Coke La RockThis collection of music focuses on the independent voice in hip-hop, where the tension of selling records to mass markets tends to be less pronounced. This doesn’t exclusively mean unsigned and you’ll note some music from career musicians. But even with long term artists the songs we selected felt less encumbered. Because of my heavy hand you’ll also have to deal with an east coast bias but yo that ain’t necessarily a bad thing all the time, is it? Also noticeably absent are female MC’s. We were hoping for more new solo music from Sindian in 2017 but it didn’t happen.

Thanks to DMC champion DJ Sheep you can listen to the professionally mixed version featuring 40 or so of the 55 tracks listed below, recorded live in one take on 2 turntables and a mixer at the Bulletproof Crates lab in Brisbane, Australia on New Years Day 2018. You can also stream the warm @cv_ tape version and it might help you remember what it was like dubbing tapes for your close friends in ’88. We also have playlists on soundcloud and youtube you can hit shuffle on (yea we know, but Spotify doesn’t have most of the music).

Goes without saying but special thanks to the artists, we appreciate what you do. The Hip-Hop community suffered great loss in 2017 and not enough can be said about the lost talent. At the same time, enthusiasm from young heads and old heads alike keeps it going. Lest we forget, many founding artists, like Coke La Rock pictured above, continue to walk among us. So again, big up to all the artists but also the rest of the community of listeners, show promoters, podcasters, writers….

Special shout to Dj Sheep for lending his hand, literally. Peace to Ming for capturing stunning images of the legends throughout the year. And of course @CV_ for his dedication and influence. Participation is critical. Thank goodness for contemporary rap.

Agallah – Wolves Of Now Why ft. Milano Constantine, Lord Tariq
Airospace – Dusk
Ancient Astronauts & Azeem – Poetic Occupation ft. Divine Styler*
Ancient Future (Aceyalone, Orko Eloheim, Self Jupiter, P.E.A.C.E) – Telepathy*
BEAK> – Sex Music
Billy Woods – Groundhogs Day
Black Thought – Funk Flex Freestyle
Bully Preston (Jumbled, Dwell) – I Want Money**
Everything Is Recorded – Close But Not Quite ft. Sampha
Gensu Dean & Wise Intelligent – DAMN
Grand Analog – Mutations ft. Posdnuos
Greyhat – Tell All Ur Friends ft. J’Von
G.S. Advance – CounterClockwise
Hus Kingpin – Mind Sex God**
Infinito 2017 – Interrupted Moments In Living* **
Jalal Salaam – New Consoles
Jay-Z – The Story Of O.J.*
Jihad The Roughneck MC – H.O.M.D. **
Justo The MC – Regular**
Keith Murray – No Exceptions (Prod by Erick Sermon)
Kila M Da Pro Buckets ft. Cauzndefx **
Kool G Rap – Capitol Hill ft. Manolo Rose, Sheek Louch, Cormega
Kool Keith & Bushwick Bill – Mantronix
Labtekwon – Womb World**
LiL Eto x Jai Black – Blessings
Lisaan’Dro – You Already Know**
Lukey Cage – Stan Lee & Joan B**
Mary J Blije – Love Yourself ft. Kanye West
N3LL – While I’m Up
N8NOFACE – Kings and Queens
Nine – Fiyah
NYOIL – Me and The Mic (Prod by Johnny Juice)**
O.C. – Good Man
Pedestrian – Oakland Hosanna**
Peedi Crakk – Good Life (Prod by 4th Disciple)
Prodigy – No Religion
Quelle Chris – BS Vibes ft. House Shoes
Rock – Just Rap*
Sam Dew – Remember*
Sean Price – The 3 Lyrical Ps ft. Prodigy, Styles P (Prod. Harry Fraud)
Shirt – Pressuring Her Is Corny (Nigga You Corny)**
s.habIB – raezah bumps
Showbiz & A.G. – Live with Show & AG ft. Roc Marciano, John Robinson
SmooVth – Rotten Apple ft. Crime Apple, Eto
Snoop Dogg – Mount Kushmore ft. Redman, B-Real, Method Man
Sticky Fingaz – Ebenezer Scrooge ft. N.O.R.E.
Tha God Fahim – 9 Ether
Therman Munsin – Exquisite
Tom Caruana – Continuation ft. J-Live
Tree – Fall In Love Everyday
WESTSIDEDOOM (Westside Gunn, MF Doom) – 2 Stings
Wu-Tang Clan – People Say ft. Redman
Y2The3rd – Memory Graveyard (Prod by Shozae)
Your Old Droog – G.K.A.C.
Your Old Droog – You The Type

*not currently available on soundcloud
**not currently available on youtube