Eric B. & Rakim are a hip hop duo formed in Long Island, New York, in 1986, composed of Eric B. and MC Rakim. AllMusic wrote that "during rap's so-called golden age in the late '80s, Eric B. & Rakim were almost universally recognized as the premier DJ/MC team in all of hip-hop." Tom Terrell of NPR called them "the most influential DJ/MC combo in contemporary pop music period," while the editors of About.com ranked them as No. 5 on their list of the 10 Greatest Hip-Hop Duos of All-Time.
"Funky Drummer" is a jam session recorded by James Brown and his band in 1969. The recording's drum break, a propulsive beat improvised by Clyde Stubblefield, is one of the most frequently sampled rhythmic breaks in hip hop and popular music.
The 2 Live Crew Is What We Are is the debut studio album by hip-hop group the 2 Live Crew. It was released in 1986 on Luke Records to a great deal of controversy and promptly was certified gold by the RIAA. It includes the hits "We Want Some Pussy", "Throw the 'D'", and "Cuttin' It Up". Bob Rosenberg, a south Florida DJ who would later form the dance-pop group Will to Power, remixed and edited the song "Beat Box". In Florida, it was deemed obscene, and one store clerk was charged with felony "corruption of a minor" for selling it to a 14-year-old girl. The clerk was later acquitted.
Livin' Like Hustlers is the debut album by American hip hop group Above the Law. It was released on February 20, 1990 via Ruthless Records, and an advanced promo cassette version was released two months earlier. The ten track record featured a guest performance from N.W.A on "The Last Song", as well as audio production by Dr. Dre. In addition, Eazy-E served as executive producer of the album. It peaked at number 14 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and number 75 on the U.S. Billboard 200.
Rock the House is the debut album from the hip hop duo DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince. The album was released in February 1987 in Europe and on April 7, 1987, in the United States, and was subsequently re-issued in 1988 in Europe and the United Kingdom. Three tracks from the album were released as singles: "The Magnificent Jazzy Jeff", "A Touch of Jazz" and "Girls Ain't Nothing But Trouble". When the album was released on CD in 1988, the rerecorded version of "Girls Ain't Nothing But Trouble", which was released as a single after He's the DJ, I'm the Rapper ran its course, replaced the original 1986 recording. The original version also never appeared on the duo’s greatest-hits album.
And in This Corner… is the third studio album released by MC/DJ duo DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince. The album was released in October 1989, reaching #39 on the US Billboard 200 albums chart. The album was not released on Compact Disc in the UK. However, it was available on this format in most of Europe.
Industry Shakedown is the second studio album by American East Coast hip hop artist Freddie Foxxx, and his first release under his 'Bumpy Knuckles' alias. It was released on June 27, 2000 via KJAC Music and Landspeed Records, and was produced by DJ Premier, Pete Rock, Diamond D, The Alchemist and Foxxx himself. It also featured guest appearances from Afrika Bambaataa, M.O.P., Terisa Griffin, and DJ Rukas. The album peaked at number 179 on the Billboard 200. The first single was the DJ Premier-produced "Part Of My Life".
The Ruler's Back is the second studio album by British-American rapper Slick Rick, released July 2, 1991, on Def Jam Recordings. It features production from Vance Wright, Slick Rick and Mr. Lee. The album and its music videos were quickly recorded and filmed before Slick Rick was sentenced to a 5-year prison term.
Knowledge Is King is the third solo studio album by American rapper Kool Moe Dee from the Treacherous Three. It was recorded at Soundtrack Studios in New York City, New York and released on May 30, 1989 via Jive Records. Production for the album was handled by Teddy Riley, LaVaba Mallison, Pete Q. Harris and Kool Moe Dee. The record peaked at number 25 on the Billboard 200 and number 2 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. It is his second best-selling album, achieving gold certification by the RIAA on August 22, 1989.
Funke, Funke Wisdom is the fourth solo studio album by American recording artist Kool Moe Dee from the Treacherous Three. It was released in 1991 via Jive Records, making it the rapper's final album on the label. Production of the record was handled by Teddy Riley, Dale Hogan, Keith Spencer and Kool Moe Dee. The album peaked at #72 on the Billboard 200 and #19 on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. It spawned three singles: "How Kool Can One Black Man Be", "Death Blow" and "Rise 'N' Shine".
To Hell and Black is the debut and only studio album by American hip hop group Capital Punishment Organization. It was released through Capitol Records on August 7, 1990, and featured its two lead singles "Ballad of a Menace" and "This Beat Is Funky". The album peaked at No. 33 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.
"The Grunt" is a funk instrumental recorded in 1970 by James Brown's band The J.B.'s. It was released as a two-part single on King. It was one of only two instrumental singles recorded by the original J.B.'s lineup with Bootsy and Catfish Collins. Large parts of "The Grunt"'s melody and arrangement are borrowed, uncredited, from The Isley Brothers' song "Keep on Doin'", which was released earlier in the same year.
"Funky President " is a funk song by James Brown. Released as a single in 1974, it charted #4 R&B. It also appeared on the album Reality. According to Brown the "funky president" of the song's title was meant to refer to U.S. President Gerald Ford, who had succeeded Richard Nixon in the White House shortly before it was recorded.
Not Just a Fad is the second studio album by American female rap group J.J. Fad. It was released on December 7, 1990 via Ruthless Records and spawned three singles: "We in the House", "Gold", and "Be Good ta Me". Neither the album nor the singles registered on any major music chart. The group disbanded in 1992, making this their final album.
Move Somethin' is the second studio album by Miami-based hip hop group 2 Live Crew. It was released on August 17, 1988 via Luke Records and was produced by Luke Skyywalker and Mr. Mixx. It was certified Gold by Recording Industry Association of America and featured the singles "Move Somethin'" and "Do Wah Diddy Diddy". The album improved on the charts from the previous album, making in to number 68 on the Billboard 200 and number 20 on the Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums chart. Musically, the album incorporates samples from such diverse sources as James Brown, Manfred Mann, The Kinks, Yellow Magic Orchestra, Kraftwerk, and Quadrant Six. On the song "Word II", 2 Live Crew's DJ Mr. Mixx scratches up Brian May's guitar solo on "We Will Rock You" over the crowd stomp-and-clap beat, which was sampled from the same song. Its wide musical range is nonetheless all encompassed by the Miami bass sound, in its heavy Roland TR-808 kicks and fast percussion, and as usual stamped with lyrics reflecting the group's sexually explicit humor.
New Funky Nation is the debut studio album by the Samoan-American hip hop band Boo-Yaa T.R.I.B.E. It was released on April 10, 1990 via 4th & B'way Records/Island Records. Recording sessions took place at Image Recording Studios and Paramount Studios in Hollywood from 1989 to 1990. Production was handled by the Dust Brothers, John O'Brien, Joe Nicolo of the Butcher Bros., Tony G., Suga Pop and Boo-Yaa T.R.I.B.E. The album peaked at #33 in New Zealand, #74 in the UK and #117 in the United States.
Ain't No Shame in My Game is the debut studio album by American rapper Candyman. It was released on October 2, 1990 via Epic Records with distribution by CBS Records Inc. Production was handled by the Candyland Band and executive producer Ken Komisar. The album peaked at number 40 on the Billboard 200 and at number 18 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart in the United States, and at number 65 on the Album Top 100 in the Netherlands. It was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America on December 18, 1990.
Paid the Cost is the only studio album by American rap duo Penthouse Players Clique. It was released on April 28, 1992 via Ruthless and Priority Records. Recording sessions took place at Skip Saylor Recording Studio A in Los Angeles with additional recording at Audio Achievements in Torrance, California. Production was mostly handled by DJ Quik, except for two tracks were produced by Penthouse Players Clique and DJ Battlecat. The album was a success for the group, making it to #76 on the Billboard 200, #28 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and #1 on the Heatseekers Albums charts. Three singles were released, "Explanation of a Playa", "Trust No Bitch" and "P.S. Phuk U 2", however only "Explanation of a Playa" would make it to the billboard charts. This would mark the duos only album as they would disband only a year later.
Got to Be Tough is the debut studio album by American rapper and producer MC Shy-D. It was released on August 12, 1987 via Luke Skyywalker Records. The album peaked at number 197 on the Billboard 200 and number 41 on the Top R&B Albums chart.
