The Best of Rap and Hip Hop - 20th Century Masters / Millennium Collection [Import]

Liner Note Author: Soo Gane Won.

Photographers: Ted Hopkins; Jonathan Mannion.

20th Century Masters - The Millennium Collection: Rap & Hip Hop, released in Canada, is a scattered but ultimately satisfying compilation that rummages through Universal Music's archives from the '80s and '90s. Beginning with Kurtis Blow's "The Breaks" and ending with the Roots' "The Next Movement," the disc includes tracks from just about every period in between, with a noted emphasis on the late-'80s/early-'90s golden age (Public Enemy's "Don't Believe the Hype," Slick Rick's "Children's Story," LL Cool J's "Mama Said Knock You Out," Eric B. & Rakim's "Paid in Full"). The inclusions of Mary J. Blige's "What's the 411?" and Blackstreet's "No Diggity" demonstrate how hip-hop infiltrated R&B to the point where distinguishing between the two genres often became impossible. ~ Andy Kellman

Genre:

• Urban

Music Categories:

• R&B: East Coast Rap