We are now shipping orders.  We would like to thank all those that have supported the project so far making pre-orders.  My Self, Si Spex and the KOTB crew not to forget the team at AM Screenprint and Viynl Presents have worked hard together to present this superb package from one of the UKs finest producers.  If you have not ordered your copy yet go to shop here get yours now.

We at King of the Beats pride our selves on putting together more than just a lp, we are dedicated to putting together projects that capture the artists through the Medium of Sound, Audio and Visual.  Hip Hop Preservation.

We have changed our strategy on this project for future projects.  With the LP also now comes an exclusive film capturing an alternative behind the scenes look at how the LP Package was made.

Si Spex AKA Barry Beats, formally from the group The Creators who took part in 2 of the King of the Beats films releases his first solo LP with us.  Presenting 2 Sides of Barry. An instrumental beat voyage in 2 parts

Pre Order your copy here. 

PRE ORDER BONUS ve hypothetically come from.

We are planning a February release.  This is a Limited Edition Pressing.  Peep the fantastic trailer from the man himself. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGNyU43iND4&t=1s

And if you haven’t heard the album check it out on Spotify https://open.spotify.com/album/5V8aETP67vXNep3476O8MA

11^th October 2019 was the day that we took at trip to Hitchens, the destination Vinyl Presents, the Record Pressing plant. 

I was joined by long time associate and friend Kev Decosta and label partner Tha 4Orce.  On this occasion, we were accompanied by photographer Stuart Myers.  Those that follow the site may remember him from earlier in the year.  We worked on a project together.  I was looking for a photographer that could document our journey making records.

I have this vision and idea of what I wanted to capture and Stuart demonstrated on our last trip out that he had the eye, the technical skills, the passion and desire for his craft that I was looking for.  We were on the same page.

So 9:45 am we met at my home to embark on the day’s road trip.  Ahead of us was a 2-hour drive

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The 11th was the day we went to press the new release on King of the Beats Records.  TR Love’s In Street Concentration.  The task was the pressing of the LP than the assembly of the package.  All the components for the record come from different suppliers.  So instead of being printed at the plant in one place a lot of the items such as the Book, the press picture and 45 have been manufactured over the year in different places.

When we arrived we was met by Phil East, he has over 25 years of experience pressing records and today manages the plant. On this day he was personally pressing our LP.  The first 3 hours of his day was spent mixing the color of the lp.  We wanted something to match the cover and the autumn theme with the rusty orange leaves.

The plant its self is a relatively new site and the technology and machinery used to make the records is very new.  The new machines designed by Vinyl  Tech a Canadian company has changed the way records are pressed today.  Faster with less scrap.  Geared towards manufacturing for the independents.  Labels like our selves.

We found our selves a table and set up shop to assemble the new release.  What was interesting that I was able to video call TR and give him a live tour of the factory also showing him his LP being pressed.

At King of the beats, all of us involved have our fingers, input on every aspect of the project.  For me as a kid it was a dream to make a record. 25 years later here we are making them, producing them, creating the artwork, distributing them and also manufacturing them ourselves.

What we do isn’t easy to think we started this label by doing an event called king of the beats saving the door money and putting into a label pressing 45s to what we are doing now.

Tha 4Orce

The purpose of bringing Stuart was to capture and document our journey so that when finally this label clicks and gets the notice and can be put on the platform it deserves there will be a body of work and visual documentation that is there to tell our story. Who was involved in how we accomplished our goals with next to nothing.  This is a label built on passion experience and dedication.  All those involved have a vision and using our skills work together so that we can present the best version of ourselves and the artists we represent.

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We would like to thank Stuart Myers armed with a range of Cameras from Digital, Medium Format and a 35mm for his time and energy.

To follow up both Moe Loves LP and this years earlier release Dicemans ‘The Power Of Now’, we at King of the Beats are very proud to release the 3^rd lp from the Looking for the perfect beat series.  From the legendary group the Ultramagnetic M.C’s TR Love Presents ‘In Street Concentration’.

Imagine being a fly on the wall in Ced Gee Ultra lab as the group worked, experimented and developed their sound.  They contribution to Hip Hop was part of its Evolution.  TR Love presented a tape cassette that was recorded at the time.  It documents through the hands eyes and ears of TR LOVE his versions of some of the tracks that later appeared on the Iconic Classic ‘Critical Beatdown’. 

Some of his ideas that never made it too the album but as important, this lp gives examples of his mind state and vision as a programmer and beatmaker.

They helped create the blueprint, they changed the direction of hip hop music alongside producers like Marley Marl, 45 King and Jazzy Jay they pushed the boundaries of sample based music.

Here we present a behind the scenes look at the manufacturing of the record.  We would like to thank long time supporters Kev DaCosta and photographer Stuart Myers that joined me on the trip to the pressing plant.  Tha 4Orce for not just working on the LP but coming down to work with me pressing and packing the LP.  We are truly independent label,  From creating artwork, graphics photography and video.  We are involved in every process from original concept to delivering the end product to the market place.  We are the artists, delivering special packages direct to the consumer.

King of the Beats evolved over the years and changed its direction whilst working on tha 4Orces LP ‘Setting Standards’.  We decided to set the standard when it comes to creating a package that allows us not to just deliver musically but to equally deliver on visuals.

We would like to thank the Pressing Plant for allowing us to come in and film.  Phil East for his time and patience.  Breakbeat Lou, Marc Davis, Chris Malbon who all contributed to the film above.

We would like to thank everyone for your support.  Buy the LP here. 

KOTB 14

We proudly return with this special release Ultramagnetic M.Cs member The Funk Igniter TR Love presents IN STREETS CONCENTRATION.  A history lesson from one Hip Hops most interesting artists.

TR Love along side Pritt Kalsi put together this very special limited edition Vinyl Package that chonicles some early demos and experimental ideas that went onto changing the sound of hip hop. The Ultramagnetic M.Cs  were pioneers who played a huge part in the evolution of hip Hop sample based music.  This records I a music lesson, a journal through the eyes and ears of one of its members TR LOVE  This is his scrapbook, his beat tape.

As Ced Gee was developing the Ultralab he also taught and developed the groups members Moe Love and TR Love who both were serious music heads.  For the first time you will hear some of the session ideas personal versions of tracks as this music was being created.

Recorded from cassette tape and mastered by tha 4orce this is a beautiful time capsule collector’s item. This record is more than just an LP this is one for the archive.  The first 200 copies will feature 2 tracks from TR’s Tapes, two tracks that never made it on to the classic LP Critical Beatdown.

This is the 3^rd LP from the Soundtrack from the Film Looking for the Perfect Beat by Pritt Kalsi, to be released 2020.  The record will be shipped later this month.  Pre Order your copy now. Get in Early to get a free copy of the bonus 45.

We returned to the BBE Store to launch the second installment of the Setting Standards series Saturday, June 2019.  Special crew guests DJ Devastate, Mr. Higgs and Mr. Parker joined myself and host THA FORCE for the daytime event.  

We would like to personally thank the staff at BBE and those that came to support the days proceedings.  Archa, Keith, Gordon, Chris Read, Mantis among others who hung out with the crew.  We really appreciate the support.  Below are some shots from the day.

The 4orce and King of the Beats Records return to London’s Chip Shop to premier launch the follow up album to last years release Setting Standards. 

Setting Standards 2 follows in the footsteps of the first lp featuring many of the UK’s most promising talents.  This free event features many of the artists from the LP alongside special guests Normski who provided the photography for the album artwork and ever so delightful Artful fro who once again created and painted the artwork for the lyric book.

Come join the crew for the event, We will be releasing the vinyl lp at the event.  Setting Standards 2 is a limited edition pressing, which comes with a Bonus 45.  We will also be selling King of the Beats Release The Power of Now.

If you really like to support home grown talent as well as vinyl culture get down to this event.   We will be there all day so catch us for a bite to eat and a few drinks.

Saturday 27^th April.  Brixtons Chip Shop. 378 Coldhabour Lane.

One year later we are proud to release the second installment of Tha 4Orces Setting Standards project.  Setting Standards 2 featuring some of the UK prolific M.C’s.  

Featuring Jae Mann, Cyclonious, Sus Bully, Wan-Cee, Big Cakes, Gee-Bag, Poynt Black & Artcha again the lp features photography by UK legend Normski who also did the lp cover for the first LP.  The record package also contains a Lyric Book featuring art from the Artful Fro. This has been a labor of love for Tha 4orce who produced the project.

This time we offering two versions of the pressing, you can choose between light or dark vinyl.

The first 150 buyers will get a free 45′ featuring the Original version of ‘Good Guys Never Win’ featuring vocal, instrumental version plus a bonus drum break.  Here at King of the Beats we are aiming to give you more than your moneys worth in every project.  We work very hard to put these projects together.  If you would like to support the label and enjoy good Hip Hop Music please feel free to pre-order Setting Standards 2 here.

Every week since the official release of this lp The Power of Now we have been dropping a video. This week we are doing something special. To end the year and see in the new one. We are dropping today the Film Power of Now.

The film chonicles two Journey’s.  Diceman shares his vision, and some stories that lead up to making this album,  Pritt Kalsi’s Journey behind the scenes on how he manufactured the product as it happened.  The film also features some of the people who were also part of the journey who’s role and contribution helped make this project a very special one.  From Chris Malbon who worked on the cover art as well as Phil East a very unique character who was behind the pressing of the actual vinyl. 

Chris and Pritt went to school together and from pre – hip hop and graffiti would have drawing competition against each other as small children.  Both went on to study together, Chris further pursuing his career going onto be one of the worlds leading contemporary graphic designers, working for Nike, Disney and Marvel to name a few.

Phil East i was introduced to by Kevin Da Costa also featured in the film who is probably the longest serving vinyl pressing expert in the UK.  Over 30 years experience pressing records he allowed me to come to the plant not just to film the record be made but to learn and be taught how to do it.  its people like him that we often forget. but meeting him he explained how he likes to sit with a project listen to it over and over to work out the best settings to set his machine so to give present the record and the sound at its best. This is a man who is living the dream. He lives for his job and loves it.

Kevin De Costa helped a lot behind the scenes not just playing the middle man between me and the plant but more than that he throughout the project has kept both me and Dice on track.  making sure we kept the energy at high not loosing direction. He was was the first person to acknowledge and really see what me and Dice was trying to achieve.

The film also features Dicemans uncle Sinbad, one of the first and original members of the Black Spades who’s members later went onto to birth and set the foundation of the culture we know as hip hop.  Sinbad belonged to the very first chapter and division of the Black Spades working closely to Disco King Mario. As Jazzy put it to me, these were the guys before him. The guys they took over from.  Years before i was told about Sinbad via Moe Love and Marc Davis who along side Rooney Todd suggested to me i should look for him to do an interview with him as he is one of the very important people who helped found this culture that never gets talked about.  It turns out he was Dicemans uncle.  Dice coming from the Bronx and as a child under his uncles wing would and did experience hip hop as it was being built. He was the child on the right side of the ropes at Jams getting a look at the very early DJ’s and M.Cs rocking these events.

Also featured is the group the Legion. Members Molecules and Chucky Smash get a first look at the project.  That trip to NYC was not just about me going over there to shoot the videos for the album but to present the album finished.  Unfortunately we got the press the record a week after i came back so I had to think fast and go to NYC with a mock up  getting a one off pressed.  I was able to show some of my mentors and friends the album and where i was going as far as presenting music on my label.

The film features Jazzy Jay and Moe Love who we did and evening together going through the album twice to get their feedback.  Likewise the film features the moment i presented the test pressing to Jay King who was actually the first winner of the king of the beats events who worked together with Key Figures on the skit on the exit of side A.  Andy Higgs Photographer and DJ who is part of this family was also there.

The film also features veteran giant DJ Eclipse who has been championing underground hip hop music for many years on NYC airwaves.  He managed the Legion and also has a leading role at Fat Beats.  Prior to this meeting he was kept in the dark as far this album was concerned and that this time was us revealing the project to him.  Dice had arranged a meeting with him and the group.  I was there filming the whole thing.  In the Past i have worked 2 times with Eclipse and never spoke to each other.  That was at 2 Zulu Nation Events. We literary would be on each end of speakers carrying them out together and loading up the van and never speaking.  We both had a job to do.  My memory of him and the impression those times i had with him was that he was a grafter.  He loves this hip hop thing just as i do.

But this time was the first time we had the chance to sit with each other and engage in conversation.  I chose to make him a major character in the film as offered a lot of honest great insight, advice and direction to us both.  I know that beyond the radio show for years Eclipse has been mentoring many artists. Some we know as house hold names and many who never made it. Looking through the view finder I was capturing him at work.  He wants us to succeed.  It was a real pleasure to have that expeience and share that platform.  I got learn a few things.  There i was thinking we can just role up and get onto radio, In the Uk those channels are a lot easier, as i discovered there are months of planning and programming gone ahead into putting on a radio show.

Overall I present this film, it captured a moment and i hope you will be able to see and gage the work that we put into making this record.  We are true independents.  We are the experienced underdogs.  I would like to thank my friend the original 2000. A. Dee the Artful Dodger who came over while ive been sick to help me see this film though.

Thanks to Keith, Malcolm. Tommo, Tha 4Orce, Casz, Damian, Jay, 2000 A .Dee Andy Higgs,  Jay Stephenson, Dexter and Lee Crawford who encouraged me to get this film done while i been sick

This was the last track we recorded making the album Power of Now.  I found the sample in the Diskery and wanted to use this for a skit, Once I added the James Brown interview it manifested into something else.  It is important to both me and Dice to create a music that uplifts your soul and lifts your spirits.  His voice is a powerful tool and we choose to exercise it.

Get your copy of Power of Now here.