#27&28 - A Tribe Called QuestI’m back, hope you’re hungry. This is probably one of the best run of 10 songs in this countdown so far. I suppose it is expected as now we are nearing the top of the charts. 30 songs to go and I bet most heads could predict which tracks are contained in the higher end of the rundown. The thing I want to know is; what do you think the top 3 will be? Leave me a comment with your predictions.
30. Run DMC – Sucker MC’s (zshare) – 1983 – Run DMC (buy album here)
Personally I welcome the presence of instrumentation and melody in Hip Hop but I would never discredit the minimalist production styles of the 80’s. For younger Hip Hop fans Run DMC aren’t always easy to listen to, let’s face it in this day in age they are dated. Your lil’ sis could do these beats on a casio keyboard, anyone and their dads turntable can do baby scratches and the lyrics are not complex. Having said that, this song has something, that important je ne sais quoi and it is a classic.
29. Onyx – Slam (zshare) – 1993 – Bacdafucup (buy album here)
Woah, 10 years later and my, haven’t things changed? This song displays an entirely different vocal style to that of Run DMC; it’s altogether rugged and raw and downright hard to decipher. The beat is sample-tastic and very 90’s in a ‘mean muggin’ in the club’ kind of way.
28. A Tribe Called Quest – Electric Relaxation (zshare) – 1993 – Midnight Marauders (buy album here)
Hang on, 1993 also? Yes, and as far removed from Onyx as could be possible. It is sample driven but an entirely different vibe lounges around this track with it’s feet up. The tribe come totally horizontal here with some rhymes about getting girls. This is why all those other bloggers have ATCQ so high in their top albums lists.
27. A Tribe Called Quest – Scenario (zshare) – 1991 – The Low End Theory (buy album here)
Even the Tribe could produce something on its way towards the banging end of the 90’s Hip Hop spectrum. 2 minutes and 40 seconds in and, who’s that? Busta Rhymes! And he’s bringing it raw - pure rawness, rawity, rawkussnes and rawful. Bussa Buss entirely switches the Tribe vibe up and kills this track. This is why it’s hot.
26. De La Soul – Me, Myself and I (zshare) – 1989 – 3 Feet High and Rising (buy album here)
The more I immerse myself in this top 100, the more I realise that De La were visionaries. 3 Feet…really paved the way out of the 80’s for Hip Hop. If I weren’t only 3 when this came out I’m sure I would have appreciated its freshness and its change of direction even more than I do now.
25. Souls of Mischief - 93 til Infinity (zshare) – Ummm, 1993! – 93 til Infinity (buy album here)
Say wha’? It’s 1993 again, what a year and again another vibe. SoM bring us some sort of a sweltering, in the park tinged track. Basically, if you have a skateboard (you know one of those fat 80’s ones?) get it outta the cupboard and go and rip up a drained pool whilst playing this on your big shiny ghetto blaster or your prototype walkman.
24. Big Daddy Kane – Raw (zshare) – 1988
Sorry about the quality of this and that it has Kool G Rap on it. Ah no, that’s nothing to apologise for. If you were on the receiving of these rhymes, man, you’d be crushed.
23. Eric B & Rakim – I know you got Soul (zshare) – 1987 – Paid in Full (buy album here)
Rakim is the epitome of cool, which US rapper wouldn’t cite him as an influence or idol? The answer: One who models himself entirely upon Rakim. Respect Rakim.
22. Xzibit – Paparazzi (zshare) – 1996 – At the Speed of Life (buy album here)
To quote HHC (circa March 2002) ‘[Xzibit] will never be a part of the paid up superstar fraternity’ – Ha! How times have changed, how wrong they were. I believe I recently read that Xzibit was one of the many sellouts in the game and to me that equals ‘paid up’! I like Xzibit, I like his tunes and this is one of the best; the beat is so melancholy whilst X to the Z is agitated, furious and hungry.
21. Mos Def – Ms. Fat Booty (zshare) – 1999 – Black on Both Sides (buy album here)
If I were to compose one of those question tree things (like they put in tweenage girls magazines) to discern what type of Hip Hop fan the reader was I would definitely have a question that read: Are all 90’s Rawkus releases the definition of real Hip Hop. If the person answered ‘Yes’ they would get this answer in a pink box: ‘True Head: You love Hip Hop more than life itself. You are satisfied only by the best. Don’t listen to the backpack taunts, you know you’re better than the name caller. If the person answered ‘No’ then they would get this in a brown box: ‘Pop Tart: Go and listen to your thousands of bland mixtapes of dross from Dipset, 50 and that weird guy who raps about aliens and abortions. You obviously are happy having your head in the sand.’
Here endeth this post. Your favourite rap single not in here yet? Maybe it’s in the top 20, maybe it’s not – wait and see!
30. Run DMC – Sucker MC’s (zshare) – 1983 – Run DMC (buy album here)
Personally I welcome the presence of instrumentation and melody in Hip Hop but I would never discredit the minimalist production styles of the 80’s. For younger Hip Hop fans Run DMC aren’t always easy to listen to, let’s face it in this day in age they are dated. Your lil’ sis could do these beats on a casio keyboard, anyone and their dads turntable can do baby scratches and the lyrics are not complex. Having said that, this song has something, that important je ne sais quoi and it is a classic.
29. Onyx – Slam (zshare) – 1993 – Bacdafucup (buy album here)
Woah, 10 years later and my, haven’t things changed? This song displays an entirely different vocal style to that of Run DMC; it’s altogether rugged and raw and downright hard to decipher. The beat is sample-tastic and very 90’s in a ‘mean muggin’ in the club’ kind of way.
28. A Tribe Called Quest – Electric Relaxation (zshare) – 1993 – Midnight Marauders (buy album here)
Hang on, 1993 also? Yes, and as far removed from Onyx as could be possible. It is sample driven but an entirely different vibe lounges around this track with it’s feet up. The tribe come totally horizontal here with some rhymes about getting girls. This is why all those other bloggers have ATCQ so high in their top albums lists.
27. A Tribe Called Quest – Scenario (zshare) – 1991 – The Low End Theory (buy album here)
Even the Tribe could produce something on its way towards the banging end of the 90’s Hip Hop spectrum. 2 minutes and 40 seconds in and, who’s that? Busta Rhymes! And he’s bringing it raw - pure rawness, rawity, rawkussnes and rawful. Bussa Buss entirely switches the Tribe vibe up and kills this track. This is why it’s hot.
26. De La Soul – Me, Myself and I (zshare) – 1989 – 3 Feet High and Rising (buy album here)
The more I immerse myself in this top 100, the more I realise that De La were visionaries. 3 Feet…really paved the way out of the 80’s for Hip Hop. If I weren’t only 3 when this came out I’m sure I would have appreciated its freshness and its change of direction even more than I do now.
25. Souls of Mischief - 93 til Infinity (zshare) – Ummm, 1993! – 93 til Infinity (buy album here)
Say wha’? It’s 1993 again, what a year and again another vibe. SoM bring us some sort of a sweltering, in the park tinged track. Basically, if you have a skateboard (you know one of those fat 80’s ones?) get it outta the cupboard and go and rip up a drained pool whilst playing this on your big shiny ghetto blaster or your prototype walkman.
24. Big Daddy Kane – Raw (zshare) – 1988
Sorry about the quality of this and that it has Kool G Rap on it. Ah no, that’s nothing to apologise for. If you were on the receiving of these rhymes, man, you’d be crushed.
23. Eric B & Rakim – I know you got Soul (zshare) – 1987 – Paid in Full (buy album here)
Rakim is the epitome of cool, which US rapper wouldn’t cite him as an influence or idol? The answer: One who models himself entirely upon Rakim. Respect Rakim.
22. Xzibit – Paparazzi (zshare) – 1996 – At the Speed of Life (buy album here)
To quote HHC (circa March 2002) ‘[Xzibit] will never be a part of the paid up superstar fraternity’ – Ha! How times have changed, how wrong they were. I believe I recently read that Xzibit was one of the many sellouts in the game and to me that equals ‘paid up’! I like Xzibit, I like his tunes and this is one of the best; the beat is so melancholy whilst X to the Z is agitated, furious and hungry.
21. Mos Def – Ms. Fat Booty (zshare) – 1999 – Black on Both Sides (buy album here)
If I were to compose one of those question tree things (like they put in tweenage girls magazines) to discern what type of Hip Hop fan the reader was I would definitely have a question that read: Are all 90’s Rawkus releases the definition of real Hip Hop. If the person answered ‘Yes’ they would get this answer in a pink box: ‘True Head: You love Hip Hop more than life itself. You are satisfied only by the best. Don’t listen to the backpack taunts, you know you’re better than the name caller. If the person answered ‘No’ then they would get this in a brown box: ‘Pop Tart: Go and listen to your thousands of bland mixtapes of dross from Dipset, 50 and that weird guy who raps about aliens and abortions. You obviously are happy having your head in the sand.’
Here endeth this post. Your favourite rap single not in here yet? Maybe it’s in the top 20, maybe it’s not – wait and see!
Stumble It!
4 comments:
Aye it's supposed to look like Busy Penis! Vitruvian man y'all.
thanks for these. you were 3 when 3 feet came out? i feel like im stealing music from my little brother that he originally stole from me.
i feel old! but wise for knowing and loving these tunes.. sigh
Post a Comment