The biggest book we've ever seen to focus on the photography of Jamel Shabazz – a Brooklyn photographer who was out on the streets in the glory days of the old school – famous for his work capturing key sides of the early hip hop scene, and plenty of other New York culture as well! The ... (Books, Hip Hop)read moreBook
Shabazz Palaces —
Black Up ... CD Sub Pop, 2011. Used ...
$5.99
... CD
(Packaged in a black velvet slipcase with golden sparkles.)
Sim-E Auto smoked it up on the third volume of this great series, and he returns with even more force on this collection of well-chosen cuts! Production on most of side one is by Temper3000 – and tracks include "Mind Trixxx" and "After Midnight" – plus a guest ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Still sealed.)
Slum Village —
Fantastic Vol 1 ... CD Long Player/Ne'Astra, 1997. New Copy ...
$8.9919.99
Slum Village's legendary Fantastic Vol 1 – one of the most sought-after hip hop albums of the era – with the most rugged-and-raw Jay Dee production on record! Honestly, we're left pretty close to speechless by how tightly these tracks hold up. This is indeed the template for so many ... read moreCD
An instant classic from Slum Village – one of those records that kind of snuck out into the world, then became legendary as the years went on! Of course, with work from Jay Dee, there's no surprise that the album's got plenty of staying power – as he does a killer job here, throughout, ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Essential 90s material from Smif N Wessun – one of those key records that was not only great in and of itself, but also as part of a larger tapestry of top shelf talents finally getting to shine in the spotlight! Previously, Smif N Wessun had shown up on Black Moon's first album – and ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
A set that's got Flying Lotus working in his best old school mode – that sharp yet sophisticated style that's opened so many doors for him in recent years on other projects – very nicely fitted here to deft lyrical contributions from Smoke DZA! The record's a short one, but not out of ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
A remix-heavy version of a record that may have the year 1993 permanently locked into its title – but a set that's got more than enough strength to survive strongly over the decades – the first great statement from Cali giants Souls Of Mischief, and a record that would set the tone for ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
A record that may have the year 1993 permanently locked into its title – but a set that's got more than enough strength to survive strongly over the decades – the first great statement from Cali giants Souls Of Mischief, and a record that would set the tone for the Hiero Imperium scene ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Blue translucent vinyl pressing. Cover has a tiny center split on the top seam, but looks fantastic overall.)
(Original pressing. Includes the printed inner sleeves and download card. Cover has a bumped corner and a bit of wear at the opening.)
Specifics —
Specifics II ... LP P-Vine (Japan), 2007. New Copy ...
$29.9936.99
You gotta love a hip hop album that begins with an Alice Coltrane sample – and The Specifics follow suit with plenty more other jazzy bits too – almost evoking an old Tribe Called Quest generation with they way they use key samples, but also doing so at a level that's very understated ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
An East Bay classic from Spice 1 – and a great little record from that time before the west coast became a bit too much West Coast! There's a thuggish, early gangsta vibe that runs through the whole set – but as with some of the more enduring Cali hip hop of the time, the set's got a ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
A huge array of photographs from the golden years of 90s hip hop – all captured within a few short years by Peter Spirer, at a time when he was diving deep into the scene to really document the sort of energy that's made this stretch such a legendary one for the music! These photos are way ... (Books, Hip Hop)read moreBook
Steinski cuts a rough mix for the pros: 28 continuous cuts including "Swingset (10 beautiful girls mix)", "The Id (small world mix)", "By All Means Necessary (Malcolm & Bobby mix)", "I Like It Like That (Scratch It One Time mix)" "Country Grammar ... read moreCD
A lively little groover from the Sugarhill Gang – one based around the excellent "Daisy Lady" sample from 7th Wonder! The track makes great use of the original's brassy horns – inflecting a bright, almost Latiny finish on the tune – all to set the stage for some great ... read more12-inch, Vinyl record
The old school classic, recorded around the same time as Tanya Gardner's "Heartbeat", for the same label, with that track as the basis to the whole groove. Very similar to the original, but with a rap track over the top. 12-inch, Vinyl record
(In a pink West End sleeve, with some ringwear and bent corners.)
Talib Kweli & Madlib —
Liberation 2 ... CD Nature Sounds, 2023. New Copy ...
$14.9916.99
It's been over 15 years since the last Liberation record from Talib Kweli and Madlib, and the planet's changed a lot – and maybe not for the better, which is a good reason the duo are back to serve up a heady helping of their message-oriented music! We've always thought that Talib sounds ... read moreCD
It's been over 15 years since the last Liberation record from Talib Kweli and Madlib, and the planet's changed a lot – and maybe not for the better, which is a good reason the duo are back to serve up a heady helping of their message-oriented music! Yet for this instrumentals set, Talib ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
An odd collaboration between Afrika Bambaataa and John Lydon that was sort of club hit at the time, but we're not sure what to make of it these days. Dense production by Bill Laswell with his standard heavy beats, guitar and synth lines. The vocal version has Bambaataa and Lydon predicting the end ... read more12-inch, Vinyl record
The second album from Too Short, and like the first, a set that firmly established both the Cali scene and the Bay Area as a hotbed of harder-hitting hip hop! And sure, there were countless later gangsta acts that slide into the sorts of cliches that often marred the genre – but back at the ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Dangerous/RCA pressing. Cover has ring & edge wear.)
Beats, Rhymes & Life – crucial aspects of Tribe Called Quest and hip hop in general – and the fourth album by the inimitable Tribe! After a couple or three years of down time following Midnight Marauders, the Tribe returned with this extra stripped down sound, collaborating with ... read moreCD
Beats, Rhymes & Life – crucial aspects of Tribe Called Quest and hip hop in general – and the fourth album by the inimitable Tribe! After a couple or three years of down time following Midnight Marauders, the Tribe returned with this extra stripped down sound, collaborating with ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Tribe Called Quest —
Low End Theory ... LP Jive, 1991. New Copy 2LP (reissue)...
$36.9939.99
The second album from the immortal Tribe Called Quest – one of the absolute essential hip hop LPs, and a record that should be an anyone's shortlist of the best albums in several subsections of hip hop – just a straight up masterpiece anyway you cut it. The album is so high up on the ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
A masterpiece from prime era Tribe Called Quest! Midnight Maurauders was Tribe's third LP, and even though there were no tracks yet credited to the Ummah, this is pretty much the beginning of Tribe's transition to that sound – with the same mellow, laid back vibe as their best early material ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
One of THE landmark hip hop albums – and the full length debut of great Tribe Called Quest! We hardly need to tell you about this classic – but it will always bear repeating. De La Soul might have kicked the door open on leftfield, anything goes artistry about a year or so earlier, ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
A hell of a comeback for Tribe Called Quest – maybe one of the best musical comebacks ever, and a fantastic reminder of why we loved the group so much in the first place! 18 years have passed since we last heard from the trio (now, sadly, a duo) – and that time only seems to have ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Beat-heavy work from the Tuff Crew – a group who definitely live up to their name on the bottom end! Much of the work here is very drum machine-heavy – in a style that was maybe used more widely a few years before in hip hop, but which still gives this album by the group a nice sense ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Original pressing. Cover has a sticker mark, edge wear, and light surface wear. Vinyl has a number of marks, and groove wear on side 2.)
2Pac —
2Pacalypse Now ... LP Interscope, 1991. New Copy 2LP Gatefold (reissue)...
$28.9934.99
The landmark debut of 2Pac – hard rhymes and gritty production laying the bedrock for an iconic legacy! 2Pac's voice is front and center throughout, nothing tentative about the rhymes or delivery, and true to legend, every word feels honest and real, whether you're comfortable with it or not. ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Tracks include "Keep Ya head Up", "2 Of Amerikaz Most Wanted", "Temptations", "God Bless The Dead", "Hail Mary", "Me Agains The World", "How Do U Want It", "So Many Tears", "Unconditional Love", Trapped", ... read moreCD
Grammy-winning work from Tyler The Creator – a record that's got a darker, moodier vibe than some of his previous work – very much the journey in sound that you might guess from the title – complete with narration from DJ Drama that does a great job of holding the whole thing ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Includes a vinyl only bonus track and a 12X12 poster!)
Funky sounds from Dan Ubick of Connie Price & The Keystones – and a killer set in this excellent sound library series from Madlib! As with the other volumes, the music has a strong nod to the classic 70s era of sound library funk, but also updates the work strongly too – in this ... (Sound Library, Hip Hop)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Vic Mensa —
Victor ... LP Roc Nation, 2023. New Copy 2LP Gatefold ...
$25.9928.99
Vic Mensa's a very different artist than on his previous record – a rapper who's taken the long years between the two sets to undergo a personal and spiritual rebirth, with results that come through instantly on the tracks on this set! There's an urgency that Vic never had before – ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Viktor Vaughn (MF Doom) —
Vaudeville Villain ... LP Sound Ink/Get On Down, 2003. New Copy 2LP Gatefold (reissue)...
$34.99
Sinister sounds from MF Doom – working here under his Viktor Vaughn identity, yet serving up the same fantastic blend of hardness and wit as in the other records under his own name! There's a lean, mean quality to the record that's wonderful – thanks to production from King Honey, Max ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Sinister sounds from MF Doom – working here under his Viktor Vaughn identity, yet serving up the same fantastic blend of hardness and wit as in the other records under his own name! There's a lean, mean quality to the record that's wonderful – thanks to production from King Honey, Max ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
A record as powerful as the image on the cover – and a set that strongly continues the personal and political legacy of British rapper VV Brown! The set works very strongly as a whole, to examine issues of race in contemporary England – and Brown mixes hip hop lyrics with sung vocals, ... read moreCD
VV Brown —
Am I British Yet ... LP Universal (France), 2023. New Copy 2LP Gatefold ...
$29.9934.99
A record as powerful as the image on the cover – and a set that strongly continues the personal and political legacy of British rapper VV Brown! The set works very strongly as a whole, to examine issues of race in contemporary England – and Brown mixes hip hop lyrics with sung vocals, ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
6 tracks: "BeatWave", "Master Of The Mix", "Nunk (New Wave Funk)", "Light Years Away","Light Years Away (dub version)" and "No Man Is An Island". LP, Vinyl record album
(Cover has a thin stain with a bit of stuck-on paper at the bottom edge and is bumped at the bottom right corner.)
In the tradition of the Molemen and All Natural, another nice one from the Chicago underground. "Think U Jammin'?" uses a killer organ bassline and DJ Diamond Kut cutting up a line from Steady Serv's classic "You Know The Time" for the chorus, and of course straight up dope hip ... read more12-inch, Vinyl record
(Cover has some edge wear and is lightly bent at the bottom left corner.)
A nice bit of New Jack from Wreckx-N-Effect – Teddy Riley production firmly in place, and a bit less of the hard sound than earlier work, but still pretty bounce-y and catchy. 12-inch, Vinyl record
(Cover has a small corner bump.)
Yancey Boys —
Sunset Blvd ... CD Delicious Vinyl/King Underground, 2013. New Copy ...
$13.9914.99
The full length debut of the Yancey Boys – Frank Nitt & Illa J – the former of the venerable duo Frank N Dank, the latter J Dilla's rhyme centric younger brother – who come together with the dual purpose of keeping J Dilla's production pedigree alive, and to simply deliver ... read moreCD
Yancey Boys —
Sunset Blvd ... LP Delicious Vinyl/King Underground, 2013. New Copy 2LP (reissue)...
$37.9941.99
The full length debut of the Yancey Boys – Frank Nitt & Illa J – the former of the venerable duo Frank N Dank, the latter J Dilla's rhyme centric younger brother – who come together with the dual purpose of keeping J Dilla's production pedigree alive, and to simply deliver ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
With "Home Girl Don't Play Dat", "So Funky", 'Black Pearl", "Cleopatra", "It's A Long Way Home", "You Should Have listened", "Woman To Woman", "Hoes", "I Can't Take It No More", "A Few Good Men" and " ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
YOD serves up that nicely laidback, almost conversational style that makes his music so great – working here with beats from Wino Willy, Lee Scott, Nicholas Craven, Jonwayne, and J-Es – each of whom really get that slow-stepping mix of bass and jazz just right! Titles include "The ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Not a bad year in retrospect – featuring "Dangerous" by Busta Rhymes, "Lost Ones" by Lauryn Hill, "Intergalactic" by The Beastie Boys, "Deja Vu" by Lord Tariq and Peter Gunz, "Rosa Parks" by Outkast, "Find A Way" by A Tribe Called ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album