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Limited edition CD!

Featuring productions by Large Professor, Ayatollah, Lord Finesse and Psycho Les with guest appearances by Tragedy Khadafi, Sonny Banks, Thirstin Howl The 3rd and many others!

In the late 80's and early 90's Powerule stood century as the vanguard of an eventual Latin explosion in Hip Hop. Dominating mix shows and video mediums the Nuyorican experience in hip hop culture finally had their own voice. In 1991 they released their debut album “Volume 1” on Interscope Records that featured Leaders of The New School, Large Professor & Kurious Jorge. Powerule along with 2Pac were one of the first Hip Hop artists signed to Interscope Records.

Powerule went on to pave the way for artist like Fat Joe, Kurious, Big Pun, Tony Touch, The Beatnuts and others. Throughout the 1990s they released a string of classic singles such as "Dawn to Dusk”, "Bright Lights Big City", "Rock your Knot Quick", "Heatin up" & “Well Connected” produced by some of Hip Hop’s most celebrated producers: Mark Ronson, Erick Sermon & VIC from The Beatnuts.

It's been 26 years since Powerule released a physical album. This is unprecedented in the industry and happens to be their best work to date. The music and the lyricism proves that the Golden Era of Hip Hop still is relevant. A virtual who's who of producers provide the back bone for the album. Large Professor provides a hypnotic melody on “Glorify and Praise” and Prince Powerule delivers an adult contemporary message. When asked how it was working with Large Professor again after 26 years Prince said "I've never been pushed so hard in the booth. It took me a month to really get the flow and the lyrics right. It was exactly what I need to thrust myself back in the game."

Production from Psycho Les of the Beatnuts on “718” with verses by himself and Tragedy Khadafi make this Queens anthem bump!! DJ Eclipse provides a resident DJ appeal appearing on 3 songs. The album has a consistent feel capturing the essence of NY hip hop with strong story-telling and jewels of wisdom. Lord Finesse gifts Powerule with a melodic gem on “Get Right” feat Sonny Banks. Ayatollah, Self Service, VIC, Team Demo and others fill out this album but it ever loses its authentic feel..

Prince Paul hit Chopped Herring up to release this dope early 90's project!!

The first incarnation of the group was formed around 1989 in Amityville, Long Island, New York, although the family grew up in Long Island. The family of four brothers (Anthony, Richard, Joel, and Edward) and one sister (Dawne), of which Anthony (Poetic) was the eldest, were born to Trinidadian parents who moved from Trinidad and Tobago in 1971, making their first residence in Queens, New York for a short time, then moving to Long Island. John Berkeley (a pastor and a local businessman) and Ela Berkeley (a homemaker, cook-nutritionist, and teacher) were both singers and artistic in general, and they encouraged artistic expression in their five children. The family was well-rounded musically, singing gospel and R&B up to their early teens all around New York, other states, and Canada as "The Berkeley Singers". Anthony (Poetic), Dawne, and Joel (Brainstorm) sang, accompanied by Richard on the drums and Eddie (E-Sharp) on the piano or keyboard.

Poetic began rhyming in his early teens in Wyandanch, and was known by many names and building a name for himself as a lyrical battle MC. He changed his name to Poetic around 1985, and in 1986 he formed the crew known as Too Poetic, who in 1988-89 released a modestly popular single called: “God Made Me Funky/Poetical Terror”, under the DNA/Tommy Boy Music imprint. The group’s relationship with Tommy Boy Records eventually panned out for various reasons, scrapping the album and making Poetic very displeased, an early casualty of the politics of the music business.

While Poetic was just beginning his formal hip hop career in 1987–89, Brainstorm was attending college at the State University of New York at Farmingdale, Long Island, where he was the roommate of Brooklyn’s own Super DJ Richie Rich (who had been in Third Base, Clark Kent’s Supermen, and the movie Juice). The university was host to many hip hop artists as visitors for parties and to do shows like Rakim, EPMD, Producer-Super DJ Clark Kent, and Biz Markie.

After Brainstorm finished his college run in 1989, he took time to learn many aspects of the music business, but in 1989 he and Poetic mutually decided to pair up with a hardcore lyrical edge, original word play, and acute metaphors, after many collaborations between them since 1985. Thus, Da Bruthas G.R.Y.M. was born shortly after Too Poetic’s deal with DNA/Tommy Boy had soured. The energy and high chemistry between these true by-blood brothers at the time was, simply put, natural.

In the first Bruthas G.R.Y.M. era (c. 1989–1992), the brothers Poetic (Brother One) and Brainstorm (Brother Two) garnered much respect on the underground hip hop scene of New York Their first official demo featured the underground bangers like “Bruthas G.R.Y.M.”, “Circle-Circle-Dot-Dot”, the politically charged “Popcorn” and “Livin’ In Hell (Had To Survive)”. The demo featured production mastering by Nate "NATO" Tinsley, their in-house producer Semi-Automatic (Pedro Sims, Mr. Semi, Gravediggaz), and the brothers themselves. After blazing underground radio and live shows around New York City, they were listed in The Source magazine as the best unsigned rap group of 1989. The crew was then managed by longtime friend Jack Pope (Jack Sprat, Starving Artists Entertainment), who later became the road manager of the Gravediggaz.

These cassette tape “dubs” floated around the New York streets in the late 1980s and early 1990s, and their demo eventually made their way to the seasoned musical ear of fellow Amityvillain Prince Paul (Stetsasonic, De La Soul, Gravediggaz) from his association with the local Long Island artists who had met the brothers and saw their raw talent. In 1990 Prince Paul decided to fund and executive produce further demos, finding various other known and up-and-coming producers for the unnamed project, as well as being the tentative DJ for the group.

Then the unfortunate happened – being disenfranchised by the politics and games of the music business and life in general, Brainstorm just quit altogether for “personal enlightenment”, before any formal deal could solidify. Poetic understood about Brainstorm’s personal path at that stage in his life, but was silently devastated because they were so close to sealing a major record deal that would have propelled them further into Hip Hop history.

Their original demo, even today, is still one of Prince Paul’s favorites. It was not until 1992 that Poetic, after Brainstorm quit in 1991, that it is said that Poetic “fell on hard times”, including a short period of homelessness.

Brainstorm would continue to write for leisure and therapeutic reasoning, but never to seriously pursue a music career, moving to Brooklyn New York and later down south to various states; in fact, Brainstorm was so “finished with Hip Hop” that he gave Poetic all of his original rhyme books to use at his own discretion – some lyrics ending up on Gravediggaz projects.

Exclusive to HHV in Europe!

Strangers Of Necessity consist of young upcoming producer, CoryAyo from Iowa City, IA, and veteran rhyme sayer, Fooch the MC, from Chicago,IL. The two connected by chance via twitter, after Cory saw Fooch in a 319 cypher video on youtube. They linked up offline and quickly became friends, sparking an immediate chemistry and need to make quality hip-hop music together; hence the name Strangers Of Necessity. They instantly began recording music and doing shows locally, generating a small buzz in the area. With CoryAyo's affiliation with London, UK based netlabel, Hard Jazz 7, and Fooch being an artist on Mic Hand Recordings, they knew they had the launch pad needed to release their debut EP, Tangerine Avenue.

Their sound is best described as a fresh take on that golden era of hip-hop, blending tasteful jazz and soul samples, crisp snares, boomy kicks on wonky patterns with a soulful delivery, dense schemes and potent punch-lines that hit peaks before unseen. Strangers Of Necessity now better acquainted and constantly adding shows to their calendar, are hoping to bring you retro fresh beats and rhymes that speak to right now; giving you that feeling that can only be described as ""goose bump music."

This Extensive Collection From The Group’s Dilla-helmed Era Is A Comprehensive Overview Of Fan-Tas-Tic V.1 and V.2.

The contributions of the late Detroit producer James DeWitt Yancey -better known to the world as J Dilla- to the world of hip-hop can't be overstated, and nowhere is his legacy more apparent than his work as a member of Slum Village. A founding member of the trio, (Alongside rappers T3 and Baatin) Dilla provided the group's distinctly esoteric, free-wheeling sound,built around winding basslines, quirky drumbeats, subtle low-end frequencies, and classic jazz & soul samples. Against the backdrop of Dilla's rich production, T3 and Baatin's free-flowing style of rhyming would also earn wide critical praise, leading to comparisons as the successors to A Tribe Called Quest. (A label they themselves have rejected.) Dilla himself went on to earn his own legend of brilliance, inspiring a slew of classic artists like Nas and The Pharcyde, to newcomers like Kanye West and Kendrick Lamar. It would be a gratuitous task to encapsulate the full magnificence of the material Dilla produced with Slum Village, but Ne'Astra Media Group have accomplished such a feat, with the arrival of the Fan-Tas-Tic Collection! A comprehensive overview of the underground group's Dilla-produced tracks across four compact discs. The CD includes the entirety of the namesake albums Fan-Tas-Tic Volumes 1 & 2, instrumental versions, and a bonus fourth collection of remixes and obscurities, featuring collaborations with Madlib & Pete Rock, and select cuts from Best Kept Secret, the group's rare release under the name J-88. The Fan-Tas-Tic Box is a veritable crown jewel for any fan of J Dilla or Slum Village, as well as an outstanding entry-point into the legacy of an underground hip-hop production hero.

Transparent Vinyl Edition.
Cover with a seam split at the upper edge.
Record is close to VG+.
Includes original inner sleeve.

Includes original insert.

Record Store Day 2023 first time on vinyl release incl. a download card. Pressed on 180g.

Game's eighth proper studio album came out during an active 2016. Earlier in the year, he released soundtracks for a documentary, Streets of Compton, and a mobile app game, Block Wars. On a personal level, he and 50 Cent made amends following a prolonged period of mutual antagonism, and then he went after Meek Mill, as documented on the forceful but controlled "92 Bars," included here. Although it's titled 1992 and is heavily nostalgic (even by Game's standard), stacked with references to the state of hip-hop circa the early '90s, it's inspired by the era more than it is a period piece.

“Nostalgic, soulful and, of course, boogie-woogie.” That’s how Belgian DJ producer Boogie Belgique (aka Oswald Cromheecke) describes the enticing combination of styles and sources from different decades that make up his music. Taking vintage inspirations, most notably from swing and jazz eras, and merging them with contemporary beats and textures is the young producer’s forte. This is pleasingly evident on Volta, the latest Boogie Belgique album for the Cold Busted label. “Jungle Law” gives a glimpse into Boogie Belgique’s sonic palette. Tough hip hop beats and funky live guitar follow an intro of jungle ambience as a trumpet presents the melody. Soon some swingy big band jazz enters the song in an almost ghostly manner, while the insistent beat keeps the dance floor moving. Album opener “Go Slow” shows a different side to the coin giving the listener an uptempo broken beat rhythm, some bouncy bass guitar, snippets of string loops, and a lovely, forlorn vocal line that echoes the past. It’s a beautiful concoction, and Boogie Belgique delivers on many aspects of this style throughout his eleven track album. Volta is a satisfying trip in an aural time machine.