A trio of talents make this Samurai Champloo soundtrack so great – Japanese producer Nujabes, hip hop duo Force Of Nature, and American hip hopper Fat Jon The Ample Soul Physician! The sound here is often a bit more dense and intense than on some of the other Champloo soundtracks, but it depends on the cut – as others have that open, melodic quality that makes the series so great – even on the Fat Jon tracks, which are instrumental. Titles include "Just Forget", "Nightshift", "Set It Off", "Death Wish", and "The Stroll" by Force Of Nature; "Bracelet", "In Position", "Night Out", "Not Quite Selah", and "Here & There" by Fat Jon; and "Dead Season", "Sanctuary Ship", "Tsurugi No Mai", and "Decade" by Nujabes. Also features "Who's Theme" by Minmi. LP, Vinyl record album

A pivotal album from the early 90s – one that not only furthered the rebirth of live funk instrumentation at a time when ditigal elements dominated the scene – but also really opened up that mode to a whole new generation of hip hop as well! At a time when the music was all about the samples and beats, Brand New Heavies took it back to the generation before – and provided live instrumentation for a host of fantastic talents – a legendary lineup that includes performances from Main Source, The Pharcyde, Black Sheep, Kool G Rap, Gang Starr, and Masta Ace – all young and at the top of their game, with a quality level that alone would make the album great – then really sends it over the top when paired with the instrumentation! The whole thing's amazing – still maybe yet to be topped in such a style – and titles include "Who Makes The Loot", "It's Getting Hectic", "Wake Me When I'm Dead", "Soul Flower", and "Bonafide Funk". CD

A pivotal album from the early 90s – one that not only furthered the rebirth of live funk instrumentation at a time when ditigal elements dominated the scene – but also really opened up that mode to a whole new generation of hip hop as well! At a time when the music was all about the samples and beats, Brand New Heavies took it back to the generation before – and provided live instrumentation for a host of fantastic talents – a legendary lineup that includes performances from Main Source, The Pharcyde, Black Sheep, Kool G Rap, Gang Starr, and Masta Ace – all young and at the top of their game, with a quality level that alone would make the album great – then really sends it over the top when paired with the instrumentation! The whole thing's amazing – still maybe yet to be topped in such a style – and titles include "Who Makes The Loot", "It's Getting Hectic", "Wake Me When I'm Dead", "Soul Flower", and "Bonafide Funk". LP, Vinyl record album

Dudley's second full length for Stones Throw under his own name – third overall, counting his debut as Declaime – and one of the most surefooted, soul-steeped Madlib productions of the era! Again, Madlib wisely leans on warm funk and soul beats and samples to back Dudley, but it's a little lighter on the murk and grit this time, better to match Dudley's more confident vocals. Dudley's voice leads the way with a charismatic mix of laidback singing and rhymes. Great stuff – a low key masterclass in funky hip hop soul! 13 tracks in all, including "Funky Dudley", "The Last Stand", "Dear God", "Come Here My Dear", "Testin' Me", "Get On Up", "Dolla Bill", "That's The Way It's Gonna Be" and "Separate Ways". LP, Vinyl record album

An album with some surprisingly soulful moments, thanks in part to some well-chosen samples from classic years of soul – including snippets of work from The Impressions, James Brown, Minnie Riperton, and The Spinners – all of whom really provide some nice balance with the more hardcore lyrics upfront! That balance is maybe Freeway showing his Philly pedigree – next to plentiful guests who include Jay Z, Beanie Sigel, Snoop, Nelly, Nate Dogg, Faith Evans, Sparks, and others. Tracks include "Free", "What We Do", "Don't Cross The Line", "Turn Out The Lights", "Victim Of The Ghetto", "Flipside", "You Got Me", "Alright", "You Don't Know", and "Life". LP, Vinyl record album

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 together fresh rhythms and samples, sharp-edged writing, and a keen sense of wit – all part of that next-generation level of intellectual hip hop that made them so groundbreaking at the time – and which still makes this album a fantastic delight all these many years later! The album introduced the world to the genius of Large Professor – and continues to shine for decades, thanks to tunes that include "Snake Eyes", "Looking At The Front Door", "Live At The Barbecue", "Just A Friendly Game Of Baseball", "Peace Is Not The Word To Play", "Watch Roger Do His Thang", "He Got So Much Soul (He Don't Need No Music)", and "Just Hangin Out". LP, Vinyl record album

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 together fresh rhythms and samples, sharp-edged writing, and a keen sense of wit – all part of that next-generation level of intellectual hip hop that made them so groundbreaking at the time – and which still makes this album a fantastic delight all these many years later! The album introduced the world to the genius of Large Professor – and continues to shine for decades, thanks to tunes that include "Snake Eyes", "Looking At The Front Door", "Live At The Barbecue", "Just A Friendly Game Of Baseball", "Peace Is Not The Word To Play", "Watch Roger Do His Thang", "He Got So Much Soul (He Don't Need No Music)", and "Just Hangin Out". LP, Vinyl record album

A record that no hip hop home should be without – the one and only 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 together fresh rhythms and samples, sharp-edged writing, and a keen sense of wit – all part of that next-generation level of intellectual hip hop that made them so groundbreaking at the time – and which still makes this album a fantastic delight all these many years later! The album introduced the world to the genius of Large Professor – and continues to shine for decades, thanks to tunes that include "Snake Eyes", "Looking At The Front Door", "Live At The Barbecue", "Just A Friendly Game Of Baseball", "Peace Is Not The Word To Play", "Watch Roger Do His Thang", "He Got So Much Soul (He Don't Need No Music)", and "Just Hangin Out". LP, Vinyl record album

Sample funk spun from records rescued by The Numero Group – edited by white label production crew Shoes without Numero's consent – which was then seized by Numero at the pressing plant, they bootlegged the bootleg, and release it here legitimately as Eccentric Breaks & Beats! The breakbeat funk aware will recognize the packaging for its parody of the Ultimate Breaks & Beats series – and however you feel about the politics of grey market music – creatively, this thing is a total win! Numero takes such impeccable care with their reissues, from the masters to the notes and packaging, we actually never really thought of the music as sample material – funky as the funkiest of their ouvre is! That's a testament to the curators of Numero, as the singers, players and producers of the original material are of paramount importance and we think of them individually when we listen to those compilations. Shoes, on the other hand (. . .or foot), heard potential for hypnotic, swirling psych funk blends and spins an undeniably creative set to suit. Titles include "Give Me Another Day", "Not Ready For School", "John Goodman Is Too Cool To Cry", "Peopleibrium", "Feel What Lies Behind You", "Saving Mr Billy's Soul", "Cosmic Clock", "Which Jesus Am I", "Everything" and more. (Funky Compilations, Hip Hop) 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 sound bites that made P's B such a brilliant statement, the soul and funk samples are still piled on in abundance on this one (albeit with a more electro studio built backdrop), as are the block rockin' party rhymes – even if the tone is serious and strident in spots. There are no attempts at live funky jazz or punk rock this time – this may be the Beasties' most classifiable hip hop album in decades. Add it to that ever growing list of good-to-great albums by aging artists who were coaxed back into the game in part by their feelings about post 9/11 politics. Tracks include the great throwback single "Ch-Check It Out", "Right Right Now Now", "3 The Hard Way", "It Takes Time To Build", "Rhyme The Rhyme Well", "Hey F**k You", "Triple Trouble", "Oh Word?", "That's It That's All", "All Lifestyles", "Shazam!", "An Open Letter To NYC" and more. CD

A nice, moody hip hop/funk album from one of the deepest talents on the Stones Throw roster! Dudley came to underground hip hop fame as Declaime, but really stepped forward as a durable, innovative artist with the Dudley Perkins singles that have dropped thus far – and A Lil Light soundly delivers on that promise. It's all about mood – this may be the murkiest, most muddily funky thing Madlib has ever produced, with crackly, hissing beats, bass and samples. Dudley's vocals are about as far from the crooning NuSoul sound as you can get. He's grooves along with an improvised feel to the lyrics, loosely scatting in both a rolling deep bass and a soulful, nearly crying falsetto. The sound falls somewhere between the denser parts of D'Angelo's Voodoo and the spacier aspects of 70s soul and funk. Totally unique and satisfying – would you expect any less of Stones Throw? Tracks include "Money", the Sun Ra-inspired "Gotta Go", "You Really Know Me?", "Washedbrainsyndrome", "Flowers", "Just Think", "Yo' Soul", "Momma", "Lil' Black Boy" and more. CD

A massive batch of instrumentals from J Dilla – one that strongly transcends the wordless hip hop genre – and perhaps his rawest, and most adventurous listening experience yet! The loopy soul samples, rich synth/electronic shine, and thumping bass and soul beats that Dilla largely made his name on are laced throughout, but he also takes things a step into stranger territory – with spacey elements that buzz as much as they groove! The cuts never less than soulful and funky, and never steps into Madlib's brand of the weeded out style, either. We love how raw this all feels, too! It's easily identifiable as the work of Jay Dee, but at the same time wholly unpredictable! One of the better Stone's Throw hip hop efforts in a while – instrumental or vocal! 31 pieces in all: "Donuts (Intro & Outro)", "Workinonit", "Waves", "Light My Fire", "People", "Mash", "Airworks", "Lightworks", "Stepson Of The Clapper", "One Eleven", "Don't Cry", "Geek Down", "Thunder", "Gobstopper", "Walkinonit", "U-Love", "Last Donut Of The Night" and more. CD

The classic batch of instrumentals from J Dilla – one that strongly transcends the hip hop genre – and perhaps his rawest, and most adventurous listening experience ever! The loopy soul samples, rich synth/electro shine, and thumping bass and soul beats that Dilla largely made his name on are laced throughout, but he also takes things a step into stranger territory – with spacey elements that buzz as much as they groove! The cuts are never less than soulful and funky, and never really steps into his peer Madlib's brand of the weeded out style, either. We love how raw this all feels, too! It's easily identifiable as the work of Jay Dee, but at the same time, wholly unpredictable! One of the best releases that Stone's Throw ever released – instrumental or vocal! Includes "Donuts (Intro & Outro)", "Workinonit", "Waves", "Light It", "People", "Mash", "Airworks", "Lightworks", "Stepson Of The Clapper", "One Eleven", "Don't Cry", "Geek Down", "Thunder", "Gobstopper", "Walkinonit", "U-Love", "Last Donut Of The Night" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

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 & Oh No as The Professionals, Guity Simpson, AG & Frank Nitt. It's great stuff, natch – finding Madlib in a straighter hip hop mode production wise – but straighter Madlib production has unexpected twists and turns! Loads of funky samples, some recognizable others otherworldly – and beats that range from dusty funk to dramatically soulful. Includes "The Sound Of Champions" (inst), "Charlie Hustle" by Strong Arm Steady, "Sam", "Snakes 101" by MED, "Girls" by J Rocc, "Love/Hate" (inst), "The Adventurs Of Soul Bra And Docta Dick'em Pts 1 & 2", "Hold Up" by The Professionals, "Thoughts Of An Old Flame" by Guilty Simpson and others. CD

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 together fresh rhythms and samples, sharp-edged writing, and a keen sense of wit – all part of that next-generation level of intellectual hip hop that made them so groundbreaking at the time – and which still makes this album a fantastic delight all these many years later! The album introduced the world to the genius of Large Professor – and continues to shine for decades, thanks to tunes that include "Snake Eyes", "Looking At The Front Door", "Live At The Barbecue", "Just A Friendly Game Of Baseball", "Peace Is Not The Word To Play", "Watch Roger Do His Thang", "He Got So Much Soul (He Don't Need No Music)", and "Just Hangin Out". CD

Saul Williams is one of those hip hoppers who's not really a just a rapper – one who comes to the genre from a background that's already very multi-faceted – one that shows up instantly in the record's blend of sounds and styles, modes and moods! There's a definite political agenda to the set – sometimes delivered in spoken passages, sometimes sung – and the instrumentation includes heavy guitars, noisy beats, and very layered samples and other sonic elements – all given further intensity through Saul's presentation of the lyrics! As with Childish Gambino, Williams is in a space that's all his own within the world of soul and hip hop – even though Saul's spirit is very different and much darker overall – on tunes that include "Talk To Strangers", "Grippo", "Telegram", "Act III Scene 2 (Shakespeare)", "List Of Demands (Preparations)", "African Student Movement", "Control Freak", "Seaweed", and "Notice Of Eviction". LP, Vinyl record album

A round two knockout for Gnarls Barkley – an album we think is better than the landmark St Elsewhere LP – boisterous pop art & soul from Danger Mouse and Cee-Lo! We were slightly trepid when the Odd Couple was announced, fearing a hasty attempt to rekindle the magic that clearly caught everyone by surprise a couple years ago, but that worry is squashed. This is a near masterpiece, kids! Incredibly deep and impressively spun from obscure sound library records, Italian soundtracks, and all kinds of moddish samples by Danger Mouse – with warmly scratchy vocals by Cee-Lo that are as fresh as anything he's ever done. Again, he's laughing in the face of darkness and depression, and somehow making a party out of it! You won't find another mainstream success story this year that's so fun and charming on a superficial level – while truthfully dark and troubled if you focus some on the lyrics. Hype be damned, this one's amazing! Tracks include "Charity Case", "Who's Gonna Save My Soul", "Going On", "Run (I'm A Natural Disaster)", "Would Be Killer", "Open Book", "Whatever", "Surprise", "No Time Soon", "She Knows", "Blind Mary", "Neighbors", "A Little Better". CD

Just when you thought Prince Paul and Cat Power would never make a record together PRESTO – it's the new Handsome Boy album! HBMS takes a bit more of a chillout tack with this long overdue second opus – with lots of laidback beats and samples, and a surprising amount of live instrumentation! The gleeful, sarcastic comedy of the stellar first album remains intact, with some genuinely amusing skits (including one with Jay Z appearing under the pseudonym Hines Buchanan), and the deep range of guest vocalists isn't as surprising as how strong their work is in the best tunes. It would have been pretty easy for Prince Paul and Automator to find a bunch of interesting names to flesh out their big pop culture frappe, but something else altogether to make trippy hip hop tracks featuring Cat Power and the Hieroglyphics make sense on the same record. A pretty solid set from the most adventurous pseudo duo in the game! Guests include Del The Funky Homosapien, De La Soul, RZA, Lord Finesse, AG, Rahzel, Jazzy Jay, Qbert, Mike Patton, Casual, Hieroglyphics, Grand Wizard Theodore, El-P, John Oates, Pharrell, Kid Koala, and George W. Bush (just kidding). Tracks include "If It Wasn't For You" with De La, "Are You Down With It" with Mike Patton, "The World's Gone Mad" with Del and others, "It's Like That" with Casual, "I've Been Thinking" with Cat Power, "Rock And Roll (Could Never Hip Hop Like This) Pt 2" featuring Lord Finesse, Qbert and others,"First. . .And Then" featuring Dres from Black Sheep, "A Day In The Life" featuring RZA, AZ and others and more, plus intro/outro by Father Guido Sarducci. LP, Vinyl record album

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 together fresh rhythms and samples, sharp-edged writing, and a keen sense of wit – all part of that next-generation level of intellectual hip hop that made them so groundbreaking at the time – and which still makes this album a fantastic delight all these many years later! The album introduced the world to the genius of Large Professor – and continues to shine for decades, thanks to tunes that include "Snake Eyes", "Looking At The Front Door", "Live At The Barbecue", "Just A Friendly Game Of Baseball", "Peace Is Not The Word To Play", "Watch Roger Do His Thang", "He Got So Much Soul (He Don't Need No Music)", and "Just Hangin Out". CD

Two mellow groove sample cuts, put back to back as part of this great 12" series of hard to find tracks. "Evil Vibrations" is the stone jam sampled by De La Soul for "Rollerskating Jam Named Saturdays", and "Mellow Mellow" has been used by more than one artist over the years. Both cuts are nice nice nice! (Soul, Hip Hop) 12-inch, Vinyl record

Pete Rock returns to the 1200, and the crispy, vinyl-heavy approach that's always made his music so great – but which also seems recently reborn with a new sense of commitment on records like this! There's lyrics on the set, but mostly those that are sampled from other records, bubbling in and out of the mix – leaving Pete's production skills to stand center stage – all with an old school vibe that makes the whole thing sparkle all the way through! Titles include "Do Our Thing", "Block To Block", "Weather Report", "The Core", "Middle East", "Soul On Top", "Change Things", and "The Name Of The Game". LP, Vinyl record album