THE GENTLEMAN'S REPORT: Hip Hop's Live 96

As I was sitting in my living room on quite possibly the hottest day known to man, I decided to listen to classic hip hop music. It is kind of funny because the only reason I was in the house was because of the heat. As I vibed to the music, I started thinking about some of the best years in hip hip’s history and what I was doing during that point in time. In 1996, I was fourteen years old, and about to embark on my first year of high school. That year was significant in my life for that reason, but to the rest of the world, 1996 was a big deal because of the albums released. Let’s take a look at some of my favorites from that year, which coincidentally are also some of my all-time favorite albums.

My favorite album from 1996 is "Reasonable Doubt." That album was not respected as a classic at the time it was released. "Reasonable Doubt" is Jay-Z’s first and best album. People often say that the reason an artist’s first album is the best is because he/she had their entire life to craft the perfect rhymes over the perfect beats to form the “perfect” album. It is funny that Jay-Z recognized the lack of admiration for his first album when he rhymed “they did not really appreciate it until the second one came out.” It is difficult to choose my favorite song on the album, so I will name three of my favorites. “Can I Live,” “Cashmere Thoughts,” and “Dead Presidents” are currently my top three songs. However, that is likely to change, just as it has done so many times over the years. Because the album is filled with great verses, it is again difficult to choose just one. Some of my favorites lines from “Cashmere Thoughts” are: “I talk jewels and spit diamonds, all cherry like a hymen, when I’m rhyming with remarkable timing, caviar and silk dreams, my voice is linen spitting venom up in the minds of young women…” and “Words worth a million like I’m rapping them through platinum teeth I got the Grey Poupon, you have been warned cause all beef return well done filet mignon…”

Nas’ “It Was Written” was also released in 1996. The album is a classic, but Nas received criticism because it was released after “Illmatic.” Again, Nas had his entire life to craft “Illmatic” and probably just over a year to write the lyrics for his second album. It is difficult to think of any great debut album that was followed up with an equally great or better second album. Many of Nas’ critics expected to hear “Illmatic” part two. His flow was a little different but the lyrics are still phenomenal. One thing I have noticed about great musicians is they like to write about their lives as they experience it. Therefore, I imagine Nas’ frame of mind while writing “Illmatic” was much different than what it was when he wrote the lyrics for "It Was Written." After all, in the fickle music industry, if an artist’s first album is not good, he may not be given a second chance. My three favorite songs on the album are: “I Gave You Power,” “Black Girl Lost,” and “The Message.” On “I Gave You Power,” Nas raps about what his life would be like if he was a gun. The song does not glorify violence at all; in fact, he raps about the negative impact gun violence has on the world. My favorite line from “I Gave You Power” is: “ I seen some cold nights and bloody days, they grab me and bullets spray, they use me wrong so I sing this song to this day, my body is cold steel for real I was made to kill, that’s why they keep me concealed…”

Outkast is one of the best, if not the best groups, ever. Andre 3000 and Big Boi are two of the most talented artists to ever rock the microphone. The two released “ATLiens” in 1996 during a time when New York based hip hop dominated the scene. Sometimes I feel bad for Big Boi because Andre 3000 receives much of the acclaim, and rightfully so. However, if there is one album that Big Boi more than held his own, it has to be "ATLiens." The production on the album is stellar and it has a southern, cosmic sound to it. Some of the beats actually sound like they were made by an extra terrestrial species. My favorite track on the album is "Elevators." The beat on that song is phenomenal. Not surprisingly, my favorite verse is from that song as well. Andre rhymed: “. . . true I got more fans than the average man but not enough loot to last me to the end of the week, so I live by the beat like you live check to check, if you don’t move yo feet then I don’t eat, so we like neck to neck . . .” That is probably one of my favorites hip hop lines ever.

In 1996, Ghostface Killah released “Ironman”. Raekwon and Ghost have always been my favorite Wu-members, so I was excited to see what Ghost had to offer. When he released that album, I was reminded about the greatness and immense talent present within the Wu-Tan Clan. Let me be clear, this album showcased Ghostface at his best. The production is stellar, as all Wu-Tang albums were in the early days. Back in those days, when Ghost and Raekwon were on a track together, you already knew the chemistry would be second to none. I like so many songs on this album; therefore, I do not have a single favorite track. I like “Daytona 500,” “Winter Warz” and “All That I Got is You.” I do not have a favorite verse from the album, but I like Ghost’s verse on Winter Warz: “Germs start to spread through your crew, drew like an epic you asked for it, shot up the jams like syringes, my technique alone blows doors straight off the hinges . . .” I like Ghost because he has a different style and his flow and lyrical content is unique.