Straight Realism

Thursday, 16 April 2026

LATE - The Golden Sword of Wenlock City (single/video)

Check out for the animated music video curated by LATE.

Independent artist LATE returns with a powerful new self-produced single, “The Golden Sword of Wenlock City,” expanding the cinematic universe first introduced in the concept EP The 9 Cobras of Wenlock City. Blending atmospheric production, sharp lyricism, and immersive storytelling, the new track deepens the mythology of Wenlock City while marking a significant evolution in LATE’s sound.

Entirely written, produced, and arranged by LATE, “The Golden Sword of Wenlock City” represents both creative independence and artistic refinement.

The single picks up where The 9 Cobras of Wenlock City left off in a city divided by shadow factions, coded loyalties, and symbolic warfare. This time, the narrative centres around the emergence of the “Golden Sword,” a powerful emblem of reckoning, truth, and transformation. Musically, the track pushes beyond the darker, tension heavy atmosphere of its predecessor.

While The 9 Cobras of Wenlock City introduced listeners to the serpentine underworld of competing forces, “The Golden Sword of Wenlock City” feels decisive and triumphant layered with driving percussion, expansive synth textures, and a commanding vocal performance that cuts through with clarity and purpose. “The Golden Sword isn’t just a weapon,” LATE explains. “It’s a symbol. It represents clarity after chaos the moment you stop surviving the city and start defining it.”

“The Golden Sword of Wenlock City” is now available on all major streaming platforms.

Bandcamp

https://officiallate.bandcamp.com/track/the-golden-sword-of-wenlock-city

Spotify

https://open.spotify.com/album/1swAUPu3DMzf5jKINrdrGV

Apple Music

https://music.apple.com/gb/album/the-golden-sword-of-wenlock-city-single/1887336501

Amazon Music

https://music.amazon.com/albums/B0GTMQLSF1?marketplaceId=ATVPDKIKX0DER&musicTerritory=US&ref=dm_sh_WSp0604ZfBLSjBrkkYfDgFl1h

Qobuz

https://www.qobuz.com/nz-en/album/the-golden-sword-of-wenlock-city-late-official/nle665nd06nhh

Tidal

https://listen.tidal.com/track/509345990

YouTube Music

https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=rr0G2FbMzYI

Mad Rev - Shenaniganz

Amsterdam-based MC Mad Rev links up with Utrecht producer Propo’88 for “Shenaniganz”, the second single taken from Ground Beef Platter Vol. 3, out now on Ground Beef Records. The track is part of the latest installment in the Ground Beef Platter series, bringing together artists and producers from the Dutch scene. Check out the official video for “Shenaniganz”, shot in Amsterdam and Utrecht, the Netherlands.

Ground Beef Platter Vol. 3 is available now via Ground Beef Records.

Spotify

https://open.spotify.com/album/4ZuosPmwJlej7gwdRoJ5PL?si=oUts_h9yT56gvDROMLIwzg

Apple Music

https://music.apple.com/nl/album/ground-beef-platter-vol-3-ep/1879712434

Tidal

https://tidal.com/album/501003489

Bandcamp

https://groundbeefrecords.bandcamp.com/album/ground-beef-platter-vol-3

Wednesday, 15 April 2026

Team Demo ft. Al Skratch & Tash "East To West"

Team Demo links up once again with Al Skratch for the hard-hitting new single “East to West,” the latest release following their previous drop “Up There.”

Produced by Team Demo, the record rides on a dark, sinister boom-bap backdrop with eerie strings and heavy drums built for late-night systems and underground rotation.

Al Skratch, fresh off a buzzing Punchline Academy appearance, comes through with razor-sharp punchlines and commanding bars throughout the track.

Holding down the West Coast side is Tash of Tha Alkaholiks, coming in hot after his new single “Shoe Fits.” The veteran MC shows once again why his presence on the mic still hits with authority.

The hook features DJ Dial Tone cutting through the record with sharp turntable work that gives the track that raw, authentic hip-hop feel DJs appreciate.

Download & Streaming Links

https://vyd.co/EastToWestSingle

Urbs & Cutex feat. T.R.A.C. "Wherever You Are" FLIP REMIX

Flip from Texta, producer of artists such as Edo.G, Masta Ace, Fokis, Sadat X, Chakuza, Blumentopf and many more, delivered a huge boombap remix of ‘Wherever You Are' feat. T.R.A.C. from Urbs & Cutex's current album ‘On Our Way’.

T.R.A.C. is known for his work with Marc Mac aka Visioneers, Lewis Parker and I-Cue, among others, as well as his albums on BBE and V Recordings.

Urbs & Cutex are a duo from Vienna specialising in laid-back instrumental music that combines classic East Coast Hip Hop with elements of Triphop and Downtempo. Both started out as DJs in the early 90s making their first steps in production separately before connecting to form what is considered one of the defining groups out of Vienna’s rich electronic scene of the period. The two albums released in the early 2000s are being rediscovered by new generations of listeners and have accumulated millions of plays on various streaming platforms.

Download & Streaming Links

https://bad.lnk.to/BADDIGI022

Travisty the Lazy Emcee & Len-Dor - Strip Club Saga

The official video for "Strip Club Saga" the latest single from Travisty the Lazy Emcee and Len-Dor along with producer DJ Kawon, taken from their collaboration album "Chain Reaction" that is out now via Mad Good Records. The video animation was created by HaStyle Art from H&L Associates.

About the collaboration: Chain Reaction is a raw, no-frills hip hop collaboration uniting three distinct regions under one sound. Toronto emcee Len-Dor links with South Florida wordsmith Travisty the Lazy Emcee, backed wall-to-wall by hard-hitting boom bap production from Dallas beat architect DJ Kawon. Released via Mad Good Records, the album is a testament to lyrical discipline, classic sensibilities, and the power of collaboration across borders.

Check out

https://madgoodrecords.bandcamp.com/merch

B. Dvine – “Think This”

Perfect Pete - Mean What U Say - prod MoicanoBeats

Pete's dropping jewels like a butter fingered burglar all over this driving beat by Italian producer (and MC) Moicano

Stream and download from

https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/perfectpete/mean-what-u-say-feat-moicanobeats

Thursday, 9 April 2026

LATE - Where Can We Go (Official Music Video)

This is the 4th music video from the new album from LATE - Timezones

For more info check out

https://www.officiallate.net

M-Dot ft. Kore & Byna - Daydreaming prod. by Johnny Cashle$$

Boston hip-hop mainstay M-Dot returns with a new visual and single, “Daydreaming,” featuring Kore (Of EMS) and Byna. Produced and directed by Johnny Cashle$$, the track blends soulful production with sharp lyricism, capturing the balance between ambition and introspection. “Daydreaming” finds M-Dot in top form, weaving vivid storytelling with reflections on perseverance and vision, while Kore and Byna add dynamic layers that elevate the record’s emotional depth. Johnny Cashle$$ ties it all together with a cohesive sound and cinematic visual, shot in Austria, that brings the song’s theme to life. The single continues M-Dot’s tradition of delivering authentic, thought-provoking hip-hop, reinforcing his place as one of the genre’s most consistent independent voices. The song will be a Bonus on his upcoming album "A Notebook With No Light" coming soon via Soulchain Records.

John Sarastro's new album Coyotes

John Sarastro’s new album Coyotes emerges like a midnight signal—experimental jazz shaped by underground hip hop pulse- guided by the spirit of the coyote: the watcher between worlds, the messenger of transformation, the survivor who walks unseen paths. The record moves like a ritual. Horns speak in restless tongues, rhythms bend perception, and improvisation feels less performed than summoned.

Drawing on the coyote’s mythic role as trickster and guide, the music creates a listening experience that feels uncanny and intimate at once—like recognizing a truth you can’t quite name. Listening to Coyotes is a threshold moment: time loosens, reality flickers, and a strange clarity takes hold. It doesn’t just play in the room—it changes the atmosphere inside you. This record comes with a myriad of visual assets to further heighten the experience.