’s listeners to the streets of South Philly. You can stream and download Sirens On Snyder St. EP directly from the Dumhi Bandcamp.
CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE
—
Photo: SomeOthaShip Connect
