Song of the Day

Action Bronson - "The Symbol"
Bronson's latest effort, Rare Chandeliers, dropped today. The entire project is produced by Alchemist and I'm sure it won't let you don't. Bronson and Alchemist with 13 tracks, including appearances by Roc Marciano, Sean Price, Schoolboy Q, Styles and Evidence among others and it's for free?! That shit is just too nice. Watch this video, the first single off the album and one of the most entertaining and over the top videos I've seen in quite some time. Big ups to my brother, SSD, for showing me this video!

Song of the Day

Kendrick Lamar feat. MC Eiht - "m.A.A.d City"
Was out of town for 2 weeks for work and copped Kendrick's latest to bump in my rental. The album is nice. Needs to be taken as a whole entity to really enjoy, but it's one of the best releases of the year. This track brought me back to the early '90's thanks to the MC Eiht feature. The first 2:20 is good, but when the beat flips and MC Eiht comes in it gets really good. Kinda wish it was just the final 3 minutes because that shit bangs! Great to hear Eiht again and Kendrick more than holds his own on this as well.

Song of the Day

The Wu-Tang Clan feat. Kool G. Rap - "Rivers of Blood"
The Man With The Iron Fists soundtrack is bringing us a lot of heat from the Wu and that's never a bad thing. This song goes hard. Raekwon goes first, then Ghostface and finally G. Rap, while U-God provides the hook in classic Wu style. The song has the kung-fu samples, the menacing beat and just a ton of heat lyrically. Give us another Wu-Tang album (which is rumored) and bring that old vintage Wu sound, please!

Song of the Day

Nas - "No Introduction"
It's been a while since I posted, but I'm not done with this site by a long shot. Went to the Heineken Red Star Access show in Philly on Saturday and was treated to all you can drink free Heineken, Wale performing with a live band and Q-Tip on the wheels of steel before the show and in between acts. The day couldn't be better and then Nas came out to perform a 45-minute set with every banger you can imagine. He opened with this track, which is the first track on his latest album, Life Is Good, which dropped this summer. If you ever get the chance to see Nas live, you gotta do it. Didn't disappoint in the slightest!

Song of the Day

Brother Ali feat. Dr. Cornel West - "Letter To My Countrymen"
Ali kicks off his latest album, Mourning In America and Dreaming In Color, with this track and it's the perfect way to kick off the disc. Ali speaks not only on the current state our country is in, but the world in general. It's deep, thought provoking shit and it's Ali at his finest. The production from Jake One is the perfect backdrop for Ali's lyrics as well. Ali has another winner with his latest disc and this is one of the many highlights. Love this line, "This is not a practice life/This is the big game, we gotta attack it right." Simple, but so effective.

The 20 Greatest Hip-Hop Groups of All-Time

Hip-Hop music has seen a plethora of great groups over the years, some who have stayed together and others that were able to make a huge impact in a short period of time before going their separate ways. In making this list, I factored in longevity, impact on the game, personal preference (since it is my list), and most importantly the music itself. There were some that were difficult to keep off this list, but I knew that would be the case going in. Narrowing thousands of hip-hop groups down to 20 is no easy feat. So let's take a look and let the debate begin. Here is the 20 Greatest Hip-Hop Groups of All-Time:

20. Brand Nubian

Brand Nubian broke onto the scene in 1990 with the seminal One For All. The group provided social and political commentary on the disc and grabbed our attention with the classic single, “Slow Down.” Grand Puba left the group after the debut, but Sadat X and Lord Jamar released two more solid albums in In God We Trust which featured “Punks Jump Up To Get Beat Down” and “Love Me Or Leave Me Alone” and Everything Is Everything which featured “Hold On” and my favorite Brand Nubian song “Claimin’ I’m A Criminal.” Puba returned to the group for 1998’s The Foundation which featured the DJ Premier banger “The Return.” Their last album dropped in 2007, giving Brand Nubian a 17-year run.

Top 5 Brand Nubian tracks: “Slow Down,” “Punks Jump Up To Get Beat Down,” “Love Me or Leave Me Alone,” “Claimin’ I’m A Criminal,” “Hold On”

19. M.O.P.

I considered Mobb Deep, Black Moon and Atmosphere in this spot, but my personal love for M.O.P. gave them the nod. These guys have worked with everyone and have made every appearance count. When you get an M.O.P. feature, your song’s energy level spikes through the roof. They enjoy their street anthems and gun talk, but the fact is they are both really clever lyricists. M.O.P. has released solid release after solid release with their grandest entry being 2000’s Warriorz. The highlight of their career came with the success of “Ante Up” which eventually led to a deal with Jay-Z at Roc-A-Fella Records (unfortunately no album followed, because I would’ve loved a Just Blaze & Kanye produced M.O.P. album). They’ve got 18 years in the game and have collaborated with the likes of Jay-Z, Gang Starr, Busta Rhymes, Kool G. Rap, Pharoahe Monch, 50 Cent and Fat Joe.

Top 5 M.O.P. tracks: “How About Some Hardcore,” “Stick To Your Guns,” “Handle UR Bizness,” “Ante Up,” “Cold As Ice”

18. Cypress Hill

“Insane In The Brain” will always be the staple of Cypress Hill’s career, but they have done so much more in the 21 years they’ve been in the game. Their self-titled debut disc is a hip-hop classic and the follow-up, Black Sunday, proved there would be no sophomore slump for the California weed lovers. B. Real’s voice is one of the most distinctive in hip-hop history and DJ Muggs proved he’s among the best hip-hop producers to ever do it. They have had huge crossover success, as even non-hip-hop lovers have gotten behind their music. Cypress Hill was a part of the 1994 revival of Woodstock, they’ve been a part of Lollapalooza and Smokin’ Grooves. There aren’t many acts that can put similar accomplishments on their resume.

Top 5 Cypress Hill tracks: “How I Could Just Kill A Man,” “Hand on the Pump,” “Insane In The Brain,” “Cock The Hammer,” “I Ain’t Goin Out Like That”

17. EPMD

Erick & Parrish Making Dollars. It’s a simple acronym, but it’s awesome all the same. These two were the epitome of a hip-hop duo in the early ‘90’s. After a small beef, the two reunited for 1997’s Back In Business and continued to make music together for the next 11 years. They have put out a slew of classic songs and are responsible for starting the careers of Redman, Keith Murray and Das EFX.  

Top 5 EPMD tracks: “You Gots To Chill,” “Headbanger,” “Crossover,” “Da Joint,” “Never Seen Before”

16. Bone Thugs-N-Harmony

In the mid 90’s Bone Thugs were among the top in the rap world. They were in the same league as Wu-Tang in regards to popularity and they made a huge splash with the success of “Tha Crossroads.” They also appeared on tracks with 2Pac and Notorious B.I.G. in 1997 and you already know what that year means in regards to the Pac and Biggie saga. Twista may be the fastest rapper on the planet, but Bone Thugs were the first to make that style popular and bring it to the attention of the mainstream audience.

Top 5 Bone Thugs-N-Harmony tracks: “No Surrender,” “Thuggish Ruggish Bone,” “1^st of tha Month,” “Tha Crossroads,” “Down ‘71 (The Getaway)”

15. Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five

Pioneers of hip-hop as we know it today, Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five brought hip-hop music to a whole new level with “The Message.” Instead of another upbeat, party record, Melle Mel painted a darker image of the streets and what it meant to struggle in the ghetto. Grandmaster Flash is credited with inventing the first crossfader, which had a huge impact on music and Melle Mel is one of the dopest rappers to ever grace a mic. They were also the first hip-hop group ever inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. The only strike against this group is longevity. “The Message” was released in 1982, but the group had split up by 1983.

Top 5 Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five tracks: “Freedom,” “Superrappin’,” “The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash On The Wheels of Steel,” “The Message,” “White Lines”

14. Geto Boys

When I think of Southern hip-hop, the first person I always think of is Scarface, which then brings you directly to the Geto Boys where ‘Face’s career began. If you don’t think of the Geto Boys when you think of hip-hop pioneers, then you don’t know your history. They combined gangster rap along with “horrorcore” before that word even existed. They are the reason so many artists have made a name for themselves coming out of the South. And they released one of the greatest songs in hip-hop history with “Mind Playing Tricks On Me” (which also had a great video). As the years went by, the group focused more on social, political and personal topics and shifted away from shock value content they became famous for and were able to make the transition seamless as we saw them all develop as lyricists and MCs.  

Top 5 Geto Boys tracks: “Mind Playing Tricks On Me,” “Damn It Feels Good To Be  A Gangsta,” “Six Feet Deep,” “Yes, Yes, Y’all,” “G Code”

13. Gang Starr

We’ve seen some great duos in hip-hop history and we’ll see another on here shortly. But when you think of MC/DJ combinations it’s hard to come up with a better pair than Guru and DJ Premier. With Gang Starr, you have arguably the greatest producer of all time (I rank him No. 2) and possibly the most underrated MC of all time in Guru (Guru and Black Thought might be 1A & 1B in that category – sounds like an idea for another list). You can identify a Premo beat the minute you hear it and you can pick Guru’s voice out instantaneously. That monotone flow never sounded so good over a Premier banger. And Guru could spit too. He had lyrics for days. The group had longevity as Gang Starr put out albums from 1989-2003 and would probably still be in the game today if it wasn’t for the untimely death of Guru.

Top 5 Gang Starr tracks: “Step In The Arena,” “Ex Girl To The Next Girl,” “Code of the Streets,” “DWYCK,” “The Militia”

12. The Fugees

After hearing “Nappy Heads (Remix),” I was blown away. Lauryn Hill absolutely beasted that track and Wyclef’s singing both on the hook and his Louis Armstrong impersonation were excellent. Unfortunately their 1994 debut, Blunted On Reality, failed to live up to its lead single. In fact the album was pretty lackluster. But two years later, the talents of Hill and Wyclef were realized on the 1996’s classic The Score. L-Boogie’s vocals on “Killing Me Softly” brought the Fugees a Grammy and made them a household name. From there, all three went solo with ‘Clef delivering another classic with The Carnival, before Lauryn Hill owned 1998 with the 5-time Grammy winning album The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. From there the Fugees stayed apart (except for a reunion at Dave Chappelle’s Block Party) and haven’t delivered any classic material over the past decade-plus. But 1996-1998 delivered three classic from the group, Wyclef and Ms. Hill respectively, a feat that is hard to top.

Top 5 Fugees tracks: “Nappy Heads (Remix),” “Vocab (Remix),” “Ready or Not,” “Fu-Gee-La,” “Killing Me Softly”

11. Boogie Down Productions

The group that launched the career of the “Teacha,” KRS-One, Boogie Down Productions is responsible for countless classic records. BDP brought tales of street life, political commentary and social matters to the table. KRS also repped his hood, beefing with MC Shan over the birthplace of hip-hop (which resulted in MC Shan’s “The Bridge” and “Kill That Noise” and BDP’s responses of “South Bronx” and “The Bridge Is Over”) and lived and breathed the culture of hip-hop. The group put out 5 albums over a six-year span starting with the critically acclaimed and highly influential Criminal Minded. KRS has gone on to have a long solo career and remains one of the brightest torch bearers of hip-hop culture.

Top 5 Boogie Down Productions tracks: “South Bronx,” “The Bridge Is Over,” “My Philosophy,” “You Must Learn,” “Love’s Gonna Get’cha (Material Love)”

10. Beastie Boys

Every white rapper can thank the Beastie Boys for paving the way for them. In a culture dominated by urban life and street tales, the three white boys from Brooklyn broke through with frathouse inspired party anthems that got the attention of Rick Rubin and Russell Simmons and led to one of Def Jam’s greatest signings. The Beastie Boys kicked the door down with 1986’s Licensed To Ill and had been a staple in music up until 2011, before the passing of Adam Yauch (MCA) this past May. The Beasties matured greatly from 1986, giving involved in political movements, bringing back their punk and rock roots and using their music for more than just party anthems. That’s not to say the Beasties didn’t still know how to make fun music or have a good time, but their maturation and experimentation as a group speaks volumes to their talent.

Top 5 Beastie Boys tracks: “Paul Revere,” “(You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party),” “Hey Ladies,” “So What’cha Want,” “Sabotage”

9. Eric B. & Rakim

Remember when I wrote you’d be hard pressed to find a better MC/DJ combination than Guru and Premier? Well, here it is: Eric B. & Rakim. Their debut album, Paid In Full, is the most quoted and sampled record in hip-hop history. No, I don’t have statistical evidence to back that claim up, but I’m confident that it is. Rakim changed the way MCing was done, weaving internal rhymes inside his bars and deviated from the simple rhyme patterns that earlier MCs developed. Every song on Paid In Full is jam packed with quotables and Eric B. matched Rakim with some of the best samples you’ll ever find on a record. Eric B. & Rakim would go on to release three more albums before splitting up.

Top 5 Eric B. & Rakim tracks: “I Ain’t No Joke,” “Paid In Full,” “Eric B. Is President,” “Microphone Fiend,” “Juice (Know the Ledge)”

8. De La Soul

If you want to talk about consistency, look no further than De La Soul. The group that launched the era of “hippie rap” or “alternative rap,” De La has been cranking out great hip-hop for the past 23 years. De La has released eight albums over their career and every one was on point. They delivered two classics with 3 Feet High and Rising and De La Soul Is Dead to start their career and haven’t ever fallen off since. They collaborated with legendary producer Prince Paul on their first few albums and of course helped launch the Native Tongue crew alongside the likes of A Tribe Called Quest, Jungles Brothers, Monie Love and others. Posdnous could also find his way on the most underrated MCs list as he has delivered quotable after quotable over the years. You don’t last 23 years in the game if you’re not doing something right and quite frankly De La has never steered us wrong.

Top 5 De La Soul tracks: “Me, Myself & I,” “Buddy,” “Ego Trippin’,” “Stakes Is High,” “Oooh”

7. The Roots

The greatest live hip-hop group of all time and the best hip-hop group in the world today. Think about it, what hip-hop group still recording music together is better than The Roots in 2012? I’ll wait. They are the backing band for Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, they were the live band for Jay-Z’s unplugged performance, they’re Grammy award winners and have consistently put out top notch material for the past 20 years. The group has evolved steadily since its 1993 debut, Organix, dropping a classic in Things Fall Apart and last year’s brilliant concept album, undun. Like De La Soul, the Roots have never released a disappointing album and with the lyrical dexterity of Black Thought and the musical genius of ?uestlove, I’m not sure they ever will disappoint.

Top 5 Roots tracks: “Proceed,” “Clones,” “You Got Me,” “The Seed 2.0,” “Dear God 2.0”  

6. N.W.A.

One of the most controversial groups in music history, N.W.A. got everyone’s attention thanks to a little song called “Fuck The Police” off their debut album Straight Outta Compton. And while that song grabbed N.W.A. headlines initially, it’s the star power and storied career of its members that sticks out 24 years later. N.W.A. consisted of Ice Cube, Dr. Dre, Eazy-E, DJ Yella and MC Ren. That’s three of the biggest names in hip-hop history in one group. Of course Cube left after the group’s debut and went solo causing the remaining members to take shots at Cube over the course of their 100 Miles and Runnin’ EP and their second full-length, Efil4zaggin. And then that was it for N.W.A. But gangsta rap, the G-Funk sound (which Dre created on Efil4zaggin) and the greatest West Coast group of all time was born thanks to the partnership of Dre, Cube, Eazy, Ren and Yella. Not to mention one of the most influential albums ever made in Straight Outta Compton.

Top 5 N.W.A. tracks: “Straight Outta Compton,” “Fuck The Police,” “Express Yourself,” “Dopeman,” “Alwayz Into Somethin’”

5. Public Enemy

Political, militant, unrelenting, menacing and powerful, Public Enemy created a sound all to its own and left the party starting, fluff music for everyone else. You won’t find a blatant attempt at radio play in Public Enemy’s catalog. They made the music they wanted to make and spoke on the issues that mattered most to them. Chuck D. has one of the greatest voices in hip-hop history and the Bomb Squad is a legendary production team. Oh, and then there’s the best hypeman to ever do it in Flavor Flav. P.E.’s run from 1987-1991 is among the best in the game, as they put out classic records and unleashed the signature sound of the Bomb Squad on the world. P.E. is the reason I became a hip-hop fan, so I will always have some bias towards them, but their impact and influence on the genre can’t be denied.

Top 5 Public Enemy tracks: “Rebel Without A Pause,” “Fight The Power,” “Welcome To The Terrordome,” “Can’t Truss It,” “Shut ‘Em Down”

4. A Tribe Called Quest

After watching Michael Rapaport’s Beats, Rhymes & Life documentary, I immediately wanted to throw a Tribe record on, but I was also really sad that the group broke up. Tribe has put out some of the biggest records of my childhood and teen years with songs like “Check The Rhime” and “Scenario.” Q-Tip has one of the illest voices in hip-hop history and was a true crate digger when it came to finding samples for his production. Phife Dawg was the perfect complement to Tip on the mic, as the two outdid one another song after song. The impact A Tribe Called Quest has had on hip-hop is unquestionable and immeasurable. The group released three consecutive classic albums to start their career. Who else can claim the same?

Top 5 A Tribe Called Quest tracks: “Can I Kick It?” “Bonita Applebum,” “Check The Rhime,” “Scenario,” “Award Tour,” “

3. OutKast

Andre 3000 and Big Boi form the best duo to ever grace a mic. Throw in the production of Organized Noize and you have some of the best hip-hop music ever created. They started their career as teens on some true player shit for 1994’s classic Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik, before going to a futuristic sound on their sophomore disc, ATLiens. Then they combined the two styles for the best album of their career, 1998’s Aquemini. Big Boi and 3 Stacks followed that disc with another solid outing in 2000’s Stankonia, which included the greatest ‘Kast song you’ll find in “B.O.B.” Now the album that got the most attention was 2003’s Speakerboxxx/The Love Below, which saw Big Boi tearing up the mic on disc 1, before Andre 3000 went the funk/soul/R&B route on disc 2. The album won the Grammy for Album of the Year, putting a feather in the storied career of OutKast. There have been talks of a new OutKast album at some point, which would be incredible, but with Big Boi’s second solo disc about to drop and Andre 3000 working on his solo effort, we’ll have to wait and see if it ever comes to fruition.

Top 5 OutKast tracks: “Player’s Ball,” “Elevators,” “Rosa Parks,” “Da Art of Storytellin’ (Part 2),” “B.O.B.”

2. Run-DMC

How do you describe the impact Run-DMC had on hip-hop? They were the first true “rock stars” of hip-hop music. Run-DMC is cited as an influence by everyone, their rhymes are quoted by other rappers and in popular culture (watch Dogma and listen to Matt Damon singing the hook to “Run’s House”). They had the world dressing up in tracks suits, with thick gold rope chains, black fedoras and unlaced Adidas. They are the first hip-hop act to go platinum and multiplatinum, the first hip-hop group to have its videos aired on MTV, and the first to get a Rolling Stone cover. Run-DMC brought hip-hop to the masses and did so with some of the best hip-hop music you’ll ever find. And let’s talk about the music. Their debut album featured the classics “Rock Box” and “Sucker M.C.’s” before dropping the classic Raising Hell two years later with “Peter Piper,” “It’s Tricky,” “My Adidas,” “You Be Illin’” and the crossover smash “Walk This Way” with Aerosmith. Not that this weighed my decision in any way, but Run-DMC is also responsible for “Christmas In Hollis,” the greatest hip-hop holiday song of all time.

Top 5 Run-DMC tracks: “King of Rock,” “Rock Box,” “Sucker M.C.’s,” “It’s Tricky,” “Run’s House”       

1. Wu-Tang Clan

How many elite MCs can you put in one group? And then you add one of the greatest producers to ever do it? That’s just not fair. But that’s the Wu, the illest ensemble ever to grace the rap game. Method Man was the original star, while Raekwon and Ghostface formed a tag team within the group, RZA laced the group with some of the grittiest production we’ve ever heard, GZA threw lyrical dart after lyrical dart, Inspectah Deck slayed every verse he was on, U-God brought that baritone voice and wit and then Ol’ Dirty Bastard put a bow on the whole thing with his off the wall antics and vocals. Then Masta Killa and Cappadonna were brought along, providing even more lyrical onslaught. Enter The 36 Chambers is the greatest hip-hop album of all time. It is No. 1 on my list and No. 1 on the list of many. Then you add Tical, Return To The 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx, Liquid Swords and Ironman (each a classic if you ask me) before the highly anticipated double-disc, Wu-Tang Forever. That’s 6 classic albums in a four-year span. And if Wu-Tang Forever was a single disc, you’d have 7 classics. Truly, Wu-Tang Clan ain’t nuthin’ to fuck wit.

Top 5 Wu-Tang Clan tracks: “C.R.E.A.M.” “Wu-Tang Clan Ain’t Nuthin’ To Fuck Wit,” “7^th Chamber,” “Protect Ya Neck,” “Triumph”

Honorable Mention: The Beatnuts; Mobb Deep; Black Moon; Smif-N-Wessun; Jurassic 5; Blackalicious; People Under The Stairs; Pete Rock & CL Smooth; The Alkaholiks; UGK; Atmosphere; Little Brother; Dilated Peoples; Sugarhill Gang; Organized Konfusion; Reflection Eternal/Black Star; The Artifacts; The Pharcyde; Onyx; The Clipse; Digable Planets; Naughty By Nature; Black Sheep; Das EFX; Whodini; Capone-N-Noreaga; Goodie Mob; Nice & Smooth

New Release Tuesday

Today marks the release of Lupe Fiasco's latest creation, Food & Liquor 2: The Great American Rap Album Pt. 1. Fiasco originally wanted to release his latest album as a double-disc, but Atlantic Records wan't on board so Part 2 will drop some time after Christmas.

In the meanwhile, we have 17 new Lupe tracks to hold us over. I'll be honest, I'm up in the air on the whole project because of the controversy over Lasers, the label disputes, the anti-Obama comments, the Pete Rock beef, the Chief Keef beef (which I have no problem with because Chief Keep does indeed suck), the Occupy Wall Street movement, etc., etc., etc. But at the end of the day, it's still new music from one of the best lyricists of the past 10 years and it's named after his debut which was terrific, so you have to expect some banging music from Lupe right?

I have only heard snippets so far, but I've liked what I've heard. I know the production won't be along the lines of Lasers, which is a good thing, and I know Lupe will give some thought provoking lyrics. I'm interested in this disc, as I suspect Fiasco has one of the better albums of the year on his hands.

Song of the Day

Styles of Beyond feat. Michael Bublé - "Damn"
A dude at work told me about this song and I had to hear it because putting Bublé on a hip-hop track? I mean, really? But the song is pretty dope. I love the piano on the beat and Ryu and Tak both bring it with their verses. As for Bublé? Does this mean he has street cred now? He does his job and doesn't sound out of place so I'm gonna go ahead and enjoy this track. Great drinking song.

New Release Tuesday

Got a good one for y'all today as Brother Ali releases his latest disc, Mourning In America and Dreaming In Color. Anybody who's read this site realizes that I'm a huge Ali fan, but how can you not be? The dude is a great lyricist, story teller and one of the most passionate rhyme spitters in the game.

With his newest release, Ali seems to be more on the social and political commentary tip, which is okay, but I really like when Ali explores his personal life and spits some shit from the heart.

I also love his story telling, so hopefully we'll get some of that on here as well. Regardless, it's 14 tracks of new Ali music so how can you go wrong? I've only heard "Stop The Press" off this disc, but it is classic Ali so of course I'm ready to dive right into this album.

Also out today is Kanye West's G.O.O.D. music disc, Cruel Summer. I've always ran to get a new Kanye project, but I have to say I'm not the least bit excited for this album. Maybe Watch The Throne left a bad taste in my mouth, but Kanye just seems to rap about how much shit he has now instead of the heart-on-his-sleeve music that he used to make. 

The album features the likes of Big Sean, Pusha T., Common, Kid Cudi, Jay-Z, Chief Keef, 2 Chainz, R. Kelly, Cyhi the Prince, Mase, John Legend and of course Yeezy himself. I've heard four songs of this disc so far and I've liked only one, "New God Flow." "Mercy" and "Cold" were okay, but a little generic and "I Don't Like" is just not cutting it for me. I think the album will be worth a listen, but if you have to pick one, pick Brother Ali's disc. I promise it will have more memorable lyrics and songs than the G.O.O.D. music album.

Song of the Day

Slaughterhouse - "Goodbye"
Slaughterhouse has lyrics for days, there's no denying that. These guys could just cypher for 60 minutes on an album and it would be tight. But when they dig deeper and get introspective, you really see their gifts as lyricists. Joe Budden starts the track with the story of his lost twins, while Crooked follows with a story about his uncle's bout with cancer. These verses are told with clarity and you can feel the hurt in each MCs voice. I haven't listened to Welcome To Our House yet, in fact I'm way behind on albums, but what I've heard and read it looks like it's decent. Probably won't live up to expectations, but I'm sure there's plenty of fire on there.

Song of the Day

Lil Fame & Termanology - "Fizzyology"
Fame & Term team up to murder this Alchemist banger. Termanology starts the track off and goes off for almost 2 minutes, before Fame brings that M.O.P. sound to the track. Alchemist's beat is as gritty as anything you'll find. This is straight East Coast underground grimyness at it's finest. If this project does actually drop, it'll be dope as hell.

Song of the Day

Aesop Rock - "9-5ers Anthem"
Happy Labor Day y'all! Another banger from Aesop's terrific Labor Days from 2001. Aesop paints a picture of what it looks like to live a 9-to-5 job and want more out of life. Bump this if you're working today and let Aesop take you to another place with his complex lyricism. And nod your head to this bangin' beat as well.

The 20 Greatest Hip-Hop Producers of All-Time

I now present to you the Greatest 20 Producers of All-Time. This list was a lot of fun to make, but it was also incredibly hard to make. Where do you place the legends among today's greats? I looked at both personal favorites and the impact of songs or albums they produced in hip-hop's history. Unlike my Best Of lists for songs and albums of a given year, I tried to keep impact and time in perspective to deliver this list instead of just personal taste. So without further adieu, here it is....

20. DJ Muggs

Muggs is responsible for the Cypress Hill catalog which includes great albums like Cypress Hill and Black Sunday, as well as his Soul Assassins I & II projects and MC/producer collaborations with GZA on Grandmasters and Ill Bill on Kill Devil Hills. The only drawback to his career is he hasn’t branched out to many other artists. Muggs has done a song here and there for artists like Apathy, Funkdoobiest, Goodie Mob, House of Pain, Ice Cube and Xzibit, but otherwise his impact has remained limited to the success of Cypress Hill.

Top 5 Muggs tracks: “How I Could Just Kill A Man” – Cypress Hill; “Insane In The Brain” – Cypress Hill; “Jump Around” – House of Pain; “Check Yo Self” – Ice Cube; “The Foundation” – Xzibit

19. 9^th Wonder

The producer who has best created the Native Tongue sound in the 2000’s, 9^th Wonder brought back that vintage hip-hop feel along with Phonte and Rapper Pooh as Little Brother. 9^th also branched out with Murs to create four different albums, he teamed with Buckshot for a pair of albums and really impressed me with his David Banner collaboration Death of a Pop Star. 9^th has also made a big splash with his remix albums of Jay-Z’s Black Album and Nas’ God’s Son. While 9^th has already put together quite a catalog, his work is far from over. Don’t be surprised if he ends his career as a top 10 producer of all time.

Top 5 9^th Wonder tracks: “Threat” – Jay-Z; “Love Joint Revisited” – Little Brother; “Still Lives Through” – Little Brother; “Silly Girl” – Murs; “The Life of Kings” – Phonte

18. Alchemist

Alchemist has married his sound perfectly with the artists he’s produced for. He collaborated with Curren$y for the terrific Covert Coup as well as this year’s Gangrene album that he co-produced with Oh No. His best known work has come with Mobb Deep and Dilated Peoples as he’s produced some of their best songs. He has certainly left an impact on hip-hop over the past 10 years with production credits for Defari, Terror Squad, Pharoahe Monch, Royce da 5’9”, Smut Peddlers, Ghostface Killah, Slaughterhouse, Raekwon and Reks among others.

Top 5 Alchemist tracks: “Keep It Thoro” – Prodigy; “We Gonna Make It” – Jadakiss feat. Styles P; “Worst Comes To Worst” – Dilated Peoples; “Got It Twisted” – Mobb Deep; “Bang Bang” – Capone-N-Noreaga

17. Just Blaze

One of the men responsible for producing Jay-Z’s classic Blueprint, Just Blaze burst on the scene in 2001 and has been a staple ever since. He did a fantastic job handling the production for Saigon’s debut The Greatest Story Never Told which dropped last year. And he continues to pile up his production credits working with Jay-Z, Cam’ron, Freeway, Fabolous, Fat Joe, Kanye West, Ghostface Killah, Talib Kweli, T.I., Maino, Eminem, Joell Ortiz and Jay Electronica, just to name a few.
Top 5 Just Blaze tracks: “Girls, Girls, Girls” – Jay-Z; “What We Do” – Freeway feat. Beanie Sigel & Jay-Z; “Public Service Announcement” – Jay-Z; “Breathe” – Fabolous; “Live Your Life” – T.I. feat. Rihanna

16. Da Beatminerz

Much like Muggs, Da Beatminerz biggest drawback is a lack of branching out to other artists. They are responsible for a pair of hip-hop classics with Black Moon’s Enta Da Stage and Smif-N-Wessun’s Dah Shinin’. Da Beatminerz crafted the classic N.Y. underground sound of Da Boot Camp Click during the golden age of hip-hop. They also produced tracks for O.C., Black Star, Afu-Ra and Apathy.

Top 5 Beatminerz tracks: “How Many MCs” – Black Moon; “I Got Cha Opin (Remix)” – Black Moon; “Bucktown” – Smif-N-Wessun; “Let’s Git It On” – Smif-N-Wessun; “Leflaur Leflah Eshkoshka” – Fab 5

15. Bomb Squad

Longevity is the biggest thing missing from the Bomb Squad’s career, but holy shit did they have an impact during the time they were in the game. This is the production team responsible for Public Enemy’s It Takes A Nation of Millions To Hold Us Back, Fear of a Black Planet, and Apocalypse 91…The Enemy Strikes Black as well as Ice Cube’s AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted.

Top 5 Bomb Squad tracks: “Public Enemy No. 1” – Public Enemy; “Rebel Without A Pause” – Public Enemy; “Fight The Power” – Public Enemy; “Can’t Truss It” – Public Enemy; “Shut ‘Em Down” – Public Enemy

14. Prince Paul

No one gets overlooked worse than Prince Paul. His impact on hip-hop music is undeniable. He produced classic albums in De La Soul’s 3 Feet High & Rising as well as De La Soul Is Dead, and the Gravediggaz’ 6 Feet Deep. He also produced my favorite concept album in A Prince Among Thieves. And you can’t forget his collaborations with Dan The Automator for the Handsome Boy Modeling School albums. While Paul hasn’t produced a whole lot of hip-hop songs in a while, his contributions to the game can’t be overlooked. The dude produced for De La Soul, Big Daddy Kane, Boogie Down Productions, Slick Rick and Biz Markie. That’s a Hall of Fame line-up right there.

Top 5 Prince Paul tracks: “Me, Myself & I” – De La Soul; “The Gas Face” – 3^rd Bass; “Ego Trippin’” – De La Soul; “1-800-Suicide” – Gravediggaz; “The Truth” – Handsome Boy Modeling School

13. Timbaland

I didn’t know where to place Timbaland as I’m not always a fan of his sound. But after looking at his production discography, it was impossible to leave him off this list. I’ve moved him around on this list a few times, but I think No. 13 is the right choice. His biggest contributions to the game have come in his production for Missy Elliott and he’s had a ton of crossover success with his production for Justin Timberlake, Nelly Furtado and Aaliyah among others. But he has worked with quite a list of hip-hop artists and his sound is definitely distinctive and unique to him. And he produced “Big Pimpin’” for goodness sake. That beat is a monster.

Top 5 Timbaland tracks: “Big Pimpin’” – Jay-Z feat. U.G.K.; “Deliverance” – Bubba Sparxxx; “Work It” – Missy Elliott; “Get Your Freak On” – Missy Elliott; “Is That Yo Bitch” – Memphis Bleek feat. Jay-Z, Missy Elliot & Twista

12. The Neptunes

The Neptunes sort of fell in the same category as Timbaland for me. They have had such an impact on hip-hop over the past decade-plus, but I don’t always love their production. If I were to name my personal favorite producers, I’m not sure they’d make the list. But in terms of impact on the genre, they can’t be denied. They have impacted the careers of The Clipse, Noreaga, Ol’ Dirty Bastard, Mystikal, Jay-Z, Busta Rhymes and Snoop Dogg. Again, to have an impact on artists like those tells you something.

Top 5 Neptunes tracks: “Grinding” – The Clipse; “Superthug (What What)” – Noreaga; “Drop It Like It’s Hot” – Snoop Dogg; “I Just Wanna Love U” – Jay-Z; “Southern Hospitality” – Ludacris

11. J. Dilla

Alright, so I had a difficult time with Dilla. He has had a huge influence on hip-hop and was a part of the Ummah and Soulquarians, as well as the producer for Slum Village. But I have to admit I’ve never really followed Slum Village. And I’m not really sure why. They’re dope, I just never got any of their albums. I also don’t have any of his instrumental albums or his collaboration with Madlib. I don’t know why. I’m embarrassed to say that I don’t have any of these in my collection. I just never got any of them. He’s also got co-production credits as part of the Ummah and Soulquarians, so did he produce those songs? Or did he mix them? I’m not sure who to give the official production credit to. So I’m gonna keep him at No. 11 and realize that I’m probably making a mistake by not having him in the Top 10.

Top 5 Dilla tracks: “Runnin’” – The Pharcyde; “1nce Again” – A Tribe Called Quest; “Stakes Is High” – De La Soul; “Find A Way” – A Tribe Called Quest; “The Light” - Common

10. Havoc

The man behind the beats for Mobb Deep for the most part (Alchemist has definitely put his stamp on the Mobb Deep sound as well). The Mobb never recaptured the magic that was The Infamous, but Hell on Earth and Murda Muzik were both really solid albums. Havoc’s outside production credits include Mic Geronimo, Nas, Notorious B.I.G., Method Man, Capone-N-Noreaga, Lloyd Banks, Jadakiss, Eminem and Bad Meets Evil, which gives him a helluva lineup. The Infamous had so many incredible beats that Havoc’s legacy was already stamped.

Top 5 Havoc tracks: “Survival of the Fittest” – Mobb Deep; “Shook Ones Pt. II” – Mobb Deep; “The Burn” – Mobb Deep; “Back At You” – Mobb Deep; “Why” – Jadakiss

9. Organized Noize

These guys made the best Southern hip-hop of all-time. Period. They are the production team behind OutKast’s Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik and ATLiens, as well as Goodie Mob’s Soul Food, Witchdoctor’s A.S.W.A.T. Healin’ Ritual and Cool Breeze’s East Point’s Greatest Hits. They’ve also linked up with Kurupt, Ludacris, Bubba Sparxxx and Big Boi on his solo venture. I’ve always been a fan of Scarface, but no one made me like Southern hip-hop like the Dungeon Family and Organized Noize was the leading production team behind that.

Top 5 Organized Noize tracks: “Player’s Ball” – Outkast; “Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik” – Outkast; “Hootie Hoo” – Outkast; “Cell Therapy” – Goodie Mob; “Watch For The Hook” – Cool Breeze feat. The Dungeon Family

8. Marley Marl

Marley Marl is a legend in the rap game. He produced so many classic cuts, it’s not even funny. He hasn’t been a major player of late, but his influence is unquestionable. His early work included production for MC Shan, Craig G, Masta Ace, Biz Markie, Big Daddy Kane, Kool G. Rap and LL Cool J. Again, you’re looking at a Hall of Fame line-up when you look at the rappers Marley Marl produced for. And he produced some the biggest hits of those MCs careers.

Top 5 Marley Marl tracks: “The Bridge” – MC Shan; “The Symphony” – Masta Ace, Craig G., Kool G. Rap & Big Daddy Kane; “Nobody Beats The Biz” – Biz Markie; “Ain’t No Half Steppin’” – Big Daddy Kane; “Mama Said Knock You Out” – LL Cool J

7. Rick Rubin

Along with Russell Simmons, Rick Rubin changed the music business with Def Jam Records. This dude put out some of the all-time classics with records by Run-DMC, LL Cool J and the Beastie Boys. That means he produced or co-produced LL’s Radio, Run-DMC’s Raising Hell and the Beasties’ License To Ill. That’s three classic albums by three different artists. He also executive produced Public Enemy’s first albums. Rick turned more to rock and heavy metal putting his production stamp on groups like The Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Black Crowes and Nine Inch Nails, but his influence on the music that we listen to now is unparalleled.  

Top 5 Rick Rubin tracks: “Rock The Bells” – LL Cool J; “It’s Tricky” – Run-DMC; “Paul Revere” – Beastie Boys; “Going Back To Cali” – LL Cool J; “99 Problems” – Jay-Z

6. Erick Sermon

EPMD. You can say that and end the conversation. But E-Dub’s career goes beyond that. He has his solo albums, his production for Redman and Keith Murray, he’s produced for Method Man, Eminem, Raekwon, Scarface, Xzibit, and Ludacris. Erick Sermon’s sound is unforgettable and his production catalog is so damn impressive. EPMD put out enough great music to put Erick Sermon in the Top 10 alone.

Top 5 Erick Sermon tracks: “You Gots To Chill” – EPMD; “Crossover” – EPMD; “Time 4 Sum Aksion” – Redman; “The Most Beautifullest Thing In The World” – Keith Murray; “4,3,2,1” – LL Cool J feat. Method Man, Redman, DMX & Canibus

5. Pete Rock

Pete Rock has always been known as a legendary producer. And most of that is off the strength of his albums with CL Smooth and his knack for making amazing remixes. I know Diddy released an album called We Invented The Remix, but Pete Rock was making dope remixes years before Bad Boy. Pete has also released two installments of his Soul Survivor series, an instrumental album called PeteStrumentals and produced last year’s Monumental with Smif-N-Wessun. He doesn’t have the same amount of work as the next four producers, but he’s definitely a Top 5 producer of all-time.

Top 5 Pete Rock tracks: “T.R.O.Y.” – Pete Rock & CL Smooth; “The World Is Yours” – Nas; “Down With The King” – Run-DMC feat. Pete Rock & CL Smooth; “The Bitch In Yoo” – Common; “Shut ‘Em Down (Remix)” – Public Enemy

4. Kanye West

This man has a pair of classic albums under his belt, a near classic, another great album and he was one of the lead producers for Jay-Z’s classic Blueprint. Nobody has had a bigger impact on the game in the past 10 years behind the boards than Kanye. He’s produced for Jay-Z, Beanie Sigel, Scarface, Talib Kweli, Ludacris, Twista, Dilated Peoples, Jadakiss, Mobb Deep, Slum Village, Mos Def, Cam’ron, The Game, Common, Rhymefest, Lupe Fiasco, Nas, Lil Wayne, Kid Cudi, Drake, Rick Ross, Saigon and Snoop Dogg. That’s a who’s who of hip-hop over the past 11 years. I don’t even know where to begin picking the top 5 Kanye tracks, so I’m just gonna spread it around a little. I could honestly pick 5 songs off Kanye albums and be perfectly fine with it. So I’m just gonna pick my five favorite songs that he produced, and I’m sure I can second guess it all day long.

Top 5 Kanye West tracks: “Through The Wire” – Kanye West; “Heart of the City” – Jay-Z; “Get By” – Talib Kweli; “Stand Up” – Ludacris; “This Way” – Dilated Peoples feat. Kanye West

3. RZA

The best production you’ll find from 1993-1997 belongs to this man. He has six classic albums under his belt, including my favorite album of all time with Wu-Tang’s Enter The 36 Chambers. Everything the Wu put out for four solid years was classic material and RZA was behind the boards for all of it. And if Wu-Tang Forever was compounded into a single disc, he’d have seven classics on his resume. That’s sick. He has also produced for Cypress Hill, The Notorious B.I.G., Big Punisher and Kanye West and Jay-Z. That’s a line-up you can’t mess with. Much like Kanye before him, picking 5 of his best tracks is going to be damn near impossible. I could just say Enter The 36 Chambers and be done with it. But I’ll try anyway.

Top 5 RZA tracks: “Protect Ya Neck” – Wu-Tang Clan; “C.R.E.A.M.” – Wu-Tang Clan; “Bring The Pain” – Method Man; “Shadow Boxin’” – GZA feat. Method Man; “Ice Cream” – Raekwon feat. Ghostface Killah and Cappadonna

2. DJ Premier

I debated between No. 1 & No. 2 for a while. I flipped them both and could argue either as the No. 1 hip-hop producer of all time. I’ll give my reasons for No. 1 in a minute, but know that if you put DJ Premier at No. 1 I can’t really be mad at you. The dude is a hip-hop legend. Premier is responsible for every Gang Starr record, Jeru The Damaja’s first two records, Group Home’s debut and his recent collaboration with Bumpy Knuckles on 2012’s The Kolexxxion. He has also produced for the following MCs and this list goes on forever: KRS-One, Nas, The Notorious B.I.G., Jay-Z, M.O.P., O.C., Rakim, Brand Nubian, Mos Def, Big L, Common, Capone-N-Noreaga, Black Eyed Peas, J-Live, Royce da 5’9”, Snoop Dogg, Xzibit, AZ, Ol’ Dirty Bastard, Ludacris, Reks, Bun B, Apathy, Evidence and Torae. Look at that again. Biggie, Jay-Z, Nas, KRS and Rakim? Oh, and Snoop, Mos Def, Big L and Common? Don’t forget all the underground favorites on that list. That shit is ridiculous. So here’s to finding his 5 best tracks. Where do I start?

Top 5 DJ Premier tracks: “Code of the Streets” – Gang Starr; “The Militia” – Gang Starr; “N.Y. State of Mind” – Nas; “Unbelievable” – The Notorious B.I.G.; “Boom” – Royce da 5’9”

1 Dr. Dre

Looking at Premier’s tracklist, you gotta be someone pretty damn special to claim the No. 1 spot. Look no further than the mighty D.R.E. Here’s who he’s produced for: Eazy-E, N.W.A., The D.O.C., Snoop Dogg, 2Pac, Scarface, The Firm, Ice Cube, Xzibit, Eve, D-12, Busta Rhymes, Knoc-Turn’al, Jay-Z, 50 Cent, Obie Trice, G-Unit, The Game, Nas and Raekwon. You have legends all over that list. He didn’t produce for Biggie, but he did produce for Pac, so that’s a wash. Like Premier, he also produced for Snoop, Jay-Z, Nas and Xzibit. But you add Eminem, 50 Cent, N.W.A., Busta Rhymes, Scarface and Raekwon to that list and it’s a HOLY SHIT kind of list. The biggest difference between Dre and Premier though is albums. Gang Starr has a few albums that can be considered classics. But there’s nothing in Premier’s catalog that stacks up to Straight Outta Compton, The Chronic, Doggystyle and 2001. That’s four classics (which is less than RZA), but 3 of the 4 are among the most influential albums ever made. I wish he would stop teasing us with albums (Dre & Cube’s Helter Skelter, the N.W.A. reunion, Rakim’s Oh My God (which would’ve been co-produced by Premier), and now Detox), but when he releases an album, it’s something special. I’m gonna list his top 5 tracks and I already know I’m omitting “Still D.R.E.”, “Deep Cover,” “My Name Is,” “The Real Slim Shady,” and one of my favorite songs “Fight Music.” This shit is so hard sometimes.

Top 5 Dr. Dre tracks: “Straight Outta Compton” – N.W.A.; “Nuthin’ But A G Thang” – Dr. Dre feat. Snoop Dogg; “Gin & Juice” – Snoop Dogg; “California Love” – 2Pac feat. Dr. Dre; “In Da Club” – 50 Cent

Song of the Day

Liknuts - "Grumpy Crocodile"
Holy shit is this awesome! The Alkaholiks and Beatnuts together to form Liknuts. These are two legendary underground groups that have never gotten their just due and now they've teamed together to make some grimy ass shit. The video for this song is terrific. JuJu looks crazy and Tash doing curls with bottles of Corona is classic. They look like they had a helluva good time making this video.

Song of the Day

Aesop Rock - "Ruby 81"
This is just ridiculous story telling from Aesop. I'm a big fan of Skelethon and this track always grabs my attention and hold me for the entire 2:34. Give this track your full attention, because you're listening to a master artist paint a helluva picture.

Song of the Day

T.I. - "No Matter What"
"Easy let go and let God deal with it." Perfect line. This is my shit.

Song of the Day

Atmosphere - "Fuck You Lucy"
Just because it's appropriate. Classic Atmosphere.

Song of the Day

Big K.R.I.T. feat. Anthony Hamilton - "Porchlight"
Gotta say I was disappointed in K.R.I.T.'s official "debut" album. I can't be mad at K.R.I.T. for giving us so much free music with his mixtapes, but Live From The Underground just didn't do it for me. I knew there would be some Southern bounce shit on there, but there were too many lame hooks and skippable songs. That being said, when K.R.I.T. does deliver, he delivers big time. Songs like "Rich Dad, Poor Dad," "Hydroplaning," "If I Fall," "Don't Let Me Down," "Praying Man" and this Anthony Hamilton blessed track are all on point. If the entire album gave you more of this soulful, introspective music, then it'd be an Album of the Year contender. K.R.I.T. is at his best when he goes beyond the Southern bounce shit and that's what my expectations for him are. More songs like "Dreamin'", "If I Should Die," "My Interpretation," and "Handwriting" and less songs like "I Got This," "What U Mean" and "Yeah Dats Me." Again, I know that's part of his sound and influence being from Mississippi, but I find myself hitting the skip button every time they come on.

New Release Tuesday

Exciting day today as Nas drops his latest, Life Is Good. After "Nasty" was released last year, as well as Nas' appearance on Common's "Ghetto Dreams", the excitement for a new Nas disc was through the roof. From the sound of things, Nas wanted to take his time to put out a new classic disc as everything I've heard off Life Is Good thus far has been been vintage Nas.

"Daughters" is one of my favorite songs of 2012, and "Loco-Motive" with Large Professor sounds like it could've been a left over from Illmatic, which is a good thing. "Accident Murders" with Rick Ross is another banger, as it sounds nothing like the MMG sound, but more like some classic N.Y. hip-hop with a guest verse from Rosay.

Oh, and then there's "The Don" and "Cherry Wine" which both feature posthumous contributions. Heavy D. provided the beat for "The Don" and it's an absolute banger, while Amy Winehouse lends her vocals to "Cherry Wine" for terrific results.

The album cover finds Nas holding Kelis' wedding dress, which would make you think the opposite of Life Is Good, but it appears Nas took the time to really mold his latest and deliver one of his finest efforts. Will it be as good as Illmatic? Probably not. But to be fair, what is as good as Illmatic? Will it be a serious Album of the Year contender? Most certainly.

New Release Tuesday (A Day Late)

It would be wrong of me to hold off on this deal and all heads should be adding this album to their catalog so New Release Tuesday is coming to you on a Wednesday. The new album this week is Aesop Rock's latest, Skelethon.

Before I go into detail, you need to go to Amazon today and download this album because it's only $3.99 for the download and I'm not sure how long that price will be available to you. So go ahead and download it, I'll wait.

Now for the album itself, I've only sampled it as I'm downloading it this very second. I knew "Zero Dark Thirty" since he dropped that as the first single a month or two ago and I heard "Leisureforce" as Aesop is also streaming the album for free on YouTube right now (which led me to Amazon and got me the download for only $3.99). But from the reviews I've read, this may be his most introspective and personal record to date, which I'm sure will be also have to be deciphered after several spins. I also know Aesop produced the entire album himself, which is always a little disappointing to me because I've always preferred Aesop spitting over Blockhead beats, but that's me being picky.

If you don't know Aesop's work, in addition to downloading this disc, do yourself a favor and download Labor Days, the best album Aesop has crafted which was released in 2001. Now, Aesop is going to go over your head with a lot of his lyrics. In fact it'll take you a few listens to ever capture every thing he's spitting on a single track. But, that's part of the fun. The dude interweaves so much lyrical content it's crazy. Regardless, this disc is worth the $4.

Song of the Day

Meyhem Lauren feat. Action Bronson & AG Da Coronoer - "BBQ Brisket"
A dope beat, an appearance from Action and the title is one of my favorite foods out there. How can this song not win? Meyhem has proven himself on Action's albums and now delivers a new mixtape which I haven't copped yet. But if they sound like this, then it's definitely worth the download.

Song of the Day

Oddisee - "Song For That"
I've been lax in posting lately and I apologize for that. I've got a lot of new ideas for posts, including lists of course, because who doesn't love lists? But I wanted to get a Song of the Day out there for all of you so today I stumbled upon a banger from 2008 as Oddisee delivers "Song For That." Oddisee dropped a new disc this year and I've been thinking about buying it but I don't have enough of a history with his music so I went back to the archives and found some of his other shit. This song absolutely knocks. Makes me want the new disc.

Song of the Day

People Under The Stairs - "July 3rd"
Because today is July 3rd, obviously. Also, this is my favorite P.U.T.S. song ever and with the catalog they have that's saying something. If you aren't familiar with People Under The Stairs, then shame on you. But seriously, check out their work. I started with Question In the Form Of An Answer back in 2000, then went back and listened to The Next Step from 1998. O.S.T. is dope, as is Fun DMC, hell their whole collection is worth peeping. I love that Thes One is going out to rent a Genesis game in this track. Great throwback to the younger days.

Song of the Day

Slaughterhouse - "Move On"
This shit is crazy right here. This track dropped in '09 and was remixed for last year's Slaughterhouse EP, but this is the original. All four MCs go in hard on this track and offer some very personal insight to go along with lyrical bullets. It's the track that Royce apologizes to Em for their previous beef. And Crooked absolutely beasts the track. I'm really looking forward to the new Slaughterhouse disc dropping soon!

Song of the Day

XV - "The Kick"
I was sitting on the beach the first time I heard this song and it just absolutely grabbed my full attention and brought me outta my near sleep. The sample is Hans Zimmer's "Time" from Inception, which XV references in his opening line and the cinematic feel works to perfection with XV's narrative about trying to find his way in the rap game. I've only gotten halfway through XV's Popular Culture mixtape (which has the best album cover I've seen in a while) but I've replayed this song countless times. I can't see this NOT making my Best of 2012 list. Go download the mixtape and enjoy some XV. Dude has put out some of my favorite music over the past two years (and yes, I know he's got like 14 other mixtapes, but my first experience with his music was last year's Zero Heroes so I can't front and pretend I've been down with XV from the start).

Song of the Day

Brother Ali - "Stop The Press"
Ali's dropping a new album, Mourning In America and Dreaming In Color, on August 21. This of course has me geeked. Circling the calendar for this one. The entire disc will be produced by Jake One who Ali has amazing chemistry with. Will be a little different hearing all Jake One production and no Ant production on the disc, but I'm sure it will be super dope. This track is Ali at his best as he gives us a very intimate look into his life over the past few years. You really have to just listen and digest it because my words won't do it justice. Get ready for August 21st!

Song of the Day

Large Professor - "Professor @ Large"
I was actually looking for Large Professor's "Kick Da Habit" when I stumbled upon this track. It's only 2 minutes long, but it's Large Pro going hard over a Marco Polo banger, so you know it's all good. Large Professor is so underrated when it comes to hip-hop legends. He's one of the finest rappers/producers the game has ever seen and yet he never gets mentioned with the all-time greats. Maybe he just gets lost in the shuffle or perhaps forgotten? Regardless, the man deserves his due.

Song of the Day

evitaN feat. Sadat X - "3 Kings"
Dres & Jarobi together? Say word. And then a guest spot from Sadat X, this is some vintage East Coast boom bap shit right here. Will Tell on the production and he brings that '90's feel for all three to rip over. Sadat brings my favorite verse and I love the scratches on the hook for this one.

Song of the Day

The Alchemist feat. Danny Brown & Schoolboy Q - "Flight Confirmation"
Only 2 minutes long, but it's 2 minutes of pure dopeness. Danny & Schoolboy share the mic, going about a minute apiece and letting loose all over Al's banging beat. I think I give the nod to Schoolboy narrowly, but that's because of he opens his verse with a tribute to Ol' Dirty Bastard. I just wish they each added one more verse, but the energy is there and it's still one of the better songs I've heard this year.

Song of the Day

SpaceGhostPurrp - "Tha Black God"
SpaceGhostPurrp is getting a lot of love for his new album, Mysterious Phonk: Chronicles of SpaceGhostPurrp. I don't know a whole lot about him, except he's from Florida and he's worked with the ASAP crew (and maybe had beef with them? Not sure on that one). He's produced for ASAP Rocky & Wiz Khalifa among others and he's rereleased some of his older tracks on his new album that dropped today. I'm still trying to find more music and get more familiar with SpaceGhost, but this track is pretty dope. It reminds me a lot of something ASAP Rocky would put out, so maybe that's were the correlation is? Regardless, support underground hip-hop and download SpaceGhostPurrp's new shit on Amazon (only $8.99 for the MP3 download).

Song of the Day

Yasiin Bey & The Brooklyn Philharmonic - "Life In Marvelous Times"
This is just really dope shit right here. Yasiin Bey (Mos Def) lets loose over some live instrumentation from the Brooklyn Philharmonic. I'd love to hear this recorded in the studio as the audio isn't perfect on this live performance, but it's still impressive. I'm hoping Mos (sorry, I can't go with the Yasiin Bey name) drops a new disc in the vein of Black On Both Sides, 'cause with all the dope underground shit that's come out this year it has me feeling very nostalgic.

Song of the Day

Danny Brown - "Grown Up"
I know music videos are hard to find these days since MTV went from Music Television to Reality Television and BET airs crappy sitcoms and Wendy Williams all day, but this video is classic! Danny Brown brings one of my favorites songs of 2012 to life with a little Danny Brown raising hell throughout the video. It also shows how Danny lost his front tooth. The video is hilarious, the song's tremendous and while Danny Brown waxes nostalgic on the track, the video takes me back to the days of great videos from the likes of The Pharcyde and Busta Rhymes. You know, back when videos meant something.

New Release Tuesday

Today's selection is an easy one as Big K.R.I.T. releases his first "official" LP in the form of Live From The Underground. K.R.I.T. has made quite a name for himself with his mixtapes, which could be considered albums since they're jam packed with original music, but for argument sake this is his first album. And you can expect more of the same from K.R.I.T. with this disc - trunk blasting, dirty South, underground hip-hop with lyrics to go. K.R.I.T. has flexed his lyrical muscle on his mixtapes and various guest spots and this disc shouldn't be any different. Guests for the project include Bun B, Ludacris, 8Ball & MJG, 2 Chainz, Devin The Dude, Anthony Hamilton, Melanie Fiona and the great B.B. King. The K.R.I.T. & B.B. collaboration on "Praying Man" has already got me geeked and I'm sure the rest of the album will live up to the hype. I haven't heard the album yet, but based on early reviews it looks like we may have an Album of the Year contender with this one.

Song of the Day

Ab-Soul feat. Kendrick Lamar, Schoolboy Q & Jay Rock - "Black Lip Bastard (Remix)"
The Black Hippy crew comes full force on this banger off Ab-Soul's album, Control System. Kendrick starts the track off and comes hard as hell, before making way for Ab-Soul and Schoolboy, but it's Jay Rock that steals the show. He delivers a mean final verse, just eating the beat for breakfast. This foursome is one of the most exciting crews in hip-hop in years and I'm really looking forward to (at least hoping for) a full-length from these four.

Song of the Day

Outkast - "Slump"
This song came on my iPod on my way home from work last night and the volume went from a 25 to a 42 instantly. I don't care if it made my ears ring, it was completely worth it. I don't need to say much about any song from Aquemini, it's one of the best hip-hop albums to ever be released. I know Speakerboxxx/The Love Below got 'Kast the most recognition globally, but nothing in their catalog compares to Aquemini. It's a hip-hop classic in every sense of the word. "And forever yellin' Hootie-Hoo..."

Song of the Day

Apollo Brown & O.C. - "The Formula"
Spent last week spinning Trophies and it lived up to my expectations. It's raw underground hip-hop with terrific lyricism from O.C. and solid production from Apollo Brown. This song has that mid-90's NY hip-hop sound. It's a head nodder and O.C. brings the heat lyrically as per normal. There are no fancy words to describe Trophies, so I'll keep it simple - it's hip-hop in it's purest form.

Song of the Day

Reks feat. Action Bronson - "Riggs & Murtaugh"
Alright, for starters Reks' final verse on this track is crazy good. Secondly, it's 2 of my favorite underground rappers switching back and forth on the mic over some Statik Selektah production so you know it's going to be dope. Now, I listened to Straight, No Chaser a few times over the past 2 days and it's definitely an Album of the Year contender. I like the Reks-Statik collabo for the album, I just wish there was some other production like DJ Premier and Pete Rock, who both brought bangers for R.E.K.S., but that's nitpicking. Reks is 100% on his game for the enitre album and brings more than just battle raps, he's got some insightful songs and thought provoking songs as well, which he normally does anyway. And as for Bronson, I saw him perform live this past Tuesday and he was a beast. The dude just raps his ass off and gets the crowd heavily involved as he walked off the stage 4 or 5 times and walked around the crowd stopping to spit his rhymes while fans rapped right along with him. I was lucky enough to have him stop right in front of me and my group as he was performing "Barry Horowitz" which is my favorite Bronson joint, so it was definitely a memorable night. If Action comes to a city near you, make sure you peep his live show. It's well worth it!

Song of the Day

Boyz II Men feat. Treach, Craig Mack, Busta Rhymes & Method Man - "Vibin' (Remix)"
Saw Boyz II Men perform this weekend and they were absolutely terrific. Great show, great vocals and some nice nods to the old school including some classic dance moves. Went back to listen to some of their old records and remembered this gem from 1995. Boyz II Men don't do any more than sing the hook on this remix, but all four MCs are on their game as this was dropped shortly after the likes of "Woo-Hah!!", "Flava N Ya Ear" and "All I Need" all hit big. Gotta love the video as well as Big Lez is in the crowd. Shout out to Rap City, which I used to watch everyday after school. (Shout out to Joe Clair aka Joe Cleezy too!)

Song of the Day

Killer Mike feat. Bun B, T.I. & Trouble - "Big Beast"
Killer Mike dropped a new album, R.A.P. Music, this Tuesday, produced entirely by El-P. This was the first track I heard off the album and as it came on my iPod today, I realized I liked it a lot more than I initially though. Killer Mike brings his normal energy, while Bun and Tip both add solid verses in a guest role. I think I might check this album out as I'm a fan of Big Mike and El-P seperately, I'm just curious how an entire album of Mike over Producto production will sound.

Song of the Day

Nas - "Daughters"
I've had this song for a few weeks now, but never really gave it a solid listen. After a long day yesterday, I was exhausted and feeling a little stressed and put this on when I was going to bed and it completely took my mind away from all the other shit that was going on. This is classic Nas. No I.D. on the production as Nas gives insight into being a father and having to worry about his baby girl. Check this line, "They say the coolest players and foulest heart-breakers in the world/God gets us back, he makes us have precious little girls."

Song of the Day

Nas - "Dance"
Happy Mother's Day! Nas paid homage to his mother who lost her battle with breast cancer on 2002's God's Son. It's a touching song and a great reminder to all of us to love and appreciate every moment we have with our mom's not only on this day, but every day.

Song of the Day (R.I.P. Maurice Sendak)

Aesop Rock - "Babies With Guns"
With the passing of author Maurice Sendak, I've lost two figures from my childhood in the past week. When MCA passed away, I listened to Licensed To Ill that night to remember him. I may watch Where The Wild Things Are this week to remember Sendak, but in the mean time I figured I'd give him a shout out in hip-hop form. So what does that have to do with "Babies With Guns" you ask? Aesop spits, "I walk face first through the sex, guns and church/With Wild Things that make Maurice Sendak question his early works." Only Aesop could spit something that ill. Thanks for the memories Maurice.

Song of the Day

Black Rob - "Authentic"
I saw this shit posted online and it grabbed my attention because I was interested in how Black Rob would come on his new shit. Then I saw it was produced by Erick Sermon and I clicked on the link immediately. I've always liked B.R., but as with most artists, I was afraid his music would really fall off from a production standpoint without any real support or in house production team. But E-Double brought him a grimy backdrop for B.R. to get street on and delivered a solid new track. It ain't groundbreaking, but it's nice to hear Black Rob go hard again.

Song of the Day

Blueprint - "Trouble On My Mind"
This song came on my iPod as I was driving home from work at 3:30 a.m. this morning and brought a huge smile to my face. My head started nodding and I thought about Blueprint's terrific 1988 from 2005. Blueprint is one of my favorite artists and his work with RJD2 as Soul Position is some of the best hip-hop of the past 10 years. But he went for dolo on 1988 and didn't miss a beat. Of course the Public Enemy influence on this track's title wins points with me as well. Welcome to the Terrordome.

Song of the Day

Red Eye feat. Ruste Juxx, Reks, Reef The Lost Cauze,Shabaam Sahdeeq, M-Dot, Sha Stimuli, Nutso & Midaz - "Unfukwitable"
This posse cut is just so damn dope. Red Eye brings a group of underground heroes to flow over a sample of The Who's "Love Reign O'er Me" to terrific results. Every MC steps up to the challenge of the rapper before them and I was so happy to hear Sahdeeq again. I haven't heard him in a while and I expected his career to take off along with Mos Def, Talib Kweli and Pharoahe Monch back in 1999. Not to mention Reks is on this joint as well, as he's been one of my favorite MCs of the past few years. The whole track is close to 7 minutes of certified dopeness.

Now my name is MCA....

Today marks a sad day as another hip-hop legend has passed. Adam Yauch, aka MCA of the Beastie Boys, died today at the age of 47. Yauch had been battling cancer for the past three years and passed away this afternoon. The Beastie Boys are one of the first rap groups I ever heard, as their debut, Licensed To Ill, dropped in 1986 when I was only 7 years old. My older brother got the tape for his birthday and listened to it over and over and over again. I remember hearing "No Sleep Till Brooklyn" for the first time and asking my dad what "skeezing with a whore" meant. It's not every day your 7-year-old is asking what a whore is.

I also remember loving "Brass Monkey" but having absolutely no idea what "Brass Monkey" was. Now, I listen to that album and reminisce on my high school and college years when Licensed To Ill was officially "old school" hip-hop. It's still one of my favorite albums to this day.

Yauch and the group grew musically over the years, teaching themselves how to play instruments and continuing on a rock/alternative hip-hop sound on Check Your Head and Ill Communication and bringing us such classics as "So Whatchu Want," "Sabotage," and "Sure Shot" among others.

I saw the Beasties perform along with A Tribe Called Quest and it remains one of my favorite shows of all time. Their music will always mean a lot to me and I'm glad they were recognized with the Rock-n-Roll Hall of Fame honors this past year. I'm just sad I won't get to see them perform again or get any new music from the Beasties.

The Beastie Boys released their final album last May which is quite a feat considering their first album dropped in 1986. Thank you MCA for all the great music over the years. You will be missed.

And now, here's "No Sleep Till Brooklyn" - go listen to Licensed To Ill and sip a cold one!

Song of the Day

Kendrick Lamar - "Average Joe"
Went back and downloaded Kendrick's Overly Dedicated project from 2010. I don't know if you would call it a mixtape since Kendrick said he doesn't really do mixtapes, but whatever it is, it's really dope. This song is among the highlights as it has that true West Coast laid back vibe while Kendrick flexes his lyrical muscles all over the beat. The hook is "I'm no gangsta, no killer, I'm just your Average Joe." Simple enough, but dope regardless. Kendrick flips an Eminem line with "I don't do black music/I don't do white music/I do every day life music." Looking forward to that new Kendrick album.

New Release Tuesday

I mentioned last week that Apollo Brown & O.C.'s collaboration album, Trophies, was released exclusively on iTunes a week early, but if you were waiting for the physical copy or you buy your music on Amazon, Trophies is available today. What you can expect from the album is throwback production from Apollo Brown to match one of the best MCs and most slept-on MCs of the '90's making a big time return here in 2012.

O.C. never really went away, but his appearances have been few and far between over the last decade, so having him back for an entire album is very welcome. I've heard "Prove Me Wrong" and "We The People" as well as snippets of some other songs and it's exactly what I expected - truly dope hip-hop music in it's purest form. If you're looking for a party starter, a club banger or a track that's going to get routine radio rotation, you won't find it hear. If you're looking for head nodding beats with lyrics for days, then you've come to the right place. With this album and Reks' Straight No Chaser being released in consecutive weeks, it's a great time for lyrical hip-hop to shine.

Song of the Day

ScHoolboy Q feat. A$AP Rocky - "Hands On The Wheel"
I really thought I put this song on here a few months ago, but it looks like I forgot, so here it is for all of you to enjoy. This is one of my favorite tracks so far in 2012. Schoolboy definitely has a Kendrick Lamar vibe, which is no surprise since they run in the same crew, and I'm really feelin' A$AP Rocky. This track flips Lissie's cover of Kid Cudi's "Pursuit of Happyness" and has a hook of "Weed and brews, weed and brews, life for me is just weed and brews." Pretty simplistic, but it sticks in your head. You'll definitely be seeing this song again on my Best of 2012 list.

Song of the Day

Apollo Brown & O.C. - "We The People"
O.C. and Apollo Brown teamed up for Trophies, which was supposed to drop next week, but has been released a week early on iTunes. You can download the album for $9.99 and you should do it NOW! I was impressed with Apollo's production on his album The Reset from 2010 and he brings some more of that old boom-bap head nodding hip-hop production on this project with one of my favorite MCs. O.C. has done his best work over this type of production, so there's no surprise that this effort came out so strong. O.C. blesses this track with food for thought while Apollo Brown brings a beat straight outta 1997. This sounds like it could've been on O.C.'s Jewelz, as it has that vintage sound to it. Peep this song and then get on iTunes and purchase the album.

New Release Tuesday

Only one album worth checking out today, and even if there were 5 albums to check this would be No. 1 on the list, as Reks releases his latest, Straight No Chaser, produced entirely by Statik Selektah. Now I have to admit that I was hoping for another Premo banger on here since "25th Hour" was one of the best songs of 2010, but Statik proved that his production is good enough to carry an entire album on 1982 with Termanology and Well Done with Action Bronson, so you can expect some bangers on here. That and Statik and Reks teamed up for "This or That" which is one of Reks' best songs ever.

2012 hasn't been a huge year for hip-hop so far, but those that have released projects have come correct such as Big K.R.I.T., Action Bronson, Jon Connor, Gangrene and De La Soul. Add Reks to that list as he has another winner on his hands with Straight No Chaser.

And if you aren't familiar with Reks, google "Autographs" and you'll see how damn good he is. Now imagine 13 more songs in the same vein and you'll see what you're getting with Straight No Chaser. Guests spots include Action Bronson, Termanology, Slaine, Wais P, Kali and JFK, so the Showoff family is definitely involved here, but make no mistake it's still a Reks album. Just as he proved with last year's guest heavy R.E.K.S., Reks is willing to share some spotlight with his guests, but he sure as hell ain't gonna get overshadowed.

Song of the Day

Showbiz & A.G. - "The Bond"
New Show & A.G. and that's all that really needs to be said. Excited for their new album, which will be released for free on May 8. This track discusses longevity and all the great groups that broke up over time. A.G. spits, "Insane, the fame is a roller coaster." It's a shame to think of all the greats that have had falling outs over the years. Glad to hear these two making music together again. And the song finishes with a new D.I.T.C. album coming? I can only hope that's true.

The Real Summer Blockbuster: The Art of Rap

Ice-T is behind the new movie, Something From Nothing: The Art of Rap, which drops this June and I have to say, this looks great! We had The Show back in 1995 as well as Rhyme & Reason in 1997, both of which were decent documentaries on hip-hop, but The Art of Rap looks like it's going to be better than both. I watched the Tribe Called Quest documentary recently and really enjoyed it, although it still kills me that Tribe broke up, and I'm a big fan of documentaries so I'm sure this movie won't disappoint. Interviews with Common, Eminem, Public Enemy, Rakim, Dr. Dre, Nas, Big Daddy Kane, Raekwon, Kanye West, KRS-One, Doug E. Fresh, DJ Premier, Run DMC, etc. It's a dream team of hip-hop legends past and present. And it looks like it's hip-hop in the purest form instead of getting the "hottest" names and wasting interviews on Flo Rida and Pitbull or Odd Future and 2 Chainz or some shit like that. Peep the trailer, it'll get you amped.

Song of the Day

Organized Konfusion - "Stray Bullet"
This song, I mean HOLY SHIT, what more can I say? Pharoahe Monch's opening verse is one of the best you'll ever hear. This song is told through the eyes of a stray bullet and what it hits as it goes through the streets. The concept is terrific and the execution is even better. Prince Po's verse is really good, but it gets overshadowed by what Monch does with the first verse. Organized's 1994 album, Stress: The Extinction Agenda, is outstanding from start of finish and there are so many highlights that if you haven't heard it yet then what the HELL are you waiting for? Seriously, with all the horrible shit out there these days you owe it to yourself to sit back and listen some real lyricism.

Song of the Day

Reflection Eternal feat. Jay Electronica, J. Cole & Mos Def - "Just Begun"
I remember this shit dropping back in '09, but I never got my hands on it. I've been meaning to get Revolutions Per Minute for a while now, but I get so much new music all the time that I just haven't taken the time to go back and get the album. This song is pure fire though. Talib gets things rolling before Electronica comes in and owns the track. He starts his verse, "Smile on my face, tears of a sad clown/Feelin' out of place as I whistle a cab down/If I tip extra, can I huff a cig?/Blow my smoke out the window, droppin' ashes on the bridge," before spitting "I wanna go to the slum/And throw my money on the floor like the Notorious B.U.M." Cole holds his own and Mos closes the track saying, "The funky Four Horsemen and one more/With Hi-Tek on the score/Once more, of course." And yes, Hi-Tek's production is the perfect sound for these four MCs to get nice on.