There are a lot of things that can be said about Dr. Dre’s album, “The Chronic”. That it’s an inventive, unique, fantastic piece of music and a memorable debut. Or that it embodies what it means to be ‘West Coast’ and live the ‘gangsta’ lifestyle. And although all of that is accurate, I think a quote from Kanye West describes “The Chronic” in perfect terms. In an interview West gave to Rolling Stone magazine, he said: “The Chronic is the hip-hop equivalent to Stevie Wonder’s ‘Songs in the Key of Life’. It’s the benchmark you measure your album against if you’re serious.” See more…

It’s hard to imagine West as an up-and-comer, but back before “The College Dropout” was released, that’s all he was. With his debut album he became an overnight sensation, rap’s new wunderkind. Maybe it was lucky timing, but Kanye was able to connect to a generation of students and hip-hop fans looking for a voice. In that was he was a revolutionary in a way, becoming that voice. But West’s breakthrough almost never happened. See more…

It’s happened to all of us. You fall in love with a song from the summer of 2003, or the fall of 2005, or the vacation of 2007, and from that moment on, that song reminds you of that time. Listening to that track, or that album brings you back to that time in life, like a piece of instant nostalgia. Warren G’s ‘Regulate…G Funk Era’” is that album for me. I remember exactly when I discovered this album, the summer of 2001. See more…

It’s happened hundreds of times. A band or group will put out a fantastic debut album, creating a huge amount of anticipation for their next effort, only to disappoint greatly. Following an acclaimed debut album ““People’s Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm”, a Tribe Called Quest second effort “The Low End Theory” had the potential makings of a sophomore slump but emerged as one of the best albums of all-time. Read more…

April of 1994 was a game-changing month for the music industry, on the east and west coasts. In the midst of some seismic shifts in the hip-hop landscape Nas released his debut album, “Illmatic”, which is considered by many to be the rebirth of East Coast hip-hop .On “Illmatic”, the Queensbridge native displayed some raw and gritty beats that reflected the violent times that were crippling the New York streets. But more importantly, he brought on a unique poetic style that combined the image of gangsta rap with the thoughtful narrative and deep analysis often found in conscious rap. See more…