Back catalogue: Hip Hop/R&B

Review: Before Queen Latifah was a household name as an actress and singer, she was one of the most well-respected and popular names in New York hip-hop, collaborating with everyone from De LA Soul to Coldcut. 'Ladies First' turned out to be her first hit in a long line of successful singles for the queen. Featuring a vocal appearance from another legend in Monie Love and produced by the highly famed but recently passed away Mark Howard James aka 'The 45 King', this release has an even more special meaning. 'Ladies First' went on to be a top five hip-hop track in 1989 and ultimately, catapulting Queen Latifah into the limelight. With the desire for more 7" by the Hip-Hop community growing, Tommy Boy Records gives us a treasured piece of rap history.

Review: First released way back in 1999, Raphael Saadiq's Q-Tip-sporting "Get Involved" is a warm and woozy, retro-futurist chunk of soul/hip-hop fusion that harked back to an earlier musical age. It remains an arguably underappreciated dancefloor bomb and here gets the reissue treatment courtesy of the freshly lauched 45 Jams imprint. It comes backed by another stone cold classic from Q-Tip, "Vivrant Thing" - a cut first featured on the flipside of the Tribe Called Quest member's much more celebrated "Breathe Don't Stop" single. It's a little more stripped back than the A-side, with Q-Tip delivering his distinctive flows over a crunchy and fuzzy, Jay Dee produced backing track crafted from samples from an old funk record.

Review: From the opening notes of Kamaal The Abstract, it’s clear that Q-Tip is venturing into uncharted musical territory. Known for his integral role in A Tribe Called Quest, this solo project sees him shedding the constraints of traditional hip-hop in favour of a more expansive, genre-blurring exploration. Jazz provides the backbone, but the album is an eclectic fusion, pulling in elements of funk, r&b, rock, and soul, all wrapped around Tip’s signature laid-back delivery.Tracks frequently evolve into extended jams, with lush solos and intricate improvisations scattered throughout. There’s a palpable sense of freedom and experimentation — each song feels like a journey, shifting moods and textures in unexpected ways. While many albums seek cohesion, Kamaal The Abstract thrives on its unpredictability. It’s unafraid to meander, with Tip leading his band into new sonic landscapes, guided by colourful chord progressions and a playful approach to structure. At its core, this is an album that relishes in its own contradictions. It’s bold yet introspective, loose but meticulously crafted. Q-Tip is both centre stage and part of a larger ensemble, constantly pushing the boundaries of what he, and hip-hop, could be. This project was a bold statement at the time, and it remains an adventurous, genre-defying listen that captures a moment of creative risk and vulnerability in Tip’s evolution as an artist.