Raising Hell (Profile, 1986) by Run-D.M.C.

I wish I was older so that I could have been around when this album came out.  This was the album that legitimized hip-hop in the mainstream.  And the records are timeless, which is not surprising because Rick Rubin produced the album.  Yet, the leaps and bounds that this album took for an entire culture continue to be recognized and grow in appreciation to this day.  The first three cuts on the album are some of the best music hip-hop has to offer and "Walk This Way" is absolutely iconic.  My favorite line on the album, however, is in the title track where they say, " Kings from Queens from Queens come kings/ We're raising Hell like a class when the lunch bell rings."  In Chuck D's book Fight the Power, he identifies Raising Hell as his favorite album.  It's very easy to understand why.

Get In Where You Fit In (Jive, 1993) by Too $hort

Get In Where You Fit In is my favorite Too $hort album.  Some claim that if you've heard one Short Dog song, you've heard them all.  True, but if the music is good I don't care.  Gettin' It (Album Number Ten), his "retirement" album, relied a bit too heavy on funk tracks and Life Is… Too Short [a very close second in my opinion] had a bit better lyrics than beats at some points during the album.  However, Get In Where You Fit In is the perfect blend of both music and rhymes.  The introduction is clever and I love how he name drops his previous material.  Mr. Shaw also killed the Kool & The Gang sample on "Money in the Ghetto" years before Ma$e did the same in a Top 40 hit ["Feel So Good"].  And last, but certainly not least, "Blowjob Betty"-the best dirty record of all-time in my opinion!

The Dynasty: Roc La Familia (Roc-A-Fella, 2000) by Jay-Z

If I'm not mistaken, this album was originally supposed to be a compilation album in order to continue to showcase Roc-A-Fella's roster beyond just Jay-Z.  However, by making it a Jay-Z release, it probably helped it sell at least an additional million copies.  There are a few standout songs- "The Intro", "This Can't Be Life", "Soon You'll Understand", and "Squeeze 1st".  However, the highlight of the album, in my opinion is the production.  It was the first time I became aware of Just Blaze and Kanye stole the show with just his single contribution, "This Can't Be Life."  As far as the actual sound, in retrospect, it was like a blueprint to The Blueprint as far the beats beginning to dabble in the soulful sound that would help shape one of the best albums in hip-hop history less than a year later.

The Lost Tape (n/a, 2012) by 50 Cent

Clearly, 50 has a lot of pressure on him musically to succeed with his new LP later this summer and I think that this tape is a great way to bring him back to the masses and set him up for a successful release.  "Get Busy" and "Murder One" do an excellent job of bringing back the gritty street sound that made the industry fear him over a decade ago, while "I Ain't Gonna Lie" and "Complicated" infuse that gangsta pop approach by putting aggressive/explicit talk over infectious and melodic beats.  50 also stays current by doing a solid remix of 2 Chainz' "Riot" Perhaps, the only fault to this tape is that switching back and forth between so much different (but quality) material make the tape seem a little inconsistent as a whole.  But having so much versatility is the best problem an artist can have.  At the beginning of the aforementioned "Murder One" the G-Unit General says, "Don't you ever forget it n***a, I'm the reason you make a mix-tape sucka!"  Damn straight!  50 doing a mix-tape with DJ Drama is already epic, but the quality of the release is a pleasant reminder as to why those two are two of the best to ever make them.

The Big Picture (Rawkus, 2000) by Big L

"Yo, you know the game plan/C-Town, that's my main man/We never bring luggage, we go shoppin' when the plane lands/Still run with the same clan, used to be a Kane fan/("Mmm, mmm, mm..") Everything I rock is name brand/L'll make ya dame swallow/Your ice don't shine, and your chain hollow/While you front in clubs for hours with the same bottle/Takin' midget sips, I run with the richest clicks/Tap the thickest chicks, plus drop the slickest hits/You know nuttin' about L, so don't doubt L/What's this motherfuckin' rap game without L?/Yo, that's like jewels without ice/That's like china without rice/Or the Holy Bible without Christ/Or the Bulls without Mike/Or crackheads without pipes/The Village without dykes, or hockey games without fights/Don't touch the mic if you unable to spit/Flamboyant is the label I'm with, motherfucker"

- Big L, "The Big Picture (Intro)"

Rock N Roll Jesus (Atlantic, 2007) by Kid Rock

If Kid Rock took the approach of the "Picture" record and made an album out of it, it would be this album.  Rock N Roll Jesus definitely has that crossover to full-fledged southern rock that his previous material didn't.  I remember when this album dropped I was really into it because Mr. Ritchie referenced Northern Michigan and Nashville on the same album- two places which are very near and dear to my heart.  And in addition to that, the music was good too.  My favorite song on the album is "Roll On."  The sentimental tone of the record coupled with Rock's continued maturity made for one of my favorite songs and videos of that year.  It is not often that I prefer singles over deep cuts, but "Roll On" is one of the few exceptions.

Paul's Boutique (Capitol, 1989) by Beastie Boys

I place this album among the best-produced in hip-hop history.  Its 300+ samples will never be able to be duplicated, and its unique artistic approach merits multiple repeat listens.  It was definitely a sign of growth from Licensed to Ill, proving that Beastie Boys aspired to be more than just the mischievous punk rock/rapper guys from "(You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party!)"  From beginning to end, this album is a masterpiece.  R.I.P. MCA.

The Score (Columbia, 1996) by Fugees

It is impossible to not like this album.  As cliche as it sounds, this album has something for everyone.  It has singing, rapping, and outstanding production.  "Killing Me Softly" blew up all over obviously (and rightfully so), but as a result of that song, lots of people got the album.  But the album was not a one-trick pony. "Fu-Gee-La", "Ready or Not", "How Many Mics", and "The Score" are all classics.  I think it's great that Dave Chapelle was able to reunite the Fugees for his Block Party movie, and now I'm just waiting on another album.

Diary of a Mad Band (Uptown, 1993) by Jodeci

This album definitely showed a change in image and approach from their debut.  On their debut, Jodeci was simply romancing women.  On this go round though, they were just trying to get them in to bed.  "Feenin" is a prime example.  And "Cry For You (the album's first single), in my opinion, is the best song on the album.  DOAMB was one of the first albums where people were singing over rap beats, and one of the few albums that ever did it well.  I am a bigger fan of K-Ci and Jojo's "All My Life", but at the time, I think Jodeci's sexually-charged material delivered in a slightly more rugged fashion was a good counter-balance to Boyz II Men, who basically said the same things at time, but in a more pop-friendly way.  In other words, Jodeci talked about having sex and Boyz II Men talked about making love.

The Infamous (Loud, 1995) by Mobb Deep

This is my favorite Mobb Deep album.  No disrespect to Murda Muzik ("The Realest" and the "Quiet Storm" records are great), but The Infamous is incredible.  "Shook Ones Pt. II" is one of the best hip-hop records ever.  The track with Nas and Raekwon is dope ("Eye For an Eye [Your Beef is Mine])" and Q-Tip's contributions only add to Havoc's already stellar board work.  This album is on par with Illmatic, Ready to Die, and Reasonable Doubt; not only are all four albums classic from a musical standpoint, but, culturally, they made sure east coast hip-hop still mattered at a time when Left Coast rap was dominating the entire hip hop scene.

Radioactive (Shady, 2011) by Yelawolf

Aside from the obvious common thread of race among Yelawolf, Eminem, and Kid Rock.  Stylistically, Yelawolf sounds like a combination of Eminem and Kid Rock.  And Yela's well-rounded appreciation of music extends beyond his sound as well.  He has a wide range of influences too.  If you don't believe me, listen to "Radio" where he name-drops Janis Joplin and Bone Thugs N Harmony in the same line.  This very diverse mix of taste translates wonderfully to all of his major-label debut, Radioactive.  There are no two songs that sound alike.  "Made in the U.S.A" sounds like the perfect anthem for the Occupy Wall Street movement, "Growin' Up in the Gutter" sounds just as industrial as anything Trent Reznor would put out, and "Animal" has Yela blacking out with an absolutely amazing flow at the end, and he holds his own on collabos alongside Em, Kid Rock, Killer Mike, and Mystikal ; this album is a modern hip hop classic.  And the reason I have yet to come across anyone else who recognizes this album in that same light is totally beyond me.

Searching for Jerry Garcia (Iron Fist, 2005) by Proof

"I put my soul through the ink/Bless a path with thoughts at my thoughts, before I grow extinct/My back-bone disowned by zone,Why roam? called home/But now on I'm all alone/Just Proof, no shine, no friends, just fans/No wonder my hands, tight where the Internet ends/I take back, most of the flack/The stress smokes, press me close to the crack/Like my pops, the ghost of my past/Thyme and Mudd, Jay Dee and Stuckey/Lately I'm lucky, I don't hate me to touch me/Maybe I'm ugly inside, but smiling to make it/I love y'all dawg, and that's how ever you take it/The fame is an illusion, I'm still losing/In this game, with the rules and../I feel clueless, the streets with the hills blue less/Cops knocking at the door, got me looking real foolish/But I still do this, like I love it, even though I thug it/Keep flossing lights in public, the subject y'all don't know/Stars won't grow, who would dream that scars would show?/Minus the MTV videos with slim/"Up in Smoke" D-12, and many shows with Em/It's still me dawg, no change for change/It's strange, when it pours it rains/I take it back.."

-Proof, "Kurt Kobain"

No Limit Top Dogg (No Limit, 1999) by Snoop Dogg

Mystikal and Snoop were the only two No Limit soldiers whose albums didn't sound they were recorded factory-line style.  Even Da Game is to be Sold Not Told sounded a little unique (i.e. the "Gangsta Gangsta" cover "DP Gangsta").  However, Top Dogg made up for Da Game and then some.  Not only did Snoop reunite with Dre and bring Xzibit to the mainstream with "Bitch Please", but he also crafted stellar songs with Raphael Saddiq ("Somethin' Bout Yo Bidness") and Sticky Fingaz ("Buck 'Em").  And "Don't Tell", a DJ Quik-produced track featuring Mauseberg, Warren G and Nate Dogg, is so good that the music held my attention even more than the visuals of the XXX-rated hip hop themed film that it was featured in.

The Predator (Priority, 1992) by Ice Cube

On the heels of two hip-hop masterpieces, Cube released his third solo album in three years.  The biggest difference between this and his first two solo releases is that the anger is less calculated.  AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted was articulate aggression and Death Certificate was a concept album, however, The Predator is more all-out rage.  it speaks more to Cube's personality on Straight Outta Compton than the maturity he presented on his later work.  Given the Rodney King verdict though, Cube's emotions are justified and passionately presented.  Ironically, "It Was a Good Day", one of the least political records in Cube's career, was the album's biggest hit.  A few years ago in Rolling Stone Chris Rock described Ice Cube as the best rapper from 1990-1994 without peer.  I could not agree more.  Cube is one of the greatest emcees that ever picked up a microphone.

Games Rednecks Play (Warner Bros., 1995) by Jeff Foxworthy

Foxworthy's sophomore album is my favorite release from him.  You Might Be a Redneck If… is a classic too, but he perfected his every-man persona that he introduced on his debut with Games.  His best material is not his straight-forward jokes, but his stories.  "Clampetts Go to Maui"  is hilarious and his projection of southern stereotypes combined with the upcoming Olympics the following year [Atlanta '96] is brilliant.  I've seen quite a few comedians live, and to date, Jeff is the best one that I have seen.  I saw him about three years ago and he performed material from this set and that is a wonderful testament to how well this stuff has held up over the years.

O.G. Original Gangster (Sire, 1991) by Ice-T

When gangsta rap is mentioned, this is one of the first albums that comes to mind and rightfully so.  My favorite thing about it is that it is a well-rounded gangsta rap album.  Lots of them are strictly graphic and profane depictions of violence and sex.  This, however, is much more.  There is Ice's trademark story-telling, insight into shortcomings in America's ghettos, anger, and crass humor.  Ice-T is a very smart individual whose perspective and educated opinions are highly valued by many.  Hip-hop is very lucky to have him and this album because Ice-T did not just reflect the chaos of the streets by yelling and cursing.  He told the truth about its harsh realities in hopes that a change for the better would occur.

Buck the World (G-Unit, 2007) by Young Buck

Young Buck overcame the sophomore jinx better than his boss with Buck the World.  On the production end of things, it has a bit more of a southern sound than his debut.  And, lyric wise, while there is certainly plenty of aggressive content, Buck also offers a bit of introspection as well.  Album highlights include "Buck the World", "Hold On", "4 Kings", and "Puff Puff Pass".  Whereas 50's The Massacre seemed like it was merely an extension of Get Rich or Die Tryin' , Buck the World shows a real growth from 2004's Straight Outta Cashville.  I had the pleasure of meeting Buck a few years ago at an after party for a southern hip-hop event, and he was a real nice guy.  I've followed his work since 2002's Born to Be a Thug and have enjoyed it all for the most part.  However, as of right now,  Buck the World is still the collection of songs Young Buck has yet to top.

8 Mile Soundtrack (Shady, 2002) by various

"Lose Yourself" is a history-making song and one of the most popular records of its time.  The title track is actually one of my favorite Eminem songs and I think 50's "Places to Go" should have been his introductory single instead of "Wanksta".  The other song that I go back to a lot on this album is Gang Starr's "Battle".  A movie about hip-hop in the mid-90s without a DJ Premier beat is blasphemous.  Not surprisingly, the music supervision for this film for material that was actually made in the mid-90s is superb.  And truth be told, as a whole, the soundtrack to 8 Mile can't touch More Music from 8 Mile.  However, 8 Mile and its soundtrack helped establish Eminem as a hip-hop icon at the height of his popularity and continued to showcase his untouchable rap skills as well as his ability to find and develop new talent (50 Cent, Obie Trice).

Breaking Atoms (Wild Pitch, 1991) by Main Source

"Street's disciple, my raps are trifle/I shoot slugs from my brain just like a rifle/Stampede the stage, I leave the microphone split/Play Mr. Tuffy while I'm on some Pretty Tone shit/Verbal assassin, my architect pleases/When I was twelve, I went to hell for snuffin' Jesus/Nasty Nas is a rebel to America/Police murderer, I'm causin' hysteria/My troops roll up with a strange force/I was trapped in a cage and let out by the Main Source/Swimmin' in women like a lifeguard/Put on a bulletproof nigga I strike hard/Kidnap the President's wife without a plan/And hangin' niggas like the Ku Klux Klan/I melt mics till the sound waves over/Before steppin' to me you'd rather step to Jehovah/Slammin MC's on cement/Cause verbally, I'm iller than a AIDS patient/I move swift and uplift/your mind shoot the gift when I riff in rhyme/Rappin' sniper, speakin' real words/My thoughts react, like Steven Spielberg's/Poetry attacks, paragraphs punch hard/My brain is insane, I'm out to lunch God/Science is dropped, my raps are toxic/My voicebox locks and excels like a rocket"

-Nas, "Live at the Barbecue"

Extinction Level Event : The Final World Front (Elektra, 1998) by Busta Rhymes

Busta Rhymes is one of the best emcees ever and this album was released at the height of his popularity.  His rapid-fire flow was, and still is, one of a kind.  Because unlike other fast rappers, he is still understandable and the energy in his delivery is magnificent.  E.L.E.'s lead single, "Gimme Some More", clocks in at only a little over 2 and a half minutes but it is one of my favorite Busta songs.  The other great thing about this album, taken as a whole, is that is a little more upbeat production-wise and serves as a great soundtrack to the end of one millennium and the beginning of another.  The apocalyptic theme is still there, but the tracks and image of the project isn't quite as doom and gloom as Busta's first two solo releases.  Oh, and the music video for the Janet Jackson-assisted "What's It Gonna Be?!" was awesome too.

All Eyez on Me (Death Row, 1996) by 2Pac

The amazing thing about this album is how quickly it was recorded (just over two weeks).  I believe this 2-disc set is a wonderful testament to Pac's amazing work ethic and his ability to rapidly put together quality material.  Although, there is some filler.  From a production perspective, it is some of the best music Pac has ever rhymed over.  Me Against the World was the first time that 2Pac had tracks intense enough to compete with his subject matter, but All Eyez on Me was able to match his attitude at the time as well.  "Ambitionz Az a Ridah", "Can't C Me", and "How Do U Want It" are all incredible.  "2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted" was masterful timing and I think it's great that Snoop still performs that song so many years later (that hologram was cool at Coachella too).  My favorite song, however, is "Life Goes On".  It is, in my opinion, one of Tupac's most emotional songs (props to "Unconditional Love" as well) and one of my all-time favorite records.

Get Rich or Die Tryin' (Shady/Aftermath, 2003) by 50 Cent

This album is a modern day classic.  It benefited from great timing and came out at a time when sing-songy rap (i.e. Ja Rule) was dominating the airwaves.  The drop of the coin for the introduction was a great set-up for "What Up Gangsta".  Not only does that track set the tone for the rest of the album, but it is a song with great energy that smoothly transfers to an amazing live performance.  And "Patiently Waiting" is the best song that 50 has ever done with Eminem.  Other highlights include "Heat" [gun-shot snares = genius] and "Many Men".  Then, last but not least, there is "In Da Club".  At first look, it appears to be a materialistic rhyme that's been heard too many times.  However, after one listen, it becomes clear that it is anything but that.  Dre's masterful production makes for one of the most memorable beats of his career.  And the "Go Shorty, it's your Birthday" ad-lib that 50 put in at the beginning made this a timeless song because everyday is somebody's birthday and they're always going to want to party.

Bow Down (Lench Mob, 1996) by Westside Connection

When Death Row was on the decline, and Bad Boy was on the verge of taking over music, all was not lost on the Left Coast.  Bow Down, the debut album from west coast supergroup Westside Connection, gave listeners a much needed alternative to the pop-friendly sounds of Puff Daddy and the family.  It was the best Cube had sounded since The Predator, and Mack 10 and W.C., of course, delivered with their standard West Coast swagger and attitudes.  Regardless of how the beef started, Westside Connection got Cypress Hill good with "King of the Hill."  The music is obviously banging, but the "World Domination" introduction and "The Pledge" interlude sum up the whole mentality of the album perfectly.  "Bitch, you know the side.  World motherfucking wide!"

Vol.3...Life and Times of S. Carter (Roc-A-Fella, 1999) by Jay-Z

This album was a guaranteed multi-platinum seller, and I think that's great because this album was a little bit harder than Vol. 2.  Therefore, Jay-Z was eventually able to get a mainstream audience with pop-appeal (but still good) songs like "Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)" and "Can I Get A…".  However, once he had them, he he went back to some harder hip-hop on this album with cuts like "So Ghetto" and "Come and Get Me."  Production-wise, Timbaland had already proven himself and then some with Aaliyah and Ginuwine.  Tracks like "Snoopy Track" and "Big Pimpin'" on this album then established he could conquer rap the same way that he did R&B.  It was simply foreshadowing that Vol. 3 was the first number one album of the new millennium because Jay-Z would run rap for the next decade, even with a 3-year break from '03-'06.

Encore (Aftermath, 2004) by Eminem

For as dumb as a lot of this album is (i.e. "Big Weenie", "Just Lose It, "Ass Like That", "Rain Man"), there are still some very solid tracks on Eminem's fourth major-label release.  "Yellow Brick Road" is a screenplay-detailed account of what led up to those controversial freestyle tapes and "Like Toy Soldiers" is his call for a truce with The Source and Murder Inc.  "Mockingbird", a song for his daughter, is one of the best songs of his career.  And the title track with Dr. Dre and 50 Cent, in my opinion, surpasses "Crack a Bottle"- a collaborative song the three hip-hop icons would release five years later to much fanfare.  Despite the album's highlights, Encore failed to live up to the standard Eminem set for himself with his previous releases.  But this album's shortcomings, as well as the ones on 2009's Relapse, made Eminem's 2010 release, Recovery, one of the best revivals hip-hop has ever seen.

Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... (Loud, 1995) by Raekwon

"Yo, first of all son, peep the arson/Many brothers I be sparkin' and bustin mad light inside the dark/Call me dough snatcher, just the brother for the rapture/I handglide, holdin' on strong, hard to capture/Extravagant, RZA bake the track and it's militant/Then I react, like a convict, and start killin' shit/It's manifested, the Gods work like appliances/Dealin' in my cypher I revolve around sciences/The 9th chamber, leave you trapped inside my hallway/You try to flee but you got smoked up by the doorway (blaow! blaow! blaow!)/No question, I send your ass back, right to the essence/Your whole frame is smothered in dirt, now how you restin'/While I'll be trapped by sounds, locked behind loops/Throwin' niggaz off airplanes cause +Cash Rules/Everything Around Me+ black, as you can see/Swallow this murder one verse like God Degree/Then analyze my soundtrack for satisfaction/You adapt like a flashback chain reaction" 

- Ghostface Killah, "Criminology"

Weapons of Self Destruction (Sony, 2010) by Robin Williams

Robin Williams is obviously a funny guy.  And whether he is the genie in Aladdin or as blue as that creature from the magic lamp in his stand-up, he always cracks me up- regardless of the setting.  And in my opinion, that is the true test of all well-rounded comedian.  This album, like his others, is very topical.  Even when played now, just two years later, it sounds dated.  That doesn't mean it's any less funny though.  As a very liberal voice, his commentary on Sarah Palin and the aftermath of the Bush administration is no surprise.  My favorite routines on this album though are the ones about technology (particularly the bit about the GPS),  and how male and female reproductive organs were designed.  The latter, in particular, is one of his best routines ever and can stand alongside his other classics like "Golf" and "Alcohol" from each of his earlier albums.

808s & Heartbreak (Roc-A-Fella, 2008) by Kanye West

Okay, Kanye West can't sing and auto-tune had been played out since Cher put out "Believe" ten years earlier.  However, Kanye is honest and open to a fault and that is why this album is a true piece of art that has and will continue to hold up.  After I heard Kanye's first verse on the album's second cut, "Welcome to Heartbreak," I was in.  Not surprisingly, the album's best-produced tracks find Kanye getting assistance from his mentor and fellow Chicago musical genius No I.D. ("Heartless", "See You in My Nightmares", and "Coldest Winter").  The only thing that I wish this album had that it doesn't is a studio version of "Pinocchio Story".  This album is kind of weird, but really cool at the same time.  In my opinion, Kanye is the only artist in hip-hop who could pull something like 808s & Heartbreak off.  It is a real rarity, especially in the modern marketplace, where art and commerce can combine successfully.  However, this is an example of something that achieved that feat.

Tha Carter IV (Cash Money, 2011) by Lil Wayne

Tha Carter IV has been a long time coming and a lot of the hip-hop community shows their support by delivering guest verses for the project.  Eight of the album’s fifteen tracks have guest appearances.  It is safe to say that Lil Wayne was the first artist to become “The Best Rapper Alive” without an album out (between 2005’s Tha Carter II and 2008’s Tha Carter III), but that was three years ago.  And hip-hop has a very short memory.  Since then, Weezy went to jail, put out two other albums, and signed two of hip-hop’s brightest new stars.  They were all noteworthy activities to keep Wayne in the public eye, but they seem to have taken away from his focus on Tha Carter series- which is exactly what got him there in the first place.  Where Wayne’s unpredictably was once an attribute, it is now a hindrance.  While skimming the surface of IV, it sounds like a natural extension of III.  However, upon closer inspection, Wayne sounds lazy and all the energy he is able to muster sounds forced.  Gone are the days of syrup and ganja, but that doesn’t stop him from trying to relive those times vicariously through his music (“So high, I get star-struck”, “Ashed my blunt in my Grammy Award”).  Not to say that Tha Carter IV doesn’t deliver, it does.  It is just that the highlights of the album rarely feature Wayne.  Other than the solo song “President Carter”, the set’s standout material all comes courtesy of its various features.  The album’s best cut, “Interlude”, doesn’t even feature a verse from Wayne.  Instead, Kansas City’s Tech N9ne and the legendary, also unique (and unexplainably uncredited) Andre 3000 drop show-stopping verses.  I’ll bet that Tech N9ne benefits from Tha Carter IV more than Lil Wayne does.  Lil Wayne always struck me as an artist’s artist.  His wordplay, flow and image never failed to be somewhat abstract.  And Tha Carter IV was supposed to be Wayne’s victory lap.  But it instead hints that his reign may be over…for now.  Considering it took him five solo albums in six years to hit his stride while remaining relevant through the height of Roc-A-Fella Records, Eminem and 50 Cent, Nelly, and, most notably, the tension at his own Cash Money Records, I’ll be the last one to ever count him out for good.

Devil Without a Cause (Atlantic, 1998) by Kid Rock

Kid Rock is a very well-rounded artist.  He, in many people's opinion, isn't the best rapper, rocker, or country artist.  However, he masterfully combines a variety of styles.  I honestly don't even look at it that way.  I think the culmination of his wide range of influences makes for a sound all his own.  He is the only performer that I can think of who can rock with Hank Williams Jr., Twisted Brown Trucker, and Too $hort.  And best of all, he is sincere in all three of those genres.  Rock N Roll Jesus was great.  Born Free was outstanding.  But this was the one that did it for me.  "Only God Knows Why", "Fuck Off", "Wasting Time", and "Cowboy"-those are my personal favorites.  However, I can honestly play the whole album, Devil Without a Cause, from beginning to end without skipping a single track.

Hard to Earn (Chrysalis, 1994) by Gang Starr

There is nothing I can say about Gang Starr that has not already been said.  Premier is one of the best producers of all-time and Guru's (R.I.P.) way of sounding like he's talking to you when he raps is truly unique.  Gang Starr is legendary.  But Hard to Earn means a lot to me though-beyond  just  the music.  When I first learned to rap (I never got very good at all), it was Hard to Earn that I was lent and instructed to study- as far as keeping rhythm and counting bars.  Yet my shortcoming on the microphone turned out to be a blessing in disguise because I ended up digging Gang Starr so much that the producer I was working with saw my enthusiasm and still gave me encouragement to still be a part of hip-hop, even if I wasn't a rapper.  I couldn't rap or produce like Guru and Premo, but I could sure explain why they were awesome.  In a round-about way, Gang Starr's Hard to Earn was the first time that anyone ever took me and rap seriously and I am forever grateful for that.  It really helped build my confidence as a human being.  And as a generally shy person, that meant the world to me!