Various Artists - Wild Style

Animal Records – founded by Chris Stein of Blondie fame – only ever released one album in its brief early-80s history, but what an album that was. Wild Style remains the most seminal soundtrack in hip-hop history, a snapshot of the scene as it evolved from the streets to the recording studio. But it's not just a vital document, it's also a damn good listen.

The line-up is a who's who of those who stood out from hip-hop's nascent block party days. The Double Trouble pairing of Rodney Cee and KK Rockwell, The Chief Rocker himself, Busy Bee, the mighty line-ups of both The Cold Crush Brothers and The Fantastic Freaks. The music captures the free-form, roaming nature of the film – it's rough at the edges, it's occasionally amateurish, but it's completely, utterly glorious.
 
The original Animal track listing, of which this is a reissue, is full of recurring sounds and motifs, all of them co-produced by Chris Stein and Fab Five Freddy, stepping away from breakbeats to produce a sound that reminds you of them, while being totally unique. The epic drums are courtesy of Lenny 'Ferrari' Ferraro, a Vietnam vet and punk drummer whose career spanned stints backing Aretha Franklin and Lou Reed.

Over time, those sounds – the Charlie Chase and Grand Wizard Theodore scratches, the indelible lyrics - have become hip- hop touchstones, endlessly sampled and referenced, the bedrock of so much music to follow. That's because the soundtrack perfectly encapsulated the essence of the film, the scene and hip hop's emergence from The Bronx to the attention of the wider world. Presented in this reissue with the original artwork, it remains the blueprint.

Tracklist:

1. Grand Master Caz & Chris Stein - Wild Style Theme Rap 1
2. The Chief Rocker Busy Bee Vs Lil Rodney Cee & D.J. Grand Wizard Theodore - M.C. Battle
3. The Cold Crush Bros Vs The Fantastic Freaks - Basketball Throwdown
4. Kevie Kev, Master Rob, Prince Whipper Whip, M.C., Rubie Dee, Dota Rock, D.J.
Grand Wizard Theodore - Fantastic Freaks At The Dixie
5. Grand Wizard Theodore & D.J. Kevie Kev Rockwell - Military Cut-Scratch Mix
6. Grand Master Caz, Jdl, Easy Ad, Kg, D.J. Charlie Chase, D.J. Toney Tone - Cold
Crush Bros. At The Dixie
7. Double Trouble, Rodney Cee, K. K. Rockwell - Stoop Rap
8. Rodney Cee, K. K. Rockwell, D.J. Stevie Steve - Double Trouble At The Amphitheatre
9. Grand Master Caz & Chris Stein - Wild Style Subway Rap 2
10. The Chief Rocker Busy Bee, Dj Aj - The Chief Rocker Busy Bee, D.J. Aj At The Amphitheatre
11. D.J. Grand Wizard Theodore & Kevie Kev Rockwell - Gangbusters Scratch Mix
12. Rammellzee & Shock Dell & The Grand Mixer Dst - Rammellzee And Shock Dell At The Amphitheatre