Back catalogue: Hip Hop/R&B

Review: Germany's Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band's profile skyrocketed in 2024 when their hypnotic steel pan cover of 50 Cent's 'Pimp' became a surprise emotional core in the Oscar-winner Anatomy Of A Fall. So pivotal was the track that steel pans would here make their first ever Academy Awards orchestra debut. But for longtime heads, 'Pimp' first turned heads in 2008, where it was pressed on Bjorn Wagner's Mocambo label and was often mistaken afterwards for a 50s sample source. The 'Big Crown Vaults' series now swoops in to save and preserve the group's best contributions to the music world, in addition to and in excess of the 'Pimp' version. A true archive-delving if we've ever heard one, the tracks so preserved include Bob James' breakbeat classic 'Nautilus' and a thunderous take on Khruangbin's 'Maria Tambien'. Then there's the B's funked-up flips of the Jackson 5 and Billy Jones, plus one original, 'Kaiso Noir'.

Review: Bjorn Wagner's Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band have put out several fresh albums and many great 7"s on Big Crown and 'Hotline Bling' is another one. The mysterious Hamburg outfit brings their famous steel pan sound and reaches new heights here as they again cover songs that span genres and range from mega-hits to album cuts. Their own unique approach is to mix up the traditional sounds of Trinidad and Tobago with the original source material to leave you ready to dance all night long.

Review: Big Crown is one of our favourite labels here at HQ. The funk and soul they serve up is perfectly aged yet never overly nostalgic and this new one is another case it point. It's the latest from the Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band and features two singles take from their latest and greatest album Expansions which landed back in June. As always they bring their own unique steel drum sounds and tropical Caribbean vibes to funk music. 'Raise It Up' is a deep cut joint with big horns and rippling steel drums puddles while 'Space' is a more lumpy groove with the drums more front and centre.

Review: Cinematic soul legend El Michels Affair has written a superb album Glorious Game which is due for release later in spring. Before that full-length with Roots co-founder and lyricist Black Thought - which is a meditation on the state of the hip-hop scene in the early 2020s - we get this taster single from it. 'Glorious Game' as you would expect as all the lush instrumentation and dark soul sounds you'd expect from this artist by now with the added extra of some superbly thought-provoking mic work. 'Grateful' is another heart-wrenching and alluring sound that more than gets us excited for the full length.

Review: Street Corner's FliP Sessions is a great source of beats for hip-hop heads and this eighth volume is no different. It's limited to just 200 copies and features five more exquisite little sketches that are loveably rough around the edges and full of laidback and dusty soul. After the busted breaks of GREENMINDZ, Toby Glider zones you out with lo-fi loops and Beaulemaire brings heavier beats. Side 2 has a more jazz cut from Elusive and star gazing cosmic melody from Shri!. All five of these are delightful little pieces.