My Top 10 Favorite Hip Hop Albums

Jay-Z released Reasonable Doubt in 1996.  This album is my favorite hip hop album of all time.  The beats, lyrics and subject matter are as close to perfect as I have heard in any hip hop album.  I can listen to this album from cover to cover.  My favorite track on this album is “Dead Presidents.”Because this album has so many great tracks, my favorite track changes almost daily. 

Notorious B.I.G released Ready to Die in 1994.  This album has so many classic tracks.  Biggie displayed his full range of lyrical skills on this album.  My favorite track on this album is “Warning.”   

Capone and Noreaga released The War Report in 1997.  This album is raw on so many different levels.  Noreaga provided most of the lyrics for the album because Capone was incarcerated at the time the album was released.  My favorite track on this album is “Bloody Money.“

Outkast released Aquemini in 1998.  This album is one of my favorite albums of all time.  Andre 3000 and Big Boi delivered a classic album that is heavy in lyrical content   My favorite track on this album is “Aquemini.”

Nas released Illmatic in 1994.  Many people consider this to be the best hip hop album of all time.  The beauty of this album is that it was created by a 16 year old Nasir Jones.  The subject matter and delivery were stellar and it is still baffling to me that a 16 year old has the talent and resolve to tackle such heavy topics.  My favorite track on the album is “One Love.”

Most Def and Talib Kweli released Mos Def and Talib Kweli are Black Star in 1998.  When I think of underground hip hop, this album immediately crosses my mind.  My favorite track on this album is “Respiration,” which features Common.

Raekwon released Only Built for Cuban Linx in 1995.  This is my favorite solo release from The  Wu Tang Clan.  My favorite track on the album is “Verbal Intercourse.”

Talib Kweli and DJ Hi-Tek released Reflection Eternal in 2000.  This is a classic album and I can listen to every song from cover to cover.  My favorite track on the album is “Expansion Outro.”

Mobb Deep released The Infamous in 1995.  This album epitomizes the “grimey” era of hip hop.  My favorite track on this album is “Survival of the Fittest.”

Tupac Shakur released The Don Killuminati: 7 Day Theory album in 1996.  Tupac was at his best on this album and he displayed all aspects of his rhyming repertoire.  My favorite track on this album is “Blasphemy.” 

I do not think my list necessarily represents the top 10 hip hop albums of all time, but these are 10 of my favorite albums.  What are your favorite albums?

Should College Athletes Be Paid a Salary?

Each year, the NCAA collects millions of dollars based in large part on the hard work of student-athletes.  In fact, the NCAA recently signed a multi-billion dollar contract with CBS.  This contract allows CBS to have exclusive rights to broadcast the NCAA Basketball Tournament and other revenue generating sporting events.  One would think the stars of the show, i.e. the student-athletes, would be paid a fair percentage of the revenue they help to generate.  Contrary to reason and logic, the student-athletes do not receive a penny from the revenue generated by the sporting events. 

One strong argument against paying student-athletes a salary is that they are amateur athletes.  The thrust of this argument provides that paying salaries to these athletes will transform them into professional athletes.  Opponents of paying college athletes also argue the athletes receive a “free” college education for their outstanding athletic ability.  This argument is weak and attenuated because the education they receive is by no means “free.” In fact, everyone up the chain of command from their coaches, to athletic directors, to chancellors all receive direct financial bonuses when their respective university’s basketball team receives an invitation into the NCAA tournament or when the university’s football team earns a bid to a BCS bowl game.  This behavior amounts to exploitation and is unfair to the student-athletes.  The “powers that be” need to discover a better method of distributing the billions of dollars generated on the backs of student-athletes. 

To illustrate this point, I watched a special on the famed “Fab Five” from the University of Michigan.  This group of five freshmen basketball players revolutionized many aspects of college basketball in the early 1990’s.  They were the first group to wear baggy shorts and wear freshly shaven bald heads in college basketball history.  They were also the first group to wear black shoes and black socks.  Despite the groups’ on-court success, many of the athletes struggled financially during their playing days at the University of Michigan.    It is both ironic and sad that these athletes could walk in a sports store and see replicas of their jerseys and shorts for sale, but on many occasions, they were unable to buy a decent meal for themselves.  One of the players had a young son while enrolled at University of Michigan and discussed how he could not afford to buy diapers, but that he saw his jersey being sold at a sporting store.  I can imagine the frustration he must have felt knowing that somewhere, someone was benefitting from jersey sales and he would not receive a penny of the revenue.    

There are members of universities or people who have an interest in the universities who seem to recognize the injustice and the exploitation rampant in the NCAA.  These individuals are often referred to as boosters.  Boosters provide perks to student-athletes such as money, cars or other benefits.  Although I do not agree with boosters advocating illegal behavior, I cannot blame a student-athlete who has limited funds who decides to take money from a booster, so he can have a nice meal and buy himself nice clothes.  Allowing boosters to run amuck on college campuses is not the answer, but there must be a better way to provide financial support for student-athletes. 

Student-athletes are not allowed to maintain full time or part time employment because of the rules drafted by the NCAA.  The same rules restricting athletes from making a living also allow the NCAA to maintain a stronghold on the revenue generated by these athletes.  As a college undergrad, my friends and I were able to work part time or full time, or to participate in work study programs if we needed to supplement our income. However, student-athletes are not allowed to hold jobs. I do not believe it is fair for the NCAA, universities, athletic directors, coaches and other staff members to profit from the athletic abilities of the student-athletes and yet the athletes do not receive any of the profits.

Paying the athletes a salary may not be the only option, but it is certainly a reasonable one.  Because the NCAA drafts the rules which govern the student-athletes, I do not foresee “the powers that be” changing the rules that will ultimately force them to share the money it has always had complete control of.  Should college athletes be paid a salary?

Peace 

Hip Hop: Why I Love Lyrics

I am a self proclaimed "Hip Hop Head." Music has always played a prominent role in my life. Growing up, my parents played music in their home almost every day. My father played the classic artists of his era such as The Isley Brothers, The Temptations, Al Green, Marvin Gaye, James Brown, Otis Redding and the list goes on and on. My house was certainly full of soul and funk. My dad still has a collection of albums that is probably worth a small fortune. Without a doubt, my love of music comes from my father's love of music and my desire to emulate him as a child. 


When I discuss music with my friends or with strangers, I am interested in hearing their opinions about certain types of music. Some people are in love with great beats, while others, such as myself, are in love with the lyrics. I have always enjoyed a challenge and if I can understand a song, in detail, from the very first listening, chances are that it is not heavy in lyrical content. Songs such as these are good to listen to in a social setting such as a club or a lounge. These songs are heavy in beats and light in lyrics. 


A few of my favorite artists are Jay-Z, Nas, Biggie, Tupac, Talib Kweli, Common and Mos Def. All of these artists have different styles, but there is one common thread that connects them all, which is strong lyrical content. On Jay-Z's song, Allure, he tells a story about his battles with addiction, which is something most people can relate to. Whether your addiction is music, money, women/men, or alcohol, the battle against addiction is a dirty secret most of us have experienced. 


On Talib Kweli's album, Reflection Eternal, he delved into topics ranging from slavery to politics. His use of imagery, alliteration, storytelling and overall flow were impeccable on that album. On my favorite song on the album, Expansion Outro, he remade a song called "Four Women" by Nina Simone. The experience Kweli describes is captivating, to say the least. In one verse, he discusses his reaction to meeting a woman who was over 100 years old and how she had lived from "nigger, to colored, to negro, to black, to afro, to African American then right back to nigger..."


On Biggie's, I Got a Story to Tell, B.I.G. tells a story about a wild experience he had as a young man. Affectionately, he has described as Hip Hop's Alfred Hitchcock for his strong propensity to tell stories. The stories he painted with his words are so vivid, you can actually see the characters doing the actions he rapped about. This is truly a skill that not many people possess and he mastered it. 


Music transcends race, bias and even religion in certain contexts. There is no other force on the planet that can peacefully bring together such diverse groups of people in one place at one particular time. When the artist's lyrics are stellar. it creates a platform for an unforgettable experience.  This is why I love lyrics. 


Peace