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 themselves by expelling all traces of the perceived hippy-isms of their earlier work – and the answer is probably somewhere in between, but leaning towards their autonomy. They've been a new group all together since Stakes Is High, and Bionix is certainly their best work since – with the Wu Tang-like piano driven beat of the title track, the catchy soul of "Baby Phat" and "Simply", both of which should be nice club hits, and more than a few subtle nods to the Prince Paul years, especially on the "Simply Havin" interlude. "What We Do (For Love)" makes great use of a Slick Rick guest spot – complete with the horny fanfare. Cee-Lo shows up on "Held Down", and B-Real appears on "Peer Pressure" – both of which suggest that De La spent a little time in Stankonia last year. Other tracks include "Watch Out", "Special", "The Sauce", "Pawn Star", "It's American", and "Trying People". CD

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 themselves by expelling all traces of the perceived hippy-isms of their earlier work – and the answer is probably somewhere in between, but leaning towards their autonomy. They've been a new group all together since Stakes Is High, and Bionix is certainly their best work since – with the Wu Tang-like piano driven beat of the title track, the catchy soul of "Baby Phat" and "Simply", both of which should be nice club hits, and more than a few subtle nods to the Prince Paul years, especially on the "Simply Havin" interlude. "What We Do (For Love)" makes great use of a Slick Rick guest spot – complete with the horny fanfare. Cee-Lo shows up on "Held Down", and B-Real appears on "Peer Pressure" – both of which suggest that De La spent a little time in Stankonia last year. Other tracks include "Watch Out", "Special", "The Sauce", "Pawn Star", "It's American", and "Trying People". CD

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 themselves by expelling all traces of the perceived hippy-isms of their earlier work – and the answer is probably somewhere in between, but leaning towards their autonomy. They've been a new group all together since Stakes Is High, and Bionix is certainly their best work since – with the Wu Tang-like piano driven beat of the title track, the catchy soul of "Baby Phat" and "Simply", both of which should be nice club hits, and more than a few subtle nods to the Prince Paul years, especially on the "Simply Havin" interlude. "What We Do (For Love)" makes great use of a Slick Rick guest spot – complete with the horny fanfare. Cee-Lo shows up on "Held Down", and B-Real appears on "Peer Pressure" – both of which suggest that De La spent a little time in Stankonia last year. Other tracks include "Watch Out", "Special", "The Sauce", "Pawn Star", "It's American", and "Trying People". LP, Vinyl record album

A great set of archival DJ Shadow instros from the early-to-mid 90s – from back when his primary means of production was the Akai MPC sampler – along with his endless arsenal of vinyl and limitless creative inspiration! This is formative, but essential material for fans of classic Shadow. It's a superior follow up to the 4 Track Era compilation, and a solid blueprint for his very best work to come! This is all previously unreleased, and it was produced from 1992 to 1996 – which is the period that beat heads and leftfield hip hop production historians outta know culminated in the release of the classic Endtroducing album. That said, this is not a set of Endtroducing leftovers – it's strong, original and legacy-building instrumental work from a crucial period – assembled by the man himself! 22 tracks on the 2LP version. Includes "Intropy (Original Version)", "Vee In Detroit", "Alright", "Don't Try It", "Falling Up", "Aye", "Britty But Magic", "Atmospheric Disturbances", "Quickstep", "Freddi's Popcorn", "From The Old School", "Mystical With Solo", "Fast Rap Fanfare" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

Shadow finally returns to release a record under his own name, and believe it or not, it's as much of a pop/rock record as the UNKLE LP was! We're not complaining though, because this one's got a great new wave twist to it, and on the third track of this single, Shadow's back in battle mode, with vocal cut-ups over a slower beat. CD

Def Jam must've been as high on Fishscale as the rest of the hip hop heads – as here's an official end of '06 addendum LP to the one of the better LPs from a Wu Tang alum in years! More Fish brings in a few more appearances by Ghost's Theodore Unit roster – with production by J-Live on the stellar opener "Ghost Is Back", plus more work by production work by MF Doom, Fantom Of The Beat, Hi Tek and Anthony Acid. Other tracks include "Miguel Sanchez" feat Trife Da God & Sun God, "Outta Town S**t", "Good" feat Trife & Mr Maygreen, "Street Opera" feat Sun God, "Block Rock", "Pokerface" feat Shawn Wigs, "Greedy Bi*ches" feat Redman & Shawn Wigs, "Blue Armor" feat Sheek Louch, "You Know I'm No Good" feat Amy Winehouse, the previously vinyl & download-only "Back Like That (rmx)" feat Kanye West & Ne-Yo and more! LP, Vinyl record album

All praise to the mighty J5 – reminding us in the early 00s that hip hop could still be about funky, party rockin' beats and flowing on beat, with witty, intelligent rhymes – and sound as fresh as ever! This album's mostly produced by Cut Chemist, though Nu Mark has a hand in a number of tunes, and there's a couple of tracks by the Beatnuts. Akil, Chali 2na, Zaakir and Marc 7 don't do as much of the unison, sing song style that'd been their trademark in the past, but their back to the old school/new school style is still intact. 17 cuts in all, including "Freedom", "If You Only Knew", "Break", "React", "A Day At The Races", "After School Special", "High Fidelity" and "I Am Somebody", plus the Kool Keith skit "DDT" and Cut Chemist's cut'n'paste "Acetate Prophets". CD

This is Just-Ice's first single, with a track that didn't make it to the LP, plus the original version of "Latoya" that's better than the LP version. "Put That Record Back On" is the cut here, with classic Mantronix production, from around the same time as his other big singles. And all the cuts include a whole lot of nice beat boxing from the Human DMX. 12-inch, Vinyl record

Da mouf of da souf returns! This one boasts "100% natural beats/rhymes/lyrics and chicken." Needless to say, 'Cris's Dirty South roots are waved loudly and proudly on this follow up to his mega-breakthrough Word Of Mouf, with appearances by Chingy, Snoop, Lil' Flip and members of the Disturbing Tha Peace clique. Ya gotta love the album, if for nothing else, 'Cris's frequent and relentless badgering of gaseous windbag Bill O'Reilly. O'Reilly seems to think 'Cris's belligerent drunken rudeness (quite obviously a SATIRICAL ACT) is ruining America more than any other element. Let's all write "The Factor", Fox News and the other babysitters and thank them for looking out for the kids, and all of us brainless monkeys who would do nothing but drink, smoke, and beat women if they weren't there to protect us from the evil rappers! (Sheesh.) Tracks include "Blow It Out", "Stand Up", "Splash Waterfalls, "Hard Times", "Diamond In The Back", "Screwed Up", "P-Poppin'", "Hoes In My Room", "Teamwork", "We Got", "Eyebrows Down", "Hip Hop Quotables" and more. CD

Missy and Timbaland (and the usual cast of guest stars) are back and hotter than ever before on Missy's fourth full length, much more of a hip hop record this time, with tons of old school party shouts and new school neo-electro production! Under Construction is kind of a concept album (don't worry, not in the Jethro Tull kind of way) with a theme that celebrates the hip hop golden age of the mid-to-late 80s but with a modern, probably timeless flavor. The status quo R&B that Missy can't seem to get out of her system is here only at a minimum – this is a hip hop record! Past guests like Method Man (turning in a great remake of "Bring The Pain"), Ludacris, and Jay Z show up as well as 50 Cent, Ms. Jade, Beyonce Knowles, and TLC – but as usual, no one steals the show from Mis and Tim. No one would claim Missy is the most scholarly of lyricists, but as a conduit for attitude and a spicy groove she can't be beat, plus her topical and scatological rhymes and choruses fit these hip hop party bumpers like a Kangol & a gold chain. Tons of shout outs to and samples of the old schoolers that are just way too true to be nostalgic, plus strong production from Timbaland that isn't afraid to risk his reputation as an innovator by referencing his influences. The duo may have produced more astoundingly great singles in the recent past, but this is Missy and Timbaland's magnum opus, as far as full lengths go. 13 tracks including "Work It", "Go To The Floor", "Bring The Pain" featuring Method Man, "Funky Fresh Dressed" featuring Ms Jade, "Slide", "Play That Beat", "Ain't That Funny", and more. CD

A timeless collaboration between Nujabes and Fat Jon – tracks done for the animated Samurai Champloo project, but music that stands more than strongly on its own – with a sublime mix of soulful currents and beat-heavy rhythms! The set begins with a number of tracks that have Nujabes in the lead – with that soul-heavy style that makes his work of this moment so wonderful – balanced by Fat Jon contributions that are maybe even better than records issued as a solo act! Titles include "Ole", "Genome", "No Way Back", "Transcendence", "Aruarian Dance", "Battlecry", "The Space Between Two Worlds", "1st Samurai", and "How You Feel". LP, Vinyl record album

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 Generation label – and it's an important blend of downtempo grooves, hip hop, and classic styles of funk! A great listen all the way through – and with tracks that include "A Little Soul", "Cake", "The Boss", "Pete's Jazz", "Smooth Sailing", "Something Funky", and "Back On The Block". CD

Public Enemy gave us plenty of knowledge and power back in the day – and we maybe need their message more than ever in 2020 – a year that marks their return to their original home at Def Jam! The group have help from plenty of guests here – maybe more so than they would have had back in the day, but very much in keeping with the legacy they inspired – in a lineup that includes Questlove, DJ Premier, Cypress Hill, Impossebulls, Black Thought, Nas, YG, Run DMC, Mike D, Ad Rock, and even George Clinton! The tunes have plenty of old school PE vibes – and titles include "Go At It", "Rest In Beats", "RIP Blackat", "Grid", "State Of The Union", "Toxic", "Yesterday Man", "Fight The Power Remix 2020", "Beat Them All", and "Smash The Crowd". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the greatest Italian club classics of all time – served up here in a whopping 10 version package! "Problemes D'Amour" was probably the cut that brought the Italo disco sound to US shores back in the day – a Fuzz Dance classic from Alexander Robotnick that played strongly on a wide variety of dancefloors. The original version's got a keyboard and beat-heavy groove that crossed over big to electro and breakdance audiences – especially on the instrumental version, which is almost even better than the original. This CD features both original 12" and instrumental takes on the tune – plus the USA version, USA instrumental, underground 2006 edit, 1993 10th anniversary version, USA original version, Carl Craig remix, Ah Ou Ah version, and even a rare demo version! (Soul, Hip Hop) CD

Slum Village's legendary Fantastic Vol 1 – one of the most sought-after hip hop albums of the era – with the most rugged-and-raw Jay Dee production on record! Honestly, we're left pretty close to speechless by how tightly these tracks hold up. This is indeed the template for so many great Dilla productions to come, but it's much more than merely that. While the MCs may not spin the most revolutionary rhymes in the world, the way the mics so deftly fill the deceptively spare production is nothing short of masterful. To put it another way, this genuinely lives up to the legend. This is the long version with 24 in all: "Keep It On (This Beat)","Forth & Back","Beej N Dem", "Hoc N Pucky", "Give This N***a", "Players", "I Don't Know", "Look Of Love (Rmx)", "2 You 4 You", "How We BullS**t", "Estimate" and more. CD

A well-titled set from the lyrical king – the mighty T La Rock, one of the key mid 80s MCs who helped introduce a whole new level of sophistication to hip hop! T La Rock maybe never hit the heights of KRS-One, Rakim, or other contemporaries – but this set has all the sharp fire and intensity that made that moment of new creativity so great – from the edgey production work and scratches by Louie Lou, to the extra help from Mantronik, and even the album's early appearances by Special K and MC Serch – which further the sense of collaboration from the streets that made some of the Fresh Records sets so great. Titles include "Lyrical King", "Back To Burn", "Three Minutes Of Beat Box", "Bust These Lyrics", "This Beat kicks", "Big Beat In London", and "It's Time To Chill". LP, Vinyl record album

Wolf sounds almost pretty from the first few seconds of the intro, but soon after the soft opening, the gritty beat drops, the gravely/growling vocals kick in, and the wild mix of comical and caustic rhymes let you know good and well that Tyler The Creator's back. Guests include Hodgy Beats, Frank Ocean, Domo Genius, Earl Sweatshirt and other expected heads – plus some wildcards/surprises turns by Laetitia Sadier, Erykah Badu and others. Includes "Wolf", "Jamba" with Hodgy Beats, "Cowboy", "Awkward", "Domo23", "Answer", "Slater" and "48" with Frank Ocean, " "Partyisntover/Campfire/Bimmer" with Frank Ocean & Laetitia Sadier, "Parking Lot" with Mike G & Casey Veggies, "Tamale", "Lone" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

The stand-out cut here is the break dance track "Son of Beat Street" with lots of cutting by Jazzy Jay. Also includes Treacherous Three "Santa's Rap" with beatboxing by Dougie Fresh, Rockers Revenge "Battle Cry" produced by Arthur Baker, and some club cuts by Juicy, Tina B and others. LP, Vinyl record album

With the remix of Wu-Tang's "Can It Be All So Simple", Genius' "I Gotcha Back" and Raekwon & Ghostface Killah "Heaven & Hell". Also has lots of choice old school cuts (though some of them have been shortened from their full 6+ minute 12" versions): Cold Cut Brothers "Fresh, Fly, Wild & Bold", Fearless 4 "Rockin It", Funky 4 + 1 More "Do You Wanna Rock", Spoonie G "Spoonin Rap", Masterdon Committee "Funkbox Party", Fresh 3 MC's "Fresh", Whodini "The Freaks Come Out At Night" and T-Ski Valley "Catch The Beat". CD

Nice comp of old school cuts including "PSK What Does It Mean?" by Schoolly D, "Ego Trippin" by Ultramagnetic MCs, "Rockin It" by Fearless Four, "Body Rock" by Treacherous Three, "Going Way Back" by Just Ice, "Bring The Beat Back" by Steady B, "Girls I Got 'Em Locked" by Super Lover Cee & Casanova Rud, "Stick 'Em" by The Fat Boys, "Def Fresh Crew" by Roxanne Shante and Biz Markie, "It's My Beat" by Sweet Tee and Jazzy Joyce, "Peter Piper" by Run DMC, and "Fresh" by Fresh 3 MCs. LP, Vinyl record album

Benchmark 80s electro – and also part of the blueprint for the sound of west coast hip hop – the groundbreaking work of Arabian Prince! Perhaps one of the most overlooked innovators of the west coast scene, Arabian Prince played an integral role in shaping the LA hip-hop sound, from the early electro days of Uncle Jam's Army to the gangster rap explosion of the late 80s. With the current electro resurgence in full swing, now is prime time to look back at his contributions, which sound just as fresh today as the day it was made. 10 tracks total spanning from '84 to '89, including solo tracks "Strange Life" & "It Ain't Tough", a few tracks with The Shieks including "Innovator" & "Situation Hot", and production work for others like Professor X, plus the NWA classic "Panic Zone". 2 bonus tracks for the CD: "Simple Planet" and "Beatdabeat". CD

A hell of a sharp set from Black Milk – a record that seems to really refine the vision of his previous records, and send him forth into very soulful territory too – maybe no surprise, given that he's got guests along who include Phonte, Karriem Riggins, and Raphael Saadiq! The production is nice and spacey, but never sleepy – a crisp edge, even when laidback – as keyboards wrap their arms around some of the rougher edges in the beats, cradle them nicely, and set up this wonderful presence for the vocals! Titles include "Is It Just Me", "The Black Surf", "Downs Got Up", "Wait Til Fate", "God Willing", "Feelings Don't Feel", "No Wish", "Fews & Trues", and "Yeah Really". LP, Vinyl record album

Initially the only album ever issued by Blahzay Blahzay – a set that came out right in the middle of a real golden age of 90s hip hop – and right up there with some of the best of the New York scene! Outloud handles the lyrics, PF Cuttin delivers the beats and scratches – and the whole thing's got the kind of rock-solid, double-length quality of some of the best Payday releases of the same time – just the right balance between street toughness and a more thoughtful current that balances things out – really tempering any of the posturing on some of the cuts – that special subtle style the east coast could do so well in contrast to rising scenes west. Titles include "Danger (parts 1 & 2)", "Blah Blah Blah", "Don't Let This Rap Sh*t Fool You", "Pain I Feel", "Posse Jumpa", "Sendin Dem Back", "Long Winded", "Jackpot", and "Good Cop Bad Cop". 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

A very different record than previous releases from Mansur Brown – as the musician really takes the "mixtape" in the title seriously, and blends plenty of beats and production touches with some jazz instrumentation at the core! That instrumentation is mostly in the background – so that the record is less of a jazz-solo-over-beats affair – and more in that post-jazz approach that so many of Mansur's London contemporaries have unlocked – pushed even father here in the mixtape approach, with a vibe that's hinted at by the hip hop styled image on the cover. Titles include "No Way", "My Luck", "Fever", "Rise", "Me & You", and "Mission". (Jazz, Hip Hop) LP, Vinyl record album

Matt Black & Jonathan Moore were some of the first to peddle the non-hip hop remixologist tip back in the late 80s – and 10 years later, they're still on the top of their craft with this complicated set of grooves, breaks, and turntable tricks for Ninja Tune! The set includes the tracks "Noah's Toilet", "Atomic Moog 2000 (Post Nuclear Afterlife Lounge Mix)", "Music 4 No Musicians", "Space Journey", "Timber", "Every Home A Prison", "Cloned Again", and "More Beats & Pieces (Daddy rips it up mix)". Includes audio CD and CD rom. (New Grooves, Hip Hop) CD

Neo-classic boombap from Dilated Peoples –a team rooted strongly in time-honored group rap, compelling beats and turntablism – setting out to live up to the classic craft rather than re-invent the wheel, and deliver the goods track for track here! Not quite as nostalgic as the more straight-up throwback rappers of the late 90s and early 00s, which proves Dilated Peoples all the wiser, as this one has hardly aged a day. Tracks include "Right On" featuring Tha Alkaholiks, "The Shape Of Things To Come" featuring Aceyalone, "No Retreat" featuring B Real, "Work The Angles", "The Last Line Of Defense", "Annihilation", "Ear Drums Pop", "Expanding Man", "Triple Optics", "The Main Event", "Service", "The Platform" and four more. CD

DJ Jazzy Jeff returns – with a top shelf roster or MCs doing justice to his Philly soul reared, bedrock beatcraft – including Big Daddy Kane, Method Man, Rhymefest, Jean Grae, Kardinall Offishall, CL Smooth, Pos of De La Soul and more – underground spitters and mic icons alike! We don't know if Jazz tailors his beats for the chosen MCs – or if he seeks out the appropriate MCs for his ready-made material – but whatever his methods, they're still working well. Return Of The Magnificent is a standard bearing effort! Titles include "Hip Hop" feat Twone Gabz, "Let Me Hear U Clap" feat Pos from De La Soul, "Run That Back" feat Eshon Burgundy & Black Ice, "Jeff N Fess" feat Rhymefest, "Practice" feat J Live, "Supa Jean" feat Jean Grae, "The Garden" feat Big Daddy Kane, "Hold It Down" feat Method Man, "My Soul Ain't For Sale" feat Raheem DeVaugh, "Cone On feat Dave Ghetto, "Brand New Funk 2K7" feat Peedi Peedi and more1 LP, Vinyl record album

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 free jazz to hard bop, and Krush's spare and slightly abstract approach to both the turntables and with his beats creates just the right backdrop. We got open on "Ha Doh", "Sun Is Shining", "Fu Yu" and "Ki gen". 13 tracks in all. LP, Vinyl record album

A set that's almost a back to basics effort for DJ Shadow, yet one that's also a strong step forward too – basic in that it's a record that's almost all instrumental, with no guests at all – but forward because it's got a leaner groove, and a style that shows just how far Shadow has moved past the more hip hop/turntablist style of his roots! There's almost a cinematic vibe to the music at times – a mode that fits the action adventure of the title, with plenty of cuts that would be right at home on classic soundtracks, especially of the 80s crime/cop/action style – served up with just the right sorts of beats, basslines, and keyboards to echo that era! Titles include "A Narrow Escape", "You Played Me", "Time & Space", "Forever Changed", "She's Evolving", "Reflecting Pool", "Free For All", "Ozone Scraper", and "Witches Vs Warlocks". CD

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

A great back to basics set from Edo G and Insight Innovates – part of a recent run of records on the scene that really seem to redirect hip hop to more straightforward modes – not at a retro level, but in a style that reminds us that at the core, the music is best when it's got a strong focus on beats and quality rhymes! Neither artist is out to change the world, but together they've got a way of uniting hip hop history with a contemporary sensibility – no fuzz or fluff, just tight at the core, and all the way through. Titles include "Just Listen", "Unite & Let's All Get Down", "It Takes Progress", "Good In Goodbye", "Never Too Late To Correct Mistakes", "Choose Your Path", and Set It Off", a tribute to Big Daddy Kane! LP, Vinyl record album

The first post-EPMD album from either of the brothers from Brentwood LI. As you'd expect, bottom heavy beats and the classic E-Double slow rolling flow. Includes "Payback II", "Stay Real", "Imma Gitz Mine", "Hostile", "Safe Sex", "Hittin' Switches", "The Hype", "The Ill Sh!t" and "Swing It Over Here". CD

One of the toughest, leanest, tightest and most on point efforts from Freddie Gibbs to date when it came out – and still one of the best! Despite the dead on perfect homage to the Teddy Pendergrass's quiet storm soul classic Teddy with the cover art here, make no mistakes, the material is Freddie Gibbs at his most finely honed, perfectly backed on the production side by Kenny Beats for the most part. Lean beats and thick rattling bass back some of Freddie's sharpest performances from track-to-track we've ever heard. Includes "Weight", "Automatic", "Death Row" feat 03 Greedo, "2 Legit", "FLFM (Interlude)", "Triple Threat" "Set Set", "Toe Tag", "FBC", and "Diamonds 2" feat Cassi Jo Craig & Irie Jane Gibbs. LP, Vinyl record album

Streetwise raps from Freddie Gibbs, backed by inventive production from Madlib – here on one of the best records yet on 'Lib's own Madlib Invazion imprint! 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 straight shooting, street lingo slinging, no nonsense MCs. The freewheeling inspiration and bottomless depth of unpredictable sample funk is there, as always. It's leaner, tighter and with a thicker backdrop of beats. Gibbs is sharply on point throughout here, and if it seems like an oddball pairing at first glance, rest assured, these guys work GREAT together. Guests include Danny Brown – who drops some top shelf wordplay of his own on "High" – plus the Wu legend Raekwon on "Bomb", Domo Genius & Earl Sweatshirt on "Robes", Domo Genius, G-Whiz, Mac Miller and more on the title cut, and more. Other titles include "Supplier", "Scarface", "Deeper", "Harold's", "Thuggin'", "Real" and "Uno". LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic classic from the Cali scene of the early 90s – one of the key records that had the west coast going head to head with some of the smarter acts back east – a great balance to the up and coming genius of Wu Tang and Brand Nubian! There's a similar sense of message and play going on here – rhymes from Mikah 9, PEACE, Aceyalone, and Self Jupiter – set to beats that bounce nicely, but never in a way that undercuts the lyrics – nicely crisp production with assist from the Earthquake Brothers. Titles include "Inner City Boundaries", "Shammy's", "Everything's Everything", "Park Bench People", "Mary", "Cornbread", "Way Cool", "Heavyweights", "Pure Thought", "Hot Potato", and "Six Tray". CD

Heavy soul from the Bay Area scene – a fantastic set of tracks from the enigmatic Goapele! Goapele's an underground singer with a really righteous feel – and she's not afraid to use some heavy beats and funk to send her message home. The set's got a really well integrated instrumental feel – shifting slightly in style from track to track, but always with a positive and progressive approach only serves to push Goapele's lyrics all that much deeper. No softness here – just a mad kicking approach that's made us give the Bay Area another listen these days! Features guest work by Soulive, Pep Love, Zion I, and Casual – and titles include "It Takes More", "Closer", "Ease Your Mind", "Got It", "Romantic", "Too Much The Same", "Catch 22", "Salvation", and "Back To You". (Neo Soul, Hip Hop) CD

Soulful beats with more than a hint of a hip hop influence – no surprise, considering that the album features guest appearances by Bahamadia, What What, Roots Manuva, The Dream Warriors, and Blade. Lots of heavy downtempo beats, a great one to kickback and herbalise to! Titles include "Who's The Realist?", "Moon Sequence", "Mind In The Frame", "Shattered Soul", "Let It Go", "When I Shine", and "Starlight". (New Grooves, Hip Hop) CD

Ice T's third album, and a set that still has all the nicely biting style of his early best! The approach here is great – as political as the cover implies, but with a nice sense of wit, too – that quality that already made Ice stand so far apart from others who were getting mired down in their hardass stance – but without also ever sounding too flip about the subject matter. The balance is what soon brought him to Hollywood, but it's always got a lot more edge on record – served up here with superb production and beats from Afrika Islam. Titles include "You Played Yourself", "The Girl Tried To Kill Me", "Freedom Of Speech", "What Ya Wanna Do", "Hit The Deck", "Peel Their Caps Back", "Shut Up Be Happy", "Lethal Weapon", and "The Hunted Child". CD