Top 10 East Coast Rap Records (Part II) - The Alternative
Mar 24 '04
The Bottom Line Can I get an encore, do you want more?
Having submitted my slightly commercial-heavy list of top 10 east coast rap records a couple of weeks ago, I felt obliged to write an alternative review, with a combination of records that: Were not quite good enough to make my first top 10 list or records that I feel are constantly overlooked in album reviews as ‘album track highlights’.
Therefore, the purpose of this review is to highlight particular east coast rap favourites of mine that don’t get half the respect that I feel they deserve. Enjoy.
10) Pete Rock and C.L Smooth – T.R.O.Y
I’m sure it didn’t take you Epinionists long to figure out that this record is not overlooked by other tracks on ‘The Mecca and the Soul Brother’, but I feel that a list of twenty top east coast records is not complete without ‘They reminisce over you’.
In truth, this record is worthy of a higher spot in this list, but the fact that every reviewer and his dog as commented on T.R.O.Y meant that I wouldn’t be saying anything about this record that hasn’t been said a million times before. What I will say though, is that the sheer brilliance of the saxophone loop took the foundations of Jazz-rap to a whole new place, and I’m greatly surprised that the use of a saxophone as a prominent sample within a record hasn’t been used more often in contemporary hip-hop given the success of it on TROY.
09) Genius/GZA – B.I.B.L.E
Again, like the previous record, B.I.B.L.E is seen as the strong-point of a very-good album, and is not particularly overlooked, but it’s another example of a record that I would be stupid not to include in a compilation of classic east coast tracks. Since getting ‘Liquid Swords’ I have to admit that I haven’t appreciated the album for the masterpiece that reviewers call it (don’t get mad at me), however RZA’s production which is too bleak even for my comparatively hardcore taste’s on the album as a whole is perfect on B.I.B.L.E.
Killah Priest's brilliantly retrospective lyrics on this track create a ‘Liquid Swords’ equivalent of C.R.E.A.M. in regards to narrative quality, that has quickly established itself as my favourite Wu-Tang solo project record. In fact, I rate this record as highly as Common Sense’s – I used to love her, in terms of originality with the title of the record (Basic instructions before leaving earth) and the abbreviation encompassing both the religious and social overtones of Killah’s lyrics.
08) Jay-Z – Can’t knock the Hustle
The very calming beat of BIBLE leads me nicely onto what I believe is the most soulful record on ‘Reasonable Doubt’ – Can’t knock the Hustle. Admittedly, I’m not the greatest fan of female r&b vocalists on hip-hop record hooks – “put a famous b#tch on a hook, have a platinum cd” – Nas, however, this is a one of the few exceptions, and the combination of the hook and the EPMD sample perfectly suit to Jay’s flow. Although I wasn’t quite old enough to understand the greatness of hip-hop when the likes of Jay, Nas, Jeru and AZ released their mid-90’s classic albums, I listen to tracks like ‘Can’t knock the hustle’ and can instantly picture the buzz that must have been present in NY in 96 and am immediately jealous of those New Yorkers who witnessed the new school revolution first-hand.
Also, this record is always overlooked in reviews of Reasonable Doubt, with reviewers claiming that ‘Brooklyn’s finest’ or ‘Dead Presidents II’ are the standout records on the album, however ‘Can’t Knock the Hustle’ is far an away the best example of lyricism on the album with Jay only coming close to topping the opening track lyrically on 㢺 Two's’.
07) Blackstar – Definition
The reason for the inclusion of ‘Definition’ is due to the fact that whenever I see a review of Mos Def and Talib Kweli are Blackstar, the album highlight is always ‘respiration’. Whilst I am not denying that this is a poor track, the sheer audacity of Mos and Talib to say that they ‘rule hip-hop’ and that they’re the ‘best alliance in hip-hop’ on ‘Definition’ despite only making mix-tapes and a few ‘ep’s’ prior to Blackstar epitomises the justifiable self-belief in all the great rappers of days gone-by, and represented the sort of revival that the duo inspired in hip-hop music during the late 90’s.
06) Brand Nubian – One for all
Brand Nubian are not mentioned half as much as they should be in rap music review categories, and it is tracks like ‘One for all’ that leave me confused as to why they are not mentioned. They display the classic late-80’s / early 90’s jazz-rap sound that was obviously championed by TCQ and De La Soul, and whilst you could say that lyrically and from a production standpoint, Brand Nubian are not as astute as their old-school peers, it is that daisy age sound – best illustrated in the title track of Brand Nubian’s late 90’s album – that in my opinion even in ten years will be as infectious now as the day that I brought it.
05) Organized Confusion – 3,2,1
This record is part of Organized Confusion’s album Stress: the extinction agenda – another album that is under-rated on Epinions despite it’s obvious brilliance in versatility, switching between classic old-school jazz samples and beats that take a grimy new school tone. In my opinion this is the highlight of the album, with Pharoahe Monch’s flow and lyricism on this track being insane even by his standards, and the track is a leading example of the transgression of styles in mid-90’s NYC from old school to new school, with this track alone, encompassing the brilliance of both styles when they are done well.
04) Public Enemy – Rebel Without a Pause
Like so many other artists on this second list of great east coast rap records, I think that I would have lost a lot of credibility had I not included a P.E. record, and this shaded the top spot ahead of ‘Bring the Noice’ which is also one of my favourite ever east coast tracks. This track displays my favourite ever Bomb Squad production and like so many of P.E’s records is perfectly suited to Chuck D’s passionate delivery and the messages that he and his fellow emcee’s were trying to convey in the record. Like the record rated at number #2 on this list, Rebel without a Pause is a record that has served as inspiration for numerous new school records in regards to telling a story and at the time revolutionised the transition of power in hip-hop from the likes of TCQ and De La Soul to more politically and socially conscience records as produced by P.E. and N.W.A.
03) Nas – I Gave You Power
For the members of my audience that have puzzled looks on their faces at the moment, this is in my opinion the highlight of ‘It Was Written‘, and in my mind one of Nas’s classic records. This record highlights the poetic brilliance of Nas as he uses himself as a metaphorical representation of a gun. Indeed, I believe that this record is in the same league in terms of originality as GZA – BIBLE and Common – Used to Love her.
Although, this record is on the list because it is incredibly under-rated, I have also included the record because I feel that Nas was really harshly treated when ‘It was Written’ was looked upon as a failure, when I believe that lyrically Nas is as good as he demonstrated on Illmatic. Furthermore, ‘I gave you power’ easily stands up to the best that Illmatic had to offer.
I have to admit that there is a certain amount of biased given that Nas is my favourite ever rapper, but I genuinely think that the third verse on ‘I gave you power’ is one of the top 5 verses that Nas has ever put to record, as he makes a commentary on black-on-black crime and through the analogy of being a gun comments on how he ‘desires’ for peace and to bring ‘petty’ gun-crime to an end.
“He squeezed harder, I didn't budge, sick of the blood, Sick of the thugs, sick of wrath of the next man's grudge.”
02) Gang Starr – Royalty
Whenever I think of Gang Starr, the first thing that comes into my mind is their consistency, however, out of all the albums that they have released no record really stands out, with ‘Royalty’ representing the only exception. Again, a few may question this choice, however this is my favourite Primo beat on any of Gang-Starr’s albums - ironically on my least favourite Gang-Starr album. Also, the use of Kci and Jo Jo (two of my favourite vocalists) on a hook, which as a rule I feel detracts from hip-hop records is used perfectly on Royalty, and always takes me back to that mid-90’s NY period of rap domination.
Incidentally, Pitch Black’s record ‘It’s all Real’ is quickly becoming one of my favourite Primo beats ever, many thanks to 'crypticcradle' for recommending it.
01) Slick Rick – Mona Lisa
My favourite track from one of my top 5 favourite emcee’s is a another record that isn’t appreciated for the originality and skill that it displays. Slick Rick is undoubtedly the GZA of the Old School, with story-telling skills that must have inspired a fair few of his new-school predecessors, and these skills are exemplified best on his classic Mona Lisa.
What makes Slick Rick so special is the fact that there will never be anyone like him in the rap game ever again. His almost comical tone of voice, combined with the addition of a female persona that he adopts on Mona Lisa, as well as a two-person-narrative took the art of story-telling to a whole new level and makes this record, in my opinion one of the best examples of retrospective lyricism to have ever been put on CD.
That concludes my alternative list of Top 10 East Coast rap records, I’m sure that many of the tracks will be questioned as to weather or not they are true classics, but apart from maybe 2pac and De La Soul I can’t think of too many artists or groups that I didn’t include that are worthy of getting into either of my lists.
I hope this list has broadened some minds out there, and that there are a few of my comments which have refreshed some memories out there as to the slept-on classics.
All that is left to be said is: “What more can I say?”
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Epinions.com ID:
gangstarrx
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Member: Sam
Location: Birmingham, UK
Reviews written: 15
Trusted by: 19 members
About Me:
"And so i say to you that nothing really matters."
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