"...I'd be filthy rich if not for integrity." - Ka The title and theme of this episode came into focus after the second of two tragic losses to the Hip-Hop family this month, both from the same borough - first the peerless wordsmith Ka, and then the legendary producer and DJ Clark Kent. Both Brooklyn natives were held in the highest esteem by all p…

"Traumatised, but full of pride..." - Bashy Thanks to the short length of some of the tracks, the total running time of this episode isn't as long as some others, but it's a high-potency forty-eight minutes! We start with one of the realest, toughest tracks I've heard in ages, low-tempo to make sure you catch every word, end on a new track by some …

"Posthumous ain't the wave..." - Mega Ran For this month's cover art, I couldn't resist calling back to one of the most unexpectedly popular stars of the Olympics I was glued to earlier in the month, and going a little Griselda with it 😁 Music-wise, we're almost entirely Hip-Hop this episode, but visiting a lot of different chambers - got some bran…

"I never did a dance for a dollar..." - Buckshot This month we don't shift into high gear in terms of tempo at any point, topping out at around 90, so those of you experiencing actual summer don't overheat! We've got some absolutely fire new releases in the mix alongside some versions that you might never have heard, plus some deep album cuts. We s…

"Come on and give me my props..." - Diamond Fifteen years! We started this ride in June 2009 and here we still are all these years later. Thank you so much for your support, and I hope you'll stay with me for as long as I'm able to keep putting these shows together. The point of this podcast has never been to prioritise new releases, or to only eve…

"Slashed all four tyres on the bandwagon..." - Pos The end of the fourteenth year of the show is here, with the numerically-satisfying number 180! It's been a good month for shows, with a highlight being seeing Edo G live for the first time, so I've included a couple of his tracks alongside some recent releases, a rarity or two, and some bonafide o…

"If you're wrong, you're wrong, and if you're right, you're right." - Malcolm X It's been a rough month in the Hip-Hop community, as we've said goodbye to Mister Cee, Rico Wade of Organized Noize, MC Duke, and Keith LeBlanc, all of whom are included in this episode's selection. Rest in peace to all, and thanks to them for all their contributions. D…

"...just to show how many come to the funeral." - Tee There's some very serious Hip-Hop in this month's selection - from the rugged to the smooth, and from some old and even unreleased material to brand new releases! Of course we pay tribute to Biggie, Phife, and Nate Dogg, with some music that may have passed you by previously. RIP Bo$$...I make a…

"Rockin' and rollin' like the myth of Sisyphus..." - Anthony Cruz More than any other month in the year, February is the one where we remember some of the greats that have passed on; as such, this mix includes tracks from J Dilla, De La Soul (RIP Dave), Big L, and Big Pun. The average ruggedness level is high, and we start off with a classic sample…

"I AM" - Chuck D Hope you've had a good start to 2024! While it's been a bit bumpy over here, the selection on the first episode of the year is strong from start to finish. If you know every single one of these tracks already...we should probably have a chat as you clearly have an ear for the good stuff! Mastodon : @airadam@mastodon.me.uk Twitch : …

"Speaking to the people that matter, with my mind." - Grap While a lot of December up this way has been surprisingly mild, but there was an absolutely vicious period - was lucky that the heating in the house only died after the worst had passed. Still, it's fixed now, so I didn't freeze to death putting this episode together! As we draw towards the…

"Ain't a damn thing changed boy, protect ya neck!" - RZA This month marks a full thirty years since the landmark date of November 9th 1993, when two of the greatest albums of all time - in any genre - were released. I've played many of the tracks from those LPs on the podcast over the years, but both do get a nod of respect in the selection here, a…

"...kick rocks or kick rhymes..." - Jean Grae The seasons are most definitely changing on this side, and the heavens have been pretty open the last couple of weeks while I've been putting the show together. Unfortunately during that time, we lost a couple of respected DJs and producers, DJ Mark the 45 King and Groove Damoast, both of whom are inclu…

"Do you wanna be dope, or do you wanna deal it?" - Common All Hip-Hop at a nice steady pace - but a varied platter of vibes - for this episode, as I celebrate my birth month! Great personal news : I'm very proud to be included in the new "Hidden Histories : Black in Manchester" resource by Parise Carmichael-Murphy - have a read! Twitter : @airadam1…

"Let me say it again, and say it with feeling..." - Jay Dee A big episode this month - both in importance and in number of tracks - as we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the 1973 Kool Herc party at 1520 Sedgwick Ave, Bronx, NY, that arguably sparked Hip-Hop! The format is slightly different from the usual, and the episode is centred around three …

"Tell Nipsey I'm still running laps." - Dave East We're past the halfway point of 2023 and summer in the UK is...variable. Instead of trying to go seasonal in the main, I've gone with a selection which is heavy on relatively-recent releases while excavating some absolute gems from the crates. There's almost no way anyone knows all of these tracks, …

"Paid my dues, now pay my fee." - Pete Rock Another year in the books! This is the fourteenth birthday episode of the podcast, and it's wild to look back at how different the landscape looked back in 2009 when I started it off. At least nowadays, I don't have to explain what a podcast is! I needed a selection worthy of the milestone, and I think yo…

"I was a seventies baby, raised in the eighties..." - Scarface An appropriate quote for this month's episode, in which we keep a constant speed all the way through - an unbroken chain in the low-80s BPM range! A little rugged, a little smooth, some old and some new, and hopefully something for each of you 🙂 Remember, you can always see a list of my…

"We on they mood board, though they livin' in denial." - Solace This month's selection came together slowly and then all at once! It's turned out to be a great combination of deep album cuts, some lesser-known bonus tracks and remixes, as well as some brand new nuggets you can and should add to your collection! Of course I had to give you some Guru…

"Godbodies behind bars, y'all see the barcode." - Pharoahe The month went from the ridiculous to the sublime, but as always, here we are right on time! This episode we pay homage to Phife and Biggie Smalls, and bring out some great recent releases alongside some older tracks that I think will have escaped the notice of many - after all, there's so …

"Too old to rhyme? Too bad, too late." - Dave This month marks a huge loss for the Hip-Hop community, and the music world more widely, as Dave, aka Trugoy The Dove of De La Soul, passed away. As part of the group, he was a perfect match with Pos on the mic, and was one of those low-key people that no-one ever had anything but good to say about. De …

"...baking soda, get it crackin' when you mix me with Kane." - Checkmark If you're like me, every time you write 23 this year you're thinking it! The first episode of 2023 is here, and we go mostly on the downtempo tip and mix up the genres in a big way, so there's almost sure to be something new for everyone in the mix! RIP to Laylaw and Gangsta B…

"...while she was waiting for her son to shine." - Mystro Ok - last month was a bit chilly but this one was ridiculous! As 2022 ends, we loosely have a winter/Xmas theme scattered through the selection, some brand new releases that deserve sharing, and many other gems including a Grand Daddy IU production after he passed away this month - RIP to hi…

"This might be God speaking, it's just my mouth is moving." - Ka The weather might be cooling, but there is some heat on this one. We pay respects to two Hip-Hop stalwarts who sadly and unexpectedly left us this month - Tame One of The Artifacts, and Hurricane G. We include music from both in the mix, along with some material from their contemporar…

"Great Britain is a myth right now..." - Strategy Two different occasions combine for this month's episode; it's Halloween, and (0)161 is the Manchester area code, and so we lean towards the dark, sinister, and eerie, as well as including a good chunk of Manchester music in the mix. In several cases, we manage to find both aspects in the same track…