Tag: Hip Hop
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Public Enemy, Yo! Bum Rush the Show, 1987 on Def Jam
Debut studio album from Public Enemy, recorded at Spectrum City Studios and produced by Bill Stephney (of The Bomb Squad, with co-producers Carl Ryder and Hank Shocklee) with Rick Rubin credited as Executive Producer. Still looking for a good vinyl copy of It Takes a Nation of Millions. Def Jam was distributed by CBS/Columbia (thus…
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Dessa, Bury the Lede, 2023 on Doomtree Records
Dessa is a part of the hip-hop collective Doomtree out of MInneapolis – great collection of artists and she is (for me) one of the standouts. She was also cohost of the Deeply Human podcast in 2021-2022. My copy is a signed red-vinyl “Collector’s Edition” via Waterloo Records in Austin TX. Unfortunately my copy did…
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Doomtree, False Hopes, 2007 on Doomtree Records
Doomtree are a hip-hop collective (and record label) from Minneapolis, including Dessa, Cecil Otter, P.O.S., Sims, Mike Mictian, Paper Tiger, and Lazerbeak. False Hopes came out (on CD) before their “debut” album, self-titled Doomtree, in 2008. There were many other “False Hopes” CDs of individual artists. The bandcamp for this release claims “This is the…
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Various Artists, Tommy Boy’s Baddest Beats, 2022 on Tommy Boy
I don’t normally chase special releases put out for Record Store Day, but this was an “RSD First” release in 2022, limited to 3500 copies. Great collection of songs from Tommy Boy: Two tracks each from Naughty By Nature and Coolio, otherwise a variety of artists. Some mixed opinions (on Discogs) about the pressing, which…
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Gang Starr, No More Mr. Nice Guy, 1989 on Wild Pitch Records
Houton’s DJ Premier and Boston’s Guru as a Brooklyn based hip hop duo, sometimes credited as the originators of jazz rap / jazz hip hop. “Words I Manifest” does sample “Night in Tunisia” and the album featured the song “Jazz Music.” My copy is the Vinyl Me Please reissue from 2022, with listening notes by…
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Fugees, The Score, 1996 on Columbia / Ruffhouse
Very hard to find original pressings of this – my copy is a 2021 reissue. This is an absolute must have, alongside The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, which followed 2 years later. How Many Mics, Ready or Not, Killing Me Softly, No Woman No Cry – so much of this album is just perfect. It’s…
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Naughty By Nature, Naughty By Nature, 1991 on Tommy Boy
Though self-titled, this is actually their second album together, the first (Independent Leaders) being released under the artist name The New Style. The unavoidable massive hit here was “O.P.P” but there are a lot of great songs, including “Ghetto Bastard” (aka “Everything’s Gonna Be Alright”). “Uptown Anthem,” and “1, 2, 3.” Featured vocalists/rappers include Queen…
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De La Soul, Stakes Is High, 1996 on Tommy Boy
So happy to see De La Soul’s catalog get reissued with quality new pressings. Three Feet High and Rising was one of my favorite hip hop albums of the 80s and their work continued to be strong well into and beyond this album. My copy of this (Stakes is High) is a 2023 reissue on…
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Prince Paul, Prince Among Thieves, 1999 on Tommy Boy
Another excellent reissue by Vinyl Me Please in their Rap & Hip Hop track. Prince Paul was a major producer of 80s and 90s hip hop. I came to him via De La Soul but he also worked with 3rd Bass, Queen Latifah, Big Daddy Kane, Gravediggaz, and even Vernon Reid from Living Colour. This…
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Missy Elliott, Under Construction, 2002 on Elektra / The Goldmind, Inc.
Originally released in 2002 – my copy is a Vinyl Me, Please 20th anniversary reissue from 2023 on “orange crush” vinyl. What a fantastic release – working with Timbaland and Nisan as producers, guests from Ludacris, Method Man, Jay-Z, Ms. Jade, Beyonce, TLC, and, on the remix of Work It, 50-Cent.
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Beastie Boys, Check Your Head, 1992 on Capitol / Grand Royal
My copy is the 2022 Vinyl Me, Please reissue 30th Anniversary Edition on Red Vinyl. Amazing to me that this is 30 years old but still sounds very fresh
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The Pharcyde, Labcabincalifornia, 1995 on Delicious Vinyl.
The Pharcyde, Labcabincalifornia, 1995 on Delicious Vinyl. My copy in the @vinylmeplease reissue All about somethin’ that means somethin’
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The Notorious B.I.G., Ready To Die, 1994 on Bad Boy.
The Notorious B.I.G., Ready To Die, 1994 on Bad Boy. My copy is the 2022 Vinyl Me, Please reissue, with notes by Tyler Barstow and artwork by Bráulio Amado. Great Friday LP
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A Tribe Called Quest, Low End Theory, 1991 on Jive.
A Tribe Called Quest, Low End Theory, 1991 on Jive. Tribe were part of the Native Tongues collective, with De La Soul, Queen Latifah, and Jungle Brothers. Busta Rhymes features on “Scenario” and Ron Carter provides bass on “Verses from the Abstract.” Although I had this on CD back then, this copy is a reissue…
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Various Artists, Street Beats, 1984 on Sugar Hill Records.
Various Artists, Street Beats, 1984 on Sugar Hill Records. There are many versions of this comp – some 1LP as Vol 1 or Vol 2, some called Street Beat, etc. Great compilation of early eighties hip-hop: Grandmaster Flash, Sugar Hill Gang, Cash Crew, Kevin Kev. Get out your parachute pants and cardboard – time to…
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Young M.C., Stone Cold Rhymin’, 1989 on Delicious Vinyl / Island.
Young M.C., Stone Cold Rhymin’, 1989 on Delicious Vinyl / Island. My copy is the Vinyl Me, Please edition via Craft Recordings from 2022. Don’t just stand there, bust a move . . . Listening notes by Peter Relic
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Queen Latifah, All Hail the Queen, 1989 on Tommy Boy.
Queen Latifah, All Hail the Queen, 1989 on Tommy Boy. My copy is a 2018 reissue via Vinyl Me, Please on splatter vinyl Powerful debut album from Dana Owens, who is still a force to be reckoned with. De La Soul and Prince Paul guest on “Mama Gave Birth To Soul Children”
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Usher, Confessions, 2004 on Arista.
Usher, Confessions, 2004 on Arista. My copy is a Vinyl Me, Please reissue in 2021 – on “gold nugget” vinyl, fancy. Another quality pressing, filling some gaps in my collection with 90s and 00s releases. Guests here include Lil’ Jon, Ludacris, Alicia Keys. Production by Jermaine Dupree with some tracks by Jimmy Jam and Terry…