Illmatic at 20 and How It Shaped Me at 20

I can’t say enough that Illmatic is one of my favorite albums of all time. Not just because Nas is one of my two favorite rappers of all time but because it’s a timeless record that is a gold standard for lyricism and production being married so perfectly.

As the 20th anniversary is celebrated Saturday, I want to just share my reflections from hearing it for the first time. I believe that if I heard Illmatic at any other time, it might have resonated differently to me but I think the timing was perfect. So here we go.

Back in 2003, I was still exploring Nas. I loved Stillmatic and I was getting into God’s Son - which was the first Nas album I bought. I lived through the feud with Jay Z and was getting ready to enjoy Jay’s farewell on the Black Album.

It hit me to finally listen to Illmatic - an album I had heard of for years but never bothered to check yet. So I began to search and download the album. This was back when the Internet was so tricky, you might have to download stuff before bed and wait til you woke up to hear it. So there I was on Bearshare downloading every track to Illmatic.

9/29/98: 15 Years Later (Mos Def and Talib Kweli are Black Star)

This is the second in a series looking back at September 29, 1998. A classic release day in hip-hop where several gamechangers came out. This is Part 2 looking at Black Star’s classic debut “Mos Def and Talib Kweli are Black Star.”

It was fitting that A Tribe Called Quest released their last album on 9/29/98 because their torch was passed in two ways. It was passed to OutKast on Aquemini (which I’ll discuss later) but also Black Star, who took a similar road that Tribe carved out.

I first heard Black Star’s album in fall 2004. One of my advisors in our multicultural center passed me a copy that I burned along with The Roots “Things Fall Apart”. Soon as I listened to it, I was hooked by the beats, rhymes and life of hearing two of my favorites start their careers.*

The album felt like a throwback while looking ahead. The “B-Boys will be B-Boys” skit reminded you of when hip-hop was a park jam and dancing was just as important as MCing.

Maybe that’s why Black Star is significant 15 years later. While Jay-Z revived Biggie’s formula and DMX brought the street element, that album was one of the first to try and recreate that early 90’s feel of alternative rap groups like Tribe, De La Soul and others.

Electric Relaxation: Reviewing Good Kid, MAAD City

I've been excited for Kendrick Lamar's album since last year and hearing it 3 times hasn't changed my mind when I say that it's one of the best debuts I've heard since "Food + Liquor". I'm happy that he and Big K.R.I.T. give me hope for the future in rap that rappers will have as much substance as they do everything else.

Besides "Food + Liquor", it also reminded me of Ice Cube's classic "Death Certificate" just because it captured what a young man in L.A. is going through. While it lacks the political bite of DC, one of my favorite albums of all time, the window and perspective of GKMC reminds of what Cube was trying to capture.

Is it a classic? How can you call something a classic 2 weeks after it comes out? It's an incredible piece of work that'll be remembered for a while. It's a great album. It'll be one of the best albums of the year. But let's wait and give it time because just because it looks like a classic, we still gotta let it play out.

That said, go cop it. Buy some extra copies for folks. Be a good friend like I was with my lady and let them have a copy however you can arrange it. Good music must be supported with your dollars and based on the last 2 weeks on Billboard, people are supporting Kendrick incredibly. 304,000 sold in 2 weeks for a debut artist? Who barely has a Top 40 single? Incredible!

Electric Relaxation: Eminem Turns 40

Hard to believe that Marshall Mathers is 40 today. Craziest thing is that means he was 27 when the Slim Shady LP dropped. Since I just turned 28, that holds a lot more weight considering there's still a lot of living left in me.

I've watched Eminem from novelty act to serious MC to drug addict/questionable producer to serious MC once again. He's been one of my favorite rappers since I first heard "My Name Is" and everybody tried to rap it at school. While most of my friends loved the Marshall Mathers LP, my favorite will always be The Eminem Show because it was personal, dark and showed growing as a rapper with his skill and inspiration. Somehow he sounded overwhelmed, confident and hungry all at the same time.

People think Lil Wayne and Drake are superstars. But 10 years ago, Eminem was a real superstar. I remember when TRL was nearly shut down when he arrived. When he had the No. 1 movie and album in the country with 8 Mile. When Eminem Show was cranking out radio singles and album cuts on the radio all the time. When "Lose Yourself" was being compared to "Smells Like Teen Spirit" and nearly every great song of the previous 10 years. 

RapGenius: Not Hating the Players but Hating the Game Once Again

I looked at RapGenius over the past year or so. At first I thought it was pretty cool – a site to break down rap lyrics. They hit me up on Twitter randomly to ask me to join their site, I told them I’d think about it. Since I love lyrics, I ended up joining and added my two cents to some of my favorite Ice Cube/Nas songs.

I don’t have a beef with the site per se. Because it’s all user based, anybody can comment on a song. That’s both good and bad because while there are some great breakdowns (see Kendrick Lamar and Frank Ocean), some of the reasoning is silly and immature.  When you post a new meaning, there’s a corny “Yeeeeah Boy” picture afterwards.

RapGenius has also succeeded in partnering with folks like Nas, Kendrick Lamar, Murs and Jean Grae to help breakdown their lyrics. The site admits that not every breakdown is approved by an editor so that’s pretty much carte blanche to allow anything. In our Wikipedia generation, it works even if it emphasizes current rap over old school joints that deserve to be deciphered more.

So what’s the big issue? Discovering that RapGenius got a $15 million investment and it’s the brainchild of three slang-talking, non-Black guys from Yale. Guys who got started the site on a whim and watched it grow.

Low End Theory turns 21

The first time I heard A Tribe Called Quest's Low End Theory, I was a sophomore in college. It was 2004 and I decided it was time to finally buy a Tribe album. I found it at Best Buy and the cashier told me, "You're gonna love it."

(That's one of the sad things I miss buying music today. Not a lot of cashiers know enough about the music you're buying to give you feedback anymore. It's just ring it up, exchange money/receipts and "Have a good day")

So I came home, popped it in my desktop and listened for the next 37 minutes. What happened next help spark my love affair with one of the greatest groups in hip hop history. I played that album over and over that year and when I saw Tribe reunite that summer at the San Diego Street Scene, the booming bass of "Buggin Out" hit my soul deep!

Thank you MCA - Rest in Beats, Bass and Power.

“MC - For what I am and do. The A is for Adam and the lyrics”

It doesn’t seem fair that we keep losing hip hop pioneers. Last year, we had to say goodbye to Heavy D. Last week, we had to do the same for MCA, the deeper voice member of the Beastie Boys.

For me, it was always tough to tell who was who just by listening to them. But it helped remind me that Mike D, Ad-Rock and MCA were a group. A band of brothers united in having a good time and representing New York. And as groups began to fade from the landscape, they reminded me what it used to be.

Besides Licensed to Ill being the smash we all know (1st hip hop album to go #1), the Beastie Boys were one of the first hip hop acts to grow up. We know how they started – the frat boy vibe of Licensed to Ill is still required listening at colleges it seems – but we remember them as far beyond that. I remember MCA saying these words on “Sure Shot,”released at the height of gangsta rap in 1994.

“I wanna say a little something that’s long overdue. The disrespecting women has got to be through. To all the mothers and sisters and the wives and friends. I wanna offer my love and respect to the end.”

That was a grown up line at a time when Death Row was talking about “Ain’t No Fun, if the Homies Can’t Have None” and not too soon after Apache dropped “Gangsta B---h.” Looking back at it now, it showed off the conscious of MCA and the group and how they were always evolving.

By the time I first got exposed to a new Beasties song in high school, it was “Intergalactic” and I loved it. It sounded futuristic, the video was a trip and everybody was quoting it. Then I started listening to KROQ and soon I got put on to all the classics from Licensed to Ill and Ill Communication, not to mention “So What’Cha Want.”

For my money, Paul’s Boutique is my favorite Beasties album. License to Ill has the party joints with rock guitars (The New Style/No Sleep Til Brooklyn are my faves). “Sure Shot” of Ill Communication is probably my favorite Beasties song while “Sabotage” is my favorite video (and has an ill bass line from MCA). But as a fan of hip-hop, Paul’s Boutique is beyond amazing and virtually impossible to make again.

It’s one of the Holy Trinity of sampling – the others being Public Enemy’s “It Takes a Nation of Millions….” and De La Soul “3 Feet High and Rising. It’s an incredible collage of obscure and known samples and it schooled me to a lot of music. Not to mention the Beasties were left for dead after leaving Def Jam and found inspiration out here in L.A. at Capitol Records with the Dust Brothers.

I later read in the 33 1/3 series book on the album that MCA took the move the hardest, which prompted a lot of introspection and led to him going off on “A Year and a Day.” Thanks to sampling laws, albums like that will never be created again without paying hefty fines.

Just like that album is underrated, I feel like the Beasties are underrated by modern hip hop folks because they picked up their instruments again and went more rock in 1991 (even though their punk background reminds you that punk/New-Wave kids were some of hip hop’s biggest supporters back in the day). Hip hop radio may have abandoned them but they never abandoned them.

Even when you hear newer joints like “Ch-Check It Out” or “Triple Trouble” from 2003 or “Too Many Rappers” from 2009, they still rapped like a true group. They made you dig for obscure records to check their samples. They had fun and continued to be inspired.

MCA was at the forefront of their visual/political evolution. He shot several of their videos and helped them be involved in the Tibetan Freedom movement. He loved hoops so much that he later shot a documentary on the 2006 Elite 24 Hoops game, released in 2008. And in 1998, he said these words about America's involvement in the Middle East that are sadly prophetic of the 2000's and today.

The Beastie Boys will be remembered as pioneers – the first White hip hop group to make an impact and influenced rappers Black and White to have fun. As my friend Evan said, they seemed to always be ahead of the game and watch folks catch up to them.

I’ll always love how visual they were. They had the coolest videos and “Sabotage” will keep inspiring people for generations. Last week, I had the pleasure of seeing an exhibit at the MOCA downtown – an Audiovisual exhibit curated by none other than Mike D. A reminder they not only made you listen, they made you watch and appreciate others who shared in their vision.

As I continue to dig into their albums, I’ll be digging into more artists they sampled.

I’ll play “Howlin for Judy” and think of that flute sample for Sure Shot. “Big Sur Suite” for that bassline in “Pass the Mic”. Jimmy Smith’s “Root Down” for the Beasties’ ode of the same name.

I’ll keep schooling folks on how incredible Paul’s Boutique is as one of the most underrated classics of the last 25 years. They kept it true to the old school while they stayed relevant in the new.

I’ll miss MCA and his “beard like a billy goat” but he was a big help in showing that one should strive for excellence, creativity and growing as you age. His loss is sad for music, hip-hop and visual artists altogether.

MC Hammer at 50 - Fun Facts (from me)

So today is MC Hammer's 50th birthday and of course, my mind goes back to the 90's with the Hammer pants, Hammertime, the cartoon, accessories and everybody knowing "U Can't Touch This". But here's some fun facts about MC Hammer and my life.

1. Have to be totally honest that Hammer was my introduction to Prince's "When Doves Cry". When I bought a 90's rap CD back in 2000 or 2001, Hammer's "Pray" was on there and I remembered it from my days singing the hook as a kid. Course, being 15 or 16, I had no idea of sampling and didn't know that he sampled one of the greatest songs of the last 30 years. I found out watching a Prince video on BET and lo and behold, I made the connection.

*In the same way, he also introduced me to "Super Freak." People hate hip-hop for sampling but when it turns you on to the original song and makes you appreciate it, you can't hate them. Plus it gave Rick James a huge financial payout.

2. Speaking of "Pray", did you know that's technically Hammer's biggest chart hit on the Hot 100? It reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100. Surprisingly, "U Can't Touch This" for all of it's hype, the commercials, being everywhere around the world, it somehow only reached No. 8. Really??? Why couldn't that be the first No. 1 hip hop song instead of "Ice Ice Baby." Just another reminder that chart status has nothing to do with impact.

*Technically it was No. 1 on a whole bunch of other charts so again, further proof the Hot 100 isn't the only barometer of chart success either.

3. Most of you probably know Hammer was a former bat boy for the Oakland A's in the 70's when they were winning World Series. But you probably didn't know Hammer was a decent baseball player too. My colleague Ronnie Flores from ESPN/Rise told me this year that in HS, Hammer used to play in some summer leagues in L.A. with future major leaguers Eric Davis and Darryl Strawberry. Not a surprise, but I believe he said Hammer was no slouch.

4. My 5th grade drill team danced to Hammer's "It's All Good" and I thought it was the coolest song ever. You might remember that came off the same album as "Pumps And a Bump" when Hammer tried to go harder. To a 10-year-old, I assumed everybody sounded like that from the limited rap I knew. But that song will always remind me of seeing my drill team practice in the fellowship hall.

5. My friends and I made up a crazy dance to his song on the Addams Family soundtrack. Don't ask me to do it (or maybe try your best to bribe me) but it involved shuffling your feet, switching hands during the chorus, jumping around like some Alpha Phi Alpha brothers whenever "Pistol Grip Pump" comes on.

6. When 3rd Bass dissed MC Hammer in "Gas Face", Hammer was still mainly under-the-radar. I assumed for years that Pete Nice and MC Serch dissed him after he got popular but since Gas Face dropped in 1989, this was a Hammer mainly known for "Turn this Mutha Out" who they legitimately had beef with, according to this interview Pete Nice did.

I grew up in the shadow of Hammer in 1990-93. He was the first superstar to me that I knew besides Michael Jackson. My sister's dance company had a whole show that revolved around "2 Legit 2 Quit". We all joked about him losing money but few people realized that Hammer put a lot of people on with jobs and did as much to put Oakland on the hip hop map as Too $hort or E-40. Plus his songs have a bit more replay value than I expected.

Plus I'll never forget how he was dancing at James Brown's funeral. We haven't forgotten his impact and as he's aged, we won't forget his music and how he took over the world. So happy 50th birthday MC Hammer, thanks for creating some great memories in my life and props on being content with yours and keeping God first.

Electric Relaxation: Lupe Fiasco - Lasers (Album Review)

I should've had this album earlier this year. I've been a Lupe Fiasco fan since I heard murmurings of him when I was about to graduate college. I downloaded several mixtapes in 2006 for the most-talked about MC in ages. I've written this blog saying Lupe's the most complete/versatile MC I've heard since Eminem. I've said The Cool is one of the best hip-hop albums of the last five years and it's still flying over people's heads how deep a metaphor that was and how relevant it is.

So why did I delay listening to Lasers? Why have I kept it in my Amazon wishlist all year without feeling the urge to buy it? Maybe because I heard too much press that this was Lupe's Nastradamus or Encore. Maybe because Lupe himself told people this album was a compromise and punishment for getting the public to protest Atlantic Records not releasing it sooner. Maybe I saw that it was 12 tracks, way shorter than either of his last 2 works.

Despite the brilliance of hearing "Words I Never Said", I also heard "The Show Must Go On" and thought it was "Superstar" Part 2 and Atlantic forcing his hand. I heard "All Black Everything" and I heard him break down what Lasers meant on his Enemy of the State mixtape. But I still waited because of that warning. After reading the XXL feature, I said why support it if Lupe hates it.

Well the wait is over. Thanks to joining Spotify, I finally listened to Lasers risk free. My thoughts are as follows. I blame Atlantic Records for trying to turn the best MC of the last 5 years into B.O.B. (and that's not a diss to Bobby Ray, that's Atlantic being short-sighted in the name of hits).

Four years after The Cool blew my mind and went gold thanks to a pop single in "Superstar", Lupe has an album that's pretty much left-field pop rap. By that I mean, it fits in perfectly with today's climate without totally sounding like Drake or Wayne or anybody else in the mainstream. At the same time, it's not what you expect from a guy who made "Kick, Push", "American Terrorist","Dumb It Down" or "Hip Hop Saved My Life".

The biggest flaw with this album is production. Too much techno, not enough soul to match the fire of Lupe's lyrics. It also wasn't cohesive. "Food and Liquor" and "The Cool" were great listens because the production was consistent and pleasing to the ear. Lasers is the classic case of hip hop's failure in grabbing hot producers to make hits without thinking about a solid sound.

The hooks on some of these are downright awful. The album opener makes me wish B.O.B. took that beat instead of Lupe. "Break the Chain" has some powerful lyrics but that beat sounds like it should be played in a club instead of a sonic force like "Little Weapon" on The Cool. It may grow on me but it's not a perfect fit.

"Out Of My Head" with Trey Songz isn't bad ---- that is, it would be dope if you replaced Trey with a female singer and had another hook/different lyrics. Instead, you just say "yep, Atlantic made him do it" and press next. The always cliche song for the ladies that just doesn't fit.

The worst case is "State-Run Radio", which has a title you'd expect from him but a silly hard-rock beat and a terrible hook that waters down Lupe's rant about Top 40 radio. I dang near cringed when I heard this on Pandora last month and I cringed hearing it again.

(Then again, maybe that's Lupe's point - make an overly pop song with a crappy, anthemic hook to prove how bad Top 40 radio. Yet it doesn't exactly work like DJ Premier making that same statement with Gang Starr's "Mass Appeal" or Radiohead's "My Iron Lung")

At least lyrically, Lupe still shows why he's an elite MC. "The Show Must Go On" grows on you because of the inspiration in his lyrics. The first verse walks you into his shoes and then sets you up for the double-timed 2nd verse before he picks up your spirits in Verse 3. He successfully flows to every beat and rides it as well as a technically gifted lyricist should.

There are two absolute gems on here that are some the best songs of the year. "Words I Never Said" matches a powerful Alex da Kid beat, a haunting chorus from Skylar Grey and some politically charged lyrics to create a sonic, lyrical masterpiece. It's everything I expect from Lupe and you may nitpick the facts, but you can't deny the passion and it fits with his past political songs questioning the government. The video is amazing too.

The second gem is "All Black Everything", one of the best written songs in any genre this year. Lupe reimagines Black history/American history if slaves were never taken from Africa. It's creative and a great story that makes you really wonder. The dream-like beat only reminds you that it's not real and it's a perfect accompaniment.

"Til I Get There" is a decent song that sounds like older Lupe and I liked "Beautiful Lasers." The album closer with John Legend also surprisingly works well.

Earlier, I compared this album to Nas' Nastradamus and Eminem's Encore. Both albums are terrible failures except for a track or two. Come to think of it Lupe's "Out of My Head" might as well be Nas "You Owe Me" and as much as Lupe admires Mr. Jones, he'd be better off studying how Nas rebounded the same way he's trying to by revisiting his classic debut.

Let's consider Lasers a pop compromise despite Lupe winning to put it out. The terrible production/desperate search for singles/bad hooks overshadows his solid lyrics and once again, let's blame Atlantic Records following Industry Rule No. 4,080. I'm honestly disappointed yet resigned to the fact that it may be for the better good.

Am I happy it debuted at No. 1 and has sold 440,000 copies so far? Yes, but only because it means we're getting another album that hopefully will show Lupe returning to form with minimal interference. So while I'm happy for his success, I'm disappointed he had to sell out to hopefully make the music he wants. Doesn't change my views on him, but this album is at best a 6 or 7.

Electric Relaxation: Finally getting around to Big KRIT

I haven't been this inspired to write about a rapper in a while and I should've written it sooner. Big KRIT is an MC I've heard a lot of buzz about the past 9 months, especially since listening to Bomani Jones' morning podcast and since March, his last two mixtapes have sat in my music folder waiting for me to listen to them.

This week, I finally got around to listening to his latest mixtape "Return of 4eva" and last year's "KRIT Wuz Here." Hand me a late pass but now I see why he's arguably the best Southern MC since T.I. and Killer Mike debuted. Mississippi finally has another dope rapper/producer to champion besides David Banner.

I heard folks compare KRIT to Pimp C aand as soon as I heard the intro on "R4", I could hear the comparison. He sounds like Pimp (even to the singing on some of the hooks) but he could easily be like Big Gipp or Khujo Goodie. His voice makes me you feel his emotion as he takes you through a journey through his mind as well as the South. Plus you get that he knows his legacy the way he references classic Southern hip hop songs throughout his songs.

You got riding jams like "Sookie Now" and "My Sub" but then you see his soul in tracks like "Dreamin", a great story about how KRIT's living his dreams that he's had for a while. Plus the guests shine hard, especially Chamillionaire on "Time Machine", one of my favorite flashback jams.

Adding to his dopeness is that he self-produced "Return of 4eva" - the beats remind me of the old Organized Noise sound that used to define older OutKast/Goodie Mob records. They have a groove to them that's missing in hip-hop nowadays and no better song shows that than "Get Right."

To me, the best Southern MC's sounded cool and confident yet soulful and inspiring. OutKast, UGK, Goodie Mob, Geto Boys and Little Brother all made great music that made you dance but they spoke about the struggle. They didn't wallow in self-pity but they were always self-aware of what was going on and tried to inspire folks to move beyond what was going on. KRIT carries that legacy proudly.

When I heard "R4", I got excited the same way I did when I heard Lupe in 2006, Wale in 2008, J Cole and Jay Electronica. Then when I heard "Krit Wuz Here", I felt the same way, especially hearing Touched Down and "Country S***" (R4 has a bomb remix with Ludacris and Bun B). Both mixtapes are amazing and I'm glad I realize it.

To sum it up: Dope beats, dope hooks ("Highs and Lows"), excellent verses, a variety of content, soul. I told folks that I felt hip hop wasn't inspiring me this year besides Odd Future and as wild as Tyler, The Creator is, there's only so much of him you can take. KRIT gives me hope that not only will the South get back to the diversity it's known for but hip hop's in good shape this decade.

Return of 4eva's definitely in the running for HH album of the yea and KRIT is showing why he'll be the best XXL Freshman of this class.

Nate Dogg - A Hip Hop Legend and West Coast Giant

I tried so hard to start this blog with words but I couldn't. I'm literally tearing up listening to this song because it was part of my childhood. Nate Dogg dead at 41? Somehow I always hoped that despite those two strokes, he'd survive and come back to make one more song with Snoop Dogg or Dr. Dre's Detox.

For those like me who grew up in Los Angeles, Nate Dogg was just as much a part of the West Coast scene as any rapper. His rough but smooth voice was the icing for the G-funk/gangsta rap era but it was special because nobody sounded like him before or after. He was the first go-to-guy to sing hooks on a record who didn't sound soft but enhanced the rap vibe of the song.

"Regulate" not only kept the West Coast buzz alive in 1994 along with Snoop's Doggystyle album, it saved Def Jam from extinction. The label was nearly broke in the mid-90s before Warren G signed with Violator Records, a subsidiary of Def Jam, and thanks to this song, his debut went triple platinum and kept the label afloat.

Look at Nate Dogg's list of contributions - Tupac, DJ Quik, Pharaoh Monch & Mos Def, Eminem (Til I Collapse is even more ominous with Nate's voice). He helped Fabolous have his first hit, Ludacris his first non-album hit, 50 Cent cross over to the ladies, and gave Westside Connection their last hit where Cube certified his status with "It ain't a single til Nate Dogg sings on it." This man wasn't just a rapper, he was every bit a talented singer who gave songs a gritty, yet golden touch.

I know this album got slept on heavily by folks. 

Here in Cali though, he means more than just a precursor to Akon and T-Pain. We grew up on his solo songs "Never Leave Me Alone" and "I Got Love" and his classic hooks on jams like Tupac's "All About You", Snoop Dogg "Ain't No Fun" and many more, Shade Shiest "Where I Wanna Be", Kurupt's "Girls All Pause", Warren G's "Game Don't Wait", Dr. Dre's "Next Episode" and "Xxxplosive", The Game "Where I'm From" and finally the remix to Snoop's "Boss Life" which I wish was on Blue Carpet Treatment instead of Akon.

We love Dr. Dre, we love Snoop Dogg and we love Tupac. But Nate Dogg is loved just as much because he was part of the innovation and sound of an era. He repped Long Beach with his childhood friends Warren G and Snoop Dogg and knowing their history - the 213 album and songs "Im Fly" and "Groupie Love" meant more than just a supergroup. It was friends coming together, which is exactly what hip hop is about.

I was proud to hear that 93.5 KDAY interrupted program format to play Nate Dogg songs. We know that radio today is more programming and less jocks but for them to interrupt says a lot about this moment. They said that DJ Pooh and others called in to pay respects. At a time where I've hated LA hip hop radio for going too pop, its only fitting that the best hip-hop station left stopped what they were doing and connected with the people.

I know Power 106 did their own tribute, but KDAY needs to be commended for being right there when it happened.

It was even sadder to me because when I saw Snoop Dogg at Rock The Bells last year, he had the old Death Row gang up there with him performing Doggystyle. Dogg Pound, Lady of Rage, RBX, Warren G. The only one not there was Nate and Snoop asked everyone to sing Nate's part on "Aint No Fun" to show him love in the hospital.

I'm not gonna say it's one of the greatest openings ever, but as far as verses that the most folks will know RIGHT AWAY and sing word-for-word, you'd be hard pressed to find many memorable than Nate on that song.

It's a sad day for hip hop but an even sadder one for the West Coast. A childhood memory now gone. Let Nate get the final word with "Never Leave Me Alone" and remember a true original. Rest in peace, Nathaniel Hale.

Electric Relaxation: Death Certificate = Greatest West Coast solo hip hop album

Along with Nas, Ice Cube is my favorite MC. I bought his first 3 albums the summer of 2005 and they were the soundtrack to understanding why Cube was hands down the hardest MC in his prime. You can only get so much from downloading individual songs like I did.

I've told folks that Cube from 1990-1993 can stand toe-to-toe with any MC (and for that matter, throw in his NWA years since he was the main songwriter along with MC Ren). He balanced realness with pop success. He sold well, had everyone listening to him and most of all, he scared folks with brutal honesty about growing up in 90's Los Angeles.

His 2nd album Death Certificate is one of my favorites in any genre. A brilliant concept album that has influenced more MC's than you think. I'm going on a limb and saying it's the greatest solo West Coast hip hop album. The only album worth competing is Tupac's Me Against the World or 7 Day Theory. Death Certificate combines of both of those albums - passion, anger, sobering realism and uplifting his audience.

Just from that picture, you knew it was serious. Cube with his hand over his heart over Uncle Sam's dead body. You knew this wasn't just any rap album. It was about to get raw and real, as soon as that preacher finished his monologue on the opener.

DC was a more independent, focused Cube. His first album was made with the help of the Bomb Squad but this was all him, Sir Jinx and the Lench Mob. NWA had already dropped their followup and went #1 - proving they could survive with Cube and take shots at him. If AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted was his warning shot, DC was his full-on assault that showed he was the wrong brotha to mess with.

DC is split into 2 sides. The Death Side - Cube running wild like a typical hood kid who doesn't know any better, being angry, reckless and ends up dead. The Life Side - A rebirth where Cube realizes the error of his ways and becomes an advocate for the community in the vein of Malcolm X, Nation of Islam and the Black Panthers.

I love the Life Side because it shows Cube at his most conscious, volatile and angry. You can tell he became a full on Muslim with how he goes off on folks. Hard to pick a favorite song so I'll highlight some of my favorite tracks that sum up why this album earned 5 mics in the Source

"My Summer Vacation" - Cube's brilliant storytelling shines here. A tale of drug dealers going to Minnesota/Seattle to find work. Think further proof of DJ Quik's "Just Lyke Compton"

"A Bird in the Hand" - A song you don't hear about today. Everyone wants to be drug kingpins and all that but Cube is the one to admit the reasons behind most folks doing it. A last resort after trying to find work with no diploma and being short on cash. The BB King sample makes it feel even more bleak.




"True to The Game" - an attack of Black folks who sell out their communities/culture. The video is incredibly provocative and I wish Spike Lee used this in "Bamboozled." Be true to who you are and not who you think you should be.

"Us" - Cube pointing the finger at Black folks for contributing to their problems. As angry as he is as America, white folks and Korean store owners, he's quick to show it here as well as call for doing more to help themselves. Again, something we don't hear often that we need, especially today.

"Alive on Arrival" - 3 years before Biggie kills himself on wax and at the same time Scarface did the same on his debut, Cube writes from the P.O.V. of a guy shot in the streets and slowly dying in the hospital. Also a  critique on bad health care in the Black communities. It's also the next to last song on the Death Side before Cube is reborn.

Oh yeah, the only guest appearances are on "Color Blind" with a pre-fame WC and Coolio among the verses. There's also skits from Khalid Muhammad closing the Death Side and beginning the Life Side. But this is all Cube holding his own and making footprints in hip-hop. It also has one of the greatest disses ever in "No Vaseline" where he destroys NWA and Jerry Heller.

It's better than Snoop Dogg's debut because while Doggystyle is sonically and lyrically tight, there's no social commentary on there. It's better than The Chronic although while it created a whole new sound that Cube later emulated, Snoop was arguably the star of that album just as much Dr. Dre. Tupac's best work rivals it because Ice Cube was Tupac before Tupac hit the mainstream.

And for all the controversy surrounding the racial content,  it still went No. 2 on the pop charts and platinum. Proved that Cube was arguably the biggest solo rapper in America and not only does controversy sell, so does artistic integrity. .

Why do I love it?  Because it's a coming of age album. It describes the life of most Black men in that era - from being like O-Dog and Doughboy to Furious Styles. It's a maturity in hip-hop that isn't heard enough today. It's cinematic in its approach as Cube is a street reporter who tells it like it is without sugarcoating or exaggeration. It's music made with a purpose.

Case in point, this album is West Coast hip-hop at its finest. Check that, it's hip-hop at its finest.

Electric Relaxation: Camp Lo "Luchini (This Is It)"

It's Friday so why not start the weekend with one of the most underrated hip hop songs of the 90's. Plus I haven't done an Electric Relaxation post in a while. Cue the horns!




The best horn intro this side of Pete Rock, the whole song just makes you happy from start to finish. The horns make it feel like some theme music, like when you walk into a room, this plays. That hypnotic chorus makes you want to celebrate the minute you hear it. "This is it what!, Luchini pouring from the sky, let's get rich what!" and then the first bar: "Introducing, phantom of the dark" - thats like perfect walk-in music!

I hadn't heard this song before until one night at the paper. It was one of those hip-hop head joints that everybody talked about as underrated but the average fan probably never heard. I decided to check via Youtube and was mesmerized. I ended up buying their classic debut Uptown Saturday Night soon after (a GREAT album I should add)

Even better is that this song/album was produced by Ski Beatz, the same guy behind the vibe on Jay-Z's soulful debut "Reasonable Doubt". As opposed to the soulful joints he created on that album, all the Camp Lo joints remind you of more uptempo 70's music to create a sonic layer that fit Geechi Suede and Sonny Cheeba's fascination with 70's references. A sampling.

"Bottoms Up, Sunshine. Love Potion No. 9"
"We magnets to moolah, livin with Charlie's Angels hornets"

Still have no idea what both of them are talking about in this song, but it's filled with great 70's references and laidback yet on-point flows. Raise ya glass and toast to the weekend. This song is a celebration and it always makes me smile.

By the way, those horns come from "Adventures in the Land of Music" by Dynasty. Check it out here.

Why I still Root for Kanye (Love-Hate)

Kanye West poured out a stream of consciousness on Twitter today regarding what happened a year ago with him running on stage at the Video Music Awards. It was a overload of thought but it showed Ye at his best - honest, open and introspective. He ended with an apology to Taylor Swift.

It also reminded why I've said that he's one of the few rappers I can relate to. To understand why, you have to go back to 2004 with me. Back when I was a sophomore in college and hip-hop was in a weird state.

I had just discovered Tribe Called Quest's "Low End Theory" and finally heard some rap I could relate to. 50 Cent, Jay, Eminem, Ja Rule, DMX, Juvenile - all were hot at the time but I didn't see myself in them. Mos Def and Talib Kweli dropped so-so albums so I couldn't feel them. But when I heard this kid from Chicago, something was different.

Kanye wasn't your average rapper. He didn't look like your average rapper. He was smart, dressed preppy, strong faith, reminded me of a bookworm who had a knack for producing. His parents were well-educated. He was me.

College Dropout was an album that spoke to me in a way no album did. It had a light sound but had an honesty that few rappers showed. Who rapped about Jesus and made it a hit? Instead of bragging, he kept it real on "All Falls Down." He was hilarious about gold diggers before Jaime and Ray. He had quotables for days as I felt like I was being spoken to as a smart college kid who loved rap but didn't fit in with the music.

At the same time, the other side of Kanye came out. The ego. The ego that blasted XXL for not giving him a "XXL rating" in their feature on him, blaming an early leak of the album. He did the same thing in the Source. He fumed at award shows when he didn't win - famously blasting Gretchen Wilson winning Best New Artist at the AMA's and after he lost Album of the Year at the Grammys.

This started my love-hate relationship with him. He was skilled with the pen and on the production boards but his antics made me cringe. It only got tougher in 2005-06 when he dropped "Late Registration" and produced Common's "Be"

I still remember me and my friend Irma going to Best Buy to get Late Registration then later going to see his tour at UCSD. It's still one of the coolest shows I've ever seen and when I saw him in 06 at the San Diego Street Scene on a smaller scale, he still killed it. But Soon after came the infamous Rolling Stone cover with him posing like Christ. Crown of thorns, robe and all. You went from rapping about Jesus to having a God-complex?

At the same time, he showed his balls by saying those famous 7 words all of us wanted to say after Hurricane Katrina. Most people forget that he made an impassioned speech before then talking about the news coverage showing Blacks as looters, Whites as survivors. That set up his great moment: George Bush doesnt care about Black people.

It made me admire him more. He could've easily just asked for money but he was brilliant in his anger. He spoke for a region and a people. Even Jay-Z said he could've done more.

He was a complicated figure. The biggest rapper in the world with an even bigger ego who found a way to draw you into his struggles. Was Kanye the guy who rapped about his mom and blood diamonds? Or was he the guy chasing pop stardom whose mouth was reckless on a minor Tupac level.

I left college in 2006 and the "Graduation" album summed my mood the next year. He nearly sold a million that first week as he began chasing stadium status but with songs like "Can't Tell Me Nothin", "Everything I Am", "The Glory", he was still inspiring me.

When his mom passed away, I knew he'd touch her soul with something great and the Grammy version of "Hey Mama" nearly had me in tears. But after that moment, Kanye finally looked like he stopped relating to everyday joes and began going international in his style and out of this world production wise.

I cringed when he started rapping in Auto-Tune (considering that he can hold a note). I cringed more when I anticipated 808 and Heartbreaks and for the first time, his first single didn't move more than his second (Love Lockdown and Heartless were both bland even though the words of Heartless were still great). I thought he'd lost it - too caught up in his grief and ambition to make something soulless

The album dropped not so soon after I broke up with my last girlfriend. When I heard "Say You Will" on the plane, it was so stark and haunting I felt like she was talking to me. As bad as the auto-tune was, Kanye's words were speaking to me and I felt like I heard her in there. I still say it's his worst album but he used auto-tune to create something close to Marvin Gaye's "Here My Dear"

Six years in, it's his words, creativity, emotion that both inspire me, speak to me and make me wonder what the heck he was thinking. The Taylor Swift incident was overblown, unfortunate and the upset ramblings of a fool who hates award show screwjobs but maybe it's the start of Kanye getting back to himself.

Today's long diatribe is a great start.I still consider him one of my favorite figures in rap. No matter his flaws, he still reminds me of that personal, introspective guy I see in myself who's unafraid to show his emotions. And musically, he may be miles away from College Dropout but every so often, he'll remind me why he's one of the best writers in hip-hop and an inspiration to guys like me who love hip hop but aren't street dudes.

He's still gonna say and do some weird stuff (Nicki Minaj potential to be better than anyone but Eminem? Swizz Beatz the greatest producer ever? Do a track with Raekwon and Justin Bieber???) but for me, he's just a reminder that entertainers aren't perfect. Neither are we.

Electric Relaxation: Jurassic 5 "Quality Control"

Can't believe this song is 10 years old. It was the first time I heard J5 and it introduced me to the underground scene in L.A. Since it's West Coast Wednesday, indulge me for a bit on one of my city's last great groups.

Believe it or not, this song got play on Power 106 and its video got plenty of play on BET and MTV's hip hop shows. If y'all remember The Box, I remember watching the video there a few times as well.

2000 was the year L.A. had a great scene of underground artists. Besides J5, Dilated Peoples dropped their debut and Black Eyed Peas' 2nd album had me thinking they'd get a chance to blow up. Never would've guessed that BEP would be where they are now, J5 would be non existent and Dilated is the only group carrying the torch from that era.

Hearing this reminds me of the lack of groups we have in hip hop today. The chemistry that Chali 2na, Akil, Zaakir and Marc 7even had in the song where they dropped great verse after verse is almost unheard of now. Not to mention having two DJ's do their work like Nu Mark and Cut Chemist.

I love the creativity in the video - especially that kid laughing his butt off and spilling his ice cream. Akil's first verse about the power of words is still one of my favorites (not surprised, right?) and I always laugh because I got Chali 2na mixed up with Terrence Howard back then.

Enjoy y'all

Electric Relaxation: Moment of Truth (Gang Starr)

They say it's lonely at the top, in whatever you do
You always gotta watch motherf**kers around you
Nobody's invincible, no plan is foolproof
We all must meet our moment of truth

When I listened to this yesterday, I knew I had to make this a separate post from my Guru tribute last night. This song has always hit me on a deeper level because the words are uplifting and the beat takes you a higher place.

I first heard this song in 2006, months before I was going to graduate from college. It was my moment of truth - my time to figure out what was going to do next and I had no idea. This song encouraged me to figure something out but it also made me reflective on my life up to that point.

The song became the anthem of my last semester. It's one of my favorite songs of all time and I listen to find encouragement or get reflective on my past.

"Why do bad things happen, to good people? Seems that life is just a constant war between good and evil."

From a Gang Starr perspective, if the Moment of Truth album was a victory lap, this is playing in the background. Guru just put some of the best lines of his career on here that could only come from having been in the game for a decade at the time.

The entire second verse (from which I quoted the above line) is a message of hope. No matter how hard things get, they're hard for everyone so don't give up and remember what you've done. The end almost hit me hard listening to it yesterday. It's mature lyricism/real talk at its finest.

I really love the 3rd verse too cause it feels like Guru is being autobiographical about his craft and what Gang Starr is about - staying true to who they are and calling out the fakers with his monotone style. He was so gifted with his words and this song just shows it. A man at the peak of his skill and success with Gang Starr looking back at it all.

On formspring, I was asked to name my Top 10 favorite songs and it's always hard to do. But I named this song on the list and I'd do it again. It's such an inspiration and with all of us saddened by Guru's passing, this song speaks volumes. He's met his Moment of Truth and in our lives, we have to do at various times.

Rest in Peace and enjoy the music. Go get this album and you won't be disappointed. He lives at peace "Above the Clouds where the sound is original". Let's give Keith Elam the final word from Verse 2.

My only crime, was that I'm too damn kind
And now some scandalous motherf**kers wanna take what's mine
But they can't take the respect, that I've earned in my lifetime
And you know they'll never stop the furious force of my rhymes
So like they say, every dog has its day
And like they say, God works in a mysterious way
So I pray, remembering the days of my youth
As I prepare to meet my moment of truth

RIP Guru - A Legend in His Own Time

"Lemonade was a popular drink and it still is. I get more props in stunts than Bruce Willis"

One of the greatest couplets in hip hop history. The first half is probably the most random quotable ever and it sticks in your head cause it's like did Guru really say that? The second part you just have to know because it finishes the rhyme but you're still bugged out that a great MC just said the first part for no rhyme or reason.

That's one of my favorite lines from Keith Elam aka Gifted Unlimited Rhymes Universal (Guru). I remember when I read the Source's Top 150 songs and "Dwyck" was in the Top 30. It stood out for a few reasons. 1) The first time I had heard Nice N Smooth outside of their classic hit "Sometimes I Rhyme Slow", 2) DJ Premier's simple beat that was the definition of head-nodding, boom-bap, 3) Guru's laidback flow just rocking that beat like a calm earthquake - monotone, yet vicious.

It's sad that I went to sleep seeing a trickling of stories come out on Twitter. Then I woke up and checked Allhiphop.com to feel the same sadness I felt when I woke up in past years to find out Jam Master Jay, J-Dilla and Proof had died. Guru had been in a hospital for a month and to end up dying from cancer?

It's a sad loss for hip-hop and especially for Boston, Guru's hometown. He put them on the map despite seemingly defining New York boom-bap.

"Your head'll bop, when I drop my crop/Of pure bomb, just like the sea shore I'm calm/But wild, with my monotone style. Because I don't need gimmicks. Gimme a fly beat and I'm all in it."

Mass Appeal is probably the most recognizable Gang Starr song. The first one I recall hearing without knowing who it was. It had quotables for days. Guru just had a way to pound you to sleep without bashing you over the head with a Chuck D delivery. He was almost like Rakim - smooth, jazzy and prolific with the pen.

Gang Starr stood for integrity and principle. No wackness or fakeness allowed. No dances or corny mess either - it's all about stepping to the mic and keeping it real. Guru never changed what he was about with Gang Starr - it was a formula that worked to perfection because when he spoke, you listened.

Gang Starr's jazzy vibe should be credited to Guru as much as DJ Premier. It was Guru who started the Jazzmatazz series. It was Guru who penned the lyrics for "Jazz Thing" in Spike Lee's "Mo Betta Blues". He loved jazz and it showed the way he delivered his rhymes - subtle but strong like a saxophone or trumpet. It was cool and collected, always in control because he had a message for you.

I'll never forget in 2006 when I discovered Moment of Truth. I was getting ready to graduate and the title track kept replaying in my mind. Reaching that moment where I was on the cusp of leaving college to the real world, that album helped me stay reflective and consider what was behind and before me.

It's no surprise that it was seen as a victory lap by fans who watched Guru and Premier build an impressive resume of classic singles and albums. It went gold and Top 10 on the Billboard Charts and was a perfect way for Gang Starr to end the 90's. On top after a legendary run.

I saw love on Twitter from unlikely sources - Joel Madden? David Faustino from Married With Children? That lets you know that people loved Gang Starr and respected what they did. DJ Premier got a lot of shine but Guru's words stood out too. It showed that craft paid off and their legacy touched a lot of people.

I won't dwell on the end of Gang Starr and Guru's strange relationship with producer Solar, but let's remember a great MC who was sadly taken far too soon.

My Favorite 10 Gang Starr songs

1. Moment of Truth (Electric Relaxation post to explain more coming this week)

2. Mass Appeal

3. Check the Technique

4. Dwyck

5. You Know My Steez

6. Above the Clouds

7. Just to Get a Rep

8. Skillz

9. I'm The Man (sampled by so many)

10. Ex Girl to Next Girl

Electric Relaxation: Greatest (Favorite) Hip-Hop Producers AKA The Great 8

Let's be honest. I love lists and I hate them. They're always subjective and no one will ever agree with them. But for respected critics and fans, it's a good way to gauge what their tastes are. One way or the other, they spark conversation.

Back on Myspace a few years ago, I listed some of my favorite rappers/producers/rock groups and it was pretty fun but looking back at it, it definitely showed where I lacked in knowing more stuff. So don't kill me if I leave out some underground producers I'm not too up on. But to be the greatest, you have to have some level of success or influence.

My apologies if I incorrectly describe someone's style. I tried to research this as well as I could and ask people as well.

1. Dr. Dre

There is no argument about what Dre has done. Introduced NWA, Snoop Dogg, D.O.C., Eminem, 50 Cent and The Game. Produced a slew of classics. Created G-funk with The Chronic - a sound that has defined the West Coast to this day. Added a cleaner sound/live instruments to beats (I know Stetasonic did as well but Dre brought that to the masses). A master professional. An underrated sampler (especially in his early days).

From 1988 to 1994, he had one of the greatest runs as a producer in history (NWA's last two albums and 100 Miles EP, D.O.C.'s debut, The Chronic, Doggystyle, "Deep Cover", Eazy-E's debut, "Natural Born Killaz"). The Quincy Jones of hip-hop changed his sound radically from NWA and D.O.C. to the Chronic to the heavy synth/piano beats he has now.

Still relevant over 20 years after Straight Outta Compton and still makes amazing beats (Hell Breaks Loose on Eminem's Refill), his beats still are a Grade A symbol of respectability.

1B/2. DJ Premier

Just like Dre defined the West, Primo defined the East. An incredible ear for sampling like few others, a knowledge of music that makes him an wealth of info when scratching in hooks, the ability to repeat a two-bar loop and make it sound fresh the whole way.

A beat from Primo meant you were legit. Just the fact that Ludacris was so honored to have him on Theater of the Mind lets you know how respected he is. He's made samples from the obscure (Chinese water torture for Jeru's Come Clean, the weird sound for Gang Starr's "Just to Get A Rep").

He made Gang Starr one of the greatest groups ever. Made nearly every rapper he worked with sound better (Nas, Jay-Z, Fat Joe) and made some ok-to-wack rappers sound better (Group Home's album might be the best produced album ever with wack MC's). Put it this way. I would listen to his instrumentals all day over Dr. Dre. Hands down you can take Dre vs. Primo and have a great argument on who's the best ever.

(Best thing about Dre and Premier, both still made some relevant music in the 2000's. A beat from both of them is solid gold)

3. RZA

When you mention the Wu as arguably the greatest group ever, RZA is a big reason why. Combining soul samples with martial arts samples to create unique beats, Bobby Digital created a new dirty sound filled with 70's Black culture.

Like Dre, he had an epic 5-year run (Wu-Tang's debut, Tical, Liquid Swords, Cuban Linx, ODB's debut, Ironman and culminating with Wu-Tang Forever). Each album sounded dramatically different yet kept the same RZA imprint. He was an original, chopping up samples to fit the beat, something that Kanye and others would copy in their own styles.

Just the fact that the sample for "Ice Cream" was discovered this past month lets know that he was a cratedigger on par with Primo or anybody else who's ever done it. Not to mention he's translating his success to movie scores and expanding his resume.

4. Pete Rock

I'll be honest, I really didn't know much bout Pete besides "T.R.O.Y." for most of my life. But then I heard his remix of Public Enemy's "Shut Em Down", Run DMC's "Down With the King", the original beat of "Juicy," Nas "The World Is Yours". Then I realized that the horns he used in his beats was a huge trademark like Primo's scratched in hooks or Dre's piano.

(And I just realized as I type this that he produced AZ's "Gimme Yours" - that beat is amazing!!)

His remixes were well known before P. Diddy trademarked it. And he's staying even more relevant today, producing joints with Talib Kweli, Method Man + Redman, Ghostface Killah and Raekwon. A lot of hip hop fans today may be underrating him - myself included - but his mark in hip-hop is solid.

5. J Dilla

Dart Adams made a great point on Twitter last year. Dilla fans can be just as bad as Tupac fans with their worship of the late producer who tragically left us too soon. He's been elevated as the greatest producer ever and while I see the argument, I can't put him above the four I just mentioned.

What I can say is that Dilla had one of the best ears for sampling. His musicianship is on par with RZA and Dre. Donuts will go down as one of the best instrumental CD's ever and the final testament of his legacy while alive. The way he chopped and sampled songs or combined several samples was a tribute to his genius.

What I can say is that Dilla may be an underground hero but he had hits with the Pharcyde, Common, Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul, Q-Tip, Erykah Badu, Slum Village and others. He was a part of the legendary Soulquarians that had a great production run from 1999-2002.

If you wonder why hip-hop has shouted him out constantly the last four years, look up his tracks for the above, his work with Slum Village and pay respect to a producer many of us overlooked

6. Timbaland

Forget what he's done the last 2 years or so. Just go back to 1997 when he and Missy dropped "The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)" and it changed the sound of hip-hop. Heck, go back to Ginuwine "Pony" in 1996 and Aaliyah "One In A Million" to see how R&B changed.

They took hip-hop from straight sampling to computerized, future-sounding beats. Granted, I learned later that Timbo has an underrated sampler but he not only changed the sound of hip-hop, he changed his style a few times. Futuristic from 1997-99, incorporating foreign influences in 2000-2003, then changing the sound of pop music with Nelly Furtado and Justin Timberlake.

His resume with Missy, Jay and Aaliyah speak for itself. His work with Bubba Sparxxx is severely underrated. You can literally see where hip-hop was before and after him. A big reason for the Neptunes and Swizz Beatz' success and style is dependent on him.

7. Marley Marl

Overlooked by most hip hop fans after the rise of Bad Boy signified the new direction of hip-hop, Marley is arguably the first superproducer of the genre. He formed the Juice Crew and not only produced their classic cut "The Symphony" but albums by them, including Big Daddy Kane's and Kool G. Rap and DJ Polo's classic debut.

He was the go-to-guy for LL Cool J's comeback - producing Mama Said Knock You Out. He also produced Eric B. & Rakim's classic debut singles "Eric B. For President" and "My Melody."And just when his time was thought to be passed, he helped find Lords of the Underground which led to their classic "Chief Rocka"

I respect what he did and when I heard UGK update his classic "Symphony" with Kool G. Rap and Big Daddy Kane, it was one of my favorite moments on that album.

8. The Neptunes

The run that Chad Hugo and Pharrell Williams had (still have?) epitomized the new superproducer era in hiphop. Starting with Noreaga's Superthug, they brought a stripped down sound using minimal drums, the occasional synths, and experimental sounds.

I grew up in high school and college on the Neptunes sound. They had the game on lock and just when their sound was dominating the airwaves, they came out with "Grindin" - one of the most minimal beats ever and an introduction to the Clipse. That beat was one of the best of the decade and showed that they could be innovative in their pop success.

Of course, they took a detour and produced "Hell Hath No Fury" - every producer needs a masterpiece album and this is it. Dark, ominous and creative. They made great songs for too many to name but they make the list for their quality as well as their wealth of hits (even got Common to make a spaced out b-boy record in "Universal Mind Control" - too bad, the single didn't match the album)

I was going to do Rick Rubin but as far as hip-hop, his resume (not understating his importance to the culture) falls in comparison to others like DJ Quik, Erick Sermon, Q-Tip, Madlib, MF Doom, Kanye West, 9th Wonder, DJ Paul + Juicy J and Just Blaze. And then if you include all urban music, you throw in Jimmy Jam + Terry Lewis and Jermaine Dupri. So like my boy Marsz said, I'm cutting it off at 8.

The list can go on. Large Professor is severely underrated as a producer/MC. Prince Paul was the mastermind behind De La Soul and 3rd Bass' albums along with other solid albums.

(And how did I forget the Bomb Squad?? Three of the most important albums ever - P.E.'s Nation of Millions, Fear of a Black Planet and Ice Cube's classic debut)

All 8 to me define the wide range of this thing we call hip-hop. The Golden Era, West Coast, East Coast, Underground, the Mainstream. All of them brought their own style and in a few years, we can definitely add some more to the list.

Deconstructing Nicki Minaj

Out of all the things that became nearly extinct this decade musically (the R&B group, the hip-hop group, talent over image), the death of the female MC is something that's been a quiet yet gradual phase. When I interviewed Chuck D for a story that never ran two years ago, he mentioned it as a problem hip-hop needs to address because the only role for women nowadays is the sex symbol.

The only two female MC's I can rattle off the top of my head are Jean Grae and Nicki Minaj. I've been a fan of Jean since 2004 when she outshone Talib Kweli and Black Thought on their respective albums and she's stayed a beast. And then there's Nicki who's doing her best Lil Kim impersonation on the 2009 version of Junior MAFIA.

People are so hyped about Nicki's "skill" that they overlook how unoriginal she is to begin with. She calls herself the Black Barbie, something that Lil Kim perfected by calling herself the Black Pam Anderson. Barbie is appropriate because apparently Nicki has had a bit surgery to make her boobs and butt look bigger. And she's going for the sex symbol route that Kim and Foxy Brown already did and did better.

And as far as her skill - her voice sounds like a Valley girl trying to be hard. Never mind her lyrics (or her choppy flow), if you don't want to listen to say anything, who cares what you have to say. I dare someone to give me a verse of hers that's worth giving props over (that BET cypher doesn't count - a decent freestyle but then again Bow Wow murdered "Oh I Think They Like Me." Anything can happen once in a while)

Here's a list of reasons why she's FAR from the best female rapper alive.

1) She's trying to be Lil Kim but Kim has classics under her belt. Who cares if Biggie ghostwrote her stuff and coached her, she had to still deliver it and she made classic songs. Kim was coached by the best, Nicki is coached by...Lil Wayne? Point made

2) Missy Elliot has made far better music than her. "Get Ur Freak On" will go down as one of the best hip-hop songs of the decade. Her run with Timbaland from 1997-2002 almost turned hip-hop around from samples to electro-sounding beats...practically the style today.

3) Remy Ma rapped toe-to-toe with Big Pun and stole the show on "Lean Back" in 04 (how did I forget that song on my 2004 Music Post). What lyrical heavyweight will Nicki stand toe-to-toe with?

4) MC Lyte today could rap circles around her. Nevermind in her late 80's-90's prime. Peep this song with DJ Premier and tell me Nicki is better.

5) Nicki better than Jean Grae???? Bwhahahahahaha. Jean may never get the mainstream love she deserves but she continues to rip every track she gets on. Peep "Say Something" with her and Kweli.

6) Oh yeah, I forgot about Foxy Brown. Let's see - she rapped with Jay-Z, Nas, Fat Joe (when he was still respected) and LL Cool J and stole the show each time, all before she could legally vote. She's probably one of my favorite female MC as far as flow, delivery goes and Nicki couldn't match her.

*And I forgot Shawnna and Eve? Let me stop there. Shawnna might be the next female MC to blow if Battle of the Sexes ever gets released, just watch her live shows why she reps Chicago.

**For a bonus point, I'll throw M.I.A. in the mix too. Nah, that's too easy. The cynic in me says people might think she doesn't rap despite her flow on "Paper Planes", "Boyz" and "Galang". Too easy.

Listen to them and dare tell me that Black Barbie 2.0 stands a chance. She's better off trying to be cast as a video vixen because I hear dudes talk more about her looks than her skill. I can look at you all day but if you have nothing valuable to say, I'll keep it moving.

But sadly, Nicki is the only female MC who's on the radar. This is the problem with the game today, the lack of talent in the mainstream makes us prop up people as the "best" without them earning it through body of work. A rising tide may lift all ships but not all ships were meant to be lifted so soon.

The lack of quality female MC's out right now means that anyone who comes out with a buzz and makes a few mixtapes could qualify as the best. But in the underground, there are talented female MC's who could serve not just Nicki but a few of these guys. I've seen a few in the L.A. scene alone this past year and who knows what else nationally.

That's why Nicki can't be the best. Not even the best in the mainstream. Female rappers stood out because either they hung their own against good to great male MC's or brought something to the table that was unique (i.e. Missy). To me she hasn't and cramming her down hip-hop's throat will only make me vomit her back out from when she came.

It's sad that the only major progress females made in hip-hop this decade has been the rise of video vixens. It's probably why most fans won't take female MC's seriously unless they get sexed up and talk about sex like Kim and Foxy Brown. And probably why most of you will never hear Jean Grae on the radio. Nicki is just the latest to fall in line with this.

By the way, being a Black Barbie brings up a whole discussion of Black beauty and beauty in general - the idea of being like Barbie (a plastic, skinny doll) as the standard of beauty and Black women (women in general even) feeling like they have to cater to this made up image to be considered beautiful. Child, please. (c) Chad Ochocinco

Anyone who dares mention her as a great rapper should be slapped upside their head. If she's the best, the game has truly gone to crap.

*Enjoy the pics fellas.