NWA If It Ain't Ruff (Straight Outta Compton) (Priority) 1988

Classic NWA. This tune features only MC Ren and I always liked his style if not vocal tone. This was Dr Dre before he really started the 'G-Funk' sound, instead of George Clinton he is still on old soul and funk samples and uses classic funksters Average White Band who are actually from Scotland! The rhymes are slick and these complement the killer loop along with some well timed scratches.

NWA If It Ain't Ruff


Average White Band A Star In The Ghetto

Brand Nubian Punks Jump Up To Get Beat Down (Elektra0 1992

The very definition of a classic record. Samples Lou Donaldson's 'It's Your Thing' for that KILLER rhythm track.

Brand Nubian Punks Jump Up To Get Beat Down


Lou Donaldson It's Your Thing

Break Machine Street Dance (Sire) 1983

>Classic from the breakdance era. Was massive all over the place this one, not strictly rap but from that early drum machine time when tunes were still funky and had a vocal on the top..

Break Machine Street Dance

Sadat X It Go's Down Ones Again (DL Productions) 1997

Wicked hip hop tune from Sadat X of Brand Nubian fame. Love the intro to this as well, the way Sadat tears it up on this first verse...One of the best instrumentals as well.

Sadat X It Go's Down Ones Again

Sadat X It Go's Down Ones Again (Instrumental)

Capone -N- Noreaga Live On Live Long (The War Report) (Tommy Boy) 1997

This is one hell of an album! 'The War Report' out in 1997, this is an absolute must if you like East Coast hip hop. Some badass beats, basslines and samples on this record. Admittedly it is aimed at the streets but it has the classic formula that only the East Coast seems to deliver-phat beats, samples and no crazy high hats all over the place like some of the new sh*t we hear now. Real rap music in my opinion..

Capone -N- Noreaga Live On Live Long

Eric B & Rakim Paid In Full (Coldcut Seven Minutes Of Madness) (4th & Broadway) 1987

Rakim's the best. His rhymes were so smooth and way ahead of their time. This was THE golden age for rap music-the late 80's. This mix is the classic Coldcut one that apparently Eric B & Rakim didn't like too much. Samples Dennis Edwards' classic bassline from 'Don't Look Any Further' and also Ofra Haza's 'Im Nin'Alu'

Eric B & Rakim Paid In Full


Ofra Haza Im Nin'Alu (Globe Style) 1987


Dennis Edwards Feat Siedah Garrett Don't Look Any Further (Motown) 1984

Smif N Wessun Home Sweet Home (Dah Shinin') (Wreck) 1995

Top album track from the album 'Dah Shinin'' released in 1995. Another East Coast bomb. 'Home Sweet Home' uses a Roy Ayers sample from 'We Live In Brookyln, Baby'

Smif N Wessun Home Sweet Home


Roy Ayers We Live In Brooklyn, Baby

Biz Markie Make The Music With Your Mouth, Biz (Prism) 1986

Biz Markie was what we might call a 'cartoon rapper' as he seemed to display a great sense of humour in many of his records. This one was a killer as it uses the absolutely brilliant piano sample from Isaac Hayes' classic 70's tune 'Ike's Mood' alongside some phat beats. He doesn't flow too well on this at parts but who cares? It's Biz Markie! Classic old school rap.

Biz Markie Make The Music With Your Mouth


Isaac Hayes Ike's Mood 1

Grandmaster Caz Wildstyle Subway Rap (Chrysalis) 1983

Taken from the film soundtrack 'Wildstyle' this is yet another rap tune with conscious lyrics. It seems that rappers used to be a lot more socially aware and people had real things to say in these days. Shame it's all gone down the toilet with the bling nonsense..

Grandmaster Caz Wildstyle Subway Rap

West Street Mob Break Dancin' Electric Boogie (Sugarhill) 1983

A classic on the Sugarhill label from 1983. Plenty of early scratchin' and cuttin' on here with the killer breakbeat 'Apache' Marvellous stuff.

West Street Mob Break Dancin' Electric Boogie

Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five The Message (Sugarhill) 1982

Another great rap record with social commentary and conscious lyrics. Like many of these kind of records, the message (no pun intended) rings very true today. This is an absolute classic.

Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five The Message

Hijack Style Wars (Music Of Life) 1988

Classic rap from the UK. Hijack hailed from Brixton in London and despite the fake American accent this is still a killer track produced by Simon Harris.

Hijack Style Wars

Kool G. Rap & D.J. Polo Poison (Prism) 1988

Classic old school rap! Produced by Marley Marl this is a true gem from back in the day. Kool G Rap is up there with the best from this golden era of rap music and doesn't get the recognition he deserves..

Kool G. Rap & D.J. Polo Poison

Chaka Khan I Feel For You (Warner Bros) 1984

I remember I got my first ever 'walkman' when this tune was out, I believe it was December 1984. It was Sanyo, as big as a house brick, had a shoulder strap and also boasted orange foam earphones as well.. This played a part in hip hop culture despite only having a tiny bit of rap on it from Melle Mel..

Chaka Khan I Feel For You

Aleem Release Yourself (Nia Records) 1984

Not strictly rap music if you think about it.. Definitely an Electro classic though with soulful vocals and a cool as f*ck xylophone sounding thing in it as well as classic 808 style beats and an old school sampler running through it. ACE.

Aleem Release Yourself

Man Parrish Boogie Down (Bronx) (Boiling Point) 1984

The most excellent 'Boogie Down Bronx' by Man Parrish. Takes me right back to the breakdance days. Definitely one of my favourite rap/electro tunes ever. Absolutely love this 12" These were the days..

Man Parrish Boogie Down (Bronx)

Dr. Dre The Message (The Chronic 2001) 1999

Loved the last track on this album called 'The Message' featuring Mary J Blige. Dr Dre showing us his softer side on this one using a backdrop of strings and a nice harp...Taken from his great album '2001' Hard to believe it's been nearly 10 years since he released this.

Dr. Dre The Message

Jeru The Damaja Me Or The Papes (Payday) 1997

Jeru The Damaja from 1997. His mid 90's albums with Premier are stone cold classics. This was another Premier produced BOMB with nice subtle pianos to give that dark feel along with his signature beats.

Jeru The Damaja Me Or The Papes

Fugees Rumble In The Jungle (Mercury) 1996

Who would have thought Abba would have provided the music for such a great hip hop record? This was the Fugees with A Tribe Called Quest and Busta Rhymes with a tune for the Film 'When We Were Kings'



Abba The Name Of The Game

Dead Prez Hip Hop (Epic) 2000

What an AMAZING BASSLINE! This is Dead Prez's view of the state of the music industry, from what I can gather, over that sick bassline..

'MC's get a little bit of love and think they hot Talkin' 'bout how much money they got Nigga all y'all records sound the same I sick of that fake thug, R & BRap scenario all day on the radio Same scenes in the video, monotonous material Y'all don't here me though'

But we do hear you though..8 years on and things are still the same...Classic rap record with powerful lyrics...

Dead Prez Hip Hop

RUN DMC Run's House Beats To The Rhyme (London) 1987

This is a classic. The first track 'Run's House' contains one of the best beats of all time. Is it a sample? Listening to the hi hats I don't think it is. Anyway that beat went on to be used in many jungle/drum and bass tracks, particularly early ones such as Urban Shakedown's 'Some Justice' in the UK. They left us a nice few bars of only the beats at the end of the track. Almost an open invitation for anyone with a sampler to 'borrow' them..

If that wasn't enough, we have 'Beats To The Rhyme' which has to have one of the best rhythm tracks of all time-it is simply superb. The instrumental version is as good as the vocal one on this if not better. Cut up and scratched samples from greats such as James Brown make this an essential piece of vinyl.

RUN DMC Run's House


RUN DMC Beats To The Rhyme


RUN DMC Beats To The Rhyme (Instrumental)


Urban Shakedown Some Justice (1992)

Big Daddy Kane Smooth Operator Warm It Up Kane (Cold Chillin') 1989

I love this guy. Big Daddy Kane-the man. 'Smooth Operator' was only one of his styles, the smooth loverman persona. The main event for me here is 'Warm It Up Kane' where he shows his skills as a battle emcee, the rhymes fly fast and furious and the man oozes confidence. He is up there with the best there ever was from the golden age or any age of hip hop and rap music. Whatever style he chose he sounded BAD. His material is also like a rap sample database as he slips and slides through copyrighted material as if he was flipping records on and off the 1210s! This is what rap music is all about, taking someone else's stuff, because it sounds so good, then adding a rhyme over the top. This is real rap music. RESPECT to Big Daddy Kane.

Big Daddy Kane Smooth Operator


Big Daddy Kane Warm It Up Kane


These are some tunes Big Daddy borrows for this 12"...

Mary Jane Girls All Night Long


The Honeydrippers Impeach The President


Mohawks The Champ


Michael Jackson Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'

A Tribe Called Quest Check The Rhime (Jive) 1991

KILLER Tribe tune which samples Minnie Riperton's 'Baby, This Love I Have' taken from one my favourite album of all time 'Adventures In Paradise' and also Average White Band's 'Love Your Life' from their 1976 album 'Soulsearching'

A Tribe Called Quest Check The Rhime


Minnie Riperton Baby, This Love I Have


Average White Band Love Your Life

Grandmaster Melle Mel & The Furious Five Beat Street Breakdown (Atlantic) 1984

The record that was played in the movie Beat Street at the end. This was in memory of the graffiti writer 'Ramo' who died in the film chasing 'Spit' who kept going over his pieces! This song contains some brilliant lyrics and these guys were the first I heard to use real social commentary on a rap record.

"Well a picture can express a thousand words to describe all the beauty of life you give And if the world was yours to do over, I know you’d paint a better place to live. Where the colours would swirl and the boys and girls can grow in peace and harmony"

It really is a great record this and I'd advise anyone to check out the full lyrical content as this really is a masterpiece. He pays tribute to Ramo and also runs through life in the ghetto, kids in Africa, mentions political leaders...this is a seriously thought out song, shame that money took over as usual and now hip hop is in the sorry state it is today.

"Bums on the sidewalk, garbage in the streets, abandoned buildings, bricks of concrete. The ladies on the corner are selling their bodies, and everybody wants a part in that party"

Grandmaster Melle Mel & The Furious Five Beat Street Breakdown

Boogie Down Prodcutions My Philosophy (Jive) 1988

The lyrics just flow effortlessly on this track. KRS ONE is one of the greatest ever without doubt. His style was in tune with battle emcees-real hip hop. Bragging about his intellect,his South Bronx roots where hip hop was born and anything else he could think of! Dissing all competition, that's what it was all about, before they even opened their mouths in most cases. He was also politically and socially conscious and this was demonstated on the single 'Stop the Violence' as well as 'Jimmy' which was a song regarding condom use!

'My Philosophy' has some of the best lines ever, this being a personal favourite-

'I'm not white or red or black, I'm brown from the Boogie Down'

The man is a legend.

Boogie Down Prodcutions My Philosophy

2Pac (All Eyez On Me) Ambitionz Az A Ridah (Death Row) 1996

I never got into the 2Pac hype to be honest at the time. It was down to the idiots who seemed to follow him...But then one day I actually took a listen to his music..I suddenly realised that some of the hype was well justified. The production is top notch for one and his lyrics are good although he does give mixed messages.. I think that the first track from the album 'All Eyez On Me' is the business! Everything works here and the rhythm track is exceptional.

2pac Ambitionz Az A Ridah

Kenny Dope The Unreleased Project The Pushin' Dope Ep Get On Down 1994

I was delighted when this got a reissue a few years ago! This is the fantastic Kenny Dope track taken from his Pushin' Dope EP called 'Get On Down' Super phat hip hop beats and an amazing Minnie Riperton sample. Her voice is that high that it actually sounds like an instrument on the loop on this track. The sample is taken from 'Inside My Love' and also Method Man is sampled for the main chorus.

Kenny Dope The Unreleased Project The Pushin' Dope Ep Get On Down


Minnie Riperton Inside My Love


Wu Tang Clan Method Man (Skunk Mix) 1993

Black Rob Life Story (2000)

Helped along with a Roy Ayers sample this was a quality cut from Black Rob's album. I really feel the emotion in this song and think it works so well. This is what hip hop is supposed to be, a killer loop from an old 70's tune and a decent rap over the top-simple.

Black Rob Life Story


Roy Ayers Sensitize (Polydor) 1974

The Pharcyde Runnin' (Delicious Vinyl) 1995

This is just superb. Real hip hop.

The Pharcyde Runnin'


...and this is where the amazing sample originates from that runs through the track..

Stan Getz - Saudade Vem Correndo