Cypress Hill "Black Sunday" (30the Anniversary Mix by Filthy Rich)

DJ Filthy Rich celebrates 30 years of Cypress Hill's classic sophomore LP 'Black Sunday' with a mix of original samples, remixes, b-sides and original blends. I remember coppin' the 12 of "Insane In The Brain" with the b-side, "When The Shit Goes Down" and knowing the follow-up LP was gonna be a smash. The album cuts were just as hard and while the content wasn't always "my bag", I appreciate the artistry and especially the production by DJ Muggs. You can definitely understand why it crossed over and made such an impact in the rock and hip-hop communities. The 30th anniversary Expanded Edition of Black Sunday includes a remix from Statik Selektah, DJ Muggs and more if you haven't had a chance to cop that release. Meanwhile, dig into the mix from DJ Filthy Rich below...

Nas "Illmatic" 30th Ann. Mix (Side B, DJ Filthy Rich)

As promised, when Side B was released by DJ Filthy Rich, that mix would be posted ASAPually! Here it is, Side B aka 41st Side South; the 30th Anniversary Mix for the Nas classic, Illmatic. Like his previous mixes, Toronto's DJ Filthy Rich digs in the crates and blesses us with original samples, unique and original blends and remixes. Joints like "It Ain't Hard To Tell," "Nas Will Prevail," "Life's a Bitch," "Memory Lane," "The World Is Yours," and "One Time 4 Your Mind" are heard in original, remixed or blended form here on this mix. What else you wanna know? Click through and enjoy + hit the tags for more mixes and posts in tribute to the single greatest hip-hop album of all time. Dig in!

Brother Ali & unJust "Love & Service" (Album Stream)

Love & Service is an analog album and animated film by Ali "Brother Ali" Newman and Justin “unJUST” Herman. Evoking the sound and spirit of 1970’s educational cartoons, this project is a musing for modern adults seeking wholeness in community. Brother Ali and unJUST, strangers who were fans of each others' work, connected through a series of voice notes and quickly built a friendship rooted in healing via music-making. They began collaborating on songs from opposite sides of the globe. Justin created musical beds on his Ensoniq ASR-10, a thirty-year-old analog sampling keyboard. Cut off from record stores (the lifeblood of every hip hop producer), he turned to a stash of children's educational films on 16mm and VHS looking for his inspiration. Ali recorded vocals from his new Turkish neighborhood of Uskudar. The music they were writing asked the questions hanging over them both. In an internet age, how do we learn to communicate from a place of love? How do we settle grievances and address harms without replicating the oppressive structures we're fighting to dismantle? How do we push past generations of trauma and create cultures of healing? In the "Love & Service" film, eight songs from this duo are elevated and amplified through vivid and at times surreal imagery. Each song features a unique style of animation meant to harken back to the days of pen scribblings and charcoal drawings. These are not the slick, hyper-realistic computer graphics that define most modern animation. This is textured, choppy art with fingerprints and smudges. "Love & Service" packs a lot into 13 tracks. It's a spectacle without any gloss. It's beautiful but asks uncomfortable questions. It incorporates a multitude of styles, but feels cohesive and organic. And while it explores the myriad ways that humans are failing one another, it lands with the affirmation that we're all worthy of love. Listen to Love & Service streaming below...

Nas "Illmatic" 30th Ann. Mix (Side A, DJ Filthy Rich)

A tribute to the classic Illmatic? Sure you right. Toronto's DJ Filthy Rich has blessed us with another fine mix; this is Side A in honor of the 30th Anniversary of the debut opus from Nas, Illmatic. Side A aka 40 Side North, includes a mix of original samples, original blends and remixes including early gems like "Live at the BBQ," "Back To The Grill," a freestyle from '93 on Stretch and Bobbito; blends to "Genesis," "Represent" and "Halftime," as well as the remix to "One Love" and more. Y'all already know, this is the single greatest hip-hop LP of all-time, to me... always has been. When Side B comes out, you bet it'll be posted here as well. Meanwhile, listen below and hit the tags for a dozen posts in honor of Illmatic over the years (press kits, publicity photos, mixes, reviews + more).

Nas & DJ Premier "Define My Name" (Single)

On the day of the 30th anniversary of Illmatic, Nas returns with his iconic sidekick producer DJ Premier for a new single that hints at a long-awaited upcoming collaborative album. “Define My Name” is Nas' first release of 2024, following his legendary six-albums-in-three-years run with Hit-Boy from 2020-2023. The song’s title comes from a line in the Preemo-produced 1999 track “Nas is Like”, where Nas raps: "Freedom or jail, clips inserted, a baby’s bein' born Same time a man is murdered — the beginnin' and end As far as rap go, it’s only natural I explain My plateau and also what defines my name." DJ Premier has produced many of Nas' most beloved songs over the years, including three on Illmatic: “N.Y. State of Mind”, “Memory Lane (Sittin' in Da Park)‘”, and “Represent”. On the track, the duo does what they do best: Premier lays down an upbeat, jazzy boom-bap beat with his signature record scratches, while Nas’ crisp, intricate rhymes and lyrics create a nostalgic atmosphere. This song serves as a buzz single for their upcoming album, due to be released at the end of 2024. The album has been rumored for over a decade, and it seems that hardcore Hip-Hop fans will finally get their wish. - Genius. I don't see an album coming in 2024... but we can all hope.

Apathy "Connecticut Casual: Chapter 2" (Album Stream)

Seasoned MC and producer, Apathy, delivers his 9th full length album as an integral piece of his impressive 25+ year career. Back in 2014, he blessed hip hop heads with "Connecticut Casual", one of his most personal and fan-favorite outings to date. Once again heavily inspired by his hometown surroundings and shore-life encounters, Ap brings to fruition the next chapter in the soundtrack to the New England way of life with this new-age sequel to the original "CT Casual". The majority of the project is painstakingly produced by newcomer beatsmith, Playa Haze, with additional production from Apathy himself, along with contributions from Alcapella, plus Little Vic on both the boards and the mic. Ap's longtime partner-in-rhyme, Celph Titled, appears as one of the few guest features blessing the LP. Sail along this ride through murky waters, mysterious folklore, brash talk, and experience the East Coast lifestyle through the eyes of a Demigod. Dig into the LP below...

Khruangbin "A La Sala" (Instrumental Album)

A La Sala (“To the Room” in Spanish), the fourth studio album by Khruangbin, is an exercise in returning in order to go further, and do so on your own terms. It extends the air of mystery and sanctity that’s key to how bassist Laura Lee Ochoa, drummer Donald “DJ” Johnson, Jr. and guitarist Mark “Marko” Speer approach music. It’s a gorgeously airy album made only in the company of the group’s longtime engineer Steve Christensen, with minimal overdubs. It is a porthole onto the bounties powering Khruangbin’s vision, a reimagining and refueling for the long haul ahead. A La Sala scales Khruangbin down to scale up, a creative strategy with the future in mind. It is also a response to the unique moment Khruangbin finds itself in now: following a decade spent cultivating extraordinary music paths, beginning a year when they'll perform for more people, in more iconic spaces, staging a live show that pushes a creative envelope peculiar to them alone. On A La Sala, Khruangbin also pulls exploration inward, spurning the din of the crowd’s expectations, mapping a personal direction home. The trio’s collective musical DNA and the years spent constructing it in Houston’s local-meets-global cultural stew ensure the band carries on sounding like no one but itself. A La Sala may in fact be Khruangbin’s purest distillation. Listen to A La Sala streaming below...