Shuko

It's a shame that hip-hop heads tend to have only a U.S.-focused appreciation of that which is dearest to their heart. Ever since the late '80s/early '90s, hip-hop has been alive and well overseas. In some arenas, it's kicking American hip-hop's butt. Fact.

Reppin' Germany, producer/engineer/publisher Shuko is a hip-hop heavyweight even if you don't recognize his name. He's worked with Talib Kweli, Vinnie Paz, Heltah Skeltah, and Lil' Wayne and has been known to put together a mean instrumentals album or two. As the man told KevinNottingham.com, you can't put his "music in a drawer."

His latest instrumentals album, Sleepless, will leave you just that as you struggle to remain awake to listen to it on repeat. In affiliation with Jakarta Records, who are also partnered with our boy L'Orange, Shuko has dropped a video called "The House," directed by Greg Solenstrom, for his track "Thor" off of Sleepless.

If you appreciate the hard-hitting head-bobbing of the video for "Thor," make sure to check out Shuko's album below. It's jam-packed with sounds that show off his fascination for Dre and DJ Khaled and which skirt between a mainstream and underground approach to producing.