Isaac Hayes wrote “Do Your Thing” for the soundtrack to Gordon Parks’ 1971 blaxploitation film Shaft. Hayes initially wanted to be cast in the movie but Parks sent footage for him to write music for and gave him a cameo. Parks and MGM liked the first few songs Hayes composed for the movie and they eventually hired him to score the whole film. The soundtrack was released in 1971 and was the first double album of original music from a Black artist. It was five years before Stevie Wonder’s Songs In The Key of Life and four before Earth, Wind & Fire’s Gratitude. Shaft hit number one on the Billboard 100 and R&B Albums chart, went platinum within a month, and won two Grammys for Best Engineered Recording, Non-Classical, and Best Instrumental Arrangement. Hayes became the first Black person to win an Oscar in a non-acting category for the theme song from Shaft that won for Best Original Song.

Shaft made a way for soul music to feature prominently in movies and it would only be a year later when Gordon Parks Jr. would hire Curtis Mayfield to create the soundtrack to Super Fly. In 2019, a remastered version of Shaft was released with 22 bonus tracks. Hayes recorded 20 solo albums, more than six collaboration albums with Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett, and more, and had appeared in over 50 films and television shows by the time of his passing in 2008. He rose from being a storied songwriter with partner David Porter at Stax Records into a blueprint for the soul star. On August 14th, HUF will release its capsule collection of Hayes’ merchandise. 

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Goldie’s classic drum and bass album, Timeless, has been remastered for a 30th anniversary edition. Timeless was cinematic and magical and became a representative album for the genre in its appeal. Thirty years later and the album is still praised and discovered by old fans and the younger generation of electronic music fans. of To commemorate this landmark anniversary, a series of very special limited edition physical versions of Timeless will be released: 2LP White Vinyl, 2LP Gold-on-Clear Vinyl, and Transparent Blue Cassette. They are available for pre-order now and will be released on November 7. In addition, a unique collaboration with The Vinyl Factory sees Goldie return to the source, joining friend and fellow drum and bass pioneer Grooverider at the record pressing plant to hand-press a run of 500 limited edition Timeless records. These exclusive editions feature hand-stamped sleeves and custom colorways selected by Goldie himself. They can be purchased now and 10% of proceeds will be donated to War Child, supporting children affected by conflict around the world – a cause close to Goldie’s heart. Its 30th anniversary edition comes out November 7 via London Records and is available for pre-order now.

Slick Rick’s visual album Victory will screen at the HollyShorts Film Festival at the TCL Chinese Theater in Hollywood on Thursday, August 7, 2025. The film is the companion to the audio album that has a scenario for each song. Slick Rick recorded the album with inspiration from his life of ups and downs as a Golden Era hip-hop icon and his love for hip-hop. Idris Elba partnered with Rick to release the project on his 7Wallace label with the Mass Appeal imprint and he is the executive producer. Victory had its first screening on Christmas Day in 2024 at Rikers Island and was hosted by Rick and his wife and business partner Mandy Aragones through their Victory Patch Foundation. Meji Alabi, who directed Beyoncé’s Black is King, also directed Victory, and Rick summed it up: “VICTORY is named with purpose. This is more than a body of work — it’s where sound meets vision, where resilience meets rhythm. A global love letter to hip-hop, to creativity, and to the overlooked, told through the lens of imagination and truth.” Victory will start at 8 PM and tickets are still available.