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A collaborative effort between Black Spade & Nato Caliph – on a limited edition cassette! Force Majueure features appearances by Count Bass D, Shorty Live of the Alps Cru, and scratches by DJ Crucial and DJ Alejan. Sharp, solid and smart hip hop from the St. Louis underground scene – with a timeless vibe. Another fresh release from F5 – a superior force in midwest indie hip hop! Includes "Distance Unlimited", "FrankenHop" with Shorty Live "Impression X", "The Best Part", "Coitus Magnetic" feat Teresa Jenee, "Complete" with Black Spade and "Distance Unlimited" (SP Remix) with Count Bass D.

Electro funk, boogie soul and spacey hip hop from Hawthorne Headhunters – completely delivering on the promising earlier EP and rivaling the best of their similarly-traveling peers – particularly Plug Research labelmate Shafiq Husayn, along with leftfield leaders Dam Funk and Georgia Anne Muldrow – and we do not take those comparisons lightly! The Hawthorne Headhunters started as more of a freewheeling collective, though here as more of a partnership between Coultrain and Black Spade. 70s jazz funk, 80s synth soul and otherwise spacey sounds and the insistent underlying bounce of the best hip hop continue to inform the sound. Titles include "Sum People Don't Change", "Collage" feat Rockwell Knuckles & Tef Po, "Luv Galactic" feat I Am, "Teleport", "Yellow Cougar", "Whirlwind", "Ghostfields", "Fairweather" feat Von Pea & Haz Solo, "Hole In The World", "Tribute" and more.

A surprisingly great little soundtrack for the film version of Hair – re-arranged and musically directed by Galt MacDermot himself! There's a smoother, slicker feel to the tunes than heard on the Broadway soundtrack – with lots of nice 70s electric touches, and, if anything, a refinement of Galt's spacious approach to rhythms. There's more than a bit of funk on the set, and musicians in the group include Bernard Purdie, Wilbur Bascomb, Cornell Dupree, and Galt himself! 2LPs worth of tracks, and titles include "I Got Life", "Party Music", "Aquarius", "Sodomy", "Manchester", "Colored Spade", "Air", "I'm Black/Ain't Got No", "Where Do I Go", "Black Boys", "Walking In Space", "Easy To Be Hard", "Good Morning Sunshine", and "What A Piece Of Work Is Man".

Crispy, creative work from the team of Blu & Exile – a duo who may well be one of the most creative studio talents we've heard in years! There's loads of warm acoustic samples dropped into the mix – set against a sharper edge from the production, but still delivered with plenty of soul – almost a warmly jazzy vibe we remember from early Tribe Called Quest – with a similarly playful feel. The set features guest work by I Ced, Fashawn, Homeboy Sandman, Johaz of Dag Savage, Black Spade of Hawthorne Headhunters, and ADAD – and titles include "Don't Be Jelly", "The Great Escape", "A Man", "A Letter", "Ease Your Mind", and "O Heaven".

Nice stuff from MC Hi-Fidel and DJ Crucial! FF has a skewed storytelling sensibility that keeps you in it – and the solid beatcraft that keeps it all rolling along nicely. Tracks include "Diamonds" feat Black Spade, "Jimmy", "Whisky And Dristan", "Deer Hunter", "Isabel And Future", "Manther" feat Kent Cyclone, "Big Bang Theory", "Patty Farmington" feat Serengeti, "Small Victories" feat Pigeon John & Mathias, "The Thin Wall", "Fortitude" and more.

A promising EP from the team of tight west coast playmakers MED & Blu – with Madlib holding down the production – and released y MED's own Bang Ya Head label! It's one of those situations in which somewhat divergent styles meld brilliantly – with MED's no nonsense rhyme style, the always creative Blu right there with him, and Madlib delivering jazz funk backdrop and inventive beats. Guests on the EP include Black Spade and Jimetta Rose – plus one remixed track that's produced by Georgia Anne Muldrow. Includes "Burgundy Whip" with Jimetta Rose (plus instrumental and acapella versions), "Belly Full" with Black Spade (plus instrumental and acapella) and Georgia Anne Muldrow's Gee-Mix of "This Is Your Life" (plus instrumental).