Check out my brother Bennydiction getting some pretty rough treatment from a series of femme fatales in this heavy new video...the latest track from highly anticipated Long Player 'Hard Graft, Arts & Crafts and Hearty Laughs....I love it and it also get the thumbs up from my girlfriend who rates it as Fantastic! Check it ouuuut!!
From 1988 Hip Hop really seemed to be flying in a variety of very interesting directions. Talking to my man Chima Anya about this particular countdown he asked what the general theme or direction of the list was. I realised it doesnt really have a particular theme; just for me going through some of the different releases from each year of Hip Hop's existence. Supposedly at a rate of one a day in the run up till Christmas...oh dear that deadlines a bit dead now....never mind lets keep it running to the new year! And so, in at Number 22 from 1988 its......none other than the rap immortal Big Daddy Kane with one of my favourite classic jams, aint no half stepping......paragrahs I manifest, check out the original rhyme Prime Minister in full force; remember when his pen hits the paper....Ahh shit!!!
Big Daddy Kane held the crown as a giant of lyricism, however around the same time a hungry emcee made a return tot the stage. Kool G Rap was sharpening his skills and edge as his hardcore style began to be embraced just as musch of the inncence of Hip Hop had been lost and the early period of hip hop in the1980's was sadly being confined to history... Number 21....Kool G Rap& DJ Polo - Men at Work (1989).
1990 Number 21 - Masta Ace - The Music Man
1991 Number 20 - EPMD So Whatchya Saying? Apparently released in 1991 as a single, although the hip hop junkies had already been rocking to it from thieir 1989 album.
1992 Number 19 - Oh dear, far to many hot joints from 1992; I guess they will all have to share the 19 spot heheh I guess this is where Chima was right to question my priorites!!
Dre Dre & Snoop Dog - Nutin But A G Thang
Diamond D - What You Seek
Pete Rock & CL Smooth - T.R.O.Y (They Reminisce over You)
Nas - Halftime
1993 - Number 18 - Souls of Mischief - Now till Infinity - Classic shit!!
1994 - Number 17 - Channel Live and KRS One - Mad Izm. Again I'ver had to miss out on mad classics (especially Big's Juicy, the classic Warren G/Nate Dogg Collab 'Regulate' and Common's I used to love Her) from this, another great year for great hip hop, but it's your turn to investigate more otherwise this list is never getting done!!
Big L - Put it On!
Nas ft Az - Life's a Bitch
1995 - Number 16 - A toss up again this time between Killah Priest's 'BIBLE' cut from the amazing GZA album liquid swords and Mobb Deep Shook Ones Part II - Probably the most ruggish thuggish track on this list. I guess this point in the list marks the increasing gulf that emerged between styles of hip hop from this period in time, and it seems sad that these two tracks are nowadays unlikely to have any current equivalents.
I couldnt leave 1995 without this booming track that was mad influential in developing my personal love of hip hop lyracism, ruggedness and general verbal gymnastics to get ya girl on my mattress!
1996 - Number 15 - Poor Righteous Teachers featuring Nine - Gods, Earths and 85ers
1997 - Number 14 - Wu Tang Clan - Triumph
Immortal lines for all hip hop heads! Possibly the greatest posse cut of all time!? Rap along now... I bomb atomically, Socrates philosophys......
1998 - Number 13 - Big Pun - Dream Shatterer
1999 - Number 12 - Xzibit - Paparazzi
2000 - Number 11 - Task Force - Wha Blow.....Jacking the classic beat from Black Rob's 'Woah', Taskforce smashed this record and just as an era was apparently coming to an end in the US, British heads were showing strongly that ill spitting could be done regardless of accent......picking up a rare vinyl copy of this back in the day in an Australian record store also impacted on me showing the truly global element of hip hop.....
2001 - Number 10 -
Roots Manuva - Dreamy Days
2002 - Number 9
If lyrics had been getting increasingly forgotton in the mainstream version of hip hop, Canibus was resoulutely putting out some of the best music of his career. Re-listening to his work and noting the complex scientific, historical and liturary references it just reminds me of why his place as one of the greatest ever emcees should be assured. Ive sneaked in Jehst's classic Alcoholic Author track here to demonstrate the quality of lyracism also developing at the time in the UK. 2003 - Number 8 (Joint) Canibis - Master Thesis & Poet Laurete 2 -
Jehst - Alcoholic Author
2004 - Number 7 - Its gotta be Jada with this unusually political anthem...
Cant bypass this year though without re-visiting the classic Nas - Your the Man...indeed, ill shit from the legend
2005 - Number 6
Klashnekoff - Black Rose (revisted)
2006 - Number 5 - Hi Tek Music for Life
plus note this Killer Mike track....I was just embarking on studying to become a teacher around 2006 and that may be why I missed it; but hearing it fresh today has really opened my eyes to the intelligence of Killer Mike......
2007 - Number 4
International Players Anthem....I need to get married like this! Wonder how much this lot would cost to perform at it!!??
Honerable mention......Chammilionare and Slick Rick sticking it to fools with this great take on rap, politics and the media....
2008 - Number 3
Joel Ortiz - Hip Hop. Had this knockin on constant repeat when it first came up...dont believe me ask my housemates! twitter@jonmhill @lovelychaos!!
2009 - Number 2 - Rakim - Holy Are You....I love this track, inspirational and powerful; however with 77 dislikes on YouTube the controversies and prejudices of the world are ever present, seemingly especially towards hip hop and the people who create it.
2010 - Number 1 - Sci Fi Stu feat Remarkable Mayor John Robinson -No Swag Needed Debut video for producer SciFi Stu featuring rising underground hip hop stars Remarkable Mayor & underground hip hop heavyweight John Robinson (Lil Sci of Scienz of Life). Turntable wizardry by Twelvebit!
2010 was a great year for releases that though not reaching the heights of fame deserved in the mainstream, at least bought the underground crew some gems. Akala released a very powerful track 'Yours and My Children' that provides food for thought in these fraught and increasingly divisive times
2011 - Check this! Most played video for me of 2011.....3 of the nicest rappers come together in the spirit of unity....loving hearing J Rawls breaking it down, the only missing bit is him doing a bit of rapping as well (saw him at Hip Hop Kemp rapping and DJing at the same time; dude is a beast!! Anyhow, yet again loads from 2011 that I've missed out but thats your job! Now I can get back to my inbox to try and supply some of the 2012 batch! Dont forget to check Suspect Packages for all the latest UK stuff too; I've let my finger slide off the pulse unfortunately but Disorda will always keep you laced. And for radio fixes Check Sammy B side's Rhymepad Radio, and as ever get the most indepth interviews and dope new Hip Hop from Conspiracy Radio and Rob One's 2020.........Peace to all and apologies if your favourite track of any year didnt appear.....this was a pretty personal take on hip hop! Reply with tunes if your offended!
1986 Number 26 MC Lyte - I Cram to Understand You. Apparently written before she had turned 16; this love story turns nasty as Lyte tells of a relationship breakdown due her man's addiction to crack.
1987 Number 24 - One of the most ridiculous rap intro's that we all love; check out Ice T - Rhyme Pays ...."Bustin rhymes was his natural thing , he was crowd the westcoast mc king , but There was a rush of wack rappers , with one intention to crush this master rapper, but he showed no mercy , he rapped blood thirsty"
1988 Number 23 - Public Enemy - Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos. Wow!
Number 29 - 1983 - Grandmaster Flash & Melle Mel - White Lines
The pounding beat and production of White Lines puts it streets ahead of its contemporaries; whilst Melle Mel's veiled anti cocaine lyrics are another great example of Hip Hop's early social conciousness. How many different ways can you say snow anyway!? Check the end of the record with some super futuristic cut ups!! Wonder what Mel makes of Rick Ross and all the other cats glamourisng the drug dealing lifestyle nowadays?
Number 28 - 1984 - Nucleus - Jam On It - This is one of the craziest early hip hop videos; b boys slammin it off the heezy!!
Number 27 - 1985 - Rockmaster Scott and the Dynamic 3 ...Think you havent heard of this record? Check it and think again!!
The hip hop police should take a fresh listen to this...original music from the people with a message. Melle Mel's immortal line; broken glass, every where...still rings through my head when ever I see those tell tale shining fragments signalling urban decay even in the London streets of 2011...The Furious 5 deserve even more credit as apparently it was member Cowboy who actually coined the term 'Hip Hop' itself while scatting. Respect due.
Teaming up with DJ Nifty this second LP combines outer space beats with tales of the city and lyrical chicanery
Solocypher - Citizen Framed Download
Debut 2003 album features Chima Anya, Kid Anime, Serious, Concept, Eliza and Kaf. Includes smash hits "Selly Oak" "One Love one Life" and "This is what happens (when you don't stay sane) Email solocypher@gmail.com for a proper version!
Change Through The Rhyme
Check Solocypher trading international bars with Scholarman over heavy D'Logic beat
