Whitey Ford Sings the Blues (Tommy Boy, 1998) by Everlast

The fusion of rap and rock works a fair amount of the time, but the combination of the two very often sounds deliberate.  However, in the case of this album, it sounds very organic and that makes for a very enjoyable listen.  Not only does Everlast rap like he did with House of Pain, but he also infuses rock and a touch of folk and blues.  "Ends", "Hot to Death", and "What It's Like" are all outstanding.  Considering his heart condition and the surgery that followed while making this album, it's a very personal recording.  Without question, it is Everlast's best work to date.

Born Suspect (DreamWorks, 1991) by Chris Rock

Chris Rock's first album, released a few years prior to his breakthrough LP Roll With the New, is an album that shows a lot of potential.  The jokes aren't quite as polished, but signs of the intelligent comedian that would soon emerge are certainly there.  On race: "Being white is like always having five dollars in your pocket and being black is like always being 50 cents short."  On minimum wage: "That's just a way of saying, 'I'd pay you less if I could.'  And with taxes, that's like kicking Tuesday and Wednesday in the ass."

When Disaster Strikes (Elektra, 1997) by Busta Rhymes

This whole album is incredible and the videos for "Dangerous" and "Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Can See" are both masterpieces.  My fondest memory about this album is that I remember being a pre-teen when the album came out and because of the "Parental Advisory" sticker my mom wouldn't let me buy it.  However, I had a cousin who had the album and one time she came over to babysit me and younger sister.  She just happen to have that CD on her and so I took it up to my room and taped "Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Could See" on a tape (not a CD, a tape).  I listened to the tape so much that I broke the cassette.  It is one of the first rap songs that I learned by heart.  And to this day, Busta Rhymes is still one of my favorite emcees.

    

Waitin' to Inhale (Rap-A-Lot, 2007) by Devin the Dude

"We work nights, we some vampires/Niggas gather round the beat like a campfire/Singin' folk songs, but not no Kumbaya my Lord/You download it for free, we get charged back for it/I know you're saying, they won't know they won't miss it/Besides, I ain't a thief, they won't pay me a visit/So if I come to your job, take your corn on the cob/And take a couple kernels off it that would be alright with you/Hell no! Yeah, exactamundo/But we just keep recording and it ain't to get no condo/And Candy Bentley fanny with no panties in Miami/And that cute lil' chick named Tammy that you took to the Grammys/See we do it for that boi that graduated/ That looked you in your eyes real tough and said 'preciate it/And that he wouldn'ta made it if it wasn't for your CD number 9/And he's standing with his baby momma Kiki and she cryin' talkin' bout/That they used to get high to me in high school/And they used to make love to me in college/Then they told me 'bout they first date, listenin' to my tunes/And how he, like to finger nail polish/I say hate to cut you off but I gotta go/I wish you could tell me mo' but I'm off to the studio, gotta write tonight/Hey, can you put us in your raps? I don't see why not/Devin it's the Dude you gon' probably hear him talking 'bout"

-Andre 3000, "What a Job"

    

Relapse (Aftermath, 2009) by Eminem

I like this album more than the general consensus did.  I do feel that it was way too one dimensional as far as the drug content though.  However, I liked hearing the Slim Shady persona again.  Production-wise, the drums bang on my "My Mom" and the sample of "Reaching Out" is very effective on "Beautiful."  The extreme violence (i.e. "3 A.M.", "Stay Wide Awake") sounds a bit forced, but the dark humor does find its footing by the end of the LP ("Underground").  And I do think "We Made You" is one of the weakest songs in Eminem's entire catalogue, but, to counter that, "Deja Vu" is one of the best.

Straight Outta Compton (Ruthless, 1988) by N.W.A

The impact of this album can not be overstated.  There also is not anything that I can say about it that has not already been said.  Public Enemy challenged the establishment; N.W.A destroyed it.  They exercised free speech and, as a result of it, got a letter from the F.B.I.  "Straight Outta Compton" set a new precedent for gangsta rap.  "Fuck Tha Police" said what so many people wanted to, but were either afraid or did not have a microphone.  And "Gangsta Gangsta" and "Dopeman" painted pictures of life and situations in existence on the tough Compton streets.  But more than that, it spoke for everyone who was screaming to be heard from a place of struggle.  This album forever changed music and we are all better for it.

Tha Blue Carpet Treatment (Geffen, 2006) by Snoop Dogg

This is Snoop's best album since Tha Last Meal.  The opening song, "Think About It", even finds his fluid flow in top form like he was on Doggystyle classics like "Tha Shiznit" and "Gz and Hustlaz."  "Vato" with B-Real was good, but it didn't take off like it should have.  "I Wanna Fuck You" with Akon was an excellent single and the Nottz-produced "That's That Shit" featuring R. Kelly was a perfect choice to keep the momentum going.  For the most part, Dr. Dre's contributions to the project are solid.  However, with the popularity of "Stan", I thought it was very daring to sample Dido's "Thank You" for "Round Here."  The album's best song "Imagine" features Dr. Dre behind the boards and on the mic and is an interesting track which imagines where people would be if hip hop did not exist.  There is some material on this release that could've been left on the cutting room floor, but it's Snoop doing what he does best and that's always something to raise a glass of gin and juice to.