To celebrate its upcoming 25th anniversary, in 2006, Tommy Boy is releasing HIP HOP ESSENTIALS 1979 – 1991, a foundational 12 volume CD collection featuring 144 extremely diverse tracks which have contributed to the groundwork of classic Hip Hop music. HIP HOP ESSENTIALS 1979 – 1991 was expertly compiled by executive producers Tom Silverman (founder and CEO of Tommy Boy) and Stu Fine (founder of Wild Pitch Records). With an introduction to the entire collection by Nelson George, each volume features a set of liner notes from a noted journalist such as Jeff Chang, Dan Charnas, Raquel Cepeda, Bill Adler, Brian Coleman, Toure, Harry Allen or Davey D. The cover art for each volume features a classic image from the collection of Martha Cooper, legendary Hip Hop photographer…

HIP HOP ESSENTIALS 1979 – 1991 encompasses a magical era when party dances were practically made up daily, shouting out your zodiac sign was flavor and Afrika Bambaataa was pushing his message of "peace, love, unity and having fun" to the universe. Some tracks may also re- educate young and old alike to the dangers of cocaine, unprotected sex, racism, skeezer women, tramp men or police brutality. The collection will take you back to a time when Hip Hop was not mainstream and wasn’t always easy to find outside of NYC. HIP HOP ESSENTIALS 1979 – 1991 clocks out just before the era of Gangsta Rap explodes and just touches on its beginnings with Schoolly D, Ice-T, N.W.A. and j ust a few others.

Digging into the HIP HOP ESSENTIALS 1979 – 1991 crates could reveal wonderful and oft forgotten secrets for today’s industry and commercial artists to discover about true Hip Hop success:

1. There’s no biting in Hip Hop.

2. You must have a DJ and sometimes he is leader of your crew!

3. Everything can be turned into Hip Hop if you sample it right.

4. Rap is just one element of the culture not the whole culture!

5. Being experimental and unique is best.

6. Dancers provide good hype and don’t have to be strippers.

7. It’s OK to have a message, be educational and/or take a stand.

Look for Volumes 1 through 4 to debut in stores in November 2005. Volumes 5 through 8 will be on the shelves by the end of January 2006 and remaining Volumes 9 through 12 will complete the set in March of next year.

Join us in 2006 to celebrate Tommy Boy’s 25th Anniversary and its significant contributions to the history of Hip Hop.

Hip Hop Essentials Vol. 1

Buy Now

1. Rockin’ It (Fearless Four)
2. Hey Ladies (Beastie Boys)
3. South Bronx (Boogie Down Productions)
4. Egypt Egypt (Egyptian Lover)
5. Tramp (Salt-N-Pepa)
6. The Symphony (Marley Marl)
7. La Di Da Di (Doug E. Fresh)
8. Rapper’s Delight (Sugar Hill Gang)
9. Genius Rap (Dr. Jeckyll & Mr. Hyde)
10. The Ghetto (Too Short)
11. Scorpio (Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five.
12. Supersonic (JJ Fad)

Hip Hop Essentials Vol. 2

Buy Now

1. Rebel Without a Pause (Public Enemy)
2. Last Night (Kid ‘N Play)
3. Nobody Beats the Biz (Biz Markie)
4. Paper Thin (MC Lyte)
5. Goin’ Back to Cali (LL Cool J)
6. Plug Tunin’ (De La Soul)
7. Bust a Move (Young MC)
8. Looking at the Front Door (Main Source)
9. Cinderfella (Dana Dane)
10. Be a Father to Your Child(Ed OG & Da Bulldogs)
11. Just Buggin’ (Whistle)
12. F**k Compton (Tim Dog)

Hip Hop Essentials Vol. 3

Buy Now

1. Microphone Fiend (Eric B & Rakim)
2. A Tribe Called Quest (Bonita Applebaum)
3. Parents Just Don’t Understand (DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince)
4. Funky Cold Medina (Tone Loc)
5. Gold Digger (EPMD)
6. F**k the Police (N.W.A.)
7. The 900 Number (45 King)
8. Bitch Betta Have My Money (AMG)
9. This Cut’s Got Flavor (Latee)
10. Ain’t No Half Steppin’ (Big Daddy Kane)
11. Humpty Dance (Digital Underground)
12. Pee Wee’s Dance (Joeski Love)

Hip Hop Essentials Vol. 4

Buy Now

1. White Lines (Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five)
2. Roxanne Roxanne (UTFO)
3. Don’t Believe the Hype (Public Enemy)
4. Ego Trippin’ (Ultramagnetic MCs)
5. Raw (Big Daddy Kane)
6. Mentirosa (Mellow Man Ace)
7. Around the Way Girl (LL Cool J)
8. It’s Yours (T–La Rock)
9. Sucker MCs (Run-DMC)
10. 8 Million Stories (Kurtis Blow)
11. Go See the Doctor (Kool Moe Dee)
12. Me So Horny (2 Live Crew)

Hip Hop Essentials Vol. 5

1. That’s The Joint (Funky 4 + 1) 2. Freedom (Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five) 3. Bring The Noize (Public Enemy) 4. It Takes Two (Rob Base And DJ E-Z Rock) 5. Wild Wild West (Kool Moe Dee) 6. Fat Boys (Fat Boys) 7. Making Cash Money (Busy Bee) 8. Ring Ring Ring (Ha Ha Hey) (De La Soul) 9. Jimbrowski (Jungle Brothers) 10. Ladies First (Queen Latifah Feat. Monie Love) 11. Hey DJ (World Famous Supreme Team) 12. Money (Dollar Bill Y’all) (Jimmy Spicer)

Hip Hop Essentials Vol. 6

1. The Godfather (Spoonie Gee) 2. Children’s Story (Slick Rick) 3. My Philosophy (Boogie Down Productions) 4. New York, New York (Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five) 5. Just to Get a Rep (Gang Starr) 6. My Melody (Eric B. & Rakim) 7. King of Rock (Run-DMC) 8. Wild Thing (Tone Loc) 9. Just a Friend (Biz Markie) 10. The Lover in You (Sugar Hill Gang) 11. Funk Box Party (Masterdon Committee) 12. We Want Some P (2 Live Crew)

Hip Hop Essentials Vol. 7

1. I’m Your Pusher (Ice-T) 2. Talkin’ All That Jazz (Stetsasonic) 3. Planet Rock (Afrika Bambaataa & The Soul Sonic Force) 4. The Bubble Bunch (Jimmy Spicer) 5. My Mic Sounds Nice (Salt-N-Pepa) 6. Fight The Power (Public Enemy) 7. Walk This Way (Run-D.M.C.) 8. Joy & Pain (Rob Base And DJ E-Z Rock) 9. Sweet Black P***y (DJ Quick) 10. Wrath Of My Madness (Queen Latifah) 11. On The Radio (Crash Crew) 12. Doowutchyalike (Digital Underground)

Hip Hop Essentials Vol. 8

1. Funk You Up (Sequence) 2. The Message (Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five) 3. Gucci Time (Schoolly D) 4. Colors (Ice-T) 5. Push It (Salt-N-Pepa) 6. The Gas Face (3rd Bass) 7. Slow Down (Brand Nubian) 8. Mr. Big Stuff (Heavy D & The Boyz) 9. Check The Rhyme (A Tribe Called Quest) 10. Buffalo Gals (Malcolm McLaren & The World’s Famous Supreme Team) 11. Buddy "Native Tongue Decision" Version (De La Soul Feat. Jungle Brothers, Q-Tip, Phife, Queen Latifah & Monie Love) 12. If I Ruled The World (Kurtis Blow)

Hip Hop Essentials Vol. 9

1. 8th Wonder (Sugar Hill Gang) 2. Body Rock (Treacherous Three) 3. Vapors (Biz Markie) 4. Spoonin’ Rap (Spoonie Gee) 5. Posse on Broadway (Sir Mix-A-Lot) 6. Fresh is the Word (Mantronix) 7. OPP (Naughty by Nature) 8. I Cram 2 Understand U (MC Lyte) 9. I Know You Got Soul (Eric B & Rakim) 10. Wild Thang (2 Much) 11. I Got It Made (Special Ed) 12. Words I Manifest (Gang Starr)

Hip Hop Essentials Vol. 10

1. The Breaks (Kurtis Blow) 2. Looking for the Perfect Beat (Afrika Bambaataa & The Soul Sonic Force) 3. Weekend (Cold Crush Brothers) 4. Rock Box (Run-DMC) 5. The P is Free (Boogie Down Productions) 6. Hold It Now, Hit It! (Beastie Boys) 7. It’s Magic (Fearless Four) 8. Live at the BBQ (Main Source) 9. Played Like a Piano (King Tee) 10. We Got Our Own Thang (Heavy D & The Boyz) 11. Me, Myself & I (De La Soul) 12. The Bridge (MC Shan)

Hip Hop Essentials Vol. 11

1. It’s Funky Enough (The DOC) 2. Super Rhymes (Jimmy Spicer) 3. It’s My Thing (EPMD) 4. Unity (Afrika Bambaataa & James Brown) 5. Let’s Talk About Sex (Salt-N-Pepa) 6. PSK What Does It Mean? (Schoolly D) 7. Mind Playin’ Tricks on Me (Geto Boyz) 8. Girls Ain’t Nuthin But Trouble (DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince) 9. Goin’ Way Back (Just Ice) 10. Have a Nice Day (Roxanne Shante) 11. Can I Kick It? (A Tribe Called Quest) 12. Treat ‘Em Right (Chubb Rock)

Hip Hop Essentials Vol. 12

1. It’s Like That (Run-DMC) 2. Jazzy Sensation (Afrika Bambaataa & The Jazzy Five) 3. Breakin’ Bells (Crash Crew) 4. La Raza (Kid Frost) 5. It’s a Demo (Kool G Rap & DJ Polo) 6. Top Billin’ (Audio Two) 7. Eric B is President (Eric B & Rakim) 8. Catch the Beat (T-Ski Valley) 9. The Bridge is Over (Boogie Down Productions) 10. Pickin’ Boogers (Biz Markie) 11. Do This My Way (Kid ‘N Play) 12. Amerikkka’s Most Wanted (Ice Cube)

From Tom Silverman, CEO & founder of Tommy Boy:

"During these years, there were no rules and there were very few Hip Hop ‘producers’. New records were written and produced by the Hip Hop group’s own DJ for the most part. As time moved forward toward the 90s, producers evolved and the radical differences from one act to another began to wane. Many of the tracks are my favorites but we wanted to represent the evolution of Hip Hop from the Bronx and Harlem to Miami, LA, San Fran, Philly, and the rest of the country. We also wanted to represent the many faces of Hip Hop from party to political from glitter to gangsta. "If you were around in those days, this series is guaranteed to bring back life changing memories. If you weren’t born yet, this set provides an essential base of knowledge. The roots of today’s massive Hip Hop industry are preserved perfectly in this 12 volume set. If you don’t know these songs and you love Hip Hop, take it from KRS One, ‘You Must Learn!’"

Stu Fine, founder of Wild Pitch, on Hip Hop Essentials:

"This early music represents hip hop as rebel music, as black rock n roll, as counter culture. These artists are poets, creative samplers and gifted emcees, before hip hop was mainstream, before it was on MTV and Top 40 radio, before R&B choruses infiltrated and commercialized the music. These are the days when hip hop fans had to hunt for their music, two hours a week on the radio, on Friday and Saturday nights beginning at midnight. These artists are the pioneers; this music is the real deal."

Harry Allen, Media Assassin, on Hip Hop Essentials:

Whether you know these records inside-out, or are hearing them for the first time, you should consider the chance to listen to them now, all in one place, a great and rare gift. These tracks, and all the cuts of this set, are the bricks that built the home we call hip-hop. We should thank those that laid the edifice with care, and unfailingly respect the house in which we live."

Nelson George on Hip Hop Essentials:

"The engine for pushing Hip Hop’s agenda throughout its long rise to prominence were feisty little independent labels, most of them based in New York and run by aggressive young businesspeople. Tommy Boy was one of the crucial record companies. Founded by Tom Silverman (aka Tommy Boy) and run out of a series of Manhattan offices, Tommy Boy became home base for an extraordinary roster of artists. Afrika Bambaataa & the Soul Sonic Force, Stetsasonic, Naughty By Nature, De La Soul, Queen Latifah and Coolio are among the acts on a line up as deep and influential as any in the genre’s history… Tommy Boy was at the core of the Golden Age of Hip Hop, a time of fun, innovation and cutting edge music. [This] collection of tracks…is one great artifact of that vibrant, enduring era."

Source:  Tools of War

Submitted by: admin