Time for 1997. The best years in hip-hop for me were 1991-96, while ’97 is a bit of a dip in quality. Looking at the lists, there’s a lot of great music in ’97, it’s just not as strong as the other years so the drop off seems magnified. Still dope shit regardless. So let’s get down to business.
Best of 1997
Best Songs
20. “The Theme (It’s Party Time)” – Tracey Lee
Philly’s own Tracey Lee made his debut with this party anthem. Tracey Lee released a solid debut with Many Facez, taking on various personalities to drop different styles. A cool concept which produced mixed results. This track, as well as the Biggie collaboration “Keep Your Hands High,” are the true standouts on the album.
19. “Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Could See” – Busta Rhymes
A great song with an even better video. Busta rhymed along with an elephant, had people doing tribal dances with neon paint in black lights, the whole thing was crazy good. The beat on this track is minimal, but fantastic and Busta made the phrase, “What the dilly-o?” a household phrase used everywhere, including an episode of The Simpsons.
18. “Wild For The Night” – Rampage feat. Busta Rhymes
Busta’s Flipmode partner released his solo debut in 1997 and this was the first single. Coming three years after Rampage’s “Beware of the Rampsack” single, which was my initial exposure to the Last Boy Scout, this track was hard hitting and Busta wylin’ out on the hook was terrific.
17. “Phone Tap” – The Firm
In theory, the Firm should’ve been one of the best hip-hop albums. Nas, AZ, Foxy Brown, and Nature rapping over Dre beats? How could that go wrong? Unfortunately supergroups rarely work. Not that the Firm album was awful, it just fell a little short. “Phone Tap,” however, did not. It was a great concept and executed wonderfully. The production on this track was terrific as well.
16. “Pronto” - CRU
What ever happened to CRU? They released a really dope debut album in 1997 and then just fell off the face of the Earth. This was the best song off their only album and it was a head nodder. Yogi brought some great lines on this one, while the Mighty Ha’s gruff voice really made the hook.
15. “Where I’m From” – Jay-Z
“Cough up a lung/Where I’m from/Marcy, son/Ain’t nuthin’ nice.” This beat was sinister. This was the hardest track on the In My Lifetime Vol. 1 and the closest thing to Reasonable Doubt. I liked Jay’s second album, it wasn’t a classic, but it had some nice songs. This was the best of the bunch.
14. “Jungle Brother” – Jungle Brothers
Loved this song when it came out. The beat has so much energy to it and Mike Gee and Baby Bam sound really fresh on it. This track takes me back every time I hear it. A lot of positive lyrics here like, “Now if I worry too much about all my have nots/I might not recognize just what I’ve got.”
13. “Luchini” – Camp Lo
Some old ‘70’s soul sounding hip-hop here. Camp Lo brought a vintage sound and vintage style to hip-hop. Glad to see that they’ve made a bit of comeback here in 2011. Their debut, Uptown Saturday Night, was chock full of dope cuts, none better than this one. This is it, what!
12. “Victory” – Puff Daddy feat. The Notorious B.I.G. & Busta Rhymes
This track dropped shortly after Biggie passed and had us all thankful to hear Big’s voice again. An incredible song with the Rocky-sampled beat and Busta on the hook, Puff pushed all the right buttons with this one.
11. “Step Into A World (Rapture’s Delight)” – KRS-One
Some all-time greats made quite an impact in 1997, as KRS, Rakim and EPMD all released albums. Of the three, I liked KRS’s album the most thanks to songs like this one. A great throwback to some old school boom-bap hip-hop, KRS destroyed this track.
10. “Da Joint” – EPMD
As I said above, great to have some legends putting out new material in ’97. I heard “Never Seen Before” on the How To Be A Player soundtrack and loved it. Then this song dropped as the second single off Back In Business and it was all over. The beat on this is one of my favorites from the year.
9. “Guantanamera” – Wyclef Jean feat. Lauryn Hill
Wyclef’s take on Cuba’s most famous song and he flipped it into a really dope hip-hop song. The beat is sick, ‘Clef does a nice job with the vocals and Lauryn Hill kills it with her guest spot.
8. “Dangerous” – O.C. feat. Big L
Two of D.I.T.C.’s finest and my two favorite MCs from the crew got together for this joint and ripped it apart. Mr. Walt on the beat for a vintage hip-hop sound. Both MCs are ridiculous on this one, but Big L got me to go “Oh Shit!” the first time I heard it.
7. “Soul In The Hole” – Wu-Tang All-Stars
Taken from the soundtrack for the film of the same name, this track was nasty. Super dope beat. It’s hard as hell. Shyheim drops the illest verse on the track, “I know n-ggas liver than Allen Iverson/Take it to the hole and roll it in/Triple-doublin’/Suicide drills get your calves built/Crossovers ill…”
6. “Notorious Thugs” – The Notorious B.I.G. feat. Bone Thugs-N-Harmony
Didn’t know which song to pick off Life After Death. Contemplated “Kick In The Door,” “I Got A Story To Tell,” and “Ten Crack Commandments,” but then I remembered my reaction the very first time I heard “Notorious Thugs,” ….HOLY SHIT!!! Biggie just out did Bone using their own rhyme style. And remember Bone was huge back then. Biggie brought a lot more guests for the album, but no collaboration stood out as much as this. I still love this track to this day, so I’m giving it the nod over the other three.
5. “Guess Who’s Back?” – Rakim
Already discussed KRS-One and EPMD’s contributions to ’97, but neither of them got me as amped as Rakim’s return single. The beat on this one is straight up bonkers and Rakim shows why he’s the God MC. Even though his most influential work had happened a decade before, the 18th Letter brought his style into the late ‘90’s and sounded as dope as ever.
4. “Do You Believe?” – The Beatnuts
This is some hard hitting shit right here. The beat on this is one of the Beatnuts’ finest. Juju opens the song in fine fashion dropping, “It’s ill when I’m heated how my heart stay cold.” So mean. It’s phenomenal. Love the hook on this track as well. “Do you believe in God?/You do, tell him to save you.”
3. “Tried By 12” – East Flatbush Project
I was about to write how “Do You Believe?” was the meanest song on this list. Not so. This is one of the most in your face, raw, sinister and incredible tracks you’ll find. This is the best beat of ’97, hands down. And the hook on this is just sinister, “I’ll sign my name in the book at your funeral.”
2. “G.O.D.” – Common feat. Cee-Lo
This is the polar opposite of “Tried By 12.” One of the most introspective and thought provoking hip-hop songs ever recorded as Common and Cee-Lo both take turns breaking down one of the least talked about topics in hip-hop music: Religion. Common’s verse is incredible. I love the piano on this track and Cee-Lo signing on the hook was a goose bump moment the first time I heard it. “I’ve lived and I’ve learned/I have taken and I’ve earned/I have laughed and I’ve cried/I have failed and I’ve tried/Sunshine, pouring rain/I’ve found joy through all my pain/I just want to be/Happy being me.” This song has been inspirational to me on more than one occasion. Will always be one of my favorite songs.
1. “Triumph” – Wu-Tang Clan
The Wu’s back!!! Four years after releasing my favorite album ever made, the whole Clan was back together for 1997’s double LP, Wu-Tang Forever. And to commemorate the event, Wu kicked the damn door down with this first single. Every MC flexes his muscles on this track (with the exception of Ol’ Dirty, who does the intro and the break). Inspectah Deck’s verse to open the track is an all-time hip-hop quotable and one of the greatest verses you’ll find. “I bomb atomically/Socrates philosophies/And high prophecies/Can’t define how I be dropping these/Mockeries/Lyrically perform armed robbery/Flee with the lottery/Possibly they spotted me…” WHAT?! That’s untouchable. The beat was of course on point, the lyrics were top notch and it was so damn refreshing to hear the whole Wu together on a track again. Oh, and the video with the Wu as Super Heroes remains one of the freshest hip-hop videos in history.
Best Albums
10. Stone Crazy – The Beatnuts
This could’ve been a great album, but for whatever reason, the ‘Nuts decided to sprinkle in a bunch of interludes turning a 17-track album into 12 songs and 5 pointless breaks. I just can’t stand interludes or skits or anything like that. As for the good, it had plenty. Not only did this album contain “Do You Believe?” it also brought us “Off The Books,” the tremendous collaboration with Cuban Link and Big Punisher. “You better watch your step!”
9. The War Report – Capone-N-Noreaga
In a time of flashy videos, shiny suits and ‘80’s samples, this brought true hardcore, street hip-hop back to the East Coast. This was grimy as can be. Tragedy Khadafi was the unofficial third member on this one, and helped CNN put together a fantastic debut album. Lots of great tracks on this one, but my favorite is “Bloody Money.”
8. Jewelz – O.C.
Excellent effort from O.C. on this one. From collaborations with Big L (“Dangerous”), Organized Konfusion (“War Games”), Freddie Foxxx (“Win The G,” and “M.U.G.”), to great production from DJ Premier (“My World”), Buckwild, Da Beatminerz, Showbiz and Lord Finesse, this album is all you can ask for from underground hip-hop. And O.C. doesn’t get by with great producers or guest spots, he more than holds his own on the mic. One of the most underrated MCs to ever to do it.
7. In My Lifetime Vol. 1 – Jay-Z
Tough year for Hov, as he was coming off the classic Reasonable Doubt, and dealing with the aforementioned shiny suit era. Jay missed the mark on “The City Is Mine,” “I Know What Girls Like” and “(Always Be My) Sunshine,” all of which are among the most forgettable songs of his career, and all of which made Reasonable Doubt fans mad as hell. But this album wasn’t a failure, despite those misfires. Jay still brought some great tracks with “Streets Is Watching,” “Lucky Me,” “Who You Wit II,” “Where I’m From,” and “You Must Love Me.” For most artists, this album would’ve been the highlight of their career. For Hov, it’s towards the bottom of his catalog.
6. I Got Next – KRS-One
This is my favorite KRS solo effort. Lots of quality songs on this one. Great collaborations with Redman on “Blowe” and “Heartbeat,” which also featured a verse from Angie Martinez. KRS definitely brought a taste of old school hip-hop on the album, as “Step Into A World,” and “Heartbeat” has that old boom bap feel to them. My other favorites were “The MC” and “A Friend.”
5. Da Dirty 30 – CRU
30 tracks long, this could’ve been trimmed to 20 songs (again, get rid of the DAMN skits, they’re pointless!!!) But it had so much good music on it. Like the B.U.M.S., I would’ve liked to see CRU put out some more music. Great guest spots on this one included Slick Rick, Black Rob, Ras Kass and the LOX. I heard several of these songs on a promo mixtape from Def Jam that I got before the album dropped and knew the album had the potential to be a good one. Da Dirty 30 lived up to my hopes for it.
4. One Day It’ll All Make Sense – Common
So many great tracks on this album and my first true digestion of Common’s music (I got this before I owned Resurrection). I got this album, as well as The Firm CD, on my birthday and while I was much more excited for The Firm album, Common blew that album out of the water. “G.O.D.” was my No. 2 song from ’97, but “Real N-gga Quots,” “Retrospect For Life” (featuring Lauryn Hill), and “Food Funk” are all deserving of being on the Top 20 list. The “Stolen Moments” trilogy is exceptional storytelling and it was fresh to hear Common exchange verses with Canibus on “Making A Name For Ourselves,” in a true showcase of lyricism.
3. The Carnival – Wyclef Jean
I loved, loved, LOVED this album when it first came out. I listened to this all the damn time. It was the perfect follow up to The Score. While still great, I haven’t reached for the album in a while. It just hasn’t had the same replay value as some of the other great albums of the ‘90’s. I already discussed the “Guantanamera” cover, but this also featured the Bee-Gees sampled “We Trying To Stay Alive” featuring Pras & John Forte, “Bubblegoose,” “Gone Till November,” “Street Jeopardy,” and the excellent “Gunpowder.”
2. Wu-Tang Forever – The Wu-Tang Clan
It couldn’t be 36 Chambers, and I knew that going into it, but to this day I’m convinced that if this were a single disc it would be a classic along the lines of the Clan’s debut album. But the Wu still brought it on this double disc and given their buzz at the time, I can’t blame them for striking while the iron was hot. For arguments sake, if I were to break this down into a 12-song single album (much like 36 Chambers), here’s what it would look like: 1. Reunited; 2. For Heaven’s Sake; 3. Cash Still Rules/Scary Hours; 4. Visionz; 5. A Better Tomorrow; 6. It’s Yourz; 7. Triumph; 8. The City; 9. The Projects; 10. Bells of War; 11. Dog Shit; 12. Heaterz. But that would mean we’d never hear “As High As Wu-Tang Get,” “Impossible,” “Deadly Melody,” “Duck Seazon,” etc., etc., etc. So bottom line is, it’s still a great album and in hindsight I’m glad the Wu gave us 2 discs worth of dope music.
1. Life After Death – The Notorious B.I.G.
Was there really any doubt? And while Wu-Tang Forever could have been made a single disc, I’m not so sure Life After Death would’ve had the same effect as a single disc. That’s not to say that some tracks aren’t better than others, but with Biggie’s murder shortly before the album dropped, we wanted all the Biggie music we could possibly get our hands on. And given how posthumous albums are usually handled, I’d be afraid of what some of these songs would’ve become if they were released after the fact with whatever rapper was hot at the time added to the song. This album had everything you could want from commercial, party songs (“Hypnotize,” “Mo’ Money, Mo’ Problems”), to songs for the ladies (“F-ck You Tonight”), great storytelling (“N-ggaz Bleed,” “I Got A Story To Tell,”), top of the line lyricism (“Ten Crack Commandments,” “Kick In The Door”), big name collaborations (Jay-Z, Bone Thugs, R. Kelly, Lil’ Kim, Too $hort) and production from everyone from DJ Premier to RZA, The Hitmen, Buckwild and Easy Mo Bee. This album will always take on different meaning because of the timing of the release to his death, but even if they had happened years apart, Life After Death would still be among the great hip-hop albums ever made.
So that puts a wrap on 1997. It certainly had some highlights, but the sound wasn’t the same that year. I’ve made “Best of” playlists for every year from 1991 to the present and I don’t go to the Best of ’97 nearly as much as the others. Still fun to look back on it though.
‘98’s next and it includes two classic albums, one big debut and my favorite albums from two legendary groups. Stay tuned.
No comments:
Post a Comment