I feel old. When I listen to new rap music these days and I feel like I'm missing something. I start to say things like, is this all they have to talk about? Drugs. Money. Guns. Derogatory terms for women. When I was a teenager rap and hip-hop was virtually all I listened to. Back then I would have argued with anyone who spoke out against the anger, the violence and the negativity that existed in rap music. To me, rap music was about stories. Not just stories - true stories from people who had lived completely different lives than me but still wanted the same things: to be understood, to be loved and to be secure. Perhaps that's still true. If it is, however, the stories that I hear in most of today's music feels entirely out of touch with the present state of our nation. I have found myself being drawn to those artists who have figured out a way to tell their story, use their talent and sellout shows without relying on the same tired old formula that Puff Daddy made popular in the '90s. What I've found is that these artists have been around for a while, and I guess that's part of what makes me feel old. The Roots, Common, Nas, Killer Mike, El-P, and Shabazz Palaces ("Butterfly" from Digable Planets), are a few that still hold my interest.
As sort of an effort to find something new, I have chosen to revisit something old. There are several albums that I keep coming back to and I can't help but wonder if the era in which most of them were recorded will go down as the last golden age of hip-hop. I've wondered if Nas was right, that hip-hop is virtually dead. I don't get A$AP Rocky or Drake or Whiz Kalifa or even Lil Wayne. When I listen to most new rap music what I hear has either all been said before or it's not worth saying at all. See my old post on Raekwon for further rants on this subject. I need some substance. So these are the records that have had things to say to me and have continued to speak.
A Tribe Called Quest - The Low End Theory
This was the very first rap tape that I ever bought (if you don't count Kris Kross' Totally Krossed Out) and I really had no idea what I was getting into. I don't know what prompted me to buy it or made me think that I would like it. But it ended up changing the way I listen to music forever. It was the perfect entry into rap music for me - a subtle introduction to inner city life and the rap music industry that manged to be light-hearted and serious at the same time. I don't believe that I would have any interest in jazz if it weren't for this album. Between this and Digable Planets' Blowout Comb (more on that to come) I was primed for Miles Davis and Pharoah Sanders.
Nas - Illmatic
It's a classic. Everyone knows it. I can't say anything about it that hasn't already been said. From front to back it's probably the strongest rap album of all time. And it's straight to the point. There is no filler and no fluff. Say what you want about the Nas records that followed all you need to do is listen to "One Love" to know he's one of the greatest rappers of all time (and it doesn't hurt that Q-Tip gives the production some of his jazzy flavor).
Outkast - ATLiens
I'm one of those people who prides themselves on the fact that they listened to Southerplayalisticadillacmuzik when Andre 3000 was just plain old "Dre" and no one had any idea who he was. While ATLiens was a bit of a departure from their debut in my opinion it is their strongest album to date. I was comfortable with them dropping the gangster sensibilities and becoming more reflective. I mean who else could get away with humming a chorus ("Millennium") or making a rap song without any beat ("E.T. [Extraterrestrial]"). I committed the lyrics of "Elevators (Me & You)" to memory and proudly recited them to every English-speaking Romanian that I met while overseas in 1996. I could still give you Dre's last verse in full.
Goodie Mob - Soul Food
It's hard to believe that this is where Cee-Lo Green got started. Well, maybe not entirely. Well paired with fellow Dungeon Family mates Outkast, the Goodie Mob sorta put southern rap music on the map with this one. They coined the phrase "dirty south" for goodness sake. But while they were telling tells of drugs and poverty, it was also clear that these dudes were from the Bible belt. Also, they made a song about food.
EMPD - Strictly Business
It's all about the samples. They certainly weren't the first use samples but you could probably make an argument that they were the first use them in this way. Folks made a big deal about the samples used on Watch the Throne last year (Otis Redding, James Brown, Nina Simone, etc.) but they were only impressive because of steep price of the royalties and the total lack of necessesity. EPMD managed to sample folks like Eric Clapton, ZZ Top, Steve Miller, Pink Floyd, Michael Jackson, Kool & the Gang, Aretha Franklin, Rick James, Otis Redding, Zapp and themselves (over and over) in ways that would make Puff Daddy's head explode. They were used to craft songs and attract the ears of those who undoubtedly recognized their source. It's a total embodiment of what makes rap music entertaining.
Souls of Mischief - '93 Til Infinity
It's a bit difficult to explain this one. I just like it. The beats are comprised of jazz/funk. The lyrics stand out as a stark contrast to the west coast gangsta rap that was being pumped out in 1993. I always felt like the sound of the album was more New York than California. This was of course during a period of rap music when it was usually easy to tell what part of the country a record was produced in. In a group of four MCs, the flow from one verse to the next is virtually seamless. It's that cohesion which made Souls of Mischief much easier to listen to than the Hieroglyphics collective to which they belonged.
GZA - Liquid Swords
From the release of Enter the Wu-Tang I was a Clan junkie. I couldn't get enough (there are periods even now when that is still true). While some might tell you that Only Built 4 Cuban Linx or Ironman are the best solo releases from the Wu they would be wrong. I feel dirty every time I do this but if you want to read more on why this album is probably one of the greatest of all time then you should check out the Pitchfork review of the chess box deluxe reissue. The production is perfect. The guest spots from other Wu members are perfect. The Genius is perfect. The only thing I never quite understood was the Killah Priest cut at the end of the album. Despite that, the GZA paints a vivid picture of the streets, the industry pitfalls and the drug trade with the tone and demeanor of a veteran. "Shadowboxin'" will always be right. Always.
Digable Planets - Blowout Comb
Honestly, to this day I don't think I have any idea what the hell they're talking about most of the time. Creamy spies? Huh? But it doesn't matter. It just sounds so funky. Much like The Low End Theory the production on this album had a great impact on me. It's just such an overwhelmingly cool record.
The Roots - Things Fall Apart
Whether they intended it to be or not, this was the tipping point - not The Tipping Point. "You Got Me" put them into everyone's homes and the success of this record is responsible for the genre bending force of nature that is The Roots today. Each track out does the previous one. It's just a progression of sound and lyricism that was organic and unexpected at the same time. Despite featuring their first sample ("Without a Doubt") the changes they were undergoing here feel much more like a realization of their talent as opposed to a compromise. Also, "Double Trouble" is some of my all time favorite back and forth rhyming of all time.
Common - Be
I wanted more of Like Water For Chocolate. I wanted Kanye West to bring rap music back the '90s, to the heyday of soul and funk samples. I got what I wanted in Be. Arguably Common's best effort, everything about it is just right. There are times when it feels like Kanye's beats are simply going to the highest bidder. This is not one of them. The whole show is tailored and contoured for Common Sense. I'm not saying the dude is old but he's not new to the game and the vintage soul cooked up for this album fit him perfectly. "Faithful" and "Testify" would have been enough for me to declare this one of my favorite lyrical albums but fortunately there is so much more. I never understood why "They Say" was not a huge hit.
I have to stop here. As I was writing this entry I continually asked myself why I listen to rap music so much. The only answer that I could up with is that it feels necessary as a way of continuing my understanding of the human condition, in almost the same way that I refuse to give up on the political process. To abandon it would be to abandon a certain insight into our culture.
