Stones Throw Records

Beats by Samiyam. Cover by Samiyam. This is Sam's second album on Stones Throw.Advancing the unfolding legacy of instrumental hip-hop at Stones Throw is Samiyam’s Pizza Party: 24 minutes of off-kilter mobster music mixed with a warm soul sound that is unmistakably L.A. producer and beatmaker Samiyam. Praised by his collaborators Action Bronson, Earl Sweatshirt, The Alchemist, and Flying Lotus, Sam’s independent beat tape ventures and instrumental albums are revered by rappers, respected by producers. Pizza Party is free of samples from the characteristically dusty vinyl grooves and warped tapes of past recordings. Instead, we have originally- played synthesizer and FX in unison with the off-the-grid drum patterns and aesthetic sonic swagger that Samiyam owns. The last track, “What Can I Do,” features co-production with Jonwayne.Samiyam grew up Sam Baker in Michigan. He was among a network of post-Donuts producers focusing on instrumental hip-hop beat as the finished work, who found themselves migrating west and huddling in the scene around Low End Theory in east Los Angeles. That’s where Flying Lotus met Sam and released Rap Beats Vol. 1 as the debut on Brainfeeder in 2008.Three other albums followed – Sam Baker’s Album (Brainfeeder, 2011), Wish You Were Here (Leaving, 2013), and Animals Have Feelings (Stones Throw, 2016) – along with production work for Earl Sweatshirt, Captain Murphy, and Pharoahe Monch.

Yes Lawd! Remixes, is a new reworking of the critically acclaimed debut album from NxWorries.Knxwledge continues a Stones Throw tradition started by Madlib, by remixing his own album, adding a new interpretation to the tracks featuring Anderson .Paak’s vocals.-All vocals by Anderson .Paak, whose solo LP Malibu and numerous guest features (Dr. Dre, Mac Miller, Kaytranada, The Game) made him the breakout star of 2017-All tracks by Grammy award-winning producer Knxwledge, the man behind beats for Kendrick Lamar, Earl Sweatshirt & Action Bronson-Performed “What More Can I Say” on NBC’s Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon-Pitchfork “Best New Track” reviews for “Lyk Dis” and “Get Bigger

DJ Harrison is Richmond VA-based producer and multi-instrumentalist Devonne Harris.The son of a radio DJ who introduced him to the world of record collecting, Harris grew up with music, progressing from violin, to high school drum-line, to the Jazz Studies program at Virginia Commonwealth University. He also continued working with other instruments and developed an interest in sampling. His development as a producer – at first, without a computer or sampler – came first learning to replay samples on the drums, piano, bass or guitar.DJ Harrison finds himself inspired by local musicians in the Richmond scene that’s as diverse and nonexclusive as they come. Among rappers, producers, punks and bluegrass bands, he falls within reach of an expansive pool of musicians to collaborate with. He lives and works in Jellowstone, a house turned recording compound occupied by his band mates in Butcher Brown, a “garage punk jazz funk” group.HazyMoods, DJ Harrison’s Stones Throw debut, was recorded there completely on tape, where the living room functions as a communal recording studio.

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.

"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?

Best known as a jazz drummer and hip-hop producer, Karriem Riggins returns with Headnod Suite. The album is the follow up to 2012’s critically acclaimed debut Alone Together. With 29 instrumental hip-hop tracks, Headnod Suite places Riggins’ beatmaking chops front and center. It’s a testament to why Riggins is the producer of choice for artists like Kanye West, Common, Erykah Badu, and The Roots.

Mndsgn, born Ringgo Ancheta, grew up in south New Jersey raised with Gospel music at church, B-Boy culture, and his older sisters' favourite artists like SWV, TLC and Mariah Carey. Experimenting with beatmaking in his teen years, he befriended fellow Stones Throw labelmate Knxwledge and the two formed the influential Klipmode collective along with Devonwho and Suzi Analogue.Mndsgn's music flourished when he moved to LA, quickly catching the attention of Stones Throw, who released Yawn Zen, an LP of complex beat creations. Mndsgn then toured the world, co-founded Akashik Records & Tapes, and provided the beat for "Sweeney Song", a high profile collab with underground superstar Danny Brown.Body Wash is a full set of realised songs hinted at on Yawn Zen. Influences here include the likes of early SOLAR records material, Leon Sylvers III, Kashif, and Dave Grusin. Mndsgn adds, "I was also digging back into some early '90s R&B sounds and started really imagining what it would be like if I had mashed the two eras together."This mashup works magically, a clean synthesis of anthems (“Cosmic Perspective”), romantic reflections (“Ya Own Way" / "Guess It's All Over”) and Mndsgn's R&B proclivities ("Lather” / "Vague//Recalibrate”)."A soul record that plays with nostalgic elements in a positive way. Think about it as a box of crayons for you to draw emotions with."

Homeboy Sandman is set to release Kindness For Weakness, his third full-length album on Stones Throw Records. The album's title comes from Sandman's internal insight that "mistaking kindness for weakness is a weakness I need to have more kindness for". One of Sandman's most poignantly lyrical releases to date, the album centres on the MC's discomfort in his comfort zone, and addresses themes such as his personal insecurities, rapper stereotypes and morality. The prolific Queens MC has been prominently published in Gawker and the Huffington Post. In an extensive feature in The Guardian, he stated "I don't want to write something to be a conversation piece. It has to help change something".Since signing with Stones Throw Records in 2011, Homeboy Sandman has made himself at home with 3 full-lengths, a series of 5 short records and, most recently, a free EP with collaborator Aesop Rock (who has a guest feature on Kindness for Weakness) named Lice, which includes a remix by Mike Shinoda of Linkin Park. With Kindness For Weakness, Sandman has once again established himself as one of the most productive and creative lyricists of this generation.