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VMP ANTHOLOGY

The Story of Memphis Rap

Introducing VMP Anthology 20: The Story of Memphis Rap, a trunk-rattling nine-album, 11 LP set of Bluff City Bangers — the fourth VMP Anthology produced with Now-Again Records.

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This keeps the legacy rolling and the legacy means everything. It’s your reputation - your name - and you guard it with everything. And this is keeping it out, and alive, in the world…. to that even those that don’t know, but want to know, can find out about what happened. It can be archived. Forever.
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Skinny Pimp
Featured Artist

Get The Whole Story

VMP Anthology goes beyond the nine albums included in your box. Alongside your box and the albums within it, we provide in-depth, original Listening Notes and a digestible multi-episode podcast series to serve as your definitive guide though these records. VMP Anthology isn’t just a box set, created to gather dust on your shelves — it’s an immersive and transformative story that comes alive for you to spend weeks (or longer!) inside of.

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Gimisum Family
Gimisum Family (1993)
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Skinny Pimp
Vol. 1 (1993)
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Gangsta Blac
Breakin Da Law (1994)
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Carmike
Comin' At Yo Ass (1994)
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Shawty Pimp & MC Spade
Vol. 2: Gotta Get My Pimp On (1994)
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MC Money & Gangsta Gold
Da Hard Ov Frayser (1995)
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DJ Zirk
Looken For Tha Chewin (1996)
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Lil Ced
Playin' By The Rules (1997)
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MC Mack
Chapters Of Tha Mack For Life (Greatest Hits 1993-1996) (2000)

What's Included

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Accompanying Podcast Series
Our Anthology podcast is here to guide you through The Story of Memphis Rap with interviews with several of the artists featured in the box.
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Bluff City Bangers
First 1,000 are numbered, pressed on 180g black vinyl at GZ.
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Archival Mastering
Cassette transfers were done by Scott Bomar and Adam Hill at Electraphonic Recording in Memphis, Tennessee. Jason Bitner restored and remastered the audio for vinyl, and lacquers were cut by Cicely Balston at AIR Mastering.
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Listening Notes
Read the story of these nine albums in a sprawling, 28-page Listening Notes booklet, written by box set co-producer Torii MacAdams. It captures the story of Memphis Rap starting with the city’s founding and ending with an auto supply shop that sold these albums over the counter, with all the points in between.
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Premium Commemorative Box
Designed by Errol F. Richardson, this box captures the original spirit and style of these albums’ original, DIY cassette releases with its distinctive use of type and texture. Each artist involved in this Anthology contributed thoughts to the packaging and art direction.
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How Was The Audio Sourced?

The masters for this lo-fi, cassette-based movement were often just that: cassettes themselves. In many, if not all, instances, the original masters have been lost, but Now-Again Records searched far and wide for the best iterations of the music within The Story of Memphis Rap. Restored and remastered by Jason Bitner, and with lacquers cut by Cicely Balston at AIR Mastering, these albums are presented at their trunk-rattling best.

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Podcast & Listening Notes

Go beyond the albums by reading our 28-page Listening Notes booklet, written by box producer Torii MacAdams. It covers the genesis of Memphis rap and why these albums are so pivotal to the musical history of the Bluff City. Our accompanying podcast features interviews with some of the artists on the box, telling their own story of Memphis rap. Find it on streaming services when your Anthology ships, and listen to each corresponding episode as you make your way through the records in your box.

FAQS

Got a question?

VMP Anthology is the vinyl box set, reinvented. It aims to use music to tell a story, and gives space for lots of listening, learning, and conversation along the way.
VMP started as a record of the month club in 2013 and has expanded into an online record store and magazine.
Shipping is free in the U.S. and $30 internationally. Records will be sent in one shipment. Orders are expected to ship in March 2024. Timeline is subject to change due. We will notify you of any shipping updates.
We created VMP Anthology for people who recognize that every album has a deep story to tell. By breaking up the albums into 4 weeks, we give you space to truly listen and absorb each individual recording, listen to the podcast and soak it in. Of course, this is just a suggested cadence!
Nope! We built VMP Anthology as a way for all fans to experience music more deeply, and VMP membership is not required.
Yes, shipping is available in 16 countries in addition to the U.S. (view all FAQs for more details). For international customers, customs and duties will be due upon receipt.
Afterpay is an interest-free financing option that allows you to make four bi-weekly (every two weeks) installment payments rather than one upfront payment. If you choose Afterpay at checkout, you will be redirected to the Afterpay site to create an account and to complete your payment. You won’t be charged any interest or fees, as long as your payments are made on time. At this time, Afterpay is only available for customers in the United States.
To get the Member Price, you must be an active VMP Member for our monthly record subscription (and make sure you are logged in).

The Story of Memphis Rap

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