Comprised of two brothers who can trace their music business roots back to the late-'60s Greenwich Village scene (where they shared an apartment with Jimi Hendrix), the Aleems are most noted for forming Nia Records in the early '80s. The label became home to such notable rappers as Marley Marl and MC Shan and helped develop the careers of MCs... [+] Read More

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On the surface, the sample-reliant productions and monotone rapping styles of Erick Sermon and Parrish Smith had little to recommend them, but the duo's recordings as EPMD were among the best in hip-hop's underground during the late '80s and early '90s. Over the course of four albums (from the 1988 classic Strictly Business to 1992's Business... [+] Read More

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They never had a mainstream hit of their own, but during rap's so-called golden age in the late '80s, Eric B. & Rakim were almost universally recognized as the premier DJ/MC team in all of hip-hop. Not only was their chemistry superb, but individually, each represented the absolute state of the art in their respective skills. Eric B. was... [+] Read More

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A NY trio with Marcus Miller, their tracks include "Lovin" Feeling" and "Spend Some Time with Me." They've recorded from 1987. ~ All Music Guide, All Music Guide

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A member of one of the original hip-hop crews, Treacherous Three, Kool Moe Dee later became a solo star in his own right in 1986 by teaming with a teenaged Teddy Riley (later famed as the king of new jack swing) on the crossover hit "Go See the Doctor." The single earned him a contract with Jive Records, for which he recorded three successful... [+] Read More

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Although they recorded only two albums, Newcleus contributed one true electro classic in "Jam on Revenge (The Wikki-Wikki Song)," which has been immortalized on hundreds of hip-hop mixtapes and often included in even techno DJs' sets. The origins of Newcleus lay in a 1977 Brooklyn DJ collective known as Jam-On Productions, including Ben "Cozmo... [+] Read More

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Produced and organized by early hip-hop impresarios Arthur Baker and John Robie, Planet Patrol walked an intriguing line between electro and the classic Motown sound. The quintet of vocalists (led by Herb Jackson) only produced one album, but it is one of the few classic LPs of the electro era. ~ John Bush, All Music Guide

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Jonzun Crew was an electro group who carried their spin on Parliament/Funkadelic's loopy sci-fi themes throughout the '80s and early '90s for a handful of albums, which included singles like "Pack Jam (Look Out for the OVC)," "Space Is the Place," "Space Cowboy," and "We Are the Jonzun Crew." Florida-born brothers Michael, Soni, and Larry... [+] Read More

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Though the Sugarhill Gang inaugurated the history of recorded hip-hop with their single "Rapper's Delight," a multi-platinum seller and radio hit in 1979, the group was cooked up to cash in on a supposed novelty item. Music-industry producer and label-owner Sylvia Robinson had become aware of the massive hip-hop block parties occurring around... [+] Read More

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Love appeared with the band Nuance from 1984-1985. ~ All Music Guide, All Music Guide

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