A second great collaboration between Masta Ace and Marco Polo – the latter of whom really seems to bring a new sort of open, honest quality to the proceedings – at a level that helps Masta Ace get there as well! There's this down to earth quality to the proceedings that's totally great – and the record thematically follows some of Marco Polo's experience growing up in Richmond Hill outside of Toronto, while tying things to more contemporary issues as well. The album features lots of guest work – from Blu, Inspectah Deck, Stricklin Wordsworth, and others – on titles that include "Hero", "Life Music", "Brooklyn Heights", "Below The Clouds", "Heat Of The Moment", and "Jordan Theory". LP, Vinyl record album

There's nothing disposable about this classic album – as the set is one of the greatest comebacks in hip hop, and the start of a fantastic second run for Masta Ace! It's almost as if the MC has a whole new sense of mature majesty – one that really comes through on the classic "Acknowledge", and which holds strong in the company of guests who include Jane Doe, King T, Apocalypse, Strick, Jean Grae, Greg Nice, Rah Digga, and others whose presence only serves to remind us who the leader is! Ace delivers some amazing self-reflection on "Dear Diary" – rhyming about the ups and downs of his career in hip hop with brutal honesty – and other cuts include "Too Long", "Don't Understand", "Hold U", "Enuff" "Last Rights", "Block Episode", "Unfriendly Game", "I Like Dat", "PTA", "No Regrets", and "Something's Wrong". LP, Vinyl record album

A great little album from Masta Ace – part of his early-millennium comeback moment! Ace caught us off guard with his damn strong Disposable Arts LP – which immediately went on our short list of all time best hip hop comeback LPs, along with Slick Rick's Art Of Storytelling – and he mines some of the same lyrical territory on this album – with some straight up, no BS storytelling in which he contemplates his status as one of hip hop's true pioneers, a near legend in his own medium who nevertheless has to deal with day jobs and bills! There's also some more common street hop stuff, but Ace that pretty deftly – on titles that include "Big City", "Good Ol' Love", "Da Grind", "Beautiful", "Soda & Soap", "The Ways", "Wutuwankno", "Oh My God", and "Revelations". LP, Vinyl record album

A second great collaboration between Masta Ace and Marco Polo – the latter of whom really seems to bring a new sort of open, honest quality to the proceedings – at a level that helps Masta Ace get there as well! There's this down to earth quality to the proceedings that's totally great – and the record thematically follows some of Marco Polo's experience growing up in Richmond Hill outside of Toronto, while tying things to more contemporary issues as well. The album features lots of guest work – from Blu, Inspectah Deck, Stricklin Wordsworth, and others – on titles that include "Hero", "Life Music", "Brooklyn Heights", "Below The Clouds", "Heat Of The Moment", and "Jordan Theory". CD

... 12-inch, Vinyl record

Produced by J-Love. 12-inch, Vinyl record

Masta Ace does his inimitable, classic era-schooled, longtime mic master thing in peak form over beats by MF Doom! Coming out at time when Masta Ace was hungry to cement his legacy – as if he had and anything to prove – and Doom was a steady figure in underground hip hop, especially on the production side – it stands up strong alongside some of the better work by either figure. It also includes vocal cameo by Doom along the legendary Big Daddy Kane – plus appearances by Reggie B and Pav Bundy. 15 tracks on the 2LPs including "Son Of Yvonne", "Me And My Gang", "Fresh Fest" feat Reggie B, "Thing I Am" with Big Daddy Kane & MF Doom, "I Did It", "Dedication", "Da' Pro", "Slow Down", "Crush Hour feat Pav Bundy, "Store Frontin'" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

A well-done duo set from Masta Ace & Edo G – nice and lean, and served up with a sound that really recalls the decade from which they rose! The production has all these great little twists and turns – straightforward beats mixed with cool use of electronics, odd samples, and other bits that are never overdone – really just the right sort of flavoring to enhance the album's strong focus on the lyrical skills of the leaders – plus guests who include Large Professor, KRS-One, and Posdnuos! Titles include "TV Night", "Hands High", "Fans", "Rocsi". "Reminds Me", "Good Music", "Pass The Mic", "Hot Wangs", "Dancing Like A WG", and "Here I Go". LP, Vinyl record album

A pivotal album from the early 90s – one that not only furthered the rebirth of live funk instrumentation at a time when ditigal elements dominated the scene – but also really opened up that mode to a whole new generation of hip hop as well! At a time when the music was all about the samples and beats, Brand New Heavies took it back to the generation before – and provided live instrumentation for a host of fantastic talents – a legendary lineup that includes performances from Main Source, The Pharcyde, Black Sheep, Kool G Rap, Gang Starr, and Masta Ace – all young and at the top of their game, with a quality level that alone would make the album great – then really sends it over the top when paired with the instrumentation! The whole thing's amazing – still maybe yet to be topped in such a style – and titles include "Who Makes The Loot", "It's Getting Hectic", "Wake Me When I'm Dead", "Soul Flower", and "Bonafide Funk". CD

A pivotal album from the early 90s – one that not only furthered the rebirth of live funk instrumentation at a time when ditigal elements dominated the scene – but also really opened up that mode to a whole new generation of hip hop as well! At a time when the music was all about the samples and beats, Brand New Heavies took it back to the generation before – and provided live instrumentation for a host of fantastic talents – a legendary lineup that includes performances from Main Source, The Pharcyde, Black Sheep, Kool G Rap, Gang Starr, and Masta Ace – all young and at the top of their game, with a quality level that alone would make the album great – then really sends it over the top when paired with the instrumentation! The whole thing's amazing – still maybe yet to be topped in such a style – and titles include "Who Makes The Loot", "It's Getting Hectic", "Wake Me When I'm Dead", "Soul Flower", and "Bonafide Funk". LP, Vinyl record album

The classic track from the Spike Lee's "Crooklyn" finally back on vinyl. What more can you ask for – Masta Ace, Special Ed, and Buckshot all at the top of their skills and production from A Tribe Called Quest. 12-inch, Vinyl record

Masta Killa's solo debut – keeping the Wu Tang flag flying with pride in the early 00s with all the cinematic soul resonance and maybe a just little bit more of a gritty underground edge! It includes appearances by nearly the whole clique, including Ghostface, Raekwon, RZA, Meth, Deck, U-God and GZA is certainly one of the finer post-millennium Wu Tang solo efforts. production by Mathematics, True Master and Dave West. 16 tracks in all including "Born Chamber", "Last Drink", "Grab The Mic", "Queen", "Secret Rivals", "Digi Warfare", "Silverbacks" & more. CD

Masta Killa's solo debut – keeping the Wu Tang flag flying with pride in the early 00s with all the cinematic soul resonance and maybe a just little bit more of a gritty underground edge! It includes appearances by nearly the whole clique, including Ghostface, Raekwon, RZA, Meth, Deck, U-God and GZA is certainly one of the finer post-millennium Wu Tang solo efforts. production by Mathematics, True Master and Dave West. 16 tracks in all including "Born Chamber", "Last Drink", "Grab The Mic", "Queen", "Secret Rivals", "Digi Warfare", "Silverbacks" & more. LP, Vinyl record album

Raekwon's third album, featuring appearances by Masta Killa, Inspectah Deck, Ghostface, Havoc, Capone, Sheek Louch and others. Tracks include "Pit Bull Fights", "King Of Kings", "Smith Bros.", "Robbery", "Planet Of The Apes", "Once Upon A Time", "Musketeers Of Pig Valley", "Ice Cream, Pt.2" and more. LP, Vinyl record album

Includes "Resurrection" with Masta Killa, "He Got Game", "Unstoppable" with KRS-One, "Is Your God A Dog", "House Of The Rising Son", "Politics Of The Sneaker Pimps", "Go Cat Go", "What You Need Is Jesus", "Game Face", and "Sudden Death". CD

A 90s album from the farther reaches of the Wu-Tang empire – a set that still shares some qualities with the core members' solo efforts, but which also maybe stands apart more in the tone of MC La The Darkman! The rapper ended up in Atlanta, and there's a quality here that maybe hints at that move in his music – harder and more street-styled than most of the Wu-related projects – trying to tell it like it is from the grass roots, but reveling in that experience as well. Production is by Havoc, Carlos Broady, Rza, 4th Disciple, and DJ Muggs – and guests include Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Masta Killa, Havoc, and DJ Rogers. Titles include "Lucci", "Shine", "City Lights", "What Thugs Do", "Heist Of The Century", "Fifth Disciple", "Spring Water", "Street Life", "Figaro Chain", "Polluted Wizdom", and "Wu-Blood Kin" LP, Vinyl record album

The busy fingers of the RZA, who's also been wrapping up his score for Quentino Tarantino's Kill Bill, took some time out to record this new full length. Thankfully, he dropped the Bobby Digital robot thing; this album is filled with the kinda scratchy soul beats we loved so much on his Ghost Dog instrumentals. Alas, these aren't instrumentals – but Wu alumni ODB, Ghostface, Masta Killa and others make appearances. 16 tracks including "Bob N' I", "The Grunge", "We Pop", "Grits", "Fast Cars", "Chi Kung", "You'll Never Know", "Drink, Smoke, & Fcuk", "Koto Chotan", "Cherry Range", "The Birth" and more. CD

The most straight up hip hop record from DJ Spinna in quite a while, and it's a tight one! The spacey soul beats Spinna works with get plenty of space to do their thing on Sonic Smash, but there's a tighter, funkier, grittier vibe, too – with some veteran MCs and upstarts on board – include Phonte of Little Brother, Elzhi of Slum Village and Jigmastas, plus Torae, John Robinson, Dynas and more! Titles include "Guaranteed" feat Phonte of Little Brother & Yahzarah, "More Colors" feat Elzhi from Slum Village, "Elemental" feat Sputnik Brown, "Lyrics Is Back" feat Torae, "Lights Out" feat John Robinson, "New York (Duck For Cover)" feat Jigmastas, "Call Me Senor" feat Senor Kaos, "Get On Down" feat Fresh Daily, Homeboy Sandman, & P Casso, "Making Your Way In The World" feat Breeze Brewin & J-Treds, "More" feat Dynas, CD