Put these in your survival kit
Jan 08 '01
What would I grab first? Well these cuts may or may not be the landmarks of hip-hop. Some may even be average at best. These are simply the ones that remind me to keep it real and stay true. You know…I’m talking about food for the soul. If that’s the kind of flava you want then check this out for your survival kit:
-Black Moon – Enta Da Stage. The essential warning: Brooklyn’s still in the house. You just can’t beat the classic loops and bellowing bass you get on this album. "Gotcha Open" and "Who got tha props" leave you groovin’ like one of those bobbing head toys. I remember playing these cuts loud enough for the whole block.
-Main Source – Breaking Atoms. The essential lounge cut: "Hangin’ Out." This album is full of classic cuts like "Live at the Barbeque", "Snake Eyes", and "Fakin’ the Funk." But, it’s on this list because my theme song is "Looking at the Front Door."
-Poor Righteous Teachers – Holy Intellect. The essential message: Each one teach one. Some of the tracks on this album are strangely old school which is why I liked it so much. Hearing "Can I start this?" takes me back to the “hey y’all we’re havin’ a ball” days. The whole album is funky and hits you with knowledge about overcoming the trials and tribulations of the streets.
-The Roots – Do You Want More? The essential offering: Soul by the pound. You can’t miss with any Roots product, but I feel this is their best work. "Mellow My Man" and "Do you want more ?" shows you why instrumentals can be so funky. I had several chances to see the Roots live before this album came out and wish I had.
-Group Home – Livin’ Proof. The essential thumbprint: Signature beats from D.J. Premier. You got your taste of Group Home’s Lil’ Dap and The Nutcracker on Guru’s album “Daily Operation”. If you were like me, you were probably frustrated that it took so long for “Livin’ Proof” to drop. It was worth the wait. D.J. Premier’s beats carry the weight on chilling tracks like "Supa Star" . Yeah ...you’ve heard the story of the streets before, but this one stays in your head.
-Digable Planets – Blowout Comb. The essential concept: Keep it smoove. Forget about the fish tank. Put a power move on the stress with the Planets’ second album. “Blowout Comb” got stuck in my cd player one weekend and it was the best mental massage I ever had.
-Master Ace – Take A Look Around. The essential sample: School House Rock melody on "Reminisce". So you and your boys never marked up subway cars in Coney Island? No matter. Let Master Ace spark your brain cells and paint the picture for you. Marley Marl adds tight production. Classic album.
-Tribe Called Quest – People’s Instinctive Travels In The Path Of Rhythm. The essential toolz: Mad metaphors and allegories. Just layers and layers of original beats and rhymes that caught me of guard when the album dropped. I never thought cuts like "Footsteps" or "Can I kick it?" would move the crowd, but I put them in the mix and saw the hands go in the air.
-Wu Tang Clan – 36 Chambers. The essential lyric: “Leave it up to me …I’ll be livin’ proof to teach the truth to the young black youth…” from "C.R.E.A.M." You say you gotta crew? Better bring ya’ whole battalion if you want to challenge these tracks by the Wu Tang Killa Bees. Can’t get a hold of yourself. Let the Wu boost your adrenaline with "Protec ya neck", and then ease you into reflection with "C.R.E.A.M." If you grew up watching channel 5’s Shaw Bros. flics on Saturday afternoons like me, then the kung fu dubbing samples will take you back.
-Mos Def and Talib Kweli – Black Star. The essential guest: Common dropping lyrics on Respiration. Back in ’98, I heard "Thieves in the Night" on some website and knew I had to get the album. “Black Star” took the blueprints of hip hop, put it on wax, and challenged you to find something missing. No weak links here.
If you want a top ten list, then you want the cuts that changed the way we make, buy, and listen to hip-hop music. I’d put most of the hip hop out of the east cost between ’85 and ’88 on that list.
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Epinions.com ID:
glegit
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Member: Greg Shavers
Reviews written: 1
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