BEATS vs BARS

We love hip hop, we love the way the bass line and the drums run through our body, the way the rhythm makes us move, all while the lyrics can have the ability to speak to our soul in different ways.

In a perfect world the marriage of dope lyrics and dope beats to accompany them go perfectly but in a genre that is nearly 50 years old its easy for there to be a lot of hit and misses. Sometimes the song or album has incredible production but is let down by the MC's lack of lyrical ability or vice versa, sometimes the lyrics are top tier but the song or album is let down by less than average production.

Having been around and involved in many hip hop discussions over the last 3 decades, its fair to say that some people feel lyrics are more important than the production while some believe that the production is more important than the lyrics. In my opinion, both have the ability to hugely effect your listening pleasure and the overall replay value of that drop but I honestly feel none is necessarily more important than the other, and artists should actively be working towards both the lyrics and the production being on par with each other. With this edition lets look at Beats Vs Bars. 

The Importance of Good Beats.

Hip Hop is a culture and a whole artform, one that is made up of four main elements (MCing/Beatboxing, Graffiti, DJ'ing and Breakdance) and even though it is so much more than music, it is still music and this why its very important to have good beats. 

As mentioned in the opening sentence, music has the ability to literally move you. I know the word and term "Vibe" can be used or applied wrong at times but we must never underestimate the importance of the positive vibe that music brings. It even transcends hearing. 

I was recently reading about The Musical Vibrations Project taking place in the University of Liverpool that aims to bring music to deaf people in schools.

The Vibrotactile technology that they use, converts musical sounds that can be heard, into musical vibrations which can be felt through the skin as Vibrotactile feedback. It's an assistive technology which has been described as a form of "hearing through the skin". 

Imagine how amazing that is!! All of the above is being done so deaf people can enjoy what we, who have full access to our hearing, are privileged to enjoy freely. The power of music resonates with us, it moves us, it makes us want to dance, it provides timing, rhythm, the combination of drums, high hats and other instruments while placed perfectly on top of a fitting bass line is pure magic. 

The joy recieved when you hear a car drive past your house or pull into your estate and you recognise the song by the base line alone lol!! That thing that makes chores or studying more enjoyable etc Music is magic and the importance of a good beat and good production is not to be overlooked. 

Whether it was putting a cassette tape into the deck and pressing play, or slowly dropping the needle of a record player onto that newly purchased piece of vinyl, or when I would check for scratches on a CD and put in into the player and press play or nowadays simply pressing play on my music device, whatever it is, the first thing that smacks you is the Beat of that very first song. Does it captivate you? Does it create the screw face head nod that is so rightly required in our genre? Does it give you goosebumps? Does it send shivers down your spine? Good Production has the ability to do all of the above.

Hip hop more than spoken word or poetry (though there is welcomed room and accommodation for this), Hip Hop is a culture that gives us music and the need for good production and dope beats is crucial.

Have you ever watched a movie without the score? or watched outtakes where there is no background music? I have and I can honestly say that it does not feel the same. Good lyrics are like a good movie, as dope as it is, it still needs a good soundtrack and a good score as without it, something is missing.

The Importance of Good Bars:

As much as I have tried to outline the importance of a good beat, in no way am I trying to take anything away from the need for good lyrics. Good lyrics over a good beat is the perfect combination. It's the icing on the cake. 

One of the amazing things about rap and Hip Hop in general is that it gave people of the culture a voice, an opportunity to express ourselves and to actually be taken notice of. There were light hearted messages, Political messages, positive and uplifting messages and also messages that were birthed out of frustration due to events that were shaping the history of mistreatment of minorities etc and messages and lyrics deemed as simply inappropriate. This obviously was not to everyone's liking, C. Delores Tucker for example. Tucker was a political figure who actively campaigned against gangster rap in the 90s.

The RIAA introduced the 'Parental Advisory Explicit Content' sticker in 1985, though this was not due to rap lyrics soley, it's very obvious that majority of rap albums had this sticker slapped on it after its inception. 2 Live Crew's Banned In The USA was one of the very first Hip Hop albums to contain this sticker.

My point is this, lyrics have the ability to get peoples attention, lyrics are powerful and can be used in a myriad of different ways to achieve different things, so are lyrics important?? Of course they are.

In this beautiful thing of ours, lyrics are displayed through an array of styles and forms. We have conscious rappers, deep rappers, exhibition rappers, Political rappers, reality rappers and so on. Its important to mention at this stage that no one rapper has to stick to this format throughout his or her career, in fact a skilled MC can easily handle a number of topics and styles effectively. 

The Beat Goes On:

As I said before, in my opinion, none is more important than the other but if I was forced to choose beats or bars then I would go with beats. A good beat extends the shelf life of a project, it adds to the replay value and gives the lyrics the intended feel and required emotion that song or album needs. It's the much needed ingredient to take a good meal and make it great.

When we talk of a project having a summer feel or a winter feel etc this is derived from the production and the sound of that project. The beats give the work character.

Lyrics are crucial in Hip Hop, as we looked at above, but most would probably agree that good lyrics with weak production doesn't hit the mark. An example of this that immediately comes to mind is Canibus' 1998 "Can-I-Bus" album. Incredible lyrical display but the album was let down by weak production.

Let's look at the opposite to highlight my point further, 1995's "Livin Proof" album by Group Home. Most would agree that the lyrics or the Rapping is not overly impressive but alot of people consider this album a classic or at least, extremely dope based on the production alone.

Majority of Hip Hop fans will take time to curate and structure a list of their favourite MCs of all time. This will usually be based on things pertaining to their personal preference and also the impact and influence that the MC has had on the game. These lists have been the cause of many interesting and heated discussions. I've even done a blog on my 10 favourite MCs. Just as alot of people would take the time and energy to have a favourite MCs list, the same time and energy would be put into forming a favourite producers list.

Something that is becoming more popular and more appreciated in Hip Hop today is the one MC/one producer project. Producers like The Alchemist, Madlib, Apollo Brown, DJ Muggs, 9th Wonder and Havoc, just to name a few, are examples of producers who are well sought after for these kind of projects.

I strongly believe that these type of albums/EPs are such favourites with the fans because they are usually cohesive and defined with a clear structure. The producer has the freedom to add meat to the bones of the lyrics and add a soundtrack to the story the MC is trying to convey, which once again adds to the importance of good production.

For me personally, I place just as much value on the producer as I do the rapper, maybe even more in some cases as a good producer has the ability to make an average rapper sound good but a good rapper would still struggle to make a bad beat sound better.

For reference, Here are my five favourite Hip Hop producers of all time...

Clockwise from top left: RZA, DJ Premier, Havoc, Dr Dre, Just Blaze.

Yes, in a perfect Hip Hop world, both the production and the lyrics will be just as dope as each other but in many occasions they're not, which is why I wanted to briefly talk on it with this piece. 

As always, I appreciate you taking the time to read this and would love to hear your feedback.

Peace.

In The Spotlight 

REMEMBERING DMX

April 9th 2021 was a very dark day for Hip Hop and the world on a whole as it was the day we lost Earl Simmons, better known to the world as DMX.

Hip Hop is nearly 50 years old so it is fair to say we have seen a huge amount of its artists pass away in varying circumstances, some of which were before my time of involvement in the culture.

I've been listening to Hip Hop for 30 years now and have witnessed the passing of many rappers in my time, the likes of:

2Pac

Eazy E

Guru

Prodigy

Heavy D

Nate Dogg

ODB

Phife Dawg

Notorious BIG

Big L

MF DOOM

Fred The Godson

Craig Mack

Jam Master Jay

Proof

Freaky Tah

Nipsey Hussle

Pop Smoke

Soulja Slim

Ty

Juice Wrld

Malik B

King Von

XXXTENTACION

Mac Miller

.... and with all due respect, so many more I have not listed.

Even with such a significant amount of precious lives lost, it doesn't make writing those "RIP" messages any easier.

Thinking about it now, I would say the loss of 2pac, BIG and Prodigy hit me the hardest until now with the passing of DMX, this is why I have decided to write this small piece, in honour of his memory, legacy and to share with you all why I believe his run was so important to me and to hip hop in general.

I know when people begin to talk about the greatness of an artist they usually go to stats to make or strengthen their argument but one of the beautiful things about Hip Hop is that most of us who are heavily involved in the culture don't really care about stats- as good as it is to see your favourite MCs go gold and platinum and win awards etc we understand that this does not automatically make the album great to the culture or even a classic. 

There are generally two worlds in Hip Hop, the commercial world and the underground world, sometimes an artist or project skillfully ticks both boxes and impresses both worlds but on a whole, there are classic underground records and rappers that are some of the best in the game but they don't get the recognition or accolades they deserve because they are not backed by major labels which is one of the reasons why stats and record sales don't usually mean that much to genuine Hip Hop fans.

With all the above mentioned, I still think its important, in relation to DMX's career, to mention how commercially successful he was and still had the ability to be real, raw and rugged.

DMX started his career in the early 90s with a couple singles and mixtapes which created a local buzz but his career never really took off. In 1995 X featured on Mic Geronimo's debut album on a song with Jay Z and Ja Rule which brought him more attention but it was his guest spots on "Money, Power & Respect" by the LOX, "4,3,2,1" by LL Cool J and "24 Hrs to Live" by Mase that really started to create a huge buzz for X, then he dropped his first single "Get At Me Dog" and most of the world stood to attention.

DMX became one of the best selling Hip Hop artists of all time, one of the only Hip Hop artists to have his first 5 albums all debut at No.1 on the billboard charts and reach multi platinum status, he was in multiple movies, even a video game and in 1999 he performed his crucial performance at Woodstock festival which is still spoken about and referenced to today. Its fair to say that between 1998 and 2005, DMX's run was an incredible one.

In the years running up to 1998 you could say Hip Hop was having a bit of an identity crisis and was consumed by the drive for radio play and commercial success. This resulted in a heavy focus on material things, jewellery, cars etc Hip Hop had almost seemed to have slightly lost its edge in favour of what we refer to now as the "Bling Era" or even the "Shiny Suit Era" but many would agree that X helped to bring back that raw early 90s grime and hardcore Hip Hop without having to water down his sound. Even with all the barking, yelling, screaming and growling, X managed to shine through all of the gloss and drip of that era.

I mentioned that commercial success and stats are not that important to hardcore Hip Hop fans but its important to remember the state of popular Hip Hop when DMX exploded on to the scene and blew up.

Its Dark & Hell is Hot is the 1998 debut album from DMX (which you can read more about in my top ten albums in Hip Hop blog).

Was it super lyrical? No it wasn't, Did it have an array of popular/well known producers? No it didn't, Was it filled with impressive guest features from the top artists of that time? No it wasn't... but it still ended up being one of the best releases in an overall good year for Hip Hop and one of the most impressive debut albums to date.

It felt like DMX ushered in a whole movement of Hip Hop that we didn't even realise how badly we needed. In 1997, family members Chivon, Dee & Waah Dean started Ruff Ryders which is the record label and Hip Hop collective that brought us the likes of Eve, Swizz Beatz, Jin, The LOX, Drag-On and others but X was clearly the star of the movement.

Many artists wanted X to feature on their projects, even Jay Z said on Vol 2, that he doesn't fu*k with cats other than X and the LOX.

X never ever compromised his sound, style, content or message which was one of the reasons his impact on the game was so felt.

DMX is one of my favourite rappers and is listed in my personal Top Ten favourite MCs blog.

One of the many things that make X so great to me is the fact that he never shied away from speaking on his struggles or his pain. He said it best when he said "I merely say what's in my heart and you call it a style" . This is what Hip Hop needed.

DMX experienced problems with the law, betrayal, addiction issues, rehabs, relapses, evident struggles with good and evil but tapped into a way of connecting with the listener and communicating all the above perfectly.

"I speak for the meek and the lonely, lost and hungry" -DMX-

X was no stranger to pain or rough circumstances, he experienced life to the fullest, he went from the lowest of lows, to the highest of highs and everywhere inbetween. Due to this, X was remarkably empathetic through his music when needed, but on the other hand he could be incredibly aggressive. He was learning to deal with what 'Good' was expected FROM a person while fighting against the pull of what 'Bad' could do TO a person.

By no means am I saying X was an angel, far from it, he clearly spoke on the wrong he had done but went even further by giving a sort of explanation as to why, which increased his vulnerability on wax and made the listener appreciate him even more.

His music felt like a cry for help and a public apology at times. His prayers to God and his battles with evil were significant in his music and brought balance, clarity and even an inside look at the man behind the music.

One of the reasons X's music is so relatable for me personally is because it's the first time (as far as I can remember) that a manistream and seemingly secular artist made such direct and clear mention of spiritual, religious and godly matters. X had no issue with opening his albums with a prayer and directly speaking to God, even pleading with God at times.

This meant alot to me due to decisions, circumstances and things I was experiencing in my own life in the late 90s to early 00s. I had lost a number of friends through gang war, I had battled with the whole concept of Christianity Vs the world, without getting into it too much, all I will say is that the whole Good Vs Evil inner battle was very real for me around that time and DMX's music helped me to process the balances of life.

One of the hardest things about losing X at this time was that he seemed to be doing so much better of late. We were blessed with an excellent VERZUZ between him and Snoop Dogg last year, he was recently on Drink Champs with NORE, he featured on The LOX new album, he was working on a new album himself and many videos of  him simply enjoying life were floating around on social media. DMX was that dude everyone was rooting for, the type of dude you rejoiced to see doing well and more importantly the type of dude you wanted to remain drug free and in good health.

Even with all his struggles, his ups and downs and his negative press at times, I think its fair to say that we as the Hip Hop community have always loved X and one of the many reasons is because he has been so honest with his failures and is so relatable. His passion and love for life was contagious and his spirit was regularly laid bare...We Will miss you X.

"To live is to suffer, to survive is to find meaning in the suffering" -DMX-

Rest Well King!

Before I close this edition I would like to take the time to send a message of rememberence to all the other rappers who have lost their lives and a message of encouragement to all of their loved ones left behind.

As always, thanks for taking the time to read this blog and for remembering the legendary DMX.... In The Spotlight!

The 5 Best Years In Hip Hop

Hip Hop was birthed in the summer of 1973 which makes this genre, we all love so much, 48 years old! 

As you can imagine, with Hip Hop having been around for nearly a half a century the task of picking the 5 best years out of all of those years seems inconceivable but for the love of the culture I thought I'd give it a go.

With this edition I want to look at what I consider to be the 'best' 5 years in Hip Hop, accompanied by 10 albums from each year that, depending on who you talk to, could be contenders for the best releases of that year. Not saying they are the 10 best albums of that year but 10 albums that are definately favoured among the Hip Hop community.

Each year could have so much more than 10 albums listed so be warned, your favourite might not have made my cut, and for the sake of time I have intentionally not listed any honourable mentions (which made choosing only 10 even harder Lol!).

Just to clarify, when I say 'Best' albums or 'Best' years I am not referring to record sales or commercial recognition but rather impact on the culture, how many albums from that specific year are considered classics and of course the quality of the albums themselves. 

Grab a drink, put your feet up and prepare to come with me on a journey down memory lane while we look at my top 5 years in Hip Hop!

05:

As I've mentioned on previous blogs, it was through the passion and love my big sister had for Hip Hop as far back as I can remember and hearing the amazing music she would spin on a daily basis that peaked my interest in this beautiful genre.

Prior to this, it was only the typical pop like rap music that I heard, artists like MC Hammer and Kriss Kross for example, as this is what I would hear on the radio etc.

I was around 11 years old when I fell deeply in love with Hip Hop for myself (which was around 1992), so 1993 was still a very formative period for me. I was still learning and discovering the sounds, artists and albums I truly liked, this was still very much the Honeymoon period of my relationship with Hip Hop and everything felt so enjoyable, informative and fresh.

Like every other year listed, 1993 gave us some dope singles and albums that became the soundtrack to my early years in secondary school.

1993 was the year that gave us some outstanding debut albums, some that were highly anticipated and some that seem to come out of no where and knocked us all out.

Here are arguably 10 of the best Hip Hop albums from 1993 in no particular order:

Snoop Dogg: Doggystyle

Queen Lafifah: Black Reign

Wu Tang Clan: Enter The Wu Tang

Tribe Called Quest: Midnight Maurauders 

Black Moon: Enta Da Stage 

Naughty By Nature: 19 Naughty III

Onyx: Bacdafucup 

Bo$$: Born Gangstaz

Tha Alkoholiks: 21 & Over

Souls Of Mischief: 93 'til Infinity

04:

1994 is jam packed with goodies, and also includes Nas' debut which is seen by many as one of the best Hip Hop albums ever made.

We also got alot of other dope debut drops this year, from the likes of Keith Murray, Warren G, Da Brat, Method Man, Craig Mack, Artifacts, MOP, OutKast, BIG and Saafir amongst others.

I'd say this was the year that I firmly began to develop a personal taste and a real sense for what I really liked within Hip-Hop. 

It was this year that my appetite for music really began to increase which meant, as greatful as I was, big sis' passed down purchases alone were no longer enough for me, it was this year that I began going to record shops after school and on weekends and actually spending my own money on music and building my own collection. 

Method Man's Tical, BIG's Ready To Die, Shaq's Shaq Fu: Da Return and Da Brat's Funkdafied were amongst my first ever purchases.

Here are arguably 10 of the best Hip Hop albums from 1994 in no particular order:

Gang Starr: Hard to Earn

Nas: Illmatic

OutKast: Southernplayalisticadillacmuzic

Redman: Dare Iz A Darkside

Jeru The Damaja: Sun Rises in the East

MC Eiht: We Come Strapped

Notorious B.I.G: Ready To Die

Scarface: The Diary

Pete Rock & CL Smooth: Main Ingredient 

Orgnaized Konfusion: Stress: The Extinction Agenda.

03:

1988 was a year in Hip Hop I didn't really experience first hand but, once again, thanks to big sis I heard alot of the gems from this year through her. 

When I got to the point of really loving Hip Hop for myself I made it my duty to go back and listen to some of the classics I missed or simply never paid attention to.

My sister's favourite group/artist of all time was Public Enemy so before I was even a true fan of Hip Hop I knew most of the words to their first 4 albums lol and already knew how brilliant 1988's It Takes A Nation.. was and still is.

Even though I went back and listened to alot of the other classics from this year I have always felt just listening to something will never have the same impact as living through something, but I genuinely believe if I was listening to and investing in Hip Hop in 1988 they way I was from 1992 onwards, 1988 would be top of my list today as my favourite year.

In 1988, all I cared about was Michael Jackson, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and WWF wrestling but little did I know, the amount of incredible Hip Hop that was being made that would impact the culture so greatly and for so long and would also become one of the loves of my life.

1988 is packed with seminal releases and undeniable classics that sound as good today as they sounded over 3 decades ago.

Here are arguably 10 of the best Hip Hop albums from 1988 in no particular order:

BDP: By All Means Necessary 

RUN DMC: Tougher Than Leather

Ice T: Power

Big Daddy Kane: Long Live The Kane

Erick B & Rakim: Follow The Leader

EPMD: Strictly Business 

NWA: Straight Outta Compton

Slick Rick: Great Adventures of Slick Rick

Ultramagnetic MCs: Critical Beatdown

Public Enemy: It Takes A Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back

02:

For as far back as I can remember, I have always credited 1995 as my favourite year in Hip hop, It was only recently when I really began looking into and going over the releases of other years that I dropped 1995 back to second place.... Which in a genre that has been around for nearly 50 years is still an amazing feat.

For me personally, 1995 was generally a great year and I have no doubt that the amount of excellent Hip Hop that was released added to the greatness of that year and the experiences I had.

A few key things happened in Hip Hop in 1995, which were not all good. We saw the unexpected death of Eazy-E due to Aids, 2pac was sentenced to serve up to four years in prison for sexual abuse charges, he also implicates BIG as the one responsible for him being shot and robbed a few months earlier. BIG drops "Who Shot Ya" which unintentially fuels 2Pacs rage even more, Ice Cube drops the classic hood movie "Friday" and it was this year we saw the iconic second edition of the Source Awards which gave us moments we all still refer to, like Suge Knight subliminally taking shots at Bad Boy Records and Andre 3000 telling us 'The South has something to say'.

Amongst other things, 1995 gave us a huge amount of dope music, classic albums and singles, it was very difficult to pick just 10 albums but that's one of the reasons I have ranked 1995 so high.

Not only did 1995 give us a stellar list of excellent albums but depending on who you ask, you could hear a completely different list of 10 albums from 1995 that deserves to be mentioned on any given day of the week. Even if you only take the Wu camp into consideration, we are already talking about 3 classic albums.

Here are arguably 10 of the best Hip Hop albums from 1995 in no particular order:

Smif-N-Wessun: Da Shinin'

2pac: Me Against The World

Mobb Deep: Infamous

Bone Thugs N harmony: E.1999 Eternal

Raekwon: Only Built 4 Cuban Linx

Das Efx: Hold It Down

Kool G Rap: 4, 5, 6

AZ: Doe or Die

Tha Dogg Pound: Dogg Food

GZA: Liquid Swords

01:

1996 saw the release of 2pac from prison and also his murder which was just a few short months later. This undoubtedly shocked and shook the Hip Hop world and if I'm being honest, it's probably the hip hop death that impacted me the most.

Though 1996 was a very interesting year in Hip Hop releases and one that came with both impressive commercial and underground classics, it was clear to see that in 1996, Hip Hop was having an identity crisis.

1996 was one of the years that helped strengthen the "Bling Era" which was a time that alot of hip hop fans look back upon with distain. Don't get me wrong, from its conception and from the very first MCs, Hip Hop has involved bragging and arrogant bars but the ability to have lyrics that could move the crowd were always at the forefront. The bling era was all about possessions and material things which wasn't a great time for the culture.

Without sounding contradictory, all the above is what added to making 1996 such a great year because in the midst of Hip Hop clearly being pulled in different directions, it produced some of the most varied, confrontational, creative and interesting releases we've seen.

Wether you wanted Hard-core, Political, Gangster, Conscious, Commercial, Underground, Material, Mafioso, Lyrical or just Hip Hop to dance to, 1996 had it all. Even some of the overly commercial drops were extremely enjoyable. 

Apart from my favourite rapper dropping his best album, another highlight of 1996 for me was that it seemed like all the coasts were doing well and producing great music, just a year after the infamous 1995 Source Awards it seemed the coasts and other regions were accepting the heat that other areas had to offer. 

An impressive FOUR of my top 10 favourite Hip Hop albums of all time are from 1996 which proves how impactful this year was for me.

Here are arguably 10 of the best Hip Hop albums from 1996 in no particular order:

2pac: All Eyez On Me

The Fugees: The Score 

Redman: Muddy Waters

Jay Z: Reasonable Doubt 

De La Soul: Stakes Is High

Nas: It Was Written

UGK: Ridin' Dirty 

Mobb Deep : Hell On Earth 

Ghostface Killah: Ironman

MOP: Firing Squad

I know I said I'm not adding Honourable Mentions but as I have named 1996 as the best year in Hip Hop, its only right I name at least 4, so here they are:

2pac: 7 Day Theory

The Roots: Illadelph Halflife

Heltah Skeltah: Nocturnal

OutKast: ATLiens

As I mentioned in the opening of this blog, Hip Hop is now at the grand age of 48 so there are obviously so many excellent years we could pick from. The five I have listed as the 'Best' are obviously only in my opinion.

Before I sign out, let me give an Honourable Mention to the years 1997 & 1998.

1997 gave us albums like these:

1998 gave us albums like these:

As always... Thank you for taking the time to read this and please feel free to drop your top 5 years in Hip hop !!

In The Spotlight... Peace!

MY 10 FAVOURITE HIP HOP ALBUMS

I've been in love with Hip-Hop for 30 years and over those years I have heard hundreds, even thousands, of albums. For those of you who read my blog on 'My Top 10 MCs' and 'The Definition of A Classic' you'll remember that I spoke on the importance of understanding how personal preference and personal impact plays a huge part when discussing your favourites.

Over the years I have never really tried to list my 10 favourite Hip Hop albums as I always thought the task would be impossible due to the amount of albums I would ultimately have to leave off the list but recently I decided to give it a go. 

Here is my 10 favourite Hip Hop albums, having taken personal impact, how often I had it in rotation and personal preference into consideration, I have also tried to give a brief description, review and reason for my choice.

10:

Album: Muddy Waters

Artist: Redman

Year: 1996

Favourite 3 Tracks: "Do What Ya feel", "Da Ill Out", "Da Bump"

Production: Redman, Erick Sermon, Rockwilder, Jerry Wonda.

Other than his features with EPMD, my introduction to Reggie Noble was through his excellent debut album Whut¿ Thee Album released in 1992, I was instantly taken back by his style, lyrical ability, skill, humour and all round talent, added to great production made Whut¿... an amazing album for me, then came Dare Iz A Darkside 2yrs later and a string of dope features which furthered my appreciation for Redman even more so by the time Muddy Waters dropped in 1996 Redman was one of my favourite MCs. In my opinion, Muddy Waters is a display of everything we love about Redman and the perfect album to showcase his style. 

After the intro builds anticipation the albums kicks off with "Iz He 4 Real" which has a brilliantly placed Rockness sample then Red comes in ready for action.... 'Somebody light the fuse so I can bring bad news...' RED IS BACK. As the album continues it brings us dope production, guest features from K-Solo, Method Man and the Def Squad and more importantly, a pumped up Redman who is probably even more lyrically sharp and humorous than ever before. I'm not a big fan of Skits on albums and Redman tends to have a lot of them but in this case it doesn't take anything away from the album, in-fact it actually adds to the whole experience, especially the Stick Up skit.

Even with 23 tracks Muddy Waters never seems to lose momentum, it has an interesting way of keeping your attention which has a lot to do with the amazing chemistry Red has with Erick Sermon.

This is a fun album but not in a cheesy or corny way, its perfectly done which impressively did not need Redman to be silly or to take unsuited risks to achieve, even in the fun and humour you were able to receive the full picture of darkness when it was intended to be captured. 

'Plus this thing between my ears thinks clear... and the only thing it fears is the man up stairs, so F* your bulletproof gear, if I decide to get your ass you betta believe its more than a blast"'

Redman is sharp and impressive on Muddy Waters and even on the tracks that feature other MCs like "Whateva Man", "Case Closed", "Do What Ya Feel", "It's Like That" and "Da Ill Out" Redman stands out and even has the best verses in my opinion.

If you want music to ride to, smoke to, wild out to or just chill and bop your head to... Muddy Waters covers all bases.

1996 was an amazing year for Hip Hop, infact 4 of my top 10 albums are from 1996, but even in the midst of all that heat, Muddy Waters was definitely a standout drop that has just as much enjoyability and replay value today as it did 25 years ago.

09:

Album: Hell on Earth 

Artist: Mobb Deep 

Year: 1996

Favourite 3 Tracks: "Hell on Earth", "Give it up Fast", "Still Shinin"

Production: Havoc 

Here we have the second of my four 1996 releases that earned a place in my 10 favourite Hip Hop albums of all time. 

The impact of 1995's The Infamous is undeniable, it's a straight classic and arguably one of the best Hip Hop albums ever released... with all that being said, you would think matching that greatness would be practically impossible but in this case Mobb Deep did exactly that with their 1996 follow up Hell on Earth ... to quote Havoc on the intro to the album and the opening lines of the menacingly sounding "Animal Instinct" when he says... 'You know how we did on The Infamous album right? Aight! Well we gon' do it again son'

In my opinion, they didn't only do it again... they did it better. Havoc's production got even more cinematic and chilling and Prodigy's lyrical ability around this time was so good he was considered as one of the best MCs in the game.

"Apostles Warning" is always a track I reference when speaking of Prodigy's ferocious lyrical ability on this album but "Man Down", "Front Lines", "Get Dealt with" and the excellent "G.O.D Pt. III" with the Scarface movie sample can all easily be used to exhibit P's excellence on this album.

the album features Ty Nitty, Twin Gambino, Raekwon, Big Noyd, Method Man and Nas who all add further heat to the project- I know most people praise the Nas feature, which is well deserved but the Raekwon feature doesn't get mentioned enough in my opinion.

Hell on Earth has always felt like a winter album for me. It feels like your being taken on a dark, cold and even scary journey at times with little or no light to be seen.

Mobb are on fire on this album, off the strength and success of The Infamous, they are even going at Def Squad and 2pac, from Havocs production, his and Prodigy's lyrical ability and the overall feel of the album, Mobb Deep feel like they have arrived at heights it would be difficult to knock them off of. 

Havoc doesn't put a foot wrong with the production and I think it's criminal how his lyrical contribution is hardly ever mentioned. He delivered an excellent story telling showcase in "More Trife Life" and delivered dope verses throughout the album.

Hell on Earth is dark, eerie, and haunting. It's like the musical equivalent of coming face to face with a wolf thirsty for blood... all of that adds to the suspense and the thrill of this masterpiece and is not to be taken lightly. 

08:

Album: Ironman 

Artist: Ghostface Killah 

Year: 1996

Favourite 3 Tracks: "Fish", "Assassination Day", "Black Jesus"

Production: The RZA, True Master.

Here is the third 1996 entry for my top 10. The classic debut album from my favourite member of the Wu Tang Clan.

It's important we understand that prior to Ironman we had Enter the Wu Tang, Tical, Liquid Swords, Return to the 36 Chambers and Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... all of which were incredible albums. Ghostface Killah's guest spot on the latter and guest features on the others proved such a success, the Hip Hop world was hungry for a Ghostface drop.

With all that excellence that came before it, could/did Ironman live up to our expectations? In my opinion it's a strong YES!!

I clearly remember jumping on the bus after school to go and grab this album, carrying it home, crazy excited to bump it.

From the "The Education of Sonny Carson" sample intro which runs into the bass and horn heavy "Iron Maiden" vocally lead by Raekwon until Ghostface bursts in with his excitable, distinctive flow and then he passes the baton to Cappadonna to close the track which shows us just how effective the chemistry of Ghost, Rae, Cap and RZA is going to be from the very first song.

Then comes "Wildflower" where Ghost does what he does best... tell accounts so vividly you can't help but picture the whole scenario. One of the standout verses on this album for me would be his verses on "Camay" and "Daytona 500".

I love how RZA adapts his production style to match the lead rapper of that project without losing his signature sound and this is done perfectly on Ironman. Raekwon even has a solo spot on "The Faster Blade" and kills it.

Ironman also gave me my 'Tantrum Anthem', whenever my mum did something annoying I'd play the hook to "Motherless Child" at full volume Lol!!!! but then on the flipside of that, I'd play the beautifully soul touching "All that I got Is You" during a difficult time in our family and appreciate everything my mum had done for me. 

Ironman gave us so much, dope production, streams of consciousness, iconic feature verses, especially that of Cappadonna on "Winter Warz" and U-God on "Black Jesus".

As far back as I can remember Ghostface was always the Wu member I was oddly intrigued by but Ironman solidified his spot as my favourite Wu tang member and he has been ever since. This is one of those rare albums that gets better with each spin.

I know many people class Supreme Clientele as Ghostface's best album, and I guess technically and rapping wise it is the album that gives us more of the Ghostface Killah we all love today but for me personally, Ironman did for Ghostface what Enter The Wu Tang did for the Wu, its Ghost in his rawest form, and exactly the album I wanted it to be.

07:

Album: Its Dark And Hell Is Hot

Artist: DMX

Year: 1998

Favourite 3 Tracks: "Niggaz Done Started Something", "Look Thru My Eyes", "The Convo"

Production: PK, Swizz Beats, Irv Gotti, Dame Grease, Young Lord.

A lot of releases in 1997 were focused on achieving radio play and commercial success so when an album with a title as grim as "Its Dark And Hell Is Hot" drops how can it be ignored.

DMX had a difficult but exciting run up to the release of this album. He featured on "Time to Build", "24hrs to Live", "Money, Power & Respect" and "4, 3, 2, 1" with extremely dope verses which increased my anticipation for his album.

There was something so intriguing and mysterious abut X, he seemed to have a way of feeling bigger than the track he was rapping on, as if it was being done to keep him sane almost, you couldn't help but think there was a whole world-wind of  situations and drama X was trying to get through on a day to day. he was intimidating and interesting at the same time- before he even dropped a single I was ready to buy the album to hear what he had to say.

Then a few singles dropped before the album which were all fire, and stayed in heavy rotation... Especially "Stop Being Greedy" which had a genius beat switch every 8 bars which gave us a different DMX voice and flow.

In 1998 DMX had to contend with NORE, Big Pun, Silkk The Shocker, Jay Z, Canibus, OutKast, LOX, Lauryn Hill etc who all had a huge buzz that year but Its Dark & Hell Is Hot dropped and seemed to overshadow a lot of those releases for me. 

The production is dark, gritty, ominous and DMX has the ability to speak on any topic and force you to believe every word he says. His conviction and passion on the mic is one only a few others share and this is exemplified perfectly on Its Dark...

"I sold my soul to the devil and the price was cheap, and yo its cold on this level cos its twice as deep", "if this is hell, call me the devil and giv me the key, but it cant be worse than the curse that was given to me"... X personafies struggle, torment and darkness with Songs like "Let Me fly", "X is Coming" and "Damien" you clearly see the battle good and evil are having for his soul and conscience but then he very easily and effortlessly goes into moments like The Prayer Skit, "I Can Feel It" and The Convo... 

Its Dark.. feels like a cry for help, a confession, a public apology and an honest display of  human struggle all wrapped into one, mixed with very fitting production and just the right amount of features at the right time makes for an amazing piece of art.

'So if it takes me to suffer, for my brother to see the light... give me pain till I die, but please Lord, treat him right'

06:

Album: The Chronic 

Artist: Dr. Dre

Year: 1992

Favourite 3 Tracks: "Let Me Ride", " Deeez Nuuuuts", "The Day The Niggaz Took Over"

Production: Dr. Dre. 

After NWA dropped the classic Straight Outta Compton and various releases Dr Dre fell into disputes with Ruthless Records owners Eazy E and Jerry Heller and ended up leaving to start Death Row Records with Suge Knight. This birthed the Dr. Dre debut solo release The Chronic and from the very intro, Dre protégé Snoop Dogg is going at their former colleagues and then goes into one of my favourite diss tracks of all time, "Dre Day" which along with "Nuthin' but a "G" Thang" were the first songs I heard from the album. 

Then a couple months later "Let Me Ride" dropped, I was 11 or 12 years old and hooked, I even remember playing these songs on my cassette tape and stopping it every few bars to learn all the words.

Production has always been very important to me when listening to Hip-Hop, so when The Chronic dropped it was no surprise it stayed in heavy rotation.

Being from the UK I never really had any specific coastal bias but I was definitely more impacted by and listened to more East Coast Hip-Hop but The Chronic is the album I credit for increasing my appreciation of West Coast Hip- Hop. The album hardly puts a foot wrong, I say hardly because I could easily do without The Doctors Office skit and every other sex interlude on Hip Hop albums while on the topic.

I'm not saying Dre was the first to ever do it but his fusion of Funkadelic sounds and Gangta rap was by far the one that caught my attention, the birth of G-Funk, which is one of the dopest sounds in Hip Hop, that, added to the album sequencing and structure adds to the excellent replay value, and it goes without saying that the guest appearances are all A-Class... the underrated RBX, Lady of Rage, Dogg Pound, Jewell and of course the upcoming superstar Snoop Dogg, then known as Snoop Doggy Dogg.

The Chronic has it all, dope beats, dope lyrics, socially conscious messages, dope features and the ability to draw you in to its surroundings. I know this obviously wasn't possible at the time but the only thing The Chronic is missing is NWA, imagine tracks like "Rat-tat-tat-tat" with a 1992 Ice Cube feature or "Lyrical Gangbang" with Eazy and Ren.

The Chronic felt like a Wu Tang album before Wu tang, the tracks didn't simply feature Death Row artists they felt like they belonged there and the chemistry was undeniable. We were introduced to the whole crew on this album and knew they were all going to be a force to be reckoned with for a long time to come. This album has aged so well and still stays in rotation for me.

 

05:

Album: The War Report 

Artist: Capone-N-Noreaga

Year: 1997

Favourite 3 Tracks: "Bloody Money", "Iraq (See the world)", "Illegal Life"

Production: Marley Marl, Lord Finesse, Buckwild, Tragedy Khadafi, DJ Clark kent, Carlos Broady, Havoc.

With all due respect to Mobb Deep, When CNN started to bubble they gave me the same feeling Mobb did when they dropped Infamous. I remember when The Source magazine reviewed The War Report, they described CNN as the new and exciting version of Mobb Deep and claimed Mobb Deep's music was becoming depressing. Now I'm not saying I agree but I definitely understood the sentiment. 

In 1996 I heard prominent Queensbridge and New York MCs mention Capone-N-Noreaga's name in their songs, then I heard "L.A L.A" and "T.O.N.Y" which I thought was dope and kept in heavy rotation. The album was scheduled to drop early summer on 1997 and if I remember rightly it was the same week Wu dropped Wu Tang Forever which seemed to take up most people's interest, this ultimately led to me getting the album a few weeks later but I remember it like it was yesterday... when I finally spun it, it hardly left rotation. I loved everything about it, the title, the concept, the production, the unity between CN and, their chemistry with Tragedy and the features. It literally felt like I was able to experience The Infamous or Hell on Earth all over again.

Capone unfortunately had to serve jail time mid production and NORE carried the majority of the album, which he did excellently, but Capone always added something special to the tracks he was on.

The War Report starts with a simple intro where you hear CNN talking to each other about how most of their crew has been bagged by police, and how they need to start a revolution, this gives you the sense of the borough depending on them and builds excitement... all while you hear Nas, Prodigy and Royal Flush sampled in the background. Then the menacing keys of "Bloody Money" comes in.

By no means are CNN top tier lyricists in my opinion but the energy, excitement and vivid accounts give them a very interesting chemistry, which NORE touches on in "Live on Live on" where he dedicates some time to his incarcerated partner in rhyme.

NORE's flow, energy, add libs and even his voice made u believe he was going to be a force you couldn't ignore, perfectly connecting with Imam Thug, Castro, Musaliny, Havoc and of course Tragedy Khadafi who deserves a huge amount of credit when praising The War Report as his influence is undeniable.

To say I enjoyed this album would be a major understatement, I used to literally put in to play from beginning to end and start it from the very beginning as soon as it finished. Everything worked well, even the Capone phone calls from jail.

Apart from the 3 tracks I gave as my favourites in the header to this album, on any given day tracks like "Parole Violators", "Neva Die Alone", "Halfway Thugs" and "Black Gangsters" could all be listed... This is a classic album to me and has not been out of rotation for any extended period of time.

04:

Album: Enter The Wu Tang (36 Chambers)

Artist: Wu Tang Clan

Year: 1993

Favourite 3 Tracks: "Shame on a Nigga", "Da Mystery of Chessboxin", "Wu Tang Clan Aint Nuthin ta F'Wit"

Production: The RZA

U-God said it best when he said... "Raw, Im a give it to ya, wit no trivia, raw like cocaine straight from Balivia"... this is the best way to describe the impact Wu Tang and their classic debut had on me.

One of the things I love and miss the most about Hip Hop in the 90s (which was the era I came up in) was that it never felt like we were searching for something dope or different, it felt like we were just slapped in the face with creativity that we had no idea we needed until we got it. I guess its exactly what Raekwon said in the Intermission... "Wu got something everybody wanna hear"

The first song I heard from Enter The Wu Tang was "Protect Your Neck" and it captivated me from the jump. One of the things I loved was the undeniable gritty, raw and unpolished sound and even style and presentation of the MCs. It almost seemed like they purposely tried to appear rugged but without the falsehood- the beat was dusty, bass heavy and original, every MC was good enough to keep your attention throughout the track.

I was never really into kung-Fu films but the theme that ran through the album, the logo, the name and especially the samples blew my young mind, I loved how very different each member was but was impressed at how they gelled so effortlessly.

I then heard "Method Man",  which was the incredibly entertaining solo track from Mef and the creative "C.R.E.A.M"... both tracks had dope production, catchy hooks and creative lyrics, which had me scribbling CREAM and the Wu Tang logo on all of my school books, folders and even classroom tables.

Enter The Wu Tang remained in me and my circles conversations, from who's our favourite members to where the samples came from, to favourite tracks and verses...even the Torture Skit had us creating our own versions lol... the Wu were impressive, interesting and intriguing all at the same time. RZA's production was intimidating and almost incomplete, it felt like he never had top notch equipment and lacked in mixing and mastering at times but in a strange way it worked perfectly with what the Wu were portraying, the album felt like war on wax and I loved it, it was raw and rebellious while entertaining and informative all at the same time.

Tracks like "Tearz" and "Can It Be All So Simple" give you a bleak but vivid picture of what was witnessed or experienced.

This album gave us some super lyricism from the likes of Gza and Inspectah Deck, impressive and captivating flows from Mef and ODB, imaginative story telling and top tier chemistry from Ghostface and Raekwon, appetite wetting verses from U-God and Master Killa, all laced over the obscure and creative beats of the RZA who himself gave us some dope verses. 

I will always mention this album when discussing which albums had the biggest impact on me, its very close to perfect and has aged very well... Enter the Wu Tang proved that the Wu Tang Clan Aint Nuthin ta F' Wit!

03:

Album: Reasonable Doubt

Artist: Jay Z

Year: 1996

Favourite 3 Tracks: "Dead Presidents", "D'Evils", "Feelin' It"

Production: DJ premier, DJ Clark Kent, Irv Gotti, Ski Beatz, Jaz-O, Knobody.

I fully understand that Jay Z was first heard in 1994 and early 1995 but in all honesty these appearances seemed to slip through the net for me personally, the first time I remember hearing Jay Z and actually paying attention was early 1996 when I heard the single "Dead Presidents"... "While others spit that Wonderama shit, me and my conglomerate, shall remain anonymous, caught up in the finest shit"... 

Dead Presidents starts with an impressive flow and a dope beat produced by Ski Beatz which featured the iconic Nas sample which works perfectly. The track is captivating and Jay's flow is detailed and sophisticated. To put it short, I simply couldn't get enough of this song, it stayed in heavy rotation for a long time, and still has to this day. When I heard this song, Jay Z was officially on my radar and I wanted to hear more.

I then started looking for more music from this Brooklyn rapper, it was at that point I noticed the features he had with Big Daddy Kane, Mic Geronimo and the singles he dropped, I remember thinking to myself that I was glad he adapted the style he did for "Dead Presidents"... then I heard "Aint No Nigga"f/ Foxy Brown, which I loved... "I got more black chicks between my sheets than Essence" Jay had bars on bars and I knew he was gonna drop a gem with the album.

after much hype and excitement I remember purchasing the album and playing it for the first time... The echoing heart beats, followed by Pain in Da Ass and his classic Al Pacino/Scarface impersonation which then runs into a heavy bass line and the angelic and iconic adlibbed vocals of Mary J Blige... what a way to start an album.

Reasonable Doubt consists of top tier production, elite lyricism, dope story telling and perfectly placed features, I remember reading the track list and seeing B.I.G, who along with Nas was arguably the King of Hip Hop at the time, featuring on "Brooklyn's Finest" and I was crazy hyped- I know this is gonna upset a lot of people but when I heard this song I knew Jay Z was gonna be something special, the way he hung with BIG was real impressive to me, he had flow, humour, depth and a great chemistry with one of my favourite rappers at the time.

As I continued to listen, every song continued to impress me, every track was stacked with quotables, style and vivid imagery, and yes it was flooded with money bars etc but it was done in such a classy way you almost felt like you was winning along side Jay and his crew, it was presented like a classic Scorsese movie that got better with each watch as you caught things you previously missed, and was even blessed with 3 new verses for "Dead Presidents".

Reasonable Doubt starts with a heart beat, details a rise to fame, proceeds with beef, accounts of poverty, tales of jealousy, stories of success and ends with an encouragement to learn to live with Regrets.

Mary J Blige, B.I.G, Jaz-O, Sauce Money, Foxy Brown and Jay Z's protégé Memphis Bleek all deliver very good guest appearances with the latter being part of a rags to riches come up story with Jay himself on "Coming of Age".

It may seem like a small thing but I even loved the obscure vocal samples that were used perfectly in tracks like "D'evils" that samples Snoop Dogg from "Murder Was The case" and Prodigy from "I Shot Ya Remix", "Dead Presidents" that samples Nas from "The World Is Yours" and "Bring It On" that samples Fat Joe from "1,2 Pass It". Speaking of samples, the album is littered with soulful sounds that enhance tracks like "Politics As Usual", "Can I Live" "Feelin It" which was originally intended for Camp Lo.

It would be practically impossible for me not to list Reasonable Doubt in my top 10 albums of all time, it was always in rotation, I would walk around school with it in my walkman, quoting lyric after lyric, pressing play as soon as it finished.

I know Vol 2... Hard Knock Life is the album that commercially put Jay Z on the map but Jay Z is my favourite rapper of all time and Reasonable Doubt is one of the reasons. Once again, 1996 was a strong year but this Gem stood out for me.

02:

Album: Doggystyle

Artist: Snoop Doggy Dogg

Year: 1993

Favourite 3 Tracks: "GZ and Hustlers", "For All My Niggaz & Bitches", "Serial Killa"

Production: Dr Dre

In my lifetime of listening to Hip Hop I can easily say that Doggystyle was the most anticipated drop I remember experiencing, thinking back at all I mentioned in the section about The Chronic, and then finally getting the first single from the album which was the superb "Who Am I (What's My Name)", which I couldn't get enough of, I was dying to hear a full length drop. The single blew up and it was heard everywhere but unlike a lot of debut singles, I never got tired of hearing it, it had so many catchy moments, from the hook, to the chant in the background and obviously the production with Snoop and his laid back but captivating flow. 

The album starts with the bathtub intro skit and a honest convo between Snoop and Warren G which has Snoop saying he's thinking of leaving the game but then a headbanger of a beat comes in where The Lady of Rage participates in one of the albums strongest moments and one of the best starts to an album, then Snoop closes the track with a few bars explaining this is just a brief introduction to the G- Funk Era which definitely left us excited and wanting more.

Doggysytle hit me and blew my mind, I was 13yrs old and could not stop listening to this album, in my head phones of course as my mum would never had tolerated those lyrics lol, and speaking of lyrics, I knew every one of them by heart, to say this album was in heavy rotation would be a severe understatement, I went through multiple copies and at the time thought it was the best thing I had ever heard.

The production was impeccable and Snoops effortless flow sat perfectly on it, in my opinion 1992-1993 Snoop can stand against any of the best primes in Hip Hop, nothing overly complex or deep but his ability to bring hardcore, gangster lyrics with such a smooth flow and the occasional high pitch word worked perfectly.

Even the iconic dominos skit, radio station skits and classroom skit are all classics which brought much humour and conversation between me and my circle.

Much like The Chronic, RBX, Nate Dogg, Rage, Warren G and Tha Dogg Pound all have standout features on Doggystyle but we are also blessed with appearances from Lil Malik on the incredible "Pump Pump" and The Dramatics on the smooth and melodic "Doggy Dogg World" in which Kurupt steals the show with a killer verse.

Like all of the albums mentioned in this list, Doggystyle has never been out of rotation for any extended length of time, it is a true classic to me which I never get tired of hearing.

01:

Album: Only Built 4 Cuban Linx...

Artist: Raekwon

Year: 1995

Favourite 3 Tracks: "Glaciers of Ice", "Guillotine (Swordz)", "Ice Cream"

Production: The RZA

My favourite Hip Hop album of all time, The amazing, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx, was released in August 1995 and was the third Wu Solo release after Method Man's Tical In 1994 and ODB's Return To The 36 Chambers earlier on in 1995.

OB4CL was an instant hit with singles like "Heaven & Hell" and "Criminology", which led the album to a no.2 debut on the Hip Hop album charts.

Everything from Ghostface Killah Co-Hosting, features from the rest of the clan (who all seemed to be in their prime), to top tier gritty production laced with perfect vocals, timeless quotables and exciting lyrics all come together to make this an amazing product.

Tracks like "Ice Cream" will forever be a summer go to track and is dedicated to the ladies but done so well its loved by all, "Glaciers of Ice" has you feeling like your right beside Raekwon, standing on the block wearing Reebok with a gun cocked, "Heaven & Hell", "Rainy Dayz" and "Can It All Be So Simple Remix" brings a sober minded reality of the life lived by these individuals outside the boundaries of music while "Criminology", "Incarcerated Scarfaces" and "Guilotine (Swordz)", cause you to lose your mind to the combination of gritty, obscure beats, coupled with excellent wordplay and imaginative lyricism. 

And we can't ignore how tracks like "Knowlege God" and "Ice Water" have the amazing ability to cause you to stop dead in your tracks to listen to what's about to happen or how on "Verbal Intercourse" Nas gives one of his greatest performances on what is the first non Wu Tang affiliated guest spot on a Wu Tang release.

We had a taste of how dope Rae and Ghost are together so when I heard the album will have Ghost "Guest staring" I already knew it was gonna be incredible. 

From the perfectly placed "Scarface" movie samples tying in with the whole crime boss theme and crime family we are introduced to on "Wu Gambinos" to RZA magically pulling it all together I simply couldn't get enough of this album... I almost felt addicted to it like an addict feening for the product you can hear being snorted at the start of "Knowledge God".

Apart from the Wu debut, OB4CL feels like the magnum opus of the Wu dynasty, an album I never get tired of hearing, an album that feels as fresh today as it did when I first heard it 26 years ago, an album still referred to today, an album that brings excitement just from seeing the cover... a true CLASSIC, my favourite Hip Hop album of all time. 

By no means am I saying these are the 10 best Hip Hop albums ever created, but they are the 10 that had the most impact on me, the 10 I have probably played the most and the 10 I would struggle not to mention when discussing my all time favourites.

There will obviously be a ton of albums not mentioned that could easily deserve a spot in the top 10 but as I mentioned at the beginning these are MY PSRSONAL FAVOURITE.

I know this was a lengthy post so I appreciate all who took the time to read it! As always, I welcome your feedback... Peace!

HIP-HOP'S CIVIL WAR

To the surprise of early sceptics, Hip-Hop has become one of the most popular music genres the world has ever seen and has now been blessing our eardrums and impacting our lives for nearly 50 years.

The house party that birthed Hip-Hop took place back in the summer of 1973 in New York borough, The Bronx, where the now legendary and iconic Kool Herc was the designated DJ for the night. 

HIP HOP'S CIVIL WAR

One of the saddest things to see take place in Hip-Hop today is the invisible expiry date that the consumer seems to be placing on the genre and some of its OG influencers.

In my opinion, this has had a negative impact on the culture and even causes a unnecessary war within the Hip-Hop community...

In Hip-Hop, Its almost become a trend to disrespect the earlier legends and iconic albums.

Every new, popular artist/album is put against an iconic artist/album and stated that they are better than etc which only seems to happen in this genre.

instead of praising those who have paved the way, new(er) comers to the culture seem hellbent on proving that recent drops are better than those that came before and those that are heralded as great.

I fell in love with, and began investing in the culture for myself around 1992-1993 but before that I was lucky enough to have an older sibling who lived and loved Hip-Hop so I was well aware of most of the classic/pivotal releases from the 80s and early 90s that were before my time.

This has helped me to not only appreciate the era I was personally impacted by but also the era I missed, and has helped me to have an open ear for the era that was soon to come and continuing to evolve into.

WHERE IS THE 'ROCK RESPECT'?

As I mentioned previously, unlike in other music genres, unfortunately in Hip-Hop there seems to be an allowance to disrespect those who came before.

Let's look at Rock for a quick example.

Rock legends like Guns N Roses, Bruce Springsteen, Queen, Eric Clapton and The Rolling Stones are still constantly celebrated and still selling out world tours and arenas. Why is this still not the case with Hip-Hop as much as it should be? I've seen people who laugh at MC's who have had to get a regular job to support themselves and their families but what choice do they have when they are part of a genre where the vast majority are slapped with a 'best before' sticker on their brand.

There seems to be this false narrative in Hip-Hop that dope music can't be made after a certain age is reached, which is becoming apparently false year after year.

The danger of this narrative is that it forces some rappers to constantly try and keep up with what's currently popular which, at times, leaves them open to ridicule.

'OLD HEADS' vs 'YOUNG HEADS'

In some cases, Hip-Hop, Like the Will Smith movie, 'Gemini Man', has become it's younger, passionate, impressionable, excitable and maybe more optimistic self at war with it's older, wiser, sometimes stubborn, more experienced but maybe at times more pessimistic older self.

Yes it's important for Younger Heads to appreciate the OGs but in my opinion it's just as important for Older Heads to try and understand where Hip Hop is heading, it may not be enjoyed, played much or even liked that much but it can be understood and to a degree, respected.

The term 'Old Head' seems to have a negative connotation to it and in all honesty I can see how this has been arrived at. It has come from those who were more than likely directly impacted by the golden age of Hip-Hop and has zero interest in the new age/new school and actively working against it or so it seems.

In every aspect of life there is the possibility that change will not be received or favoured by those who were there from the origin, be it the work place or family traditions the potential for disgruntled members is always high when it comes to change.

As I mentioned before, Hip-Hop was birthed in 1973 (so at the time of writing this blog, Hip-Hop is a forty-Seven year old genre), and like most things, with age, comes change.

in 1994, Common spoke about the evolution of Hip-Hop music in his classic song entitled "I Used to Love H.E.R", which is a must hear for all fans of the genre, I can't say everything Common mentioned speaks for the whole community, but I can definitely say it was received very well, which would indicate a lot of people agreed with what was said.

5 years later, in 1999, Mos Def said "Hip-Hop went from selling crack to smoking it" in his song aptly titled "Hip-Hop" which again, gives a look into the genres development which was 20 years ago so can you imagine how much things have changed since?

One of the beautiful things about this genre of ours is that whatever you want from it you can find, for example, I personally no longer have a huge desire to "Turn Up" or "Thug Out" regularly, nowadays I prefer music that touches my soul and the type of lyrics that stimulate my mind so I find the type of style/sound/MC that does that but I understand that some want music that is more fitting to their lifestyle perhaps, which may include "Turning up" and "Thugging Out" Lol,  but for those times I want to, then I know where to find what I need.

The point I'm making is this, just because something is not our thing, it doesn't mean we have to tear it down, and that goes for younger heads hearing older projects or older heads hearing newer projects.

THE GREAT PEACE TREATY

 A Peace Treaty is an agreement between two or more hostile parties, usually countries or governments, which normally ends a state of war between the parties.

Let's declare PEACE in the house of Hip-Hop!!!

Hip-Hop is a passionate genre, filled with excitement and adrenalin, but it is also one that needs defending and protecting... when we fight within, it leaves us open to vultures who prey on our community and our culture due to a lack of unity and ultimately a lack of gate keepers.

We need to work together to strengthen the Art Form and the culture of Hip Hop by reliving and respecting the foundation and its architects that built this great thing and by allowing ourselves to be educated on those iconic moments we missed and for those who lived it to understand that the  culture is going to develop however it develops.

 We must understand that by continually picking holes in it we will ultimately destroy the entire house that was built.

We as the culture are one, let's denounce the old Vs new narrative and begin to build together.

Hopefully you've heard the sayings 'Chew the meat and spit out the bones' and 'Don't throw the baby out with the bath water'...  in other words, find what you like, keep that and discard the rest but remember that there is always something dope to find if you look in the right places.

Hip-Hop is an amazing genre because it has genre's inside the genre so it can cater for every type of fan in almost any type of mood.

By no means am I saying we need to like, promote or embrace any and every strand of Hip-Hop simply because it's Hip-Hop but what I am saying is that we should actively work together to protect and to build upon the foundation that was birthed all those years ago by respecting the originators and preserving the culture.

We should also work towards trying to understand the direction that Hip-Hop is heading in and help where it may be needed without tearing down what is being created.

As times change, so do people and their mindset, which impacts the topic, sound and audience but as long as the essence and spirit of the culture remains strong Hip Hop will never die... but let us build together.

"...Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand"

Thanks for reading...

'Hip-Hop's Civil War'... In The Spotlight