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
Black Knights —
Almighty ... CD Record Collection, 2015. Used ...
$5.99
The first full-length from Mos Def and Talib Kweli together as Black Star – a benchmark moment in hip hop history, and one of the finest duo vocal hip hip records of the 90s – and one of the best ever on Rawkus! In hindsight, it's all the more rewarding given Talib Kweli's longevity in ... read moreCD
Another really strong effort from Blockhead – one that follows his equally good Music By Cavelight! It's feels like a tribute to NYC, in an atmospheric way, full of crackly melodies, terse moments, and compelling soundtracky hip hop beat craft. Tracks include "Expiration Date", ... (New Grooves, Hip Hop)read moreCD
Classic Boogie Down Productions circa '89 – with prime street poetry from KRS, perfectly raw beats and overall peak end of the 80s production! Blueprint is an apt title for a couple reasons – the beats aren't what we'd call spare, but they're raw and unvarnished – a perfect ... read moreCD
Includes "TYSON", "Pull A Fast One", "Loungin", "LA Posse", "Scene Of The Homicide", and "Steadily Tryin' To Flow Like". CD
(Out of print.)
Cavanaugh (Open Mike Eagle & Serengeti) —
Time & Materials ... CD Mello Music Group, 2016. Used ...
$6.99
Two of post millennium indie hip hop's most distinctive rhyme stylists – Open Mike Eagle and Serengeti – teaming up as Cavanaugh, and it's as inspired of a project as we'd hoped! There's a dark, hazy mood here – particularly in the thick waves of synth in the production, but the ... read moreCD
One of the best hip hop albums of all time – given the remastered, deluxe edition treatment! In 1994 when everyone seemed to be turning hardcore, Common Sense wasn't having it. Introspective tales of growing up and living on the South Side that fit perfectly with No ID's mellow production ... read moreCD
(A beautiful box set edition of one of greatest hip hop albums of the past 20 years!)
You guessed it. Danger Mouse and MF Doom together – and also a collaboration with the writers and voice talent of Cartoon Network's Adult Swim block of programming circa the mid 00s – so the dangerous duo make room for appearances by Aqua Teen Hunger Force, Space Ghost, Brak, Zorak, ... read moreCD
The loopy West Coast classic! Heavily steeped in the P-Funk party vibe, Del's first LP is still a hip hop holy grail. Ice Cube's production is a nice snapshot of west coast hip hop circa '89, and Del's style is inimitable. Standouts Mistadobolina" and "Ahonetwo, Ahonetwo" are ... read moreCD
Del Tha Funkee Homosapien, Kid Koala, and Dan The Automator pool their skills for this dawn of the 2000s sci-fi hip hop classic – the masterful Deltron 3030! The guest list is almost too long to get into, but Money Mark, Prince Paul, PB Wolf and Mr. Lif are all here, along with many others. ... read moreCD
Heavy beats and funky grooves from DJ Cam – recorded back in his more formative years, when his sound was rougher, and more "in the crates"! The album's got a great mix of open-ended samples and jazzy instrumentation – sounding almost like early Greyboy work, but without as ... (New Grooves, Hip Hop)read moreCD
One of those rare moments where a mainstream hit goes onto preface years of creative talent to come – even though the whole thing might have seemed like a bit of a one-off at the time! The young Will Smith is fantastic as the Fresh Prince – full of charm, at a level that really upped ... read moreCD
DJ Krush —
Holonic ... CD Mo Wax (UK), 1998. Used ...
$12.99
A great mix album where Krush revisits his classic tracks from the Mo Wax years in a non stop set that also features short vocal cameos from MCs, producers and graff writers like Stash, Futura 2000, Finsta Bundy, DJ Cam and Shawn J Period, and some nice turntable antics from Krush himself. ... read moreCD
(Out of print.)
DJ Krush & Toshinori Kondo —
Ki-Oku ... CD Instinct, 1998. Used ...
$8.99
While most collaborations between hip hop producers and jazz players have been mediocre at best, neither really being able to get invloved enough in each other's music, this collaboration between Kondo and Krush is almost entirely successful. Kondo's played in just about every style from all out ... read moreCD
Diminishing Returns finds DJ Shadow in his element – nothing but live mixer madness and scratchy hip hop production genius – originally broadcast on the BBC's Radio-1 in March 2003, laid out in it's entirety, including John Peel's adulatory intro! 80 minutes of DJ Shadow doing what he ... read moreCD
Does any hip hop DJ/producer/artist or otherwise instrumental sound stylist of any stripe face steeper critical expectations with each successive album than DJ Shadow, and if so, do any of them divert those expectations so profoundly as Shadow does? On The Less You Know, The Better, Josh Davis ... read moreCD
DJ Shadow at his most stylistically sprawling –doing his thing as distinctively as ever, unpredictable from one track to the next, but very much himself whether it's a sample and scratches cut reminiscent of the Entroducing era or beats-enriched avant jazz or keyboards-heavy tracks! Lots of ... read moreCD
16 tracks in all, including "The Vengeance Of Galaxy 5", "Hologrammic Dub", "Dance Of The Morlocks", "Thoughts Like rain", "Nihilismus Dub" and "Time Out Of Joint". (New Grooves, Hip Hop)CD
(Out of print.)
DJ Spooky vs Twilight Circus —
Riddim Clash ... CD Play, 2004. Used ...
$9.99
DJ Spooky, Twilight Circus and Alter Echo mix it for the Riddim Clash set – billed, more or less, as a dub album but works more directly as a dense mixture of hip hop and post rock! Reggae elements creep in, particularly on the album's namesake track with some loosely driving congas, flute ... read moreCD
Genius from the mind of Kool Keith aka Big Willie Smith aka Poppa Large aka Dr. Octagon. Since his days with Ultramagnetics, no one has mastered the abstract lyrical style like Kool Keith, self-proclaimed inventor of all rhyme styles. 19 tracks features with dope atmospheric tracks by the ... read moreCD
(Out of print.)
Drake —
Take Care ... CD Cash Money/Universal, 2011. Used ...
$3.99
Ed OG's nice debut, with a slightly jazzy touch on the production and literate, intelligent lyrics. Solid from start to finish, from the days when that wasn't so uncommon. With the now classic "Be A Father To Your Child", plus standout tracks like "I'm Different", "Speak ... read moreCD
(Out of print, artwork is wrinkled from some light water damage.)
El Michels return again to the Wu-Tang chambers – and the results this time might even be better than before! Wu-Tang forged their initial sound out of a love of offbeat samples and unusual funk – so it's only fitting that one of the hippest funk groups around strip the music right ... (Deep Funk, Hip Hop)read moreCD
Epik 1 —
Epik 1.0 ... CD Underpaid Productions, 2017. New Copy ...
$2.99
Independent Chicago hip hop from emcee Epik 1 – a born & bred Chicagoan with roots in the city's late 90s freestyle and open mic scene, and a genuine love and appreciation for block rocking hip hop history for the old school to today. Produced by Illpee with no nonsense, headnodding ... read moreCD
A fresh EP from feverishly creative moodscape & beatcrafter Flying Lotus! FL has been on such a furious win stream in the late 00s, it's tough to keep up with him, but that's a good thing – pretty much everything he puts out is of such consistently forward progressing quality. If you're ... (New Grooves, Hip Hop)read moreCD
Fudge (Prefuze 73 & Michael Christmas) —
Lady Parts ... CD Lex, 2016. Used ...
$5.99
A tight duo venture from producer Prefuze 73 and rhymer Michael Christmas! Prefuze 73 has been exploring all kinds of abstract production ideas for years, usually carrying his tired-and-true sputtering beats and tripped out atmopsherics, but his straighter hip hop productions really tighten things ... read moreCD
Pop soul from Full Force – filled with plenty of influence from mainstream hip hop, but all watered down into a much more partyful groove! The group here are a bridge between the commercial funk of Prince, The Time, and other 80s acts – and some of the more beat-heavy sounds coming out ... (Soul, Hip Hop)read moreCD
Illa J —
Illa J ... CD Bastard Jazz, 2015. Used ...
Just Sold Out!
Detroit independent hip hop veteran Illa J takes his greatest creative leap yet – moving to the Bastard Jazz label for this solid, perhap appropriately self-titled set – as he really seems to be repping his own vibe here! Earlier on, he proved a capable torch carrier for his brother J ... read moreCD
Pure wonderfulness from Internet – a group who seem to bound forward strongly with each new release! These guys are easily one of the most compelling mainstream soul acts we can think of – still very lean, and working with an indie-level vibe – but also able to focus in on hooks ... (Neo Soul, Hip Hop)read moreCD
Formative Dilla beats – raw SP-1200 and Akai MPC material created and cataloged by the legendary producer over the years and served as blueprint/building blocks for some of his most revered productions throughout his career! This being the work of master, it doesn't play like a mere beat ... read moreCD
Jay-Z's 13th album and one he really had no need to do, if not for the love of the game, and it's a rock solid effort with raw, classic school No ID production! It's a testament to Jay Z's enduring status as one of sharpest MCs of all time that the first news bites to come out of this semi-surprise ... read moreCD
"This here is the victory lap," raps Hove midway through The Black Album, his supposed career-capper (for this stage, anyway), and if nothing here immediately dazzles us to the core the way the best of his past singles have done, overall this is probably the most consistent front-to-back ... read moreCD
Tracks include "Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)", "Ride Or Die", "Can I Get A..." with Amil & Ja Rule, "Money, Cash, Hoes" with DMX, "It's Alright" and "Coming Of Age (The Sequel)" with Memphis Bleek, "Money Ain't A Thing", ... read moreCD
Jazz Liberatorz —
Clin D'Oeil ... CD Kif/P-Vine (Japan), 2007. New Copy ...
$22.99
One of the hippest French albums we've heard in years – a laidback blend of hip hop and jazz that really lives up to the cover's homage to the legendary Black Jazz label! The Jazz Liberatorz have a great way with a groove – a style that's openly flowing and instrumentally jazzy – ... (New Grooves, Hip Hop)read moreCD
Jovanotti —
Boun Sangue ... CD Universal (Italy), 2005. Used 2 CDs ...
$8.99
Kendrick Lamar —
DAMN. ... CD Aftermath/Interscope, 2017. New Copy ...
$14.9915.98
DAMN!, indeed – Kendrick has yet to take even a small step down from the creative peak he's been riding for years – and takes another daring step forward with this strong, strident, no-mess-taking classic in the making! The surprise-announced DAMN! finds him taking on timely concerns ... read moreCD
Stone classic LL Cool J! There was a time we didn't really rate this one on the same level as Radio, but listening with fresh ears after all these years – prime old school Def Jam with an energy that's really missing in so much of the hip hop to follow in the next couple years – and ... read moreCD
The first of a proposed trilogy from Chi's Lupe Fiasco – and his first official independent album after stepping away from Atlantic! Lupe had concerns over the major label system stifling his creativity, so it should be no surprise that he's as lyrically-focused and deeply thoughtful as ever ... read moreCD
17 tracks, plus the intro, almost all produced by KRS-One: "Double Trouble", "Nine On My Mind", "Own Destiny", "Crazy", "Bad Luck", "Real Ting", "Body & Shape", "Baby Father" and "Stop Dat Sh*t". CD
(Out of print, small amount of writing in pen inside booklet.)
The restlessly inventive Madlib beats and production for Pinata, the excellent duo project with MC Freddie Gibbs! If you'll forgive us a little bit of repetition – because we KNOW we've written this before – there's just something extra riveting about Madlib's production work for ... read moreCD
(Includes obi.)
Major Lazer & La Roux —
Lazerproof ... CD Polydor, 2010. Used ...
$14.99
Sound Library-inspired funky hip hop instros crafted by Maker – who's once again given the keys to the Now Again vaults – which is, of course, a far-reaching treasure trove of rare funk, soul and global grooves! Funky drums and well-crafted loops, courtesy Maker – who delivers ... read moreCD
Chicago beatmaker Maker's third trip through the Now Again catalog the craft his own heady hip hop instrumentals – and it's the farthest reaching, funkiest yet! Give a no nonsense producer the keys to a vault as deep as Now Again's – rich with drum heavy funk, fuzzy psych, and heady ... read moreCD
Prime early electro hip hop genius from Mantronix – fresh beats and rap from Mantronix, including tight singles, 12" mixes and some classic production work for T La Rock, Just Ice and more – 2CDs that cover the vital mid 80s period! Includes those classic early hits with the ... read moreCD
The epic length collection of the best instrumental beats from the villainous one! Here the one-and-only MF Doom blends his beats into 2 separate 75-minute mega mixes on 2CDs – plus a bonus 3rd disc featuring rare instrumentals from the KMD era! Doom is of course best known for the grin-indu ... read moreCD
(Out of print.)
Michael Franti & Spearhead —
Yell Fire! ... CD Boo Boo Wax/Anti, 2006. Used ...
$1.99
Third LP from Greg Nice and Smooth B. Sure, there's a few misses here, but also a couple tracks that are up there with their classic first LP, with the same humor and nice up-tempo production. 10 tracks: "Old To The New", "Let's All Get Down" featuring Slick Rick, "Return ... read moreCD
(Out of print.)
Nosaj Thing —
Fated ... CD Innovative Leisure, 2015. Used ...
$6.99
Supremely moody, oddly soulful soundscapes from Nosaj Thing! NT works in realm of spacey beatcraft that other producer/beatmaker/composers travel, but everything we've heard from him to date has a distinctive style, and this is the best yet. There's a sultriness to it that's pretty great – ... (New Grooves, Hip Hop)read moreCD
The best yet from Oddisee! Be it a solo set or one of his group efforts with Diamond District, Oddisee has never lacked smarts or confidence, but there's assertive strengh to tracks on here that up the ante. He's really come into his own as one of the most reliable voices in independent hip hop, ... read moreCD
Oh No is back as Dr No – following up the stellar Middle Eastern rooted Oxperiment set with an even better batch of hip hop instrumentals spun from global funk, jazz & psychedelia – the raw, funky and intoxicating beatcraft of Dr No's Ethiopium! Before the Oxperiment, we felt Oh No ... read moreCD
(NOTE: Rear tray card is missing, but everything else is fine. Out of print.)
The cuts that fell on the cutting floor are surprisingly fresh and candidly experimental, even for Prefuse. Listen in and you'll find Scott messing with fuzzed out guitars, has signature off step swagger beats delightfully diced, and production minimalism filtered through further effects. There's ... read moreCD
A moody, uncompromising album of experimental, yet accessible and downright hypnotic textures from Prefuse 73 – with less fractured, stuttering beatcraft and more spacious, droning atmosphere! It's pretty tripped out stuff for a record as Prefuse 73, which makes it all the more rewarding. A ... read moreCD
Beautifully constructed beatcraft from Prefuse 73 – blending beats with keys, odd string flourishes and atmospheric elements as impeccably as ever! Prefuse is still getting more and more tuneful in the melody department, but the album has it's share of barbed and jittery moments, with ... read moreCD
The first mind-blowing salvo from the legendary PE! Public Enemy came with that strong, righteous voice in full force from the get-go – and if it's not quite the revolutionary aural experience as the following couple of albums on the production from, it's still pretty damn riveting effort. ... read moreCD
Redman at an early peak – raw cosmic funk-steeped hip hop from the wildly creative, gritty-voiced man himself! Like a lot of the greatest 90s hip hop, there's a strong George Clinton influence to the beats – but the thick atmosphere is really on another level – then and now, ... read moreCD
Karriem Riggins —
Headnod Suite ... CD Stones Throw, 2017. New Copy ...
$10.9911.98
A set that's got a lot more going on than you might expect from the "headnod" title – as Karriem Riggens is at his most dynamic here – offering up way more than just the hip hop instrumentals promised by the album's cover sticker! There's definitely a hip hop aesthetic in ... (Deep Funk, Hip Hop)read moreCD
A vital third act in the thankfully ongoing RTJ saga! The first album was unsurprisingly excellent, but surprisingly popular. The second album not only turned out to be a bigger hit, it was also a creative peak for both El-P and Killer Mike – which is really saying something. So the stakes ... 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
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
Slick Rick's first solo album and of the front-to-back hip hop albums of the late 80s Def Jam prime era – 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 world was more than ... read moreCD
(Comes a big, nicely done "childern's book" illustrating the classic "Children's Story".)
Snoop Dogg —
Coolaid ... CD Doggy Style, 2016. Used ...
$6.99
The timeless classic Cali hip hop standard bearer from Souls Of Mischief – given the tricked out 20th Anniversary edition it deserves! As much as we love all the best Hiero output of the 90s & beyond, this is still our favorite, and besides, it's pretty much the blueprint for the ... read moreCD
(Beautiful expanded anniversary edition from Get On Down – with a bonus CD and expanded booklet – and even the packaging raps. . .playing the title track when you open it up!)
When Mos Def came out swinging with Black On Both Sides and we were all left both hot and cold, it seemed maybe Black Star should've never went their separate ways. But then, out came this burning set of dope joints, we all found out Talib could stand solid on his own, with the help of Hi-Tek's ... read moreCD
A welcome trip with Tall Black Guy! TBG's soulful beats. jazzy keyboard laced grooves, deft ways with sampled vocals really stand out in the contemporary landscape, especially in the way his own full length material can differ from his remixes and production work for others. This one's got a really ... read moreCD
A sweet little groover of an instrumentals set from Chicago's Thaione – a newer version on CD! April January is a mellow, trippy, sampledelic platter of soundscapes from start to finish, cut with some nice dialogue samples that set the cool, cool vibe very nicely. All told, it's a jazzy, ... read moreCD
The last LP issued before he passed, kind of an epic of modern hip hop. With "All Eyez On Me", "California Love (rmx)", "I Ain't Mad At Cha", "2 Of Amerikaz Most Wanted", "Can't C Me" and "How Do U Want It", plus loads more. . . CD
The first LP in a well over a decade from the Ultramags. Titles include "The Plaques", "Late Nite Rumble", "Mechanism Nice (Born Twice)", "Ain't It Good 2", "Pop Bottles", "Nottz" feat Goody 2, "Porno Star Pt 2", "Underwear ... read moreCD
Why? —
Moh Lhean ... CD Joyful Noise, 2017. Used Gatefold ...
$2.99
... CD
Youssou N'Dour —
Eyes Open ... CD Columbia, 1992. Used ...
$3.99
A brilliant set of early 80s post-punk club tracks – from those magical crossover years on the New York scene! The set focuses on stuff that got a fair bit of play at the Mudd Club in NY, and that wasn't out of place at the Danceteria or the original Limelight either. And while some of the ... (Funky Compilations, Hip Hop)read moreCD
A collection of Unwrapped "flips" in the Hidden Beach Presents Unwrapped series – Back 2 Basics for lucky number 7 in the series – in which producer & songwriter teams up with a group of players to cast some classic and neo classic hip hop as jazzy soul instrumentals! ... (Neo Soul, Hip Hop)read moreCD
Highly recommended. Usually, finding the best in underground hip hip means taking a chance on lots of 12's you've never heard of, at $6 a piece. Here, Rawkus does the digging for you with 2 CDs (27 tracks) of the best underground MC's and producers plus a few more established artists. The ... read moreCD
A set that's mostly hip hop, with lots of jazzy instrumentation – but a package that also includes some great jazz tracks too – which allows it to effortlessly draw a line back and forth between older nuggets and the best of the contemporary underground! There's a crisp, hip vibe to ... (Funky Compilations, Hip Hop)read moreCD
Old school, true school, golden age, random rap, west coast, east coast, independent, southern, and midwestern hip hop -- as well as some commercial classics!
