Happy 20th Anniversary: The Blueprint

 

What's happening kind folks! Moving on to our next twentieth anniversary salute is an album that has long been revered as one of hip-hop's most complete albums.  A star making album in every sense of the term, this album was a blistering reminder of this artist's stranglehold on the top of hip-hop seemingly at the time.  From the moment Prodigy and Nas were on blast on that Hot 97 Summer Jam screen, the first shot was let off and what came was an album that was the most polished and cohesive of his career.  Ladies and gentlemen, we salute Jay-Z and his fifth album, The Blueprint.  

Many hardcore Jay enthusiasts are quick to state (and rightfully so) that his debut, Reasonable Doubt, is his true magnum opus.  Much like Nas with Illmatic, Reasonable Doubt was, in fact, a moment in time for Hov.  There's no one hundred percent guarantee an artist can reach levels that are that high in terms of critical and street appeal.  However, an artist can move forward and strive to make another high level of classic acclaim for another effort.  Nas did it with Stillmatic, It Was Written and his latest amazing effort Kings Disease 2.  With Jay, it was arguably Vol. 2...Hard Knock Life, his third album that sold over four million units at the time.  Then, he dropped one of hip-hop's most scathing disses in "The Takeover", and it set the stage for album number five, The Blueprint.  At best, every single cut on the album is a hit. A certifiable hit.  You've more than likely heard every cut on the radio at some point before and after its release.  Each cut reflected where Jay's status was at the time.  There were no street tales of hustling and surviving.  This was more or less a celebration of his status as hip-hop's biggest deal.  

While Reasonable Doubt was very street-laced, this was absolutely for the radio and clubs, with topics that were moreso about his luxurious lifestyle, the hate he received, and just enjoying life.  Obviously, "Takeover" set the tone, but once his official first single, "Izzo (H.O.V.A.)" made it on to the airwaves, it was clear he was beating his chest as the biggest star in the game, but other cuts like "Girls, Girls, Girls", "Jigga That Nigga", and "Hola Hovito" were as perfect for Jay as any cut we've ever heard from him. The Just Blaze-scorcher "U don't Know" could've likely fit in on Reasonable Doubt, as it's among the hardest cuts Jay has ever presented to this very day.  However, the second half of the album is a bit more reflective.  "Ain't No Love" addresses hate and jealousy he's experienced on his way to the top.  Meanwhile, the title track is arguably the cut with the most feeling, as he reminisces about his youth all the way to his stardom saluting everyone from his mother to his brother to Jaz-O.  Over a hypnotic Blaze beat, he goes deeper than the majority of this album, however "Song Cry" goes even deeper with "Song Cry", as the wailing sample of this cut makes this song bring more of a melancholy vibe to it as Jay reflects on regrets and homies he misses. Among the most introspective cuts of his career.  We move on to the much talked about "Renegade", where Nas so eloquently stated that "Eminem murdered him on his own shit" on his retaliation cut "ether".  Jay did indeed get outshined by a red hot Eminem, but was still an impactful cut during this era.  

With other cuts like "The Ruler's Back", "Never Change", and "All I Need", this was the complete Jay-Z album. This incorporated everything that made Jay what he was in 2001.  The streets of Reasonable Doubt, the commercialism of In My Lifetime Vol. 1, and the crossover appeal of Vol. 2...Hard Knock Life were all represented here and then some.  He was at the top of his game lyrically and stylistically.  The board work Kanye and Just Blaze did here was nearly perfect, especially for Jay.  Likewise, Bink, Timbaland and Trackmasters (whatever happened to them?) provided bumping boardwork for Jay to deliver over.  

While his later discography had its share of highs (American Gangster, 4:44, The Black Album) and Lows (Blueprint 2, Blueprint 3, Magna Carta Holy Grail, Kingdom Come), The Blueprint remains his all-around triumph and definitive statement that showed he was arguably the biggest star in hip-hop even in the midst of highly in-demand artists such as Eminem, DMX (R.I.P.), Nas, Snoop Dogg.  His debut may still be considered by many as his absolute classic work, The Blueprint showed him transitioning fully from the streets to the mansion without forgetting who he was or where he came from.  He may had been playing golf more than hustling, but he worked very hard to better himself and his family through The Blueprint. While he was at times he was an instigator and wanted to assert his status as the big dog in pretty eye-browsing ways, as a whole, if there was an album that perfectly represented who Shawn Carter was and who he was becoming, this is that album.  It's clear that The Blueprint foreshadowed his distinction being among the true GOATs of hip-hop.  Did we mention this album got inducted into the National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress as well? Well, if you know about all the historic recordings and albums that dwell in the NRR (Illmatic, To Pimp A Butterfly, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, Purple Rain, Raising Hell, Straight Outta Compton, and The Chronic among others).  To this, we salute Jay-Z's enormous triumph, The Blueprint, and its twentieth anniversary.  Until next time!

Happy 20th Anniversary Salute: Life Story

What's good kind people?!  This next twentieth anniversary salute is for a Brooklyn emcee that caught the eyes and ears of the one and only Puff Daddy and Bad Boy Records.  When Biggie died, there was a massive hole in Bad Boy over who would be the next star.  After debuting on Puff Daddy's incredible debut album, No Way out, eyes were starting to get on him from the fans and critics as well.  Before too long, he was on other efforts from the likes of Faith, 112, Tony Touch, Mase, and the much shamefully forgotten about group, Cru.  In 2000, he finally dropped his anthemic single, "Whoa", to massive praise.  Eventually selling over a million units of his debut album.  The gruffled-voiced emcee had arrived and we were all on notice.  This salute goes to Black Rob and his debut album, Life Story.

While "Whoa" definitely got the club and streets ready, this was far from his only banger on here.  He did have his share of radio-accessible cuts such as "Espacio", "Spanish Fly" with J-Lo and "PD World Tour", but he also had smokers that the streets would deeply appreciate, such as the previously heard cuts of "I Dare You", the cinematic "I Love You Baby", and "You Don't Know Me", as well as the Lox-assisted "Can I Live" and the reworking of Slick Rick's "Children's Story", "Thug Story".  Rob's nasal-yet-gruff voiced delivery is standout on the entire album, as well as his pen game with his more vivid cuts like the aforementioned "I Love You baby" and the intriguing "Jasmine". On "I Love You Baby", he details a conniving woman who shows her hand as a double crosser, while he switches it up on "Spanish Fly" and professes his love for a Hispanic woman.  His narratives may not be ground-breaking or incredibly complex, but they also fit him comfortably, and that's just fine.

This is a Bad Boy release, which means this will have several cuts on here at least for almost immediate accessibility, unlike the momentous landmark that was Ready To Die.  Rob showed potential all through this album and made himself a star here.  It wasn't an overtly commercial release like albums under Bad Boy at that time such as No Way Out, Harlem World or The Lox's debut, Money, Power, & Respect.  This was more street than any of  them, but he still knew the importance of gaining big audiences in order to achieve stardom.  This definitely sounded authentic, and for the Bad Boy narrative.  While his sophomore album, The Black Rob Report, was almost as much of a hard hitter, even without proper marketing which led to it being very highly slept on,, along with later albums Game Tested, Streets Approved and Genuine Article, this remains his best work and a definite showing of his talent.  At a time where they needed the next big breakout star that was street authenticated, Black Rob came along at the right time.  With Life Story, Robert Ross became somebody we needed to keep our eyes on, and the album was a reflection of that.  We toast to Black Rob and Life Story.  Until next time!

Happy 20th Anniversary: Disposable Arts

 What's happening folks! This anniversary salute big ups an album that's considered an underground masterpiece.  The curator of this album is an over thirty year emcee who's been considered among the most influential emcees out in the game.  Always seeking ways to innovate and come up concept to illustrate his points and narratives, this former Juice Crew member delivered an album that highlighted a young man that just got out of prison and realizes how bad his burrough of Brooklyn has become so he enrolls into the fictional School of the Disposable Arts hoping to make a better way of life than what he's been exposed to once he got out.  Highly regarded as arguably the album of his career on a critical level, the artist went from previous efforts such as Take A Look Around, Sittin' On Chrome, and Slaughtahouse, and constructed an EXCELLENT album.  This is a look at Masta Ace and his album, Disposable Arts.

While gaining notoriety for his aforementioned albums, he knew after being out of the game for about six years he needed to reinvent with a whole new focus for an album.  Therefore, he presented Disposable Arts.  Similar to albums such as A Prince Among Thieves or Deltron 3030, this is an album that, although have a solid collection of cuts, the album makes sense listening to it from top to bottom.  From the moment his character is let out of jail, he's reminded of what put him in in the first place with the moody and somber  collab with "Block Episode".  From there, he explains his need to have a better life off the streets to girlfriend Lisa (played by seemingly forgotten about emcee Jane Doe), which leads to one of the more bumping cuts on the effort, the Ayatollah-crafted "Hold U" featuring the legendary Jean Grae.  He later meets up with his awkward yet interesting roommate (played by the infamous MC Paul Barman) in which he verbally walks his roomie through Brooklyn on "Take A Walk".  May we just add, those bars by Barman ranged from cringe-worthy to hilarious during this skit.

Getting adjusted to this new way of life for "Ace" as his roommate Paul (Barman) is very reminiscent of White Mike from The Wayans Bros. Paul helps him out with his classes and gives him the scoop on what to expect from these classes, which leads into one of the most underrated diss cuts you'll ever find in his scathing scorching of forgotten about underground emcee Boogieman and the almost forgotten-about High & The Mighty, "Acknowledge".  Suffice it to say, we heard little to nothing else from either of these acts after this cut was heard.  From there, the narrative wraps up with arguably one of his best cuts in his career, "No Regrets", a reflective look back at his career over a hypnotic beat provided by Domingo.  

Other strong cuts like "Unfriendly Game", "Dear Yvette", and "Dear Diary" help round out a release that highlights how important Masta Ace to hip-hop.  He took a fairly average concept of an ex-con finding his way back into society and wanting to get off the same streets that made him one in the first place, and some very dope hip-hop to it with an assorted cast of characters to help tell his story.  Everyone on this project delivered effectively while not overshadowing Ace and the production for the most part was very suitable to each story being told.  Ace sounded like he had the same hunger from his Juice Crew days and from the rather poignant album cover of him sitting in a driver's seat with no car, it was apparent this album would be the opposite of Sittin' On Chrome in practically every way.

Later releases such as the "prequel" to this one, A Long Hot Summer, the excellent collab effort with the late MF DOOM, MA DOOM: Son Of Yvonne, his quite dope group album with Strick, Punchline and Wordsworth as eMC, The Show, The Falling Season and the knocking AF effort with producer Marco Polo, A Breukelen Story, show that Masta Ace is one of hip-hop's most respected and acclaimed emcees and it's like the fine wine theory, Ace would just get better with age.  With Disposable Arts, this marked a whole new benchmark for the veteran emcee and still stands as his absolute magnum opus.  This goes out to Masta Ace and we lift our proverbial glasses to Disposable Arts. Until next time folks!

Happy 20th Anniversary: The Best Part

 

What's going on folks?! This anniversary salute goes to an emcee that, although gets tons of love within the independent/underground world of hip-hop, most mainstream accessible fans never heard of him.  Although there's a chance you may have if you ever went to a show that he was deejaying at.  This former school teacher delivered a couple of singles and before long the buzz was about this emcee and the amount of writing abilities he had.  Sadly, as the album was finished, label problems continuously plagued this dude with good delivery and an even better pen game.  It wasn't until numerous bootlegs and internet leaks when people took notice and realized they were hearing a pure, unadulterated hip-hop album complete with a tried and true formula: bumping yet consistent production and gifted rhymes and focused rhyme structure.  This album had it, and it had it in spades.  Not a single moment was wasted on this album and made this emcee, once people finally heard it, among those to really keep their eyes and ears on.  Ladies and gentlemen, this is J-Live and his debut album, The Best Part.

After graduating SUNY, he transitioned into school teaching in Brooklyn. Nobody knew at the time that the man born as Jean-Jacques Cadet (later renamed Justice Allah due to his affiliation with the Nation of the Gods & The Earth) was a hip-hop student himself.  Writing and hitting up talent shows while also deejaying, Cadet presented a cut called "Longevity" with a stunning B-side called "Bragging Writes" that got the NY underground scene talking.  Before very long, his debut, The Best Part, was ready to go.  As was mentioned earlier, label problems shelved the album a couple of times and we never thought we would be able to bask in the glory that was this album, especially when the word got out that production monsters such as Preemo, Pete Rock, 88 Keyz, Prince Paul, and the Jigmastas' own DJ Spinna would handle the sounds of the effort.  Originally scheduled to be released in '97, this was not the only album at that time that had been shelved due to numerous label situations as another unforgettable debut experienced the same situation with Large Professor's THE LP was another victim at this time.  Shame it didn't come out when it was supposed to because this would've been a gem among a time when commercialism was still in effect but crunk was starting to become the norm as well.

From the jumpoff, Live sets the tone with a lyrical smorgasbord on "Got What It Takes", then follows on the intriguing "Vampire Hunter", the KNOCKING Preemo-powered title track, and "Wax Paper" that all show his lyrical dexterities over slapping production. On "Yes", he laments "You don't want my fist in your trap, shut your mouth/I heard you got a jones for keeping up with the Joneses/only problem is all your jones is wack".  There's also the next track the standout "Them That's Not", in which the tempo starts slow then increasingly speeds up until the track is at a normal mid-tempo and then slows up like it was at the beginning of the track.  Unique cut with Live definitely riding the track.  Another cold cut is the jazzy and mellow "Timeless", in which he gets reflective while spitting intelligent rhymes and showcasing his ability to teach and learn at the same time.

J-Live has always been one of the unsung heroes in the game and one that doesn't get enough credit for his pure hip-hop aesthetic and him never compromising.  Many wanted him to join the red hot underground movement that was Rawkus Records at the time, and yes folks, he would've fit in VERY comfortably with all that superb talent associated with the label.  Could you imagine him doing a cut with Last Emperor or Black Star at that time? Wow.  This album, with other stellar cuts like "R.A.G.E.", "Play", and "Get The Third", remains an emcee's emcee's album.

After The Best Part, he followed it up with an equally fantastic (in some circles even better) album with All Of The Above in '02 along with others like Then What Happened, the decent The Hear After, S.P.I.T. and other efforts since.  As an entire complete album, there aren't too many that can hold this album out of position of being one of the best pound for pound albums during that time period.  It had consistently dope production, dumb lyrical, good concepts, and a great feeling of just being a lover of good old fashioned hip-hop.  With that, we lift our glasses to J-Live's The Best Part.  Salute to this incredible piece of work.  Until next time y'all!

Happy 20th Anniversary: The Cold Vein

 

What's happening ladies and gents?! This salute goes to an underground album that was widely considered ahead of its time.  Two young emcees from Harlem and Brooklyn got up with underground juggernaut El-P to create a work that provided grim and disturbing views of NYC over some of the most dense yet layered production one could ask for.  What Vast Aire and Vordul Mega provided us was something that must and needs to get talked about more when it comes to stellar and epic efforts within the turn of the century.  Representing the burgeoning Definitive Jux label, they delivered an album that was slightly less about political conspiracies and apocalyptic nightmares and more so about the brooding gunpowder that resided outside their windows in Harlem, but done in such creative and thought-provoking ways.  Ladies and gentlemen, this is Cannibal Ox and their album, The Cold Vein.

At a time where albums from Nas, Jay-Z, Ghostface, Wu-Tang, Beanie Sigel and Busta Rhymes were the talk of New York during this period, there were albums that were criminally overlooked and  deserved to be mentioned in the same class as the efforts from the aforementioned if not more so in a few cases.  Cannibal Ox's The Cold Vein was damn sure one of them.  The label Def Jux was just starting.  With Aesop Rock's critically acclaimed debut Labor Days being released later that year, Def Jux was making a ripple in the underground.  Before he became the sonic force behind arguably the most dangerous duo in hip-hop, Run The Jewels, El Producto was the mastermind boardsmith behind a true underground treasure in '97 with Company Flow's Funcrusher Plus.  Aiming to provide a similar feel, he provided Mega and Aire with some of his grittiest work to this very day.  Take cuts like "Iron Galaxy", "Raspberry Fields",  and "Vein", that all give chills of the vivid imagery of the crime-ridden, poverty laced streets of Harlem and Brooklyn, in a way like you feel you're in the foxhole with them.  

While Mega is definitely a dope emcee and shouldn't be taken lightly whatsoever, it's Vast Aire that's the Prodigy of this Mobb Deep.  Considered one of the most gifted emcees around, his knack for putting unsettling pictures together through words and his rhyme scheme were completely top notch here.  Not a single track did he lack on.  Not a one.  His delivery, lyricism, and mic charisma made him a standout during this time period.  With other cuts like "The F-Word", "A B-Boy's Alpha", the only El-P mic collaboration "Ox Out The Cage", and "Atom", Mega and Aire are a tag team tour de force and continue to display their tremendous talents with a style that immediately puts a screwface on you with production to match.

While it took fourteen years for them to reunite and present their second effort, Blade Of The Ronin (which although didn't touch the classic nature of their debut was a strong effort in its own right), they showed that they still had that tag team chemistry that made a known topic in the underground to begin with.  With The Cold Vein, this has compared to the likes of 36 Chambers for its rawness and grimy nature on wax, but what can't be denied is the impact this album created and how even twenty years later, not only has it aged excellently, but people that slept on it are now realizing the enormous nature of how this album should be considered among the greatest underground hip-hop albums of all time.  We lift our glasses in a salute and a happy anniversary shout to Cannibal Ox and their landmark album, The Cold Vein.  Until next time folks!

Happy 20th Anniversary: Stillmatic

 

What's happening folks!  It's been a long time since we've done this, but what a better time than now right? It's time we give some love to very seminal albums from a very seminal year.  We will start with an album that was not only considered a rejuvenation and a slightly overdue fire put back in this particular legendary emcee, but among his most prized works.  This album showed a return lyrically and focus-wise an emcee heralded for crafting (arguably, although there's not an argument from this particular writer) the most influential and greatest hip-hop album to ever exist, Illmatic.  This album also once and for all put some respect on the name of this emcee that many didn't think he had a lot left after poorly received criticism from his previous effort, Nastradamus, not to mention being humiliated and called out by rival Jay-Z in a VICIOUS effort called "The Takeover".  This all lead to a blistering reminder of who he was in 2001.  Ladies and gentlemen, we salute Stillmatic, the fifth album from god MC, Nas.

We all know the legacy of Illmatic.  How so many in hip-hop have been impacted and influenced from this perfect album.  From lyrical structure to just raw hunger displayed all over the album, this album has been so revered, this made it to the Library of Congress for "significant cultural impact" and rightfully so.  Not to mention, numerous tributes, a documentary on it, and even Michael Eric Dyson wrote an entire book dedicated to the poignancy of Illmatic.  The question was 'How do you follow up something so perfect?"  The answer lied with It Was Written, in which many people state was every bit as great, or better, than Illmatic in terms of sequencing, even better lyricism, and a conceptual masterwork as his storytelling was on full display pretty much throughout the album.  This also put him into hip-hop's mainstream appeal, as was evidenced by the first single, the massively successful collab wit the "it" girl at the time, Lauryn Hill, "If I Ruled The Word", which led to three million copies sold of IWW.  Nas was officially here.  He had arrived.

Attempting to silence critics of his claiming he had went too pop and didn't have his hard edge anymore (these same people must not have heard cuts like "Live Nigga Rap", Take It In Blood", "The Message", and "Silent Murda"), he delivered his third album, I Am, which was received with overall positive receptions with strong cuts like "NY State Of Mind Pt. 2", "Favor For A Favor", and the crazy first single "Nas Is Like", but was still venturing into pop/radio territory with cuts like the hot yet controversial second "Hate Me Now" and the unnecessary "Dr. Knockboots" so it wasn't flawless, but still considered his most underappreciated.  Of course, I Am was plagued with rampant bootlegging, as the original concept was a double album called I Am...The Autobiography.  If you go and google the actual tracklist for this effort, especially the cuts that we would later hear throughout various other projects and mixtapes, this would've been the greatest double album of all time without question.  A few of those cuts made it onto his follow-up, Nastradamus, a good yet overall underwhelming effort, especially from the curator of the most lyrically amazing hip-hop album likely ever in hip-hop history.  Things were about to turn around in dramatic fashion.

In 2001, Jay-Z presented the aforementioned "Takeover", a brutal diss at Nas and Nas homie and fellow QB artist, the late Prodigy of Mobb Deep.  After some reported back and forth subliminal disses between the two for supposedly a couple of years before this even all blew up in the open, "Takeover" could've been the dagger to Nas' career.  Instead, this was the fire Nas needed, and in came his FEROCIOUS yet supposedly factual diss "Ether", in which he went after Jay and members of Jay's Roc-A-Fella crew.  This set the stage for his much anticipated Stillmatic, a title that likely implied he was back to his Nasty Nas days for this album, and quite honestly, if Illmatic had come out in 2001 instead of April of '94, it quite likely could've sounded like this or similar...more like similar.  Once we get past "Ether", we get into the first commercial single of the album, "Got Urself A Gun".  From there, it's one of the best rides Nas had ever been on.  He reunited with Illmatic producers Large Professor, L.E.S., and DJ Premier on the cuts "You're Da Man", "The Flyest" w/ several time collaborator AZ, "Every Ghetto", and "2nd Childhood" respectively for a few of the true highlights on the album.  He dips into his creativity on a few cuts too.  Take the cut "Rewind" for example.  Nasir Jones literally told a story of a woman that set him up told from the end to the beginning, even so much as rapping the dialogue in reverse as well.  Also, powerful moments such as the politically conscious reworking of Tears For Fears' most heralded cut "Everybody Wants To Rule To World", "Rule", the exceptional third single "One Mic", "What Goes Around", and the noteworthy "Destroy & Rebuild", in which he lets off on enemies such as former Firm affiliate Nature, former close friend, the aforementioned Prodigy, and friend turned very bitter rival, Cormega.  

This album needed to album, as Nas was somewhat at a crossroads.  With the lukewarm reception to his albums of I Am and Nastradamus, along with Jay coming at him in such a public, vicious way, Nasir had to make us all remember the man many compared to a younger Rakim, and for a reason. This was a message to those that thought Jay's dissing and the criticisms were gonna define him.  Nas' pen game was as sharp as ever, as was his beat selection and his ability to tap into those unique abilities that ended up making him into the legend he is now.  Was it one hundred percent perfect? I wouldn't say that BUT this was easily his best effort since at least It Was Written and while Nasty Nas was a kid in the hood with the grown man's mind, this Nas was a full grown man with deepened ambitions to be among the true GOATs.  This album brought him that much closer to that title.

With a discography that has ranged from decent to near classic with albums such as Hip-Hop Is Dead, God's Son, Street's Disciple, Life Is Good, his Lost Tapes compilations plus the Grammy Award winning King's Disease (his first by the way), Nas has more than proven his legendary, OG status within hip-hop, however it was Stillmatic that made people finally look at him and officially bring him into the conversation.  With four million sold from this album plus his most acclaimed effort since IWW, the once chip-toothed Queensbridge prodigy became a full blown great by the end of Stillmatic if anyone was unsure before.  Here's a lifted glass to the greatness that is Stillmatic.  Until next time folks!

Top 15 Best Albums of 2021...So Far

 

What's going on cats and kittens.  This year has been quite a good year for hip-hop as a whole thus far.  Absolutely stellar albums from the likes of Skyzoo, RJ Payne, Mumu Fresh, and those Griselda boys have made for definitely great listens.  Being that this is the second year of the new decade, it's already starting off quite nice.  As we are halfway through the year, as we anticipate even more and better projects to come, let's give props to those albums that have had our streaming services on fire.  Let's go shall we...

15. Navy Blue

Navy's Reprise

Production: artist, Playa Haze, Like, Malik Abdul-Rahmaan, others

We start off with Cali native Navy Blue, who is a childhood friend and frequent collaborator of Earl Sweatshirt, Navy Blue.  The former professional skateboarder-turned emcee has been steadily garnering a cult following since his previous efforts such as Gangway For Navy, Ada Irin, and especially the incredible, yet moody, Song Of Sage: Post Panic.  His appearances on albums from the likes of the aforementioned Earl, Mach Hommy, and Preservation also got his name up for the anticipation of his latest effort, Navy's Reprise.  Filled with introspective lyrics and poignant production, Navy's momentum into more known notoriety is building.  It won't be too much longer before Navy becomes as much a household name as his childhood friend.

14. Beneficence & Confidence

Stellar Mind

Production: Confidence

Jersey City representative Beneficence collaborated with Boston boardsmith, Confidence, to bring us Stellar Mind, a back to basics approach album of great lyricism meeting equally great production.  Confidence had been most known within the underground for his collaborative effort with Brooklyn underground emcee Rashad and their critically heralded album, The Element Of Surprise.  Much like the aforementioned album, Stellar Mind is a back-to-basics approach with beats and rhymes and no gimmicks.  There's something about simplicity in hip-hop that's very unappreciated, but once you run across it, it all feels so good, and this album exemplifies that wonderful simplicity that's occasionally needed with no bells and whistles.

13. Khrysis

The Hour Of Khrysis

Production: artist

Jersey-born, Durham-bred producer Khrysis has been putting it down under the guidance and tutelage of Grammy Award-winning producer 9th Wonder for nearly twenty years.  Contributing to stellar albums from the likes of Little Brother, Masta Ace, Rapsody, and the late, great Sean Price over the years, little people realized dude could also spit.  Dabbling here and there with the mic, especially while with his partner in crime of The Away Team, Sean Boog, it was high time for Chris Tyson to finally get his own shine, and he definitely delivered.  His debut album, The Hour Of Khrysis, is mostly a testament to his fantastic boom-bap approach to hip-hop with collaborations and features from the likes of Ruben Vincent, Evidence, and Mumu Fresh to legends such as Busta Rhymes, Pharoahe Monch, and De La Soul. Plus we were blessed with an Away Team reunion.  This Grammy nominated recording engineer has been bubbling for over two decades, now Khrysis is finally exploding with his own searing lava.

12. Evidence

The Unlearning Vol. 1

Production: artist, The Alchemist, Daringer, Sebb, Khrysis, Animoss, Nottz, others

Former Dilated Peoples emcee, Evidence, has long been an acclaimed artist/producer/emcee for over two decades now.  Aside from his stuff with Dilated, as a stand alone emcee, he's among the most acclaimed and in-demand from the west.  His debut album, The Weatherman LP, set the bar for his solo discography, and his follow-ups of Cats & Dogs and especially the knocking Weather Or Not were every bit as personal and blistering as his debut.  He returned with his fourth full-length, The Unlearning Vol. 1, and it's basically more of the same from Ev, which isn't a bad thing at all.  Known for his exposing his heart and soul at times on wax, he continues this off and on here, but also does so over fantastic boardwork from the likes of Griselda in-house monster Daringer, Khrysis, Animoss and his Step Brother partner, The Alchemist.  Guests include Conway, Boldy James, and Navy Blue to accompany him on this journey, but as a whole Evidence does another exemplary job of bringing us into his world on his own and shows again why he's such an acclaimed artist.

11. Czarface & MF DOOM

Super What???

Production: 7L

The hip-hop world was rocked and saddened when we all heard of the death of underground legend, MF DOOM before the end of 2020.  The legacy the metal-faced villain left behind is one of reverence and distinction.  Before he left this earth, he got back up with the trio of 7L, Esoteric, and Inspectah Deck of Czarface to provide a follow-up of their first collab album, Czarface Meets Metal Face with Super What???, an album that was supposed to be released in 2020 but got delayed due to the pandemic.  While Deck and Esoteric definitely brought the verbal goods on the "Czar" side, the album was clearly highlighted by the verbal greatness of the late metal-faced villain, who reminds us of how superbly gifted he was as an emcee and a talent as a whole.  While we still mourn this great loss, we take comfort in hearing him one more time on an album that would unquestionably make DOOM proud of how it turned out.

10. Your Old Droog

TIME

Production: 88 Keyz, Quelle Chris, Mono En Stereo, Edan, Budgie, others

Brooklyn emcee, Your Old Droog, has been among the most intriguing yet tremendously talented emcees for almost a decade now.  This Ukrainan-born emcee, who at one time was very highly compared to Nas verbally, has put out consistent efforts since 2014 with his very promising self titled debut.  Since then, efforts such as Packs, It Wasn't Even Close, Transportation, Jewelry, and his projects with Tha God Fahim, The Wolf On Wall Street and The YOD Fahim, have been knocking us upside our heads, and for the most part, he's definitely delivered.  He scores again with TIME, a more introspective album from him then we've heard from him compared to the rest of his efforts.  With excellent production and even a posthumous verse from the late aforementioned MF DOOM on the standout, "Dropout Boogie".  With this being his fourth project within a six month period, Droog isn't slowing down any, and with this album that clearly demonstrates the valued importance of time and moments, YOD continues to take advantage of his own time in the game and one should suspect that YOD will continues to be among the most hard working emcees around.

9. RJ Payne

Leatherface 3: There Will Be Blood

Production: Havoc, Stu Bangas, Nicholas Craven, Vanderslice, Cartune Beatz, PA Dre, others

Philly emcee RJ Payne is a journeyman.  While many would recognize him as the winner of the MTV Battle Rap tournament as Reign Man, this battle rap legend is also an established underground artist.  Drawing acclaim from the likes of Griselda, Black Thought, Pete Rock, and the late Keven Liles, Payne eventually decided to be an indie artist and starting being quite the prolific emcee, delivering over twenty projects and has been building a fanbase with each effort and/or guest spot.  With his latest, Leatherface 3: There Will Be Blood, he presents us with his most mainstream release to date, with appearances from the likes of Redman, Apathy, and Ras Kass.  Folks, Payne is a complete verbal assassin here, and over brooding and chilling production over at least the majority of the album, Payne's momentum continues to grow and eventually it won't be long before he becomes a legit household name.  Now is the time to stop sleeping on RJ Payne.  Don't say we didn't warn you.

8. J. Cole

The Off-Season

Production: artist, Timbaland, Jake One, Boi-1nda, Frank Dukes, T-Minus DJ Dahi, others

Grammy award winning Fayetteville emcee J. Cole is back on his bullshit.  While he's been dropping off critical darlings for over a decade since his Friday Night Lights mixtape days with efforts such as Cole World, 2014 Forest Hills Drive, 4 Your Eyez Only, and his most recent K.O.D. , people and fans have been eagerly awaiting the return of mixtape Cole, and we definitely got it.  His latest effort, The Off-Season, is filled with braggadocio reminders of his impact in the game and his influence in culture.  Armed with what seems like a renewed chip on his shoulder, we haven't heard Cole this hungry in many years.  Finally softening his approach to no guests appearances and not a ton of guest producers, he collabs with the likes of fellow Fayetteville native, Morray, 21 Savage, Lil' Baby, and 6LACK while having the likes of Timbaland, Frank Dukes, and Boi-1nda assist him on the boards to much success.  One might expect another Grammy nod for Jermaine Cole with this one.

7. MuMu Fresh

Vintage Babies II: Queen Of Culture

Production: DJ Dummy

Dazzling Philly emcee/singer/poet Maimouna Youssef is special.  While she isn't quite the household name as of yet, that will change and one would suggest fairly quickly.  Having done work with the likes of The Roots and Common among others, the artist known as Mumu Fresh is among the brightest starts currently in urban music.  Previous efforts such as Black Magic Woman, The Blooming, and Vintage Babies put her on a lot of people's radar, along with her NPR Tiny Desk performances, both solo and with August Greene.  Now in 2021, she presents Vintage Babies 2: Queen Of Culture.  This sista presents a collection of empowering, culturally invigorating cuts that, much like epics such as The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill or Georgia Anne Maldrow's A Thoughtiverse Unmarred delves both into singing and rapping almost equally, and each song, no matter which one she's doing, is one for the heartstrings, or at least one to make your bob your, snap your neck, and appreciate the artistry that exudes from this woman. Should this album be mentioned among the timeless efforts such as the aforementioned Miseducation or the likes of Baduizm or Laila's Wisdom, it's very, very possible.  Do yourself a favor and visit this truly delightful album from one of the game's most rapidly intriguing artists out here.

6. Conway The Machine

La Macquina

Production: Daringer, JR Swiftz, Murda Beatz, The Alchemist, Bangladesh, Don Cannon, others

It wouldn't be a good hip-hop year if the momentum wasn't starting with that Griselda gang.  After starting the year off with the soundtrack for Conflicted, The almighty Machine returned for his latest effort, La Maquina (Spanish for 'machine' for those that weren't aware).  Since his very successful full-length album, From King To God, Conway has been gaining more and more momentum as a star on the rise.  A big part of that involves his wanting to spit over different types of production and not be one dimensional.  We clearly hear this on this release, as he ventures more over trap-styled production than ever before on cuts like "KD", "630 Tip-Off", and "Clarity" and sounds pretty damn good over them.  However, he gets back to the grit and the grime with cuts like the brutal opening cut, "Bruiser Brody" and "S.E. Gang" with his Griselda brethren of Westside and Benny.  In order to truly be considered among the greats in the game, one must venture outside of their comfort zone and be able to handle the various sounds and production as well as his or her rhyme schemed.  Conway continues to do that and then some.  While we wait with holding breath for his Shady Records debut, God Makes No Mistakes, he has delivered a crazy release to whet that appetite.

5. Lloyd Banks

Course Of The Inevitable

Production: Cartune Beatz, Chase N. Cashe, The Olympickz, Illatracks, Mr. Authentic, others

In the early to mid 00s, one of the most heralded emcees throughout the period was Queens emcee and former G-Unit soldier, Lloyd Banks.  Seen as the definite lyrical star of the crew, Banks' debut solo effort, The Hunger For More was a platinum-plus album that showed how much of a star he could become.  Follow ups such as Rotten Apple and 2010's The Hunger For More 2, although weren't a potent as his debut, still highlighted his ability to be the self-professed "Punch Line King".  Since then, he's fallen out of G-Unit, but his "hunger" never really ended as he has delivered pretty dope mixtapes such as his All Or Nothing series, The Gift, and his Halloween Havoc series. With his latest release, Course Of The Inevitable, this marks his first full-length release since 2010 and his first effort overall since 2016, Lloyd sounds like he hasn't lost a single step.  Over bumping production from up-and-comers such as Cartune Beatz, The Olympicks, and Mr. Authentic, Banks maintains his tough guy talk but makes it sounds excellently skilled and vivid.  While his G-Unit days may be far behind him, his own star power is about to shine very brightly once again with this dynamite album.

4. DJ Muggs & Flee Lord

Ramellzee

Production: DJ Muggs

If there's been anybody more prolific of a producer over the past one to two years especially than DJ Muggs, I'd love for you to show me. The legendary Cypress Hill DJ/Producer has quite frankly been in his bag doing albums with the likes of Roc Marci, Mach Hommy, Fahim, Eto, and Rome Streetz (another tremendous 2021 offering BTW).  However, with all due respect to each of the albums associated with these collaborations, the marriage between Muggs and another prolific artist himself, Far Rockaway, Queens emcee Flee Lord for their joint album, Ramellzee (named after fellow Far Rock native and true hip-hop pioneer of the same name). Over classic Muggs brooding and sinister production, Flee shows out over each and every track.  The former Prodigy protégé has been among the most in-demand emcees in hip-hop, and with albums like this, not only will Muggs continue his already revered legacy, but Flee will continue to elevate his burgeoning stardom.

3. Mach Hommy

Pray For Haiti

Production: Nicholas Craven, Conductor Williams, Camouflage Monk, DJ Green Lantern, Tha God Fahim, Sahdu Gold, others

Elusive and enigmatic NYC emcee, Mach Hommy, has been on the radar of everyone from Earl Sweatshirt to Jay-Z over the past several years.  At one time, he was affiliated with Griselda during the early days of the label/crew.  However a falling out took him out of Griselda and had him alongside Fahim, Camouflage Monk, and eventually Your Old Droog.  Efforts such as his much revered Griselda-affiliated effort, H.B.O., The G.A.T., his efforts with Fahim, and his most recent efforts of Mach's Hard Lemonade (which attracted the attention of Jay-Z BTW), Bulletproof Luh, and Wop Kon Joj! have made Hommy acquire quite the cult following and for very good reason.  Early in 2021, Hommy, Fahim, and Westside Gunn seemingly squashed any beef and it was announced that Mach would deliver an album curated by Gunn under Griselda.  That album would be Pray For Haiti, which quite frankly is his overall best project since H.B.O. on practically every level.  Lyrically, this has to be ranked possibly the best album so far this year alone.  Furthermore, over some of the best production you'll hear all year, Hommy provides street insight, vivid storytelling, and also the ability to go back and forth between English and his Haitian Creole native tongue.  With him back on the Griselda machine, Hommy is about to hit new heights and with albums like this, it won't take very long

2. Armand Hammer & The Alchemist

HARAM

Production: The Alchemist

Underground NYC emcees Elucid and billy woods already had been achieving critical acclaim with their individual projects, but once they got together as Armand Hammer, their quest to be underground tag team champions was in sight.  With their efforts of Half Measures, Race Music, Rome and Paraffin bringing them more and more acclaim and a building cult following, Armand Hammer was starting to be a commodity amongst hip-hop circles.  However, things hit a new level this year when they collaborated with one of the most consistent and prolific producers of the past two decades, The Alchemist for the album HARAM.  If the announcement of a collab of Armand Hammer and Alchemist wasn't enough anticipation, the album cover gave them even more buzz, albeit with controversy with the image of two severed pigs heads on the cover.  From the moment the first track hits, you know you're in for a ride, and what a ride it is.  Alchemist put together a collection of tracks perfectly complimentary to the style of Armand Hammer.  Although slightly more accessible than their previous efforts, it still sounded like something Elucid and woods would perfect and they did.  Folks, this album not only ranks among Alchemist's best work in years, but Armand Hammer, and their topics of black consciousness, as well as politically charged rhymes and occasional psychedelic trips, shine extremely bright here.  This is a masterwork of two incredible emcees and one brilliant, legendary producer that will be mentioned among the greatest underground efforts of the past several years.

1. Skyzoo

All The Brilliant Things

Production: Marc Nfinite, JR Swiftz, Kenny Keys, King Thelonius, J57, STLN Drums, others

Brooklyn bred emcee Skyzoo never fails to deliver stellar music.  Considered to have among the most consistent and overall best discographies in all of hip-hop, Skyzoo is a prized possession within the game.  His potent yet laid-back rhyme style mixed with his penchant for jazzy boom-bap hip-hop makes him quite the in demand artist.  Efforts such as The Salvation, Cloud 9, Music For My Friends, Peddler Themes EP, Live From The Tape Deck, and the most recent In Celebration Of Us are all heralded albums with personal themes that all exemplify his love of stuff such as black consciousness, his youth, his love of jazz and hip-hop, and being a father.  In 2020, he dropped two excellent projects in his jazz-rap album, The Bluest Note with jazz band Dumbo Station, and the Father's Day released EP, Milestones, which was a fatherly themed concept album based off Laurence Fishburne's character from Boyz N The Hood.  Now he has returned in 2021 with perhaps his best album to date, All The Brilliant Things, another themed album based around Brooklyn gentrification and the ideals of the subject.  With another mixture of jazz and boom-bap hip-hop Sky takes us down his borough with images of inner city struggles while also celebrating personal accomplishments and celebrations of his life and community.  Skyzoo delivered yet another monster album and should be finally mentioned among the true great emcees, as his consistency has truly established him as one throughout the past decade.

Honorable Mentions

Smootvth & Giallo Point- Amongst Wolves

Benny The Butcher & Harry Fraud- The Plugs I Met 2

Various Artists- Griselda Presents Conflicted OST

Conway The Machine & Big Ghost LTD- If It Breathes, It Bleeds

DJ Muggs & Rome Streetz- Death & The Magician

DJ Muggs & Yelawolf- Mile Zero

The Alchemist- This Thing Of Ours EP

Tyler The Creator- Call Me If You Get Lost

Your Old Droog & Tha God Fahim- Tha YOD Fahim

Your Old Droog & Tha God Fahim- Tha Wolf Of Wall Street

Hus Kingpin- Portishus

Awon & Phoniks- Nothing Less

L'Orange & Nahmir Blade- Invisible Everything

Mach Hommy- Bulletproof Luh

4 HRSMN- The Last Ride

Apathy- Where The River Meets The Sea

Ransom- Se7en

Mello Music Group- Bushido

As we go forward with the year, we still have rumored anticipated albums from the likes of Kendrick Lamar, Ab-Soul, Rick Ross, Pusha T, Noname, Stove God Cook$, Joey Bada$$, Roc Marciano, Flee Lord, the mighty legendary Dr. Dre, and numerous Griselda efforts, 2021 looks to be among the hottest years of hip-hop this century.  Last year in 2020, hip-hop had a great year, however this looks to possibly be even better.  Stay tuned folks. Until next time!

Griselda Records: From NY's Best Kept Secret To The Most In-Demand Label in Hip-Hop

 What's happening folks! It's been a pretty long time since we've connected but this piece may (hopefully) be well worth the wait.  In this piece, we will examine a label that has become arguably the most looked upon label in the game.  Who's stars aren't many, in fact only a few, but the few that are there have brought eyes back to that nineties dark, grimy New York hip-hop.  Back in the nineties, gritty, brooding hip-hop from the likes of Mobb Deep, Wu-Tang, and others was the primary sound, along with tales of drugs, murder, revenge, and hustling.  This crew of emcees is exactly what fans of that type of hip-hop have been yearning for for years, and are emerging from the underground and becoming a tour de force in hip-hop.  

Introducing Griselda: a label and crew hailing from Buffalo, NY. Previously not really known for their hip-hop scene on a major level, Buffalo started to bubble with this crew of hardcore, gritty emcees that was looking for their city to be the next in demand city of hip-hop talent.  The crew consisting of founder Westside Gunn, his brother Conway The Machine and their cousin Benny The Butcher were the foundation members of the label (along with fallen emcee/Benny's brother Machine Gun Black and their late mentor DJ Shay), which was originally a clothing company (Griselda by Fashion Rebels).  They ended up bringing in fellow Buffalo emcee Elcamino, along with extended family members Tha God Fahim, Mach Hommy, and producer Camouflage Monk.  In 2012, the label became official and the first tape from the crew/label was Gunn's Hitler Wears Hermes mixtape (although his first ever mixtape was 2003's Flyest Nigga In Charge, which was re-released for streaming in 2020).  Filled with haunting soundscapes primarily from in-house Daringer, this was a local bubble point, but then came Conway's Phyzikal Therapy, which came just after his near fatal shooting that ultimately altered his life and career.  From there came Benny's 1 On A One (although his Tana Talk and Tana Talk 2 tapes were heralded pre-Griselda) and Mach Hommy's H.B.O. (Haitian Body Odor) were gaining acclaim.  

Fast forwarding a little bit, this grinding, burgeoning label is gaining more and more steam slowly but steadily, but they still needed that one album to really make them known on a national level outside of Buffalo.  Enter, FLYGOD, Westside Gunn's first full-length album.  The album was signature WSG and Griselda, filled with a nineties, NY feel with sinister production by the aforementioned Daringer, Camouflage Monk, Apollo Brown, Statik Selektah, Fahim, and the legendary Alchemist containing brutal rhymes about the streets, hustling, and being...well...fly.  Considered an underground classic, it was the sonic boom Griselda needed to start being on people's radar on a somewhat mainstream level in spite of radio single.  The successes of his Hitler Wears Hermes tapes was the spawn of this tremendous release, along with the equally acclaimed Conway tape, Reject 2, a successor to his grimy as fuck, The Devil's Reject mixtape.  Add to this, Benny, Conway and Gunn were doing more features and more people started to speak the name Griselda.  

Efforts such as the continuing Hitler Wears Hermes series, Butcher On Steroids, Reject On Steroids, The Blakk Tape, and many others kept the bubble they were already developing hotter than fish grease.  Gunn kept his full-length effort momentum going with the CRAZY Supreme Blientele.  However, Benny was gaining traction more and more, especially based upon his Butcher On Steroids tape with Green Lantern.  Thus came his official full length debut, Tana Talk 3, which many critics referred to as the new Reasonable Doubt, a huge comparison as RD is widely considered one of the greatest hip-hop albums ever created.  Not to mention Conway's blazing efforts such as the aforementioned Blakk Tape, G.O.A.T., his Everybody Is F.O.O.D. mixtape series and Look What I Became kept putting this crew among the most noticed "newcomers" in rap.  

The attention they were getting attracted the eyes of Eminem, who signed Gunn and Conway to Shady Records, while Benny was focused on his Black Soprano Family squad and remaining independent through Griselda.  Also, the almighty Jay-Z became a fan and signed them to a management deal through Roc Nation.  It became clear these Buffalo boys were on the radar.  The first release of the Griselda/Shady Records relationship was the Gunn/Benny/Conway release of WWCD (What Would Chinegun Do), named after Benny's fallen brother, who was also best friends with Gunn and Conway.  With no samples and all original yet dark and gritty production, once again handled by Daringer and cohort Beat Butcha, the Griselda train was on a whole roll.  There was no denying Griselda now.  Acclaimed project after acclaimed project.  However to those that thought that because they "made it" that they would stop or slow down, how foolish of a thought.  They closed out 2019 with WWCD, but come 2020, in came highly acclaimed efforts such as Conway's breakout album, From King To God, Gunn's FLYGOD Is An Awesome God 2 and his breakout album, the immensely popular, Pray For Paris, and especially his Shady solo debut, Who Made The Sunshine, and Benny's stellar collab with west coast Grammy award-winning producer Hit-Boy, Burden Of Proof to keep their collective foot on haters necks.  

They also decided to expand the family, bringing in Detroit's Boldy James and Buffalo-bred Armani Ceaser to expose them to more mainstream appeal.  Boldy was previously known for his work with Alchemist with albums such as Boldface and especially the much heralded Price Of Tea In China.  His official Griselda debut was the Jay Versace-produced, The Versace Tape.  As for Armani, the NC transplant had grown up with the Griselda members and was quietly crafting her art to one day be in that limelight, and after a couple of guest spots, she dropped The Liz and it was every bit a Griselda album through and through, even with some down South influence on a couple tracks.  Getting more acknowledgment from their peers was becoming a major deal with more and more heavyweights such as Jay, Kanye, T.I., Rick Ross, Drake bigging up the Griselda movement.  The star appeal was on the come up for this crew/label, and hasn't slowed down yet.

In 2021, so far, the label has dropped Benny's Harry Fraud-produced sequel to his 2018 effort The Plugs I Met with The Plugs I Met 2, the movie and accompanying soundtrack Conflicted, Conway has dropped the sizzling La Maquina, and we are eagerly anticipating WSG's final installment of his Hitler Wears Hermes series.  Speculation has other releases coming from Armani Ceaser, Boldy James, a Conway x Benny project, WWCD2, Mach Hommy's Griselda reunion album, Pray For Haiti, and Conway's Shady debut offering, God Don't Make Mistakes.  This could very well be another triumphant year for the once promising underground label that has now turned into a mainstream hip-hop juggernaut that is at the top of their game in many aspects.  Releasing multiple projects in a year more than most labels deliver in two years, Griselda has officially put Buffalo on the map and is Griselda city. Credited with bringing the raw, grimy, atmospheric music back to New York hip-hop along with the likes of Roc Marciano, many nineties New York purists have rejoiced with this timeless sound they've brought back and much like Black Moon, Nas, Biggie, and Jeru did when the west was dominating and they brought the spotlight back to NY, they've effectively accomplished it as well for this generation. As time has gone along, Conway has expanded to his own label, Drumwork Records, plus Benny is just as deep with his BSF label and projects under the label, however the core is still Griselda so let's not get it fucked up.  With Westside's visionary schemes to keep Griselda as the biggest force in the game (did I mention his obsession with professional wrestling has once again made hip-hop and wrestling an official marriage much like Wale and his pre-Wrestlemania party, Walemania), Conway's chip-on-shoulder attitude and grind and Benny's crossover star appeal, them along with Armani, Boldy, GA representative YN Billy, and Mach Hommy back in the field, Name another label that has the game on lock right now?

Notable Griselda Albums Worth Checking Out Not Mentioned:

Conway The Machine- More Steroids

Westside Gunn- Hitler On Steroids

Conway The Machine & The Alchemist- Lulu

Conway The Machine & Prodigy- Still Hell On Earth

Benny The Butcher- My First Brick

Benny The Butcher & 38 Spesh- Stabbed & Shot

Westside Gunn- FLYGOD Is An Awesome God

Westside Gunn & Conway The Machine- Hall & Nash

GXFR- Don't Get Scared Now

Westside Gunn- There's God & There's FLYGOD...Choose Both

Westside Gunn & The Purist- Roses Are Red...So Is Blood

Westside Gunn, Conway The Machine, & Big Ghost LTD- Griselda Ghost

Benny- 17 Bullets

Elcamino- Elcamino

Elcamino- Don't Touch The Water