Worms Ali & Retrogott - Another Day in the City (CD)

Retrogott tells the story behind the album:

Around 2020, doom scrolling turned into dope scrolling when I came across a clip of a young man standing on a street corner holding a handwritten sign: "Support Your Local Hip-Hop Artist" and “Rap CDs – $10.”

The music was by Worms Ali, a West Coast underground MC whose grassroots hustle reminded me of Too $hort and other Bay Area artists who built their fan bases selling tapes directly in the streets. I loved Ali's independent spirit as much as his music: timeless flow, rhymes with character and a clear love for raw beats.

Around the same time, I had started experimenting with the SP-1200, stacking beats built from dusty samples, chopped loops and hard drums — the sound that made me fall in love with Hip-Hop. I wanted to hear an American MC over them. Not because Hip-Hop belongs within borders, but because, much like Jazz, it is a Black American art form at its roots, while its power has always been to cross cultural and national boundaries.

I reached out to Ali through social media and sent him some beats. Before long, we recorded our first track, “Wesside Hashtag.” One song became another, until it was obvious we should make an album.

There was no label, A&R, manager or calculated plan — just two artists from different parts of the world connecting through a shared love for Hip-Hop.

That is how Worms Ali & Retrogott’s nine-track album "Another Day in the City" came to life.

Musically, it stays true to that connection: jazzy, laid-back boom bap, dusty SP-1200 textures, warm samples and raw drums behind Ali’s effortless West Coast flow. Across nine tracks, different themes and moods capture snapshots of everyday life.

To me, that is the beauty of Hip-Hop: a culture that travels across oceans and generations, connecting people through beats, rhymes and the craft. No industry setup needed — just a connection, a stack of beats and the desire to create.