Offwhyte - Bow to the Sceptor CD + EP
November 15, 2004 by Dallas Jackson

Offwhyte - "Bow to the Sceptor" CD + EP
Relase date: December 14, 2004

Songs of revolution have always been born in tumultuous times. In this era of an ongoing war, highly polarized politics, and an overall sense of general uncertainty, emotions run high in the veins of the average American citizen.

Enter "Bow to the Sceptor", the title track of Offwhyte’s latest offering. A song that is part spoken word and part double-time lyrical frenzy, the raw angst of the frustrated masses is voiced heavily in this landmark work, as "blatant protests go unannounced, someone’s got checks to bounce and disgust has reached a new level of subtlety, redundantly!" Laced with dark production reminiscent of a 23 rd Century snake charmer, "Bow to the Sceptor" is meant to capture the feeling of urgency, anxiousness and need for change that many of us Americans feel today.

Offwhyte has been getting more and more prolific as a songwriter ever since the worldwide success of his 2002 album, The Fifth Sun . The seven-song EP springs to life with "Kept", pairing Offwhyte with G4 veteran Meaty Ogre for an intentionally overdramatic track, where Offwhyte spits pieces of lush imagery depicting a perfect home environment. On "Kid is Raw", Offwhyte makes a proclamation of dues paid, declaring himself and his crew an undisputed pillar in the Chicago hip hop community. "On Purpose" is an essay on true b-boyism, self-produced by Offwhyte.

In an effort to represent his highly talented and close-knit crew, the EP also features a track by Galapagos4 artist Mestizo - "Rival Ritual" produced by DJ White Lightning. This track is a declaration, meant to convey Galapagos4’s dominance within the underground community, in which Mestizo also references the "Sceptor".

The production on the EP brings forth some of the newer talent on Galapagos4. "Bow to the Sceptor" is produced by Kip Killagain and Morphus of Arizona jungle/dnb crew Ruff Sumptn’, and "Kid is Raw" is produced by up and coming LA beatsmith Mike Gao.

added by: Dallas Jackson

Typical Cats - Civil Service CD + LP
September 27, 2004 by Dallas Jackson

Typical Cats - Civil Service CD + LP
G4CD0027 - Release Date October 26, 2004
G4LP0027 - Release Date November 16, 2004

It has been four long years since their now-classic debut Typical Cats dropped on Chicago hip hop label Galapagos4. Successful solo projects and worldwide tours have only whetted the appetites of the legions of fans eagerly anticipating the follow up. The time has come, and the Cats have a message.

Attention Citizens of Hip Hop (Nation Within a Nation):

We have waged a rebel resistance to that cynical enemy of the listeners and true heads "the Establishment" for decades now. Our enemy, fully aware that the people need beats and rhymes to live, has embarked on a campaign of sonic terrorism, flooding minds and airwaves with pollutants while grudgingly distributing real hip hop in tainted and dwindling doses. In order to combat this toxic status quo and restructure the underground network that is the last hope for our rebel tribes, we have dispatched our most highly skilled team of operatives under the code name Typical Cats . Representatives Qwel, Qwazaar, denizen kane and DJ Natural (along with special delegate Kid Knish) have spent the four years since the last restructuring effort in the field and have now been authorized to administer an emergency plan effective immediately to:

1) Eradicate the underground of the Establishment's clone minions

2) Create an infrastructure with which to bring our Movement above ground

3) Bring an end to the chaos of the warring tribes and effectively bring the disputed territories under rebel control

The science of this nation-building initiative is to be distributed in a disc form entitled Civil Service . The disc will contain explicit and coded information technology capable both of disabling Establishment operatives and activating rebel representatives and stations in one precise deployment. Civil Service is a series of ongoing tasks of utmost importance to the survival and eventual victory of our nation within a nation. In a time of heightened crisis such as this, it is a form of struggle through self-government, a collective orchestration of success as we define it, and our response to the Establishment's shadow war on its own people.

Citizens: Our existence has become conflict itself, and our Enemy interprets our independence as hostility. Nothing could be further from the truth. Our independence is simply an expression of humanity in a bleak and alien environment. We are fulfilling the broken promises of the Establishment. We are the architects of our future, the makers of sound. The Most loves not the boastful. Civil Service for the hopeful.

Peace , the Service.

added by: Dallas Jackson

Typical Cats - Easy Cause It Is 12-inch
August 23, 2004 by Jeff

NEW TYPICAL CATS!!
12" single - Typical Cats "Easy Cause It Is" b/w "Justice Coming" & "Butterfly Knives"

This 12" is available now at the product page!
In stores worldwide soon!
The full length album "Civil Service" CD & 2LP drops October 26 2004

Audio:
Easy Cause It Is
Justice Coming
Butterfly Knives

added by: Jeff

Harvest release party
August 11, 2004 by Jeff

Harvest release party Chicago @ Fireside Bowl

added by: Jeff

Qwel and Maker - The Harvest CD + LP
July 21, 2004 by Jeff

NEW RELEASE FROM GALAPAGOS4:
August 17 2004 - G40025 - Qwel & Maker "The Harvest"
CD & 2xLP (vinyl in September)

"But brothers would it kill us to change?"

Harvest season is upon us, and as we all know, you reap what you sow. Our culture has made a mockery of itself. True art has been replaced by glamour and glitz (where’s the gold?); money has taken precedent over blood, sweat and talent. You are being cheated. You are not being given the choice. You are only shown the plastic mold, the mass-produced robot that replaced the man. It’s time for change.

"Then we sell ’em fish a noun instead of teach ’em fish a verb"

This album marks a return to a more up front rap style for Qwel, using Maker’s soulful boom-bap productions as the guide. The point is delivered with precision, both sonically and lyrically. Qwel delves deep into wordplay while maintaining his narrative focus and breakneck delivery. Maker, a proficient producer, has upped the ante and created a lush and rich tapestry of beats, which range in style from in your face to subtle and serene. The plot has thickened; consider yourself warned.

"Now’s the season, ain’t no reason for doubt, shit, If you ain’t ’bout it ’bout it, you about to get drowned kid"

added by: Jeff