Mix : Bobby Corridor Presents Raw 2 The Core

Bobby Corridor is back with some hardcore stuff. His selection features joints from Onyx, Black Mafia, Double XX Posse, Bushwackass, Sir Menelik, Crustified Dibbs, Strickly Roots and many more... 

 

La Rumeur - Le Poison D'Avril - 1996

 

EP - 1996 - FUAS Music 

I don't usually blog about French hip-hop, but this time I'm making an exception. As the French group La Rumeur (Ekoué, Le Bavar, Hamé, Kool M, Le Paria & Soul G) returns with a vinyl release collecting their previously unreleased recordings from 1997 to 2007, it feels like the perfect opportunity for me to revisit Ekoué's first EP, originally released on vinyl in 1996. It remains one of my top ten French releases of that year, and it marked the beginning of a trilogy that would unfold between 1997 and 1999.

Before becoming one of the most distinctive voices of La Rumeur, Ekoué first made his name in the Yvelines, in the Paris suburbs. Alongside Philippe, who would later become known as Le Bavar and Mourad a.k.a Le Paria, he discovered hip-hop and began rapping as a teenager. The three friends gradually started working together and eventually formed a collective with others from their circle, initially known as Ultime Coalition.

For Ekoué, however, rap was never disconnected from the rest of his life. His academic background was far removed from the stereotypes often associated with French rap at the time. He studied political science and public law and graduated from Sciences Po. This education would later inform his writing and his approach to social, political and historical issues. Yet La Rumeur would never simply define itself as a political or militant rap group. Their ambition was more about describing their reality and offering their own perspective on the world around them.

In the mid 90s, Ekoué began attracting attention beyond his immediate circle. One particularly important encounter was with Rockin' Squat, the founding member of Assassin. Ekoué appeared on Assassin's 1995 album "L'Homicide Volontaire", contributing to the track "L'Odyssée suit son cours". The appearance introduced him to a wider audience and demonstrated that he already possessed a strong enough identity as an MC to stand on his own.

It was also during this period that the collective that would eventually become La Rumeur began to take shape. When Hamé joined Ekoué, Philippe and Mourad, the name Ultime Coalition gradually gave way to La Rumeur, around 1995. From the beginning, the group operated more like a collective than a conventional rap crew. Each member had his own personality, voice and perspective, while contributing to a larger artistic vision.

This philosophy would have a direct impact on their first releases. Rather than immediately putting out a full length album, La Rumeur chose to introduce its different MCs through a trilogy of EPs. Ekoué opened the series with "Le Poison d'Avril", recorded in 1996 and released on vinyl that same year, before receiving a CD release in 1997.

The project became the first real musical statement from La Rumeur. Across its five tracks, Ekoué takes center stage, with production from Soul G and Kool M. The song "Blessé Dans Mon Ego" would become one of the project's defining tracks. Ekoué explores his relationship with his Togolese heritage and the particular experience of a generation of children of African immigrants who grew up in France. His writing refuses simplistic answers : caught between France and Togo, his sense of identity is constantly being negotiated between two worlds.

But "Le Poison d'Avril" goes far beyond questions of identity. Many of the themes that would become central to La Rumeur are already present : the legacy of colonialism, social conditions in working class neighborhoods, France's relationship with its immigrant communities, and a deeply critical view of the rap industry itself.

Ekoué's writing is particularly striking because of the way it places the text at the center of the music. Rather than relying on the conventional image of the rapper as a larger-than-life performer, he builds his identity through observation, precision and confrontation with the contradictions of his time. His delivery is direct, dense and uncompromising, while his lyrics constantly move between personal experience and broader political and historical questions.

This makes "Le Poison d'Avril" more than simply the first EP in a series. In retrospect, it can be heard as a blueprint for much of what La Rumeur would become.

Listening back to Ekoué's earliest work today, it is striking to realize how much of the group's identity was already there in 1996 and 1997. Long before La Rumeur became a reference point for uncompromising French hip-hop, Ekoué had already developed a distinctive voice, one built on personal experience, historical awareness and a determination to say things on his own terms.

With "Le Poison d'Avril", Ekoué was not simply opening a trilogy. He was laying the foundations for an artistic approach that would define his work and leave a lasting mark on French hip-hop.

A Chosen Few - It's Only Right ('97 demo)

Here is a dope unreleased demo shared by Patrock Hesse (Heavy Jewelz Records). It was recorded around 1997 by Chosen Few, a group consisting of Kleph Dollaz (RIP) & Bear One from Richmond, VA.

Advertisements :

 

Blu & Sndtrak - LA - 2026

 

LP - 2026 - Nature Sound Music

Oakland-based producer Sndtrak teams up with LA-based MC Blu to drop their collaborative album "LA", dropping September 4th on Nature Sounds Music. Pre-Orders are now live !

Available on Vinyl & CD 

Pre-Order  

New Joint : Kooley High ft. Fly Anakin - The Glow - 2026

 

North Carolina hip-hop collective Kooley High returns with "the Glow", a Kev Brown-produced track featuring Fly Anakin and the lead single off their brand new EP "Clear The Air", dropping September 18, 2026

Video : Exxtru God - Ashanti ft. Plaza, Ace SL & Kukoo Da Baga Bonez

Exxtru God Presents "Ashanti", the new single featuring Ace SL, Plaza and Kukoo Da Baga Bonez, taken from the upcoming LP "ALLAH U", dropping September 12, 2026 on Comin Tru Records. 

.

FloFilz - Cenário (10th Anniversary Edition) - 2026

 

LP - 2026 - Melting Pot Music

To celebrate its 10th anniversary, "Cenário", the breakthrough album that established FloFilz in 2016, returns in a special reissue designed as a true collector's edition. A defining record in the German producer's discography, "Cenário" already captures his distinctive approach, blending instrumental hip-hop, jazz influences and a deeply cinematic sensibility.

This anniversary edition gives the album a fresh visual identity, featuring newly designed artwork on a gatefold cover, alongside an extended 16-page photo booklet by Robert Winter.

Pre-Order : Bandcamp / Melting Pot Music  

New Joint : B-Movie Millionaires (Lee Scott & Black Josh) - HIM - 2026

 

"HIM" featuring BeTheGun is a new joint dropped by British MCs Black Josh and Lee Scott a.k.a B-Movie Millionaires, taken from their album "It Made Sense At The Time" which is now available on vinyl via Blah Records.

Headrush - Run For Cover - 1995

12" - 1995 - Hudson West Records 

I’ve been looking for members of the group Headrush on social media for quite some time now, but without any success. Headrush was a New Jersey-based duo consisting of C. Jackson a.k.a. CJ and S. Smith a.k.a. Double S. Their only 12-inch single, "No Peace / Run For Cover," produced by Double S, was released in 1995 on the independent label Hudson West Records, based in Teaneck, New Jersey.

Although the group seemingly disappeared after this release, the track "Run For Cover", which is my personal favorite track on the record, has earned a quiet reputation among collectors of East Coast hip-hop. The 12" is actually quite easy to find and usually available at a very attractive price.

Advertisements :

 

Remix Session : Phat Tape Beats Remixes

 

For this Remix Session episode, I invite you to discover some remixes by Phat Tape Beats. Feel free to check out his Soundcloud page.

Video : Apollo Brown & Skyzoo - God Given - 2026

Apollo Brown & Skyzoo are back with "God Given", the new single from their forthcoming collaborative album "Luxury Tax", dropping September 25, 2026.

Mix : Bad Cop Presents No Gimmicks Rap Shit 28

Bad Cop is back with 16 underground / golden-era / boom bap hip hop cuts. One-take mix using his 2 x Technics 1210s with no beat matching or cue software. Tracks from Lord Finesse, Lootpack, Masta Ace, B-1, Natural Elements, AZ, Wayne Live, The Professionals, Raw Breed and more...

Video : Sauce Heist Ft. Baby Maine - Felony Cases - 2026

 "Felony Cases" is the new single from Sauce Heist. Produced by Karbine, the track is featured on Sauce Heist's forthcoming album titled "All Gunz Out," dropping August 21st.

The Edge - Do Ya Dirt - 1994

12" - 1994 - Represent Records  

Hailing from the Edgemere Projects in Far Rockaway, Queens, The Edge was a short-lived but memorable rap duo consisting of P-Lyve and Ken Du.

Emerging in the early 90s, these 2 childhood friends dropped their only official record "Do Ya Dirt" in 1994 on the Brooklyn-based label, Represent Records, that was a group effort between the producer Dominic Owen, the Edge and Rodney Holley, and funded by a Hustler from Brooklyn. The single was played on Hot 97 by the legendary DJ Premier, but it never achieved commercial success. It has since become a sought-after collector's item among fans of independent East Coast hip-hop. 

All the tracks of this 12" were originally recorded in 1994 in the High Class studios in Brownsville, Brooklyn. The A-side features the lead single "Do Ya Dirt", produced by Dominic Owen. It includes Street, Radio and Instrumental versions. Flipping the record over reveals "Who's Dat Chick", produced by Dominic Owen & Fabian Hamilton. It also includes the Acapella version of "Do Ya Dirt".

Dominic Owen began his production career under the name DJ Quick in the UK. Dominic is known for his productions for Notorious Big, Rakim, Chubb Rock, Special Ed... just to name a few. He met the Edge, originally called Double Edge in 1993. They were brought down to High Studios by a mutual friend, their manager Rodney Holley.

They had worked on more music, then P-Lyve went to jail, so the project stopped. After this release a few years later they did an album under the banner "Floss City" called "Father Rule Vol 1". This featured The Edge and several artists from Far Rockaway based in Edgemere projects.

Video : Devine Carama & Amadeus360 - CDs & Tapes - 2026

 

Devine Carama and Amadeus360 deliver the visuals for "CDs and Tapes", a track lifted from their latest collabo album "Guardians of the Boom Bap 2".

Punk Barbarians - Rest in Peace Original Version - 1993

Three years before the release of their debut album, the group Punk Barbarians appeared on the Vibes & Vapors Show on the Princeton University's student-run community radio station 103.3 WPRB. Their song "Rest in Peace" was aired in its original version, which differs from the version released on the album. Here it is if you don't know it yet ! 

Advertisements :

 

Mad1ne X Blazy Green - Inspired By Nightmares - 2026

 

San Antonio,Texas-based MC Mad1ne is back with a brand new album entitled "Inspired By Nightmares", a 14-Track album driven by the atmospheric production of Blazy Green. The album is now available exclusively on Bandcamp for those who want to support the artist. 

Cockroach Click Presents: The Senescent Vault. 94-97

 

LP - 2026 - Chopped Herring Records

Chopped Herring Records are back with some unreleased demos recorded between 1994 and 1997 by the Cockroach Click, a crew from the VA area comprised of Evidence, Anti-Epidemic, D-Ace, The Racist Bros. and Eregular.

Available on Black vinyl (175 copies) and Light Brown Coloured Vinyl (125 copies)

Pre-Order : Black vinyl / Light Brown vinyl

New Joint : Truth By Design - Active - 2026

 

Toronto, Canada-based group Truth By Design is back with the brand new single "Active". The production is handled by DTKS, with scratches by DJ Lupan.