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A lot of us, probably the majority, first visited this site at least initially, to discuss and trade music. Over the years we have certainly amassed a lot of the same stuff, but also, perhaps at times unknowingly, hold onto some more unique rips as well.
The purposes of this project are threefold:
To fill gaps in your collection you've been meaning to add.
To potentially discover material new to you that you weren't actively seeking out.
To increase the quality of the MP3s that you already have stored somewhere (on at least one drive).
As with all things group / forum-related, the outcome of this could at least theoretically be tremendously helpful or it could all go nowhere, depending on how active people in the community want to be.
It also can tell us to some degree what the internet has yet to offer in the best possible quality, so we can better see what's missing or sounds sub-par.
With the exception of this first starter thread, each thread will correspond to a single year. By limiting each thread to the year the music was recorded and / or released it gives us somewhere to start, gives you some boundaries as to not be completely overwhelming, and yet gives everybody the freedom within that time constraint to bring up whatever hip hop related project they would like, be it album, EP, mixtape, bootleg, single, compilation, anthology, live show, radio show, music video, book, documentary, etc.
How to Help Out:
Find something that either hasn't been mentioned at all in the list below, that you have a noticeably different edition of, or that you have in better quality – and offer it up in the thread.
To find something, go to the drive or drives where your music is located and perform a search for the year that corresponds with the current HQRAPMP3s thread. For example, search 1979.
Or possibly do just a general search through your computer / hip hop music folder using terms like *.mp3 or *.flac, then view and sort by the year in the detailed view of the search results. That way everything you have will be grouped chronologically and you can narrow in on a particular section.
Of course the best possible option is if you have physical copies of, and can personally rip in [320], what the rest of us have been missing. If necessary, I'll gladly convert FLAC, WAV or other lossless files to [320] when possible.
Just be clear which project you're referring to when naming something you're looking for, or are offering. And when offering, be sure to note the quality of what you have right alongside the title.
Obviously you can tell I want to be as completeist as possible for everyone's sake here, so please feel free to offer from your own collection or provide upgrades for material even if you no longer like listening to that particular stuff yourself.
Personally I'm going to be sorting and tagging and finding cover art as I go through, but however you'd like to give back and contribute while also gathering new files for yourself would be appreciated.
As I said, this first go 'round will be a little different, comprised of proto-rap, early rap, and even simply heavy influences to the genre, anytime before the start of the eighties. From whatever you consider the earliest precursor to be, up through the year that spawned the official first rap single.
Here's what I have to offer (Year Recorded – Title of Project {Year Released and / or Edition} [Quality]):
Comps
1939 – Roots of Rap, The {1996} [VBR]
1979 – Sigma '79 {2011} [V0]
Ego Trip
1979 – Ego Trip's Hip Hop's Greatest Singles '79 {1999} [320]
Rub, The
1979 – Hip Hop History Volume I: 1979 {Mixed by DJ Ayres in 2007} [128]
East
New Jersey
Sugarhill Gang
1979 – ABC Du Rap {1983 French Reissue} [192]
1979 – Rapper's Delight [320]
1979 – Rapper's Delight {7”} [320]
New York
Bronx, The
Afrika Bambaataa / Soulsonic Force
1979 – Live [192]
Cold Crush Brothers / Grandmaster Caz
1979 – Live at South Bronx High School w/ Whipper Whip & Dota Rock [128]
1979 – Live at the Outside Jam w/ The Notorious Two, DJ Dr. Pepper, & MC DJ Whitehead [128]
Funky Four Plus One More / Lil Rodney Cee
1977 – Live at the Block Party w/ DJ Stevie Steve & Lil Shotgun [256]
1979 – Live at the Bronx River [320]
1979 – Rappin' and Rockin' the House [320]
Gil Scott-Heron
1970 – Small Talk at 125th and Lenox [320]
1971 – Pieces of a Man [320]
1974 – Revolution Will Not Be Televised, The [320]
1974 – Winter in America w/ Brian Jackson [320]
1975 – From South Africa to South Carolina w/ Brian Jackson [320]
1976 – It's Your World w/ Brian Jackson [320]
1976 – Live at The Village Gate [320]
1977 – Bridges [320]
1977-08-20 – Live at Bottom Line on August 20th w/ Brian Jackson [320]
1978-01-16 – Live in Berkeley, CA on January 16th w/ The Midnight Band [320]
1978 – Secrets w/ Brian Jackson [320]
Grand Wizard Theodore / L Brothers, The
1978 – Live at Bronx River Center vs. The Herculords w/ The L Brothers [VBR]
1978 – Live at Galaxy 2000 vs. The Herculords w/ The L Brothers [192]
1979 – Live at 123 Park w/ Busy Bee Starski [192]
1979 – Live on 3rd Avenue Ballroom w/ Mean Gene [192]
Grandmaster Flash / Furious Five, The
1978 – Live at Bronx Science w/ The Four MCs [192]
1978 – Live at The Jackson Projects w/ The Four MCs [192]
1978-12-23 – Live at Audubon Ballroom on December 23rd w/ The Four MCs [320]
1979 – Live at T-Connection w/ DJ Sinbad, Kidd Creole, & Kool Kyle [192]
1979 – Live at T-Connection w/ The Furious Five, Jimmy D, Kool Kyle, & DJ Sinbad [128]
1979 – Live at the School in Queens [128]
1979 – Live at Randy's w/ Kurtis Blow [320]
1979 – Superappin' w/ The Furious Five [320]
1979 – We Rap More Mellow (as The Younger Generation) [192]
Jazzy 4 MCs
1979 – MC Rock [320]
Lovebug Starski / Little Starsky
1979 – Gangster Rock [320]
Mercedes Ladies, The
1979 – Live at T-Connection [192]
Uno
1979 – Boogie Beat [128]
Wackies Disco Rock Band
1979 – Wack Rap [320]
Zulu Nation
1979 – Live at 123 Park w/ Jazzy Jay, Hutch Hutch, & Pow Wow [320]
1979 – Live at an Outdoor Jam w/ Lisa Lee, Rahiem, & Pow Wow [160]
Brooklyn
DJ Grandmaster Flowers
1979 – Brooklyn Park Jam [192]
Neil B
1979 – Body Rock [192]
Central
Fatback Band, The
1978 – King Tim III (Personality Jock) {1979} [192]
Harlem
David Lampell
1979 – I Ran Iran [128]
Dr. Love & Sister Love
1979 – Doctor Love & Sister Love Rap (Part I) [192]
Eddie Cheba
1979 – Lookin' Good (Shake Your Body) [192]
Funky Constellation
1979 – Street Talk (Madame Rapper) [V2]
Joe Bataan
1979 – Rap-O Clap-O [320]
1979 – Rap-O Clap-O / El Rap-O Clap-O [320]
Kool Moe Dee / Treacherous Three
1978 – 1978 With DJ Kev Ski [256]
Kurtis Blow
1979 – Christmas Rappin' [320]
Lady D
1979 – Lady D / Nu Sounds [VBR]
Last Poets, The / Lightnin' Rod
1969 – Doriella Du Fontaine {1984} [320]
1970 – Last Poets, The [320]
1971 – This is Madness [320]
1973 – Hustlers' Convention [320]
1977 – Delights of the Garden [320]
Original Last Poets, The
1968 – Right On! {1971} [320]
Paulette Winley & Tanya Winley
1979 – Rhymin' and Rappin' / Cymande's Bra [192]
1979 – Rhymin' and Rappin' / Watch Dog [128]
Ron Hunt
1979 – Spiderap [320]
Sicle Cell & Rhapazooty
1979 – Rhapazooty in Blue [320]
Spoonie Gee
1979 – Spoonin' Rap [192]
Steve Gordon & The Kosher Five
1979 – Take My Rap... Please [128]
Queens
DJ Divine of The Infinity Machine
1979 – Queens' Armory Jam / Live Convention '79 w/ DJ Hollywood, Eddie Cheba, Grandmaster Flash, Melle Mel, & Kurtis Blow {2008}
[320]
Willie Wood & Willie Wood Crew
1979 – Willie Rap [320]
Pennsylvania
Dr. Superman
1979 – Can You Do It? (Superman) w/ Lady Sweet [192]
Jocko
1979 – Rhythm Talk [192]
Lady B
1979 – To the Beat Y'All [320]
Washington D.C.
Chuck Brown & The Soul Searchers
1979 – Bustin' Loose [320]
Skull Snaps
1973 – Skull Snaps {2005 Reissue} [320]
Midwest
Missouri
Bob James
1974 – One [320]
1975 – Two [320]
1976 – Three [320]
1977 – BJ4 [320]
SoCal
Beverly Hills
Incredible Bongo Band, The
1974 – Bongo Rock {2006} [320]
Los Angeles
Watts Prophets, The / Black Voices, The
1969 – On the Streets in Watts [320]
1971 – Rappin' Black in a White World [320]
South, The
Georgia
Blowfly
1973 – At the Movies [V1]
1973 – Butterfly [320]
1973 – Weird World of Blowfly, The [320]
1974 – Blowfly on TV [192]
1975 – Zodiac Blowfly {2005 Reissue} [320]
1976 – Oldies But Goodies [128]
1978 – Blowfly's Disco Party {2016 Reissue} [320]
Mississippi
Freedom
1979 – Farther Than Imagination {2009 Reissue} [320]
North Carolina
Pigmeat Markham
1968 – Here Come the Judge [320]
South Carolina
Sequence, The
1979 – Funk You Up [320]
Worldwide
Canada
Mr. Q
1979 – DJ Style [192]
Jamaica
Xanadu
1979 – Rapper's Delight / Rocker's Choice w/ Sweet Lady [192]
UK
Cymande
1972 – Cymande [320]
Ian Dury & The Blockheads
1979 – Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick [320]
1979 – Reasons to Be Cheerful (Part Three) [V2]