Jazz pianist Matthew Shipp meets the late experimental hip hop crew for a unique long player – sort of a sequel to Shipp's earlier collaboration with DJ Spooky – this being the far superior of the two! The group's approaches couldn't be more different, and the contrast is what really ... read moreCD
Massive dubby jazzy hip-hop beats and production work by the Automator, with a guest contribution from Kool Keith, straight from the Dr. Octagon LP. Tracks include "A Better Tomorrow", "Sleep", "The Truth (And All Those Lies)", and "4:17". West coast ... read moreCD
The Beastie Boys are looking plenty playful on the cover, and they definitely follow up in spirit on the record – all with that great mix of really rich production that they seemed to discover on the west coast – while still able to serve up all the youthful energy when they burst into ... read moreCD
The Beasties' peak-era, retro-style instrumentals LP! Even at their weakest vocal moments, we've always dug the Beastie Boys' firm commitment to funky instrumental backing – their albums are filled with lots of nice interludes, instrumentals, and backing grooves – but they often seemed ... read moreCD
The Beasties' masterpiece – and one of the original nightmares for sampling opponents everywhere. Tracks include "Hey Ladies", "Shake Your Rump", "High Plains Drifter", and "Shadrach". CD
A masterful later album by the Beastie Boys – who always preferred to put out a great record every five or six years, than a sub par album every 2 or 3! All these years after Paul's Boutique, when the world of difficult, expensive sample clearance could've kill the layers of pop pastiche ... read moreCD
The instrumental/dub versions of all the tracks from the Criminal Minded LP – one of the most important albums in the history of hip hop – the first full LP from KRS One, and a landmark batch of tracks recorded with the late Scott La Rock! The track list alone is a full chapter in the ... read moreCD
Buck 65 —
Situation ... CD Warner (Canada), 2007. Used ...
$3.99
Maybe the crowning achievement of DJ Cash Money – a sharp DJ from the early Philly scene – and a talent who was every bit as great at the time on as Jazzy Jeff on the wheels of steel! Cash is paired here with Marvelous, an MC whose sense of wit really matches the sharpness of the ... read moreCD
A righteous continuation of the first revolution encouraged by Common in 2021 – and a set that takes all the message and spirit of the initial entry, and opens things up to an even more collaborative project – thanks to guest work from artists who include Seun Kuti, Black Thought, ... read moreCD
Curren$y & Harry Fraud —
Director's Cut ... CD SRFSCHL, 2021. New Copy ...
$14.9915.98
Hard to believe this is the fifth project together between Curren$y and Harry Fraud – and definitely a standalone project, despite what you might guess from the title! The album was originally supposed to be a deluxe take on Outrunners, but the duo are so quickly collaborative, they ended up ... read moreCD
The mindblowing debut of De La Soul – a set that's inarguably one of the most important records in hip hop history – overflowing with playful, endearingly oddball trio rhymes and Prince Paul production at it's most sprawlingly sampled and creative! The set has classic songs that stand ... read moreCD
A rock-solid effort from De La Soul at the start of the 21st Century – a record that really has the group coming back into their own! On previous records, it had been a little difficult to tell if De La Soul has been trying harder to please their critics, or simply finally being true to ... read moreCD
All hits and almost no misses – starting with "Oooh", easily the best single of the '00, featuring some nice quotes from classic hip hop tracks ranging from the Funky 4 + 1 to Mos Def, and some of Redman's best verses in a while. De La Soul basically started the whole skits-between- ... read moreCD
All hits and almost no misses – starting with "Oooh", easily the best single of the '00, featuring some nice quotes from classic hip hop tracks ranging from the Funky 4 + 1 to Mos Def, and some of Redman's best verses in a while. De La Soul basically started the whole skits-between- ... read moreCD
An insanely wonderful record from De La Soul – a set that's sometimes eclipsed by its legendary precursors, but which would easily stand as the best record in the catalog by any other group! Prince Paul's production is impeccable – leaner than before, likely due to new restrictions on ... read moreCD
If De La Soul took the world by storm with their groundbreaking debut, they definitely pushed hip hop even farther ahead with this killer second album – a record that refines all the best impulses of the first set, and has the trio coming across with an even greater command of the space of a ... read moreCD
De La Soul —
Stakes Is High ... CD Tommy Boy/Chrysalis, 1996. New Copy ...
$16.9918.99
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 ... read moreCD
McKinley Dixon has an amazing way of mixing depth with crisp, catchy production – at a level that delivers a record that's instantly personal, and pretty darn powerful – yet which also has a quality that could well make McKinley a superstar, if the world had any justice! The music ... read moreCD
For your next party, 13 tracks of uptempo 808 for everyone to get dirty to. Includes "The House Of Magic", "Feel The Bass Again", "Drop The Bass (pt 2)", "Magic & Isaam's Groove", "Just Get Down & Rock", "The Booty Dub", "Yo!& ... read moreCD
Your favorite DJ savior returns, after an extended absence, with another mindnumbing full length exercise in future hip hop. 10 instrumental excursions into the world of Josh Davis (with a few extra interludes, of course), and as you might expect, the drum programming is top rate, intricate and ... read moreCD
Dr Dre —
Chronic ... CD Death Row/Interscope, 1992. Used ...
$6.99
The first solo set that Dr Dre cut after leaving NWA – and a record that not only set the tone for his solo career, but also for a huge run of albums from other folks in the years to come! Dre's as much of a production genius as he is a frontman here – really pushing forward some of ... read moreCD
(Out of print.)
Ebony Vibe Everlasting —
Good Life ... CD Universal (Japan), 1994. New Copy ...
$13.9916.99
A really great group who never fully got their due – one who come together with a wonderful criss-crossing of voices – part old school harmony, partly some of the new crackle that was hitting the world of R&B at the time! The record's got a wonderfully well-crafted vibe – ... read moreCD
Eminem's 2nd LP, where the sh*it REALLY hits the fan. What's still striking and genuinely exciting about this record, which is hardly worth even describing considering the mountains of opinions, protests, and moral grand standing, is Em's willingness to keep instigating the people he offended. ... read moreCD
Fatlip's been giving us mighty music since his early days in The Pharcyde, but with this recent set, he seems ready to represent the west coast at a new level – paired with Blu in a criss-crossing of lyrical genius that seems as effortless as the understated production on the album! All the ... read moreCD
Freddie Gibbs had been riding a creative peak for a few years in the run up to his high stakes move to Warner – and he comes out with a winning hand! His smart, charismatic, densely packed lyrics are as smart and slyly soul searching as ever on an album that almost serves as a concept album ... read moreCD
Ghostface Killah —
Fishscale ... CD Def Jam, 2006. Used ...
$3.99
Ghostface brings some real hip hop to latter day Def Jam – his best album since Supreme Clientele – and possibly '06 hip hop album of the year! Fishscale features appearances by the Wu Tang Clan & Theodore Unit, Ne-Yo, Megan Ward and others on the mic – but it's the stable ... read moreCD
Wu Tang cohort and Sunz Of Man MC Hell Razah kicks out a full length for Nature Sounds – with appearances by Talib Kweli, Rass Kass, MF Doom, RA The Rugged Man, Killa Priest and others – plus production by Doom, Dirty Needlez, DJ Battle, Krohme and more. Titles include "Nativity&qu ... read moreCD
(Out of print.)
Shafiq Husayn —
So Gold ... CD Nature Sounds, 2023. New Copy ...
$12.9914.99
The regal image on the cover really fits the spirit of the record – as Shafiq Husayn seems to be channeling some sort of subtle majesty throughout – really focusing his already-great talents, and maybe winning himself a rightful spot at the head of the table of the contemporary soul ... (Neo Soul, Hip Hop)read moreCD
Uncut, full version Jay Love Japan – one of the best of the early posthumous Dilla releases – originally slated exclusively for the Japanese market! This is Dilla in a mostly uptempo vibe, with soulful strings and vocal samples and blunt, snapping beats. There are a couple vocal ... read moreCD
Just-Ice wasn't actually part of the old school – although to some, the 1986 release might seem pretty darn close – but he definitely does a good job here of keeping things nice and clean on his classic debut! Production is from Mantronik, but there's also a harder edge than most of ... read moreCD
The second post Mantronik set from the frequently slept on 80s rap genius Just-Ice – featuring production by none other than KRS-One – with a few righteous and ruthless tracks that stand up with the best from the earlier classic LPs! The rugged and raw KRS backdrop serves Just-Ice's ... read moreCD
Just-Ice —
VII ... CD Warlock, 1998. Used ...
$18.99
The drama master of hip hop and pretty much all of contemporary pop music returns with his Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy – a full length hip hop rumination on being hated and the struggle of needing that hate to be creatively fruitful. It's not always an easy listening experience, but it's ... read moreCD
Kid Koala does it again! While other incorrigible scratch nibblers and turntable assassins are busy bragging about their so called abilities to use the turntable as an instrument, and wowing us with the speed of their reverse-hamster-fader-switch-scratch, Kid Koala actually gets down to the ... read moreCD
One of those classic late 90s hip hop albums that initially got lost in the shuffle of record label politics and other issues – finally out for the rest of the world in the following century! The record's from a time when King Tee was allied strongly with Dr Dre – who produces part of ... read moreCD
Kool Keith —
Black Elvis 2 ... CD Mello Music Group, 2023. New Copy ...
$11.9912.99
Black Elvis is back, and Kool Keith is clearly very much at the top of his game – serving up a set of tracks that have a very unified vibe, and a sinister vibe that really works well with the unsettling style of Keith's lyrics in the lead! There's a bit more guest help here than before, but ... read moreCD
The classic first solo album from Kool Moe Dee – pivotal solo rap from the onetime Treacherous Three rhyme slinger – formative stuff that works nearly as well, to our ears anyway, as his platinum breakout How You Like Me Now! 9 tracks on the original album: "Go See The ... read moreCD
Includes "Lost Ones", "Ex-Factor", "To Zion", "Doo Wop", "Superstar", "Final Hour", "When It Hurts So Bad", "I Used To Love Him", "Forgive Them Father", "Every Ghetto, Every City", "Nothing Even ... read moreCD
Ms Hill's notorious double album follow up to the Miseducation Of. . . album – a pretty nice set of unvarnished, intimate performances that would have gone done a lot smoother in an earlier era! After the whirlwind success of her first solo album, Lauryn, either a) decided that the peak of ... read moreCD
The amazing debut of those most hyperactive of the Native Tongues, the short-lived, ultra fresh Leaders Of The New School! Busta & Co. splintered apart after just two albums, but this will always be a shiny trophy in the mantle with the all time freshest East Coast hip hop. It sounds great to ... read moreCD
The unrivaled, unequaled Little Brother is back with the Drama Free Edtion of Separate But Equal – an alterate version of their much celebrated mixtape featuring unreleased material – minus the mixtape's host DJ Drama – and with additional material, too! As always, solid stuff ... read moreCD
Low Budget Hi Fi Music from Madlib – the eleventh entry in his epic Madlib's Medicine Show series – 28 tracks of hip hop unofficially dubbed the Dirty Demos! The set feature sample enriched instrumentals by Madlib as Loop Digga and collaborations with Strong Arm Steady, J Rocc, Madlib ... read moreCD
Massive DJ genius from the one-and-only Madlib – the 4th volume in his excellent series of remixed and mixed up material from the Stones Throw roster and more! Volume 4 is over an hour of Madlib doing his thing behind rhymes from some of hip hop's titans – part underground remix ... read moreCD
(Out of print.)
Main Source —
Breaking Atoms ... CD Wild Pitch/Mr Bongo (UK), 1991. New Copy ...
$11.9913.99
A record that no hip hop home should be without – the debut album from Main Source, but a set that's more than strong enough to stand next to the best from contemporaries like De La Soul, Tribe Called Quest, and Black Sheep! Like all three of those groups, these guys have a way of bringing ... read moreCD
The never-issued second album from Main Source – and a set that's a very worthy successor to their classic Breaking Atoms! As with that record, the production here is superb – Large Professor at his best, with all the right sort of early 90s jazz influence in the samples, balanced with ... read moreCD
Masta Killa —
No Said Date ... CD Nature Sounds, 2004. New Copy ...
$12.9915.98
Masta Killa's solo debut – keeping the Wu Tang flag flying with pride in the early 00s with all the cinematic soul resonance and maybe a just little bit more of a gritty underground edge! It includes appearances by nearly the whole clique, including Ghostface, Raekwon, RZA, Meth, Deck, U-God ... read moreCD
Sergio Mendes —
Timeless ... CD Concord/Hear Music, 2006. Used ...
$1.99
A new record by the legendary Sergio Mendes – bursting into the 21st century on a catchy wave of Will I Am production – reworking gems from the Brazilian songbook and more with guest appearances by Stevie Wonder, Erykah Badu, Q-Tip, India Arie, Black Thought, Chali 2Na, Marcelo D2, John ... (Brazil, Hip Hop)read moreCD
9th Wonder assembles a stellar and diverse roster of MCs to spit over his masterful, stuttering soul beats and hypnotic production – Big Dho, Sean Price, Mos Def, Jean Grae, Memphis Bleek, Chaundon, Royce The 5'9, Saigon, Joe Scudda, Buckshot and others – and longtime lyrical foils ... read moreCD
An incredible pairing of talents – and a record that proves once again that the vibes of Roy Ayers are maybe one of the most powerfully soulful forces in the universe! It's no surprise that Roy's old records have formed the building blocks of key hip hop tracks over the years – and ... 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 moreCD
(This is the revised edition.)
Lou Piensa & Mental Abstrato —
Still In Transit ... CD Think (Japan), 2023. New Copy ...
$22.9924.99
A really cool mixing of modes that comes of even better than we might have expected – rhymes from Lou Piensa of the group Nomadic Massive, set to backings from Brazilian group Mental Abstrato – in a way that creates a very cool hybrid of sounds! This isn't the Brazilian hip hop that we ... (Brazil, Hip Hop)read moreCD
Prince Paul returns to the hard-hitting, ambitious narrative format of his great Prince Among Thieves LP with this all star effort that features Guru, Masta Ace, Trugoy, Planet Asia, the Beatnuts, Chuck D, Ice T, Jean Grae, Premier, Kardinal Official, Erick Sermon, Sly Boogie, MF Doom, comedians ... read moreCD
Maybe one of the last moments of genius from Public Enemy – and a set that still has their power and politics very much at the top of their game! The message may even be more powerful than the music at points – no surprise for Chuck D and crew at this point in their career – but ... read moreCD
PE's third LP, and their last with full on Bomb Squad production. With classics like "Fight The Power", "Burn Hollywood Burn", "Welcome To The Terrordome", "Power To The People", "911 Is A Joke" and the title track. CD
PE's third LP, and their last with full on Bomb Squad production. With classics like "Fight The Power", "Burn Hollywood Burn", "Welcome To The Terrordome", "Power To The People", "911 Is A Joke" and the title track. CD
The second solo album by The Chef – a record that had hard time finding space outside the massive shadow of his first solo landmark Only Built 4 Cuban Linx – and like other Wu Tang solo albums of the era, there's a number of gems on here that really never had a chance to get over a bar ... read moreCD
A really cool take on a classic hip hop album – one that's covered up from start to finish, as jazz musician Benny Reid serves up his instrumental reading of The Infamous Mobb Deep! All tracks are performed by Reid, who's clearly working in the studio, not live (as the title might imply) ... (Jazz, Hip Hop)read moreCD
Rob Sonic backs a classic era NYC reverence in his Def Jux hip hop – and continues the sound on Sabotage Gigante – featuring appearances by Aesop Rock & Bus Driver. Titles include "Teeth Eat Her", "Brand New Vandals", "Mother Of All Bombs", "Ready ... read moreCD
(Out of print.)
Rob Swift —
Ablist ... CD Asphodel, 1999. Used ...
$0.993.99
The format here is closer to the Xpressions LP, in that a few of the tracks feature MC's and the rest are nice DJ sound collages – including "All That Scratching Is Making Me Rich!", where Rob Swift flips the old Supreme Team sample, and a dope remix of the already amazing "Musi ... read moreCD
A very cool reworking of the fourth album from Run The Jewels – one that opens up their sound to the world of Latin music, by inviting in a whole host of different artists to really transform the tunes! In some cases, these changes are subtle, with tracks that still sound a fair bit like the ... read moreCD
The massive third album from Run DMC – a set that was done at a time when the duo were totally at the top of their game – and broke out big to a much wider audience than the usual hip hop crowd! Part of the album's strength is its guitar-heavy sound on some of the grooves – ... read moreCD
Some of RZA's best production work from the end of the 90s/start of the 00s – and the soundtrack to Jim Jarmusch's underrated samurai/crime flick Ghost Dog! The album features mostly Wu or Wu produced tracks, and lots of nice spoken dialogue bits of Forrest Whitaker reading from the book of ... read moreCD
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
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
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 moreCD
Spacey, club ready remixes of ascending hip hop-gospel-soul spirits Washington Projects – plus the full Light Up The Dark album as a bonus disc! Washington Projects blend modern hip hop and R&B singing and rhymes beautifully well, with inspirational songs that are, well, genuinely ... (New Grooves, Hip Hop)read moreCD
The X-Ecutioner's bring in a far-reaching stable of vocalists and other guests on their latest opus – from Slug, Saigon and Dead Prez on the underground tip (yes, we know Dead Prez works for Sony) to Ghostface and Fat Joe on the street hop tip, to under-appreciated Roots MC Black Thought, to, ... read moreCD
An instant party in a single package – a set that brings together a whole host of rare singles from back in the day – all work that's almost an equal blend of old school funk and early hip hop! The work here comes from the Spring label and related Posse imprint – a company who ... read moreCD
Includes tracks from Dimples D, Sweet Tee & Jazzy Joyce, Grand Creator K-Wiz, Queen Latifah, The Real Roxanne, Conscious Daughters, Oaktown's 3-5-7, Roxanne Shante, 2 Much, and Hurby's Machine featuring Antoinette – 15 tracks in all. CD
Live old school hip hop and funky disco breaks from the first school – previously unreleased material recorded straight from the Ecstasy Garage Disco sound board at the dawn of the 80s – party rockin' rhymes from a loose collective of "Ecstasy Garage All Stars"! Live ... read moreCD
Volume 2 in the Mandala compilation series from Mello Music Group – featuring a who's who of all star underground talents who record for MMG – both on the mic and in the production booth. Tracks feature Fredro Star, Murs, Muhsinhah, Ugly Heroes, Georgia Anne Muldrow, Oddisee, Apollo ... read moreCD
The fourth installment in the famous turntablist series. "Here 4 Years" by DJ Storm, "My Definition" by DJ Static, "Scroll The Wrist Beam" by Qbert, "Lesson 89" by 89 Skratch Gangstaz, "Unpleasant Thoughts" by DJ Shortfuse, "We Are The ... read moreCD
The lable says "Strictly for hardcore DJ fans", but this one should keep your attention through the 20 tracks even if watching the ITF battle tapes is not your idea of a good way to spend the afternoon. The reason the CD works is that they've cleared out all the boring parts and left one ... read moreCD
Some Music Part Five – put together by Count Bass D for Mochilla! There's a little bit of what you might expect from the Count flavoring the set, the spacey beatcraft that sprinks down from the cosmos to terrestrial Tennessee, with some bits of headier funk and straighter hip hop & soul, ... (Funky Compilations, Hip Hop)read moreCD
Music from Public Enemy, Eric B & Rakim, De La Soul, Gangstarr, Notorious BIG, Showbiz & AG, Black Sheep, Organised Konfusion, Main Source, Above The Law & more. CD
A really cool package, and one that goes past the easy old school hits from the early years of hip hop – and which instead brings together all these unusual strands of sound that really show how creative things were, right at the start! There's a number of tracks here that are a great ... read moreCD