ShrapKnel is the pairing of PremRock and Curly Castro, long time friends and collaborators who finally teamed up as a duo to release their first album just this past March. Not quite ready to move on to other things, they now come back with a sort-of remix EP, Flechette. The EP opens with a new song, “Motaw,” produced by ELUCID, which immediately sets the tone with ELUCID’s dark, dense beat and Castro’s low gravely voice booming over the top as he comes in with the first verse.

Mourning [A] BLKstar is group from Clevend founded about five years ago by poet/activist Ra Washington. After releasing their first album, The Possible, the group expanded the lineup. The group began touring the Midwest and East Coast as they released their next album, which then led them to Don Giovanni Records, who signed them and released their 2019 album, The Reckoning. Now, seeking to capture some of their live energy while also expanding their sound, the group releases their most ambitious album to date, The Cycle.

Winston-Salem artist Emceein’ Eye is probably better known as one-half of the brother duo Speak N Eye, who have been part of the Cold Rhymes family and recorded with Height Keech before. He occasionally steps out on his own, such as in 2016 when he released the EP Eye Am That I Ain’t. Now he’s back with his most personal solo effort to date, Never Comply. With production handled by Height Keech and Brett Fullerton of Off the Meat Rack, you get plenty of the banging garage rock/hip hop beats that we’ve come to expect out of a Cold Rhymes album.

Key Elements is a group from Berlin originally formed by deejay and producer Marian Tone, who initially started the project as a solo endeavor that would combine hip hop, soul, and jazz. As he traveled down the path of making music for this project, he was introduced to a drummer by the name of Waldi who came in and added some live drumming to what Tone had recorded. It went over so well, the two started to write and record more together, and eventually rounded out the group when they folded in keyboardist and bassist Jim Dunloop.

Rob Cave is a Brooklyn emcee/producer who has been releasing music for the past ten years, both as a solo artist and as part of the supergroup Lessondary. His most recent solo release came just this past November, when he released the EP On Everything I Love. Now he’s come back with new project under quarantine, Books of the Living, Vol. 1. We’re all finding ways to cope during this pandemic, and one of the ways that Rob Cave sought to make sense of our moment was to go back and reread Octavia Butler’s Parable of the Sower.

At the beginning of April, a new group with some familiar faces arrived when Big $ilky released their first EP, Big $ilky Vol. 1. Big $ilky is a duo consiting of Psalm One and Angel Davanport, both formerly of the group Rapperchicks. They recently took the time to talk with us about officially closing the chapter on Rapperchicks and starting a new phase in their careers, the history of the group, and how they prepared for quarantine and are learning how to navigate their careers as we shelter in place.

Ka is an emcee from Brooklyn that has been somewhat quietly building a formidable catalogue over the last fifteen years. His last solo effort came four years ago when he dropped Honor Killed the Samurai, but he also had a collaborative project with Animoss as Hermit and the Recluse two years ago, Orpheus vs. The Sirens. Now he’s back with another ambitious solo project, Descendants of Cain. Ka has a reputation as your favorite emcee’s favorite emcee, and one listen to Descendant of Cain and you’ll see why.

Ever since releasing his debut EP, colors, back in 2015, Bay Area artist mr. hong has been quietly establishing himself as a top level instrumental hip hop artist. He has done this not by reinventing the wheel, but just by studying the craft of composition, writing beautiful and passionate songs, and bringing in live musicians who can give his music melodic flourishes that take the music over the top. 2019 was an especially great year for him, which saw the release of his first full-length album, midnight, along with another EP, vacation.

BoomBaptist has been a mainstay in the Austin hip hop scene for over a decade, putting on shows with groups like Applied Pressure, producing for groups like Keeper, and most recently working with Yadira Brown of Keeper as a duo under the name The Vapor Caves. Most recently, he dropped his first solo project in nine years, Boom Shakalaka, an NBA Jam-themed instrumental album. He recently took the time to talk to us about the journey to making this album, the idea behind it, creating an promoting during quarantine, and so much more.

Nappy Nina is an emcee originally from Oakland but now residing in Brooklyn. She’s only been putting out music for about five years, but in that time she’s caught some ears and worked with people like Quelle Chris, Anna Wise, Nick Hakim, Pink Siifu, Stas THEE Boss, and Denmark Vessey, just to name a few. Her last full-length, Dumb Doubt, came just last December. Now she returns with an EP, 30 Bag.