Profile Records New Rap Anthology Goes Back To Basics, Highlights Rap’s Humble Beginnings

Dr. Jeckyll & Mr. Hyde was a 1980s hip hop group consisting of Andre "Dr. Jeckyll" Harrell and Alonzo "Mr. Hyde" Brown.

“ Their embrace of rap, for its commercial merits was just what hip-hop needed to survive the jump to records.
” Dan Charnas Thirty years ago, independent record label Profile Records released Genius Rap by Dr. Jeckyll & Mr. Hyde; it would go on to become their first hit record and had simultaneously started an underground movement that shaped the culture that surrounds hip-hop and rap as we know it today.

To celebrate and remember such a groundbreaking time in music, Profile Records went back into the vaults to create Giant Single: The Profile Records Rap Anthology. The compilation brings fans a solid collection of historic ’80s and ’90s songs that helped the then-unorthodox style reach mass audiences around the world.

Who could imagine a world without the unmistakable sounds of Run-D.M.C. or soulful vibes of Disco Four? It seems improbable, but it would be a harsh reality if not for the hard work and dedication that it took to get Profile Records and its artists off the ground in the early days that followed its inception.

The label and its unique artists were a key factor in bringing these acts to mass audiences, and now fans can relive the days when rap music was looked at as just a passing phase in the music world. Hearing the songs on Giant Single really puts into perspective the evolution that hip-hop and rap as we know it today has gone through.

Songs like Pebblee-Poo‘s A Fly Guy and Born And Raised In Compton by DJ Quik will give this generation’s music fans who weren’t lucky enough to be there during the initial movement a great glimpse into the roots of where the elements found in some of today biggest songs come from.

Below, check out a live video from 1984 featuring Run-D.M.C. performing Sucker MC‘s: 

The full track list for Giant Single: The Profile Records Rap Anthology is as follows:

CD 1:
1. Genius Rap – Dr. Jeckyll & Mr. Hyde (1981)
2. Whip Rap – Disco Four (1982)
3. Beat Bop – Rammelzee VS K-Rob (1983)
4. Fresh – Fresh 3 MC’s (1983)
5. Here Comes That Beat! – Pumpkin & The Profile All-Stars (1984)
6. King Kut – Word Of Mouth (1985)
7. Sucker M.C.’s (Krush-Groove 1) – Run-D.M.C. (1983)
8. A Fly Guy – Pebblee Poo (1985)
9. Nightmares – Dana Dane (1985)
10. Get Off My Tip! – The Masterdon Committee (1986)
11. Lies. Lies – Rap-O-Matic Ltd. (1986)
12. I Can’t Wait (To Rock The Mike) – Spyder D (1986)
13. Drag Rap – The Showboys (1986)
14. It’s My Beat – Sweet Tee & Jazzy Joyce (1986)
15. Ragamuffin Hip-Hop – Asher D & Daddy Freddy (1987)

CD 2:
1. Walk This Way – Run-D.M.C. (1986)
2. Cinderfella Dana Dane – Dana Dane (1987)
3. It Takes Two – Rob Base & DJ E-Z Rock (1988)
4. Beats To The Rhyme – Run-D.M.C. (1988)
5. Give ‘Em A Sample – Too Kool Posse (1988)
6. I Got It Made – Special Ed (1989)
7. Do It To The Crowd – Twin Hype (1989)
8. Hey Love – King Sun (1989)
9. Ah, And We Do It Like This – Onyx (1990)
10. Rock Dis Funky Joint – Poor Righteous Teachers (1990)
11. Born And Raised In Compton – DJ Quik (1991)
12. Be True To Yourself – 2nd II None (1991)
13. Zulu War Chant – Time Zone (1993)
14. Whutcha Want? – Nine (1994)
15. Broken Language – Smoth Da Hustler (1995)
16. Luchini AKA This Is It – Camp Lo (1996)

Get Giant Single: The Profile Records Rap Anthology today at Amazon!