The Vault: Classic Music Reviews Podcast

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The Vault: Classic Music Reviews Podcast is a show hosted by 'Xennial' music fans that grew up during hip-hop's golden era of 1990s and the boom of the early 2000s. We review classic hip-hop, R&B and reggae albums 20, 25 and 30 years after their release to give our reflections and to see if they still stand the test of time. It's a personal perspective on classics from a fresh point of view.

Also includes: Bonus segments guest interviews with artists, critics, fellow creators & influencers.Round table discussions around classic music topics.Head-to-Head artists catalog debates.

#21 in the Top 100 Indie music history All time chart

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Top 10 The Vault: Classic Music Reviews Podcast Episodes

Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best The Vault: Classic Music Reviews Podcast episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to The Vault: Classic Music Reviews Podcast for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite The Vault: Classic Music Reviews Podcast episode by adding your comments to the episode page.

BONUS EPISODE! 25 Years of Company Flow's Funcrusher Plus (1997)

The Vault: Classic Music Reviews Podcast

07/18/22 • 25 min

In a bonus episode, B. Cox looks back at the impact and legacy of Company Flow's debut studio album and underground classic Funcrusher Plus as it turns 25. After negotiating a group friendly deal with Rawkus Records, the Brooklyn trio of Bigg Jus, El-P and Mr. Len crafted a debut that featured an unconventional production and rhyme style over 73 minutes that served as the launching pad for the brief success of Rawkus and also the blueprint for underground hip-hop for the next decade.

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Show Notes

Albumism: Company Flow's Debut Album "Funcrusher Plus" Turns 20 | Anniversary Retrospective

https://albumism.com/features/tribute-celebrating-20-years-of-company-flow-funcrusher-plus

PopMatters: Company Flow "Funcrusher Plus"

https://www.popmatters.com/110482-company-flow-funcrusher-plus-2496076296.html

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En Vogue: Funky Divas (1992). Giving You Something You Could Feel...

The Vault: Classic Music Reviews Podcast

04/04/22 • 20 min

B. Cox briefly looks back at En Vogue's second album 1992's Funky Divas. On the heels of their successful debut 1990s' Born To Sing, the Oakland based R&B quartet (Dawn Robinson, Maxine Jones, Terry Ellis and Cindy Herron) came out blazing with their 2nd album which eclipsed their debut. Teaming up once again with producers and songwriters Thomas McElroy and Denzil Foster, the group scored a commercial hit with the album, placing scoring two Billboard R&B and Soul #1 hits in "Never Gonna Get It" and "Giving Him Something He Can Feel" and selling 3.5 million copies in the U.S.

Upon its release in 1992, the album recieved mixed reviews from the critics, but since then, it has garnered more widespread acclaim and praises for its vocal excellence and production depth. It is the group's best selling album to date.

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Show Notes

Albumism: Never Gonna Get It: Celebrating 30 Years of En Vogue's "Funky Divas" | Anniversary Retrospective

https://albumism.com/features/tribute-celebrating-30-years-of-en-vogue-funky-divas

This is Dig: En Vogue Celebrates 30 Years of Funky Divas

https://www.thisisdig.com/en-vogue-celebrate-30-years-of-funky-divas/

Audacy: Run That Back: En Vogue's "Funky Divas" Turns 30

https://www.audacy.com/music/hip-hop-r-b/run-that-back-en-vogues-funky-divas-turns-30

Music Musings and Such: Free Your Mind: En Vogue's Funky Diva's at Thirty

https://www.musicmusingsandsuch.com/musicmusingsandsuch/2022/2/9/feature-free-you-mind-en-vogues-funky-divas-at-thirty

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Kanye West-The College Dropout: A Birth Within "The Dynasty"

The Vault: Classic Music Reviews Podcast

02/05/24 • 55 min

In our premiere of Season 6, we welcome Van Everette from The Scenario Radio Show review Kanye West's debut classic album The College Dropout as it turns 20. After serving in the background as a producer for many of Roc-A-Fella Records best albums through the early 2000s, the Chicago-based producer took his turn as a feature act. The album was recorded over a four year period from 1999 to 2003 and is constructed during the period of many memorable moments of his life, including his near-catastrophe car accident.

For his debut effort, West produced the entire album himself and also enlisted the likes of many talented artists and musicians: Jay-Z, Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Common, Luda, Freeway, Consequence, GLC, Syleena Johnson, John Legend, Miri Ben-Ari, J. Ivy and the Boys Choir of Harlem. Mixing his unique production style that was dubbed "chipmunk soul", he impressed with his depth, wittiness and more than capable rhymes and flow as he talked the rap game, life, expectations, insecurities, injustices and more.

The album was backed by many notable singles including the debut "Through The Wire", the R&B collabo "All Falls Down" featuring Syleena Johnson, the moving "Jesus Walks" and his first #1 Billboard single "Slow Jamz" featuring Jamie Foxx and Twista. The album was certified 4x platinum and is noted as both the launching West's legendary recording career and also a iconic album of a new movement in the new millenium.

Check out Van Everette and The Scenario Radio Show

https://www.thescenarioradioshow.com/

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Show Notes

Stereogum: The College Dropout Turns 20

https://www.stereogum.com/1661202/the-college-dropout-turns-10/reviews/the-anniversary/

Vibe: Kanye West's Engineer Breaks Down Kanye West's Classic -- From An Engineer's Perspective

https://www.vibe.com/features/editorial/kanye-west-the-college-dropout-oral-history-486239/

Medium: A Love Letter to The College Dropout

https://medium.com/@derekxu/album-review-the-college-dropout-b17714567f1e

Albumism: Kanye West's 'The College Dropout' Turns 15 | Anniversary Retrospective

https://albumism.com/features/kanye-west-debut-album-the-college-dropout-turns-15-anniversary-retrospective

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O.C.: Jewelz (1997). "Mush" Makes Sure of No Sophomore Slump.

The Vault: Classic Music Reviews Podcast

08/15/22 • 28 min

B. Cox reviews Brooklyn and Diggin in The Crates (DITC) emcee O.C.'s second album Jewelz as it turns 25. After his critically acclaimed 1994 debut album Word...Life, O.C. took to the road to tour exclusively for almost three years. When he returned to the booth to record his sophomore album, he did so with an all-star cast of producers. Along with the returning DITC crew member BuckWild, who contributed production heavily on his debut, he also welcomed the likes of heavyweights DJ Premier, Mr. Walt from The Beatminerz, DJ Ogee and fellow DITC affiliates Showbiz and Lord Finesse.

Featuring a slightly grittier sound than the jazz infused sound of his debut, O.C. spit his expert storytelling narratives and flexed his lyrical prowess with guest spots from Freddie Foxx, R&B singer Yvette Michele and the late great Big L, who was also a fellow DITC crew member. The album featured one single, "Far From Yours" with Michele, which reached #81 on the Billboard Hot 100.

While not commercially successful, the album has been hailed as both an underground and cult classic and further solidified respect for OC as a lyricist and artist as he avoided the dreaded "sophomore slump."

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Show Notes

O.C.'s 'Jewelz' Turns 20 | Anniversary Retrospective

https://albumism.com/features/tribute-celebrating-20-years-of-oc-jewelz

Ambrosia For Heads: O.C. "Jewelz" Turns 20: It May Be The True Diamond In His Discography

https://ambrosiaforheads.com/2017/08/oc-jewelz-is-a-great-hip-hop-album/

WesCheddar: Interview with O.C.-Jewelz at 20

https://westcheddar.com/2020/08/19/the-making-of-jewelz-with-o-c-2017/

O.C. feat. Yvette Michele "Far From Yours" Music Video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMk7gELBhro

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A Tribe Called Quest: Midnight Marauders (1993). "Linden Boulevard Represent, Represent..."

The Vault: Classic Music Reviews Podcast

11/13/23 • 37 min

The crew reviews A Tribe Called Quest's classic third album Midnight Marauders as it turns 30. Off the heels of their groundbreaking sophomore debut, 1991's The Low End Theory, the group rebounded to put through what many to believe to be their most cohesive work yet. After famously making the low end of bass their calling card and backdrop of the jazz sampled beats, the momentum continued with group member Q-Tip working with legendary engineer Bob Power to leave the resonant noise from their samples, creating a grittier and harder sound.

Over 14 tracks, Q-Tip and Phife Dawg expertly spit and trade clever, biting and, at times, fun and hilarious bars. The album spawned two classic singles which stand out as the groups best: "Award Tour" and "Electric Relaxation", both which received heavy radio play and still are wildly popular today. 30 years later, this album is marked as a crown jewel of a trilogy of Tribe's first three albums and has been noted a keen sonic influence to the groups successors--in spirit and practice

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Show Notes

Albumism: A Tribe Called Quest's "Midnight Marauders" Turns 30 | Album Anniversary

https://albumism.com/features/a-tribe-called-quest-midnight-marauders-album-anniversary

The Daily Beat: 30 Years Ago, A Tribe Called Quest's "Midnight " Changed Hip-Hop

https://www.thedailybeast.com/a-tribe-called-quests-midnight-marauders-turns-30

The Grio: Symphonic Sampling: A Tribe Called Quest's 'Midnight Marauders" and Wu-Tang Clan's 'Enter the Wu-Tang"

https://thegrio.com/2023/11/09/symphonic-sampling-a-tribe-called-quests-midnight-marauders-and-wu-tang-clans-enter-the-wu-tang/

HipHopDX: A Tribe Called Quest Celebrates 30 Years of 'Midnight Marauders" with New Merch

https://hiphopdx.com/news/tribe-called-quest-midnight-marauders-30th-anniversary-merch

1 Listener

Gang Starr: Hard To Earn (1994). Operation Mass Appeal

The Vault: Classic Music Reviews Podcast

03/04/24 • 25 min

B. Cox reviews Gang Starr's classic fourth album Hard To Earn as it turns 30. After the critical success of 1992's Daily Operation, Guru and DJ Premier took a brief hiatus to pursue individual projects. Guru launched his Jazzmatazz series and Premier became one of the most sought after producers in industry, working with the likes Jeru the Damaja, The Notorious B.I.G., Nas and KRS-One. Coming back to record their fourth, the group wanted to prove that they were versatile and wanted to show that they could stray from their jazz-sampled sensibilities on their previous album and could rock with a different sound.

Heavily involved with the project was the Gang Starr Foundation, a collective that was aligned with the duo that included the likes of Jeru, the hip-hop duo Group Home, Big Shug, Freddie Foxx (Bumpy Knuckles), Afu-Ra among others. The project featured Jeru, both Lil Dap and Melachi the Nutcracker and Big Shug. Unlike Daily Operation, the album was produced under a wider variety of musical influences.

The album featured two classic singles: "DWYCK" with hip-hop duo Nice & Smooth (which was supposed to be originally on Daily Operation and "Mass Appeal". The album was critically acclaimed upon release and reestablished Gang Starr as a force within hip-hop. It also served as a forerunner to a number of different albums over the next 18 months that were credited as being pivotal to the New York hip-hop scene being a power center once again in the hip-hop landscape.

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Show Notes

UDiscoverMusic: "Hard To Earn": Gang Starr's Statement of Purpose

https://www.udiscovermusic.com/stories/gang-starr-hard-to-earn-feature/

Albumism: Gang Starr's 'Hard To Earn' Turns 25 | Anniversary Retrospective

https://albumism.com/features/gang-starr-hard-to-earn-turns-25-anniversary-retrospective

Billboard: DJ Premier talks about Gang Starr's 'Hard To Earn' 25 Years Later: "That Album, I Had A Chip On My Shoulder"

https://www.billboard.com/music/rb-hip-hop/gang-starr-moment-of-truth-dj-premiere-interview-8501991/

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Ice Cube: The Predator (1992). Behind Enemy Lines...

The Vault: Classic Music Reviews Podcast

11/21/22 • 28 min

B. Cox reviews Ice Cube's third album The Predator as it turns 30. In the midst of the one most prolific and successful runs in hip-hop history stretching back his days as with NWA, the soon-to-be West Coast icon created and released his album in the time of transition of turmoil. Hip-Hop acclaim and recognition was beginning to spread its sphere of influence out to the West Coast. to mirror this rise in the commercial success of West Coast hip-hop was great angst. The album was completed in the heat of the aftermath of the Rodney King verdict, which sparked the now infamous 1992 L.A. riots, further fueling political and racial tensions.

Not to be dismayed, Cube pressed on to continue his holy trinity of LPs, combining yet again with longtime collaborator Sir Jinx and also new production teammates in DJ Pooh and DJ Muggs of Cypress Hill. Over hard hitting and consistent production filled in with cuts of news footage and commentary that reflected times, he packaged the perfect combination of lyrics that reflected his political mindstate amidst the turmoil, told gangsta tales and told stories of what life like was in like in black Los Angeles.

The album was critically acclaimed and was certified double platinum and featured two Cube standout singles: "Check Yourself" and the classic "It Was A Good Day", which has garnered the respect and adulation of hip-hop fans 30 years after its release.

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Show Notes

Albumism: Ice Cube's 'The Predator' Turns 30 | Anniversary Retrospective

https://albumism.com/features/ice-cube-the-predator-album-anniversary

Brooklyn Radio: #30thAnniversary: Ice Cube "The Predator"

http://brooklynradio.com/30thanniversary-ice-cube-the-predator/

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Zhané: Pronounced Jah-Nay (1994). "Gonna Make You Move & Groove"

The Vault: Classic Music Reviews Podcast

02/12/24 • 30 min

B. Cox is joined once again by Van Everette of The Scenario Radio Show to review 90s R&B duo Zhané's debut album Pronounced Jah-Nay as it turns 30. The two vocalists, Renee Neuville and Jean Norris, met each other while students at Temple University and while they had two different backgrounds when it came to singing, they would find a medium that would make them a cohesive act. After linking up with power players in Philly DJ Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince (Will Smith) and doing a showcase that caught some eyes and ears, they were taken under the tutelage of Naughty By Nature producer KayGee and were signed to Motown Records.

Combining their many musical inspirations and influences, the group put out a very fun, yet mature sounding album. It was backed by their intriguing and smooth harmonies and deft songwriting over a variety of beats crossing many genres. The album was boosted three singles: the classic party jam "Hey Mr. DJ", "Groove Thing" and "Sending My Love".

The album was certified platinum and things appeared to be on the up and up for the duo. However, they released only one other album, 1997's Saturday Night, to less acclaim and fanfare before splitting up. Nonetheless, they made their mark on 90s R&B with their debut which continues to be brought this day as a highlight in 1994.

Check out Van Everette and The Scenario Radio Show

https://www.thescenarioradioshow.com/

Visit The Vault Classic Music Reviews Online

www.vaultclassicpod.com

Buy Exclusive The Vault Podcast Merchandise!

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Show Notes

UDiscoverMusic: Pronounced Jah-Nay: How Zhané Made A Name For Themselves

https://www.udiscovermusic.com/stories/pronounced-jah-nay-zhane-album/

Grammys: 'Pronounced Jah-Nay at 25': Zhané's Renee Neuville and Jean Norris look back at their classic R&B debut

https://www.grammy.com/news/pronounced-jah-nay-25-zhanes-renee-neufville-jean-norris-look-back-their-classic-rb

Albumism: Zhané's Debut Album "Prounounced Jah-Nay" Turns 25 | Anniversary Retrospective

https://albumism.com/features/zhane-debut-album-pronounced-jah-nay-turns-25-anniversary-retrospective

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Brandy: Never Say Never (1998). The Next Level

The Vault: Classic Music Reviews Podcast

06/12/23 • 28 min

B. Cox and Domo review Brandy's classic sophomore album Never Say Never as it turns 25. After her smash eponymous debut album helped make her a household name among R&B fans, Brandy began to diversify her portfolio as an entertainer, starring her own sitcom Moesha, the Cinderella remake and I (Still) Know What You Did Last Summer. In late 1997, she began recording her second album now linked with an upcoming producer Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins. Jerkins along with his production and writing team of his brother Fred, Harvey Mason, Jr, Lashawn Daniels as well other writers and producers David Foster, Marc Nelson and Diane Warren among others, set to craft a new sound for the maturing Brandy.

Jerkins and his versatile production style proved to be a match for Brandy and her now mature and powerful voice and his production and writing team helped build an album that reflected Brandy's life, struggles and innermost thoughts. He also encouraged her to co-write a few of the songs, which made the project that much more candid and well rounded. The final product was something far beyond what fans or critics could dream of.

The album featured up to seven singles, most notably two #1 Billboard Hot 100 hits "The Boy Is Mine: featuring fellow R&B singer Monica and "Have You Ever?" and the top 20 hits "Angel In Disguise" and "Almost Doesn't Count". The album has been certified 4x platinum and has sold 16 million copies worldwide. It is Brandy's best-selling album to date and is recognized as her best and most influential work.

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Show Notes

Albumism: Brandy's 'Never Say Never' Turns 25 | Album Anniversary

https://albumism.com/features/brandy-never-say-never-album-anniversary

Vibe: Alex Vaughn Remakes "Almost Doesn't Count" for 'Never Say Never' 25th Anniversary

https://www.vibe.com/music/music-news/alex-vaughn-pays-tribute-to-brandy-never-say-never-1234764027/

BET: Brandy's "Never Say Never" Was A Semi-Confessional Executed To Perfection

https://www.bet.com/article/y4e2n0/brandy-never-say-never-retrospective-25th-anniversary

The Urban Journal: Essential Albums: Brandy's "Never Say Never" At 25

https://urbjournal.com/brandy-never-say-never/

OkayPlayer: Brandy Talks 20 Years of "Never Say Never"

https://www.okayplayer.com/originals/brandy-interview-never-say-never-20-years-later-okayplayer.html

1 Listener

Black Moon: Enta Da Stage (1993). "Straight from Crooklyn...better known as Brooklyn"

The Vault: Classic Music Reviews Podcast

10/23/23 • 26 min

B. Cox and J Owe look back at Black Moon's debut classic album Enta Da Stage as it turns 30. The Brooklyn trio made up of DJ/producer DJ Evil Dee and emcees Buckshot (fka Buckshot Shorty) and 5ft began their journey in high school, shopping around demos and looking for a deal. Impressed by the group, they signed with Nervous Records and was given the green light to record their first single "Who Got Da Props?".

Featuring smooth samples with crisp drums and impeccable cuts, the album spun tales of life in Brooklyn and with Buckshot and 5 ft expertly wordsmithing pictures that painted a dark picture for listeners and observers.

Featuring the likes of future Boot Camp Clik mates Smif-N-Wessun, Dru Ha and Havoc from an also upcoming rap group Mobb Deep, the album featured a similar motif and sound like other groundbreaking New York-based rap albums like Enter the Wu-Tang: 36 Chambers, Midnight Marauders,The Sun Rises In The East, Ready to Die and Illmatic over the next 12 months that have been credited with helping to bring a focus and emphasis back to East Coast hip-hop in the midst of a dominant West Coast run.

The album, while not selling well commercially, was widely acclaimed by fans, particularly underground heads and the media alike. It is consistently listed one of the best albums in the phenomenon that was 1993 in hip hop and also noted as of the most influential hip-hop albums of the 90s.

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Show Notes

Albumism: Black Moon's 'Enta Da Stage' Turns 30

https://albumism.com/features/black-moon-debut-album-enta-da-stage-album-anniversary

Medium: 30 Years for Black Moon's 'Enta Da Stage': A Game Changer For Hip-Hop