Bleep

Madvillainy - Madvillainy

American hip hop duo Madvillain - comprised of rapper MF Doom and acclaimed producer Madlib - released their debut album Madvillainy in 2004. Built from a series of short, abstract tracks, Madlib's characteristically swinging production - detailed, slick and very different to much commercial hip hop of the time - made this a stand out release. MF Doom is at his best too, his cutting but easy flowing lyrical talents allowed to shine alongside Madlib's eclectic sampling. It still sounds like little else, and remains arguably one of the best and most inventive hip hop albums of recent times.

Kendrick Lamar - To Pimp A Butterfly

The hugely anticipated new album from Kendrick Lamar is here, the opening track 'Wesley's Theory' is produced by Warp's own Flying Lotus featuring a dream collaboration with George Clinton and Thundercat. With the rest of the album having contributions by Anna Wise, Snoop Dogg, Bilal and more.

Nas - Illmatic

It’s impossible to overstate the influence of Nas’ Illmatic, despite the years of hype and praise assigned to its legacy since its 1994 release. The young emcee’s debut, unmatched in its tough-as-nails beats and hard-knock life wisdom, may as well have risen fully formed from the smoggy streets of Queens, New York. Not only did Illmatic cement Nas’ status as one of the all-time greats of hip-hop, it also gave east coast hip-hop the shot in the arm it sorely needed.