I know I make free and easy with the hyperbole more often than perhaps I should but this is a no-brainer. "Darker Than Black" isn't simply the best (by several country miles) hip-hop album released so far this year, it's the best album of any genre released this year. Twelve ferocious intellects strike white hot sparks off one another for a full 80 minutes, backed up by the icepick-sharp production skills of some of the UK's most original beat scientists. "Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)" and "Fear of a Black Planet" move over. There's a new masterpiece in the pantheon. Nic Brown
Outstanding Album that I heard the very year it came out and I just keep coming back to it again and again. Cyrus Malachi and Ray Vendetta are truly a creative powerhouse. The best of UK no doubt. LazLord
You've heard R&B, now get ready for L&B (Lo-fi & Bars); jazz-infused beats and assured rap from one of London's best. Bandcamp New & Notable Apr 6, 2025