Dr. Dre
2001 (Instrumentals Only)

The contributions of J Dilla to the world of hip-hop can't be overstated, and nowhere is his legacy more apparent than his work as a member of Slum Village. A founding member of the trio, (Alongside rappers T3 and Baatin) Dilla provided the group's distinctly esoteric, free-wheeling sound.By the time Fantastic Volume II hit Dilla was well on his way to his status as a hip hop legend having produced cuts for Common, Busta Rhymes, Erykah Badu, A Tribe Called Quest and many more.Fantastic Volulme 2 had fans and many critics saying that Slum Village, and Dilla in particular, may “single-handedly save rap music.” Perhaps that statement is hyperbole but many consider Fantastic Volume II to be Slum Village’s nest work. For RSD 2021 Ne'Astra Media Group presents the album in 20th anniversary edition with a deluxe obi-wrap and an exclusive colored vinyl pressing.

One of the more unsung talents that came out of the Gang Starr Foundation was the Brooklyn-based duo Group Home, consisting of MCs Lil Dap and Melachi The Nutcracker. Dap was first showcased on the Gang Starr posse cut Im The Man, on 1992s Daily Operation; Melachi appeared on Words From The Nutcracker from 1993s Hard To Earn. The early Group Home song So Called Friends was also featured on 1993s now-legendary Gangstarr Foundation Sampler, which also gave the world Jerus Come Clean.By 1995, Dap and Melachi had paid their dues and finally got their own full-length: Livin Proof. And it was everything that Gang Starr and any true school hip-hop fans could have wanted, produced almost entirely by DJ Premier (with two exceptions: Serious Rap Shit helmed by Guru himself; and 4 Give My Sins, produced by Jay-Z mentor Jaz-O (aka Big Jazz).Beyond the albums classic singles – Supa Star, Livin Proof and Suspended In Time – there are Premier-overseen classics all over, including The Realness, Inna Citi Life, and Sacrifice. In fact, many Gang Starr scholars agree that the beats on Living Proof are in the Top 5 of all Premier-produced albums – no small boast, but certainly hard to disprove.