US Hip Hop 494 Items

"L.A. rapper Blu burst onto the scene in the late 00s with the widely acclaimed Exile collaboration Below The Heavens, igniting a West Coast hip-hop renaissance in the process. With his cool Cali demeanor and undeniable lyrical talent, Blu drew praise from fans and tastemakers alike, launching a remarkable career that continues thriving to this day. His first ever double album, the 2014 masterpiece Good To Be Home is an essential part of this story. An unapologetic celebration of Los Angeles music and culture, the album takes listeners on a vivid journey through Blu’s storied stomping grounds. With sweeping strings and hypnotic bass lines supplied by producer Bombay, Good To Be Home features a host of West Coast hip-hop luminaries, including Evidence, Fashawn, Alchemist, Casey Veggies, MED, Planet Asia, Oh No, Pac Div, Strong Arm Steady, Thurz, Visionaries, and more. A cohesive collection with 20 tracks and no filler, this classic release is now available again on vinyl after years out of print."

Future archaeologists will discuss two periods in 1980s: before Run-DMC and after Run-DMC. It’s no exaggeration to say that the group changed the course of music in the ‘80s, bringing the old-school of rap into the new with one simple piece of flat, black plastic. Coming up in the rap world of the early 1980s under the wing of Kurtis Blow (group manager Russell Simmons managed Blow, and Run was, at one time, a DJ known as “Son of Kurtis Blow”) and Blow’s bassist and burgeoning super-producer Larry Smith, the trio – Joseph “Run” Simmons, Darryl “DMC” McDaniels and Jason “Jam Master Jay” Mizell – learned from the best, but created their own path. 1983 was the year that they first broke out. With only an Oberheim DMX drum program and some cuts by Jay, “Sucker M.C.s (Krush-Groove 1)” was a shot across the bow to the slick, post-disco pocket rap had settled into. It was raw, pure swagger and it took both New Yorkers and music aficionados around the world by storm. The song’s lyrics are a mandatory memorization assignment to this day by MCs learning their craft. “Two years ago, a friend of mine…”
The group’s sound, which was laid out muscularly on Run-DMC, had a harder approach than their peers, thanks to producer Larry Smith’s use of live musicians who laid down grooves but didn’t soften the edges. Lyrically the group wasn’t just about brags either, with songs like “Hard Times,” “It’s Like That” and “Wake Up” (the first two were singles). Run’s and DMC’s overlapping tag-team approach to lyricism was powerful and immensely influential.
“Rock Box,” another single and arguably the centerpiece of the album, was a nod to their hard edge, and a foreshadowing of their first worldwide smash, 1985’s “King Of Rock.” Jam Master Jay’s DJ work was stellar, knowing exactly when to jump in and put listeners’ ears in a headlock.
The album was the first rap full-length to achieve Gold status, and as fans know, the group was just getting started – their next two LPs would take them to even higher status in the music world, critically and sales-wise. But this is where it all started, and it’s a classic that still sounds
fresh today as it did more than 30 years ago.

Danny Brown, Mac Miller, Earl Sweatshirt, Raekwon, Scarface, Domo Genesis, Ab-Soul, Polyester the Saint, BJ The Chicago Kid, Big Time Watts, G-Wiz, Casey Veggies, Sulaiman, Meechy Darko & Freddie Kane are featured on this 17 track collaborative album ... this is collaborative for sure!

These “Big Hole” 7 Inches From Lord Willin’ Are Presented On White Vinyl
In Mini Star Trak Die-Cut Jackets – Replicas Of The Label’s Original 12” Sleeves.
The first hip-hop group signed to The Neptunes' newly formed Star Trak label in the early 2000s was a Virginia based duo known
as The Clipse. The group’s first single “Grindin’,” impacted young people with its bare-boned but infectious drum beat in the same
way that Run-DMC’s “Sucker MCs” did almost two decades earlier. MCs Pusha T and Malice, combined with The Neptunes’
groundbreaking production, sent a clear message to the rap world – “we are not the same.” Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo
were able to combine their electro-punk production with just the right group to create a street masterpiece. Following in the
footsteps of such rap criminologists as Kool G Rap, Nas, Jay-Z and Mobb Deep, the Clipse offer a hustler's viewpoint, with clever,
hard-hitting lyrics that are consistent throughout the album.
Select singles from Lord Willin’ will now be available from Get On Down on white vinyl in 7” size diecut
jackets that reproduce the look of the original 12” releases on the Neptune’s Star Trak imprint.

Slaine's upcoming studio album "The King Of Everything Else", is scheduled for an August 19th release date through Suburban Noize. The album is set to feature collaborations with heavyweights Tech N9ne, Madchild, Bishop Lamont, Vinnie Paz, Reks and Termanology, and La Coka Nostra brethren ILL BILL. The album artwork for "The King Of Everything Else", was designed by legendary hip-hop artist Skam2, who has worked with everyone from Eminem, A Tribe Called Quest, D-12, Dizzy Wright, and ILL BILL, to rock group's like Linkin Park.

"The songs on this new album are extremely visual and I felt like the album cover needed to be an accompanying piece. I met Skam2 through Ill Bill a while back and had always dug his work," said Slaine. "I had an idea of what I wanted to do with the cover conceptually and thought he would be the perfect artist to execute it. He took the idea and ran with it. I love the results."

Throughout his musical career as a solo artist, or as a member of hip-hop supergroup La Coka Nostra, Slaine has always made his songs with a gritty, lyrical honesty. His latest autobiographical gorilla, "The King of Everything Else", is a cutting and revealing tell-all. If Behind The Music or E! True Hollywood Story dug this deep into an artist's psyche, they'd have to resurrect Kubrick to subdue all the madness. Slaine, meanwhile, navigates the chaos with impressive nihilistic gusto.

"Modern Vintage" is the new collaboration album from veteran emcee John Robinson (aka Lil Sci of world renown Hip-Hop group Scienz Of Life) and prolific drummer, composer, producer and band-leader Pat Van Dkye (aka PVD). John Robinson and PVD originally met at a show in 2008 and since then their chemistry has grown organically and has developed into the duo performing
many formal shows together at venues like SOB’s, Blue Note NYC, LPR and others around the NY-NJ Tristate area.

16 tracks feat. Sadat X, El Da Sensei, Shabaam Sahdeeq, ID 4 Windz and others!

Cover and vinyl are close to NM.

Shabazz The Disciple, hailing from the Red Hook Houses in Brooklyn, NY dominated the Golden Era of Hip Hop alongside his Wu-Tang family. Exploding on the scene in 1994 with the Gravediggaz on their debut single "Diary Of A Madman". He also Co-founded the group Sunz Of Man and coined the group name and concept T.H.U.G. ANGELZ, as well as solo with his groundbreaking "Death Be The Penalty" single in 1995 (Penalty Records) and several of other singles, guest appearances and releases throughout the late 1990s into the 2000s.

Now in 2019 he re-enters the combination to his 1994 vault of GOLD BARZ, opening the safe to offer you 2 unreleased gemstonez: "Hip Hop Casino" and "Solemn Oath". Shabazz states: "I'm putting my blue chips on the table and controlling the bank on this bet, Hip Hop is a gamble like being in the casino! We bet big to win big!! It was a Solemn Oath I made to myself to never gamble on the streets again, like in the 80's!! Wingz Up!!"

Tuff Kong Records presents a truly special and one of a kind project from the multi talented producers/artists Lee Scratch Perry and Mr. Green. Using the same ethos as his popular #LivefromtheStreets series (as seen on VICE/ Noisey as well as Complex and Netflix) Mr. Green's goal was to do something that had never been done before. Although at the surface the record is a standard 18-19 minute EP, digging deeper, listeners will find a sonic roller coaster that seamlessly combines over 20 different genres of music and styles.

"Super Ape vs. 緑: Open Door" includes some truly heavy hitters and cultural icons contributing vocals, including Sheek Louch (The Lox) , Daniel Son, HR (Bad Brains) and Eric"Scratch" Andre (Adult Swim, Disney's Lion King etc.) . Lee "Scratch" Perry is an iconic music producer, singer an inventor noted for his innovative studio techniques and a pioneer of the development of dub music with his early adoption of studio techniques. He has worked with and produced for a variety of fellow iconic artists such as Bob Marley, Beastie Boys and The Clash and was sampled by Kanye West for his production for Jay-Z’s “Lucifer.” He has been named by Paul McCartney as one of his greatest inspirations and included on Rolling Stone Magazine's list of the 100 most important musicians of all time. At the young-age of 83 years old, he still tours and headlines shows and festivals all over the planet.

Although Lee Scratch Perry began making music over fifty-years before Mr. Green, he maintains that Green is one of his inspirations and even may have helped launch his career, presumably through time travel, portals and Open Doors. "Are you ready out there for me? I'm ready for you... Mr. Green, opens all the doors in the United States of America for me, so listen to our new project and the open door.”

Light purple vinyl.