After a decade-and-a-half of sustaining classic hip-hop and soul traditions and expanding them into the next generation, MMG has built a reputation as one of the last dependable bastions of quality. Its latest label compilation, Omakase, plays into the idea commonly found in the finest sushi restaurants: trust the chef. When you sit down at the bar, you don’t need to wrack your brain about what to order; you can put your faith that the freshest and best cuts will wind up on your plate.

With Omakase, MMG carefully balances the brilliance of their past with a boundary-pushing vision of its future. Familiar mainstays appear like Apollo Brown, Raheem DeVaughn, Marlowe (L'Orange & Solemn Brigham), Namir Blade, Denmark Vessey, Nolan, and Stalley. But there are also neck-swiveling heaters and occult hymns from other rising talents of the underground like YUNGMORPHEUS, Fatboi Sharif, and Fly Anakin. While the legendary Danny Brown incinerates 16-bars on an all-city burner alongside his fellow Detroit native, Paradime – the latest MMG signee.

Unlike most label anthologies that are little more than a scattered collection of bonus tracks, Omakase represents the culmination of a journey. Once pandemic restrictions were lifted, the label chief Mello hit the road, visiting different artists and cities in search of inspirations to stretch the parameters of the label’s possibilities. In each city, Mello went crate-digging, hit underground shows, and ate a few exquisite meals from Michelin-starred sushi chefs. The odyssey took him from Austin to Detroit, San Francisco to L.A. Miami to Phoenix – chasing eclectic sounds and rare wax, linking with artists, and attending shows for everyone from Alfa Mist to Pale Jay, Bobby Oroza to Kamasi Washington.