Videos

The crew recalls a truly unforgettable and tragic event: the murder of Christopher Wallace bka The Notorious B.I.G. aka Biggie aka Biggie Smalls 25 years ago. His murder sent shockwaves throughout the hip-hop and music industry, only six months after the death of his former friend and rival Tupac Shakur.…

B. Cox is joined by Charlee D. of the Word To The Mutha Podcast as they review TLC's debut album, 1992's Ooooooohhh...On The TLC Tip. After forming as a group in Atlanta in the early 90s under the tutelage of writer and producer Dallas Austin, TLC burst on to the…

In another bonus segment of Relics Of The Past, B. Cox examines briefly yet another staple of the golden era-the freestyle cypher in high school. He recalls how the cypher played an important part in developing different tastes in hip-hop and also how it moved forward the acceptance of the…

The crew looks back at Erykah Badu's debut album Baduizm. In a what was becoming a burgeoning sub genre of neo-soul, the Brooklyn-born, Dallas-raised songstress burst onto the scene with a style not typically seen by R&B ladies during that time. With her trademark head wraps and dialed down attire…

In a bonus episode of Relics of The Past, B. Cox takes us on a journey back to a staple of those of who came up in the golden era of hip-hop: the blank cassette tape. He talks the role that the blank tape played in fandom, how it served…

B. Cox and Domo look back on *Musiq* 's (previously known as *Musiq Soulchild* ) second studio album Juslisen as it turns 20. Not even two years after his wildly successful debut album Aijuswanaseing was released, the Philadelphia soul singer was back at it to eclipse his previous effort. Teaming…

B. Cox looks back adn briefly reminisces about hip-hop group *Arrested Development* debut album 3 years, 5 Months and 2 Days In The Life Of... as it turns 30. In the midst of a shift in tone in hip-hop where gangster hip-hop and conscious hip-hop were delintating their lines in…

B. Cox and J. Owe review the Bronx rap duo Camp Lo's cult classic debut Uptown Saturday Night. After spending the initial parts of their careers together apart, Sonny Cheeba and Geechie Suede rose through the independent rap scene and collaborated with up and coming producer Ski for their debut…

In a new bonus episode segement Relics of the Past, B. Cox reminsces about what was the excitement of Record Release Tuesdays. From the late 1980s until 2015, the music industry designated Tuesdays as its Global Release Day; the day that new albums were released. He talks about the hype,…

In a bonus episode of Pop Culture Corner, the crew looks back on the motion picture Juice as it turns 30, featuring the film debuts of Omar Epps and the late Tupac Shakur. The film, which also starred Khalil Kain and Jermaine Hopkins, tells a coming of age, yet ill-fated…

As we continue our special preview of what is to come in 2022, B. Cox looks back on the year of 1997. It was a year of a transition of some sorts and and one of tragedy. Three major deaths marked the year. including the murder of the Notorious B.I.G.…

In a special preview of some what is to come in 2022, B. Cox looks back on the year of 1992, an explosive year of change in American society and hip-hop. It was makred by the chaos of the devestating riots of Los Angeles in the wake of the Rodney…

In the last episode of the year, the crew takes time to rank the albums reviewed from 1991, 1996 and 2001 to put a bow on what has been a busy and memorable year for the podcast. Follow The Vault: Classic Music Reviews Online www.vaultclassicpod.com Support The Vault Classic Music…

B. Cox and J. Owe look back at Nas' fifth album Stillmatic. After a couple of critical disappointments in I Am and Nastradamus in 1999 and the ascent of rival Jay-Z both critically and commercial in the hip-hop game in the new millenium, the Queensbridge emcee launched his "comeback" with…

B. Cox & J. Owe review Redman's classic third album Muddy Waters. After a successful sophmore album Dare Iz A Darkside and a time when Redman self admitted he was in a dark place and time, the Brick City emcee linked back up with fellow Def Squad member Erick Sermon…

B. Cox reviews Tony! Toni! Tone!'s fourth and final album House of Music. After taking a hiatus after the success of their third album Sons of Soul, the Oakland band reunited to record their final effort. Taking a departure from their previous albums, the group adopted a sound that harkened…

B. Cox looks back on Ludacris' sophomore album Word of Mouf as it turns 20. After a commercially successful debut the previous year, the Atlanta emcee burst onto the scene with an equally, if not more impressive follow up. Keeping up with his theme of being braggadocious, witty and comedic…

B. Cox & J. Owe review Mobb Deep's third album Hell On Earth. After releasing their sophmore classic, 1995's The Infamous, to critical acclaim and rave reviews, the duo from Queensbridge followed up the next year with an equally strong effort to announce their intention to be in the game…

The crew reviews Lil' Kim's debut album Hardcore. The highly anticipated debut came on the heels of her being a focal point of Junior M.A.F.I.A's debut the previous year. Unleashing a torrid assult of hardcore lyrics mixed with sexually explicit scenarios and lines that could rival any of her male…

B. Cox & J. Owe look back at the late Tupac Shakur's (recording under the alias Makaveli) fifth studio album and his first posthumous album The Don Killuminati-The 7 Day Theory. Released on Death Row Records not even two months after his fatal shooting in Las Vegas which shook up…

B. Cox & J. Owe review Ice Cube's classic, but controversial second album Death Certificate. After splitting with NWA and dropping his highly acclaimed debut AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted, Cube followed up with a busy 1991 starting his label, kicking off the careers of fellow West Coast emcess Yo-Yo and Del…

The crew take a look back at Wu Tang Clan crew member Ghostface Killah's debut classic album Ironman. After a four year run of exellence that started with the group's groundshifting debut Enter the 36 Chambers followed up by acclaimed solo releases by various group members, the release by the…

B. Cox reviews A Tribe Called Quest's seismic second album The Low End Theory as it turns 30. Fresh of their successful debut People's Instinctive Travels And Their Paths of Rhythm, the quartet-turned-trio from Queens sought to make a deeper impact on their sophomore album. Buoyed by the presence of…

B. Cox reviews The Roots' third studio album, 1996's Illadelph Halflife. After a respectable success and notoriety from their sophomore offering Do You Want More?!!!???!, the hip-hop band and outfit from Philadelphia found themselves moving a little bit away from their live instrumentation 100 percent output and experimented with samples…