Advance promo from the second LP, without Amel Larrieux. The productions still on point, with a nice soulful groove alongside hip hop influenced beats. 12-inch, Vinyl record

De La Soul take on the world of hip hop with a record that's very much at the top of their game – leaner in production than before, but at a level that also brings a bit more bite to their rhymes – a good thing too, as the group take on some of their contemporaries as they assess the state of hip hop in the shadow of the 21st Century! The shift from previous records is almost like that taken by Tribe Called Quest on Low End Theory – focusing their music, while still throwing in some of their trademark skits – and maybe even making the group sound more serious, yet never in some of the "too hard" styles that they rail against on the set. The set has two key moments for the up-and-coming generation – great cut "The Bizness", with a guest appearance by Common, and "Big Brother Beat" with help from Mos Def – next to other tracks that include "Supa Emcees", "Itzsoweezee", and "Betta Listen". LP, Vinyl record album

The first-ever release of this lost soul treasure – a rare session from a late 70s group from Tulsa, recording in LA at the studio of Sly Stone! The set's got a groove that's way more than you'd expect from any Oklahoma combo – a mature, modern soul sparkle that's totally great – almost the sort of vibe you'd find from some of the best groups of the time on labels like Elektra or Capitol, but handled here with a bit more indie charm overall! The tracks are all originals, and they balance out mellow steppers and tighter groovers nicely – which makes for an album that's amazingly deep in conception, and way more than just a slap-dash batch of tracks from the studio. We're sure that Sly would have been proud of the work here – and our hat's off to the folks at Lotus Land for finally getting this one released! Titles include "Funky Sounds", "Accept The Truth", "Keep On Smiling", "If You Dance Tonight", "I Love Everything About You", "On A Lovely Night Like This", "I Hope You'll Be", and an untitled track. LP, Vinyl record album

The only album ever from Groove Theory – but the set that introduced the world to Amel Larrieux – whose vocal talents alone are worth the price of admission! The feel here is a bit more mainstream soul than some of Amel's later work – but given the mid 90s date of release, the sound is still plenty underground – and filled with the warmer tones and deeper soul styles that wouldn't be that common until years later when the Neo Soul scene rose to prominence. The overall package is the work of former Mantronix member Bryce Wilson – who plays some keys, and ensures that the rhythms are never too bombastic to overwhelm Amel's vocals. Titles include the massive stepper's cut "Tell Me" that hit huge here in Chicago – plus "Baby Luv", "Didja Know", "Come Home", "Hello It's Me", "Hey U", "Good 2 Me", "You're Not The 1", and "Boy At The Window". LP, Vinyl record album

Massive work from Bootsy Collins – one of his best-ever solo albums, and a perfect summation of the P-Funk groove – focused strongly through Bootsy's own sense of stardom! George Clinton worked with Collins on production, and the album's as tight as the best Parliament or Funkadelic work of the time – particularly the latter on their killer 70s sides for Warner, which was also the home for Bootsy. The Horny Horns are helping out on this one, which gives the album a strong instrumental drive – but the real star is Bootsy, whose sexy vocals and good sense of soul keep things firmly on track throughout. Features the cuts "What's A Telephone Bill?", "Munchies For Your Love", "We Want Bootsy", "The Pinocchio Theory", and "Rubber Duckie". LP, Vinyl record album