E-mu SP-1200
Encyclopedia
E-mu SP-1200 is a classic drum machine and sampler
released in August 1987 by E-mu Systems, Inc.
as an update of the SP-12
, which was originally created for dance music producers. It became famed for its gritty texture and ability to simulate the "warmth" of vinyl recordings.
The SP-1200 became an icon of hip hop's golden age
, due to its ability to construct the bulk of a song within one piece of portable gear—a first for the industry. This resulted in reduced studio costs and more creative control for artists. In an article published in New York City
's The Village Voice
in November 2007, Ben Detrick explains, "The machine rose to such prominence that its strengths and weaknesses sculpted an entire era of music: the crunchy digitized drums, choppy segmented samples, and murky filtered basslines that characterize the vintage New York sound are all mechanisms of the machine." Designed to be used as both a drum sequencer and sampler
in one, the SP-1200 features a 26.04 kHz sampling rate (roughly half the fidelity of a compact disc
) and 12-bit resolution. Those audio qualities, combined with the idiosyncratic SSM2044 filter chips with which these machines were fitted, make for a dirty, gritty sound. One of the attributes of the SP-1200 is its extremely small amount of memory—roughly 10 seconds.
sync, and a metronome
output. There is one button that allows you to select between banks A, B, C and D giving the user easy access to each of the 32 sounds. The front panel contains several LED lights, buttons and eight volume and pitch faders for each sound in the selected bank. Below each fader is a large button to initialize the sound, or select the sound for editing, and a switch to turn the trigger's velocity sensitivity off or on. The sequencer works in the familiar pattern-style of placing short consecutive sections of samples into a song. The user can easily add swing quantization
and tempo changes. The sequencer can sync the tempo to SMPTE, MIDI or analogue clock pulses, and is also capable of synchronizing the tempo to a tapping finger with the 'tap tempo' button."
-based samples; all samples are stored in volatile RAM and loaded from floppy disk. The AD/DA converters remain 12 bit, as 16 bit converters were still expensive and found only on high-end gear, such as the contemporary E-Mu Emulator 3 (EIII), which had a list price of over $15,000 USD. Maximum sampling time was doubled from the upgraded SP-12 Turbo, to over 10 seconds, but the maximum single sample was 2.5 seconds. The sample rate was reduced slightly also (from 27.5 kHz to 26.04 kHz) to maximize memory usage. The SP-1200 retains all of the I/O capabilities from the SP12, minus the cassette output and floppy disk I/O.
circles by sampling 33⅓ rpm records at 45 rpm, with an additional pitch increase, then replaying the sample from the SP-1200 at a much slower speed (by the use of 'Multipitch' and/or 'Tune/Decay' edit functions). This expanded the total sampling time while at the same time decreasing the resolution. By the early 90s, nearly every working Hip-Hop producer had adopted this technique as industry standard until the advent of newer samplers such as Akai's
MPC60
, which provided higher sampling rates and more sampling time.
The legacy of the SP1200 sampler is so rich that in May, 2011 a comprehensive book called The OFFICIAL SP1200 Book 'The Art and the Science' was published and endorsed by its manufacturers (E-Mu Systems Inc.) Throughout the book its author (PBODY the 10secondassassin) details the SP1200's technical and historical placement within Hip-hop and beyond.
http://sp1200-thebook.com
Sampler (musical instrument)
A sampler is an electronic musical instrument similar in some respects to a synthesizer but, instead of generating sounds, it uses recordings of sounds that are loaded or recorded into it by the user and then played back by means of a keyboard, sequencer or other triggering device to perform or...
released in August 1987 by E-mu Systems, Inc.
E-mu Systems
E-mu Systems, Inc. is a synthesizer maker and pioneer in samplers and low-cost digital sampling music workstations.-History:Founded in 1971 by Scott Wedge and Dave Rossum, E-mu began making modular synthesizers...
as an update of the SP-12
E-mu SP-12
E-mu SP-12 12 also known as the “sampling drum computer” was designed in 1985 and widely released in 1986 by E-mu Systems. Although the SP-12 was quickly superseded by the more powerful SP-1200, the SP-12 is often regarded as the first commercially successful drum machine and sampler.-History:The...
, which was originally created for dance music producers. It became famed for its gritty texture and ability to simulate the "warmth" of vinyl recordings.
The SP-1200 became an icon of hip hop's golden age
Golden age hip hop
Hip hop's "golden age" is a name given to a period in mainstream hip hop—usually cited as being a period varying in time frames during the 1980s and 1990s said to be characterized by its diversity, quality, innovation and influence. There were strong themes of Afrocentricity and political...
, due to its ability to construct the bulk of a song within one piece of portable gear—a first for the industry. This resulted in reduced studio costs and more creative control for artists. In an article published in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
's The Village Voice
The Village Voice
The Village Voice is a free weekly newspaper and news and features website in New York City that features investigative articles, analysis of current affairs and culture, arts and music coverage, and events listings for New York City...
in November 2007, Ben Detrick explains, "The machine rose to such prominence that its strengths and weaknesses sculpted an entire era of music: the crunchy digitized drums, choppy segmented samples, and murky filtered basslines that characterize the vintage New York sound are all mechanisms of the machine." Designed to be used as both a drum sequencer and sampler
Sampler (musical instrument)
A sampler is an electronic musical instrument similar in some respects to a synthesizer but, instead of generating sounds, it uses recordings of sounds that are loaded or recorded into it by the user and then played back by means of a keyboard, sequencer or other triggering device to perform or...
in one, the SP-1200 features a 26.04 kHz sampling rate (roughly half the fidelity of a compact disc
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
) and 12-bit resolution. Those audio qualities, combined with the idiosyncratic SSM2044 filter chips with which these machines were fitted, make for a dirty, gritty sound. One of the attributes of the SP-1200 is its extremely small amount of memory—roughly 10 seconds.
Features
The SP-1200 can store up to 100 patterns, 100 songs and has a 5000 note maximum memory for drum sequences. It also has a mono mix output and eight individual outputs, MIDI in/out/through, SMPTESMPTE time code
SMPTE timecode is a set of cooperating standards to label individual frames of video or film with a time code defined by the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers in the SMPTE 12M specification...
sync, and a metronome
Metronome
A metronome is any device that produces regular, metrical ticks — settable in beats per minute. These ticks represent a fixed, regular aural pulse; some metronomes also include synchronized visual motion...
output. There is one button that allows you to select between banks A, B, C and D giving the user easy access to each of the 32 sounds. The front panel contains several LED lights, buttons and eight volume and pitch faders for each sound in the selected bank. Below each fader is a large button to initialize the sound, or select the sound for editing, and a switch to turn the trigger's velocity sensitivity off or on. The sequencer works in the familiar pattern-style of placing short consecutive sections of samples into a song. The user can easily add swing quantization
Quantization (music)
In digital music processing technology, quantization is the process of transforming performed musical notes to an underlying musical representation that eliminates this imprecision. The process results in notes being set on beats and on exact fractions of beats...
and tempo changes. The sequencer can sync the tempo to SMPTE, MIDI or analogue clock pulses, and is also capable of synchronizing the tempo to a tapping finger with the 'tap tempo' button."
Differences from the SP12
Unlike the SP12, the SP-1200 does not contain ROMRead-only memory
Read-only memory is a class of storage medium used in computers and other electronic devices. Data stored in ROM cannot be modified, or can be modified only slowly or with difficulty, so it is mainly used to distribute firmware .In its strictest sense, ROM refers only...
-based samples; all samples are stored in volatile RAM and loaded from floppy disk. The AD/DA converters remain 12 bit, as 16 bit converters were still expensive and found only on high-end gear, such as the contemporary E-Mu Emulator 3 (EIII), which had a list price of over $15,000 USD. Maximum sampling time was doubled from the upgraded SP-12 Turbo, to over 10 seconds, but the maximum single sample was 2.5 seconds. The sample rate was reduced slightly also (from 27.5 kHz to 26.04 kHz) to maximize memory usage. The SP-1200 retains all of the I/O capabilities from the SP12, minus the cassette output and floppy disk I/O.
Technique
The limited sampling time of the SP-1200 was overcome within the late '80s hip hop productionHip hop production
Hip hop production is the creation of hip hop music. Though the term encompasses all aspects of hip hop music, it's most commonly used to refer to the instrumental, non-lyrical aspects of hip hop. This means that hip hop producers are the instrumentalists involved in a work...
circles by sampling 33⅓ rpm records at 45 rpm, with an additional pitch increase, then replaying the sample from the SP-1200 at a much slower speed (by the use of 'Multipitch' and/or 'Tune/Decay' edit functions). This expanded the total sampling time while at the same time decreasing the resolution. By the early 90s, nearly every working Hip-Hop producer had adopted this technique as industry standard until the advent of newer samplers such as Akai's
Akai
Akai is a consumer electronics brand, founded by Saburo Akai as , a Japanese manufacturer in 1929. It is now headquartered in Singapore as a subsidiary of Grande Holdings, a Hong Kong-based conglomerate, which also owns the formerly Japanese brands Nakamichi and Sansui. The Akai brand is now used...
MPC60
Akai MPC60
The Akai MPC60 was an electronic musical instrument produced in 1988, by the Japanese company Akai in collaboration with celebrated designer Roger Linn. It combined MIDI sequencing and audio sampling with a set of velocity/aftertouch-sensitive performance pads, to produce an instrument optimized...
, which provided higher sampling rates and more sampling time.
The legacy of the SP1200 sampler is so rich that in May, 2011 a comprehensive book called The OFFICIAL SP1200 Book 'The Art and the Science' was published and endorsed by its manufacturers (E-Mu Systems Inc.) Throughout the book its author (PBODY the 10secondassassin) details the SP1200's technical and historical placement within Hip-hop and beyond.
http://sp1200-thebook.com
Notable users
- Marley MarlMarley MarlMarlon Williams , better known as Marley Marl, is an American DJ and record producer, who is considered one of the most important and influential hip-hop producers in the history of hip hop.-Biography:...
- MF DOOMMF DoomDaniel Dumile is a hip hop artist who has taken on several stage names in his career, most notably MF DOOM, where the "MF" stands for metal face, and for tracks he has produced, metal fingers...
Produced a series of instrumental albums solely with the SP under the name 'Metal Fingers' - JelJelJel is a hip hop producer and rapper for the Anticon label. He is a part of the hip hop duo Themselves and is also heavily involved in the bands Subtle and 13 & God.-Style:...
- Dr. DreDr. DreAndre Romelle Young , primarily known by his stage name Dr. Dre, is an American record producer, rapper, record executive, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is the founder and current CEO of Aftermath Entertainment and a former co-owner and artist of Death Row Records...
- DJ Dangermouse producer - Gnarls Barkley
- Todd TerryTodd TerryTodd N. Terry is an American DJ, producer, and remixer.-Career:Terry's productions extensively used samples blending the sounds of classic disco, the Chicago sound, and elements of hip-hop....
- BS 2000BS 2000BS 2000 is the name of a musical side project of Beastie Boys' Adam "Adrock" Horovitz and Amery "AWOL" Smith also with tracks featuring Janay North. In 1997, BS 2000 released their vinyl-only self-titled debut...
- J-Zone
- Rappin' 4-TayRappin' 4-TayAnthony Forté , better known by his stage name Rappin' 4-Tay, is an American rapper from the Fillmore District of San Francisco, California.-Music career:...
- Johnny "J"Johnny "J"Johnny Lee Jackson , commonly known in the music industry as Johnny "J", was a Mexican multi-platinum songwriter, music producer and rapper who was perhaps best remembered for his production on Tupac Shakur's albums All Eyez on Me and Me Against the World, as well as many of Shakur's subsequent...
(Producer) from TheWLA - Hank Shocklee (Bomb Squad/Public Enemy)
- Prince PaulPrince PaulPaul Huston, better known by the stage name Prince Paul, is an American disc jockey and hip-hop record producer. He was also a founding member of the Gravediggaz where he used the name The Undertaker.- Biography :...
- De La SoulDe La SoulDe La Soul is an American hip hop trio formed in 1987 on Long Island, New York. The band is best known for their eclectic sampling, quirky lyrics, and their contributions to the evolution of the jazz rap and alternative hip hop subgenres...
- Showbiz and A.G.Showbiz and A.G.Showbiz and A.G. are an American hip hop duo from The Bronx, New York City. Showbiz is a producer and A.G. is a rapper. The two debuted on Lord Finesse's Funky Technician album in 1990. Show and A.G...
(DITC) - Lord FinesseLord FinesseLord Finesse is a Hip hop artist and producer, hailing from The Bronx, New York, best known as the leader of the D.I.T.C. rap crew.- Career :...
(DITC) - Geto BoysGeto BoysGeto Boys is a rap group from Houston, Texas, consisting of Scarface, Willie D and Bushwick Bill. The Geto Boys earned notoriety for its lyrics which included misogyny, gore, psychotic experiences, and necrophilia...
- John FellJohn FellJohn Fell may refer to:* John Barraclough Fell , British railway engineer* John Fell , Bishop of Oxford* John Fell , American drummer...
- Def JefDef JefDef Jef is the stage name of Jeffrey Fortson , an American alternative hip hop musician and rapper of the late 1980s and early 1990s. He was born in Harlem, New York City, New York, USA....
- Paul CPaul CPaul C. McKasty , better known as Paul C, was an East coast hip hop producer and engineer in the 1980s. McKasty was of Irish descent.-Work:...
- Large ProfessorLarge ProfessorLarge Professor , also known as Large Pro and Xtra P, is a New York City-based hip hop record producer and emcee. He is also best known as a founding member of the influential underground hip hop group Main Source, and as a frequent collaborator with Nas...
- Q-TipQ-Tip (rapper)Kamaal Ibn John Fareed , better known by his stage name Q-Tip, is an American hip hop artist, producer, singer, and actor from St. Albans, Queens, New York, part of the critically acclaimed group A Tribe Called Quest...
(A Tribe Called QuestA Tribe Called QuestA Tribe Called Quest is an American hip hop group, formed in 1985, and is composed of rapper/producer Q-Tip , rapper Phife Dawg , and DJ/producer Ali Shaheed Muhammad. A fourth member, rapper Jarobi White, left the group after their first album but rejoined in 2006...
) - Havoc (Mobb DeepMobb DeepMobb Deep is an American hip hop duo from Queensbridge, Queens, New York, U.S., that consists of Havoc and Prodigy. The duo is "one of the most critically acclaimed hardcore East Coast hip-hop groups." The group is best known for its dark, hardcore delivery, as exemplified by the single "Shook Ones...
) - Pete RockPete RockPeter Phillips , better known by his stage name Pete Rock, is an American record producer, DJ and rapper. He rose to prominence in the early 1990s as one half of the critically acclaimed group Pete Rock & CL Smooth...
- P Original (El da Sensei of Artifacts)
- DJ MuggsDJ MuggsLawrence Muggerud , better known as DJ Muggs, is Cypress Hill's DJ and producer. He also produced tracks for Funkdoobiest on the albums Which Doobie U B? and Brothas Doobie.-Cypress Hill :...
(Cypress HillCypress HillCypress Hill is an American hip hop group from South Gate, California. Cypress Hill was the first Latino hip-hop group to have platinum and multi-platinum albums, selling over 18 million albums worldwide...
) - Beastie BoysBeastie BoysBeastie Boys are an American hip hop trio from New York City. The group consists of Mike D who plays the drums, MCA who plays the bass, and Ad-Rock who plays the guitar....
- Da BeatminerzDa BeatminerzDa Beatminerz are a hip-hop production crew from Bushwick, Brooklyn, and are known for their dark, gritty sound that is very popular with the underground hip-hop scene.-History:The crew, originally composed of brothers Mr...
: Mr. Walt, DJ Evil Dee (Black MoonBlack MoonBlack Moon is a studio album by progressive rock band Emerson, Lake & Palmer released in 1992. The first studio album under the band's original lineup since 1978, it was regarded by fans as a strong comeback, although the band's subsequent career did not fulfill its promise.-Track listing:#"Black...
), Baby Paul - KRS-OneKRS-OneLawrence Krisna Parker , better known by his stage names KRS-One , and Teacha, is an American rapper...
- Easy Mo BeeEasy Mo BeeOsten Harvey, Jr., better known by his stage name Easy Mo Bee, is a hip hop/R&B record producer, known for production work for late 80's artists such as Big Daddy Kane, but most notable for his affiliation with Bad Boy Records in its early years and his heavy production involvement in The Notorious...
- EdanEdanEdan aka Edan Portnoy is an American alternative hip hop artist. He is an emcee, DJ and record producer.Edan is known for his unique/unlikely take on hip hop culture, where traditional rap songs are often skewed by 60's rock samples, tape echoes, and foreign language choruses, not to mention the...
- MadlibMadlibOtis Jackson Jr. in Oxnard, California, known professionally as Madlib, is a Los Angeles-based DJ, multi-instrumentalist, rapper, and music producer...
- Mannie FreshMannie FreshByron O. Thomas, better known by his stage name Mannie Fresh, is currently an artist and hip-hop producer who records for Def Jam South and his own division Chubby Boy Records...
- DJ Qbert
- walter wallace
- Mix Master MikeMix Master MikeMix Master Mike is an American turntablist and contributing member of the Beastie Boys.-Life and career:Born Michael Schwartz in San Francisco, California, Mix Master Mike is of German and Filipino descent. He first came to prominence upon winning the 1992 New Music Seminar/Supermen Inc...
- Daft PunkDaft PunkDaft Punk are an electronic music duo consisting of French musicians Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo and Thomas Bangalter . Daft Punk reached significant popularity in the late 1990s house movement in France and met with continued success in the years following, combining elements of house with synthpop...
- MF DOOMMF DoomDaniel Dumile is a hip hop artist who has taken on several stage names in his career, most notably MF DOOM, where the "MF" stands for metal face, and for tracks he has produced, metal fingers...
- Pharoahe MonchPharoahe MonchPharoahe Monch is an American hip hop artist. He is known for his complex lyrics, complex delivery, and internal and multisyllabic rhyme schemes.-Biography:...
- RZARZARobert Fitzgerald Diggs, better known by his stage name RZA , is an American Grammy-winning music producer, multi-instrumentalist, author, emcee, and occasional actor, director, and screenwriter. A prominent figure in Hip Hop, RZA is the de facto leader of the Wu-Tang Clan. He has produced almost...
- Ice-TICE-T* Ice-T, an American rapper and actor* ICE T , a tilting model of the German InterCityExpress series of high-speed trains...
- NottzNottzDominick Lamb better known by his stage name, Nottz is a music producer, writer and rapper from Norfolk, Virginia, U.S. He sometimes extends his executive name to Nottz Raw.-History:...
- J DillaJ DillaJames Dewitt Yancey , better known by the stage names J Dilla and Jay Dee, was an American record producer who emerged from the mid-1990s underground hip hop scene in Detroit, Michigan...
- DJ HeadDJ HeadDJ Head AKA DJ Manho is a Grammy Award Winning hip-hop producer and DJ from Detroit, Michigan. He is known for producing and co-producing songs for Eminem. DJ Head was raised in Detroit. He is a graduate from Shrine Catholic High School in Royal Oak, Michigan , and Michigan State University Alumni...
(Producer for EminemEminemMarshall Bruce Mathers III , better known by his stage name Eminem or his alter ego Slim Shady, is an American rapper, record producer, songwriter and actor. Eminem's popularity brought his group project, D12, to mainstream recognition...
) - Ski Beatz
- DJ Clark Kent
- DJ QuikDJ QuikDavid Martin Blake , better known by his stage name DJ Quik, is an MC and record producer. According to Quik himself, his stage name reflects his ability to produce records in short time....
- Will to Power (band)Will to Power (band)Will to Power is the name of an American dance-pop group that originated in southern Florida in the mid-1980s. The group recorded a number of hit singles on the Billboard dance and pop charts in the late 1980s and early 1990s, most notably "Baby, I Love Your Way/Freebird Medley", a medley of 1970s...
producer - Bob Rosenberg - The ProdigyThe ProdigyThe Prodigy are an English electronic dance music group formed by Liam Howlett in 1990 in Braintree, Essex. Along with Fatboy Slim, The Chemical Brothers, and other acts, The Prodigy have been credited as pioneers of the big beat genre, which achieved mainstream popularity in the 1990s and 2000s...
Liam Howlet - Used on album (Fat of the Land 1996) to present - DJ KrushDJ Krush, better known as DJ Krush, is a producer and DJ. He is known for his atmospheric instrumental production which incorporates sound elements from nature and extensive use of jazz and soul samples.-Biography:...
- Nick Wiz
- Professor GriffProfessor GriffProfessor Griff is an American rapper and spoken word artist. He is a member of the hip hop group Public Enemy and head of the Security of the First World.-Early years in Public Enemy:...
Albums featuring the SP-1200
Some albums that were produced utilizing this machine include :- Alan BraxeAlan BraxeAlain Quême, also known as Alan Braxe, is a French electronic music artist. Braxe is most widely known for his collaborative work with electronic bassist Fred Falke and Kris Menace. In 2005 Alan released The Upper Cuts, a collection of his previous released material.-History:Alan Braxe began work...
- Intro - PNS - 12 Bit Soul
- Cypress HillCypress HillCypress Hill is an American hip hop group from South Gate, California. Cypress Hill was the first Latino hip-hop group to have platinum and multi-platinum albums, selling over 18 million albums worldwide...
- Cypress HillCypress Hill (album)Steve Huey of Allmusic calls Cypress Hill's debut "a sonic blueprint that would become one of the most widely copied in hip-hop."In 1998, the album was selected as one of The Source's 100 Best Rap Albums... - Pete RockPete RockPeter Phillips , better known by his stage name Pete Rock, is an American record producer, DJ and rapper. He rose to prominence in the early 1990s as one half of the critically acclaimed group Pete Rock & CL Smooth...
- INIINI (hip hop group)INI was a hip hop group composed of Rob-O, Grap Luva, I Love H.I.M., Marco Polo , and DJ Boodakhan....
, Soul Survivor, PeteStrumentalsPeteStrumentalsPeteStrumentals is an instrumental hip hop album from Hip Hop producer/rapper Pete Rock, his second solo release. The album is the second installment of BBE Records Beat Generation series, following Jay Dee's Welcome to Detroit album. The instrumental songs were originally recorded between 1990 and... - Lord FinesseLord FinesseLord Finesse is a Hip hop artist and producer, hailing from The Bronx, New York, best known as the leader of the D.I.T.C. rap crew.- Career :...
- The AwakeningThe Awakening (Lord Finesse album)The Awakening is the third album from Hip Hop artist Lord Finesse, released four years after his second album Return of the Funky Man. Unlike his first two albums, The Awakening features a large number of album guests, including O.C., KRS-One, MC Lyte, Akinyele, Showbiz, Diamond D, A.G., Kid Capri,... - LootpackLootpackLootpack were an American hip hop group signed to Stones Throw Records with members Madlib, Wildchild, and DJ Romes. They made their first appearance on the 1993 debut album by Tha Alkaholiks, 21 & Over....
- Soundpieces: Da AntidoteSoundpieces: Da AntidoteSoundpieces: Da Antidote is an album by Lootpack, an American hip hop group signed to Stones Throw Records. The entire album was produced by Madlib and features vocals by himself and Wildchild, as well as many West Coast guests.... - Ultramagnetic MCsUltramagnetic MCsThe Ultramagnetic MC's is an American hip hop group based in Bronx, New York. Originally founded by Kool Keith, the group is composed of Ced Gee, TR Love, and Moe Love. Tim Dog became an unofficial member in 1989. In 1990, DJ Jaycee was added as Roadmanager and backup DJ. A former member, Rooney...
- Critical BeatdownCritical BeatdownCritical Beatdown is the debut studio album by American hip hop group Ultramagnetic MCs, released October 4, 1988, on Next Plateau Records. Production for the album was handled primarily by the group's rapper and producer Ced-Gee, who employed a E-mu SP-1200 sampler as the album's main instrument...
(In this case, the first LP in to use the SP-12 Turbo). - Geto BoysGeto BoysGeto Boys is a rap group from Houston, Texas, consisting of Scarface, Willie D and Bushwick Bill. The Geto Boys earned notoriety for its lyrics which included misogyny, gore, psychotic experiences, and necrophilia...
- The Geto BoysThe Geto Boys (album)The Geto Boys is the self-titled album by the Geto Boys, which was released in 1990. The album contained 11 revamped tracks from its previous albums Grip It! On That Other Level and Making Trouble and three new songs... - EPMDEPMDEPMD is an American hip hop group from Brentwood, New York. The group's name is a concatenation of the members' name "E" and "PMD" or an acronym for "Erick and Parrish Making Dollars", referencing its members, emcees Erick Sermon and Parrish Smith...
- Strictly Business - Cypress HillCypress HillCypress Hill is an American hip hop group from South Gate, California. Cypress Hill was the first Latino hip-hop group to have platinum and multi-platinum albums, selling over 18 million albums worldwide...
- Black SundayBlack Sunday (album)Black Sunday is the second album by rap group Cypress Hill. It was released on July 20, 1993. It debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 selling 261,000 copies in its first week, recording the highest Soundscan for a rap group at the time. The album went Triple platinum in the U.S... - JelJelJel is a hip hop producer and rapper for the Anticon label. He is a part of the hip hop duo Themselves and is also heavily involved in the bands Subtle and 13 & God.-Style:...
- 10 Seconds - Main SourceMain SourceMain Source was an innovative, acclaimed Toronto and New York-based hip hop group comprising Toronto natives Sir Scratch, K-Cut, and Queens native Large Professor...
- Breaking AtomsBreaking AtomsBreaking Atoms is the debut album of American hip hop group Main Source, released July 23, 1991 on Wild Pitch Records. Production for was handled by the group and took place during 1990 to 1991 at Homeboy Studio, Power Play Studios, and Libra Digital in New York City... - Jay-ZJay-ZShawn Corey Carter , better known by his stage name Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in America, having a net worth of over $450 million as of 2010...
- Reasonable DoubtReasonable DoubtReasonable Doubt is the debut album of American rapper Jay-Z, released June 25, 1996 on Roc-A-Fella Records in the United States and on Northwestside Records in the United Kingdom. The album features production by DJ Premier, Ski, Knobody and Clark Kent, and guest appearances from Memphis Bleek,... - on MadlibMadlibOtis Jackson Jr. in Oxnard, California, known professionally as Madlib, is a Los Angeles-based DJ, multi-instrumentalist, rapper, and music producer...
and MF DOOMMF DoomDaniel Dumile is a hip hop artist who has taken on several stage names in his career, most notably MF DOOM, where the "MF" stands for metal face, and for tracks he has produced, metal fingers...
(as MadvillainMadvillainMadvillain is a hip hop group consisting of MF DOOM and Madlib . Their debut album Madvillainy was met with wide critical acclaim for its unique approach—short songs, obscure lyrics, few choruses and a sound which was generally unfriendly to commercial radio.In 2006, Madvillain was featured on...
)'s album MadvillainyMadvillainyMadvillainy is the debut album by American hip hop duo Madvillain, a group consisting of MF DOOM and Madlib . It was released on March 23, 2004 on Stones Throw Records to overwhelmingly positive reviews...
, Madlib was holding a SP-1200 in his hands on the back cover. - BS 2000BS 2000BS 2000 is the name of a musical side project of Beastie Boys' Adam "Adrock" Horovitz and Amery "AWOL" Smith also with tracks featuring Janay North. In 1997, BS 2000 released their vinyl-only self-titled debut...
- Nobody Beats BS2000 - El da SenseiEl Da SenseiEl Da Sensei is an American rapper from Newark, New Jersey. During the 1990s he was a member of the influential hip hop duo, Artifacts.Since then he has released several solo albums to critical acclaim.-Discography:...
- Relax Relate Release - Aesop of Living Legends - Black Libra