MICKEY O’ BRIEN “Twin Flame - The Honeybear Saga” C44 (Hand’Solo Records)

“The game of love is like chess mixed with professional wrestling.”

“Intelligence is the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen you wear out."

"Twin Flame - The Honeybear Saga" is rife with zingers like these, and, across six stylistically distinct hip-hop tracks (all of which camp out in ATCQ/Common-adjacent territory) Mickey O’ Brien spins tales of heartbreak and hubris-blushed self-reflection. 

To sweeten the pot, Toronto’s Hand’Solo Records has given this release maybe their most glamorous treatment to date, with a mirror-shiny golden shell, gorgeous J-Card +3 glossy artwork AND an RPGish download card that’s worth pinning to the mantle for a spell, to boot!

If you’re into throwback hip-hop, or simply hankering for an expertly curated eye-catcher/convo starter for your coffee table, this release fits the bill.

https://handsolorecords.bandcamp.com/album/twin-flame-the-honey-bear-saga

and/or

http://handsolorecords.com/

—Jacob An Kittenplan

ALIEN TRAP LORDS “3L3M3NT 115” C50 (Hand’Solo Records)

Were the Alien Trap Lords to say “No homo”*, they’d be referring to the Sapien Sapien variety. They’re "extra" like that; as in, they’re extra-TERRESTRIAL!

Per the ALIEN TRAP LORDS press kit:

“Out of the farthest reaches of space come a group of inter-dimensional life forms. The Alien Trap Lords serve universal knowledge over wavy synth 808 bass. Take a galactic trip in their space whip. Learn the secrets of your world and the truth behind the conspiracies.”

That’s right. A cosmic Canadian hip-hop group is risking it ALL for the chance to disseminate their celestial blueprints unto you, dear human.  Be charmed by their mesmerizing minimalism, for it better highlights their choppy, screwy accents/hooks. Be forewarned that it is not (only?) your tape deck acting up, but the very ferrous fabric of space and time warping right before your ears that sounds so warped and wobbly. 

Yes. This is some incredibly high-minded** hip-hop. The bass is siiick and slick, the synth pads all trippy & drippy, the vocals wet & wild. Warning: Not recommended for studying or operating heavy machinery!

https://handsolorecords.bandcamp.com/album/3l3m3nt-115

—Jacob An Kittenplan

*it is cool, I am pretty sure that they do not

**as in, like, waaay out past our atmosphere

E. WHATEVSKI “Cult Classics” (Hand’Solo Records)

Whatevski’s got a cult, hey. We are his acolytes. We comprise his followers, his harem. Whatevski Whatevski says, whatevski we does. Whatevski drops a mixtape, dedicated to his cult, and we listen to it, enraptured. Dedicated to his cult? It’s called Cult Classics, homie – let that be a lesson to you.

“Assembled deep within the caves of Whatevski’s secret compound,” Cult Classics brings together a metric ton of underground hip hop talent that’s about to blow the doors off whatever clubs Toronto’s even got left. Hand’Solo’s headquarters just became the number-one target for whatever government organizations are tasked with monitoring the Venn diagram where “cult” and “dope rhymes” meet ceremoniously in the middle. We’d regale you with the specifics of the reports, but they’ve all been redacted.

So redact this: Cult Classics is a nasty slab of wickedness produced to perfection by crate-digging madmen and maestros. Each track is a master class in head-noddery, an upraised middle finger to décor, and a time bomb of seething wordplay. No matter what affiliations we hold coming into Cult Classics, we will leave a fully-fledged member of this distinct association. What we choose to do with that membership is on us – I say we flaunt the fuck out of it.

https://handsolorecords.bandcamp.com/

--Ryan

APEFACE “Ape No More” C48 (Hand’Solo Records)

Apeface raps over slick beats, samples, & cinema-snippets that the Dirty Sample produces. Side A is the proper album, side B just the instrumentals. &It’s really nice to hear what Apeface heard before and while he chose to rap over it all with his smooth, relaxing vocal delivery.

https://handsolorecords.bandcamp.com/album/ape-no-more

and/or

http://handsolorecords.com/

— Jacob An Kittenplan