Rapster Records

From its conception in the year 2000 work began on selecting the initial releases for the launch of Rapster Records. 2001 saw Rapster’s debut release “Kutmasta Kurt Presents The Masters of Illusion” featuring Kool Keith, this blistering album set the pace for what was to follow later that year. A UK top 20 chart position for Princess Superstar, a ground breaking release from Breakestra and awesome High & Mighty album were to establish Rapster as one of the most innovative and inspired alternative rap and hip hop labels to emerge in recent times.



Always looking for opportunities to work with partners of excellence Rapster forged an alliance with UK based soul aficionado Peter Adarkwah whose label BBE has been dealing in diverse, eclectic sounds covering many genres from old scratchy Brazilian grooves, through 70's funk, via jazz fusion and new hip - hop for over a decade.



Rapster/BBE has released further compilations from Peter Adarkwah’s “Beat Generation” series as well as another in the legendary godfather of scratch turntablism DJ Jazzy Jeff with “Hip Hop Forever II”. The “Beat Generation” motto of releasing “real music for real people” has seen seminal works from legends such as Pete Rock and Roy Ayers as well as launching new studio projects from King Britt, DJ Spinna and Baby Blak, with Madlib next up.



To continue this fine line in full frequency fun, Rapster called on The Roots to foster their Okayplayer.com community which included Little Brother, Dilated Peoples, The Hieroglyphics Crew, Skillz and of course The Roots themselves. Then with the acclaimed Roy Ayers Ubiquity series the fusion legend was persuaded to unearth buried treasures (vol 1), record new tracks (vol 2) and then let them be remixed by the world’s most innovative producers and artists such as Matthew Herbert, Ame, Basement Jaxx (vol 3).



Hip Hop concept albums are few and far between, but Rapster saw two in quick succession with Princess Superstar’s My Machine and Exit Music: Songs With Radio Heads, the latter a Radiohead covers project which provided them with their second top 30 hit with Mark Ronson’s cover of Just.



Finally, the ‘Kings Of…’ series sees Rapster / BBE affirm their position as the authority on all genres of the dance world, with comprehensive compilations of rare disco, house, hip hop, funk, jazz and techno from heavyweights such as Gilles Peterson, Masters at Work, Carl Craig and the RZA.



And the beat goes on…………….



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