Saul Williams is one of those hip hoppers who's not really a just a rapper – one who comes to the genre from a background that's already very multi-faceted – one that shows up instantly in the record's blend of sounds and styles, modes and moods! There's a definite political agenda to ... read moreCD
Anderson Paak —
Ventura ... LP 12T/Aftermath, 2019. New Copy Gatefold ...
$25.9928.99
Anderson.Paak heads to Ventura for this one – and something about that sunny coastal city brings out his soul influences after the primarily hip hop-leaning Oxnard! Paak leads on his raspy sung style for this one, an easygoing hip hop soul sound that's built to last, and again bringing in a ... (Neo Soul, Hip Hop)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
J Dilla at his grittiest, most rugged & raw – in both the production and rhyme realm – with all beats and rhymes by the Dilla himself! This set originally opened our ears to a different side of Dilla, a harder hitting aesthetic, with beats and grooves from out of leftfield that ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Notorious BIG —
Now Playing ... LP Bad Boy/Elektra, Mid 90s. New Copy ...
$18.9919.99
Not much of a title, but a vinyl-only collection that brings together 10 of Biggie's classics from back in the day – tracks that include "Going Back To Cali", "Notorious Thugs", "Big Poppa", "Warning", "One More Chance/Stay With Me (rmx)", ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
The classic batch of instrumentals from J Dilla – one that strongly transcends the hip hop genre – and perhaps his rawest, and most adventurous listening experience ever! The loopy soul samples, rich synth/electro shine, and thumping bass and soul beats that Dilla largely made his name ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
A Stones Throw sci-fi masterpiece – one that was destined for greatness from conception, but we're still pretty well blown away by the final product! MC Doom and beatmaster Madlib couldn't be better suited for a collaboration. As much as we've dug the best of Doom's material of the last ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
The fourth and final Eric B & Rakim LP from their classic mid 80s to early 90s run – with some of Rakim's finest rhymes and most devasting delivery to date, and some of Eric B's best production, too! The title track, if course, is a monster – with Rakim's precise rhymes, the furious ... read moreCD
Tash —
Rap Life ... LP Loud, 1999. Very Good+ 2LP ...
$11.99
13 cuts, production by E Swift & Rockwilder, guest spots by Raekwon, Kurrupt, Xzibit, Outkast & others. Includes "Ricochet", "True Homies", "Pimpin' Ain't Easy" & "Blackula". LP, Vinyl record album
The mindblowing debut of De La Soul – a set that's inarguably one of the most important records in hip hop history – overflowing with playful, endearingly oddball trio rhymes and Prince Paul production at it's most sprawlingly sampled and creative! The set has classic songs that stand ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Recent 180 gram opaque yellow vinyl pressing – still sealed with hype sticker. Cover has tiny bumped corners.)
Sampler from the Stretch Armstrong compilation, with "What's Poppin" by Havoc, "Stand Up" by FT, "Moi" by Labba, "Make Em Jealous" by Lazy, "Son Gotta Eat" by The Reepz, and "Touch Ground" by Royal Flush. 12-inch, Vinyl record
Bahamadia —
Kollage ... LP Chrysalis/Be With (UK), 1996. New Copy 2LP (reissue)...
$43.9948.99
The killer debut of Bahamadia – an underground force on the same Philly scene that gave the world The Roots back in the 90s – and one who steps out here with a force that's fantastic! Part of the record's charms come from the killer production work from DJ Premier and Guru – as ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
13 tracks including "Only The Strong Survive", "What's Behind Darkness?", "Meiso", "Most Wanted Man", "3rd Eye", and "Bypath - Would You Take It" with DJ Shadow. CD
(Out of print UK pressing in a wraparound sleeve.)
Tracks from Lil Jon featuring E-40 & Sean Paul, Chamillionaire featuring Lil Flip, Pitbull, Ying Yang Twins featuring Pitbull, Lil Wayne, Lil Scrappy, Ice Cube featuring Snoop Dogg & Lil Jon, B.G. featuring Mannie Fresh, Mike Jones, Bubba Sparxxx featuring Ying Yang Twins & Mr. ... read moreCD
A sprawling set from the prolific Drake – a nearly 70 minute record that was originally released digitally for free –ultimately of a caliber to come out as a legit, no less than chart-topping proper album! Includes "Legend", "Energy", "10 Bands", "Know ... read moreCD
Oh No's given carte blanche to the the Now Again and Soul Cal vaults of obscure funk, psychedelic soul and more – taking on the deep obscurities of those rarity reissuers for a tripped out hip hop funk instrumental set! Here Oh No has put together a record that rivals his underground hip ... (Funky Compilations, Hip Hop)read moreCD
(Sleeve has some light wear, include Now Again obi.)
Dilated Peoples —
Platform ... CD Capitol, 2000. Used ...
$3.99
Neo-classic boombap from Dilated Peoples –a team rooted strongly in time-honored group rap, compelling beats and turntablism – setting out to live up to the classic craft rather than re-invent the wheel, and deliver the goods track for track here! Not quite as nostalgic as the more ... read moreCD
This is really some different sh*t. Divine Styler takes abstract to the next level, about as out as you can get and still be hip hop, if this is hip hop – playing a ton of instruments himself, and backed by a live band for the most part, singing and delivering spoken word as often as he's ... read moreCD
Hip hop's reigning kings of longevity The Roots deliver another great album with Undun – we'd have to think it's entirely uncompromising and they're doing exactly what they want to do on this one – so if you thought their day (eh, latenight) job would would bring their album work into ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
The game changing Def Jam classic – and possibly the greatest album by the Beastie Boys – even though they'd grow up a whole lot after this! Profane party anthems galore, and the Beasties would distance themselves from much of the attitude of this album, making their career arc from ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Mos Def's landmark late 90s solo debut – a rock solid classic that stands up today as one of the best hip hop albums of its decade – and for all the dizzying creative highs and lows of his career to follow, it stands strongly among his best work ever. His preceding duo work with Talib ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Gang Starr —
Hard To Earn ... LP Chrysalis, 1994. New Copy 2LP (reissue)...
$24.9929.99
Gang Starr at pretty close to peak level here on 1994's Hard To Earn – and rather than continue to ride the waves they made on the previous couple classic albums, Guru sharpens the lyrical tone just a bit – spitting some more incisive rhymes over apporpriately gritty soul jazz beats ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
The second major label set from The Roots, and what many consider their first and definitely not their last) irrefutable classic! We could make the case for the debut Do You Want More? as a bonafide classic, too, but this is certainly the tone certainly the one that cemented their status and one ... read moreCD
(Out of print.)
Common —
BE ... LP GOOD/Geffen, 2005. New Copy 2LP ...
$32.9934.99
"I rap with the Passion of Christ, Ni**a, cross me!" BE isn't exactly a back-to-basics LP in the vein of his classic work for Relativity – but it is indeed a return to a focused, genuinely soulful, no BS approach – and it's a very welcome one at that! It seems like Com was a ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
The stellar full length debut from Redman – who was just then breaking out solo after honing his craft as part of the EPMD Hit Squad clique – and rose pretty quickly to the upper echelon of early 90s MCs! The masterstroke of Whut Thee Album is the way that Redman balances a gritty, ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(2023 Def Jam 50th Anniversary Of Hip Hop pressing – on "fruit punch" colored vinyl!)
Tracks from Sugarhill Gang, Run DMC, Salt-N-Pepa, Digital Underground, Coolio, House Of Pain, Rob Base And DJ E-Z Rock, The Fat Boys, MC Lyte, Kurtis Blow, and more. CD
Matt Black & Jonathan Moore were some of the first to peddle the non-hip hop remixologist tip back in the late 80s – and 10 years later, they're still on the top of their craft with this complicated set of grooves, breaks, and turntable tricks for Ninja Tune! The set includes the tracks ... (New Grooves, Hip Hop)read moreCD
A thick, two disc retrospective of all things Zen from Ninja Tune! The 32 tracks here pretty much stick to the Ninja Tune prototype of innovative turntablist and digital psychedelia that made the Ninja name – some of the better album tracks and singles by DJ Food, Coldcut, Amon Tobin, Mr. ... (New Grooves, Hip Hop)read moreCD
Tracks include "Rock Dis Funky Joint" by Poor Righteous Teachers, "Music Man" by Master Ace, "Bonita Applebum" by A Tribe Called Quest, "It's Funky Enough" by the DOC, "Erase Racism" by Kool G Rap & DJ Solo, and 10 more early 90s classics! CD
(Out of print, punch through barcode.)
Moor Mother —
Fetish Bones ... CD Don Giovanni, 2016. Used ...
Just Sold Out!
Probably the most hyped hip hop album by rock critics of the last decade – but don't hold that against Stankonia, because these ghetto grooves from planet P-Funk were exactly what world needed in 2000! The millenium blowout party jam feel throughout is surely a nice change of pace from all ... read moreCD
Uncluded (Aesop Rock & Kimya Dawson) —
Hokey Fright ... CD Rhymesayers, 2013. Used ...
$5.99
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 moreCD
The only LP from this First Priority family member who released a couple of nice tracks as singles on the label, especially his duets with MC Lyte. This major label album somehow managed to get lost, though it's one of our favorites from the early 90s, with stripped down funky beats and a tight ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(In the stickered sleeve. Vinyl has a mark that clicks a bit through the last three tracks on Side A, in great shape otherwise.)
A mad bit of funk from the great Pete Rock! Pete's easily one of the best hip hop producers of the past decade – and this album's a sublime batch of instrumental tracks that focuses on his talent for remaking an older groove. The set's one of the first on BBE's groundbreaking Beat ... read moreCD
Clean album sampler, with Cam'ron and Juelz Santana on "It's Nuttin" and "The Way We Roll", 50 Cent and Paul Wall on "Just A Touch", and Jae Millz on "Bring It Back". 12-inch, Vinyl record