While You Were Sleeping: Top 10 Underground Hip-Hop Albums Of May 2013 (Part 2)

May has come to a close leaving us with the prospect of a hot summer looming over the horizon. Suddenly, we’re now halfway through showcasing the top underground Hip-Hop releases of 2013 and UOENO it.

Quality Hip-Hop is now dropping with more and more frequency  to coincide with the weather outdoors, so we have new jawns to look forward to.

One of the only drawbacks to independent Hip-Hop artists having multiple digital music venues at their disposal and so many indie labels releasing quality music weekly is it becomes difficult for the average Hip-Hop head to keep up. Worry not, valued readers; this is where our Hip-Hop Wired feature “While You Were Sleeping” comes in handy as we inform you of all the quality indie and underground Rap projects that tend to fly under the radar without a huge hype machine promoting them.

Feel free to go back and review my previous picks for the first five months of Hip-Hop releases in 2013. We are now almost halfway through 2013. Time sure flies, doesn’t it?  It never stands still.

The final two weeks of May featured 10 more quality projects; among them are new releases from the likes of producers Apollo Brown (his new group Ugly Heroes), Georgia Anne Muldrow (with her husband Dudley Perkins), Dexter, Cook Classics, Tall Black Guy, P-Money, Kyo Itachi (with John Robinson), Dumhi (with underground veteran MC Reef The Lost Cauze) and several more.

Here’s what you all may have missed, while you were sleeping…

Locksmith – The Green Box (Internet/DJBooth.net) 5.7.2013

You might remember Locksmith from his time on the Rap battle circuit or you might be familiar with his more recent work with Ski Beatz (2011’s collaborative project Embedded). Now Locksmith has gathered a team of producers including 9th Wonder, Eric G., Ka$h, Brandun Desay, Mike TopNotch and more in order to create his latest opus The Green Box. Between Locksmith’s superb wordplay and this all star stable of producers it’s hard to believe it’s downloadable for free. You can find Locksmith’s new project The Green Box available for download and streaming from DJBooth.net , 2 Dope Boyz, The Smoking Section & Locksmith’s own website.

Cook Classics – Cook Classics vs. Now-Again: Now-Again Music Library Vol. 5 (Now-Again/Stones Throw) 5.7.2013

Producer Cook Classics (The New Classics, Recharged & Towards The Future) teamed up with Stones Throw imprint Now-Again to construct beats from their their impressive vaults. If you love music and the art of music production in general then you need to possess this album. Cook Classics vs. Now-Again can be purchased through the following channels: Amazon, UGHH, Dusty Groove or exclusively via Now-Again’s Deluxe Subscription Service. I go back to 2007 with Cook’s production (As half of the duo Nieve & Cook) and it’s evident he gets better and better with the passage of time. Cop this as soon as possible.

Haj of Dumhi x Reef The Lost Cauze – Sirens On Snyder St. EP (Bandcamp) 5.14.2013

Two of Philly’s most wanted (no Pharrell Williams) are Haj of Dumhi and Reef The Lost Cauze. They’d worked on music on and off for years before finally deciding to release a collaborative EP together. After enlisting a lineup of special guests that comprised of Random, Burke the Jurke, Ethel Cee, & Side Effect the end result was the excellent EP Sirens On Snyder St. which transports it’s listeners to the streets of South Philly. You can stream and download Sirens On Snyder St. EP directly from the Dumhi Bandcamp.

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Photo: SomeOthaShip Connect

7 G.E.M.S. (Tragedy Khadafi x Tragic Allies) – Golden Era Music Sciences (Ill Adrenaline) 5.14.2013

Massachusetts based (Lynn, MA) but internationally respected group Tragic Allies teamed up with Queensbridge’s legendary MC Tragedy Khadafi  to form the crew 7 G.E.M.S. The entire project is produced by Purpose who recently opened eyes with his emceeing on last year’s The Purpose Of Confidence. This time around he gets to shine for his boardwork as his entire crew trades bars with lyrical monsters such as Roc Marciano, Killah Priest, Shabaam Sahdeeq & Relentless. If you’re a connoisseur of quality beats and bars then you need this album in your collection. Golden Era Music Sciences can be acquired from iTunes, Amazon, UGHH & Sandbox Automatic.

Dexter –The Trip (Melting Pot Music) 5.17/5.21.2013

German DJ/producer Dexter (Hi-Hat Club Vol. 3: The Jazz Files) is part of one of the most talented rosters of international producers over at Melting Pot Music. If you weren’t paying attention after he won the Beat Fight beat battle in Duisburg, Germany back in 2011 or haven’t heard his contributions to the compilations Beat Fight #2 or Beat Power then here’s your opportunity to catch up to the rest of the world. Dexter uses 60’s era psychedelic & progressive rock as sample sources to take the listener on an intense audio odyssey you can’t afford to miss. Dexter’s latest opus The Trip can be purchased via iTunes, Amazon, UGHH, Juno, streamed and downloaded from Dexter’s Bandcamp or ordered direct from Melting Pot Music.

John Robinson x Kyo Itachi – The Path Of Mastery (Shinigamie/Modulor) 5.21.2013

Kyo Itachi (Musikyo, Mugen Swords, Born Again & Harbodie Hip Hop) is one of the most prolific international producers of recent memory. He’s originally from Japan but lives in Paris and he’s made a few collaborative albums with a diverse lineup of MC including LMNO & Ruste Juxx. His latest team up is with underground Rap veteran Scienz Of Life’s John Robinson (AKA Lil’ Sci). Between John Robinson’s ability to ride the beat and create concise projects and Kyo Itachi’s ace production this is another LP heads will appreciate. You can cop the John Robinson and Kyo Itachi collaboration The Path Of Mastery from iTunes or Amazon.

G & D (Georgia Anne Muldrow x Dudley Perkins) – The Lighthouse (SomeOthaShip Connect) 5.21.2013

Georgia Anne Muldrow (Ms. One & The Gang, Early, King’s Ballad, Umsindo & VWETO) is at it again, this time with her husband Dudley Perkins. This serves as a sort of sequel to their previous project SomeOthaShip. Georgia & Dudley share vocal and emceeing duties over her infectiously funky production. If you’re a fan of Georgia Anne Muldrow and Declaime already then you know what you expect. If not, you should first acquaint yourself with Georgia’s extensive back catalog via the provided links. If you’ve decided to want to take that next step then you can reach The Lighthouse by the following paths: iTunes, Amazon, UGHH or stream & purchase it from the SomeOthaShip Connect Bandcamp.

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Tall Black Guy – 8 Miles To Moenart (First Word Records) 5.21.2013

Detroit‘s own Tall Black Guy (Darling Lure) is on an excellent run going back to his days appearing in the Red Bull Big Tune beat battles and getting worldwide exposure through being featured on one of Gilles Peterson’s Brownswood Bubblers compilations. After a stretch of outstanding production work, placements & excellent singles all the hard work has paid off in the guise of Tall Black Guy’s debut project on First Word Records. This soulful ode to his hometown of Detroit can be appreciated by everyone from casual music fans to hardcore beat culture fanatics. 8 Miles To Moenart is available via iTunes, Amazon, Beatport, UGHH or stream and download it from First Word Records’ Bandcamp.

P-Money – Gratitude (Duck Down Records) 5.21.2013

P-Money hails from Auckland, NZ, he’s an R&B/Soul and a Hip-Hop producer who is best known for his production work on New Zealand vocalist Aaradhna’s widely acclaimed 2012 LP Treble & Reverb. P-Money relocated to New York and he’s now a part of the Duck Down Music family. His first order of business was to deliver a veritable bangathon of a producer’s album featuring heavy hitters such as M.O.P., Buckshot, Talib Kweli, Havoc, Roc Marciano, Skyzoo, Pac Div, Fashawn & Jamall Bufford. As a testament to his versatility he crafted equally great Soul/R&B tracks for the previously mentioned Aaradhna, Nicole Wray, Blaison Maven & @Peace. Gratitude can be copped on iTunes, Amazon, UGHH & Sandbox Automatic. I fear this might end up one of the most slept on but incredible projects of 2013. Let’s hope I’m proven wrong.

Ugly Heroes (Apollo Brown x Verbal Kent x Red Pill) – Ugly Heroes (Mello Music Group) 5.21/5.28.2013

Detroit’s Apollo Brown (Skilled Trade, Make Do, The Reset & Clouds) is turning into the Scottie Pippen of Mello Music Group’s roster alongside Oddisee’s Michael Jordan. Apollo Brown makes yet another masterpiece as he provides the sonic backdrop for working class/blue collar MCs Verbal Kent and Red Pill to spit bars about everyday struggles and real talk. If you loved Apollo Brown’s work on his previous classics like Brown Study (with Boog Brown), Gas Mask (as part of The Left), Daily Bread (with Hassaan Mackey), Trophies (with O.C.) or Dice Game (with Guilty Simpson) then you already know this new album is a must have and an early contender for Album Of The Year. Ugly Heroes can be purchased from iTunes, Amazon, Fat Beats, UGHH or streamed and downloaded direct from Mello Music Group’s Bandcamp. You all owe it to yourselves to own this jawn.