Music from Public Enemy, Eric B & Rakim, De La Soul, Gangstarr, Notorious BIG, Showbiz & AG, Black Sheep, Organised Konfusion, Main Source, Above The Law & more. CD
The record that really broke The Fugees out of the box – not their debut, but the album where everything really came together – especially the fantastic mix of vocals and MC work that Lauryn Hill brought to the group! The album was a key bridge between hip hop and soul back in the day ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Muggs' beats get a bit darker on this album, but are still sharp enough to cut through even the thickest clouds of smoke. 14 tracks in all, including "I Wanna Get High", "I Ain't Goin' Out Like That", "Insane In The Brain", "When The Sh** Goes Down", "Hi ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
A masterpiece from prime era Tribe Called Quest! Midnight Maurauders was Tribe's third LP, and even though there were no tracks yet credited to the Ummah, this is pretty much the beginning of Tribe's transition to that sound – with the same mellow, laid back vibe as their best early material ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
The second single from the stellar BE LP! "Go" rocks along on a sample of the Linda Lewis jam "Old Smokey" – with an vamping appearance by the cut's producer Kanye West. 12-inch, Vinyl record
One of THE landmark hip hop albums – and the full length debut of great Tribe Called Quest! We hardly need to tell you about this classic – but it will always bear repeating. De La Soul might have kicked the door open on leftfield, anything goes artistry about a year or so earlier, ... read moreCD
Includes "Pitch In On A Party", "Quikker Said Than Dunn", "Speak On It", "Do Whutcha Want", "Quik's Groove V", "Roger's Groove","Did Y'All Feel Dat?" and "Change Da Game". LP, Vinyl record album
Additional vocals by Bilal & Jill Scott. 12-inch, Vinyl record
(Promo in a stickered sleeve.)
Various —
Daisy Age ... LP Ace (UK), Early 90s. New Copy 2LP Gatefold ...
$29.9936.99
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 ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
An instant party in a single package – a set that brings together a whole host of rare singles from back in the day – all work that's almost an equal blend of old school funk and early hip hop! The work here comes from the Spring label and related Posse imprint – a company who ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Some Of My Best Friends. . .finds Kid Koala at the most wildly busy, farthest reaching, and all around craziest we've ever heard from the kid. Although he shares characteristics with other well known turntable wizards like Prince Paul, Cut Chemist, Mix Master Mike and the other cats, we've always ... read moreCD
A full length collabo from Nas & Damien "Jr Gong" Marley – who've worked together in the past on a track or two – and overall it's a win that goes well beyond simple hip hop/dancehall fusion! The duo samples Mulatu, collaborate with K'Naan , Dennis Brown, Stephen Marley ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
11 different beats and a track of vocal stab for scratching, all produced by Simon Harris, so it has a very 80s feel to it. One of the original "DJ Tool" or battle records. Titles include "Dancefloor Justice", "Go Go Steaming & Cranking", "Rough Neck ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Tracks include"JOSE", "King Of NY" featuring Buju Banton, "My Lifestyle", "Fight Club" featuring MOP & Petey Pablo, "Murder Rap" featuring Armageddon, and a remix of "We Thuggin" that features R Kelly, Busta Rhymes, Noreaga, & Remy! ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Clean edited promo in a stickered sleeve.)
Gang Starr —
One Of The Best Yet ... LP Gang Starr Entertainment, 2019. Very Good+ 2LP Gatefold ...
Just Sold Out!
A new Gang Starr album nearly a decade after the Guru passed away, and a surprisingly strong one - One Of The Best Yet might not come really come close to genre redefining classics like Step In The Arena or Daily Operation, but it when it comes to careful assembled posthumous projects, this one ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
A legendary record from Show & AG – and one of the strongest full lengths of the early 90s from the DITC camp! Runaway Slave came about during the end of an era when major labels still seemed to be hungry for for dope underground MCs, so there's a gritty realness here, and on other great ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Scorpio reissue pressing. Cover has some light wear.)
With "Bar Code", "L-I-K-S", "Da Da Da Da", "Sickness" and "Another Round". 19 tracks in all, counting the interludes, with guest spots by Xzibit, Defari, Busta Rhymes, King Tee and Kurupt, plus a couple of beats by Rockwilder and the Neptunes in ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Clean edited promo in a Loud sleeve, with small hype sticker.)
A grimy bouncer from Pete Rock and Dead Prez! Pete Rock lays down some dirty piano loop, heavy drum funk on this track – with this terse, violin and string loop on the hook that kinda bumps this thing like the Psycho soundtrack has gone hip hop! Dead Prez leaves the revolutionary politicin' ... read more12-inch, Vinyl record
(Promo.)
AZ —
9 Lives ... LP Motown, 2001. Near Mint- 2LP ...
$7.99
Tracks include "Problems", "Everything's Everything", "At Night", "How Many Wanna" and "Quiet Money". LP, Vinyl record album
The bugged sci fi maestro MF Doom's mid 00s masterpiece – and a straight up tie with Madvilliany for the championship title of best Doom-related LP since his immortal debut! As you'd guess from the title, this album has a running theme with food, each title funnier than the last, but stays ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Back in print - on green & pink colored vinyl – with download!)
The first full length from MF Doom – a record that set the standard for underground hip hop to come! On this modern classic, Doom caps off the 90s with more jazzy soul in the beats, and some semblance of straightforward rhyme mastery from both Doom & his guests – taken to the outer ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Leon Michels has given us plenty of hip hop-inspired funk over the years, but this might be his first real hip hop project overall – a stunning set that mixes the live instrumentation of El Michels Affair with rhymes from Black Thought of The Roots – all at a level that might well set a ... (Deep Funk, Hip Hop)read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Thank God for Fat Joe, who keeps repping the birthplace of hip hop in an era when it seems like the freshness is mostly coming from elsewhere. The DITC crew member spits east coast street rhymes over beats definietly aimed to put him on the airwaves like "Lean Back" did, and if we have to ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
One of the toughest, leanest, tightest and most on point efforts from Freddie Gibbs to date when it came out – and still one of the best! Despite the dead on perfect homage to the Teddy Pendergrass's quiet storm soul classic Teddy with the cover art here, make no mistakes, the material is ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
With Amerie, Baby, Foxy Brown, and Nas on "Too Much For Me"; Fat Joe, Raekwon, and Scarface on "I Never Liked Ya Ass"; and E-A-Ski, Kam, and MC Ren on "Westside Driveby". 12-inch, Vinyl record
All hits and almost no misses – starting with "Oooh", easily the best single of the '00, featuring some nice quotes from classic hip hop tracks ranging from the Funky 4 + 1 to Mos Def, and some of Redman's best verses in a while. De La Soul basically started the whole skits-between- ... read moreCD
De La Soul —
Stakes Is High ... CD Tommy Boy/Chrysalis, 1996. New Copy ...
$16.9918.99
De La Soul take on the world of hip hop with a record that's very much at the top of their game – leaner in production than before, but at a level that also brings a bit more bite to their rhymes – a good thing too, as the group take on some of their contemporaries as they assess the ... read moreCD
An insanely wonderful record from De La Soul – a set that's sometimes eclipsed by its legendary precursors, but which would easily stand as the best record in the catalog by any other group! Prince Paul's production is impeccable – leaner than before, likely due to new restrictions on ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
KMD —
Black Bastards ... LP Metal Face/Rhymesayers, 1994. New Copy 2LP (reissue)...
$23.9929.99
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 moreLP, Vinyl record album
The mindblowing debut of De La Soul – a set that's inarguably one of the most important records in hip hop history – overflowing with playful, endearingly oddball trio rhymes and Prince Paul production at it's most sprawlingly sampled and creative! The set has classic songs that stand ... read moreCD
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 ... read moreCD
A late 90s classic from the Beastie Boys, done with that great mix of really rich production that they seemed to discover on the west coast – while still able to serve up all the youthful energy when they burst into the world frm the New York scene! The album has a space of a few years ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
How 50 Cent manages to stand out as such a genuinely exciting MC is in such a crowded field of street hip hop around the time this breakthrough came out is as mysterious as it is beside the point. Dr. Dre's love for that minimalist ghetto synth orchestra sound is in full depth here – this is ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
J Cole —
KOD ... LP Dreamville/Roc Nation, 2018. Near Mint- Gatefold ...
$24.99
... LP, Vinyl record album
(Black vinyl pressing.)
Nipsey Hussle —
Victory Lap ... LP Atlantic, 2018/2021. Near Mint- 2LP Gatefold ...
$24.99
A crossover classic from the late Nipsey Hussle – the kind of record that should have marked the beginning of a big new wave of fame, had he not been taken from us all too soon! There's a nicely crispy vibe here – both in the compact production, which never sounds too stripped-down, ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Includes the printed inner sleeves. Cover is bent a bit at the bottom right corner.)
Their first single, probably still our favorite Smif-N-Wessun track with amazing mellow production by the Beatminerz that fits perfectly with the understated hardcore vocals. 12-inch, Vinyl record
One of our favorite of the later Fondle 'Em releases. As you might guess from the title, "A Luv Supreme" makes good, mellow, use of Coltrane's "A Love Supreme", turning a classic jazz track, that no one would ever take for a breakbeat track, into mellow hip hop. 12-inch, Vinyl record
Freeway drives into the mainstream repping the Roc stable. The guests spots are plentiful – Jay Z, Beanie Sigel, Snoop, Nelly, Nate Dogg, Faith Evans, Sparks, and others. Tracks include "Free", "What We Do", "Don't Cross The Line", "Turn Out The ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Promo in a plain sleeve, appears to have been signed by the group!)
People Under The Stairs —
OST ... LP Om Records, 2002. New Copy 2LP (reissue)...
$26.9929.99
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 ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Remastered from the archives, hand-cut, and with new liner notes and printed sleeves!)
RTJ come on with the force of a hurricane on the very first track – and don't let up throughout the course of this completely sharp 4th LP – a record that may owe plenty to the spirit of 2020, even if just as an antidote to what ails us! EL P and Killer Mike sound more urgent than ever ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Indie exclusive neon magenta vinyl pressing.)
Nas —
Stillmatic ... LP Columbia, 2002. New Copy 2LP Gatefold (reissue)...
$28.9929.98
Nas's sorta comeback record from the dawn of the millennium– a strong one at the time that still stands strong today! Stillmatic was a welcome change of pace after some not so great work in the later 90 – with the return-to-form rally cry "One Mic" setting the pace – ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
A fantastic set from the late 80s – one of the first records to really herald the new generation to come with De La Soul and Tribe Called Quest – served up by Native Tongues partners The Jungle Brothers! While this set never got the major label push that debuts by the other groups ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(2LP colored vinyl pressing.)
Nas —
Illmatic ... LP Columbia/Get On Down, 1994. New Copy (reissue)...
Just Sold Out!
Nas' debut LP masterpiece Illmatic – a record that will probably stand forever as one of the greatest hip hop full lengths of its time! Nas has had some creative ups-and-downs over the years, but nothing can take away the impact of this damn near perfect slice of east coast street hop – ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Hip hop's reigning kings of longevity The Roots deliver another great album with Undun – we'd have to think it's entirely uncompromising and they're doing exactly what they want to do on this one – so if you thought their day (eh, latenight) job would would bring their album work into ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Paid In Full, indeed! Eric B & Rakim's seminal debut 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 the nascent school, we can't even come up with the words for the praise it's due. ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(2LP pressing for better sound!)
Run-DMC —
Raising Hell ... LP Profile/Get On Down, 1986. New Copy (reissue)...
$22.9926.99
The massive third album from Run DMC – made at the top of their game – an pivotal effort that brought them to peak popularity and helped break hip hop in a huge way in the pop culture landscape! Part of the album's strength is its guitar-heavy sound on some of the grooves – ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Essential work from Pete Rock & CL Smooth – a set that may well even top their tremendous debut, even if it was a bit slept-on at the time! The sound here is perfect all the way through – Pete's blend of classic samples and contemporary crispness, and CL Smooth's ability to serve ... read moreLP, 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, chainging the way we looked at hip hop, and ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Jurassic 5 —
Quality Control ... LP Up Above/Get On Down, 2000. New Copy 2LP Gatefold (reissue)...
$25.9928.99
The album that catapulted Jurassic 5 from the underground! Quality Control is one of the great hip hop albums, a record that's filled with great tracks, yet flows along as the ultimate headphones experience. The rhymes by Zaakir, Chali 2na, Akil, and Marc 7even are top notch in group dynamics and ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
The restlessly inventive Madlib beats and production for Pinata, the excellent duo project with MC Freddie Gibbs! If you'll forgive us a little bit of repetition – because we KNOW we've written this before – there's just something extra riveting about Madlib's production work for ... read moreLP, 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 ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Chef Raekwon cooks up one of finest hip hop albums in history – a standout moment in the Wu Tang canon and the 90s in general! Given Ghostface's presence throughout, the prime RZA production and other top shelf guests, you could almost call this one a Wu Tang Clan album, if not for Raekwon's ... read moreLP, Vinyl record album
(Remastered 2LP Get On Down on translucent purple vinyl – with liner notes by Raekwon and Brian Coleman.)
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 moreLP, Vinyl record album