Playlist #1: electro-hop new and brand new

Enough talking of indie and alternative from the cool kids, it's time to put on some baggy t-shirts and gold chains. Even with the success of Kanye West and Jay-Z, hip-hop hasn’t been able to make it into ‘in’ status since the 50 cent/ Eminem hungover from the less enlightened years in the early noughties. Almost feeling like proving a murder suspect’s innocence, this list includes (and also deliberately excludes) some of the best (but not widely known) names in underground hip-hop (Mos Def, Common) as well as glitch-hop (edIT, Nosaj Thing) and instrumental hop (Two Fingers, Hudson Mohawke) which are somewhat overshadowed by the blanket genre ‘electronic’. You might also find some delightful Jazz influence in Erykah Badu and Gil Scott-Heron, both have brought out exceptional albums earlier this spring. The club favourite Major Lazer and some borderline mainstream such as Kid Cudi and Amanda Blank.

To combat the indie and post-whatever overdose, enjoy this mix with some disco lights and old school gangster outfits. To finish it off check out one of the top new rapper of 2009- Pill, and his self-released album 4075 the refill available for free download.