Straight from the juicy green hills of Heidelberg comes this fruitful imprint, peddling the freshest produce from Germany’s burgeoning underground Hiphop scene. Officially clouding the airwaves since 2012 Radio Juicy was initially launched as a weekly radio show, but with the support of like-minded Urban Waves Records, quickly evolved into a top-notch record label, releasing dope productions on the regular and bringing forth cream of the crop instrumental beats as well as low-slung raps from across the nation and beyond.

Handpicked selections ranging from old school boombap, jazz and vintage golden era gems to futuristic, hazy soundscapes and dirty lo-fi aesthetics, Radio Juicy’s refined assortment is always in season. Their radio shows are up for grabs as are many of their releases available digitally as well as in limited formats via cassette or vinyl.

Featuring a high-rolling roster of talent including the likes of Wun Two, FloFilz, Bluestaeb, Mad Brains and Chester Watson, here are my personal favorites that I suggest you spend some quality time with:

First off, I’ve really been digging Minden-bred flaneur Pawcut‘s first solo LP Maverick, especially the tracks blessed with gorgeous piano samples alias Maverick, Touchdown and Bumblebee. Some of these cuts are so beautifully arranged they’re borderline romantic. Pawcut’s feel for the crates is quite something as he curates and pieces together this beat-laden saloon narrative of the perpetual outsider: Cinematic jazz, grounded in boombap, with its head in the clouds. It’s beautiful and it’s dirty.

German rap lovers will appreciate this superbly obscene 12-track offering by Joe Space and Drumtomski dubbed Nudus Cactus, aka acupuncture for the soul: Sticky rhymes, succulent beats and crafty cuts bring the cotton-mouthed ruckus to your area. Aw yeah, said your mother.

This debut release by Funkbademeister and Count Lazy from Switzerland literally made my last summer. Call them the Funklifesavers because, quite frankly, that’s what they are. A superfine blend of tapeworthy beats and jazzy samples with effervescent poolside swag, you’re going to want to bring your boombox and an extra tube of sunscreen along for the ride. Keep it silky-smooth yo.

Last but not least here are some Bavarian basement vibes to keep you all lifted. Get bent on Smiling Street MC Kuchenmann‘s jungle gym lyrics and 15-year-old prodigy Vertiqua‘s melodic lo-fi beats as they join forces to gift you their Lisa EP. Are you ready for the South?

Time to get your a** over to the Radio Juicy juice bar and sip on some cold-pressed tunes.

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