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Eight years after their self-titled debut on Stones Throw, Quakers are back with Quakers II: The Next Wave. 50 minutes, 33 tracks, 31 rappers, 3 producers, one album. Quakers is an evolving collective consisting of music makers: Supa K (Katalyst), 7STU7 and Fuzzface (Geoff Barrow) as executive producer, along with an ever-expanding cast of MCs they invite along on the adventure.Since the 2012 release of Quakers’ debut LP, “Katalyst has evolved into Supa K, 7STU7 has taken up intergalactic smuggling, and Fuzzface only communicates telepathically, silently overseeing the Quakers operation from afar.” True to the group’s collaborative spirit, the three producers invite over thirty rappers from the Stones Throw stable and beyond to contribute to Quakers II: The Next Wave.The new wave of Quakers MCs includes The Koreatown Oddity, Guilty Simpson, Sampa the Great,  Jonwayne, Jeremiah Jae, Chester Watson, Boog Brown, and many more.  All adding their weight to the sonic arsenal.Much like Quakers’ self-titled debut, The Next Wave is loud, unapologetic and blunted. It’s also more explicitly political, with songs that speak directly to systemic corruption, racism, and the climate crisis. The artwork for The Next Wave, created by graphic novel artist Joe Currie, reflects this renewed focus on “interplanetary eco battles.”“The project has evolved organically, similar to last time,” explains Supa K, but “the world has changed and the music reflects that. We’ve all had enough of the global corruption and all those profiting from it.”Quakers leave us with this quote from the late, great Left Rev McD: “We have killed the very earth beneath our feet, yet we still kill each other and talk of the future.” The time for change is now.

Triple 6 are howling from the graveyards of San Franpsycho, Killafornia with unique horrorfunk beats and sick rap flows, that made "Hustlin‘ 4 My Paper" a Bay Area Classic. The Song "Walkin Assassin" with Bay Area legend Dre Dog instantly became an underground classic. Reissued in 2020 by Northcyde Vinyl on Red/Black marbled vinyl, limited to 300 copies.

Mandala is the fourth Mello Music Group compilation – previous compilations include Mental Liberation, Helpless Dreamer, and Self Sacrifice - featuring Oddisee, Apollo Brown, L'Orange, Quelle Chris, Murs, Milo, Georgia Anne Muldrow and more.The album showcases the ever-evolving roster of top-tier producers and rappers on MMG, many of whom (e.g. Oddisee & Quelle Chris) fill both roles with equal dexterity. Additionally, it features several artists nearby MMG, a testament to their commitment to working with those who possess singular sonic and lyrical abilities.Mandala is at once compact and comprehensive. There is not a minute wasted and not a miss in sight. It is diverse and yet somehow cohesive, tailor made to rock your car speakers and your brain stem. It is MMG's reminder that hip-hop is alive and well, and a reintroduction to a label that's tried never to forget what makes music compelling.With a multitude of producers behind the boards, the soundscapes on Mandala cover the map and the album is all the better for it. Oddisee helms the opener and tracks throughout with a musicality like few in Hip-Hop today. L'Orange brings subtle, jazzy suites to the table, and Quelle Chris provides dusty samples looped over hard-hitting drums as well as anyone else. Each beat is far richer and more inventive, able to play on its own and provide the perfect complement to the raps at hand.As far as the rhymes are concerned, the rappers on Mandala leave nothing to chance. The MCs on the comp are intelligent and self-aware, capable of the comic, tragic, and in-between at the sound of a snare. They have an old-school reverence for rhyme with a modern state of mind and modern problems. Come-up or comedown, shine or shadow, friend or foe – they are fearless in confronting all fears. Above all, Mandala is a sign of the great and innovative music in the history of MMG.