US

Record Store Day 2017 release.Limited to 1500 copies.Frank nitt and dankery harv - or just frank n dank - knew J. Dilla before you. But don't feel bad, they knew dilla before anyone knew dilla. When dilla was still in detroit, before he was known as J Dilla. Before he'd even stepped foot in LA. From their personal vault, frank n dank bring you these cuts from their years working with dilla, including complete instrumentals, presented in a 12" red vinyl pressing.

Record Store Day 2017 release. Recorded live in the studio by a band of touring musicians that played William Onyeabor's music over the previous few years. Artists on this album include Jamie Lidell, Alexis Taylor, Charles Lloyd, Money Mark, Pat Mahoney and Ahmed Gallab. Album sleeve opens up into a double sided 4-way poster (measuring approx. 24" x 24").

Modern Boogie Bangers! Computa Games drops its second vinyl release on New Orleans own Superjock Records. “Computer Rock (OG Mix)” is that feel good Funk with heavy bass, smooth synths and Vocoder vocals to top it off. The flipside, “Computer Rock (West Coast Mix)” gets a G-Funk treatment giving it that boom bap that you can rock to! Definitely a staple for the crates.

Limited edition 45 for Record Store Day, 2017.Cover by Jean Andre.Mayer Hawthorne and Jake One are Tuxedo. “Thank You” is a bonus track to their second album, Tuxedo II, which fnds them at the forefront of a new wave of gangster boogie - one that owes as much to G-funk as P-funk. This is the territory of pre- and post hydraulic low riders: a mélange of Cali boom-bap, analog synth bass and elegant disco that resonates truth and authenticity in an era where so many are faking the funk.

SJOB Movement's Friendship Train was the second LP by the group and one which saw the group rise to new heights. It's a masterpiece of African music with it's fluid afro beat grooves and spaced out Moog synthesizer sounds. Here is an excerpt from the liner notes written and researched by Uchenna Ikonne:"Prince Bola Agbana might hardly be the most immediately recognizable name in the constellation of Nigerian music stars, but for a significant portion of the last half-century he labored in the shadows, dutifully serving as one of the key movers in its development: An in-demand session musician. An early and respected exponent of funk. A catalyst in the retrofit of juju into a modern pop genre. Most of all, though, he is recognized as the founder, leader, drummer and principal vocalist of the SJOB Movement.SJOB: Sam, Johnnie, Ottah, Bola. For a moment in the mid-1970s, they were le dernier cri in modern Nigerian music, representing the next step in the evolution of afro rhythms, and a new paradigm for the band economy. Their first album, 1976’s A Move in the Right Direction, was a minor sensation and was swiftly followed by Friendship Train in 1977. Then it appeared that the movement stopped moving, and SJOB disappeared from the scene."

"The only time you wear a Tuxedo is when it's time to party." So says legendary West Coast player Snoop Dogg on the opening track of Tuxedo II. The blessing of the Doggfather is of special importance to Mayer Hawthorne and Jake One, whose second album as a duo finds them at the forefront of a new wave of gangster boogie - one that owes as much to G-funk as P-funk. This is the territory of pre- and post-hydraulic low riders: a mélange of Cali boom-bap, analog synth bass and elegant disco that resonates truth and authenticity in an era where so many are faking the funk. Bonding over a shared love of Chic, Parliament, and the other signs in the greater funk Zodiac, Mayer Hawthorne (Aquarius) and Jake One (Taurus) were early predictors of the sea changes that American music would undergo in 2016. Their first release in March of 2015 debuted at #1 on iTunes America's RnB charts, christened as “Dance Floor Catnip” by the Boston Globe, and “Pure disco-funk hot fire” by Okayplayer. Considering their individual successes (Mayer's four solo albums, Jake's production work for the likes of Drake, Future, The Weeknd, and De La Soul) and five GRAMMY nominations between the two of them, it's no surprise that their powers combined have yet again yielded a bevy of absolute slappers that are packaged perfectly for dance parties in 2017. The material here, while wholly original, is an exercise in honoring its forebears. Tuxedo’s II recalls the future funk wobble of Zapp, Gap, Jam/Lewis and Junie Morrison, while nodding lyrically to Mtume, Jodeci and Cameo. The crystallization of the album's concept comes courtesy of its message of universal love, thanks to the signature combination of soul and pop sensibility that have come to define Mayer's hooks. "You gotta do what you love..." says Mayer in a recent interview with Nordstrom's style blog, one of the many fashion outlets to cover Tuxedo's rise. After all - the transcendental ritual of the party and the rippling self affirmation of the funk are of one spirit: the spirit of self-love...of self expression. Tuxedo II is a modern testament to unity and positivity in trying times. It is a reminder that the dance floor will always be there to welcome you, whoever you are. Do you Fux with the Tux?

The late, great J Dilla is widely regarded as one of the greatest hiphop producers of all time. An innovator who pushed the genre in new sonic directions, the Detroit native born James Yancey crafted timeless soundscapes for the likes of Slum Village, Busta Rhymes, Common, Erykah Badu, A Tribe Called Quest, The Roots, and many more. Since his death in 2006, Dilla’s mother Maureen “Ma Dukes” Yancey has worked tirelessly to further her son’s legacy, and her latest effort is the new posthumous album Motor City. Inspired by Dilla’s beloved hometown, Motor City is a collection of rare and unreleased Jay Dee instrumentals, hand-selected and sequenced by Ma Dukes. Conceived as a “letter” to her son, Motor City is packaged in a limited-edition mailing envelope, complete with a handwritten message from Ma Dukes to J Dilla inside. Both CD and vinyl formats also include access to an exclusive mix of the album by Dilla’s close friend J Rocc, a world-renown DJ and founder of the Beat Junkies.