DJ Harrison
Rule The World

Our favorite villainous watch-slinger is back with the the 3rd instalment of his "On High Alert" collaboration series released with Tuff Kong Records. This third volume spans six songs just under 20 minutes, enlisting past collaborators like Boldy James, Pink Siifu, Flee Lord and Meyhem Lauren as well as the likes of Kool Kieth, Kool G Rap, CRIMEAPPLE, Mooch and Rigz contributing to the series for the first time. The project is short but undeniably sweet with instrumentals that flawlessly meld old school boom-bap sensibilities with hypnotic and semi-psychedelic touches. When paired with the other two installments, Real Bad Man creates an insular sonic world that taps into hip-hop history and experimentation. All three are well worth the hour total of listening time.

With her 1992 debut What’s The 411?, Blige folded the nascent sounds of hip-hop into her music and its aesthetic into her style. HERstory Vol.1 reflects on that era and on Blige’s emergence as the queen of hip-hop soul. The collection, spanning singles, collaborations, and remixes, maps her early trajectory from “Real Love” all the way to 1997’s “Love Is All We Need.” Even alongside some of the most acclaimed rappers of all time—Jay-Z, Method Man, Nas, and Biggie—Blige pierces through.