HIHIP-HOP! A collector’s guide part nine: classic vinyl albums
Our occasional hip-hop collectables series returns with a look at the format that many “experts” claimed was too adult for a party sound like rap. But as the music matured, albums became the norm, as Dudley Jaynes reports
Hip-hop’s recorded history was rooted within the 12” single format. Although there were notable LPs from artists like Kurtis Blow, very few long players appeared in the first few years of the music’s commercial life. In fact many artists released a long string of singles over a period of years before eventually releasing a solo album – five years in Roxanne Shante’s case.
This isn’t surprising given that during hip-hop’s infancy, records were essentially recorded versions of party routines, rather than composed songs complete with hooks. In addition, the majority of these early rap records (often referred to as disco rap) were very long, some close to 20 minutes! Furthermore, the 12” format had become very popular with disco and funk fans and was perfect for DJs, who were central to hip-hop culture. However, as the momentum of the hip-hop movement grew, so too did the significance and impact of LPs within the genre.
For this feature, we gathered 17 passionate hip-hop heads from different corners of the industry to examine 40 classic albums (and a few EPs) from rap’s formative years. A big thank you to the following for their thoughts: Freddy Fresh (author of Freddy Fresh Presents The Rap Records), Johnny F (Liberty Grooves), Chris Aylen and DJ Shaker (Diggers With Gratitude), DJ Waxer …
by Dudley Jaynes
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