US Rap Classics 232 Items

Regular 2LP edition with printed innersleeves instead of gatefold and without the 7".

"Ambushed" contains instant classics like "We Run Things" or "Remember We" and features productions by the likes of Ali Shaheed Muhammad of A Tribe Called Quest, Salaam Remi, Jermaine Dupri and others.

The trio consisting of Kaos, Y-Tee and Mr. Man grew up in the West Indies, so reggae had a strong influence on their music. Formed in 1992, the Brooklyn representatives dropped their debut in 1994 followed by the sophomore album "Gravity" in 1996 with the help from a number of Native Tongue members including Q-Tip and The Ummah, Pos of De La Soul, Rahzel of The Roots as well as a young Mos Def.

Limited edition of 500 copies on black vinyl of "Comprehension", the sophomore album by Shadez Ov Blac from Winnipeg, MB, Canada.

The group's debut "Next School Pioneers" dropped in 1995 via Peanuts & Corn, a Canadian underground label run by mcenroe. "Comprehension" followed in 1999, originally self-released on CD only accompanied by a now hard-to-find 12" release.

The album features mic guests such as Odario, Ismaila and Fayce as well as productions by mcenroe, The Buddha and Howard Hyman.

Available in a limited run on LP, CD in digipak as well as jewel case and cassette plus digitally on all major platforms.

New pressing on blue vinyl, limited to 500 copies.

In March 2020, right as the whole world was entering into a transitional phase, Evidence released a single titled "Unlearning". Now, a year later, Evidence launches the campaign for his upcoming album, Unlearning Vol. 1, picking up where the single of the same name left off, and going beyond. Throughout his career, Evidence has always been adept at both staying true to his roots and evolving as he grows and learns from life experiences, including recognizing when the time comes to unlearn. During the campaign for his last album, Weather or Not (2018), he expressed a desire to close the chapter on the weather-related theme that had been a staple of his solo career to that point. Unlearning Vol. 1 not only sees that vision come to life, but shines brilliantly in the process. Unlearning Vol. 1 pairs Evidence's own production with works from The Alchemist, Nottz, Sebb Bash, Animoss, Mr. Green, V Don, Daringer and Eardrum (QThree). This highlights perhaps an undervalued skill of Ev's - his ability to collaborate with a multitude of producers on a project, while still creating an album with a cohesion and consistency rarely found in such extensive collaboration. While the album's musical soundscape sets the scene, it's Ev's gift for relatable yet inventively clever writing that really paints the picture, continually pulling the listener in. That said, a small but powerful cast of guest appearances also decorate the landscape, courtesy of stellar performances from Boldy James, Conway The Machine, Fly Anakin, Navy Blue, and Murkage Dave. Unlearning Vol. 1 embodies the sound and feeling of pure artistic expression, capturing a moment in time where marketability, album sales & streaming potential, and the desire to please anyone other than the artist themselves, are all just an afterthought. As one could expect, such freedoms allowed Evidence to tap into something special that sounds engaging and unique, and also remains true to his foundation. In essence, Unlearning Vol. 1 finds Evidence at yet another creative peak, creating a listening experience poised to catch the attention of new listeners while strengthening his core fanbase.

Before Madvillain, before Yesterday’s New Quintet and before Quasimoto or any other of his several alter egos, Madlib perfected his craft as an MC/producer in the Lootpack. Along with DJ Romes, and fellow rhymer Wildchild, they released the dusty full-length, Soundpieces: Da Antidote back in 1999, that laid down the foundation for the unique and dusty sound now associated with Madlib. The loose, freeform recordings on this collection, The Lost Tapes, are circa 1996 when the group was managed by Madlib’s father, and they show the now-renowned maverick producer in comparatively restrained form. Madlib’s scope and imagination was clearly fixated on East coast jazzy hip-hop production from the early ’90s, laying down soundscapes for his hungry crew including the likes of Kazi, Oh No, Kan Kick, Declaime and Medaphoar, who have all become well known underground rap vets. Madlib’s own strong mic presence is noticeable given his now only-on-rare-occasion rhyming, but it’s his production that is the most fascinating element here. While a resolutely hip-hop project, the burgeoning jazzy flourishes and Madlib’s heavily accomplished ear for sound makes the record an important starting point for adherents of his more recent exploratory work.

Another marvellous gem by Get On Down, made available to HHV customers in Europe. Limited to 1800 in total.

To commemorate the 30 year Anniversary of Cypress Hill’s debut album Get On Down is proud to present the complete album on 7 inch vinyl singles for the first time ever housed in a deluxe casebook.

Includes:

The debut album is presented as a set of six 7-Inch vinyl records presented in a Hardcover Casebook which holds all six records in built-in sleeves Full-color 80 page booklet with liner notes by journalist Chris Faraone, complete with photos and lyrics, and more Housed in a premium outer slipcase, debossed with the iconic Cypress Hill logo in metallic red foil.

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. Records like "How I Could Just Kill a Man", "Pigs", "Stoned is the Way of the Walk" and "Hand on the Pump" made this album 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.

Journalist and author Chris Faraone highlights the group's relationship in the reissue's liner notes saying, "[By the late 80s] the undisputed Cypress unit finally formed. B and Sen realized that their diametric styles - the latter's deep wrangle, the formers inimitable high notes - complemented one another righteously. By then Muggs had bangers in the bag, as well as industry experience from a jaunt with the New York duo 7A3. B and Sen waited while Muggs messed with 7A3, and in that time began to build the blueprint for their raucous and weeded no-holds-barred style. Besides getting schooled on industry pitfalls, Muggs had also grown into hip-hop's most formidable young producer, while straddling the bi-coastal gap."

Faraone was able to dive in deep with the band for the liner notes, hearing story after story, including the particularly interesting tale of their unlikely 91 radio hit, "How I Could Just Kill A Man". In the B Side wins again story, the group recalls receiving resistance from the label in regards to which single should hit radio first. Initially, the label thought "How I Could Just Kill A Man" was too risky, and even though the single initially "The Phuncky Feel One", one of the album's strongest cuts, as the A-Side, college and commercial mix-show radio couldn't resist the dusted, heavy groove of Kill A Man. The song – which included a catchy, LA drive-by-inspired chorus – ended up as an unlikely, but powerful double A-sided single that even topped the Billboard Rap charts. More singles would follow, including "Hand On The Pump"; "Pigs"; and "Latin Lingo". And by the fall of 1991, the album was a full-blown critics darling. If you are a Cypress Hill fan and 45 collector this limited edition 30 year Anniversary 7” boxset is a must have!

DJ Quik is a giant of West Coast hip-hop. With his fourth album Rhythm-Al-Ism he created his masterpiece, a perfect hip-hop album. As Quik explains, “the name Rhythm-Al-Ism alone tells you what I was doing. I was mixing up rhythms. I was meshing R&B with hip-hop and jazz. And a little bit of comedy”. It’s absolutely sensational and as with a lot of mid-90s albums those original vinyl copies are now rare so here’s the Be With re-issue. A preternaturally gifted producer/rapper, DJ Quik has produced scores of LA gangsta rap classics. He’s released platinum and gold records of his own, as well as helped craft them for the likes of Tupac, Snoop Dogg, and Dr Dre. Quik has always been quirkier and more interesting than his gangsta rap peers, both musically and lyrically. An old-school funk producer at heart, he’s also incredibly nice on the mic. His raps often deal in boasts, jokes and good times but also cover his beefs, his trials and his trauma. Partying and pain, all mixed up. DJing and producing hype beat tapes from age 14, Quik’s tracks blended the languid funk and rubbery synths of Zapp and George Clinton with a gangsta aesthetic, creating a more danceable foil to Compton’s more typical nihilistic hedonism. Ultimately, his records sound custom engineered to drift out over sun-soaked barb

DJ Quik is a giant of West Coast hip-hop. With 1995’s Safe + Sound, he scaled new levels of musical magnificence with his signature new age P-Funk/laconic G-Funk. A quintessential, sun-scorched LA album, this is pretty much essential. Typical for mid-90s albums the original vinyl copies are now rare so here’s the Be With re-issue, complete with “Tanqueray”, the hidden track from the original CD release. A preternaturally gifted producer/rapper, DJ Quik has produced scores of LA gangsta rap classics. He’s released platinum and gold records of his own, as well as helped craft them for the likes of Tupac, Snoop Dogg, and Dr Dre. Quik has always been quirkier and more interesting than his gangsta rap peers, both musically and lyrically. An old-school funk producer at heart, he’s also incredibly nice on the mic. His raps often deal in boasts, jokes and good times but also cover his beefs, his trials and his trauma. Partying and pain, all mixed up. DJing and producing hype beat tapes from age 14, Quik’s tracks blended the languid funk and rubbery synths of Zapp and George Clinton with a gangsta aesthetic, creating a more danceable foil to Compton’s more typical nihilistic hedonism. Ultimately, his records sound custom enginee

2021 double vinyl re-issue, 140g vinyl, includes “Pure Thought” bonus track from the original CD version, original picture sleeve and printed inner sleeves based on the original one. Innercity Griots, the second album from Freestyle Fellowship, is perhaps *the* essential West Coast left-field rap album of the early ’90s. Released in 1993 on 4th & Broadway, it’s a towering, progressive hip-hop masterpiece that expanded rap’s boundaries through lyrical elevation and production innovation. Their talent was ahead of everybody else by light years. This is pure b-boy jazz. The original single vinyl LP is now hideously scarce, and of course the sound suffers from not being officially released as a double. This Be With re-issue fixes both problems, and for completeness also includes “Pure Thought” from the CD version of the album. This incredible display of imaginative hip-hop sounds better than ever. Freestyle Fellowship were some of the earliest technically dazzling rappers to come out of California. Mikah 9, P.E.A.C.E., Aceyalone and Self Jupiter - along with DJ Kiilu - forged their famed lyrical dexterity in the ultra-competitive crucible of the Good Life Cafe. Founded in Leimert Park, South Central LA in December 1989, this earthy health-food store and cafe was where the city’s finest microphone fiends would gather to showcase their freestyle skills at the Thursday night open-mic.

Original artwork edition pressed on 2x140g black vinyl.

One of the greatest albums in HipHop ever with one of the most iconic album covers of all time - right next to Nas' Illmatic and Wu-Tangs "Enter The Wu". How to describe this album with words that have not been used over and over again? Without superlatives? Not possible. It's simply one of the best albums ever, one that every rap fan can talk about with lyrics everyone can quote - or should be able to quote from. From the recording process to the label situation, the legal hustle provoked by the samples, it is not just one story, it's multiple stories surrounding this album.

Strictly limited edition of 500 copies on black colored 2LP.

"Exotic Essentials" is a handpicked demo compilation by Godfather Don himself including some lost gems of mid-90's works. The album includes 8 vocal tracks as well as 9 instrumentals shorties from the vaults. Available in a limited run on black as well as grey colored 2LP, on limited CD and cassette plus digitally on all major platforms.

Strictly limited edition of 500 copies on grey colored 2LP.

"Exotic Essentials" is a handpicked demo compilation by Godfather Don himself, including some lost gems of mid-90's works. The album includes 8 vocal tracks as well as 9 instrumental shorties from the vaults. Available in a limited run on black as well as grey colored 2LP, on limited CD and cassette plus digitally on all major platforms.

Includes the original album plus the instrumental version!

Until the End of Time is the seventh studio album, and third posthumous album by 2Pac. It follows his previous posthumous albums R U Still Down? (Remember Me) and Still I Rise. The album consists of material recorded while the rapper was on Death Row Records from 1995–1996. The album debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200 chart.

A majority of the music compositions were remixed from their original state. Highly anticipated, Until the End of Time was ultimately one of the best selling hip hop albums of 2001. There were only three times references to Death Row Records were not censored (“Until the End of Time” (both versions), “U Don’t Have 2 Worry”, and “All Out”). The core vocal tracks and some instrumentation was recorded during and after the All Eyez On Me and Makaveli: The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory sessions.

This will be a 180 gram 4LP 20th anniversary reissue of the long out-of-print, 4x platinum, posthumous album.

Classic Stons Throw album, all productions by Madlib and artwork by the one and only Jeff Jank!

Limited bundle edition incl. the black 2LP and the logo t-shirt (limited to 100 shirts in total).

"God Sound" was the sophomore album of the Boogiemonsters from 1997, being a duo then consisting of Vex Da Vortex and Mondo McCann after their debut "Riders Of The Storm: The Underwater Album" from 1994 as a four-men crew. The album production was mostly handled by themselves, additional beats were provided by Domingo, John Doe and Caspa. Features included Philly poetress Bahamadia as well as Tysha.

"God Sound" is not the cliched distillation of sophomore album angst that has become the norm in modern day artistry. Unlike many musicians who feel pressed to release a second album, Mondo & Vex took their time, honed their production skills and solidified their personal situations. Like God's true sound - that tree growing in the midst of urban decay; the sunflower making its way through a crack in concrete, a sunshower dissipating the dirt, grime and heat of a hot summer day - "God Sound" flourished around advents of human civilization.

Strictly limited edition of 500 copies on black vinyl in gatefold outfit.

"God Sound" was the sophomore album of the Boogiemonsters from 1997, being a duo then consisting of Vex Da Vortex and Mondo McCann after their debut "Riders Of The Storm: The Underwater Album" from 1994 as a four-men crew. The album production was mostly handled by themselves, additional beats were provided by Domingo, John Doe and Caspa. Features included Philly poetress Bahamadia as well as Tysha.

"God Sound" is not the cliched distillation of sophomore album angst that has become the norm in modern day artistry. Unlike many musicians who feel pressed to release a second album, Mondo & Vex took their time, honed their production skills and solidified their personal situations. Like God's true sound - that tree growing in the midst of urban decay; the sunflower making its way through a crack in concrete, a sunshower dissipating the dirt, grime and heat of a hot summer day - "God Sound" flourished around advents of human civilization.

Limited bundle edition incl. the clear 2LP and the logo t-shirt (limited to 100 shirts in total).

"God Sound" was the sophomore album of the Boogiemonsters from 1997, being a duo then consisting of Vex Da Vortex and Mondo McCann after their debut "Riders Of The Storm: The Underwater Album" from 1994 as a four-men crew. The album production was mostly handled by themselves, additional beats were provided by Domingo, John Doe and Caspa. Features included Philly poetress Bahamadia as well as Tysha.

"God Sound" is not the cliched distillation of sophomore album angst that has become the norm in modern day artistry. Unlike many musicians who feel pressed to release a second album, Mondo & Vex took their time, honed their production skills and solidified their personal situations. Like God's true sound - that tree growing in the midst of urban decay; the sunflower making its way through a crack in concrete, a sunshower dissipating the dirt, grime and heat of a hot summer day - "God Sound" flourished around advents of human civilization.

Strictly limited edition of 500 copies on clear vinyl in gatefold outfit.

"God Sound" was the sophomore album of the Boogiemonsters from 1997, being a duo then consisting of Vex Da Vortex and Mondo McCann after their debut "Riders Of The Storm: The Underwater Album" from 1994 as a four-men crew. The album production was mostly handled by themselves, additional beats were provided by Domingo, John Doe and Caspa. Features included Philly poetress Bahamadia as well as Tysha.

"God Sound" is not the cliched distillation of sophomore album angst that has become the norm in modern day artistry. Unlike many musicians who feel pressed to release a second album, Mondo & Vex took their time, honed their production skills and solidified their personal situations. Like God's true sound - that tree growing in the midst of urban decay; the sunflower making its way through a crack in concrete, a sunshower dissipating the dirt, grime and heat of a hot summer day - "God Sound" flourished around advents of human civilization.

Ghost Dog - Original Motion Picture Score, produced by The RZA, is now available on official Vinyl and CD editions! This masterpiece was previously only given a limited Japanese release, and is the first film score produced by The RZA and features appearances by Wu Tang Clan.

'Illmatic' is the debut studio album by American rapper Nas, released in April 1994. Often cited as one of the best hip-hop albums of the '90s, 'Illmatic' is the undisputed classic upon which Nas' reputation rests. It helped spearhead the artistic renaissance of New York hip-hop in the post-Chronic era, leading a return to street aesthetics. Hip-hop fans accustomed to 73-minute opuses sometimes complain about 'Illmatic''s brevity, but even if it leaves you wanting more, it's also one of the few '90s rap albums with absolutely no wasted space. 'Illmatic' reveals a great lyricist in top form meeting great production, and it remains a perennial favorite among serious hip-hop fans.

Packaged In A Wrapped Tip-On Gatefold Jacket With Green & Pink Colored Double Vinyl. Includes A Free Digital Download Card. Re-Pressed With Masters Previously Used For Mm..Food.In 1998 Zev Love X Of The Seminal Rap Group Kmd Re-Emerged As A Masked Super Villain Known As Mf Doom. The Following Year He Released The Ground Breaking Independent Classic Operation: Doomsday. Doom Only Added To The Mystery By Creating Multiple Aliases (King Geedorah, Viktor Vaughn, Etc.) And Took A No Holds Barred Approach To His Musical Career. With Collaborative Side Projects With Madlib (Madvillain) And Dangerdoom With Danger Mouse, Mm..Food Marked The Super Villain's Long Awaited Follow Up To Operation: Doomsday.

Strictly limited edition of 300 copies on colored vinyl!

Next stop Baltimore! We are super excited to present Silouette's underground classic "Chocolate Malibu" (entirely produced by DJ Concrete) on 90's Tapes in a 2LP outfit incl. download card as well as on cassette and CD. On top this gem is available on digital platforms for the very first time.

This is Annexx Clique in full effect!

30th Anniversary of the demo tape, limited to 500 copies worldwide. Comes with sticker.

Strictly limited edition of 300 copies on green and red Colored Vinyl. Comes in UV-finished gatefold sleeve with black poly-lined innersleeves.

Originally released in 1996 on Lethal Records, the entire album "Sex, Props, Cream ... And The Drama In Between" by Long Island's Punk Barbarians finally gets a proper re-release on 2LP and cassette. The original 1LP missed a few tracks off the album, so this is actually the very first time you can hear the full release on your turntable.

In November 1996, The Source gave 3 and a half mic's and here's what Miles Marshall Lewis wrote about the Punk Barbarians debut album: "It seems like recently in rap, everybody's album is based on one of these three concepts, but they're not dealing with the reality of the drama in between," says Doozer mid album, discussing Sex, Props, Cream & The Drama In Between title of his Punk Barbairan crew's debut album. The PBs - Sunny Cheeba, Bam Bam, Doozer and Renegade (aka Shine On) - arrive to a ravaged hip-hop landscape with high aspirations: detailing the drama in between libido, recognition and economics could fill 14 albums, much less the 14 tracks on Sex, Prop, Cream - in essence merely struggle - is, after all, the basis of life itself.
With their work cut out for them, the Punk Barbarians still manage to leave a strong mark. Their lively interplay - with an engaging reminiscent of an Onyx or Lost Boyz - sounds honest, like a crew that's been together since the sandboxes of their native Long Island. The fousome bounce off each other like perfectly arranged quadraphonic accoustics, particularly with thepulsing "Blast Off" and the Spanish-guitar textured "Sweets". Jazzy production includes snippets of vibe and harp that echo masters like Lionel Hampton and Alice Coltrane, while simultaneously evoking the aesthetic feel of The Low End Theory. Some tracks - "The Struggle" (which features Donald Byrd) and "You Don't Know" - ride the line between simple influence and imitation of Tribe's jazz-rap masterpice, but with an intuitive understanding rather than mere bastardization.
"Hooptie Car" shins as a diamond in the rough, dreamily escapist like the Pharcyde's "Passing Me By". As Sunny and Doozer reference Grce Jones and Donna Summer - "Pull up to my bumper," "Toot toot, ah, beep beep" - in mid-rhyme, the irony of this track's dopeness sets in. Because while the Punk Barbarians allude to "Malcolm, Martin and Marcus and W.E.B." on "Rest In Peace" and speak of how their rhymes are "killing you like daily intakes of swine," on "Magic," their real flavor is best presented on frivolous cut like "Hooptie Car."
Sex, Props, Cream & The Drama In Between remains an excellent starting point for the PB quartet, and unless their name erects an Alkaholis-like stumbling block, they should have time to display an interesting evolution."

Limited edition of 300 copies on white vinyl of the third release on "90's Tapes" incl. download code. Endangered Species' “Intangible” was an underground classic released in 1999 on cassette in a very limited run, when word got out this music somehow spread from Calgary throughout Canada to Chicago, Australia, Europe & beyond. The producer / MC combo of Nohow & Infinite P produced the record on the ASR-10 in their dusty home studio using records & a Roland digital 8 track. The only guest appearances were from Agape (Isosceles) who also produced "Fortified Aorta" & DJ Vinroc (5th Platoon / Triple Threat DJ’s), a song they recorded on tour. 21 years later this record finally gets it’s proper reissue treatment on vinyl, cassette and digitally.

Gang Starr is undoubtedly one of the most revered, beloved and influential groups in Hip Hop. Over the course of their distinguished career, they became a cultural institution and a brand you could ultimately trust. With a handful of indelible classic albums on their resume, DJ Premier and Guru’s catalogue has not only persevered but mastered the test of time. Simply, Gang Starr did not follow trends, they created them. Album includes guest spots from: M.O.P, Q-Tip, Royce da 5’9”, Jeru The Damaja, J. Cole, Ne-Yo, Nitty Scott, Talib Kweli, Big Shug & Freddie Foxxx! Entirely produced by DJ Premier!

Limited edition 2LP set of 300 copies on colored vinyl in gatefold sleeve incl. download code.

One of the holy grails of the Westcoast Underground scene finally gets a proper re-release. Originally available in a very limited run only on cassette, the Mysterys Extinction (Blame One, Sandy Lion, Dejavoo & DJ Cro) self-titled debut album from 1997 finally gets a reissue treatment on vinyl, cassette and digital.

The feature list includes artists such as original member Kankick, God's Gift, Kaz and Dash Eye.

180g reissue of the sought after explicit version.

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!

Limited edition of 500 copies on gold colored vinyl!

A true fan-favorite finally gets a proper vinyl release, The Grouch's "They Don't Have This". Includes features by The Cuf, Bicasso, PSC and a few more usual suspects.

The 1990s was a rich vein of classic hip-hop, especially on the East Coast, which rendered some of the greatest works from the likes of Wu-Tang Clan, Nas, Mobb Deep, and many others. Frequently lost in the genre's New York-centric history was Boston's burgeoning hip-hop scene during the 1990s, spearheaded by working class Roxbury native Edward Anderson, best known by his stage name Ed O.G Over the course of his career, which has spanned nearly 30 years, Ed O.G has maintained an admirably strong cult following, and has gone on to work with contemporaries like RZA, KRS-One, Masta Ace, Pete Rock, and Common, while touring the world over, and producing numerous solo and collaborative albums. Ed O.G.'s illustrious career debuted in 1991, with the release of what is arguably his best known album, Life Of A Kid In The Ghetto, a collaboration with his crew, billed as Da Bulldogs (which was actually an acronym for “Black United Leaders Living Directly on Grooving Sounds”), though Ed O.G was clearly the main event. An underrated classic in its own right, Life Of A Kid In The Ghetto runs a gamut of sounds ranging from the introspective conscious hip-hop of "Be A Father To Your Child", to the whimsical boasts of "I'm Different", to deeply political fare like the Ace & Quan and Def Jef-featuring "Speak Upon It", plastered across a backdrop of Joe Mansfield-produced sample-heavy soundscapes, which snatched clips from deep cuts of James Brown, Roy Ayers, and The Delfonics, to name just a few. It also managed to generate Billboardcharting singles out of tracks like "Bug-A-Boo", "Be A Father To Your Child", and "I Got To Have It", which would become Ed O.G's signature track, and sample fodder for 2Pac, De La Soul, and DJ Premier. Get On Down now presents Life Of A Kid In The Ghetto, an unheralded rarity of renaissance hip-hop, reissued on vinyl for the first time since 1991. The audio has been remastered from its original tapes, so every bit and piece of Ed O.G's masterpiece is crisp and clear on wax. An uncovered gem of 90s rap well worth a re-listen or first-time discovery, and a sterling representation of Boston hip-hop.

Remastered!

Official and limited reissue on Def Jam. ‘undun‘ is the 10th studio album from legendary hip-hop band The Roots originally released on 2nd December, 2011. The Grammy® nominated album (best rap album) incorporates neo soul and indie music elements. It is an existential concept album about the short, tragic life of fictional character Redford Stevens, set in urban poverty, and is told through a reverse-chronological narrative. undun received widespread acclaim from critics, who praised its existential subject matter, production quality, and the band’s musicianship. It was included on several critics’ year-end lists of best albums. Previously released as a 2LP set, this version has now been converted to 1LP, in addition to a limited edition CE color vinyl version.

Limited edition of 500 copies on white colored 2LP vinyl.

The Grouch's sixth album from 2003, "Crusader For Justice", gets its first ever vinyl edition. Being a founding member of the Living Legends crew, The Grouch has made his name from the mid-90's on as one of the leading artists out of the flourishing Westcoast Underground scene. All independently, all DIY. We at HHV are very excited to finally get his full back catalogue out on vinyl, for the first time ever!

The second (and final) album from Fugees, originally released in February 1996. A 13 song double album, reissued on limited gold/orange mix vinyl.

Critically acclaimed debut album, originally released by Loud Records in November 1993. A 12 track reissue on single yellow Colored Vinyl!

Another milestone of Hip Hop's Golden Era gets an all official vinyl re-release through HHV. Smif-N-Wessun's debut album "Dah' Shinin" is an early Boot Camp Clikk release with features by Black Moon, Heltah Skeltah and the Originoo Gunn Clappaz and entirely produced by Da Beatminerz. Essential pick!

Dead Serious is the debut studio album of American hip hop duo Das EFX, originally released in 1992. Recording sessions for the album took place at Firehouse Studios in Brooklyn, New York and at Charlie Marotta's North Shore Soundworks studio in Long Island, New York.

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.

Cypress Hill III: Temples of Boom is the eponymous third studio album by the American hip hop group Cypress Hill, originally released in 1995 by Ruffhouse Records and Columbia Records. The album was certified Platinum by the RIAA.

Finally, this Beastie Boys classic gets a reissue!

Return of the Boom Bap is KRS-One's first official solo album, released in 1993. It peaked on the Billboard 200 charts at position 37. According to KRS-One the album has sold over 300,000 copies.
The album was selected as one of The Source's 100 Best Rap Albums.

Finally available on vinyl: "Damn.", Kendrick's fourth studio album!

Biggie's debut solo album from 1994 available again. The album features production by Bad Boy founder Sean "Puffy" Combs, Easy Mo Bee, Chucky Thompson, DJ Premier and Lord Finesse, among others.

On the West Coast, gangsta rap held sway in hip-hop as the 21st century began. The alternative and conscious rap music of the early-to-mid-90s had all but faded into the underground. The scene was set for a comeback, perhaps as a backlash to the perceived violence and misogyny of
gangsta rap's content. Leading the resurgence of alternative hip-hop were groups like Jurassic 5, and recent
signees to Capitol Records; a West coast trio that had been building steam underground since the early 90s called Dilated Peoples.

Anticipation was high for the release of the debut album from Evidence, Rakaa, and DJ Babu. (Of the influential turntablist collective Beat Junkies.) When The Platform arrived in May of 2000 it was met with critical and underground acclaim, as well as affording Dilated Peoples their first Billboard chartings. It featured a back-to-basics sound with a heavy debt to the old-school hip-hop ethos, the kind of sound that harkened back to the early days of legends like De La Soul & A Tribe Called Quest. Hits like
""No Retreat"" and ""The Platform"" were bolstered by Evidence & Rakaa's subtle, abstract wit, and swift, adroit wordplay, while DJ Babu provided production chops and dextrous scratches. On The Platform the trio were joined by the likes of B-Real, Tha Alkoholiks, Everlast, Planet
Asia, and many more providing guest vocals, while boasting guest production from The Alchemist & Kut Masta Kurt, among others.

Since its 2000 release this influential record, which heralded the return of alternative hip-hop, has never seen
a vinyl reissue. With that, Get On Down-always on top of giving the greatest hip-hop albums their due-is proud to present this re-release of The Platform. The rhymes are still fresh, the production is still pristine, and the album is now back on vinyl for the first time in 17 years.

It may have taken the Notorious B.I.G. a few years to follow up his milestone debut, Ready to Die (1994), with another album, but when he did return with Life After Death in 1997, he did so in a huge way. The ambitious album, intended as somewhat of a sequel to Ready to Die, picking up where its predecessor left off, sprawled across the span of two discs, each filled with music, 24 songs in all. You'd expect any album this sprawling to include some lackluster filler. That's not really the case with Life After Death, however. Like 2Pac's All Eyez on Me from a year before, an obvious influence, Biggie's album made extensive use of various producers -- DJ Premier, Easy Mo Bee, Clark Kent, RZA, and more of New York's finest -- resulting in a diverse, eclectic array of songs. Plus, Biggie similarly brought in various guest rappers -- Jay-Z, Lil' Kim, Bone Thugs, Too $hort, L.O.X., Mase -- a few vocalists -- R. Kelly, Angela Winbush, 112 -- and, of course, Puff Daddy, who is much more omnipresent here than on Ready to Die, where he mostly remained on the sidelines. It's perhaps Puffy himself to thank for this album's biggest hits: "Mo Money Mo Problems," "Hypnotize," "Sky's the Limit," three songs that definitely owe much to his pop touch. There's still plenty of the gangsta tales on Life After Death that won Biggie so much admiration on the streets, but it's the pop-laced songs that stand out as highlights. In hindsight, Biggie couldn't have ended his career with a more fitting album than Life After Death. Over the course of only two albums, he achieved every success imaginable, perhaps none greater than this unabashedly over-reaching success. Ready to Die is a milestone album, for sure, but it's nowhere near as extravagant or epic as Life After Death. - allmusic.com

180 gram black vinyl pressing!

Funkdoobiest is an American rap group from Los Angeles, California.
The original members were Son Doobie, DJ Ralph M and Tomahawk Funk. Which Doobie U B? is the debut studio album by the Latino rap group Funkdoobiest.
DJ Muggs was the executive producer for this album. Tracks on the album are performed by Son Doobie and Tomahawk Funk, including additional Cypress Hill member B-Real on the track "Wopbabalubop".
Hence the album is very much in line with the Cypress Hill productions. "It all works anyway", according to Allmusic review writer Steve Huey, he continues "Muggs is in his absolute prime as a producer here, and Son Doobie's rhymes are fittingly surreal and stoner-friendly, albeit more cartoonish than menacing like his Cypress counterpart".
The album title derived from a line in an episode of the 1970s sitcom What's Happening!!, when the main character, Raj, is introduced to special guests The Doobie Brothers.

The Muggs Presents The Soul Assassins (Chapter 1)album was originally released in 1997 and is produced by DJ Muggs. It features tracks from a veritable 'who's who' list of rappers like Dr. Dre & B Real, Mobb Deep, RZA/GZA & Genius (Wu-Tang Clan), Krs-One (Boogie Down Productions), Goodie Mob plus contributions from his Cypress Hill fellow band members B-Real and Sen Dog.

Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... (1995) is the solo debut of American rapper and Wu-Tang Clan member Raekwon. Produced by RZA and starring Ghostface Killah, it features appearances from every other member of the Wu-Tang Clan. It also features an acclaimed guest appearance from rapper Nas, which marked the first collaboration with a non-affiliated artist on a Wu-Tang related album.

A Tribe Called Quest - Q-Tip, Phife Dawg (who passed away on March 22nd, 2016), Ali Shaheed Muhammad, Jarobi White - the groundbreaking 90's group that forever transformed the urban music landscape reunited on their first and last studio album together in eighteen years. Guests on ''We got it from Here...Thank You 4 Your Service'' include, Kendrick Lamar, Elton John, Jack White, Andre 3000, Busta Rhymes, Consequence, Anderson.Paak, and Talib Kweli.

Illadelph Halflife is the third studio album by The Roots. It features a tougher and broader sound than their previous album, Do You Want More. The album was selected as one of The Source's 100 Best Rap Albums. In 2006, the album was selected as one of Hip-Hop Connection's 100 Best Rap Albums from 1995 to 2005. Continuing with its Respect The Classics campaign UMe will be reissuing this classic back on standard weight vinyl.

2Pacalypse Now is the debut studio album by 2Pac. The album is 2Pac's commentary on contemporary social issues facing American society such as racism, police brutality, poverty, black on black crime, and teenage pregnancy. It featured three singles; "Brenda's Got a Baby", "Trapped", and "If My Homie Calls".

This special reissue was cut from the original production masters and is presented on 180-gram heavyweight vinyl.

Produced by Rick Rubin and Beastie Boys, Licensed To Ill was originally released November 15, 1986 - making the B Boys the fifth artist to release a full length album on the original Def Jam label after LL Cool J, Slayer, Tashan and Oran "Juice" Jones.

First published in 2003, King Geedorah’s »Take Me To Your Leader« became an instant classic amongst fans. King Geedorah, named after the three-headed gold dragons from the Godzilla movies, is MF Doom's alias what he uses as part of the supergroup »Monsta Island Czars«. The album includes features by Jet Jaguar (MF Grimm) and some other »MIC« members.

At the peak of his powers as a producer in the mid-‘90s, Wu-Tang mastermind RZA crafted a distinctive soundtrack at his basement studio in Staten Island. This haunting landscape of dusty samples, sharp snares and menacing urban gloom – culled from the Japanese film “Shogun Assassin” as well as wide-ranging R&B and funk sources – would soon become a pillar of hip-hop history. These sounds were to become GZA’s 1995 sophomore classic, Liquid Swords – considered by many to be the ultimate Wu-Tang Clan solo album. 17-years later, it’s impossible to debate or deny the album’s legendary status, still standing up to any release that has come out in the rap pantheon, before or since.

Cerebral and precise with his words like a shaolin swordsman, GZA crystallized a range of influences, from chess to kung-Fu and mob films to Eastern philosophy. The album features appearances by the entire Wu-Tang Clan, including the memorable debut of Killah Priest on “B.I.B.L.E.”

The Main Ingredient is the second album by Pete Rock & CL Smooth, originally released in 1994. Characterized by sultry soul and jazz samples, the album saw a more polished sound than the duo's debut Mecca & The Soul Brother [MOVLP1633], building on the praise that they had already garnered. The Main Ingredient it contains some of the duo's best known work, in the form of tracks such as the upbeat "In The House", and the catchy "Sun Won't Come Out", which features a lush vocal sample from the song of the same name by Harvey Scales.

Oh yes, next big surprise release by King Kendrick called "Untitled Remastered".

Fresh new repress on Legacy! One of the greatest albums ever, ever, ever!

An undesputed classic album comes back with the 25th anniversary treatment! Remastered from the original tapes by Bob Power (D'Angelo, De La Soul) plus three remixes by Ceelo Green, Pharrell Williams & J. Cole!

The Infamous is the second studio album by the American Hip Hop duo Mobb Deep, released in 1995. The album features guest apperances from Nas, Wu-Tang Clan members, Reakwon and Ghostface Killah. The Infamous is Mobb Deep's masterpiece, a relentlessly bleak song cycle that's been hailed by hardcore Rap fans as one of the most realistic gangsta albums ever recorded.

180g vinyl edition.

To a lot of heads this is the best The Roots album! Back on blue vinyl!

Ironman is the debut solo album by Wu-Tang Clan rapper Ghostface Killah, released in 1996. Many music critics have praised the album for Ghostface Killah's imaginative lyricism and RZA's production style, with some revering it as one of the greatest Wu-Tang solo albums of all time.

180g vinyl.

Awesome album by Compton's Kendrick Lamar called "To Pimp A Butterfly" with guest spots by Flying Lotus, George Clinton, Knxwledge, Snoop Dogg, Taz of Sa-Ra Creative Partners, Rapsody and more!

For the first time in a decade Lex are reissuing a limited quantity of Dangerdoom 'The Mouse and the Mask'.

Dead Prez may have been slightly ahead of their time during their golden years, but that is definitely meant as a compliment. Sermonizing Black Nationalism, Pan-Africanism and the benefits of a healthy and just lifestyle during the height of the Bad Boy / Roc-A-Fella era of nihilistic excess in the late ‘90s, they also signed to a major label (Loud /
Columbia) despite leaning much more towards the burgeoning indie aesthetics of the day. But this was a good thing – using major label muscle to wake up righteous hip-hop fans who might have fallen asleep at the wheel.

The group itself – consisting of MCs stic.man and M-1, who produced or co-produced most of the duo’s music – was formed in Tallahassee, Florida in the
early 1990s (M-1 originally hailed from Brooklyn). By later that decade, the duo had started making significant waves, having their music heard on the soundtracks to “Soul In The Hole” and “Slam,” as well as appearing on albums by Big Pun and The Beatnuts.

By 1998, they released their first official single, the serious, stark “Police State,” on Loud, appropriately brought to the label by Lord Jamar of Brand Nubian.

After building a solid rep over the next two years with fiery live performances, in 2000 they unleashed their debut album, Let’s Get Free. The album was a welcome return to provocative and often radically political rhetoric that hearkened back to hip-hop forebears including The Coup, Public Enemy and KRS-One (as well as poetic descendants like the Last Poets and Watts Prophets).

Let’s Get Free was critically acclaimed and benefited from multiple singles, including the infectious, thick analog drive of “Hip-Hop” (which became the de facto theme song for “Chappelle’s Show”); “It’s Bigger Than Hip-Hop,” with a remix co-produced by a young Kanye West; “Mind Sex” (with Abiodun Oyewole of the
Last Poets); and the poignant “I’m An African.”

But the singles weren’t the only worthy songs, as just about every cut here has deeper meaning than most full albums by their early 2000s peers. Highlights:
the thought-provoking, anti-drug album opener “Wolves”; “We Want Freedom” (co-produced by frequent collaborator Hedrush); “They Schools” and “Propaganda”
(co-produced by Lord Jamar, one of five songs he assisted on).

All in all, this is one of the more underrated and possibly Top 5 fully-realized political hip-hop albums of all time. If you don’t agree with the previous sentence, give Let’s Get Free another listen… you might be surprised at how well it has held up over the years."

20th anniversagy edition with new remixes by Destructo, Wax Motif & Photek!