Hip Hop -- In Stock  

Doom follows up the stellar Born Like This LP with a set of collabos -- some unexpected, and others that we find ourselves saying that it's about time these cats hooked up -- with Talib Kweli, Vast Aire, Count Bass D, Masta Killa, Ghostface, Dilla, John Robinson and others. Essentially, Doom is... read more

Not the Double D (or Double Dee) of Double D & Steinski but rather another group, who deliver one electro cut with stuttering 8 bit vocal samples, and one cut that's much more in the big beat DMX drum class.... read more

"Money Talks" produced by Lord Finesse.... read more

What can we say? The classic single from Doug E Fresh that introduced the world to Slick Rick and has been sampled and quoted more times than we can count!... read more

In the universe of Kool Keith projects, this one is maybe closest to the Sex Style LP lyrically -- but the production is better than both Sex Style and Dr Octagon. We're guessing the reason is that Kool Keith had more to do with the production on this one. There's more variety in the beats, and... read more

Early Profile stuff, with the cuts "Yellow Panties", "Freshest Rhymes in the World", "And You Thought That We Were Soft" -- plus "Transformation" and "Scratch On Galaxy", produced by Davy D.... read more

We can never remember if Andre "late of Motown" Harrell was Mr. Hyde or Dr. Jeckyll. "AM-PM" has that classic old-school freestyle lyrics over heavy beats sound. Produced and cowritten by Kurtis Blow.... read more

Mashups of Omar, McKay, Gang Starr, and De La Soul.... read more

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Another great little left coast leftfield nusoul effort from Dudley Declaime Perkins, who we once kind of thought as the ODB of neo classic soul (we meant it as a compliment, btw). Just as you might hope, Dudley leans a little more heavily on a healthy dose of rhyme vocalese rather than smooth... read more

Stripped down, hazy, funky hip hop from Dudley Perkins -- rolling in heavy funk beats, spare piano particles, and in a gritty hip hop mode for the most part! It seems to us the Dudley is rhyming more in this solid effort than singing, and he's bringing in more social and spiritual conciousness,... read more

Stripped down, hazy, funky hip hop from Dudley Perkins -- rolling in heavy funk beats, spare piano particles, and in a gritty hip hop mode for the most part! It seems to us the Dudley is rhyming more in this solid effort than singing, and he's bringing in more social and spiritual conciousness,... read more

Back in the day, before Common blew up, Dug Infinite and No ID were responsible for the mellow but tight beats he got to rhyme over. And though Common still gets us open on occasion, this instrumental LP shows that they were a big part of what made those early LPs so great, though we have to admit... read more

Nice one -- one of the classic moments of early hip hop on film! Filmed in the early 80s, entirely on location in the South Bronx, the film's an amazing look into the early days of hip hop culture -- and perhaps the greatest film of all time on the subject. The film includes performances by... read more

Solid hip hop from South Florida's Dynas for BBE -- featuring production by DJ Jazzy Jeff, Spinna, Dilla and others -- plus appearances by the legendary Slick Rick, Rich Medina, Tiye Phoenix and more. A slice of life style effort with strong production and dexterous rhymes -- solid hip hop on BBE!... read more

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A nice pair modern party rap tunes from E Da Boss -- with a sound that we wouldn't quite lump in with the throwback genre, but with plenty of good times golden era mood! "Go Left" goes deep into the prized, earlier Blackalious sound -- which there's no mistaking given Gift Of Gab and... read more

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From the album Element of Surprise. Pre-hyphy laid back production from Ant Banks.... read more

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Split Bay Area sampler, with two tracks from each rapper. The E-40 tracks are off of the "Hall Of Game" album, with 2pac and B-Legit featured on "Million Dollar Spot". B-Legit tracks are off of "The Hemp Museum" album.... read more

Frequent collaborators Georgia Anne Muldrow & Dudley Perkins team up as Eagle Nebula -- a more categorically hip hop project than their more outer realm cosmic adventures -- still with the astral atmosphere! Georgia Anne is on the rhymes for most of the set and handles the bulk of the... read more

The second album from Chicago's Earatik Statik! ES attacts some of the most legendary beatmakers in the game, including Pete Rock, Large Professor and J-Zone and others -- and guests include Sadat X, Edo G, and Sean Price. Titles include "No Problem", "Drop Zone (Handz Up)" ... read more

A collaboration between MC Non from Shadowhuntaz and Polish sound stylist Dawid Szczesny -- an oddball pairing on paper, but with a sound that's works very well! Non's rhymes are front and center, with methodical pacing and a flow that feels freestyle and well thought out at the same time. The... read more

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Since the day this single came out, it's been a favorite for MC's to freestyle over -- with just a simple drum line combined with a killer, killer koto sample, a big beat precursor to the Asian string fetish Timbaland and others used a full seven years later! The vocals are at least as dope as the... read more

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Ed OG's nice debut, with a slightly jazzy touch on the production and literate, intelligent lyrics. We really couldn't get with "Bug A Boo", but besides that, this first LP's solid from start to finish, from the days when that wasn't so uncommon. Drop the needle on this and head back in... read more

A funky breaks record from DJ Egon -- Stones Throw/Now Again records honcho, world-renowned funky 45 collector, Wax Poetics writer/contributor, and a vital authority on all things funky! Curse Of The Evil Badger features two sides of the kind of beat heavy 70s funk bites that keep us digging... read more

Classic electro hip hop from Egyptian Lover -- the long version and edit of "The Lover", plus "I Want To Make Love" -- let it be clear, there is no other!... read more

The mid 00s return of the mighty Egyptian Lover! EL doesn't stray too far from the 80s electro funk sound he pioneered on "Party" or "Dance Floor" -- and given that club and hip hop producers eternally worship at the throne of Egyptian Lover, there was really no need to... read more

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A concept album of sorts from beatmaker 88 Keys -- who has collaborated with Kanye and many others -- kind of a comical sex themed effort executive produced by Kanye and featuring some other high profile guests including Bilal, Redman, Phonte of Little Brother and others. Titles include "Mor... read more

New version of the track off the legendary Japanese-only underground compilation "Tags Of The Times Vol 1." The production features some nice tempo changes -- starting out with more Company Flow style beats, moving to a more mellow jazz flute sound, and then back. And all the MC's shine... read more

More gallows humor, and dark, clever wordplay from Slim, with an occasional party bounce and maybe not as pitch black as some of the material on the previous LPs. Cultural phenomenon status aside, The Show finds the Shady one still up there as one of the better narrative storytellers, but we have... read more

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Grooveman Spot's Japanese hip hop crew Enbull -- we may not speak the language, but funky beatcraft is the universal communicative force of hip hop -- and Grooveman's been flooring us with his craft for the past few years! Hip hop is a crucial compent of most of the Grooveman Spot records we've... read more

Grooveman Spot's Japanese hip hop crew Enbull -- we may not speak the language, but funky beatcraft is the universal communicative force of hip hop -- and Grooveman's been flooring us with his craft for the past few years! Hip hop is a crucial compent of most of the Grooveman Spot records we've... read more

We had pretty low expectations for this project, but there are actually quite a few cuts on here that live up to the EPMD glory days. Guest appearances by all the old Hit Squad MC's Das Efx, Keith Murray, Redman, and Nocturnal.... read more

"K.I.M" features Keith Murray and Redman.... read more

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From the EPMD reunion LP, making good use of the Funky 4's "It's the Joint".... read more

The second album of heavy east coast funk and slow rolling rhymes from the brothers from Brentwood. Nice, fat trunk rattling production and Eric and Parrish's trademark back and forth rhymes keep this set fresh,even today. Loaded with classics: "So What Cha Sayin'", "Get the... read more

The second album of heavy east coast funk and slow rolling rhymes from the brothers from Brentwood. Nice, fat trunk rattling production and Eric and Parrish's trademark back and forth rhymes keep this set fresh,even today. Loaded with classics: "So What Cha Sayin'", "Get the... read more

EPMD's first full length in over a decade! Freshingly, they don't strain to update the sound to the late oughties, nor do they make this a throwback effort -- straight up, streetwise NYC hip hop from a revolutionary duo. Influencee 9th Wonder produces "Left 4 Dead" featuring Skyzoo --... read more

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3 remixes of the hit, plus an instrumental. All the versions here have a more filled-out sound than the original (which is not included on this single).... read more

The amazing first single that ruled the airwaves for most of 1986, has been sampled by dozens of other MC's, and made better use of a Mountain sample than anyone could have imagined.... read more

The great second Eric B & Rakim album -- benchmark hip hop of the first order! Following up Paid In Pull, Follow The Leader completes one of the great one-two punches in hip hop history -- bring in a richer, fuller, more skillfully creating sound, without sacrificing the dense, hard hitting,... read more

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Very nice pic sleeve single of this great Eric B & Rakim cut that uses the classic sample from the 24-Carat Black album!... read more

The third album from Eric B & Rakim -- classic MC/DJ duo hip hop from classic players! By this point, Rakim was firmly established as one of hip hop's greatest rhymers, and is a fine full length effort that's biggest fault is that it's not quite as spectacular as the first 2 LPs. Ultimately,... read more

Original pressing of this early Eric B & Rakim 12", with the Cold Cut remix of "Paid in Full" that everyone used to think was so cool because it had Ofra Haza in it.... read more

"Love Iz" features Al Green, "Hold Up Dub" features Keith Murray.... read more

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A pretty ambitious release from MC Esoteric -- a full length album, packaged as a joint full length and short story -- bound like a small hard cover book, too! Featuring contributions from 7L, Masta Ace, Main Flow, K Flay and others -- and titles include "Studio Time/Goodbye", "Darke... read more

The group's booty-knocking classic -- lifted from Spike Lee's film School Daze, and one of the biggest Go Go funk hits ever!... read more

Almost a rap parody number -- with some British accented guy talking over the top of old school riffs in a kind of pretentious way. The flipside is instrumental -- and much better!... read more

A collection of 16 instrumentals, mostly by Roey Marquis, with a few from Dee & Spinna.... read more

Fresh, bumping hip hop instrumentals from Exile -- loaded up of synthy beats, sampled vocal soundscapes, and some of the crispest production quality we've heard on a record like this in a while. The stuff is funky, with an experimentalist bent to it that works really, really well. Nice stuff... read more

The first set in a few years from Eyedea & Abilities -- with their trademark battle ready, ferocious rap and harder hitting rock breaks & beats. Titles include "Hay Fever", "Spin Cycle", "Time Flies When You Have A Gun", "Bum Fetish", "Sky... read more

Uber obscure old school from the Fabulous 3 MCs -- intended for the Bronx-based Tap label in 1981 and only now seeing official release -- thanks to the deep, deep digging Numero Group! We're admittedly stumped on the Fabulous 3's history, and even the individual names of the rappers -- but we can... read more

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Two tracks from Fat Joe before his "Don Cartegena" era, plus a remix from DJ Premier.... read more

Blissful beats from Ample Soul soundscape creator Fat Jon -- mostly laidback and lightly percolating, with enexpected bits of instrumentation and atmospherics floating in and out of the sound. Hundred Eight Stars features instrumentals from previously vinyl only singles and other hard to find... read more

Nicely moving beatcraft from Australian spinner Fdel -- a largely uptempo, hip hop, funk and jazzy set of (mostly) instrumentals that guarantees some heavy floor shaking! Fdel takes the timeless, bedrock approach the the beat -- with thumping beats, scratches and memorable instrumental hooks that... read more

How 50 manages to stand out as such a genuinely exciting MC is in such a crowded field of street hip hop is as mysterious as it is beside the point. Dr. Dre's love for that minimalist ghetto synth orchestra sound is in full depth here, this is probably as strong as any production work he's ever... read more

5 tracks: "Thug Love", "I'm A Hustler", "Da Heatwave", "Your Life's On The Line" and "How To Rob".... read more

The sharpest work yet from Detroit's Finale -- paired with tight production from Waajeed & Black Milk, and the gone but still active J Dilla -- plus Kev Brown, Nottz, Dimlite, Nottz, Taraach and others! Finale good with the acrobatic wordplay, and his got a tightly punctuated, heavy delivery... read more

Tracks include "Latitude", "Omni", "Got Dough", "Decapitated Orgasms", "Instruments Of The Trade (The Word)", "Possibly", "Sexual For Elizabeth", "Ten", "Sugar", "Plasma Avenue", "B.E.A.T."... read more

The Fondle 'Em Fossils are Breezly Brewin, Q Unique, Godfather Don, J Treds, MF Doom, DJ Eli and El P. "Feelin Da Heights" by Dysfunctional Family.... read more

The second album from Foreign Exchange -- the formerally bi-continental project of North Carolina MC, and nascent soul singer Phonte of Little Brother, and transplanted Dutch producer Nicolay -- who take an even deeper turn into spacey soul on Leave It All Behind! Given that Phonte is singing... read more

The second album from Foreign Exchange -- the formerally bi-continental project of North Carolina MC, and nascent soul singer Phonte of Little Brother, and transplanted Dutch producer Nicolay -- who take an even deeper turn into spacey soul on Leave It All Behind! Given that Phonte is singing... read more

Early tracks from Detroit's Frank N Dank -- featuring production by Jay Dee. "Give It Up II" also includes an appearance by Dilla.... read more

Frank Nitt of Frank N Dank -- joined by DJ Quik & J Black on "LOVE" and Bad Lucc on "Hollywood".... read more

10 tracks, including "Puerto Rico/Black People", "Feel The Vibe", "You & You & You", "Boriquas On Da Set" (original and remix), "The Cypher Pt 3", "Know Da Game" and "Pay Ya Dues", featuring an all start cast of rappers,... read more

A fresh set of hip hop instrumental grooves from Freddie Cruger -- the alter ego of Red Astaire -- a nice blend of beats, loads of jazzy elements (horns and vibes on our favorite tracks), vocal samples, and fantastic rhythms. The beats are always inviting and Freddy mixes jazz, Latin, soul and... read more

Warm, genre-defying hip hop and soulful groove from Swedish producer/DJ Freddie Cruger, aka Red Astaire -- who manages to blend a timeless b-boy hip hop style with elements of Latin, funk, soul and reggae as a backdrop -- a tight, cohesive sound woven from deeply diverse range of source material! ... read more

Titles include "This Can't Be Real" feat Marsha Ambrosius, "It's Over", "Still Got Love", "Roc-A-Fella Billionaires" feat Jay-Z, "Take It To The Top" feat 50 Cent, "Spit That S**t", "Reppin' The Streets", "Free At Last"... read more

Featuring Shaq-Fu bka Shaquille O'Neal, the hooper, the hyper, protected by The Viper. The "Phase 5 rmx" is by A Tribe Called Quest.... read more

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We'll forget about the first Fugees LP, this is the one that really launched the career of Lauryn Hill, both as an MC and a vocalist. And back then, even Wyclef and Pras were kinda dope. 13 tracks and 2 bonus remixes in all, including "How Many MC's", "Ready Or Not", "Kill... read more

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Reflectively funky hip hop from London's Funky DL -- an emcee who has been capably dropping fresh hip hop for more than a decade now -- and delivering a solid set for BBE! The Interview features beats and percussion by DL, too -- and it's solid work. He's influenced by some of our favorite hip... read more

A classic old school Enjoy jam that needs no introduction from us.... read more

The best we've heard to date from Japanese trio Gagle -- not as entirely laidback as you might be expecting from the title -- but a jazzy and soulful set of beats, rhymes and grooves! Gagle's groove is far reaching, drawing from mellow 70s jazzy soul, bright and bumping 80s grooves, and especially... read more

The third album by The Game -- still striving to both modernize and represent the old school of LA gangsta -- diversifying the production and the rhymes with a freewheeling selection of guests -- including Common, Bilal, Keyshia Cole, Nas, Ice Cube, Lil Wayne and others. Production by JR Rotem,... read more

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The classic first Gang Starr LP. The first chapter in a long history of certified dope east coast hip hop, with Premier and Guru on point from the get go. Classic jazz and funk samples, nice snapping beats, intelligent lyrics and mic skills like this set (and several other Wild Pitch classics... read more

You know their steez. 6 tracks off The Ownerz LP, with Guru and Primo keeping it real in the most true sense of the phrase.... read more

Lead single off The Ownerz album.... read more

One of our favorites from the "Liquid Swords" LP, featuring additional vocals from Inspectah Deck. RZA's amazing production keeps this tale of a gunfight in Brownsville from sounding cliched with just the right amount of strings, and the almost falsetto sung chorus somehow makes it sound... read more

Astral soul, spacey hip hop and funked out grooves from Ms One & The Gang -- aka Georgia Anne Muldrow and a stellar roster of guests, as well as alter egos and pseudonyms for both Georgia and fellow traveler Dudley Perkins -- including Stacey Epps, Black Milk & Big Pooh, Ms One (Georgia),... read more

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Ghostface Killah's in lothario mode on Ghostdini -- The Wizard Of Poetry -- leaving the gritty day-to-day of the coke game hyperdramas aside for r&b and funky soul sampled cuts with a capable roster of vocalists for the hooks -- including Raheem DeVaughn, John Legend, Vaughn Anthony &... read more

A-side produced by the Beatnuts.... read more

The second solo album from the Blackalicious MC -- produced by Dnaebeats -- and very well, we might add -- with the Gifted one sounding as sharp and dexterous as ever! The sound is flavored by spacey soul, as fine a foil for Gift Of Gab's flow as any record he's done since prime Blackalicious,... read more

The second solo album from the Blackalicious MC -- produced by Dnaebeats -- and very well, we might add -- with the Gifted one sounding as sharp and dexterous as ever! The sound is flavored by spacey soul, as fine a foil for Gift Of Gab's flow as any record he's done since prime Blackalicious,... read more