RSD Essentials

Indie Exclusive * Rock Konducta is the fifth installment in Madlib’s Beat Konducta series. Previous entries include: Beat Konducta : Movie Scenes, Beat Konducta: in India, Beat Konducta: Dil Cosby and Dil Withers Suites and Beat Konducta in Africa. Rock Konducta grabs its source material from various worldwide rock scenes from the 60s through the 80s, from American psychedelia to Germany’s krautrock to acid-soaked Spanish prog to synthy, early-80s oddities. Tied together by Madlib’s unique sensibility, these scenes coalesce into a new whole. Who knew that rock music sounded like this? Well, there’s one obvious answer to that question.

Indie Exclusive * John “Illa J” Yancey, younger brother of late, great genius producer James Yancey (aka Jay Dee, J Dilla), is currently completing his debut album for Delicious Vinyl. With the multi-talented Illa J rhyming and singing over a treasure trove of previously untouched Jay Dee gems, the project represents both a full-circle collaboration and a whole new beginning in the story of the musically exceptional Yancey brothers. When Jay Dee passed away from complications relating to lupus in February 2006, he left behind an extraordinary legacy of production work, including hits for Common, Janet Jackson, and Busta Rhymes. One mother lode of previously untouched beats dates from his time working on the Pharcyde’s sophomore album “Labcabincalifornia” (1995). As DV owner and founder Michael Ross explains, “From ‘95 through ‘98 Jay Dee was my go-to guy for hot beats and remixes. He was always making beats, always. So there was a select amount of tracks that he composed for me during that time, tracks as good as anything he’d done, only they never got used. When I finally met Illa J last year, I gave him a CD containing those unreleased beats.” It was a case of pure serendipity, since 21-year-old Illa J had just relocated to Los Angeles and constructed a studio built around Jay Dee’s own recording equipment, dubbing it Yancey Boy Studios in tribute to their fraternal bond. “Dilla was twelve years older than me,” Illa J says. “So back in the day in Detroit I was just a little kid, sitting on the stairs in our house, watching him make those first beats for Slum Village. So I always felt my brother’s tracks and had an instinct for what I wanted to do over them.” When Illa J set to work in early 2008 on recording the album, the project flowed quickly as he entered the proverbial can’t-miss zone. As Illa J says, “One of the things I learned from my brother is that you don’t get that much time, so make the most of it. That’s why I’ve decided to dedicate my life to doing what I love: music. To work with Delicious, the label that released those hits my brother made with The Pharcyde (“Runnin’” and “Drop”) is really special.” Michael Ross says, “Illa J can write, sing, play instruments and rap. Not just a little bit of each, he’s really the complete package! And anyone who loves Jay Dee’s music is going to flip out when they hear what Illa J’s been laying down. For over a decade these beats have been waiting in the vault for this moment. It’s like Jay Dee made these tracks with an extrasensory purpose, so that Illa J could make this album. There is no question that this is exactly what they were meant for. These beats belong to Illa J, they’re his birthright, and I really believe Jay Dee would be proud of what his brother is doing.”

"Indie Exclusive * In the mid-2000s The Diplomats were nearly unstoppable. The hip hop collective formed in the late 90s by Cam’ron along with childhood friend Jim Jones had grown in both membership and influence. Though solo efforts by Dipset members were abundant, only two full length Diplomats projects were issued during this heyday. Diplomatic Immunity 2 was first issued in 2004 filled to the top with verses from J.R. Writer, Juelz Santana, 40 Call, Hell Rell and of course both Jim Jones and Cam’Ron. The vinyl issue of the release was minimal and mainly a clean/promo only version, so the demand from Dipset/vinyl fans has never been fully satisfied. The album hit a respectful position on the Billboard Top 200 chart while landing top 10 on the R&B/Hip Hop album chart and securing the number 3 slot on the Independent Album chart."

Indie Exclusive * Sometimes the album title says it all. Featuring Jadakiss, Fat Joe, Lil Wayne, Birdman, and Bun B This is the humble beginnings of the now household name super producer DJ Kahlid.

Indie Exclusive * First time on colored vinyl * Chemistry is the first collaborative studio album by Black Moon front man Buckshot and producer 9th Wonder. It was originally released on June 21, 2005 through Duck Down Music as a part of the label's "Triple Threat Campaign", preceded by Sean Price's Monkey Barz and followed by Smif-N-Wessun's Reloaded. Production was handled entirely by 9th Wonder and features guest appearances from Keisha Shontelle, Little Brother's Big Pooh & Phonte, Joe Scudda, L.E.G.A.C.Y., Sean Price and O.G.C.'s Starang Wondah. This will be the first time the record has been pressed since the original pressing in 2005.

Indie Exclusive * First time on colored vinyl * Amidst much anticipation from collectors, record stores, and DJ’s alike, the repress of Gloria Ann Taylor’s musical output on Selector Sound is now available. Originally released in 2015 as a deluxe double LP that included her "Deep Inside You" EP, this updated version is a single LP package with the 10 tracks compiled from her 7in singles on Selector Sound and comes with a booklet of photos and extensive liner notes.

Indie Exclusive * The Wu Tang crew is back with a sting!!! Produced by the Rza and featuring Ol’ Dirty, U-God, Inspectah Deck, Cappadonna, and many more. This album is reissued on vinyl for the first time since its initial release in 2002.

Indie Exclusive * The second solo record from the Wu tang OG is finally on vinyl for the first time! With beats from the legendary Ayatolla this is essential for any True Wu fan.

Indie Exclusive * 50th Anniversary Edition * When Jodorowsky wanted, in his words, “another kind of music—something that wasn’t entertainment, something that wasn’t a show, something that went to the soul, something profound,” for the soundtrack to The Holy Mountain, jazz legend Don Cherry and crack studio musician (and one-time member of the Archies) Ron Frangipane came forward to share composing and, along with Jodorowsky, conducting duties. The result was a score that is every bit as hallucinatory as the fantastic visual imagery in the film itself. A cornucopia of musical styles that range from deep, primordial chants, to sitar folk melodies, to blaring orchestral riffs and romantic string arrangements provide the perfect aural accompaniment to a film that follows the philosophical and spiritual journey of its protagonist.

50th Anniversary Edition. Fresh expands and brightens the slow grooves of There's a Riot Goin' On, turning them, for the most part, into friendly, welcoming rhythms. Fresh winds up more varied, musically and lyrically, which may not make it as unified, but it does result in more traditional funk that certainly is appealing in its own right. It finds Sly precisely balancing funk and pop, creating an album that wound up being his last masterwork and one of the great funk albums of its era. A documentary on Sly & The Family Stone, directed by Questlove, is tentatively scheduled for 2023.

RSD Essential 039 * The Avett Brothers' 2007 release "Emotionalism" is the album that caught the attention of legendary producer Rick Rubin and got him to sign the band to their first major studio. "Emotionalism" also was their first album to crack the charts. Full of new Folk, Blues and Bluegrass riffs for a modern world, it is a lively take on everything from romance to paranoia. Of course, they still kick in some solid Rock 'N' Roll for good measure.

Indie Exclusive * First time on colored vinyl * TRST, the debut self-titled record from Robert Alfons and Maya Postepski, features tales of lust, wax, and erotomania carried along on a dense black vapor of speed, space and tears. TRST's "malevolent, sexy synth-pop" (Pitchfork) erupted out of Toronto's fertile underground music scene alongside darkwave contemporaries Crystal Castles and Austra. Lead by Alfons' otherworldly, gender-bending vocals and Postepski's genre-defying production, the album deftly moves across electronic pop, industrial, trance, and more. After two singles on Sacred Bones Records, TRST signed to Arts & Crafts for the album's release with accolades pouring in from outlets like NME, Pitchfork, and Under The Radar. To date, the album has sold 30,000 units in the US.

RSD Essential 041 - ‘There Goes Rhymin' Simon’ is Paul’s Simon’s third solo studio album and one of his most critically acclaimed and beloved releases. Partly recorded at the legendary Muscle Shoals Studio, it shows Paul exploring a variety of musical textures in classic songs like “Kodachrome”, “Take Me To The Mardi Gras”, “Loves Me Like A Rock” and “American Tune.” The album was nominated for Grammy Album Of The Year and this 50th Anniversary RSD Essentials version is pressed on opaque orange vinyl.

"Indie Exclusive * First time on colored vinyl * Cali Iz Active is the fourth studio album by rap group Tha Dogg Pound and is also the name of the album's title track and lead single. It was released through Koch and Snoop Dogg's Doggystyle Records on June 27, 2006. Besides Daz and Kurupt, the album also features Tha Dogg Pound family (Snoop Dogg, Soopafly, Nate Dogg, RBX, and Lady of Rage). Also appearing are David Banner, Ice Cube, Paul Wall and producers Battlecat, Fredwreck, Swizz Beatz and Jazze Pha. Cali Iz Active is arguably the strongest album from the crew and a West Coast fiend's dream come true."

Indie Exclusive * First time on vinyl * The Game's follow-up to the Dr. Dre produced, The Documentary was 2006’s G.A.M.E. He preaches the hardcore gospel with as much fervor as its predecessor, serving up narratives of street hustling hardships as gritty and lean as any of his contemporaries. The sound is still steeped in Dre's trademark languid, hazy G-funk grooves, as the opener "Anything You Ask For" proves. A successor to Compton's rap heritage, yet fresh and contemporary enough to make his own mark, the Game is the voice of the next generation of West Coast hardcore. Originally released on Get Low Recordz and has guest features with JT the Bigga Figga, Bootleg & Shoestring.

Indie Exclusive * Visionary artist Augustus Pablo is among the most important figures in reggae history. Widely credited with popularizing the use of the melodica in reggae, Pablo was a talented musician and an innovative producer who became an early dub pioneer. Now regarded as classics, his memorable 1970s recordings were part of the remarkable creative surge that vaulted the Jamaican music scene to international prominence. Much of this material was released by Rockers, an independent record label founded by Pablo and named after his popular Kingston sound system. Now, Nature Sounds is proud to present Roots, Rockers, & Dub, a new Augustus Pablo vinyl collection celebrating the 50th anniversary of Rockers. Featuring classic dubs along with rare and out-of-print tracks, the album captures Pablo’s immense contribution to roots reggae by highlighting a wealth of material spanning his entire career, all released on Rockers. Fully remastered and released in partnership with the Pablo family, Roots, Rockers, & Dub is a fitting tribute to an artist whose music still reverberates heavily more than two decades after his passing.

Indie Exclusive * First Time on Colored vinyl and the first pressing since the orginal pressing in 2010 * From the band - Some of our favorite lyrics we’ve ever written are on this album. I probably won’t have a grave stone, but if I did, I’d like these lyrics printed on it: “TIRED DOGS REST THEIR PAWS”

RSD Essential 037 * Includes a bonus 7" - Live in Bonnaroo 2013 - exclusive to this pressing * From the band - We self produced/recorded this album in a room with no heat in the middle of winter. We never expected you, the person who is reading this, would ever hear it. I think that’s really part of the magic of it.

Recorded at Ardent Studios and released in 1972, the album has gone on to become one of the most influential and iconic debut albums of all time. This 50th-anniversary edition is pressed on 180-gram metallic gold with purple smoke vinyl and features all-analog mastering by Jeff Powell at Take Out Vinyl. The album has been included in Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, with the song “Thirteen” featured in its 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

Indie Exclusive * Bonus Tracks! * Sally Cinnamon is acknowledged as the first release in the style which would come to be recognized as the Stone Roses' trademark sound. This EP includes 12" single mix, all the B Sides and additional live tracks. This is the first time this new configuration has ever been released. Exclusive Red heavy weight 180 gsm Vinyl. Half-speed mastered to the highest possible quality and DMM – Direct Metal Mastered with protective polypropylene inner bag. There will be other colored variants in the marketplace 90 days after this is released.