Rap/Hip Hop

Rap and Hip Hop are much more than a musical genre: they are cultural movements born in the Bronx in the mid-1970s, before becoming one of the major creative forces in contemporary music. Through block parties and the inventiveness of pioneers like DJ Kool Herc, Grandmaster Flash, and Afrika Bambaataa, a new way of conceiving rhythm, spoken word, and artistic expression emerged.

From the early classics of Run-D.M.C., Public Enemy, or Eric B. & Rakim to modern icons like Kendrick Lamar, Drake, or Travis Scott, rap has constantly reinvented itself. Each era has seen the birth of its own trends: old school, gangsta rap, trap, boom bap, conscious rap, or experimental.

Hip Hop is not limited to music: it also embodies dance, graffiti, fashion, and a mindset, marked by creativity and social protest. Today, it shines in all languages and on all continents, giving rise to local scenes as diverse as they are dynamic, from French rap with IAM or Booba to British grime from Stormzy, not to mention the energies coming from Africa or Latin America.

Each pressing is a piece of this vast puzzle: it tells the story of a movement that revolutionized codes, carried messages, and influenced several generations. Let's relive, through these records, the history and metamorphoses of a genre that has become universal.

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Pain Is Love - Vinyle

Ja Rule

Hip Hop Vinyl: Classic Rap Records, French Rap and Editions Compared

What's in this hip hop vinyl section?

This hip hop vinyl section covers American rap / hip hop, French and international rap / hip hop, old school rap, drill and instrumental rap / DJing. You'll find Run-DMC, A Tribe Called Quest, Wu-Tang Clan, DMX and Kanye West, alongside French acts such as Suprême NTM, Booba, Kery James, 113, Sexion d'Assaut and Rockin' Squat. Hip hop was born on turntables: in 1973, DJ Kool Herc was looping the breaks of funk records at Bronx parties, and sampling vinyl remains at the heart of the music.

Each record page compares offers from several partner stores: reissue, anniversary edition, color vinyl or original pressing. Rap classics get reissued often and in many different editions, so comparing them side by side is the easiest way to land the right version at the right price without mixing up two similar editions.

Original, reissue, double LP: how to buy rap vinyl records

Many 1990s rap albums run past the hour mark. On vinyl, they sound better spread across two discs, which preserves the low end, than squeezed onto one. Original pressings of albums and 12-inch singles on labels like Def Jam and Tommy Boy remain sought after. French rap is a special case for collectors: several of its 1990s classics were pressed on vinyl only in limited numbers at the time, when CDs ruled, so originals can be rare and pricey and recent reissues are often the sensible choice.

single or double LP, depending on the album's length
a complete track list, skits included
official reissue or unofficial pressing, common in rap
disc and sleeve condition on used copies

Essential hip hop albums on vinyl

The story runs through The Sugarhill Gang's "Rapper's Delight" (1979), Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five's "The Message" (1982) and Run-DMC's "Raising Hell" (1986). The 1990s delivered one landmark after another: A Tribe Called Quest's "The Low End Theory" (1991), Dr. Dre's "The Chronic" (1992), Wu-Tang Clan's "Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)" (1993), Nas's "Illmatic" and The Notorious B.I.G.'s "Ready to Die" (1994), then "The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill" (1998).

More recently, Kanye West's "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy" (2010) and Kendrick Lamar's "To Pimp a Butterfly" (2015) have become modern classics. For the curious, French rap is a whole world of its own: start with IAM's "L'École du micro d'argent" (1997), Suprême NTM's self-titled 1998 album or MC Solaar, who guested on Guru's "Jazzmatazz" in 1993.

Old school, drill, DJing: rap subgenres to explore

Narrow your search with the subcollections: American rap / hip hop, French rap / hip hop, international rap / hip hop, old school rap, drill and instrumental rap / DJing. That last one is aimed at DJs and beatmakers: instrumental versions, break records and 12-inches with a cappellas. The genre's new release and pre-order pages track upcoming albums and announced reissues, which often come as limited or color vinyl editions.

Frequently asked questions

What are the best hip hop albums to own on vinyl?

Nas's "Illmatic", Wu-Tang Clan's "Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)", A Tribe Called Quest's "The Low End Theory" and The Notorious B.I.G.'s "Ready to Die" cover the golden era. Add Kendrick Lamar's "To Pimp a Butterfly" for a modern classic. All have been reissued on vinyl, so compare editions before buying.

Why do some rap records have instrumental versions on the B-side?

Rap 12-inch singles traditionally included the main version, a clean version, an instrumental and sometimes an a cappella, so DJs could mix and blend tracks. These records are still prized by DJs and beatmakers. You'll find many of them in the instrumental rap / DJing subcollection.

What is drill music?

Drill is a rap style that emerged in Chicago in the early 2010s, with blunt lyrics and dark production. It was picked up in London, where UK drill developed its syncopated rhythms and sliding 808 bass, and then spread to France and across Europe. It has its own subcollection here.

What is the difference between rap and hip hop?

Hip hop is a culture born in the Bronx in the 1970s that brings together DJing, rapping, breakdancing and graffiti. Rap is its vocal side: lyrics delivered rhythmically over a beat. In everyday use, the two words are often used interchangeably, especially when talking about records.