After a decade in the music business, Mello Music Group has witnessed the dealings and promises of the record industry. Running counter-clockwise to the mainstream ethic, Mello has settled on its own code of conduct and value system. Their catalogue is a Hagakare of hip-hop — a practical and spiritual guide to the essence. While the sounds are varied, an MMG release ensures that the art comes first, the artists are religiously devoted to the upholding of standards and values. The musicians swing fast blades and fly the Mello banner with speed and strength.

This is Bushido, the latest Mello Music compilation gathering the current roster and the label’s closest brethren. As always, the core shoguns are present: Apollo Brown, Oddisee, Quelle Chris, L’Orange, Joell Ortiz, Skyzoo, and Homeboy Sandman. The rated rookies brandish sharpened swords: Solemn Brigham, Namir Blade, and The Lasso. The legacy teammates with championship trophies are all present: Open Mike Eagle, Georgia Anne Muldrow, Elaquent, Kool Keith, and Mr. Lif. So are label affiliates, Murs, The Alchemist, RJ Payne, and B-Real. The veteran general rounds out the roster, Stalley, the newest member of the Mello family. This isn’t merely an anthology, it’s a fully-formed vision of what hip-hop can be. A meticulously assembled arsenal of past, present and future.

The label’s ingenuity partially stems from its gift at bridging the generations. Between Kool Keith, Mr. Life, Murs, Alchemist and B-Real, you have artists who fathered entire schools of hip-hop (Keith might well be the Abraham for every left-field MC ). Similarly, the first generation of Mello artists has defined the otherground of this era. Here, Oddisee, Apollo Brown and L’ Orange, embody the distinguished tradition of Pete Rock and Preemo, Dilla and Madlib.

“No Trouble” finds Oddisee coasting through his hustle, making the usual grind feel like an effortless glide. The consummate professional, the DMV’s greatest, Oddisee, exemplifies the Bushido album, turning the expected on its head. The battle-worthy cut eschews the hardnosed and instead walks on mello, airy, jazz lounge production while making it clear who the chief is: “I’m a whole vibe, I’m a whole tribe.”

Order/Stream BUSHIDO: https://smarturl.it/MelloBushido

Bushido TRACKLISTING:

1. Iron Steel Samurai feat Quelle Chris (prod by Alchemist)
2. Gold Gloves feat Open Mike Eagle (prod by The Lasso)
3. One Of The Last feat Marlowe (prod by L’Orange)
4. Yours Truly feat Homeboy Sandman (prod by Kensaye Russell)
5. No Trouble feat Oddisee (prod by Oddisee)
6. Gwan B OK feat Zackey Force Funk (prod by The Lasso)
7. Ya-Neishi The Vocals feat Skyzoo (prod by L’Orange)
8. Symbol Of Hope feat Open Mike Eagle & Namir Blade (prod by Elaquent)
9. Never Lived feat Oddisee (prod by Oddisee)
10. None feat Homeboy Sandman (prod by Iman Omari)
11. Bane Bran feat Quelle Chris & James Shanan (prod by Quelle Chris)
12. Black Rock feat Joell Ortiz, Stalley, Namir Blade & Solemn Brigham (prod by Namir Blade)
13. Outlast feat Dueling Experts & Joell Ortiz (Prod by Apollo Brown)
14. Black Man feat RJ Payne (prod by Apollo Brown)
15. Turnt Garveyite feat Murs (prod by Georgia Anne Muldrow)
16. Nightmare feat Cambatta (prod by Apollo Brown)
17. Rap feat Homeboy Sandman (prod by Eric Lau)
18. You To Me feat Oddisee (prod by Oddisee)
19. Zero Fux feat Kool Keith, B-Real & Joell Ortiz (prod by Nottz)
20. Banners feat The Perceptionists (prod by !llmind)