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 were around on the New York scene to issue plenty of soul and funk during the 70s – then made the move into hip hop at the end of the decade, yet in a way that also brought some of their funky currents forward! Where other labels were maybe using a lean approach and more records as the basis for cuts, Spring already had access to some great groups to back up the MCs – and the result is a batch of funky cuts that are already primed for a party crowd in the South Bronx! As the 80s move in, the cuts use more beats and electro elements – yet that older ear for funk is still nicely in place, and really keeps things moving throughout. Titles include "Money (Dollar Bill Y'All) (long version)" by Jimmy Spicer, "Charley Says (Roller Boogie Baby)" by King Tim III, "The Beach (long vocal)" by Afrika & The Zulu Kings, "Go For What You Know" by The Bally Boys, "Tearin It Up" by D4, "Rockin It" by MC Flex & The Crew, "I'm Hot" by The Rangers, "Magic's Message" by Mr Magic, "To Whoever It May Concern" by DJ Hollywood, "Cars (Zulu club mix)" by Afrika & The Zulu Kings, and "King Tim III (Personality Jock)" by Fatback – a cut that some folks call the first-ever hip hop single! LP, Vinyl record album

A huge dip into the history of hip hop – in a set that's something of a groundbreaking effort from the folks at the Smithsonian! If we're honest, we'll tell you that we're old enough to remember a time when folks thought that hip hop was just a fad – when it was a musical style that would disappear in just a few short years. But now, all these many decades later, the form has had such an impact on American culture that the Smithsonian Institute is giving it some official sort of due – something we never would have believed back in the 80s! The package is huge – 9CDs with a whopping 129 tracks in all, and a 300 page book that supports the recordings with an insane amount of notes, photos, and all sorts of other information – alongside a track list that was put together by folks who include Questlove, 9th Wonder, Chuck D, Jeff Chang, and MC Lyte! The set is especially great on old school tracks up through the golden era hip hop years – but also moves into the 21st century too – and artists include Treacherous Three, Afrika Bambaataa, Fearless Four, Cold Crush Brothers, Herbie Hancock, Run DMC, Fatback, Sugarhill Gang, Kurtis Blow, Funky Four +1, T La Rock, Schoolly D, Beastie Boys, Kool Moe Dee, LL Cool J, Eric B & Rakim, Mantronix, Stetsasonic, Audio Two, Big Daddy Kane, MC Lyte, Marley Marl, Tone Loc, Jungle Brothers, NWA, Public Enemy, Slick Rick, 3rd Bass, De La Soul, Queen Latifa, DOC, 2 Live Crew, Dr Dre, Sir Mix A Lot, Digable Planets, Positive K, Pete Rock & CL Smooth, Naughty By Nature, Black Sheep, Tribe Called Quest, Geto Boys, Pharcyde, 2Pac, Warren G, Gang Starr, Notorious BIG, and many many more! CD

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 were around on the New York scene to issue plenty of soul and funk during the 70s – then made the move into hip hop at the end of the decade, yet in a way that also brought some of their funky currents forward! Where other labels were maybe using a lean approach and more records as the basis for cuts, Spring already had access to some great groups to back up the MCs – and the result is a batch of funky cuts that are already primed for a party crowd in the South Bronx! As the 80s move in, the cuts use more beats and electro elements – yet that older ear for funk is still nicely in place, and really keeps things moving throughout. Titles include "Money (Dollar Bill Y'All) (long version)" by Jimmy Spicer, "Charley Says (Roller Boogie Baby)" by King Tim III, "The Beach (long vocal)" by Afrika & The Zulu Kings, "Go For What You Know" by The Bally Boys, "Tearin It Up" by D4, "Rockin It" by MC Flex & The Crew, "I'm Hot" by The Rangers, "Magic's Message" by Mr Magic, "To Whoever It May Concern" by DJ Hollywood, "Cars (Zulu club mix)" by Afrika & The Zulu Kings, and "King Tim III (Personality Jock)" by Fatback – a cut that some folks call the first-ever hip hop single! CD

A really heady dip into the mighty large catalog of P&P Records – a small family of New York labels in the late 70s/early 80s, and a powerhouse of production who were cutting grooves that were years ahead of their time! P&P was one of those companies that always seemed to get more attention overseas than on our shores – and that legacy is supported here with a superb track list from DJ Kenta – who brings together 19 gems from the label's far-ranging roster, in a cool blend of funky club tracks that even include a few of his own original edits! Titles include "Dance Freak" by Chain Reaction, "African Rock" by Licky, "Roller Rink Funk" by Shift, "Stomp Your Feet & Dance" by Kim Taylor, "Out Of Work (voc)" by Jesse Gould, "Turn Up Your Radio" by Kessler, "I Did It Again" by Jesse Henderson, "Spring Rain" by The Destiny Orchestra, "Feel The Spirit (long disco version)" by Foster Jackson Group, "Dance Dance Dance (disco version)" by Marta Acuna, and "Super Jay Love Theme" by Super J. (Funky Compilations, Hip Hop) CD

A great collection of tracks from the documentary on the man behind Mo Wax Records – Unkle/James Lavelle – an artist in his own right, and a creative force who helped shape the sound of a generation! The package includes not only some key cuts from the Mo Wax catalog, but also tunes that predate the label, and show the impact of their style in later years – a lineup that includes "See & Don't See" by Marie Queenie Lyons, "Doin Damage In My Native Language (Shadow's legitimate rmx)" by Zimbabwe Legit, "Blue Flowers" by Dr Octagon, "Kemuri" by DJ Krush, "Back & Forth" by Unkle, "Swan Lake" by Blackalicious, "Return Of The Original Art Form (DJ mix)" by Hiroshi & Kudo, "Friends & Countrymen" by The Wild Bunch, "Contemplating Jazz" by Attica Blues, "Organ Donor (ext overhaul)" by DJ Shadow, "Food Of My De-Rhythm" by RPM, and "Ravers Such Our Sound" by LA Funk Mob. (New Grooves, Hip Hop) 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 Convention 80 includes a non stop party with rhymes by a whos who of early hip hop who all found their way to the stage – including Grandmaster Caz, JDL, and Kay Gee (of the Cold Crush Brothers), Whipper Whip, Ruby Dee, and Grand Wizard Theodore (of the Fantastic Five Freaks), the Soul Sonic Force, and the Nice and Nasty Four. Broken into 7 cuts, a couple shorter and a jams that run 5-6 minutes. Digitally remastered from grainy source material, but the vibe transcends! CD

16 tracks from this mid 90s Hiero effort, including "Me-O-Mi-O", "That's How It Is", "Follow The Funk", "Who's It On", "I Didn't Mean To", "We Got It Like That", " A Little Something" and "This Is How We Rip S**t", with guest spots by various members of the Souls Of Mischief, Del and Extra Prolific. LP, Vinyl record album