Conscious

Conscious rap on vinyl: Public Enemy, KRS-One and the Fugees

In short: Conscious rap is hip hop with something to say: lyrics about politics, society, history and life itself. Boogie Down Productions, Public Enemy and A Tribe Called Quest shaped it at the end of the eighties and in the nineties; today names such as J. Cole stand for it. The Vinyl Room currently has 83 records in this style.

What is conscious rap?

At the end of the eighties, KRS-One with Boogie Down Productions and Public Enemy turned rap into a mouthpiece: against violence, racism and injustice. In the nineties came Gang Starr, the Fugees with “The Score” and OutKast from Atlanta. Today J. Cole, Lupe Fiasco and Kendrick Lamar carry the line on. Many of these albums came out on vinyl as double LPs, to leave enough room for bass and playing time.

What to look for

Individual original editions from the eighties and nineties are sought after, while reissues are usually easy to get. What matters is the edition and its condition. Catalogue number, label and runout matrix show whether you have an original.

From our stock

First pressings

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FAQ

What is conscious rap? Hip hop with political and social themes, for example by Public Enemy, KRS-One and J. Cole.

Which conscious rap albums should you know? For example “The Score” by the Fugees and “Aquemini” by OutKast.

Why are some nineties hip hop originals sought after? Because the CD was the main format at the time and some albums came out on vinyl only in small runs.