Boogie Down Productions

This is a treasure trove of rarities from one of hip-hop's flagship groups. The contentious diss track "South Bronx" and its stellar, exclusive-to-this-collection remix, "Word from Our Sponsor," still provide both a startling inside view of the formative years of hip-hop and a blueprint for all future diss songs. Elsewhere, "Super Hoe" and "Pee is Free" (both in slightly altered, outtake form) pair KRS-One's lyrical bombast with jittery and minimal production. They've aged surprisingly well, maintaining the same jarring rush that made them so compelling in the mid-'80s.