Greatest Hits
Artist: Whodini
Community Score: 9.00

When funksters and soulsters who reached adulthood in the 1960s and '70s criticize rap, their #1 complaint is usually that too much of it isn't melodic enough. But they seldom make that complaint about Whodini, which in the mid-'80s, enjoyed a lot more support from R&B fans than the more forceful and abrasive sounds of Run-D.M.C. or LL Cool J.... Read More

The Best of U.T.F.O.
Artist: U.T.F.O.

U.T.F.O. never had many hits. During the mid-'80s, the rap group released a series of singles, but only one stood out, and for good reason, because that song, "Roxanne, Roxanne," is one of the classic rap singles of all time. Though "Roxanne, Roxanne" only hit number ten on the R&B charts, it was far more popular than its chart position... Read More

11-20-79
Artist: Mona Lisa
Community Score: 9.23
The Jive Collection, Vol. 1
Artist: Whodini

Jive Collection, Vol. 1 collects Whodini's greatest hits, as well as some lesser-known tracks and a few remixes. The groundbreaking group's synthesis of soul grooves and hip-hop texture is on display in the original recordings of hits like "Freaks Come Out at Night," "Five Minutes of Funk," and the poignant "Friends." "Haunted House of Rock" is... Read More

The Best of Sugarhill Gang - RHINO
Artist: The Sugarhill Gang
Community Score: 10.00

Sugarhill Gang's biggest hits are collected on this single-disc compilation. In addition to "Rapper's Delight" -- the first rap single to reach the pop Top Ten -- the group's seven other R&B hits are included on the disc, plus three other singles that never made the charts. All of the songs are presented in their original 12" versions. Not all... Read More

Adventures of Grandmaster Flash, Melle Mel & The Furious Five: More of the Best
Artist: Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five
Community Score: 10.00

Although much of Grandmaster Flash's best, biggest, and most groundbreaking work was compiled on Message From Beat Street: The Best Of, The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash: More of the Best is necessary for any comprehensive rap collection. The rest of Grandmaster Flash's most important singles, many of which have not appeared on compact disc... Read More

Let Me Clear My Throat
Artist: DJ Kool
Community Score: 10.00

DJ Kool's Let Me Clear My Throat was one of the most invigorating hip-hop records of the mid-'90s, simply because it didn't follow conventional hardcore, alternative, or gangsta rap patterns. Instead, DJ Kool returned to the wild, careening atmosphere of freestyle, old-school hip-hop, anchoring the rhymes with spare scratching and elastic reggae... Read More

The Mix Tape, Vol. 1: 60 Minutes of Funk
Artist: Funkmaster Flex
Community Score: 10.00

Funkmaster Flex's The Mix Tape, Vol. 1 recalls hip-hop's past while pointing toward its future. Featuring a wide array of hip-hop styles graced by amazing freestyle raps by some of the '90s top MCs, the album sounds like a mixtape compiled from the radio and 7" singles -- there's simply nothing but first-rate music, with no filler whatsoever.... Read More

Curb Servin'
Artist: WC and the Maad Circle
Community Score: 5.37

Musically, WC & the Maad Circle's Curb Servin' is by-the-books West Coast gangsta rap, with deep funk grooves and lazy, rolling beats. Coolio, who used to be a member of the crew in the early '90s, and Ice Cube make guest appearances, but what distinguishes it from others of the genre is the lyrical flair of WC, who spices up his rhymes with... Read More