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MUST-HAVE MUSIC

25 hip-hop CDs spread the message

By Otis Gowens

Staff Writer

Hip-hop makes big bucks. In just more than 25 years, it went from no airplay to being one of the music industry's fattest cash cows. But if you listen only to commercial radio or watch MTV or BET, you have an incomplete picture of this genre of music.

Did you know that the greatest instrument in rap music and hip-hop culture is the rapper? Why? Well, according to hip-hop pioneer and activist KRS-One, rap "was the final conclusion of a generation of creative people oppressed with the reality of lack."

He said the lack of musical instruments, not to mention standard music knowledge, birthed the action of rapping.

Hopefully, these 25 albums will help familiarize you with the movement and get you on your way to a better understanding and appreciation for the culture. You'll get a taste for each era of hip-hop. You have the old-school era, circa 1970-85; the golden age of hip-hop, circa 1986-93 and the modern era of hip-hop, from roughly 1993 to the present.

OLD SCHOOL

1. Grandmaster Flash — Message From Beat Street: The Best of Grandmaster Flash, Melle Mel and the Furious Five (Rhino, 1994)

Note that this is a compilation album. There were no rap albums in the genres genesis, just singles (these songs were recorded in the early 80s). Everything about rap today pretty much owes its success to The Message. It changed the way rappers performed and the perception of rap's profitability —it's reported to have gone gold in 21 days — and showed the culture at large that you could use the microphone for more than just dance music. Favorite lyric: "It's like a jungle, sometimes it makes me wonder how I keep from going under."

2. Planet Rock: The Album (Tommy Boy, 1986), Afrika Bambaata and the Soulsonic Force

This is another collection of previous singles, and the title cut, Planet Rock, came out around the same time as The Message. It's safe to say that anyone involved in hip-hop has danced (or breakdanced) to Planet Rock. Favorite lyric: "Socialize, get down! Let your sooouuul lead the way! Shake it now, go ladies, it's a living dream! Love, life, live!"

3. Rapper's Delight (Sugarhill, 1980), Sugarhill Gang

The landmark Rapper's Delight made waves as hip-hop's first commercially successful single (released in 1979). People date rap by it. What they may not know is that this wasn't the first recorded and released rap single. That credit often goes to King Tim III (Personality Jock) by the Fatback Band, released a few months prior.

4. Kurtis Blow (Mercury, 1980), Kurtis "Blow" Walker

One of rap's first superstars is responsible for its first certified gold record, The Breaks. Blow also was the first rapper to sign and release an album for a major label, the first to go on a national and international tour and the first rapper to sign an endorsement deal (for Sprite).

5. Wild Style Soundtrack (Mr. Bongo, 2005), Various artists

Before there was Beat Street, there was Wild Style, made by independent filmmaker Charlie Ahearn, aided by none other than Fab Five Freddie of Yo MTV Raps fame. This soundtrack features the Cold Crush Brothers, Busy Bee and more.

THE GOLDEN AGE

6. Raising Hell (Profile, 1986), Run-DMC

This is the supergroup's third album and a definite classic. Their sound is solid. Their status is legendary. This is the rock-rap album that propelled them far above mainstream expectations, thanks in part to slick production by Rick Rubin.

7. License to Ill (Def Jam, 1986), Beastie Boys

All I can say is Brass Monkey, Paul Revere, Fight for Your Right (To Party), No Sleep 'Til Brooklyn. If you don't know any of these songs, there is probably no hope for you. Go buy the CD now. You can't know hip-hop with out knowing something about the first white rap group.

8. Mama Said Knock You Out (Def Jam, 1990), LL Cool J

LL Cool J's discography is just too long. Most tend to look at LL now and remember the debut of I'm Bad from the Bigger and Deffer, but the album wasn’t that good overall. Mama said ... shot LL back to the charts after everyone else considered him done and rap generally was going the way of Public Enemy. LL Cool J is also one of very few rappers who didn't go political.

9. Blacks' Magic (London/Next Plateau, 1990), Salt-N-Pepa

I almost went with MC Lyte here, but then I remembered this album. It's sexy, jazzy and features the classic Let's Talk About Sex. Blacks' Magic not only features more rapping from them and is a polaroid of early 90s rap, but nothing on it sounds like Push It (which was mainly just a catchy hook). Think of this work as a rap album by TLC.

10. By All Means Necessary (Jive/Novus, 1988), Boogie Down Productions

On a conscious tip, this is probably the best work of KRS-One, a key member of the Boogie Down Productions team. You don't hear the KRS-One of Criminal Minded but the birthing of the "Teacha," as a result of the death of his friend and DJ Scott La Rock. Most don't know it, but he was killed (late 80s) trying to break up an argument at a party in Bronx, NY.

11. Paid in Full (4th & Broadway, 1987), Eric B. and Rakim

This album turned out to be one of the most influential in hip-hop. You hear Rakim's influence in Eminem, Nas and even Bow Wow. Some of today's materialistic rap can be heard here, and this album is argued to be where hip-hop's obsession with soul music sampling started.

12. He's the DJ, I'm the Rapper (Jive, 1988), DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince

Without this album I don’t think you would have had "Will Smith" of "Get Jiggy With It" and movie fame. This album is worth the listen just for the classic Parent's Just Don't Understand. This album showed that hip-hop had a PG side, not to mention it made Will Smith filthy rich.

13. Naughty by Nature (Tommy Boy, 1991), Naughty by Nature

The kings of the anthem raps. The morose picture of the ghetto in Everything's Gonna Be Alright; the chilling hit Uptown Anthem (from the soundtrack of the movie Juice) and the infectious O.P.P. ... enough said.

14. It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back (Def Jam, 1988), Public Enemy

Rap is "the black CNN." Chuck D proved that rap could be hard-core, intelligent and socially conscious. Flavor Flav added just enough comic relief to make Public Enemy shine.

15. Straight Outta Compton (Priority, 1989), N.W.A.

N.W.A. was one of the most notoriously sexist and violent groups in rap history — and they made no apologies for that. They were the other extreme of Public Enemy: The music sounds the same — unrecognizable samples, chaotic combinations — yet the message is galaxies apart.

16. Three Feet High and Rising (Tommy Boy, 1989), De la Soul

This is considered to be one of the most innovative debuts in history. With Public Enemy to one extreme and NWA going to another, the more mellow, measured trio of De la Soul were in the middle. They influenced countless MCs by showing you didn't have to talk about shootouts (or be overly political) to succeed.

MODERN ERA

17. Illmatic (Columbia, 1994) Nas

This is one of the few rap albums with no wasted space. From start to finish you get great production and a mouthful of "quotables," as in quotable lyrics. Nas went on to hip-hop fame from this album (with pretty much no featured artists to carry the load). If you listen closely you can hear many of lines, styles and production copied from Illmatic. Nas patterns himself after Rakim.

18. The Chronic (Death Row, 1992), Dr. Dre

Three words: Snoop Doggy Dogg. This is "that album," the one that shifted everything in the West Coast's favor. Dr. Dre's ear for music and a hook gained radio play for a lot of gangsta rap.

19. Enter the 36 Chambers (Loud, 1993), Wu-Tang Clan

This album and Dr. Dre's aforementioned The Chronic are the two most influential albums in modern hip-hop. Wu-Tang member RZA broke the limits of production.

20. Ready to Die (Bad Boy, 1994), Notorious B.I.G.

The revival of hardcore rap on the East Coast is due largely to Biggie Smalls. This album showcases dark but great storytelling. Next to Tupac Shakur and Nas (some would argue Wu-Tang Clan as a whole), Biggie is the most copied Modern Era artist.

21. All Eyes on Me (Death Row, 1996) Tupac Shakur

Two words: Suge Knight. The musclebound mogul is the force behind Tupac on this record. If it weren't for Knight, Pac would've rotted in prison. Knight fronted the bail to get him out and Tupac fulfilled his promise of putting Death Row Records on the map.

22. The Score (Ruffhouse, 1996), the Fugees

Whenever hardcore rap grows the most, it seems another type of group grabs it by the heels and shows that people still want balance. This is the most eclectic album of the modern rap era.

23. Aquemini (LaFace, 1998), OutKast

While you probably couldn't go wrong with anything from OutKast, this album was the duo's most spacey album — mixing Southern flavors with funk — and set the tone for the fantastic double album Speakerboxxx/The Love Below. Arguably though the disc Stankonia is OutKast's best work.

24. Things Fall Apart (MCA, 1999), the Roots

To develop an appreciation for the Roots, start here, with their most commercial effort and arguably their best album. They are the best live rap group ever.

25. The Blueprint (Roc-a-Fella, 2001), Jay-Z

OK, so KRS-One did have an album called Blueprint. So what? This album edges Reasonable Doubt because of the instant classic Takeover. It brought back classic battle rapping.

Want to know more?

Books to consider

Ruminations by KRS-One

There's a God on the Mic: The True 50 Greatest MCs by Kool Moe Dee

Can't Stop Won't Stop: A History of the Hip-Hop Generation by Jeff Chang, DJ Kool Herc

Hip-Hop America by Nelson George

The Hip-Hop Generation: Young Blacks and the Crisis in African-American Culture by Bakari Kitwana

Dates to remember

Hip-hop appreciation day: May 3

Hip-hop appreciation week: The third week in May

Hip-hop appreciation month: November

On the Web

DaveyD.com — www.daveyd.com

Support Online Hip-Hop — Sohh.com

AllHipHop.com

TempleOfHipHop.org

Magazines

XXL (www.xxlmag.com)

The Source

Contact this reporter at 225-7496 or ogowens@coxohio.com.