Despite the convenience of streaming, there are still plenty of albums that still haven’t hit streaming. Even worse, there are albums that don’t stay & get taken down within a few months. Here we’ll look at some albums we want to see back on streaming (and stay.)
Kool G Rap & DJ Polo – Live and Let Die
Despite being an influential classic, this album has once again been removed from streaming. An album that had a shaky release due to Warner Bros. refusal to distribute the album over lyrical content & cover art, it still is getting the short end of the stick all these years later. Kool G Rap’s mafioso rap lyrics would go on to inspire countless artists to this very day, and it all stems from these early albums from him.
Killah Priest – Elizabeth (Introduction To The Psychic)
Majority of Killah Priest’s catalog is available, but there are a couple gems that still have not hit streaming. One such is Elizabeth (Introduction To The Psychic), an album that somewhat bridges the gap from his older work & newer style. While his newer work is mainly drumless & quite off-kilter in its instrumentation, the beats on here provided by DJ Woool give a much more contemporary style against Priest’s esoteric lyrics. He may not be outdoing Heavy Mental, but its another quality Killah Priest release that deserves to hit streaming.
Various Artists – Murder Was The Case
Despite having tracks that won Grammy’s (“What Would You Do”) and being connected to one of the most iconic rappers in hip hop history, this soundtrack album still hasn’t hit streaming. Tracks provided by Snoop Dogg, Tha Dogg Pound & Dr. Dre to name a few, the hour long release is filled with iconic tracks. Production provide by Dr. Dre, Daz Dillinger & DJ Quik all within their prime, it is a west coast rap staple.
Various Artists / No Limit All-Stars – Who U Wit?
No Limit’s run is one of legend, and there was no better showcase of all the label’s talent than their compilation albums. This was the final compilation to be released on the original No Limit Records, and also the last compilation to have production from their in-house producer group Beats By the Pound. With a legendary flip done on the track “B-Ball,” its another great No Limit release.
De La Soul Discography
It feels like cheap way out to list every De La Soul album missing from streaming, but no list like this is complete without a mention. With most of their discography not widely available, all their classics have become lost amongst younger listeners. Without the convenience of streaming, many don’t seek out their legendary work. This past year the group had reconnected with producer Prince Paul, so hopefully we get their old work on streaming along with a new album sometime soon.
EDIT: It had been recently announced that De La’s catalog will hit streaming services on March 3rd.