This is a farewell with all honors. If you didn’t get the story yet, the legendary Fat Beats record store in Manhattan is closing (the L.A. store as well, by the way). Fat Beats has been the last mohican of the important and influential hip hop record stores of the US. After Brooklyn’s Beatstreet shut down quite a while ago and midtown’s Rock & Soul seems to die a slow death, Fat Beats – the cornerstone of indie hip hop heaven – is out of business. This weekend, a lot of people that grew up with Fat Beats or were a key player during the stores prime days stopped by and paid tribute or shook a few hands with Eclipse and the other guys. I remember my first Fat Beats visit as if it was a childhood christmas experience. Up to this day, I know exactly which pieces of vinyl I bought in this special place, I remember talking to Percee P in front of the store, I remember chopping it up with Thirstin Howl, I remember when Cipha Sounds still used to work there, I remember when we went there with Roey Marquis II. when he was in talks with Fat Beats for distribution of his label Quiet Force, I remember when I first saw the walls with vinyl that carried all the records I’ve been desperately looking for all over Germany. Thank you, Fat Beats. You changed my life as a dj.

Thie video above shows you a little tribute showcase by DJ A-Trak. This is the proper way to say goodbye.

Shout to B.A. for putting me on this. There’s nothing wrong with a little NY romanticism. The beat is knocking and Samuel is a talent that some of you might know from his song “White Label Girl” alongside Termanology on my album “Victory”. Oh yeah, it’s on sale right here.

Download: DJ Kitsune Jam FM Show 18Aug10 (Old School Special)

Here’s the brand new video for Drake’s radio hit “Miss Me ” alongside Lil Wayne and including some Fireworks in the opening sequence. We need a real “Fireworks” video soon tho. “Thank Me Later” is already platinum in the US and Canada, and in stores worldwide. Do you have your copy?

Shared thoughts Vol.2: Rasul’s top 10 most underrated albums of all-time
(Original version written by Rasul and posted on MySpace.com/KingsAndCrookz on 24Mar07)

Top Ten List Part 2 (Most Underrated Albums Of All Time)

I’ve failed my brethren. I’m not as fast as some have obviously expected but I’m back with another one. Shout outs to my boy AP-Rock blessing things with his view of things. You will find some of his suggestions on this list and it shows, how much of an influence this music and culture of ours is to many people all across the globe. For those of you I’ve challenged (to write your piece of excellence), shame on you… I know I’m great, but I didn’t expect you to be that much of quitters. You have not fulfilled the task!!! But anyway, here comes my list of the most slept-on albums of all time. How do you define that, “slept-on”? Well, for once those were albums that only a chosen few checked for by the time of their release. Plus, their depth and charm were only understood and completely appreciated years, maybe decades later (and I will comment on every album explaining why I think the majority didn’t jump on’em right away). I know I will be walking a thin a line here, but I’ve been around and I believe to have gathered opinions and tastes of many through various encounters. I mean, you meet people with the same interests (backstage at the show, studio, etc.) and you have conversations about their favorite artist, albums and songs and hey, I’m trying to pass on some valuable jewels and make you understand where I come from. It’s not going to be easy but I’ll give it a shot (Note: there is no particular order here)…

1.Organized Konfusion – Organized Konfusion: What ya know about that? OK, this album came out in 1991 and you have to rewind and recheck what albums, groups or songs you were listening to at that time. I know a lot of you guys weren’t even listening to Hip Hop back then but truth is, not a lot of people really dug the first “Organized” album. See Pharoahe is one of my favorites of all time! Knowing him for so long (and the man has an impressive catalogue to display), I have always admired the way he kept his integrity by not changing – or compromising – his formula of style that he had introduced the world to on “Organized’s” first album. Not a lot of MCs can rhyme and flow like him. Not a lot of MCs have this enormous depth in their lyrics. And not a lot of MCs throw a little singing in there to lighten things up – at least nobody did it with class like my man. Please excuse my short-coming on Prince Po but I’m just too deep into Pharoahe’s level of skill, that I might not find the right kudos for his partner in crhyme. I liked that album when it first hit the stores. They had chosen “Fudge Pudge” (introducing O.C) as their single and although the joint did not convince me of their talent (plus the album came out on a label – I think it was called Hollywood – that I only knew from the ensemble “Lifers Group”), I bought the album. I must say, the album was good but it didn’t blow me away. I embraced songs like “Releashing Hypnotical Gases ” [I threw a-rock (Iraq) and I-ran (Iran)/ cause I couldn't stand anymore within the depths of the sand/ So don't ask me who's sane (Hussain)/ cause the hypnotical gases are eating my brain], “Prisoners Of War”, “Open Your Eyes” and “Organized Konfusion”. I couldn’t really feel the rest of their songs on that level and it took me a couple of years to profoundly understand their whole concept. See, they released “Stress – The Extinction Agenda” in ‘94 and they had everybody going nuts. That album was indeed mind-blowing and to this day one of my all time greats. On that note, I went back and listened to their first album again, only to understand the full profundity of it: How they mixed light-hearted joints with insanely masterful lyricism. Even the production was amazing. You should check for the samples they used back then – ’cause a lot of cats went and jacked their beats if you will. With this album, they paved their way of a great career and me included, a lot of people slept on them…

2. Main Source – Breaking Atoms: The album came out in 1991 on Wild Pitch Records! That label was known for originality and an innovative approach and had gathered a strong and deep following throughout the years with their association to the 45 King and their earlier releases of Chill Rob G.’s “Ride The Rhythm”, Gangstarr’s “No More Mr. Nice Guy” and Lord Finesse’s “Funky Technician”. Therefore, if you were a true addict and always on the hunt for new music, you pretty much knew about that album when it first hit the shelves. But then again, you have to understand the dynamics of Hip Hop back in that year and other contenders Large Pro and his two Canadian DJs had to compete with to gain some sort of semi-notoriety. Hip Hop mattered back then! Everybody involved with the music sensed the season of change; the way the once beloved and partially secret treat of the “colored and oppressed” was slowly outgrowing regions and limitations and how it had already started to move beyond borders. Main Source had to go against PEs and De La’s, they had to bow to their musical soul-mates Tribe for infusing Jazz to our psyches and sadly enough, there was also this white guy from Miami doing the Running-Man and chanting “Ice Ice Baby”. I wouldn’t say “Breaking Atoms” flew under the radar, it was just one of those great compilations that grew on you with time: It took you a New York-Minute to really dig Extra P. with his silly-looking glasses who made a song about “Just Hanging Out” with his friends (and naming each and everyone of them), explaining the everyday activities all of us could easily relate to. “Lookin’ At The Front Door” explained the unspoken matters between lovers growing out of a relationship with such ease and simplicity that it actually hurt! And that exactly was so compelling about the man: He just shared his often simple experiences with you and never sounded misplaced or remotely rushed – though he did get a little lyrical with “Just A Friendly Game Of Baseball” and “Live At The BBQ” introducing Nasty Nas. And there was the production. I think they can fill whole books with the credit and recognition Main Source have received for their diligent body of work. I’m not going to detail how they put this and that sample together to bore you. I’m sure most of you have heard this masterpiece and know what the heck I’m talking about…

3. Da King & I – Contemporary Jeep Music: Think about the definition of slept-on one more time! If you expected me to name the “Stunts Blunts and Hip Hop”s (Diamond was by then a house-hold name and everybody was waiting for that album to do great things), the “The Sun Rises in the East”s (come on now, stop effing with me…) or the “Funky Technicians” (me and my peoples were celebrating that album to the fullest) you may want to reconsider reading this post. I am not going there… The King & I came literally out of nowhere releasing “Contemporary Jeep Music” on Dallas Austin’s label Rowdy Records. Now the Dallas Austin of 1993 was not any different than the Dallas Austin of today. He was largely known for mixing it up with TLC and Boyz 2 Men and although I’m not sure if he was offered sex for beats back then ( I recently read an article where he claims Christina Aguilera and Joss Stone have offered him the art of lovemaking in exchange for beats), he wasn’t necessarily known for putting out Brooklyn-bred Hip Hop with a touch of jazz. Back then I considered this particular album to be more than perfect. The MC Izzy Ice and the DJ / Producer Majesty somehow followed the footsteps of Pete Rock and CL displaying clever, impeccable and to a certain degree complex lyrics over upbeat, engaging and gritty music. They didn’t reinvent the whole ish but they did sound refreshing. Songs like “Krak da Weazel” (please check the Remix: It’s huge!!!), “Tears”, “What’s Up Doc” or the catchy “Represent” were unexpectedly dope. But what made this a masterpiece was the simple fact that it was actually an album! You could put the record on and let it play from the beginning to the end and every time you felt slightly uneasy or grew a bit tired, an interlude would come to your rescue and steal the damn show. Now I know how the “Golden Age Of Hip Hop” – whenever that was – would produce classic materials and how intermissions or skits were widely cultivated at that time; but trust me on this one, those 4 interludes on this album were probably the most innovative and precisely-placed in the history of the boom bap… You just might have difficulties to really find this joint in case you don’t have it – that’s what I call slept-on…

4. Hard Knocks – School Of Hard Knocks: Another pick from Wild Pitch Records! All through the years (and by now you should know that this has been one of my favorite topics to discuss with friends and associates – specially with new people I meet), I’ve come across a chosen few of true music-lovers who knew about “School Of Hard Knocks” and surprisingly, we shared the same appreciation for this masterpiece. Those who haven’t had heard about them were bound to hear my praise forever and ever. I know how I wrote earlier that this list is composed in no particular order but if I ever had one single pick to make, this album would be the ultimate and utmost “slept-on” of all times. I’ve been passionate about every single aspect of this joint: The full twelve songs (touching street narratives with socially conscious rhymes) the lyrical artillery (my man was somewhere between Rakim and Kane, but he was way more “street”), the beats (perfect balance) and the appropriate artwork that showcased a certain honesty, humility and maybe even integrity. The only problem was that nobody besides me at that time seemed to really care about that album and I LOVED IT! I somehow created a romantic bond to this chef-d’oeuvre and now that I think about it, this should have made my list of all-time classics. In a more than confused time (1991 ’till 1992 when the album dropped) where everybody was openly dooming the usage of the “N-Word” (who am I to judge anyway?), Hard Knock’s first single “Nigga For Hire” seemed bold and challenging, criticizing the social system designed in the United States to keep minorities in check. The song “Thoughts Of A Negro” gave a more detailed explanation of my man’s state of mind as it opens with the soundbite: “problem with ‘negro’ was not the word itself, It was that a stereotype had been attached to that word ‘negro’ and that people were forced to live in accords to that stereotype”. My favorite cut on the album “Ghetto Love” was a benign gesture of affection for your friends. Now I know how we’ve been force-fed with mediocre attempts to romanticize the rapper’s willingness to “always ride” for his Homies, but I have never heard a “real” love-song to underline that besides “Ghetto Love”. I will not quote anything from this song (you really have to listen to the whole song) or I will kindly ask everyone to hit up ohhla.com and read the lyrics to this joint to understand what I’m trying to say. Regardless, this is my ish people because it was / still is a perfect album…

5. Souls Of Mischief – 93 ‘Till Infinity: I believe a lot of you guys will agree with me on this joint! Fourteen years after the release, the title shows an audacious foresight to the way this group and their Hieroglyphics-Empire have solidified their status in our Hip Hop world. This album paved the way for great follow-ups of Casual and Extra Prolific who preserved a well-documented perception of this family and the good thing about it is, they are still very relevant. Is “93 ‘Till Infinity” a classic? It sure is. Did the album, when it first came out, captivate the entire population with its wit and untainted chemistry? It sure didn’t. This album grew on everybody. At a time when every suburban teen seemed to french-kiss Dr. Dre and Snoop for the way they’ve put the West Coast on the map, this chain of creativity from four guys out of the Bay-Area felt slightly misplaced. Very much like the Pharcyde’s “Bizarre Ride To The Pharcyde” the Souls Of Mischief sounded more “east” than anything known to the ears. The MCs constantly fed off each other and presented substance and style – plus you could never tell which one was your favorite. The production was timeless: Hard hitting drums with rare samples (check out “Make Your Mind Up” and “Never No More” – especially the Remix!) sounding more New York than anything (and maybe that was the dilemma for them to not hit the jackpot right away!?). There isn’t much I should add to this: Anybody who’s reading this has heard and enjoyed this album and cherishes timely memories connected to it. And like I said before, this is one of those albums that outgrew its limitations throughout the years, receiving the well-deserved props. On that note…

6. King Sun – Righteous But Ruthless: King Sun might be one of those geniuses with an intemperate vein of self-destruction. Following his career through the years, one has to notice the poor decisions leading him somewhere between oblivion and obscurity and I sincerely feel sad for him. His debut “XL” left a minor-significant mark – very likable but not as decisive as his second offering “Righteous But Ruthless”. In 1994 he switched his style on us (and later his name that I do not wish to remember) with his little EP “Strictly Ghetto” where song-titles like “Humm Deez Nuts”, “BNS Sex” and “Suck No Dick” (hmm very insightful – and those were three songs out of seven on the EP!!!???) indicated a change of mind. Afterwards, the God went on a rampage-mission against Ice Cube, claiming the veteran had jacked an entire song off one of his demos and had turned it into his semi-hit-record “Wicked” (I actually believed him despite the obvious question, why would someone like him cut a demo?!). I think you can easily read between the lines and sense a wind of disappointment, sort of a good thing turned bad and I have every right to feel this way: I worshiped this album like no other. He hit me in the head with ten songs covering every desired aspect, leading you to a path of righteousness and street credible chronicles of hardship and pain. Listening to him felt very much like those conversations you have with a distant relative who would tell you stuff you usually don’t try to hear! The album-opener “Be Black” challenged the general intelligence of the masses claiming the majority’s slope towards social awareness was nothing but a fluke – a fad people has chosen to jump on. When he said “Now every body’s wearing the red black and green / Here’s the point: Do you know what it means?/ Red for the bloodshed, black for the people / Green for the land to be utilized equal / “Yo I’m from Africa!”, Boy you’re just a faker / Name one city – “Uhh, Jamaica!”, he meant every word with a vengeance. His affiliation – better yet dedication to the 5% nation Of Islam – was live and vivid on songs like “The Gods Are Taking Heads” (collaborating with label-mates PRT), “King Sun With The Sword” and “Universal Flag” (if you’ve ever been interested in the 5%-Teachings, this is the track to listen to). “Undercover Lover” was real in its content. “Cold New Yorkin’” using the infamous line of Rakim “It ain’t where you from, it’s where you at” felt well – planned and rarely accidental. This is a great album that got overlooked – one of those records that hardly get mentioned when you talk about classic material. And that’s the definition of slept-on…

7. Intelligent Hoodlum – Intelligent Hoodlum: Marley Marl is a mastermind, a brilliant wizard, a virtuoso by all means! I will give you more details on my upcoming post about the top ten producers of all time but for now, let’s just say the man changed the face of Hip Hop Music emphatically. He introduced various heavyweights like the Big Daddy Kanes, the Craig Gs, the Master Aces, the MC Shans and the Kool G Raps and dropped a compilation album in 1988 on the renown Cold Chillin’-Label called “In Control Volume 1″ (with the ultimate anthem “The Symphony”) to officially present his X-Men-Click the “Juice Crew” to our defunct universe. And then there were two tracks, “The Rebel” and “Live Motivator”, starring a boyish sounding kid called Percy / Tragedy… Now I am indeed very familiar with all the stories that have been told about the man before he became Khadafi: How a 13 year old Percy Chapman had to sleep on Marley’s stoop before the legend gave him a shot and actually started recording with him; how my man had to do 20 months on Rikers Island right after his debut on “In Control Volume 1″, an experience pushing him to his adolescent limits and forcing him to realize how he had to change his ways and what he successfully managed to emphasize on his debut album. But I will tell you a little different story: Back in 1993 when the hype about Nas releasing an album reached uncalled heights and the title of that album “Illmatic” was circulating our airwaves, I told everybody Mr. Jones is a biter! Yes Sir, your icon of now majestic realm, the Nasty Nas turned Escobar turned God’s Son, had taken the title of his debut-masterpiece off a rhyme Tragedy had delivered back in ‘88 from a song called “The Rebel”: “The rap automatical, the rhymatical / Forget ill, I get illmatical / Biceps pulsating in my lungs / Queensbridge Projects is where I’m from” (later on, Nas told the world that Tragedy’s been one of his idols). It wasn’t really the “illmatical” phrase that’s been buried in my mind for years. It was the graphic line “Biceps pulsating in my lungs” (take a minute to think about the line, it’s stupid folks) that had me going berserk and therefore, I knew right away where Nas had found his “inspiration”. See, both of the songs Tragedy dropped back on “In Control” were overshadowing every house-hold name featured on that album. “The Motivator” used unseen vocabulary and excelled in every branch. But that didn’t seem to help him cause any fanfare when his debut “Intelligent Hoodlum” was released in 1990. For once, his label A&M Records chose to call him Intelligent Hoodlum too and not Tragedy (don’t ask me why!). Then, my man didn’t come out on Cold Chillin’ like everybody else from the “Juice Crew” (and what every fan would have had expected) and the whole project was left nearly unnoticed by the die-hard addicts. Still, the album was everything of a treasure if you ask me: Starting from the incredibly simple artwork (maybe I should drop a top ten list of best album-covers of all time!?), the mostly dark and gloomy production of Marley Marl that touched a realm of mysticism (and certainly something the man was not known for) and up to the impeccable lyrics delivered, this adventure felt unusual but very “right”. The first song (it was called Intelligent Hoodlum too and somebody from A&M should have felt a little weird) was magic (”I’m the Intelligent Hoodlum – reactor, I cause fear / Writing like Mark Twain, recite like Shakespeare”), “Back To Reality” ingenious, “Black and Proud” bold and “Microphone Check” playful! But the stand-out track had to be “Arrest the President” where he said: “Someone yelled out: Get the hell out / Evil fell out, but I’m no sell-out / Black’s the mineral, white subliminal / Arrest the President, he’s the criminal”. I could go on for days quoting lines form this album but I have to admit, I slept on this initially only to go back and listen to it again right after “In Control Volume 2″ came out in 1991. Still, this is a classic…

8. Boogiemonsters – Riders Of The Storm: The Underwater Album: 1994 is considered one of the most fruitful and enriching years in the history. The Wu-Tang Clan had officially redefined the industry’s standards and Nas delivered a milestone drawing comparisons to icons of the late 80s, along with Mr. D. O. Double G. raising hell on the left coast. You could literally smell the transformation Hip Hop was going through and the valuable quantity of good albums being released was increasing. At these days and times, the words slept-on or underrated would not distinguish the way Boogiemonsters’ “Riders Of The Storm” was decisively overlooked. These were some “college-dudes” who’ve had met at the Virginia State University and had decided the world definitely needs another AvantGarde musical journey, sounding somewhere between “The Pharcyde” on crystal meth (well, at times Pharcyde did sound like they were on crystal meth!?) and Sydney Poitier on “Guess Who’s Coming For Dinner”: You heard some dazed suburban kids voicing inscrutable anger and depression about a cruel world they hadn’t figured out yet, reflecting nuances of being lost and forgotten and on a hunt for fallen spirituality. The “New World Order” was a term I was familiar with but the Boogiemonsters were the first collective to dedicate four-minute-songs to its concept. They offered alternatives with their nerdy prophecies, questioning the fundamentals of our society (The devil sees the world as a girl from the back / Eying, sighing, dying to get a crack at the middle /). This is the reason nobody would check for them back then! I knew this girl back in my old days who would always hit me with the most obscure suggestions what songs and albums I should get and the “Riders Of The Storm” was one of them. I would listen to a couple of tracks (”Recognized Thresholds of Negative Stress”, “Mark of the Beast” and “Riders of the Storm”) only to grow tired of the whole vibe and throw the CD away. But this particular CD had a life of its own and every time I would look for such and such, I ended up putting this album back on in my stereo and I started to develop a certain appreciation for it. That’s when I fell in love with tracks like “Strange” and “Muzik” where they portrayed music as a woman before Common dropped “I Used To Love Her” couple of months later that year. Like I said, the subject matters could feel annoying at times and although the music turned out to be more than flawless, the overall feeling of this album stayed refreshing. Now that I think about it, this must be the crown-jewel for backpack extravaganzas with its spaced-out format! When the Boogiemonsters released their sophomore “God Sound” in 1997 (by then, the four-man crew had turned to only two MCs: Apparently, the other two guys couldn’t continue to live the high-life of a boogie monster because of their personal convictions and religious beliefs!?), the freshness was long lost and had drifted away and after re-listening to their first album, I understood the generic quality of it. More than anything, this album is timeless…

9. Three Times Dope – Live From Acknickulous Land: My first encounter with Three Times Dope from Philly was back in 1988 when I heard their well-received single “Funky Dividends”, a song I instantly fell in love with and have held dear until now. I pretty much liked their album “Original Stylin” of the same year: It wasn’t overly surprising (I guess the type of beats and contents you could expect from a ‘88-Release) but it had its unforgettable moments of joy. They went on to seek greater fame and stardom signing with Arista Records to record their highly-anticipated follow-up “Live From Acknickulous Land” in 1990 and unfortunately, the masses didn’t embrace it!? For the most part, it was criticized for its broader, more accessible approach with songs like “(Peace) Ya’ Self”, “Weak at the Knees” (”Girl you inspire, me to perspire / Lost in the force of Earth Wind & Fire /”) and “I Ain’t Trying 2 Hear It”. Well, I don’t know what the world expected back then but signing to a R&B power-house like Arista wasn’t necessarily the equivalent to hardcore “I’ll smack you with a baseball-bat”-type of episodes. Still, you couldn’t tell me nothing: The album worked more than well for me ’cause it demonstrated a rare to find balance within an album. They managed to appeal to everyone, even the shorties (trust me, I know what I’m talking about: Let’s just say this album served me well). EST’s delivery has always been dope and inspiring (and I think he was kind of decent on the recent “Where Are They Now” Remix) and the production sounded heavy. I recently pumped that album again and I was amazed how the “sound” – the mixing and mastering” could hold up to our current pro tools-standards! “Mr. Sandman” had me after approximately 20 seconds, “Mellow But Smooth” was an outstanding ode to bragging-rights and “10 Lil’ Sucka Emceez” featuring the crew’s Larry Lar was simply fun. Even by the unspoken rules of conduct manifested in the “golden era”, it was hard to find a piece of musical expertise with thirteen songs working together in nearly spotless harmony. “Live From Acknickulous Land” did! I lost touch to the group’s further achievements in the following years to come and found out a couple of months ago, how they released their third installment “Da Sequel” (due to drop in ‘92 or ‘93) in 1998!? What happened? I don’t know and I do not care. This album was an amazing ride, but sadly slept-on…

10. CRU – Da Dirty 30: By now, you have already noticed how my last nine suggestions have only treated albums released in the early 90s. There is a plausible explanation for that: I moved to New York in 1995 and after coming back to Germany, the “fan” who had loved to make music had turned to a musician / rapper who was still a “fan”. That’s when the real struggle started: I had to juggle a regular nine to five (mostly working at a record-store), maintain a relationship and pursue a career, swimming with the sharks, in the music-industry! I’m far from complaining, this was the path I chose but my playful and hungry lust for new music began to defer and was slowly replaced by an analytical eye (or better yet ear) to dissect methods and formats. I started to look for perfection only to improve our own sounds and lost the youthful approach of just “listening” to music – or maybe I was just getting older and nothing really struck my ancient nerves anymore. Anyway, after the glorious days of my group “Square One” turned to food for the history-books in early 2002, I took some time off to reevaluate my life. I chilled for the most part, cleaned up the house, excelled in my culinary-skills and I began to “listen” to music again. That’s when the Rhythm Blunt CRU’s “Dirty 30″ manouvered its way back to my heart. When the album was released in 1997, not a single soul, fans and industry-experts alike, could have imagined a better “package” to run with than the one CRU had to offer: They had sort of a hit with “Just Another Case”, Flex was pumping that ish like crazy, Def Jam was on top of their game, Chris Lighty’s Violater was the management and the inexplicably simple logo of the group was something you would never forget! Obviously, nothing could go wrong. But then again, if Def Jam releases an album in august (that’s when “Da Dirty 30″ came out), they’re probably paving the way for all their heavy-hitters who’re about to penetrate the “game” with their “fourth-quarter-madness” (see 2006) and you shouldn’t expect no mean promotional machinery, right? Right! So between the monthly Wu-Related-Releases, the Ja-Rules and DMXs barking back and forth and Jay having sunshine written all over his face, the CRU faded away to the no-man’s-land and by the beginning of the following year, the world forgot they had ever existed and so did I. The title referred to the 30 deep track-listing combining unique production with more than simplistic wordplay. The MCs Yogi (who was although responsible for the production) and the strange-looking Chadeeo had an unimaginable chemistry reminiscent of ATCQ. Matter of fact, a lot of things about the group and their music reminded me of Tribe and still do. I often heard and later read how the album is way too long with its ten interludes and twenty songs, how the content was mostly reluctant and damp and how you were never able to listen to the whole thing from the beginning to end. Well I strongly object! This guys reflected the spirit of New York, a city desperately searching for a forsaken identity after the loss of its king Frank White. If you’ve ever been to the notorious Tunnel, you would understand the legitimacy of “Live At The Tunnel”! “Nuthin’ But”, “Straight From L.I.P.” and “Bubblin’” captured the hardcore essence of all the five borrows and could have easily been produced by The Beatminers. Still, you could find more light-hearted compositions like the aforementioned “Just Another Case” or the mischievous “Wreckgonize” and “The Ebonic Plague” that gave you a mental break and to this day, I truly enjoy some of the hilarious ideas these guys have put together for their interludes. I’m not sure if this was a classic like most of my other propositions! All I know is that these guys made one of the best and by far overlooked albums for a many moons to come. I actually think that the next best thing, at least on that level, was Jay’s 2001 release “Blueprint”…
I didn’t expect my excursion to be that long and excessive! I hope you enjoyed it and I’m very interested in your thoughts and opinions. While writing this, I had some other ideas I might share with you very soon. On that note,
1.

Rasul

Download: DJ Kitsune Jam FM Show 11Aug10 (Special Guest: DJ Boogie)

As written and recorded by Erykah Badu on “Liberation”, performed by Outkast feat. Cee-Lo (from their 1998 album “Aquemini”). Wise words from a decent man woman.

Why I am I posting this? Doesn’t it seem like there’s almost no entertainment superstar that is not on drugs, is violent, has a gun problem, kills animals, beats his girl or other insane stuff? Not saying this is not happening anywhere else, but craziness seems to be normal in the lifes of our favorite actor, singer, athlete. This is the industry that we created to keep ourselves entertained and to support artists and athletes we admire. Think about it. “Tryin to stay sane is the price of fame.”

Download: DJ Kitsune Jam FM Show 04Aug10

As you all know one of my greatest influences and mentors (Ali Rasul) passed away about 10 weeks ago and I’m still thinking about the man almost every day. Not being able to speak to him hurts, I miss all the stories we used to share and all the wisdom he passed on. It hurts even more to know that I’ll never be able to learn from his words again. In an effort to save the few written essays he ever published (besides the lyrics to his albums of course), I will repost some of his blog entries on his MySpace site and other blogs and websites from around the world. If you’re looking for inspiration, some good music or an in-depth look at the state of the art, this is a must-read.

Shared thoughts Vol.1: Rasul’s top 10 albums of all-time
(Original version written by Rasul and posted on MySpace.com/KingsAndCrookz on 22Dec06)

Here we go folks! I don’t know how many top ten lists you have devoured by now but to understand an artist, you certainly have to understand his influences. I’m on my Myspace Ish giving you some insight behind the myth. So I figured, I give you my top ten list of musical chairs, starting today with my ensemble of the greatest Hip Hop Albums of all time. There are no significant criterias behind this, just me trying hard to remember which album shook my understanding of music – in this case Hip Hop – the most and made me think hard about who I am and what music truely means to me…

Ok, the list will have no particular order. I cannot deliver a number or a ranking for music that has changed my life and no, there is no particular reason to do so ’cause every single album has touched me in a different way.

1. A Tribe Called Quest – Midnight Marauders: For some reason I cannot explain, this is the first album that popped into my head. I guess this is the easiest one to pick without any in depth thought-process or musing if you will. I picked up on Tribe pretty late – well, late means in this case “Low End Theory”! Although that album was ground-breaking as far as originality and creativity is concerned, I fell in love with the ATCQ hearing “Midnight Marauders”. “Low End Theory” made perfect sense. It had a certain profound perfection to it, giving me a range of what a group-effort can actually sound like and hey, it took me a couple of years to fully grasp that. I loved “Jazz”, “Check the Rhime”, “Butter” and the ever so infamous “Scenario”. Still, I had some difficulties understanding the album as a whole. And here came “MM”. I remember walking down Broadway in Manhattan NY, listening to every song like there’s no tomorrow. Q-Tip killed me repeating the first verse for the second part on “Sucka Nigga”. “God Lives Through” meant epic production to me (specially after I found the original sample), “Award Tour” mind-blowing, “We Can Get Down” simply fresh and “Oh My God” over-powering… Who would have thought that the digitalized voice of a female guiding you through an experience can be sexy?! To me, this is probably the most complete album of ATCQ and to this day a cornerstone of our culture. You don’t agree, convince me…

2. 2Pac – Me Against The World:  I loved Pac from day one – in this case day one means Digital Underground’s “Same Song”. I had met Pac at a concert a few years prior to that release at a Digital Underground concert where he was “just” the back-up dancer, only grabbing the mic at the end of the show during the ever so popular freestyle-ciphers (yeah, I rhymed with him). I don’t think there’s anything I can literally add here for you to comprehend Pac’s impact on our generation and I won’t. Anybody who still needs schooling on that subject matter has lived on a deserted island and doesn’t need to check my top ten list, Myspace or listen to popular music in general. I think “Me Against The World” is the most honest album that’s ever been released by an Hip Hop artist – period! He displayed vulnerability and I could understand and relate to his pain. It made him human and I loved it. He had me with the first line he delivered on that album saying, “They say pussy and paper is poetry power and pistols” and songs like “So Many Tears” and “Temptaion” touched my spirit. The Album worked really well for me. See by the time “Me Against The World” came out, my man was locked up. Therefore, there was no huge promotional mashinery that backed that release and no, the video to “Tempations” didn’t work for me at all!? Come on now, they had Coolio (yeah, I didn’t like him back then either) in that joint and the shapely features of Jada, now Mrs. Smith, could not help to overlook that. I can’t believe this! I’m talking about my greatest albums of all time and I’m mentioning Coolio’s name…

3. Eric B. & Rakim – Let The Rhythm Hit’em: Ok, anybody who knows the kid, knows that the God Rakim is my favorite MC of all time. Being so, what album do you put in your top ten? “Paid in Full” is an untouched classic and “Follow The Leader” is to this day one of the heaviest and most glooming albums of all time. “Don’t Sweat The Technique” could easily replace this with his soul and perfected production but hey!? See the “R” was a master at word-play and imperceptible lyrics. At the beginning of my career, I had met another MC from NY (he went by the name of D-5) who recorded with the same production-crew I worked with (shout outs to my man JP and Techrock). My man went to school with Ra and he taught me the essence behind understanding Rakim as a lyricist. How he always sent out subliminal lines to other MC’s (Big Daddy Kane being his favorite target – oh, you didn’t know that?!) without the world to notice! How his words left massive room for interpretation, still being sharp and very direct. Besides, Rakim dominated every beat he spit on (Flow that is). So why “Let The Rhythm Hit’em”? Because I listened to this album for many many years and I always discovered something new to it. “The Ghetto” would make my top three songs of all time. He said: “The rough gets going, the going gets rough / When I start flowin’, the mic might bust / The next state I shake from the power I generate / People in Cali used to think it was earthquakes”- insane. The title track had the most powerful bassline along with words that never seemed to find an end. I could probably quote half of that album but I think by now, you’ve caught a glimpse of my passion for Rakim and his lyrics. Lyrics that made you forget about Eric B. scratching on the same records. Do the math…

4. Kool G. Rap & DJ Polo – Live And Let Die: There goes another one of my favorite MCs of all time! From the very beginning of their careers, from the very first offering they put out (It’s A Demo), I embraced Kool G. Rap and Polo. They were part of the Juice-Crew and back then it meant quality music, courtesy of the genius himself Marly Marl. Their first album “Road To The Riches” was exceptionally well-balanced. The second joint “Wanted Dead Or Alive” contained lively beats (Large Professor worked some magic alongside Eric B.- “Steets Of New York” was the perfect usage of samples with live instrumentation) with lyrics of fury. So why “Live And Let Die”? This Album is the epitome of east-coast meets west-coast. This Album is the epitome of Gangster-Rap / Reality-Rap. See I wasn’t a huge west-coast fan and beside a selected few (What ya know about MC Eight and CMW?), I couldn’t really cope with the topics, deliverys and the choice of words west-coast artists put out. So here was one of my idols, reaching out to the west for some helping production-hands (Ice Cube’s man Sir Jinx did most of the work here), taking story-telling to a completely new plateau by touching every imagineable tale a criminal could have possibly went through, exposing the situation, the emotion and the tragic outcome. You were with him on every single track, never losing the picture. When MC’s talk about ” I’m really trying to paint a perfect picture with my lyrics”, this is what they wish to do! “Edge Of Sanity”, “Train Robbery” and “#1 With A Bullet” are ingenious examples of his masterful art. Besides, I know not a lot of people will put this album on their top ten list and I love to hit ya in the head with the unexpected. If you slept on this album, get a hold of it and hit me back…

5. Nas – Illmatic: Well this is an obvious one. As much as I enjoy to surprise you with some unforseen offerings, I cannot see how “Illmatic” is not in anybody’s top ten list. Here is the story: Main Source’s Album “Breaking Atoms” features the song “Live At The Barbeque” with Nas, Fatal and Akinyele. At that time I didn’t see Nas being way better than the rest of the cats on the track – I just thought the kid is mad nice! The next time I heard Nas, he was on a track by MC Serch (Serch had signed him to his publishing company) with Chubb Rock and Red Hot Lover Lover Tone (later Trackmasterz) called “Back To The Grill”. Quote: “This is Nas, kid, you know how it runs / I’m waving automatic guns at nuns / Sticking up the preachers in the church, I’m a stone crook / Serial killer, who works by the phone book”. To this day, I will never forget how I felt chills running down my neck when I heard him say those two lines and I was officially hooked. Later came “Half Time” (Original Soundtrack of the movie Zebrahead) and the growing buzz of the next messiah (comparisons to Rakim were inevitable) releasing a classic produced by the Hip Hop-Elite at that time (Premier, Pete Rock, Q-Tip and Large Professor). I remember talking to Premo a couple of years later backstage at a show we did together, and how he told me about a pre-listening-session they had for the album, where he heard Pete Rock’s “The World Is Yours” and Q-Tip’s “One Love”, making him go back to the lab and redoing all the songs he had produced. Nas was indeed the next Ra, sharing his brainstorms with his listeners with sheer brilliance and excellence. Songs like “Memory Lane” and “Represent” had everything I cried for as an artist and to this day, listening to “Illmatic” gives me the exact same rush like it is the first time. I grew to not mention this album as one my favorites through the years, since I never understood Nas going (transforming) from “Illmatic” to “It Was Written” to his current sibling “Hip Hop Is Dead”. I’m not questioning him, I’m just explaining how I never understood the change. Still, “Illmatic” is one of the best albums of all time and I am admitting it…

6. Brand Nubian – One For All: This is a romantic pick. I’m naming Brand Nubian, equivalent to all the groups who couldn’t make it to this list, for all the “Poor Righteous Teachers”, “Lakim Shabazz’”, “X-Clans”, “KMDs”, “King Suns”, “Paris’”, “PEs” (I know a lot of you out there will give me hard time by not putting PE in my top ten), “Digable Planets’” and all of those I can’t recall right now. I’ve always been about content – social awareness if you will. And all the aforementioned were groups I looked up to. Shit, I’ve learned more from these guys than from my own pops and I’ve always lived with it. They taught me to learn about myself, my heritage, my roots and the struggle people of color have to endure everyday. Knowledge, wisdom and understanding were more than words, they are my codes of conduct to this day. But “Brand Nubian” were more fun to listen to. Their whole style, even their music, was more colorful and in a spiritual way more distinct. Puba was dropping science on you, but still letting you know to keep a close eye on your girl! Sadat X played you his “Concerto in X Minor” assuring that it was “co-signed by the others with a knife”. Lord Jamar could hold his own with the best of them and he did on every single track! From “Dance To My Minstry”, “To The Right” and “Drop The Bomb” to the more light-hearted songs like “Grand Puba, Positive and L.G.” and “Try To Do Me”, this album gave me an example of how edutainment can actually work. I also loved their second album “In God We Trust” but I picked this one ’cause Puba was still a part of the movement. By any means, I think this album reflects a huge influence of Rasul as an artist but more importantly as a man. Think about…

7. EpMD – Business As Usual: Ok, there is no way in the world for me to make a top ten list and not mention my favorite tag-team of all time. With Erick and Parish, it wasn’t really about deep lyrics or mind-blowing concepts (read content). All you expected was dope songs with crazy production and an easy delivery (read flow). Ever since they came out, I’ve been fascinated by their ability to trap me into a zone of unknown satisfaction, pulling me into a spell of simple “beats & rhymes”. It just felt, and still feels, good to listen to EpMD. They were heroes I desperately tried to dress, act and sound like. “Strictly Business” was overwhelming – especially for that period of time where producers still looked for the right piece of equipment to work with. “So What Cha Saying” off their second masterpiece “Unfinished Business” will remain one of my favorite songs of all time. But to me, “Business As Usual” was the perfect album! They delivered 14 songs and not a single one was mediocre. Matter of fact, I could name you at least one track from all the six above-mentioned albums I have called on so far, that I really could not feel (read Album-filler). This was the definition of perfection at that time with balance, wit and charisma- from the first to the last track. LL gave one of his most memorable performances, “playing MC’s like an old accordian” while P spit one of my favorite lines “ Cause many often wonder is M.D. paid / You’re God damn right punk, stay outta my way / Cause I clock G’s while you clock Z’s / And I don’t smoke crack – I smoke MC’s” (ask Kitsune, I’ll be quoting those lines pretty often)… And yeah, they introduced K-Solo to the world (followed by Redman and Das Efx) and that’s worth a mention for god’s sake. What ever happened to them afterwards never mattered to me. EpMD gave me three classics and I have a hard time saying that about any other group. Can you?

8. Slick Rick – The Great Adventures Of Slick Rick: I know I’m taking you back with this one but hey: This is my list! If it comes to influences, I can’t let Slick Rick out – no way Homie. And we might argue about this album finding its way into a top ten list of all times, but I know for a fact that this dude has touched “every” artist coming (releasing music) after him. Forget “The Show” and “La Di Da Di”, although they were epic milestones at the face of our culture. Slick Rick was the original architect, the grand-master, the God of story-telling! Remember what I wrote about “G.Rap”? Well, this is the guy who taught him the cornerstones of his craft. “The Adventures…” was compelling and in a way confusing – at least now that I’m thinking about it!? He spelled “Children’s Story” and “Hey Young World” (both very socially aware when you really pay attention to his words) along with x-rated tracks like “Indian Girl” and “Treat Her Like A Prostitute”. Well back then it did not seem confusing at all, at least it didn’t make me question the man’s ethics. More than anything, the album was extremely fun to listen to and the production was surely ahead of his time (courtesy of Rick Rubin). But the most prolific attribute to underline was Slick Rick’s flow. He rode the tracks and sounded like he’s sitting next to you, whispering his words directly into your ears. His british accent did the rest and though Dana Dane (I know I’m asking too much now) claimed Rick bited his style, no one on this planet seemed to care. “A Teenage Love” is one my favorites songs of all time (not only in Hip Hop) and I know the words to that song by heart – test me when you see me… I enjoyed his later work very much, although “Behind Bars” and “The Art Of Storytelling” flew under the radar, I think this album being released at that time, is my personal favorite. Now go ahead and do your research on Dana Dane…

9. De La Soul – De La Soul Is Dead: Oh I got you with another one – you didn’t expect this one coming, right? Ok, here’s my story on De La: These hippies (that’s how they were called back then) released an album that changed my life! “Three Feet High And Rising” was sooo leftfield from anything – and trust me, this time I mean anything – that has been released before. I remember how I first heard “Potholes In My Lawn”, sitting in front of my stereo asking myself if it was “cool” to like these guys!? Well, you couldn’t diss them. They were original when originality actually counted, the beat was refreshing and the MCs could spit. They were just rhyming about something out of the box! And the first thing that I thought to myself was, “if these knuckleheads can rhyme, I can do it too!” And I did… So their album came out taking the world by storm with its depth and honesty and introduced us to the “concept-albums”. Skits? Nobody has had done that before and the mastermind Prince Paul had me waiting for the next intermission, asking myself what the hell they’re going to do next – it was fantastic. Every song sounded like an adventure (”Ghetto Thang”, “Say No Go”, “Buddy” and “Eye Know” just to name a few) and the journey didn’t seem to have an end. And just when everybody was understanding their lingo and approach to the “Daisy Age”, they dropped “De La Soul Is Dead” (and somehow they meant what they said!?). It was a mental exercise to even listen to that album – it was really hard ’cause it was nothing like “Three Feet…”. It had a way darker and less bouncy edge to it and it wasn’t too easy to comprehend. You think a group at the height of their success will reap the benefits – well not these cats from Long Island! They reinvented themselves with their second album!!! A bad idea for many of their peers at that time (not a bad idea for many of our peers right now) but De La pulled it off. From their extraordinary “Oodles Of O’s” to their proclamation that their “Brother’s A Basehead”, the album offered everything you did not expect and to me, it was more than bold and courageous. I have admired every De La Soul album from “Buhloone Mindstate” (another classic if you ask me) to “Stakes Is High” and their “AOI-Series”. To me, they have managed to stay relevant and interesting and for that I salute them. It’s just that “De La Soul Is Dead” hit me in my head when I least expected it and that’s the reason it made my top ten…

10. Gangstarr – Step In The Arena: Ok, I didn’t pick no west-coast album – no “Chronic” and no “Doggystyle”. This pick was a tough one but I couldn’t let that one surpass me. I opened up shows for these guys about a billion times and I always loved the way they expressed the true essence of Hip Hop, using only two turntables and a mic on any stage. I have listened to every “Gangstarr” album excessively and once again it was difficult to choose from their top notch list of ensembles. “No More Mr. Nice Guy” sounded raw and uncut – almost unfinished (since it took them two weeks to do the album). Their later albums “Daily Operation” (loved almost every single track from that album- therefore I will not pick any specific one out), “Hard To Earn” ( “I hate fake MC’s, they always act hard / But won’t walk the street without their bodyguard”) and “Moment Of Truth” were detailed, grass-roots and all so arduous to imitate. I never considered Guru as one of the best MCs but his chemistry to Premo’s beats remains untouched. “Step In The Arena” influenced me in many ways. The growth from their first album was so immense, so huge that you understood (in this case as a musician) what you certainly had to do to deliver the right goods. This time they had time to work on the album and you could hear it in every second. “Form Of Intellect” sounded like listening to your father telling you: “And hey Son, life is more than having fun / So run and get some help with the problems that you face / Take a taste of the bass put your perspective in place”. “Beyond Comprehension” was eclectic and smooth with lines like: ” I can see dimensions of sound and light around my mic / Transmitting lyrics like teletype / Reacting to a beat in a whisper…” and so on. And the production was simply superb. Those of you who’re reading this have at least 5 great Premo beats you love so I will not expound on him and his greatness. Besides, you’ll only understand the true value of his timesless music, once you start digging for the original soundbites… Once again I think this was a perfect album from A to Z…

That’s my list folks. I might wake up tomorrow and reevaluate my “numbers” but let me touch on some of those you’re missing on my list. I think B.I.G was nice but I don’t think he is the greatest of all time and no, “Life After Death” could’ve made my top 25 but it didn’t make my top 10. Jay might be by now the greatest of all time and his “The Black Album” is most likely in my top twenties but his influence on me as rapper and a human-being was not that big. Maybe because I had developed by that time as an artist. And this is probably the reason you’re seeing albums that were released prior to ‘95! I was still searching back then, only to find what I was looking for and am enjoying music by now (just take a few seconds – you’ll get it)… I just love music.

And last but not least, I insist that you leave a comment! Hit me with your top ten, remind me of classics I might have forgotten to mention (B.A. is a regular here but I challenge my boy S-Boogie and that Shadyville dude to hit me with their lists of greatness). I’ll be back with another list soon- maybe the most slept-on or honorable mentions. ‘Till Then,

1.

Rasul