B. Cox & J. Owe review *50 Cent* 's explosive debut album Get Rich or Die Tryin' as it turns 20. After a successful run as a protege of Run DMC's Jam Master Jay, the Queens youth turned drug dealer turned emcee was set to make his mark after series…
In a special bonus edition of Pop Culture Corner , B.Cox explores the dynamics of the many layers and styles of hip-hop and urban fashion in the 90s. After experiencing a very colorful and avant garde fashion sense in the 80s, the hip-hop and urban music scene in the 1990s…
B. Cox reflects on the year that was 2003. In a year that saw Western Powers kick their war against dictatorships in the Middle East into full gear and saw the U.S. biggest state in political turmoil, the music scene was successfully and commercially thriving. It was highlighted by the…
B. Cox looks back at the year that was 1998. As the United States and the world had the new millennium within eye sight, there were uncertain times in the world politically and socially. Admist all the turmoil and uncertainty, the year delivered one of the best combined critical and…
B. Cox reflects on the year that was 1993; a year that saw the election of a generational U.S. president, two sports dynasties repeating their excellence, a unthinkable terrorist attack that shook the nation as well as a monumental year in hip-hop and R&B with a number of classics that…
In the last episode of the year, B. Cox gives The Vault's rankings for the top hip-hop & R&B albums reviewed from 1992, 1997 and 2002 to put a bow on what has been another busy and memorable year for the podcast. *Visit The Vault Classic Music Reviews Online* www.vaultclassicpod.com…
B. Cox and J. Owe look back at *Dr. Dre* 's transcendent debut album The Chronic as it turns 30. After spending half a decade as the architect and chief producer for both NWA and Ruthless Records, Dr. Dre split in 1991 to help co-found Death Row Records with *Marion…
In a clip from our “Year End Wrap Up: ‘92, ‘97 & ‘02”, we reflect on our journey starting our podcast from where we are now. We can’t thank the listeners enough. 2022 was great. Let’s make 2023 even better. Keep spreading the word! #OpenTheVault #NBTC Visit our website! www.vaultclassicpod.com
B. Cox reviews *Nas* ' sixth studio album God's Son as it turns 20. Capping off a productive year, the Queens emcee released his third project in 12 months following up the classic album Stillmatic and the compilation of unreleased tracks The Lost Tapes. It was seen as a continuation…
B. Cox looks back at *The Pharcyde* 's debut classic album Bizarre Ride II The Pharcyde as it turns 30. In the midst of a genre shift of power over their home base of California, the former dancers turns emcees and producers released their debut album to little fanfare, but…
B. Cox and J. Owe review reggae superstar *Sean Paul* 's classic sophomore album Dutty Rock as it turns 20. After a fairly successful debut album Stage One two years prior, Paul sought to capitalize on what was a burgeoning and receptive dancehall market in the United States since the…
B. Cox ** reviews *Ice Cube* 's third album The Predator as it turns 30. In the midst of the one most prolific and successful runs in hip-hop history stretching back his days as with NWA, the soon-to-be West Coast icon created and released his album in the time of…
B. Cox looks back at *Jay-Z* 's second studio album In My Lifetime, Vol. 1 as it turns 25. After a critical, yet not lucratively commercially, success of his classic debut Reasonable Doubt the previous year, the Brooklyn emcee looked to elevate his game and take the spot as the…
In this bonus segment of *Pop Culture Corner* , B. Cox looks back at that the black romantic comedy that was Brown Sugar as it turns 20. The film, which co-starred *Sanaa Lathan* and *Taye Diggs* , as lifelong friends who fell in love with hip-hop (and each other) as…
B.Cox looks back at underground powerhouse label *Rawkus Records* and their first major compilation album Soundbombing , which turns 25. After releasing Company Flow's now legendary debut LP Funcrusher Plus earlier in the summer, the label released the compilation with previously released 12" singles in mixtape format. Mixed, scratched and…
B. Cox reviews *Redman* 's debut album Whut? Thee Album as it turns 30. After starting his career as a DJ for DoItAll For Lords of the Underground, a chance encounter withe *EPMD* , led the young Newark emcee on a path that would make him one of the best…
B. Cox takes a look at R&B and pop icon *Janet Jackson* 's sixth studio album The Velvet Rope , as it turns 25. On the heels of negotiating and signing the biggest record label contract in history and her successful album tour from her fifth album J anet ,…
In this bonus segment of Relics Of The Past, B. Cox looks back on a vital part of every hip-hop head's car journey in the 90s and 2000s: the CD binder aka "The CD Book". He explains the different types of books that existed, how each user would organize their…
In a bonus episode, B.Cox looks back on what he thinks may be the greatest R&B release week of the 1990s: September 16, 1997. During that release week, four classic and essential albums graced the store shelves and stereos everywhere: *Mariah Carey* 's Butterfly , *Usher* 's My Way ,…
B. Cox commemorates *The Vault: Classic Music Reviews Podcast* on its third anniversary. It's been a long journey in the three years since the first episode posted highlighting Mobb Deep's Murda Muzik. He gives a basic history on how the show became into existence, the challenges through COVID and his…
B. Cox looks back at Virginia rap duo *Clipse* 's major label debut album Lord Willin' as it turns 20. The group, made up of brothers *Gene* " *Malice* " and *Terrence* " *Pusha* *T* " *Thornton* grew up in Virginia Beach and were close associates of producer *Pharrell Williams*…
B. Cox reviews Brooklyn and Diggin in The Crates (DITC) emcee *O.C.* 's second album Jewelz as it turns 25. After his critically acclaimed 1994 debut album Word...Life , O.C. took to the road to tour exclusively for almost three years. When he returned to the booth to record his…
B. Cox reviews Scarface's classic 7th album The Fix as it turns 20. After leaving long time label Rap-A Lot, the Houston veteran emcee moved to Def Jam South as their president, but was coaxed into releasing first and only studio album while on the label. Assisted by an all-star…
B. Cox reviews *EPMD* 's fourth album Business Never Personal as it turns 30. After three successful albums that carried them through the peak of hip-hop's golden era, EPMD released their fourth album and seemed primed for success well into the 90s. The album is packed into less than 40…