1st Born Second (Interscope, 2001) by Bilal

I like this album a lot.  It is a very good mix of Hip-Hop and R&B.  It's cool because it isn't just singing over rap beats either.  The sound is like a modern-day Sly & the Family Stone.  Contributions from Hip-Hop heavyweights make the project that much sweeter too.  Jadakiss, Dr. Dre, Common, and Mos Def all shine with their respective roles in assisting Bilal with his memorable debut release.  By far, "Fast Lane" is the best track in my opinion.

Kiss of Death (Ruff Ryders, 2004) by Jadakiss

"Uh, yea, yo/Why Halle have to let a white man pop her to get a Oscar/Why Denzel have to be crooked before he took it/Why they didn't make the CL6 wit a clutch/And if you don't smoke why the hell you reachin' for my dutch/Why rap, cause I need air time/Why be on the curb wit a “Why lie, I need a beer” sign/Why all the young niggaz is dyin'/Cause they moms at work, they pops is gone, they livin' wit iron/Why they ain't give us a cure for aids/Why my diesel have fiends in the spot on the floor for days/Why you screamin' like it's slug, it's only the hawk/Why my buzz in L.A. ain't like it is in New York/Why you forcin' you to be hard/Why ain't you a thug by choice/Why the whole world love my voice/Why try to tell 'em that it's the flow son/And you know why they made the new twenties/Cause I got all my old ones/That's why"

                                                                                      -Jadakiss, "Why"