Now Available: Nappy Roots, Fat Joe, Twista, and Brandy on Vinyl

As we mentioned this time last week, 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:

Nappy Roots, WATERMELON, CHICKEN & GRITZ: Get it on - Amazon || Rhino
The debut album by these kids from Kentucky was a smash hit, with a great deal of its buzz coming via the success of the single “Awnaw.” but the second single, “Po’ Folks,” was an even bigger hit, climbing to #10 on the Billboard Rap Singles chart. (You may also recall the third single, “Headz Up,” which was a minor hit on Billboard’s R&B / Hip-Hop Chart, hitting #88.)

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Fat Joe, DON CARTAGENA: Get it on - Amazon || Rhino
Joe’s third studio album was actually his major-label debut, landing in stores in September 1998 and not only climbing all the way to #2 on Billboard’s Rap Albums chart but also hitting #7 on the Billboard 200. The title track, which featured Diddy, was a hit single, as was “Bet Ya Man Can’t Triz,” a collaboration with Big Pun, Triple Seis, and Cuban Link.

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Twista, ADRENALINE RUSH: Get it on - Amazon || Rhino
Although not Twista’s debut album, a situation with Atlantic Records led his actual debut, 1994’s RESURRECTION, to only be released in Chicago. As such, ADRENALINE RUSH proved to be the first time that most rap fans in the rest of America heard Twista. Thankfully, they liked him, his album, and his single, “Get It Wet,” which provided him with his first Hot 100 hit.

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Brandy, BRANDY: Get it on - Amazon || Rhino
Not every sitcom actress can make it as a singer, and not every singer can make it as a sitcom actress, but Brandy managed to succeed in both fields, often simultaneously. Indeed, she thrived from the start, with all four singles from her self-titled debut – “I Wanna Be Down,” “Baby,” “Best Friend,” and “Brokenhearted” – making it into the top-40 of Billboard’s Hot 100 and the top-10 of the R&B Singles chart.

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