News Bits: Roots Manuva Returns, Myka 9 Premiers Group

British emcee Roots Manuva was considered by Hip Hop Connection magazine to have released his country's greatest rap song, in the form of "Witness (One Hope)." Since that effort in 2001, Roots has released several albums on the Big Dada label, but considers his forthcoming Slime & Reason.

With this record I was trying to tune into that old Channel One, Studio One aesthetic. Lord knows what they were drinking, smoking or eating or what they were doing or what was on their mind but to me that was a special period in music. Today, with the technology thats available its pretty easy to make generic music, music that sounds like everything else. But to tap into a unique aesthetic, to make a long player thats of its own world is a harder job. How do we make it have an individual sound?," says the Roots Manuva of the album's inspiration, predating Hip Hop. Slime & Reason is in stores September 30.

In other independent Hip Hop news, Freestyle Fellowship alum Myka 9 is joining DJ Drez and JtheSarge to form The Magic Heart Genies, with their release The Heartifacts.

Myka and I met at show in Humboldt County, explains emcee JtheSarge. I hired him to do a few songs for my record label, High Art Records, and we built on our musical relationship from there.

The group employs live guitars, drummers and a horn section for this release. The Heartifacts drops October 21 digitally.