Two of our favorites off the "Illadelph Halflife" LP. "Sections" features a smooth organ line throughout. "Clones" uses a spare piano loop and harder rhyme styles, off set by the very brief, very mellow break. CD
(Out of print.)
Roots —
Game Theory ... LP Okayplayer/Def Jam, 2006. Near Mint- 2LP ...
$24.99
The Roots return with their first album on Def Jam – a rich batch of soulful, heavier moods, cultural reflection, and some incredible modern Philly funk playing behind the thoughtful rhymes – probably the deepest album to appear on Def Jam in the past decade or so! Game Theory shares ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Includes the insert. Cover has marker through the barcode.)
A new hip hop soul masterpiece!!! On Things Fall Apart ?uestlove, Black Thought, DJ Scratch, Rahzel and co. reinvigorated the scene with a Philly style soulful, melancholy groove that seemingly influenced the entirety of the NuSoul world – and it could even be argued that the Roots birthed ... read moreCD
(Limited edition CD comes with a bonus DVD. DVD label has some bubbling.)
The massive third album from Run DMC – made at the top of their game – an pivotal effort that brought them to peak popularity and helped break hip hop in a huge way in the pop culture landscape! Part of the album's strength is its guitar-heavy sound on some of the grooves – ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
The classic self-titled debut LP from Run-DMC – one that changed hip hop (and much of modern pop and rock) forever! There's little we can add to the canon for this record. Run DMC ushered in a new era in contemporary urban culture, a harder hitting style of rap the managed to bust out of ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
The classic self-titled debut LP from Run-DMC – one that changed hip hop (and much of modern pop and rock) forever! There's little we can add to the canon for this record. Run DMC ushered in a new era in contemporary urban culture, a harder hitting style of rap the managed to bust out of ... read moreCD
A once underappreciated later effort from the mighty Run DMC – with slightly harder hitting beats, and an overall terse style (hence the title) that was always more effective than it got credit for at the time – and it's ultimately the crew's last solid beginning-to-end LP! Of course ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
A once underappreciated later effort from the mighty Run DMC – with slightly harder hitting beats, and an overall terse style (hence the title) that was always more effective than it got credit for at the time – and it's ultimately the crew's last solid beginning-to-end LP! Of course ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Cinematic hip hop instrumentals from SadhuGold! Gold Room is omething of a concept album, with a tracklist riffing on Stanley Kubrick's classic film adaptation of The Shining – and the eerie mood to show for it – but he wisely eschews soundtrack samples and any over connection, it's ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Salt N Pepa still in their best early mode – working with Hurby Luv Bug, and turning out tunes with a nice sort of indie-level street charm! Although countless others copped the poppy hip hop groove of the pair at the time, Salt N Pepa were still the first, and still managed to do it best ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
The classic by Schoolly D – his second album, and the one where he really hits his stride – with profane humor and classic drum machine and oddball sample flavored production! It's almost hard-to-believe nowadays, but the un-PC rhymes were straight up scandalous back in the day – ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
ScienZe delivers a focused, rhymes over raw, but exhilarating jazzy soul beatcraft here – and co-producing a few of the best tracks, along with Dre Phantom, Blvck Spvde, Lord Quest, Sincere Young Jedi and a couple others. ScienZe skirts contemporary rap trends here, with out hewing the neo ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Sean Price & Small Professor —
86 Witness ... LP Duck Down/Coalmine, 2019. New Copy ...
$16.9918.98
The late great Sean Price gets a respectful posthumous record, put out by the teamed up Duck Down and Coalmine labels – with production across the board by Small Professor and assistance from DJ Revolution, Rock, Quelle Chris, Guilty Simpson, Your Old Droog, Reef The Lost Cause, Rob Kelly and ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
A different side of Chi beatmaker Sev Seveer – one of more adventurous and boundlessly creative hip hop instrumentalists around – showcasing some of his more straightforward, harder-hitting unreleased hip hop-geared production work! It's more focused towards compelling straight up hip ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Hypnotic beats and atmosphere from Sev Seveer – a Chicago beatmaker and producer appropriately billed as as a live PA/hardware/beat cat – and if Smithereens is any indication, he's a seriously strong album-oriented beat cat, too! Inspired by visual art as much as aural atmosphere, ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Limited edition of just 300 copies – and down to the final copies! Includes 3 bonus tracks.)
Strong, righteously motivated, sharp lyricism from Shad! A Short Story About War takes on cultural, social ills that comes off more as personal storytelling, making the title here relevent – it's not a laundry list of the worlds problem, more of an artful view. Really strong stuff! Includes ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Limited translucent tan colored vinyl pressing, includes download.)
Show & AG —
Full Scale ... LP Fat Beats/DITC, 1998. New Copy 2LP ...
$23.9924.98
A fierce late 90s effort from Showbiz & AG – joining the ranks of veteran hip hop acts who continued to release dope material after leaving a major label and after their early classic runs! All the tracks live up to the best of their earlier material, though they feature a little heavier ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Show & AG's slept on second album from the mid 90s, finally getting its due. With beats by Show, Lord Finesse, Premier, Roc Raida and Dres you know it's fresh from start to finish, with that dope east coast vibe from the days when you didn't have to remain underground to stay real. The sort of ... read moreCD
A young Showbiz is on the cover of this one – a photographic mission statement that this is crafted in a classic mode by a classic figure – and it's timeless, headnodding, rock solid all the way! Tight, terse beats and inspired rhymes throughout, with appearances by a sharp David Bars, ... read moreCD
Really great work from this up-and-coming combo – a group who seems like they can spin together neo soul and hip hop better than most of the rest – and who also make great use of some live jazzy instrumentation as well! The set compiles live performances done around the midwest in ... (Neo Soul, Hip Hop)read moreCD
One of the best rappers most people never heard of, Virginia's Skillz has ghostwritten for the biggest names in the game and does his annual "Rap Up" for underground hip hop heads – and after a few false starts the Million Dollar Backpack CD dropped in summer 08! Longtime fans ... read moreCD
Slick Rick's first solo album – one of the vital early front-to-back hip hop albums of the late 80s Def Jam prime era – and up there with the best ever! MC Ricky D introduced the world to a whole new rap style on Doug E Fresh's "The Show" and by the time this album dropped the ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
The first Def Jam single from Slick Rick, a slower track with Slick Rick's classic storytelling that, despite the late-80's guitar and synth production, still holds up. With a nice quote from "Mahogany", too! 12-inch, Vinyl record
A tight duo effort from Slimkid3, othewise known as Slim Kid Tre and Tre Hardson, of the legendary Pharcyde – and DJ Nu Mark, whose solo efforts and Jurassic 5 pedigrees are pretty close to legendary in their own right! Star-studded guest list, too – with Del, Murs, Diamond D, J-Live, ... read moreCD
Evolution is the title of the album – and it's also the name of the game for Slum Village – whose peak material remains some of the best hip hop to ever come out of the Detroit scene! SV has evolved into a showcase for group co-founder and sole remaining original member T3 – ... read moreCD
Smif-N-Wessun —
All ... LP Duck Down, 2019. Near Mint- ...
Just Sold Out!
The legendary Smif N Wessun produced in full by 9th Wonder & The Soul Council – gritty beats with soulful gravity all the way – with appearances by Raekwon, Rick Ross, GQ, Musiq Soulchild, Rapsody and a couple more, but make no mistakes, this is the legendary Smif-N-Wessun show and ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Snoop's back, with guest spots and production by the Neptunes, Premier, Jay Z, Redman, Nate Dogg and others, and it's a real guilty pleasure. Snoop is Snoop, there's nothing fresh at all here, but whether you like the pooch or not, this without a doubt his tightest batch since Doggystyle. It's ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Cover has a cutout hole, a lightly stained and wavy corner, and a bit of peeling on front.)
Snoop brings Doggy Style over to Geffen – also the home to the Neptunes' Star Trak, Snoop's partners for this seriously strong later effort – also working with a diverse roster of producers and vocal guests including Alchemist, Lil Jon, 50 Cent, Hi Tek, and others. Snoops laidback rhyme ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
The G-funk classic. Tracks include "Bathtub", "G Funk Intro", "Gin And Juice", "Tha Shiznit", "Lodi Dodi", "Murder Was The Case", "Serial Killa", "Who Am I? (What's My Name)", "For All My Niggaz & Bitches" ... read moreCD
The G-funk classic. Tracks include "Bathtub", "G Funk Intro", "Gin And Juice", "Tha Shiznit", "Lodi Dodi", "Murder Was The Case", "Serial Killa", "Who Am I? (What's My Name)", "For All My Niggaz & Bitches" ... read moreCD
(Enhanced CD pressing with music video for "What's My Name".)
Tracks include "Bathtub", "G Funk Intro", "Gin And Juice", "Tha Shiznit", "Lodi Dodi", "Murder Was The Case", "Serial Killa", "Who Am I? (What's My Name)", "For All My Niggaz & Bitches", "Aint No Fun ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
The fake soundtrack which is actually more of a various artists than a Snoop Dogg record, when Dre & Death Row were at the top of the world. Not the finest example of G-funk, but there's still a few nuggets of that classic "Rollin' in my 6-4" sound: like "Natural Born ... read moreCD
The Soul Rebels fold together two strands of contemporary New Orleans sounds – the updated brass band form for the funk-heavy generation, and the city's ever-growing love of hop hip too! The group are one of the boldest, bounciest of the contemporary NOLA scene – but they also open the ... (Jazz, Hip Hop)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Limited edition colored vinyl pressing – with download!)
The first full length group effort in years from Souls Of Mischief – with production by Prince Paul – a solid return to active duty from Oakland's finest underground hip hop crew. Here the Souls manage to bring skillful rhymes without tripping over the long time that has passed since ... read moreCD
Aching for the days when the Native Tongues walked the earth? Vintage jazzy Gang Starr? Wish there were more cats out there like People Under The Stairs? This album by the Sound Providers is just what you're looking for, kiddies. To our ears this just about as strong as anything that's come out ... read moreCD
Kind of an oddball rap single from the early days of Sleeping Bag. The rhymes are fine, nothing to write home about, but not insulting to our ears, but the track is a nice almost electro sort of groove, with some heavy synths. Plus the long vocal mix and the instrumental versions were both mixed ... read more12-inch, Vinyl record
Maybe not the first full length album by a female MC, but a really well-remembered set from the early days – and one that hardly tries to go for any crossover modes at all! Instead, Sparky-D really keeps it live and close to the streets – beginning the set with an acapella track that ... read moreCD
Spice 1 —
Spice 1 ... CD Jive, 1991/1992. Used ...
$19.99
The first full length classic from Spice 1 – an MC who came up in the wake of Too Short on the west coast, but has definitely found his own style by the time of this set! Some tracks almost have an Ice Cube mix of biting social commentary and view from the streets – while others are ... read moreCD
While most of the true hip hop pioneers had fallen off by this time, Spoonie G actually did some of his best material in the mid-80's. The cut here is "Take It Off" – it's straight big beat hip hop, but with lots of cowbell-type percussion that gives a bit of go-go feel in parts. 12-inch, Vinyl record
(In a Tuf sleeve. Label has a streak of marker.)
Rae Sremmurd —
Sremmlife II ... CD Eardruma/Interscope, 2016. Used ...
$3.99
... CD
(Punch through barcode & clear promotional sticker on jewel case cover.)
The debut from Michigan's Starting Artist Crew – from the same school as Jurassic 5, People Under The Stairs and Ugly Duckling. The SAC worked very hard to come up with a solid full length, rather then blowing their wad on a single or two. Promising! Tracks include "The Ill Na Na" ... read moreCD
Bedrock beatcraft and DJ mix mastery from Steve Stein – including the hugely important Double Dee & Steinski mixes of the early 80s – paired up with solid later work for this excellent 2CD compilation! The Double Dee & Steinski stuff really couldn't be more important to the ... read moreCD
A sweet set from Sulu & Excelsior – essentially the solo project of singer, rapper and trumpet player Steven "Sulu" Mallorca despite the sprawling sound and stylistic breadth – with influences that stretch from classic Motown, to late 60s funk, to live horn-backed hip hop ... (Neo Soul, Hip Hop)read moreCD
Summer Sons & C Tappin —
Uhuru ... LP Melting Pot (Germany), 2018. New Copy 2LP Gatefold ...
$14.9926.98
The keyboards of C Tappin are a fantastic element here – used to create warmth and flow throughout this album of understated majesty! The set draws equal inspiration from a journey to Kilimanjaro, and a recent live set by D'Angelo – produced and mixed by Slim in his studio, with lyrics ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Limited edition two record set, includes instrumental edits of all songs – with more nice keys!)
"Fly Guy" is a good answer record to the Boogie Boy's "Fly Girl". Unlike the usual hip hop answer records, this one is not a dis, but instead using the same idea and music and reversing the genders. Definitely a reminder of an earlier era, what makes this one kinda nice is the ... read more12-inch, Vinyl record
A stunning debut from SZA – a soul singer who seems to represent a whole new way of being – with a style that's at once very understated and completely compelling! SZA's clearly got a hell of a voice – but she's also content to weave it into the rich mix of beats, keyboards, and ... (Neo Soul, Hip Hop)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Two tracks from T La Rock's first and best album. Mantronix uses his trademark production style to make Back To Burn sound like something off the first Mantronix LP, but, to our ears T La Rock is a much better MC than Mantronix's own MC Tee. 12-inch, Vinyl record
A well-titled set from the lyrical king – the mighty T La Rock, one of the key mid 80s MCs who helped introduce a whole new level of sophistication to hip hop! T La Rock maybe never hit the heights of KRS-One, Rakim, or other contemporaries – but this set has all the sharp fire and ... read moreCD
Talib shakes loose of the shackles of the major labels and drops a tight batch of material – sort of a coming out party stacked with stellar tracks that are just raw enough to showcase his unrivaled vocal skills! Many of these tracks were recorded somewhat on the fly in Kweli's crib, and ... read moreCD
Talib Kweli & Madlib —
Liberation ... CD Blacksmith, 2007. Used ...
$7.99
The dynamic duo of Talib Kweli & Madlib making jazzy & funky, stripped down, beautiful hip hop together – originally released as a surprise free download on Stones Throw's website – now on CD on Kweli's Blacksmith label! Liberation finds Talib rocking his precise, thoughtful, ... read moreCD
Tall, Dark, & Handsome may not be one of the best-remembered crews from the 80s – but they've got a fresh, playful approach that really keeps things interesting! These guys really remind us of the energy that the right group of MCs could bring to a party back in the day – yet they'v ... read moreCD
Tanya Morgan —
Brooklynati ... LP Interdependent, 2009. New Copy 2LP (reissue)...
$23.9924.98
Tanya Morgan's second proper album – the duo's Moonlighting was one of the freshest, most soulful and resonant hip hop albums of the mid 00s in our humble opinions, and Brooklynati is even better! It's tough to describe Tanya Morgan – the trio of Von Pea, Ilyas and Donwill – ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(2019 pressing – on vinyl for the first time for its 10th Anniversary!)