One of those records that maybe snuck in a bit under the wire at the time of release – but a set that instantly went on to become a classic, and one of the greatest debuts of the early 90s! Not only is the production great – full of sophisticated samples and ways of putting them together that set a whole new standard for a generation – but Brand Nubian also found a way to take some of the energy of the Native Tongues' freshness, and turn it towards more serious themes – but all without the heavy-handedness that made some of their contemporaries date quickly. Hats off to Grand Puba, Sadat X, and Lord Jamar for such a great job right from the start – on titles that include "All For One", "Slow Down", "Drop The Bomb", "Concerto In X Minor", and 2 mixes of "Wake Up" (Stimulated Dummies mix and the penultimate reprise) – plus "Who Can Get Busy Like This Man", "Ragtime", "To The Right", "Dance To My Ministry", "Step To The Rear", "Try To Do Me", and "Dedication". CD

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

Includes "Cuban Necktie", "What U Want From Me", "Stank A** H**", "Can I Get A Hit", "We Live This Sh*t" and 'Worldwide". Guest spots by Eminem, Everlast, Noreaga and Chino XL. Beats by Muggs. LP, Vinyl record album

The incredible follow-up to I Wish My Brother George Was Here – and a record that was initially underappreciated, mostly because it was such a radical departure from the George – but one that's finally gotten the same sort of appreciation all these years later! Whereas I Wish My Brother George Was Here was sort of the loopy, semi-comical cousin to the tonally heavier G-Funk sound, No Need For Alarm has a tighter, somewhat little harder hitting sound – more akin to the jazzy Hiero beats you've come to know and love! The record is definitely one of the high spots in Del's career, the kind of set we wish he kept on cutting – with titles that include "Catch A Bad One", "Wack MCs", "No Need For Alarm", "Boo Boo Heads", "Worldwide", "No More Worries", "Wrong Place", "In & Out" and "Miles To Go". LP, Vinyl record album

A jazz-inspired hip hop uberclassic! While Digable Planets might not have pioneered the jazzy hip hop vibe – we might nod to the Native Tongues scene and DJ Premier's productions in the late 80s for that – Digables set a new standard with breezy but head nodding production and mellow, laidback rhyme style that dug into the abstract lyrical realm more than any of their predecessors. Still sounds fresh today, too! Includes "Where I'm From", "It's Good To Be Here", "What Cool Breezes Do", "Time & Space (A New Refutation Of)", "Rebirth Of Slick (Cool Like Dat)", "Escapism (Gettin Free)", "Pacifics", "Appointment At The Fat Clinic", "Swoon Units", "Last Of The Spiddyocks", "Examination Of What", "Nickel Bags", and "Jimmi Diggin Cats". CD

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

"Cha Cha Cha" stars Spliff Star, Busta Rhymes, Rah Digga & Baby Sham, "We Got You Open" stars Rah Digga, Spliff Star, Baby Sham, Rampage, Lord Have Mercy, Busta Rhymes & Buckshot. 12-inch, Vinyl record

With Busta Rhymes, Rampage, Lord Have Mercy, Spliff Star, Rah Digga and Baby Sham. 12-inch, Vinyl record

From Grand Puba's first solo LP, produced by Stimulated Dummies. 12-inch, Vinyl record

Pop culture baggage aside, this is some pretty mesmerizing stuff from Kanye West! Ye the album, if his persona hasn't turned you off by now, is a compelling effort from what we'll dub Kanye's "puzzle period" – this strange era of his recorded output that's a long time since his creative and popular breakthroughs, past the more challenging and complex work circa My Beautiful Dark Twisted Family that enchanted critics and polarized fans, and just got more polarizing from there. The man is a riddle, wrapped in an enigma, hiding behind a Twitter handle but this might be very well be pop art genius...we'll see how it holds up over time! Pretty stripped down compared to some of his denser productions the past few years, and lyrically daunting, but oddly hypnotic all the way. Includes "I Thought About Killing You", "Yikes", "All Mine", "Wouldn't Leave" and "Ghost Town" with PartyNextDoor, "No Mistakes" and "Violent Crimes". LP, Vinyl record album

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

The amazing debut of those most hyperactive of the Native Tongues, the short-lived, ultra fresh Leaders Of The New School! Busta & Co. splintered apart after just two albums, but this will always be a shiny trophy in the mantle with the all time freshest East Coast hip hop. It sounds great to this day, particularly those Eric "Vietnam" Sadler cuts. Tracks include "Case Of The P.T.A.", "Too Much On My Mind", "What's The Pinocchio Theory?", "Sobb Story", "Sound Of The Zeekers @#^**?!", "Feminine Fatt", "Transformers", "Show Me A Hero", "Trains, Planes & Automobiles", "Teachers, Don't Teach Us Nonsense!", "My Ding-A-Ling", and "Where Do We Go From Here?". CD

(Cassettes, Hip Hop) Cassette

Three nice remixes of International Zone Coaster, two by L.O.N.S. and one by Stimulated Dummies. 12-inch, Vinyl record

A tremendous third album from MC Solaar – an artist with such a sense of flow, you might not even realize that he's speaking in French! The album's longer than before, but has a wonderfully unified feel – lots of Boom Bass/La Funk Mob production – at a level that not only revels in the new turns the French funk scene was taking, but which also brings in a bit more soul than before – a quality that really helped Solaar become something of a global star with this record, and not just a novelty hip hop act rhyming in French! The whole thing's rock-solid – and titles include "Gangster Moderne", "Tournicoti", "Zoom", "Daydreamin", "Wonderbra", "Dakota", "La 5eme Saison", "Galaktika", "Les Songes", and "Les Temps Changent". CD

With Nelly Furtado. 12-inch, Vinyl record

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

The breakthrough second album from Naughty By Nature (who recorded formerly as The New Style) – one of the key groups to emerge from the New Jersey scene at the end of the 80s, and be able to give the world of New York hip hop a run for its money! Queen Latifah championed the group right from the start, and gave them a solid footing on Tommy Boy – a perfect label for the group to balance their commercial appeal and well-penned rhymes – at a level that makes this album at least a rock-solid entry in the key canon of the true school generation! Latifah makes an appearance on the record – as do Lakim Shabazz and Apache – on cuts that include the classic "OPP", plus "Ghetto Bastard", "Guard Your Grill", "123", "Wickedest Man Alive", "Everyday All Day", "Strike A Nerve", "Let The Ho's Go", "Pin The Tail On The Donkey", "Rhyme'll Shine On", and "Thankx For Sleepwalking". CD

Not much of a title, but a vinyl-only collection that brings together 10 of Biggie's classics from back in the day – tracks that include "Going Back To Cali", "Notorious Thugs", "Big Poppa", "Warning", "One More Chance/Stay With Me (rmx)", "Juicy", "Who Shot Ya", "Hypnotize", "Sky's The Limit", and "Mo Money Mo Problems", with features by Mase and Puff Daddy! LP, Vinyl record album

The debut full length from Pete Rock & CL Smooth – a standard-setting record from the 90s that's still among one of the greatest of the decade! The set bristles with new energy and excitement right from the start – as Pete Rock's trademark mix of heavy soul, jazz, and funk production sets the bar to a level that really takes hip hop past some of the tinnier, clunkier modes of a few years before – delivering on the promise of Q-Tip's experiments in the studio, but with a very different vibe. CL Smooth handles the lyrics with effortless ease – again setting a new standard, with a balance between street and sophistication that was, and is, such a refreshing change from so many others. Titles include the classic "They Reminisce Over You (TROY)" – plus "Return Of The Mecca", "Straighten It Out", "Soul Brother #1", "Lots Of Lovin", "Skinz, "The Basement", "Anger In The Nation", "If It Ain't Rough It Ain't Right", "Can't Front On Me", "It's Like That", "On And On", "Wig Out", "Ghettos Of The Mind", and "Act Like You Know". CD