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Review: ***B-STOCK: Creasing to corner of outer sleeve but otherwise in excellent condition***


Decades after he died, pioneering rapper Christopher Wallace aka Biggie aka B.I.G remains a hip hop giant, not least for us here at Juno HQ. He had the flow, the character, the lyrics, and showed all of it on his masterclass album The Notorious BIG. It is now getting a well deserved reissue on double vinyl, with all the original tunes included. There are uber-hits like the ubiquitous 'Juicy', tracks that make astute social commentaries about the black experience such as 'Everyday Struggle' and then some darn right killer grooves like 'One More Chance' and 'Big Poppa.' RIP to the greatest to ever do it.

Review: Decades after he died, pioneering rapper Christopher Wallace aka Biggie aka B.I.G remains a hip hop giant, not least for us here at Juno HQ. He had the flow, the character, the lyrics, and showed all of it on his masterclass album The Notorious BIG. It is now getting a well deserved reissue on double vinyl, with all the original tunes included. There are uber-hits like the ubiquitous 'Juicy', tracks that make astute social commentaries about the black experience such as 'Everyday Struggle' and then some darn right killer grooves like 'One More Chance' and 'Big Poppa.' RIP to the greatest to ever do it.

Review: Faith Evans released her Keep The Faith album, one of the three platinum-certified records she put out between 1995 and 2001, just 12 months after losing her then-husband Notorious BIG. It arrived on Bad Boy Records and was almost entirely written and produced by Evans herself. It was a highlight of the 90s soul-pop era with top ten singles including 'All Night Long' and 'Love Like This.' Evans brought plenty of raw pain to her vocal deliveries even though on the surface the commercial r&b tunes are easy to access. It's a heartfelt homage to her late husband that is just as touching today.

Review: Following on from the release of their Funky Divas album, which was a true favourite of the 1990s, back in April, seminal girl group En Vogue now have their best bits assembled on Now Playing, a new album via Rhino. The group was the brainchild of Oakland-based songwriter-producer duo Denzil Foster and Thomas McElroy and was noted for having all four members taking turns to be the lead singers. Their lush harmonies resonate to this day and these original recordings remind of their chart-topping, MTV-ruling glory. They are a magical bend of seductive, soulful vocals with funky beats and plenty of attitude. All hail En Vogue!