Classic Album Review: Raekwon, "Only Built 4 Cuban Linx..."

In 1993 when the Wu-Tang Clan released their debut album "Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)," the group emphatically put the New York scene back on the map in a big way, and helped to shepherd in East Coast Renaissance of hip-hop. The album enabled members of the group to put out solo albums, many of which were good, such as "Tical" from Method Man and "Iromman" from Ghostface Killah.

While releases from Ol Dirty Bastard and RZA were successful as well, the most influential and arguably most important album released from the group came from the one and only Raekwon.

His debut album "Only Built 4 Cuban Linx..." was released in 1995 to great critical acclaim and is considered one of the most creative and inventive hip-hop albums out there. The album is structured in a cinematic style and features Wu-Tang members Ghostface Killah as the "guest-star," and producer RZA as the "director." Ghostface appears on numerous tracks throughout while RZA produced the entire album.

"Only Built 4 Cuban Linx..." plays out in a beautifully cinematic way and details the types of things Raekwon and Ghostface Killah experienced in their lives in Staten Island, including tracks revolving around hustling, cocaine dealing, street life, and the Mafioso lifestyle. Another aspect of the album that elevates it above the rest is how Raekwon and Ghostface seamlessly incorporate Italian Mafia influences, nicknames and distinctive slang throughout the connected tracks on the album.

From top to bottom the lineup of tracks is fantastic, with highlights including "Criminology" and "Ice Cream," "Rainy Dayz" and the utterly distinctive "Wu-Gambinos,"

"Criminology" was the second single released of the album, but in my opinion was one of the best. Like many of the tracks, it features a sample from a film, this one being the '80s crime classic "Scarface." The dialogue fits in perfectly on the track, which features two illustrative and fierce verses from Raekwon and Ghostface and one of the smoothest beats on the album.



The second half of the track is strong as Raekwon spits: "But anyway, let's toast, champagne thoughts with Ghost/I max the most shotguns through the nose/Phonograph hip-hop put me on top/'Lo wears, and Tommy Hil fly shit with a knot /The witty unpredictable live shit, drive by shit/Do or die shit, I'll take your lie and shit /And then you know, I'm runnin through the penal, foul/Four-toothed child was wild/The old lady snitched, but fuck it, you know it, one love kid/No I'm not doin a bid."

"Rainy Dayz" is one of the more laid back tracks on the album, but what it lacks in explosiveness it makes up for in quality. RZA's production is at its sharpest on the track, with the beat having a haunting, creepy repetitive sound to it. Ghostface has some of his best lines on this track, but its Raekwon who steals the spotlight on the track.



The second verse is one if his best as he spits over the memorable beat: "What brings rain hail snow and earthquakes/The beat breaks, cause all my niggaz to break son / Styles is similar to criminals locked up/With gats, ghetto tabernacles is fucked up/I live once though, the mind stays infinite/Travel in the church, nine planets, in my midst/While I carry, to earn a decent salary/Soon get married, raise a family, but the plan'll be/real great, to sit up in the loft, count stacks and max/And real cats cold watch my back."

"Wu-Gambinos" is easily my favorite track on the album and is one of the most creative and original of the bunch. The track features numerous samples of dialogue from the John Woo film "The Killer" and features verses from Ghostface Killah, Masta Killa, RZA and Method Man. The track prominently features the various nicknames and "la cosa nostra" Mafia influences mentioned earlier.



Raekwon's verse on the track is another example of the rapper's skills as a lyricist, showing of how illustrative he can be, as he raps: " This goes for niggaz who know/Wu will grow like llello, ley no/Plus coolin in Barbados/Ricaans be givin me much shit, the dutch shit/Stay cool papi, seize it with enough shit/Back at the lab a, crack's bagged up/Yo niggaz act up, what blow up the workers if they hafta/Senoritas, fuckin up a storm buyin guards margaritas/Suckin his dick, up in the whip long."

"Only Built 4 Cuban Linx..." is an album which warrants numerous listens, allowing yout to fully soak in all the lyrical details, slang and intricacies that make it so inventive. Raekwon and crew form a sort of "Mafioso" family of their own, and RZA's production is second-to-none and helps create a completely connected atmosphere throughout the tracks on the album.

The lyrics are realistic and complex, the first person narratives detailed and ambitious. No matter what way you look at it, Raekwon's "Only Built 4 Cuban Linx..." is one of hip-hops all time best and most definitely a classic.

Classic Album Review: Scarface, "The Diary"

Houston-born rapper Scarface gained notoriety early in his career as a member of the Geto Boys, along with artists Willie D and Bushwick Bill. The group was known for their explicit lyrics, many of which included misogyny, gore, psychotic experiences, and necrophilia among other controversial topics.

The group was fairly successful, even with the fact that several American politicians were attacking gangsta rap at the time, along with artists like Ice-T and the N.W.A. Through the controversy, the group continued to put out music, and even broke some new ground with their soulful southern sound.

As time went on all the members of the group started working on solo careers. While the group didn't break-up exactly, once Scarface started working on his solo material, it was clear he was meant for some bigger things than just the Geto Boys.

Scarface released two albums, "Mr. Scarface is Back" and "The World Is Yours," to strong sales, but his sophomore album didn't gain as much recognition with critics. This set the stage for his third album, and arguably his best, titled "The Diary."

Released in October of 1994, Scarface sheds away the excess of his previous album by keeping "The Diary" much shorter than the 70-minute long "The World Is Yours," which had some solid tracks (like "Now I Feel Ya") but was cluttered with mediocre work. Clocking in at a succinct 43-minutes, the album has no filler and is filled with strong tracks, especially "I Seen a Man Die," "Hand of the Dead Body," "Jesse James," "Mind Playin' Tricks '94" and "No Tears."

"Hand of the Dead Body" was the first track released from the album and features a verse from gangsta rap veteran Ice Cube as well as Devin the Dude. Scarface outshines both artists by spitting some of his best lines on this track, which centers on the government and media critics who attacked gangsta rap for its violent imagery.



Scarface brings it hard on this track as he raps: "Shot in the face by a cop, close casket / An open and shut situation/Cop gets got, the wanna blame it on my occupation/If you don't dig me, than nigga you can sue me/Because the shit that I be sayin ain't worse than no western money/Don't blame me blame your man Gotti/So you can feel the hand of the dead body."

"I Seen a Man Die" is one of the more thoughtful tracks on the album, but it's also one of the best. Scarface shows off his versatile skills as an artist by switching things up here, using a more existential and somber tone. The song is a tale of a young kid released from prison after numerous years looking for a better life only to get caught up on the crime side once again. The track goes over how he's robbed by his enemies only to die in the hospital while feeling regrets.



The track is one of the deepest on the album and you can hear how close the subject matter is to Scarface as he spits: "Imagine life at it's full peak/Then imagine lying dead in the arms of your enemy/Imagine peace on this earth when there's no grief/Imagine grief on this earth when there's no peace/Cuz everybody's got a different way of endin' it/And when your number comes for service then they send it in/Now your time has arrived for the final touch/I see the fear in your eyes and hear your final breath/How much longer will it be til it's all done?/Total darkness and ease be in all one."

Minus the interludes, there are only ten songs on this album (which is a good thing) and the understated production is fantastic with most of the production coming from N.O. Joe and Mike Dean and some from Scarface as well. "Jesse James" is one of my favorite tracks on the album, with Scarface making some connections himself to one of history's most notorious criminals. The slow beat is also intoxicating and just oozes the aura of street living.

"The Diary" is some of Scarface's best work and the album is one of the few to receive a perfect rating from both The Source Magazine and XXL, which is a pretty impressive feat in itself.

The album may be short, but what it lacks in quantity it surely makes up for in quality. It's hard to find one that's worth skipping while listening to it straight through, and that's something that is usually the exception not that standard for most rappers.

Classic Album Reivew: The Roots, "Do You Want More?!!!??!"

Throughout the years artists, critics, writers and musicians have drawn tons of comparisons between hip-hop and jazz, and no group has combined the two genres better than The Roots.

Since the group is so successful now and currently serves as Jimmy Fallon's house band on "Late Night," it's almost hard to remember that there was a time when mainstream success eluded the group.

The origins of the group began when rapper Black Thought (Tariq Trotter) and drummer Questlove (Ahmir Thompson) met and became friends at the Philadelphia High School for Creative Performing Arts in the late '80s. As the next few years went by they began to do shows around Philadelphia and New York City with bassist Leonard "Hub" Hubbard and rapper Malik B, the Roots and eventually recorded a debut album, titled "Organix."

The band produced the album independently and originally sold it at shows in Europe. The group earned itself a very loyal following and as time went on, the album earned a great deal of buzz around the industry and led to the group finally getting some studio recognition.

After releasing "From the Ground Up" EP in 1994, the group went to work on their first official studio album, which showed off how truly skilled they were at combining elements of hip-hop, jazz and live instruments. Unlike some other artists, the group didn't use the combination as a commercial gimmick, instead they fuse the two together to great a new genre in itself and a sound that is truly intoxicating.

Their first true studio album "Do You Want More???" was released in January of 1995 and was extremely well received by both fans and critics. The album is long, clocking in at over 70 minutes, but in this case quantity equals quality. From top to bottom, every track is solid, especially "Lazy Afternoon," the title track "Do You Want More?!!!??!," "Distortion to Static," "? vs. Rahzel," and "Mellow My Man."

The thing that makes the album work so well is how the group takes a completely original approach to the hip-hop genre, with their jazzy instrumentals and socially conscious lyrics. One track in which this really shines through is on "Distortion to Static," which features a provocatively smooth beat and some of the best verses on the album.



Malik B is supremely confident on the track as he raps: "Yo, I'm every MC, it's all in me/That's the way it is, when ya gotta be/Indeed as I distort I proceed, I need / Gettin hotter than sacks of boom, in my room at the Ramada/Four tanks in your memory banks to fill up/I provide the static, with scratch to match, while you catch the vibe/Most can play high post, but yo that don't mean shit/Because my click'll make a motherfucker sick."

Black Thought has one of the truly unique flows and voices in the hip-hop industry and his work on this album is one reason why it holds up so well after all these years. On the title track "Do You Want More?!!!??!," Thought takes center stage, spitting some great lines over a truly amazing beat, which uses perfectly placed Scottish bagpipes mixed in with a hard drum from Questlove.



Thought opens the track with a hard sound that hooks you in and keeps you until the track ends. He raps ferociously as he spits: "Like I'm a medical doctor, watch the damage/I inflict properly, ain't nobody risin on top of me/I be droppin more plot in my mic monopoly/Got to be, got to be reality, Stevie Wonder see/Black Thought be me, I groove ba-by/Or I clue they say baby/Would you get with this? Not even maybe."

Although it isn't exactly a conventional track, I couldn’t write this without mentioning "? vs. Rahzel," which is my one of my personal favorites from the album. While it is mainly instrumentals and a beat and doesn't feature any verses, the track is a favorite of mine because it has two of my favorite hip-hop artists showing off their skills front and center. The track features Questlove banging out the drums while Rahzel mixes in his patented beat-boxing techniques, combining for a unique sound not found on many other hip-hop albums.



The track epitomizes The Roots' jazz influences, with Rahzel's beats and Questlove's drums forming an improvisational loop of just pure music and jamming. Another track that really shows off those influences as well is "Mellow My Man," which features heavy electric piano grooves and realistic lyrics.

With their offbeat delivery and live instrumental sound, The Toots literally were like no other group out there. The group was extremely musically talented, that was clear, but they also possessed a skill at linking the experimental nature jazz with the gritty life of the streets and hip-hop. Due to its jazzy influences, "Do You Want More?!!!??!" sometimes sounds more like an album bred from old-school hip-hop rather than contemporary rap.

The group lets the music breathe throughout the album, letting tracks build as they go one and creating a funkadelic hip-hop sound that is impossible to copycat. The album was a blueprint for combining hip-hop and jazz; it emphatically put The Roots on the map, and is definitely a classic.

Classic Album Review: Ghostface Killah, “Supreme Clientele”

After the release of their debut album "Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)" back in 1993, Wu-Tang Clan was literally on top of the rap world. The album was hailed as an instant classic and allowed the members of the group to branch out and record their own solo albums.

With the success of "36 Chambers" obviously expectations were high for the first round of solo projects from the Wu-Tang Clan and for the most part they didn't disappoint. Both "Tical" from Method Man and "Return to the 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version" from Ol Dirty Bastard are considered hip-hop classics and Ghostface Killah's "Ironman" was easily one of the best of the solo albums released by the group.

But as with many artists, sometimes the sophomore effort doesn't quite stack up the debut version. After releasing "Wu-Tang Forever" in 1997 the group separated for a second round of solo albums, but this time around many weren't as acclaimed as their original counterparts.

While albums from RZA, GZA, Method Man, and Raekwon were all commercially successful, they were not quite as close to critically acclaimed as their debuts. But one member of the group bucked this trend, emphatically improving on his second effort, the album "Supreme Clientele" from Ghostface Killah.

Released on January 25, 2000 the album features guest appearances from RZA, Raekwon, GZA, Method Man, Cappadonna, Redman, and Masta Killa and is considered to be one of the best solo albums to come from a member of the Wu-Tang Clan.

The album was hit with critics and fans alike after its release and was certified Gold in sales two months after its debut. The album is a long one, with 21 tracks, but in this case quantity equals quality. From start to finish there are few dull moments. The entire lineup is great but "Malcolm," "Apollo Kids," "Child's Play," "Cherchez LaGhost" and "Wu Banga 101" stand out above the rest.

Throughout the album Ghostface employs some excellent samples on the tracks, including on the first single released "Apollo Kids," which has a sample of "Cool Breeze" by R&B singer/songwriter Solomon Burke. The track also features Raekwon and has one of the most gangsta music videos of all time. The video was directed by Chris Robinson and showcases Ghostface as Tony Starks CEO of Starks Enterprises, located in the heart of Staten Island.



The beat, produced by Hassan, is hard biting and non-stop and is one of the best on the album. Ghostface is equally as intense as he raps on the track: "Yo, check these up top murderous/Snowy in the bezzle as the cloud merges/F.B.I. try and want word with this/Kid who punked out bust a shot uip in the becon/Catch me in the corner not speakin/Crushed out heavenly, U.G. rock the sweet daddy long fox minks/Chicken and brocolli, Wally's look stinky/With his man straight from Raleigh Durham, he recognized Kojak."

RZA produces numerous tracks on the album, my favorite of which is "Child's Play." The beat is fantastic (as usual from RZA) and has an old school-style, piano melody to it that is hard to forget about. The beat fits in perfectly with the track which is a sort of retrospective on the past and childhood itself.



Ghostface spits some of his best verses on the track, including towards the middle of the track as he spits: "Beautiful in lightshows, having no intentions on love/But having strung eyes of oppose, here we go/It's not the way she bubbed the gum, shooked her ass/I'm not the one, double dus, waiting for the bus/The faggot Nore son, now year later/Lady 7th floor, building 7-80/Fancy fox, booties for her socks, nothing else can change me/Young Nefertiti, knowledge seed with no jewelry on/Tahitian fresh berry tree, she's a Capricorn/I really liked the girl, had dreams about her."

"Malcolm" is one of the more serious tracks on the album, but it's also one of the best. The track has two of the most perfectly placed samples on the album in "Going In Circles" by Isaac Hayes and also Malcolm X's "After the Bombing" speech. Ghostface proves on this track how he can turn from something silly or less serious on the album (like "Child's Play) and then take on something that's more significant here.



The track is very symbolic and Ghostface has a flow on this track almost better than any other on the album as he spits: "Yo he sucked his thumb smooth for the kid laced with the big guns/Stain to my Baltimore niggas that he on the run/Plus he ill in the drums, heartburn for life, calcium man/Watch him grab the Tums, he's a front/Pigeon totalist sister with the fat ass/Show hash behind up the block plus he smashed her/Big Bub did him somethin deadly, act premedidtated/Buck 60 strike was the medley/Nice like Van Halen, seen him at the tunnel with his skin peelin/Did two days thought he was jailin."

With all its guest stars and producers one might mistake this album for a Wu-Tang one, but at its core it truly is Ghostface's show. Lyrically he is a force on every track, using some fantastic imagery and his dense rhyming skills to give the album an energetic, almost cinematic feel to it.

"Supreme Clientele" has a distinct sound and feel to it and emphatically proved that Ghostface Killah and the Wu-Tang Clan were forces to be reckoned with. The album was some of Killah's best work and is definitely a classic.

Classic Album Review, Mobb Deep, "The Infamous"

When the group Mobb Deep first landed on the hip-hop scene they didn't make much of an impression.

After meeting at the High School of Art and Design in New York City, group members Havoc and Prodigy started rhyming together and eventually put out their debut album "Juvenile Hell" in 1993 when they were just eighteen years old. While a couple of the tracks were successful, album sales were low and critical acclaim was sparse, leaving members the duo at a sort of crossroads.

But like many other groups and artists over the years, the duo came together for a sophomore effort that emphatically put them on the map as a force in the East Coast rap game.

Two years after releasing an album critics deemed basically meaningless to the hip-hop genre, the group released "The Infamous" to widespread acclaim and helped fuel the reemergence of East Coast rap. While the album has some great guest appearances, including from Nas, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah and Q-Tip, it's the skills of the duo themselves that makes the album influential.

"The Infamous" is filled with illustrative lyrics and gritty beats, and is easily one of hip-hops most realistic and straightforward commentaries of life on the mean streets of New York City. The whole album is filled with excellent tracks, but in my eyes "Temperature's Rising," "Survival of the Fittest," "Eye for a Eye (Your Beef Is Mines)" and "Shook Ones Pt. II" stand up above the rest.

"Shook Ones (Part II)" was the first single released from the album and was considered to be an instant classic when it came out. The track takes the viewpoint of youngsters fighting over territory in their neighborhood and the lengths they will go to make a buck. The track shows the darker side of the city they hail from and the verses are some of the best on the entire album.



Prodigy is fierce on the track as he raps: "I got you stuck off the realness, we be the infamous/you heard of us, official Queensbridge murderers/the Mobb comes equipped with warfare/beware of my crime family who got nuff shots to share/ for all of those who wanna profile and pose rock you in your face/stab your brain wit' your nosebone/you all alone in these streets, cousin/every man for theirself in this land we be gunnin'."

The chorus of the track is instantly recognizable and helps make the track one of, if not the best song released by the group.

"Survival of the Fittest" is one of my favorite tracks on the album and it has a feel and sound similar to "Shook Ones Pt. II." The track's beat is mesmerizing with its dark piano breaks and is another example of the group's exploration of gritty and realistic themes.



Prodigy is spot on again in this track and paints an illustrative picture of life on the street using some fantastic rhymes and symbolism: "There's a war goin on outside, no man is safe from/You could run but you can't hide forever/from these, streets, that we done took/You walkin witcha head down scared to look/You shook, cause ain't no such things as halfway crooks/They never around when the beef cooks in my part of town/It's similar to Vietnam/Now we all grown up and old, and beyond the cop's control/They better have the riot gear ready/Tryin to bag me and get rocked steady/by the mac one-double, I touch you."

"Temperature's Rising" is hands down one of the best tracks on the album and was the third single released off "The Infamous." The track was produced by Q-Tip and is one of the group's best examples of examining the consequences of street life. The track is interesting in itself as it takes the form of a letter to a friend who was recently locked up behind bars.



The lyrics form a story as the track unfolds as the narrator explains how he is covering up evidence of his friends' criminal behavior. As the track moves on the lyrics reveal the narrator's feelings of paranoia, fearing that the police are closing in on him. The track feels truthful and portrays the true-life reality and emotions involved in crime and its consequences.

One of the best and most illustrative verses comes in close to the end of the track: "But worse, son, you got the projects hotter than hell/Harder for brothers to get their thug on but oh, well/Son, they know too much, even the hood rat chicks/Oh, you heard who did what and why I don't this shit/So stop askin', then I know I'm not goin' crazy/From windows, I see lights flashin' and maybe/Somebody's takin' pictures, you know who that be/Police lovers and neighborhood snitches/They put up pert ice, so everybody's pointin' fingers/And lyin', aiyo son, the temp is risin."

With it's dark production and illustrative lyrics, "The Infamous" helped redefine the sound of hardcore rap and transformed Mobb Deep from virtual anonymity to a commercially and critically successful group. The album is a realistic portrait of New York City and will be remembered as one of the most influential albums to come from the East Coast rap scene.

The album is Mobb Deep's signature work and is a definitive hip-hop classic.

Classic Album Review: Common, "Be"

As it is with many different types of people in all fields of life, sometimes an artist's biggest disappointment can lead to their biggest success.

Way back in the year 2000, Common released his fourth album "Like Water for Chocolate" and received great reviews as well as solid sales results. The recognition from the album elevated Common to a point where he was on the cusp of mainstream success and stardom. So two years later when he was set to release his next album, anticipation and expectations were very high.

In 2002 Common dropped the hotly anticipated "Electric Circus", but that mainstream success was put on a screeching hold when the album proved to be disastrous commercially. Critics praised the album, and I don't think anyone questioned how skilled Common was as a musician and rapper, but clearly something didn't work out quite right, and the album was considered a big disappointment.

Hoping to have a better outcome for his new album, Common made one of the best moves of his career when he decided to team up with fellow Chicagoan Kanye West to produce his next album. In 2005 Common released "Be" under Kanye's own label, 'GOOD Music' to stellar reviews and excellent commercial sales. The album sold over twice as many as "Electric Circus" and catapulted Common into the mainstream.

Released in May 2005, "Be" is solid and concise from top to bottom. Although there are only 11 tracks, the tight song list doesn't have a single 'skippable' track in the bunch. You literally listen to the album straight through without ever having to touch a dial. Clearly Common was inspired to make a great album, and he emphatically succeeded, crafting some truly fantastic tracks. While I feel the whole set list is excellent, "Go!", "Testify", "They Say", "The Corner", and "The Food" stand out above the rest.

"Go!", which featured John Mayer, was the most commercially successful track on the album and one of the best. Although Common at first was unsure if he wanted to bring on a non-hip-hop artist onto the track, it proved to be an extremely good move, with Mayer providing a perfect compliment to the rapper. On top of that, Kanye West's production is top notch, creating one of the catchiest beats on the entire album.



Common really has a great way with words, as proved on this verse as he raps with supreme confidence: "Freaky like the daughter of a pastor, said I was bait for her to master/Little red corvette now she was faster, wet dreams Le'maire cream the bathroom/We made love and then laughter, and anyway I wanted I could have her/Said there were some girls that did attract her, a new chapter she was after so I said let's/To a place that you wanna be, uh get what you want from her and me uh/Free love I wanna see uh, hot sex in the third degree uh/You gettin' served while servin' me uh, dirty words encourage me to/Rock steady and sturdily on, you turnin' me no turnin' back the further we."

"The Corner" is one of my favorite tracks on the album, and it very well may be one of the best. The track features Kanye West and The Last Poets and was nominated as Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group at the Grammy's that year. Detailing what life is like on the street corners of tough neighborhoods, Common sounds his most inspired, rapping seamlessly over another solid beat produced by Kanye.



Common paints a fully illustrative portrait of life on the street as he raps: " Streetlights & deepnights cats trying to eat right/Riding no seat bikes with work to feed hypes/So they can keep sweet Nikes they head & they feet right/Desires of streetlife cars & weed types / It's hard to breath nights days are thief like/The beast roam the streets the police is Greeklike/Game at it's peak we speak & believe hype/Bang in the streets hats cocked left or deep right."

One of the most fitting parts of the track is the spoken word segment by The Last Poets to close out the track, perfectly placing the idea of the 'corner' in cultural and historical context: "The corner was our Rock of Gibraltar, our Stonehenge/Our Taj Mahal, our monument/Our testimonial to freedom, to peace and to love/Down on the corner..."

"Testify" is one of the most creative an interesting tracks on the album and it also was nominated for a Grammy, this time for Best Rap Solo Performance. The track details a story about a woman who manipulates a judge and jury to find her partner guilty of a crime she committed. Common has always had the skill of telling a story through his rhymes, and this track might be the perfect example of that.



His slick rapping and passionate tone coupled with another quality produced beat by Kanye make you completely visualize the story as it's unfolding. Common builds up the story on top of the beat as each verse goes on leading to a thrilling conclusion/last verse, which is one of his best on the whole album: "The court awaited as the foreman got the verdict from the bailiff/Emotional outbursts tears and smeared makeup/He stated, he was guilty on all charges/She's shaking like she took it the hardest/A spin artist, she brought her face up laughing/That's when the prosecutor realized what happened/All that speaking her mind testifying and crying/When this bitch did the crime- the queenpin..."

While I don't think "Be" rewrote the rulebook, or was all that groundbreaking in any particular way, it's hard to argue with its quality as an overall album. Common raps as good as he has throughout his entire career, and the production from Kanye West (with a little help from J Dilla) provided the foundation for an all around solid album with some jazz and soul sounding beats.

In my opinion "Be" is Common's best work. The album is a tightly condensed yet utterly enjoyable collection of tracks that holds up many years down the line. Although not revolutionary or a game changer, the album was easily one of the best of the decade, and is surely a classic.

Classic Album Review: Big Pun, "Capital Punishment"

Like most artists, filmmakers, MC's, writers, authors and other creative talents, rapper Big Pun and his music career was greatly affected by his childhood and upbringing.

Hailing from the South Bronx, Big Punisher had a tough time growing up, witnessing drug abuse, his father leaving his family and dealing with an overbearing stepfather.

But through all this Christopher Rios, better known as Big Pun, came out stronger for it, pushing past adversity to achieve great success in the industry, although it wasn't an easy road. Throughout the 1980's and early '90's Big Pun began laying the groundwork for what was to come in the future, forming his own crew and refining his rapping skills.

The most significant moment of his early career came when he met rapper Fat Joe, who gave him his first chance to be a star, a move that paid off in ways neither of the two could have imagined. Although he passed away only two years after releasing his debut, Big Pun left a huge impact on the industry, becoming the first solo Latino rapper to have his album go platinum.

That album was the 1998 release "Capital Punishment", which was Big Pun's studio debut and the album that emphatically put him on the map. The album is filled with some amazing hardcore tracks, including "You Came Up", "I'm Not a Player", "Punish Me", "Still Not A Player" and "Beware". Although there are a bit too many skits and interludes on the album (seven), the rest of the track list outweighs that negative aspect.

"Beware" is the first full track on the album and is arguably one of Pun's best. It's a perfect way to kick start his debut, setting the tone right away with a haunting beat and a sweet Mobb Deep sample. Pun starts off with one of his best verses as he raps: "Yo...what you thought punk, shit was sweet, now you can't sleep/Gotta keep ya eyes open wide and hide ya face from the streets/I'm like the beast with a warrant, far from alarmin'/Gave you fair warnin' now you on the stairs swallin'/I'm callin' out any rapper that I doubt, smack 'em in the mouth/Throw 'em in the yoke, BOOM!, then I knock 'em out."



Many tracks on the album feature guest appearances including "You Came Up" which features Norega. The track is an excellent example of how Pun can swiftly and seamlessly change up styles, from some truly hardcore tracks on the album to this one, which has more of a laid back, R&B tone to it. Pun spits some fantastic lines on this track and references Tupac multiple times including at the edn of his firs verse when he raps: "I had to pay my due, lay a few/But I ain't saying who, stayin' true to da game/No names, playin' it cool just me and da crew/Holdin' it down long as we round/We gonna keep sockin' it to you like Homey the Clown/Going down like Pac ready to ride or die nigga/La da le la la la la la."



Two of the most well known and popular tracks on the album are "I'm Not a Player", and the remix of that track, "Still Not A Player". While "I'm Not A Player" was the first of the two to be released and is a very solid track, it's the remix that really helped Big Pun reach the top of the charts. The song is catchy and shows off Pun's lyrical skills, making himself seem arrogant yet self deprecating at the same time. In my opinion the beat is one of the best of the past couple decades, maybe even of all time. Looking back now, the beat is so recognizable paired with Big Pun's fantastic flow on the track.



Throughout each verse he spits some of his best lines, and the appearance of Joe on the track only adds to it. The two team up for one of the best choruses of all time as they spit: "I don't wanna be a player no more…I'm not a player I just fuck a lot/But Big Punisher, still got what you're lookin for/For my thug niggas, for my thug niggas/Uptown baby, uptown/Don't wanna be, don't wanna be - I don't wanna be a player no more/I'm not a player I just fuck a lot/But you know Big Punisher still down by law/Who's down to crush a lot."

Pun spits one of the best verses on the entire album on this track as he raps so smoothly: "I love from butter pecan to blackberry molass'/I don't discriminate, I regulate every shade of the (ass)/Long as you show class, and pass my test/Fat (ass and) breasts, highly intelligent bachlorettes/That's the best, I won't settle for less/I wanna ghetto brunette, with unforgettable sex/I lay your head on my chest, come feel my heartbeat/We can park the Jeep, pump Mobb Deep, and just spark the leaf."

Although I wouldn't say this album is groundbreaking in regards to style or in the evolution of the genre, one thing I would say is that it is one of the purely best produced albums of the entire decade. The beats are fantastic from top to bottom, and Pun's lyrics and flow are nearly second to none in regards to quality and delivery. Just listen to hip-hop classic "Twinz (Deep Cover '98)":



Many more of the album's cuts are considered the best tracks from the '90s without a doubt, and due to the sad fact that he passed away before his time was up, Big Pun will as well. Skits aside, this album is Big Pun's definitive album and is definitely a classic.

Classic Album Review, Busta Rhymes, “When Disaster Strikes”

Although he has been somewhat overlooked at times due to his mediocre work in the latter parts of his career, rapper Busta Rhymes has proven that he truly is one of the most intriguing and unique characters in hip-hop history.

Bursting on the scene as a solo artist in 1996, Busta rose to the status of hip-hop superstar on the strength of his debut album "The Coming", which was a huge commercial and critical success. The album peaked at number 6 on the Billboard 200 and one of the tracks was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance.

On that first album, with the help of guest starts such as Q-Tip, Redman, Charlie Brown and Keith Murray, Busta showed off his interesting rapping style and delved into a topic he would take on frequently in his career (including on his next album), the apocalypse.

With his second album "When Disaster Strikes", released a year later in the fall of 1997, Busta uses that topic as a framing device, portraying himself and everyone else in a place where the rules don't exactly apply anymore. While the theme doesn’t stick to every single track on the album, it gives the whole set list a unique vibe and made Busta's album stand apart from what was being released by other artists at the time.

The album is much longer than "The Coming", sitting at 19 tracks, many of them some of Busta's best work. While most of the tracks are excellent, "Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Could See", "Rhymes Galore", "Get High Tonight" and "Dangerous" stand out above the rest.

"Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Could See" easily has one of the best beats on the album. Busta's flow is more laid back than on most of the tracks on album, which is one reason why it works so well. I have always been a big fan of the chorus, which has always stuck in my memory all these years because of how simple, yet catchy it is: "Do you really wanna party with me/Let me see just what you got for me/Put all your hands where my eyes could see/Straight buck wylin in the place to be."



On "Rhymes Galore" Busta raps with ferocity and speed, never losing track of the beat or his train of the thought. It's impressive how distinct Busta sounds, especially on this track. He brings on one of his best verses on the entire album when he raps: "Dominatin like Kings Dominion/Leanin on niggas like we on motorcycles pop a wheel-e and/A yo number one Roman numeral completing the executional shit is usual/I ain't scared of ya/Takin all of ya powafenalia/That's my words on misses Mahelia/Hope you know your best bet/Just to get the fuck out of my area."



"Dangerous" is easily the most well-known track on the album, and it might also be the best. The track was nominated from a Grammy and has Busta spitting amazing line after amazing line. The chorus is absolutely fantastic, and what makes it even more interesting is the fact that it was a slogan used in the '80s by the Long Island Regional Poison Control Council warning children of the danger of loose prescription medications.



The chorus is instantly recognizable, with Busta rapping: " This is serious/We could make you delirious/You should have a healthy fear of us/'Cause too much of us is dangerous."

I think the last verse of the track is Busta's best as he raps with seom ferocity: " Feelin the heat up in the street rockin the beat/Step up in the club, take me to my reserved seat/Comin around, all of my people surround me/So much bottles are leakin, ya'll brothers will drown me/Makin ya drunk, feelin the fun, blazin the skunk/Stay hitten with the shit that blow a hole in ya trunk/Afraid of us, you know this ain't no game to us/You strange to us that's when we gettin dangerous/Come on."

It's almost funny to look back now and hear Busta's paranoia about the apocalypse that never came (well not yet at least), but before 2000 there were a decent amount of people afraid about what could happen with 'Y2K'. Nevertheless I think Busta's point was about more than an actual apocalypse; he realized things were changing in the world, and looking back now that is definitely true.

One thing that made "When Disaster Strikes", work so well was Busta Rhymes himself. His distinct style and sarcastic yet playfully serious tone throughout the album make it one of the most interesting releases of the late 1990s. The album shined the light back on East Coast rap in the mainstream after the West Coast had been dominating for some years prior. "When Disaster Strikes" is Busta's most original work, and is definitely a classic.

Classic Album Review: DMX, It's Dark and Hell Is Hot

In the mid-90s the hip-hop community was reeling. Everyone was still dealing with the tragic deaths of both 2Pac and the Notorious B.I.G. and the industry was entering one of its toughest periods it had ever known. People were angry, people wanted answers.

Hip-hop was waiting for something to happen, for someone to take the flag from those fallen stars and continue to bring hardcore rap into the new century. Whether it was out of anger, frustration or timing, DMX was that man.

Soon after those tragedies DMX came along, his Ruff Ryder crew in tow, and brought on some inner-city toughness and machismo that the industry was looking for. While he had done some guest work and had released some lesser known tracks, Earl Simmons, aka DMX was still looking for his breakout.

That breakout came in May of 1998 with his debut album, the aptly titled "It's Dark and Hell is Hot". The album introduced DMX to the masses, and unlike most other hardcore rappers who had more bark than bite, he had the physical presence to go along with his aggressive rapping style.

Filled with barking, growling, and snarling, the album had a personality of its own, personified by the man who made it. Produced in parts by Swizz Beats, Irv Gotti, and Dame Grease, the album is filled with some great tracks including "Stop Being Greedy", "How's It Goin' Down", "X-Is Coming", "Get at Me Dog", "For My Dogs", and of course the "Ruff Ryders' Anthem".

The album itself helped throw the spotlight back on hardcore rap, and showcased that DMX was more than just a growling machine, with him bringing so much emotion to the album while portraying different characters and mindsets throughout, including on the track "Damien".

"X-Is Coming" is one of the most interesting but also dark tracks on the album. The beat a sort of horror or gothic sound to it, referencing the film "A Nightmare on Elm Street" throughout the track as well. DMX delves into some serious lyrics, involving issues such as violence, murder and rape. The beat is haunting, and DMX is fierce on the track as he raps: " And ask you seriously what you wanna do?/Frustratin isn't? Wanna kill me but I'ma kill you!/Now watch me f**k, just a little while longer, please will you?/This is revenge, know that before you die,/Despite how much I hate to see a grown man,/ I'ma make you suffer,/See yo' ass in hell motherf**ker!"



"How's It Goin' Down" was the third single off of the album and could be considered a bit less hardcore than the rest of the tracks. The lyrics go over DMX meeting a girl and eventually carrying on an affair with her, which leads to the girl's current boyfriend attacking a man he believes is DMX. By the song's end, DMX decides that carrying on the relationship would be wrong and tells the girl she should go back to her boyfriend. I actually think this is one of DMX's most underrated tracks because of his ability to change up from his usual hard delivery into a smoother rap style.



One of his best verses on the track comes at the end as he spits: " Aiyyo this chicken got me digging her moves, 'cuz she smooth/Wanna lose, whoever she choose, it's the dues/Respect is not expected but it's given 'cuz it's real /Being neglected and all, expect it, the deal/Lie, cheat, and steal for me/Putting something in a nigga's wig if you squeal for me/Kill for me, you still with me/'Cuz we get down like what."

"Stop Being Greedy" has one of the best beats on the album hands down. It samples a part of a Diana Ross track and from the second the track starts you can see how ferocious DMX is, starting off barking and spitting some fast rhymes. One of the most interesting aspects of the track is something DMx does throughout the album, showing two sides of his voice. He uses the smooth voice to represent no trouble while the angry voice represents hostility and trouble. Lyrics on this track are focused on violence and stress which represents DMX's anger towards greedy people not wanting to help the one who needs it.



The "Ruff Ryders' Anthem" is easily the most recognizable tracks on the album and is also one of the best. Produced by uber-producer Swizz Beats, the repetitive and pounding beat is impossible to ignore. Whether you liked it or not, the song was catchy, and showed off DMX's skills as a rapper as well as his penchant for humor.



DMX brings it full force on this track as he sets the tone and raps: "Niggaz wanna try, niggaz wanna lie /Then niggaz wonder why, niggaz wanna die/All I know is pain/All I feel is rain/How can I maintain, with madd shit on my brain/I resort to violence, my niggaz move in silence/Like you don't know what are style is/New York niggaz the wildest."

While many may not think of this album as one of the best of all time, looking back over ten years down the line, there's no doubt it is. DMX makes his voice a character like no other rapper can, and throughout the album he intelligently battles with the good and evil sides of himself.

On top of that, unlike most of the hardcore rappers of that time, DMX makes his lyrics meaningful and symbolic, rather than just about material issues. He raps about inner strength, as well as qualities like survival, wisdom, strength, respect, and faith, while also maintaining his hard edge.

While DMX may have slipped off in his later years, there is no doubt that "It's Dark and Hell is Hot" is his best work, and easily a classic hardcore hip-hop album.

Classic Album Review: Boogie Down Productions, "Criminal Minded"

Hip-hop and music fans could argue till the end of time about where "gangsta rap" really originated from, but one thing that is certain in the debate is that KRS-One was heavily involved in the process.

When Kris Parker (KRS-One) met social worker Scott Sterling (Scott La Rock) while homeless and staying at a group home, neither could have known how far their collaboration would go, and the impact on the game they would leave. After running into each other a few weeks later the two eventually formed a crew, later recruiting D-Nice as well.

Originally comprised of the trio (KRS-One, D-Nice and DJ Scott La Rock), Boogie Down Productions helped lay down the foundation of what would become true gangsta rap on their debut album, "Criminal Minded".

Released on March 3, 1987, the album was controversial for many reasons, including the cover of the album, which showed Parker and Sterling surrounded by an arsenal of weapons, and was hip-hop’s first major release to feature members holding firearms. While this is significant, what's even more important were the blunt, realistic descriptions of life in the South Bronx.

The album is filled with some amazingly crafted tracks, including "South Bronx", "9mm Goes Bang", "The Bridge Is Over", "Criminal Minded", and "Poetry". And although there's some matter of dispute over who the true musical architect of the album was (some say Ced Gee of the Ultramagnetic M.C.'s was a "ghost producer" on the album) there's no disputing that it was a game-changer.

"Poetry" is the opening track on the album, and on top of just showing the pure rhyming skills of KRS-One the track emphatically sets the tone for the rest of the album. In our current 'playlist' era many fans forget that in the past some artists actually wanted people to listen to tracks in a certain order---this was one of those times. He rhymes about how hip-hop is poetry and I think KRS-One sums things up perfectly when he spits "If this meaning doesn't manifest put it to rest/I am a poet."



He spits one of the best verses on the entire album as he raps: "So tell me what is this?/See I come from the Bronx so just kiss this/Boogie Down Productions is somewhat an experiment/The antidote for sucka MC's and they're fearin it/It's self-explanatory, no one's writin for me/The poetry I'm rattlin is really not for battling/But if you want I will simply change the program/So when I'm done you will simply say 'damn'."

One of my personal favorite tracks is "Word From Our Sponsor," which I think is an underrated piece on the album. The group does an excellent job of being honest about the hood mentality, bringing together the culture of the system with an ethical code of the streets.



There's another fantastic verse on the track, perfectly illustrating where the group is coming from and what they stand for: "So go ahead and consume/A new era, KRS-One comes better/Bite another lyric? Never/Cos I'm too clever, however/ I own my own label/Partners with Scott LaRock, he's on the turntable/And partner Lee Smith/I'm exercising a true gift just to uplift."

The most recognizable track on the album is probably "The Bridge is Over", but it's also one of the best. The group gained some notoriety for their feud with MC Shan, Marley Marl, the Juice Crew and rappers from Queens, and this track is considered to be a diss song classic, aimed at that crew.



The beat is great, and the simple chorus of "I say, the bridge is over, the bridge is over, biddy-bye-bye!/The bridge is over, the bridge is over, hey, hey!/The bridge is over, the bridge is over, biddy-bye-bye!/The bridge is over, the bridge is over" is one of the most recognizable of all-time.

The track is filled with memorable lines, my personal favorite being: "Tell them again, me come to te-ell them/Manhattan keeps on makin it, Brooklyn keeps on takin it/Bronx keeps creatin it, and Queens keeps on fakin it."

One thing that makes the track so unique is how the group gives a slight nod to Billy Joel, with the song's lyrics at the end set to the tune of the famous song "It's Still Rock and Roll to Me." The track is one of the group's most significant, and one of the best out there.

In 1987, things were on the cusp, and "Criminal Minded" represented a seismic shift in hip-hop and illustrated a blueprint for the genre’s next decade. Basically it established the prototype for East Coast gangsta rap, and its effects can still be felt today. Sadly, DJ Scott La Rock was murdered on August 27, 1987, months after the release of the debut album, and ironic twist of fate for the group and the album.

Either way the album was a benchmark in hip-hop, and is most assuredly a classic.

Classic Album Review: N.W.A., "Amerikkka's Most Wanted"

When Ice Cube left N.W.A. and their label in early 1990 over some royalty disputes, everyone in the industry knew that he would probably waste little time before he started working on his own project. They were right.

Soon after the split he jumped right into the recoding studio and got to work on what would become his solo debut. While Ice Cube originally wanted Dr. Dre to produce the album, the label powers didn’t allow it, so he employed Dre's cousin Sir Jinx and Public Enemy's production team The Bomb Squad to help craft it instead.

Using notebooks full of songs he had planned to use for N.W.A, Ice Cube brought on a fierce, determined attitude to his solo debut, crafting an album that is considered to be one of the most defining hip-hop records of the '90s.

Released in May 1990, the album was filled with social and cultural commentary. The title itself was an intelligent statement by Ice Cube, alluding to the controversial television show "America's Most Wanted" in which real life crimes are reenacted.

Many, including Ice Cube felt that the show perpetuated stereotypes of African Americans and other minorities, which led him to misspell the title the of the show, making a pointed and cultural statement, equating the show to the racist group.

The album is filled with commentary like the title, including conscious and political commentary and dealing with issues such as life in the ghetto, drug addiction, racism, and poverty. He delves even deeper throughout the album, calling Arsenio Hall a sell-out, and tackling mainstream hip-hop radio for its broadcasting practices. Ice Cube gives an eye level view of life in the inner city, filled with vivid and at times frightening details and style.

The album is filled with great tracks, but in my mind "Endangered Species (Tales from the Darkside)", the title track, "AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted", "Turn off the Radio", "Once Upon a Time in the Projects" and "It's a Man's World" stand out above the rest.

The title track, "AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted" is easily one of the best on the album. The beat is great and you can hear Ice Cube's intensity on the track as he spits "Ice Cube has got the 4-1-1/All the ol' school house fellows are crooks/So I get jealous looks / They keep thinkin did my hair grow?/Will the boys 'n' the hood have to beat down Ice Cube?/Hell no, I'll static son, you'll see it's okay/I keep my 9 anyway."



"Once Upon a Time in the Projects" might be the most illustrative track on the album. The beat has a funky, guitar string vibe which fits perfectly with the idea that the track is sort of a 'fairy tale' story about the inner city.

Ice Cube sets things perfectly as he raps: "Lookin at a fucked up black and white / her mom's bitchin cause the county check wasn't right/She had another brother that was three years old/and had a bad case of the runny nose/He asked me who I was then I had to pause/It smelled like he took a shit in his little drawers/I saw her sister that needs get her ass kicked/only thirteen and already pregnant/I grabbed the forty out the bag and took a swig."

"Turn off the Radio" is another excellent track and showcases Ice Cube's thoughts on the radio industry and how they operate. He doesn't pull any punches, calling out Arsenio Hall and proving he wasn't afraid to take on anybody, anywhere in the industry.



Coupled with the fantastic Bomb Squad production, which included tons of samples from TV and the radio, Ice Cube proves that the only important radio is the one that's playing his tracks. Ice Cube brings attention to the radio and is blunt and ironic as he raps: "Turn on the radio take a listen/What you're missing/Personally I'm sick of the ass-kissing/What I'm kicking to you won't get rotation/Nowhere in the nation/Program directors and DJ's ignored me/Cause I simply said fuck Top Forty."

"Endangered Species (Tales from the Darkside)" is my favorite track on the album and just might be the best of the bunch. The title of the track comes from the opening excerpt of the track, in which a reporter in a mock newscast talks about African American males becoming endangered.



From its content and style is may be the most politically and socially charged track on the album, which makes it also one of the most important. Throughout the track he showcases the plight of many in the country as well as the awful racial tendencies of institutions throughout the nation.

Ice Cube even plays Nostradamus a bit as he predicts that his neighborhood would eventually become a point for violence even years before the Rodney King scandal and L.A. Riots later on. You can hear how personal all this is to him as he raps the points he's trying to make: "Every cop killer goes ignored/They just send another nigga to the morgue/A point scored- they could give a fuck about us/They rather catch us with guns and white powder/If I was old, they'd probably be a friend of me/Since I'm young, they consider me the enemy/They kill ten of me to get the job correct."

Ice Cube proved on "AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted" that he was one of the most talented rappers in the industry at the time and also that he didn't need N.W.A. to be a success. The album is easily one of the best of the era, and the production by The Bomb Squad proved that they shouldn’t always be linked to Public Enemy, because their work on this record was phenomenal and underappreciated.

Ice Cube showed he wasn't afraid of anybody, leveling institutions and the government for their overly obvious racial biases and tendencies, as well as exposing the social issues that allowed the oppression of those living in LA to exist.

Apart from the references to Arsenio Hall (which just wreaks of early 90's) the album is timeless, angry and has more social commentary in it than I can begin to discuss. As a debut, it may be one of the best ever, and is most definitely a classic.

Classic Album Review: N.W.A., “Straight Outta Compton”

No matter what type of artist, musician, singer you are, the main purpose of a debut album remains the same. The idea is to make an impact in some way, whether it is on society, on the industry, with fans, critics, or both. With a debut album artists are attempting to establish a voice and show to the masses exactly why their name should be known.

Now of course some debut albums have more of an impact than others. For example, it's clear that Nas's first album "Illmatic" had a greater effect on the industry than let's say, Nappy Roots' freshman effort, but the point that I'm trying to get at, is that a debut album has a purpose and when it's done right, everyone in the industry feels it. One album that could be considered the perfect example of this is N.W.A's "Straight Outta Compton".

Released in August of 1988, the album arguably had one of the biggest impacts on the industry than any other. The album embodied the genre of gangsta rap, and launched it into mainstream popularity. One of its biggest impacts was how it helped shift focus from the East coast to the West, establishing that coast as the power player of rap in the early '90s.

While it's true that "Straight Outta Compton" was not the first gangsta-rap album released, it was a game changer for many reasons. Between the superb production from Dr. Dre and DJ Yella, which added some elements to gangsta rap that hadn't been seen before, and its realistic, harsh language and illustrative lyrics, "Straight Outta Compton" was unlike anything the industry had seen.

N.W.A. put together a listing of tracks that dwarfs most other albums in comparison. There are some legendary tracks on the album including "Express Yourself", the title track "Straight Outta Compton", "Fuck tha Police", "Gangsta Gangsta", and "Something Like That".

The three opening tracks on the album "Straight Outta Compton", "Fuck tha Police", "Gangsta Gangsta" might be one of the best one, two, three lineups of all-time. The three tracks are all made with supreme quality, but what adds to them is the fact that they are all connected by looking at the city the group comes from through many different prisms.

The title track "Straight Outta Compton" is one of the best of all-time, and sets the tone for the rest of the album. The track takes a hard look at a city that is controlled by crime, and gives a realistic portrayal of what it was like in Compton for the members of the group.



From the very beginning Ice Cube shows how passionate he is as he raps with ferocity in the opening verse: "Straight outta Compton, crazy motherfucker named Ice Cube/From the gang called Niggaz With Attitudes/When I'm called off, I got a sawed off/Squeeze the trigger, and bodies are hauled off/You too, boy, if ya fuck with me/The police are gonna hafta come and get me."
One thing the group does on this album so well is being political without being so obvious about it. On its face you could look at its harsh language and lyrics as just for show, but it all has underlying meaning.

This comes out clearly on the second track "Fuck Tha Police". Just the title itself was a political statement, but the track goes even further, detailing why the city is controlled by crime and who’s to blame for it. The track was extremely controversial for its language and stance on condoning violence against the police, but proved that the group wasn't afraid to take on anybody. The track at its core is about raising hell and not allowing authority to take control over everything.



The track is important because it embodied a truthful mindset of the people living in the community. The track spoke for them, the ones who had no voice, in such a harsh but frustrated way especially the verse: "To the police I'm sayin fuck you punk/Readin my rights and shit, it's all junk/Pullin out a silly club, so you stand/With a fake assed badge and a gun in your hand."
"Gangsta Gangsta" is a fantastic track as well, and illustrates the lifestyle that takes over the city due to all of the outside and institutional influences. The song conveys the dangers of living on the streets, but also the appealing side of the gangsta lifestyle.

The track has some of the most memorable lines on the entire album including Ice Cube's verse, which is one of his personal best: "Homies all standin around, just hangin/Some dope-dealin, some gang-bangin/We decide to roll and we deep/See a nigga on Dayton's and we creep/Real slow, and before you know/I had my shotgun pointed in the window/He got scared, and hit the gas/Right then, I knew I has to smoke his ass."

"Express Yourself" is my personal favorite track on the album, party because I love the beat, but mostly because of the message in the track itself. The song's lyrics center on ideas of free expression and the constraints in place by censorship. Even more so the track talks about how some artists are afraid to express themselves fully for fear of what other people might think.



That's one thing N.W.A. proved it wasn't afraid of and you can hear it as Dre raps: "I'm expressin with my full capabilities/And now I'm livin in correctional facilities/Cause some don't agree with how I do this/I get straight and meditate like a Buddhist/I'm droppin flava, my behavior is hereditary/But my technique is very necessary."

"Straight Outta Compton" took the industry by storm and even listening to it today the album still sounds refreshing and relevant, even though it's over twenty years old now (yeah, I'm surprised too). The album reached double platinum sales status, pretty mush with no airplay support and without any major tours making it a true rarity in the business.

N.W.A. was young and truly didn't give a fuck about anything except saying what they believed in and putting it on their album. While there isn't much in your face social criticism, the album itself is a social critique, which is what it has stood the test of time.

It's almost impossible to quantify what this album meant to hip-hop, but no matter how much time goes by, it remains an essential landmark, one of hip-hop's all-time greatest.

Classic Album Review: LL Cool J, “Mama Said Knock You Out”

For some of the younger or at least less-informed generation, LL Cool J isn't known as a rapper, he's an actor. But it's not their fault they didn't grow up in the 80's. I'll always associate the man with "Radio", his debut album, which was a massive success. Either way, we know the man can act, but he can also rap quite a bit as well.

Following his electric 1985 debut, he released "Bigger and Deffer" two years later, which again was a critical and commercial success. His third album, "Walking with a Panther", released in 1989, while a well-selling album, it was criticized by many fans and critics alike for being too materialistic and "commercial". Simply put, it was a dud compared to his previous efforts.

Increasingly dismissed by hip-hop fans as an old-school relic and by some as a pop sellout, the rapper was fueled by the desire to regain some of those same fans back. With all that coming at him, LL Cool J headed back into the studio to work on his fourth album, which would become "Mama Said Knock You Out".

The album was released in August of 1990 and went on to become his biggest-selling album ever. Producer Marley Marl helped LL Cool J get back some of the hard-edged attitude he had seemingly lost, and did an excellent job of striking a balance between attitude and accessibility.

"Mama Said Knock You Out" is a consistent and entertaining record, with some great tracks littered throughout. The album produced four hit singles, and, while the title track is as good as advertised, "The Boomin' System", "Around The Way Girl", "6 Minutes of Pleasure", and "To da Break of Dawn" are all excellent as well.

"The Boomin' System" was the first single released from the album, and is one of the rapper's best. The track is a nod to all the bass-loving boys with car stereos that were riding around shining when this album was making the rounds. It reminds me of his original debut, "Radio", which is a welcome comparison, especially after his so-so previous album.



LL Cool J is one of the most skilled rappers at setting the scene, and he does it perfectly here as he raps: "You know it's funky, funky, funky cos you heard it from hear-say/A jam that you love that don't be gettin no airplay/Strictly for frontin when you're ridin around/12 o'clock at night with your windows down/Headlights breakin cos your batteries drain/Armor all on your tires and a big gold chain."

"Around the Way Girl" is a track that shows how LL Cool J learned from his mistakes on his last album. This track could easily have been part of his previous effort, since it's a ballad to the ladies, but this time around the track is a winning formula of a slick beat, and solid lyrics.



LL Cool J knows how to be smooth and cocky all at the same time as he raps: "I want a girl with extensions in her hair/Bamboo earrings/At least two pair/A Fendi bag and a bad attitude/That's all I need to get me in a good mood/She can walk with a switch and talk with street slang/I love it when a woman ain't scared to do her thing."

"Mama Said Knock You Out", while one of the most popular on the album is also one of my favorites. The track has one of the all-time great inspirational stories behind its creation. LL Cool J's career was in a downturn before this album, so his grandmother told him to "knock out" all the critics. The rest is history.Produced by Marely Marl, with some help from Shadman Kaiser and LL himself, the track reached number 17 on the Billboard Hot 100, and won the Best Rap Solo Performance at the Grammy Awards of 1992.



The opening line of the track is legendary all by itself. When you hear LL Cool J spit: "Don't call it a comeback / I've been here for years", it's impossible not to realize that he did not enjoy being criticized for his last album. He is more keyed up here that on any track, and his lyrics come at you full force. You can hear how personal to him this all is as he raps: "Don't u call this a regular jam/I'm gonna rock this land/I'm gonna take this itty bitty world by storm/And I'm just gettin warm/Just like Muhummad Ali they called him Cassius/Watch me bash this beat like a skull.

"Mama Said Knock You Out" is great music, and it was a glorious return for LL Cool J, and he should be proud of this effort. The production on the slower tracks are smooth and soulful, but still funky, making the ladies'-man side of LL Cool J the most convincing it had been, which is a welcome change from his last album.

LL Cool J shows that he is a pro in every sense of the word, and on this album he regained the credibility that had begun to wear away from him. While "Mama Said Knock You Out" may not have been as electric as "Radio", it is just as good and is most definitely a hip-hop classic.

Classic Album Review: Nas, "Stillmatic"

When your debut album is hailed as the savior of hip-hop and one of the greatest albums of all-time, how do you follow that up?

Nas' "Illmatic" was and still is one of the best hip-hop albums ever, and easily one of the best debut albums by any artist, but his follow-up works, "It Was Written", "I Am..." and "Nastradamus", while decent, were considered mediocre in comparison by critics to his first album.

On top of all that he and Jaz-Z had gotten into a bit of a feud, so things were getting tense within the world of Nasir Jones to say the least. It had been two years since Nas released a record, so it was an excellent time to get back into the studio.

Under these circumstances Nas got to work on a new album, "Stillmatic", and needless to say, he had a lot to fuel his fire.

Released in December 2001, the album was a huge hit with critics and fans alike, and in a way reinstated Nas at the top of the hip-hop industry. The album is stacked from top to bottom with great tracks, but "Ether", "You're Da Man", "One Mic", "Rule", and "Destroy and Rebuild", stand out above the rest.

One of the most popular tracks off the album, "Got Ur Self A…", will forever be connected with the theme song from "The Sopranos", but to me, that's not such a bad thing. "Smokin'" is a solid track as well, as is "Rewind", but the above mentioned ones are some of the best tracks of all-time."Ether", in my opinion is one of the best diss tracks of all-time. The song was a response to Jay-Z's "Takeover", a diss track towards Nas which appears on Jay-Z's album "The Blueprint", during the rapper's feud. It's clear from the name and subject matter that Nas would bring the fire on the track, and he proves it here.



You can truly hear how strongly Nas feels in his hate for Hova (at the time), as he raps: "How could Nas be garbage?/Semi-autos at your cartilage/Burner at the side of your dome, come outta my throne/I got this, locked since '9-1/I am the truest, name a rapper that I ain't influenced."

"One Mic" is one of my favorite tracks on the album, and I think it's one of Nas's best from his lengthy career. The emotion he performs it with, the beat, the lyrical content, all combine to make just an all around fantastic track.



The track samples the Phil Collins song "In the Air Tonight", and the way Nas flows on through the lyrics, from slow to fast, soft to hard, pull you in close and shows how personal the track is to Nas. It's him and the mic. The chorus of the track is simple and still is one of the best ever.

His last verse though is what I think makes this track legendary. Nas is an absolute force as he raps his last verse with some passion: " [starting loud this time, getting quieter] All I need is one life/One try/One breath I'm one man/What I stand for itself/ They don't understand/Or wanna see me on top, too egotistical/Talkin all that slick shit, the same way these bitches do…". I was compelled to throw up the whole verse here because it's so good, but it's decently long as well. Nevertheless, it's fantastic.

Perhaps the reason I am biased in my liking of "You're Da Man" is because one of my college roommates played the song so often, but besides that, I still think it's one of Nas's best tracks.



It's an introspective look at the man, and Nas does a great job of talking about himself, his success and his career without being cocky. He's egotistical but not a snob, and looks over what it takes to stay at the top of the game.

Always one to be aware of his standing, Nas delves into what it takes to stay alive in the industry: "They plan was to knock me out the top of the game/But I overstand they truth is all lame/I hold cannons that shoot balls of flames/Right in they fat mouth then I carve my name/Nas - too real, Nas - true king/It's however you feel, g'head, you swing/Your arms too short to box with god/I don't kill soloists only kill squads/Fame went to they head, so now it's "Fuck Nas"/Yesterday you begged for a deal, today you tough guys."

The tracks stand alone all by themselves. There's no doubt that "One Mic" will stand the test of time as one of the best tracks ever, and although the feud may be over now, "Ether" still simmers.

"Stillmatic" was a great return for the rapper, and although it isn't quite as good as "Illmatic" (what is?), it still is one of Nas's best albums of all time, and a hip-hop classic.

Classic Album Review: Boyz II Men, "II"

Boyz II Men first sauntered their way onto the music scene with their debut album, "Cooleyhighharmony", in 1991. The album wasn't just a simple breakthrough, by the end of the decade it would become on of the best selling debut albums of all time, but the point being that a new R&B group had hit the music scene, and they had the chance to be one of the biggest ever.

Their sound was different that anything else that was coming out at that time, a sort of eclectic mix of hip-hop and doo-wop, old school jazz flavor mixed in with some contemporary style. It was clear from the first album that this group would be doing big things in the music industry.

The album had that rare mix of great singles with several cuts that could have just as easily been hits, the ultimate measure of a release that is both commercially and creatively successful. What could they do for a follow-up?

With the release of their second album, the simply titled, "II", the 'Boyz' assured their spot at the top of the charts and as the most successful group of the right now (well, the 'right then' aka the 90's).

Released in 1994, "II" eventually won the Grammy for Best R&B album, but it also made the group bonafide stars. The album contained multiple number one singles, and helped lovers the set the mood for years upon years to come.

The album is filled with some fantastic, soulful, and beautiful sounding tracks. The singles "I'll Make Love to You" and "On Bended Knee" are obviously great, but "Yesterday", "Water Runs Dry", and "All Around the World" are quality pieces as well.

"I'll Make Love to You" is one of the group's most recognizable and successful songs. The track spent two months on top of the charts, only to be knocked down by another Boyz II Men track. The song is a ballad in its purest form and hits on some romantic high notes, while also being a mature and soulful track.



The track became a platinum-selling single, won the 1995 Grammy Award for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals and two American Music Awards for Favorite Pop/Rock Single and Favorite Soul/R&B Single.

Anyone who was listening to the radio around this time knows the chorus like the back of their hand. The group croons to every lady out there: "I'll make love to you/Like you want me to/And I'll hold you tight/Baby all through the night/I'll make love to you/When you want me to/And I will not let go/Till you tell me to."

"On Bended Knee" is another very recognizable, but fantastic track off the album. The track was written and produced by Babyface, and it shows with its harmonious melody and soulful lyrics.



This track was the one that finally bumped "I'll Make Love To You" out of the top spot on the charts and it was the first time that an act had replaced itself at number one since the Beatles' heyday, when "I Want to Hold Your Hand", "She Loves You", and "Can't Buy Me Love" held the top of the chart for a total of twelve weeks. That's quite some company to join.

The track is extremely well written, and has some of the best lyrics on the album and the Boyz swoon: "Can we go back to the days our love was strong/Can you tell me how a perfect love goes wrong/Can somebody tell me how to get things back/The way they use to be/Oh God give me a reason/I'm down on bended knee/I'll never walk again until you come back to me/I'm down on bended knee."

"All Around the World" is one of my personal favorite tracks on the album, partially because of its more upbeat nature. The French intro is as funky as it is fitting, with the group reciting their world travels and female conquests. Boyz II Men is global, and they prove it here.



I love the swagger and smoothness of this track, with the group rejoicing: "…Keisha, Kelly, Tonya, Stacy, Mica and LaShaun/Kathy, Trina, Carla, Lisa, Cheri, and Diane/All these girls around the world are fly in every land/And it's hard to choose, but there's one for every man/Boyz II Men back around the world/And were comin' through your town
All we do is for you/'Cause you've always been there/And we appreciate you."

Boyz II Men proved here on "II" that they were not just another cut of the cloth R&B group. They truly were in a class all by themselves, perfecting their craft on this album, and winning over a few ladies in the process.

One of the strongest points of this album is the arrangements and fine tuning of production. Everything is clean and smooth and really helps to make this album a sum of all its parts.

All in all, "II" ended up going 12 times platinum by the time it was all said and done. And that's not a typo either, Twelve times. Sure, a good amount of albums have done that, such as "Led Zeppellin II" and "Purple Rain" by Prince, but not too many have.

Boys II Men may or may not be the best R&B group of all time, but one thing is clear, no modern day group can hold a candle to what they did on this effort. It's their crowning achievement, and definitely a classic, and not just a classic in their genre.