Hip Hop — In Stock — LPs  

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"... read 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".... read more

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... read more

The long awaited sides C & D in Madlib's incredible blend of Bombay soundtrack-styled funk, blunted Eastern beats, and all round stunning Middle Eastern accented hip hop instros! This time out Madlib, er, Beat Konducta is conducting beats, strings & things from India and/or otherwise East... read more

A greatest hits package with ""World Famous", "Watch Out Now", "No Escapin'", "Off The Books", "However Whenever", "We Got The Funk", "Reign Of The Tec", "Props Over Here", "Beatnuts', "Get Funky"... read more

The legendary first EP! We've always been a fan of the Beatnuts, or later Ghetto Professionals production, but none of their recordings as the Beatnuts are better than this first EP. Includes "Reign of the Tec" (with the Grand Puba sample), "No Equal", "World's Famous"... read more

Brick City vet and Artifacts affiliate Beneficience delivers a sharp set of hip hop in Concrete Soul for Ill Adrenaline – featuring an impressive roster of guests – but to Bene's credit, he's never overshadowed here! Guests include Lord Tariq, Masta Ace, Chubb Rock, Roc Marciano, El Da... read more

Big Boi's got plenty of help this time around – a huge array of guest talents that includes Sleepy Brown, Phantogram, TI, Ludacris, Kelly Rowland, Killer Mike, Bosko, and many others – but there's still a nicely unified feel to the set – a strength of vision that holds on even in... read more

Now a classic, and pretty tough to get a hold of on vinyl. Beats by Buckwild, Showbiz and Lord Finesse, rhymes by Harlem's finest. Big L didn't leave behind much recorded work, but if this LP has to stand as his legacy, it's a mighty fine statement. Alongside some of the latter day QB hip hop,... read more

Revolution-minded hip hop from the Black Opera collective – with production by J-Bizness, 14KT, Astronote and Nick Speed. Titles include "The Black Opera" with Melody Betts, "Manute Boll", "Dark Comedy" with scratches by Rhettmatic, "Monstors And... read more

An ambition Black Opera – Libretto from Black Opera and producer Astronote – featuring guests Melody Betts, Mayer Hawthorne, Boog Brown,Lalibella, Rasheeda Ali and 14KT. Includes "End Of The Beginning", "Grand Endtrance", "Rich Blood", "Kings... read more

A solid duo instrumentals project from Georgia Anne Muldow and DJ Romes – working together as Blackhouse – and delivering one of the best records yet on the prolific Mello Music Group label! Georgia's a restless creative spirit, and true to form, the beats and production she delivers... read more

Nocturnal boombap from Blockhead – a sleepless, samples and electic-beats heavy survey of an after hours metropolis – finding Blockhead as insistently inventive and timeless in approach as ever! We love that Blockhead's work kind of exists in it's own world, yet clearly shows love for... read more

Crispy, creative work from the team of Blu & Exile – a duo who may well be one of the most creative studio talents we've heard in years! There's loads of warm acoustic samples dropped into the mix – set against a sharper edge from the production, but still delivered with plenty of... read more

The classic Scott La Rock tribute album – with BDP classics and remixes – originally issued as a 2LP set that was put together following the South Bronx-repping hip hop pioneer's shooting death. Alternate versions, remixes and BDP medley's from their most classic late 80s period. 15... read more

Pure greatness from Brand Nubian at their early best! The Nubes' have made a handful of solid-to-great albums, but none could top this essential debut. Grand Puba, Sadat X and Lord Jamar are on point with the politicized rhymes over classic early 90s jazzed up, funky beats, built from now well... read more

Spiritually and politically charged hip hop from Brother Ali – fueled by funky soul-styled production from Jake One! Ali has long been one of the stronger MCs when it comes to balancing strident and socially cognizant lyricism, and he's at his best here – and working with producer who... read more

Ahhh. . . Nice! Wonderful intelligent, spiritual rhymes, full of Islamic prayer references, blunt antagonist rhymes, a battle with the ugliest of inner demons and broken artist poverty all hugged by catchy bouncing hook filled choruses. And all the production is handled by Ant, a true autuer akin... read more

3rd LP by the man who put Chicago on the map as a hip hop center. 2 LPs strong, and with a lot of guest appearances by folks like De La Soul, Q-Tip, Chantay Savage, Erykah Badu, and Cee-Lo. No I.D. produced most of this, and a few tracks were done by Doug Infinite. Includes "1 '2 Many"... read more

In 1994 when everyone seemed to be turning hardcore, Common Sense wasn't having it. Introspective tales of growing up and living on the South Side that fit perfectly with No I.D.'s mellow production and spiced up with two guest appearances by Y-Not aka Twilight Tone. Classic LP, solid all the way... read more

Hell, Boots, it's not a bother – we actually dig Sorry To Bother You as much as any Coup music since Steal This Album! There's a great vibe on Sorry To Bother you – with rebellious, progressive lyricism, of course – but musically, this one surpasses the preceding Coup album, in... read more

One of the greatest hip hop acts from the early days of Sugar Hill – but a group who don't often get the same sort of cred as the label's bigger names at the time! The Crash Crew have a youthful energy that really lives up to their name – a loose approach to rhyme that sounds... read more

The second LP from Cypress Hill, and as far as we're concerned, the last great one. Muggs' beats get a bit darker on this album, but are still sharp enough to cut through even the thickest clouds of smoke. 14 tracks in all, including "I Wanna Get High", "I Ain't Goin' Out Like... read more

The epic second De La Soul album – a slightly deeper record than the upbeat 3 Feet High And Rising, but to us it's just as irrefutably classic – and among the best hip hop full lengths ever! The trio is still working with Prince Paul, so despite the cover image and declaration of the... read more

Aggro hip hop/noise rock from Death Grips – one of the more surprising major label pick ups in years! Includes "Get Got", "The Fryer", "Lost Boys", "Black Jack", "System Blower", "Hacker", "Bitch Please", "F***... read more

The laidback classic! The Digables certainly weren't the first hip hop group to rely upon cooled out jazzy grooves for the backbone of their sound, but they really brought it home with a hugely endearing and long enduring vibe – and this is their masterpiece! All these years later, Blowout... read more

Digital Underground's first album of P-Funky, hook heavy, party rockin hip hop for Tommy Boy! The first two albums by Shock G and the rest of the crew are classics, even if they don't get enough always get the props – possibly because the well the well of P-Funk samples wasn't necessarily... read more

A pair of genre-splicing, party rocking 12"s by Diplo – each with Serato Control Tone B-Sides for the producers among us – plus 2 slipmats – all that's missing as a full house to spin it for! Diplo brings together influences from dancehall, to New Orleans bounce to and... read more

A sharp Statement Of Intent from DJ Format – whose format is timeless boombap and deft live instrumention on this solid set – which includes collaborations with Sureshot La Lock, Phill Most Chill, Nostalgia 77 and others! Classic craft, though timelessly inventive. The spacey sci fi... read more

Finally a strong full-length from Nu-Mark – the myriad strengths of which were amply hinted up via the epic 10" series that led up to it – and an album that packs plenty of diverse, timeless beatcraft and stellar guests on the mic! Nu-Mark's got a sharp, crisp edge with his beats... read more

A full-on collaborative album from underground mic legend Freddie Foxxx, aka Bumpy Knuckle, and hip hop heavyweight champion producer DJ Premier! Primo and Bumpy Knuckles go way, way back – and KoleXXXion does a pretty solid job of honoring the legacies of both. This is the 2LP acapellas,... read more

A pretty strong set of some of the more essential DJ Shadow – and one that smartly digs past the more obvious selections to include some great single edits, deeper mid- and later-era Shadow gems, one of the stronger Shadow-era UNKLE cuts and other leftfield choices! That said, there's some... read more

Solid team-up/all star effort produced in full by the mighty Alchemist – with a core lineup of Tristate, Planet Asia & Killer Ben – and guest appearances by Prodigy, Evidence, Chace Infinite, Phil Da Agony and others. Includes "DRDC Theme", "Fish Meat" feat... read more

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

An excellent reissue of the Wild Style soundtrack that exactly reproduces the original single LP format! The album's nice and lean, with 12 great tracks – including "Wild Style Theme Rap 1" by Grandmaster Caz & Chris Stein, "Basketball Throwdown" by Cold Crush Bros... read more

The timeless sounding underground classic debut of Frank-N-Dank – which is a strong first full length statement for the duo – and a significant milestone in the J Dilla production canon! It has more of a straight up, street ready rhyme style than was typical for Dilla productions at... read more

The stripped-down core of the Frank N Dank debut – and a lasting tribute to the studio genius of Dilla! The beats here are really bassy – the kind that almost make you want to replace the back seat of your car with bigger speakers – just to enjoy them fully! (Heck, even on an... read more

One of the instant classic Wu Tang solo projects – Ghostface Killah's essential, early peak Ironman – and a a record that stands strongly among the best hip hop albums of the its era! Produced by The RZA at a point in which it seemed there was little he could do wrong. An absolute... read more

Ghostface Killah and Adrian Younge team up for this most intriguing artist and producer/composer collaboration – one with a promising concept and they deliver in full – shadowboxing their way to a knockout! On the mic tip, Ghostface is in his comfort zone – spitting lyrics laced... read more

Ghostface Killah and Adrian Younge team up for this most intriguing artist and producer/composer collaboration – one with a promising concept and they deliver in full – shadowboxing their way to a knockout! Adrian Younge and his Venice Dawn group lay down the sounds – with dusty... read more

Homeboy Sandman delivers a nicely gritty EP for Stones Throw – paying tribute not only to the legendary DJ Kool Herc in the title – and ultimately honoring blueprint, funky break beats era hip hop in general! Homeboy specifically names it after Kool Herc, but it's not a covers EP or... read more

The record that finally pushed so many blue-eyed doubters into the embrace of hip hop – and one of the few of its type that could deliver the same sort of punch as the best of the underground! In later years, the album's come to be associated more with fratboys than the group probably would... read more

J Dilla's brother Illa J collaborates with the departed Dilla for the Yancey Boys album – produced with a batch of Jay Dee beats! This album could have gone wrong in a number of ways for a number of reasons – but truth be told it's a quality record that's actually worth checking out! ... read more

The J Dilla beats that provided the stellar backdrop for his brother Illa J's worty rhymes – and the instrumentals for the Yancey Boys album – a record that stands up very well against many of the better Dilla productions in his lifetime. It could have gone wrong in a number of ways... read more

A nicely done compilation of the some of the best of Just-Ice – culled from the legendary Fresh, Warlock and Sleeping Bag recordings – a solid entry point for hardcore hip hop pioneer if you don't already own those records! Includes some the most legendary Mantronix productions, the... read more

Prime, hard hitting Kool G Rap & DJ Polo – a killer collection of their pioneering, classic cuts from the Cold Chillin' era! The MC & DJ duo was plenty popular in this period – which essentially covers '89-'92 – but they're one of those combos whose influences on east... read more

One of the biggest major label hip hop albums of the early 80s – and easily one of the best ever full length sets from Kurtis Blow! There's a straightforward simplicity here that's totally great – a slight elevation of the Sugar Hill groove towards a more mainstream audience –... read more

Masta Ace does his initimable, classic era-schooled, longtime mic master thing over beats by MF Doom! Son Of Yvonne also includes vocal cameo by Doom on a track that also features the legendary Big Daddy Kane – plus appearances by Reggie B and Pav Bundy 15 tracks on the 2LP version: "S... read more

The second proper Masta Ace album – dope stuff from the glorious early 90s that lives up to his work with the legendary Juice Crew and his classic debut! At this point Masta Ace into deep into his fairly new approach of creating excellent full length listening experiences – with... read more

The first new solo effort from Wu Tang gamer Masta Killa in a few years – and a timeless bit of raw, soul sample-based hip hop from one the more underappreciated Wu MCs! It's thankfully light on guest rappers – save for an appearance by Kurpupt and a vault verse from ODB, Masta Killa... read more

A built-to-last effort from MED, hence the title – a classic hip hop styled set with sharp rhymes and great production – straight up hip hop on Stones Throw that's straight up solid! As long as we've welcomed verses from the rhymer formerly known as Medaphoar, it's actually kind of a... read more

Solid work from DJ/turntable wiz Mr Dibbs – with a tracklist of just 5 titles on 2 sides – but boasts an impressive, incredibly varied "Featured Guests" list that includes Brother Ali, Dose One, Dezmatic, Murs, Playdough, Fiest (!), Juliette Lewis (!!), and Coach Bob Knight (!&... read more

A stunner from Georgia Anne Muldrow – a record that makes us love her even more than before – and that's saying a lot, given the love we've shown her over the years! The cover's got the feel of some dusty old record, and many of the tunes do too – some wicked 70s soul elements... read more

The Final Adventure of Murs & 9th Wonder as a duo – until the reunion, anyway! (Folks can hope, right?) It's been a pretty solid ride for this partnership – with 9th Wonder's raw, gritty and soulful hip hop serving is a hella strong foil for Murs' creative rhymes and distinctive... read more

The latest audio dispensary system from Oh No – who's carved a pretty solid niche as an unpredictable, indefatigable hip hop conceptualist – this one a suite of tracks inspired by snake oil style newspaper, radio and television advertisements from decades past! Oh No is on the beats... read more

Volume 9 in the Paul Nice Drum Library series of heavy, hard-to-find drums compiled from myriad resources – drums, drums and more drums for the funky beat connoisseur! More than 20 drum breaks on 2 sides of wax.... read more

The early 90s classic by The Pharcyde – the group's high water mark – and one of the greatest hip hop albums of the era! Along with Del and the Souls Of Mischief, Pharcyde were one of the few West Coast units to achieve any kind of widespread popularity using the uniquely loopy,... read more

Prince Paul's first solo set – with the same dope production and sense of humor that have made all his other projects classics – even if this one's way overlooked in his canon! It's a bit of a concept album – with tracks that play out as chapters in the state of a messed-up hip... read more

The complete Public Enemy Def Jam collection on vinyl – Yo! Bum Rush The Show, It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back, Fear Of A Black Planet, Apocalypse '91. . .The Enemy Strikes Black, Muse Sick-N-Hour Mess Age and the He Got Game soundtrack – that's 6 albums on 9 pieces of... read more

Timeless, soulful hip hop from DC via Brooklyn DJ/Producer/MC Quartermaine – representing Kev Brown's Low Budget Crew! Redef has been putting out top quality underground hip hop for a while now – and this full length is another win! Honest, real and relatable lyricism backed by... read more

Chef Raekwon cooks up one of finest hip hop albums in history – a standout moment in the Wu Tang canon and the 90s in general! Given Ghostface's presence throughout, the prime RZA production and other top shelf guests, you could almost call this one a Wu Tang Clan album, if not for Raekwon's... read more

Great sounds from a very fresh moment in the New Orleans scene – a time when the older street band style came into play with the hip hop styles of the younger generation – presented here in a blend that's pretty darn amazing, and surprisingly free of cliche! The work here is mostly... read more

The Together sides of the Alone Together project from producer, beatmaker and instrumentalist Karriem Riggins – who's a brilliant jazz drummer, when that's what he wants to do – and he's also a beat-heavy hip hop production guru when duty calls! Together finds Karriem wearing his hip... read more

Raw and direct Strong Island hip hop from Roc Marciano on Fat Beats – the instrumental versions of the solo debut from The UN MC! Sharp underground NY hip hop inspired by the classics and living up to the legacy. Titles include "It's A Crime", "Whateva Whateva", "Raw... read more

A less tense and caustic Roots than the crew that hit us on the majority of Rising Down a couple years earlier – and this one's as strong of an album as they've delivered since moving over to Def Jam. In truth, we were a little scared when we saw some of the guests credited – Monsters... read more

DJ Wrongtom takes on the canon of Roots Manuva – giving some dubby Caribbean flavor to Roots Manuva's modern UK hip hop classics! There's not much in the way of consessions to trendy dubstep here, and that approach works very well! Includes the new track "Jah Warriors" feat Ricky... read more

Sweet beats from this cool French duo – a pair who've got that same sort of genre-jumping quality we've loved in French grooves since the days of MC Solaar! The approach here is mostly hip hop, but there's strains of Neo Soul, jazzy funk, and more – shifting the vibe nicely from track... read more

The timeless classic Cali hip hop standard bearer from Souls Of Mischief – on 2LP vinyl! As much as we love all the best Hiero output of the 90s & beyond, this is still our favorite, and besides, it's pretty much the blueprint for the Hieroglyphics sound. Smoothly jazz and headnodding... read more

A strong set from MC Substantial and fellow DMV hip hop heavy Oddisee on mixing and executive production duties – with production by Eric Lau, M-Phazes, Slopfunkdust, Street Orchestra and others. Includes "Spilled Milk", "See Her" and "The Verge" with Steph, The... read more

The eponymous LP by the Sugarhill Gang – with some of the most infectious late 70s/early 80s grooves ever laid to wax! This is one of the first-ever full-length hip hop albums – cut on the success of the massive "Rapper's Delight" single! The record purports to feature... read more

The second album from the immortal Tribe Called Quest – one of the absolute essential hip hop LPs, and a record that should be an anyone's shortlist of the best albums in several subsections of hip hop – just a straight up masterpiece anyway you cut it. The album is so high up on the... read more

A masterpiece from prime era Tribe Called Quest! Midnight Maurauders was Tribe's third LP, and even though there were no tracks yet credited to the Ummah, this is pretty much the beginning of Tribe's transition to that sound – with the same mellow, laid back vibe as their best early material... read more

The classic, finally back in print on LP! The roots of Kool Keith's abstract poetical style are in evidence here in all it's brilliant glory, properly displayed without the smug hipster irony that makes so much of his latter day projects so off putting. Plus, the Ultramags had that amazing... read more

A pretty cool, seemingly unlikely duo effort on Rhymesayers – pairing up underground hip hop mainstay Aesop Rock and avant indie vocalist Kimya Dawson of Moldy Peaches! It actually works well! Aesop's no nonsense sounding voice can deliver even the most abstract lyrics with strength and... read more

Solid DC hip hop from Uptown XO – produced entirely by AB The Pro for a nicely cohesive vibe all the way – with appearances by Messiah, Doe Gicapom & Benjui, Sanni & U St Face. Includes "Grey Poupon" feat Messiah, "Spread Love", "Everyday" feat AB... read more

Marc Mac takes it back, way back – with some great 70s styled sounds mixed in with Marc's 21st Century vibe – a timeless mix of tightly grooving soul jazz with a live hip hop backdrop! In his work with 4 Hero, Marc could proudly pay tribute to his influences while innovating with... read more

Tripped out, heavy hip hop from the unlikely trio of west coast indie veteran Murs, Ego Trip's Sascha Jenkins and DC hardcore legend/Bad Brains bassist Darryl Jenifer! A pretty cool mix of uncompromising lyrics, heavy bass and waves of dissonant guitar. It's unlike anything else out there, circa... read more

The instrumentals created to compliment Elzhi of Slum Village's tribute to Nas's monumental Illmatic – made by Detroit funk combo Will Sessions! This is an homage that works, really, really well. The Will Sessions backdrops – doing it up recognizably, but with their own touches –... read more

The classic first LP with Method Man, Ghost Face Killer, Raekwon, Ol' Dirty Bastard, and The Genius. The start of a generation, and of the hip hop enterprise that overshadowed a lot of the mid 90s! 12 tracks, including "Can It All Be So Simple", "Method Man", "Da Mystery... read more

Classics from the mid 80s east coast hip hop master class – BDP, Just-Ice, T La Rock, Skinny Boys, Tricky Tee and Mantronix – benchmark singles, circa '86! This compilation was put together by Five Day Weekend as a soundtrack inspired by Big Fun In The Big Town – the little seen... read more

Sample funk spun from records rescued by The Numero Group – edited by white label production crew Shoes without Numero's consent – which was then seized by Numero at the pressing plant, they bootlegged the bootleg, and release it here legitimately as Eccentric Breaks & Beats! The... read more

A 7 track EP of contemporary Arab hip hop from the Middle East – with timeless, funk-steeped beats, evocative regional samples and atmosphere – and clearly passionate rhymes, whether you speak the language or not! A remarkable testament to the global reach of strong, conciousness... read more