The Top 10 Intros to Hip-Hop Albums

An intro song to a hip-hop album is, for the most part, a short vocal disclaimer or some kind of song that lays out the foundation of what is to come for the next thirty plus minutes that it takes to complete the album. To me, the best intro tracks come through hard, not only giving me a taste of what is to come, but gets me extremely hyped - like saying "damn, that's just the intro!" Throughout my years of listening to hip-hop I recently got the idea to have a top list for my favorite introductions into a hip-hop album. I'm shoving aside quick, beat-less skits from people like Cedric the Entertainer, the thuggish ramblings of Clyde Smith and the quick "interludesque" style songs that last half a minute. This list pays tribute to those intro songs that can explain the album, go hard lyrically and be an all-round banger.

A usual disclaimer - these songs are picked by personal preference, this list is in no way supposed to explain the most influential intros or anything along those lines, however, I still feel like you could find some interesting points here, and also some classic tracks.

Here we go:

10. Common - Be - Off the album with the same name, Be is a classic intro because of its build up to the song - not that it is epic, but relaxing and wonderful - and the smooth, observational lyrics from Common.

9. N.W.A. - Straight Outta Compton - From the album Straight Outta Compton, this track introduces the group and the album. For starters, every verse begins with the rapper stating their name and a quick fun fact.

Dr. Dre: "Eazy is his name and the boy is coming..."

Eazy-E: "Straight outta Compton, is a brotha that'll smotha your motha, and make your sister think I love her..."

... and I don't think I need to recite Ice Cube's legendary introduction to that track. This intro track sets the stage for this police-hating group from the city of Compton.

8. Blu & Exile - My World Is... - I'll admit that I haven't heard of Blu that long ago, my friend Kellen actually introduced me to him and its been nothing but good music ever since. This track comes off the album titled Below The Heavens, which is a collaboration between Blu and producer Exile. It makes the list because 1) it is an intro! and 2) Blu is introducing himself like no one has ever heard of him - it is too good. The sample, which is "My Love is Blue" by Dells has also been sampled by Ghostface Killah in the track "Shakey Dog".

7. Ludacris - Coming 2 America - Off of Word of Mouf, an intro could not hype me up and make me laugh at all the hilarious analogies and metaphors as much as a Ludacris intro. Check out the lyrics online somewhere and you will see what I mean.

6. Busta Rhymes - Everybody Rise - From the E.L.E. (The Extinction Level Event), Busta comes through flowing nicely with an extremely hyped east coast banger of a beat (also sampled by Jay Electronica for Exhibit A). This is the kind of song you don't just want to open up your album... imagine this opening up a Busta concert!

5. Kanye West - Good Morning - I'm sure everyone knows this one from Kanye's Graduation. This is Kanye's first intro song that was actually a song, if that makes sense. He even starts it out by saying "Wake up Mr. West" which is what his intro for Late Registration is called. He doesn't only tie that in there, Good Morning is also, besides Homecoming, the only track on the album that addresses the whole analogy of progression and graduating from hip-hop with references to college.

"You got D's motherfucker, D's, Rosie Perez. And yes barely passed, any and every class, looking at every ass, cheated on every test, I guess, this is my dissertation, homie this shit is basic, welcome to Graduation."

4. Big L - Big Picture (Intro) - The first time I heard this I lost my shit. Big L is renowned for his raw, amazing lyricism and this into song displays it on a classic DJ Premier beat.

"We never bring luggage we go shopping when the plane lands..."

In this track Big L will tell how what the game would be like without him in it, so listen attentively.

"Big L rest in peace." (May 30, 1974 - February 15, 1999) - 11 years today.

3. Nas - Stillmatic (Intro) - I know my friends around Mount A will agree with this one. This line sums up all that really needed to be said aside from the Jay-Z feud:

"...they thought I'd make another Illmatic, but its always forward I'm moving, never backwards stupid heres another classic..."

2. EPMD - Intro (Out of Business) - Classic beat for starters. E (Erick Sermon) and PMD (Parrish Smith) spit hot shit on one of their not-so-acclaimed albums, but still well respected.

"Allow me to introduce my DJ Scratch the black balboa, I'm Erick Sermon, the dope rhyme flowa.."

You can still see elements of their old school roots.

1. Jay-Z - Intro (Dynasty) - Too amazing. A Just Blaze production - one of the best beats I can think of. The album came out in 2000, so obviously Jay has a similar mindset to Reasonable Doubt and The Blueprint.

"This is food for thought you do the dishes."

Keeping it Festive: Top 10 Tracks of 2009

Like every other music source online, on paper or on TV, I am still going to go strong on music lists. This list is my top 10 tracks of 2009. Of course, the song needs to be released in 2009 to meet regulation standards. Here we go.

10. Jadakiss - Grind Hard (Feat. Mary J Blige)

9. Dizzee Rascal - Bonkers

8. Wu Tang Clan - Ill Figures

7. Wale - Say It Again (Feat. Royce 5'9")

6. Slaughterhouse - Not Tonight

5. Mos Def - Auditorium (Feat. Slick Rick)

4. Bone Thugs N Harmony - See Me Shine (Feat. Jay Rush)

3. Raekwon - House of Flying Daggers (Feat. Inspectah Deck, Ghostface & Method Man)

2. Big Boi - Shine Blockas (Feat. Gucci Mane)

1. Wale - Life's A Bitch (Feat. Talib Kweli & Joell Ortiz)

Nothing too surprising here. A lot of these tracks have been previously mentioned on the blog. Wale's Back to the Feature was a classic 2009 release in my books. It got tons of playtime over the year and still has its replay value. Life's A Bitch has been easily my most played song this year - can't go wrong with Wale, Talib and Joell on the same track.

Honorable Mentions:

Classified - Quit While You're Ahead (Feat. Moka Only, Choclair, Maestro)

Jay-Z - Empire State of Mind (Feat. Alicia Keys)

Redman - Coc Back (Feat. Ready Roc)

Jay Electronica - Exhibit C

Lil' Wayne - Sawg Surfing

Wale - Hot Shit

I would also like to wish everyone a happy new years! I spent mine at Robbie Leban's (half of Young Cadence) place with my girlfriend and some great friends and company. It was also nice to have some brief hip-hop conversations with Kellen, who was back for the holidays. It was like a Mount Allison blogspot meet-up... Sounded cooler at the time.

Cheers!

Top 10 Albums of 2009

This was bound to happen sooner or later - but not too late. Here is, in my opinion, the top 10 best hip-hop albums of this year with an extremely brief explanation.

1. Raekwon - Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... II - I already mentioned this album in the top 10 of the decade. This album really stuck to me. Awesome production, lyrics and cameos, what more could I ask for?

2. Wale - Back to the Feature - This was easily my summer album. So many summer jams. Amazing production by 9th Wonder on the bulk of the mixtape, also less mainstream lyricism than in Wale's Attention Deficit.

3. Slaughterhouse - Slaughterhouse - One of the harder albums of '09. Royce, Joell Ortiz, Buddens and Crooked I all kill it on this collaboration. This supergroup collaborated to promote their solo careers further, in doing so they put out a real serious album.

4. Mos Def - The Ecstatic - This album is simply awesome. The beats are smooth as butter and the lyrics and flow are wonderful.

5. Jay-Z - Blueprint 3 - Probably one of the "core hip-hop fans" biggest let down of the year. B3 takes a whole new approach compared to other Jay albums. Admittedly I am not all ears for the entire album, but Jigga knows what he is talking about.

6. Large Professor - The LP - Its like stepping into a time machine. This album brings old school style to modern day hip-hop successfully. Large Professor was one of New York's most renowned producers in the 90s, don't sleep on this album.

7. Wu-Tang Clan - Chamber Music - Although this album was no officially released under the Wu-Tang title, I'm going to consider it a Wu release. Most of the Clan have an appearance along with some classic guest spots. Better than 8 Diagrams to say the least.

8. UGK - UGK 4 Life - Bun B and Pimp C are UGK, and this album is a posthumous release since Pimp C died in December of 2007. Bun took the direction of the album the way it should be - classic UGK, who can hate on that?

9. BlakRoc - BlakRoc - A nice collaboration between blues rock group the Black Keys and some of the game's top hip-hop artists like Mos Def, RZA, M.O.P., Q-Tip and more. Keeping the tradition of collaborations alive this decade, this is easily the best collab of 2009.

10. Eminem - Relapse - This was one of this years most anticipated albums, and it did fairly well. I'm more into older Em - Encore did not really do it for me. The album was produced entirely by Dr. Dre - basically Eminem picked beats out of Dre's extensive catalogue. The album was solid none the less, maybe not to everyones expectations.

Top 10 Albums of the Decade - Honorable Mentions

One of the hardest things about composing a list that highlights amazing albums within a ten year span is making the cut from the eleventh album to the tenth. There are so many albums that I wanted on that list, but couldn't do it. Here are some of them.

OutKast - Speakerboxxx/The Love Below - The individual creativity of both Big Boi and Andre 3000 come out on this album. It is basically their solo work combined on a double disk of fire. Big Boi's Speakerboxxx is a hood favorite while Three-Stacks' The Love Below is more poetic and ventures into numerous different styles of music. The hottest singles off the album were "Hey Ya!" and "Roses," which both came off of 3000's The Love Below. Personally, I think Speakerboxxx is better.

Ghostface Killah - Supreme Clientele - This album just made the cut. Released January 25th, 2000, Supreme Clientele displays classic Wu beats by RZA and Mathematics to name a few. Check out the classics "Apollo Kids" featuring Raekwon and "Mighty Healthy".

Nas - Stillmatic - This would be album #11 if the list was more expansive, and damn I am disappointed it couldn't show up anywhere because it deserves all the recognition it could get. A Nasir Jones classic that addresses issues from the government and foreign policy in the track "Rule" to street life in "Got Yourself A..." to his world famous Jigga diss "Ether".

Talib Kweli - Quality - Amazing flow and lyrics combined with classic production from J Dilla, Kanye West, Ayatolla and more make for a high quality album (pardon that grade school caliber pun). Kweli's "Get By," to me, is one of the best tracks to ever come out this decade and it has nothing to do with its mainstream appeal. Quality also delivers upbeat tracks like "Shock Body" to the mellower "Put It In The Air" featuring DJ Quik. This album is easily Kweli Greene's best work since his collaboration with Mos Def on Black Star. Some of my favorite lines and flows come from this album.

50 Cent - Get Rich Or Die Tryin' - It is almost amazing that you could go from this album to work like Curtis and Before I Self Destruct. 50 is a prime example of not staying true to the roots. Get Rich Or Die Tryin' had numerous hood favorites, but since then his work has been a product of industry standards. He's making bank, but loosing respect by doing so. GRODT was incredibly hyped, and lived up to its standards, putting out chart topping singles "In da Club", "21 Questions" and "P.I.M.P." The album ventured out of the east coast/New York style of sampling and used more synths, clap drums, horns - it basically sounded like a Southern album coming out of South-side Jamaica Queens, N.Y.

Top 10 Albums of the Decade - 1

1. Jay-Z - The Blueprint

September 11th, 2001 was not only a historic day that would shape international affairs - you know what I mean without getting too far into it - but was also coincidentally the date release of Jay-Z's The Blueprint, which pushed the limits of the rap game in production and direction, but still displaying classic Jay-Z that the world has already been accustomed to since the 1996 release of Reasonable Doubt.

I got a facebook inbox today from my friend Kellen that predicted that this would be the #1 pick. Was it because he knows me and my taste so well, or is it that this album truly is the best thing to happen to hip-hop in the 2000's? I'm going with both.

Hip-hop critics and aficionados credit mostly The Blueprint or Reasonable Doubt as Jay-Z's best work. Though it is difficult to for me to decide, Blueprint proved that Jay-Z could still pump out amazing material since his debut album in 1996. The Blueprint was put out at the height of the Jay-Z/Nas beef, where the two New Yorkers exchanged a number of diss tracks, and also more subliminal disses on studio albums. The track "Five to One," produced by Kanye West, samples The Doors and attacks Nas and Prodigy of Mobb Deep. Production of the album is mainly handled by Mr. West, but also features Just Blaze, Timbaland and Eminem to name a few. Like I said when I was talking about College Dropout, the Kanye beats rely heavily on soul and R&B samples from Bobby "Blue" Bland, Jackson 5 and David Ruffin. Other sampled artists include Slick Rick, Al Green, KRS-One, David Bowie and The Doors (and more...). The albums production is a clean A+, outdoing so many albums that came before it, and also albums that followed it. This being said, it is no surprise that The Blueprint appealed to everyone from the suburban, mainstream listener to inner city thugs that been on that Jay-Z shit since Reasonable Doubt. Jay's lyrics explore numerous subjects like street etiquette, fame, women and plain ol' American society - this is another clear reason why it received unanimous praise and mainstream success - there was something for everybody. "Izzo (H.O.V.A.)" not only became one the albums most celebrated tracks, but also Jigga's career anthem, highlighting his younger days as kid turned hustler and his recording industry history. This track was also considered Kanye's breakthrough beat, launching him into his prolific production career.

In short, and in my opinion, The Blueprint is the best album to be released in the 2000's. Stepping up in: production quality; outstanding, bountiful lyrics; wide ranging flows, Jay-Z displays confidence in himself along with his creativity and desire to move forward with his music. Like Jigga's one time foe spit in his Stillmatic intro "... but its always forward I'm movin', never backwards stupid here's another classic..." Jay continued this trend as the years moved on, now he is arguably the greatest rapper alive.

Top 10 Albums of the Decade - 2

2. Kanye West - College Dropout

Yes. Kanye made the list twice. On a list that is dominated by albums that were well received in the mainstream it only makes sense. College Dropout is Kanye's first release, after working heavily producing music for Jay-Z in The Blueprint, also working Beanie Sigel, Scarface, T.I., Cam'ron and Talib Kweli to name a few. After proving himself as a renowned producer, making Jay-Z's classic anthem "Izzo (H.O.V.A.)," West proved to critics that he had the ability to also spit game about more than guns and drug dealing.

The album was released in February of 2004 and fared wonderfully on the charts, producing three top ten singles and putting out two others that did well, to say the least. His first single was "Through the Wire," which talks about a car accident that Kanye was involved in, thankfully escaping death, leaving him with a broken jaw. On the track Kanye raps with his jaw wired shut, making him sound nothing like he usually would. His forth single would be his most successful, "Jesus Walks" launched on to the charts and deservingly won a Grammy for the best rap song of the year. Lyrically, the album ventures away from the then dominant street gangster rap into a more observational approach, touching up on subjects that Kanye felt were worth addressing in current affairs. Things from the government, materialism, religion and more are explored on the album. The fact that Kanye managed to create a mass fan base and following by doing something different and untraditional in mainstream rap is well worth applauding. It is also important to realize that the entire album was produced by 'Ye, relying heavily on soul and R&B samples like Chaka Khan's "Through the Fire," and also other tracks by Curtis Mayfield, Luther Vandross, Aretha Franklin and more. The albums that followed College Dropout do not follow this trend, but instead are proof of Kanye's innovative style and progression in hip-hop. All this being said, I think it is pretty obvious that Kanye deserves a spot high up on the charts, even two spots.

Top 10 Albums of the Decade - 3

3. Ghostface Killah - Fishscale

I love this album, from the day it was released to the present day I can listen to Fishscale through without getting bored of it. I bought the album the day it came out, kind of as an impulse buy at Future Shop as they had it on display at the end of the hip-hop/rap aisle. I only had enough money to buy one of the two albums in hand, I don't even remember what album the other was, but it didn't matter, I made the right choice and bought the Ghostface disk.

Ghost worked hard this decade, putting out seven solo albums and collaborations with Trife, not to mention his work with the Wu-Tang Clan. Out of all this, Fishscale ranks highest for Ghostface releases - even higher than Supreme Clientele. On this album Ghost comes through like he often does: load and fast paced for a portion of the tracks, the rest a bit slower paced, but none the less maintain the standard Ghostface flow, lyrical style and humor. Ghost is known for his wacky lyrics. He opens his part in "9 Milli Bros" screaming "Y'all be nice to the crack heads!" In "Shakey Dog," the drug deal gone wrong story of Shakey, Ghost calls a female holding a gun a "big tittie bitch" then seconds later "I'm on the ground like holy shit!" displaying Ghost's loose humor. The majority of the album's content deals with cocaine, hence the name Fishscale. There some different tracks, like "Momma," which talks about Ghost supporting and respecting a woman that went through all horrible walks of life under uncontrollable circumstances, or the albums first single "Back Like That" featuring Ne-Yo, which talks about Ghost's ex-girlfriend cheating on him with a man that he strongly dislikes. "Three Bricks" is Ghost and Raekwon's addition to Notorious B.I.G.'s "Niggas Bleed," which includes the first part of Biggie's track on an intense piano beat produced by Cool & Dre. Like most Ghostface releases, the album features Wu members and a few other artists like Ne-Yo, Megan Rochell and Sean Wigs, but mostly Raekwon and Trife, who is not a part of Wu. The album has a nice balance of production by Pete Rock, MF Doom, J Dilla, Just Blaze and more, but still the album remains true to the traditional Ghostface Killah style of music that critics praised, and yet not that many people bought. Do yourself a favor and buy this album, it is one of the few recent classic releases. As I wrap this up, I'd like to say as I watch MTV Teen Cribs, kids now a days are fucking spoiled.

Top 10 Albums of the Decade - 4

4. OutKast - Stankonia

I think it is a no brainer that this album made the list. "Bombs Over Bagdad" and "Ms. Jackson" were some of the biggest hits in 2000-01, especially Ms Jackson. Perhaps it was overplayed? Probably, but don't let that affect how you much you like the album, Stankonia is filled with classics - 24 tracks (including the interludes), you're bound to find something tight between Gasoline Dreams to Gangsta Shit. Stankonia was OutKast's forth studio album, and though their previous work was much praised, Stankonia was proof that the duo from Georgia meant business, perhaps not in their lyrics, but in the art of hip-hop. The two released Southernplayalistcadillacmuzik in 1994 and been putting out solid gold ever since. Stankonia, like other OutKast releases display the duo's lyrical ability and their individual styles - Big Boi traditionally raps about pimps, players, hoes, guns and Cadillacs, meanwhile Andre 3000 displays playful humor, tricky wordplay and sick metaphors. If you ever want to see how different Big Boi and Andree 3000 are just check out Speakerboxxx/The Love Below, their solo missions combined into one double-disk collaboration, that like Stankonia, runs shit.

Stankonia was also well received as the groups successful crossover album into the mainstream. Now, I'm not trying to say that old OutKast was not at all mainstream, what I mean is that Stankonia ventured away from the surreal intergalactic and space age rap as seen on ATLiens and Aquemini to more relative content. Listen to "Return of the 'G'," the intro track to Aquemini, at the end there is a skit that explains what I mean. "At first they were some pimps man, then there was some aliens or some genies, then talking about black rights in space man... I ain't fuckin' with them no more."

Top 10 Albums of the Decade - 5

5. The Roots - Phrenology

I love The Roots. They are easily one of my favorite groups off all-time. I'll never forget the first time I heard The Roots on Much Music - the song was "You Got Me." That got me instantly hooked.

Phrenology was The Roots' first album of the 2000's, and though it did not fair as well as Things Fall Apart did in the mainstream, it was a much played and much appreciated album in my books (and respectively, the charts). Everybody knows the hit single "The Seed 2.0," which interestingly enough, when played live is mixed with Curtis Mayfield's "Move on Up." Much like Things Fall Apart, Phrenology weighs heavily on The Roots' traditional edgy, jam funk hip-hop style that created a huge following after Illadelph Halflife in '96. Lyrically, Black Thought can compel you (Break You Off), make your head bop (Seed 2.0), or just straight up blow you away (Rock You) with his talent and different styles of delivery throughout the album. And though Black Thought is a crucial member of the group, the band itself is nothing short of amazing. Questlove, The Roots' iconic drummer, provides the listener with authentic drumming that you do not get with many other hip-hop acts. Though The Roots perform with a keyboard, the involvement of the entire band is crucial to their unique, yet amazing sound.

Top 10 Albums of the Decade - 6

6. Kanye West - Graduation

Kanye, like Eminem is really an artist that need no introduction, however, unlike Em, Kanye took hip-hop to brand new heights with less controversial lyrics, proving that you can reach the top without a thuggish ruggish past or gun-talk and murder.

Graduation ranks number six on my list because of Kanye's ability constantly progress and change hip-hop and remain at the forefront as he does so. When Kanye is not making his own music, he is making someone else's. He produced a significant number of this decades hit music and also guest starred on some of the hottest tracks. Unlike College Dropout and Late Registration, Graduation was a shift in Kanye's musical style that had a huge impact on hip-hop in the late quarter of the 00's. The beats are dominantly electronically inspired, like "Stronger," which samples Daft Punk and also tracks like "I Wonder" and "Flashing Lights," which is a huge change from the common soul and R&B sampling from his previous albums. Even after this transformation, Graduation was unanimously a crowd and critic pleaser that produced a handful of chart-topping singles. Lyrically, Kanye shifted from a more observational perspective, often rapping about problems in America and also the occasional slow jam and slow riding tune to personal success and the life of an "A" list celebrity. Through all this, Kanye still managed to maintain his emotional style of delivery that entices the listener.

In switching his style up and looking forward with confidence, Kanye managed to do it right and with style. This album was Kanye's graduation from hip-hop university into a world of change... 808's & Heartbreaks. "And with my ego, I could stand there in a speedo and be looked at as fucking hero." -Kanye, The Glory.

Top 10 Albums of the Decade - 7

7. Eminem - The Marshall Mathers LP

You can hate him or love him, I'm sure Eminem doesn't care. Acclaimed as one of the most controversial rappers of all time, this white rapper from Detroit exploded on to the hip-hop and pop charts with the hit single "My Name Is" in 1999 and hasn't stepped out of the limelight since. After building up an incredibly large fan-base off of two singles, Em released the Marshall Mathers LP, which would go down in the history books as one of hip-hops most praised albums by critics, but most criticized by mainstream society. Unlike the Slim Shady LP which focused on his persona (Slim Shady), the Marshall Mathers LP weighs in heavily on the dark, disturbed personal life on Marshall Mathers (Eminem's real name). Mather's hatred towards critics, family and his ex-wife Kim are blatantly obvious throughout the album. I guess the first track after the intro titled "Kill You" is a disclaimer to those that want to hate and beef with Shady.

When it comes to lyrical content not much needs to be said about Eminem. I wasn't allowed to buy his albums for two reasons: my mother was a responsible parent; parental advisory stickers became hot after Eminem, Korn and Limp Bizkit put out albums. Noteworthy is Eminem's style through the entire album, jumping back and forth from dark, violent personal raps to outrageous comedic acts. The Marshall Mathers LP put out four singles, three of them dominating the charts for months: The Real Slim Shady, The Way I Am, and Stan. Thank God for "Stan," the hook by Dido made my mother even like the track, which I'm sure allowed me to eventually buy the album.

You can write a story book about Eminem and his controversies, albums, style, 8-Mile, and so on, but I am going to stop here. I don't want my number 7 choice for album of the decade to have the longest, most descriptive write up.

Top 10 Albums of the Decade - 8

8. Raekwon - Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... Part II

This album deserves to be on the list for a number of reasons. For one, Raekwon maintains his flawless, crime-ridden, mafia don storytelling technique that made the original Only Built 4 Cuban Linx so amazing (mind you, there are differences...). As usual, Rae gets the bulk of his beats from the Wu camp, but also uses some classic J Dilla beats, like on the "House of Flying Daggers." I also feel this album deserves to be listed because it simply lived up to its hype. How many "older" artists do that? 50 Cent has put out a series of flops since Get Rich Or Die Trying and even Jay-Z released some mediocre work (and I'm not downplaying Blueprint 3, more or less B2 & Kingdom Come). OB4CL... II keeps the Cuban Linx trilogy hot. The album also features the majority of the Wu-Tang Clan and also Styles P, Jadakiss, Beanie Sigel, however, Raekwon is the don.

Top 10 Albums of the Decade - 9

9. Gang Starr - The Ownerz

I can't stress enough how many times I went through my CD collection, iTunes, and old tapes/CD-Rs to try and find what I feel is the best representation of amazing hip-hop from the past 10 years. My rough draft had about 30 albums on it, cutting out 20 albums that I feel are not only amazing, but had a strong impact on hip-hop, was far from easy.

We all know Gang Starr, the dynamic duo consisting of Guru and DJ Premier, and their everlasting impact on East Coast hip-hop. The only release Gang Starr put out this decade is the Ownerz, their final album before the two disbanded. Gang Starr stays consistent to their roots as The Ownerz brings classic Premier production filled with jazzy samples and piano riffs and the casual Guru smooth, free-flowing lyricism (check out song titled "The Ownerz" for example, a perfect summary of what the album has to offer). The album also features some New York heavyweights like M.O.P., Jadakiss, Freddie Foxxx, Fat Joe, Bean Town label-mate Big Shug and LBC's Snoop Dogg, although half of them do not compare to Guru's raw lyricism. This album is proof of Gang Starr's longevity in hip-hop - sucka free since '89.

Top 10 Albums of the Decade - 10

Alright, so before I get started I would just like to say that the criteria used to make this list is twofold: my personal sentiment towards to album is obviously the strongest, however, with a list like this, looking over an entire decade of hip-hop is no easy task and an album's mainstream influence must be considered. That being said, I will gradually post my way to number 1, hopefully before Christmas.

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10. The Game - The Documentary

In 2005 The Game released The Documentary, which became on of the West Coast's biggest releases since Dr. Dre's Chronic 2001. During the albums production stages Game was signed to Dre's Aftermath Entertainment, Interscope and G-Unit, along with featuring countless hip-hop and R&B big timers on his debut album. The album put out five singles, the two most popular being "Hate It Or Love It" featuring 50 Cent and produced by Cool & Dre, and also "How We Do," which again featured 50 Cent. The production on the album was handled Dr. Dre, but also featured Cool & Dre, Just Blaze, Kanye West, Timbaland and more. It sold over half a million records in its first week, and has since reached to 5 million mark. As stated numerous times on the album, The Game's goal was to revive the West Coast rap scene that flourished in the 80s and 90s. Although Game's lyrical depth can easily be criticized as being bland, relying more on name dropping (I can't even count how many times he drops famous names or rap albums), Game still managed to "create a buzz without a single like N.W.A. did." and then once releasing some singles took hip-hop in 2005 to a whole new level, becoming one of the most know rappers, for better or worse, this decade.

Top 10 of the Decade

As the remaining days in the 00's (I feel incredibly awkward calling it that by the way...) wind down, I decided to take the unoriginal route and copy the Rolling Stone's Top Albums of the Decade article. The only difference is mine will be exclusive to hip-hop music. That being said, I don't have the list done at the moment. But I will gradually add albums up, starting with 10 and working my way down. Hold tight, friends.

Also, Celtics movin' on up to an 18-4 record after tonight's dangerously close game against the Wizards.

Chris Clements: Exam Time Blues

Exam time is rolling up quick on University students, I know I am affected until mid-December. Chris sent me a list of tracks that he likes to listen to while studying and essay writing. Check it out.

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I put this playlist together for myself during exam period. It's a rather cool mixture of slowed down beats and calm lyrics. Overall, it pays tribute to some of the best that's ever done it and the nice new talent that is developing overtime.
Enjoy!

1. The Fugees - Zealots

2. Lupe Fiasco - Much More

3. Kanye West - Gone

4. Lupe Fiasco - Jedi Mind Tricks

5. Gangstarr - Moment of Truth

6. T-Pain - Can't Believe It

7. Lupe Fiasco - Lupe the Killer

8. Common - So Far to Go

9. Jay-Z - Girls Girls Girls (Remix)

10. Blakroc - Ain't Nothing Like You

Robbie Lebans Top 10

At Mount Allison there are a select few, that I know of at least, that I consider knowledgeable about hip-hop and share the same taste as me. Robbie Lebans is one of those people that I can easily carry on a long conversation with about it. Also, I am all for having my friends contribute to this blog, so that being said I got a message from Robbie today listing his top 10 tracks of all-time. Here it is, a solid list that I can easily co-sign.

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A Couple of Things:

First, as you will see, my list is very contemporary. I moreso chose these songs because of their relevance in my life. So, the reason why I don't have the classics isn't because I don't like/respect those artists and songs, but rather I decided to pick the songs that had more relevance in my "growing up years" when I was really enveloping myself in hip hop and rap. I love the classics - because if it wasn't for them, the artists we enjoy today may or may not exist (Not to mention people like Rakim, NWA and others are all hard as fuck). BUT I just didn't listen to them as much growing up. Artists like Busta Rhymes, Dr. Dre and Jay-Z are artists that have been around for years and have survived. They have transcended the wall that separates the "old" and the "new". Also, my knowledge on rap from the past 10 years is much more polished, so I feel more comfortable with newer stuff. For me, I'd have to make 2 separate lists: one for pre-'99 and one post-'99. Perhaps I will take a stab at a top 10 list from like '98 and earlier at some point, but for now... this is what I got haha. Can't Knock The Hustle and Bring Da Ruckus are 2 exceptions to this, however. Hope this makes sense to ya as an introduction hahaha

Next, there's no Biggie or Pac on the list. I love both artists to the extreme. However, I find both have such a plethora of good jams that I really can't pick out a specific track by them. I feel like it would do them justice to actually make a "Top 10 Pac" and "Top 10 Biggie" lists seperately. Much easier for me, anyway.

The tracks in asteriks are wild card songs; Songs that didn't make the cut but were definately teetering on the edge and deserve a shout-out.

Enjoy, good sir.

1. Still D.R.E. - Dr. Dre
2. Ms. Jackson - Outkast
3. Encore - Jay-Z
4. Break You Off - The Roots
5. What Goes Around - Nas
6. Can't Knock the Hustle - Jay-Z (featuring Mary J. Blige)
7. Get 'Em High - Kanye West (featuring Talib Kweli and Common)
8. Still Dreaming - Nas (featuring Kanye West and Chrisette Michele)
9. Go - Common (featuring Kanye West and John Mayer)
10. Bring Da Ruckus - Wu Tang Clan


* Desire - Pharoahe Monch
** Get By - Talib Kweli

Top 50 Tracks - The Unlucky 13 That Didn't Make the Cut

Again, thank you for reading my top 50 list of hip-hop tracks. Now I am gonna list off 13 tracks that just missed the cut. There are all songs that I love listening to, but by process of elimination did not make the top 50.

In no particular order:

Slim Thug - Welcome 2 Houston - Slim Thug's second Welcome to Houston track, this one features 13 different artists including Houston heavy hitters like Chamillionaire, Paul Wall, Bun-B and Pimp C (R.I.P.). The beat goes on for nearly nine minutes, but for some reason I've never gotten sick of it. This was a dope summer jam. Shouts to Ferris Asante.

Bun-B - Draped Up Remix - Big terrible Texas! This is another Houston jam that features a number of Houston artists. This is a true Texas jam with killer bass that you could ride to.

Kanye West - The Glory - I always loved this song but it was always overshadowed by the hits off of Graduation. The Glory is a textbook Kanye track - awesome sample and boasting lyrics. "With my ego, I can stand there in a speedo and be looked at like a fuckin' hero."

DJ Drama - Makin' Money Smokin' (Willie the Kid & La the Darkman) - Barrack Odrama! Not many people like this track. I do. My friend Will who doesn't really even like rap does. But thats about it. It is not an overly complex track, it a has a solid beat to jive to and one fun as hell chorus.

N.W.A. - Straight Outta Compton - This is gangsta rap. I first heard Straight Outta Compton in my hockey teams dressing room. The coaches weren't impressed but I knew that shit went hard. I think by the age of eleven I was able to recite the entire track. It was at the moment I knew I was going to hell.

UGK - International Players Anthem (I Choose You) - Featuring Outkast - Produced by Three 6 Mafia and samples Willie Hutch's "I Choose You," this is an incredibly entertaining track with an awesome first verse by Andre 3000 and of course Pimp C's classic verse that you probably heard in Girl Talk's "Play Your Part". Listen and love this track. PS. The video is pretty sweet!

Three 6 Mafia - Stay Fly - Featuring Young Buck and 8Ball & MJG - This could be one of the best feel good songs of the decade! Juicy J flows hard on this track as usual. Much emphasis by the Memphis hard hitters on smoking marijuana. The song might be called Stay Fly but the hook says "stay high, 'til I die..."

The Notorious B.I.G. - Notorious Thugs - Featuring Bone Thugs-N-Harmony - Its disgusting how bad I feel that this track isn't top 50. The beat is amazing, Biggie's verse is amazing AND harmonic, Bone Thugs kill it like they're supposed to... there is really nothing bad about this song at all. Flow ridiculous. "Armed and dangerous, ain't too many can bang with us, straight up weed no angel dust, label us notorious..." ... "Spit your game talk your shit, grab your gat call your click..."

Dr. Dre - Keep Their Heads Ringin' - Ring ding dong. Off the top of my head I have no idea if this track was ghostwritten or not, but regardless it is amazing! Classic West coast sound with great lyrics through and through. "... but I ain't no politician, no competition, sending opposition to see a mortician."

Lil' Wayne - Hustler Musik - Vibe to it y'all. This is an awesome pre-autotune era Wayne track with solid lyrics and a super-chill beat to go with it. I spent many summer nights on porches with a brew relaxing to this track.

Ludacris - Game Got Switched - Like Stay Fly by Three 6 Mafia, this is another amazing hype song in Hilarious Ludacris fashion. "'You lost your mind,' no I lost my virginity and I shot quick like that boy shot Kennedy..." AMAZING!

Mobb Deep - Animal Instinct - Featuring Ty Nitty & Gambino - This one comes off the extremely underrated Mobb Deep album titled Hell on Earth. Awesome production by Havoc of Mobb Deep provide a great East coast jam about street smarts in the QB. "Jealous ones envy hate to see me but got the nerve to wanna be me." (A Fat Joe diss right thuuuurrr)

The Roots - Long Time - Featuring Peedi Peedi & Bunny Sigler - This track has given me goosebumps on many occasions. The hook is beautifully sung, Black Thought and Peedi kill it and the beat is always nice, especially with ?uestlove's drumming.

Top 50 Tracks (3-1)

Alright guys, the moment has come. These are my favorite hip-hop songs of all time.

3. The Notorious B.I.G. - Niggas Bleed - The lyrics to this track make for an awesome story. It could really be an end scene to a movie. Biggie spits nearly five minutes of his textbook storytelling. Niggas Bleed is basically a story of a drug deal in a hotel room that should go smooth, however, Frank White (Biggie's alias) and a friend go to the deal and kill the guys on the other side. Although I might have spoiled the songs meaning for you, check it out regardless, it is amazing, especially the build up in the last verse. Shit is real! "Todays agenda, got the suitcase up in the Sentra, go to room 112 and tell em Blanco sent ya."

2. The Fugees - Ready or Not - This track is so good it gives me goosebumps. The beat is so original and the lyrics are wonderful. Wyclef kills it. Lauryn kills it. Pras... well... he even shines on this one. Also, a fun fact, this is President Barrack Obama's favorite song of all time as listed in Blender magazine. Put this track on your iPod, turn it up loud, and feel it. "I kick a rhyme drinking moonshine, I pour a sip on the concrete for the diseased."

1. Jay-Z - Brooklyn's Finest - Featuring The Notorious B.I.G. - This is it folks. Brooklyn's Finest takes the cake for a number of reasons. For starters Jay-Z and Biggie on the same track is nothing short of amazing. The two go back and forth verse for verse in a competitive yet friendly battle over a this Clark Kent produced masterpiece. This track, combined with the rest of Reasonable Doubt and Notorious B.I.G.'s success off of Ready to Die prove to the world that these two are truly Brooklyn's Finest, and unarguably some of hip-hops finest.

"You crazy, think your little bit of rhymes can me? I'm from Marcy, I'm varsity, chump you're JV, Jigga Jay-Z." - Jay-Z

"Like short sleeves I bare arms." - Jay-Z

"If Faith had twins she'd probably have two Pacs, get it? 2Pac's." - B.I.G.

There it is. My top 50 hip-hop jams of all-time. Again I'd like to say that this is judged on a personal level and not an its overall influence in hip-hop music. Hope you enjoyed it!

Top 50 Tracks (10-4)

Grind time. The top three are coming tomorrow.

10. Public Enemy - Bring The Noise - Until maybe 5 or so years ago the only Public Enemy songs I knew were Bring The Noise and Night of the Living Baseheads. Hearing this song continuously on Tony Hawks Pro Skater 2 also helped fuel my love for this track (minus the Anthrax addition in the video game). The basis of the song is like most (or even all) of Public Enemy's tracks, politically driven with a hint of praise to Louis Farrakhan and Islam. Yet, what makes this track stand out is that Chuck D is basically saying bring the noise of hip-hop music up to par with rock music. "Radio stations I question their blackness, they call themselves black, we'll see if they'll play this."

9. Big L - Fall Back - Featuring Kool G Rap - Big L is one of the most underrated hip-hop artists of all time. Fall Back is a classic example of Big L's style. High pitched voice, great flow, sharp lyrics and a guest appearance by Kool G Rap. "I heard you sing well you better make a whole new song, if they said that shit is hot then they told you wrong."

8. Nas - Life's A Bitch - Featuring AZ - It is hard to rank classic material, especially when I feel that the entire Illmatic album is worth being listed. My draft list had around five Illmatic tracks. The title of the song says its all. "Life's a bitch and then you die, thats why get high, because you never know when you're gonna go."

7. Ghostface Killah - Biscuits - Featuring Trife - I love everything about this track. From its classic Wu style beat, Ghostface's trademark style and delivery, the chorus... you name it, I love it. This was easily my most played song of 2005 and possibly top three of all time. (On iTunes).

"Act like James Brown and get down."

6. Outkast - Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik - At first glance you probably thought I mashed the keyboard when typing the name of this track. Old Outkast is simply amazing. Not that newer Outkast isn't, but you know what I mean. Sick flow from Big Boi and 3 Stacks on this funky southern beat provide the listener with true riding music that you can blast this in your Neons, Civics, Suburbans or Cadillacs. Organize on the track for that southernplayalistic shit. "Niggas that try to fuck with me get sprayed like raid because it ain't nothing see."

5. Wu-Tang Clan - Heaterz - Featuring Cappadonna - Everybody has that one song that reminds you of a certain time and place when you hear it. I used to listen to this at night when I'd be wandering the neighborhood or skating around the block super late. It has a very "night time" feel to it. You also can't deny the production by True Master and also Inspectah Deck and Cappa's verses. "I suplex your raps left ruined like the Aztecs."

4. Mobb Deep - Shook Ones Pt. 2 - I'm always surprised when people don't know this one. It is praised as one of the most influential hip-hop tracks of all time by a number of sources and quoted in numerous rap songs, for example from Big L on his track titled Ebonics: "Mobb Deep already explained the meaning of shook." Shook Ones explains the life of crime in the mean streets of Queensbridge. At this time Havoc and Prodigy (the two members of Mobb Deep) were young, making the success of this song and the Infamous album quite the accomplishment. "As long as I'm alive I'ma live illegal" ... "Living the life that of diamonds and guns."