BUY THE COLLECTION AT RAPPCATS » MEMPHIS RAP – RAPPCATS
BUY THE COLLECTION AT BANDCAMP» MEMPHIS RAP – THE NOW-AGAIN BANDCAMP
We are reissuing six essential albums from the ’90s Memphis Rap scene, each licensed directly from the artists. These albums were originally released on rare tapes, only distributed in and around Memphis. This is the first time they appear on LP; each album is pressed on limited edition colored vinyl, and comes in an OBI wrapped jacket that contains an oversized 12 page book that details the historical precedent, genesis and arc of this important American musical scene. This series follows the sold-out box set The Story of Memphis Rap.
MC Money & Gangsta Gold – Da Hard Ov Frayser (1995),Shawty Pimp & MC Spade – Vol. 2 (1994), Skinny Pimp’s Vol.1 (1993), Carmike’s – Comin’ At Yo Ass (1994) and R.A.N.’s – Gotta Be Lyrical (1993) are out now. Others in the series will be released throughout the year and into 2025.
• Gangsta Blac – Breakin Da Law (1994) – Dec. 10
• Gimisum Family – Gimisum Family (1994) – Record Store Day 2025
This multiple LP series attempts to capture Memphis and its underground rap scene as it began to produce some of the most distinctive music of the ’90s. This was a unique hip hop strain – visceral and often vicious. It was a local, low-fi, cassette-tape based movement – yet it went on to change the course of rap music.
From Skinny Pimp and Carmike to Gangsta Blac and Shawty Pimp, these albums were relegated to the proverbial bins of history and bootlegged, with unofficial copies still fetching top dollar on the secondary market. These albums were all licensed directly from their original creators, and come on limited edition colored vinyl with artist-approved imagery for their first LP iterations.
You can read the story of the Memphis Rap scene in a 12-page, oversized booklet with notes by Torii MacAdams. It captures the story of Memphis rap starting with the city’s founding and ending with an auto supply shop that sold these albums over the counter, with all points in between.
