Hip Hop Vinyl 229 Items

Record Store Day 2021 Release. Following on from last years successful RSD 7 Inch, Idlers are proud to release the title track from the JBs 1988 debut album 'Straight Out The Jungle' that has never had a full release on 45 before. Backed with the more relevant than ever 'Black is Black'. More golden era hip hop on 7! With a Picture sleeve.

Record Store Day 2020 Release.

The Sly Stone sampling, scene smashing hip hop track 'Because I Got it Like That' that launched the Jungle Brother's to the world in 1988, housed on their groundbeaking debut album 'Straight Out The Jungle'. Original copies of the single now change hands for £50 if you’re lucky so a fully remastered, official reissue is exactly what the doctor ordered! Backed with the rare Ultimatum mix (aka The Stereo MC's).

1987, Kanagawa, not so far from Tokyo, Japan. Minoru Fushimi teaches his high-school classes during the day. Back from work, he transforms into "Hoodoo" Fushimi, turns on the drum machines, the synthesizers and the sequencers, blends them with his own shamisen playing and builds a cult album: Kenka Oyaji is born and becomes a milestone in Japan's early hip hop and electro-funk history, now reissued for the first time since its original release, in collaboration with Hoodoo Fushimi himself. Essential! Produced by Minoru “Hoodoo” Fushimi. All songs written and arranged by Hoodoo Fushimi. Hoodoo Fushimi: all lead vocals (except B5) and raps, lead and rhythm shamisen, lead and rhythm guitar, bass guitar, Casio, Roland and Yamaha synthesizers, drums, percussion, Drumtraks, Ddd-1 and Tr-606 programming, turntable scratching, and loud, obnoxious noises. Akiko Ehara: vocal on B5. Recorded at Fushimi’s Home Studio on Teac 22-4 recorder. Original release: 21st of March, 1987, Syntax, Mfx-2802. LP reissue production by Greg Gouty, 180g. Sound restoration, mastering and lacquer cut by Timmion Cutting Lab, Helsinki, Finland. Original artwork and Japanese lyrics insert by Hoodoo Fushimi. Original artwork restoration and additional design by Nicolas Kerembellec (nker.fr) All pictures by Minoru “Hoodoo” Fushimi.

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.

A year before Wild Pitch Records properly introduced us to the trio of Queens native Large Professor and Toronto’s Sir Scratch and K-Cut, the soon-to-be-legendary group self-released their own debut single. Dropping on Actual Records, the 12” of ‘Think’ and ‘Atom’ was soon a sought after rarity, with scarce originals still fetching upwards of three figures. On it, they only hint at the greatness to come, while simultaneously showing that they’d already mastered the three-minute rap single – this is concise brilliance with no flab whatsoever. Engineered by the late, esteemed Paul C, ‘Think’ is a study in how to turn well-worn samples into something new. The combination of several James Brown snatches, along with bits lifted from Lyn Collins and Jimmy Castor Bunch, could have been tired and almost parodic by 1989, but instead the group weave something interesting from old fabric. ‘Atom’ is arguably even better, built around a brace of elements from Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell’s 1967 duet ‘Little Ole Boy, Little Ole Girl’. On it, Large Pro gives the first real hints that he’ll not just be a super-producer, but a committed MC to watch. Mixing threats with humour, positivity with braggadocio, it’s a calling card performance on a track that could have still sat comfortably on 1991’s ‘Breaking Atoms’ album.

/ industrial lies

“Straight Outta Compton” is the debut studio album by American hip hop group N.W.A, released August 1988 on group member Eazy-E's record label Ruthless Records. Production for the album was handled by Dr. Dre with DJ Yella giving co-production. The album has been viewed as the pioneering record of gangsta rap with its ever-present profanity and violent lyrics. This was the group's only and final release with rapper Ice Cube prior to his 1989 departure. It has been considered to be one of the greatest and most influential hip-hop records by music writers and has had an enormous impact on the evolution of hip hop.

This hip hop dancefloor gem from 1989 has been lovingly remastered and reissued in Tribute to Stezo's sad and far too early passing last year! The original '89 copies, backed with the equally strong "It's My Turn" are changing hands for £100+ and the iconic label Sleeping Bag Records can't have that! This isn't Antiques Roadshow, music is for all...but this is a rare find! Original '89 designed Sleeping Bag Sleeve. Often played by Steve Lamaq on 6 Music which surprises us too.

This was THE crossover uptempo hip hop/breaks dancefloor jam in 1989. Played in many many clubs and rave scenes, this genre-busting, "The Commodores" sampling one-off is finally available on 7" for the first time ever using the original 12" artwork, on the original NYC label.

It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back ist das zweite Studioalbum von Public Enemy, das am 28. Juni 1988 bei Def Jam Recordings erschien. NME und Rolling Stone bezeichneten es als "das größte Hip-Hop-Album aller Zeiten", mit Hit-Tracks: "Rebel Without a Pause", "Bring The Noise" und "Don't Believe The Hype".

Few groups arrive as fully formed as Epmd did. This dropped as the third single from the album of the same name, and further cemented their distinctive aesthetic: Slow rhyming, trading lines rather than the rappers being confined to their own verses, and backings that were ruthlessly funky and simple at the same time.

They’d go on to be labelmates with Public Enemy when Def Jam picked up their contract in 1990, and to compare and contrast the two is illuminating. While PE at that time were making waves with the Bomb Squad’s breathless, kitchen sink approach to production, Epmd were equally adored for taking the opposite approach.

Here, there’s a sprinkle of drums from Kool & The Gang’s oft-sampled ‘Jungle Boogie’, paired with a very recognisable portion of Eric Clapton’s ‘I Shot the Sheriff’. And that’s pretty much it – the two samples are linked, looped and left to their own devices. Such was Erick and Parrish’s confidence in their own rhyming ability and strong voices, no further embellishment was needed.

That confidence extends to the subject matter. While their debut album and later projects were heavy with concepts – the ‘Jane’ series – and notable guest verses, this was the third straight single of pure brag rap. Two MC’s, one beat, a whole heap of lyrics about how good they were. It’s something you can’t do unless you truly are special, and this duo most certainly were.

Paired with the classic instrumental version, which didn’t make it to the US 7” releases – it’s only on a hard-to-track-down French 7” pressing from 1989 – this this is a timely reminder of how breathtakingly perfect hip-hop can be.

No One Can Do It Better is the debut album by The D.O.C. from 1989 and is produced by the then upcoming Dr. Dre who contributed on most of the fast hard hitting rap tracks with his heavy funk laden beats. The album reached number one on the US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and went platinum five years after its release.

In celebration of hip-hop’s 50th anniversary, the iconic Def Jam Recordings brings us some of its classic repertoire on vinyl in a spectacular “fruit punch” variant – a color emblematic of its longstanding association with Def Jam. Some titles include Public Enemy’s Yo! Bum Rush the Show, Ludacris’ Word of Mouf, Method Man’s Tical, and Slick Rick’s The Great Adventures of Slick Rick.

/ super bien

/ industrial lies

/ teacher, teacher

By All Means Necessary is the second album from legendary American hip hop group Boogie Down Productions, and was originally released in 1988. This album is widely considered a landmark in political hip hop and is among the Source's 100 Best Rap Albums.

180g viny.

Limited RSD Essential pressing, now available in Europe for the first time.

Limited edition with fresh-n-def chrome cover!

In celebration of hip-hop’s 50th anniversary, the iconic Def Jam Recordings brings us some of its classic repertoire on vinyl in a spectacular “fruit punch” variant – a color emblematic of its longstanding association with Def Jam. Some titles include Public Enemy’s Yo! Bum Rush the Show, Ludacris’ Word of Mouf, Method Man’s Tical, and Slick Rick’s The Great Adventures of Slick Rick.

close to NM. Writing on label sticker.

Too many people sleep on Tougher Than Leather, Run-DMC’s fourth album. But hear us out as we plead the case for this amazing LP.
By 1988 there was a lot more competition in the rap game – Public Enemy, Boogie Down Productions, Eric B. & Rakim, Ice-T and many more had given
Hollis, Queens’ prodigal sons lots of competition. But Joe, Darryl and Jay were still at the top of their game, and hip-hop fans should never let this
classic – chiefly produced by their Queens neighbor, DJ and multi-instrumentalist Davy D[MX] – get lost in their crates.
For starters, the album’s first single, “Run’s House” b/w “Beats To The Rhyme” is arguably the most powerful one-two punch of the trio’s career,
showing contenders to the rap throne that they could still destroy a beat, tag-teaming with power at any speed. Not to be lost in the shuffle, fans were
also reminded on both sides that Jam-Master Jay remained one of the world’s best DJs, flexing the pinnacle of what would be called “turntablism” a
decade later. Both songs show a musical telepathy between all three that has rarely been equaled.
The second single, “Mary, Mary,” driven by an infectious Monkees sample, took a different approach, shrewdly ensuring that pop fans who jumped on
the Raising Hell bandwagon had something to chew on. But, like “Walk This Way,” the song wasn’t just bubblegum – there was an edge to it, and
the lyrical gymnastics were very real. It wasn’t selling out, it was allowing fans to buy in. “Papa Crazy,” driven in concept and by a sample from the
Temptations’ “Papa Was A Rolling Stone,” followed a similar pop-leaning path.
Overall, the lyrical content on the album was a step up from the group’s first three LPs. It’s easy to infer, looking back, that they were feeling the heat
from their younger competitors in the rap game. The genre was changing fast, and they were up to the challenge. On cuts like “Radio Station” they
bring substance to the grooves, by attacking Black Radio for its continual denigration of rap. “Tougher Than Leather” reminds the world that they were
still the Kings of Rock, with hard guitars to drive the point home. And “They Call Us Run-DMC” and “Soul To Rock And Roll” both bring things back to
their early days, with sure-fire park jam rhymes and killer cuts.
Tougher Than Leather, which went platinum up against a lot of competition, perfectly bookends the ‘80s output of one of the decade’s most
important groups. It encompasses the full range of the trio’s capabilities, and reminds us that Run-DMC should never be forgotten as both pioneers
and party-rockers. And so, we say, long live Joe, Darryl and Jay!

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.

Few paper scuffs. Label cover.

Original US pressing.

close to NM

Vinyl with many scuffs and hairlines

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.

Small sticker on cover.

Vinyl with scuffs and hairlines