The brilliant debut of Aesop Rock – a set that initially circulated as a homemade CDr, but which has gone on to become the stuff of legend over the years! There's a raw, sinister vibe here that shows just how much Aesop and his generation were renewing the importance of the New York sound ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
This is the Aesop album on MUSH records before he got signed to Def Jux. It is a piece of raw, dark, poetic artistry that describes his hometown of NYC and the trials and tribulations in it beautifully. This album is a little rougher and his lyrical style is just a little more advanced on his ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(20th Year Anniversary pressed on 1 of 3 colored sleeves & custom color double vinyl!20th Year Anniversary pressed on 1 of 3 colored sleeves & custom color double vinyl – includes download!)
One of the most sonically intense albums to date from Aesop Rock – a set that matches his ever-sharp rhymes with the sorts of musical settings that really live up to the spirit of the title! The vocals come on with this really crispy sort of edge – partly the production, partly the ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Clear vinyl pressing. Includes the printed inner sleeves, complete sticker sheet, and download card.)
Aesop Rock and Blockhead have worked together before, but this is the first album to be fully produced by the latter – who really gives the whole thing a crisp, straightforward vibe that adds plenty to the urgency of Aesop's lyrics! The set was done during the pandemic, and has a stripped-dow ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
A split album – featuring work from Seattle up-and-comer AJ Suede, and longstanding resident artist Specswizard! There's a strong sense of history that runs through the AJ Suede titles – vintage soul snippets and historical recordings – laced together carefully to accompany AJ's ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
The 2nd Liks LP, with appearancs by Q Tip, Diamond, King Tee, Lootpack and Xzibit. Includes "Daaam!", "The Next Level", "WLIX" "Read My Lips", "All The Way Live", "Hit And Run", "Bottoms Up", 'Flashback" and "Let It ... read moreCD
(Out of print, two pieces of clear tape over two slight tears.)
The debut of Arrested Development – a worthy critical favorite early in it's release cycle the went on the dismissed by lot of hip hop heads after it became a hit – and a solid, spiritually resonant effort well worth a reappraisal after all these years! They really was no other hip hop ... read moreCD
The debut set from Atmosphere – and a real standard-setting album that points the way towards future success, while still having a nicely gritty vibe! There's more here that might tie the record to the sound of New York than later Atmosphere work – starker beats, less warmth in the ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
The indefatigable Atmosphere returns with its sixth proper album (and 198th if you include their always worthwhile vinyl only, web only, and otherwise underground releases – what's in that lemonade, anyway?) – and the dynamic duo is as hard hitting and cathartic as ever! Beatmaker Ant ... read moreCD
(2008 Standard Edition digipack in a gold cover, which differs slightly from the cover image shown here. Includes wraparound band, cover has some wear.)
From around the same time as the "What More Can I Say" LP and just about as dope as their hits from that LP, but with more mellow production, and nice use of the "Freddie's Dead" sample. 12-inch, Vinyl record
(In a First Priority sleeve, with some wear at the opening.)
Awesome Dre & The Hardcore Committee —
AD's Revenge ... LP Strictly Roots, 1993. Sealed ...
$19.99
13 tracks in all, including "AD's Revenge", "Psychological Warfare", 'What Is Legal?", "Message To Da Hood", "Dis Is babylon", "Talkin Bout Nothin", "Deadlier Than Strychnine", "Wreakin Havoc", "Dogmatic" and " ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Baby Elephant (Prince Paul & Bernie Worrell) —
Turn My Teeth Up! ... CD Defend, 2007. Used ...
Just Sold Out!
Weirdly tripped-out funk from Baby Elephant – a compelling collaboration from Prince Paul, Newkirk, and P-Funk keyboardist Bernie Worrell! The sound here is quite odd – kind of a dismantling of older P-Funk modes, stripped down into a handful of key elements, then re-assembled in a ... (Deep Funk, Hip Hop)read moreCD
A tight single off the 5 Boroughs LP! The cut rocks nicely in a new school fashion with a nod to the old – stabs and breaks strung together in a nice funky fashion. 12-inch, Vinyl record
A tight single off the 5 Boroughs LP! The cut rocks nicely in a new school fashion with a nod to the old – stabs and breaks strung together in a nice funky fashion, plus a remix by Just Blaze! 12-inch, Vinyl record
A rare moment of introspect from The Beatnuts on "Do You Believe?" but right back into regular party mode with "Give Me Tha Ass" on the flip. The bonus beat is a short Dorothy Ashby (?) loop. 12-inch, Vinyl record
(Cover has a cut corner, splash stains, and light wear.)
One of those genre-spanning singles on Celluloid, with very electro beats courtesy Afrika Bambaataa, Lerai and Bernard Zekri and vocals from Bernard Fowler. (Soul, Hip Hop)12-inch, Vinyl record
(In a Celluloid sleeve.)
Betty Ford Boys (Suff Daddy, Dexter, Brenk Sinatra) —
Retox ... CD Melting Pot (Germany), 2014. Used ...
$4.99
A win for wily hip hop mainstay Big Boi's growing legacy as a solo star! The onetime more subtly innovative half of the Outkast – subtle as compared to Andre 3000's more flamboyant presence, anyway – succeeding mightily out front now, backed with solid, wisely timeless Organized Noize ... read moreCD
The classic first solo album by Big L – with bedrock DITC production by Buckwild, Showbiz and Lord Finesse – perfectly framing the rhymes by Harlem's finest. Big L didn't leave a huge wealth of recordings before he was taking away from the world, but he started out strong, and this ... read moreCD
(Please note this disc has some marks but plays fine for us – priced accordingly.)
The late 90s all caps CLASSIC by Big Pun – a precise rhyme spitter who left us this masterpiece before sadly passing in his prime. Pun's flow is lean, precise, and in sharp form throughout with great production that effortlessly straddles the street/radio divide! Guest appearances by Black ... read moreCD
Rare promo vinyl pressing of I Need A Haircut with 13 tracks: "To My Boys", "Road Block", "Let Go My Eggo", "What Comes Around Goes Around", "Romeo & Juliet", "Toilet Stool Rap", "Busy Doin Nuthin", "I Told You", ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Original promo pressing in a Cold Chillin sleeve, in fantastic shape!)
The legendary debut of Black Moon – and a landmark indie hip hop classic from the early 90s east coast scene! Beloved by the deeper digging hip hop heads back in the day, and making a few waves commercially with the singles "Who Got Da Props" and "I Got Cha Opin", this ... read moreCD
The rare, late 80s gem from Black Rock & Ron – dedicated to and featuring production by the late, great Paul C McKasty – along with some production by Jazzy Jay and Skeff Anselm. You can hear Paul C's influence in the edits, the tightness of the beats and the layering and chopping ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
We'll admit it's not as dope as the first LP but in our opinion, it deserved more attention than it got. Not as clever as you might hope both in the production and lyrics, but this LP still has its share of jazzy beats and whimsical but memorable rhymes from Dres and Lawnge, with a little extra ... read moreCD
A Native Tongues classic from 1991 – one that sounded great way back when, and has held up beautifully over the years – and rightly considered amongst the greatest hip hop albums ever! Wolf In Sheep's Clothing is playful rap at it's best, with funky and and funny cuts galore – ... read moreCD
A number of mixes of this big hit, lifted from the What's The 411? album, and remixed by Dave Jam Hall and Kenny Greene. (Soul, Hip Hop)12-inch, Vinyl record
Blitz Mob —
Blitz Mob EP ... LP Blitz (Germany), 1993. Near Mint- ...
$16.99
Includes "That's Why We Live, How We Live" by Kaos, "Ohne Warnung" by LSD, "Das Gesetz Des Dschungels" by CUS, "Speak Out" by SBG, and "Konsumieren, Und Sonst Nix" by Ai-Tiem. LP, Vinyl record album
There's a lot of blue on the cover, and plenty of blue in the titles of the songs – but the set itself is as crisp and contemporary as any of the best recent releases on Nature Sounds – very upfront and layered in terms of the rhymes, and mixed with a fair bit of straightup samples, and ... read moreCD
The instrumental/dub versions of all the tracks from the Criminal Minded LP – one of the most important albums in the history of hip hop – the first full LP from KRS One, and a landmark batch of tracks recorded with the late Scott La Rock! The track list alone is a full chapter in the ... read moreCD
Nice mid period effort from the blast master. Includes "Blackman In Effect", "Ya Know The Rules", "Beef", "House Niggas", "100 Guns", "Ya Strugglin", "Breath Control II", "Edutainment", "The Homeless", "O ... read moreCD
Boogie Down Productions —
Man & His Music ... CD B-Boy/Traffic, 1988. New Copy ...
$6.9915.98
The classic Scott La Rock tribute album – with BDP classics and remixes – originally issued as a 2LP set that was put together following the South Bronx-repping hip hop pioneer's shooting death. Alternate versions, remixes and BDP medley's from their most classic late 80s period. 15 ... read moreCD
A fantastic book of images from the early 80s hip hop scene in New York – put together by a photographer who was right on the scene for a number of key years – and snapped hundreds of images of performers, clubs, street scenes, graffiti artists, and all the other forces that made hip ... (Books, Hip Hop)read moreBook
A heady combination of French hip hop talents – beatmaker Broc and MC Black 10 – the latter of whom works entirely in French here, which makes for a very different flavor than an American record of this type! Unlike some of the Parisian hip hop of 20 years before, the vibe here is much ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
The funky genius of James Brown, given a whole new spin for the 21st Century by Stro Elliot of The Roots! Stro clearly loves James' music, and never tries to dominate it too much – as his mixes here are mostly faithful to the funky structure of the originals, and almost work more in an " ... (Soul, Hip Hop)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
The second hip hop crossover LP from Branford Marsalis and crew. With "Here We Go Again", "Music Evolution", "James Brown (part I & II)", "Another Day", "Try These On", "My Way (Doin' It)", "Jungle Grove", "Black ... read moreCD
It might be hard for us to call any album of hip hop instrumentals "essential" – but we can definitely say that the record's a damn funky set that's got us falling in love all over again with the studio talents of Buckwild! The tracks all have this crisp, classic vibe – still ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
A real sleeper from the late 90s scene – a set that maybe didn't grab the charts as much as some of its major label hip hop contemporaries, but which has a lot more lasting power overall! There's a sense of variety to the songs here that's great – different themes, different modes, and ... read moreCD
(Out of print. Disc label has initials in marker.)
Carpet Patrol (Suff Daddy & Torky Tork) —
Carpet Patrol ... CD Melting Pot (Germany), 2014. Used ...
$4.99
Hazy, largely instrumental hip hop from the team of Suff Daddy & Torky Tork – working together as Carpet Patrol – and it's another timeless set of sample crafted beatcraft from the Melting Pot team. MPM has always done a solid job of honoring classic hip hop production aesthetics, ... read moreCD
A really well-done book on one of the greatest figures in hip hop during the past few decades – a genius who was taken from us all too soon, and who finally gets the deep attention he deserves in this hefty volume! The book is neither one of those salacious tales of a hip hopper who went too ... (Books, Hip Hop)read moreBook