16 cuts, with guest spots from a bunch of underground cats, and a few numbers produced by Spinna. Includes "Definition of Complex", "Bomb Threats", "Put Your Head by the Speaker", "The Day Your Ass Got Ignited" & "Stupid Dope Fresh". CD
A pretty remarkable creative leap for Mr Echoes – one half of legendary Chicago hip hop production duo The Opus! On Needful Things he shifts gears a bit towards beats heavy electronica, but it's as distinctive and timeless as pretty much anything we'd expect from him. As far back as Rubberoom' ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
One of the kings of indie hip hop moves to the majors for his campaign for president – the mighty Murs – with production by 9th Wonder, Scoop DeVille, Nottz and others – plus unlikely guest appearances by Snoop Dogg & Will I Am. Murs can be a little preachy, but the funky hip ... read moreCD
Murs & 9th Wonder —
Final Adventure ... CD It's A Wonderful World Music Group, 2012. Used ...
$6.99
The Final Adventure of Murs & 9th Wonder as a duo – until the reunion, anyway! (Folks can hope, right?) It's been a pretty solid ride for this partnership – with 9th Wonder's raw, gritty and soulful hip hop serving is a hella strong foil for Murs' creative rhymes and distinctive ... read moreCD
A heap of the production is handled by M-Boogie. Includes 'Do The Math" with Iriscience, "Triggernometry", "The Illest", "Wanna Be An MC", "Who Am I", and "It's Been A Long Time Coming". CD
With a few tracks produced by the Neptunes, most notably the gigantic hit "Shake Your Ass". Also includes "Danger (Been So Long)", "I'm Throwed Off", "Big Truck Boys", "U Would If U Could", "Mystikal Fever", "Ain't Gonna See ... read moreCD
(Out of print.)
Nacrobats —
A In The Square ... LP Culture Power 45, 1990s/Early 2000s. New Copy ...
$25.99
A killer compilation of timeless Chicago independent hip hop from the Nacrobats crew – a loose collective of hugely talented MCs, producers and dual threat MC/producers who were just starting to make waves in the late 90s and early 00s underground – including longtime faves and Psalm ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Initial copies come with a hand-sealed envelope of bonus goodies. Quantities extremely limited!)
Nas —
Illmatic ... CD Columbia, 1994. Used ...
Just Sold Out!
Nas's debut LP masterpiece Illmatic – which will probably stand forever as one of the greatest hip hop full lengths of its time – maybe even for all time. Nas has had some creative ups-and-downs over the years, but nothing can take away the impact of this damn near perfect slice of ... read moreCD
20th anniversary edition of Nas's masterpiece Illmatic – which will probably stand forever as one of the greatest hip hop full lengths of its time – maybe even for all time. Nas has had some creative ups-and-downs over the years, but nothing can take away the impact of this damn near ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(20th anniversary edition – 180 gram remastered vinyl, and includes a download for the full album – plus 10 rare remixes, demos and freestyles.)
Nas —
It Was Written ... LP Columbia/Get On Down, 1996. New Copy 2LP Gatefold (reissue)...
$28.9931.98
The second album, and even if it's not as dope as as the mythical Illmatic, but how could anyone hope to live up to those expectations? The Trakmasters come up with some nice beats, chided for being a bit on the commercial side by critics at the time, but they've aged a lot better than most street ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Ahh, this takes us way back to 1991 when this track ruled the airwaves as the hip hop anthem of the summer. Maybe hip hop's changed a lot since then, but we still don't mind hearing this one again, with that infectious Jackson 5 sample that never gets old to our ears, and neither does Naughty By ... read more12-inch, Vinyl record
Tracks include "Clap Yo Hands", "Respect Due", "Slang Bang", "World Go Round", "Hang Out And Hustle", "City Of Ci-Lo", "Holdin Fort", "Shout Out", "It's Workin", "Feel Me Flow", "Chain ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Neak —
Kwesbaar ... LP Culture Power 45, 2019. New Copy ...
$20.99
One of the finer albums to come out of the Chicago independent hip hop landscape in a while! Kwesbaar is Afrikaans for vulnerable, and if Neak's lyrics are the kind of soul-baring honest to own up to the title, his rhyme style and production are strong, confident and seriously soulful. Production-wi ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Limited pressing and fully sold out at the label – get it before it's gone!)
Tracks include "Bury You With Satan", "World Gone Wrong", "Circle Of Tyrants", "Dead Body Disposal", "You're All Dying", "Scalpel", "12 King Pimp Commandments", "Gory Days", "Poetry In The Streets" with Ill ... read moreCD
Necro brings a message from The Darkside – collabortions with death metal, speed metal, and all around turgid noise rockers including members Nuclear Assault, Obituary, Voivod, Slipknot and Hatebreed. Tracks include "Beautiful Music For You To Die To", "Dispensation Of Life ... read moreCD
NERD sees sounds all right – and those sounds are far looser and more free associative than the precise hitmaking formula that main NERDs Pharell Williams and Chad Hugo spun as superstar production team The Neptunes! The sounds to see, feel, and hear, include jittery synthesizer beatcraft, ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
"Funky For You", from the height of Nice & Smooth's skills, has the same type of humor and product as "D.W.Y.C.K.", done with Gang Starr. And the verses have been sampled by lots of other MC's, including the chorus for "Just To Get A Rep." The bonus here is the B- ... read more12-inch, Vinyl record
(Original pressing, in the pink & yellow cover, with some wear.)
A far-reaching, style-hopping, head-nodding party all the way from producer Nick Hook – with a guest list as expansive as the vibe – including Nasty Nigel, Spank Rock, Hudson Mohawk, DJ Rashad, Chino Moreno, Prefuse 73, 24hrs, Titles include "+3" feat DJ Rashad, DJ Paypal & ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Includes bonus Nick Hook & DJ Earl cassette while supplies last – quantities extremely limited!)
We're going to be honest here and tell you that Nikki D's rhymes are nothing special, but they don't insult us either. What does set this LP apart though is some nice production from Leaders Of The New School, Eric Sadler of the Bomb Squad and a remix by the Large Professor. 12 tracks in all, ... read moreCD
A damn strong solo set from producer 9th Wonder – featuring appearances by many of the great players he's produced for and otherwise collaborated with in the preceding few years, as well as sharp new voices we're hoping he'll work with more often! Includes appearances by Phonte, Talib Kweli, ... read moreCD
A spare funky instrumental from Nobody – just rumbling drums and a moody bassline – with lots of fuzzy guitar getting weird over the top – a bit like Spacemen 3 cutting a funk single! "Velvet Cove" has bassy beats and keyboards – a vibe that feels like it's taken ... read more7-inch, Vinyl record
A strong batch of classic Notorious BIG! Greatest Hits took some hits upon release for falling short of being the single definitive statment on Biggie's tragically short career that you might expect from the title, but history has been a little more kind to it, as it should be – really is a ... read moreCD
The last great Notorious BIG single issued in his lifetime! "Hypnotize" gets your head nodding right out of the gate, Puffy & company's production bringing a funky heft to that impeccably sampled bass groove from Herb Alpert's "Rise", Biggie spitting pure charisma all the ... read more12-inch, Vinyl record
(2018 Rhino Start Your Ear Off Right exclusive. Black & orange mix colored vinyl.)
The Biggie "duets" project is actually a lot bigger than just duets – with very few tracks that feature only Biggie and another voice, and many with a long list of names! The roster includes most of the biggest names in the hip hop game – and some other dead people, too. ... read moreCD
Produced, arranged and mixed by Prince Quick Mix & The Undercover Brother. 10 tracks in all, with a sort of jeep beat East coast feel, all pretty short, which we guess is why the cover says "hip hop elements". Titles include "Jungle Fever", "Crackzilla", "Cat ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Cover is mostly stained, with a large peeled patch on front.)
A landmark hip hop album from Stones Throw MC and producer Oh No – one that's assembled almost entirely of samples from the work of jazz funk pioneer Galt MacDermot – with a reverent roster of guest vocalists that include Pos of De La Soul, AG, Vast Aire, MED, Dudley Perkins, Frank N ... read moreCD
Top notch, timelessly inventive hip hop instrumentals from Ohbliv – a producer well-versed in the wide ranging styles and craft of classic era hip hop, and with a deft hand of filtering them into his own distinctive style! Strains of gritty raw beatcraft, hazy bits of soulful keys and synth ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Ol' Dirty Bastard...Osiris...Big Baby Jesus...what can we say? Even if we didn't know ODB had really fallen off the deep end or if his wildness was just an act, this was always sone of our favorite Wu-Tang related LPs and it always will be – with manic energy and tripped out sense of humor ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
The late 00s REBIRTH of One Be Lo, aka One Man Army – with production by Texture, K Kruz, Memo of Chicago's mighty Molemen, Beanone, Vitamin D and 14KT. Tracks include "Rebirth", "Born N Raised", "Smash", "Headlines", "War", "House ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Tracks include "Face Down", "Conspiracy", "Street Nigguz", "It Was Onyx", "Black Dust", "One Nation", "Fuck Dat", "Raze It Up", "Shut 'Em Down", and the "Shut 'Em Down" remix featuring Noreaga and ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Smart, anxious, real life rhymes from Open Mike Eagle – one of the most distinctive indie rap voices of his time, mixing cleverness and sly humor and inward personal reflection is deftly as ever on this sharp 6 track EP. Includes "Relatable (Peak Ome), "Every Single Time", ... read moreCD
Outkast's first single from Aquemini – one of the great southern hip hop singles of the late 90s and an important creative benchmark for Big Boi, Andre 3000 and Organized Noize however you might feel about their use of the civil rights heroine's name! As fresh, soulful & uniquely Outkast ... read more12-inch, Vinyl record
Pick any 10 words out of any Outkast album description on our pages at random, and you'll see how dearly we've loved these boys throughout the years – but truth be told, deep down we didn't think that they would be able to pull off the double album/solo album project(s). We were seriously ... read moreCD
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
Two classic electro-jazz instrumental tracks with vocoder. "Rain Forest" bridges the gap between breaking electro beats and radio friendly smooth jazz, "Sound Chaser" has a nice, slow tempo electro feel. 12-inch, Vinyl record
EP of tracks produced by PBW, before Stone's Throw really got off the ground, with some of the Bay area's underground MCs of the day, and a lost track from the unreleased Charizma LP. 6 cuts in all: "Max Mode" w/50 Grand of Homeless Derelix, "Rapper's Delight II" w/Clept the ... read more12-inch, Vinyl record
The legendary Percee P – who's been a pivotal figure in the hip hop underground since the end of the 80s – on Stones Throw and produced by Madlib for his first ever official LP! P's presence is inimitable as ever, with Madlib providing beats that are as straight up hip hop as anything ... read moreCD
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 moreLP, Vinyl record album
Early Pete Rock beats from the 90s golden age – beginning with the dawn of that decade when Pete was at the forefront the era's pioneering production heavies ushering in a new era in hip hop, to closer to the end of the decade and his solo debut Soul Survivor. It's a testament to his ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
The first EP by Pete Rock & CL Smooth – and one of the greatest debut EPs in hip hop history – fleshed out here with bonus mixes and instrumentals! The original EP material is as stunning as ever, really showing the Pete & CL were in near peak form right outta gate – ... read moreCD
(Out of print 2014 version – with 5 bonus tracks!)
Tracks include "In The House", "Carmel City", "I Get Physical", "Sun Won't Come Out", "I Got A Love", "Escape", "The Main Ingredient", "Worldwide", "All The Places", "Tell Me", "Take You ... read moreCD
The debut full length from Pete Rock & CL Smooth – and a bonafide hip hop classic if there ever was one – one of the best ever! Pete Rock's trademark mix of heavy soul, jazz & funk beatcraft pretty much set the bar to a level that's been impossible to top ever sense. On top of ... read moreCD
The debut full length from Pete Rock & CL Smooth – and a bonafide hip hop classic if there ever was one – one of the best ever! Pete Rock's trademark mix of heavy soul, jazz & funk beatcraft pretty much set the bar to a level that's been impossible to top ever sense. On top of ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
The most uncategorizable grooves in the canon of Guillermo Scott Herren – his Rhodes, Wurlitzer, and otherwise keys-and-drums centered Piano Overlord guise – and a collection of rare vinyl singles cut from 03-05! Maestro Scott wrote, plays, and produced all the tracks – done with ... (Deep Funk, Hip Hop)read moreCD
8 tracks in all "Holdin The Crown", "You Can't Miss", "Head Honchos", "You & Yours", "Stupid", "Takin' Ova", "Weight" and "Head Honchos (radio)". CD
(Out of print.)
Planet Asia —
Planet Asia EP ... LP Heratik Productions, 1998. Very Good+ ...
$11.99
The first ep from the West Coast MC, from back when he was really, really underground with "On The Corner (part 1)", "Handlin Business", "Cali Breeze", "Moonlight Melodic Rush", "Kalidascope", "Schoolyard Riders", "Perfection Is ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
She may be mature, but Plastic Little certainly isn't – and the irreverent hip hop crew is all the better for it plus they get a little help here from the likes of Ghostface Killah, Spank Rock, Vikter Vaughn/MF Doom, Diplo and others! PL bring pranksterism back to a hip hop world that takes ... read moreCD
The classic debut of Poor Righteous Teachers – a creative benchmark for the Five Percenter movement – and one best records to come from the dawn of the 90s hip hop scene! Tight group rap of the highest dawn of caliber – with a distinct approach, courtesy of leader and lyricist ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Another pretty strong batch of lowbrow hip hop from the ever sloppy, frequently hilarious Porn Theater Ushers – once again reppin' Taxachusetts and the worst job in America. The group touches on the scatalogical charm of early Beastie Boys, and the off kilter sampled funk sound that's ... read moreCD
Bill Laswell's hip hop alter ego, but just from the beats side of the equation. A half dozen instrumental tracks, all DMX, 8-bit sampler and some scratching here and there. In the same vein as some of the other Celluloid releases of the time, or some of the early Keith Leblanc or even Trevor Horn ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(UK pressing on Carrere. Cover is slightly wavy from moisture.)
Prefuse 73 doing his distinctive thing – mood-setting, hypnotic beats that roll from raw and deconstructionist to big and boisterous – with plenty off off-kilter melodic touches between! The range from stripped down and mellow to dense and rollicking is impressive as always, and his way ... read moreCD
A fine set for Warp from Prefuse 73 – another inventive winner that's focused on far-reaching collaborations! Despite the lengthy guest list from all over the map, Surrounded By Silence finds Prefuse really working to celebrate his straighter hip hop heritage to a surprising depth. It ... read moreCD
(Out of print.)
Connie Price & The Keystones —
Lucas High ... LP Man Called Horse, 2019. Near Mint- Gatefold ...
$19.99
Connie Price & The Keystones are tighter and funkier here than ever – partly because the album's a tribute to 70s Euro funk artist Doug Lucas – but also because the set's filled with guest appearances from a huge lineup of all-stars – the sort that definitely demand that the ... (Deep Funk, Hip Hop)read moreLP, Vinyl record album