An excellent full length set of beats & genius from J Dilla – put together by fellow beatmaker extraordinaire Pete Rock, with all Dilla beats – a surprising triumph! Call us jaded, but honestly, we weren't sure how deep the well could go of ready-to-go beats from Dilla, but this stuff is truly top shelf – nearly as strong as the instant classic Donuts from a few years back! Pete Rock crafts the set as if it's a radio show or mixtape, but his skill in so doing is well above and beyond the norm – neither Pete's interjections nor the guest rappers ever get in the way of the flow, it's as smooth as can be. Vocal guests include Ma Dukes (the album was made under Ma's auspices), plus Lil Fame & MOP, Black Thought, Frank Nitty of Frank N Dank, Doom, Illa J & Cue D, Blu, and others. Titles include "King", "I Told Yall", "Smoke" feat Blu, "CaDILLAc". "Fire Wood Drumstix" feat Doom, "Big Day", "24K Rap" feat Havoc of Mobb Deep & Raekwon, "Coming Back", "Mythsysizer" and more. 28 tracks in all, about an hour of unreleased Dilla! CD

The late 90s all caps CLASSIC by Big Pun – a precise rhyme spitter who, sadly, wouldn't live long enough drop follow up masterpiece in his lifetime, but will always have Capital Punishment as his lasting legacy! Pun was a bit mean, but his flow here is his lean and precise – and he's sharp form throughout. Production wise, Loud Record seems to control the secret formula for a perfect mix of commercial success and straight dope hip hop at the end of the 90s – and the set opens up with guest appearances by Black Thought of The Roots, Raekwon, Fat Joe and more. Includes "Dream Shatterer", "I'm Not A Player", "You Came Up", "Fast Money", "Tres Leches", "Glamour Life" and "Super Lyrical". CD

The drama master of hip hop and pretty much all of contemporary pop music returns with his Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy – a full length hip hop rumination on being hated and the struggle of needing that hate to be creatively fruitful. It's not always an easy listening experience, but it's a hella strong record, and yet another "Album Of The Year" candidate for Mr. West, love him or hate him. Includes "Georgeous" feat Kid Cudi & Raekwon, "Power", "All Of The Lights", "So Apalled" with Jay Z, Pusha T, Prynce Cy Hi, Swizz Beatz & The RZA, "Runaway" feat Pusha T, "Hell Of A Life", "Blame Game" with John Legend, "Who Will Survive In America" and "Dark Fantasy". CD

The drama master of hip hop and pretty much all of contemporary pop music returns with his Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy – a full length hip hop rumination on being hated and the struggle of needing that hate to be creatively fruitful. It's not always an easy listening experience, but it's a hella strong record, and yet another "Album Of The Year" candidate for Mr. West, love him or hate him. Includes "Georgeous" feat Kid Cudi & Raekwon, "Power", "All Of The Lights", "So Apalled" with Jay Z, Pusha T, Prynce Cy Hi, Swizz Beatz & The RZA, "Runaway" feat Pusha T, "Hell Of A Life", "Blame Game" with John Legend, "Who Will Survive In America" and "Dark Fantasy". The CD/DVD combo special edition includes Kanye's crazy ambitious film Runaway on the DVD. CD

The return of Mr Mef & Funk Doc – 10 years on from the original Blackout LP – and it's a solid duo hip hop LP the likes of which we don't hear nearly enough of in the late 00s! It seems like Blackout! 2 has been in the works almost since the first LP had run its course, but if you haven't been on pins & needles in anticipation, their expert lyrical chemistry should glide you back into it pretty easily. Erick Sermon is back in as producer, as well as Pete Rock, Mathematics, Rockwilder and others – with some mid school love without going throwback, and it's great to hear this duo back in fine form on record. Titles include "I'm A Dope N**a", the tight single "A-Yo" feat Saukrates, "Dangerous Emcees", "Hey Zulu", "City Lights" feat Bun B, "Mrs International" feat Erick Sermon, "Four Minutes To Lockdown" feat Raekwon & Ghostface, "A Lil Bit" feat Malanie Rutherford, and more. CD

With the remix of Wu-Tang's "Can It Be All So Simple", Genius' "I Gotcha Back" and Raekwon & Ghostface Killah "Heaven & Hell". Also has lots of choice old school cuts (though some of them have been shortened from their full 6+ minute 12" versions): Cold Cut Brothers "Fresh, Fly, Wild & Bold", Fearless 4 "Rockin It", Funky 4 + 1 More "Do You Wanna Rock", Spoonie G "Spoonin Rap", Masterdon Committee "Funkbox Party", Fresh 3 MC's "Fresh", Whodini "The Freaks Come Out At Night" and T-Ski Valley "Catch The Beat". CD