US Hip Hop Vinyl 520 Items

/ followers feat. Pharrell / Pharrell & Nore 'yeah nigga' / watch me now

/ Kamanchi Sly remix / hip-hop 101 ... grandpa is back !

/ Lake 'Crushed line' ... produced by Alchemist

Warehouse find! Wayne KOUNTY's debut release from 2006. The A-side is "snapshots" a female vocal (think Erykah Badu) led cut w/a Camp AMP style beat. Flip for "bring IT Home" which features none other than Queen Latifah on vocals. Comes in brilliant stenciled packaging & full pic inner sleeve.

...promo

produced by Kero One / With My Friend, produced by King Most

/ insane ... produced by Kenny Dope

5 banging instrumental hip-hop tracks ranging between 55 to 115 bpm ... limited edition picture disc!

To Commemorate The 30 Year Anniversary Of Cypress Hill, Get On Down Presents A Series Of 7 Inch Singles Of Every Cut From One Of The Most Legendary Debuts Of All Time. When Cypress Hill came with their debut self-titled album 30 years ago, they made an immediate spark that captivated the Hip Hop audience, critics, and then the world. Led by B-Real with his nasal, singsong delivery, and Sen Dog to play the perfect hypeman, Cypress’ debut fueled tales of revenge, revolution, recreational drug use, gangbanging, and cultural pride. Like Public Enemy before them, the production was also a key factor in what made this debut so groundbreaking. DJ Muggs was able to craft a blueprint that would change Hip Hop production with his innovative stoned-out beats. Cuts like "How I Could Just Kill a Man", "Pigs", "Stoned is the Way of the Walk" and "Hand on the Pump" made Cypress Hill an instant classic. Since its release, the album has won acclaim as one of Rolling Stone's Essential Recordings of the 90s and Top 100 Best Rap Albums by The Source Magazine.

2023 repress.
“Shook Ones Part II” might be one of the biggest records to come out of New York in the mid 90’s. From the moment you hear the bare hi-hat and the infamous line “to all the killers and the hundred dollar billas” it is an immediate adrenaline rush. The beat alone is a work of art, Havoc constructed what would go on for years as “how did he actually come up with that beat?!” amongst DJ’s and Producers alike. The infectious piano, cinematic sirens, it was no doubt that it was one of (famed New York nightclub) The Tunnel’s most signature records. As Cipha Sounds put it - “How could it not rip in The Tunnel? Just classic. 'Shook Ones Part I' was actually pretty big in the Tunnel, but ‘Part II' ripped everything." When “Shook Ones Part II” came you couldn’t help but nod your head and get lost in Havoc and Prodigy trading verses breaking down the meaning of a crook…making you shook son. Not to be left out “Shook Ones Part 1” is on the flipside that came out months earlier with a much more subdued beat and slightly different lyrics. Most 12” aren’t built like this, so to be on 7” for the first time ever this is a must have….son.

/ B-Boy The Real McCoy

6 tracks

This edition is limited to 300.Previously unavailable on 7", this brace of 1991 sureshots is the perfect introduction to the idiosyncrasies of the Native Tongue era. Features Joe Farrell break ‘Upon This Rock’ as used by Kanye West on ‘Gone’.

This edition is limited to 300 copies exclusive available at HHV.

Taken from stunning "Breaking Atoms" album. This is the first official UK release. Features Donald Byrd's Blue Note classic "Think Twice" loop and drums from Funkadelic's "You'll Like It Too".

Official Mr Bongo Hip Hop Reissue When the film ‘White Men Can’t Jump’ was released in 1992, an EP of music from the film was dropped almost simultaneously. That EP, cheekily titled ‘White Men Can’t Rap’, featured a couple of exclusive gems, notably Gang Starr’s ‘Now You’re Mine’ and a cut from Main Source called ‘Fakin’ the Funk’. The only single borne of that six-track EP was the Main Source track, released in remixed form on Wild Pitch records the same year. No surprise, it was head and shoulders above the rest. Opening with those unmistakable harmonies from Main Ingredient’s ‘Magic Shoes’, the intro segues into a crisp beat borrowed from Grady Tate’s frequently sampled ‘Be Black Baby’ from 1969. Throw in a sprinkle of Kool & The Gang and you’ve got a track that would fit seamlessly onto Main Source’s masterpiece of an album, ‘Breaking Atoms’. Instead, it’s the group’s last hurrah, the final collaboration between K-Cut, Sir Scratch and Large Professor before the latter departed the trio. It’s fitting that he saves one of his best vocal performances for last, railing at sell-outs with the assistance of his long-term collaborator Neek the Exotic. Never released before on an official 7”, it’s a track that has lost none of its appeal, and the remix is the definitive version of this classic.

Official Mr Bongo Hip Hop Reissue We’ll get to the vocal content in a second, but first it’s time to acknowledge what a patchwork tapestry of genius ‘Peace is not the word to play’ is in terms of production. Large Professor being a prodigy on the Sp-1200 is well established, but the way he flips parts of MFSB’s ‘tlc’ and Milly and Silly’s obscure ‘Gettin’ Down for Xmas’ with a sprinkling of Lyn Collins here establishes his credentials in the top tier. Lyrically, it’s a tour de force, with Main Source taking exception with the misuse of the word ‘peace’ by the hip-hop fraternity. With even the most homicidal of gangster rappers dropping it at the end of tracks at the time, time was overdue for some regulation. The album version makes its point pithily in a single verse, while the remix, included on the flip of this first ever 7” release, expands on the topic with new verses and some new samples too. It’s a welcome reminder of the time when remixes were remixes – not just the identical track with the latest hot rappers joining in. Most of all, Main Source once again walk the fine line between lyrical lecture and head-nodding banger – the rare example of a track with a point to make that can still fill a dancefloor and get necks snapping.

‘Try Counting Sheep’ was always a bit of a curio. For reasons best left in the dark, distant days of record label meetings of the early 1990’s, it only ever saw a UK and Europe release, our US cousins having to do without it. A strange decision because, while it doesn’t have the headnod hummability of ‘The Choice is Yours’, the group’s biggest hit, it perfectly captures their ramshackle charm coupled with a catchy hook. While Dres was a characterful and idiosyncratic MC, one thing that often goes uncelebrated about Black Sheep was their production nous. As on their other singles, they mine some familiar tracks but use the samples in original and creative ways. The Original Sheep LP Mix is a likeably meandering track that borrows bass from Jimi Hendrix and different bits of Rare Earth’s ‘(I Know) I’m Losing You’, with a real lightness of touch. As this was a UK release – the original 7” of which now fetches around three figures – the label rafted in UK producer The Principle for a remix. Best known for his work with Profile Records crew Caveman, he brings the same kind of propulsive organ track to the remix that underpins much of their best work. He adds in an instantly familiar drum break from ‘Impeach the President’ to drive a fine re-imagining that is very much of its time. It’s a record that can still summon the fun of a hip-hop club in 1991, and one that’s no longer impossible to find on 7”.

If you collect vintage 70's soul-jazz vinyl, there is a good chance that you already own a record that features the amazing vocal talents of Dee Dee Bridgewater. Whether it be Roy Ayers, Norman Connors, Billy Parker or Carlos Garnett - Dee Dee is the glue that fuses these artists together. Although best known for her jazz work, Dee Dee has had a wonderfully rich and varied career encompassing soul, musicals, gospel, and underground disco from the 70's to the present day. She is still active as a vocalist, composer, and producer and remains one of our favourite vocalists at Mr Bongo HQ. We take things back to the early years of Dee Dee's career with her debut album 'Afro Blue'. Recorded in Tokyo in 1974, the album was released exclusively in Japan via two different Japanese labels (Trio Records in 1974 and All Art in 1985 respectively). Each release had unique cover art and we have opted to present the album in its original 1974 form. 'Afro Blue' features an exquisite collaboration of American and Japanese musicians, such as Cecil & Ron Bridgewater, Motohiko Hino and producer Takao Ishizuka. The result is a sublime deep soul-jazz masterpiece with timeless versions of 'People Make The World Go Round', 'Love From The Sun', and 'Afro Blue'. It is arguably one of the finest albums in its genre. This record has long been a sought-after item for DJs and collectors alike, so we are delighted to finally make this wonderful music from an understated great available to all.

Black Sheep – and their 1991 ‘A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing’ album - were definitely an outlier in the Native Tongues fold. They were raunchier and more playful than their peers which, given that those peers were A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul and Jungle Brothers, is really saying something.
‘Strobelite Honey’ catches that difference perfectly, leaning heavily on a pair of 1980 disco samples rather than the jazz of their brethren, and taking a somewhat less chivalrous approach to women. ‘Strobelite’s slender but fun narrative sees rapper Dres up in the club and fooled by the lights – approaching a girl he likes the look off but backing off when they reveal she’s not what he expected. Charmed, we’re sure.
Dres and his partner Mr. Lawnge were always willing to push boundaries, and that extends to the often confusing labelling of the various remixes of this choice single. 12”s dropped with the ‘No We Didn’t Mix’, ‘Yes We Did Mix’ and ‘Maybe We Did Mix’ (not to mention a separate 12” of House mixes).
The last and best of these accompanied the original version on the now-rare 1991 7”, as it does here. The ‘Maybe We Did Mix’ adds urgent horns - almost like the buzzing of a bee - and a new beat to completely reconfigure the sound into something much more of its era. It’s a reminder of when remixes were about much more than the same beat with different rappers.

Straight out the gate, Nas dropped a classic. Since the release of the seminal ‘Illmatic’ album in 1994, critics and fans have been wondering if Nas peaked too early and if anything in his subsequent catalogue could be held up against this masterpiece. To be fair, it’s hard to follow up something this flawless, a project that allied his most insightful, pitch-perfect heartfelt rhymes with the work of the best hip-hop producers on the east coast.

DJ Premier, Q-Tip from A Tribe Called Quest and Large Professor all take their turns on the album, along with the unsung L.E.S., but it’s Pete Rock in his prime who provides the stunning backdrop for the cinematic ‘The World is Yours’. It’s a perfect nugget of a single, weaving in the brashness of Scarface, the repetition of a snatch of T La Rock’s early Def Jam gem ‘It’s Yours’ and piano courtesy of Ahmad Jamal’s ‘I Love Music’ from his own timeless ‘The Awakening’ album (1970).

Presented for the first time on 7”, the vocals of the album version and the instrumental on the flip provide the perfect opportunity to enjoy and compare the work of two masters at the top of their game. Pete Rock’s seamless weaving of disparate samples into a compelling whole, the then little-known Nas’ statement of intent. With a maturity beyond his tender years, Nas put himself straight at the top of the pile, this Queensbridge chronicle hinting at the ambition and greatness he harboured within himself.

Finally back in on colored vinyl! This repressed 12" features 5 of the best early DM remixes from his now legendary (and long out of print) mashup EP 12"s. Includes his mashup remixes of Nas Vs. Portishead, Audio Two Vs. Air, Suzanne Vega Vs. 50 Cent, Outkast Vs. Funkadelic, and Xzibit Vs. Radiohead. Limited stock on colored vinyl.

To celebrate the 25 year anniversary of Camp Lo's classic debut album Uptown Saturday Night Get On Down presents a brand new 7-inch single for "Black Nostaljack (aka Come On)" with a Kid Capri produced remix on the B-Side featuring Rev Run of RUN DMC.

limited edition of 500 handnumbered copies!

new tracks and remixes from Mos Def & Diverse, Aesop Rock, Atmosphere, Prefuse 73 ...

/ Swing Set ... limited edition re-release for japan market!

Action Packed Gangsters, also known as A.P.G. Crew was a hip-hop group from Oakland, California, made up of Marlon “M.C. Mello Mar” Blackwell, Jimmy “J-Cutt” Robinson, Cold Comin' Up (Professor T & DJ Pause), MC Red & DJ Red Slice (The Red Connection). Their second album Oaktown's Finest, known as a 90s Hip-Hop / Random Rap masterpiece, was released in 1991 on YO Records and the songs "Takin' It To The Streets" and "Daily Routine" on the album were considered classics of 90s random rap, sampling sources are "Party Time" and "Panama" from Roy Porter's classic album "Inner Feelings", respectively. Both tunes are highly regarded not only by rare groove freaks, but also by hip-hop fans. P-vine is pleased to announce this 7" featuring these two classics released in one-time limited pressing which might be one that rare groove collectors will be desperate to find decades from now!

This edition is limited to 300 copies exclusive available at HHV.

Official Mr Bongo Hip Hop Reissue When the film ‘White Men Can’t Jump’ was released in 1992, an EP of music from the film was dropped almost simultaneously. That EP, cheekily titled ‘White Men Can’t Rap’, featured a couple of exclusive gems, notably Gang Starr’s ‘Now You’re Mine’ and a cut from Main Source called ‘Fakin’ the Funk’. The only single borne of that six-track EP was the Main Source track, released in remixed form on Wild Pitch records the same year. No surprise, it was head and shoulders above the rest. Opening with those unmistakable harmonies from Main Ingredient’s ‘Magic Shoes’, the intro segues into a crisp beat borrowed from Grady Tate’s frequently sampled ‘Be Black Baby’ from 1969. Throw in a sprinkle of Kool & The Gang and you’ve got a track that would fit seamlessly onto Main Source’s masterpiece of an album, ‘Breaking Atoms’. Instead, it’s the group’s last hurrah, the final collaboration between K-Cut, Sir Scratch and Large Professor before the latter departed the trio. It’s fitting that he saves one of his best vocal performances for last, railing at sell-outs with the assistance of his long-term collaborator Neek the Exotic. Never released before on an official 7”, it’s a track that has lost none of its appeal, and the remix is the definitive version of this classic.

Official Mr Bongo Hip Hop Reissue We’ll get to the vocal content in a second, but first it’s time to acknowledge what a patchwork tapestry of genius ‘Peace is not the word to play’ is in terms of production. Large Professor being a prodigy on the Sp-1200 is well established, but the way he flips parts of MFSB’s ‘tlc’ and Milly and Silly’s obscure ‘Gettin’ Down for Xmas’ with a sprinkling of Lyn Collins here establishes his credentials in the top tier. Lyrically, it’s a tour de force, with Main Source taking exception with the misuse of the word ‘peace’ by the hip-hop fraternity. With even the most homicidal of gangster rappers dropping it at the end of tracks at the time, time was overdue for some regulation. The album version makes its point pithily in a single verse, while the remix, included on the flip of this first ever 7” release, expands on the topic with new verses and some new samples too. It’s a welcome reminder of the time when remixes were remixes – not just the identical track with the latest hot rappers joining in. Most of all, Main Source once again walk the fine line between lyrical lecture and head-nodding banger – the rare example of a track with a point to make that can still fill a dancefloor and get necks snapping.

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”.

First-time 7" vinyl single release, remastered by Simon Francis, full color printed sleeve

The best twist in music lyric history?
On 7" for the first time ever, one of the most important rap records ever.

It's timeless, it's genius, it's just pure beautiful brilliance. It's Common's masterpiece.

One of the best songs in all hip-hop history, “I Used To Love H.E.R.” was the first single from Common's eternal 1994 LP, Resurrection. He personifies hip-hop as an ode to the art form he once loved, lamenting how the genre became too commercialized and, due to a mass influx of mainstream rap in the 90s, some of the purity and freshness of the culture was being lost.

Common uses a first-person romance narrative to detail the history of hip-hop, resulting in an extended metaphor that's sophisticated, clever, and delivers a moral message that touched millions of people and still absolutely blows minds at the song's conclusion: "'Cause who we're talkin' about, y'all, is hip-hop"

Perfectly produced by No ID and incorporating a gorgeous, melancholic sample of George Benson’s “The Changing World”, the plaintive sonic landscape provided the ideal foundation for Common’s innovative storytelling. Almost 30 years later, “I Used To Love H.E.R.” remains one of the most significant moments in hip-hop: a classic in every sense of the word.

Common did discuss the true meaning of the track in a 1995 interview on “Yo! MTV Raps”, stating: “H.E.R. stands for Hip-Hop in its Essence is Real. And all I’m talking about his how I first came into contact with hip-hop music and how it evolved into where it is now. And it’s like all these gimmicks going on, all the phoniness, ain’t nobody being real with it. Everybody’s stressing that it’s real, but ain’t nobody being true to it. I think that came about because — once it started becoming a business, then people started losing their soul, and they started looking at it, taking it more as a business than an art form.”

On the flip, we've stayed faithful to the track used for the original 12" release. And what a track it is. Destined to be overshadowed by the behemoth on the A-Side, the frenetic neck-snapping jazz-rap "Communism" has it all - those horns at the start, the lyrical dexterity, the beat. Oh my.

So, one of the greatest pieces of music ever, in any genre. This is not merely music. It's high art. Speaking of which, we've recreated the striking original artwork from the 12" and shrunk it down to the 7" format. It looks and sounds stunning. The most important song in rap history, if you really think about it. We all miss her. We all miss hip-hop...

/ Remix / America's Most Blunted

the producer for the likes of Lupe Fiasco, Dudley Perkins, Georgia Anne Muldrow, Guilty Simpson and Wildchild steps out with his family of London-based singers

/ Remix / America's Most Blunted