Today I am sharing some recent CD finds at a local record store, including this great early 80s hip hop compilation double CD set and booklet!
Most of what I grab is vinyl, but I do like to hit up the dollar bin and used rap sections for any good deals, as there are tons of great things that were only released on that particular format.
I also found Prince Paul and Lee Scratch Perry CDs that I had never heard of. The Lee Perry album grabbed my attention- then i found out it was his techno album from the 90s!...probably why it was in the dollar bin. Ha, I pretty much had to pick it up, though.
Big Apple Rappin: The Early Days of Hip-Hop Culture in New York City 1979-1982
This was released on the Soul Jazz label, known for putting out some great compilations. I was very excited for this find and happily shelled out $10 for this double disc set, complete with great booklet with lots of pictures of vintage flyers and liner notes. While I do have several of the records on this compilation, and was familiar with several of the other songs, this compilation had a good number of tracks that I had never heard-so, it was a no brainer purchase. I'm gonna share a few of the highlights for me.
General Echo
"rapping Dub Style"
1980
Here is a great take on "rapper's delight" by the Sugarhill Gang! For those unfamiliar, the hip hop 'sound' from the Bronx in the 1970s descends directly from the culture of DeeJays and sound systems from Jamaica, so it is pretty cool to see an early hip hop/reggae hybrid song from a Jamaican artist. Another characteristic common to both genre's is the practice of flipping songs/sharing riddims/doing response records. So, I think this is a great contribution to the very first couple years that hip hop was getting pressed to wax.
The Fly Guys
"Fly Guys Rap
Wow, this one isn't the run of the mill rap song-it's a rap song about drugs and partying. Yeah, they pretty much didn't play hip hop on the radio yet, so I guess they weren't even trying to sell it to the masses-which is probably a good thing, you don't have to worry about one anyone else will think or compromising yourself to sell records. This one is kind of the long story format, not too dissimilar to rapper's delight, but accompanied by a funky rhythm section and lead synthesizer. This one is pretty lo-fi, but quite the timepiece...I don't even think half the drugs they are rapping about exist anymore, ha.
Xanadu
"Sure Shot"
1980
We got a funky female MC disco number here, possibly an inspiration for "rapture" by Blondie???
Super 3
"Standing On The Top"
1982
Another group on this compilation that I was unfamiliar with, and another great party rocker with a catchy hook. One has to wonder what ever happened to all these old school rappers, because they sure weren't all making MELLE MEL money.
Just a little sampling of some of the great songs off this comp, and I definitely would recommend it, not to mention all the great pieces of hip hop history included in the booklet!
Moving on to my other finds...
Lee "Scratch" Perry
"Techno Party!"
2000
Scratch Perry is an absolute monster of a legend in the dub scene, having a career spanning longer than the Rolling Stones, having cut his first record in 1959! I haven't checked out the album in its entirity yet, but this single seems pretty tasteful with the drum and bass vibes accompanying Perry quite well, although I still speculate this album as a cash grab for late the popularity of the late 90s rave scene😉
Prince Paul
"Itstrumental"
2005
Prince Paul is an absolute legend, being at it since the 80s with his group, Stetsasonic. He is probably best known for producing De La Soul "3 Feet High and Rising" and as half of "Handsome Boy Modeling School."
That being said, I only probably have a couple of his solo albums, the other being the concept album "Prince Among Thieves," which is some kind of gangster drama movie with skits in between songs, and featuring an "all star"cast of cameos. This album has kind of a similar thing going on, but with a "law and order" vibe and some "mediocre" acting. I will share a track then a compilation of the skits that someone uploaded, "MVU: Mental Victims Unit"
Thanks for reading and listening, I hope you liked my post!