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

One of our favorite Nas tracks, and one of our favorite Large Pro productions. His second single after his part on Main Source's "Live At The Barbecue". Classic mid-tempo production by the Large Professor. 12-inch, Vinyl record

Promo only 12" single of the Heavy Rhyme Experience Theme featuring rhymes by Grand Puba, Master Ace, and Main Source. 12-inch, Vinyl record

Promo version of one of our favorite Nas tracks. His second single after his part on Main Source's "Live At The Barbecue". This promo only version features a hard to get remix by Large Professor. 12-inch, Vinyl record

A collection of instrumentals either recorded for Motown by groups like the San Remo Golden Strings, the Crusaders or Junior Walker, or the instrumental backing tracks used by their vocalists, released here on their short lived Natural Resources subsidiary. 9 tracks in all: "Hungry For Love" and "Festival time" by the San Remo Golden Strings, "You Are The Sunshine Of My Life" and "Cleo's Back" by Junior Walker, 'Rapid Fire" by the Commodores, "Papa Was A rolling Stone" by the Temptations, "Way Back Home" by the Crusaders, "Erucu" by Jermaine Jackson and "Get Ready" by Rare Earth. LP, Vinyl record album

A huge record in its day and it hasn't aged a minute since! On Psychocandy the Reid brothers took all the underground Brit indie psych revival modes and filtered them through the Velvet Underground at their noisiest, then paired melodies learned from sources as sweet as 60s Wall Of Sound pop and the Beach Boys to ferociously fuzzy guitars – and stunning found a way to spring this onto to fringes of the mainstream on both sides of the Atlantic! Hugely influential – a record that points the way towards sounds so many would soon follow. Titles include "In A Hole", "The Hardest Walk", "Taste The Floor", "Just Like Honey", "Never Understand", and "You Trip Me Up". LP, Vinyl record album

Surprisingly great post-Philly International work from Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes – recorded at a time when the group had actually let a female singer into their ranks! Sharon Paige is the lady here – and she creates a nice sense of interplay with the male singers in the group – that sort of back and forth that you might find in some of Al Hudson's work with One Way, or in a variety of other funky club acts who were rising in the mainstream at the time. Harold Melvin produced, and there's some definite late Philly moments in the tracks "Prayin" and "Baby I'm Back" – but the greatest charm of the album possibly comes from tracks that change things up a bit, including "I Should Be Your Lover", "Tonight's The Night", and "Your Love Is Taking Me On A Journey". LP, Vinyl record album

Weird and wild garage tracks from the mid 60s – but work that's usually got a feel that's a lot different than more familiar sounds from the time! Lots of these tunes are from weird, offbeat sources – some overseas, but still mostly American – but produced by artists who have a very personal, offbeat vibe – with lots of strange echoes of styles that are quite far from the mainstream. Plus, we've never seen any of these tracks before – and the package is way different than the usual collection of this nature. Titles include "Last Drop Of Wine" by Jimm Olson, "How I Feel" by Little Willie & The Wonders, "Like Stoned" by The Bohemians, "Gone To The Moon" by The Savages, "Leaving My Old Life Behind" by Jonathan Halper, and "Don't Break My Heart" by Vicki Lynn. LP, Vinyl record album