The cut here is "Make It In Life" with Group Home stepping up the lyrics and add more energy to the vocal style since their days on Payday, plus some nice dense production by Agallah. A tale of giving up the thug life, complete with vocal samples from Louis Farrakhan. Production on "Stupid Muthaf*ckas" by the Alchemist. 12-inch, Vinyl record

Golden era Premier production! 12-inch, Vinyl record

With "It's On", "Home Invasion", "G Style", "Race War", "That's How I'm Livin'", "I Ain't New Ta This", "Gotta Lotta Love", "Hit The Fan", "99 Problems" and "Funky Gripsta". CD

A rare slice of Nujabes – his reworking of the Samurai Champloo theme, but in this really stripped down, moody instrumental – very nice piano solo in the middle, over beats that move back and forth with the "phase" you might expect! "Rainy Way Back Home" has more of that great piano over beats – one of the real trademark Nujabes moves – but also has maybe a bit more hip hop kick at the bottom, and these buried snippets of what sound like turntable work! "Horizon" is great too – longer than both, really jazzy on the piano tip, and with this kicking rhythm that almost likes the whole cut sound like some of the clubby jazzy piano groups that have sprung up on the Tokyo scene after the passing of Nujabes! 12-inch, Vinyl record

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

The second volume of rarities, alternate mixes and all around soulful hip hop genius from the one-and-only Roots crew – handpicked by ?uestlove! If you saw the title of the Home Grown sets and wrote them off as a simple "best of" roundup, well, you should have known better! The Roots have made a career out of sidestepping expectation and these sets will puzzle the mainstream as much as their LPs! Volume 2 features more new millenium material – featuring alternate versions of prime album tracks – providing another reminder of the indispensible, wholly unique Roots! Tracks include "Sacrifice" and "The Seed/Melting Pot/Web" (live on Gilles Peterson's Worldwide Show), "No Alibi", "Quicksand Millennium", "Pass The Popcorn (revisited)", "Adrenaline" feat Dice Raw and Beanie Sigel, "The Lesson Pt. 3" feat Dice Raw and Jaguar Wright, "Y'll Know Who", "Thought@Work", "BOOM!", "Din Da Da" and more! CD

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

Anderson.Paak heads to Ventura for this one – and something about that sunny coastal city brings out his soul influences after the primarily hip hop-leaning Oxnard! Paak leads on his raspy sung style for this one, an easygoing hip hop soul sound that's built to last, and again bringing in a heavy hitting of roster guests – including Andre 3000, Nate Dogg, Lalah Hathaway, Brandy and even Smokey Robinson – on tracks including "Come Home", "Make It Better" with Smokey Robinson, "Reachin' 2 Much", "King James", "Goodheels" with Jazmine Sullivan, "Yada Yada", "Jet Black" with Brandy, "Twilight" and "Chosen One" with Sonyae Elise and more. (Neo Soul, Hip Hop) LP, Vinyl record album

"I rap with the Passion of Christ, Ni**a, cross me!" BE isn't exactly a back-to-basics LP in the vein of his classic work for Relativity – but it is indeed a return to a focused, genuinely soulful, no BS approach – and it's a very welcome one at that! It seems like Com was a bit affected by some of the criticism folks had for the spacious, astral Electric Circus LP – if you ask us Common had no reason to apologize, but we'd be lyin' if we said we weren't hoping for another batch of tracks that sound like they could have been written on a front porch on the southside of Chicago. This is indeed that record – 12 tracks, few guest appearances, and a warm, consistent sound all the way through. There's a 3 track span on this album, from "Chi-City" through "Real People", that's seriously close to perfection. Welcome home, Common! Ruggedly produced by Kanye West, with a couple of stellar production contributions from Jay Dee! Other tracks include "The Corner" feat Last Poets, "Go!", "Faithful", "Testify", "Love Is. . .", "The Food (live)" (this great track has been circulating for a while since it was performed on Chappelle's Show, and we're thrilled Common and Kanye had the good sense to include it on the album), "They Say" featuring John Legend and "It's Your World (Part 1 &2)". 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

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

Kool Keith in fine form and in firm control, spinning wildly profane comic and cosmic wordplay as deftly as he has in years! Junkaz Lou is a solid production partner, laying down funky beats, lean, bright bits of keys and just spacey enough of an overall sound to frame Keith's freewheeling rhymes. Pairing lewd rhymes with creative metaphors, rolling from laugh out loud hilarious put downs to no one in particular to well-earned boasts on his own mic supremacy, Keith is at later era high point here. Includes "Cosmic Power", "Peter", "Rotary Engine", "Back Home" with Big Sche Eastwood, "Ultraman", "Push", "The Pivot", "She Can Play" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

A really cool cut from the Chicago scene – a bassy boogie number, but one with a bit of a rap as well – a great tribute to our Windy City home, backed with a very catchy chorus! There's plenty of bass in "Sexy Lady" too – very old school, snapping, and with a rollerskating pace – in support of lyrics that are sung and spoken, often with some very cool processing to trip things out (Funky 45's, Hip Hop) 7-inch, Vinyl record

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

Hip hop for the Gainsbourg fan? This Handsome Boy Modeling School spin off has Nathaniel Merriweather, aka Dan The Automator, working in his smoothest, sexiest, loungiest mode ever! Like Handsome Boy, Lovage is packed to the rafters with mysterious guest appearances, including the turntable and mixing skills of Kid Koala, Chest "Prince Paul" Rockwell, Afrika Bambaataa, and Maseo of De La Soul. Guest vocalists include Jennifer Charles of Elysian Fields, Damon Albarn, and Mike Patton. Tracks include "Ladies Love Chest Rockwell", "Pit Stop (Take Me Home)", "Anger Management", "Everyone Has A Summer They Want To Remember", "To Catch A Thief", "Lies And Alibis", "Book Of The Month", "Strangers On A Train", "Sex (I'm A)", "Tea Time With Maseo", "Herbs, Good Hygiene, & Socks", and the best song named after a bad Burt Reynolds movie ever, "Stroker Ace". CD

Hip hop for the Gainsbourg fan? This Handsome Boy Modeling School spin off has Nathaniel Merriweather, aka Dan The Automator, working in his smoothest, sexiest, loungiest mode ever! Like Handsome Boy, Lovage is packed to the rafters with mysterious guest appearances, including the turntable and mixing skills of Kid Koala, Chest "Prince Paul" Rockwell, Afrika Bambaataa, and Maseo of De La Soul. Guest vocalists include Jennifer Charles of Elysian Fields, Damon Albarn, and Mike Patton. Tracks include "Ladies Love Chest Rockwell", "Pit Stop (Take Me Home)", "Anger Management", "Everyone Has A Summer They Want To Remember", "To Catch A Thief", "Lies And Alibis", "Book Of The Month", "Strangers On A Train", "Sex (I'm A)", "Tea Time With Maseo", "Herbs, Good Hygiene, & Socks", and the best song named after a bad Burt Reynolds movie ever, "Stroker Ace". LP, Vinyl record album

Tracks include "Sometimes", "Gangsta's Watch", "Cocaine Business" feat. Kelis, "Wethuggedout" with Missy Elliott, "First Day Home", "If U Want It", "Half Baked", "Oh No", and more. LP, Vinyl record album

This might not be the most important or vital album in the history of hip hop – but it's got some unstoppable party jams that can't be denied! "It Takes Two" will always be guaranteed to rock any party – and if Rob Base on the mic isn't anything to write home about, at the time Profile dropped this album, even the Jimmy Castor, ESG and James Brown samples weren't totally played out – and still sound great today. 10 tracks in all, also includes the hit "Joy & Pain", plus "Make It Hot", "Check This Out" and "Get On The Dance Floor". CD

Essential 90s material from Smif N Wessun – one of those key records that was not only great in and of itself, but also as part of a larger tapestry of top shelf talents finally getting to shine in the spotlight! Previously, Smif N Wessun had shown up on Black Moon's first album – and here, they take center stage, but also give key exposure to Boot Camp Clik – in a standard-setting album that features great production from Beatminerz, who really keep things at the right level for the harder-edged lyrics of the set! The album cover is a bit of a Roy Ayers reference – and the set makes a key early use of the Ayers classic "We Live In Brooklyn" on the track "Home Sweet Home" – amidst other cuts that include "Wrekonize", "Timz N Hood Check", "Wrektime", "Wontime", "Sound Bwoy Bureill", "Shinin Next Sh*t", "Wipe Ya Mouf", "PNC", "Bucktown", and "Let's Git It On". LP, Vinyl record album