The Classic Material ‘bonus’ mixes fill the gaps in the original Classic Material Hip Hop History mixtape series, each exploring a specific sub genre or spin off genre not covered in the main series. #5 delves into Mid 90s R&B, specifically the pairing of R&B vocals with classic Hip Hop production, ’Hip Hop Soul’, the natural evolution from New Jack Swing, covered in the previous edition. The mix features production from many of those frequently associated with the sound, The Untouchables, Sean Combes et al, alongside names from the Hip Hop underground who dabbled in R&B: DJ Premier, Easy Mo Bee, The Beatnuts, Salaam Remi and others. 16 Bar rap verses abound – AZ, KRS One, Grand Puba, Notorious BIG, Nas and many lesser known all appear. Featured only on this mix, many of the tracks pair R&B Acapellas with Hip Hop production from the era. As with previous editions, the artwork is a pastiche of a popular sleeve from the era, in this case the Bad Boy Records company/promo jacket. Chris Read released this Hip Hop Soul mix last year. Dig into the mix below...