Grindin' and Full/Frequency (the team who have brought you the likes of Oddisee, Apollo Brown, Blu & House Shoes, Mr. Thing), in conjunction with Stones Throw Records, brings you a special treat - Detroit heavyweight GUILTY SIMPSON and Invada Records boss KATALYST. Supported by Flawlezz, Nix and Context.

GUILTY SIMPSON
For years Guilty Simpson has been a rock on the Detroit hip-hop circuit alongside those such as J Dilla, Slum Village, Eminem (whom Guilty still calls "Marshall") & D12, Obie Trice, Proof, Phat Kat and Black Milk. A member of the Almighty Dreadnaughtz crew, Guilty emerged as a sound to be reckoned with after linking with producer Dilla in 2001. In the midst of recording an album's worth of material on the MC - including the recently released duet "Take Notice" off of Dilla's heralded Ruff Draft album - Dilla gave Simpson his first appearance on disc with "Strapped" (from 2003's Jaylib album).

2006 marked his allegiance with Stones Throw Records - at Dilla's behest - and appearances on both Chrome Children installments and subsequent tour. It's taken years, but finally Simpson's full-length solo debut, Ode to the Ghetto, brings him worldwide, chronicling a life led in the rough-hewn city that birthed him.

Featuring an all-star cast of producers normally reserved for those signed to six-figure deals (J Dilla, Madlib, Denaun Porter of D-12), Ode to the Ghetto marks an evolution, incorporating a more topical and thought-provoking persona in addition to the extra-savage braggadocio Simpson is known for. "I want to make the consumer care about the music again," the 31-year-old explains.

KATALYST

Producing since the mid nineties, Sydney based Ashley Anderson aka Katalyst initially under the moniker of Moonrock, releasing a self titled album in early '98 to critical acclaim, and went on to contribute tracks to the internationally renowned "Cafe Del Mar" and "Dope on Plastic" compilation's.

May 2002 saw the release of the Katalyst's debut album Manipulating Agent. The first release for INVADA Records, a label formed by himself and Geoff Barrow of Portishead fame, the album received much critical acclaim. Receiving an ARIA nomination, also winning "Best Producer" and "Best Album" at the 2002 Australian DMA's.

In 2007 Katalyst released the long awaited follow up album What's Happening enlisting guest vocalists from the US, the UK and Australia including J-Live, Stephanie McKay, Steve Spacek, Supernatural, Diverse, Katie Noonan, Mat McHugh (The Beautiful Girls), Adalita (Magic Dirt), Hau (Koolism) and more. What's Happening was nominated for the prestigious J Award (JJJ) followed by another ARIA nomination in 2008.

What's Happening was picked up for worldwide release by tastemaker label BBE Records in the UK. The collaboration with Steve Spacek on the album was in Giles Peterson's top 20 tracks for 2008. Katalyst went on to form a group with Spacek called Space Invadas. Their debut album Soul Fi received an ARIA nomination. Released in 2010 worldwide on INVADA / BBE Records.

His third and final album in the Katalyst trilogy was entitled Deep Impressions and released in 2011 on INVADA / BBE. Guests include Stephanie McKay, Bootie Brown (Pharcyde), Buff 1, Steve Spacek, Coin Locker Kid, Kween G, Jane Doe, Hau and Mr Clean. Again the album was met with critical acclaim both in Australia and abroad.

Quakers is a hip-hop collective whose first album boasted 35 member's which orbits around a core of three producers: Fuzzface, 7-Stu-7 and Katalyst. Fuzzface is better known as Portishead's founder and producer Geoff Barrow. 7-Stu-7 is Portishead's engineer and in-house producer at Invada Records in the UK. Some of the 32 MCs on the record include Dead Prez, Phat Kat, Guilty Simpson, Jonwayne, Prince Po and Booty Brown to name just a handful. The album received world-wide critical acclaim and was listed on many influential Best Album of 2012 lists such as Giles Peterson's Best of 2012 and iTunes UK "Best New Hip Hop Act" and many others.

Katalyst has since been busy in the studio working on the next Quakers release, which will again feature around 30 world class MC's. As well as another project for Stones Throw Records. Both releases due out in the early part of 2015, along with another Space Invadas album with Steve Spacek.