A chilling statement from the west coast scene of the 70s – the first album from The Watts Prophets, the ultra-powerful group who emerged from the LA turmoil of the 60s. Like the Last Poets, the group blends together righteous spoken word passages and some spare rhythms and a touch of jazz – all stepping forth in the kind of message-driven recording that was too powerful for radio at the time, but which had an undeniable influence as it circulated amongst underground circles. The whole thing's summed up perfectly by the cover, which shows a fist held high in rebellion over the flag on the front, and an open hand freeing a black dove on the inside! Titles include "I'll Stop Calling You N*ggers", "Kill", "Black Pussy", and "The Meek Ain't Gonna". LP, Vinyl record album

An amazing record that's as powerful as the political message of the title – the hippest record ever cut by Amiri Baraka, and that's saying a heck of a lot! Baraka delivers a long and complex set of poetic reflections on the state of Black America, spiritual awakening, and political redemption – set to musical backings that shift from funky, to jazz, to avant, and back again. Players on the set include Gary Bartz, Lonnie Liston Smith, Idris Muhammad, and Reggie Workman – and there's a host of additional players, percussionists, and vocalists that join Amiri in the delivery of his message. Titles include "Answers In Progress", "Peace In Place", "Bad News For Your Highness", "Was Gon Happen", "All In The Street", "Pamoja Tutashinda", and "Pull The Covers Off". One to listen to when you get past your Last Poets records! LP, Vinyl record album

One of the richest and most complex recordings we've ever heard from Silent Poets – a brilliant blend of strings, soul, and sounds! The style here is a bit more cinematic than before – taking cues from recent Silent Poets work, but unlocking a new sense of majesty in the music – one that unfolds gently as the tunes go on, and really finds a unique place for itself in the modern sound spectrum. There's a sense of confidence and power here that goes way beyond the last few Silent Poets records – and the initial forays into this type of music have finally found their place, and come together much more strongly here. Shawn Lee delivers a bit of guest work on the record, and titles include "Rock Star", "From Earthling", "Future", "Dumb Girl", "Next Episode", "Man On The Street", "Fate", and "Wonder". CD

A lost relic of the Black Artist Group – a St Louis collective of musicians, dancers, and poets who had a similar mission as other associations in other cities at the time, like the AACM in Chicago. The album's noteworthy in that it features some very early (and excellent!) work by Oliver Lake, who composed most of the musical backings on the record. Ajule is the main poet on the album – and other instrumentation includes trumpet, cello, and percussion in addition to Lake's saxes. Titles include "Echos", "A Little Tom Is A Dangerous Thing", "Rent Man", "Trane Songs", and "Sweet Street Song". LP, Vinyl record album

A rare bit of hardcore poetry by the Watts Prophets – the legendary LA group who were kind of a west coast answer to the Last Poets! The group have a sound that's as striking as the best early work by The Last Poets – a hard-hitting blend of poetry, rhythms, and righteous energy – all recorded in a style that's stripped down, proud, angry, and in stark contrast to the rest of the work coming out in the soul music industry at the time. Their work was not only some of the most radical and striking of the early 70s, but it's also gone onto become a key blueprint for hip hop of later years – especially the rough-edged style of the west coast that began to emerge at the end of the 80s. CD brings together all the tracks from the group's 2 albums – a total of 41 short tunes that pack the punch of a hand grenade! Titles include "Pain", "A Pimp", "Take It", "Amerikkka", "The Prostitute", "F*cked", "Black In A White World", "Funny How Things Can Change", "Pimping Leaning & Feaning", "Keep You Doing Things", "The Meek Ain't Gonna", "Saint America", "They Shot Him", and "Response To A Bourgeois Nigger". CD