"Hip Hop Greats: Classic Raps" compilation
Posted: Sat Oct 08, 2005 2:55 pm
Rhino issued this a long time ago and it's still in-print. Entertainment Weekly apparently called it one of the 100 greatest CD's of all-time in a list published in 1994, for what it's worth.
It's a mid-priced disc, retails for $11.99. I just got a used copy. Skimpy track info and no liner notes, the credits don't list the compiler or compilation producer, but it credits Bob Fisher and Dan Hersch at DigiPrep as the mastering engineers.
Typical early Rhino sound, there's a definite top end boost, +3 at 10k and +2 at 6k, most likely. The bass cloud doesn't seem thinned out (either that or there was A LOT of bass cloud to begin with), possibly because it's a rap collection, but definitely needs the top reduced.
Having said that, this is a nice collection to burn if you can EQ it. They used the extended mixes for 8 of 10 tracks, including a now-hard-to-find extended mix of Run DMC's "It's Like That." As a result, even though the disc is ten tracks long, it runs over 69 minutes.
The two exceptions: the Sugarhill Gang cuts, "8th Wonder" and "Rapper's Delight," both of which NEED to be heard in the original 12" mixes, especially "Rapper's Delight," because heard in the edited 6 to 7 minute version included here, it's neutered. They took out the cool piano intro (a Chic sample, I think), and many of the verses. Those two are available on THE BEST OF THE SUGARHILL GANG which Rhino released in the 90's. That also has a treble boost, possibly a touch of compression, but it's the only single disc comp I can think of that's not hard to find and that's still in-print.
I also checked out a single-disc 'distillation' of Rhino's Sugar Hill Records box set. Titled THE BEST OF SUGAR HILL RECORDS (not very imaginative titles, are they?), It's not actually a sampler of that set because they used short versions of some songs that were issued on the box set in their full-length, 12" versions. Definitely a touch of compression, a treble boost...it's kind of disappointing musically because if you have Grandmaster Flash and Sugarhill Gang on CD, the remaining cuts on this disc are hit-or-miss - not a good sign for the box set if a single CD compilation of the same label/material can't stay consistent. "Funk You Up" is already on the HIP HOP GREATS: CLASSIC RAPS compilation...of the remaining cuts, there's two that hold up: "That's the Joint" by Funky 4 + 1 and "Whip It" (no relation to the Devo song) by Treacherous Three. The rest suck - curiousities at best, but you get a failed early experiment in techno ("Break Dancin'" is a weak DJ mix with a weak use of the vocoder) and crappy raps by crappy, early-but-not-groundbreaking artists like "All Night Long" and "On The Radio."
"Whip It" is the full-length version, but "That's the Joint" is actually an edit at 6:12 - the full-length version is 9 1/2 minutes, and is included on the Sugar Hill box set Rhino released.
It's a mid-priced disc, retails for $11.99. I just got a used copy. Skimpy track info and no liner notes, the credits don't list the compiler or compilation producer, but it credits Bob Fisher and Dan Hersch at DigiPrep as the mastering engineers.
Typical early Rhino sound, there's a definite top end boost, +3 at 10k and +2 at 6k, most likely. The bass cloud doesn't seem thinned out (either that or there was A LOT of bass cloud to begin with), possibly because it's a rap collection, but definitely needs the top reduced.
Having said that, this is a nice collection to burn if you can EQ it. They used the extended mixes for 8 of 10 tracks, including a now-hard-to-find extended mix of Run DMC's "It's Like That." As a result, even though the disc is ten tracks long, it runs over 69 minutes.
The two exceptions: the Sugarhill Gang cuts, "8th Wonder" and "Rapper's Delight," both of which NEED to be heard in the original 12" mixes, especially "Rapper's Delight," because heard in the edited 6 to 7 minute version included here, it's neutered. They took out the cool piano intro (a Chic sample, I think), and many of the verses. Those two are available on THE BEST OF THE SUGARHILL GANG which Rhino released in the 90's. That also has a treble boost, possibly a touch of compression, but it's the only single disc comp I can think of that's not hard to find and that's still in-print.
I also checked out a single-disc 'distillation' of Rhino's Sugar Hill Records box set. Titled THE BEST OF SUGAR HILL RECORDS (not very imaginative titles, are they?), It's not actually a sampler of that set because they used short versions of some songs that were issued on the box set in their full-length, 12" versions. Definitely a touch of compression, a treble boost...it's kind of disappointing musically because if you have Grandmaster Flash and Sugarhill Gang on CD, the remaining cuts on this disc are hit-or-miss - not a good sign for the box set if a single CD compilation of the same label/material can't stay consistent. "Funk You Up" is already on the HIP HOP GREATS: CLASSIC RAPS compilation...of the remaining cuts, there's two that hold up: "That's the Joint" by Funky 4 + 1 and "Whip It" (no relation to the Devo song) by Treacherous Three. The rest suck - curiousities at best, but you get a failed early experiment in techno ("Break Dancin'" is a weak DJ mix with a weak use of the vocoder) and crappy raps by crappy, early-but-not-groundbreaking artists like "All Night Long" and "On The Radio."
"Whip It" is the full-length version, but "That's the Joint" is actually an edit at 6:12 - the full-length version is 9 1/2 minutes, and is included on the Sugar Hill box set Rhino released.