Following a hot streak of incredible LP’s and collaborative efforts throughout 2019 and early 2020, Eleventh Wind makes its mark as AKAI SOLO’s fourth solo album. It is a record for late-night introspection, as SOLO guides you through a path of bitter truths, sincerity, unsureness, and deeply rooted nostalgia.

With bars laid out over production from Argov, DJ Blackpower, $hay Buttah, Edan, Roper Williams, Wavy Bagels, Twenty Fifth Night, and bori, AKAI SOLO crafts a meditative album, reflecting on himself and the world around him. The production is often quiet yet dynamic, providing a distinctive fullness that compliments every line delivered.

The black variant of this record comes with an exclusive, unreleased EP from AKAI SOLO that was crafted specially for this record. All variants are single-sided 180g wax with a gorgeous etching of the album arts' flower on the b-side. The music has been remastered for vinyl for premium sound.

PRESSING INFORMATION:

Black (w/ flexi) /100
Opaque Pink /150
Smoothie /150

The world through the eyes of AKAI SOLO has always provided for a unique perspective. Ride Alone, Fly Together, often referred to simply as RAFT, is a one-sided conversation with AKAI on how he sees the multiple landscapes arranged by the world in which we live in, the world we experience every day as inhabitants, told through raps over hazy and dreamy production lent by common collaborators such as iblss, Roper Williams, and iiye, with more arrangements provided by Ahwlee, rbchmbrs, David Earle, and FlowClark. Fellow rappers Lungs and Pink Siifu also lay their voices on a couple of the tracks here, working with AKAI SOLO to craft an hour-long display of raw skill and talented pen.

Of course nobody can describe the music and perspectives of AKAI SOLO better than the man himself, who seemingly always has an esque-level summary up his sleeve, which you can read below.

"The progression of enduring struggle and pursuing a pure freedom has led us here. This one is the culmination of everything awkward in the world and people that I have observed. Death to naïveté. The ideal does not always align in reality. How does one reconcile that? It varies with every person I figure but the core concept present in my opinion is adaptability. Harnessing that fluidity is imperative to make it to the climax of this chaos. It will change you. If you weren't meant to you'd have withstood the initial conflict in the first place. Once an impression has been made, you've been breached. What's happening inside? The status of those wounds? Hmmm... yeah. Onwards towards sharpening to maximize utility in all realms by any means necessary. Hyper peace and love to everyone involved for enduring this storm. Y'all helped find this a centered conclusion in the end. I just transcribed. Only forward. Peace and power to Tase Grip for better or worse." - AKAI SOLO

This record is pressed on two 140g disks which are housed in a wide-spine jacket. The music has been remastered for vinyl by Geng PTP. Front and back artwork crafted by Rob Gibsun and Reem Unknown, respectively. Obi strip design by J. Park.

PRESSING INFORMATION:

Black (w/ obi) /100
Light blue / Hot pink /200

Originally released back in 2020, Demahjiae has teamed up with Novelty to bring And, Such is Life., his debut full-length record, to vinyl. ASIL is a deeply personal record that explores the nuances of growing up, dealing with mental health struggles and loss of friends and family. The music, though, is light-hearted and jovial, providing a nice contrast to this masterpiece of a coming-of-age story.

And, Such is Life. is entirely produced by Demahjiae, with co-production from Chris Keys and Mejiwahn, and his eccentric use of samples crafts an exciting and thick audio landscape that is ever-changing and throws the listener left and right through quick beat shifts and melodic interludes, constantly keeping you on your toes and anxiously awaiting the next move.

The black variant of this record comes with a limited flexi of unreleased material crafted by Demahjiae exclusively for this record. Both variants are pressed on 180g vinyl, with phenakistoscope center labels designed by J. Park. The music has been remastered for vinyl by Tyler Bisson of Audio Geography.

PRESSING INFORMATION:

FIRST PRESS -
Black (w/ flexi) /100
Transparent green /100

SECOND PRESS -
Forest green in milky clear /100

HAMMERABI is the latest effort from the most vicious duo in underground hip hop. This time, Estee Nack takes the boards as Mr. Rose, crafting some dusty but knocking beats for al.divino to rap on (as well as lending a couple verses himself). The product is a gritty and dark record with the classic abstract sound that Nack & Divino came to be known for, with help from close associates Fly Anakin, Starker, Jay Ness, and Sully Nomad.

The black variant of this record comes with a flexi featuring an exclusive al.divino and Estee Nack track, featuring Wst. Taylor. All records are pressed on 140g vinyl with three different artwork designs that fit accordingly to the variant. The music has been remastered for vinyl by Tyler Bisson of Audio Geography. Album artwork designed by dmt.taxicab. Obi strip design by J. Park.

PRESSING INFORMATION:

Black (w/ obi + flexi) /100
Milky clear w/ purple/magenta/yellow splatter /250
Eye for an Eye /250

A lot is to be said about the late, great Mac Miller and his unique artistry and grassroots approach to hip-hop, but considering the nature of the project, Jay Nice's words work best:

"A ode to Mac Miller paying homage to a criminally underrated mixtape of his that he dropped November 1st, 2013 called DELUSIONAL THOMAS. This mixtape was a highly creative concept of his showcasing his MC skills in a different light. Delusional Thomas was a alter ego based on the voices in his head that dealt with depression, anxiety, and overall negative thoughts. He explained the voice choice saying, 'to me it was a character and I wanted to give his whole own complete, like, everything. There was part of me that wanted to do my own voice, but I just wanted it to be its own complete character. And I feel like that evil voice inside your head is always kind of in that pitch.' My project 'UNKiND' is a homage to that brilliance. I hope you all enjoy this latest offering."

This record is a collaborative effort between rapper Jay Nice, and two of hip-hop's most promising producers, Sadhu Gold and DooF. Together, the two producers craft a glitchy, noisy, and chaotic canvas for Jay Nice's lyricism, which on this project is a
fantastic callback to the horrorcore inspirations for Mac's Delusional Thomas mixtape.

All variants of this record are pressed on 140g vinyl, housed in
24pt, reverse board jackets. The picture disk variant comes in either jacket design, randomized per purchase. All artwork was designed by Chop the Head and Lord NMF, with the exception of the center labels, designed by J. Park and Needles On Wax. This record was mixed and mastered by Phil A.

PRESSING INFORMATION:

Black /100
Picture disk /150
Slime green /200
Transparent red (artist exclusive) /150

There is not much to say about this record that hasn't been said already. AKAI SOLO and iblss crafted a beautiful, sonically pleasing record that was originally released in 2019, under the name MAD MOON. It is an hour of dense yet abstract production under equally dense rhymes, with carefully planned vocal and anime samples weaved throughout. Front to back, cover to cover, MAD SPACE is an intricate, raw, and methodically messy piece of work; a masterpiece in it's own right, boosted by the fitting aesthetic of the incredible cover art. All in all, MAD SPACE is a showcase by two masters of their craft, putting their foot down and showing, with pride and humility, what they're about at their deepest level.

We are happy to be reissuing it on a 2xLP with some nice upgrades to the original press. Both variants are pressed on 140-gram vinyl, housed in a 20pt gatefold with linen embossing for a textured feel. Front artwork by Omari Douglin. Back artwork by Nikhil Misra, with text design by Landofthalost. Inside art by Junkyard. Obi strip and center labels designed by J. Park. Mixed and mastered by Zeroh. Remastered for vinyl by Geng PTP.

PRESSING INFORMATION:

Black (w/ obi) /100
Paint Bucket /200

Originally released in 2018, Starker's third full-length LP continued to showcase his New York roots, with lowkey, laid-back rapping on smooth boom-bap beats. This record was originally pressed on vinyl independently, and is now being re-issued with new artwork, a beautiful remaster, and on colored wax.

All variants are pressed on 140g vinyl and housed in deluxe 24pt jackets, featuring new, updated artwork from the original press.  The music has been remastered for vinyl by Tyler Bisson of Audio Geography. Art design by MOTA and J. Park.

PRESSING INFORMATION:

Black (w/ obi) /100
Blue/green with yellow splatter /200

Through his music and visuals, Raz Fresco has a propensity for grabbing you by the hand and dragging you through a portal into his world that he has created as a sacred and fine-tuned home for himself. With the help of Baker’s Club ally ALS, who provides the beautiful and sample-heavy foundation of beats, Raz Fresco builds a world that is solely for him and his sidekicks, with us as the audience peeking into it. ALKMY is biographical but doesn’t exude too much detail, instead focusing more on the here and now for Raz. It’s an hour long update on where he’s at and how he got here, for now ‘til next time, while still remaining vivid and transparent, so that we as the audience know there is a sincere artist at work, staying busy and crafting greatness while we watch and admire from afar.

Both variants are pressed on 140-gram vinyl, housed in a 24pt gatefold jacket with art from Kaiser Sosa and J. Martinez. The center labels and obi strip were designed by J. Park. Entirely produced by ALS. Mixed and mastered by Raz Fresco, and remastered for wax by Tyler Bisson of Audio Geography Studios.

PRESSING INFORMATION:

Black (w/ obi) /100
Electric blue w/ black & blue splatter /200

Despite so much unique music coming out of this new age Renaissance of hip-hop, few artists come close to the likes of Fatboi Sharif. A champion of non-sequitur rapping, Sharif, who is largely inspired by horror films while actively rejecting the idea of his music being horrorcore, paints incredible imagery and short-stopped analogies and ideas that truly don’t need to be bothered with being more fleshed out. Assisting Sharif with an auditory canvas to throw his words at is an equally unique producer, fellow New Jersey native Roper Williams, who provides Sharif with a batch of beats that are equally glum, abstract, and interesting as all hell. Together, the pair are a tour de force. With Ghandi Loves Children they have cemented themselves as one of the most special and idiosyncratic rap acts to hit the scene in recent years.

This record is pressed on 140g vinyl which is housed in a heavyweight 24pt reverse board jacket. The music has been remastered for vinyl by Tyler Bisson of Audio Geography. Front and back artwork photographed by Derek Balarezo. Obi strip and center label design by J. Park.

PRESSING INFORMATION:

Black (w/ obi) /100
Candy floss /200

Originally released on 4/20/2021, AKAI SOLO & YL's unexpected collaborative tape LIGHTWORK EP is a short, sweet slice in both artists' ever-growing discography. The entire EP is produced by Roper Williams, who is not at all a stranger to either of these artists, having produced several tracks for AKAI SOLO as well as full projects for YL. The beats are warped and wobbly, and occasionally have outside touches from producer vets iblss and Saint James, crafting a consistently interesting and slightly psychedelic landscape for the two rappers to spit on. Tacking on a nice verse from Starker, the whole project is a show from masterclass artists that not every piece of art has to be taken serious -- sometimes it's cool to just hop in a booth and rap your ass off with your homies and still make something fun and exciting to listen to.

Both variants are pressed on 110-gram, 10" vinyl, housed in a 24pt jacket with a rigid, canvas-like texture. The artwork was done by eli14k. Center label layout by J. Park. Remastered for vinyl by Geng PTP.

PRESSING INFORMATION:

Black /100
Smoothie /200

The concept of divination runs true throughout the entirety of this LP. Divination, or "to be inspired by a god," is the attempt to gain insight into a question or situation by way of an occultic, standardized process or ritual. On his 2021 LP, Nebraskan rap vet Sleep Sinatra grabs this idea by the horns and tackles it head on. There's a somber tone to these tracks, as Sleep Sinatra questions what his purpose is on the planet and how he can make his time here everlasting. There's pent up frustration, bitterness, and hopelessness weaved throughout the entirety of the record, but also a sense of victory as Sleep Sinatra seems to accept that despite no matter how hard times are on a greater level, his impact on his close circle and in the art world is what matters the most in the end. Sleep Sinatra himself provides the production, under the name SINAI, adding further to the feelings and thoughts expressed throughout as he establishes the mood of the record right from the beginning (the instrumentals were made before any words were written, according to Sleep Sinatra in the provided liner notes). Overall, Divinenation is self-explorative and vulnerable, remaining true to it's core concept as Sleep Sinatra tries to answer the ultimate question of life through his own standardized ritual of doing what he does best: making music.

Both variants are pressed on 140-gram vinyl housed in 24pt jackets. The artwork has been reworked for vinyl by J. Park with direction from Sleep Sinatra. Obi strip, insert, and center labels designed by J. Park. Fully produced by SINAI. Guest verses are contributed by Rich Jones, Maze Overlay, Davis the Dorchester Bully, and Amir Bilal. Remastered for vinyl by Geng PTP.

PRESSING INFORMATION:

Black (w/ obi) /100
Milky clear w/ black splatter /150

Born out of a post-Def Jux world, in an age of a new renaissance in hip hop, is the appropriately coined Neo New York movement. There is no exact definition or guideline for what qualifies as Neo New York, but, there are artists and collectives who are paving the road for the sound that envelopes it. At the forefront of the movement is Tase Grip, a collective of bright shining stars looking to revolutionize hip hop’s most signature sound. Phiik, a member of Tase Grip, with the help of Duro, establishes himself within the collective in a pure, unrelenting exhibit of skill here on Chainlink. Armed with Duro’s off-kilter boom bap beats, Phiik fires off bar after bar about life in New York, punking out wack rappers, and metaphorical views on rap, the state of the world, and simply how he’s just a rapper’s rapper. With the help of fellow Grip artists AKAI SOLO and Lungs, as well as Obijuan, Phiik shows that his rebirth as an artist was not for nothing, and that he’s got a lot to prove with the skill to do it.

Both variants are pressed on 140-gram vinyl, housed in a 24pt jacket. Front art designed by Olasegun, with the back art and center labels designed by J. Park. Mixed and mastered by Timeless Tracks. Finessed for vinyl by Geng PTP.

PRESSING INFORMATION:

Black /100
Blue swirl /100

Papo is a bit of a newcomer to the scene, but already is a force to be reckoned with. On his latest LP, PAP on P.E.D's, Papo is yet again armed with a slew of baller, hard hitting beats by the incredible Subjxct 5, whom Papo has collaborated with on nearly every project he's released recently. With the help of some features from YL, Monday Night, and Reed, Papo brings the classic New York mixtape sound, with his signature references to sports, food, and of course an immense amount of braggadocio that's amplified by the recurring Jay Z sample, "Y'all ain't ready to work out with the boy, you flow is brain on drugs, mines is rap on steroids." While he's always leveling up with each release, Papo kicks this one up a few notches, staying true to the name of the record and maintaining the quality raps and production that's come to be expected.

Both variants are pressed on 140-gram vinyl, housed in a 24pt reverse board jacket. The record is entirely produced by Subjxct 5 with additional production by DVNT. The front and back artwork was designed by Croco Polo. The obi strip and center labels were designed by J. Park. The music has been finessed by Geng PTP.

PRESSING INFORMATION:

Black (w/ obi) /100
Green w/ red splatter /150

After releasing several magnificent pieces of work, most of which explored the different sounds New York hip-hop has come to be known for, YL took a break to begin work on his newest masterpiece, which skillfully combines all of the research and experimentation he had done leading up to the record. Working with a wide variety of RRR trusted producers, such as Jonboyice, Eyedress, JUNIE, Roper Williams, Zoomo, and Yungmorpheus, YL places his versatility on full display, making sure every fan of New York hip-hop, no matter the sub-genre, gets what they want. There are only two features on the record, Starker and Ankhlejohn, and they're used to their fullest potential, providing a clean break from YL's smooth, intoxicating flow, which doesn't wear out it's welcome throughout the record, but is instead enhanced by the features and the stellar production. Don't Feed the Pigeons is without a doubt YL's strongest work to date, proving his place in the game when truly, at this point, he does not have to.

Both variants are pressed on 140-gram vinyl, housed in 24pt reverse board jackets. There are three bonus tracks on the vinyl that won't be available on streaming. The artwork was photographed by Derek Balarezo. Art direction by Alex Smith. Recorded in Apt. 56. Mixed and mastered by YL. Remastered for vinyl by Tyler Bisson of Audio Geography.

PRESSING INFORMATION:

Black (w/ obi) /100
Red/orange /150