This is a twentieth anniversary celebration of a major album within the underground scene, launched by Rawkus Records. In the mid-nineties, the label targeted the grassroots backpacker genre with a 4LP centering around lyrics and beats. Artists such as Company Flow, Medina Green, Talib Kweli, and Mos Def seized the opportunity, leading to a Hip Hop renaissance for the underground. The first single was “Body Rock” featuring Mos Def, Q-Tip, and Tash of Tha Alkaholiks, while other standouts were “Action Guaranteed” by O.C. & Ras Kass and “C.I.A.” by KRS-One, Zach de la Rocha, and Last Emperor. Lyricist Lounge Vol. 1 provided a blue-collar alternative to the commercialism and Southern emergence of the time, and continues to be valued by purists. Celebrate its twentieth anniversary!