Un Canto A Mi Tierra is taken from Quantic's (Will Holland) latest album and incarnation. Quantic and his Combo Barbaro - Tradition in Transition. The video was shot on location in Quantic's hometown in Cali, Columbia.

www.quantic.org | www.myspace.com/quanticmusic

www.tru-thoughts.co.uk

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tags: chill-out, downtempo, quantic, tru-thoughts, world music

The Sunflower EP from Newcastle based IDM outfit Die On Spectrum. Combining haunting atmospheric pads and complex drum patterns. DOS takes the listener on an head nodding aural journey through floating lush sounscapes.

www.myspace.com/dieonspectrum

Download the Sunflower EP

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tags: ambient, atmospheric, beats, breakcore, downtempo, experimental, free, free download, idm

Really rather like this video for "Dynamic Tension" by Mr. Dead featuring M. Sayyid. Kind of has that gritty early 80's New York exploitation look / feel, you got in films like Driller Killer and Basket Case. The tune itself is OK and it does sample the classic Morricone ditty from A fist Full Of Dollars, which vies for the title of my favorite film ever.

On a side note "pencil Fighting" seems to be an inner city version of classic English kids pastime Conkers.

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tags: hip hop, horror, music video, retro

The Others' Madwreck and Mattic (of the Wax Tailor crew) along with Catt Magle (producer for Sonny Cheeba, Phonte) have released a free album entitled ZKPRZ. It's a dark, soulful, and sample heavy record.

"We wanted to give something to all hip-hop heads out there to show them some appreciation. The album will be free until physical copies are released later this summer." ... Madwreck

www.myspace.com/zkprz

Download it now!

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tags: hip hop, madwreck, mattic, rap, wax tailor

It feels like ages since the pre-album Feel Like A King EP was released (I think it's been a year). Finally the master bassist from cult downtempo duo Fingathing releases his first solo album. Feel Like A King...Pluck A String. The LP contains all 4 tracks from the EP including the excellent Beduija which was my ringtone for months (probably still is, but I keep my phone on vibrate of late). The albums been well worth the wait (if your into downtempo music), but you don't have to take my word for it you can listen to the full thing over at Sneakys Myspace (in the player further down the page).

The download is available from amazon.com, amazon.co.uk (or whichever MP3 store you prefer) You can pick up the physical disc from Sneaky's own webstore.

www.thisissneaky.co.uk | www.myspace.com/sneakytunes

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tags: beats, downtempo, hip hop, trip hop

Video for "Boom Up History" by 3canal, taken from their LP "Joy + Fire". 3canal are leading exponents of the "rapso" genre of a music which is a "conscious" blending of Soca music and Hip Hop. 

The term Rapso was coined by fellow Trinidadian artist Brother Resistance (Cyar Take That) in the early 80's.

3canal came to prominence with the song "Blue" in1997. Which I must have picked up on a compilation once, as I've found myself playing it quite often over the years.

www.3canal.com | www.myspace.com/3canal 

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tags: calypso, hip hop, rapso, reggae, soca, trinidad, trinidad and tobago, world music

New video from Wax Tailor featuring A State of Mind (ASM), who are probably best known for their previous collaboration with the French beatmaker 'Positively Inclined'.

www.myspace.com/waxtailor | www.myspace.com/astateofmindproductionz

www.waxtailor.com

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tags: downtempo, hip hop, trip hop, wax tailor

"Craig Mack. 1000 degrees. You'll be on your knees and you'll be burnin', beggin' please. Brother FREEZE!"

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tags: craig mack, hip hop, oldscool hip hop, rap

Manc-based vinyl-vulture, recording artist and record producer Andy Votel enlists the skills of fellow B-Music DJ and designer Dominic Thomas and Delay 68's Rare Disc Detective Doug Shipton to form a team of psychedelic librarians and cosmic-pop-quiz-elitists to run their new Twisted Nerve distant sister-label, leaving no progressive pebble unturned or record collection un-rifled.

Future compilations and re-issues will feature collaborative curators such as David Holmes, Cherrystones and Bob Stanley and further contributions from mystery A- / B+ pop-celebrity fanatics of outsider music and ultra-rare bakelite discs. Finders Keepers is an 'accidental world music label' with a punk aesthetic and DJ friendly ethos which allows the desperate listener to sit back while we deliver schizoid cultural channel-hopping compilations and rocking-horse-shit & hen's-teeth re-releases to the comfort of your psych-starved living room...

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tags: cd, folk, funk, mp3, progressive, prog rock, psychadelia, psychadelic, rock, world music

Nosaj Thing has gained a strong reputation with his remixes of Flying Lotus etc. (check his MySpace profile). His new LP title "Drift" is available for digital download from today (26th of May), the CD hits shelves June 9th. These days I've pretty much dispensed with CD except for the occasional mix CD, prefering digital or Vinyl depending on what I'm buying. Drift features Nosaj Thing's stunning beat driven ambient electronic soundscapes.

Listen to the full tracks "Quest" over at Analog Giant and 'Coat of Arms' at spinner.com.

You can also listen to previews of all the tracks at amazon.com and boomkat (UK)

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tags: ambient, beats, downtempo, electronica, experimental, hip hop, idm

"For Corners is the first full length album from Diego Bernal, a civil rights attorney and beatsmith, located in San Antonio, TX. For Corners is Diego Bernal's love letter to the music, cultures, era and people that nurtured him.

The music is dusty and layered with Latin soul, from the triumphant blasts of horns to the laid back groove of lowrider melodies. It is a call to return to the simplicity and integrity of hip-hop's best moment and an invitation to enjoy a slightly different kind of southern comfort. Not so much dirty south as directly south. The full album is a completely free download."

www.myspace.com/diegobernalmusic

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tags: beats, breakbeat, downtempo, electronic, exponential records, funk, hip hop, instrumental, instrumental hiphop, latin soul

Lonely London Lad ("LLL") is actually two American lads - Robert Savage and johnny rK, with one British lad, Billy Fuller.

I'm rather taken with the bands modern psychedelic rock sounds which you can check out both on MySpace and YouTube. A double album is due soon which will be available as a CD only.

www.lonelylondonlad.com

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tags: electronica, experimental, lonely london lad, psych-rock, psychedelic, rock

When I Grow Up is the second music video from Fever Ray's self title album. You can listen to the full album over at Fever Ray's Website.

www.feverray.com | www.myspace.com/feverray

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tags: down tempo, downtempo, electronica, fever ray, music video

If I Had A Heart was the first video from Swedish down-tempo pop artist Fever Ray (Karin Dreijer Andersson). The track is taken from the self titled album, which was released at the end of March.

www.feverray.com

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tags: down tempo, downtempo, electronica, fever ray, music video

Music video for Hidden Treasure by DJ Vadim feat Sabira Jade. The single is released worldwide on April 12th.

www.djvadim.com | Myspace

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tags: dance, dj vadim, hip hop, music video, reggae, rocksteady, sabira jade, ska, soul

Back to Daylight is the first single from Dub Pistols forthcoming album Rum and Coke. The sigle features Ashley Slater. 2005's Six Million Ways to Live is far an away my favorite of their three album releases so far. This tracks not really grabbing me if I'm honest, but its OK in it's own sub Bobby Womack way I guess. 

www.merchandized.co.uk | Myspace

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tags: ashley slater, dub pistols, electronic, music video, pop, soul

Over at The T.R.O.Y. Blog they flip the hip hop of yesteryear with a new brand new twist. Jump on over and download Volume 4 of their compilation / mix series "Sounds Like The 90's."

01. Raekwon - Yessir (prod. MF Doom)
02. MF Doom - Gazzillion Ear
03. Superstar Quamallah - 88 Soul
04. Danny Brown - Contra feat. Elzhi
05. Finale - Heat (prod. J Dilla)
06. Blaq Poet - Too Strong
07. Saigon - Prepare For War
08. Slaughterhouse - Wack MC's
09. Reks - Killaz On Wax
10. Wale - Word Play feat. Curren$y & Tre of UCB
11. Brother Ali - Good Lord
12. CunninLynguists - George (Remix) feat. Khujo Goodi & Killer Mike
13. Jay Electronica - Exhibit A (Transformations)
14. CunninLyngists - Don't Leave (When Winter Comes) feat. Slug
15. Abstract Rude - Rejuvenation
16. Mike Eagle - iRock
17. Dragon Fli Empire - 2-Man Team
18. Oh No - Smile A Bit feat. Posdnous
19. Joell Ortiz - They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y)
20. Focus - Homage To Pete Rock feat. Rapper Pooh, Sha Stimuli & Kurupt

Props to QN5 Blog

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tags: cunninlynguists, dj, hip hop, mf doom, mix, raekwon, rap, sample

The latest single from the upcoming CunninLynguists’ release Strange Journey Volume One, “Don’t Leave (When Winter Comes)“ is produced by Kno and features Slug of Atmosphere.

"... never got rich and famous, don't get me wrong, theres a lot of different faces that listen to the songs, but theres no big time, never wrote a hit rhyme, had to roll the highway, just to go and get mime"

www.cunninlynguists.com | Myspace

Listen to "Don't Leave (When Winter Comes)" below and purchase the 7" single from Bad Taste Records.

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tags: cunninlynguists, hip hop, rap

Twitch Film have pointed out that Matt Berry is letting you download his new album "witchazel" for a limited time.

Matt Berry is best known for TV roles in The IT Crowd, Garth Marenghi's Darkplace and The Mighty Boosh, Snuff Box.

He is also a singer and muscision playing no less than 15 different instruments on this album. (Acoustic guitar, electric guitar, ukulele, bass guitar, piano, electric piano, electric organ, pipe organ, accordion, melotron, korg ms20 synthesizer, korg ms 2000b synthesizer/vocoda, glockenspiel, assorted percussion and dinner bell.)

It's rather good if you like a bit of slightly retro progressive rock, I have "So Low" on repeat.

Rush over to www.witchazelfreedownload.com and grab your copy now.

www.myspace.com/mattberrysmusic

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tags: folk, matt berry, progressive, prog rock, psych-folk, psychedelic

Video for In for the kill the second single from La Roux and the first to be released on their major label Polydor, Quicksand (buy US | UK) having been released by French electronic music label Kitsuné.

You can check out the full track over at La Roux's Myspace. Skream's Bassline driven remix, whith it's reverb heavy vocals is well worth checking out if you prefer dub step / drum and bass type production over 80's retro sythn pop sounds.

Purchase "In for the kill" from amazon.co.uk

www.myspace.com/larouxuk

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tags: dubstep, electro, electronica, elly jackson, la roux, music video, pop

In for the kill is the second single from La Roux and the first to be released on her major label Polydor, Quicksand (buy US | UK) having been released by French electronic music label Kitsuné.

You can check out the full track over at La Roux's Myspace. Skream's Bassline driven remix, whith it's reverb heavy vocals is well worth checking out if you prefer dub step / drum and bass type production over 80's retro sythn pop sounds.

Purchase "In for the kill" from amazon.co.uk

www.myspace.com/larouxuk

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tags: dubstep, electro, electronica, elly jackson, la roux, pop

"What you are about to see is a mix of unrelated YouTube Videos/Clips edited together to create ThruYou. In other words - what you see is what you hear."

I love this track, had I walked into a record store (Yeah I still sometimes visit real world independent vinyl stores ... those that are left) and this was playing, the last thought in my head would have been it sounds like a mash up / edit of YouTube music performances.

www.thru-you.com | www.myspace.com/kutiman

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tags: edit, electronica, funk, hip hop, mash up, remix, sold

"Chief Rocka" from 1993's Here Come The Lords by Lords of the Underground (L.O.T.U.G.) is one of my favourite tracks of all time.

Check out D-Nice's True Hip Hop Stories featuring Doitall over at Vimeo

www.myspace.com/lordsoftheunderground1 | www.myspace.com/mrdoitall1

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tags: hip hop

New music video from Kool Keith featuring KutMasta Kurt for "Take That Ride" from the Album "Dr. Dooom 2"

"Dr. Dooom Pebel Stone and The Funky RedNeck Drive The Streets Of Hollywood, and stop for in for donuts and chinese food at chin chins."

www.threshrecs.com

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tags: hip hop, music video

d-nice.com is the online home of Derrick Jones better known as D-Nice of seminal rap crew Boogie Down Productions with KRS-One and the late DJ Scott La Rock.

Expanding into visual mediums D-Nice has carved out a niche for himself as a talented Photographer and filmmaker. The highlight of d-nice.com has to be his series of short films featuring "Golden Era" Hip Hop artists "True Hip-Hop Stories". Sadat X of Brand Nubian, Dana Dane and Doitall of Lords Of The Underground are amogst those featured so far.

You can also check out D-Nice's obligatory profile at MySpace

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tags: hip hop, photography, rap, short film

Dust And Grooves is documentary/portrait project about crate diggers around the world. starting in NYC the crate-diggin photo blog by Eilon Paz captures images of those with a life long all consuming addiction to searching out and collecting Vinyl.

True vinyl junkies

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tags: vinyl

Analog Giant highlights new electronica, hip hop (mostly of the indie variety), reggae, funk and down-tempo tunes

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tags: downtempo, electronica, funk, hip hop, reggae

With a title inspired by a classic Rolling Stones lyric Head Full of Snow celebrates the music and styles that came about during the late 1960s and throughout the 70s. You’ll find it all here. Psychedelia, progressive rock, pop-psych, acid rock, space-rock as well as classic, folk and more.

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tags: acid rock, folk, pop-psych, progressive rock, psychedelia, space-rock

Left: The Anthem Single Right: Chinoiseries Album cover art

"Due to it's immense success and the huge amount of requests for a longer version of The Anthem, Favorite Recordings felt it had to do it's best to satisfy Onra fans, DJ's as well as newcomers to his beats. The brilliantly odd instrumental hip hop beat constructed around vintage Vietnamese pop records picked up in flea markets on a trip to the far east is now available on 7 inch."

The Anthem is taken from the LP Chinoiseries which French DJ Onra began work on in 2006 after a trip to to Vietnam, where picked up some rare (in the west at least) classic Vietnamese vinyl.

Onra previously contributed to the brilliant French beats compilation La Boulangerie (A LateMag favorite)

www.myspace.com/onra

Check out the short but sweet album version below and search for the 7" version at good record stores near you or go online and order it from Manchester's mighty Fat City record shop.

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tags: hip hop

De Tropix are a duo made up of ST Vincent & The Grenadines born singer / songwriter Cherry B and UK producer Instinct. Having toured the world with M.I.A. maybe its time for Cherry to shine.

Da Tropix:  www.myspace.com/detropix

Instinct: www.myspace.com/instinctsworld

Cherry B: www.myspace.com/cherryoi

Download the E.P. Oi (Free Download uploaded by the artist)

Check out the track "A Dey Hey" below:

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tags: fusion, hip hop, pop, ragga, reggae, soca, tropical

Now and again I wander over to Myspace Music and see if any artists have posted any tracks that catch my interest. This weekend I have found myself listening to stuff from Sneaky, Boca 45, DJ B.Cause and X Clan (but I'll mention them in another post).

Sneaky is an artist I've mentioned before, when his album sampler / EP featuring four tracks from his forthcoming LP "feel like a king ... pluck a string"dropped. I still think "Beduija" is a massive tune, the bass drop is simply sublime. The album is due next month but in teh meantime I have been listening to "Grind The Coffee", which while I'm not normally a huge fan of breakbeats at that tempo, I'm loving this.

Bristol based Boca 45 states on his myspace "I'm trying to make beats how they might sound if they were recorded in 1968 in massive studios with real musicians". Currently I am kind of enamored by "Crime De La Creme" from his 2006 LP 'Vertigo Sounds".

DJ B.Cause is someone I know nothing whatsoever about, I ended up on his Myspace via a post on Analog Giant.The dub edit was cool, but I found myself more drown to his cool "Let It Whip" remix and even more to "Annie's Plane Break" which is a cool little mash-up, though its got a sound in it which kept making me think someone had sent me a message on Skype.

*You can listen to "Crime De La Creme" on Boca 45's Myspace

*You can listen to "Grind The Coffee" on Sneaky's Myspace

*You Can listen To "Annie's Plane Break" on DJ B.Cause's Myspace

*Tracks where available at teh time of posting

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tags: beats, downtempo, hip hop, left field

hiphopsite.com has a wonderful quote from Erick "The Green-Eyed Bandit" Sermon "EPMD makes music for people that like EPMD" I spent my early teens (from like 12/13) listening to "Golden era" hip hop and Eric and Parish Making Dollars where responsible for for some of the highlights from the soundtrack to my adolescence so I can't help but be one of those people.

We Mean Business is EPMD's first album in 10 years and was released on December 9, 2008.

www.myspace.com/therealepmd

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tags: hip hop

It's not unusual for an artist to be inspired by a panorama, but when you consider this particular Panorama is a club in Berlin and Laurent Garnier is the artist in question, things become a little less usual. Panoramix is a titularly affectionate nod to the birth place of this really rather special Techno track, the release of which proved the fruits of the combination of two beautiful minds.

It was Dixon of record label Innervisions who, upon hearing a rough mix of the apty titled A-side track Back To My Roots at the Panorama club, was rightly blown away, suggesting a release on the label. Dixon says of this rare moment "When Laurent played Back To My Roots at Panorama, I immediately had the feeling that I was listening to a classic. It's a very unique timeless production. Not hip, not modern, not "old school". It is also a 12-minute journey that is worth playing for that long. We were very happy that Laurent told me straight away in the club that he would be cool with releasing this EP on our label… and let's not forget about THAT B-side.'

And so a star was born; Back To My Roots bore the inspired B-side, Panoramix, and musical history was made. Panoramix is a track with leanings towards the 'intelligent' side of electronica, and, whilst it has it's feet firmly based in the more classily euphoric upbeat, it's well within the realms of tuning in and tuning out. Bar the ubiquitous House/Techno kick-snare beat, this is a glorious 11 minutes featuring a meaty build-up and smart breakdown before the remainder kicks in with an avengeance of delicious noises and a smattering of Latin beats. This is exactly the type of track that makes me yearn deeply to dj in the downstairs of a dingy, cavernous bar/club to the point of an ache to which I have no resistance.

Read the full story of how Panoramix came to be here.

You can buy the downloadable MP3 of Panoramix or the EP Back To My Roots on Innervisions at Beatport.

You can also catch the full track Panoramix at Innervisions MySpace page or visit the Innervisions site here

www.laurentgarnier.com

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The 12 inch for La Roux's - Quicksand is available as a pre-release (Expected on 01/12/2008). 'quicksand' is pure 80's electro gold that has both dancefloor and radio crossover potential. the 12" comes backed with mixes from autokratz, beni and chateau marmont.

Tou can listen to Quicksand over on La Roux's Myspace page and vist their website at www.laroux.co.uk

You can pick up the 12 inch of Quicksand from Rough Trade.

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tags: electro, electronica, elly jackson, la roux, pop

In a spot of retro-to-go today, I would like to present to you my all-time favourite music video. Yes, it's Michel Gondry's creation for Daft Punk's Around the World single, released in 1997 from their album Homework. Not only is this a classic track, but it's an absolutely classic video and one which immediately mesmerised young me way back when on late night television (remember when they used to put decent stuff on for insomniacs?) I had such high hopes for Gondry until he made Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, but nevermind, that really is a whole other show...I can't really put my finger on why I love this vid so much, maybe it's the Connect 4-style background, or just the multi-costumed, kinetic fun, but I surely do love it more than any other and I hope you love it too.

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London-based Soul, Jazz and Blues-influenced Hip Hop producer, Tommy Tempa, has been quietly gaining recognition for his production of other artists work. However, whilst also making up one third of spooky Hip Hop/Blues outfit, Mancini and the Creepers, he's still managing to make time for his own personal musical output. And for this I am thankful.

Untitled Prt1 is a track from his upcoming EP, which will soon be released by 2600 Recordings. This Jazzy, music-box delight has something of dark French abstraction to it, though tainted with prettily Western-sounding chimes and guitars of Americana. It's a recipe for all-round deliciousness and I thoroughly recommend a listen. Enjoy! 

Catch Tommy Tempa's Untitled Prt1 on a computer near you via his myspace page.

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tags: hip hop, jazz, soul

I received a bit of warming news today to take the bite of the SAD syndrome I am currently experiencing.  Fat Freddy’s Drop, creators of one of my all time favourite albums (B.O.A.T.S), are releasing their 2nd album in the spring after a much anticipated and lengthy wait. Its been three years since their debut album B.O.A.T.S came ashore, but as with all artists worth their bass bin, FFD have taken their time to write and produce their new offering, entitled Big BW, which generally means no filler. If B.O.A.T.S is anything to go by, “filler” isn’t even in these guy’s vocabulary and judging by the new single “Pull the Catch”, taken from Big BW and due for release in the UK 1st Dec 2008, I’m sure we are in for the same audio magic that reeled me in to B.O.A.T.S. – a unique blend of Hi-Tek Soul, Jazz and Reggae like no other.

Another reason to wish for spring to come quickly!

Check out their new single “Pull the Catch”, courtesy of MUZU TV below:

www.fatfreddysdrop.com

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tags: dub, reggae

Rudy Ray Moore sadly passed away the other day at the age of 81, best known for his filthy rymeing banter and of course teh character Dolemite.

He guessed on legendary old school rapper Big Daddy Kane's (A contender for G.O.A.T.) album Taste of Chocolate LP way back in 1990 at the age 63. The track called Big Daddy vs. Dolemite see's the old master steal the show.

Check it out below, but keep in mind 'ol Rudy really did have a potty mouth.

www.dolemite.com

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tags: blaxploitation, hip hop

LP Cover Lover | The world's greatest LP album covers, and 45s too. Ahh the lost art of the LP cover, convenient as the digital medium is there was something special about the LP / 45 inch single. Part of that was the artwork, for many the artwork on the records they bought was once the most exposure they got to photographic artwork and illustration. Some good, some bad and some weird / kitsch enough to end up on lpcoverlover.com

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tags: art, lp, music, vinyl