Hip Hop 251 Items

Much about ‘Beat Bop’ is shrouded in mystery. Who really produced it? Why was Jean-Michel Basquiat relegated from rapper on the track to drawing the cover and labels? What are they actually rapping about for most of the ten-minute length? These questions, however, are all part of the enigma and rich legend surrounding a song that is an undisputed piece of true hip-hop genius. The combination of graffiti artist Rammellzee and rapper K-Rob is a potent one, with each MC adopting a persona - hustler and B-Boy respectively - that they maintain against an unusual swirling backdrop that must be one of the best instrumentals ever committed to wax. The original Tartown Record pressing was limited to 500 copies, a mere test pressing in the eyes of the assembled artists, with scarcity further driven by Basquiat’s rising rep in the art world. Those few hundred copies – and a subsequent re-release on Profile Records (the same label where K-Rob played out the rest of his brief career) – punched well above their weight in terms of lasting influence. Consider the early vocal tones of the Beastie Boys (who also sampled the track), or the huge part it played in the sound of Cypress Hill and B-Real. His voice is almost homage to Rammellzee’s on ‘Beat Bop’, while they also lifted the chorus of ‘Shoot ‘Em Up’ and even a sample of ‘Cypress Hill’ from the track too. It’s unsurprising – this is a multi-layered, complex song that reveals a little more of itself each time you play it but remains damn funky. This reissue boasts the vocal and instrumental versions in full, as well as both the full cover and label artwork from the original Tartown Release.

Iconic soundtrack for an iconic film

In listing the greatest albums in hip-hop history, one title never seems to stray from the upper echelons, no matter how many years pass: Boogie Down Productions’ undisputed classic from 1986, Criminal Minded. Released amidst a battle between BDP and MC Shan that would redefine the New York rap landscape as it was then known, the album, which features the songs “South Bronx,” “Criminal Minded” and “The Bridge is Over,” captures the excitement, urgency and raw power that embodies hip-hop culture as we know it, with KRS-One’s aggressive yet intelligent lyricism backed by Scott La Rock’s hard-hitting, stripped-down beats. A true classic, Criminal Minded has been recognized by Vibe Magazine, The Source and Rolling Stone as one of the most important albums of all time. Traffic Entertainment Group and B-Boy Records are proud to present Criminal Minded, presented in a double-LP pressing.

Endlessly sampled, covered, quoted and requoted, this may well be one of the most influential hip-hop singles ever released. But, in many ways, its importance goes beyond its sheer classic status as a single in its own right. In retrospect, it shows the duo of Erick Sermon and Parrish Smith as pioneers in production, creating a funk-based sound that helped to provide a blueprint for artists on the other side of the country. In 1987/88, most West Coast rap still adhered to an East Coast audio blueprint. By 1989, they were leaning as heavily on Zapp and Roger Troutman samples as Epmd were on this single. The foundations of the track are interesting, with a snatch of Juice’s much-plundered ‘Catch a Groove’ (which has popped up everywhere from The Beastie Boys to Kings of Pressure) overlaid with big chunks of Kool & The Gang’s ‘Jungle Boogie’ and Zapp’s irrepressible ‘More Bounce to the Ounce’. Vocodered funk was a rarity in New York hip-hop until this song, but it’s the West Coast G-Funk artists who really ran with it. Its popularity spanned the country (and the globe, to be fair), with Epmd performing numerous shows in California on the basis of the sound, moving away from their James Brown-obsessed peers to display their own musical tastes. That said, the flipside – here presented on 7” and, indeed, on any single, for the first time – takes it back to that JB-era. ‘(It’s Not the Express), It’s the JB’s Monaurail by The JB’s is woven with Otis Redding and Beastie Boys to create a mid-tempo headnodder par excellence. It was always too good not to be a single.

With the original UK 7” of this release now as rare as hen’s teeth, and with the group having recently ‘reformed’ for one last album together, the Mr Bongo replica re-release of this 1990 masterpiece by Gang Starr couldn’t be more timely.
The now-legendary duo of DJ Premier and Guru dropped this at the height of hip-hop’s sampling of jazz, which had led to a creative leap forward for the genre. Yet while others plundered in the dark, this instant classic wore its influences on its sleeve and paid verbal homage to the musicians they were sampling. The “melodious funk” of “Thelonious Monk” gets namechecked, while the track samples two of his records, including 1958’s Bop gem ‘Light Blue’.
While both versions presented here have common elements, the ‘Movie Mix’ – so-named for the song’s appearance on the soundtrack to Spike Lee’s mythic jazz biopic ‘Mo’ Better Blues’ – goes in a few different directions to the ‘Video Mix’. Rather than just drop in an instrumental for the B-side, DJ Premier instead shows his versatility by switching up the base track (Kool & The Gang’s 1971 ‘Dujii’) and layering in other samples. In more ways than one, his virtuosity here echoes the improvisation of a jazz musician, akin to Denzel Washington’s Bleak in the movie.
Of course, he’s not the only show in town. The late Guru’s voice is as mellifluous as an instrument itself here, his potted history of the genre and the artists of jazz delivered with his own unmistakable cadence. Without this record, would he have gone on to make his ‘Jazzmatazz’ projects.

Official Mr Bongo Hip Hop Reissue. One thing hip-hop has never been great at – and certainly something for which it has zero reputation – is nuanced emotion. Enter Large Professor and ‘Looking at the Front Door’, the group’s first single on Wild Pitch Records and the lead out for their stunning ‘Breaking Atoms’ album. Wrapped around a loop from Donald Byrd’s Blue Note classic ‘Think Twice’, bolstered by the infectious chorus of ‘Chick A Boom’ by The Pazant Brothers and Beaufort Express, it’s a melancholy tale of love gone wrong. It was a brave choice of lead single in the 1990 hip-hop landscape, plucked from an album full of genuine head-nodders and standout tracks. It was also the right choice – a piece of production perfection laced with romantic honesty. The B-side also strikes a different tack, a tale of a brother who “doesn’t fight, his brain is his left and right.” Using a solid foundation of drums from Funkadelic’s ‘You’ll Like It Too’ (most famously used on Eric B & Rakim’s ‘I Know You Got Soul’), Large Pro weaves his tale of an ambitious, studious man over an original organ line (by JD Drumsticks) that wouldn’t sound out of place at a hockey rink. The theme is sledgehammer subtle – don’t sell drugs, stay in school – but delivered with the lightness of touch that would be Main Source’s signature.

Official Mr Bongo Hip Hop Reissue Main Source’s paean to the simple pleasures of relaxing with friends is built over two tried-and-tested samples. The dreamy, swoony sounds of Vanessa Kendrick’s timeless ‘90% of Me is You’ is ever-present during this stone-cold classic, while Sister Nancy’s unmistakeable ‘Bam Bam’ lends several elements to the mix. Throw in some Skull Snaps and Sweet Charles and you’ve got the perfect soundtrack for a roll call of Large Professor’s nearest and dearest. There are plenty of reasons why so many regard ‘Breaking Atoms’ as an all-time classic album, and the sheer variety of singles lifted from it is chief among them. Large Professor was happy to roam over varied topics at a time when many rappers had a manic focus on one thing. And where better to hang out with friends than at a barbecue? ‘Live at the Barbecue’ is rightly regarded as one of the best posse cuts of all time, and famous for showcasing the debut of one Nasty Nas. While he delivers a dope verse full of quotables over drums from Bob James’ oft-plundered ‘Nautilus’, credit is also due to the other guests. Fatal and Akinyele aren’t disgraced in this company, and Large Professor tops it off with a rare verse of pure brag-rap. An undisputed entry in the pantheon of head-nod hip-hop, this is its first official UK release, and another debut on 7”.

Despite an excellent debut album, "Naughty By Nature" was pegged as a one-hit wonder by some, after all, they'd never duplicate the inescapably catchy "O.P.P.". But when 19 Naughty III was released on February 23, 1993 with the lead single "Hip Hop Hooray, " the group proved that they could recreate that magic. Celebrating it's 30th Anniversary this year, the album has been certified platinum and "Hip Hop Hooray" has become a hip hop anthem. The single was #1 on the charts, earning the band their second Top 10 hit, with the video directed by Spike Lee, featuring appearances from Tupac Shakur, Run-DMC and more. The album also contains the hits "Written on Ya Kitten" and "It's On" and has guest appearances from Heavy D and Queen Latifah. Production was handled entirely by group member KayGee, who has one foot in the clubs and the other one on the street corner, and that's true of the group as a whole.

Back in print for the 20th anniversary!

Most Wanted Records presents for the first time on wax (Double LP) "ant Banks - THE BIG Badass"!!

Officially reissued and distributed by MWR!

Officially reissued and distributed by MWR!

For the first time on wax! 2 LP Gatefold Limited editions: 150 units Black disc 150 units Red disc Hand numbered

Officially reissued and distributed by MWR!

Officially reissued and distributed by MWR!

Most Wanted Records presents for the first time on wax "Big Bur-NA - The Daze Of Bur-Na 1995-2022" !!

Limited to 300 copies for all black vinyl purists.

Following the success of classic albums from Nas (llmatic), and Mobb Deep’s sophomore LP, The Infamous, the borough of Queens had proven itself to be a mecca of talent, and so the hunt was on the find the next promising emcee to fuel the momentum. It would take a local high school talent show for Geronimo’s talents to be discovered by soon to be music mogul, Irv Gotti, that would lead to a deal with Blunt Recordings for the release of Mic’s debut effort. In addition to an era defining soundscape with production credits from Da Beatminerz and Buckwild, among others, the album boasts a notable line-up of guest appearances from The Lost Boyz, Royal Flush and O.C., along with a burgeoning Jay Z, DMX and Ja Rule, who all appear on the celebrated posse cut, “Time to Build,” marking the first Murder Inc. collaboration.

A Tribe Called Quest are widely hailed as one of the greatest rap acts of all time. This trio (2-mic pioneers, Phife Dawg & Q-Tip, along with their DJ Ali Shaheed Muhammad) was one of the most lyrically gifted in the music genre of Hip-Hop. The blends of jazz ‘n bass-heavy beats (East Coast “muddy bass”) was truly and still is truly innovative. Instead of being a great rap album like the one before it, “Beats, Rhymes & Life” is a great Tribe album. It takes time to understand it but it fits perfectly in its place in the Tribe canon and in the mid- 90s. It has their trademark smooth style and flow with a much darker theme and subject matter than their previous album. It’s a real work of art and still fresh so many years after its release.

For the first time on wax! Official Deadly Impact Records release, distributed exclusively by MWR! 1 LP Limited to 300 units

Collaborative studio album by Japanese jazz trumpeter Toshinori Kondo and Japanese hip hop producer DJ Krush. It was released on 1996.
First time Reissue.

Originally released in 1997 on CD and tape only, this is the 2nd album from Texas rapper Kottonmouth, an original member of the famed Texas crew PKO. Reissued for the first on vinyl this southern G-Funk classic was produced by DJ Snake!

Limited to 300 copies.

Ghetto Millionaire Is Set For An RSD 2024 Reissue In A Baby Blue And Black Galaxy Colored Vinyl Pressing Coalmine Reissues is pleased to announce this special edition reissue of Royal Flush’s time honored debut LP, Ghetto Millionaire, marking just the second time that the vinyl has ever been repressed. Royal Flush first jumped on the scene as a part of New York’s burgeoning Queensboro hip-hop scene of the mid 90s. Coming up under the wings of Mic Geronimo as part of the infamous Wastlanz crew, Flush shadowed Geronimo on over half of the album cuts featured throughout Geronimo’s The Natural, creating a memorable one-two punch akin to Ghostface Killah’s heavy presence on Raekwon’s Only Built 4 Cuban Linx. Flush’s solo debut Ghetto Millionaire hit in August of 1997 and perfectly captures the mid-to-late 90s sound of East Coast street rap with a notable production roster that boasts Da Beatminerz, L.E.S., Buckwild, Hi-Tek and Chyskillz among others. Ghetto Millionaire is a memorable trip to the latter half of the Golden Era, abound with Flush’s crime-ridden world of hardcore street rap that’s backed by a first-rate soundscape.

Most Wanted Records presents for the first time on wax (Double LP) "The Abstract Pack - Bousta Set It ( For The Record )"!

The long awaited official release of "Thy Kingdom Come"! "Thy Kingdom Come", originally scheduled for release on June 30, 1998 on Dr. Dre's Aftermath Entertainment, is the fifth studio album from King Tee. Recorded at the same time as the multi-platinum albums Dr. Dre - "2001" and Eminem - "The Slim Shady LP", "Thy Kingdom Come" features guest appearances from Dr. Dre, MC Ren (N.W.A.), DJ Quik, Too $hort, NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal, Ice-T, Kool G Rap, Dawn Robinson (En Vogue, Lucy Pearl) - to name a few. Production on the album was handled by Dr. Dre (Eminem, 50 Cent, Snoop Dogg, Xzibit), Mike Dean (Kanye West, Beyoncé, The Weeknd, Jay-Z), DJ Quik (2Pac, Snoop Dogg), Bud'da (Aaliyah, Ice Cube) and Dr. Dre's Aftermath producers DJ Battlecat, Stu B Doo, Chris "The Glove" Taylor and Fredwreck, as well as Ant Banks, Step One and SLJ. The album was mixed and supervised by Dr. Dre. Remastered in high-resolution 24-bit 44.1 kHz audio in 2022.

Recorded and mixed by SibaGiba of Get Open!

Includes The Singles 'Mic Manipulator' And 'Rapperfection Ft Mr.Lif'. Stanton Swihart Of Allmusic Gave The Album 4.5 Stars Out Of 5, Calling It "A Wild, Weird, Instantly Left-Field Rap Masterpiece From One Seriously Bugged-Out, Innovative Loner." Thomas Quinlan Of Exclaim! Described It As "An Album That Embraces The Late '80s/Early '90s Of Hip-Hop, With Old School Beats And Battle Rhymes (The Primitive), While At The Same Time Shaking Hands With New School Lyricism And Space Age Effects (The Plus)." Nathan Rabin Of The A.V. Club Wrote: "One Of The Year's Most Promising Debuts, Primitive Plus Makes The Beats Of Yesterday And The Flows Of Today Sound Like The Hip-Hop Of Tomorrow."

feat. Pete Rock, Nas, Necro, Rasco, Dilated Peoples, RJD2, Apathy, Non Phixion, ...

feat. Nas, Ras Kass, Talib Kweli, Medaphor, Prime, Gang Starr, Declaime, Beatnuts, ...

feat. Planet Asia, Common, Supernatural, El Gant, Vakill, Jedi Mind Tricks, Rise, DJ Spinna, ...

feat. Danger Mouse & Jemini, Craig G, Oktober, Rahzel, Saj Supreme, Jigmastas, ...

feat. Brassmunk, J-Zone, Encore, Non Prophets, Black Moon, Aesop Rock, Form One, Invisble, ...

feat. Krs One, Vast Aire, Count Bass D, Canibus, Wildchild, Jaylib, Micranots, ...

Another dope mix by DJ BK, this time with tracks by Saukrates, Nas, MF Doom, Kool Keith, The UN, Immortal technique and many more!

Finally, this Beastie Boys classic gets a reissue!

11 tracks feat. Bilal, Kanye West, Last Poets ...

mix of the latest in hip hop - feat. Medaphoar, Quasimoto, Sean Price, Thes One, Cyclops 4000 and more!

mix of the latest in hip hop - feat. Quasimoto, Dave Ghetto, Non Prophets & Slug, Tame One and more!

17 tracks