Haven't seen it mentioned yet but one of the all time best hip hop bands was a little known group called The Goats. They were from Philadelphia and put out two records:
- Tricks of the Shade
- No Goats, No Glory
Saw them live in London in Camden Town years ago and they were unreal. They also toured with Bad Brains and on their second record, actually did some tracks with the Bad Brains. If you can find any of their stuff, it is well worth your time. One of the band members disappeared due to a drug problem and I think that contributed to the demise of the group.
http://jimmyluxury.com/thegoats.htm