For Issue 31, we talk to some of music's most mysterious figures. Cover artist Shuggie Otis tells the engaging tale of his rise to stardom and descent from the spotlight. We also look behind the mask at rapper-in-disguise MF DOOM, and we catch up with funky-disco icon Patrick Adams, the man behind many underground hits.

Wax Poetics is available at Boundless NY.

Bad Brains, Elvis, and much much more. The Rock issue, from Wax Poetics. Available now at Boundless NY.

New York Arts and design. Kid Cudi, 5 Boro, Cey Adams, and MUCH MUCH MORE. Available at Boundless NY.

With bright colors for summer heat, Wax Poetics 29 blasts into the funky avant-garde with Herbie Hancock and his Mwandishi band, written by producer Kirk Degiorgio. Mark Skillz returns with another old-school hip-hop cover feature: Spoonie Gee lit up the streets with his tales of gritty realism. Get your Waxpoetics at Boundless NY.

Tomorrow People
Next 100

Jay Electronica
& B.O.B. - The Deeper South
Erykah Badu- America Girl
Atmosphere New Album
Nacotheque- The Spanish Misshapes
BUN B: UGK Survivor
Mos Def- Tribute to Dilla

Check for Boundless inside this issue

The Look Book
See: Hear: Wear
The Cool Kids- Time for the 80s babies
Roxy Cottontail- on the party trail
Amanda Blank- Clean Name, Dirty Mind
Moby- The Raver Strikes Back
Barley Legal in the UK
Hot Chip: Drawn Together
Burial: The New Low

Don't Mess with Texas.

XLR8R goes down to Texas and gets the skinny from the mayor of the dirty south, Bun B. We also hit the streets of Minnesota with Atmosphere and the shoe shops of S.F. with Lyrics Born. We check in with M83’s Anthony Gonzales and fellow Francophone Miss Kittin, then speak with photographer extraordinaire Paul Hartnett, Kelpe, Jamie Lidell, Jeremy Jay, Bird Peterson, Ghostland Observatory, and more. It's a trip!

Hip Hop Issue: Dec/Jan 2008. 9th Wonder, Ralph McDaniels, Devin the Dude, Evidence, Alchemist, Just Blaze, Barrington Levy... This is a collectors item. Get it here.

Dubstep Special

Poster boys Skream and Benga, Caspa & Rusko, and Cluekid and Cotti are just a few of the many names we feature in this definitive look at the scene. We also check in with Glass Candy, Valet, Dennis Ferrer, and Karizma, and then head across the world to get the lowdown on Brazil’s Sany Pitbull and Israel’s Kutiman. Pedestrian expounds on the genius of N.W.A., and we try to figure out what the hell is up with powerviolence.

12 oz Prophet Presents "Also Known As". Packed with never before seen content, Also Known As volume 1.5- The offical Bootleg series picks right up where the instant classic first volume left off. The all new and all exclusive contributions are artfully presented with more of the printing prowess that everyone has come to expect from the AKA Crew. Fueling the fire, AlSO KNOWN AS Volume 1.5 showcases the very best from vandalism to sneakers, and from art to more vandalism. Spotlights: Ket, Desa, Earsnot, Reas Aka Todd James, Kaws, Struggle Inc., KR, Barry Mcgee, Skuf, and more. Contents: 96 page book and assorted stickers, specially sealed in flavor-saver packaging.

Bill Withers from the soul, Herbie Mann,Detroit Techno, Brazilian Soul, Cut Chemist, Studio One.

Mighty Mandrill get their due on the front cover of Wax Poetics Features this time around include bits on Marcos Valle, Andy Smith, Leroy Burgess, Oh No, Larry Harlow, Eddie Cheba, Joe Sample, Herman Hitson, and others -- a great mix of jazz, funk, soul, Latin, Brazilian, and hip hop elements.

Issue 13, Summer Issue: The Meters, Eric B & Rakim, King Jammy, Gary McFarland, Sharon Jones, JVC Force, Panama Funk and more!

Battles on the cover. Equally as perplexing as Battles’ rhythms are those of London jagged jazzists Soil & Pimp and Brah! Records. XLR8r met Justin Broadrick of Jesu, and nu-disco experimenters Joakim and Michoacan. Other features include the new school of Detroit hip-hop, Explosions in the Sky, Tracey Thorn, a Vis-Ed feature by Friendswithyou, and we go around the world to discover Brazilian tecno brega.

Rick James gets slapped on the cover, along with features on everyone from your favorite classic records (Ramp, Gary Davis, Bunny Lee, Chico Hamilton) and from your favorite new ones (DJ Spinna, Black Milk, Thes One, Sa-Ra).

Wax Poetics is still holding it down for the funk aficionados out there. Inside you'll find in depth articles on collector faves the Skull Snaps, round two with Axelrod, Jamaican Bassist Jackie Jackson, the soulful Bobbi Humphrey, the ladies of disco 12's, plus DJ Cash Money ridiculous collections (not just records). Oh yea, the super-funky Mizell Brothers take the cover story.

Featuring interviews with Montgomery Express, Antibalas, Beastie Boys and many more...

Dancehall giant Sizzla graces the cover this month. Also featured: El-P, Paul Epworth, Greensleeves celebrates 30 years, TTC, Baltimore's buck wild warehouse party scene, Burlesque Design, forgotten heroes of the Wu-Tang clique, an Ito style shoot, Einsturzende Neubauten, Crystal Castles, Wowch, RJD2, LCD Soundsystem, and Henrik Schwarz.

To kick off 2008, Oakland’s imitable indie rockers Xiu Xiu grace XLR8R's Jan/Feb cover. They also get the real deal from Deerhunter’s Bradford Cox and his Atlas Sound side-gig. Then, they interview dancehall’s hottest young star, Munga, before chatting it up with Heralds of Change, Boy 8-Bit, Yeasayer, James Pants, The Pack, and Jay Haze. Plus, some fine pics of stylish indie movers and shakers like Telepathe, Crunc Tesla, Soft Circle, and more.

Producer Dave “Switch” Taylor tops the list for 2007’s best artist, but there’s a lot more where he came from. XLR8R chats with Claude VonStroke, White Williams, Boys Noize, David Shrigley, DJ Food, Kid Acne, and Matt Furie, and get top-tens from Black Moth Super Rainbow, Pissed Jeans, selekta Max Glaser, and tons more.