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Search Result for Genre HIPHOP
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ACM 049CD
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"Highlighting the artist's singular lyrical attack, Space Goretex is the first album combining all of Kool Keith's primary personas -- Dr. Octagon, Dr. Dooom and Black Elvis. The instrumentation is primarily comprised of bass, drums, theremin, and synth, performed by Thetan's Chad L'Plattenier and Dan Emery. The album also includes some special guest appearances, including Gangsta Boo (Three 6 Mafia) who performs as Officer Lola. Casey Orr (Gwar, X-Cops) appears as his X-Cops character Sheriff Tubb Tucker, marking the first time he has recorded anything as this character since 1996. Blag Dahlia from the Dwarves provides a monologue alongside Ashley Mae of Lost Dog Street Band and DJ Black Cat Sylvester, inventor of the Synth-Table. Blowfly's right-hand man Uncle Tom Bowker also makes an appearance."
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LP
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ACM 049LP
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LP version. Includes insert and download. "Highlighting the artist's singular lyrical attack, Space Goretex is the first album combining all of Kool Keith's primary personas -- Dr. Octagon, Dr. Dooom and Black Elvis. The instrumentation is primarily comprised of bass, drums, theremin, and synth, performed by Thetan's Chad L'Plattenier and Dan Emery. The album also includes some special guest appearances, including Gangsta Boo (Three 6 Mafia) who performs as Officer Lola. Casey Orr (Gwar, X-Cops) appears as his X-Cops character Sheriff Tubb Tucker, marking the first time he has recorded anything as this character since 1996. Blag Dahlia from the Dwarves provides a monologue alongside Ashley Mae of Lost Dog Street Band and DJ Black Cat Sylvester, inventor of the Synth-Table. Blowfly's right-hand man Uncle Tom Bowker also makes an appearance."
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2LP
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GET 54049LP
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$31.00
PREORDER
RELEASE DATE: 3/27/2020
Limited edition black and white vinyl. "There are many reasons why Wu-Tang Clan rapper GZA's second solo album Liquid Swords is considered one of the greatest hip-hop records of all time. Critics and historians point to GZA's raw, and starkly poetic lyrics which featured references to chess, crime and philosophy, as well as superb guest performances from his Wu-Tang Clan contemporaries. One can't comment on Liquid Swords' brilliance however without touching upon the production, courtesy of Wu-Tang's own mastermind RZA. Behind a hazy and murky backdrop of rare samples and classic boom-bap beats, RZA crafted a bleak atmosphere of urban dystopia for GZA's esoteric rhymes to flourish in, cribbing from a wide panoply of sources ranging from the dusty soul of The Bar-Kays and Ohio Players, the nostalgic jazz of Cannonball Adderley and Willie Mitchell, and even the experimental weirdness of Mothers Of Invention. In a retrospective 5-star AllMusic.com review of Liquid Swords, writer Steve Huey said of RZA's production: ''The Genius' eerie calm is a great match for RZA's atmospheric production, which is tremendously effective in this context; the kung fu dialogue here is among the creepiest he's put on record, and he experiments quite a bit with stranger sounds and more layered tracks.' These instrumentals, peppered with frequent interludes of dialogue from the classic samurai flick Shogun Assassin, became the core of the GZA's acclaimed sophomore LP. The full Liquid Swords instrumentals are now available in a white and black vinyl pressing, a nod to the chessboard art synonymous with the album's cover art. All tracks have been restored, with re-mastered audio from the original source tapes. Available on 2-LP, with the look of a silk-screened jacket we are excited to bring to you these Liquid Swords Instrumentals."
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2LP
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MH 017LP
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$20.00
PREORDER
RELEASE DATE: 3/27/2020
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CD
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MH 017CD
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$10.00
PREORDER
RELEASE DATE: 3/27/2020
"Twenty-two years after he was introduced to the world with Send Them -- the landmark left-field 12-inch that launched the Solesides label b/w DJ Shadow's Entropy -- Lyrics Born has made some of the most organic, original, and adventurous music of his entire career. While touring with Latyrx last, he made time for an extended stay in a place that he's long admired: America's first and last real-deal music town, New Orleans. LB stocked up on pads and pens, rented a cozy house three blocks from the famous Maple Leaf Bar, and booked two weeks' worth of sessions with Galactic guys Robert Mercurio and Ben Ellman at their Uptown studio. Then they let it rip. Funk has always been a part of what Lyrics Born does -- his unique vocal swagger dishes out melody and rhyme with equal aplomb. But never has he evoked the idiom so directly or made an album that feels so alive. He turned the production over entirely (also a first) to his NOLA colleagues, giving them space to do what they do best, and him the freedom to write. Mercurio and Ellman wrangled a host of talent to execute the vision: Trombone Shorty, Ivan Neville, the Preservation Jazz Hall Band, Corey Glover (Living Colour), Corey Henry (Rebirth Brass Band), David Shaw (The Revivalists), and Billy Martin. Amidst all that quirk, soul, and raw talent, LB was reborn."
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2LP
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MH 019LP
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$20.00
PREORDER
RELEASE DATE: 3/27/2020
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CD
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MH 019CD
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$10.00
PREORDER
RELEASE DATE: 3/27/2020
"Tom Shimura was one of a star-crossed group of freshmen who arrived at the University of California, Davis in the fall of 1990, soon after joining forces with the artists who would come to be known as DJ Shadow, Chief Xcel and the Gift of Gab (Blackalicious) and Lateef the Truth Speaker. Hip-hop was the new Bay Area counterculture. It was the sound of the future, and Lyrics Born was already living in that future. After his first record, Send Them, he took to the stage like he had been born to be there. With his first solo album, Later That Day..., LB captured the perfect balance between his avantgardist concern for exploration and his populist desire to rock the crowd. It became one of the biggest indie records of the era, and he found himself rocking sold-out houses around the globe, including a hat trick of Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo, and Coachella all in a single year. What followed was a career spanning 8 full-length albums, 7 mixtapes and guest appearances with hundreds of artists as well as production duties for bands like Poets of Rhythm and Galactic. It only makes sense that nearly 30 years later LB comes full circle with a compendium of his best material showcasing a body of work that reflects a career of hit songs and classic jams."
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2LP
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ACRE 070LP
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2017 release. Rocks FOE returns to Black Acre with the eight-track project Fight The Good? Fight, a dark and conceptual record built around the notion of, according to Rocks himself, "everything being an internal and external battle". A powerful lyricist and complex storyteller, Rocks' sound combines hyper-fierce spitting with his own, abstract beat sketches. Having released his impressive debut EP, Legion, back in 2015 -- a raw, self-produced grime-rap hybrid -- he has since remained dormant to the outside world, bar a quick-fire feature on Commodo's How What Time LP in 2016 (ACRE 007LP). Written over the course of that period and entirely self-produced, Fight The Good? Fight digs deeper than ever before into Rocks' psyche, drawing on both religious elements -- "I was more or less force fed it when I was younger" -- and his own experiences for much of its lyrical inspiration. He talks money, love, confusion, happiness, and ambition to tell the story of his own every day battles. Musically, Fight The Good? Fight also broadens horizons, with Rocks widening his scope to take in sounds from beyond the sprawling urban landscape of his home town of Croydon. On tracks like "Nitty Gritty" and "Into My Own Hands" for example, the two tracks that bookend the record, he flows at trademark lightning speed over crunchy rap beats, but it's on cuts like "Downpour" and the wandering spoken-word of "Red Hand Of Ulster" that he unmasks a new, more vulnerable guise. Toning down his flow to reflect and take stock, it is in these solemn, inward moments that Rocks shines the brightest. Comfortable spitting acapella, off-beat or even in spoken word -- over straight-up rap beats or woozy Commodo instrumentals -- he has long been considered one of the UK's most compelling young lyricists, but on Fight The Good? Fight, Rocks addresses his demons, calls out bullshit, and comes of age proper. "Downpour" features Secaina.
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7"
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GET 756EP
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$11.00
PREORDER
RELEASE DATE: 3/13/2020
"Storytelling has been a part of the hip-hop lexicon since the artform's earliest days. And in all those decades, there has never been a taleweaver like Slick Rick. Even masters who came along in Rick's wake -- ranging from Will Smith to Ghostface Killah and Eminem -- know that even though they blazed their own paths, they never did it better than the Slick one. When it comes to Rick and his tales, 1988's 'Children's Story' is perhaps his best, recited to this day by fans and MCs in training as a rite of passage. Just hearing the opening lines begins a sing-along that can quickly fill a room: 'Once upon a time / Not long ago / When people wore pajamas / And lived life slow...' In recognition of such top-tier hip-hop storytelling, Get On Down now presents this 45 single reissue of the Slick Rick classic, featuring 'The Moment I Feared' on the B-side. This 7" re-release, previously only available as part of Get On Down's 2017 Record Store Day offerings, comes packaged in a re-creation of the original 12" cover art, and is the perfect addition to your old school vinyl collection."
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LP
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MOV 2602LP
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"The pioneering hip hop group Treacherous Three released several albums, starting with the compilation record Whip It in 1983. It consists of material they recorded in their early years like 'Feel the Heart Beat,' 'Whip It,' and 'The Body Rock.' The spectacular production makes it sound smooth, while the song lengths of more than five minutes lets one stay focused on the lyrics. Whip It is available as a limited edition of 750 individually numbered copies on red vinyl."
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2LP
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GET 51336LP
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"Pressed on money colored vinyl. After the release of UGK's third studio album, the wildly influential, and critically acclaimed Southern hip-hop classic Ridin' Dirty, the duo of rapper Bun B and rapper/producer Pimp C took a five-year hiatus from releasing albums. This is not to say that the pair didn't keep busy during their time away from putting out records; if anything, some of their highest profile appearances occurred during this period. Through guest slots on now iconic tracks like Three Six Mafia's 'Sippin' On Some Syrup', and Jay-Z's Billboard smash 'Big Pimpin'' UGK managed to greatly increase their profile, and build even greater anticipation for a fourth studio album. This album, titled Dirty Money, would arrive in November of 2001, after having been shelved by their label Jive Records since 1998. Across 14 tracks of syrup-soaked, drawling Southern hip-hop tracks, UGK stretched their creative chops and showed that in the five years since Ridin' Dirty they hadn't lost their step in the slightest. Bun B's and Pimp C's rhymes were free-wheeling, clever, and irreverent as they had ever been, while the production was classic Texas rap, courtesy of Pimp C and Southern hip-hop legend N.O. Joe, who shared production duties. Guest contributions from Juicy J & DJ Paul of Three Six Mafia, Big Gipp of Goodie Mob, Too $hort, Devin The Dude, and more helped bolster the duo's codeine-drenched witticisms, over samples from the likes of BB King, Barry White, and The Staple Singers among others. Riding on UGK's newfound mainstream fortunes, Dirty Money managed a remarkable #19 debut on the Billboard 200 chart, as well as reaching #2 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. In spite of this, Jive failed to capitalize on the attention the duo was receiving; with a lack of promotion and marketing behind it the record left just as quickly as it had arrived. We at Get On Down haven't forgotten this album's greatness though; we now present to you this color vinyl reissue of Dirty Money, an under-appreciated and oft-forgotten relic of Southern hip-hop, one that has never before been committed to wax."
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LP
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MMS 035LP
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"Madlib is a highly regarded and influential hip-hop producer and occasional rapper, who has left his distinct and stylized sound on classic tracks and critically beloved albums by the likes of MF Doom (Madvillain), J Dilla (JayLib), Talib Kweli (Liberation), Georgia Anne Muldrow (Seeds), and more. Madlib's collaborations with rapper Freddie Gibbs (Piñata & 2019's Bandana) are some of the most acclaimed hip-hop records of the past decade, and his various DJ mix compilations (Madlib Medicine Show, Beat Konducta) have earned high praise from a variety of journalistic sources. On The Professionals, Madlib joined forces with fellow rapper/producer and biological brother Oh No, unleashing thirteen tracks of trippy, frequently psychedelic underground hip-hop, upon an unsuspecting public to great acclaim from fans and critics. Now, Madlib's own imprint Madlib Invazion proudly presents the instrumental tracks for this anomalous record, which puts every twitchy, paranoid, and anomalous beat from the legendary beatsmith on full display."
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2LP
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ACRE 007LP
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$20.00
PREORDER
RELEASE DATE: 2/7/2020
Commodo, one of the UK underground's best-regarded producers, returns with How What Time, following his impressive 2015 collaborative double-12" with Kahn and Gantz (Deep Medi Musik). An artist with deep roots in bass music's history and present, Commodo experiments with a variety of underground elements, using components of hip hop, grime, dubstep, and more. On his debut album he pushes his sound further while managing to uphold the basic formula of space and bass. Continuing to add a thoughtful touch to the deeper ends of UK bass music, How What Time sees Commodo create deeply meditative jams that harness a raw energy and sub-bass power. Made in several different places in the UK, Turkey, and Germany, the album sees Commodo fuse the UK's raw and vibrant grime and hip hop scene, as heard in the fierce and murky soundscapes of "Itchin" with an unmistakable vocal from Trim. The album's standout track "Set It Straight" features Croydon's fast-rising rapper and beatmaker Rocks FOE, and like Commodo's 2014 Jme-featuring hit "Shift," is an instant underground anthem. Commodo blends Madlib-style hip hop beats with the fierce spirit of grime, while the addition of Rocks FOE's straight-talking charisma and energetic flow transitions "Set It Straight" into an up-tempo head-banger. Commodo's inherently unique and accomplished production style has earned him recognition right from the outset of his ascendancy, garnering attention from a host of key figures within the electronic community. While making How What Time he sought to "strike a balance between a sample-heavy, rap style sound palette and the energy of the 140bpm based music." From the tough bass weight of his dancefloor-leaning productions to the tonally rich and immersive qualities of the album's more intricate tracks, How What Time maintains a resounding freshness throughout.
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LP
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NMG 3202110LP
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LP version. Volume 2 of a two volume set. Red vinyl. "Live jazzy orchestral interpretations of the Jay Dee aka J Dilla produced Slum Village classic Fantastic Vol 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. All these elements would come together in a truly prodigious fashion in the early '00s, when Dilla and Slum Village would release their second studio album Fan-Tas-Tic Volume 2. The group had already made critically acclaimed waves with Volume 1, but few could have predicted at the time of its release that Dilla's production, which combined portions of alternative, gangsta, and soul hip-hop, meshed with T3 and Baatin's deft lyrical flows, would become such a far-reaching influence. Artists like D'Angelo and Erykah Badu have name-checked Fan-Tas-Tic Volume 2 as a key influences, while The Roots' drummer ?uestlove declared that they hands down '...birthed the neo-soul movement.' Enter the Abstract Orchestra. Helmed by composer and saxophonist Rob Mitchell, this 18-piece ensemble has become renowned for their distinct sound, which reinterprets some of the most famous hip-hop productions of all time (right on down to the sample material) into a unique blend of big band jazz and live hip-hop. The group has toured alongside the likes of John Legend, Amy Winehouse, and Adele among others, and have provided live backup for Mos Def, and many more. They previously have released orchestral versions of revered hip-hop record Madvillian and a tribute to Dilla to critical acclaim as well. On this, the 20th anniversary of Fan-Tas-Tic Volume 2's release, the Abstract Orchestra are proud to pay tribute to this highly innovative hip-hop classic. Across two volumes of vinyl, the big band applies their own jazzy spin to Dilla's classic productions, with occasional assistance from the surviving members of Slum Village themselves. The end result is Fantastic 2020, a hybrid blend of smooth, funky brass rhythms with boom-bap sensibilities that is just the kind of tribute that an often unsung, but highly influential group like Slum Village deserves, and is a more than welcome addition to any Dilla completist's library."
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2LP
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TEG 78504LP
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2020 repress. "There are very few albums across any genre that stand the test of time better than 93 'Til Infinity, the classic debut record from the Hieroglyphics crew's very own Souls of Mischief. In an era where gangsta rap and G-Funk dominated the West Coast rap scene, Souls broke ground on a completely unique and thoroughly west coast sound. While the Dr. Dre's and the Snoop Doggs were garnering much of the mainstream attention, Souls were quietly forging a charismatic, critically acclaimed, and cohesively shaped record that when categorized, sounded much closer to A Tribe Called Quest than N.W.A. The sound of their debut is characteristic of the distinct style explored by the collective, including a rhyme scheme based on internal rhyme and beats centered around a live bass and obscure jazz and funk samples."
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2LP
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GET 51311LP
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2020 repress. "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-AFella 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."
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CD
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NMG 3202028CD
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"Live jazzy orchestral interpretations of the Jay Dee aka J Dilla produced Slum Village classic Fantastic Vol 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. All these elements would come together in a truly prodigious fashion in the early '00s, when Dilla and Slum Village would release their second studio album Fan-Tas-Tic Volume 2. The group had already made critically acclaimed waves with Volume 1, but few could have predicted at the time of its release that Dilla's production, which combined portions of alternative, gangsta, and soul hip-hop, meshed with T3 and Baatin's deft lyrical flows, would become such a far-reaching influence. Artists like D'Angelo and Erykah Badu have name-checked Fan-Tas-Tic Volume 2 as a key influences, while The Roots' drummer ?uestlove declared that they hands down '...birthed the neo-soul movement.' Enter the Abstract Orchestra. Helmed by composer and saxophonist Rob Mitchell, this 18-piece ensemble has become renowned for their distinct sound, which reinterprets some of the most famous hip-hop productions of all time (right on down to the sample material) into a unique blend of big band jazz and live hip-hop. The group has toured alongside the likes of John Legend, Amy Winehouse, and Adele among others, and have provided live backup for Mos Def, and many more. They previously have released orchestral versions of revered hip-hop record Madvillian and a tribute to Dilla to critical acclaim as well. On this, the 20th anniversary of Fan-Tas-Tic Volume 2's release, the Abstract Orchestra are proud to pay tribute to this highly innovative hip-hop classic. Across two volumes of vinyl and a 2-CD set of studio recordings, the big band applies their own jazzy spin to Dilla's classic productions, with occasional assistance from the surviving members of Slum Village themselves. The end result is Fantastic 2020, a hybrid blend of smooth, funky brass rhythms with boom-bap sensibilities that is just the kind of tribute that an often unsung, but highly influential group like Slum Village deserves, and is a more than welcome addition to any Dilla completist's library."
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LP
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NMG 3202011LP
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LP version. Volume 1 of a two volume set. Blue vinyl. "Live jazzy orchestral interpretations of the Jay Dee aka J Dilla produced Slum Village classic Fantastic Vol 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. All these elements would come together in a truly prodigious fashion in the early '00s, when Dilla and Slum Village would release their second studio album Fan-Tas-Tic Volume 2. The group had already made critically acclaimed waves with Volume 1, but few could have predicted at the time of its release that Dilla's production, which combined portions of alternative, gangsta, and soul hip-hop, meshed with T3 and Baatin's deft lyrical flows, would become such a far-reaching influence. Artists like D'Angelo and Erykah Badu have name-checked Fan-Tas-Tic Volume 2 as a key influences, while The Roots' drummer ?uestlove declared that they hands down '...birthed the neo-soul movement.' Enter the Abstract Orchestra. Helmed by composer and saxophonist Rob Mitchell, this 18-piece ensemble has become renowned for their distinct sound, which reinterprets some of the most famous hip-hop productions of all time (right on down to the sample material) into a unique blend of big band jazz and live hip-hop. The group has toured alongside the likes of John Legend, Amy Winehouse, and Adele among others, and have provided live backup for Mos Def, and many more. They previously have released orchestral versions of revered hip-hop record Madvillian and a tribute to Dilla to critical acclaim as well. On this, the 20th anniversary of Fan-Tas-Tic Volume 2's release, the Abstract Orchestra are proud to pay tribute to this highly innovative hip-hop classic. Across two volumes of vinyl, the big band applies their own jazzy spin to Dilla's classic productions, with occasional assistance from the surviving members of Slum Village themselves. The end result is Fantastic 2020, a hybrid blend of smooth, funky brass rhythms with boom-bap sensibilities that is just the kind of tribute that an often unsung, but highly influential group like Slum Village deserves, and is a more than welcome addition to any Dilla completist's library."
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2LP
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GET 51451LP
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"Few hip-hop artists have achieved the same level of critical acclaim and praise that 90s veteran and Queens native Nasir 'Nas' Jones has. Across his over 25-year career he has been ranked as one of the greatest rap performers and lyricists by MTV, The Source, and Complex, among other publications, all while selling over 30 million records worldwide, and releasing eight consecutive platinum albums. In particular, his 1994 debut Illmatic is hailed as a paragon of underground hip-hop, a turning point in East Coast rap's development, and one of the all-time greatest debut albums in general. Though Nas' artistic legacy is without question, it was not always the case; if Nas had flourished during the mid-90s, he had stumbled clumsily while transitioning into the 00's. After achieving universal praise via Illmatic and commercial success with its' follow-up It Was Written, Nas' next few releases were considered inconsistent and lackluster compared to the critical one-two punch they followed. During this time period he had abandoned the socially-conscious and philosophical topics that made him a critical darling in favor of more commercially viable gangsta rap. Though he maintained a chart presence for much of the late-90s, review scores began to dwindle, and his status among the hip-hop community was thrown into question. This would change in 2001 with the release of Nas' fifth studio full-length, which made the effort to re-establish him as a legitimate artist. Eschewing the pop-friendliness he'd found success with, Nas instead opted to return to the underground style he came up in, with tracks about American politics, ghetto life, and social upheaval. Perhaps sensing this need to return to his roots, he titled the album Stillmatic, a clear and present reference (and sequel of sorts) to Illmatic. The ploy worked perfectly; Stillmatic was hailed by critics as a stunning comeback, and a brilliant return to form, earning rave reviews from rap outlets such as The Source and HipHopDX as well as from more mainstream publications as The Rolling Stone and The Village Voice. Praise was heaped upon the complexity and introspective nature of Nas' lyrical content, the top-tier production from veterans like Large Professor, DJ Premier, L.E.S., and Trackmasters, and hard-hitting guest appearances from AZ, Mary J. Blige, and Amerie. Stillmatic would see release on December 18th of 2001, right as Nas was caught in the middle of a highly publicized feud with fellow New York rapper Jay-Z. As such, the record features one of the feud's most intense apexes in the form of its second track 'Ether', a ruthless Ron Browz-produced diss track. A response to Jay-Z's own diss 'Takeover', 'Ether' savaged the Brooklyn-native, accusing him of brown-nosing to get ahead, of plagiarizing earlier rappers such as Notorious B.I.G. and KRS-One, and dismissing his street cred. To this day 'Ether' is considered one of the best and most potent diss tracks ever recorded, a major turning point in the Nas/Jay-Z feud, a standout among the already critically acclaimed Stillmatic, and is even credited with boosting Jay-Z's career by proxy. "
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MI 012LP
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Mutual Intentions present Mutual Friends -- their first compilation. The compilation is put to life by Stian Stu from Mutual Intentions and features top notch, jazzy hip-hop beats from producers such as FloFilz, Bluestaeb, Fredfades, Elaquent, Ol' Burger Beats, SRAW, 10.4 ROG, Yogisoul, and many more. Artwork by Boiler Room's own Joe Prytherch. Also features Jake Milliner, ShunGu, Jabar Ligla, Brainorchestra, Ol' Burger Beats, Kristoffer Eikrem, and The Galactic Suite. High quality laquer cut LP pressed at Optimal Media.
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12"
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GET 51314EP
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New lower pricing; previously a Black Friday RSD release. "30 years ago, a booming sound was heard rumbling out of Philadelphia, PA. Starting with a trebled-out but thunderous TR-909 drum pattern and galloping forward with little more than a young man's nasal, arrogant flow, that blast was Schoolly-D's 'P.S.K. What Does It Mean'? Released on his own Schoolly-D Records label in 1985, the song was -- and still is -- too powerful and unique to ignore. It took the rap world by storm that year, presenting a counterpoint to Melle Mel's more socially-conscious 'The Message'; literally inventing 'Gangsta Rap.' Schoolly was a musician, drum-programming wizard and force of nature, and he would go on to shock the world with his in-your-face approach to making music -- as bombastic lyrically as he was musically. He simply gave no f*cks, and listeners were drawn into his street-influenced vortex of 'b-boy rhyme and riddle.' As noted in the liner notes to this special release: 'The demand [for "P.S.K."] was so large that nationwide bootlegging was a major distribution avenue, albeit an unpaid one. "Those bootleggers made me big because, when it came down to it, I didn't have the money to get the records out there," Schoolly says. "The person who helped me figure that sh*t out was Luke [Luther Campbell of 2 Live Crew and Luke Skyywalker Records]. He took me all over Miami and showed me all the different bootlegged versions of my own records. It was crazy."' On the flipside of 'P.S.K.,' Schoolly gave the world another classic: 'Gucci Time.' Flexing brutal brag muscles, it was another gangsta masterpiece, furthering his legend and bringing even more 909 boom to the still expanding rap world. The opening lines are still quoted by scholars of the game today: 'Lookin' at my Gucci / It's about that time.' Get On Down presents this classic for the first time in deluxe form, which is also fully Schoolly-approved: a custom 12-inch sleeve adorned with Schoolly-D's famed artwork; unique split clear & yellow vinyl; a liner notes insert featuring Schoolly's own look back on the year 1985 as told to author Brian Coleman; and a unique sticker sheet with 8 images taken from the artwork on this 12-inch cover (which was first seen on his early 12-inches, as well as his 1985 Schoolly-D EP and 1986's Saturday Night: The Album)."
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2LP
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GET 51306LP
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2020 repress. "Big Pun remains on the best rappers ever list to this day. Reasons for this weigh largely on his debut Capital Punishment. His commanding voice and rapid fire delivery make it clear there will never be another Big Pun. Pun was New York. His confidence on the mic made him stand out among his contemporaries. Similarly, the production -- by a cast of many -- remains ever so New York loyal. The close cousins 'I'm Not a Player' and 'Still Not a Player,' may have been the hits off this album but it is packed with so many more that show Pun's true abilities. 'Beware' and 'Dream Shatterer' are great examples of Big Pun at his best, dark cinematic production with just enough room to let him breathe fire. On 'Twinz (Deep Cover)' Big Pun is trading bars with his mentor Fat Joe over a remake of Dr. Dre's classic beat. Here Pun delivers one of his most quoted verses that contains among others 'Dead in the middle of Little Italy little did we know that we riddled some middlemen who didn't do diddly.' There are numerous guest appearances, the best of which include afore mentioned Fat Joe (on several tracks), the Roots' Black Thought on the MC showcase 'Super Lyrical,' Prodigy and Inspectah Deck on 'Tres Leches (Triboro Trilogy),' and an extra-insane Busta Rhymes on 'Parental Discretion.'"
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12"
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MMS 033EP
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"This exclusive 12-inch release features 'Half Manne Half Cocaine' and 'Palmolive' from Bandana, the critically acclaimed best-seller from Freddie Gibbs and Madlib. In addition to full instrumentals for both selections the set includes the Madlib bonus beats 'Zebras In The Myst' and 'Night Vision' not found anywhere else."
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2CD
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MMS 034CD
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Double-CD issue contains a bonus disc with the Madlib instrumentals. "The Professionals - Beats by Madlib. Raps by Oh No. Real. Rap. Shit. Featuring Adub, Elzhi, Chino XL. Madlib is a highly regarded and influential hip-hop producer and occasional rapper, who has left his distinct and stylized sound on classic tracks and critically beloved albums by the likes of MF DOOM (Madvillain), J Dilla (JayLib), Talib Kweli (Liberation), Georgia Anne Muldrow (Seeds), and more. Madlib's collaborations with rapper Freddie Gibbs (Piñata & 2019's Bandana) are some of the most acclaimed hip-hop records of the past decade, and his various DJ mix compilations (Madlib Medicine Show, Beat Konducta) have earned high praise from a variety of journalistic sources. Oh No is a rapper and producer who has left his mark across a wide swath of releases. His 2006 concept album Exodus Into Unheard Rhythms (which exclusively sampled the works of musical theatre composer Galt MacDermot) was highly acclaimed upon its release, as well as his various crate-digging DJ mix projects (Dr. No's Oxperiment, Dr. No's Ethiopium). He has produced tracks for the likes of Danny Brown, Action Bronson, Aloe Blacc, Talib Kweli, and Prodigy, while contributing guest verses to tracks by Czarface, Apathy, Murs, Little Brother, and more."
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LP
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MMS 034LP
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LP version. Housed in a die-cut, embossed jacket exclusive to the first pressing. The Professionals - Beats by Madlib. Raps by Oh No. Real. Rap. Shit. Featuring Adub, Elzhi, Chino XL. Madlib is a highly regarded and influential hip-hop producer and occasional rapper, who has left his distinct and stylized sound on classic tracks and critically beloved albums by the likes of MF DOOM (Madvillain), J Dilla (JayLib), Talib Kweli (Liberation), Georgia Anne Muldrow (Seeds), and more. Madlib's collaborations with rapper Freddie Gibbs (Piñata & 2019's Bandana) are some of the most acclaimed hip-hop records of the past decade, and his various DJ mix compilations (Madlib Medicine Show, Beat Konducta) have earned high praise from a variety of journalistic sources. Oh No is a rapper and producer who has left his mark across a wide swath of releases. His 2006 concept album Exodus Into Unheard Rhythms (which exclusively sampled the works of musical theatre composer Galt MacDermot) was highly acclaimed upon its release, as well as his various crate-digging DJ mix projects (Dr. No's Oxperiment, Dr. No's Ethiopium). He has produced tracks for the likes of Danny Brown, Action Bronson, Aloe Blacc, Talib Kweli, and Prodigy, while contributing guest verses to tracks by Czarface, Apathy, Murs, Little Brother, and more."
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