March 04, 2021

Various Artists - Deep Cover (Music From The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) (1992)

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*European first pressing. 
Contains 14 tracks total. 
A photo of the disc is included in the RAR file.
Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Hip-Hop, R&B
Style: Gangsta Rap
Label Number: 471669 2

© 1992 Solar/Epic Records
*No professional reviews are available for this release.

tags: various artists, deep cover, music from the original motion picture soundtrack, ost, 1992, flac,
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The Brian Jonestown Massacre - Methodrone (1995)

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*First pressing. 
Contains 15 tracks total
Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Shoegaze
Label Number: BCD 4050
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© 1995 BOMP!
AllMusic Review by Ned Raggett
While Brian Jonestown Massacre have since become known for their wasted Stones take on music (in any number of permutations), when the debut album Methodrone finally surfaced after months of delay (to the point where a side project album by ImaJinary Friends actually came out first), there was an easy, one-word reaction: shoegazers. Redolent with the spirit of such high priests of effects and delay as Loop, Spaceman 3, and My Bloody Valentine, not to mention a fair dollop of the Jesus and Mary Chain (sample song titles: "That Girl Suicide," "Hyperventilation," "She's Gone"), Methodrone clearly is the sum of its influences. Thankfully BJM does a very solid job with them throughout the album's course of over 70 minutes. Anton Newcombe favors breathy, sighing vocals over post-Jagger drawls, understandably ("Crushed" is as perfect an example of American Anglo singing as it gets), while the seven other rotating bandmembers whip up a good amount of machine-like chugging and rave-up bliss as they go. Part of the reason why it all works so well is Newcombe's impressive abilities to actually perform rather than pose. "Wisdom," for instance, isn't very complex, but it successfully creates a psychedelic haze. While assembled from a variety of different sessions and about seven different engineers, Methodrone feels like a unified collection. Newcombe is due further credit for ensuring that his own particular (if second-hand) vision is carried throughout. The album closes on a spectacular high, with the wafting feedback prettiness of "Outback" followed by the majestic drone of "She's Gone," armed with a stunning guitar line, then wrapping up with an untitled bonus track that assuredly builds to a strong end with quirky touches. Though the band never returned to this sound in full, Newcombe and BJM as a whole have nothing to be ashamed of here.
 
tags: the brain jonestown massacre, methodrone, 1995, flac,
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Mayhem - Daemon (Limited Edition) (2019)

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*U.S. limited edition containing 2 bonus tracks. 
Features 12 tracks in total.
Country: Norway
Language: English
Genre: Black Metal
Label Number: 19075969932
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© 1993 Giant Records
Reviewed by Jon Hadusek for Consequence of Sound.net
The Lowdown: Norwegian black metal pioneers Mayhem have had an eventful album cycle for their sixth full-length, Daemon. The recent film Lords of Chaos depicted the band’s tumultuous and tragic past, while bassist Necrobutcher recently confessed to Heavy Consequence his intent to murder Euronymous before Varg Vikernes got there first. Thus, the new album arrives on the threshold of further revelations for a band that’s already written its fair share of black-metal lore. Initially, Mayhem sought to reduce their sound for Daemon, returning to the crude punk metal of their 1987 EP, Deathcrush. But when the band found the exercise in simplicity boring, they went in the opposite direction instead, composing a spiraling, vitriolic palette of darkness.

The Good: Compositionally, Mayhem have outdone themselves on Daemon, crafting a Kafka-esque collection of intensity that sees the band pushing themselves conceptually and instrumentally. From the opening blast beats of “The Dying False King”, the record casts a bleak atmosphere of impressionistic evil and never relents. Vocalist Attila Csihar emotes, moans, and screams in a stream of consciousness, adding to the chaotic nature of the recordings. At times, he sounds like he’s giving an operatic sermon of doom; during others, he invokes the harsh demonic howls he used on Mayhem’s classic De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas back in 1994.

But it’s the musicianship that lifts Daemon to the ranks of Mayhem’s best recorded output. Not since 1997’s Wolf Lair’s Abyss has the band sounded so restless and adventurous, taking the core elements of black metal (blast beats, harsh vocals, tremolo picking, etc.) and crafting bizarre and dissonant musical passages that both challenge and intrigue the ear with their sheer sonic absurdity. “Falsified and Hated” and “Worthless Abominations Destroyed” stand out as highlights in Daemon’s almost psychedelic linearity as tracks flow into one another, perpetuating the album’s sinister atmosphere. Guitarist Ghul contributes songwriting to a Mayhem album for the first time with the thrashy “Of Worms and Ruins” — one of a handful of moments that offer a slight reprieve of sonic variation among the brutality.

The Bad: While purely a matter of taste, the unrelenting, smothering nature of Daemon is far from accessible. The album is not for the faint of heart, and Mayhem have no interest in easing in the uninitiated or catering to delicate sensibilities. These songs are fast and intense — extreme metal at peak performance. At times, Csihar’s vocals appear tacked on, moving independently from the fast tempos and in perceptive incongruence with the music, though it mostly amplifies the album’s frenetic chaos and compelling discomfort. The only major disappointment is that the excellent bonus tracks “Everlasting Dying Flame” and “Black Glass Communion” were designated as such, as they are as good as anything on Daemon (but will be absent from physical releases of the album).

The Verdict: Daemon is a definitive return to form for Mayhem. Whatever aligned in the studio and writing process — perhaps some artistic hyper-awareness following their visibility in Lords of Chaos — the band return with a record worthy of their already legendary canon of genre-defining works. Mayhem treat each song as an evil spectacle, pushing it to its most absurd and dissonant limits. There’s no respite here, and it’s one of Mayhem’s best albums because of it.

Essential Tracks: “The Dying False King”, “Worthless Abominations Destroyed”, “Of Worms and Ruins”

tags: mayhem, daemon, limited edition, 2019, flac,
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Mayhem - Live In Leipzig (1996 Reissue) ☠

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*Reissued in 1996 by Avantgarde Music. 
This live album features the band's original singer, Dead, on vocals.  
The audio mix is the same as the original 1993 release.
Contains 9 tracks total.
Country: Norway
Language: English
Genre: Black Metal
Style: Norwegian Black Metal
Label Number: AV004-96
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☠: Selected by Buccaneer
© 1993-1996 Avantgarde Music
AllMusic Review by Steve Huey
Live in Leipzig is a soundboard recording of a 1991 Mayhem gig; it captures the group's classic lineup intact, before suicide felled vocalist Dead, and bassist Varg Vikernes murdered guitarist Euronymous. With a shortage of official Mayhem material featuring this lineup, it's a necessary item for devoted fans, even in spite of the less-than-ideal sound quality.
 
tags: mayhem, live in leipzig, 1993, 1966, reissue, flac,
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Tim Dog - Penicillin On Wax (1991)

By 
*This is the U.S. first pressing that contains 
the original intro track with the N.W.A. samples. 
This pressing contains 20 tracks total.
Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Hip-Hop
Style: Gangsta Rap
Label Number: CK 48707
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© 1991 Ruffhouse/Columbia Records
AllMusic Review by Ron Wynn
Bronx rapper Tim Dog informed the world what he thought of West Coast types with the single "F--- Compton." It was the definitive composition on his debut album, setting the stage for a series of angry, often vicious and sneering taunts, challenges, boasts and putdowns.
 
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tags: tim dog, penicillin on wax, 1991, flac,
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Eazy-E - Eazy-Duz-It (1988)

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*U.S. first pressing on CD. 
Contains 12 tracks total. 
A photo of the disc is included in the RAR file.
Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Hip-Hop
Style: Gangsta Rap
Label Number: CDL57100
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© 1988 Ruthless/Priority Records
Released only a month after Straight Outta Compton (1988), Eazy-Duz-It was the first N.W.A spin-off album. Years before Ice Cube went solo with Amerikkka's Most Wanted (1990), before Dr. Dre changed the rap game with The Chronic (1992), before MC Ren struggled to establish himself with Shock of the Hour (1993), and before Yella simply fell into obscurity, Eazy-E rose to immediate superstar status with this solo debut. It's no wonder why, for the album plays like a humorous, self-centered twist on Straight Outta Compton with Eazy-E, the most charismatic member of N.W.A, front and center while his associates are busy behind the scenes, producing the beats and writing the songs. In terms of production, Dr. Dre and Yella meld together P-Funk, Def Jam-style hip-hop, and the leftover electro sounds of mid-'80s Los Angeles, creating a dense, funky, and thoroughly unique style of their own. In terms of songwriting, the D.O.C., Ice Cube, and MC Ren are each credited; plus, Ren performs raps of his own on five of the 12 songs. The collaborative nature of the music -- with Dre and Yella producing; the D.O.C., Ice Cube, and MC Ren writing the songs; MC Ren featured as a guest on half of them; and Eazy-E performing -- fortunately makes Eazy-Duz-It more of an N.W.A effort than a true solo album. This is fortunate because as charismatic as he may be, Eazy-E isn't an especially gifted MC. He's at his best here when he's cracking wise and also when he's overshadowed by Dr. Dre's productions, particularly on the four-song sequence of "Eazy Duz It," "We Want Eazy," "Eazy-er Said Than Dunn," and "Radio" -- all heavily produced songs with layers upon layers of samples and beats competing with Eazy-E's rhymes for attention. Straight Outta Compton is no doubt the more revolutionary album, yet Eazy-Duz-It is a great companion, showcasing N.W.A's sense of humor and, despite the often violent subject matter, casting them in a lighter, more humorous mood. When Eazy-E would return with a second solo release, 5150 Home 4 tha Sick, his N.W.A associates would be M.I.A. and the difference would be stark.

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tags: eazy e, eazy duz it, does it, 1988, flac,
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Ice Cube - AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted (1990) ☠

By ,
*U.S. first pressing. 
Contains 16 tracks total. 
A photo of the disc is included in the RAR file.
Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Hip-Hop
Style: Political Hip-Hop
Label Number: CDL57120
☠: Selected by Sentinel
© 1990 Priority Records
When Ice Cube split from N.W.A after the group's seminal Straight Outta Compton album changed the world forever, expectations were high, too high to ever be met by anyone but the most talented of artists, and at his most inspired. At the time Cube was just that. With AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted the rapper expanded upon Compton, making a more full-bodied album that helped boost the role of the individual in hip-hop. Save the dramatic intro where a mythical Ice Cube is fried in the electric chair, his debut is filled with eye-level views of the inner city that are always vivid, generally frightening, generally personal, and sometimes humorous in the gallows style. Ripping it quickly over a loop from George Clinton's "Atomic Dog," Cube asks the question that would be central to his early career, "Why there more niggas in the pen than in college?," while sticking with the mutual distrust and scare tactics N.W.A used to wipe away any hopes of reconciliation ("They all scared of the Ice Cube/And what I say what I portray and all that/And ain't even seen the gat"). "What I'm kicking to you won't get rotation/Nowhere in the nation" he spits on the classic "Turn Off the Radio," which when coupled with the intoxicating Bomb Squad production and Cube's cocksure delivery that's just below a shout, makes one think he's the only radio the inner city needs. The Bomb Squad's amazing work on the album proves they've been overly associated with Public Enemy, since their ability to adapt to AmeriKKKa's more violent and quick revolution is underappreciated. Their high point is the intense "Endangered Species," a "live by the trigger" song that offers "It's a shame, that niggas die young/But to the light side it don't matter none." This street knowledge venom with ultra fast funk works splendidly throughout the album, with every track hitting home, although the joyless "You Can't Fade Me" has alienated many a listener since kicking a possibly pregnant woman in the stomach is a very hard one to take. Just to be as confusing as the world he lives in, the supposedly misogynistic Cube introduces female protégé Yo-Yo with "It's a Man's World" before exiting with "The Bomb," a perfectly unforgiving and visceral closer. Save a couple Arsenio Hall disses, AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted is a timeless, riveting exercise in anger, honesty, and the sociopolitical possibilities of hip-hop.

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tags: ice cube, amerikkkas most wanted, americas, 1990, flac,
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Various Artists - Pump Ya Fist: Hip-Hop Inspired By The Black Panthers (1995)

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*A photo of the disc is included in the RAR file.
Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Hip-Hop
Style: Political Hip-Hop, Conscious Rap
Label Number: 69712 4048 2

© 1995 Avatar, PolyGram Records
This is a varied collection of hip-hop acts (such as Arrested Development, Yo-Yo, Chuck D, and KRS-One) that unites around pro-black themes for each song. It's a great release by some of the best acts in the rap world.

tags: various artists, pump ya fist, your, hip hop inspired by the black panthers, 1995, flac,
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Sonic Youth - Murray Street (2002) ☠

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*A photo of the disc is included in the RAR file.
Country: U.S.A
Genre: Noise Rock
Label Number: 069493319-2
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☠: Selected by Lass
© 2002 DGC
AllMusic Review by Heather Phares
Virtually every album Sonic Youth has released since the underrated Goo has been hailed as a return to form. However, Murray Street, their second collaboration with Jim O'Rourke (and their first with him as a full member of the group), not only recalls their past glories but explores new territory. Freed from the trendy agendas that marred A Thousand Leaves and NYC Ghosts & Flowers, the group revisits the complex, transcendent guitar epics that made them underground rock heroes in the first place. But Murray Street doesn't just rehash the sound of their late-'80s heyday, either; for the most part, epics like the '60s-tinged "The Empty Page" and "Rain on Tin" -- which sounds a bit like a rural cousin to Television's "Marquee Moon" -- are built on surprisingly clean, crisp guitar tones that only explode into occasional noise-storms. Indeed, the guitar work on the album's first three tracks is both economical and sensual, a feast of textures and counterpoints that never sounds overdone. Murray Street's wonderfully natural yet intricate sound is O'Rourke's most distinctive contribution to the group; while his work with Smog and Wilco pushed those groups to be more experimental and eclectic, with Sonic Youth he seems to give those tendencies focus and balance. Even the hypnotic drones at the end of "Karen Revisited," the album's noisy, oddly romantic centerpiece, have a unique precision and clarity. Murray Street's first four songs rank among the most consistent, and consistently exciting, work in Sonic Youth's career, so much so that the album's shorter, more rock-oriented songs feel a bit anticlimactic. "Plastic Sun," a Kim Gordon-sung rant, feels particularly out of keeping with the rest of Murray Street's warm, expansive tone; "Radical Adults Lick Godhead Style" is a typical Sonic Youth rocker that suffers merely from not being as good as the first half of the album. Closing with the serenely sexy "Sympathy for the Strawberry," Murray Street reaffirms that at the group's best, Sonic Youth manages to sound fresh and timeless all at once.

tags: sonic youth, murray street, 2002, flac,
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March 03, 2021

Domino - Domino (1993) ☠

By ,
*U.S. pressing. 
Contains 10 tracks total. 
A photo of the disc is included in the RAR file.
Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Hip-Hop
Style: Pop Rap, G-Funk
Label Number: OK 57701
☠: Selected by Lass
© 1993 OutBurst Records
The story behind the forgotten rapper Domino is that he found no love among his West Coast brothers. Rumor has it, the whole Left Coast thought he had stolen the up-and-coming Snoop Dogg's style and therefore he was boycotted, prematurely ending his career after just one album. His debut is filled with that laid-back, slippery soul with booming bass that figured heavily into Snoop's early G-funk, and while it does sound a bit like the Doggfather, it's at best an influence. Domino has his own way of leaning, a much jazzier stance that fits perfectly with DJ Battlecat's beats and productions. Flutes, mellow guitars, and plenty of other soul-jazz sounds fill the album and dominate the first hit, the classic "Ghetto Jam," which ends in genuine jam session. The second hit, "Sweet Potato Pie," is even more fondly remembered thanks to Domino's skill at delivering rhymes that "ain't rated PG" with just the right amount of deadpan humor. "Do You Qualify" is a bit creepy since it's Domino's way of asking "Are you jailbait?," but most everything else here goes splendidly with round beds, mirrors on the ceiling, and black-velvet paintings of naked Nubian goddesses.

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tags: domino, domino album, 1993, flac,
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Ice Cube - The Predator (1992)

By 
*U.S. first pressing. 
Contains 16 tracks total. 
A photo of the disc is included in the RAR file.
Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Hip-Hop
Style: Gangsta Rap
Label Number: P2-57185

© 1992 Priority Records
Released in the aftermath of the 1991 L.A. riots, The Predator radiates tension. Ice Cube infuses nearly every song, and certainly every interlude, with the hostile mood of the era. Even the album's most laid-back moment, "It Was a Good Day," emits a quiet sense of violent anxiety. Granted, Ice Cube's previous albums had been far from gentle, but they were filled with a different kind of rage. On both AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted (1990) and Death Certificate (1991), he took aim at society in general: women, whites, Koreans, even his former group members in N.W.A. Here, Ice Cube is more focused. He found a relevant episode to magnify with the riots, and he doesn't hold back, beginning with the absolutely crushing "When Will They Shoot?" The song's wall of stomping sound sets the dire tone of The Predator and is immediately followed by "I'm Scared," one of the many disturbing interludes comprised of news commentary related to the riots. It's only during the aforementioned "It Was a Good Day" that Ice Cube somewhat alleviates this album's smothering tension. It's a truly beautiful moment, a career highlight for sure. However, the next song, "We Had to Tear This Mothafucka Up," eclipses the relief with yet more calamity. By the time you get to the album-concluding "Say Hi to the Bad Guy" and its mockery of policeman, hopelessness prevails. The Predator is a grim album, for sure, more so than anything Ice Cube would ever again record. In fact, the darkness is so pervasive that the wit of previous albums is absolutely gone. Besides the halfhearted wit of "Gangsta's Fairytale, Pt. 2," you won't find any humor here, just tension. Given this, it's not one of Ice Cube's more accessible albums despite boasting a few of his biggest hits. It is his most serious album, though, as well as his last important album of the '90s.

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DJ Shadow - Endtroducing..... (1996)

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*U.S. first pressing. 
Contains 13 tracks total. 
A photo of the disc is included in the RAR file.
Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Hip-Hop, Instrumental
Label Number: 697-124 123-2

© 1996 Mo Wax/FFRR
As a suburban California kid, DJ Shadow tended to treat hip-hop as a musical innovation, not as an explicit social protest, which goes a long way toward explaining why his debut album, Endtroducing....., sounded like nothing else at the time of its release. Using hip-hop, not only its rhythms but its cut-and-paste techniques, as a foundation, Shadow created a deep, endlessly intriguing world on Endtroducing....., one where there are no musical genres, only shifting sonic textures and styles. Shadow created the entire album from samples, almost all pulled from obscure, forgotten vinyl, and the effect is that of a hazy, half-familiar dream -- parts of the record sound familiar, yet it's clear that it only suggests music you've heard before, and that the multi-layered samples and genres create something new. And that's one of the keys to the success of Endtroducing.....: it's innovative, but it builds on a solid historical foundation, giving it a rich, multifaceted sound. It's not only a major breakthrough for hip-hop and electronica, but for pop music.

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tags: dj shadow, endtroducing, 1996, flac,
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Latino Velvet - Velvet City (2001 Reissue)

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*Reissued in 2001 by 40 Ounce Records. 
Contains 15 tracks total. 
A photo of the disc is included in the RAR file.
Country: U.S.A.
Language: English, Spanish (Español)
Genre: Hip-Hop
Style: Chicano Rap, Gangsta Rap
Label Number: 40OZ0405-2

© 2000-2001 40 Ounce Records
*No professional reviews are available for this release.

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tags: latino velvet, velvet city, reissue, 2000, 2001, flac,
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Dyablo - Destrukxion (2001) ☠

By ,
*EE.UU. primera edición. Contiene 15 pistas en total.
Se incluye una foto del disco en el archivo.
(*U.S. first pressing. Contains 15 tracks total. 
A photo of the disc is included in the RAR file.)
Country: U.S.A.
Language: Spanish (Español)
Genre: Hip-Hop
Style: Chicano Rap, Gangsta Rap
Label Number: ESR 2017-2
☠: Selected by Lass
© 2001 East Side Records
*No professional reviews are available for this release.

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tags: dyablo, diablo, destrukxion, destrucion, 2001, flac,
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Los Soldados - Puro Rap En Español (2005) ☠

By ,
*Se incluye una foto del disco en el archivo RAR.
(*A photo of the disc is included in the RAR file.)
Country: U.S.A.
Language: Spanish (Español)
Genre: Hip-Hop
Style: Chicano Rap, Gangsta Rap
Label Number: H2 6 400 1 44360 2 2
☠: Selected by Lass
© 2005 Low Profile Records
*No professional reviews are available for this release.

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tags: los soldados, puro rap en espanol, español, 2005, flac,
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Sangre Mala - Seguimos Representando (2006)

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*Se incluye una foto del disco en el archivo RAR.
(*A photo of the disc is included in the RAR file.)
Country: U.S.A.
Language: Spanish (Español)
Genre: Hip-Hop
Style: Chicano Rap
Label Number: 6400 1 44442 2 5

© 2006 Gangsters & Players Records
*No professional reviews are available for this release.

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tags: sangre mala, seguimos representando, 2006, flac,
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Doll-E Girl - My Diaries of Love (2010)

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*A photo of the disc is included in the RAR file.
Country: U.S.A.
Language: English, Spanish (Español)
Genre: Hip-Hop
Style: Chicano Rap, Pop Rap
Label Number: 40506-2

© 2010 Set-Up Shop Records
*No professional reviews are available for this release.

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tags: doll e girl, my diaries of love, 2010, flac,
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March 02, 2021

Pharoahe Monch - Internal Affairs (1999)

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*A photo of the disc is included in the RAR file.
Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Hip-Hop
Label Number: P2 50137

© 1999 Rawkus Records
After three cultishly revered albums with Organized Konfusion, underground legend Pharoahe Monch cut a solo deal with Rawkus and delivered his debut, Internal Affairs, in late 1999. Both Monch and Rawkus seemed to want to push their music farther above ground, and some longtime followers were shocked to hear a harder, angrier, more profane Monch, who seemed to be courting a more thugged-out audience. But it's a reinvention that doesn't compromise his high lyrical standards, making Internal Affairs a success on its own terms. Sounding like it was sampled from a monster-movie soundtrack, the club smash "Simon Says" sets the tone for the album; Monch delivers rapid-fire, intricately rhymed lines in between shouts of "get the f*ck up!" and "girls, rub on your titties!" It proved to be the most successful crossover bid of Monch's career, and much of the rest of Internal Affairs manages to straddle the underground/mainstream divide surprisingly well. Even when he's just giving shout-outs to Queens, or enlisting guests like Canibus and M.O.P. to help pummel a track into submission, Monch lives up to his reputation as one of hip-hop's most technically skilled MCs. Nowhere is this balancing act more evident than on "Rape," a rather disquieting extended metaphor for his mastery of hip-hop (other MCs just "ain't f*ckin' it right"). A more benign theme track is "Official," whose carefully constructed barrage of sports references demonstrates the cleverness that made Monch a cult legend. Not everything sits well together -- the sophomoric "The Ass" is an odd way to lead into the love song "The Light," the Organized Konfusion reunion "God Send," and the reflective "The Truth," which features guest appearances by Common and Talib Kweli. But in terms of bringing an underappreciated hip-hop great to a (somewhat) wider audience, Internal Affairs generally gets it right.

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tags: pharoahe monch, internal affairs 1999, flac,
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Smif-N-Wessun - Dah Shinin' (1995)

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*U.S. first pressing. 
A photo of the disc is included in the RAR file.
Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Hip-Hop
Label Number: NRV 2005-2

© 1995 Wreck Records
Upon its release in 1995, Smif-n-Wessun's Dah Shinin' was unfortunately swept aside by the popular onslaught of the Notorious B.I.G. and the Wu-Tang Clan. That's too bad, because the group's album is a masterpiece of New York City crime rap. The stars of the album aren't really the two MCs, Tek and Steele, but the Beatminerz production team. They were responsible for the groundbreaking tracks on Black Moon's Enta da Stage, the album on which Smif-n-Wessun made their debut, and they continue their strong track record on Dah Shinin'. Da Beatminerz craft their songs with deep, fluid basslines and moody jazz samples. On Smif-n-Wessun's debut, they create a series of hazy soundscapes perfect for the group's brand of lyrical mayhem. Tek and Steele don't break any new ground, but they bring enough joyful abandon to their tales of guns, drugs, and thugs to keep things interesting. Their smoked-out rhymes match the beats perfectly. Indeed, few hip-hop albums offer such a unified coherent effort. Dah Shinin' is certainly Smif-n-Wessun's strongest album to date, and it represents da Beatminerz's high point as well.

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tags: smif n wessun, dah shinin, the shining, 1995, flac,
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O.G.C. - Da Storm (1996)

By 
*U.S. first pressing. 
A photo of the disc is included in the RAR file.
Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Hip-Hop
Label Number: P2 50577

© 1996 Priority Records
Originoo Gunn Clappaz's debut album Da Storm is an inventive fusion of streetwise rhythms and soul and jazz-laced hip-hop, highlighted by the trio's clever rhymes, as well as the dense production, which has a number of unusual and delightful samples.

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tags: ogc, originoo gunn clappaz, da storm, the, 1996, flac,
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Buckshot - The BDI Thug (1999)

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Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Hip-Hop
Style: Gangsta Rap, Pop Rap
Label Number: DD 1001-2

© 1999 Duck Down
Buckshot, the head rapper from Black Moon, issued this solo debut in late 1999. Similar to the lo-fi Wu-Tang aesthetic of Black Moon's War Zone, The BDI Thug has productions by Boogie Brown, Lord Jamar, DJ Akshun, and Just Blaze, among others. Buckshot's rapping is understated (even when his material isn't), and The BDI Thug holds up much better than listeners would expect from a solo album.

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Boot Camp Clik - For The People (1997)

By 
*U.S. first pressing. 
Contains 14 tracks. 
A photo of the disc is included in the RAR file.
Country: U.S.A.
Genre: Hip-Hop
Style: Gangsta Rap, Pop Rap
Label Number: P2 50646

© 1997 Priority Records
The Boot Camp Clik is a bit like a low-rent Wu-Tang Clan. Instead of establishing themselves as a crew before recording an album together, the rappers -- including Heltah Skeltah, Smif-N-Wessun and OGC -- each made solo albums and reunited in 1997 to make For the People. Happily, the group used the opportunity wisely, deciding to forge ahead to new sonic territory. Leaving gangsta rap and standard funk behind as the group abandons their production crew Da Beatminerz, the Boot Camp Clik has created an appealingly off-kilter sound that relies equally on wobbly rhythms, old-school synths and acoustic instruments. There are times that the mix is too dense, particularly when the group tries to get slow and soulful, but For the People is the best thing anyone in the Boot Camp Clik has yet produced.

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tags: boot camp clik, click, for the people, 1997, flac,
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