It's Like That by Defisis & Blade drops May '04 on SFDB Records.

This is the SFDB debut from Londoners Defisis and Blade with production from resident composer Secondson and Goldie Lookin Chain ally P Xain plus welcome stylus combat c/o Uppacut.

It's Like That gets messy from the jump-off as Blade rips a telephonic endorsement for his bredren before Defisis leaps from the abyss to re-stake the stage after an enforced interval caused by his near fatal driving accident: "I'm Defisis, walking with Abraham and Genesis, me and Blade working out tracks with text messages." GLC's P Xain coins a first-rate slab of rich orchestration and rugged thud rumble for a candid exposé of counterfeit emcees on Zaggin's Need A Holiday [backwards dun] whilst Second Chapter extends the dynasty as label newcomer Humurak D Gritty showcases his nonchalant microphone flair alongside the leading man.

Admirable production values, dogged determination and manifest skills are fast establishing this Welsh stable as one-to-watch. If you haven't noticed 'em before, Defisis will twist your arm. Fine grade homegrown for your stash.

Glue by Mr Complex is available now on 72 Records.

This first offering from the newly formed 72 Records imprint drafts in Brooklyn cohort Mr Complex to indulge in a little slap and tickle alongside the formidable Biz Markie and fellow indie giant El Fudge.

Lifted from Fat City's 'Hip Hop Love Soul' compilation, lead track Glue has already dug its way into many a DJs' crate, admittedly in no small part thanks to Biz's hilarious crooning. Backed by Huw72's finely crafted Jazz tinged production, lyrical counterpart Mr Complex cheekily swindles his way out of notoriously dodgy love territory: "Watch the eclipse and go blind together so you could remain the beauty in my mind forever and ever." Back side lick, fittingly titled Scrape Your Back Out, gives Plex and his man El Fudge a chance to get filthy against Beyond There's intoxicating blend of boom bap and luscious keys that won't fail to put a smile on yer face.

A tasty introductory treat from the 72 Records camp that'll restore your faith in hip-hop satire. Dig in and enjoy!

Melodic Stroll/Wilderness Kids by TM Juke drops 15 March '04 on Tru Thoughts.

Brighton's TM Juke aka Al Stylus returns with a selection of hip-hop inspired cuts taken from his strikingly original and hugely atmospheric debut long-player 'Maps From The Wilderness'.

Lead track Melodic Stroll sees Juke hook up with Canadian spoken word emcees Bread & Water for a lush transatlantic jazz/funk workout heading straight for the dancefloor. Yet, it's the supa dope reworking of flip jam Wilderness Kids c/o Zebra Traffic's Simpson that's set to grab the hip-hop crew. An intoxicating upbeat blend of Scruff-esque rhythms, wistful keys and sharp vinyl cuts rip the box as homegrown emcee Rup goes organic: "Keeping it country like line dancing, the wilderness kids keep it overgrown like my garden," lovely. Also worth checking is the superbly crafted original instrumental boasting cinematic keys, seaside sonics and a copious b-line that'll have you drifting in no time.

Another DJ essential from the avant-garde Tru Thoughts vaults.

Deliverance by Bubba Sparxxx drops 8th March 2004 on Beat Club/Interscope.

Timbaland cooks up a folksy guitar driven backdrop of melancholic churchyard claps and emotive strings to serve a prime slice of radio friendly rap with massive crossover potential as Georgia's dirtiest son discharges the opening shot from his widely acclaimed long-player.

Whilst Deliverance is by no means the heaviest track on what's an intensely personal and reformist album, Bubba's deft storytelling and captivating fidelity remains at the forefront of this latest chapter: "Do you recall the time people loved you unconditionally? Toasting the New South. This one is for history!" The emcee's biting expose of the harsh realities faced by an artist propelled almost instantly from the wilderness into the throwaway league of corporate agendas may slip criminally unregistered through the airwaves of a generation raised on manufactured idols but poignant po boy soul makes Sparxxx both a sureshot wager and a backwater luminary.

Nelly may have the milk guzzling juveniles locked but Bubba's Moonshine drenched everyman tales show and prove he ain't got the monopoly on country grammar.

I See Colours is due for release on 15th March 2004 via Lewis Recordings.

Boston's magnificent mic manipulator continues to destabilise the foundations with a craftily executed slab of psychedelic hip-hop that may well hail the official and welcome return of daisies, LSD and rainbows to the scene.

One step ahead, yet keen to give it up for those that came before him (in this case loop maestro Prince Paul amongst others), Edan reworks the angles of a childhood ditty to triumphantly trippy effect. As always, the outlandish bard comes correct on the lyrical front. As he puts it: "They can't f**k with this, I'm just too vivid like rainbows falling out of the sky to turn liquid." Second cut, Science Of The Two sees Mr Portnay embarking on an arcade dipped lo-fi "mini adventure" with fellow emcee Insight. The lyrical duo shine throughout even when things get a little hairy and distorted behind the boards.

A strange but beautiful offering from the humble mastermind. For best effect, listen to it after lights out whilst under the influence.

Bling Free Vol 3 by DJ Graffiti is available now on Bling Free Records.

Aaah, pure 'headutainment'. From Graffiti's self-penned raps that bless the intro, through all the backpack bangers, to the bonus radio mix that brings the set to a close, it's all honest to goodness hip-hop music. This mix is definitely one to be up on if you like your rappers to be clever, thoughtful and stylish, and your beats to be crisp and organic.

Bling Free Volume 3 serves as a slow burning representation of the type of hip-hop that should be clogging up the airwaves right now. Standout tracks like J-Live's Bosoms (remix) and Brother Ali's ska bouncer Champion (remix) should be given the kind of exposure flaunted by the likes of Fiddly and Blah Rule. Although not internationally known, but a big wheel down at the Michigan hip-hop factory, Graffiti is a character you need in your life (note to self: must find volumes 1 and 2). The whole package is quality, with high production values. Cuts: check, shout outs from featured rappers: check, and exclusive material: check. It all comes together to feel like you've stumbled across a really cool radio show while absent-mindedly turning the dial one night. Remember where you heard it 'cos this is one DJ worth coming back to if you like your hip-hop to be Bling Free.

Fact of the day: When he's not putting out tight mixes Graffiti can be found in his native Michigan plying his trade as a jazz percussionist, journalist and lawyer... and yes girls, he is single.

Verbals: DJ Money$hot

You Don't Know the Half drops 5th April '04 on Halftooth Records.

Halftooth step out with this introductory offering flaunting an impressive artist roster including freshly signed Brooklyn sensation Wordsworth alongside like-minded indie hitters such as Talib Kweli, J Live and Phonte & Big Pooh of Little Brother.

In a saturated market place, collective projects are notoriously tricky to navigate, all too often precluding individual artists' ability to shine through. Whilst Haftooth have avoided some of the pitfalls by bringing together a bunch of hugely talented lyricists that clearly share a common vision, the album does at times dwindle into run-of-the-mill territory. That said, the compilation delivers a liberal arsenal of stand-out cuts. Most notably, Wordsworth's solo heater Here We Go Again that sees the Lyrical Lounge champion vividly expose life on the frontline backed by whiplash inducing retro beats and a cranked-up bottom end: "The crooks stay on the av, the neighbours just watch, stay robbing the cabs, that's why they don't stop, people stealing the half that they don't got, just when you thought it was safe, here we go again." The anthemic, soul-ladden If also excels with its infectious mournful hook and radio-friendly beats providing the backbone for emcees Kenn Starr, Asheru and Talib Kweli to postulate on life's potentiality whilst title posse cut You Don't Know The Half sees the Halftooth family taking turns to shoot bravado fuelled verbals against a raw, funk-heavy backdrop: "My flow wet like the Juice Crew, half pint cats wanna flex with the vet that flows like they used to," rips Kenn Starr. Other joints to check include Oddisee and Kenn Starr's This is Hip Hop and the J-Live banger Who Do You Call.

Whilst You Don't Know The Half may have been better served in a promotional mixtape format than as a fully-fledged album release, it nevertheless announces the fledgling stable as an indie force to be reckoned with and will no doubt get heads sweating for eagerly awaited solo outings by Wordsworth, Oddisee and Kenn Starr later this year.

The Grey Album by DJ Danger Mouse.

Many heads may be aware of the legal uproar and the online community's subversive direct action response to Danger Mouse's now notorious Beatles and Jay-Z remix project. Here's the story so far. The sampling 'experiment' came about when beat mogul Danger Mouse, the board conjurer behind last year's 'Ghetto Pop Life' classic with Brooklyn wordsworth Jemini, picked up a legitimate accapella copy of Jay-Z's Roc-A-Fella released 'Black' LP and set about his mission in a humble attempt to honour two of his most revered artists. The unprecented mainstream and indie media coverage began when the heat erupted almost immediately after a promo circulation of around 3,000 copies to friends and industry peeps. Copyright honchos at EMI who claim to own the 15 Beatles tracks reworked by DM issued a cease-&-desist order to the producer and the "free music" community united to fight the suits. The Grey Album was scheduled to appear in the racks of selected record shops in March but Danger Mouse had little option but to comply with the swashbuckling bigwigs and withdrew the album from sale even before it hit the streets. This could have been the untimely end of a bonafide gem but Downhill Battle, a music activism group, organized a "day of coordinated civil disobedience" to protest EMI's cease-and-desist order. Grey Tuesday on 24th February, saw more than one hundred websites hosting downloads of the album and many more showing their support for artistic freedom by turning their homepage grey for the day.

So it's caused a bit of a fuss then, but other than serving as an unintentional milestone in the escalating piracy/copyright battles, what's so good about it? Oh yeah, the album. Well, it's f**king sick. The LP uses the entire lyrical content of Jay-Z's acclaimed farewell offering recorded over new beats and production constructed using The Beatles' 'White Album' original as the sole source material. Sounds intriguing? Thousands appear to agree. Whilst the majority of board controllers are setting asphalt alight with digitally programmed jig, DM's decision to open up the game by sampling the hidden breaks of rock legends is an arresting reminder of hip-hop's withering recycling ethic. The translation of Hova's verbal game over full-throttle kicks and guitar is intoxicating. Imagine the auto-biographical scriptures of Jigga's December 4th laced against a backdrop of playful strings, filthy skin thumps and threatening low-end, 99 Problems suffocated by thrash chords and unit shifting smash Dirt Off Your Shoulder blazing against firing club beats crafted from the strains of a sixties psychadelic-rock combo.

Danger Mouse aficionados will remember that before the release of his lauded 'Ghetto Pop Life' long-player, he was fast garnering an underground rep for his bootleg remix work. Last year's seminal full-length project with "forgotten" rhyme stalwart Jemini catapulted the brother into folklore but the international attention received for The Grey Album has surpassed all his prior escapades. Whilst online warriors will forever herald Grey Tuesday as download history in the making, the hip-hop heartlands will first and foremost cherish the b-boy's masterly labour of love.

For more on DM, visit: http://www.djdangermouse.com/

4th Dimensional Rocketships Going Up by Gift of Gab drops 8th May '04 on Quannum.

This is the eagerly anticipated solo debut from the voice of Bay Area legends Blackalicious produced by Seattle beat conjurers Vitamin D and Jake One. For anyone cruelly unaware, alongside DJ/producer Chief XL, Gab is the bard responsible for the seminal 'Nia' and 'Blazing Arrow', arguably two of hip-hop's most visionary long-players.

Gab's latest cohorts opt for soulful, seductive low-end and downtempo grooves as Fourth Dimensional blasts into a more palatable indie sphere than its purist predecessors. The album deserves to be consumed whole, without pause, distraction or commercial dilution. It's an epic voyage through the spirit, one which will reaffirm many heads' raison d'être. Personal standouts include telling departure point The Ride of Your Life, the inspirational Way of the Light feat. Lifesavas' Vursatyl and the bass driven retro chic of the anthemic Flashback - an infectious if somewhat predictable trip through bygone times. If it's heat you're after, then search no further than the punctuated piano funk of The Writz, set to induce spasms in all but the coldest, whilst Real MCs' steady jabbing organic bass chords and compelling verbals are guaranteed to shake the foundations of lacklustre wordsworths wherever they dwell: "Slit throat sentiments watch you whisper with no windpipes, gasping for grammar classes and falling from ten flights." Finally, the last mention has to go to poignant rites of passage ode Moonshine.

It's never shrewd to compare a solo outing with that of a crew endeavour, as a personal project should always bring something different to the table. While some heads will doubtless argue that this album doesn't rattle the bars to the same extent as 'Nia' or 'Blazing Arrow', Gab's delivered an enchanting must-have in what's already looking like a strong contender in the LP of the year stakes. Fourth Dimensional is quite simply a beautiful hip-hop album.

Madvillainy by Madvillain drops 23rd March 2004 on Stones Throw.

The occurrence of inimitable music in underground hip-hop's ever homogenising evolution is becoming a rare trait. However, these two artists epitomize the antithesis; both having gained success due to their ability to create unique and intricate soundscapes and cultivating rhyme schemes which enchant the listener. With the release of Madvillainy - which matches Stones Throw's flagship artist Madlib with one of the underground's most eccentric and charismatic emcees, MF Doom - Otis Jackson Jr. and Daniel Dumile have done exactly that.

Those unfamiliar with the artists' previous exertions under their numerous pseudonyms may be taken aback by the eminence both display throughout the album. Madlib provides the musical backdrops for Doom to display his intermittent wordplay (which often references the more obscure areas of popular culture.) Dumile exhibits his supercilious cadence along with his own brand of banter over Madlib's distinguished production, reminiscent of early Marvel Comic scores on All Caps. The emcee runs the gamut on the LP showing off his ability to create stories on tracks such as Fancy Clown on which he raps from the perspective of Viktor Vaughn who tells the listener how his then girlfriend cheated on him with another of his characters, MF Doom. Jackson's production throughout the opus is nothing short of incredible and it's clear to see why he's held in such high esteem not only in hip-hop circles but also in the music industry as a whole. For the majority of the album, he's happy to let Dumile handle the lyrics opting only to rhyme on two tracks under his helium injected alias Quasimoto. On this project, Madlib gives preference to the traditional beat format rather than the experimentalism he displays on some of his instrumental efforts. This is by no means a setback as illustrated by tracks such as Meat Grinder in which The Bad Character creates one of his most ethereal oeuvres to date.

If you are a fan of either or both Dumile and Jackson, it is imperative that you buy this LP. Whether it will stand the test of time is unclear but unless a slew of prodigious albums come out between now and the end of the year, I can't see this effort being toppled easily.

Verbals: David Sewell