1) The Roots Undun (MCA)

2) Common The Dreamer, The Believer (Warner)

3) Drake Take Care (Cash Money/Universal)

4) Snoop Dogg & Wiz Khalifa  Mac & Devin Go to High School (Atlantic)

5) Wax Tailor Tales of The Forgotten Melodies (Le Plan Music/Decon)

Even though there are lots of new 2012 hip-hop releases dropping as we get further into this new year
there are still many late 2011 releases still selling and charting well at Amoeba San Francisco including recommended  The Roots' recommended  Undun on MCA, Chicago emcee/actor Common's latest album on Warner Brothers The Dreamer, The Believer, and the unstoppably popular Drake's latest/second album Take Care (Cash Money/Universal). The other two releases on this week's Hip-Hop Top Five from the Haight Street Amoeba are the new Wiz/Snoop movie soundtrack (another late 2011 release), and Wax Tailor's album Tales of The Forgotten Melodies which is a much older, albeit amazing, release from the French producer/turntablist. Born Jean-Christophe Le Saoût Wax Tailor has a gift, through his unique layering of sounds and samples and turntable manipulations, of creating these incredible moods. This album was first released in France in 2005 and later picked up in the States by Decon.

In what could easily be called the ultimate stoner duo, two of hip-hop's most outspoken weed advocates (one an OG and one a relative newcomer) Snoop Dogg & Wiz Khalifa team up on the new album Mac & Devin Go to High School on Atlantic which is a soundtrack to the movie that they both star in. or rather it is technically a companion piece to the film with music from and inspired by the movie of the same name in which the two tokers go to High School (think How High - the 2001 stoner comedy film with Method Man and Redman). If you can't believe you somehow missed seeing this new film listed at your local movie theater, you didn't as this is a straight to DVD movie. Meanwhile this soundtrack is a real broad mix of various hip-hop styles that should appeal to fans of both artists. For the twelve track album, which features such party tracks as "Smokin On," "You Can Put It in a Zag, I'mma Put It in a Blunt," and the ever-popular "Young, Wild, and Free (feat Bruno Mars)" that preceded the album's release (video below), Wiz and Snoop have inducted about ten different producers to supply their richly diverse backdrop of beats which, truth be told, is the album's highlight. These producers include Warren G, Jake One, Exile, Drumma Boy, and Cardo. 

UPDATE - July 1 - Unfortunately, all our free passes for the advance screening of Beats, Rhymes & Life are gone. But you can still catch the film when it opens in LA and NY on July 8.


Special advance screening event for Amoeba fans! Visit Amoeba Hollywood starting Thursday, June 30 to get a ticket to a special advance screening of Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels of a Tribe Called Quest, a new feature documentary about one of the most influential and groundbreaking musical groups in Hip-Hop history. Limit 1 pass per person please (each pass admits you + guest).

In 2008, director, actor, and longtime Tribe fan Michael Rapaport went on tour with A Tribe Called Quest when they reunited for the first time in the almost ten years since their last album, The Love Movement (Jive). Rapaport wanted to create a film that documented the tour and explored the group's journey, successes, interpersonal differences, and their influence on the Hip-Hop community and music in general. The film also features interviews and stories from Busta Rhymes, De La Soul, Common, Beastie Boys, Pharrell, Mos Def, Kanye West, Pete Rock, and many more. Plus, Madlib provided original music for the film and Peanut Butter Wolf was its music supervisor.

Amoeba is pleased to present an advance screening and special Q&A with Michael Rapaport and Peanut Butter Wolf at the Los Angeles Film School on Thursday, July 7 at 7pm. Tickets to this event are free & available starting Thursday June 30 at Amoeba Hollywood. Just ask for them at the info counter. Limit 1 pass per person (each pass admits you + guest).

While you cannot repeat the greatness of a hip-hop classic verbatim, you sure can pay homage to it. Case in point is the fantastic new Elizhi tribute to Nas' timeless "It Ain't Hard To Tell" from the hip-hop legend's critically acclaimed 1994 debut album Illmatic. The inspired tribute track by the underrated gifted Detroit emcee Elzhi (video above directed by Michael Castelaz) appears on his new 10-track mixtape CD Elmatic which, in conjunction with XXL magazine is available for free download here. It was produced entirely by Will Sessions with guest spots from both Illmatic beatmaker Pete Rock and Detroit rapper Royce da 5’9” (who this month will be dropping the Eminem collab Bad Meets Evil's Hell The Sequel EP on Shady Records)

It is now 20 years since Nas first appeared on record when in 1991, then known as Nasty Nas, the teenaged MC made a memorable cameo on Main Source's single "Live At The BBQ." from the album Breaking Atoms. The following year he made another great guest spot on 3rd Bass' MC Serch's "Back To The Grill Again" single. Serch became Nas' manager and was instrumental in him signing with Columbia Records and hence in launching the career of one of hip-hop's greatest lyricists. The single "Halftime" from Serch's soundtrack for the 1992 movie Zebrahead was Nas' official solo debut. The song would also appear on Nas' debut album Illmatic which would not be released until two years later, in 1994.

So many amazing artists have performed live at Amoeba over the years!

While they are at our stores we like to take some time to get to know 'em a little better by having interviews, which we capture on video because we want you to have as much access as us! Check out just sampling of the MANY great artist interviews we have on our website below! For even more interviews click here!