The Packman - I'm The Packman

The Packman - I'm The Packman

This is one of the reasons I bought Electro 1 on cassette in 1983 to get this record Awesome! 

I don't normally keep two copies of a record, however they have additional numbers on them that differ so I decided to keep them both.

one promo and one issue.

Original Enjoy sleeve still in open shrink wrap

Rapologists - Hip Hop Beat

Rapologists - Hip Hop Beat

1984 and the UK representing and making a fine job with their real London accents.

Help me track down these cats!

Who were they? 

Early Daze & Flakey C

D.E.F. Featuring DJ Three D‎ – D.E.F Momentum

D.E.F. Featuring DJ Three D‎ – D.E.F Momentum

Great Electro release from the West Coast. I have only ever seen it on this label so I can only imagine its the original. Does not show up very often and I have only ever seen two copies in the flesh.

Kid Frost - Rough Cut

Kid Frost - Rough Cut

In my mind one of the best Electro Rap records ever produced, and one of my favorites. Its believed the original first press was on the purple label and later it was reissued on the blue label. 

Someone tell me what the T.M.S means? Come on Diseone or Slick put me out of my misery. 

Check your copy mine is on Purple Transparent Vinyl.

Ice T - Killers & Body Rock

Ice T - Killers & Body Rock

In the main battle of Breakdance the movie, Ice T rhymes over the instrumental of Reckless! have you ever thought which rhymes he's using, he actually recites the rhymes from this 12" Body Rock but he raps faster in the movie. 

Check your copy mine is on Purple Transparent Vinyl.

White and black label version.

Plain Sleeve still in open shrink wrap

Word Of Mouth & DJ Cheese - King Kut

Word Of Mouth & DJ Cheese - King Kut - Beauty And The Beat Records - 1985

There has been great debate over the years to which pressings on this label contain the RUN DMC samples.

After collecting for 30 years I have managed to find 4 variants of King Kut on the Beauty and the Beat label.

 I can confirm the first 3 in the list below all contain the RUN DMC Samples but the last does not. 

Variant 1 "King Kut "on the label 

BAD-100 in run out With Samples

Variant 2 KING KUT WORD OF MOUTH on the label 

BAD-100 in run out With Samples

Variant 3 KING KUT by WORD OF MOUTH on the label 

BAD-100 in run out With Samples

Variant 4 KING KUT by WORD OF MOUTH on the label 

BAB-100 RE in run out NO Samples

Notice how the first Variant has most of its letters in lower case compared to the other Variants which used upper case letters.

The first Variant also forgets to mention "Word Of Mouth" however the later Variants  do mention it.

The third and fourth Variants contain the additional word "by" on the label.

The first Variant is also the only pressing to have a hyphen punctuation mark on the label between BAB-100

Progression - Tom Tom

Progression - Tom Tom

One of my favorite Rap records of all time, and I would say slept on Big Time!

I still have this in its black sleeve in open shrink wrap

Point Blank MC's ‎– What The Party Needs

Point Blank MC's ‎– What The Party Needs

Classic Duke Bootee production, not sure if I prefer the cover or the record. The interesting thing about the Beauty and the Beat label is that it was not based in Manhattan but in New Jersey.

Original sleeve still in open shrink wrap

Knights Of The Turntables - Fresh Mess

One of those off the wall Electro records, I love It! 

It's believed this was repressed in the late 1980's very early 1990's and Beat Street Records, the mail order company seemed to have a large supply. As I understand the wording on the represses does not run across the full width of the label.

Check your copy mine is on Purple Transparent Vinyl.

Knights Of The Turntables - Fresh Mess

Original copy with the letters running to the edge of the label

Original sleeve still in open shrink wrap

Grandmaster Melle Mel & The Furious Five ‎– Beat Street

Grandmaster Melle Mel & The Furious Five ‎– Beat Street

Beat Street! Melle Mel shows his mastery of rhymes on this classic anthem and the sleeve shows the the famous beat street logo. 

Original sleeve in open shrink wrap

Original label showing MCA distribution 

Afrika Bambaataa & Soulsonic Force ‎– Renegades Of Funk

Afrika Bambaataa & Soulsonic Force ‎– Renegades Of Funk

Another Bambaataa Classic! and housed in this amazing artwork sleeve. 

  Original sleeve in open shrink wrap

Nice original insert

Original baby blue label

Freestyle ‎– It's Automatic

Freestyle ‎– It's Automatic

Slightly later Electro track from Freestyle, However still a great record and fairly hard to find with the correct picture sleeve.

Original sleeve still in open shrink wrap

Ice-T, The Glove & Dave Storrs - Reckless

Ice-T, The Glove & Dave Storrs - Reckless

Essential record from 1984 which has been issued a few times. Its still very much in demand as it has the instrumental. 

Check your copy mine is on Purple Transparent Vinyl.

Information Society - Running

Information Society - Running

What can I say Absolute Classic!

Always was always will be! and to think the original remix was done by Louie Vega who went on to be 50% of Masters at work

Freestyle ‎– Don't Stop The Rock

Freestyle ‎– Don't Stop The Rock

One of the finest Electro vocoder records ever made, and not easy to find in the original picture sleeve. I have only even seen 2 copies in the flesh in all my years of collecting. 

Grand Mixer D.St. & The Infinity Rappers - Grand Mixer Cuts It

Grand Mixer D.St. & The Infinity Rappers - Grand Mixer Cuts It

I still feel this is somewhat slept on and often overlooked. Dope synths and Raps from 1982.

Masterdon Committee - Funkbox Party (Live)

Masterdon Committee - Funkbox Party (Live)

Classic Rap Jam from 1982. This was available on a few label variants, however I chose to keep the promo over the issue copies as it unusual to see Enjoy Promo's

Live Convention "81"

Live Convention "81"

An absolute gem capturing the early days of Hip Hop. 

Generally believed to have been recorded to vinyl from a cassette tape of a live Jam, however its actually a real studio session on the A side and a live Jam recorded from tape on the B side. 

Live Convention "82"

Live Convention "82"

Classic live jam action recorded to vinyl from tape in 1982. As far as I understand the blue sleeve is the original first press of the 82 convention and then it was issued in the same year with a black sleeve. either way its very hard to find in any condition.

Dynamic Duo Featuring Shaquan ‎– Knights Of The Turntables

Dynamic Duo Featuring Shaquan ‎– Knights Of The Turntables

Another Classisc Electro 12" that still retains the original importation sticker that I mentioned on my last post. Again this one still has its original orange sleeve in open shrink wrap.

Sha-Quan - Don't Fess

Sha-Quan - Don't Fess

Those of you that bought your Hip Hop records back in the day will remember the importation stickers that would come on the sleeves. I am glad to say lots of my records still have these stickers.

Original copy in correct orange sleeve in open shrink wrap

DJ Afrika Bambaataa - Death Mix

DJ Afrika Bambaataa - Death Mix

I was really pleased to have picked up original copies of this back in the day.
The great thing back in the late 1980's early 1990's was the fact the demand was not high enough to warrant anyone bootlegging these type of records. If you found one before 1992 you could feel rest assured it was an original.

To be honest even the first press of Death Mix was a sort of bootleg in its own right. The Paul Winley records were always known for being of a poorer quality press and sound,
the funny thing is the newer bootlegs of Death Mix that I have seen in more recent years are of even worse quality than the originals. 

The tell tail signs that you have an original are in the style and quality of the thick brown carded sleeve, pasted cover with flip back edges, what looks like multiple fine scratch marks around the edge of the label, as well as the printed price tag top left of sleeve and texture and quality of the printing on the labels. It's like most collectibles a trained eye that has seen a number of originals can distinguish bootlegs at a glance. 

I have seen these exchange hands for $150. back in the early 1990's