Now Available: En Vogue, Lupe, and THE KING & I on vinyl

June is African-American Music Appreciation Month, and as much as it sounds like a holiday that would’ve emerged from a record company board room, it’s actually something that’s been on the books since President Jimmy Carter decreed it back on June 7, 1979.

Rhino is celebrating the month by releasing several albums on vinyl – some recent releases, some classics – and here are the details on this week’s batch:

En Vogue, FUNKY DIVAS: Although they began their ascent to superstardom with their debut album, it was this, their 1992 sophomore effort, that took them the rest of the way, thanks to such hit singles as “My Lovin’ (You’re Never Gonna Get It),” “Giving Him Something He Can Feel,” and “Free Your Mind.”

Lupe Fiasco, LUPE FIASCO’S THE COOL: Another sophomore effort that proved to be a huge smash, this 2007 album premiered at #15 on the Billboard 200 and debuted in the top spot of the magazine’s Rap Albums chart. Although it was actually a concept album, you may remember it from such singles as “Superstar,” “Hip Hop Saved My Life,” and “Paris, Tokyo.”

Faith Evans, THE KING & I: This one only came out last month, so it’s quite possible that you’ve already heard everything there is to hear about it at this point. Just in case, though, we’ll offer you a quick refresher course: it’s a 25-track effort that tells the Faith & Biggie story with the help of some previously-unreleased material from Biggie’s vault, along with guest appearances from – among others – Busta Rhymes, Jadakiss, Lil’ Cease, Lil’ Kim, Sheek Louch, Styles P, and Snoop Dogg.