Three 6 Mafia may not have hit world domination with this set – but the record is a landmark in the growth of southern hip hop at the end of the 90s, and is a downright classic from the Memphis group! In some ways, the record takes off a bit from Texas sounds of a few years before – even some of the Geto Boys sense of terror mixed with paranoia – that undercurrent of personal struggle that can often redeem records like this, and take them past just thuggish cliches. Titles include "Prophet Posse", "Spill My Blood", "Tear Da Club Up 97", "Bodyparts 2", and "Weed Is Got Me High". LP, Vinyl record album

A Japanese disc guide, but one with a really great focus – a look at the revival of indie labels in the world of hip hop in the 90s – after surprising domination of the style by the bigger record companies by the end of the previous decade! The book traces records through the 90s to the present – looking at key releases from smaller labels in important scenes around the country, and sometimes around the globe – really genre-shifting records that changed the vibe of hip hop strongly, and which now stand as modern classics in the field. As with other Japanese disc guides, the book has multiple listings per page – with artist, title, label, and date in English, and a short review in Japanese, along with a full color replica of the album cover. And if you can't read Japanese, Google Translate has gotten very good on your phone – so you can read the Japanese text via your camera with that program. The book has hundreds of listings, is over 200 pages, and is full color throughout. Book