The production of rap music had recently evolved, thanks in part to the Emu SP-1200 sampling drum machine, and the releases of 1989 would make music lawyers heads spin (and not due to break-dancing). The Beastie Boys’ “Paul’s Boutique” has so many samples, I’m pretty sure it has yet to be fully reverse-engineered. Fortunately, you can hear the sample-rich production better than ever while listening to a beautifully remastered 20th anniversary edition.

Do any other artists have anniversary releases planned? I don’t know. I’d love to hear “The Cactus Album” or “3 Feet High and Rising” remastered, but I won’t hold my breath.

I’ve compiled the following list of 1989 releases. If I’m missing any, please let me know.

• Antoinette – “Who’s the Boss”
• Awesome Dre’ & Hard Core Committee – “You Can’t Hold Me Back”
• Beastie Boys – “Paul’s Boutique”
• Beastie Boys – “Love American Style EP”
• Big Daddy Kane – “It’s a Big Daddy Thing”
• The Diabolical Biz Markie – “The Biz Never Sleeps”
• Black & White – “Don’t Know Yet”
• Ron C – “C Ya”
• Chubb Rock & Howie Tee – “And the Winner Is…”
• Company B – “Gotta Dance – “1989 – “Pop/Rock
• Criminal Element Orchestra – “Locked Up – “1989 – “Pop/Rock
• Willie Dee – “Controversy”
• De La Soul – “3 Feet High and Rising”
• Def Jef – “Just a Poet with Soul”
• Divine Styler – “Word Power”
• D.J. Chuck Chillout & Kool Chip – “Masters of the Rhythm”
• The D.O.C. – “No One Can Do It Better”
• Dr. Ease & D.J. Mix – “Put Your Mind & Body at Ease”
• Doctor Ice – “Mic Stalker”
• EPMD – “Unfinished Business”
• The Fat Boys – “On and On”
• Fresh Celeste – “Fresh Celeste”
• Full Force – “Smoove”
• Craig G – “The Kingpin”
• Gang Starr – “No More Mr. Nice Guy”
• Hipsway – “Scratch the Surface”
• Hostyle – “Get Off”
• Hustle Z & M.C. – “Show Me Yours and”
• Ice Cream Tee – “Can’t Hold Back”
• Ice-T – “I’m Your Pusher”
• The Jaz – “A Word to the Jaz”
• Just-Ice – “The Desolate One”
• K-9 Posse – “K-9 Posse”
• KC Flightt – “In Flightt”
• King Sun – “XL”
• Kings of Pressure – “Slang Teacher”
• Kool G Rap & DJ Polo – “Road to the Riches
• Kool Rock Jay & D.J. Slice – “Tales from the Dope Side”
• Kool Skool – “Kool Skool”
• Kwamé the Boy Genius – “Kwamé the Boy Genius: Featuring a New Beginning
• LL Cool J – “Walking with a Panther”
• Magnetic Force – “12-52-365″
• MC Ade – “How Much Can You Take”
• MC Ade – “Just Sumthin’ to Do”
• MC Hammer – “They Put Me in Mix”
• M.C. Rell – “Into the Future”
• MC Sergio – “Making a Killin’”
• MC Shy D – “Don’t Sweat Me”
• MC Twist – “Comin’ through Like Warriors”
• Mellow Man Ace – “Escape From Havana”
• Merlin – “Merlin”
• Ms. Melodie – “Diva”
• Nemesis – “To Hell and Back”
• Nice & Smooth – “Nice & Smooth”
• Nu-Sounds – “Mackin’”
• N.W.A. – “Express Yourself ” [12" Single]
• N.W.A. – “Boyz-N-The-Hood”
• Posse NFX – “Black or Ya White”
• Public Enemy – “Fight the Power”
• Public Enemy – “Welcome to the Terrordome” [Vinyl Single]
• Queen Latifah – “All Hail the Queen”
• Redhead Kingpin and the F.B.I. – “A Shade of Red”
• The “R” (Renard with No Regard) – “Going for Gold”
• Roxanne Shanté – “Bad Sister”
• Salt-N-Pepa – “A Blitz of Salt-N-Pepa Hits: The Hits Remixed”
• Schoolly D – “Am I Black Enough for You?”
• Sir Mix-A-Lot – “Seminar”
• Special Ed – “Youngest in Charge”
• Steady B – “Going Steady”
• Stop the Violence Movement – “Self Destruction”
• Tony Tee – “Time to Get Phy”
• 3rd Bass – “The Cactus Album”
• Three Times Dope – “Original Stylin’”
• Twenty Eighth St. Crew – “I Need a Rhythm”
• Too Short – “Born to Mack”
• Too $hort – “Life Is…Too Short”
• Twin Hype – “Twin Hype”
• 2 Live Crew – “As Nasty as They Wanna Be”
• 2 Live Crew – “As Clean as They Wanna Be”
• U.T.F.O. – “Doin’ It!”
• The Wee Papa Girls – “The Beat, The Rhyme, The Noise”
• Wrecks-N-Effect – “Wrecks-N-Effect”
• X Clan – “Heed the Word of the Brother”
• X Clan – “Raise the Flag”
• Young MC – “Stone Cold Rhymin’”