Picasso claimed that the purpose of art is to wash the “dust of daily life off our souls.” Homeboy Sandman asks on Dusty, “Why would I complain when I’m alive making art?” In the course of his Mello Music debut, the Queens virtuoso answers himself with 15
Persona is an excellent collaborative effort from the artists of Mello Music Group. The album plays a bit long with 16 tracks, but the music is never repetitive, nor trite.
First Born came at the forefront of an exciting new era of underground hip-hop, delivering messages that emphasized ambiguity over certainty, and self-expression over exploitation, to an audience that was eager to expand their horizons.
Starting in church choir, Blueprint played in R&B bands in high school and developed a reputation as a standout rapper. On Adventures in Counter-Culture, he experiments with the synths, keyboards, and drum machines that connect those early days.
Clouds is a 26 track project from Detroit producer Apollo Brown (The Reset, Brown Study, Gas Mask). While most have come to know Apollo's production for its smash mouth, head nodding, grime, Clouds reveals another aspect of his production ability.
Detroit underground rap staple Quelle Chris is back with a new LP, Deathflame. It features appearances by Navy Blue, Pink Siifu, Denmark Vessey, Cavalier, J Jig Cicero, and Moruf, and was largely produced by Quelle Chris himself.
One year after releasing the cult sensation, Everything's Fine, Quelle Chris is back with the new solo album, Guns, featuring artists like Jean Grae, Bilal Salaam, Denmark Vessey.