Hip-Hop died last year, but don’t tell pal JOEY from the website, Straight Bangin’ Dot Com. He has almost single handedly resurrected the movement by praying to the elders. In a figurative and literal kind of way. He sent me (and several hundred bloggers and personalities) an e-mail requesting a list of my top 25 G.O.A.T. Hip-Hop albums.
This sounded like a fun project at first and I begun by thinking of my all time favorite rap album. Public Enemy’s ‘Fear Of A Black Planet’ is one of the two Hip-Hop albums that I will take on the spaceship with me. When this album was released New York City was a blatant boiling cauldron of social inequality and supremacy that was out of control. The YUSUF HAWKINS lynching, the lying Central Park jogger who conspired with corrupt police to demonize innocent Black males and a draft-dodging, race-baiting, onetime Federal prosecutor campaigned for mayor of the city.
The song ‘Fight The Power’ was inspiration made reality when P.E. came to Bedford Stuyvesant and Crown Heights to film their video for the soundtrack. I had spent my teenage years mostly fighting other Black and Brown teens, but now my vision was no longer blurred and I knew who was responsible for the wickedness in the world. If you told me back then that the son of a BUSH called G DUBBZ would be president and the white-gloved minstrel character of Flavor Flav would be the face of rap in the future I would have laughed you off the block. I miss being that naive…
So here’s my list of my 25 favorite Hip-Hop albums. Yes, some of your favorites aren’t here and if that bothers you so much send a list of your favorite 25 over to JOEY @ StraightBangin’ Dot Com. I’m sure he’d like to do nothing more during this beautiful weekend but to collate lists from us internets freaks celebrities.
And now, the list…
Put me on a spaceship with this album as well as COLTRANE’s ‘Giant Steps’, ‘Mothership Connection’ and STEVIE’s ‘Talking Book’ and ‘Innervisions’
The DNA of this album can clone rap music for generations
This was the last album that I memorized from beginning to end. Free RODNEY KING!
The Sun, Moon and stars along with the spirit of RAKIM ALLAH came together to form this rap music manifesto masterpiece
True Hip-Hop pioneers that expanded the content of the genre. Their relevance to this day proves that the album wasn’t a fluke
KRS-1 gave the notion of a teacher a new dimension as he added historian and warrior to the mix
Your label’s budget would collapse if you tried to duplicate the Bomb Squad’s early production techniques. Imagine trying to clear forty samples… For just ONE track!?!
This album defines a generation
Show these niggas some mother-effing respect. Best. Album. Art. Evar.
Twice as good as his debut. Proof that he could use any style to spit lyrics.
My rapstar hero because of his intelligence and his shortcomings. His heart was purer than 99.9% of the rest of the world. He should be considered a saint. “Wu-Tang is for the children”
The strength of this album cements B.I.G. as the G.O.A.T. because he could write a hit album for a lady with no problem.
This was when I first got turned on to these cats. Diverse and talented pioneers.
My final thoughts on this list… Damn, I’m old.
