"Lose Yourself" won the 2004 Grammy Awards for Best Male Rap Solo Performance and for Best Rap Song. The song was also nominated for Record Of The Year, for Song Of The Year and for Best Song Written For A Motion Picture, Television Or Other Visual Media.This is an Enhanced CD, which contains both regular audio tracks and multimedia computer files.8 MILE contains a 6 song bonus disc, THE SHADY AFTERMATH SAMPLER."Lose Yourself" won the 2004 Grammy Awards for Best Male Rap Solo Performance and for Best Rap Song. The song was also nominated for Record Of The Year, for Song Of The Year and for Best Song Written For A Motion Picture, Television Or Other Visual Media.Although the 8 MILE soundtrack links to a semi- autobiographical film featuring hip-hop bad-boy Eminem, the controversial rapper... Less

Profile's two young founders were products of the disco boom. Cory Robbins and Steve Plotnicki, both Jewish New Yorkers in their 20s, first met in 1979 when Robbins released a Plotnicki-penned disco song, "Love Insurance," on Panorama, a small imprint that Robbins ran for MCA Music Publishing. The idea behind Profile Records which Robbins and Plotnicki launched in May 1981 with a $34,000 loan from their parents was to release 12-inch dance singles. In hindsight, it might not have been the best business plan for the post-disco apocalypse. Profile s first single, a disco record by British TV star Grace Kennedy, was an all-American flop. But over the course of the next twenty years, with signings like Run DMC, Dana Dane, Rob Base & D.J. EZ Rock, Poor Righteous Teachers, Profile Records would... Less

"Lose Yourself" won the 2004 Grammy Awards for Best Male Rap Solo Performance and for Best Rap Song. The song was also nominated for Record Of The Year, for Song Of The Year and for Best Song Written For A Motion Picture, Television Or Other Visual Media.This is an Enhanced CD, which contains both regular audio tracks and multimedia computer files.8 MILE contains a 6 song bonus disc, THE SHADY AFTERMATH SAMPLER."Lose Yourself" won the 2004 Grammy Awards for Best Male Rap Solo Performance and for Best Rap Song. The song was also nominated for Record Of The Year, for Song Of The Year and for Best Song Written For A Motion Picture, Television Or Other Visual Media.Personnel: 50 Cent (vocals); Jeff Bass (guitar, keyboards); Steven King (guitar); Luis Resto (keyboards, programming); Dante Ross... Less

Profile's two young founders were products of the disco boom. Cory Robbins and Steve Plotnicki, both Jewish New Yorkers in their 20s, first met in 1979 when Robbins released a Plotnicki-penned disco song, "Love Insurance," on Panorama, a small imprint that Robbins ran for MCA Music Publishing. The idea behind Profile Records which Robbins and Plotnicki launched in May 1981 with a $34,000 loan from their parents was to release 12-inch dance singles. In hindsight, it might not have been the best business plan for the post-disco apocalypse. Profile s first single, a disco record by British TV star Grace Kennedy, was an all-American flop. But over the course of the next twenty years, with signings like Run DMC, Dana Dane, Rob Base & D.J. EZ Rock, Poor Righteous Teachers, Profile Records would... Less

Over a decade deep in the rap game, Mike has released critically hailed records and won a Grammy for best Rap Collaboration with Outkast for the song "The Whole World." But, in no uncertain terms, Mike will tell you that R.A.P. Music is his finest accomplishment to date. He'll even call it a "classic." Of course, every rapper calls every one of their albums a classic. The only difference is that Mike's right.Vinyl issue includes second instrumental album.

To say 20th Century Masters: Best of Rap & Hip Hop, Vol. 2 features a second helping of the absolute greatest hip-hop classics of all time is a bit misleading, as it would take a generous box set to cover hip-hop and rap's finest moments from the late '90s to the early 2000s. However, this 11-song sampler does casually survey some of the highlights, including Nelly's "Country Grammar," Salt-N-Pepa's "Shoop," DMX's "Ruff Ryders Anthem," and the underground classic "The Choice Is Yours" by Black Sheep. It's by no means definitive, but it could definitely fill a few outstanding gaps in any rap connoisseurs collection. ~ Rob Theakston

Sometimes it seems that the art of the song has been lost. Between rap and heavy metal, songs have been reduced to little more than rhythm and words - noise without melody, sound and fury signifying nothing. But, there was a time when melody reigned supreme, when popular songs were memorable - no words required. Film composer Victor Young was one of the very best writers of that golden era, capable of creating utterly unique melodies at nearly the drop of a hat. And who, you ask, is Victor Young? True, he is not as widely remembered today as his peers such as Max Steiner, Elmer Bernstein, Alfred Newman, or Bernard Herrmann. But, if Mr. Young's name does not ring a bell, his songs will - "Stella by Starlight," "Love Letters," "Golden Earrings," "My Foolish Heart," "When I Fall in Love,"... Less

2007 release of a five CD box set featuring a marvelous selection of popular songs from the decade that gave us Bill Clinton, the OJ trial, Seinfeld, techno- industrial- electronica, grunge, boy bands and rap wars! Popular music became more synthesized and entered the modern FX video era. This is just one of a new series of compilations with 100 tracks each that are themed with songs of different musical styles from decades past, fondly remembered by those that lived and loved them...and at a very reasonable price! The tracks on this volume feature such best selling artists as Simply Red, The Beloved, Backstreet Boys, NSync, A-Ha, The Farm, Barenaked Ladies, Kylie Minogue, The Corrs, Ini Kamoze, Crash Test Dummies, Des'ree, SWV, Apollo 440, Aztec Camera, Living Colour, Bad Religion and... Less

THE BEST OF PIECES OF A DREAM includes four new songs.Personnel includes: "Jessy" Yvette Myles (vocals, rap vocals); Cedric A. Napoleon (vocals, bass); Lance Webb, Barbara Walker (vocals); Grover Washington, Jr. (soprano saxophone, saxophone); Ron Kerber (alto & tenor saxophones, flute); James K. Lloyd (piano, Fender Rhodes, organ, keyboards, synthesizer, synth bass, programming); Steven Ford (piano, Fender Rhodes, keyboards, strings, synthesizer); Preston Glass (keyboards, drum programming); Bernard Wright (keyboards); Glenn Barratt (synthesizer, drum programming, programming); Dexter Wansel (synthesizer); Jeff Lee, Darryl Johnson, Richard Lee Steacker, Roy R. Smith, Randal Bowland (guitar); Curtis Harmon (drums, percussion, programming, background vocals); Charles Baldwin (drums,... Less

As rap-metal hybrids continue to sell millions, Cypress Hill fills the "Bones Disc" of this two-CD set with a half-dozen hard rockers that keep things loose-limbed enough to incite the dance floor to something other than moshing. The best music the group has released in years, it shows that this decade-old act is still capable of surprise. The accompanying "Skull Disc" hardly delivers the same jolt, but should satisfy hardcore fans of the Hill. While Cypress Hill sound convincing and forceful over the 64 minutes of Skull & Bones, the record's lyrics have little new to say: most of these songs warn off would-be competitors, praise ganja, or complain about the hardships presented by the rappers' celebrity status. Still, the crunching "Bones" tracks and the occasional Spanglish verses show... Less

With more than 14 years as a continually viable, visible recording artist, LL Cool J--the once and future James Todd Smith--sets the pace for hip-hop artist longevity. Though with five consecutive platinum albums he's long since qualified for his rap star pension, why stop the old guy when he shows no sign of slowing down? On 1995's Mr. Smith, the 27-year-old LL's "self"-titled sixth album, the rapper keeps running like an aged marathoner: past his prime and no longer winning medals, perhaps, but still in full stride and doing a lot better than you could. At this point in his career, though, LL seems concerned with retaining the credibility of his Queens, New York, past while submerging deeper into a Hollywood future. Conscious of--and not fully resistant to--the fact that he's fast... Less

New Orleans legend Dr. John's Nonesuch debut, produced by Black Keys guitarist and uber-fan Dan Auerbach, distills half a century of this Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee's picaresque musical history, melding his shamanistic stage persona with the authority of a consummate studio musician, the cosmic conjurer with the street-savvy poet. The ten new songs on Locked Down, written by Dr. John with Auerbach and a handpicked crew of backing musicians, combine incantatory chants ("Ellegua") and often politically charged raps ("Revolution") with candid and soulful reflections ("My Children, My Angels"), swaggering R&B ("Big Shot"), and a healthy dose of hypnotic, simmering funk ("The King Of Izness"). As with much of what this multiple Grammy-award winning singer and composer has recorded... Less

Sometimes it seems that the art of the song has been lost. Between rap and heavy metal, songs have been reduced to little more than rhythm and words - noise without melody, sound and fury signifying nothing. But, there was a time when melody reigned supreme, when popular songs were memorable - no words required. Film composer Victor Young was one of the very best writers of that golden era, capable of creating utterly unique melodies at nearly the drop of a hat. And who, you ask, is Victor Young? True, he is not as widely remembered today as his peers such as Max Steiner, Elmer Bernstein, Alfred Newman, or Bernard Herrmann. But, if Mr. Young's name does not ring a bell, his songs will - "Stella by Starlight," "Love Letters," "Golden Earrings," "My Foolish Heart," "When I Fall in Love,"... Less

Personnel includes: Frost, DJ Screw, Street Military, Fat Pat Family, Most Hated, Dope House Family.This is an example of the Southern Rap "screwed" mix style.The album that broke South Park Mexican out of the South, Power Moves features a number of his best-known songs: "Holla at Cha Later," "Illegal Amigos," and "West Coast, Gulf Coast, East Coast." It's definitely a more polished and crafted work that his preceding Hustle Town and proves that rap artists can thrive without major-label support. In sum, this is arguably the best place to start when investigating SPM. His later albums are often on par with Power Moves in terms of both rhymes and beats, but none capture the essence of what makes this particular artist so alluring to his cult audience as this breakthrough album. Later... Less

This Collector's Edition contains 18 tracks plus a 90 minute DVD narrated by Samuel Jackson. Nearly three years in the making, rap superstar and CTE/Def Jam recording artist Young Jeezy's new album, TM:103 `HUSTLERZ AMBITION' will finally arrive in stores December 20th, the long-awaited follow-up to 2008's The Recession. To call TM:103 the most anticipated street album of the year would be an understate¬ment - it is the album that Jeezy's millions of fans have been awaiting far too long. In conjunction with the release of TM:103, the biographical film, Hustlerz Ambition, a raw chronicle of Jeezy's rise from the mean streets of Atlanta to international stardom, is set to air (airdates to be announced in the weeks ahead). The two-disc CD+DVD deluxe edition of TM:103 will contain the uncut... Less

It's not quite the first rap record, or the best, but Rapper's Delight--15 glorious minutes of the bass line from Chic's "Good Times," with a New Jersey crew spieling goofy routines about Superman and bad food on top--is one king hell of a party-starter. After that, they could have filled the rest of the disc with crowd noise and gotten away with it, but the Sugarhill Gang had a bunch of other party-jam hits, notably the almost-as-indelibl e "Apache" and "8th Wonder." Those songs show up here too, along with some entertaining non-hits and "Showdown," their rap-off with the Furious Five. What they're saying isn't really the point; the point is to move the crowd, and they're still hip-hop's greatest entertainers. --Douglas Wolk

Blackstreet: Teddy Riley, Chauncey Hannibal, Levi Little, Joseph Stonestreet,Dave Hollister, Eric Williams, Mark Middleton. Additional personnel: Janet Jackson (vocals); Eve, Queen Pen, Ja Rule, Dr. Dre, Ol' Dirty Bastard (rap vocals). Producers include: Teddy Riley, Markell Riley, Erick Sermon, William Stewart, Blackstreet. Compilation producer: Mike Ragogna.Includes liner notes by A. Scott Galloway.This compilation of the first era of Blackstreet, from its 1994 formation to its 1999 disbanding, does a good job of presenting the highlights of the vocal group's career along with some interesting obscure tracks. The song list includes most of the available chart hits by the group, the major omission being the 1999 Top Ten R&B/Top 20 pop hit "Take Me There" from the film The Rugrats Movie,... Less

GO! COMMON CLASSICS, FIRST RETROSPECTIVE OF RAP STAR COMMON'S MOST POPULAR TRACKS, FEATURES MARY J. BLIGE, KANYE WEST, ERYKAH BADU'S "LOVE OF MY LIFE (AN ODE TO HIP HOP)" AND NEW TRACK "NEXT TIME" WITH QUEEN LATIFAH FROM FILM JUST WRIGHT There is nothing ordinary about acclaimed rapper Common, as the first retrospective of the most successful span of his career to date proves. Compiled with Common's participation, Go! Common Classics (Geffen/UMe), to be released May 25, 2010, gathers 11 of his most popular tracks from the past decade on MCA/Geffen plus the rare 1996 battle record "The B**** In Yoo" and a new song, "Next Time (Just Right Version)" featuring Queen Latifah, from the film Just Wright, starring Common and Latifah, and scheduled to hit screens May 14. Since his acting debut... Less

GO! COMMON CLASSICS, FIRST RETROSPECTIVE OF RAP STAR COMMON'S MOST POPULAR TRACKS, FEATURES MARY J. BLIGE, KANYE WEST, ERYKAH BADU'S "LOVE OF MY LIFE (AN ODE TO HIP HOP)" AND NEW TRACK "NEXT TIME" WITH QUEEN LATIFAH FROM FILM JUST WRIGHT There is nothing ordinary about acclaimed rapper Common, as the first retrospective of the most successful span of his career to date proves. Compiled with Common's participation, Go! Common Classics (Geffen/UMe), to be released May 25, 2010, gathers 11 of his most popular tracks from the past decade on MCA/Geffen plus the rare 1996 battle record "The B**** In Yoo" and a new song, "Next Time (Just Right Version)" featuring Queen Latifah, from the film Just Wright, starring Common and Latifah, and scheduled to hit screens May 14. Since his acting debut... Less

Everyone's suddenly interested in a new kind of music best described as "slacker-rap." Although it uses the sing-song cadences of hip-hop, it's the polar opposite of gangsta rap; in both its laid-back delivery and self-deprecating lyrics, slacker-rap acknowledges vulnerability and failure. It was done first and best by Washington's Basehead, but it gets an invigorating twist from this Philadelphia trio--G. Love, Jimi Jazz, and Houseman. This CD features 4 unreleased tracks and the classic favorite "This Ain't Livin'". CONTENTS: 1) Rappin' Blues 2) Man's Descent 3) Milk and Cereal 4) I Love You Too 5) This Ain't Livin'

Some veteran rap and hip-hop aficionados have articulated many concerns over the direction of hardcore rap in the recent years and dating back to the early 90's. Their argument is that hardcore rap told a story with a heavy conscience in the '80s, and then rap segued to talking about their own bling while they dove in sports cars pitting east coast and west coast rappers proudly referring to their own selves as, a "thug" while smoking blunts surrounded by "bitches, hoes, and hotties shaking big booties." However, in today's world, rap can be very positive and uplifting with MCs and popular rap bands like the Roots, Too $hort, Public Enemy, Common, Eminem, Ice T, Blackalicious as well as other rappers that sing with that hardcore and style that is very much in your face. Mac Dividinz's... Less

Cypress Hill is one of the most successful and influential hip-hop/rock groups in music history. They've headlined Lollapalooza, been named "Best Rap Group" by Rolling Stone, collaborated with the likes of Pearl Jam and Sonic Youth, hit No. 1 on the Billboard Top 200 Albums Chart and have had their music licensed for a plethora of TV shows, commercials and films. RISE UP includes "Armada Latina" featuring Marc Anthony & Pitbull and the incendiary title track, "Rise Up", which features Rage Against The Machine/ Street Sweeper Social Club's Tom Morello. The famed guitarist co-wrote and co-produced the song "Rise Up" and appears on a second track titled "Shut `Em Down." Ingeniously crafted, the collaboration on "Armada Latina" brings forth the strength and presence always commanded by... Less