Releasing on November 3rd 2023, the new album “Urban Testimony” by Brooklyn rapper Justo the MC & Edinburgh producer Brelstaff is now ready to pre-order online HERE.
In what is one of his most personal releases to date, the entire theme relates to Justo’s curtailed and traumatic time spent studying at Clark Atlanta University some years ago, documenting the experiences and events witnessed there. The narrative reflects regrets, consequences and lessons learned in what is a brutally honest account of a time which by his own description led him to “a turning point in life”.
The superb lyricism and skillful art of storytellingare bolstered by the atmospheric soundtrack provided by Brelstaff, mixing lofi beats, electronica and jazz fusion for a chilled yet gritty concoction that keep the pages turning.
The album will be available initially in digital format from all leading streaming and download platforms including Apple / iTunes, Spotify, Tidal, Bandcamp, Deezer and Amazon. Singles released so far include “High” and the AA side “Falling / “Satan’s Grip”
There is also a video playlist on Youtube of the singles released to date, and videos for all future singles and album tracks will also appear here
All written media, press or DJ enquiries and requests regarding this or any of our releases can be addressed to our in house promotional division, UrbanElite PR. Their contact details are HERE
New Dawn Records are pleased to announce the release today of the single “High” by prolific Brooklyn rapper Justo the MC and Edinburgh hip hop producer Brelstaff.
This is the first to be taken from their new album “Urban Testimony” out on November 3rd 2023, the entire theme of which is centred around events leading up to and including Justo’s curtailed time studying at Clark Atlanta University.It represents a fascinating insight depicted in a deeply personal narrative documenting the trials and tribulations he encountered there which ultimately led him to a turning point in life.
The instrumental version of the album was released earlier in the year, with tracks having featured recently on “Focus Beats”, broadcast by the world renowned BBC Radio 1 and Radio 6.
You can stream and download “High” on all digital platforms including APPLE, AMAZON, TIDAL and below on BANDCAMP & SPOTIFY
OFFICIAL VIDEO ON YOUTUBE
You can connect with Justo and Brelstaff directly on social media, all their details are included in their specially designated artist page HERE
All press, radio DJ and multimedia enquiries regarding any of our releases can be addressed to our in house promotional division UrbanElite PR. Their contact details are HERE
Focus Beats, produced by Reform Radio, broadcasts weekly through the night, initially on Saturdays aired on BBC Radio 6 and repeated on BBC Radio 1 every Wednesday.
The world renowned station has recently scheduled various programmes of a similar nature, mirroring the phenomenon which has grown exponentially in recent years on Youtube and Spotify playlists.Typically playing a mix of instrumental lo-fi hip hop, chill, and ambient electronica, all designed to assist with relaxation, stress relief, meditation and in particular there is extensive usage by students using these sounds to help with focusing on stud. It is the musical extension of ASMR.
This week’s programme can be streamed for the next six weeks on BBC Sounds and you can listen back HERE
Itincludes tracks affiliated to New Dawn Records’ releases by three different artists
Brelstaff – “Fine Line (instrumental)”Taken from Urban Testimony [The Instrumentals]” released earlier this year, the original version appears on the vocal version of the album, a collaboration with Brooklyn rapper Justo the MC which drops on November 3rd. The first single “High” will be made available on August 1st.
Urban Testimony [The Instrumentals] on Spotify
Urban Testimony – Official Album Video Trailer on Youtube
Frost Gamble “Long Ride (instrumental)”. This is the instrumental of the track appearing on the album “Cautionary Tales”, another collaborative project this time between the producer originally from Binghamton NY and now resident in Canada, and award winning upstate NY rapper Anthony Kannon
Releasing on October 20th, the first single “Pitfalls” dropped in June with the new single “Make It Rain”ready to make its appearance next week on Tuesday July 18th.
Pitfalls is available on all digital platforms including Bandcamp, Apple, Tidal, Deezer, Amazon and here on Spotify
Cautionary Tales – Official Album Video Trailer on Youtube
Phoenix da Icefire & Husky Brown “Veganite (instrumental)”. The instrumental of the track which appeared on “Panacea”, released by us in 2020 and which was nominated for “Best Independent Album” at the AIM Awards that year.
It remains an immense piece of work by the London duo, with Husky fusing hip hop, funk, soul, dub, electronic and lo-fi sounds as a soundtrack to a narrative by Phoenix addressing prominent issues such as institutional racism, mental health, physical well being, spirituality, climate change, knife crime and aspirations, all delivered with the underlying message of empathy and hope for the future.
A remarkable album that will continue to stand the test of time which you can hear on all digital platforms including Bandcamp, Apple, Tidal and here on Spotify
All the artists we work with have their own page designated for them on this website which includes background information and all of their social media links, so simply go to the ARTISTS section in the Menufor further details.
All international media and DJ enquries about any of our releases can be sent to our in house promotional division, UrbanElite PR. Their contact details are HERE
New Dawn Records are proud to announce the upcoming release of the new album “Urban Testimony” by Brooklyn rapper Justo the MC and Edinburgh producer Brelstaff on November 3rd 2023 distributed digitally by Ingrooves / Universal.
Justo first emerged in 2010 while working with his cousin and producer DJ Vic Black of Gangstarr Foundation. The video for their joint “It’s Our Year” released in 2011 featured DJ Premier, and after several years of mixtape releases, the pair would hook up again in 2017 on Justo’s album “Black Ops” produced entirely by DITC’s Showbiz, executively produced and curated by Vic assisted by DJ Premier.
Since then there has been prolific output through worldwide collaborations including Canadian production team The Lost Info, Brooklyn’s Maticulous, Italy’s Bboy Enea, Nova Scotian DK, the UK’s Remulak and for the first time in 2021 with Brelstaff on their joint “Swagu”.
In 2014 while performing under his born name Daryl Donald, Brel released his debut EP “Kept” and the collaborative album “The Clockwork” with south London emcee Cutta Chase. The release of his instrumental album “Solitude” in 2017 followed in 2019 by “Behold the Spirit” and “Full Circle” built up his reputation as one of the most respected new emerging underground lo fi hip hop producers from these shores, attracting a total of 450,000 listeners and a million streams on Spotify.
Subsequently having adopted the new pseudonym, he released the self titled “Brelstaff” in 2020, and returned to the public arena in February 2023 with the new joint “Cursive” featuring the legendary Fashawn, followed in April by the release of the instrumental version of the “Urban Testimony” through New Dawn, securing play on the BBC Radio 1 & Radio 6 show “Focus Beats” in the process.
The new album documents what Justo describes as the “arrival at a crossroads from a life defining year”. A deeply personal narrative which provides a fascinating insight depicting events leading up to and during his curtailed stay at Clark Atlanta University, and he has again turned to Brelstaff to accompany him on his journey. Beautifully crafted, fuelled by skilful lyricism addressing the core messages of mental health, hedonism, loss of faith, redemption and renewed focus all set to the perfect musical score. The perfect partnership.
The album can be pre-ordered from various store with effect from September 8th HERE
A series of singles will precede the album release beginning on August 1st with “High”. All will be available to download and stream from major digital platforms including Spotify, Bandcamp, Apple Music, Tidal and Amazon. Videos for all tracks will appear on our official Youtube channel @newdawnrecords where you can now watch the video trailer.
All international press and DJ enquiries can be addressed to our in house promotional division UrbanElite PR. Their contact details are HERE and the full official album press release can be read HERE
Again we’d encourage everyone to connect with the artists directly on their social media platforms. Just like everyone we work with, they always got a lot going on & they’ll holla back!
New Dawn Records are pleased to announce the release today of the new album “Urban Testimony [The Instrumentals]” by Edinburgh producer Brelstaff.
Ten titles fusing chilled, soulful lofi hip hop with downtempo jazz and ambient electronica in an ethereal soundtrack that rests easy on the senses.Music to soothe the soul and help focus with work and study in equal measure.
Originally operating under his born name Daryl Donald, his reputation as one of the most respected emerging beatmakers in this genre grew from 2017 through a series of projects which generated over a million streams on Spotify, and since adopting the new pseudonym has continued to flourish, most notably earlier this year with the single “Cursive” featuring renowned west coast rapper Fashawn.
The instrumental album is the pre-cursor to the full vocal version which we will release later in the year. A collaborative project with Brooklyn rapper Justo the MC which acts as a narrative documenting his curtailed and turbulent time at Clark Atlanta University, including a fascinating insight and depiction of the trials and tribulations of student life he witnessed there which ultimately led to the crossroads of his life.
We are pleased to announce the release today of the new album “Lead by Example [The Instrumentals]” by London hip hop producer Ramson Badbonez.
Handpicked by the man himself, there are eight instrumentals taken from the original version of “Lead by Example” which dropped last year again through ourselves, and represented his debut release as a producer.
In what was one of the most impressive introductions to the production world witnessed for many years, influences of original funk, soul, rare groove and jazz are clear and fused together into a soundtrack which draws on both the classic and modern eras.
A powerful combination of eclectic beats originally complimented by the highest calibre lyricism from a trans-Atlantic line up of guest featured artists rarely seen standing shoulder to shoulder together on the one record. A stellar billing which included Reks, Skyzoo, the late Blacastan, Recognize Ali, Moka Only, Ruste Juxx, Dizzy Dustin, Johaz (Dag Savage), Sleep Sinatra, Tru Trilla, Juxx Diamondz, Justo the MC and British heavyweights Jehst, Micall Parknsun, Joker Starr, Truemendous, MysDiggi, Cyclonious, Phoenix da Icefire, King Kashmere all unleashing their full verbal artillery, with Ramson still showcasing his own lyrical prowess on selected tracks.
Now the backdrop’s been made available for the first time, feast your ears to these straight bangerz.
Available to stream & download on all digital platforms including APPLE, AMAZON, TIDAL, BANDCAMP & SPOTIFY
There are also official videos for every track from the album playing on our Youtube channel which you can now watch on the playlist below
All media enquiries regarding any of our releases can be sent to our in house promotional division UrbanElite PR who can be contacted HERE
Enjoy the new sounds & look out for more from us soon
As someone pointed out to us the other day, 2022 marks the twentieth anniversary of some of our original single releases which at the time enjoyed healthy support, often appearing in DJ Magazine’s hip hop club charts, reviews in UK & US publications and notable for the airplay afforded to them by among others, Steve Lamacq who hosted BBC Radio 1’s flagship Evening Sessions show.
Time flies indeed !
They were all by the crew Belles in Monica and included a number of remixes, all released on 12″ & CD formats. We in fact still have a very limited amount of original stock available of both formats, details at our STORE.
“Y’All Under Surveillance” with remixes by G-Sharp (including cuts by DJ Devestator), DJ Nappa of Phil Life Cypher and The Runaways. Originally released on February 4th 2002
“Meltdown” with remixes by Krash Slaughta, Gripper and Phi Life Cypher’s DJ Nappa including cuts by DJ Mr Thing. Originally released May 6th 2002
What D’Ya Need with remixes by DJ Krash Slaughta and Unsung Heroes. Originally released September 23rd 2002
All of these together with most of our original back catalogue were of course made available in digital formats since we re-launched the label in 2019, streaming on Spotify, Tidal, Apple, Amazon and many more including on our Youtube channel.We have included some versions on our Youtube channel’s Singles Playlist
Included in the 18 track playlist are our most recent singles released over the past couple of years, taken from albums by London’s Ramson Badbonez, Phoenix da Icefire & Husky Brown and New Jersey’s Tru Trilla.
They include features by heavyweight names from both sides of the Atlantic including Reks, Skyzoo, Ruste Juxx, Recognize Ali, Genesis Elijah, Micall Parknsun, Jehst, Kashmere, Sleep Sinatra, Johaz of Dag Savage, MysDiggi, Truemendous, Juxx Diamondz, Justo the MC and the late, great Blacastan and Primo Brown of legendary Italian crew Cor Veleno.
Also added are the two singles from this summer, Qadir’s remix of “Bismillah” and Shahin’s re-working of “Lame Duck”.Dope rhymes, bangin’ beats and serious turntablist skillz from then and now as a soundtrack for your day – enjoy !
We’ll have news of new forthcoming joints and albums currently cooking in various kitchens shortly, so keep ’em peeled.
Just to round off the old year, we put together a special mix with some of the singles we’ve released from 2002 to 2022by artists from the US & UK, all reppin’theorigins of dope rhymes, bangin’ beats & sick turntablism.
All of our singles, EP and album releases are now available from our official BANDCAMP PAGEand of course you’ll also find them streaming on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon, Tidal and many other digital platforms. For direct links to each release and digital store, visit our RELEASES PAGE where they are separated per artist.
We also have some very limited stock of vinyl and CD’s available of our original catalogue from back in the day. These are now rare collectors’ items, a couple of which are included in this new mix, and details can be viewed on our Physical Releases page.
A video of the new mix has just been uploaded to our official Youtube channel
The audio only stream is on Soundcloud
Tracks used
1 Belles in Monica – “Meltdown” [Krash Slaughta Remix] 2 Tru Trilla – “God’s Mercy” [produced by DNA Beatz] 3 Ramson Badbonez – “Black Hole Cypher” ft Kashmere, Truemendous, MysDiggi, Micall Parknsun, Joker Starr, Gee Bag, Confucius, Jehst & Phoenix da Icefire 4 Phoenix da Icefire & Husky Brown – “Dark Rainbow Light” 5 Tru Trilla – “Word of God” [produced by DNA Beatz] 6 Ramson Badbonez – “Lead by Example” ft Recognize Ali, Skyzoo & Juxx Diamondz [cuts by DJ Jazz T] 7 Belles in Monica – “Y’All Under Surveillance” [G-Sharp Remix. Cuts by DJ Devestator] 8 Tru Trilla – “God’s Sympathy” [produced by DNA Beatz] ft Fly Kwa & Confucious 9 Phoenix da Icefire & Husky Brown – “Cosmic Soul” 10 Ramson Badbonez – “Rap to the Future” ft Dizzy Dustin, Mr Hooper & Moka Only [cuts by Kompoze] 11 Ramson Badbonez – “Stay True” ft Reks, Ruste Juxx & Blacastan 12 Ramson Badbonez – “Lame Duck” ft Tru Trilla, Fly Kwa & Prince Ak
New releases for 2022 are in the works, currently at the recording stage with some serious heat being cooked up in the kitchen !!
Meantime, we know the past couple of years has been difficult for everyone, so we’d like to thank you all for the continued support, and wish you & yours a healthy and prosperous new year when it comes.
In May 2020 we brought you “Panacea” by London rapper Phoenix da Icefire and producer Husky Brown, nominated for “Best Independent Album” at last year’s AIM Awards. Postponed due to the pandemic, the rescheduled launch event takes place at Brixton Jamm on Friday November 12th as a joint headline with fellow London rapper and producer Ramson Badbonez who will be showcasing tracks from his album “Lead by Example” which we released recently in August.
Tickets and details for the show are available directly at www.gigs.hiphop
This new AA side single by the duo has been made available today to mark the event. The Schifrin-esque soundtrack of “Shake Things Up” fuels a barrage of high octane bars unleashed from a fully loaded verbal armoury, while a sublime blend of choice beats and turntablism laces the specially commissioned remix of “Dark Rainbow Light” courtesy of prolific US producer and DJ Tone Spliff whose multiple credits include work with Recognize Ali, King Magnetic, Ruste Juxx, Melly-Mel, Vic Monroe and many more.
You can download and stream the release at all major digital platforms including APPLE, TIDAL, AMAZON, Bandcamp & Spotify
There is also a “concept” video playing on our Youtube channel
This is our last official release of 2021 and we thank everyone, whether in media or the general public for your ongoing support, it’s very much appreciated. We are working currently on new projects targeted for release in 2022 which we look forward to announcing in the near future.
Meantime, if you are in the area, try to get down to the show at Brixton Jamm next week, it’s sure to be a night of top quality hip hop. Enjoy !
