Video : Queen Herawin & PA. Dre - Manifesto ft. Ruste Juxx & DJ Boo - 2026

 

Queen Herawin (of the Juggaknots) drops the visuals for her single "Manifesto" featuring Rustee Juxx and DJ Boo, off her album "DOTOM (Death Of The Old Me)", fully produced by PA.DRE.

Video : BroGawd & Mute Won - And Not To Mention - 2026

 

Visuals for "And Not To Mention", the single from the 7-Track EP "Urban Opulence" released by Rochester, NY-based emcee BroGawd and New Jersey producer Mute Won. 

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Remix Session : MC Lyte feat. Bahamadia - Paper Thin (UNDAJAZZBEAT Rmx)

 

A great remix of the single "Paper Thin" delivered by Odessa,Ukraine-based beatmaker UNDAJAZZBEAT.

90's Tapes presents: Rugged Mind Headquarter Session #10

 

The Hamburg,Germany-based duo Rugged Mind (DJ Rug & SampleMind) alongside DJ Skeli, are back with the 10th episode of the Rugged Mind Headquarter Session series. Their impressive record selection includes tracks from Finsta Bundy, Cypher, Brothaz Bent, Ex-Prez, Example, Ill Ko, Adagio!, Gotham Kidz, Izm Da Mad Soul, Omniscence, Ill Biskits, Bandits... just to name a few. Nearly 4 hours of 90s boom bap & underground hip hop, enjoy the mix !

Jazz Akrobatiks - Bubblin' 7" - 2026

 

7" - 2026 - Ill Adrenaline Records

Jazz Akrobatiks is the name of the new hip-hop collective comprised of Awon, Beneficence, Doodlebug (of Digable Planets) and Jazz Spastiks. Their single "Bubblin'", originally released digitally earlier this year, is now available on limited edition 7" vinyl.

Order : FatBeats / HHV  

D.M.F. Dangerous Mentality Forever - Elohim - 1998

12" - 1998 - AV8 Records 

 

D.M.F., an acronym for Dangerous Mentality Forever, was a duo from QueensBridge and Ravenswood Projects, consisting of S. Reese a.k.a Brother Black and E. Reed a.k.a Pryme Tyme. They formed the group around 1995 and they dropped their only 12" in 1998 on AV8 Records. 

The records is composed of 3 songs : "Elohim" and "The Anthem" produced by D.M.F. & Malik, and "Throw Your Drinks Up" produced by Big Will Rosario and DJ Tone Rock.

 

As far as I know, D.M.F. was signed by Big DS (RIP) of Onyx, but never released anything else due to business reasons. After that, the duo continued to record material under the name C.F.L., an acronym for Committee For Life. D.M.F.'s 12" is still cheap and easy to find, so it won't cost you much to add this record to your collection. 

Video : ScienZe x Parental - Never Been The Same - 2026

 

Visuals for "Never Been The Same", the latest single delivered by Brooklyn-based MC ScienZe, produced by DJ Parental and co-produced by Alcynoos.

New Joint : Apollo Brown & Skyzoo - No Discounts - 2026

 

"No Discounts" is the brand new single delivered by Apollo Brown and Skyzoo, taken from their forthcoming collaborative album "Luxury Tax", which will be available on September 25th on Escapism Recordings / First Generation Rich. Stay tuned ...

90's Tapes presents: Aerosoul (Volume Two) - Mixed by Cors One

 

 Cors One drops the second episode of his Aerosoul Mix, another 60-minute journey dedicated to all train writers. His selection includes indie joints from Colored Section, Non E-Quation, Basick Mentality, Black Eye, Black Moon, Absent Minded, Ed O.G, Kutfather, Stezo, Global Platoon ... and many more. 

90's Tapes presents: Aerosoul (Volume One) - Mixed by Cors One

 

Originally released on tape by 90's Tapes in January, here is "Aerosoul (Volume One)", mixed by Cors One. The mix includes Da Grassroots, Raheim, Optical The Visionary, Scienz Of Life, Mystidious Misfitss, S.U.N., Jam D.O.T., Mad Skillz, Rezidue, 2 Face, Dutchmin, HDM, Grand Puba, Sadat X, Brainsick Enterprise, Company Flow, Black Moon, Southpaw, RAW and Doublespeek. 

AllSum 4Sum - Pressure - 1996

 

Very good news from Patrock (of Heavy Jewelz Records), who recently announced that he would be posting previously unknown joints every Sunday. I had already posted his unreleased demo from the group A Chosen Few a few days ago, dating back to 1997. Here's the next one : AllSum 4Sum - Pressure - 1996 

Patrock : "This track is from the Rawkus Urban Sampler from 1996. It's a very rare promo cassette from the early days of this legendary label. All the other tracks from this tape were released on Rawkus Records, but this one seems to be an unreleased exclusive. I don't have much info about the group “AllSum 4Sum“, except that there are 5 MCs and they are apparently from Brownsville and affiliated with the group “7 Universal“. They belong to the "Population Clique" (Wu-Tang Clan affiliated collective). Who got more info?"

Sauce Heist & Karbine - All Gunz Out EP - 2026

 

"All Gunz Out" is the title of the 10-Track EP released by Sauce Heist and talented beatmaker Karbine from NYC. Known for his collaborations with artists such as Spanish Ran, Rome Streetz, Flee Lord and Estee Nack, Sauce Heist has been steadily building his catalog since the late 2010s. This time, he joins forces with Karbine, who handles the production throughout the project. If you're into dark productions and atmospheres, this EP is definitely for you ! It features Teeg Austin, Estee Nack, Jamal Gasol, Heem Stogied & Baby Maine.

Gunslinguz - We All We Gott - 2026

2026 - 90's Tapes / HHV 

"Originally released in 1995, "We All We Gott" is a raw piece of New York underground hip-hop from the Gunslinguz. Bigg Cy and Trigga bring uncompromising street rhymes over dark, hard-hitting production by DJ Ready Red and E. Money, firmly rooted in the sound of the golden East Coast era. Cuts such as “Why You Wanna Test My Skills,” “Who Da Enemy,” “Protect Yourself” and “Dreams (Getten Paid)” combine dusty drums, sinister samples and rugged lyricism, capturing the atmosphere of mid-’90s Brooklyn underground rap at its grittiest. One of the album’s standout moments, “One Mississippi,” features a crew of guest MCs including Ruck, later known to the world as Sean Price." - courtesy of 90's Tapes

Available in a limited run on 2LP (350 copies), CD in jewel case (300 copies) & cassette (100 copies).

Order  

Organized Konfusion - Organized Konfusion - 2026

2xLP - 2026 - Nature Sounds 

 Organized Konfusion's classic self-titled debut album is being reissued for the 35th anniversary via Nature Sounds on vinyl (Black vinyl & Exclusive colored vinyl), CD and cassette with 3 bonus tracks.

Pre-Orders : Nature Sounds / HHV / Get On Down

Video : A-F-R-O - Play On Wordz feat. Bishop Lamont, Wordsworth & Terror Van Poo

 

A-F-R-O delivers "Play On Wordz" featuring Bishop Lamont, Wordsworth, Terror Van Poo, taken from the brand new album "Trap Door 2", which is fully produced, mixed, mastered and arranged by A-F-R-O.

The album features a nice batch of guests : Blaq Poet, Emsee Prospekt, EKYM1536, MotionPlus, Eighty Spadez, Truth0470, Flotrix, Lone Fractal, LIL GHO$T, Meta4us, King Khazm, es-1, Mystic, Jon Connor, Blu, MZ1, YaH-Ra, MC Wicks, Madd Illz, Eksale, Felcon, Rod... just to name a few. 

Phil Tyler & the intern - NY NY - 2026

 

Phil Tyler teams up with the intern to drop "NY NY", a 6-track instrumental EP that breathes the spirit of 90s hip-hop. 

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.

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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. 

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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.