‘Cuz when you gotta go, you gotta go.
Since today is the moment of truth for me here at XXL mag dot com I pulled down this drop that I have been holding in the “Drafts” queue for over a year. Rarely do you have the opportunity to leave someplace with your dignity fully intact. I am thankful for the chance I have had to politic with you all.
I keep these ten albums in a backpack by the front door so that when my spaceship calls me I can just grab them up and get on board. See you all on the internets…
Only Built For Cuban Linx – The G.O.A.T. rap album, even ahead of that NaS joint. OB4CL > all trap-rap gangster fantasy lifestyle records. All of them.
The Low End Theory – There are too many Native Tongue albums to choose from. What sealed the deal for me was that this is the joint that ‘Scenario’ was on.
Fear Of A Black Planet – Public Enemy would chop fifty samples to make ONE track. You would need an entire office of ASCAP lawyers to do that shit today. The Bomb Squad irrevocably shifted the soundscape of pop music. Chuck D is the most hardbody rhymer of all time.
Giant Steps – My favorite Coltrane album that helps me focus. When I am sitting awake in my apartment at 5am and I am writing shit until my fingers tighten up in a diabetic arthritic knot I think about ‘Trane and his resilience. There is definitely something better on the other side.
AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted – The only rap album I could ever recite from front to back.
Graduation – This CD was built for space travel. Bring your own robot though.
Ready To Die – Thank GOD that he is already dead. I would hate for his legacy to be tarnished by a voicebox vocoder single with Diddy on the hook.
Chameleon – The group LaBelle were like Sirenes mashed up with the intensity of the Stygian witches and the beauty of the Supremes. When Nona Hendryx wrote the line “nobody seems to mind that the water is rising high” in 1975 for ‘Who’s Watching The Watcher?’ I thought that these ladies had time traveled to New Orleans 2005. If you don’t know about these three fierce bitches, now you know.
Innervisions – Copp this album. Not now, right now. ‘Too High’, ‘Living For The City’, ‘All In Love Is Fair’, ‘Higher Ground’. This album is ALL hits.
Mothership Connection – How are you going to get on the mothership without this classic album? Swing down sweet chariot and let me ride.
Great selections, D. I am not up on that Chameleon album, but I like what I’m hearing so far. Gotta download it ’cause I dig LaBelle.
This post gives me pause to think about my own ten albums. When is the Mothership coming so I can be ready????
I actually have the art book of John Byrne’s featuring the pieces posted above. I remember copping it in 1980.
http://cgi.ebay.com/The-Art-of-John-Byrne-vol-1-RARE-1980-HTF_W0QQitemZ290232704383QQihZ019QQcategoryZ33827QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem#ebayphotohosting
You just took me back brah. Btw, congrats on yer impressive XXL run. You’re now embedded in history my dude. One.
Sick got me to read xxlmag and then I was addicted to Bol, you, and Sick on a daily basis. I think this is a great way to break away on your Jordan shit. Maybe now you can find time to make more McDoanld sammiches and I.C. creations that > xxlmag.com [oh snap, holla at me about what we spoke on a few months back…remember?]
While you’re on ice chillin you should finally montenize your freakin site. Tell your wordpress plugin to jump off the Whitestone with that 6 reader per day/month statistic.
DP.com>XXLMag.com since eskay left anyway.
Innervisions – without doubt Stevies G.O.A.T. album. Dude was only 23 when he released it. ‘Don’t you worry ’bout a thing’ is the most positive, uplifting song you will hear. Makes me smile everytime I listen.
acts like Harold and plays
“its so hard to say good bye”
Xxlmag is losing a great blogger ….
Thanks for all your great blogging at XXL.
Also thank you for putting Low End Theory on your list. You don’t know how many arguments I’ve gotten into with people over Low End Theory vs. Midnight Merauders.
DP, I can cosign this list. Mines a little different, but its all love. On Monday night, I saw Rae and Ghost perform Built 4 Cuban Linx live in London. It was probably the greatest hip hop show I’ve seen live (Boot Camp in Toronto is a close second). The fact that after about 15 years those songs still stand up live says it all.
The only questionable call on your list is picking Fear of a Black Planet over It Takes a Nation…, but both are classics.
Chief,
The Bomb Squad’s production on FOABP > ITAN
Chuck’s rhymes were so hard-pointed and focused, sonn was spitting laser beams.
This was the zenith for P.E.
Do me a favor though and instead of co-signing my 10 put up your ten. This way we won’t run out of shit to bump on the spaceship.
Dallaspenn.com>>>>>>> BS ASS XXL in a hundred ways.
When we leave I’m taking Marvin Gaye “What’s Going On” and everything ever recorded by Gil Scott Heron and John Trudell. Peace, Ernie
Chief’s Top 10 (in no particular order)
Camp Lo – Uptown Saturday Nights
De La Soul- Stakes is High
The Clash- London Calling
OutKast- Aquemini
Bloc Party-Silent Alarm
Bad Brains-Rock for Light
Dead Prez-Let’s Get Free
Jimi Hendrix Experience- Axis Bold as Love
Wu Tang Clan- Enter the 36 Chambers
Portishead-Dummy
If I had 25 I would put some of the more obvious album choices on here.
comments won’t publish
innervisions is that shit. “visions” is my shit.
I’m late on this post. Blame the government. No really, I don’t think DP dot com makes the cut in the Big Brother-esque office.
I really didn’t see this coming…the whole leaving xxl and what not. DP.com forever lives though, right? RIGHT?!!??!
My top 10 (subject to change five minutes from now, depending on my mood…let’s hope the aliens come for me before this list needs revision)
1. Capone N Noreaga – The War Report (don’t hate)
2. Immortal Technique – Revolutionary Vol. 2
3. Dead Prez – Let’s Get Free
4. Nas – Stillmatic (only because I really did enjoy that CD and everyone else that puts a Nas joint will most likely say Illmatic)
5. Led Zeppelin – Led Zeppelin IV
6. Bob Marley & the Wailers – Exodus
7. Outkast – Aquemini
8. Raekwon – Only Built 4 Cuban Linx
9. The Pharcyde – Labcabincalifornia
10. Camp Lo – Uptown Saturday Night
I’m a sucker for these lists man. Thanks for helping me waste another 10 minutes of my time concoting:
Bob Marley & the Wailers – Catch A Fire
Sam Cooke – One Night Stand: Live At the Harlem
Al Green – Greatest Hits
Radiohead – OK Computer
OutKast – Aquemini
Wu-Tang – 36 Chambers
Wu-Tang – Wu-Tang Forever
Biggie Smalls – Ready to Die
At The Drive-In – Relationship of Command
The Strokes – Room On Fire