Old School Rap

Why oh why did the old Rapmasters series I used to rock in high school go out of print? Now that was classic old school hip hop compiled by people who lived through the era and knew from what they chose! This series is a mediocre substitute at best.Granted, there are quite a few genuine classics on here...Wild Wild West, The Message, The Show, Paid in Full, etc. But there are also a few questionable selections...Ice Ice Baby? Really?!?On the plus side, the curse words, etc., are not edited out on most of the songs on discs 1,2, & 4, and you do get to hear some of these classics as the artists originally intended. No, I'm not fiendin' for foul language. I just want to hear these songs as they were originally released. Think the chorus of The Roof is on Fire! That just wouldn't be the same with certain swears bleeped out!And then we come to disc 3. Unlike the rest of the series, which presents these classic, must have hip hop cuts in their full glory, Vol. 3 ruins them by slicing and dicing them into truncated versions. Some genius decided that simply presenting these immortal songs in their entirety wasn't good enough, and they hired the legendary Grandmaster Flash to chop them up and present them mix tape style. You only get the middle of La-Di-Da-Di, for example. The intro and the last verse are missing. On top of that, the CD is only about 40 minutes or so instead of the usual 60-70 minute length utilized in the rest of the series. The one major benefit of authentic mixtapes (or CDs) is that they're much longer than official releases and can present up to 90 truncated songs. Not so here. You get all of the detriments of the format with none of the benefits. A word to the brilliant mind that envisioned this atrocity: When I want a mixtape (or CD) I'll hit up the bootleggin' brotha on the corner. When I'm buying an official release on amazon or from some other major retailer, I expect to get the full length cuts.If disc 3 had been presented in the same format as the rest of the series, with La-Di-Da-Di, Request Line, I Got it Made, etc., full and intact, I could have seen my way clear to giving this box set 4 or maybe even 5 stars. As it stands, however, no way.There really should be a comprehensive old school hip hop box set out there, but unfortunately, this isn't it.

A bit of a mixed bag (both in terms of the quality of the material and the quality of the SOUND) but still an interesting collection with a few gems you might not already have in your collection. Schoolly D, World Class Wreckin' Crew, "The Batterram", are just some of the highlights for me. However there are so many top artists missing that this isn't an ideal introduction to hip-hop as the Hip-O box set.

I am truly pleased with this box-set. I just happen to be a (40) year old male who truly enjoys Hip-Hop, especially Old School Hip-Hop. This box-set contains some of the all time classic Hip-Hop tunes, (i.e.; The Show, La Di Da Di, Bust A Move & Rappers Delight), just to name a few. I already own the SugarHill box-set and the Tommy Boy box-set and this one measures equally as well. I would have given it a (5) if not for disc (4), which does contain two or three of my favorite Hip-Hop songs, but it lacks a more complete and familiar listing. I really appreciate the choices of Chubb Rock's (Treat Em Right), and MC Breeds (Ain't No Future In Your Frontin'). If you are a early to mid (80)'s Hip-Hop fan you will be very pleased with this collection. Big props to the (Grand Master Flash) remix disc (3).

Loved this collection of old school songs they really took me back. However CD #3 was tossed to the side. It was just ruined by the DJ

Bought as a gift. As described. Good price and selection.

The raps are recorded well. It brought back fond memories. Man, i miss the BASS and the FUN music made you feel. When i'm blasting music loudly at the stop light, people ask me what am i listening to and am i streaming. I say nah, Old School all day, everyday, CD.

The person that received this gift from me, was just what he was looking for. He is into old school rap and loved all the CDs. He did not even know they existed till I found them. The item was shipped way before it was expected to get there, I can not thank you enough!

These CD's bring back so many memories of hanging out at house parties and at the skating rink with friends listening to these old school jams. I was so happy to finally find a CD set with all the hip hop jam hits of the 80's that I grew up listening too back in the day, this is a GREATTTT set of CD's glad I purchasesd and it came at a great PRICE!