Interscope, 2015. New Copy 2LP Gatefold
Kendrick Lamar takes wider creative left turns than ever before on To Pimp A Butterfly – with a funk steeped production style that filters tried-and-true P Funk influences through leftfield modern beatcraft styles, inspired by cats like Madlib to Thundercat, the latter of whom is an official ...
Jive, 2016. New Copy 2LP
A hell of a comeback for Tribe Called Quest – maybe one of the best musical comebacks ever, and a fantastic reminder of why we loved the group so much in the first place! 18 years have passed since we last heard from the trio (now, sadly, a duo) – and that time only seems to have ...
Hypocritcal Beatdown (UK), 2022. New Copy
A heady little project that's a great showcase for the sonic trickery of Andy Votel – an artist known both for his copious knowledge of rare records, and his talents in the studio – both of which come into play here! With Votel on the mix, you'll definitely hear plenty of unusual ...
Bang Ya Head Entertainment, 2022. New Copy
A set that's in the best sort of head-nodding style you'd expect from the trio of LMNO, MED, and Declaime – lots of fat, full elements in the beats, but a lean sort of approach overall – which really lets the lyrical interplay take off in a great way! Madlib produced, and the unity of ...
Madlib Invazion, 2020. New Copy (reissue)
Streetwise raps from Freddie Gibbs, backed by inventive production from Madlib – here on one of the best records yet on 'Lib's own Madlib Invazion imprint! If you'll forgive us a little bit of repetition – because we KNOW we've written this before – there's just something extra ...
E One, 2006. New Copy 2LP Gatefold (reissue)
(First time on vinyl!)
Select, 1988. New Copy (reissue)
Maybe not the hypest record of the 80s, but a set that's pretty darn great overall – and which really helped find a way to reintroduce the vibe of the early street party scene back into the feel of hip hop on wax! Kid and Play aren't out to change the world with their politics or set a new ...
TruSoul, Early 90s/2019. New Copy
Pete Rock returns to the 1200, and the crispy, vinyl-heavy approach that's always made his music so great – but which also seems recently reborn with a new sense of commitment on records like this! There's lyrics on the set, but mostly those that are sampled from other records, bubbling in ...
Anti, 2022. New Copy
Moor Mother's an artist who just keeps on getting more and more interesting with each new release – definitely in a genre that's completely her own – one that lives up to the spirit of west coast underground pioneers in recent decades – and, as with those artists, seemingly finds ...
Stones Throw, 2022. New Copy
Not just a wonderful letter, but a love letter to Los Angeles – served up here in a style that maybe makes for one of the most evocative creations we've ever heard from J Rocc! There's a richness here that comes through on the very first track – almost an imagined LA from the past, at ...
600 Block, 2022. New Copy
A nicely laidback album from Pugs Atomz – not at a level that feels lazy or thrown together at all – but which befits the confidence that Pugs can bring to his music after so many years – all with a quality that makes the whole thing seem as effortless as it is well-grounded! ...
Loud/RCA, 1993. New Copy (reissue)
The classic first LP with Method Man, Ghost Face Killer, Raekwon, Ol' Dirty Bastard, and The Genius. The start of a generation, and of the hip hop enterprise that overshadowed a lot of the mid 90s! 12 tracks, including "Can It All Be So Simple", "Method Man", "Da Mystery ...
Island, 2011. New Copy Gatefold
(Limited edition green vinyl pressing!)
SRFSCHL, 2021. New Copy
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 ...
Delicious Vinyl/Craft, 1989. New Copy (reissue)
The crossover rap classic from Tone-Loc! Temporary pop phenom this is not – the biggest couple of hits are still ubiquitous decades later – and Loc himself, with that raspy voice and smooth charisma, still stands as one of more unique voices of late 80s hip hop. On top of those ...
B-Boy/Traffic, 1988. New Copy
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 ...
Top Dawg Ent./Interscope, 2022. New Copy 2LP
Kendrick Lamarr waited quite a long time to give the world a follow-up to his classic DAMN – and for good reason too, as the rapper's been on a long personal journey that's documented strongly on the record! The Kendrick heard here is much more introspective than before – and that's ...
Aftermath, 2012. New Copy 2 LP Gatefold
The second album from Kendrick Lamar, and the one that really helped bring his talents to the rest of the world – and maybe mark a whole new generation of hip hop in the process! At some level, Lamar is in the same territory as many of the south Cali rappers before him – with tales of ...
People Under The Stairs
OST
Om Records, 2002. New Copy 2LP (reissue)
A stone classic from People Under The Stairs – a record that not only stands as some of their strongest work on wax, but which undeniably helped a lot of the west coast find a way forward after too many years stuck in the shadow of thuggish posturing! The set bristles with the kind of ...
Grand Royal, 1995. New Copy (reissue)
Be warned – this might not be the Beastie Boys you know and love, because this special set has the trio returning to their punk rock roots – getting some help from Awol, and blasting through tracks that are as loud and fast as the work on their early Polly Wog Stew EP! In fact, the ...
Aftermath, 2012. New Copy 2LP Gatefold (reissue)
The second album from Kendrick Lamar, and the one that really helped bring his talents to the rest of the world – and maybe mark a whole new generation of hip hop in the process! At some level, Lamar is in the same territory as many of the south Cali rappers before him – with tales of ...
Def Jam, 2022. New Copy
Pusha T is back in the sort of strong territory that marked his music with Clipse back in the day – mean production that's handled by Pharrell on most of the album's tracks – who himself is maybe out to prove that he's still got a lot of bite left in his music as well! Lyrically, the ...
Mass Appeal, 2017. New Copy 2LP Gatefold (reissue)
A vital third act in the thankfully ongoing RTJ saga! The first album was unsurprisingly excellent, but surprisingly popular. The second album not only turned out to be a bigger hit, it was also a creative peak for both El-P and Killer Mike – which is really saying something. So the stakes ...
Metal Face/Nature Sounds, 2004. New Copy 2LP
A baker's dozen doses of special herbs from the Metal Fingers kitchen! You get all the dank goodness you could hope for here from the hands of the artist formerly known as Zev Love X, to keep things nice and spicy for maximum flavor satisfaction – prime timeless beats from the earlier days ...
BMG, 2022. New Copy
The long hinted at full duo effort from Danger Mouse & Black Thought – which despite the title arrives with no shortcuts taken by either party – they got to the highest level after decades of grinding and stellar play! Danger Mouse hasn't produced a straight-up, classic-schooled ...
Hiero Imperium, 1990s. New Copy (reissue)
Ahh, the 90s and early 00's greatness of Oakland's finest hip hop collective! This set spans the best indie era singles from the longstanding Hiero Imperium – and this volume includes "Souls Of Mischief" by Souls Of Mischief, "It Gets No Better" by Casual & Pep Love, ...
Operation Unknown, 2007. New Copy
Uncut, full version Jay Love Japan – one of the best of the early posthumous Dilla releases – originally slated exclusively for the Japanese market! This is Dilla in a mostly uptempo vibe, with soulful strings and vocal samples and blunt, snapping beats. There are a couple vocal ...
Wreck/P-Vine (Japan), 1995. New Copy 2LP (reissue)
Essential 90s material from Smif N Wessun – one of those key records that was not only great in and of itself, but also as part of a larger tapestry of top shelf talents finally getting to shine in the spotlight! Previously, Smif N Wessun had shown up on Black Moon's first album – and ...
Vintage Vibez, Late 80s/1990s/2000s. New Copy 2LP (reissue)
A killer compilation of rare Dilla instrumentals that hones in on his electronic-influenced side! It's the first time his archives have been mined with this sharp of a focus – but Dilla being the diverse cat that he was, it's STILL got a incredible stylistic sprawl! The beats are head nodding ...
Jive, 1991. New Copy 2LP (reissue)
The second album from the immortal Tribe Called Quest – one of the absolute essential hip hop LPs, and a record that should be an anyone's shortlist of the best albums in several subsections of hip hop – just a straight up masterpiece anyway you cut it. The album is so high up on the ...