Not since the days of Bobby Konders’ and Kenny “Dope” Gonzalez’s ragga-hip-hop hybrids of the early to mid-’90s has the US-Jamaica bashment connection seemed so energized as it does with Brooklyn producer Dre Skull’s Mixpak label.
-XLR8R Magazine

Mixpak Records is a taste-making hub for our time. Modern, dimensional, and mosaic-like, Mixpak brings together influences from the worlds of club music, dancehall, rap and beyond and gives them the shared roof of a common home. Like Raphael’s famous painting, The School of Athens, the Mixpak artists represent a powerhouse of sounds that exhibit the label’s distinct branches of breakthrough urban and electronic music, as well as alternative culture.

With brand new releases and collaborations slated for this year, Mixpak Records is revving up to be the record label to watch for in 2012. Founded by Dre Skull in early 2009, the Brooklyn-based imprint is the natural extension of both his work as a producer exploring numerous genres and his extensive international touring as a DJ.

As Dre Skull describes: “When I started Mixpak, I wanted to build something that could bridge many different worlds. With the music industry undergoing some cataclysmic shifts, there are interesting opportunities for creativity and we’re trying to play in that space”.

The Mixpak approach is innovative and unique, where younger, unknown talent that are new to the industry are put on a level playing field with big name artists such as Lil Scrappy and Vybz Kartel. Not only are these artists at different levels of their careers, but they also involved in contrasting, complementary, and unique styles of music. Additionally, the Mixpakrecords.com blog is a forum for great commentary and content on these cutting edge artists and the scenes they emerge from.

The Mixpak catalogue is an ever-growing testament to this diversity. In 2009 Mixpak released singles from Dre Skull, Sticky and Sissy Nobby, with 2010 bringing in the additions of young guns Mele, Cory Blaine, Warrior One and Lil Scrappy all releasing EPs.

2011 saw the release of the much-anticipated Vybz Kartel full length Kingston Story, produced entirely by Dre Skull, that reached as far and wide as the cover of The Fader, the pages of the New York Times, the airwaves of Hot 97 and the Billboard charts. The second single from the LP, ‘Half On A Baby’ was remixed by some of the underground’s best, and was even joined by a verse from Pusha T. After releasing EPs from young producer Andy Petr, Germany’s Schlachtofbronx and Koyote, the year ended with the exclusive signing of Texas’ Dubbel Dutch and the release of his first Mixpak EP, Hymn.

Committed to bringing you the freshest collaborations and sounds, Mixpak will be pushing things forward in 2012, with releases from Popcaan, Poirier, Douster, the launch of the Mixpak Pressure compilation series and more…Listen up!