Back catalogue: Hip Hop/R&B

Review: DMX was a mould-breaking force. Twisting a savage gangstra rap energy around a barking flow, he imparted street knowledge in a soul-rattling voice that, to this day, still leaves us feeling thoroughly sergeant-drilled. Some deemed him a snarling negative of 2pac, though deeper heads knew him better for his unexpected vulnerabilities, on full display as early on as his studio debut, It’s Dark And Hell Is Hot. Earl Simmons had endured an abusive upbringing and struggled with crack addiction from a young age; his later life would be marked by prison stints and rehab, but his music was a way to "create concerts that felt more like a church service”. These pious emphatics - the moment, the church, duty - certainly contrasted his manifest badboy, raw-dog persona. From ‘Let Me Fly’ to ‘Stop Being Greedy’ through to the skit ‘Prayer’, DMX presented a downcast debut with enduring, parabolic lessons, going beyond the morose veils of moral dubiety and antiheroism.

Review: Raising Hell originally came in 1986 and became a groundbreaking album that built on the success of King of Rock and went on to sell over three million copies worldwide. Produced by Rick Rubin, the album raised the standard for hip hop as it was packed with hard-hitting hooks, inventive samples, scratches and of course many catchy choruses. Tracks like 'Peter Piper'# with its Bob James sample, 'It's Tricky' which made use of The Knack's 'My Sharona' and 'My Adidas' became and remain classics. However, the 'Walk This Way' bridged hip hop and rock in all new ways and consigned Aerosmith's original version almost to irrelevance.