This came out in 2000 — or at least that’s when I got it. Here’s what I said about it back then (with some minor editing):
Every rap fan who knows Marley Marl from Marky Mark should own a copy of Ego Trip’s Book of Rap Lists, an irreverent hip-hop refence guide that catalogs everything from The First 10 Platinum Rap Albums to Eight Songs About Body Odour.
It’s one of the the few books I’ve read that deserves its own soundtrack. Thankfully, the folks at Ego Trip Magazine had the same idea. The Big Playback is the groovalicious result. Get out your Adidas, dust off your Kangol and breakdance back into the ’80s with these vintage slices of body-rockin’ rhyme and rhythm from slept-on acts like Divine Force, The Bizzie Boys and The Alliance. No gunshots, no gangsters, no gore — just samplers, scratching and solid-gold musical skills from back in the day when rap was more than a marketing stance. The Big Playback will top your playlist.
