Hip Hop — Recently Added

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 ... CD

A collection of female rappers on the B-Boy label – with L.A. Star, Sparky Dee and Five Star Moet, with 2 tracks produced by BDP and Ced Gee. Remaining tracks produced by Keyboard Money Mike. 10 tracks on the original album – including Sparky Dee's "Throw Down" and "Spar ... CD

The Tuff Crew burst out of the Philly scene with this overlooked gem from the end of the 80s – an album that may not be top of the history books, but which still has all the raw creative energy of those great indie years before the first big assault on hip hop by the major labels! The ... CD

An underground Philly hip hop classic – and a set that's got the same raw edge as the best early work by Schooly D! The Tuff Crew work here with the Krown Rulers – in the kind of record that almost feels like the kind of late nite, party-heavy vibe that made east coast hip hop radio so ... CD

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 ... CD

A fantastic collection of work from a real golden age in hip hop – a period that you'll probably guess from the image of the Native Tongues posse on the front – served up here in a compilation that brings together classics from De La Soul, The Jungle Brothers, Monie Love, and many ... LP, Vinyl record album

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 ... LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic collection of work from a real golden age in hip hop – a period that you'll probably guess from the image of the Native Tongues posse on the front – served up here in a compilation that brings together classics from De La Soul, The Jungle Brothers, Monie Love, and many ... CD

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 ... LP, Vinyl record album

Janeiro Jarel and MF Doom – united as JJ Doom – and it's one of the fresher late Doom projects! As unique as MF Doom is on the production tip, we gotta say we dig his joint efforts more when he's on the rhymes and another producer is behind the beats. Of course, the reason is that ... LP, Vinyl record album

The mid 90s instant classic! Outkast's debut set hem up as one of the most distinctive hip hop duos ever, right out of the gate, but it also helped to established the freewheeling, funky dirty south sound, thanks to genius Organized Noize production! The Outkast sound would get bigger and more ... LP, Vinyl record album

A sharp, sprawling mixtape styled set from the dearly departed Sean Price – who cemented his legend as one of the mighty Boot Camp Click and as half of the Heltah Skeltah duo back in the 90s, before becoming a masterful solo presence and defining voice of the 2000s underground. Price passed ... LP, Vinyl record album

Benchmark west coast gangsta – and one of the hardest hitting albums of the era in any genre! We're not gonna lie, we played this record to death when it came out – and it still holds up better than most of the material put out by former NWA's, and most of the West Coast sound-alikes ... LP, Vinyl record album

Maybe just an EP, but a short set that's every bit as important to the Digital Underground catalog as their full length albums – as the whole thing is overflowing with the kind of funky tracks that made these guys a standout right from the start! The set's only got six tracks, but that maybe ... LP, Vinyl record album

Paid In Full, indeed. Eric B & Rakim's seminal album still pays off in so many ways, and it was such a vital link between the party rockin' style of the old school and the terse, hard-hitting beats and rhymes of what was then the new school, we can't even come up with the words for the praise ... CD

2Pac may have left the planet in 1996, but his music kept on coming strong – thanks to the release of a set like this – which brought together all sorts of unissued material the rapper had left behind in the vaults – most of it recorded during his Makaveli period! Tracks include ... LP, Vinyl record album

The classic critical breakthrough from The Roots – the one that really cemented their legacy as one great hip hop live bands ever, and help paving the way for many fascinating records to come! Do You Want More is a modern hip hop essential, changing the way we looked at hip hop, and ... LP, Vinyl record album

Declaime sounds incredibly fresh here – maybe thanks in part to help from a host of classic and contemporary guests – who seem to gather round the MC with a wonderfully collaborative spirit! Production is by Dudley Perkins, Steve Spacek, Georgia Anne Muldrow, Braxton Cook, and Josef ... LP, Vinyl record album

Cypress Hill's debut masterpiece – one of the biggest and best first albums in 90s hip hop – in cased here in skull for its 25th Anniversary! 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 ... CD

A pretty fantastic chapter in the career of one of the most unique MCs to emerge in recent years – the Ukraine-born Your Old Droog, spinning out tracks here that echo the struggles of his youth as an immigrant in Brooklyn! The set's got a very freewheeling vocal style – the quick-spun ... LP, Vinyl record album

Still the Hot-lanta duo's high water mark – and yes, we did love Stankonia. Relentless hype, Grammys, and the Village Voice be damned! Tracks include "Rosa Parks", "Skew It On The Bar-B" featuring Raekwon, "Aquemini", "Synthesizer" featuring George ... LP, Vinyl record album

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 ... LP, Vinyl record album

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 – ... LP, Vinyl record album

Unreleased tracks from the recordings for Saafir's Boxcar Sessions debut, plus rare early cuts from the vaults – all brought together here as a full length set that offers up a great prequel to his solo career! The cuts here are from a time when the Bay Area MC was coming off of ... LP, Vinyl record album

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 ... LP, Vinyl record album

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Seattle rapper Da Qween looks relaxed and regal on the cover – but the sound of the set has a taught intensity that comes through right away – fast rhymes, crispy beats, and a sense of urgency that holds on all the way through! There's a few sung vocal moments that get nice and mellow ... LP, 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 ... LP, Vinyl record album

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 ... LP, Vinyl record album

A fantastic debut from Digital Underground – an early 90s classic that opened the door for a whole new audience for hip hop at the time! The set effortlessly mixes old school funk with contemporary hip hop modes – and also maybe brings back in a bit of the party sort of vibe of early ... LP, Vinyl record album