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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 collaboration – it's more to pay tribute to the era Herc personifies, albeit in a fresh contemporary way. Sandman's rhymes are as freewheeling and creative as ever, but he's showing a bit of verbal restraint here, and he's more about solidly matching the ompellingly gritty production by Rthentic – as opposed to taking the word count to a surreal level. Great stuff – and pretty generously packed for an EP. 8 tracks in all: "My Brothers", "Oh, The Horror", "Lonely People", "Dag, Philly Too", "Moon", "Men Are Mortal", "Peace & Love" and "I".

Sure, they're a funk act – but Kool & The Gang also have a great way with a ballad, too – and as the 80s moved on, the laidback mode worked just as great for the group as their groovers! This mellow set features a dozen Kool & The Gang ballads – some gentle love songs that still seem to hold onto the compression we love in their funk – yet turn the energy towards different ends, often without being overly commercial. Tracks include "Strong", "Think It Over", "Jones Vs Jones", "September Love", "No Show", "Cherish", "Broadway", "Too Hot", "Just Friends", and "Special Way".

Blistering funk rock and raw, tightly grooving psych soul from small town Victoria, TX – trailblazing material from Kool & Together. This is an amazing anthology from Heavy Light/Light In The Attic that pulls together material from private press 45s the group put in the early-to-mid 70s and previously unreleased tracks recorded by Texas music legend Huey P Meaux. There's a raw soul, funky drums & percussion core to Kool & Together's style that's really great! Singer Tyrone Sanders doubles as the group's conga player, which is a great touch! There's a demonstrable level of gritty psych soul and rock in the mix, too – wah wah guitar, in particular – but they're much more into a tight, heady groove than the kind of lumbering heft and solo-heavy styles of other Hendrix disciples. It's a family band – the earliest tracks on the set feature Charles Sanders Sr on vocals, with Charles Jr on guitar, Tyrone on conga and Joe Sanders on drums – with the boys trading lead vocals and instrumentation on other later recordings, along with additional players. A great discovery from Heavy Light Records! 19 tracks in all: "Sittin' On A Hot Red Stove", "I Know", "If You Can", "Wino Man", "Magic Words", "Peace Is At Hand", "Better Days", "Fly So High", "Electronic Funk", "Reaching Out", "Hooked On Life", "Blow It Out Your Mind", "Get Your Feet Off The Ground" and more, plus 4 demos: "Escapism Beat", "Hot Pants", "Nassau Beat" and "Wino Man".

What a killer combination – Kool & The Gang and Schlitz Malt Liquor – two of the baddest forces of the 70s! The album's a special promotional album that collects mid-period work by the group, and serves it up in a cool cover that's got the band kicking back with The Bull – and tracks include "Funky Stuff", "Summer Madness", "Jungle Boogie", "Hollywood Swingin", "Open Sesame", and "Sugar".

A nice one from Kool & The Gang – and kind of a transitional record for the group – falling directly between the hard funk and spacey jazz inspired earlier work and the chart-ready grooves that would follow soon after! They weren't about to abandon the heavy horn lines and some grittier grooves just yet – but they seem to know where the commercial winds are blowing – and they work a bit harder on the sweeter group vocals and some string-backed dancefloor soul sounds. Includes the slow-building title track, plus "Dancin' Shoes", "Big Chief's Funkum", "I Like Music" "It's All You Need", "Peace To The Universe" and "At The Party".

Kool & The Gang's a little bit slicker and a little bit smoother on The Force than on earlier classic records – but thankfully, they're still getting on down to the funky sounds! The Force does indeed have more of a spacey boogie than a jungle boogie vibe, but they're still doing what we love to hear from them. Party funk and soul from this legendary group – and the soul comes out especially well on the mellower numbers, which seem to take off from classics on albums like Love & Understanding or Open Sesame. Titles include "Free", "Slick Superchick", "Just Be True", "Mighty Mighty High", "Oasis", "The Force" and "Life's A Song".

Often overlooked amidst the bigger early albums by Kool & The Gang – but a totally solid record of funky stuff that's right up there with their best work! The band is super-tight at this point, grooving along in a hard drum, heavy bass, wah wah guitar frenzy – and even the vocals are great by this point, with that good mix of funky soul and humor that made the band so much more entertaining than some of their contemporaries. Tracks include the spacey "Wild Is Love", the super-dope "Rated X" and "North East South West", the mellow jazz number "I Remember John W Coltrane", and the cuts "Good Times", "Country Times", and "Making Merry Music".

A landmark album of funky genius – and one of the first times a batch of funky 45s had ever been so tightly sewn into a full LP! By the time of this album's release, Kool & The Gang were already underground legends – cutting it up in small clubs around the east and midwest, and working hard to push their excellent early singles on the De-Lite label – the kind of indie funky 45s that went on to shape the sound of a generation to come! This album brings together a number of those singles – really great little tracks that you can't really ever find on wax, and which have the group's perfect blend of bass/drum rhythms, choppy guitar, and hard-blaring horns – a massive groove that's still tighter here than any of the countless combos the record went onto inspire. The LP's a non-stop jam all the way through, with funk so pure it could be considered the blueprint for a generation – and titles include "Give It Up", "Raw Hamburger", "Kool's Back Again", "Breeze & Soul", "Sea of Tranquility", and "Kool & The Gang".

A great album from Kool & The Gang! The set's designed to focus on the jazzier side of the group – and it sifts through the first few albums to come up with some of the more sophisticated (yet still totally funky!) numbers by the band, giving a good picture of the many sides of their talents, and also adding in a few other tracks that we haven't found on other records. The groove ranges from slow-dope and mellow, to choppy and funky, with plenty of hot breaks and classic hip hop samples. Titles include the monster jammer "Dujii", plus "Lucky For Me", "Sea Of Tranquility", "North East South West", "I Remember John W Coltrane", "Sombrero Sam", and "Breeze & Soul", a very tasty little jangly number!

A shameless dancefloor cash-in move – but with a few nice touches! You all know the big title cut "Ladies Night", so we won't bother to describe it – but we can say that the group wisely hooked up with Deodato, who produced, mixed, and even played keyboards on the album. Deodato keeps a nice jazzy punch in the tracks, while still moving towards the slickly produced funk sound that was the group's main approach at the time of the record. JT Taylor's on vocals, and the album's even got a few mellow cuts – like the crossover easy number "Too Hot" – amidst the midtempo 80s grooves. Other tracks include "Hangin Out", "Tonight's The Night", and "Got To Get You Into My Life". And honestly, if the album was the first by a new band, we might rate it higher – but since it's one of the last semi-solid efforts from Kool & The Gang, we're not as enthusiastic.

It's the mid 70s, and Kool & Co not only keep the funky groove up, but also expand their style into a moogy style that adds a nice dimension of spacey soul to their rich palette of funk. The funkier cuts – like "Street Corner Symphony" and "Rhyme Tyme People" – sound a bit too much like the hits from earlier albums, but are still pretty nice. But it's the synth heavy cuts – like "Whiting H&G", and the landmark "Summer Madness" – which really open up the record. They're great stuff, and have the group moving into a spacey otherworldly funk realm that had been opened up a few years earlier by Earth Wind & Fire. The long-lasting potential of "Summer Madness" proves that the move was a great one – and we're always stunned at how fantastic the track still sounds today!

It's the mid 70s, and Kool & Co not only keep the funky groove up, but also expand their style into a moogy style that adds a nice dimension of spacey soul to their rich palette of funk. The funkier cuts – like "Street Corner Symphony" and "Rhyme Tyme People" – sound a bit too much like the hits from earlier albums, but are still pretty nice. But it's the synth heavy cuts – like "Whiting H&G", and the landmark "Summer Madness" – which really open up the record. They're great stuff, and have the group moving into a spacey otherworldly funk realm that had been opened up a few years earlier by Earth Wind & Fire. The long-lasting potential of "Summer Madness" proves that the move was a great one – and we're always stunned at how fantastic the track still sounds today!

One of the greatest Kool & The Gang albums ever – a monster live session that almost blows away their studio classics! The groove here is far more freewheeling and complex than some of their singles from the 70s – longer, tripped-out tunes with a definite undercurrent of jazz amidst the funk – loads of wicked horn bits from Ronnie Bell and Dennis Thomas that complicate things up nicely, while still staying soulfully in the groove. There's no vocals at all on the record – which further enforces the Kool Jazz sound of the set – and the album's even harder-hitting than their previous Sex Machine live album, so much so, the PJ's club had to close its doors shortly after the Gang's performance! Titles include the all-time killer sample cut "Duji" – plus "NT", "Ronnie's Groove", "Ricksonata", "Lucky For Me", "Sombrero Sam", and a medley of "Ike's Groove/You've Lost That Lovin Feeling".

Fantastic live stuff from the classic early period of Kool & the Gang! The set swings mightily with a sound that's hardly matched on some of their studio albums, and the band proves that their tightness isn't just a batch of studio tricks as they blow away the crowd at the Sex Machine night club. There's lots of great live jamming here, and some of their best early cuts like "Let The Music Take Your Mind", "Who's Gonna Take The Weight", "Funky Man", and more. This is a very nice reissue pressing, with a cool gatefold wraparound cover, and some very heavy funky wax! Another one that we never thought we'd see again on vinyl – now out for the masses at a nice nice price.

A pivotal album in the career of Kool & The Gang! This album has the band operating at the top of their early 70s funky powers – and it also shows them dabbling a bit with electronics, which would become a big part of their sound a few albums later. The best example of this is the totally cool "Electric Frog (parts 1 & 2)", which has this amazing bubbling moogy riff that goes in and out of the song. Other tracks are more straight-ahead funky – and they're all great! Titles include "Music Is The Message", "Love The Life You Live (parts 1 & 2)", "Funky Granny", and the righteous "Soul Vibrations". Also features the super-dope mellow "Blowin With The Wind", a stripped-down number that's dominated by a trumpet solo, and proof that the group could operate just as well at a mellow level as they could at a hard funky one!

A magic carpet ride of funky soul from Kool & The Gang – classic Open Sesame from '76 – one that took the group to a higher level! It's not as rawly funky as some of the group's earlier albums, but they do still bring it, just with a cooler spirtual vibe that we never expected – one that opens up their sound even further! The best example of this is the great cut "Little Children", a very righteous jazzy soul number that's been sampled to great use, and one that introduced a great mellow sound for the group. Other cuts include the dancefloor classic "Open Sesame", "Whisper Softly", "L-O-V-E", and "Sunshine". This remastered edition from Big Break UK includes 3 bonus tracks: "Open Sesame (Groove With The Genie) – Part 2 (Single Version)", "Super Bad (Single Version)" and "Open Sesame (Groove With The Genie) (Promotional 12" – Special Disco Version)".

Sure, this one's got "boogie" in the title – but don't let that scare you off! The album's carved in the same hard funky style as mid 70s hits like "Hollywood Swinging" or "Jungle Boogie" (both from earlier albums) – and in fact, the "boogie" in the title seems to be a definite reference to that latter track, which is aped a bit on the album, instead of the more common 70s use of the term for disco. Whew! That's a bit of a complicated explanation – but we're just trying to tell you that this one's still plenty funky, with loads of great drums, jazzy riffing, monster basslines, and even a dose of righteous soul! Tracks include "Spirit of The Boogie", "Jungle Jazz", "Ancestral Ceremony", "Winter Sadness", and "Ride the Rhythm". One of their last great LPs, and an essential addition to their mid 70's opus! Reissued with the original gatefold cover, too!

Way more than just a "boogie" album – as you might think from the title – and much more a hard-hitting batch of funky tunes, mixed with some even cooler laidback numbers! The album follows heavily off the style of Wild & Peaceful – mixing together the group's older crack rhythms with some newer, hipper, jazzier inflections – making for an incredibly powerful sound that really opens them up. Titles include the massively funky "Jungle Jazz" – a jazzy follow up to "Jungle Boogie" – plus some spiritual numbers that have a cosmic soul jazzy feel, like the tracks "Cosmic Energy", "Ancestral Ceremony", and "Winter Sadness". The whole thing's great – and other titles include "Mother Earth", "Caribbean Festival", and "Ride The Rhythm".

After this one, there was no turning back for Kool & The Gang! The record has them bringing their underground funk sound to the masses – with a choppy riffy groove that stands out almost as a public challenge to all the other pretenders that had been cropping up on major labels during the same time. The band are as tight as they ever were – and they're rolling like a non-stop locomotive with a horn-heavy groove on classics like "Jungle Boogie" and "Hollywood Swinging", while also showing hints of their strong mellow future on the cut "Wild & Peaceful". The album also includes the massive two part jammer "Funky Stuff" and "More Funky Stuff", plus "This Is You, This Is Me" and "Life Is What You Make It".

After this one, there was no turning back for Kool & The Gang! The record has them bringing their underground funk sound to the masses – with a choppy riffy groove that stands out almost as a public challenge to all the other pretenders that had been cropping up on major labels during the same time. The band are as tight as they ever were – and they're rolling like a non-stop locomotive with a horn-heavy groove on classics like "Jungle Boogie" and "Hollywood Swinging", while also showing hints of their strong mellow future on the cut "Wild & Peaceful". The album also includes the massive two part jammer "Funky Stuff" and "More Funky Stuff", plus "This Is You, This Is Me" and "Life Is What You Make It".

Dawn of the 80s party rap from Kool DJ AJ! "Ah, That's The Joint" is notable as an early Terry Lewis production, but what's really great about it is how brilliantly it rocks a 70s funk vibe underneath the vocals. The bass groove is unstoppable and the the beat is incredible – with benchmark rap style with call & response backup vox.

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 coast rap to come arguably stretches even farther and wider than their own recorded legacy. Tough street tales, vital golden age DJ skills and collaborations with fellow legends Marley Marl, Large Professor, Eric B, Biz Markie and Big Daddy Kane. 5 tracks in all: "Streets of New York", "Truly Yours", "Wanted Dead Or Alive", "Poison", "Money In The Bank" with Large Professor, Freddie Foxxx & Ant Live, "Butcher Shop", "Bad To The Bone", "Road To The Riches", "It's A Demo", "I'm Fly (Original 12" Version)", "Riker's Island (Original 12" Version)", "Rhyme Time (Original 12" Version)" and 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 coast rap to come arguably stretches even farther and wider than their own recorded legacy. Tough street tales, vital golden age DJ skills and collaborations with fellow legends Marley Marl, Large Professor, Eric B, Biz Markie and Big Daddy Kane. 5 tracks in all: "Streets of New York", "Truly Yours", "Wanted Dead Or Alive", "Poison", "Money In The Bank" with Large Professor, Freddie Foxxx & Ant Live, "Butcher Shop", "Bad To The Bone", "Road To The Riches", "It's A Demo", "I'm Fly (Original 12" Version)", "Riker's Island (Original 12" Version)", "Rhyme Time (Original 12" Version)" and more.

A huge crossover hit for the group – but a pretty tasty dancefloor single as well! Deodato's producing track here – and it's got a nicely compressed sound that pops along the bassline and catchy hook wonderfully!

A super-huge album for Kool & The Gang – the set that features their massive hit "Celebration", a cut that became an instant party classic, and which is probably still earning them a fortune in royalties year after year from wedding bands alone! Believe it or not, the album was arranged, conducted, and produced by Deodato – who was making a great move at the time to get into more straight soul work from his roots in bossa and his 70s run in jazz funk. And in a way, it's Deodato's ear for a great warm groove that really seems to make the set sparkle – giving it a strong soul sound, even with tighter production – still somewhat down to earth, despite its hit status. Apart from "Celebration", other tracks include "Jones Vs Jones", "Love Festival", "Love Affair", "Night People", and "Morning Star".

A funky later classic from Kool & The Gang – not as hard and heavy as their early work, but still plenty darn great! And while "Ladies Night" is a well-known hit, there's always great bits on the track that we always fall in love with again – like the tightly compressed horns, and the slightly spacey keys! Produced by Deodato too!

Fantastic live stuff from the classic early period of Kool & the Gang! The set swings mightily with a sound that's hardly matched on some of their studio albums, and the band proves that their tightness isn't just a batch of studio tricks as they blow away the crowd at the Sex Machine night club. There's lots of great live jamming here, and some of their best early cuts like "Let The Music Take Your Mind", "Who's Gonna Take The Weight", "Funky Man", and more. Nice original pressing, with a cool gatefold wraparound cover, and some very heavy funky wax!

A magic carpet ride of funky soul from Kool & The Gang – classic Open Sesame from '76 – one that took the group to a higher level! It's not as rawly funky as some of the group's earlier albums, but they do still bring it, just with a cooler spirtual vibe that we never expected – one that opens up their sound even further! The best example of this is the great cut "Little Children", a very righteous jazzy soul number that's been sampled to great use, and one that introduced a great mellow sound for the group. Other cuts include the dancefloor classic "Open Sesame", "Whisper Softly", "L-O-V-E", and "Sunshine".

After this one, there was no turning back for Kool & The Gang! The record has them bringing their underground funk sound to the masses – with a choppy riffy groove that stands out almost as a public challenge to all the other pretenders that had been cropping up on major labels during the same time. The band are as tight as they ever were – and they're rolling like a non-stop locomotive with a horn-heavy groove on classics like "Jungle Boogie" and "Hollywood Swinging", while also showing hints of their strong mellow future on the cut "Wild & Peaceful". The album also includes the massive two part jammer "Funky Stuff" and "More Funky Stuff", plus "This Is You, This Is Me" and "Life Is What You Make It".

Funky singles so great, you'd almost think the 12" format was invented for them! This essential package pulls together a wealth of rare singles from the legendary Kool & The Gang – a group who already sounded great on their shorter album and 45 tracks, but who used the 12" format to stretch out their groove even more – playing heavily on their talent for jazzy funk in the earlier years on this set, and moving into tighter, more groove-centrist modes as the 80s rolled on! The package features full, long 12" mixes of some of the group's biggest dancefloor numbers – with tunes that start around the 5 minute mark, and roll on up past 10 minutes on some of the longer tracks! 10 titles in all – including the previously unreleased "Take My Heart (long 12" rmx)" and "Mighty Mighty High (orig 12" extended)" – plus "Get Down On It (12" ext)", "Open Sesame (12" ext)", "Love & Understanding (12" ext)", "Fresh (12" rmx)", "Hanging Out (12" rmx)", "Ladies' Night (12" full length LP)", "Tonight (12" rmx)", and "Celebremos (orig 12" Spanish)".

A landmark album of funky genius – and one of the first times a batch of funky 45s had ever been so tightly sewn into a full LP! By the time of this album's release, Kool & The Gang were already underground legends – cutting it up in small clubs around the east and midwest, and working hard to push their excellent early singles on the De-Lite label – the kind of indie funky 45s that went on to shape the sound of a generation to come! This album brings together a number of those singles – really great little tracks that you can't really ever find on wax, and which have the group's perfect blend of bass/drum rhythms, choppy guitar, and hard-blaring horns – a massive groove that's still tighter here than any of the countless combos the record went onto inspire. The LP's a non-stop jam all the way through, with funk so pure it could be considered the blueprint for a generation – and titles include "Give It Up", "Raw Hamburger", "Kool's Back Again", "Breeze & Soul", "Sea of Tranquility", and "Kool & The Gang". 2012 remaster – with much better sound than the 90s CD version.

The record that defined a generation, and a set with some surprisingly nice soul tracks, too – including "Open Sesame" by Kool & The Gang, "Disco Inferno" by The Trammps, "KJEE" by MFSB, "Calypso Breakdown" by Ralph MacDonald, "Fifth Of Beethoven" by Walter Murphy, "If I Can't Have You" by Yvonne Elliman, and "More Than A Woman" by Tavares.

A stone classic from Black Heat – the group's second album, and even tighter than their first! The group's size has dropped a bit between albums – but that only helps them cook even more – dropping a bit of the horn section from before, which allows even more emphasis on their razor-sharp rhythms! There's a slight hint of Afro Funk in some of the rhythms – and the keyboards cook with lots of sweet clavinet lines – mixed with a production style that features some bubbling electronic elements that remind us a lot of that crazy "magic bag" that was used by the Lafayette Afro-Rock Band. That group might be a good point of comparison, but the band also shares a lot of Kool & The Gang's ensemble funk style – especially on their cover of "Love The Life You Live" – which they burn here beautifully! Other tracks include "Super Cool", "M&M's", "Rapid Fire", "You Should Have Listened", "Times Have Changed", and "Check It All Out".

A pretty darn cool little record – even if it is a bunch of cover versions! As the title proclaims, the set presents the winners of a US Army competition for its members stationed in Europe in the early 70s – one that chose The Black Seeds for side one of the album, and Sound Trek for side two! The Black Seeds are a sweet harmony group with a really heartbreaking feel – very much in the New Jersey/Philly mode, and sounding great on a number of roughly-done covers that include "Go Outside In The Rain", "Black Magic Woman", "Do Your Thing", "Backstabbers", and "Ain't No Sunshine". The Sound Trek are a bit more groove-oriented – kicking off their set with an instrumental reading of "Kool & The Gang", but then rolling into a batch of vocal soul covers that include "Walking In The Rain", "Backstabbers" (again!), "Coldest Days Of My Life", and "I Love Everything About You".

A great little sleeper from the Blackbyrds – a record that never gets as much due as their earlier records that have a hard funky feel, but offer instead a tasty batch of smoother jazz funk numbers that show the group still continuing to grow. Donald Byrd's still at the production helm – and the band's got a nice spacey sound that almost reflects directions that other funk groups, like Kool & The Gang, were taking at the time. The best case of this is the massive cut "Mysterious Vibes", a slow jazzy stepper that was sampled to great fame a few years back – but you can also hear it on the cuts "Supernatural Feeling", "Soft & Easy", and "Dreaming About You".

One of the greatest sides of The Blackbyrds' music – their mellower, more chilled-out tunes – all tracks that we like almost as much as their funkier classics! Although the combo first earned their name for upbeat, sharp-edged funky fusion, they also had a wonderful way with a laidback groove – sweetly stepping instrumentals that were often a bit overlooked next to some of their bigger 70s hits, but which are equally great – and perhaps even more so, as they represented a really unique approach to the music at the time! There's a vibe here that we'd rank right up there with Kool & The Gang on "Summer Madness" – an approach that's often spare, and focused around a key instrumental bit – and which is a great antidote to some of the heavier-handed funk of the time! Keyboards are often heavy on these numbers, and although there's some vocals, the instrumentation is almost always center stage – served up over some sweetly stepping rhythms that are really great. Titles include "Lady", "Wilford's Gone", "A Heavy Town", "All I Ask", "At The Carnival", "April Showers", "Love Is Love", "Soft & Easy", "Lady", "Flying High", "The Baby", "Summer Love", "Dreaming Of You", and "Time Is Movin".

A funky funky classic from The Counts – and an album that has the group tightening up their sound from the Westbound years, but still keeping the groove plenty nice! There's a tight, bad-walking feel to most of the cuts on the set – one that almost comes across with a blacksploitation groove – especially as the album's basslines are all laid out in a hard-stepping groove, and topped off by plenty of wicked guitar work. Most cuts have vocals, and the lyrics have a Fatback-like love of the catchy chorus and funk-heavy theme. The album's worth it alone for the excellent cut "Tecalli" – a stretched out mellow instrumental with some great Kool & The Gang-esque floating trumpet over the top – but the whole thing's great, and other tracks include "At The Fair", "Dedicated Man", "Jazzman", "Magic Ride", "Short Cut", and "Flies Over Watermelon".

A massive set from Nigeria's CS Crew – and a set that definitely lives up to its title! The bass is super-heavy on these grooves – way more so than on other Afro Funk records of the time, and in ways that easily match, if not beat, the early best by Fatback Band and Kool & The Gang – grooves that have amazing dexterity that few others could match, yet which always come through right on the money every time! The bass dips, turns, soars, and drops magically on each number – setting things up strongly for the group's riffing guitar, sweet keyboard lines (including a big of moog!), and few horn moments – which themselves often come across more like an American group than a Nigerian one. Vocals have this rough approach – often part of the rhythm more than anything else – and titles include "Love Is Peace", "Freaky Funkyfied Fix", "Bread Power", "Doin The Good Thing", "I've Found Love", "Last Day", and "Dig In With Time".

A massive set from Nigeria's CS Crew – and a set that definitely lives up to its title! The bass is super-heavy on these grooves – way more so than on other Afro Funk records of the time, and in ways that easily match, if not beat, the early best by Fatback Band and Kool & The Gang – grooves that have amazing dexterity that few others could match, yet which always come through right on the money every time! The bass dips, turns, soars, and drops magically on each number – setting things up strongly for the group's riffing guitar, sweet keyboard lines (including a big of moog!), and few horn moments – which themselves often come across more like an American group than a Nigerian one. Vocals have this rough approach – often part of the rhythm more than anything else – and titles include "Love Is Peace", "Freaky Funkyfied Fix", "Bread Power", "Doin The Good Thing", "I've Found Love", "Last Day", and "Dig In With Time".

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, including Heltah Skeltah, Lost Boyz, Sadat X, Fat Joe, Craig G, Roxanne Shante, Biz Markie, Big Daddy Kane, Mobb Deep, Kool G Rap, Keith Murray, Busta Rhymes and the Cocoa Brovaz.

A killer instrumental album of hard organ grooves and funky basslines! This was the album that broke Funk Inc out of their Indianapolis scene, and made them a force to be forever reckoned with in the history of funky jazz. The album grooves hard in the same sound as some of the classic work by Prestige jazz funk giants like Rusty Bryant, Charles Earland, or Ivan Boogaloo Jones – but it's almost even tighter than their work, because the Funk Inc combo as a tightly woven group of players who'd been together for a number of years. The record's filled with monster cuts that you'll recognize immediately, like the group's famous "Kool is Back", which has a monster sample on the intro, and hard heavy Kool & The Gang grooves throughout. Other tracks include "Sister Janie", "The Whipper", and "Bowlegs".

No hangin out here – because these guys are tighter than ever, and right on the money from the very first note of the set! A snapping drum break opens up the album – followed by a wickedly stepping bassline, a rolling conga part, and a vamping dance between Hammond and tenor sax – all to set the scene for a batch of grooves that's easily one of the finest ever from this Indy combo! The album's got a sharpness and tightness that balances beautifully between funky jazz and instrumental soul – a territory that's a bit like Kool & The Gang at times, but which has a much more jazz-based approach on the solos. The big cuts include "Smokin' At Tiffany's" and "Dirty Red" – and other tracks include a sweet cover of Curtis Mayfield's "Give Me Your Love", plus "We Can Be Friends", "I Can See Clearly Now", and "I'll Be Around".

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 best of the Just-Ice and KRS-One co-productions and a few of better cuts that Grandmaster Flash produced – and the 2CD set is sprawling enough to bring in some of better 12" versions, too! 23 tracks on 2CDs: "Cold Getting' Dumb", "Back To The Old School", "Latoya", "Gangster Of Hip Hop", "Going Way Back", "Freedom Of Speech", "Kool & Deadly", "The Desolate One", "Na Touch Da Just", "Way Back (We're Going)", "Cold Getting Dumb ('97 Remix)" and 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 best of the Just-Ice and KRS-One co-productions and a few of better cuts that Grandmaster Flash produced – and the 2LP set is sprawling enough to bring in some of better 12" versions, too! 21 tracks on 2LP version: "Cold Getting' Dumb", "Back To The Old School", "Latoya", "Gangster Of Hip Hop", "Going Way Back", "Freedom Of Speech '88", "Kool & Deadly", "The Desolate One", "Na Touch Da Just", "Way Back (We're Going)" feat Chubb Rock, "Cool & Wicked" and more.

KC & The Sunshine band definitely live up to the title here – doing it good, and doing it funky with a great early Miami funk groove! The sound has a lot more sharp edges than their later hits – but is still already plenty darn infectious – a wicked bouncy groove that never lets up at all – making the album every bit a funky party as the best early gems from Fatback Band or Kool & The Gang! Production is great too – that cool Miami sense of spreading out, yet never turned towards commercial ends – as you'll hear on groovers that include "Sound Your Funky Horn", "Do It Good", "Baby I Want Your Lovin'", "All My Love", "Blow Your Whistle", "I'm a Pushover", and "I Need a Little Lovin". CD features bonus tracks – "I'm Gonna Do Something Good To You", "Why Don't We Get Together", "Queen Of Clubs (single)", and "I'm A Pushover (single)".

Fantastic stuff – incredibly hard and incredibly funky, and a masterpiece all the way through! Long before there was any talk of gangster rap, Jalal of the Last Poets recorded this album of gamblin', pimpin', and hard double dealin'. It's a fantastic album-long ride through the dark side of the black underworld, and is the aural equivalent of a blacksploitation flick. Kool & The Gang provided the music – and Jalal tells the whole story throughout, in the same hard rappin' style he used with the Last Poets! The record's an undisputed classic, and includes the sample classic "Sport", plus loads of other righteous funky cuts like "Spoon", "Grit's Den", and "Sentenced To The Chair"!

This is the kind of funky rock record we can get behind! Although Melting Pot are ostensibly one of the many drum-heavy rock groups of their generation, the band manages to kick it very well with a strong commitment to funk – a commitment that outweighs their rock-based lyrics much more than other bands of the type. The core of the group is a nice drum/organ/guitar groove – but there's other added instrumentation, including some tight horns. The record's got a nice funky instrumental version of the track "Kool & The Gang", by the group of the same name – plus vocal tracks that include "Tell Me The Truth", "Feeling Alright", "Await The Coming Day", "Welcome To The Party", and "Sunday Tree".

Wonderful grooves from Push – a funky ensemble who flourished in the Seattle scene at the end of the 70s – turning out some really massive sounds in the clubs, and in the studio! This collection's the only one we've ever seen of their work – a much-needed testament to their stone strength on a very local scene at the time – one in which a group like this could work every night of the week to big regional crowds, yet somehow never manage to crack the big time! Yet the group's lack of fame is also what makes this music great – a fresh approach to 70s territory that you might know from some of the bigger acts of the time – with instrumentation jazzy enough to rival some of the Fantasy Records groups of the time – and a sparkling vibe that recalls some of the bigger crossover groups, like Kool & The Gang or Average White Band! The set features recordings from two different sessions – one in Seattle, the other in Portland – and titles include "I'm Not Alone", "I'm A Dreamer", "It Ain't Never Been This Funky", "You Turn Me On", "The Jealous Type", "Reach", "We Have So Much", "You're Nasty", and "Celebration".

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 to track, but always with a nicely cohesive feel. Some cuts – billed as "samba rap" or "rap bossa" – show a nice Brazilian influence – and titles include "Byrd", "Avolta", "Dance Me", "Kool Out", "Now That I Know You", "Oedeep", "One More Time", and "So Tired".

A classic indie cooker from Sugar Billy – a bit funky, a bit clubby – and a really great batch of grooves done in a pre-disco mode! The tracks are all pretty darn upbeat – somewhat warmer than the funk of Fatback or Kool & The Gang, but still with a nicely rough-edged feel overall – one that mixes snapping rhythms with Billy's slightly raspy vocals – all in a groove that's somewhat unique, and which is almost a hybrid of southern soul modes and some of the indie styles bubbling out of the New York scene in the early 70s. Arrangements are by Jimmy Roach, who definitely helps the group groove – and a young Marcus Belgrave is actually in the group on Trumpet! Titles include the classic "Super Duper Love (parts 1 & 2)", plus "Treat Me Like You Don't Know Me", "Love Bug", "Sugar Pie", "Too Much Too Soon", and "Believe In Me". CD also features a great bonus track – the single-only "Freak & You Shall Find", presented in the long version!

Featuring Kool & The Gang.

Ten years in for the Tabou Combo – and the group's sounding funkier than ever! The album's got a groove that's even tighter than some of their earliest records – and there's a definite funky feel to the music at times – not just Haitian styles, but a nice US influence too – yet one that's filtered through some really unique global influences too! Despite the date of the record, the instrumentation is mostly in a late 70s ensemble funk mode – with harder edges than usual from the combo, and almost a Kool & The Gang influence going on – but, with the Haitian elements thrown in, an overall sound that comes across with the vibe of Banda Black Rio. Really great stuff – with cuts that include "Hoola Hoop Disco", "Let Me Play That Funky Music", "Tabou Disco", "Tania", "Let's Do The Groove", and "Fausse Conception". CD also features bonus extended mixes of "Hoola Hoop Disco" and "Tabou Disco".

Tim Dog name-checks all Bronx projects, with a little help from Kool Keith, and disses Compton/Ruthless again. Some nice instrumental remixes by Ultra's TR and Moe Love.

Tim Dog name-checks all Bronx projects, with a little help from Kool Keith, and disses Compton/Ruthless again. Some nice instrumental remixes by Ultra's TR and Moe Love.

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 production by Ced Gee. This is still one of our all-time favorites late 80s new school hip hop albums. With "Watch Me Now", "Ego Trippin", "Ease Back", "Funky", "Kool Keith Housing Things", "Feelin It", "Ced Gee (Delta Force One)", "Traveling At The Speed Of Thought" and more.

We don't know who Vin Zee was, but he's wearing satin pants, leg warmers and roller skates and carrying a stuffed, roller-skating albino gorilla doll on the cover of this single, so he's allright by us! The cut has an early 80's pop-funk sound, like when Kool & the Gang started to crossover, or perhaps a little like some of Lakeside's singles. Pt. 2 is an instrumental.

Odd six track promo sampler from Epic. The best track here is "Rock On" from Funkdoobiest with a good combination of hyped vocals over mellow production. Also includes a short un-named verse from Kool G Rap. Other tracks: Mystidious Misfits "I Be", Vicious feat. Shyheim "Life Of A Shortie", Mista Grimm "Situation Grimm (acapella)", Dana Barros "Check It (acapella)".

Sweet funky, funky reggae from the deep vaults of Trojan – it's a non-stop jam with 20 hot numbers so get ready for the get down! Whether it's smokin' originals like Toots & the Maytals "Funky Kingston" or "Funky, Funky", poppin' remakes like the reggae take on Kool & the Gang's "Funky Stuff" by The Chosen Few, the Meters' "Look A Py Py" by Lloyd Charmers & the Hippy Boys or Jean Knight's "Mr Big Stuff" by Tomorrow's Children, plus numbers like Lee Perry's "Jungle Lion" that integrates a fat Memphis horn line courtesy Al Green, this set grooves like nobody's business. If you feel like comps of rare funky 45's are beginning to get tapped out, check out this sweet set of funky nuggets that also includes Zap Pow "Soul Revival", The Jay Boys "Splendour Splassh", Ken Boothe's "Is It Because I'm Black?", Phyllis Dillon "Woman Of The Ghetto", A Darker Shade Of Black "Ball Of Confusion", Bob Marley & The Wailers "Soul Almighty", Lloyd Charmers "Shaft" and Lloyd Williams' "Funky Beat".

A strong, well-assembled History Of Queensbridge – featuring rarities and freestyles from breakout hip hip superstars, blueprint era legends and longtime underground heavies alike – include Nas, Mobb Deep, Kool G Rap, Noreaga, Tragedi Khadafi, Cormega and more! Features MCs from Queensbridge proper and collabos with legends from elsewhere in and around NYC – and the titles include "Testaments" by Cormega, "Black Life" by Mobb Deep & ACD, ""Triple Threat" by Nas, Noreaga & Nature, "Holla Back To Dope" by Kool G Rap & Nas, "Freestyle S**t" by Cormega feat Busta Rhymes, "Real" by Tragedy Khadafi, 'Freestyle 1994" by Mobb Deep, "Gun Ring" by E Money Bags, "Thug Chronicles" by Kool G Rap & Havoc, "Betrayal" by Nature & Tragedy Khadafi and more. 20 tracks in all.

Double LP collection from 1987-88. Public Enemy "Don't Believe The Hype", EPMD "Strictly Business" (club mix), De La Soul "Plug Tunin", Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock "It Takes Two", Kool Moe Dee "Wild Wild West" (extended remix), Salt-N-Pepa "Push It" (remix), Run DMC "Run's House", and five more.

A funky & far reaching compilation on Perfect Toy! Shake-A-Leg features Afro Beat, jazz funk, funky hip hop and raw soul – compiled by Tobias Kirmayer and Jerker Kluge – highlighting the kinds of grooves they spin at their monthly club nights in Munich! It has a timeless feel, thanks in no small part to the duos penchant for selecting numbers that stretch as far back to the 70s roots, as well as some of best tracks from the diverse contemporary funk underground. Includes hip hop funk from Othello & DJ Vajra and Breakestra feat Chali 2na, Soup, Double K & Mixmaster Wolf, classic jazz funk era heroes Grant Green, Joe Thomas and Eddie Jefferson, modern Afro Funk from Ikebe Shakedown, Latin Beat from Cesar's Salad and much more! Titles include "Family Rap" by Breakestra, Chali 2na & others, Grant Green's cover of Kool & The Gang's "Let The Music Take Your Mind", "You Can Bet Your Swet Bippy" by The Joe Thomas Group, ""Outlines Part 3" by Ernst Arno, "Hard Steppin" by Ikebe Shakedown, "Yenyere" by Cesar's Salad" and more.

Classic breaks – all the way through! This may not be the most underground stuff in the world to those out there who've been digging through crates for funk and soul for the past ten years, but it is an exquisite compilation that features some of the best funky tracks used as samples by hip hoppers, nearly every one of them a famous cut that you'll probably recognize in a minute! Titles include "I Like It" by The Emotions, "Dance To The Drummer's Beat" by Herman Kelly, "Cramp Your Style" by All The People, "Hard Times" by Baby Huey, "Ghetto: Misfortune's Wealth" by 24 Carat Black, "Kool Is Back" by Funk Inc, "Our Generation" by Ernie Hines, "Heaven & Hell" by 20th Century Steel Band, "Unhooked Generation" by Freda Payne, "Papa Was, Too" by Joe Tex, "Just A Groove In G" by Wilbur Bascomb & The Zodiac, "Be Thankful For What You Got" by William De Vaughn, and "You're Getting A Little Too Smart" by The Detroit Emeralds. 18 cuts in all!

Classic breaks – all the way through! This may not be the most underground stuff in the world to those out there who've been digging through crates for funk and soul for the past ten years, but it is an exquisite compilation that features some of the best funky tracks used as samples by hip hoppers, nearly every one of them a famous cut that you'll probably recognize in a minute! Titles include "I Like It" by The Emotions, "Dance To The Drummer's Beat" by Herman Kelly, "Cramp Your Style" by All The People, "Hard Times" by Baby Huey, "Ghetto: Misfortune's Wealth" by 24 Carat Black, "Kool Is Back" by Funk Inc, "Our Generation" by Ernie Hines, "Heaven & Hell" by 20th Century Steel Band, "Unhooked Generation" by Freda Payne, "Papa Was, Too" by Joe Tex, "Just A Groove In G" by Wilbur Bascomb & The Zodiac, "Be Thankful For What You Got" by William De Vaughn, and "You're Getting A Little Too Smart" by The Detroit Emeralds. 18 cuts in all!

Blazing Piccadilly Sunshine – gritty, catchy psychedelia and pop from the British scene of the late 60s – as glorious as the first in the serious if not more so! As much as we love listening to these compilations of neglected grooves of the era, it's always a bit stunning that such insistent, unstoppably catchy tunes can languish largely undiscovered for so long – with tunes by acts that my not have been the trailblazers of the sound, but are masterful practitioners to say the least. Great stuff from Peppermint Circus, George Bean, The Kool, Bubblegum, Barbara Ruskin and more. 20 tracks in all: "Spider" by KG Young, "Keeping My Head Above Water" by Peppermint Circus, "She Wanders Through My Mind" by Roger Denison, "Turn Your Head" by Mike Raynor And The Condors, "Pepper Grinder" by Gervase, "Alexander Bell Believes" by Alexander Bell, "Provative Child" by Zuider Zee and more.

One of the coolest albums ever from organist Milt Buckner – a set that not only features his own great work on Hammond, but also some excellent vibes from Gene Redd! This isn't the Redd that was a member of Kool & The Gang, but his pops – and Gene works with Buckner here on arrangements to craft a sound that's much hipper and more soulful than usual for Milt – quite a change from some of his dates for other labels, especially some of the overseas ones. The rest of the group features Bill Willis on bass and Phil Paul on drums – and tunes are awash in cool tones and unusual sounds – handled very differently than in other versions. The album includes nice versions of "Take Five", "Fly Me To The Moon", "All Blues", and "Why Don't You Do Right" – all with a lot more of a soul jazz groove than you'd expect!

Mid 80s record from the great Jimmy Cliff. While he was in his prime in the early 70s, this much later commercial effort shows he's still got the skills to pay the bills, and we actually kind of like the sound of him singing over the glossy crossover-attempt tracks, which have that great 80s Sly Dunbar-playing-the-Simmons-drum sound in the rhythm tracks. The rest of the band is an all star cast, with the Kool & the Gang horn section & even a cameo from Jaco Pastorius, plus Jamaican stalwarts Ansel Collins, Ranchie McLean & Earl Chinna Smith. Includes "Hot Shot", "Brown Eyes", "Reggae Street" & "Nuclear War".

Genius from the mind of Kool Keith aka Big Willie Smith aka Poppa Large aka Dr. Octagon. Since his days with Ultramagnetics, no one has mastered the abstract lyrical style like Kool Keith, self-proclaimed inventor of all rhyme styles. 20 tracks, with dope atmospheric features by the Automator and scratches by the legendary Q-Bert, including "Earth People", "No Awareness", "Technical Difficulties", "Blue Flowers", "A Visit To The Gynecologist" and "Bear Witness".

Fat Joe's first LP – a very strong slice of east coast early 90s gangsta that's way stronger than the 14-year-olds who listened to Joe in the 00s will probably ever know. With quality production all the way through by The Beatnuts, Diamond D, Showbiz and Lord Finesse and scratches by Rob Swift and Rock Raider (Roc Raida). Features guest appearances by Grand Puba (that to our ears anyway, sound better than his solo stuff from that time), Diamond D, Kool G Rap, Apache, and King Sun. With the hits "The S**t Is Real", "Watch The Sound", "I'm A Hit That", "Flow Joe", "You Must Be Out of Your F***in' Mind" and eight more.

A killer instrumental album of hard organ grooves and funky basslines! This was the album that broke Funk Inc out of their Indianapolis scene, and made them a force to be forever reckoned with in the history of funky jazz. The album grooves hard in the same sound as some of the classic work by Prestige jazz funk giants like Rusty Bryant, Charles Earland, or Ivan Boogaloo Jones – but it's almost even tighter than their work, because the Funk Inc combo as a tightly woven group of players who'd been together for a number of years. The record's filled with monster cuts that you'll recognize immediately, like the group's famous "Kool is Back", which has a monster sample on the intro, and hard heavy Kool & The Gang grooves throughout. Other tracks include "Sister Janie", "The Whipper", and "Bowlegs".

Funky mid 70s Herbie – one his funkiest of the era! Herbie plays a host of kool keyboards (like Fender Rhodes, Arp, Hohner Clavinet, etc), and he's joined by a group that includes just about all of the Headhunters (Paul Jackson and Mike Clark in the rhythm section), as well as Wah Wah Watson, Stevie Wonder, Wayne Shorter, Bennie Maupin, and Harvey Mason. In many ways, one of Herbie's more underrated albums, and worth it alone for the mad, uptempo "Hang Up Your Hang Ups". Other cuts include "Bubbles", "Heartbeat", and "Sun Touch".

Hard to believe how important this soundtrack was, back in the day. One of the first good hip hop soundtracks, and a motherlode of great cuts like "Paid In Full (7 minute Cold Cut remix)" by Eric B & Rakim, "Butcher Shop" by Kool G Rap, "Colors" by Ice T, "Mind Is A Terrible Thing To Waste" by M.C. Shan, and "Go On Girl" by Roxanne Shante. More by Salt N Pepa, Big Daddy Kane, 7A3, and Rick James. Marley Marl produced the motherlode of these cuts, and this was the early days of the Cold Chillin/Warner alliance.

A killer – and one of those tunes you'd swear you heard back in the day – but which is even greater given that it's a contemporary recording! There's a bursting power to "Comencemos" that almost feels like "Jungle Boogie"-era Kool & The Gang – a way of having the rhythms blast out past simple configurations – driving on the horns, guitar, and other instrumentation to wicked new heights as the tune explodes! "Tokuta" is a great original by the group – almost Afro Funk, but tighter too – with horns blasting over percussion that never lets up – and a wicked guitar riff that burns all the way through!

Mega-hit material from KC & The Sunshine band – an album issued firmly into the disco years, but which still had the group hitting hard in their trademark Miami sound! The tracks here are a bit longer and more hook-heavy than before – and represent the kind of material that linked harder Kool & The Gang-styled funk with some of the crossover sounds that Miami was famous for at the time – a sound that was still largely pre-disco in its roots, but which also helped set the crossover scene for so many other groups of the 70s. The set is filled with loads of huge hits – like "Shake Your Booty", "I'm Your Boogie Man", and "Baby I Love You" – and other tracks include "I Like To Do It", "Come On In", and "Let's Go Party".

Uptempo funky soul, from this short-lived combo who recorded briefly for United Artists during the mid 70s. The group aren't exactly at the Kool & The Gang level, but they're sort of trying, although their sound's a bit slicker. Titles include "Bite Your Granny", "Le Joint", "Movin On Down The Line", and "Time".

One of the funkiest albums ever to be issued by Compost – and a killer batch of instrumental grooves with a very 70s feel! Syrup have a stone funky instrumental groove that's part Kool and the Gang, part blacksploitation soundtrack – with lots of fuzzy funky wah wah guitar, hard heavy keyboard solos, and monster beats backing the whole thing up! If you dig a 70s funky 45 groove, this album will provide a seamless blend with most of your collection of rare wax. In fact, the whole thing feels more like an album on Desco than one on Compost! Titles include "Sweat Shop", "Strawberry", "Connection", "Chocolate", "Sink Mess", "Maple", and "Discontinue". Very nice!

A beautifully sensitive album from Donald Byrd – quite a change from his better-known jazz funk work of the 70s and early 80s – and part of a back-to-basics move he made in part of that latter decade! The album's very much in the best straight mode of the Landmark Records label scene of the time – Byrd blowing strong and soulfully in the company of a key combo that features Kenny Garrett on alto, Mulgrew Miller on piano, Rufus Reid on bass, and Marvin Smitty Smith on drums – all players who really bring a lot of fire to the record, and almost push Byrd back to his pre-electric 60s years on Blue Note. Mike Daugherty plays synth on two tracks – using the instrument in gentle, string-like ways – but overall the record is proudly acoustic at most moments. Titles include "Harlem Blues", "Fly Little Byrd", "Voyage A Deux", "Sir Master Kool Guy", and "Blue Monk".

Proof that the US Army had plenty going on during the 70s – as you'll hear from this killer set of military-produced grooves from East Of Underground! The set goes way past the previous East Of Underground reissue – to feature work by the groups Soap, Black Seeds, and Sound Trek – all wrapped up in a beautiful package that's as visually pleasing as the music is funky! The cuts here were all recorded by US Army servicemen during the height of the Vietnam war – as Army-issued albums designed to encourage recruitment (as if a few funky grooves could help offset the bad press the war was getting on TV!) But despite that odd origin, the music here is all pretty great – mostly covers of familiar tunes from the time, but recorded with a nicely gritty quality that's mighty nice – and which makes the overall feel of the records like digging into some lost small studio tapes – ala Numero! Now Again have done a great job of putting together the whole package, too – contributing a wealth of notes and photos, and really digging deep into the scene in which these unique records were created. Not only that, but the packaging also replicates the style of the original odd releases too! The set features an LP each of music by East Of Underground and Soap – plus another LP that features a side each by the groups Black Seeds and Sound Trek. Titles include "I Just Want To Celebrate", "Kool & The Gang", "Walking In The Rain", "Backstabbers", "I Love Everything About You", "Ain't No Sunshine", "Go Outside In The Rain", "Black Magic Woman", "Hell Below", "Higher", "Popcorn/Santana", "Walk On By", "Java Girl", and "Get Together".

Not the disco promised in the title – but a sweet batch of funky tracks from Japanese reedman Jiro Inagaki – easily one of his hippest albums of the 70s! Rhythms are super-tight – very much in the best mid 70s space of Fatback Band or Kool & The Gang – and carried off with some occasional trippy touches in the production, of the sort you'd know from other Japanese albums of this nature. The tunes are mostly instrumentals – focused on the jazzy grooves we'd expect from Jiro – but they often feature a bit of chorus vocals – probably just the musicians shouting out with joy alongside their sweet lead lines. Titles include a great cover of Ripple's "I Don't Know What It Is But It Sure Is Funky" – plus "Boogie Joe The Grinder", "Express", "Jungle Boogie", "Living For The City", "Outa Space", "Funky Stuff", and "Loose Booty". CD features the bonus track "Express", in a different mix.

A HUGE batch of samba-soul grooves from Seu Jorge! Jorge previously knocked around Brazil as a member of the late 90s pop group Farofa Carioca, but his first solo outing is a massive step forward into the upper echelon of the Brazilian scene! Like the best of his contemporaries, Jorge uses the rich history of samba and bossa as a springboard – but it's the pronounced contemporary qualities, such as production and mix work by Beastie Boy producer Mario Caldato – that push Carolina way over the top and make it much more than a genre exercise! The title track echoes the earlier work of Jorge Ben, who actually pens the reggae-inflected tune "Em Nagoya Eu Vi Eriko", and the tracks "Mangueira" and "O Samba Tai" have the classic samba groove and crisp background vocals that would sound right in place on Tom Ze's Se O Caso E Chorar. "Hagua" has a deep reggae thump, and nearly everything here has kind of a 70s soul feel thanks to some bright, almost Kool & The Gang-like horn arrangements! The group includes Azymuth drummer Mamao, Paulinho Black on bass, Banda Black Rio's William Magalhaes on keyboards, and Josimar Monteiro on violin. Another great new solo artist from Brazil, and one that we expect amazing things from in the years to come!

The Kay-Gee's are getting a little disco here, but they also still manage to lay down some nice funky tracks, in the best Kool & The Gang tradition of their early work. Ronald Bell of Kool & Gang is still working with the group – and he wrote a lot of material and also performs on the LP. The record shows signs of the direction that Kool & The Gang were taking at the time, with a move towards electric keyboards instead of raw funky guitars – but like Kool's work from the period, the use of these keyboards is nicely restrained, and adds some good jazzy elements to the sound. Cuts include "Waiting At The Bus Stop", "Mr. Nothin", "STP", "Be Real", and a number of versions of "Find A Friend".

Not the rock group promised in the title, but one of the most smoking African combos of the 70s – a brilliantly funky lineup that's got a feel that's almost like the best from Kool & The Gang at the time! There's definitely an Afro Funk approach to the music – but most of the sounds here would sit perfectly next to the best American combos of the time – not just because the group sings in English throughout, but also because they've got a hard-hitting way of serving up the drums and basslines – and often layer in these moogy keyboard lines that are somewhere between "Summer Madness" and P&P Records funk! The album's a killer all the way through – one of the heaviest, most hard-hitting records from the scene at the time – and titles include "Shadow of the Boogie", "Together Again Never To Part", "Let's Marry", "Everybody Get Down", "People Talk", and "Lagos City".

One of the sweetest-grooving albums ever from Con Funk Shun – proof that the group was almost better when they tightened things up a bit! The set was produced by Deodato at the height of his hit-making soul powers – and it's got a sharpness that really helps bring the Con Funk Shun groove into focus – a style that's not nearly as commercial as Deodato's work with Kool & The Gang, but which shares a similar blend of jazz and modern soul elements! Most tracks groove nicely, even some of the mellower ones – and Deodato's got a perfect balance in the sound of the set – keyboards, beats, and bass all in the right places, with plenty of soulful vocals flowing warmly over the top. Titles include "Don't Let Your Love Grow Cold", "Hard Lovin", "If I'm Your Lover", "Can You Feel The Groove Tonight", "Indiscreet Sweet", and "Baby I'm Hooked".

Genius from the mind of Kool Keith aka Big Willie Smith aka Poppa Large aka Dr. Octagon. Since his days with Ultramagnetics, no one has mastered the abstract lyrical style like Kool Keith, self-proclaimed inventor of all rhyme styles. 20 tracks, with dope atmospheric features by the Automator and scratches by the legendary Q-Bert, including "Earth People", "No Awareness", "Technical Difficulties", "Blue Flowers", "A Visit To The Gynecologist" and "Bear Witness".

An excellent bit of funk that sounds a heck of a lot like early Kool & The Gang! It's no surprise, too, because the album was produced by Gene Redd, has a few Kool & The Gang covers (like "Funky Granny" and "Who's Gonna Take the Weight"), and was issued on the related Red Coach label. The group are head and shoulders above most other early 70s ensemble funk groups – and have a very tight instrumental approach that was only matched by a few other combos, like the early Fatback Band or K & The G. Tracks include "Gold Smoke", "Funky Granny", "Who's Gonna Take The Weight", "Mama Said-Papa Said", and "Funky Gene-Ra-Tion".

Ahh, the glory days of the Native Tongues. Remember a time when dropping knowledge and keeping rumps bumpin' weren't mutually exclusive? This sophomore LP from the J Beez is a smorgasbord of funky breaks, jazzy samples and lyrical niceness from the golden era of hip hop. An unimpeachable hip hop classic that stands as one of our favorite records of the era. Disc one features the original album, which includes "Doin Our Own Dang", "J Beez Comin Through", "What U Waitin' 4", "Beyond This World", "Acknowledge Your Own History", "Sunshine", "Beeds On A String", "Done By The Forces Of Nature", "Kool Accordin 2 A Jungle Brother" and "Tribe Vibes". Disc two features an assortment of remixes, 12" edits and more classic and rare titles, one-time vinyl exclusives – most on CD for the first time! Also includes some unreleased Janatte Beckman photos from back in the day.

Mega-hit material from KC & The Sunshine band – an album issued firmly into the disco years, but which still had the group hitting hard in their trademark Miami sound! The tracks here are a bit longer and more hook-heavy than before – and represent the kind of material that linked harder Kool & The Gang-styled funk with some of the crossover sounds that Miami was famous for at the time – a sound that was still largely pre-disco in its roots, but which also helped set the crossover scene for so many other groups of the 70s. The set is filled with loads of huge hits – like "Shake Your Booty", "I'm Your Boogie Man", and "Baby I Love You" – and other tracks include "I Like To Do It", "Come On In", and "Let's Go Party".

Two great slices of work from Johnny Ray – one a salsa set from the 70s, the other a batch of boogaloo tunes from the 60s! The first 5 tracks here are from a studio set directed by Charlie Palmieri, and done in the best New York salsa mode of the time – with vocals from Yayo El Indio and Adalberto Santiago, and other players who include Barry Rogers on trombone, Ray Maldonado on trumpet, and Manny Corchado on timbales – all grooving tightly in soaring, soulful formation on tracks that include "La Guerra", "Oye Nicola", "Que Risa Me Da", "Descarga No 2", and "Descarga El Tres". The second half of the CD features some real killers from Johnny's boogaloo years as Johnny Zamot – tracks from his Decca albums and other indie sides that bristle with tight, jazzy energy! Tracks include 3 great Pat Patrick compositions – "Catfish Bag", "Gaboom", and "Mambo Village" – plus "Descarga Zamot", "Guadajaljara", "Alma Llanera", and "Kool & The Gang".

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 is the only voice. Production by Mathrmatics, 9th Wonder, Koolade, Inspectah Deck and others. Includes "Soul & Substance", "R U Listening", "Things Just Ain't The Same", "What U See", "Divine Glory", "All Natural", "Wise Words", "Dirty Soul", "Cali Sun" with Kurupt and more.

Amazing sounds from the last Western years of Iran – really incredible music that shows what a cultural crossroads the nation had become! While some might criticize the culture as embracing the west too strongly at the time, music like this is a great illustration of the way that the cognoscenti were really onto something unusual – able to weave together the local and the global in really cool ways – crafting funk and grooves that are unlike any thing happening in neighboring scenes at the time! The mix of regional and western modes is not unlike Turkish music from a few years before – but the styles here are also much more soul-based, with a range that flows between funk and club, and includes some instrumentation you'd never hear on an American record at all – a perfect complement for the echoey style of vocal recording used on many numbers. The package may well be the most compelling so far from this mighty cool label – and titles include "Kermani" by Zia, "Koolehbaar" by Shahrokh, "Mahigir" by Maziar, "Omadi" by Shoreh, "Tasvire Yek Fal" by Soli, "Be Man Tekyeh Kon" by Shamaizadeh, and "Avazekhian Na Avaz" by Farrokhzad.

Amazing sounds from the last Western years of Iran – really incredible music that shows what a cultural crossroads the nation had become! While some might criticize the culture as embracing the west too strongly at the time, music like this is a great illustration of the way that the cognoscenti were really onto something unusual – able to weave together the local and the global in really cool ways – crafting funk and grooves that are unlike any thing happening in neighboring scenes at the time! The mix of regional and western modes is not unlike Turkish music from a few years before – but the styles here are also much more soul-based, with a range that flows between funk and club, and includes some instrumentation you'd never hear on an American record at all – a perfect complement for the echoey style of vocal recording used on many numbers. The package may well be the most compelling so far from this mighty cool label – and titles include "Kermani" by Zia, "Koolehbaar" by Shahrokh, "Mahigir" by Maziar, "Omadi" by Shoreh, "Tasvire Yek Fal" by Soli, "Be Man Tekyeh Kon" by Shamaizadeh, and "Avazekhian Na Avaz" by Farrokhzad.