This week, Stu Bangas & Vanderslice released their new album, Diggaz With Attitude. The long-hyped project is proving to be worth the wait; the two producers’ shared love for sinister chops and heavy drums pairs well with the album’s impressive line-up of guests, a list that includes Roc Marciano, The Alchemist, Evidence, Apathy, Ill Bill, Celph Titled, Blaq Poet, Esoteric, and more. To celebrate release this week, the two producers are now releasing the video for the album’s latest single, “Half Dead,” which features Apathy, Roc Marciano, and Planet Asia.

For listeners not yet familiar with Diggaz With Attitude, “Half Dead” is a perfect example of what fans can look forward to with the album. Track producer Stu Bangas sets the tone from jump, letting an old rock sample run, before quickly – and deftly – chopping it up into a descent of piano keys and bass. Apathy takes the first verse (“Ill as Jason Bourne when I’m blacking out,” he raps), while Roc Marciano holds down the second verse, bars full of the slick drug talk that fans have come to love. Planet Asia takes hook duties on the track, also delivering the song’s closing verse. The video, directed by R.M.L., offers a fitting visual for the song, with gritty, dimly lit shots of the three trading bars, joined by cameos from Rhymefest, Xzibit, and more.

Production duo Stu Bangas and Vanderslice have been providing beats for the underground set for the last couple of years, and with their debut album, Diggaz With Attitude, they call on some of those same collaborators to return the favor. With a guest list that reads like the HipHopSite.Com 12” vinyl section circa 2002, a strong team of now seasoned emcees helps round out the duo’s brand of brooding production.

With many fan favorites in the mix, there are some classic posse cuts included herein. By far the album’s greatest achievement is “The Gusto”, which boasts a guest list of Evidence, Roc Marciano, Apathy, and Alchemist, which, if you aren’t reading the tracklist as you listen, leaves your jaw on the floor with the arrival of each new emcee. The same can be said for the similarly styled “Half Dead”, which again teams Apathy with Roc Marciano, as well as Planet Asia. Later on “1st Degree”, Roc Marciano chimes in once again, sharing mic duties with Celph Titled and Vinnie Paz, while the dire “Death Wish” with Wais P, Ill Bill and Blaq Poet helps round out this series as some of the best underground posse cuts in recent memory.

Some of the other collaborations aren’t as much of a stretch, such as “Pharoah Status” with AOTP members Esoteric and DC trading barbs, or “The Realest”, which is essentially a La Coka Nostra 2012 cut. While these tracks satisfy, the album does have it’s share of filler, as we’ve heard better tracks in the past from Blacastan (“Spy Hunter”), Reef The Lost Cauze (“Black Lung Rap” or Wais P (“Okay, Player”), than what is presented here.

But while Stu and Vander draw their strengths largely from their collaborators, really what Diggaz With Attitude is meant to do is show off their production skill, and it accomplishes this. While the album is not a certified classic, for a compilation record, it does a great job of sewing everything together like a true album, and is a sign of even greater things from the duo yet to come.

The first half of 2012 has proven to be a triumphant year for Man Bites Dog Records, and now, the burgeoning hip-hop label is excited to announce a string of forthcoming releases. The rest of the year promises to be busy, as the label prepares for high profile releases from MHz Legacy, Stu Bangas & Vanderslice, Wais P, Bronze Nazareth, and Double AB & Dub Sonata.

Man Bites Dog Records first emerged in 2010, establishing its presence with the release of Killah Priest’s Three Day Theory and Copywrite’s Life and Times of Peter Nelson. With both albums receiving critical acclaim, MBDR followed the next year with Vast Aire’s OX 2010: A Street Odyssey, and in 2012, the label has continued to roll, with a new album from Copywrite, God Save The King, in addition to The Swashbuckler LP, from producers Kount Fif & R.M.L.

On August 7th, Copywrite will release God Save The King: Proper English Version, a remixed re-release of God Save The King that includes features from high profile UK artists such as Context, Dru Blu, Mystro, and SAS. On August 28th, producers Stu Bangas & Vanderslice will release Diggaz With Attitude, featuring Roc Marciano, The Alchemist, Evidence, Apathy, Ill Bill, Vinnie Paz, Blaq Poet, Celph Titled, Esoteric, and more. Their video for lead single “The Gusto,” featuring a who’s-who in the hip hop world with Apathy, Roc Marciano, The Alchemist, and Evidence, racked up over 20k views in the first 72 hours it was released on YouTube.

On September 18th, MBDR will release the latest effort from rapper Double AB, Media Showers, a collaborative effort with producer Dub Sonata that includes features from Cannibal Ox, Evidence, Rhymefest, Sean Price, and more. The duo’s first video, for the single “Lord Knows What” with Roc Marciano, will be released in the coming weeks.

On October 9th, Wais P, will release his debut solo album Pimpin’ Saved My Life. The album will include production from Harry Fraud, Statik Selektah, The Bizness, Stu Bangas, and Vanderslice, and the project will also include guest features from the likes of Action Bronson, Smoke DZA, Joey Bada$$, Kokaine, and more. Prior to the album’s release, Wais P will release a free mixtape, Pussy Rich.

To wrap a productive fourth quarter, MBDR will release their biggest album to date, a new album from MHz Legacy, the beloved Ohio crew that includes Copywrite, RJD2, Jakki Da Motamouth, Tage Future, and Camu Tao, who passed away in 2008. Despite serving as one of the most influential collection of artists in underground hip-hop for over a decade, MHz, to date, has released only one album, Table Scraps, which was a collection of singles and b-sides. This new album is expected to offer some of the artists’ most accomplished work-to-date. Although not yet finished, the album is currently slated to include production from RJD2, Harry Fraud, Marco Polo, Stu Bangas and Illmind, in addition to features from Ill Bill & Slaine (La Coka Nostra), Oh No, and Slug. Longtime fans of the group will also be happy to hear that the group ensured that Camu Tao’s voice be heard and thus incorporated never before heard verses on several songs.

As Man Bites Dog Records uses the rest of 2012 to solidify itself as one of independent hip-hop’s premier labels, the label expects even bigger things for 2013 and beyond. “Making an impact in the music business takes a lot of hard work and talent from a whole team of people,” says label founder R.M.L. “We’re lucky to work with talented artists that have been working hard to make music that will impact the future. I am truly excited for all our fans, new and old.”