South Still Talking: How The South Is Still The Reigning Section Of Hip-Hop

What's the word people?!  It was just over two decades ago when Andre 3000 (then just Andre) proclaimed that "The South had something to say", as he and Big Boi were receiving the award for Best New Artist at The Source Awards in front of a very hostile New York crowd.  At this time, the South really didn't have a lot of respect or appreciated except for possible The Geto Boys and the popularity of the ever controversial 2 Live Crew.  All the while, Outkast was ushering in a whole new era in hip-hop that the game would never be the same again for hip-hop.

We all know, in the early days, we had acts like The Geto Boys, UGK, and 2 Live Crew set the standard for southern hip-hop with their music stemming from the late eighties to very early nineties, followed by acts such as Eightball & MJG to further the south's want to be noticed.  The south had a signature sound that primarily resonated in the Blues, Jazz, Soul, and Gospel.  These influences were very prevalent in some artists music, and it was obvious that the roots of music were vital within this section. The first truly acclaimed album from the South was The Geto Boys' stunningly vicious Grip It! On That Other Level, which was compared, in many aspects, to N.W.A.'s Straight Outta Compton at this time.  However, other albums such as Comin' Out Hard, Too Hard To Swallow, and of course As Nasty As They Wanna Be were putting the South on people's radars.  While the East was being held down by the likes of Black Moon, Tribe, LL, and Brand Nubian, the West was owning the game with Dre and Snoop, not to mention Eazy, Cube, and Ice-T.  It was very easy to see how the South would get swallowed up in the mix.

Then came two young cats in their late teens named Outkast that became forefathers for the new southern movement.  They released the seminal Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik, to incredible acclaim.  This album was clearly a changing of the guard and signaled a new change in southern hip-hop.  It still kept the elements of soul and everything else aforementioned, but just used in a more contemporary way.  With that, the album saw platinum units, and we had our new stars, whether the East and West liked it or not.  The use of Soul and funk was so cleverly incorporated into basically every track on the album and people were reluctant to acknowledge them as stars.  Everybody, except the south.  From there, The Geto Boys reunited to deliver their fifth album, The Resurrection, UGK dropped the album of their careers with Ridin' Dirty, Goodie Mob had arrived with their magnificent debut, Soul Food, and Eightball & MJG were slowly but surely climbing the ladder of success themselves with On Top Of The World.  Let's not forget the emergence of Three 6 Mafia, and how Chapter 2: World Domination put the team on the map with the rambunctious "Tear Da Club Up".  All of the sudden, people are paying more and more attention to the South, and that made the other coasts uncomfortable.

When Biggie, Jay, Nas, Mobb Deep, and the Wu were dominating the East, and Pac, Dre, Snoop, and Cube were running the West, more eyes were starting to be on this new revolution going on musically in the South.  Outkast dropped their second album, ATLiens in '96 and it was easily the best album of that year that wasn't The Score, All Eyez On Me, Reasonable Doubt, or Hell On Earth.  Plus, the aforementioned Ridin' Dirty was considered a classic by many, and even went near platinum units.  Unfortunately, due to no radio play, ATLiens was THE southern album that was holding it down, but make no mistake about it, the South was becoming a force.  Soulful, honest, and unapologetic, these artists were showing the world what living in the South was about, and fans were starting to get it.

Now, we hit the new millennium, and at this time, a new crop of southern emcees are looking to elevate the game even more, and it worked emphatically.  Artists such as Ludacris, T.I., Cash Money, No Limit Records, and later Lil' John would officially put the South in demand.  Thanks to infectious hit after infectious hit, the south really did have something to say, and it was taking momentum away from botht he East and the West.  The radio was filled with anthems such as "Rubberband Man", "Back Dat Azz Up", "What's Your Fantasy", "Make 'Em Say Ughh" and many others.  Multi-platinum units were being sold and the South was no longer considered the red-headed stepchild of rap.  More awards were getting won, and people are celebrating the rise of southern culture being embraced all over the world.  By around '02-'04, the South was in the Crunk movement, where adrenaline met high energy music and vocals, and we thank Lil' John for that period.  Artists such as Pastor Troy, Drama, Trillville, and Lil' Scrappy were fully on board the crunk train, and once again, the south was on top of the charts.  Even the West and East were trying to get in on it, as Nas and his group The Bravehearts used the Crunk element for their single "Quick To Back Down".

With this newfound success came some detractors.  Many felt that the South was unintelligible, Crunk was nothing more than a bunch of screaming and fighting going on, and had nothing to do with emceeing or lyricism.  Many felt that other artists were the same, no talent just putting two words together that could rhyme over good infectious beats.  Some of that may be true, but the bottom line in the south was the club, especially the strip club.  Southern culture is big in dancing and having a good time, and rap in the south was known for doing so since 2 Live Crew.  The Crunk movement was not a time to show off new legends in hip-hop.  Itr was a brief time period where people would just let loose and dumb out.  Once that fizzled, it made way for the trap genre to fully develop.

The trap genre was first brought on by T.I. and Young Jeezy, as both delivered some of the most notable trap albums ever assembled, but others such as Waka Flocka Flame, Gucci Mane, Yo Gotti, and OJ Da Juiceman would come along and would continue the trap movement.  By this time, radio was completely saturated by the south.  From New York to Compton and all points in between, the south had officially taken over hip-hop.  This region had basically m,monopolized the sound of hip-hop.  Artists such as Outkast, Goodie Mob, UGK, and Eightball & MJG weren't as relevant as they once were (not to mention unfortunate circumstances such as Outkast and Goodie Mob's break-up and the tragic death of Pimp C aided in their relative downfalls).  However, Lil' Wayne became the biggest hip-hop artists not named Eminem during this time as well.  Wayne had been a Cash Money Millionaire since the age of thirteen, and as a fully grown man, he basically reinvented himself and delivered some of his best efforts and was the man to beat.  Regardless of genres or sounds, Wayne was always true to himself, and he became the cameo king, appearing on more people cuts than anyone at that time, thus resulting in numerous mixtapes, and Tha Carter III selling a million units its first week.  Another southern star running hip-hop.

Today, artists such as Young Thug, Lil' Yachty, Denzel Curry, Playboi Carti, 2 Chainz, and Rick Ross are the ones handling business in the South.  Although some of their sounds and styles aren't for everybody, there are others such as EarthGang and J.I.D. that are fresh and show glimpses of mid to late nineties South.  Also, Future, who has been the 'it' gut of the South for a few years now, has been considered the godfather of the 'Mumble Rap' movement, by which some of the aforementioned artists such as Yachty and Playboy Carti are products of.  Today's southern influence reaches east coast states that are typically hard-nosed in their tradition of boom bap, but artists such as Lil Uzi Vert from Philly and Fetty Wop from Jersey have incorporated the mumble rap/trap style into their personas.  On the other coast, Kendrick Lamar's latest incredible feat, DAMN, has southern trap influence with it as well, with scorching hot southern producer Mike WILL Made It at the helm for four tracks, including his first two singles, "Humble" and "DNA".

If there was a reason as to why the South has been continuously running the game, it could be because they're unified.  There's not a lot of competition within the south.  Occasional beefs notwithstanding, the South is together.  The east coast, traditionally, is rooted in competition, and the west can be inconsistent.  The South has always been for the dominance of the South and everybody within it.  There's no Florida vs. Georgia type beefs.  They're together, standing as one, regardless if you're in the mumble rap section like Yachty or you're more trap like Gucci or more traditional like Luda, chances are, they'll all get together for a track because the South believes in coming together, and that's where they win.  Everybody in the east wants to be the "King of NY", while the west is starting to get back to being a fully cohesive and consistent region musically once again, with artists such as Kendrick, Game, Snoop, and Ab-Soul delivering stellar material.

Say what you will about today's South, but this region is still the majority of today's influence in the game.  If you're looking for a time table for the South to fall off, don't waste your time.  Not while every section of the country seems to have some sort of southern sound or influence.  One can even talk as much shit as they want about artists like Lil' Yachty or Playboi Carti, or even Future, but the truth is some of your favorite artists actually don't mind bigging them up.  Therefore, the South's reign over hip-hop isn't going anywhere.

Boston Tea Party: The Best Albums Outta Boston

What's the science folks?!  We're about done with the city/state salutes, as still to come we have Queens, L.A., and Brooklyn (possibly Miami as well).  This time, we will head back to the northeast.  The home of the Celtics, Red Sox, Bruins, and the constant NFL Super Bowl Champions, New England Patriots, Boston, Massachusetts.  If you know anything about American history, you know the significance of Boston, and trust me this isn't the platform for it, but you should already know.  You may also be aware of many entertainers that are Boston natives such as the Wahlberg brothers, as well as wrestler-turned-actor John "Don't call me the next Rock" Cena (BTW, his hip-hop album was actually not too bad.  I'm very serious).  With Boston receiving a bad reputation in the news as of late with cries of racism coming from this city, Boston isn't without it's fair share of negative headlines.  Who can forget the Boston Marathon massacre?  However, Boston also has a fairly underrated and underestimated hip-hop scene.  Aside from the late, great Guru originating from here, emcees such as Big Shug, Ed O.G., Mr. Lif and Krumbsnatcha likewise are from here, as well as rapper/entrepreneur/former reality star Raymond "Benzino" Scott.  Just how cold does Boston get down with their hip-hop?  Has any legit classics emerged from this city?  Well, let's take a look.

20. The Almighty R.S.O.- Doomsday: Forever R.S.O.

One of the very first times we had ever known Benzino was when he was simply Ray Dog as a member of the group, Almighty R.S.O., along with E-Devious, Tony Rhome, and DJ Deff Jeff.  The reality is this crew has been around since the mid-eighties, at least locally.  Controversy followed them with the riotous "One In Da Chamber" from their debut EP, Revenge Of The Badd Boyz, as it was reportedly their version of "Fuck The Police" due to the killings of two youths in Boston from Boston PD.  However, they secured a deal with Rap-A-Lot, and released their long-awaited second album, Doomsday: Forever R.S.O., which was actually a very enjoyable album.  Very hard and rugged, this album had high moment after high moment, especially cuts like the Mobb Deep-assisted "War's On" and the reflective "Gotta Be A Better Way".  Very impressive outing.

19. Made Men- Classic Limited Edition

Benzino, before finally deciding to go the solo route, wanted one last try in a group, as he got together with Cool Gzus (he was now starting to go by Mr. Gzus) and frequent collaborator and homeboy E-Devious (he had renamed himself as Antoinio Twice Thou) to become the Made Men.  They hype was pretty big for their debut, Classic Limited Edition, based upon their blistering cut on the Belly soundtrack "Tommy's Theme".  Although it didn't necessarily live up to the noise, it was still a decent project.  Led by the infectious collab with Master P "Is It You (Deja Vu)", which was a rework of Dionne Warwick's "Deja Vu", and "Just You & I", the album had more high moments than low moments, and shouldn't have been as slept-on as it was.

18. Statik Selektah & Termanology- 1982

When it was announced that Termanology and Statik Selektah would become a duo and become 1982, heads were anxious for the finished product.  This was definitely a marriage made in hip-hop heaven, as this album was just simply hot.  It seems that Statik brings the best out of Term arguably more than anyone else consistently, and with this album, Term was on fire. Standouts like the Saigon and Freeway-assisted "Life Is What You Make It" and "Things I Dream" make this album a constant rotator.  Along with other guests such as Lil' Fame, Cassidy and Inspectah Deck, they aimed to be the next great DJ/MC duo much like Gangstarr, Reflection Eternal, and Showbiz & AG.  With more outings like this, it wouldn't be out of the realm of possibility.

17. Wiseguys- Wiseguys/In The Company Of Killaz

Benzino had his hands in quite a few projects in the mid-nineties.  At the time, he was a member of Almighty R.S.O., as well as CEO of The Source magazine, but he was also a member of a group of up-and-coming emcees known as The Wiseguys.  With a Def Jam deal in place, they finished their debut originally called In The Company Of Killaz, but for commercial purposes, it became reportedly self-titled.  The album was quite frankly very dope.  Almost wall to wall crazy, with cats such as Cool Gzuz, Tangg Da Juice, Mann Terror, Mike McNeill, and Masta Criminal handling their business, this would've been a very big situation, however the album ended up getting shelved and nothing became of it.  It's floating around online so if you're able to find it, do yourself a favor and listen because this had the potential to be a Wu-Tang like takeover.

16. Statik Selektah- Lucky 7

Originally thought and perceived to be his final album, Statik Selektah decided to drop his seventh album, ironically entitled Lucky 7.  Much like What Goes Around and Extended Play, Lucky 7 it has more of an accessible sound more so than prior albums such as Population Control and Stick 2 The Script.  Regardless, this album goes hard as always, and with emcees such as Rapsody, Joey Bada$$, Your Old Droog, Dave East, and the late Sean Price all ripped apart some very searing production from Selektah.  With a very consistent overall discography, if this was the last run for Selektah in terms of studio albums, he went out on a sincere high.

15. Krumbsnatcha- Snatcha Season Pt. 1

Boston native, and Gangstarr Foundation member, Krumbsnatcha first started making his buzz known with this heat-seeking debut album, Snatcha Season Pt. 1.  A no holds barred delivery and a lyrical no chaser about him, this album was packed with dynamite, especially one of the most vivid autobiographical cuts you'll ever hear in the DJ Premier-crafted "Closer To God" and the bananas "Killer In Me".  Quite an impressive debut release.

14. Ed O.G. & Da Bulldogs- Roxbury 02119

Veteran emcee Ed O.G. was not the most known cat outside of his region, but he did have a few nationally recognized cuts.  He got up with his team called Da Bulldogs in '91 for Life As A Child In The Ghetto, but followed it up with Roxbury 02119, which is a reference to his city and zip code.  While not quite as impactful as their debut album, this one still provides enjoyable moments.  The album is most known for the touching ode to his deceased loved ones, "Love Comes & Goes", but the album doesn't stop with this standout, as this crew did overall another very good job showing us life in and around Boston from a hood perspective.

13. Termanology- More Politics

Termanology has been knocking out full-lengths and mixtapes for a number of years now.  From his ferocious collaborative albums with Statik Selektah as 1982 and M.O.P.'s Lil'Fame as Fizzyology to his extensive solo releases, Term stays putting out material and nine times out of ten, it's gonna fairly hot.  In 2016, he delivered More Politics, which is the sequel to his excellent debut album of 2008, Politics As Usual and continuing his Politics mixtapes series.  Over hard-nosed production from the likes of Just Blaze, Statik Selektah and Buckwild, this lyrical knockout artist spit with precision and venom, and showed why he's one of the coldest emcees out the northeast today.

12. Krumbsnatcha- Long Awaited Snatcha Season Pt. 2

It had been a few years since we had heard anything from Krumbsnatcha, as he hadn't put out material since his debut, Snatcha Season Pt. 1 came out in '98.  No fret though because he picked up where he left off with hardcore rhymes and raw delivery.  This was a slightly better album than album number one, as songs were more tightly put together and it seemed a bit more fluid.  In any event, Krumb was two for two, and this was a sick album.

11. 7L & Esoteric- The Soul Purpose

One of the most known acts within the underground is the DJ/emcee pair of 7L & Esoteric.  Their debut, The Soul Purpose, was a very decent showing of how good they could be and this was a grade-A sleeper.  Esoteric's fairly slicing rhymes are very adequately matched with 7L's consistently blistering production, and practically every track was a different type of banger.  With cuts like "Play It Cool" and "Operating Correctly", this pairing proved that they weren't anything to play with, and the album reflected this.

10. Krumbsnatcha- Respect All, Fear None

With two buzzwworthy albums under his belt, KS secured a deal with D&D Records, and the result was Respect All, Fear None.  Practically as hard-hitting as both Snatcha Season releases, this album is more polished, yet still gritty and hard.  He delivered the seqauel to"Closer To God", entitled "Strike Back", as well as the thumping ode to hustling "Rich Man, Poor Man", and showed why he belonged in the talented group of emcees known as the Gangstarr Foundation some four years after his show-stealing verse on Gangstarr's "Make 'Em Pay".

9. Special Teamz- Stereotypez

Supergroups are very interesting in hip-hop.  Groups like Slaughterhouse, Random Axe, and eMC all csme together and for the most part sounded like they were all cohesive units instead of individuals.  Surprisingly, such was the case with Slaine, Ed O.G. and Jaysaun.  Collectively, they were Special Teamz, and their debut album, Stereotypez, was a knocker almost from start to finish.  Many sleep on Slaine and Jaysaun, as Ed O.G. is the only truly recognizable name, but each one holds their respective own on this album.  With beatmaker extraordinaires like Premo, Pete Rock, MoSS, Marco polo, and Jake One providing the boardwork, each emcee sounds crazy over these impeccable beats, but the chemistry is the bigger story, as this group sounds like it should've come together way before 2007.

8. Akrobatik- Absolute Value

Perceptionists member Akrobatik is a rhyme machine. One of the most slept-on, yet highly intelligent, emcees you'll find from this region.  His second album, Absolute Value, was a highly acclaimed piece of lyrical showmanship.  While his debut, Balance, was a decent introduction to him outside of The Perceptionists, it was this album that needed some polish in spite of its bright spots.  This album does in fact sound more polished and more nicely put together, as this is more poignant and personal overall.  Of course, lyrically, the "Ak you're a legend" line is still genius.  Cuts like "Front Steps Pt. 2", "Kindred", and the crazy "Soul Glo" highlight an excellent album and one that still gets replay value nearly ten years later.

7. L'Orange & Mr. Lif- The Life & Death Of Scenery

After an incredible career resurgence with Don't Look Down, Mr. Lif collaborated with amazing, yet criminally slept-on North Carolina producer L'Orange, to deliver, the Life & Death Of Scenery.  Anyone familiar with the breathtaking stylings of L'Orange on the boards knows that it takes a special kind of emcee to be able to do the production justice, but Lif does his thing and does it well.  This intriguing conceptual album, which has a city being deprived of anything arts related including music, has such grim messages in this EP, but every track served its purpose for the concept and the result is another milestone for Mr. Lif and for the enigma known as L'Orange.

6. 7L & Esoteric- DC2: Bars Of Death

Aiming to repeat, if not eclipse, the acclaim of their second album, Dangerous Connection, 7L & Esoteric provide us with the sequel, DC2: Bars Of Death, and for the most part they do in fact succeed.  Lyrically, Esoteric came with his arsenal and attacked the mic with every track, and even held his own with guests such as Celph Titled and some of the rest of he and 7L's crew Army Of The Phaorahs, which at times isn't easy to do.  In any case, these guys manage to pull off another enjoyable album and one that deserves to be mentioned among their best efforts.

5. Ed O.G. & Da Bulldogs- Life As A Child In The Ghetto

This album from Ed O.G. & Da Bulldogs, Life As A Child In The Ghetto, is seen as his best work even more so than Roxbury 02119.  This effort was all the way dope and had highlights all over the place, especially the emphatic ode to deadbeat dads, "Be A Father To Your Child".  It wasn't all deep, as "Got To have It", Bug-A-Boo", and "Let Me Tickle Your Fancy" were enjoyable cuts that are very Jeep-speakers accessible.  He deserved more recognition for this album than he received.

4. Termanology- Politics As Usual

After releasing a few quite impressive mixtapes and a decent debut album in The Cameo King, Statik Selektah protege Termanology delivered his sophomore full-length album, Politics As Usual, to high acclaim.  Quite frankly, dude can spit, like seriously.  Homie can rip a mic up.  Put his very talented lyrical abilities with quite the impressive production list of Premo, The Alchemist, Buckwild, Pete Rock, Large Professor, and Nottz giving him some of their best offerings.  This was one of those mighty cases where lyricism at its excellence overall met fantastic production and, along with the notoriety his single "Watch How It Goes Down" received, Term became the next big star to emerge from Massachusetts.

3. Mr. Lif- Don't Look Down

The return of Mr. Lif was an unexpected, yet very exiting, one.  Who can forget the monument that was I-Phantom in 2002?  Sure he's had a couple of decent follow-ups such as Mo Mega and I Heard It Today, but Don't Look Down makes his best release since that epic release of 2002.  Lyrically he sounds reborn and refreshed.  While I-Phantom was a look into the working class and its resulting despair and eventual death, Don't Look Down is more hopeful, as it reflects an album similar in concept to The Roots' breathtaking How I Got Over album.  It shows endurance, strength, and faith to overcome.  An incredible return to prominence.

2. Statik Selektah- What Goes Around

With the extensive catalogue of albums released by Statik Selektah, his sixth album, What Goes Around stands as his most complete and cohesive project.  Many argue about the length of the album, which is seventy minutes long and twenty tracks deep, but in spite of this fact, this album is wall to wall solid with little to no flaws whatsoever.  The production alone is enough to cause massive headaches, but emcees such as Phaorahe Monch, Talib Kweli, Styles P, Freddie Gibbs, Logic, and Heltah Skeltah one last time completely showed out on each and every track.  Even the weirdest of combos such as Joey Bada$$ and Freddie Gibbs sound simply delightful on this crazy album.  If you weren't a believer in his production talents beyond the DJ booth and host of his own Sirius XM show before, you became a believer with this one.

1. Mr. Lif- I-Phantom

In 2002, former Perceptionist member Mr. Lif delivered an amazing underground treasure entitled I-Phantom that tackled the struggles of the working class Black man who's trying to find his identity while trying to reluctantly pursue the American dream, whatever that might have been.  The majority of the album was produced by, at that time, underground powerhouse El-P, thus providing lo-fidelity production while occasionally throwing in some melodic undertones helped to compliment Mr. Lif's nasal yet authoritative delivery in what would turn out to be a tragic tale.  This album is considered almost in the same light as other underground classics such as Madvillainy, Funcrusher Plus, Fantastic Damage, and 3:16...The 9th Edition, and rightfully so.  From concept to production to insightful lyrics, Mr. Lif delivered an album that has finally gotten the stellar recognition it deserves.

Honorable Mentions

Big Shug- Who's Hard
Big Shug- Neva Say Die
Big Shug- Street Champ
Guru- Jazzmatazz Vol. 1
Benzino- Redemption
Benzino- The Benzino Project
Ed O.G.- A Face In The Crowd
Slaine- A World With No Skies
The Perceptionists- Black Dialogue
John Cena- You Can't See Me
1982- 2012
Termanology- Shut Up and Rap
Krumbsnatcha- Let The Truth Be Told
Hangmen 3- No Skits Vol. 1
7L & Esoteric- A New Dope
7L & Esoteric- 1212
7L & Esoteric- Dangerous Connection
Statik Selektah- Population Control
Statik Selektah- Extended Play
Statik Selektah- Spell My Name Right: The Album
Statik Selektah- 100 Proof: The Hangover
Statik Selektah- Stick 2 The Script

As you can see, Boston has a reputation for gritty, lyrical, and overall flames hip-hop, although somewhat slept-on as well.  Boston, with all its musical history (let's not forget this is also the home of New Edition), has a dope hip-hop scene, but it just needs that one crossover star to officially make Boston as much of a household name in mainstream commercial hip-hop as any other major city that contributes to the culture.  Regardless, Beantown should stop getting snoozed on as soon as possible.  Hopefully this list will help the cause.  Until next time folks!

Harlem Renaissance: The Best Albums Outta Harlem

What's the haps cats and dogs?!  This salute goes to a piece of history.  Harlem, before it became the personification of gentrification in today's times, belonged to Black people.  The community's richness is steeped with a highly regarded legacy, especially with the arts of painting/drawing and music.  Harlem is likewise home to the iconic Apollo Theater, and historic figures such as Lena Horne, Louis Armstrong, Count Basey, and W.E.B. Dubois resided there for a period of time.  Best known for the "Harlem Renaissance", tons of entertainers and artists all came on board to be a part of the flourishing section of Manhattan where all Blacks came together to etch more part of American history.  Fast forward nearly one hundred years later and hip-hop has also churned out some rather significant pieces of work throughout time as well.  Perhaps the first person to fully rep Harlem was pioneer Kurtis Blow, and from there other legends like DJ Hollywood, DJ Red Alert, The Treacherous Three,The Fearless Four, and Doug E. Fresh all carried Harlem on their backs as well.  Since then, artists such as Sean "P. Diddy" Combs, Black Rob, and Immortal Technique all wave the Harlem flag as often as possible.  With that being said, let's get into the best project Harlem has produced.

25. A$AP Ferg- Always Strive And Prosper

A$AP Rocky isn't the only cat out the A$AP Mob that can go in.  A$AP Ferg is also a cat that is a star in his own right as well.  After the acclaim and success of his debut album, Trap Lord, he came back with an even more focused and cohesive album in Always Strive And Prosper.  Complete with impressive guests spots by the likes of Chuck D, Missy Elliot, his A$AP Mob and Big Sean, the album sounds more confident and more tightly put together, thus furthering A$AP Ferg's legitimacy as an emcee with or without his family.

24. Smoke DZA & Pete Rock- Don't Smoke Rock

If there's any producer in the game that can bring just good ol' fashioned lyrics out of someone, the legendary "Chocolate Boy Wonder" Pete Rock is one of the first that come to mind.  His latest success story is Smoke DZA, and the result was a sincerely bangin' album in Don't Smoke Rock.  While DZA isn't a bad emcee, Pete brought the best out of him, and some of his best bars to date.  Plus, P.R. presented his usual brand of superb production and it wasa enough for fans of that nineties/early thousands feel to thoroughly rejoice at this album.

23. Kool Moe Dee- How Ya Like Me Now

One of the eighties kings within hip-hop was Kool Moe Dee.  Formerly one-thirds of the Treacherous Three and known for one of the game's first true battles with Busy Bee, Kool Moe Dee delivered his second album, How Ya Like Me Now, in '87 in the midst of his rivalry with LL Cool J (even the album cover has his jeep running over a red Kangol hat indicative of LL).  The album was most known for two of his biggest singles ever in the title track and "Wild Wild West", and became the biggest selling album of his career.

22. A$AP Rocky- Long.Live.A$AP

Former drug dealer, turned emcee, Rakim Myers, also known as A$AP Rocky, was introduced to us by his mixtape, Live.Love.A$AP, which caused a buzz in NYC, and caused him to get signed to RCA.  The result was his debut album, Long.Live.A$AP, and it was an overall dope introduction on a mainstream level.  While not the type of lyricist that will impress you with intricate vocab and witty wordplay, he has a style and swag to him that is appealing, plus one can't deny that this A$AP Mob member delivered one hell of a posse record with underground favorites Action Bronson, Joey Bada$$, Kendrick Lamar, Big K.R.I.T., Yelawolf, and Danny Brown, "1 Train".  Add along with it a platinum plaque and A$AP Rocky was officially here.

21. Kurtis Blow- Kurtis Blow

There's no way we give respect and props to Harlem, and not give it up for one of its first representatives in hip-hop.  The one and only icon himself, Kurtis Blow, released his debut full-length self-titled album in 1980, which contained the classic "The Breaks".  It's also heralded and widely known as the first hip-hop gold album, with "Breaks" being the first platinum single.  A pioneer to the utmost, this album showed that hip-hop could handle its business in the music world too.

20. Smoke DZA- Dream. Zone. Achieve

Smoke DZA's second album, Dream.Zone.Achieve basically was an expansion of his prior albums, but he stuck to the motto: "If it ain't broke, don't fix it".  Stories of hustlin' and more hustlin' sound fairly decent over sounds provided by the likes of Pete Rock, Pro Era's Kirk Knight, Sean C & LV, DJ Dahi, and more heat from Harry Fraud.  This will not reinvent the wheel, but it will find you becoming a DZA fan, if not on the low. 

19. Cam'ron- Confessions Of Fire

Former Jay-Z-affiliate Undeas founded his own label Untertainment in the mid to late nineties, which house two people: Charli Baltimore and Cam'ron.  Cam had previously been a part of Harlem act Children Of The Corn, with Herb McGruff, Murda Mase, Big L, producer Digga, and the late Bloodshed.  However, they all split up after Bloodshed's unfortunate passing and he went to the Un-brella (get it *chuckle*).  Cam's debut, Confessions Of Fire, was a pretty personal and cohesive effort that was a great introduction into us knowing who Cameron Giles is.  Standouts were definitely there and showed that his first effort was a nice one to start.

18. A$AP Rocky- A.L.L.A.

By 2015, A$AP Rocky was considered among the new jacks of bringing NYC back to prominence.  His debut album, Long.Live.A$AP, was quite intriguing and was overall dope, but it was missing more of himself.  He fixed that and any other errors that were with the debut and crafted the very formidable follow-up, A.L.L.A. (At Long Last A$AP).  Dedicated to the late founder, the album was Rocky at his finest.  More experimental and dare I say trippy, this was a very ambitious album, and one that definitely fit moire to the paradox that Rocky is.  A knockout on several different areas.

17. Diplomats- Diplomatic Immunity

When Cam'ron jump ship to Roc-A-Fella, he brought his Diplomats tandem with him, which was Jim Jones, Freaky Zeaky, and young gunna Juelz Santana.  Their debut double album, Diplomatic Immunity, was clocked full of heat, courtesy of the production team The Heatmakerz, who many believe outdid the chipmunk soul style of production way too much on this release.  Even then, any type of mishaps the group may have had, the production was s till so strong that it made up for it.  The click was definitely a unit on here and it truly showed us the potential of Santana all over here.

16. Doug E. Fresh & The Get Fresh Crew- The World's Greatest Entertainer
 

All hail the legend himself, Doug E. Fresh.  After his exciting debut album, Oh My God, he and his Get Fresh Crew were up to continue the party with his second effort, The World's Greatest Entertainer.  Every bit as funky as the first, the album was led by the infectious single "Keep Risin' To The Top".  This album was the definitive album from him and solidified him as a bonafide star.  Maybe he was in fact "The World Greatest Entertainer".

15. Cam'ron- Come Home With Me

After two gold selling albums, Cam'ron finally migrated over to Roc-A-Fella Records thanks to homeboy Dame Dash.  He, likewise, brought his Diplomats team over with him.  His Roc-A-Fella debut, Come Home With Me, was him finally coming into the potential we all knew he had since his aforementioned debut, Confessions Of Fire.  Sounding more confident and hungrier than ever, the album was led by the crazy first single "Oh Boy".  From there, Cam was on fire, and presented his most complete album to date.  With a platinum plaque added to his name, Killa Cam had finally arrived.

14. Doug E. Fresh & The Get Fresh Crew- Oh My God!

After the release of the seminal, iconic maxi-single "The Show" b/w "Ladi Dadi" with Slick Rick, Doug E. Fresh became a star.  In '86, he and his Get Fresh Crew released their first album, Oh My God!, and it was true instant classic.  A highly influential and legendary album, Fresh was on his way to becoming one of hip-hop's biggest acts, and there was no denying that Fresh would become a legend with an album like this. 

13. Dave East- Hate Me Now
 

Many consider Nas' protege, Dave East, as one of the futures of NYC hip-hop.  His delivery and style is so vintage nineties NY, and he's looked at to bring the Big Apple back to prominence.  His eighth mixtape, Hate Me Now, is his first under Nas' Mass Appeal Records and showed just how cold this cat is.  Raw lyricism mixed with excellent production works very well for this standout emcee.  His ridiculous cut "Demons" set the stage for quite the potent album, and showed Dave East is nothing to keep sleeping on.

12. Black Rob- The Black Rob Report

After the platinum plus success of his very highly impressive debut, Life Story, Black Rob attempted to reclaim that same success with his sophomore album, The Black Rob Report.  While it may have been missing some of the commercial formulas that made his debut a big time hit across the board, it still contained a lot of grime and grittiness, maybe even more so than Life Story.  At a time where Bad Boy was strictly cookie cutter at this time, Robert Ross came back after his five year delay and came back and smacked people in the face to remind them that the real had returned.

11. Ma$e- Harlem World

Bad Boy needed a new star with the highly tragic and senseless death of Biggie.  Diddy presented former Children Of The Corn member, Murda Mase.  He rechristened him as Ma$e, and he became the label's boy wonder.  His boyish charm and addictive personality, mixed with his laid-back flow, was a hit with the ladies, and his debut album, Harlem World, was as anticipated as anything else during that time period, including Biggie final album, Life After Death.  The album was filled with hits virtually wall to wall, and catapulted Ma$e to earn Best Rap Album and Best New Artist nominations at the Grammys.  On top of the fact that the album sold nearly four million units.

10. Juelz Santana- What The Game's Been Missing

The Diplomats/Dipset's golden boy was Juelz Santana.  After showing off his talents on two consecutive Cam'ron albums and The Diplomats album, he debuted with his fairly dope debut, From Me To You.  However, it was his sophomore album, What The Game's Been Missing, that people really got to see all of what Juelz could offer.  He shined over tracks that ranged from decent to straight fire, especially cuts like "Shottas", "O Yes", and the highly infectious "Clockwork".  Every bit as personal as, if not more than, his debut, Juelz Santana definitely had next with this very excellent effort, ultimately going gold.

9. Dave East- Kairi Chanel

After gaining a new audience and firmly introducing himself on his aforementioned mixtape, Hate Me Now, he stepped it up on many levels with his follow-up, Kairi Chanel.  The mixtape named after his daughter is undeniably as gutter and street as anything you'll hear presently, but this time he elevated his storytelling abilities, such as on tracks like the sheisty "Keisha" and the powerful and gripping "Don't Shoot".  Sounding more and more like the next big star outta NYC, East manhandles every track he's on and even differs up styles off and on as well.  This effort truly showed that Nas' protege is fully ready for mainstream/commercial success and once his Mass Appeal/Def Jam debut drops, don't say nobody didn't warn you.

8. Big L- The Big Picture

After the mindless murder of ferocious, yet highly witty, lyricist Big L, everybody was wondering what kind of posthumous music would we hear from one of the game's most talented lyricists.  His debut, Lifestylez Uv Tha Poor & Dangerous, introduced us to this kid, but it was his posthumous effort, The Big Picture, where we really get a good look of what could've been a massive superstar in the works.  The album was all filled with either unreleased cuts or underground singles that one could've only heard from mixtapes.  It was clear by the end of the album that L was in a lane of his own and if the rumors were true about him becoming signed to Roc-A-Fella around the time of the shooting, it would've been possible that he could've been the breadwinner besides Jay in that camp.  Without question, one of the most underrated albums one will hear to this day.

7. Immortal Technique- The Third World

By 2008, Immortal Technique was one of the most feared and respected emcees throughout all of the underground.  His highly acclaimed Revolutionary series was still garnering more and more fans for the Peruvian emcee.  He hooked up with DJ Green Lantern to release The Third World, which could easily be compared to his Revolutionary series in terms of his topics of institutional racism, classicism, poverty, and corrupt politics.  Angry and hostile, IT presented tracks that were sure to create anarchy and angst among many communities.  Based on cuts like "Open Your Eyes", "Reverse Pimpology" and the dramatic title track, this album wasn't, and still isn't, for the shook.

6. Cannibal Ox- The Cold Vein

During the time when El-P was just fucking up the entire underground with his efforts including landmark albums like Company Flow's Funcrusher Plus, and his own Fantastic Damage, he also delivered two young Harlemites named Vordul Mega and Vast Aire, collectively Cannibal Ox.  Their debut, The Cold Vein, is unquestionably, undeniably, and undisputedly raw.  Grittiness and grime is the makeup of this album, Regarded as one of the most revered underground albums of the nineties, The Cold Vein was dark and ugly, yet it showed just how fantastic of a producer El-P was and how good of a tag team Aire and Mega were.  Yet another classic project with El-P's stamp on it.

5. Black Rob- Life Story

After making an intriguing impression of Diddy's No Way Out album, as well as Ma$e's Harlem World, it was time for Black Rob to have his own shine, and his debut, Life Story, lived up to every expectation it had for it.  Able to provide some aspects of radio while staying loyal and true to the streets, this album is as raw as it is catchy, and is as honest as it is star-making.  Shaking the pavement with his lead single, the anthemic "Whoa", he followed with searing cuts like the previously heard "I Love You Baby", the fantastic "You Don't Know Me", and the fabulous remake of Slick Rick's "Children Story", "Thug Story".  This debut is easily comparable to other phenomenal debuts during this time such as Beanie's debut and labelmate Shyne's debut, plus it went platinum to boot.  Black Rob was officially here.

4. Immortal Technique- Revolutionary Vol. 1

In '01, Harlem native, by way of Peru, a hard-nosed, controversial battle emcee named Immortal Technique had been buzzing within the underground for his hardcore views of global politics and anarchist approach to the government.  His debut, Revolutionary Vol. 1, was an album filled with rage, yet also brutal honesty with exceptional lyricism and storytelling abilities.  Starting with the "Creation & Destruction" freestyle over the beat for CNN's "L.A., L.A." remix, he rips it apart, but it's other cuts such as the highly controversial "Dance With The Devil", "The Poverty Of Philosophy", and "The Prophecy" that capture the angst and uprising dreams that tend to embody this game-changing emcee.  One of the most incredible underground albums to ever exist in any time period.

3. Big L- Lifestyles Ov Tha Poor & Dangerous

One of the least appreciated crews in all of hip-hop is D.I.T.C., a crew that consists of Fat Joe, O.C., Show & AG, Diamond, and Lord Finesse.  Another member of this legendary crew was Lamont Coleman, also known as Big L.  Seen as the lyrical monster of the crew, his sharp tongue, highly witty wordplay, and almost unparalleled overall lyricism made him a problem.  Originally a member of Children Of Da Corn with Ma$e, Cam'ron, Digga, and Bloodshed, L went on to join the crew, and undert them, he dropped his debut, Lifestylez Ov Tha Poor & Dangerous.  The album was simply a complete effort from start to finish.The album also marked one of the first times we ever heard Jay-Z, Ma$e, Herb McGruff, and Cam'ron on an album, but on top of that, boardwork from Diamond, Showbiz, Lord Finesse, and Buckwild made this album a gem of an album.  Now regarded as a hip-hop classic, Big L showed just how high his potential to be a star was with this phenomenal debut.

2. Immortal Technique- Revolutionary Vol. 2

After the memorable debut that was Revolutionary Vol. 1, Immortal Technique came back with the sequel, Revolutionary Vol. 2, and it was every bit as angst and in your face as the first one, only even more gripping topics such as the drug trade, the prison system, and conspiracy theories concerning 9/11.  Much like "Dance With The Devil" was the cut that caused the most noise to be made, the attention-grabbing "Peruvian Cocaine" is the highlight here, as several different emcees act as different cocaine ingredients to show how cocaine was made and how it got shipped to the U.S.  This is one of several powerful and stunning cuts that prove that there's a method behind the rage that is Immortal Technique.  He's education on wax.  Perhaps an even angrier KRS or Chuck D.  In any case, Technique delivered the two most middle-finger-at-the-government albums this millennium may have been exposed to.  In this day and age with the Trump regime, this album is all the more important.  This is more than just a hip-hop classic, this is one of our modern society.

1. Puff Daddy & The Family- No Way Out

Many are likely having a screwface on right now asking, "How the hell would he put this at number one considering the prior past few albums he mentioned?"  This is why.  Diddy was, is, and will always be Harlem.  Bad Boy was grounded and rooted in Harlem, but was centered around a huge lyrical powerhouse who would become a future legend from Brooklyn.  After his untimely death, Diddy somehow pulled himself together after mourning the death of his biggest artist and close friend, and presented an unexpected classic with No Way Out.  The album was more than shiny-suit type fluff and materialism.  This was a man in mourning and in anger over the death of someone so close to him.  Let's not forget he watched him die.  The emotions that were all through him were profound and with the help of his Bad Boy family, primarily The Lox (at that time), Black Rob, and Ma$e, Diddy brought it all together to deliver something featured one of the most incredibly produced albums of the nineties, as well as an album that showed that, in spite of his pain, Diddy was a warrior and would persevere through this ordeal, and he did.  Who can deny that "Victory" is one of the hardest anthems in the history of that label?  Plus overall, this was a victory, and deserves to be mentioned as one of the most reluctant gems one will ever encounter.

Honorable Mentions

Ma$e- Double Up
Cam'ron- Purple Haze
Juelz Santana- From Me To U
Jim Jones- Hustler's P.O.M.E.
Jim Jones- On My Way To Church
Immortal Technique- The Martyr
P. Diddy & The Family- The Saga Continues
Charles Hamilton- This Perfect Life
A$AP Mob- The Cozy Tapes Vol. 1
A$AP Ferg- Trap Lord
A$AP Rocky- Live.Long.A$AP


As you can see, Harlem is a hot bed of talent and legendary performers and emcees that further legitimize the legacy and influence of this esteemed, iconic section of Manhattan, NYC.  There's a ton more other talent just waiting to be heard and blow up for their hood.  Stars such as the ones mentioned plus others such as JR Writer (hold your head), Max B (hold your head, wavy!), and the ever controversial and outspoken Azaelia Banks are just some of those who continue to wave the Harlem flag and will show the rest of the NYC boroughs that there's still hell up in Harlem.  Until next time folks!