The classic first Biz Markie EP on Prism – expanded by Cold Chillin with live material captured at Club Uptown in Worcester, MA in '87 – much of it on CD for the first time ever! All of the tracks from the seminal 12" appear. Two tracks that never made it to his first LP include a dope version of "They're Coming To Take Me Away", with Biz being carted away to an insane asylum, plus "A One Two", done acapella with just Biz rhyming and beat boxing (including his beat box version of "I Just Can't Wait"!), and the original and instrumental versions of his classics "Make The Music With Your Mouth Biz" and "The Biz Dance". The great thing about this CD version is the 7 additional live tracks – featuring TJ Swan and the one-and-only Big Daddy Kane on the naughty "XXX-Mas Freestyle" and "Protection". Other live tracks include "Oh Girl Freestyle", "Make The Music With Your Mouth", "Nobody Beats The Biz", "The Biz Dance" and more. CD

(Note: This item is not for sale online until after the opening of business on Saturday, November 30. It is in limited supply – and by nature of the Record Store Day rules, it will be offered for sale first to customers who visit the Dusty Groove retail outlet in Chicago on Black Friday. It will not be pre-sold, or reserved in any way. However, the day after Black Friday, we will offer up whatever we have left for sale online.) LP, Vinyl record album

The soundtrack to the action flick with DMX and Jet Li. Tracks include "X Gon Give It To Ya" by DMX, "Go To Sleep" by Eminem & DMX, "What's It All For?" by Bazaar Royale, "Follow Me Gangster" by 50 Cent & G-Unit, "Stompdash**outu" CNN feat MOP, "Do Sumptin" by Comp, "My Life (Cradle 2 The Grave)" by Foxy Brown feat Althea, "Fireman" by Drag On, "Drop Drop" by Joe Budden, "I'm Serious" by Clipse, "Right/Wrong" by DMX, "It's Gon' Be What It's Gon' Be" by Jinx & Loose, "Hand That Rocks The Cradle" by Big Stan, "Won't Be Coming Back" by Baby, "C2G" by Fat Joe feat Youngn' Restless, "Focus" by Kashmir, "Slangin' Dem Thangs" by Profit, "Off The Hook" by Jinx Da Juvy, "Getting Down" by Bloodline Records Kennel (DMX, Big Stan, Kashmir & Bazaar Royale). LP, Vinyl record album

... LP, Vinyl record album

The follow up to the classic first LP! Listening to Kurtis Mantronik productions all of these years later is a definite educational experience, given the huge influence the crisp synth sounds had on the future of hip hop – not only as a matter of necessity, given the cost of sample clearance, but also as an aesthetic choice. Archeological chin-scratching aside, it's a straight up good time, with a shiny electronic bounce – one that holds up well! Tracks include "Music Madness", "Who Is It?", "Ladies (UK rmx)", "Scream", "Listen To The Bass Part" – plus 5 bonus tracks including "Scream" original 12 inch club and dub versions, "Who It Is?" original 12 inch freestyle USA club and UK club mixes, and "Who's Dub Is It? (original 12 inch dub)". CD

... CD

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

Featuring Lil Fame of MOP. 12-inch, Vinyl record

Unfiltered portraits of the artist formerly known as Red Pill – delivering the goods under his own name on a solid set for the Mello Music Group! Real life, self searching and personal statement making hip hop from a voice rooted in classic 90s school craft – not so much with a neo-classic sound as much as a strong commitment to beats, rhymes and life experience. Good stuff! Includes production by Nolan The Ninja, Apollo Brown, L'Orange, Onra and Exile – and given the self-protrait mission the guest rhymes kept to a minimum, with just a couple worthy appearances, courtesy Verbal Kent and Fashawn. Titles include "Self Portrait", "Stories", "Design Flaw", "Lazy Buddies", "Escape Plan", "Bottom Feeders" w/ Fashawn, "Barfly", "What Happens Next", "Mom" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

Parisian beatmaker Dela attracts some of best MCs in underground hip hop for his long awaited US releases Changes Of Atmoshere – a steady mix of soulful and jazzy beatcraft and headnodding funk boombap – including Talib Kweli, Elzhi of Slum Village, J-Live and many more! Titles include "I Say Peace" feat J-Live, "Live The Life" feat J Sands, "My N@#a" feat Elzhi, "Long Life" feat Talib Kweli, "Vibrate" feat Blu, "The Plan" feat Dynas, "It Is What It Is" feat Naledge, "Chill" feat Large Professor & Meemy Nelzy, "Changes Of Atmosphere" feat Supastition and more. CD

... CD

Ghostface in his raw and direct mode once again, sounding pretty great after a string of collaborative and more theme oriented efforts – definitely more in the vein of his work around Supreme Clientele and Fishscale that more recent records in which he shared billing with producers and players like Adrian Younge and Badbadnotgood. Nothing fancy, just rock solid raw hip hop with sharp dart rhymes by a legend – with appearances by Method Man & Cappadonna, Sun God & Shawn Wigs, Eamon, Solomon Childs & Inspectah Deck. Titles include "Me Denny & Darryl", "Burner To Burner", "Flex", "Conditioning", "Fly Everything", "New World", "The Chace" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

... CD

Wu Tang stalwart Inspectah Deck back in the Shaolin style on Chamber No 9 – complete with Asian action cinema soundbites, an ODB tribute track, and the flying guillotine on the cover – and whether you want to chalk it up to nostalgia or not, it's pretty nice to hear him revisiting his roots! Deck's always been one of the Wu's underrated figures, but he's been one of the most consistently solid over the years, too – be it on the all too rare solo albums or with his latter day group Czarface. This one is a straight up Wu Tang offshoot, and titles include "Shaolin Rebel", "Russell Jones", "Chamber No 9", "Certified", "24K" with Hellfire & Cappadonna, "Game Don't Change", "Who Run It" feat Hellfire & Streetlife and more. 12 tracks and no filler. LP, Vinyl record album

Featuring Mr. Len. 12-inch, Vinyl record

... CD

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

Top notch Central Texas hip hop collaborative produced by Adrian "AQ" Quesada (Grupo Fantasma, Brownout, Echocentrics, Spanish Gold) – with "Reflection Of The Times" feat Reggie Coby, the title track with Mellow Man Ace, "Justice Or Else", "Yanga's", "Soul Force" feat Da'Shade, Riders Against the Storm, Bavu Blakes & Vocab (plus a vinyl-only remix) and more! 12 tracks in all. LP, Vinyl record album

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

Classic rap-schooled midwest hip hop that may not be pretty, but it's soulful and real! Raw, real life rhymes and soul beat backdrops from indie hip hop supergroup trio Ugly Heroes – Chicago's Verbal Kent and Detroit producer Apollo Brown and fellow-Michigan player Red Pill matching if not bettering their first album for Mello with this tough sophmore set. Includes "Today Right Now", "Choir Practice", "Soul Searching", "Unforgiven", "Fair Weather", "Force Fed", "Heart Attack" and more. CD

A really great take on the music of Madvillain – that famous collaboration between Madlib & MF Doom – served up here in a mostly instrumental mode that's heavy on funk and jazz! You'll definitely recognize the tunes in the set, but the presentation is very different – almost as if someone's gone back to the music, stripped it down to core samples, then worked those back up again with a new sort of energy! The group's directed by Rob Mitchell – clearly the genius behind the whole project – and solos are by James Russell on tenor and flute, Simon Bobby Beddoe on trumpet, Jim Corry on alto, and George Cooper on piano and keyboards. Titles include "Meat Grinder", "Eye", "Figaro", "Can't Reform Em", "Madmix 3", "Rainbows", "Fire In The Hole", "Rhinestone Cowboy", "Operation Lifesaver", and "Borrowed Time". (Deep Funk, Hip Hop) CD

A pair of gems from Amerigo Gazaway on cassette! Endless Summer is fresh summer breeze of a hip hop instrumentals set from Amerigo Gazaway! AG sets the summer themed mood from the start, and it holds true throughout, with persistent headnodding beats under sampled soul vocal, breezy bits of guitar organ and bass that really help the theme take flight without soaring to far out of compelling beat tape mode. Includes "Summertime", "Hold Me Tight", "Til Next Time", "Silly Love Song", "Music City Madness", "Game Over", "C'Mon Baby" and "She Said". No Free Beats is the jazzy soul-steeped beats for the graffiti documentary No Free Walls! It captures the spirit of 90s era hip hop and graff culture incredibly well with the persistent headnodding beats, a way of capturing jazzy bits of bass and horns that wouldn't be out of place on a classic Gangstarr LP, and occasional turntable scratches. Strong stuff! Includes "Get Out", "Step Up", "Word Life", "Breakszilla", "98 Posse", "Feel The Groove", "Represent", "The Chase", "Lost Tribe" and more. (Cassettes, Hip Hop) Cassette

Cinematic hip hop soul from Anderson.Paak named after a seaside city west of Los Angeles, CA – but it's not Malibu, it's the stunning follow up Oxnard – a little looser, more diverse, and ultimately just as impressive set from this still rising talent! The uber-impressive guest list including Kadhja Bonet, Norelle, Kendrick Lamar, Snoop, Dre, Pusha T, J Cole, Q-Tip and more but this is the sprawling Anderson.Paak show all the way, his distinctive blend of Cali sunshine and nighttime music and mood, his gritty-smooth voice so masterfully going back & forth from singing to rhyming, the production breathtaking from the stripped down beats, bass and vocals focused tracks to grander and more densely layered material. Includes "The Chase" with Kadja Bonet, "Headlow" feat Lowrell, "Tints" feat Kendrick Lamar, "Who R U", "6 Summers", "Saviers Road", "Smile/Petty", "Mansa Musa", "Brothers Keeper" feat Pusha T, "Anywhere" feat Snoop Dogg & Last Artful Dodgr, "Trippy" feat J Cole and "Cheers" feat Q-Tip – plus the bonus tracks "Sweet Chick" feat BJ The Chicago Kid and "Left To Right". (Neo Soul, Hip Hop) LP, Vinyl record album

The eighth album (!!!) from MN hip hop lifers Atmosphere – one of the most consistent, reliable duos in the game – and Southsiders is another honest, moody gem. Hip hop music in general doesn't get enough props as songwriter's genre, but Slug is hell of a good writer, with a compelling flow to suit, and a perfect production partner in Ant. It's as good as they've been in years. Includes "Camera Thief", "Arthur's Song", "The World Might Not Live Through The Night", "Star Shaped Heart", "Southsiders", "Bitter", "Fortunate", "Kanye West", "We Ain't Gonna Die Today", "Flicker", "Let Me Know That You Know What You Want Now" and more. CD

Screwball frontman Blaq Poet returns with his Blaq Poet Society – featuring Wais P, Capone, Vinnie Paz, RA The Rugged Man, Reef The Lost Cauze, Celph Titled, Apathy, Jaysaun and Chief Kamachi. 14 tracks in all: "Power Music", "Butcher Shop" feat RA The Rugged Man, "Daytime Shootouts" feat Jayzaun & Chief Kamachi, "Bushmaster Music" feat Vinnie Paz & Lateb, "Guns N Ammo", "Life Of A Hustler" feat Capone, "Nighttime Shootouts" with Celph Titled & Apathy and more. CD

Production and music by Ali Shaheed Muhammad. 12-inch, Vinyl record

A neo-electro/drug rap/crossover hip hop classic produced by the Neptunes, and the debut LP on their own Star Trak label. Malice and Pusha T are smooth, confident rhymers with some stand-out moments, but the Neptunes are driving this train, much in the way Prince Paul commandeered early De La Soul productions. Like Paul, The Neptunes' fingerprints are evident on just about every second of every track, but it doesn't diminish the role of the rappers in the least. This is a true hip hop record from beginning to end, something the 'Tunes had shied away from around the same time with the hard rockin' NERD. Their production style saturated pop music at the time, but this may be the Neptunes first album-length masterpiece. Tracks include "Young Boy", "Ma, I Don't Love Her" featuring Faith Evans, "Ego", "Comedy Central" featuring Fabulous, "Gangsta Lean", "Let's Talk About It" featuring Jermaine Dupri, and more. Includes exclusive "Grindin'" remixes. LP, Vinyl record album