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 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.)
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 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
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
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
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
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
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 righteous continuation of the first revolution encouraged by Common in 2021 – and a set that takes all the message and spirit of the initial entry, and opens things up to an even more collaborative project – thanks to guest work from artists who include Seun Kuti, Black Thought, ... read moreCD
Common newcomers who buy Electric Circus for the single with Mary J Blige are going to be left with some head scratching – but if you like the spiritual/psychedelic Com that was hinted at on Like Water For Chocolate, this may be the follow up you were waiting for! This is still hip hop ... read moreCD
(Out of print.)
Crime Mob —
Crime Mob ... CD Crunk Incorporated/BME/Reprise, 2004. Used ...
$8.99
Curren$y & Harry Fraud —
Director's Cut ... CD SRFSCHL, 2021. New Copy ...
$14.9915.98
Hard to believe this is the fifth project together between Curren$y and Harry Fraud – and definitely a standalone project, despite what you might guess from the title! The album was originally supposed to be a deluxe take on Outrunners, but the duo are so quickly collaborative, they ended up ... read moreCD
Cypress Hill's debut masterpiece – one of the biggest and best first albums in 90s hip hop! There's little we can add to the canon when it comes to describing this album's impact, but it's still pretty revelatory. Like other west coast rap heavies of the time, Cypress Hill documents real ... read moreCD
There's no Czarmageddon here – as the album's hardly an end game, and instead seems to have Czarface rising up again with a new sort of power and pride! Inspectah Deck, 7L & Esoteric seem to really earn their superhero status here – coming on with a quality that almost makes the ... read moreCD
Czarface & MF Doom —
Super What? ... CD Silver Age, 2021. New Copy ...
$14.9915.99
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 ... read moreCD
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 it's one that we loved from day one and we're thrilled is getting some love all these years later! ... read moreCD
Del Tha Funkee Homosapien, Kid Koala, and Dan The Automator pool their skills for this dawn of the 2000s sci-fi hip hop classic – the masterful Deltron 3030! The guest list is almost too long to get into, but Money Mark, Prince Paul, PB Wolf and Mr. Lif are all here, along with many others. ... read moreCD
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, ... read moreCD
Lots and lots of guest spots. Tracks include "Work Of A Master", "The Backbone" featuring Planet Asia, Kardinal Offishial, Choclair, Shabaam Sahdeeq, & Ill Advised, "Debate?", "Communication", "Evolution" feat Evidence, "Any Station ... read moreCD
A pretty strong set of some of the more essential DJ Shadow – and one that smartly digs past the more obvious selections to include some great single edits, deeper mid- and later-era Shadow gems, one of the stronger Shadow-era UNKLE cuts and other leftfield choices! That said, there's some ... read moreCD
DMX —
Exodus ... CD Def Jam, 2021. New Copy ...
$7.9914.99
A posthumous album from the mighty DMX – mirroring his career in way, from rugged and raging street anthems to soulful confessions and pleas to family. Exodus is heavy on guests appearances – and under the circumstances that feels right and fitting, to give this legendary voice the ... read moreCD
Tracks include "The Wash", "On The Blvd", "Holla" featuring Busta Rhymes, "Gotta Get Dis Money" featuring Soopafly, and "Bad Intentions" featuring Dr Dre with Knoc-Turn'all! 17 tracks in all! CD
Genius from the mind of Kool Keith aka Big Willie Smith aka Poppa Large aka Dr. Octagon. Since his days with Ultramagnetics, no one has mastered the abstract lyrical style like Kool Keith, self-proclaimed inventor of all rhyme styles. 20 tracks, with dope atmospheric features by the Automator and ... read moreCD
Peven Everett & Upper Esh —
Star Studded ... CD Satelite Soundscape, 2003. Used ...
$4.99
A wicked blend of hip hop and underground soul from Peven Everett and Upper Esh – warm Peven-styled beats and keys underneath, and rhymes by Asian A and Pretty Toan over the top! If you dig Peven's self-produced albums, you'll find plenty in here to like – as a lot of the tracks have ... (Neo Soul, Hip Hop)read moreCD
The last album ever recorded by Gift Of Gab – a set recorded during his final years, which were full of health troubles – but music that definitely sparkles from the inspiration mentioned in the title! Gab's got that razor-sharp quality here that made him such a key part of ... read moreCD
(CD features the bonus EP Rejoice Rappers Are Rapping Again.)
Heavy soul from the Bay Area scene – a fantastic set of tracks from the enigmatic Goapele! Goapele's an underground singer with a really righteous feel – and she's not afraid to use some heavy beats and funk to send her message home. The set's got a really well integrated instrumental ... (Neo Soul, Hip Hop)read moreCD
(Out of print.)
I4NI —
Loyalty ... CD Thirteen Skulls, 2018. Used ...
$0.99
A hard-nosed, funky masterpiece from Ice Cube – who hooks up with Bomb Squad for the incredible production! When Ice Cube left NWA he took a lot of the more sobering lyrical aspects of that landmark crew with him, and with the addition of the Bomb Squad's cut & paste rhythms and ... read moreCD
Classic 6-song ep reminding us just how dope Ice Cube was in his heyday. About half the tracks feature classic Bomb Squad production, incing "Jackin' For Beats", the original, and still the best, track about stealing other MC's samples (featuring samples from LL, PE, EPMD, and more). ... read moreCD
(Out of print.)
Illa J —
Home ... CD Jakarta (Germany), 2017. Used ...
$7.99
Illa J stretches out creatively more than ever before – working with producer Calvin Valentine and delivering probably his strongest solo record to date! Illa J has long since proven his worth outside of the long shadow cast by his brother Dilla, but he's really come into his own now – ... read moreCD
Illa J titles this one to his real name, so of course you'd expect it be a creative reflection of the man himself, and it's not only that, it's the most uplifting and soulful sounding effort to date! Illa does a lot of singing on John Yancey, which along with the personal storytelling that roots ... read moreCD
A classic masterpiece from J Dilla – a record that set the tone for countless hip hop releases in years to come – but which still shows Jay Dee as one of the smartest, sharpest, most forward-thinking producers to rule the roost! The set's got some incredible live instrumentation – ... read moreCD
A classic masterpiece from J Dilla – a record that set the tone for countless hip hop releases in years to come – but which still shows Jay Dee as one of the smartest, sharpest, most forward-thinking producers to rule the roost! The set's got some incredible live instrumentation – ... read moreCD
Rocafella 10th anniversary edition! Includes "It's Alright", "Only A Customer", "Celebration", and "In My Lifetime Remix" by Jay-Z, "My N**** Hill Figga" by MOP, "Murdergram" by Murder INC, "Pimp This Love" and "Your ... read moreCD
(Out of print. BMG Direct pressing.)
Jazz Liberatorz —
Clin D'Oeil ... CD Kif/P-Vine (Japan), 2007. New Copy ...
$19.99
One of the hippest French albums we've heard in years – a laidback blend of hip hop and jazz that really lives up to the cover's homage to the legendary Black Jazz label! The Jazz Liberatorz have a great way with a groove – a style that's openly flowing and instrumentally jazzy – ... (New Grooves, Hip Hop)read moreCD
Johnson & Jonson (Blu & Mainframe) —
Powders & Oils ... CD Tres, 2008. Used ...
$13.99
Psychedelic hip hop from Blu & Mainframe, aka Johnson & Jonson – grainy funk rock strangeness in the beats, and fairly straight forward in the rhymes department – paired up into one of the most welcome surprises of late 08! It sounds like producer Mainstay has quite a love ... read moreCD
Original pressing of this legendary album by the third star in the Native Tongues trinity. Pre the first De La and Tribe LPs, and a hint of all the great stuff that was to comeyou know – jazzy beats, nice rhymes, straight butter all the way through. With "On the Run", "Straigh ... read moreCD
(Out of print original pressing. Please note this disc has some marks but plays fine.)
Just-Ice wasn't actually part of the old school – although to some, the 1986 release might seem pretty darn close – but he definitely does a good job here of keeping things nice and clean on his classic debut! Production is from Mantronik, but there's also a harder edge than most of ... read moreCD
The second post Mantronik set from the frequently slept on 80s rap genius Just-Ice – featuring production by none other than KRS-One – with a few righteous and ruthless tracks that stand up with the best from the earlier classic LPs! The rugged and raw KRS backdrop serves Just-Ice's ... read moreCD
A nicely done compilation of the some of the best of Just-Ice – culled from the legendary Fresh, Warlock and Sleeping Bag recordings – a solid entry point for hardcore hip hop pioneer if you don't already own those records! Includes some the most legendary Mantronix productions, the ... read moreCD
We loved the debut as much as the rest of the world did, but this one's an easier listen from beginning to end. The production is tight, the guests earn their spots, and the whole thing's furiously soulful. Much is being made of LA hipster/orch pop troubadour Jon Brion's co-production, but this ... read moreCD
Early 80s club genius from the Italian scene – a full length set by a studio project who managed to take the world with a wonderful mix of beats, basslines, and keyboard lines! There's also female vocals on most tracks – almost more of an afterthought at time – very different ... (Soul, Hip Hop)read moreCD
A legendary record from KMD – the group's second album, which was unissued at the time because their label had an issue with the now-famous cover image! The set is every bit as fantastic as their first – with some of that strong influence from jazz that marked their music as a real ... read moreCD
Krown Rulers —
Paper Chase ... CD Warlock/Traffic, 1988. New Copy ...
$6.9914.98
A great solo set from the Krown Rulers – a New Jersey crew, but one who worked often with Philly's Tuff Crew – as evidenced by the album's production help from Dave of that group! The cover art might look a bit gimmicky, but the set's nice and raw – bursting with beats and stark ... read moreCD
The first KRS solo LP – breaking out of the formula of later Boogie Down Production a bit by collaborating with rising talent underground favorite producers like DJ Premier, Showbiz and Kid Capri in addition to his own solid production work – and ends up standing as strong as he ever ... read moreCD
Includes "Lost Ones", "Ex-Factor", "To Zion", "Doo Wop", "Superstar", "Final Hour", "When It Hurts So Bad", "I Used To Love Him", "Forgive Them Father", "Every Ghetto, Every City", "Nothing Even ... read moreCD
Titles include "Summer Time", "Games", "Me & My Crazy World", "So Love", "Get Your Hustle On", and more. CD
(Out of print.)
Madlib/Kieran Hebden —
Sound Ancestors ... CD Madlib Invazion, 2021. New Copy ...
$12.9915.98
A hell of a collaboration – core sounds by Madlib, which are then re-arranged by Kieran Hebden – at a level that seems to open up new dimensions in both artists! The sound is definitely Madlib's, but there's also a sense of majesty that seems to flow through the whole thing – ... read moreCD
Low Budget Hi Fi Music from Madlib – the eleventh entry in his epic Madlib's Medicine Show series – 28 tracks of hip hop unofficially dubbed the Dirty Demos! The set feature sample enriched instrumentals by Madlib as Loop Digga and collaborations with Strong Arm Steady, J Rocc, Madlib ... read moreCD
With the initial King's Disease album, there was no doubt that Nas was firmly back on top – yet he somehow seems to have raised the bar even further here – working with sharp production from Hit Boy, at a level that really cuts to the core of the tunes, and delivers the kind of urgent, ... read moreCD
Hip hop for the Gainsbourg fan? This Handsome Boy Modeling School spin off has Nathaniel Merriweather, aka Dan The Automator, working in his smoothest, sexiest, loungiest mode ever! Like Handsome Boy, Lovage is packed to the rafters with mysterious guest appearances, including the turntable and ... read moreCD
(2CD version includes the instrumentals! RSD Essentials pressing. Quantities pressed on demand and strictly limited!)
Biggie's masterpiece! There's very little we could possibly say about this east coast landmark that isn't already etched in stone in the annals of hip hop history. Biggie's a master storyteller, whether he's spinning tales of violent street nihilism, his skills beneath the sheets, or blistering ... read moreCD
The NWA legacy is a mighty one – and was one of the biggest influences on west coast hip hop for many years – especially during the earlier half of this set! The 2CD set features not only work recorded under the NWA name, but also solo work by Dr Dre, Ice Cub, Eazy E, and other side ... read moreCD
Pick any 10 words out of any Outkast album description on our pages at random, and you'll see how dearly we've loved these boys throughout the years – but truth be told, deep down we didn't think that they would be able to pull off the double album/solo album project(s). We were seriously ... read moreCD
(Cover art varies slightly, as slipcover is not included.)
A strong return to the mic from the one-and-only Pharoahe Monch – his unbelievably long-awaited follow up to the amazing Internal Affairs – and one of the best major label hip hop LPs of the first half of '07! Pharoahe's nearly decade long absense from the mainstream seems to have ... read moreCD
The classic debut of Poor Righteous Teachers – a creative benchmark for the Five Percenter movement – and one best records to come from the dawn of the 90s hip hop scene! Tight group rap of the highest dawn of caliber – with a distinct approach, courtesy of leader and lyricist ... read moreCD
The only LP from this First Priority family member who released a couple of nice tracks as singles on the label, especially his duets with MC Lyte. This major label album somehow managed to get lost, though it's one of our favorites from the early 90s, with stripped down funky beats and a tight ... read moreCD