Good 80s Hip Hop

[matt m]

Oh, man, how could I have forgotten my favourite 80s hip-hop character: Funkmaster Wizard Wiz. He made a big tune, 'Crack It Up', about crack use. He was like a cross between Biz Markie, Kool Keith and Ol Dirty Bastard. Again, he had some Ced Gee production. Nice, minimal hard drum machine stuff and quite eccentric production in general – very Ultramagnetic MCs ish. There's a CD compilation of all his stuff called "Bellevue Patient", the cover of which pictures him eating baked beans straight from the can, dressed in furs and leather.
http://www.amazon.com/Bellevue-Patient-Funkmaster-Wizard-Wiz/dp/B0000058LI

 

[D'wards]

I have a triple cd Sugarhill Records collection, but apart from the hits its all quite turgid stuff

 

[TrippyLondoner]

Oh, man, how could I have forgotten my favourite 80s hip-hop character: Funkmaster Wizard Wiz. He made a big tune, 'Crack It Up', about crack use. He was like a cross between Biz Markie, Kool Keith and Ol Dirty Bastard. Again, he had some Ced Gee production. Nice, minimal hard drum machine stuff and quite eccentric production in general – very Ultramagnetic MCs ish. There's a CD compilation of all his stuff called "Bellevue Patient", the cover of which pictures him eating baked beans straight from the can, dressed in furs and leather.
http://www.amazon.com/Bellevue-Patient-Funkmaster-Wizard-Wiz/dp/B0000058LI

Giving him a listen on spotify, this is my favourite sort of hip hop music.

 

[matt m]

I also used to like the production on Steady B's 80s albums, they were kind of like LL Cool J's early stuff but if anything the drums were a bit harder.

ooh, on the subject of hard drums, there is of course early Schoolly D to consider too - first three albums all good. It goes without saying that if you're not into loud 808s with talking on top then you won't like it.

 

[kained&able]

Ohh the geto boys were just about 80's i think.

Scarface's old crew, they were decent.


dave

 

[matt m]

i've got the Streetsounds Electro one, i'll hunt down the hip hop

...I meant the whole series of vinyl compilations albums they put out in the 80s. They started out the series as Electro. I can't remember if they renamed the series when electro turned into hip-hop or not. Anyway, you used to be able to buy all the series in 2nd hand record shops really cheap. It was that series where I first heard JVC Force and Cold Crush Brothers. I'd be surprised if they weren't all fairly easy to find in the ususl online haunts.

In fact, have Cold Crush Brothers been mentioned in this thread yet? They're on the Wild Style soundtrack. There's at least one album out there that compiles some Cold Crush Brothers live performances, which is brill. They were I guess a sort of bridge between stuff like Grandmaster Flash and harder drum-machiney stuff like Run DMC.

 

[El Jefe]

...I meant the whole series of vinyl compilations albums they put out in the 80s. They started out the series as Electro. I can't remember if they renamed the series when electro turned into hip-hop or not.

i think they got compiled into some double CDs, i've certainly got an electro one, unless it's a boot

 

[Dirty Martini]

I liked Digital Underground, but Sex Packets was 1990.

 

[El Jefe]

I liked Digital Underground, but Sex Packets was 1990.

well i'm not being that strict about the bloody date

 

[Dirty Martini]

well i'm not being that strict about the bloody date

Sex Packets it is then!

I guess the 80s ended in 1993, like the 60s in 1973.

 

[El Jefe]

Sex Packets it is then!

I guess the 80s ended in 1993, like the 60s in 1973.

i thought the 60s ended at Altamont, maaan...

 

[tarannau]

i've got the Streetsounds Electro one, i'll hunt down the hip hop

I can give you a copy of that, all the Electro albums and a shitload of other stuff next time I see you, along with pretty much all the other albums on this thread. I'd add a shitload more Cold Chillin stuff as well - you need more Big Daddy Kane for a start.

Remind me next time I see you and I'll bring over a USB key or something.

 

[El Jefe]

nice one

 

[ska invita]

I'm really short on people like Slick Rick, Young MCs, Stetsasonic.

Slick Rick - adventure of is a great album (though could live without 'treat them like a prostitute' which in a way foreshadows him going to jail! )

Young MC album is pretty much a dud - one other good track on there.

STET - In Full Gear is the one

Hip Hop Don't Stop comps are really good - dj friendly vinyl too!

Eric B & Rakim Paid in Full is a classic of its time

"Marley Marl Vol1 in control" is a personal favourite - and a compilation of sorts in that it features different MCs with Marley productions -a good in to some of the names of the era (Big Daddy Kane , Craig G. , Kool G. Rap , Master Ace, Biz , Heavy D, M.C. Shan, Roxanne Shanté).

Never really dug EPMD myself, but they were huge at the time too

 

[soulfulofsoul]

All hail the queen - queen latifah

 

[El Jefe]

All hail the queen - queen latifah

bought it the day it came out

 

[soulfulofsoul]

Did you like, or have you tried, the wildstyle soundtrack? I really rate that. Might be obvious but a lot of people don't know about it too- it's one of those underrated classics.

 

[kained&able]

thats a point i was meant to download the film the other day.


dave

 

[soulfulofsoul]

Dave - if you haven't seen it, you've GOT to. It's x 100000000

(can you get infinity symbol on a keyboard?)

 

[Riklet]

DEFINITELY check out EPMD.... Strictly Business is one of my favourite hip hop albums...

Maybe check out D.O.C - No One Can Do It Better?

Oh, and Three Feet High and Rising, i'm sure you've heard that, but just in case!

 

[blairsh]

I'll second Brand Nubian even though they were early 90's, Grand Puba is fucking boss

 

[HobgoblinMan]

Main Source- Breaking Atoms. It's 1991 though.

Young MC- What's The Flavour from I think 1993 has some ok stuff, some bad stuff, but has a nice little curio of a tune that samples that Michael McDonald tune that pre-dates Warren G's "Regulate".

 

[killer b]

 

[kained&able]

shit song, sounds like a throw away from bevely hills cop sounds track. world class wreckin crew were shite.

Fuck dre before he got gangsta.


dave

 

[killer b]

you suck.

 

[toblerone3]

How about The Jungle Brothers - Straight Out of the Jungle

Nice video partially filmed in Camley Street Nature Reserve in Kings Cross.




1988

 

[El Jefe]

How about The Jungle Brothers - Straight Out of the Jungle

Nice video partially filmed in Camley Street Nature Reserve in Kings Cross.

i've got all that Native Tongues posse stuff covered...

 

[Paulie Tandoori]

you suck.

 

[DJ Squelch]

Another member of the Cold Chillin' crew who I always liked was Master Ace. His album Take A Look Around from 1990 still sounds good.

 

[Sunspots]

All '85-'87. Raw.