"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

One of the first really important full length albums in hip hop – the set that really pushed the Sugar Hill label into the major leagues, and helped show the world that rap music was definitely way more than just a New York phenomenon! The set features the group's classic "Rapper's Delight", edited down into a shorter mix than the 15 minute 12" single – which helped the track get plenty of radio and chart play – and the set features core instrumentation from the trio of Doug Wimbush on bass, Keith LeBlanc on drums, and Skip McDonald on guitar. The Sequence also make a guest appearance, Positive Force help out on a few cuts – and titles include "Rapper's Delight", "Here I Am", "Rapper's Reprise", "Bad News", "Passion Play", and the long funky "Sugarhill Groove". LP, Vinyl record album

Maybe the most lasting classic during the short but important run of Tupac Shakur – the overstuffed album that catapulted him to huge mainstream fame, and which was also the last to be released before his early death. The producers and guests read like a who's who of the harder side of the mainstream spectrum – and include Dr Dre, Snoop Dogg, Redman, Method Man, Kurupt, E-40, The Outlawz, and others – but it's also clear who's going for the crown here, as you'll hear on tracks that include "All Eyez On Me", "California Love (rmx)", "I Ain't Mad At Cha", "2 Of Amerikaz Most Wanted", "Can't C Me", "Heartz Of Men", "Got My Mind Made Up", "Shorty Wanna Be A Thug", "Ain't Hard 2 Find", "Run Tha Streetz", "Picture Me Rollin", "When We Ride", "Thug Passion", "Heaven Ain't Hard 2 Find", and "How Do U Want It". CD

Maybe the most lasting classic during the short but important run of Tupac Shakur – the overstuffed album that catapulted him to huge mainstream fame, and which was also the last to be released before his early death. The producers and guests read like a who's who of the harder side of the mainstream spectrum – and include Dr Dre, Snoop Dogg, Redman, Method Man, Kurupt, E-40, The Outlawz, and others – but it's also clear who's going for the crown here, as you'll hear on tracks that include "All Eyez On Me", "California Love (rmx)", "I Ain't Mad At Cha", "2 Of Amerikaz Most Wanted", "Can't C Me", "Heartz Of Men", "Got My Mind Made Up", "Shorty Wanna Be A Thug", "Ain't Hard 2 Find", "Run Tha Streetz", "Picture Me Rollin", "When We Ride", "Thug Passion", "Heaven Ain't Hard 2 Find", and "How Do U Want It". CD

Maybe the most lasting classic during the short but important run of Tupac Shakur – the overstuffed album that catapulted him to huge mainstream fame, and which was also the last to be released before his early death. The producers and guests read like a who's who of the harder side of the mainstream spectrum – and include Dr Dre, Snoop Dogg, Redman, Method Man, Kurupt, E-40, The Outlawz, and others – but it's also clear who's going for the crown here, as you'll hear on tracks that include "All Eyez On Me", "California Love (rmx)", "I Ain't Mad At Cha", "2 Of Amerikaz Most Wanted", "Can't C Me", "Heartz Of Men", "Got My Mind Made Up", "Shorty Wanna Be A Thug", "Ain't Hard 2 Find", "Run Tha Streetz", "Picture Me Rollin", "When We Ride", "Thug Passion", "Heaven Ain't Hard 2 Find", and "How Do U Want It". CD

Maybe the most lasting classic during the short but important run of Tupac Shakur – the overstuffed album that catapulted him to huge mainstream fame, and which was also the last to be released before his early death. The producers and guests read like a who's who of the harder side of the mainstream spectrum – and include Dr Dre, Snoop Dogg, Redman, Method Man, Kurupt, E-40, The Outlawz, and others – but it's also clear who's going for the crown here, as you'll hear on tracks that include "All Eyez On Me", "California Love (rmx)", "I Ain't Mad At Cha", "2 Of Amerikaz Most Wanted", "Can't C Me", "Heartz Of Men", "Got My Mind Made Up", "Shorty Wanna Be A Thug", "Ain't Hard 2 Find", "Run Tha Streetz", "Picture Me Rollin", "When We Ride", "Thug Passion", "Heaven Ain't Hard 2 Find", and "How Do U Want It". LP, Vinyl record album

A glorious send off from J Dilla – with some of the most soulful productions Dilla's ever laid down – and appearances by Common, D'Angelo, Pharoahe Monch, Madlib, MED, Black Thought and others! It's impossible to listen to The Shining without considering the sad circumstances surrounding its release, and all too easy to over praise, but this record is filled timelessly inventive production – and passionate rhymes from the honored guests. A lot of the more leftfield, abstract touches that create most of the character on the Donuts LP are really on the outskirts of the sound here – a much richer, deeper, funky drum influenced batch of sounds. We're speechless. There's one more official posthumous LP in the can, and thank goodness for that. Tracks include in-your-f**kin' face intro "Geek Down" with Busta Rhymes, "E=MC2" feat Common, "Love Jones", "Love" feat Pharoahe Monch, "Baby" feat Madlib & Guilty Simpson, "So Far To Go" feat Common & D'Angelo (come back D', the world needs you), "Jungle Love" feat MED & Guilty Simpson, "Dime Piece (Remix)" feat Dwele, "Love Movin'" feat Black Thought and "Won't Do". LP, Vinyl record album