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2021 Pressing.
Another golden era classic gets reissued by Get On Down: Although Diamond D handles the majority of the album's production, others such as Large Professor, Q-Tip, Jazzy Jay, Showbiz, and DJ Mark the 45 King co-produce on several tracks. The music he was making in 1992 cemented Diamond as one of the best producers in the game. This record is true to his heart, and because of the immense quality of its contents, it should be remembered fondly by all lovers of this music. As he puts it “Diamond is Dope Nuff Said”. Essential!

Re-issue of the 1987 Profile Records holiday compilation in a red and white split colored pressing, with songs by Run-DMC, Dana Dane, Sweet Tee, The Showboys, The Surf M.C.s, Spyder-D, and more. Leading off with the Run-DMC smash, "Christmas In Hollis," this classic Christmas compilation features some of the hottest rap artists of the era, celebrating the holidays, hip-hop style. Highlights include Dana Dane’s "Dana Dane Is Coming To Town," Sweet Tee’s "Let The Jingle Bells Rock" and even the Surf MC's' "A Surf MC New Year," adding a California surfer (and, ahem, Beastie Boys rip-off) twist to the proceedings. Not to be overlooked is the classic front and back cover artwork, featuring a gift-wrapped B-Boy. It remains an essential, evergreen (pun intended) holiday album to this day.

After 25 years of living his dream as one of hip hop’s most respected producers, Hi-Tek is digging back into his roots with a brand new trio of instrumental vinyl LPs in 2023. “Beatbox Studios (1995 MPC 60ii)” is the first of the series, each featuring a selection of restored and remastered beats, carefully chosen from an archive of DAT tapes. These LPs manage to both provide a window into Tek’s development and to shine light on the work of an already enormously-talented musician whose beats would’ve sounded right at home on classic releases from the mid-1990s. Having learned to make beats off of borrowed equipment as a teenager, the aspiring DJ/producer born as Tony Cottrell achieved a break of sorts when he was hired in 1995 to manage one of the rooms at Beatbox Studios, a sprawling complex in the Clifton neighborhood in Cincinnati. It became the go-to-spot in town for emerging talent, giving him a chance to learn about the intricacies of recording and to sharpen his communication skills with artists to maximize their performance The gig also gave Tek plenty of down time to practice on and to master the studio’s Akai MPC 60ii while making his own music. It was around this time he began to collaborate with the top rap talent in Cincinnati, and he started regularly visiting New York City to plant seeds for new relationships in the industry. Though his work eventually evolved far beyond the styles present on “Beatbox Studios,” here you’ll find many signature elements of that era’s contemporary New York sound: some snappy drums reminiscent of A Tribe Called Quest or Easy Mo Bee, plenty of horn stabs a la Pete Rock or Lord Finesse, and the kind of dark pianos and filtered basslines that producers like the Beatminerz were steadily employing. These were his biggest influences at the time, and that was the sound of 1995. As it turns out, that classic sound remains in demand today, and while Hi-Tek was not a well-known name in hip hop circles at that time, the caliber of beats on “Beatbox Studios” prove that he was a talent to be reckoned with, even then.

Sp-1200 beats made using postal service. Fredfades and Sraw collaborate through post, exchanging dusty beats for an experimental Hip Hop record. The process of sending floppy discs back and forth, where each producer added element over element on their own Sp-1200, has been on-going for almost 10 years, slowly building a collaborative body of work. The result is Double Density, an LP that oozes with the character of that infamous instrument which laid much of the foundation for the earliest Hip Hop artists and still manages to evoke those raw and visceral sounds of that era. Reinforcing those sounds are the voices of Planet Asia, Pink Siifu and Blue November, who deliver lyrics from US coasts to Scandanavia’s fjords. The duo's collaborative effort swims in a sea of eclectic influences where Jazz, Soul and Hip-Hop thrive in the construct of this unique instrument. The drum machine pops, crackles and hisses on a bed of big bass lines through 12 tracks that go from short instrumentals to fully arranged songs. Taking Hip-Hop back to its origins, everything is stripped bare to its essentials and for every vocal track, there’s its antithesis in the form of an instrumental break. It’s a record that plays with the archetypes of Hip Hop and Rap as something that we’ve lost over the years that begs for revocation. Double Density sounds exotic in the world of today’s gleaming beats.

Embracing his career path as an emcee/entertainer, Crimapple returns with his latest solo effort, El Cantante, which serves as an ode to Hector Lavoe and The Fania Era of salsa music's profound storytelling.

Although devoid of any guest appearances, Crime is joined by a supporting cast of praise-worthy producers throughout the project whom include Bohemia Lynch (Westside Gunn), Michaelangelo (Avenue, Vel the Wonder) as well as his frequent collaborator, Buck Dudley, among others. And while there’s tracks that borrow aesthetics akin to latin music—such as the syncopated rhythm patterns on “Tuesday,” or the looping pan flute heard on “Out the Way”—you’ll still find the archetypal soundscapes that have defined Crime’s discography. These include the soulful/zone-inducing loops on tracks like the album opener, “My Song,” as well as “Together,” “Encore,” and “Precious.” And then there’s the chest-pounding bangers like “Cosos,” where Crime lyrically remains in his bag with unrelenting, braggadocious rhymes: “You cheesecake, rappers know I get on this shit and eat great / Get better at any take and drop on anyone’s release date”.

All in all, El Cantante is a self realization of sorts as the New Jersey emcee shares his current life perspectives as he touches on what it’s like to be considered a hip-hop legend by many, while also reflecting on the path that brought him to this point in his career.

The mysteries of science and the art of music merge in the twisted mind of Oddly Humes, the Florida based beat-smith delivering his latest album, Know Matter. There are few details known about this enigmatic producer, but it is rumored he went into hiding after a catastrophic lab accident that left his features disfigured and his mind obsessed with digging for beats. After a few years of seclusion in an underground bunker — his activities discernible through the sounds of clanking metal and crackling vinyl records — Oddly Humes has emerged with ten cuts of Nobel-worthy sample-fusing experiments. As Dr. Frankenstein once shouted, "It's alive!"

With Know Matter's tracks each named after a chemical or mineral substance, the alchemy here is strong. Oddly Humes quotes the golden era of '90s trip-hop while adding a cinematic flair that wouldn't be out of place in a Tarantino romp or an Argento giallo. "Cobalt," opening the LP, sets the tone with slide guitars, looping bass, spectral melodies in the distance, and a dusty drum kit driving the atmosphere. "Sulfur" is likewise incendiary, blasting speakers with a crucial beat as a symphony of textures greet unsuspecting eardrums. There's also "Titanium," a strange rocker of a track that can't help but summon some serious Twin Peaks vibes. Oddly, indeed.

For those looking for off-kilter cuts or if you're just into supporting cutting-edge scientific research in the rhythmic sciences — look no further than Know Matter. Oddly Humes continues to mix compounds alongside his mixed beats, and his discoveries will advance the craft of downtempo music into the future.

“Year 1994, a hardcore hip hop crew called the KGB decided to come together as a unit and form a group called the Meccanizm, outta New Haven,Ct. These dudes always was in competition with other Mcs and Beat makers and each other. What’s special about the crew is that they concentrated on Lyrics and Beats. The Mecc consist of Chief Rhythm, Gbo, Xtra, Doc Terror and Producer Dooley-O. This album represents the grimy era of hip hop. 1994”

Strictly limited edition of 500 copies on black vinyl of the 1996 debut album "Realms 'N Reality" by U.G. and Phantasm aka the Cella Dwellas. The Brooklyn-duo made a first appearance on Masta Ace's 1994 classic album "Sittin' On Chrome", which was followed by singles like "Land Of The Lost", "Good Dwellas" or "Perfect Match".

"Realms 'N Reality" is still one of the major underground gems from the golden era of Hip-Hop, with tight production mostly handled by Nick Wiz.

Regular black vinyl edition in a gatefold set.

Here it is, one of THE lost albums from the golden era of Hip Hop: Science Of Sound's "Kaleidoscope Phonetics" from the Tribe Called Quest-sphere. With productions and cameos by A Tribe Called Quest and Phife Dawg, Godfather Don, Grandmaster Melle Mel and more. This is true-school rap at its finest and should not be missed by any fan of the classic 90's vibe.

Here's what Ali Shaheed Muhammad is saying about it:

"Science Of Sound, a group established during the 90's "golden era" of Hip Hop. These guys are my family. We were very excited when they signed their record deal and greatly disappointed their label mishandled them. This is the lost album that was recorded in the time I was working on "Beats, Rhymes & Life". There was a lot of back in forth between Tribe's sessions and S.O.S.'s sessions. You can hear the levels they were on and it's as fresh as 20+ years later as it was when it was recorded. Any proponent of golden era Hip Hop will appreciate this find of a lost album." - Ali Shaheed Muhammad, September 3rd, 2020

Available on limited 2LP vinyl, CD and cassette as well as digitally!

Following last year's highly acclaimed
"Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth",
Spanish Harlem MC and Fat Joe affiliate
UFO Fev is back with a brand new project
teaming up with DJ J Hart to bring you
“EMIGRES":
é·mi·gré
A person who has left their own country to
settle in another. This defines DJ J Hart, a
French native who left his homeland in
search of the purest form of hip hop NYC has
to offer. After packing his equipment &
hitting the road, Hart's journey led him to
Spanish Harlem, NYC. Home of your favorite
rappers favorite rapper, UFO Fev. As Fat Joe
would describe him, the spanish Nas. UFO
Fev has been bubbling up the ranks as an
emcee, now linking with J Hart to craft a
fresh raw sound that captures the heartbeat
of the underground as well as hints of Fev's
charisma with cuts like, "Mr.Officer" &
"Running It". Pro Era alumni C.J. Fly joins
UFO Fev for "Sunrise", for purists and casual
fans alike Émigrés is a body of work all will
enjoy.

First ever vinyl reissue in a limited edition of 300 copies on translucent orange vinyl. Comes as a deluxe 3LP gatefold vinyl set incl. 6 bonus tracks from the accompanying 12" singles of the original release plus digital download card.

Hailing from Long Island, NY, "Ism & Blues" from 1994 marked the debut and sole release of Hard 2 Obtain. Produced by the Stimulated Dummies, the album features guest appearances by the Artifacts and Raquel. True heads know the deal, this is one of the grails of the Golden Era.