Image – Hostile Reconnaissance

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05/06/201804/06/2018 marcus

Quality Control – Jurassic 5

This is one of my favourite albums. More complete than the J5LP, but with the same bounce and flavour as

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04/06/201801/06/2018 marcus

Mr Scarface is Back – Scarface

This artwork won’t win any awards for typography or accessibility (I mean, purple writing over a dark picture!!) but the

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03/06/201801/06/2018 marcus

Tell Em Why U Madd – The Madd Rapper

Who is the Madd Rapper? When he first started appearing on albums in the mid-90s, no-one knew his real identity.

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02/06/201801/06/2018 marcus

Paid in Full – Eric B & Rakim

Undoubtedly this album is a classic. It properly introduced the world to the talents of Rakim. The cover art depicts

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01/06/201801/06/2018 marcus

Streams of Thought, Vol. 1 – Black Thought & 9th Wonder

Okay, this one is a bit cheeky, because this EP was only released today (1 June 2018), so I can’t

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27/05/2018 marcus

Reasonable Doubt – Jay-Z

From the man who was picked up by Big Daddy Kane, guested on tracks by Big L, and spurned a

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26/05/2018 marcus

Check Your Head – Beastie Boys

Of all of the Beastie’s album covers, this is probably my favourite. But I don’t know why. They do prefer

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25/05/201822/05/2018 marcus

Long Live the Kane – Big Daddy Kane

For all of yesterday’s minimalism and female empowerment, today is all about the Big Daddy. Sat on a throne, resplendent

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24/05/201822/05/2018 marcus

All Hail the Queen – Queen Latifah

She’s just an absolute badass. This would get listed just for the logo in the corner, but then there is

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23/05/2018 marcus

4th Dimensional Rocketships Going Up – Gift of Gab

This solo album from Gift of Gab, of Blackalicious fame, is a little gem. Gab still brings the same amazing

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22/05/201820/05/2018 marcus

Breaking Atoms – Main Source

Love it. This 1991 debut album from the New York/Toronto group Main Source was the only ‘proper’ release. Large Professor

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21/05/201820/05/2018 marcus

Business as Usual – EPMD

I love this artwork. Erick and Parrish surrounded by the 5-0. Helicopters, dogs and many guns pointed in their direction,

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15/05/201801/05/2018 sunny

Soundpieces: Da Antidote! – Lootpack

1999’s Madlib led effort is just dope. The cover art is as crazy as the mind of the producer!

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14/05/201801/05/2018 sunny

Bombay the Hard Way: Guns, Cars and Sitars – Dan the Automator

Arguably one of the most innovative producers in Hip Hop history, Dan the Automator’s 1998 offering is incredible. Having grown

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13/05/201801/05/2018 sunny

Black Business – Poor Righteous Teachers

Consistently dope throughout the 90s, PRT’s 1993 effort depicts the brotha’s looking all, well, righteous. Always droppin’ their 5 percenter

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12/05/201801/05/2018 sunny

Fear of a Black Planet – Public Enemy

No need to say much about this 1990 masterpiece! Fight The Power!

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11/05/201801/05/2018 sunny

The Water(s) – Mick Jenkins

Another contemporary Chi town MC, Mick’s 2014 debut depicts him either sinking, floating, or ascending. Listening to the LP, I

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10/05/201801/05/2018 sunny

The Cool – Lupe Fiasco

Lupe’s 2006 sophomore concept effort has Chi town’s MC at his lyrical best. Incredibly dense and layered, this is a

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09/05/201801/05/2018 sunny

B4DA$$ – Joey Bada$$

After dropping guest verses and mixtapes, 2015 saw Joey release his debut LP. Unapologetically 90s in its sound, here we

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08/05/201801/05/2018 sunny

Music for tu madre – J-Zone

Zone’s 1999 recorded debut has him at his eclectic best. A real producer’s producer, Zone remains criminally slept on. Independent,

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07/05/201801/05/2018 sunny

A Journey Into Abstract Hip-Hop – Gasoline

This experimental French group dropped a bonafide masterpiece in 2002. Conceptually similar to the work of Handsome Boy Modelling School

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06/05/201801/05/2018 sunny

Liquid Swords – Genius/GZA

A masterpiece. RZA at his best, GZA at his best, the clan bringing pure fire throughout, 1995 saw the release

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05/05/201801/05/2018 sunny

Angles – Dan Le Sac vs Scroobius Pip

This 2007 debut from the super duo of Dan and Pip depicts them play-doh’d up, and creating colourful tapestries throughout.

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04/05/201801/05/2018 sunny

Black Sunday – Cypress Hill

Hill’s 1993 sophomore effort features an eerie graveyard (their competition?!). One of the most influential groups to come from the

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03/05/201801/05/2018 sunny

These Days – Ab-Soul

Probably the weakest LP in Soul’s oeuvre, 2014’s concept album has Solo depicted as a Christ like figure. 2016’s Do

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02/05/201801/05/2018 sunny

Poor Peoples Planet – Mandeep Sethi

Another criminally slept on contemporary MC, The Bay’s Sikh brotha and MC extraordinaire, Mandeep Sethi, fused the insightful thoughts of

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27/04/201801/05/2018 sunny

Mental Liberation – Oddisee

Oddisee is a criminally slept on contemporary producer and MC. This 2009 offering has DC’s Amir, well, liberating yo mind!

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26/04/201801/05/2018 sunny

Deadringer – RJD2

Rjd2 is something of a slept on producer behind contemporaries like Shadow and Cut Chemist. ‘Smoke and Mirrors’ on this

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25/04/201801/05/2018 sunny

To Pimp a Butterfly – Kendrick Lamar

Kendrick won a Pulitzer for 2017’s DAMN. But it was 2015’s To Pimp a Butterfly that separated K-dot from his

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24/04/201801/05/2018 sunny

The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill – Lauryn Hill

An incredible, eclectic offering by L-boogie (who, it must be remembered, is non-violent!). The cover art depicts Ms Hill as

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23/04/201801/05/2018 sunny

Ki-Oku – DJ Krush & Toshinori Kondo

This 1996 offering from the dark underbelly of Tokyo is Krush at his Jazz-Hop finest. The cover art ain’t half

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21/04/201831/03/2018 marcus

Woe to thee O land whose king is a child – Nephlim Modulation Systems

At first look this album cover seems like a colourful mess, much like the first listen of the densely packed

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20/04/201831/03/2018 marcus

Something Wicked This Way Comes – The Herbaliser

Another UK one, this time from the duo ‘The Herbaliser’. This album was released on Ninja Tunes (another great artwork

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19/04/201831/03/2018 marcus

Stakes Is High – De La Soul

As in education as in society, the stakes are high. Nothing says this more emphatically than the blurred image of

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18/04/201831/03/2018 marcus

The Embodiment of Instrumentation – Scratch

Scratch came to prominence with his work/quasi-membership of The Roots, where he served as their ‘DJ’ along with Rahzel. This

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17/04/201831/03/2018 marcus

The Diary – Scarface

While the pencil shading may not be out of place in a school exercise book, the imagery is great. A

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16/04/201831/03/2018 marcus

Return to the 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version – Ol’ Dirty Bastard

I think ODB’s story makes for one of the greatest tragedies in hip hop. Much of Russell Jones’ downfall was

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15/04/201831/03/2018 marcus

Music for the Mature B-Boy – DJ Format

Another UK entry, this time from DJ (and one time Jurassic 5 bus driver) Format. Format likes a bit of

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14/04/201831/03/2018 marcus

Mos Def & Talib Kweli are – Black Star

I love this album. I mean, I really love this album. I cannot imagine a world where this album is

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13/04/201831/03/2018 marcus

Legacy of Blood – Jedi Mind Tricks

I’ll be honest: I don’t think I have ever heard this album, and my knowledge of JMT’s other stuff is

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12/04/201831/03/2018 marcus

Jazzmatazz – Guru

Gang Starr were pretty amazing; they helped define a whole era of hip hop. So when Guru decided to do

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11/04/201831/03/2018 marcus

J5 EP – Jurassic 5

J5’s debut EP was re-released with a few extra tracks and instrumentals as the J5 LP. Visually the cover art

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10/04/201831/03/2018 marcus

Hello Nasty – Beastie Boys

I’d say this is probably my least favourite Beastie’s album. Don’t get me wrong, I loved Intergalactic (and the video)

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09/04/201828/03/2018 marcus

Ghetto Blaster – Push Button Objects

I’ll be honest, up until this project, I’d not even heard of this album, and I barely knew of PBO

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08/04/201828/03/2018 marcus

Game Theory – The Roots

A hangman played out in the negative space of black soot, over the news. This is the Game Theory.

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07/04/201828/03/2018 marcus

Endtroducing… – DJ Shadow

I’m guessing this picture represents about 60% of DJ Shadow’s creative process.

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06/04/201828/03/2018 marcus

Electric Circus – Common

I do love an album cover with loads of faces – see Midnight Marauders. Common doesn’t disappoint. Plus the back

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05/04/201828/03/2018 marcus

De La Soul Is Dead – De La Soul

Two years after announcing the dawn of the D.A.I.S.Y. Age, De La Soul killed it. And boy did they.

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04/04/201828/03/2018 marcus

Criminal Minded – Boogie Down Productions

When people think Hip Hop, they often think of the West Coast gangsta style. However, KRS One and DJ Scott

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03/04/201828/03/2018 marcus

College Dropout – Kanye West

This album has a lot of resonance for me as it describes Kanye’s journey from dropping out of college, and

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02/04/201828/03/2018 marcus

Calm Down – Busta Rhymes ft. Eminem

I know, I know, technically this is a single, but come on. This is amazing. Plus Busta hasn’t looked that

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01/04/201828/03/2018 marcus

Bizarre Ride II – The Pharcyde

This is no April Fool, this is an awesome cover. It pretty much sums up the group’s debut album… it

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31/03/201828/03/2018 marcus

Bigger and Deffer – LL Cool J

We all know the album is Bigger and Deffer, but to use the acronym BAD, then have a photo of

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30/03/201828/03/2018 marcus

Arrhythmia – Antipop Consortium

Of all the foreground, midground, far(ground?) group shot album covers, this is my favourite. And the back cover is equally

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29/03/201828/03/2018 marcus

360 Degree Remixes – Push Button Objects

Revolving door, 360 degree remixes. Love it. Theres headphones and back packs. What more do you want?

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28/03/201828/03/2018 marcus

Run Come Save Me – Roots Manuva

I don’t know what it is I love about the album cover. The desolation, the jumping, the awkwardness… I just

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27/03/201828/03/2018 marcus

Sex Packets – Digital Underground

I’m not sure why, but I really like this cover. It’s a typical group shot, but everyone is very much

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26/03/201818/03/2018 marcus

PTSD – Pharoahe Monch

Pharoahe, with what looks like a smart raincoat, gas mask, and military hat holds what can only be described as

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25/03/201818/03/2018 marcus

This or That – Sway & King Tech

I’ve gone for something a little different with this one. This is a compilation album (including a track with Eminem

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24/03/201818/03/2018 marcus

Flesh of my Flesh, Blood of my Blood – DMX

DMX, covered in blood. Hands out in front, half begging forgiveness, half looking at just what he had done. It’s

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23/03/201822/03/2018 sunny

ATLiens – Outkast

I’ll be the first to admit that I’ve never really ‘got’ ATL’s finest. But even an ignoramus like me ‘gets’

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22/03/201822/03/2018 sunny

Run The Jewels 2 – Run The Jewels

This 2014 sophomore effort from Killer Mike and El-P is similar to the cover of 1 and 3, but the

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21/03/201821/03/2018 sunny

Sugarhill Gang – The Sugarhill Gang

Seminal 1980 record from The Sugarhill Gang, featuring ‘Rapper’s Delight’

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20/03/201818/03/2018 sunny

Slime & Reason – Roots Manuva

The UK punches man! Manuva’s 2008 ‘Slime & Reason’ cover is, well, slimey

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19/03/201818/03/2018 sunny

The New Danger – Mos Def

Mos’ 2004 sophomore effort was bluesy, with a cover to match

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18/03/201818/03/2018 sunny

3 Feet High and Rising – De La Soul

De La’s (1989) debut LP certainly stood out on the shelves!!

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17/03/201818/03/2018 sunny

Hip Hop Is Dead – NaS

NaS dropped some fire on this 2006 LP, the cover wasn’t half bad either!

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16/03/201818/03/2018 sunny

Death Certificate – Ice Cube

I seem to be stuck in the early ’90s! Ice Cube’s sophomore effort sees Uncle Sam lain to rest. Good

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15/03/201818/03/2018 marcus

The Great Adventures of Slick Rick

To anyone who has heard any Slick Rick track will know he isn’t a New York native; he is clearly

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14/03/201822/03/2018 sunny

The Geto Boys – Geto Boys

This Remix LP cover is dope!! 1990 seems to be THE year for Hip Hop album covers…

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13/03/201818/03/2018 marcus

They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.) – Pete Rock & CL Smooth

Not an album, this is one my 12″ singles. Brilliant track, but also a great cover. I don’t think this

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12/03/201820/03/2018 sunny

By All Means Necessary – Boogie Down Productions

In homage to the late, great, Malcolm X, here’s KRS-One on the cover of 1988’s seminal ‘By All Means Necessary’.

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11/03/201820/03/2018 sunny

Khaos and Konfusion: The Spell of Leviathan – Black Radical MKII

Inspired by PE, here’s London’s Black Radical MKII’s 1998 offering. A Black Panther in the distance?

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10/03/201820/03/2018 sunny

The Horns of Jericho – Hijack

There’s industrial rap, and then there’s this! Comprised of members, all from London, entitled: Kamanchi Sly, DJ Supreme, DJ Undercover, Ulysses,

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09/03/201820/03/2018 sunny

War Bytes With Bad Intention – Red Ninja

OK, so 1990 EP, not an LP, but still, this is a madness! Shout out to the UK again.

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08/03/201820/03/2018 sunny

My Afro’s on Fire!! – Outlaw Posse

Shout out to the man like Dev! Good lookin’ out! The UK has some gems to proffer here. Outlaw Posse’s

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07/03/201807/03/2018 marcus

Kill the Architect – Cage

Undergrads will write essays about this album cover.

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06/03/201806/03/2018 marcus

Let’s Get Free – dead prez

Kids, guns, “Let’s get free”. It paints a picture. You know what you’re getting with this album, and boy do

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05/03/201820/03/2018 marcus

The Grey Album – DJ Danger Mouse

So Danger Mouse single-handed created the best Jay-Z album, and the best Beatles album in one go… Danger Mouse mixed

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04/03/201802/03/2018 marcus

Will Rap For Food – Cunninlynguists

Two of the four pillars, minimum

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03/03/201803/03/2018 sunny

Hypocrisy Is the Greatest Luxury – The Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy

Before Spearhead, Michael Franti dropped this bad boy in ’92 along with Rono Tse.

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03/03/201802/03/2018 marcus

Hip Hop For Respect EP – Various

Eight tracks, three of them are ‘One Four Love’, this EP was put together by Mos Def and Talib Kweli

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02/03/201802/03/2018 marcus

Black Trash: The Autobiography of Kirk Jones – Sticky Fingaz

Not the best album, nor the best rapper, but great artwork.

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02/03/201802/03/2018 sunny

Diary Of A Black Man Living In The Land Of The Lost – Katch 22

This 1991 gem from the Kold Sweat label was recommended by a good mate Dev, from Cardiff. Absolutely killer!

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01/03/2018 sunny

Doublethink – Akala

Incredible album cover from Akala’s 2010 Orwellian Doublethink. The inlay was just as dope, and opened out into tidy poster

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28/02/201810/03/2018 marcus

Midnight Marauders – A Tribe Called Quest

The RBG figure, continuing from Low End Theory, is cool enough, but the inclusion of ATCQ’s contemporaries, heroes and up-and-coming