Rise of the Classics Podcast

The Pillage is the debut solo studio album by American rapper Cappadonna. It was released on March 24, 1998 through Razor Sharp/Epic Street. Recording sessions took place at 36 Chambers Studio in New York, except for the song "Everything Is Everything", which was recorded at Soundtrack Studios and Sony Music Studios in New York. Production was handled by Wu-Elements (True Master, Goldfinghaz, 4th Disciple, Mathematics) an...

By All Means Necessary is the second album from American hip hop group Boogie Down Productions, released on May 31, 1988[1] on Jive Records. After the 1987 murder of DJ-producer Scott La Rock, MC KRS-One moved away from the violent themes that dominated his debut, Criminal Minded, and began writing socially conscious songs using the moniker the Teacher.[2]

Accompanied by minimalist production and hard-hitting drum beats, K...

The Beatnuts is the self-titled full-length debut album by hip hop trio The Beatnuts.[5] It was released on June 21, 1994, by Relativity Records, a year after their debut EP, Intoxicated Demons. "Psycho Dwarf" is the only song found on both the EP and the album. The album was produced by The Beatnuts, and features guest appearances by Grand Puba, Miss Jones and DJ Sinister amongst others.

The Beatnuts boasts two singles, &...

Supreme Clientele is the second studio album by American rapper and Wu-Tang Clan member Ghostface Killah, released on February 8, 2000 by Epic Records. The album showcases Ghostface's signature up-tempo, stream-of-consciousness rhyme style, and features guest appearances from Cappadonna, GZA, Masta Killa, Method Man, Raekwon, Redman, RZA, U-God, and others. It features affiliates of what would become members of Theodore Unit a...

Black on Both Sides is the debut studio album by American rapper Mos Def, released on October 12, 1999, by Rawkus and Priority Records. Prior to its recording, Mos Def had collaborated with Talib Kweli for the album Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star in 1998,[1] which raised high expectations for a solo effort by the former.[2] Black on Both Sides features an emphasis on live instrumentation and socially conscious lyrics.[3][...

Breaking Atoms is the debut album of American/Canadian hip hop group Main Source, released July 23, 1991 on Wild Pitch Records. Production was handled by the group, primarily by member Large Professor, and took place during 1990 to 1991 at Homeboy Studio, Power Play Studios, and Libra Digital in New York City. Recorded during the golden age of hip hop, Breaking Atoms is distinguished stylistically by its incorporation of jazz and s...

The Infamous (stylized as The Infamous...) is the second studio album by the American hip hop duo Mobb Deep. It was released on April 25, 1995, by Loud Records. The album features guest appearances by Nas, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, and Q-Tip. It was largely produced by group member Havoc, with Q-Tip also contributing production while serving as the mixing engineer. Most of the leftover songs from the album became bonus tracks for ...

People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm is the debut studio album by American hip hop group A Tribe Called Quest, released on April 10, 1990[1] on Jive Records. After forming the Native Tongues collective and collaborating on several projects, A Tribe Called Quest began recording sessions for People's Instinctive Travels in late 1989 at Calliope Studios with completion reached in early 1990. The album's ...

Word...Life is the debut album from underground hip hop artist O.C., who came to prominence in hip hop because of the album. It was released on October 18, 1994 by Wild Pitch Records. It also helped establish his membership in the legendary hip hop crew D.I.T.C., which includes Lord Finesse, Showbiz & A.G., Diamond D, Fat Joe, Big L and Buckwild, who produced the majority of this album.

The album is most remembered because of th...

De La Soul Is Dead is the second studio album by American hip-hop group De La Soul, released on May 14, 1991.[11] The album was produced by Prince Paul, whose work on 3 Feet High and Rising was highly praised by music critics. The album was one of the first to receive a five-mic rating in the Hip hop magazine The Source;[9] and the album was also selected as one of The Source's 100 Best Rap Albums in 1998.[12] The album's...

Blowout Comb is the second studio album by American hip hop group Digable Planets, released October 18, 1994, on Pendulum/EMI Records. The album was written and recorded in Brooklyn, New York, where the group moved, with recording sessions beginning in 1993 and finishing in 1994. On Blowout Comb, Digable Planets abandoned the radio friendly style of their debut album and worked with a more ambitious, stripped-down sound. The album ...

The Sun Rises in the East is the debut album by American hip hop rapper Jeru the Damaja, released May 24, 1994 on Payday Records. Production on the album was handled by DJ Premier. The album features fellow Gang Starr Foundation member Afu-Ra. The album cover depicts the World Trade Center on fire only one year after the 1993 bombing of the North Tower.

The Sun Rises in the East was well received by most music critics upon its relea...

Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde is the debut album of American hip hop group The Pharcyde, released on November 24, 1992 through Delicious Vinyl Records and EastWest Records. The album was produced by former group member J-Swift, and features only one guest appearance, provided by little known Los Angeles rapper Bucwheed (known then as "Buckwheat" from The Wascals). In the years after its release, Bizarre Ride has been haile...

One for All is the debut studio album by American hip hop group Brand Nubian, released on December 4, 1990 by Elektra Records. The album was highly acclaimed for its politically charged and socially conscious content. Sales never matched the wide acclaim — the album has only sold 350,000 copies as of May 2013[citation needed] — but it has remained in print since its 1990 release. The album is mainly produced by Brand Nubian, but it...