Salt N Pepa —
Very Necessary ... LP Next Plateau/Mercury, 1993. New Copy 2LP (reissue)...
$32.9936.99
A massive hit and creative triumph for Salt N Pepa – a record that was both maybe their biggest ever, and which had the duo working with Spinderella at a level that also bridged both hip hop and R&B! Although there were some younger up-and-comers on the scene at the time, Salt N Pepa had ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
A stunning underground set from back in the day – a record that was originally released on the label run by Schoolly D himself, then was picked up by Jive Records – because Schoolly had a runaway hit on his own! The whole thing is great – one of the first really hardcore records, ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
An instant classic from Slum Village – one of those records that kind of snuck out into the world, then became legendary as the years went on! Of course, with work from Jay Dee, there's no surprise that the album's got plenty of staying power – as he does a killer job here, throughout, ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Essential 90s material from Smif N Wessun – one of those key records that was not only great in and of itself, but also as part of a larger tapestry of top shelf talents finally getting to shine in the spotlight! Previously, Smif N Wessun had shown up on Black Moon's first album – and ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
A set that's got Flying Lotus working in his best old school mode – that sharp yet sophisticated style that's opened so many doors for him in recent years on other projects – very nicely fitted here to deft lyrical contributions from Smoke DZA! The record's a short one, but not out of ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
A remix-heavy version of a record that may have the year 1993 permanently locked into its title – but a set that's got more than enough strength to survive strongly over the decades – the first great statement from Cali giants Souls Of Mischief, and a record that would set the tone for ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Specifics —
Specifics II ... LP P-Vine (Japan), 2007. New Copy ...
$29.9936.99
You gotta love a hip hop album that begins with an Alice Coltrane sample – and The Specifics follow suit with plenty more other jazzy bits too – almost evoking an old Tribe Called Quest generation with they way they use key samples, but also doing so at a level that's very understated ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
An East Bay classic from Spice 1 – and a great little record from that time before the west coast became a bit too much West Coast! There's a thuggish, early gangsta vibe that runs through the whole set – but as with some of the more enduring Cali hip hop of the time, the set's got a ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
It's been over 15 years since the last Liberation record from Talib Kweli and Madlib, and the planet's changed a lot – and maybe not for the better, which is a good reason the duo are back to serve up a heady helping of their message-oriented music! Yet for this instrumentals set, Talib ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Tribe Called Quest —
Anthology ... LP Jive, 1990s. New Copy 2LP ...
$30.9932.99
Tracks include "Check The Rhime", "Bonita Applebum", "Award Tour", "Can I Kick It?", "Scenario", "Buggin' Out", "If The Papes Come", "Electric Relaxation", "Jazz (We've Got)", "I Left My Wallet In El ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Beats, Rhymes & Life – crucial aspects of Tribe Called Quest and hip hop in general – and the fourth album by the inimitable Tribe! After a couple or three years of down time following Midnight Marauders, the Tribe returned with this extra stripped down sound, collaborating with ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
A hell of a comeback for Tribe Called Quest – maybe one of the best musical comebacks ever, and a fantastic reminder of why we loved the group so much in the first place! 18 years have passed since we last heard from the trio (now, sadly, a duo) – and that time only seems to have ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Includes download.)
2Pac —
2Pacalypse Now ... LP Interscope, 1991. New Copy 2LP Gatefold (reissue)...
$28.9934.99
The landmark debut of 2Pac – hard rhymes and gritty production laying the bedrock for an iconic legacy! 2Pac's voice is front and center throughout, nothing tentative about the rhymes or delivery, and true to legend, every word feels honest and real, whether you're comfortable with it or not. ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Wolf sounds almost pretty from the first few seconds of the intro, but soon after the soft opening, the gritty beat drops, the gravely/growling vocals kick in, and the wild mix of comical and caustic rhymes let you know good and well that Tyler The Creator's back. Guests include Hodgy Beats, Frank ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Includes cool 12x12" insert and oversized sticker!)
Funky sounds from Dan Ubick of Connie Price & The Keystones – and a killer set in this excellent sound library series from Madlib! As with the other volumes, the music has a strong nod to the classic 70s era of sound library funk, but also updates the work strongly too – in this ... (Sound Library, Hip Hop)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
A record that definitely funked our head up at the time of its release – a rock-solid follow up to the UMCs Critical Beatdown – and another record that has us just wishing they'd given us more music in this incarnation! A very young Kool Keith is key to the album – giving it an ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Vic Mensa —
Victor ... LP Roc Nation, 2023. New Copy 2LP Gatefold ...
$25.9928.99
Vic Mensa's a very different artist than on his previous record – a rapper who's taken the long years between the two sets to undergo a personal and spiritual rebirth, with results that come through instantly on the tracks on this set! There's an urgency that Vic never had before – ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Viktor Vaughn (MF Doom) —
Vaudeville Villain ... LP Sound Ink/Get On Down, 2003. New Copy 2LP Gatefold (reissue)...
$34.99
Sinister sounds from MF Doom – working here under his Viktor Vaughn identity, yet serving up the same fantastic blend of hardness and wit as in the other records under his own name! There's a lean, mean quality to the record that's wonderful – thanks to production from King Honey, Max ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Sinister sounds from MF Doom – working here under his Viktor Vaughn identity, yet serving up the same fantastic blend of hardness and wit as in the other records under his own name! There's a lean, mean quality to the record that's wonderful – thanks to production from King Honey, Max ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
VV Brown —
Am I British Yet ... LP Universal (France), 2023. New Copy 2LP Gatefold ...
$29.9934.99
A record as powerful as the image on the cover – and a set that strongly continues the personal and political legacy of British rapper VV Brown! The set works very strongly as a whole, to examine issues of race in contemporary England – and Brown mixes hip hop lyrics with sung vocals, ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Yancey Boys —
Sunset Blvd ... LP Delicious Vinyl/King Underground, 2013. New Copy 2LP (reissue)...
$37.9941.99
The full length debut of the Yancey Boys – Frank Nitt & Illa J – the former of the venerable duo Frank N Dank, the latter J Dilla's rhyme centric younger brother – who come together with the dual purpose of keeping J Dilla's production pedigree alive, and to simply deliver ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
YOD serves up that nicely laidback, almost conversational style that makes his music so great – working here with beats from Wino Willy, Lee Scott, Nicholas Craven, Jonwayne, and J-Es – each of whom really get that slow-stepping mix of bass and jazz just right! Titles include "The ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
One of the most keyboard-heavy sets in the excellent Madlib Invazion sound library series – a set that has all sorts of vintage keys and synth over lightly tripping grooves that are mighty nice! The approach is spacey and dreamy, yet still very funky – as the keys handle as much rhythm ... (Sound Library, Hip Hop)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
An instant party in a single package – a set that brings together a whole host of rare singles from back in the day – all work that's almost an equal blend of old school funk and early hip hop! The work here comes from the Spring label and related Posse imprint – a company who ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
An assortment of rare female hip hop tracks from the old school – including a few by MCs we're not sure we've ever heard before! Tuff City must have dug deep in the vaults for this one – as we're not sure these all were issued on the label at the time – and titles include "Th ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Features a bonus 7" single – with "Joe Blow" by Puffy Dee, and "What's Up" by Midnight Lace.)