Back catalogue: All genres

Review: Kool Keith has described his long-awaited sequel to solo career height Black Elvis as 'equal parts street and space', and that bears out in the music. It features the likes of Marc Live, Raaddrr Van, Dynamite, L'Orange, J. Stylez, Agallah and Ice-T and is Keith's attempt to re-elevate the rap art form he feels has too often been dumbed down. The beats are dark, the lyrical themes are just as shady but always real. Those features do a fine job of elevating the tunes rather than being for the sake of it, ensuring this will be as well received as the first installment.

Review: Kool Keith's Feature Magnetic showcases his inimitable style as he trades verses with a host of guest stars, delivering sharp bars wrapped in bare hooks and brisk running times. Keith's quirky, vivid storytelling pulls collaborators like Necro, Slug and DOOM into his orbit, each adapting to his unique world. The standout track, 'Bonneville,' sees Keith and Mac Mall merge hyphy revivalism with existential dread, seamlessly transitioning to the stone-faced 'Tired. This track serves as an elegy for Keith's contemporaries who've faded from the spotlight, reflecting his fear of becoming irrelevant. Yet, Feature Magnetic captures him at his most vivid, warping reality and conjuring alternate timelines with ease. The album's emotional depth is highlighted by Sadat X's poignant guest verse, contrasting Malcolm X's assassination with modern struggles, only for Keith to follow with a wink and a laugh. Through off-kilter parables and sci-fi world-building, Keith reveals his dark wisdom, making Feature Magnetic a compelling listen. He remains a master craftsman, combining outlandish narratives with introspective moments for our enjoyment,

Review: L'Orange is a pretty prodigious and prolific producer who has worked with a wide range of collaborators in his time. For Time? Astonishing! he has joined up with a bona-fide legend in Kool Keith as well as calling upon some fine features from the likes of J-Live, Mr. Lif, Open Mike Eagle, Blu, Montage One, DJ Trackstar, MC Paul Barman, and MindsOne. It's a a great mix of vibes that appeal to both fans of heady and cerebral hip hop and those who simply like to get lost in sorted and hazy beats. L'Orange does a fine job of adapting his sound to fit the mercurial Kool Keith style and the result is a rather hallucinatory listen.

Review: Mello Music have decided to give this new album Time? Astonishing! from prodigious talent L'Orange and legendary hip-hop mic man Kool Keith the full treatment and serve it up on an array of different formats. This version comes on orange and blue vinyl so it looks as good as it sounds. L'Orange has worked with a wide range of collaborators in the past and this one features a number of fine guests such as f J-Live, Mr. Lif, Open Mike Eagle, Blu, Montage One, DJ Trackstar, MC Paul Barman, and MindsOne. Musically it is a great mix of vibes that appeal to both fans of heady and cerebral hip-hop and those who simply like to get lost in sorted and hazy beats. The two different talents come together in a fascinating new middle ground that makes this another LP well wroth hearing.

Review: Joell Ortiz & KXNG Crooked first met in the same year that they each picked up XXL's much vaunted Freshmen of the Year Award. They are both legends in the rap game and Ortiz went on to sign with Dr Dre's Aftermath label before moving onto Shady Records with his cohorts Joe Budden, Royce da 5'9 and KXNG Crooked as Super group Slaughterhouse. He has also featured on Eminem's latest record while KXNG Crooked was signed to Virgin Records at just 17 before joining Death Row Records. They are finally working together on this hard new project which delivers raw raps, soulful joints and dark beats along the course of its eight cuts.