Vinyl Me Please Rap & Hip Hop

[duke86fan]

Aww hey look, Storf doesn't do himself any favors with his social media uhh, attitude... but c'mon, i don't think he's a bad dude. Picking albums every month that like 30,000 subscribers will all like is a thoroughly thankless job. There's no winning that battle. In my opinion, the biggest problem with VMP is their systems. In terms of ROTMS and tracks and options per month there isn't a single other record of the month club that even comes close in terms of options per month or transparency of mastering and pressing details... I mean there just isn't. Sure they are an ABSOLUTE disaster in terms of shipping and fulfillment but when you look at the fact that they are trying to come up with THREE albums every month that 30,000 people will want... that's nigh on impossible. I really hope they get their systems sorted but in my opinion their acquisitions team is incredible. When you're talking about getting the licenses to press various artists and albums, that shit isn't easy and man if they don't nail some seriously huge releases, pretty frequently. Look I don't have De Stijl yet, and it pisses me off. But they actually convinced Jack White, who owns a massive pressing plant, to allow them to press arguably HIS most famous album and that is honestly some impressive shit. Yeah the prices are getting high but find me another ROTM club that puts out pressings that rival Analogue Productions or Mofi pressings on a monthly basis. As far as I know, unless you're spending hundreds a month, there isn't one.

i mean... you make some good points.. they are definitely better than some of the alternatives like VNYL (what happened to them) and vinyl moon (only exists in vinyl eyez sponsorships)

Look I don't have De Stijl yet, and it pisses me off. But they actually convinced Jack White, who owns a massive pressing plant, to allow them to press arguably HIS most famous album and that is honestly some impressive shit.

Definitely "arguably".. because in terms of critical opinion elephant is considered their masterpiece and their breakthrough came with white blood cells

Yeah the prices are getting high but find me another ROTM club that puts out pressings that rival Analogue Productions or Mofi pressings on a monthly basis

saying they rival MoFi and Analogue Productions seems like a bold statement... people have got on Gz for its quality a good amount of times, not everyone get the QRP ryan smith mastering unless you are getting classics, R&HH can be great to meh and essentials has the same issues. though infamously the exclusives can have a lot of accidents coming out

 

[duke86fan]

And yes, having the Classics add-on for only USD$23 (free shipping) is unbeatable value! They sound just as good as the 33RPM Analogue Productions pressings I have! I love VMP so much and am so happy that it seems like they are still going strong as a company!

wait dont you get all the VMP stuff for free for life?

 

[NathanRicaud]

wait dont you get all the VMP stuff for free for life?

 

[NathanRicaud]

wait dont you get all the VMP stuff for free for life?

Just playing around!

I get the free membership to a single track of my choice. Which does save me a bit of money because I live in Australia and would have to pay international rates if I had to become a member! Everything else, I have to pay for of course! So I pay for the 2 x USD$23 add-ons every month!

 

[NathanRicaud]

It’s totally gonna be something we already guessed.

Hopefully it's Ol' Dirty Bastard! Especially as Return to The 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version, does sample a song off the Otis Redding Classics ROTM!

 

[Mather]

saying they rival MoFi and Analogue Productions seems like a bold statement... people have got on Gz for its quality a good amount of times, not everyone get the QRP ryan smith mastering unless you are getting classics, R&HH can be great to meh and essentials has the same issues. though infamously the exclusives can have a lot of accidents coming out

Dukey I didn't say they rival AP and Mofi, I said they put out pressings that rival AP and Mofi. Yes these pressings are generally in the Classics sub, but find me another ROTM club that month to month puts out AAA pressed and mastered albums done by world class mastering engineers like Kevin Gray and Chris Bellman at pressing plants like QRP for a monthly price of $23. I mean there just isn't one. Everyone can argue till the end of time whether certain albums are better than other albums or whether this artist is more worthy than that artist but the bottom line for me is the acquisitions team at VMP kill it almost every month. It's not easy to get the rights to press tens of thousands of copies of a record every month. And when you look at almost any other record club (that I've seen) none of them even come close unless you are paying 3 to 4 times as much.

 

[dwgshaker]

Call me an optimist but as this point I'm expecting to be pleasantly surprised by the RHH pick. The idea that it could be Dougie or Capleton is so blatantly ridiculous to me that I'd dismiss it in a heartbeat, they were nothing albums when they dropped and they are still nothing albums, even the most rose-tinted of revisionist glasses couldn't see them as anything else... it is remarkable that, in an era of such rich pickings, the last three 90's picks wouldn't even feature on most lists of the top 200 hip-hop albums of the 90's (albeit the three before certainly would)... but that poor streak has got to come to an end at some point and I'm hoping/betting it will be this month (whilst conscious these words could come back to haunt me!)

 

[dhodo]

Dukey I didn't say they rival AP and Mofi, I said they put out pressings that rival AP and Mofi. Yes these pressings are generally in the Classics sub, but find me another ROTM club that month to month puts out AAA pressed and mastered albums done by world class mastering engineers like Kevin Gray and Chris Bellman at pressing plants like QRP for a monthly price of $23. I mean there just isn't one. Everyone can argue till the end of time whether certain albums are better than other albums or whether this artist is more worthy than that artist but the bottom line for me is the acquisitions team at VMP kill it almost every month. It's not easy to get the rights to press tens of thousands of copies of a record every month. And when you look at almost any other record club (that I've seen) none of them even come close unless you are paying 3 to 4 times as much.

But that doesn't have anything to do with the RHH track that dukey was complaining about. Just because they are better than alternatives doesn't make them great. Clubs aren't a plus for the consumer unless their curation is a perfect fit for you (Or if they offer cheaper shipping than alternatives for international customers).

Saying it's $23 is disingenuous. Of course they can charge $23 for add on tracks when just as many of their pressings are GZ DMM people are paying $27-$31 for.

Tons of albums pressed by STERLING are sold below VMPs most popular 3 month subscription price. I can't remember the last time I saw a VMP ROTM press that was Chris Bellman, but he is all over cheaper pressings too. When is the last time Kevin Gray cut one? Aren't all of the Classics Ryan Smith now?

I think VMP generally puts out a good product, especially when they pick an album I actually want for Classics, or decide to actually care about the mastering for another track, but I think you are way overstating their case by focusing on positives that are not consistent across all three tracks and ignoring their at times bizarre bargain bin curation.

I agree that their transparency of mastering is a plus, but isn't that because we badgered them into it? They used to always leave that out until it was announced and then we would ask Storf on the forum and still they would frequently list the CD mastering credits or something else wrong for exclusives or the non-exclusives in the shop. Although I guess that was around the same time they actually started taking mastering seriously and started prioritizing it for Classics, which was a while after the Classics track started.

 

[dhodo]

Call me an optimist but as this point I'm expecting to be pleasantly surprised by the RHH pick. The idea that it could be Dougie or Capleton is so blatantly ridiculous to me that I'd dismiss it in a heartbeat, they were nothing albums when they dropped and they are still nothing albums, even the most rose-tinted of revisionist glasses couldn't see them as anything else... it is remarkable that, in an era of such rich pickings, the last three 90's picks wouldn't even feature on most lists of the top 200 hip-hop albums of the 90's (albeit the three before certainly would)... but that poor streak has got to come to an end at some point and I'm hoping/betting it will be this month (whilst conscious these words could come back to haunt me!)

You think most people would put Teflon Don in the top 200, but not A Prince Among Thieves? I didn't pick up either, since I've only been getting one a month, but I feel like I should get Prince Paul as a swap if I can.

Edit: Oops, sorry I didn't realize you said 90s. Still, I think some people would definitely put A Prince Among Thieves in their top 200 for 90s.

 

[NathanRicaud]

You think most people would put Teflon Don in the top 200, but not A Prince Among Thieves? I didn't pick up either, since I've only been getting one a month, but I feel like I should get Prince Paul as a swap if I can.

Get the Prince Paul if you can! It sounds great and it’s a great listen! I’m sure you’ll giggle at some of the interludes and will be impressed by the production and overall aesthetic of the album!

 

[dhodo]

Get the Prince Paul if you can! It sounds great and it’s a great listen! I’m sure you’ll giggle at some of the interludes and will be impressed by the production and overall aesthetic of the album!

I do enjoy the album, but I think it works a lot better as a dedicated listen and I was trying to stick to one album per month. I love Sahara and didn't have a copy, so I prioritized that. I just listened to the podcast Prince Paul did with Open Mike Eagle and that increased my appreciation for it, so I might try to swap for it this month.

 

[dwgshaker]

You think most people would put Teflon Don in the top 200, but not A Prince Among Thieves? I didn't pick up either, since I've only been getting one a month, but I feel like I should get Prince Paul as a swap if I can.

Edit: Oops, sorry I didn't realize you said 90s. Still, I think some people would definitely put A Prince Among Thieves in their top 200 for 90s.

Prince Among Thieves is a good album don't get me wrong, certainly better than Da Brat or Salt N Pepa, but it wouldn't make a top 20 for 1998 and therefore a top 200 for the 90's... case in point this particular list (which I don't necessarily agree with) doesn't even give it an honourable mention and they have 74 albums listed!

Top 40 Hip Hop Albums 1998 - Hip Hop Golden Age

Top 40 Hip Hop Albums 1998: Check this list with HHGA's 40 favorite 1998 Hip Hop albums and share your opinion in the comments!

hiphopgoldenage.com

I'm sure you can find other lists that do include it but I would suggest the majority of people would not feature this in their top 20 for that particular year... it made the RHH sub because VMP have a chummy relationship with Tommy Boy, not because it's a classic album that needs to be celebrated...

 

[dhodo]

Prince Among Thieves is a good album don't get me wrong, certainly better than Da Brat or Salt N Pepa, but it wouldn't make a top 20 for 1998 and therefore a top 200 for the 90's... case in point this particular list (which I don't necessarily agree with) doesn't even give it an honourable mention and they have 74 albums listed!

Top 40 Hip Hop Albums 1998 - Hip Hop Golden Age

Top 40 Hip Hop Albums 1998: Check this list with HHGA's 40 favorite 1998 Hip Hop albums and share your opinion in the comments!

hiphopgoldenage.com

I'm sure you can find other lists that do include it but I would suggest the majority of people would not feature this in their top 20 for that particular year... it made the RHH sub because VMP have a chummy relationship with Tommy Boy, not because it's a classic album that needs to be celebrated...

I'm not saying everyone would agree, but it seems to be held in high regard for it's vision and execution of concept.

It is at number 5 for hip hop in 1999 on RYM, so clearly some people would put it in their top 20 hip hop albums for that year. Not sure if I would, as I am pretty new to it and it is hard to weigh it's theatrical nature against an album full of awesome singles, you know?

Edit: oh, you were looking at the wrong year. That same site put it at number 9 for 1999.

 

[supahypeag]

I re-subbed just for the Prince Paul, so I’m happy it was the selection. I’m a sucker for a concept album.

 

[dwgshaker]

I'm not saying everyone would agree, but it seems to be held in pretty high regard for it's vision and execution.

It is at number 5 for hip hop in 1999 on RYM, so clearly some people would put it in their top 20 hip hop albums for that year. Not sure if I would, as I am pretty new to it and it is hard to weigh it's theatrical nature against an album full of awesome singles, you know?

Edit: oh, you were looking at the wrong year. That same site put it at number 9 for 1999.

Lol... in which case I stand corrected... although I would suggest the point remains that none of the last three 90's picks have exactly been classic material... albeit Prince Among Thieves is by far the best of the three...

 

[dhodo]

Lol... in which case I stand corrected... although I would suggest the point remains that none of the last three 90's picks have exactly been classic material... albeit Prince Among Thieves is by far the best of the three...

Yeah, don't get me wrong. I strongly agree with your sentiment about their track record with the 90s, but I think Prince Among Thieves was a pretty good pick. I think it along with Blackalicious and El-P are worlds above the rest of the picks this year.

 

[Bluecloud777]

I do enjoy the album, but I think it works a lot better as a dedicated listen and I was trying to stick to one album per month. I love Sahara and didn't have a copy, so I prioritized that. I just listened to the podcast Prince Paul did with Open Mike Eagle and that increased my appreciation for it, so I might try to swap for it this month.

Really can recommend that Prince Paul record. Sounds excellent to me and the album is really great. One of my favorite RHH RotMs.

 

[2e7en]

Wow here we are Sunday Morning and still no idea what this record is. It's killing me! Still hoping for Lord Finesse.

 

[Mather]

But that doesn't have anything to do with the RHH track that dukey was complaining about. Just because they are better than alternatives doesn't make them great. Clubs aren't a plus for the consumer unless their curation is a perfect fit for you (Or if they offer cheaper shipping than alternatives for international customers).

Saying it's $23 is disingenuous. Of course they can charge $23 for add on tracks when just as many of their pressings are GZ DMM people are paying $27-$31 for.

Tons of albums pressed by STERLING are sold below VMPs most popular 3 month subscription price. I can't remember the last time I saw a VMP ROTM press that was Chris Bellman, but he is all over cheaper pressings too. When is the last time Kevin Gray cut one? Aren't all of the Classics Ryan Smith now?

I think VMP generally puts out a good product, especially when they pick an album I actually want for Classics, or decide to actually care about the mastering for another track, but I think you are way overstating their case by focusing on positives that are not consistent across all three tracks and ignoring their at times bizarre bargain bin curation.

I agree that their transparency of mastering is a plus, but isn't that because we badgered them into it? They used to always leave that out until it was announced and then we would ask Storf on the forum and still they would frequently list the CD mastering credits or something else wrong for exclusives or the non-exclusives in the shop. Although I guess that was around the same time they actually started taking mastering seriously and started prioritizing it for Classics, which was a while after the Classics track started.

No ROTM club is ever going to be a perfect fit for anyone, it's impossible. There are always going to be hits and misses.

Like I said l, find me another ROTM club that puts out AAA remastered high quality audiophile releases for less than hundreds of dollars a month. I didn't say there weren't cheaper albums to be bought in stores that are mastered by KG or CB, of course there are. But to my knowledge there aren't any other clubs around doing this. Whether it's $23 or $37 that's still under the price of most APs or Mofis after shipping. It doesn't really matter WHY they're doing it or whether we badgered them into it (we totally did and I'm proud of us for that), the bottom line is they are doing it. I've looked at other clubs and there is virtually no mention of any pressing details of any kind to be found, even in high priced ones like The Vault. I know the picks aren't always the ones we want but seriously, the ability they have to cross as many genres as they do and actually get permission to press as many different big and diverse albums as they do is impressive. Literally no other club I'm aware of is able to do this.

Okay, now if it's Capleton I will BURN THIS PLACE TO THE GROUND

 

[BazookaTooth]

Like I said l, find me another ROTM club that puts out AAA remastered high quality audiophile releases for less than hundreds of dollars. I didn't say there weren't cheaper albums to be bought in stores that are mastered by KG or CB, of course there are. But to my knowledge there aren't any other clubs around doing this. Whether it's $23 or $37 that's still under the price of most APs or Mofis after shipping. It doesn't really matter WHY they're doing it or whether we badgered them into it (we totally did and I'm proud of us for that), the bottom line is they are doing it. I've looked at other clubs and there is virtually no mention of any pressing details of any kind to be found, even in high priced ones like The Vault. I know the picks aren't always the ones we want but seriously, the ability they have to cross as many genres as they do and actually get permission to press as many different big and diverse albums as they do is impressive. Literally no other club I'm aware of is able to do this.

Okay, now if it's Capleton I will BURN THIS PLACE TO THE GROUND

fiyaaaaaah !