The standout LP from The Dream Warriors – a quirky hip hop group who first sprung onto the scene in the wake of De La Soul and Tribe Called Quest. The duo were Canadian, and had a style that was a bit more open-ended than others – with room for odd samples and a keen sense of humor. Both of these are displayed well in the album's classic track "My Definition of a Boombastic Jazz Style" – a pretty great number that sampled heavily from Quincy Jones' "Soul Bossa Nova", many years before the track became better known as the theme from Austin Powers. Other tracks include "Follow Me Not", "Ludi", "Tune From the Missing Channel", and "Wash Your Face in My Sink". " CD

A set that comes out a decade after the first album by footwork maestro RP Boo, but one that features tracks recorded in the first ten years of the 21st Century – music from a time when footwork was really exploding on the Chicago scene as a wonderful blend of house music influences and some of the grittier elements of hip hop! But as you'll hear on the record, the style here is tied to neither at all – as it offers up a blisteringly rhythm progression of sounds – as urban as some of the Afro-Futurist work from Detroit, but even more stark and spare as well. Titles include "Pop Machine", "Azzoutof Control", "Porno", "Off Da Hook", "Say Grace", "Total Darkness", "Heavy Heat", "Eraser", and "BOTO". LP, Vinyl record album

The mid 90s instant classic! Outkast's debut set hem up as one of the most distinctive hip hop duos ever, right out of the gate, but it also helped to established the freewheeling, funky dirty south sound, thanks to genius Organized Noize production! The Outkast sound would get bigger and more wildly eclectic on the records to follow Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik, but the consistent, funky southern swagger on this one holds up incredibly well. It sounds fresh to this day! Includes breakout hit "Player's Ball", "Crumblin Erb", "Git Up, Git Out", "Claimin' True", "Funky Ride", "Soouthernplayalisticadillacmuzik", "Ain't No Thang", "CallOf Da Wild", "Hootie Hoo" and a couple of interludes. LP, Vinyl record album

The classic agit-rap-rock debut of Rage Against The Machine – with the most fiery political lyricism and imagery of any massively popular record of its time – and as great of a pairing of revolutionary rap and heavy guitars as there ever was! It's hard to imagine now, but there were very few straight up rap rock bands before Rage Against The Machine. Hard rock breaks were ample, of course, but straight up rap rock bands were pretty scarce, pre-Rage. Rage Against The Machine's pop culture revolution was as massive as the social and political revolution that their songs called for! Includes "Bombtrack", "Killing In The Name", "Take The Power Back", "Settle For Nothing", "Bullet In The Head", "Know Your Enemy", "Wake Up", "Fistful Of Steel", "Township Rebellion" and "Freedom". (Rock, Hip Hop) CD

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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

In 1994 when everyone seemed to be turning hardcore, Common Sense wasn't having it – and gave the world this superb second album that formed a key part of his soon-to-be huge legacy! The album's very near and dear to our Chicago-born hearts – and is filled with introspective tales of growing up and living on the South Side, given perfect support by the production of No ID – a real overlooked hero of this generation! The album was made with little regard to trends of the time, and that's given it a timeless quality that really holds on over the years – maybe even more so than some of Common's later, bigger records. The set features two guest appearances by Y-Not aka Twilight Tone – and titles include "I Used To Love HER", "Book Of Life", "Chapter 13", "Nuthin' To Do", "In My Own World (Check The Method)", "Maintaining", "Communism", "Watermelon", "Thisisme", and "Sum Sh*t I Wrote". (And bonus trivia – Chicago station WHPK, a breeding ground for Dusty Groove, even gets a mention on the set!) LP, Vinyl record album

In 1994 when everyone seemed to be turning hardcore, Common Sense wasn't having it – and gave the world this superb second album that formed a key part of his soon-to-be huge legacy! The album's very near and dear to our Chicago-born hearts – and is filled with introspective tales of growing up and living on the South Side, given perfect support by the production of No ID – a real overlooked hero of this generation! The album was made with little regard to trends of the time, and that's given it a timeless quality that really holds on over the years – maybe even more so than some of Common's later, bigger records. The set features two guest appearances by Y-Not aka Twilight Tone – and titles include "I Used To Love HER", "Book Of Life", "Chapter 13", "Nuthin' To Do", "In My Own World (Check The Method)", "Maintaining", "Communism", "Watermelon", "Thisisme", and "Sum Sh*t I Wrote". (And bonus trivia – Chicago station WHPK, a breeding ground for Dusty Groove, even gets a mention on the set!). This excellent 2LP deluxe vinyl reissue includes a side featuring 3 bonus tracks – "Resurrection 95", "Resurrection (Large Professor mix)", and "Resurrection (Extra P rmx)". LP, Vinyl record album

A set that really pushes the Czarface legacy further, and maybe even away from its origins in hip hop – as the LP/comic book package has mostly instrumental contributions from 7L, but structured together as a film score for the comic! There's some narration too, but really just in a way to link together the tracks – and the whole thing bursts out with the sort of vivid energy you'd guess from the Marvel-styled image on the front! Artwork is by Gilberto Aguirre Mata – and titles include "A Falling Czar", "Squared Portal", "Funky Premonition", "Something Once Human", "Death Of A Comrade", and "Czartusi". LP, Vinyl record album

MF Doom left our planet all too soon, and he left behind a great legacy of music, too – including a previous collaboration with the Czarface collective, nicely matched by this posthumous set! The balance here is great, and the set brings the metal man of mystery into great play with his collaborators and guests who include DMC, Kendra Morris, and Del The Funky Homosapien – all coming together on an album that's every bit as fun as the first time around, and maybe even more essential, given that we're not going to hear that much more from the unissued archives of MF Doom. Titles include "This Is Canon Now", "So Strange", "Young World", "Mando Calrissian", "Doom Unto Others", "The King & Eye", and "Czarwyn's Theory Of People Getting Loose". LP, Vinyl record album

The dawn of millennium classic by Dead Prez – and angry, revolution-minded effort from a period on major label hip hop that sorely lacked such strident players – and if it didn't make any huge waves commercially, that only strengthens its legacy! Sticman & M1 are at the top of their game lyrically, the beats are are exciting to this day, and it all adds up to one of the strongest politically minded hip hop records of its time. Titles include "Wolves", "Hip Hop", "They Schools", "The Pistol", "Discipline", "Enemy Lines", "Mind Sex", "Propaganda", "You'll Find A Way", "Police State", and many more. LP, Vinyl record album

Think what you want about DJ Quik, the west coast hip hopper is a key part of the sound of his scene in the 90s – and also maybe one of the most dedicated to the legacy of old school funk as well! This album's overflowing with wonderful samples – work by Cameo, Parliament, One Way, Rick James, The Blackbyrds, and others – all wonderful choices from Quik in the studio, and a way to ground his sometimes-dated rhymes with a really classic vibe – so much so, the album's maybe even more enjoyable now from the perspective of time – as a filter of the 70s through a 90s west coast style! Titles include "Get At Me", "Diggin U Out", "Somethin 4 Tha Mood", "Tha Ho In You", "Summer Breeze", "Quik's Groove III", "Sucka Free" and "Keep Tha P In It". LP, Vinyl record album

Earl Sweatshirt has always been at the forefront of hip hop – and here, he really continues that legacy, by also reaching backwards for the production skills of The Alchemist – whose special touch on the record really creates a whole new milieu for Earl's lyrics! There's a dreamlike quality to the record, but one that's also stripped-down enough to feel personal – a refinement of Alchemist's style, often with a great focus on just one or two instrumental elements – almost like spare spicing to really keep the vocals in the lead. Titles include "Dead Zone", "Free The Ruler", "27 Braids", "Mac Deuce", "My Brother The Wind", "100 High Street", "Sentry", "Sirius Black", "The Caliphate", and "Mancala" – the last two of which feature Vince Staples! LP, Vinyl record album

Illa J seems ready to live up to his long legacy on the Detroit scene here – almost with a vibe that has him refining his sound even more than before, while also opening the door to some of the younger talents on the scene as well! We love the crisply cosmic energy of some of the beats – that way that post-techno roots, Detroit artists have of letting some of that earlier electronic magic flow through their music, but in a very subtle way – qualities that are also augmented by some of the guests on the set too! Tracks have features from Amp Fiddler, Dank, Kid Gotti, Frank Nitt, Maine Soul, SAM, Harleighblu, and others – and titles include "Doin It", "No Traffic", "Off The Tap", "Relapse", "Not Ever", "Shine Your Light", "Snaps", "Boom Bap", "Funny", "Showin Love", "OG Funk", "Good Life", "Plaques", and "Star Struck". LP, Vinyl record album

The original mix of Ruff Draft from J Dilla – a set cut back when he was still going by the name of Jay Dee, as one of the most powerful voices to emerge from the new scene in Detroit – working here alone in the studio, and with a raw power that's really wonderful! The record is supposedly music that Dilla originally made for himself, and which saw an initial limited release – but which, thanks to various reissues and variations, has gone on to become a key part of his too-short musical legacy. Tracks include "Reckless Driving", "Nothing Like This", "Let's Take It Back", "Crushin", "The $", and "Make Em NV" – plus some key interlude tracks. LP, Vinyl record album

One of those classic late 90s hip hop albums that initially got lost in the shuffle of record label politics and other issues – finally out for the rest of the world in the following century! The record's from a time when King Tee was allied strongly with Dr Dre – who produces part of the set, and also makes an appearance alongside other Cali all-stars – like MC Ren, DJ Quik, and Too $hort – royalty, for sure – but don't forget that King Tee was also on the scene pretty early himself! And while there were some issues that may have held the record back, the set's still a key part of that legacy that Tee brought to the west – with titles that include "Speak On It", "Stay Down", "Skweez Ya Ballz", "Monay", "Da'kron", "Big Boys", "Let's Make AV", "Tha Game", "Reel Raw", "2Gs from Compton", "Shake Da Pot", "Nna Moenin", "Step On By", "Big Ballin", "The Original", "Nuthin Has Changed", and "Where's T". LP, Vinyl record album

A really revolutionary album – both at the time it was released, and all these many years later! In a surprising nod to the younger generation, Blue Note opened the door to Madlib – already making a name with his array of great projects at the start of the century – an early part of his legacy of bringing in lots of jazz energy to hip hop production! The album wasn't the first effort of this nature, but certainly set a new standard – one that so many others have tried to match over the years, but never got this right. The set's got a fair bit of live jazz work – in the mode of Madlib's Yesterdays New Quintet project – mixed with all sorts of cool production elements too. We love the vibes of Ahmad Miller especially in the lineup – and titles include reworks of "Montara", "Song For My Father", "Footprints", "Stepping Into Tomorrow", "Peace/Dolphin Dance", "Stormy", "Distant Land", and "Slim's Return" – plus the original "Funky Blue Note". LP, Vinyl record album

A really revolutionary album – both at the time it was released, and all these many years later! In a surprising nod to the younger generation, Blue Note opened the door to Madlib – already making a name with his array of great projects at the start of the century – an early part of his legacy of bringing in lots of jazz energy to hip hop production! The album wasn't the first effort of this nature, but certainly set a new standard – one that so many others have tried to match over the years, but never got this right. The set's got a fair bit of live jazz work – in the mode of Madlib's Yesterdays New Quintet project – mixed with all sorts of cool production elements too. We love the vibes of Ahmad Miller especially in the lineup – and titles include reworks of "Montara", "Song For My Father", "Footprints", "Stepping Into Tomorrow", "Peace/Dolphin Dance", "Stormy", "Distant Land", and "Slim's Return" – plus the original "Funky Blue Note". LP, Vinyl record album

Moor Mother continues to blend genres and come up with one that's all her own – a unique space between soul and poetry, music and message, all with a vibe that's unlike anything else we can think of! This set may be Moor Mother's heaviest to date – an unflinching examination of colonization, slavery, and their legacy on the human condition – served up in darkly textured soundscapes, layered voices, and instrumentation that goes beyond recognition – with key guest work from Lonnie Holley, Kyle Kidd, and Alya Al-Sultani. Titles include "All The Money", "Guilty", "Liverpool Wins", "Spem In Alium", "South Sea", "Compensated Emancipation", and "Death By Longitude". (Neo Soul, Hip Hop) CD

Moor Mother continues to blend genres and come up with one that's all her own – a unique space between soul and poetry, music and message, all with a vibe that's unlike anything else we can think of! This set may be Moor Mother's heaviest to date – an unflinching examination of colonization, slavery, and their legacy on the human condition – served up in darkly textured soundscapes, layered voices, and instrumentation that goes beyond recognition – with key guest work from Lonnie Holley, Kyle Kidd, and Alya Al-Sultani. Titles include "All The Money", "Guilty", "Liverpool Wins", "Spem In Alium", "South Sea", "Compensated Emancipation", and "Death By Longitude". (Neo Soul, Hip Hop) LP, Vinyl record album

The classic critical breakthrough from The Roots – the one that really cemented their legacy as one great hip hop live bands ever, and help paving the way for many fascinating records to come! Do You Want More is a modern hip hop essential, changing the way we looked at hip hop, and certainly one of the most successful efforts at bridging live band playing, sample based beats and smart rhymes. Titles include: "Proceed", "Distortion To Static", "Lazy Afternoon", "Mellow My Man", "I Remain Calm", "Datskat", "What Goes On Pt. 7", "Silent Treatment", "You Ain't Fly", "Do You Want More?!!!??!", "The Lesson Part 2" and "The Unlocking". LP, Vinyl record album

The landmark debut of 2Pac – hard rhymes and gritty production laying the bedrock for an iconic legacy! 2Pac's voice is front and center throughout, nothing tentative about the rhymes or delivery, and true to legend, every word feels honest and real, whether you're comfortable with it or not. Classic! Tracks include "Young Black Male", "Trapped", "Soulja's Story", "I Don't Give a F**k", "Violent", "Words Of Wisdom", "Something Wicked...", "Crooked A** N**a", "If My Homie Calls", "Brenda's Got A Baby", "Tha Lunatic", "Rebel Of The Underground", and "Part Time Mutha". LP, Vinyl record album

A record as powerful as the image on the cover – and a set that strongly continues the personal and political legacy of British rapper VV Brown! The set works very strongly as a whole, to examine issues of race in contemporary England – and Brown mixes hip hop lyrics with sung vocals, amidst contributions from a variety of guest poets – including Liam Bailey, Durone, Veronica E Banks, and Myrtle E Roach. Production is great – very unified, and handled by VV with Sensible J – on titles that include "Twisted", "Go Back", "Break Of The Night", "Marginalised", "Let Us Remember", "Black British", "I Will Always Be Black", "No Fear", and "Generations". CD

A record as powerful as the image on the cover – and a set that strongly continues the personal and political legacy of British rapper VV Brown! The set works very strongly as a whole, to examine issues of race in contemporary England – and Brown mixes hip hop lyrics with sung vocals, amidst contributions from a variety of guest poets – including Liam Bailey, Durone, Veronica E Banks, and Myrtle E Roach. Production is great – very unified, and handled by VV with Sensible J – on titles that include "Twisted", "Go Back", "Break Of The Night", "Marginalised", "Let Us Remember", "Black British", "I Will Always Be Black", "No Fear", and "Generations". LP, Vinyl record album