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)", "Juicy", "Who Shot Ya", "Hypnotize", "Sky's The Limit", and "Mo Money Mo Problems", with features by Mase and Puff Daddy! LP, Vinyl record album

Biggie's masterpiece! There's very little we could possibly say about this east coast landmark that isn't already etched in stone in the annals of hip hop history. Biggie's a master storyteller, whether he's spinning tales of violent street nihilism, his skills beneath the sheets, or blistering sadness and regret. This thing sounds as great in the new millennium as it did at the end of the previous one. All the classics: "Things Have Changed", "Gimme The Loot", "Machine Gun Funk", "Ready To Die", "Warning", "The What" featuring Method Man, "Ready To Die", "Juicy", "Big Poppa", "Respect", "Friend Of Mine", and the Premier-produced "Unbelievable". This remastered re-release of the album includes two bonus tracks – the legendary, oft-bitten track "Who Shot Ya" and "Just Playing (Dreams)". LP, Vinyl record album

Tracks include "Dangerous MC's" featuring Snoop Dogg & Busta Rhymes, "I Really Want To Show You" featuring Nas with K-Ci & Jo-Jo, "Rap Phenomenon" featuring Redman & Method Man, "Tonight" featuring Mobb Deep, "Let Me Get Down" featuring Missy Elliott, Craig Mack, & G-Dep, "Come On" featuring Sadat X, "Big Booty Hoes" featuring Too $hort, "Dead Wrong" featuring Eminem, "Notorious B.I.G." and "Would You Die For Me" featuring Lil Kim & the artist formerly known as Puff Daddy, "Biggie" featuring Junior M.A.F.I.A., "Can I Get Witcha" featuring Lil Cease, "Who Shot Ya", and "If I Should Die Before I Wake" featuring Ice Cube, Beanie Sigel, & Black Rob. LP, Vinyl record album

The second album from Biggie, and a set that was instantly poised to catapult him to superstardom – even before his tragic death ended up doing that before the release of the record! And yes, the title's a bit cryptic – and given the fact that the material came out after BIG was shot, it might seem like a cash-in collection of left-behind tracks – yet it's not that at all. The long path to the album's creation represents a step forward to almost build a bridge between underground hip hop and mainstream soul – maybe in a way that would have calmed some of the coastal beefs that were taking place at the time – as the late, great one works here with an array of guests from both the worlds of hip hop and R&B – 112, Jay-Z, R Kelly, Puff Daddy, Lil Kim, Too Short, and others – in a classic set of tracks that includes "Hypnotize", "Kick In the Door", "Mo Money Mo Problems", "Notorious Thugs", "Going Back To Cali", "Sky's The Limit", "Miss U", "Ten Crack Commandments", 'What's Beef", and "Nasty Boy". PLUS, this massive 8LP version is overflowing with other material – the original 1997 album on 3LPs, plus all the 12" single and other mixes of "Hypnotize", "Mo Money Mo Problems", "Sky's The Limit", and "Nasty Boy". LP, Vinyl record album

A hardcore classic from Lil Kim – her first full length set as a solo act, and a record that maybe set a new standard for rawness in the world of female hip hop at the time! The record's got some famous help from Notorious BIG, Jermaine Dupri, Puff Daddy, and Jay Z – but Kim's clearly the driving force of the record on her own – Brooklyn in the house, on titles that include "We Don't Need It", "Crush On You", "Drugs", "No Time", "Big Momma Thang", "Queen Bitch", "Player Haters", "MAFIA Land", and "Take It". LP, Vinyl record album

A Bad Boy classic from the 90s – the tight debut of Total, a trio who were one of the strongest proponents of hip hop-influenced soul at the time! There's plenty of production talents on hand to keep the sharp edges in the music running strong – including Sean Puffy Combs, Raphael Saadiq, Chucky Thompson, and Pharrell – and the strong mix of funky samples, beats, and cut-up arrangements really help kick a lot of life into the grooves – as do some key guest appearances from Notorious BIG and Da Brat! Titles include "No One Else", "Kissin You", "Do You Know", "Someone Like You", "Can't You See", "Do You Think About Us", "Tell Me", Don't Ever Change", "Love Is All We Need", "Tell Me", "When Boy Meets Girl", and "Spend Some Time". LP, Vinyl record album