Ten Albums I Can’t Live Without (in alphabetical order)
I spend way too much time on this stuff, especially
considering that no one enjoys reading them except me. But I guess that’s why I do it. And by the way, L.A.X. by The Game is the best hip-hop album since American Gangster dropped last year. Go cop it now.
1) The Beatles “The White Album”
Reason
Why: The Beatles just have so many
classics under their belt. I think I
have to choose this one because, well, it’s 2-discs (twice the music) and it
contains what I believe to be the best Beatles song recorded (“Happiness is a
Warm Gun”).
Brief Bio: Historically, this album represents a shift
in the Beatles’ music from experimental, acid rock (Sgt. Peppers & Magical
Mystery Tour) to a more traditional form of instrumentation, even though
they would push those instruments to their limits in some very unique ways.
In Heavy
Rotation (besides Happiness is a Warm Gun):
While My Guitar Gently Weeps, Martha My Dear, Revolution 1
2) Bob Marley “Legend”
Reason Why: Will Smith said it best: it’s the best album ever made.
Brief Bio: A post-humus compilation of Marley’s songs
that made him one of the most recognizable musicians in history.
In Heavy
Rotation: Could You Be Loved, Easy
Skanking, Redemption Song
3) Erykah Badu “Baduizm”
Reason Why: Erykah Badu is the most intoxicating woman on
earth. She’s the only person I know who
can get me high off the sound of her voice.
She is the definition of neo-soul.
Brief Bio: Erykah’s multi-platinum, Grammy
Award-winning, debut album. Undeniable
classic.
In Heavy
Rotation: On & On, Afro, Certainly
4) Jay-Z “Reasonable Doubt”
Reason Why: My favorite hip-hop album. With this album, Jay-Z wrote the definition
of “hustler” into the hip-hop community.
As was stated on his follow-up album In My Lifetime Vol. 1, “I’m not
even a rapper. I’m a hustler. It just so happens I know how to rap.” You can’t knock the hustle.
Brief Bio: Jay’s classic debut album. When rejected by major record labels, Jay did
the unheard-of and started his own record label (Roc-A-Fella Records, which
would in time grow to become the most powerful hip-hop label in the new
millennium). Widely considered to be one
of the greatest hip-hop albums of all-time.
In Heavy
Rotation (besides D’Evils): Dead
Presidents 2, Can I Live, Regrets
5) John Coltrane “A Love Supreme”
Reason Why: I believe Coltrane was one the best saxophone
players who ever lived. Dude’s just
disgusting. His “sheets of sound” can
make your ears bleed.
Brief Bio: Widely considered to be Coltrane’s
masterpiece, this album was conceived of as an instrumental prayer to God. Each part represents a different type of
prayer. How can you not like this?
In Heavy
Rotation: The album’s only four parts…
6) Lauryn Hill “MTV Unplugged 2.0”
Reason Why: This is the rawest, realest album ever. For those of you who always ask me why I got
a tattoo of Lauryn on my arm, listen to the album and you’ll know why. An essential album for everyone in the
struggle.
Brief Bio: Lauryn lets you into her life and teeters on
the brink of spiritual insanity for over 90 minutes with song after song of
gut-wrenching, soul-seeking raps, poems, and spirituals. And her spoken word interludes are like
mini-sermons where Lauryn kicks the knowledge everyone needs to hear. Like she says, “Fantasy is what [people]
want, but reality is what they need.”
In Heavy
Rotation: Mystery of Iniquity, I Get
Out, So Much Things To Say
7) Marvin Gaye “What’s Going On”
Reason Why: In my opinion, the greatest album ever
made. Tupac said it best: “I remember
Marvin Gaye used to sing to me / He had me feelin’ like Black was the thing to
be / And suddenly the ghetto didn’t seem so tough.”
Brief Bio: In 1971, rising Motown star Marvin Gaye went
head-to-head with Motown heads as they refused to produce something so
spiritual and political. Gaye’s creative
and independent production would go down in history as the 6th
greatest album of all-time, according to Rolling Stone Magazine. Cited as one of the most influential albums
by hip-hop artists, his depictions about drug abuse, war, poverty,
environmental destruction, still seem to be just as relevant today as they were
40 years ago. In one word, the album is eternal.
In Heavy
Rotation: What’s Going On, Mercy Mercy
Me (The Ecology), Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)
8) Norah Jones “Come Away With Me”
Reason Why: What can I say? I’m a sucker for female musicians with
multi-platinum, Grammy Award-winning debut albums (hmm… where’s Alicia Keys on
the list? Corinne Bailey Rae? Chrisette Michele? Amy Winehouse? Regina
Spektor?). Everyone in the world knows
how much I love Norah Jones. It
shouldn’t be surprising to anyone that this is the most played album on my
iPod.
Brief Bio: If you don’t know about this album by now,
then screw you.
In Heavy
Rotation: Turn Me On, I’ve Got To See
You Again, Painter Song
9) Pigeon John “…is Clueless”
Reason Why: My favorite Christian rapper, Pigeon was the
former leader of the rap group LA Symphony.
He can be funny and serious in the same line, you gotta appreciate where
dude’s mind is at.
Brief Bio: Born in Nebraska as the only black person in
his school, his family then moved into Inglewood, CA (the Blood gang capital of
the world) in the 80’s, during N.W.A., the peak of Blood-Crip gang violence,
and the race riots. Pigeon both praises
and laments his circumstances in this witty, spiritual and insightful album.
In Heavy
Rotation: Passion, Los Angeles Rap Music, B
10) Rachael Yamagata “Happenstance”
Reason Why: Like I said, I have a thing for female
musicians. She didn’t exactly go
platinum, or win a Grammy, but I think she should have. She sings of love and loneliness reminiscent
of the great Billie Holiday, and you feel every word she belts.
Brief Bio: Her mainstream debut album, an underground
classic among yuppies.
In Heavy
Rotation: Be Be Your Love, I Want You,
Quiet
Honorable Mention
Common “Be”
Reason Why: Common + Kanye West = heaven for your ears.
Why Not Top
10: This album’s so good, the only
reason this one didn’t make the list was because it’s the newest of all albums
considered.
In Heavy
Rotation: Be, Faithful ft. Bilal & John Legend, They Say ft. John
Legend & Kanye West
The Jimi Hendrix
Experience “Electric Ladyland”
Reason Why: Rolling Stone says Jimi’s the greatest
guitarist of all-time. They also say the
15 minute Voodoo Child is Jimi’s magnum opus.
Hulk Hogan for a long time used Voodoo Child (Slight Return) as his
entrance music during his wrestling career.
If Hulk likes it, it’s gotta be good.
I’m pretty sure that’s how it works.
Why Not Top
10: It’s hard to balance between the
really lengthy songs and the shorter ones whenever I only have time for a
handful of tracks.
In Heavy
Rotation: Voodoo Child, Moon Turn the
Tides Gently Gently, Voodoo Child (Slight Return)
Kanye West “College
Dropout”
Reason Why: The most souful hip-hop album ever. Behind all the pop-rap recognition he’s
received for his club anthems and innovative songs lies just another poor black
musician trying to make it in this cruel world.
Kanye vocalizes his pain and struggle with a precision that rivals
Eminem.
Why Not Top
10: Because now matter how good we think
you are (and MTV thinks he’s the #1 rapper in the game right now), you’re still
an egotistical asshole. You said it
yourself, “I’m the muthafucka you love to hate / but can’t because you love the
shit I make / now ain’t that about a bitch / and I’ma talk shit until I’m outta
hits.”
In Heavy
Rotation: Spaceship ft. GLC
& Consequence, Never Let Me Down ft.
Jay-Z & J. Ivy, Last
Call
NaS “Illmatic”
Reason Why: The definition of hip-hop. Has been listed the #1 hip-hop album of
all-time by several major sources, and has unanimously ranked among the top 5
greatest albums in every major hip-hop poll since 1993. In other words, it’s illmatic. It’s the reason why you know what rap is.
Why Not Top
10: I don’t know.
In Heavy
Rotation: N.Y.
State of Mind, Life’s A Bitch ft. AZ,
It Ain’t Hard to Tell
Outkast “Aquemini”
Reason Why: One of four classics by Outkast, this was
critically considered their best. I
agree. A little southern-fried sounds
for your soul.
Why Not Top
10: It seems like Outkast always gets
slept on in these type of lists, but they frequently occur in the “honorable
mention” section. I’m just continuing
the decade-long tradition of “hatin’ the South.”
In Heavy
Rotation: Rosa Parks, Da Art of
Storytellin’ Pt. 1, Liberation ft.
Erykah Badu & Cee-Lo
TobyMac “Welcome to
Diverse City”
Reason Why: It’s my favorite album by a Christian
artist. Classic album from a great era
in music.
Why Not Top
10: The CD is scratched, so I have been living without it.
In Heavy
Rotation: Hey Now, Getaway Car ft. Nirva Dorsaint, Ill-M-I | 
