Collection: Hip Hop

Hip hop was born on vinyl, and the relationship between the music and the format runs deeper here than almost anywhere else. DJs built the genre by physically manipulating records — which means that the vinyl itself wasn’t just a delivery mechanism but an instrument, and collecting hip hop records carries that history along with it.

This collection of hip hop vinyl records covers the full span of the genre’s development on wax. Early foundational recordings from the Bronx and beyond, the golden era recordings of the late 80s and early 90s that defined what hip hop could be as an album-length statement, the regional scenes that produced some of the most limited pressings in any genre, and more recent releases from artists who chose vinyl as the format their music deserved.

12-inch singles — the format that carried hip hop through its commercial breakthrough — are particularly well-represented, including some that were important for DJs and collectors and are now rarely seen in the wild. Albums are graded and described with pressing details for collectors who track that information.

Whether you’re digging for specific records or open to discovery, this is a collection worth spending time in. Start browsing the hip hop vinyl here.