Hip Hop — All Formats  

A tasty treat from DJ A-Trak – and a nice little 4-track EP for Fool's Good! "Tuna Melt" features a Tommy Trash – and it starts out fairly low key before ratcheting up the electro funk atmosphere as it rolls along. EP also includes "Landline" with GTA, Jumbo with Galantis and "Disco Nap" with Oliver.

Veteran LA emcee and Freestyle Fellowship co-founder Aceyalone is as slick as ever on this tight effort for Decon! Solid work from one of the most consistently sharp west coast gamers. Lots of old school funky soul and jazz grooves in the DNA here, too. Good stuff! Includes "30 And Up", "I Cant Get It Myself" feat Bionik, "Leanin' O Slick", "One Cup, Two Cup", "Cold Piece", "ass The Hint", "I'm No Casanova", "Workin' Man's Blues" feat Cee Lo, Gboss, "Things Get Better" with Daniel Merriweather and Hit The Road" feat Treasure Davis and Bionik.

The "radio" and "instrumental" mixes are by Pete Rock, the "babanzi" mixes by Willie Gunz.

This is the Aesop album on MUSH records before he got signed to Def Jux. It is a piece of raw, dark, poetic artistry that describes his hometown of NYC and the trials and tribulations in it beautifully. This album is a little rougher and his lyrical style is just a little more advanced on his later work, but all the same, it deserves massive praise here. Tracks include "Commencement At The Obedience Academy", "Drawbridge", "Big Bang", "Garbage", "Basic Cable", "I'll Be OK", "Attention Span", "Spare A Match", "Breakfast With Blockhead", "Fascination", "Skip Town", "How To Be A Carpenter", "The Mayor And The Crook", "Prosperity", and more. 2012 reissue of the out of print, dawn of the 00s classic.

This is the Aesop album on MUSH records before he got signed to Def Jux. It is a piece of raw, dark, poetic artistry that describes his hometown of NYC and the trials and tribulations in it beautifully. This album is a little rougher and his lyrical style is just a little more advanced on his later work, but all the same, it gets massive praise here. Tracks include "Commencement At The Obedience Academy", "Drawbridge", "Big Bang", "Garbage", "Basic Cable", "I'll Be OK", "Attention Span", "Spare A Match", "Breakfast With Blockhead", "Fascination", "Skip Town", "How To Be A Carpenter", "The Mayor And The Crook", "Prosperity", and more.

The first proper Aesop Rock album in a few years – and his first for Rhymesayers – a logical next step for his uncompromising, darkness-tinged sounds and distinctive rhyme style of his early work for Def Jux! Aesop hasn't missed a step, and the sound is as dystopian, breathless and creative as ever. Hanni El Khatib plays guitar on a few tracks, as does Allyson Baker, with appearances by Rob Sonic and Kimya Dawson. Includes "Leisureforce", "ZZZ Top", "Cycles To Gehenna", "Zero Dark Thirty", "Crows 1" with Kimya Dawson, "Homemade Mummy", "Crows 2" with Rob Sonic, "1,000 Clock", "Saturn Missiles", "Tetra", "Gopher Guts" and more.

Greatest hits compilation from one of the true greats! Tracks include "Zulu Nation Throw Down", "Planet Rock", "Looking For The Perfect Beat", "Frantic Situation", "Unity Part 7", "What Time Is It", and "Funk You".

The electro classic, famous in part for that incredibly prescient sample from Kraftwerk that went on to become the basis for what seems like the entire Miami Bass industry for a while – but it's so much more than that. Truly a benchmark record!

Six different mixes of this meeting of two greats. Admittedly not as entirely dope as it could have been, but still as nice as a Soul Sonic Force records with backing by Doug Wimbish and Keith LeBlanc. Also, there's a few interludes with James Brown saying a few words about the record. Nice cover with a photo of Afrika and the Godfather holding hands in unity!

A 4 X 7" box set from of Red Apples 45s – with AG of DITC and producer Ray West pairing timeless MC skills with equally timeless jazz funk piano and keys – billed as the Pianos In The Project series! Includes the Pianos In The Project EP with Party Arty with the tracks "Red Keys, Black Piano", "Joseph Gravney Suite", "Up On The Ave" feat Andre The Giant and "Dilla Tribute". A second Pianos In The Projects EP includes "Scratching My Name", "PianoPella", "Soul Seduction" and "Moog Tribute". Ray West & AG's Pianos Companion EP includes "Light It Up", "Don't Run" feat 950 Plus, "Move Back" with Roc Marc and "Heads Up" feat Abdul Jabar. The Dancing In The Rain EP with AG & Party Arty includes "Dancin' In The Rain", "Since Day One", "Don't Mean A Thing" and "Bronx Zoo".

A nice 7" package on Decon – with cover art that folds out into a full-sized poster! Superstar guest, too! Action Bronson joins in on "Artesia" – and The Alchemist guests on "Getaway Car".

Another round of funky Ape Breaks from producer Shawn Lee – some of the most solid break tracks we've ever stocked – all nice and simple, with the drums, riffs, fills, and skits laid out in an easy to use way! The BPM's of the tracks are all nice and slow too – 100 bpm or less – making for a tasty batch of funky tracks that have a nice almost-classic sound. Tracks include "Mayfair", "Honky Tonk", "The Duck", "Hit Me", "Barney Miller", "Fish Break", "My Left Foot", "Ruff Stuff", and "Dead Beat".

Underground hip hop from a focused duo – ascendant Detroit producer Apollo Brown and east coast underground heavyweight rhymer OC – a straight up effort that more than lives up to its potential! The beats are straight forward, classic styled boom bap and OC is in full command on the mic. No guest rhymers here – strong, consistent, rewarding stuff! Includes "Trophies", "The Pursuit", "Prove Me Wrong", "Nautica", "Anotha One", "Disclaimer", "We The People", "Signs", "First 48", "Angels Sing", "Just Walk", "The Formula", "Options", "Caught Up", "Fantastic" and more. 16 trophies in all.

Why these guys never got over bigger is beyond us! Between A Rock And A Hard Place is filled with dope rhymes, timeless beats, and a mellow, tuneful vibe that's as strong as just about anything we can think of from that fertile early-to-mid 80s scene. Titles include "Lower Da Boom", "Cummin' Thru Ya F**kin Block" feat Redman, "Drama", "Dynamite Soul", "C'Mon Wit Da Git Down" (plus the remix feat Busta Rhymes), "What Goes On?", and "Wrong Side Of Da Tracks". A couple of bonus tracks on this 2013 CD version: "Dynamic Soul II (Lip Service Remix)" feat Mad Skillz and "It's Gettin Hot (Remix)".

This haunting EP brings you more of Atmosphere's signature tortured, playful, catchy songs of relationships and introspection. This EP is a tad bit more polished than their previous efforts, but Slug still harnesses the dark, bitter, nonchalant anger down inside him that spews forth these catchy rhymes that sound somewhere between yelling, rhyming and singing all at the same time, while remaining very intelligent and sarcastic. The ANT production on these tracks really shines and has definitely matured since his Overcast efforts. Tracks include "Between The Lines", "Like Today", "Tears For The Sheep", "Don't Ever F*cking Question That", "It Goes", "Aspiring Sociopath", and a second LP of instrumentals for the DJs!

Featuring Pete Rock & CL Smooth.