Jay Z's second LP, the one right before he adopted the "hot"/Swizz Beats sound. Like the first LP, there's a good mix of more hip hop tracks like "Streets Is Watching", "Friend Or Foe '98", "Rap Game/Crack Game" and even the more radio friendly are still kinda dope, like "A Million & One Questions" and "Who You Wit". Plus a few nice old school samples, like Funky 4+1's "Rockin' It" on "Always Be My Sunshine". LP, Vinyl record album

An instant party in a single package – a set that brings together a whole host of rare singles from back in the day – all work that's almost an equal blend of old school funk and early hip hop! The work here comes from the Spring label and related Posse imprint – a company who were around on the New York scene to issue plenty of soul and funk during the 70s – then made the move into hip hop at the end of the decade, yet in a way that also brought some of their funky currents forward! Where other labels were maybe using a lean approach and more records as the basis for cuts, Spring already had access to some great groups to back up the MCs – and the result is a batch of funky cuts that are already primed for a party crowd in the South Bronx! As the 80s move in, the cuts use more beats and electro elements – yet that older ear for funk is still nicely in place, and really keeps things moving throughout. Titles include "Money (Dollar Bill Y'All) (long version)" by Jimmy Spicer, "Charley Says (Roller Boogie Baby)" by King Tim III, "The Beach (long vocal)" by Afrika & The Zulu Kings, "Go For What You Know" by The Bally Boys, "Tearin It Up" by D4, "Rockin It" by MC Flex & The Crew, "I'm Hot" by The Rangers, "Magic's Message" by Mr Magic, "To Whoever It May Concern" by DJ Hollywood, "Cars (Zulu club mix)" by Afrika & The Zulu Kings, and "King Tim III (Personality Jock)" by Fatback – a cut that some folks call the first-ever hip hop single! LP, Vinyl record album

An early 90s classic from Naughty By Nature – still very much at the top of their game, and representing the New Jersey scene with that new sort of vibrancy that made Garden City hip hop rival some of the best NYC material for a few short years! The album's the group's third, and features unified production throughout from Kay Gee – and key guest appearances from Queen Latifah, Heavy D, and Freddie Foxxx. Titles include the classic anthem "Hip Hop Hooray" – plus "Ready For Dem", "Written On Ya Kitten", "It's On", "The Only Ones", "The Hood Comes First", "Daddy Was A Street Corner", "Hot Potato", and "Sleepin On Jersey". Lots of great bonus tracks too – including "Hip Hop Hooray (Pete Rock rmx)", "Hip Hop Hooray (ext mix)", "Written On Ya Kitten (Q Funk mix)", "Written On Ya Kitten (Shandi's smooth mix)", "It's On (Beatnuts rmx)", and "It's On (Sunship edit)". LP, Vinyl record album

The second album from Biggie, and a set that was instantly poised to catapult him to superstardom – even before his tragic death ended up doing that before the release of the record! And yes, the title's a bit cryptic – and given the fact that the material came out after BIG was shot, it might seem like a cash-in collection of left-behind tracks – yet it's not that at all. The long path to the album's creation represents a step forward to almost build a bridge between underground hip hop and mainstream soul – maybe in a way that would have calmed some of the coastal beefs that were taking place at the time – as the late, great one works here with an array of guests from both the worlds of hip hop and R&B – 112, Jay-Z, R Kelly, Puff Daddy, Lil Kim, Too Short, and others – in a classic set of tracks that includes "Hypnotize", "Kick In the Door", "Mo Money Mo Problems", "Notorious Thugs", "Going Back To Cali", "Sky's The Limit", "Miss U", "Ten Crack Commandments", 'What's Beef", and "Nasty Boy". PLUS, this massive 8LP version is overflowing with other material – the original 1997 album on 3LPs, plus all the 12" single and other mixes of "Hypnotize", "Mo Money Mo Problems", "Sky's The Limit", and "Nasty Boy". LP, Vinyl record album

A massive hit and creative triumph for Salt N Pepa – a record that was both maybe their biggest ever, and which had the duo working with Spinderella at a level that also bridged both hip hop and R&B! Although there were some younger up-and-comers on the scene at the time, Salt N Pepa had already honed their craft, matured a bit, and were able to serve up just the right hook-heavy blend of hip hop and a touch of R&B – mixing both freewheeling fun with some feminist positivity and maybe just a touch of social consciousness in all the right ways. Titles include their classics "Whatta Man and "Shoop" – plus "Groove Me", "No One Does It Better", "Step", "Heaven Or Hell", "Big Shot", "Sexy Noises Turn Me On", "Somma Time Man", "I've Got Aids (PSA)", and "Break Of Dawn". LP, Vinyl record album

A well-done duo set from Masta Ace & Edo G – nice and lean, and served up with a sound that really recalls the decade from which they rose! The production has all these great little twists and turns – straightforward beats mixed with cool use of electronics, odd samples, and other bits that are never overdone – really just the right sort of flavoring to enhance the album's strong focus on the lyrical skills of the leaders – plus guests who include Large Professor, KRS-One, and Posdnuos! Titles include "TV Night", "Hands High", "Fans", "Rocsi". "Reminds Me", "Good Music", "Pass The Mic", "Hot Wangs", "Dancing Like A WG", and "Here I Go". LP, Vinyl record album