These guys are known by some as the backing band of Anderson.Paak, but they're a hell of a group on their own – rock-solid right at the core, and able to effortlessly craft a sweet blend of funk and soul – yet also leave room for plenty of guests along the way! The musicianship here is fantastic – classic, yet very much their own – echoing the perfection of 70s studio work, but with a very contemporary vibe and a nicely up-close spirit –a sound that's perfect all the way through, and which makes a great accompaniment to guest work from TI, Shafiq Husayn, Daniel Caesar, Syd, Benny Sings, T Nava, Callum Connor, Conway, Westside Gunn, and even Anderson.Paak. The kind of record that's perfect for bumpin all summer long – with titles that include "Gidget", "Rene", "Shibuya", "Eternal Light", "The Rivington", "Beauty & Essex", and "On Sight". (Neo Soul, Hip Hop) CD

These guys are known by some as the backing band of Anderson.Paak, but they're a hell of a group on their own – rock-solid right at the core, and able to effortlessly craft a sweet blend of funk and soul – yet also leave room for plenty of guests along the way! The musicianship here is fantastic – classic, yet very much their own – echoing the perfection of 70s studio work, but with a very contemporary vibe and a nicely up-close spirit –a sound that's perfect all the way through, and which makes a great accompaniment to guest work from TI, Shafiq Husayn, Daniel Caesar, Syd, Benny Sings, T Nava, Callum Connor, Conway, Westside Gunn, and even Anderson.Paak. The kind of record that's perfect for bumpin all summer long – with titles that include "Gidget", "Rene", "Shibuya", "Eternal Light", "The Rivington", "Beauty & Essex", and "On Sight". (Neo Soul, Hip Hop) LP, Vinyl record album

The funky Root Down EP by the Beastie Boys – riding high on a mid 90s creative peak! Root Down featuring a trio of versions of the title track and Ill Communication album standout, based on the Jimmy Smith's classic of the same name – and in hindsight, you really have to hand it to the Beasties, not only sampling and celebrating classic early 70s jazz funk, but for their earnest wish to introduce Jimmy Smith to the pop culture kids of the 90s – including a killer remix by the mighty Prince Paul. Also includes some live recordings from the time of classic Beasties tracks like"Time For Livin", "The Maestro", "Somethin's Got To Give", Time To Get Ill", thier punky "Heart Attack Man", "Sabrosa" and "Flute Loop". LP, Vinyl record album

A huge creative leap forward for Common! Com had been slowly moving from a Chicago street poet role into a more universally conscious hip hop soul from record to record to this point, but Like Water For Chocolate is the one that really catapulted him deep into that realm – especially given the excellent, mood setting production of Jay Dee/J Dilla and The Soulquarians. For a little while there, we missed the rawer Relativity era vibe, and we didn't fall as head over heels for Like Water For Chocolate as the world at large did, but in hindsight, maybe we just weren't ready for it – it's easily amongst the best hip hop albums of the period. Titles include "The 6th Sense", "Cold Blooded", "Dooinit", "Geto Heaven Part Two" with D'Angelo, "Time Travelin' (A Tribute To Fela)", "Heat", "The Light", "Thelonius", "Payback Is A Grandmother", "Funky For You", "A Film Called (Pimp)", "Nag Champa (Afrodisiac For The World)", "The Questions" and "A Song For Assata". CD

A fantastic album from Damu The Fudgemunk, and a set that kicks off a whole new series in the sound library universe too – one that has contemporary producers getting access to classic samples from the KPM Sound Library catalog, while also adding their own music to the label too! Here, Damu samples classic sound library funk by Johnny Pearson, Johnny Hawksworth, Yvan Julien, Alan Hawkshaw, and other KPM giants – sometimes serving up instrumentals, but often adding in contributions from guests who include Raw Poetic, Blu, Nitty Scott, and Insight Innovates. Given that the core sounds are right up our alley, the record sounds fantastic – and if you're worried about this not being close enough to Damu's other records, put those fears aside – as the whole thing more than lives up to that legacy too. Titles include "Upload Optimism", "Enchanted Spirits", "Reporting", "Power Of Mind", "God Speed", and the "For Better Or Worse" suite. CD

A fantastic album from Damu The Fudgemunk, and a set that kicks off a whole new series in the sound library universe too – one that has contemporary producers getting access to classic samples from the KPM Sound Library catalog, while also adding their own music to the label too! Here, Damu samples classic sound library funk by Johnny Pearson, Johnny Hawksworth, Yvan Julien, Alan Hawkshaw, and other KPM giants – sometimes serving up instrumentals, but often adding in contributions from guests who include Raw Poetic, Blu, Nitty Scott, and Insight Innovates. Given that the core sounds are right up our alley, the record sounds fantastic – and if you're worried about this not being close enough to Damu's other records, put those fears aside – as the whole thing more than lives up to that legacy too. Titles include "Upload Optimism", "Enchanted Spirits", "Reporting", "Power Of Mind", "God Speed", and the "For Better Or Worse" suite. LP, Vinyl record album

The second album from the immortal Tribe Called Quest – one of the absolute essential hip hop LPs, and a record that should be an anyone's shortlist of the best albums in several subsections of hip hop – just a straight up masterpiece anyway you cut it. The album is so high up on the ladder, we're a loss to add any fresh insight o the critical consensus, so just get it. Classics one after another, steeped in bass note snapping, head nodding funk jazz beatcraft of the first order! "Buggin Out", "Excursions", "Rap Promoter", "Verses From The Abstract", "Check The Rhyme", "Everything Is Fair", "Jazz (We've Got)", "What?", "Scenario" and more. CD

The second album from the immortal Tribe Called Quest – one of the absolute essential hip hop LPs, and a record that should be an anyone's shortlist of the best albums in several subsections of hip hop – just a straight up masterpiece anyway you cut it. The album is so high up on the ladder, we're a loss to add any fresh insight o the critical consensus, so just get it. Classics one after another, steeped in bass note snapping, head nodding funk jazz beatcraft of the first order! "Buggin Out", "Excursions", "Rap Promoter", "Verses From The Abstract", "Check The Rhyme", "Everything Is Fair", "Jazz (We've Got)", "What?", "Scenario" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

The second album from the immortal Tribe Called Quest – one of the absolute essential hip hop LPs, and a record that should be an anyone's shortlist of the best albums in several subsections of hip hop – just a straight up masterpiece anyway you cut it. The album is so high up on the ladder, we're a loss to add any fresh insight o the critical consensus, so just get it. Classics one after another, steeped in bass note snapping, head nodding funk jazz beatcraft of the first order! "Buggin Out", "Excursions", "Rap Promoter", "Verses From The Abstract", "Check The Rhyme", "Everything Is Fair", "Jazz (We've Got)", "What?", "Scenario" and more. LP, Vinyl record album