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Seattle’s Throwback Session
Robert Nesta Marley said it best, “One good thing about music. When it hits you feel no pain.” Whether you listen to get our mind off some current pangs or drift back to a time of pleasure, music is an audible journal. And as I scan through my iTunes Library, I see a formidable catalogue that spans some noteworthy times in my life. This doesn’t even include the tons of “found” music on my broken PC, that was subsequently killed because of all the online porn ads and Napster viruses. Even without the early collection, there are a lot of memories trapped within these verses.
Summers driving around Queens and L.I., drinking at home or in parking lots, then stumbling into clubs with my boys and Harlem shaking to G Dep’s track. Around that same time we were also inhaling second hand weed smoke while doing the Log On at a spot called Jam Rock out in Hempstead. I remember dancing with ghetto princesses while Elephant Man, Buju and Sean Paul rattled walls. All of them.
In the day time, I was tuning into Hot 97, awaiting Nas’ classic response to Jay Z’s “Takeover” (Queens [dudes] run y’all [dudes], ask Russell Simmons). Matter of fact, did anyone else spend hours downloading mixtape after mixtape for The Lox vs Roc A Fella beef? Take it back further, who else spent a couple months bumping LL’s vicious responses to Canibus. What happened to that guy anyway?
Matter of fact, do you remember when the Neptunes took over their first summer and there was nothing but bangers on the radio? I had that song “Grimey” by Nore on replay constantly. That was the crew’s theme song. Don’t ask. Moving on, do you remember when Dominicans and Puerto Ricans ruled the airwaves and even the Jigga Man himself had to salute them with his own twist, “Hey Papi”? I think that was the moment when every Black man wanted to date a Latina. Some of my boys got hooked and never turned back…
Fast forward to a couple years back when everyone loved 50, dudes were getting a little too amped and thought they were invincible because of Lil Jon and the other Southern artists’ elementary lyrics over hard beats (pause). Excluding Outkast of course. Around the same time, Jay Z, Kanye, NaS, Mos Def and T.I. breathed some life back into hip hop with tracks that still bring a smile to my face. Those memories are a little blurrier due to large quantities of Incredible Hulks, tons of Henny shots, the consistent Thursday staple of SoCo and Limes and Yagerbombs as well as the occasional empty bottle of Grey Goose the size of Mini Me.
I can’t even go into all the fun times had when Biggie’s “One More Chance” made the crowd get slow and, uhh, intimate. Or when the DJ broke out the real classics and all of a sudden the apt party turned into a wine for all, bashment party. Those memories are better left in those notorious apartments. If you were there, you already know. If not you, probably have your own spot that brings up the same memory.
So what brought on this reminiscing? My man Cheekz$ asked me to stop talking about the struggle for a few and talk about the Clipse. Once I embarked on a trip down memory lane, thinking about “Grindin” and all the Harlem Shaking, low jeans wearing, oversized Akademiks shirt fun that ensued after that came out, I had to hit the other exits as well.
But what’s a road trip without the crew? What tracks bring up certain memories for you guys? Let me know, I’ll be cruising in the third lane for a few with Nas’ “The Message” on repeat.
Seattle – More Throwbacks Than Mitchell & Ness – Washington
53 Responses to “Seattle’s Throwback Session”
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I remember listening to Bobby Digital and my friends getting in the car and teasing me to no end (they were into the Hot Boys)… I remember my ex and his crew playing NOTHING but the Hot Boys (I think they thought they were this clue).
I remember when this jerk introduced me to Cam’ron and Dipset who I fell in love with instantly (too bad the love was lost after all of their unneccesary beef).
I remember listening to Jay Z upon end (I’m still a Jay Z head).
There’s soo much. Music is my life!
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Peyso who likes his burritos con queso Reply:
December 16th, 2008 at 10:43 am
I HATE THAT “BOBBY DIGITAL” TRACK
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Nicki Sunshine Reply:
December 16th, 2008 at 10:52 am
LMAO. I was straight Wu Tang back in the day.. they could do no wrong.
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Peyso who likes his burritos con queso Reply:
December 16th, 2008 at 10:55 am
I heard it and I was wondering why in the hell he was spelling his name as a hook
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Seattle Washington Reply:
December 16th, 2008 at 1:10 pm
I feel you when it comes to the Wu Ms. Sunshine. I still turn on Raekwon’s “Ice Cream” as soon as it starts to get warm.
However, I can’t support RZA all the time. Sometimes he’s a little too far left.
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Black & Trapped in Toronto Reply:
December 16th, 2008 at 1:59 pm
RZA took his career to another level with the Kill Bill project… I think he’s an excellent producer & “interesting” rapper…yes far left, but somehow Bobby digital made sense to me…..more sense than method man & redman’s sitcom on Fox- sad day in hip-hop
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Nicki Sunshine Reply:
December 16th, 2008 at 2:41 pm
Peyso has just killed me at the name spelling in the hook! LMAO
Seattle: Don’t get me started on Ice Cream. I wanted to be one of those girls in the vid. LOL. (and the song STILL gets me hype)
@Black and Trapped: I could understand Bobby over that one Method Man cd, Judgment Day.
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ife1love Reply:
December 16th, 2008 at 4:06 pm
Girl, I agree… WU-TANG FOREVER! I even copped that Wu-Wear the Garment Cassette single.
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Whenever I hear Nas’s “Your Da Man” off of Stillmatic I get goose bumps.
I also like any song that was in a Michael Jordan commercial so “Umi Says” by Mos Def and “Overjoyed” by Stevie Wonder are favorites.
Dudes slept on the “Murder, Murder Marcyville” remix track with Jay and Bleek.
But all time favorite/most memorable/ flash back inducing banger is that “We Gonna Make it” track with Jada and P. That first bar may have been one of the hardest first bars in rap history “Fcuk the frail shlt”
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Nicki Sunshine Reply:
December 16th, 2008 at 10:53 am
We gonna make it is CERTIFIED!
**you got me singing over here now ***
Overjoyed makes me freeze in place.. that song is so beautiful.
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Cheekie Reply:
December 16th, 2008 at 11:21 am
*mouth dropped open*
“Overjoyed”? That is my LOVE. It’s my favorite Stevie track (but, honestly, there’s so much to choose from with that man) and I’ve had it set as my ringtone for YEARS.
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Nicki Sunshine Reply:
December 16th, 2008 at 2:42 pm
I bought his greatest hits a couple of years ago, let some jerk borrow it and never got it back. I need to restock! It’s like 4 cds for $60- some (a few years ago, it was, anyway)
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Ya’ll remember The Box? When for 50-leven years, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony’s “Crossroads” was number one on the top ten? Memories like no other.
And I just heard Total’s “Can’t You See?” a couple of nights ago on the radio. Dayum that was my JAM!
Don’t get me started reminiscing now…
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Peyso who likes his burritos con queso Reply:
December 16th, 2008 at 2:08 pm
That Biggie line brings back memories “Give me all the chicken heads from Pasadena to Medina”
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Seattle Washington Reply:
December 16th, 2008 at 2:24 pm
“… slow down Big, you’re killin em”
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Whoa!! The fact you mentioned Jam Rock brought me back. Standing in line for hours just to get in and grind on some random chicks (good harmless fun). I would have to say my favorite “Black Out Club Banger” was “Jigga my N*gga” off Ryde or Die Vol. 1. Our first introduction to Swizz Beatz.
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O boy, O boy…
WHere do I begin? I’m a Brooklyn Boy so it has to start with NOTORIOUS B.I.G. “Juicy” (CLASSIC), Jay-Z n B.I.G. “Brooklyn’s Finest”, Pac “I Get Around”"California Love” (even if you wasn’t from the West Coast you was singing them lyrics), Snoop “Gin and Juice”, Dre (The Whole Chronic Album, both), Onyx “Baccdafuccup”, Digable Planets, Lost Boyz “Rene”, Heavy D. and The Boyz, Kriss Kross “Jump, Jump” (I wore my clothes backwards at least once) , Nore “SuperThug”, Big Pun “Still a Player”, etc…
I can go for days! O n Seattle, we all know that Jay-z won that battle wicha boy from Queens. Just listen to the Blueprint 2. I’ll be back…
Not trying to get fired!
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Seattle Washington Reply:
December 16th, 2008 at 1:16 pm
First off, when the hell is Dre dropping Detox?!
Now on to more important issues. Good sir, Nas won the battle. I know, I know… even when Jay loses he still wins because he learns something from it. But outside of Jigga Man’s mind, Nas won it. Check the books!
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Brooklyn's Own Reply:
December 16th, 2008 at 1:38 pm
What y’all niggas get front page articles, y’all mention Jay-Z name
(This thing on?) Jay-Z, Jay-Z, in Jay-Z news
I understand what y’all trying to do
I brought the flutes this time, though
I unleashed the flutes on them, guru
Gimme some more music in the headphone
Let’s get the proceedings proceeding this evening
Let’s do this thing (let’s do it right this time)
C’mon
H, O V A
I got my mojo back baby, oh behave
Naw, naw, don’t be afraid
Y’all and your articles, hard to spit at Jay
Y’all from afar threw thoughts my way
What you thought, I would naught have nothing to say? Nope!
Y’all fell into the booby trap
I set the trap just to see dude react, and now
And now you’se can’t leave
You opened the door god, I’m at you annually
And I’m sorry Miss Rosie Perez
I call a spade a spade, it just is what it is
But you can’t give cred to anything dude says
Same dude to give you ice and you owe him some head
(Shortyyyy!) It’s time to wake up the dead
You sound a little naive in them articles that I read
[Hook] (x2)
H, O V A
The Blueprint 2 baby, on the way
H, O V A
I got my mojo back baby, oh behave
[Jay-Z]
Can’t y’all, see that he’s fake, the rap version of TD jakes
Prophesizing on your CDs and tapes
Won’t break you a crumb of the little bit that he makes
And this is with whom you want to place your faith?
I put dollars on mine, ask Columbine
When the Twin Towers dropped, I was the first in line
Donating proceeds off every ticket sold
When I was out on the road, that’s how you judge Hov, no?
Ain’t I supposed to be absorbed myself?
Every time there’s a tragedy, I’m the first one to help
They call me this misogynist, but they don’t call me the dude
To take his dollars to give gifts at the projects
These dudes is all politics, depositing checks
they put in they pocket, all you get in return is a lot of lip
And y’all buy the shit, caught up in the hype
Cause the nigga wear a coofie, it don’t mean that he bright
Cause you don’t understand him, it don’t mean that he nice
It just means you don’t understand all the bullshit that he write
Is it “Oochie Wally Wally” or is it “One Mic”?
Is it “Black Girl Lost” or shorty owe you for ice?
I’ve been real all my life, they confuse it with deceit
Since I will not lose, they try to help him cheat
But I will not lose, for even in defeat
There’s a valuable lesson learned, so it evens it up for me
When the grass is cut, the snakes will show
I gotta thank the little homie Nas for that though
Saving me the hassle of speaking to half of these assholes
And I’ma let karma catch up to Jaz-O, whoa! (i’ll end it here)
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Peyso who likes his burritos con queso Reply:
December 16th, 2008 at 2:09 pm
I was thinking of this same song
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ife1love Reply:
December 16th, 2008 at 10:22 pm
I’m sure Detox will be hitting shelves around the same time D’Angelo drops his baby weight, Shyne gets out of jail, Lauryn Hill goes to rehab for her island wang addiction and Craig Mack becomes the face of ProActive.
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Peyso who likes his burritos con queso Reply:
December 16th, 2008 at 2:10 pm
That Superthug remix joint was fiyah
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ife1love Reply:
December 16th, 2008 at 4:11 pm
SuperThug was my ish. It will always take me back to homecoming my senior year of high school. Our class step team came out to that and rocked it. I can hear the helicopters now. That had to be the hottest yet most non-nonsensical song to date:
Aiyyo, we light a candle
Run laps around the English channel
Neptunes, I got a cocker spaniel
WHHHHHAAAT?!?!? Oh well, I’m jumping in the mosh pit anyways
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RightCoastLexSteele, Selecta for Hire Reply:
December 16th, 2008 at 9:28 pm
LOL…we got “mo’ in Carmen…”
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I don’t know if this is too far back for some…BUT- who is the female singing on Keith Sweat’s “Twisted”?
It’s killing me inside that I dont know this fact…and i’m too lazy to google…….
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Cheekie Reply:
December 16th, 2008 at 1:28 pm
Ooh, I remember that video/song!! Wow, took me back, there.
Is it Athena Cage?
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Vanessa aka Miss V Reply:
December 16th, 2008 at 6:52 pm
yes, that sounds right!
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I remember the year The Chronic was released and the afterflows that ensued at NBC (9 Brighton Crew) where Dr. Dre and this new cat, Snoop Doggy Dog were in constant rotation. To this day when I hear any cut from the Chronic or Doggy Style, Im right back in the living room at NBC
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hip hop music is cool.
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So I just made a joke with a friend that helped spark some other memories of favorite tunes, JOOK JOINT STYLE (for those not in the know)…
Boyz II Men “End OF The Road”, Jodeci “4 ever My Lady”, Silk “Do Me Baby (Let Me Lick You Up and Down)”, Color Me Badd “I Wanna Sex You UP”, 112 “Cupid”"Only You”, R.Kelly (12 Play), Maxwell, Aaliyah “Age Aint Nuffin But a #”,D’Angelo “Brown Sugar”, Mariah & The Lox, Jagged Edge “Where The Party At”,
Whatever R&B song Jadakiss dropped 16 on, Jay came and remixed it with 16 of his own (lettin em know who’s #1) and don’t forget about MICHAEL “DANGEROUS”"BLACK AND WHITE”, etc…
be bacc…
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Black & Trapped in Toronto Reply:
December 16th, 2008 at 3:39 pm
ohhh D’Angelo= panty dropper!!!!!!
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Peyso who likes his burritos con queso Reply:
December 16th, 2008 at 3:40 pm
You mean the Best of Me track with Mya. The bad part about that song is that Jada dropped a quality 16 but Jay came over and dropped one of his best 16 ever. Doesnt matter b/c Wayne murked em both when he spit over on the Squad Up album
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RightCoastLexSteele, Selecta for Hire Reply:
December 16th, 2008 at 9:25 pm
Easy killa…not the Juke Joint vybez…
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These are some of the cuts that take me back to my college days and all that yummy goodness
~ Ghetto Boys “Mind Playing Tricks on Me”
~ Tribe Called Quest “Scenario”
~ Main Source “Looking at the Front Door
~ EPMD “So What you Sayin”
~ Mary J. Blige “You Remind Me”
~ Michael Jackson “Remember the Time”
~ Pete Rock and Cl Smooth “Reminisce”
These cuts bring me back to every college party I went to in Boston (MIT, Harvard, Tufts, Northeastern) my old stomping grounds
~ The Gap Band “Outstanding”
~ Parliment Funk “Flashlight”
The summer right b4 my freshman year in college
~ Salt and Peppa “Push it”
~ Rob Base and Dj Eazy Rock “It takes Two”
When any of these cuts come on the radio or the ipod, I loose my mind.
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Peyso who likes his burritos con queso Reply:
December 16th, 2008 at 3:41 pm
Kinda show ya age a lil bit huh? Jk jk. I like the GAP Band too
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Intellectual Hedonist Reply:
December 16th, 2008 at 3:44 pm
I have no shame bout my age young man! LOL!!!
Outstanding and Flashlight were standards at the parties in Boston in the 90′s
I forgot one
~ Frankie Beverly and Maze “Before I Let Go”
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Peyso who likes his burritos con queso Reply:
December 16th, 2008 at 3:48 pm
Frankie Beverly and Maze still rocks at party to this day but it usually means that it’s time to leave…
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Black & Trapped in Toronto Reply:
December 16th, 2008 at 3:51 pm
ouch!!!!
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Intellectual Hedonist Reply:
December 16th, 2008 at 3:56 pm
@Peyso who likes his burritos con queso: young folks! LOL
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All ya on here making me feel young, I was in middle school when Super Thug came out….
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Did somebody a few posts up mention The Box (formerly known as The Music Jukebox)?
That brought back memories of the following from the earrrrrrly days of the Box:
Sir Mix-a-Lot – My Posse’s on Broadway
MC Lyte – Paper Thin
Stop The Violence Movement – Self-Destruction
JJ Fad – Supersonic
Oaktown 3,5,7 – Yeah, Yeah, Yeah
L’Trimm – The Cars That Go Boom
Young and Restless – B Girls
Al B. Sure – Rescue Me
The Puppies – Funky Y-2-C
2 Live Crew – Doo Wah Didi
The Boys – Dial My Heart
New Edition – If It Isn’t Love
The Deal – Shot Em’ Up Movies
Wild, Wild West – Kool Moe Dee
Eric B. & Rakim – Microphone Fiend
Nice N’ Smooth – Hip-Hop Junkies
Tone Loc – Funky Cold Medina
I’ll have more later
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Vanessa aka Miss V Reply:
December 16th, 2008 at 6:58 pm
man, i didn’t see this post… i also shouted out The Box in my comment! I loved that channel…
when i think of The Box, i think of Two Live Crew, or whatever their name was. “Put em on the glass”… that video traumatized me LoL.
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ok, so i wasn’t a rap fan back in the day, so i gotta give it up for my R&B groups: SWV, TLC, Changing Faces, 702, Destiny’s Child, etc etc.
Whenever I think of one of these artists, I’m always reminded of when my sister, cousins, and I used to make up dances to go with the songs. Man, we went hard… practicing for hours. Then we’d perform for our parents. Those were the days…
I also gotta shout out the early dancehall songs… Patra was my girl! Not to forget, Ini Kamoze and Shabba Ranks were the ish. She taught me how to whine. You guys remember when The Box was on TV?? When my parents weren’t home, my sis and I would watch that joint for hours….
ahh memories
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ife1love Reply:
December 16th, 2008 at 8:08 pm
Oh Miss V, don’t get me started on the old school dancehall…
Mr. Lovahman… SHABBA!
*anyone else remember that joint he had with Maxi Priest and Johnny Gill?!?!*
Telephone Love, J.C. Lodge
Flex, Mad Cobra
Sorry, Foxy Brown
Ring Di Alarm, Tenor Saw
Life is What You Make It (Raggamuffin), Frighty & Colonel Mite
Murder She Wrote, Chaka Demus & Pliers
Bam, Bam, Sister Nancy
No, No, No, Dawn Penn ft. Steely & Clevie
Tempted to Touch, Beres Hammond & Cutty Ranks
See… now I’m at my desk at work whinin it up in my chair…
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CVal Reply:
December 16th, 2008 at 8:55 pm
Oh no!!! Murda She wrote is my track!!!!
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Vanessa aka Miss V Reply:
December 17th, 2008 at 3:51 pm
oh snap… i forgot about some of those… thanks for bringing them back!
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Hmmmmm….back in the day….
Shabba, Shaggy, Buju aka Gargamel, Panhead, Terror Fabulous, Bounty Killer aka Di Poor People Governor, Beenie Man aka Ras Moses aka Maestro, Pinchers, Chaka Demus and Pliers, Cobra (Mad), Beres, Capleton, Sizzla, Killamanjaro vs. Black Kat, Jaro vs. Addies, Stone Love vs. Anybody, Stone Love Juggling, Addies Juggling, Silver Hawk Juggling, World Clash ’99, and World Clash ’01 when Mighty Crown beat Bass Oddessy.
Uh huh…you gotta feel me…
P.S. On behalf of all of the aforementioned and all who came before them, “You’re Welcome” for Hip-Hop.
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ife1love Reply:
December 16th, 2008 at 10:15 pm
…and now I’m going to be forced to pull out my Stone Love cassette from Summer ’97 (yes, I still rock tapes on my dual cassette player… 80′s BABY!)
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RightCoastLex Reply:
December 17th, 2008 at 2:04 am
Stone Love is cool, but they wasn’t ready for Killamanjaro (The Ricky Troopa era).
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Seattle my Dude…. you put a smile on my face with this one! First off, I am a living witness, Seattle and his man G had the best Harlem Shake back in the day!
2nd, JamRoc was the LI version of the tunnel. Jam packed sausage fest that always ended in a fight…. and I miss it so. It still hasn’t open back up since the last shooting, think that was 03?
3rd, I am a Hip Hop nerd so there is no point in me talking about what tracks bring me back, they all are great. Just know I appreciate my Hip Hop culture more than the air I breathe… but if we are talking about VideoMusicBox, I actually had a beef with them cause they use to come on the same time as ThunderCats.
4th, I remember when Seattle first moved to LI. 99-00, Seattle? Before French class, I expressed to him my frustration with East Coast rap and all the killing of black people. He said he discovered a ‘new hip hop’ in his travels. Non-New York rappers, using melodies in their raps. He said this rapper Nelly was going to be HUGE….. your reading the blog of a smart man.
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Forget that I want to Reminisce too!
1)Public Enemy – Fight the Power (the first rap song I liked had nothing to do with the song… it was about Flava Flav’s clock)
2)U Can’t Touch This (my 2nd grade teacher would play the song if everyone in the class would do their HW. Kadejah Chambers always messed it up)
3)Leaders of the New School – PTA (B4 Arab Money, Busta was a backpacker)
4)Onyx – Slam
5)Any Naughty by Nature
6)Pete Rock and CL Smooth – T.R.O.Y.
7)TCQ- Scenario (remix) video music box staple!
8)TLC (What about your FRRRRIIEENDS)
9)Method Man – the whole tical album was crazy
10)Kid N Play – Rolling with KidNPlay
Honorable Mention: “Who you calling a Bitch!” U.N.I.T.Y.
And that is just elementary….
Top 5 Middle School MCs
BIG
Nas
Mr CHeeks from the Lost Boys
Rock from Heltah Skeltah
and all of the Haitian members of the Fugees
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Wow. I remember the first time I ever got high, it was at Jam Rock. The sad thing about it was that I wasn’t even smoking. I got the craziest contact high from everyone smoking around me. Granted, I had been there from about 10pm to 3am waiting for Wayne Wonder to show up. To this day I can’t listen to “No Letting Go” without getting a craving for cheetos.
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Right on about songs marking time but I had a very non linear childhood. I cite Melle Mels “The Message”…I remember saying “I have no idea what this is but he aint singin and my moms dont seem to like it but my older sis and the older dudes LOVE IT” same for Nucleus’ “Jam On It” (BTW Kanye owes his second half of his career to this ONE record..well that and “Planet Rock”). Of course Criminal Minded…dude had a gun on the cover..nuff said…Rob Base and Easy Rock “It Takes Two” if I gotta explain then you are lame
…doin the LL line “I’m LL COOL J I’m hard as hell” with your boys including jumping off something for emphasis. Speaking of L..”Rock The Bells”, “Radio”, “Jingling Baby”(g’ head baby) his best verse on EPMD’s “Rampage”…EMPD (from “Strictly Business” to “Business as Usual”) and their whole movement-Redman-KSolo-Keith Murray, Das Efx before all that…The D.O.C , Souls of Mischeif…Brand Nubian then Grand Puba-the remixes with Mary which blew Diddy the phuck up (tell me some one remebers those remixes!!!)..I’ll end with the Geto Boys, Sacrface and Ice Cubs solo records…also Nice and Smooth, Master Ace, Marly Marl and The Juice Crew…dude I could be here for weeks on this one!!!
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