Eric B And Rakim

Artist links

Eric B And Rakim Myspace Page Eric B And Rakim Last.fm page Eric B. And Rakim on iTunes

Eric B. and Rakim were an East Coast hip hop duo that popularised the jazz-influenced hip hop of the late 1980s. Despite spawning no major chart hits, the duo are generally considered to be one of the most influential and groundbreaking hip-hop groups ever. This is due to both Eric B.’s jazzy production and Rakim’s revolutionary rapping style, which was smooth, seemingly effortless, and used remarkably complex rhyming schemes, involving internal-rhymes and sophisticated metaphors. It is the general consensus that almost all modern MCs have been influenced in some way by Rakim’s rapping technique. Eric B.’s use of a James Brown sample in “PlayI Know You Got Soul” introduced the “godfather rap” period of heavy use of old R&B and soul music as background music for hip-hop songs


Eric B. And Rakim - Don't Sweat The Technique
Eric B. And Rakim - Paid In Full
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KMD

Artist links

KMD Myspace Page KMD Last.fm page KMD on iTunes

KMD was a rap group from the early 90s. The members include: Zev Love X (a.k.a. MF DOOM, Viktor Vaughn & King Geedorah), Subroc (Zev Love X’s deceased brother), and Onyx The Birthstone Kid.

KMD released their first album Mr.Hood on Elektra in 1991. A nearly impossible to find release (although since has been re-issued in Oct. 2006), Mr. Hood preached power and positivity, with obscure samples from Sesame Street found throughout the album, and saw future Metal-Faced-Villain Zev Love X in a uniquely different light. Two years later Subroc would be killed in a car accident forcing the promising MC, Zev Love X into the underground where he would later emerge as the tortured soul MF DOOM. With Onyx having left the group, controversial artwork by Zev, and Subroc’s unfortunate death, the release of their second lp “Bl_ck B_st_rds” seemed improbable and was shelved by Elektra fearing negative media coverage due to the recent ‘Cop Killer’ song by Ice-T’s group Body Count. The cover art for the album had sparked worries in Elektra’s board room. After years of bootlegs, “Bl_ck B_st_rds” finally saw the light of day in 2001 on the Subverse record label

KMD - Black Bastards
KMD - Mr. Hood
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Deltron

Artist links

Deltron3030 Myspace Page Deltron 3030 Last.fm page Deltron on iTunes

Deltron 3030 is a supergroup of hip-hop artists, composed primarily of producer Dan the Automator, rapper Del tha Funkee Homosapien and DJ Kid Koala, though their work features many other artists as well, all taking on various futuristic pseudonyms. Their debut CD Deltron 3030 is a concept album set in the year 3030 that tells of Del’s alter ego Deltron Zero’s fight against huge corporations that rule the universe. The lyrics are characterized by extravagant allusions to futuristic outer-space cliches and astronomy


Del Tha Funkee Homosapien - Future Development
Del Tha Funkee Homosapien - The Lost Tapes
Del Tha Funkee Homosapien - No Need For Alarm
Deltron 3030 - Deltron 3030
Deltron 3030 - Both Sides Of The Brain
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Edan

Artist links

Edan Myspace Page Edan Last.fm page Edan on iTunes

Edan (born Edan Portnoy) is an independent emcee, DJ and producer based in Boston, USA. He is a former member of the band Fiber 2001 and is known for his eclectic mix of classic mid-80s till early 90s hip-hop with 60s rock, funk and other styles. His mix-tape “Sound of the Funky Drummer” collects hip hop tracks sampling James Brown’s “Funky Drummer”, which has been called the most-sampled record of all time. In 2005 he released the album Beauty and the Beat, which drew acclaim for its creative lyricism as well as the production, which features samples from diverse genres, including funk, psychedelia, and 60’s rock.

Edan - Architecture
Edan - Beauty And The Beat
Edan - Primitive Plus
Edan - Sprain Your TapeDeck
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Living Legends

Artist links

Living Legends Myspace Page Living Legends Last.fm page Living Legends on iTunes

The Living Legends crew is a family of independent hip hop creators. From primary earth bases in Los Angeles and Oakland, the Legends extend worldwide and beyond.

It all started with Sunspot Jonz and Luckyiam.PSC, who laid claim to the name of Mystik Journeymen in the early 1990s. By '94 they were locally legendary for throwing Underground Survivors shows, houseparty style, at their loft 4001 San Leandro Street in East Oakland. That's where the Grouch hooked up with the Journeymen in 1995, just before they took off on the renowned first European tour.

Meanwhile, in Midcity LA, 3 Melancholy Gypsys (Murs, Scarub & Eligh) were part of the almost mythic Log Cabin crew going back to 1993. Log Cabin broke up and the Gypsys wandered separately. As it turned out, the 3 crossed paths again in the Bay Area and became Living Legends.

Aesop came to Oakland from Fresno, Arata from Osaka, and Bicasso from various points, East, West and elsewhere...

In 1999 the Legends shifted their center of gravity to Los Angeles, but their presence will never be diminished in Oakland and the Bay. You know it makes no difference where they stay cuz the universe revolves around them anyway they'll appear in your sector soon. From '95 into the 3rd millennium, the Journeymen and the Legends have rocked Europe, Japan, Australia and Canada numerous times, plus they've toured the USA, north and south, East Coast, West Coast and beyond ... to Hawaii

Living Legends - Uhb Vol.1
Living Legends - Uhb Vol.2 Unsigned And Hella Broke
Living Legends - Uhb Vol.3 Agaisnt All Odds
Living Legends - Uhb Vol.4 Stop And Retaliate
Living Legends - Uhb Vol.5 Legacy
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Living Legends - Log Cabin
Living Legends - The Fox Hole
Living Legends - Gathering
Living Legends - The Underworld
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Living Legends - Crappy Old Shit
Living Legends - Creative Differences
Living Legends - Legendary Music Vol.1
Living Legends - Legendary Music Vol.2
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Living Legends - Almost Famous
Living Legends - Angelz Wit Dirty Faces
Living Legends - Broke Ass Summer Jam
Living Legends - Classic
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Sector 7g

Artist links

Sector7g Myspace Page Sector7g Last.fm page Sector7g on iTunes

Scrap Metal is made up of The Lyrics & Style of Impulse, The quick hands of DJ Pseudonym, & the Beats of Ecid. Put these things together & you have an album that sounds like what GZA "Liquid Swords" would sound like if The RZA was into chopping/looping pitch bended punk samples & The GZA grew up listening to Freestyle Fellowship. It's a dark, grungy, emotional journey into finding out who you are & more importantly who are going to become.


Sector 7g - Scrap Metal
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Scientifk

Boston area rapper Scientifik recorded at least two LPs in the 90s. But it is Criminal, which was denied a proper domestic release due to industry politricks, that lives on in the boom-bap afterlife of folklore, vinyl bootleg, hissy dub, and mp3 download. Criminal boasts a mid-90s dream team of producers – deities RZA, Buckwild, and Diamond D contribute beats – as well as a tragic, dramatic back story. Police theorize that Scientifik shot his girlfriend to death and then turned his gun on himself in late 1996, but the case is still officially unsolved due to incomplete evidence.

Scientifik - Criminal
Scientifik - The Most Blunted
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Scarub

Artist links

Scarub Myspace Page Scarub Last.fm page Scarub on iTunes

Scarub is authentic when broken down to the adams apple.
A consummate hip hop storyteller, this quick spittin’ MC is a prominent member of sfbay to LA hip hop crew the Living Legends. His offbeat style often presses the listener to question what they think and sometimes rewind to hear what Scarub thinks. To the Living Legends crew - his elements are irreplaceable.

Scarub - HeavenBound
Scarub - The Answer 2wo The Meaning
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Denizen Kane

Artist links

Denizen Kane Myspace Page Denizen Kane Last.fm page Denizen Kane on iTunes

As a member of both the spoken word group I Was Born With Two Tongues and the underground hip-hop group Typical Cats, Dennis Kim (aka Denizen Kane) has proven his versatility as a poet, a lyricist & an MC. On “Tree City Legends”, his first solo album, he shows his talents as a musician & songwriter, spanning everything from straight up hip-hop to experimental instrumentation & vocals. Beats are provided by DJ Natural (Typical Cats), KP the Illustrado (The Pacifics) & Anacron (The Netherworlds). Additional production was handled by Denizen Kane & DJ White Lightning. One of the jewels of the record is the inclusion of the first new Typical Cats group track to be released in over a year and a half. “Calling Card” is a raw, fierce track that showcases the 3 MCs, Qwel, Qwazaar & Denizen ripping the mic to shreds over banging DJ Natural production. Also featured are the singing talents of Tina on the heavyhearted “Drown (Bless The Dead)”. “Tree City Legends” is an introspective expression of Denizen’s life experiences in Chicago, New York & Oakland. This 8 track EP is just a taste of his artistic vision. Look for more from Denizen Kane on upcoming Typical Cats projects as well as his appearance on Russell Simmons’ Def Poetry Jam on HBO.

Denizen Kane - Tree City Legends
Vol 1
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Denizen Kane - Tree City Legends
Vol 2
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Qwel

Artist links

Qwel Myspace Page Qwel Last.fm page Qwel on iTunes

Hailed by many as one of the most skilled and innovative lyricist since hip hop’s conception, Qwel is not your average ambiguous applause monger. Seasoned within Chicago’s unrelenting battle circuit, Qwel found his niche among his soon to be crew at University of Chicago’s WHPK Wednesday night rap show. The show, a staple in Chicago underground history, was then hosted by DJ Natural and Kid Knish. There he would meet both Denizen Kane and Qwazaar and soon after they would form Typical Cats. The project that they shortly after released, would instantly gain both national and international acclaim. With production from Natural and lyrics from, arguably, the three rawest lyricists to date, Typical Cats would set the pace and tone as just the beginning of Qwel’s notoriety. After the release of Typical Cats’ debut album and Qwel’s vicious appearance and performance in the Chicago blaze battle, what could fans expect?

Qwel - Close But No Cigar
Qwel - Stone Soup
Qwel - Twentieh Street Rich
Qwel - Nerd
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Qwel - So Be it
Qwel - The Harvest
Qwel - Freezer Burner
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Qwel - The Rubber Duckie Experiment
Qwel - Dark Day
Qwel - SideWeighs
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Qwel - Jump The Gun
Qwel - Caffeine Dream
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Qwel - If It Aint Been In a Pawn Shop Then It Cant Play The Blues
Qwel - The New Wine
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Qwel - Rapid Eye Movement
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Anacron

Artist links

Anacron Myspace Page Anacron Last.fm page Anacron on iTunes

Anacron is the living, breathing personification of the pseudo culture called Hip Hop. A true modern renaissance artist, this known rapper/singer is the master of many forms of expression. In addition to writing and performing rap lyrics, Anacron is an accomplished and professionally trained musician, a composer, a songwriter, a music producer, and a nightclub disc jockey. His talents do, however, expand beyond the audible ranges of artistic output. Anacron is also a world renown breakdancer,as well as the accomplished business-owner of The Gallery Network Urban Talent Agency.
Musically, Anacron is best known for his casual and conversational yet in-depth lyrical delivery, and his amazingly crafted and ingenious instrumental production. Boasting a catalog of over 20 releases on various labels since 1994, he has also contributed to countless other projects and albums by international recording artists. In short, Anacron is the icing on the cake of any project, and his presence adds an intense yet inviting feel to any musical endeavor, whether his role is vocal or musical.
Born on the East coast, raised on the West coast, and having resided in the Midwest has had a grand effect on the development of Anacrons signature and recognizable styles of production and lyricism. From the original Peanut Gallery Network recordings to the West coast classic Netherworlds album, Anacron stands out; his participation and performance is always charismatic, thoughtful, and fitting. With a broad yet bluntly honest and clearly defined view of the world around him, he always leaves a lasting impression as a guest on any album. His amalgamation of live instrumentation and sampling, mainstream appeal and independent creativity makes for one of the most imitated and sought-after production styles in the industry.
Outside of his collaborations with colleagues and friends in the hip-hop underground, Anacron also plays an active role in the musical expansion of singers of various genres, jazz groups, pop and rock bands, and even film and stage soundscapes. Appreciated and admired around the world on an independent and underground platform, Anacron has spent a decade teetering on the edge of commercial success; ultimately, the time has come for his leap into a more mainstream and much deserved limelight, and gain a commercial recognition for the stellar talent that he is.

Anacron - Frutopia
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Maintenance Crew

Artist links

Maintenancecrew Myspace Page Maintenacecrew Last.fm page Maintenance Crew on iTunes

Maintenance rise from lies hung on empty promises- individual paths coming together in search of the obvious: rediscovering the aesthetics of a culture saturated with capitalist ideals. Coming together in the run-down halls of Roosevelt High School on the north side of Chicago, we attempt to relay the struggle of “Daley” life through our music and words. We hope the interrelatedness of our city experiences can allow for all of us to come together against the oppressive state we live in.

Maintenance Crew - Eternal Sunshine Of The Simple Mind
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Maintenance Crew - Plain And Simple
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A Tribe Called Quest

A Tribe Called Quest is an American hip hop group, formed in 1985.The group is composed of rapper/producer Q-Tip (Kamaal Ibn John Fareed, formerly Jonathan Davis), rapper Phife Dawg (Malik Taylor), and DJ/producer Ali Shaheed Muhammad. A fourth member, rapper Jarobi White, left the group after their first album but appears to have rejoined the group since 2006. Along with De La Soul, the group was a central part of the Native Tongues Posse, and enjoyed the most commercial success out of all the groups to emerge from that collective. Their innovative fusing of hip hop and jazz has had a lasting impact on hip hop music, helping to expand the art of hip hop production. Many of their songs, such as "Bonita Applebum", "Can I Kick It?", "I Left My Wallet in El Segundo", "Scenario", "Check the Rhime", "Jazz (We've Got)", "Award Tour", and "Electric Relaxation" are regarded as classics of the genre.

They released five albums in ten years, the first three of which were very highly acclaimed, and disbanded in 1998. In 2006, the group reunited and toured the U.S. and plan to release an album after some works in the studio. The group is regarded as iconic pioneers of alternative hip hop music, having helped to pave the way for innovative hip-hop artists. Allmusic calls them "the most intelligent, artistic rap group during the 1990s". In 2005, A Tribe Called Quest received a Special Achievement Award at the Billboard R&B Hip-Hop Awards in Atlanta.In 2007, the group was formally honored at the 4th VH1 Hip Hop Honors.

A Tribe Called Quest - Anthology
A Tribe Called Quest - Anthology bonus cd
A Tribe Called Quest - Beats,Rhymes And Life
A Tribe Called Quest - Midnight Marauders
A Tribe Called Quest - People Instinctive Travels and Path
A Tribe Called Quest - Revised Quest For The Seasoned Traveller
A Tribe Called Quest - The Love Movement
A Tribe Called Quest - The Love Movement Bonus Cd
A Tribe Called Quest - The Low End Theory
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GreenHouse Effect

The Greenhouse Effect crew was started back in 1996 in Springfield OH, when the emcees Blueprint, Inkwel, & Manifest were in college together. Shortly thereafter they began working on their debut EP titled Up to Speed, that was released in 1998 on cassette then re-released in 1999 on CD. This EP release also marked the birth of their own imprint Weightless Recordings, which has since went on to release music from Blueprint, Illogic, Envelope, & Zero Star in addition to Greenhouse Effect's Music.

GreenHouse Effect - vs Radiohead
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GreenHouse Effect - Up To Speed
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Robust

Robust
aka Robigga, Bigga, Bam Bam Biggalo

Artist links

Robust Myspace Page Robust Last.fm page Robust on iTunes

A veteran of Chicago’s burst in underground hip hop, Robust is known in the Chi town scene for his past collaborations with groups such as Scam Artists and The Molemen. His 2000 independent release "Freelance Gynecologist" got attention worldwide from fans and critics of dope punchlines and humorous rhymes. Soon Bigga would appear on projects like Sage Francis’ "Still Sick Urine Trouble" & Qwel’s debut "If It Ain’t Been In A Pawn Shop, Then It Can’t Play The Blues", where he showed his growth into a more serious lyricist


Robust - Potholes in our molecules
Robust - El foto Grande
Robust - I love you
Robust - The short necked giraffe
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Robust - The Close up
Robust - Grown
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Robust - Freelance Gynocologist
Robust - No Free Dope
Robust - Stick Figures
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