I'm class '04 - it was Freeway - What We Do

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XwKH-a_2e-g

My man had a Bronco with the dopest system to ever been heard by us 17-18 yos.

Too many great memories, but being blunted at lunch listening to the JL's pumping these grimey notes and lyrics out will never be forgotten.

... Timbaland & Magoo, "Rewind" Nas and the whole "AOI: Bionix" album by De La Soul on repeat for our blunt cruises and parties etc.

as a grown adult, but the honest pick would be Lil' Wayne's "Upgrade", "Live from 504", "I Can't Feel My Face", "Seat Down Low", "Get High Rule the World", "Put Some Keys on That" and "Blooded" freestyles in no particular order. Nothing else can remind me of how limitless time felt, how much time I spent in my and other people's cars thinking about where to get or what to do with weed, and how far away adulthood was.


Exclusive to me, "So What You Sayin'" by Jay Electronica is probably the song from 07 I still keep in rotation and bring out for mixes and things like that.


~~~~~~~~~
"This is the streets, and I am the trap." � Jay Bilas
http://www.popmatters.com/pm/archive/contributor/517
Hip Hop Handbook: http://tinyurl.com/ll4kzz

www.engadgethd.com - the other stuff i'm looking at

Eric B & Rakim, "Juice (Know the Ledge)" or Pete Rock & CL Smooth "T.R.O.Y."

"The Chronic" dropped later that year, during my the 1st half of my freshman year in college.

I still remember going to see Juice over at the Marlow 6 right after our talent/fashion show at SHS. That Juice soundtrack was in rotation pretty heavy. Uptown Anthem still goes hard too.

With T.R.O.Y., kids really knew who Trouble T-Roy was. I remember the shock hearing he died and how, so that song resonated on different level before it became one of the defacto songs to hear at a wedding or funeral.

The one that sticks out the most pre-graduation: No More Pain - Pac

That joint in any whip with a decent system RULED for me and my boys. Hell, Pac's album probably dominated most of what we listened to first half of the year.

But that whole year had bangers.

Then when I got to college it was:

Nas - It was Written
Jay - Reasonable doubt
Outkast - ATLiens
Roots -Illadelph Halflife
De La - Stakes is High
Tribe - Beats, Rhymes and Life
Pac - 7 Day Theory
Mobb Deep - Hell on Earth
Lil Kim - Hardcore
Ghostface - Ironman
Redman - Muddy Waters wrapped up the yr

96 was SOOOOO good: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1996_in_hip_hop_music


Some Chicago sh*t I got put on soon as I got to the city lol
Crucial Conflict - The final tic
Do or Die - Picture This
Twista - Adrenaline Rush (Dominated the second half of Freshman yr along with

And was everywhere. honorable mention goes to Cam'ron with "Oh Boy"

Pete & CL "T.R.O.Y."
Das Efx "They Want EFX"
House of Pain "Jump Around"
Kriss Kross "Jump"
Fu Schnickens "Ring the Alarm/LaSchmoove"
Arrested Development "Tennessee"
Black Sheep "The Choice is Yours/Strobelite Honey/Similak Child"

Cypress Hill's album came out the same week as our first Senior Skip Day. That was our theme music while hitting up Ihop, going bowling, then seeing either The Hand That Rocks The Cradle or The Last Boy Scout.


Man I feel old now....

I was driving a 15' box truck up in the Smokey Mountains of NC making a delivery to a Kmart store... Scared as shit because it was the first time ever driving a vehicle larger than my 1981 Toyota Corolla...
winding my way through the mountains and that joint came on...
lol..
shit had me energized for the rest of the trip! lol...
soon as I got back to civilization I headed to the record store and copped the single...


"Get ready....for your blessing....."
"Bury me by my Grand-Grand and when you can come follow me"

**********
"Everyone has a plan until you punch them in the face. Then they don't have a plan anymore." (c) Mike Tyson

"what's a leader if he isn't reluctant"

Standouts for me personally though:
'

Crooklyn Dodgers '95 - Return Of The Crooklyn Dodgers
.


I Got 5 On It
Cell Therapy
Shimmy Shimmy Ya
Sprinkle Me
Ice Cream

E.M.B.R.A.C.E. Society of Soul <<<<got a grip of action off the strength of this groove...

Test of Time - Repercussions <<<<< I owe these sisters some serious gratitude for setting the vibe for many an enjoyable night.... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Urwtn8rLtD4


Jodeci - The Show, the After Party, the Hotel <<<< could play this entire album start to finish and have a complete day..... <<<got a BIG GRIP of action off the strength of this entire album.....

Raphael Saadiq - Ask of You <<<< fckin Raphael Saadiq man....smh....

I Hate You - Ƭ̵̬̊ <<<< this one didn't REALLY have "meaning" to me until summer of 1997....

This Is How We Do It <<<< can't have a cookout without Montel..
D'Angelo - whole joint <<< goes without saying




"Get ready....for your blessing....."
"Bury me by my Grand-Grand and when you can come follow me"

Standouts for me personally:

You Got Me
Act Too (Love of My Life)
Ms Fat Booty
So Anxious (fck it..this joint STILL bang)
Mr. Nigga

"Get ready....for your blessing....."
"Bury me by my Grand-Grand and when you can come follow me"

Grindin
Make You Feel That Way

Choice cuts from our honeymoon in Paris:
A Demi-Nue - Saïan Supa Crew https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-mxUwBz_dY
Murder on The Dance Floor: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQvZX_A1mkw (this joint was playing all over Paris while we were on our honeymoon)
By The Way - RHCP (this was going hard in Paris too https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ePj2GFS65RM)





"Get ready....for your blessing....."
"Bury me by my Grand-Grand and when you can come follow me"

Eric B and Rakim - Let the Rhythm Hit em
Ice Cube - Amerikkkas Most Wanted
BDP - Edutainment and Live Album
Too Short - Life is Too Short
Tribe - Peoples Instinctive and Low End Theory
PE - Fear of A Black Planet
EPMD - Business As Usual
Brand Nubian - All For One
X Clan - To the East, Blackward
NWA - 100 Miles and Running
Digital Underground - Sex Packets
PRT - Holy Intellect
Gangster - Step in the Arena
KMD - Mr Hood
Kool G Rap - Wanted Dead or Alive
LL - Mama Said Knock You Out

I ain’t even do most of 91 after June.

man listen...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmvUmu4TNd4

"Get ready....for your blessing....."
"Bury me by my Grand-Grand and when you can come follow me"

If you have a weak bladder
and can't climb a ladder
what we're saying
is it really doesn't matter

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5P4WZHlHsyk


"Get ready....for your blessing....."
"Bury me by my Grand-Grand and when you can come follow me"

And best version was the cassette. Man those were the days

That list is just loaded with heavyweights.

Janet - Rhythm Nation
Toni Toni Toni - It never rains... my HS sweetheart moved back to Cali too
EnVogue - Hold On
BBD - Poison
Lisa Stansfield - Been Around the World
Guy
Keith Sweat
Johnny Gill - My My My
Ralph Tresvant - Sensitivity
Loose Ends - Don’t Be a Fool
Jodeci
MJ - Black n White
Prince - Diamonds and Pearls
Soul II Soull
Hi Five - Kissing Game




and how did I forget De La Soul is Dead?

I kept a Cassette Walkman on me at all times senior year

and we used to have 2 or 3 clubs for 18 and under. Those were the days.

I played the single for Take It Personal for weeks before the album dropped. With DWYCK as the b-side, it got run all summer

2 Deep was the track that let me know this album was on some next shit. Up to that point I had been kinda mad it didn't sound like Credit is Due, which I had stumbled on the maxi-single for Love Sick (we were straight cassettes at the time, no vinyl). So the first few songs on the album weren't giving me the vibe I wanted. Once 2 Deep came on, everything came together. Killed many pairs of AA batteried rewinding that one

From waaaaay back with my Nextel i730 (one of the first you could get .wav files on it for ring tones) to today day my stock ringtone is 92 Interlude. And it always will be. As soon as my new phone starts up that is the first file that goes on.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IuGVbMbzfJk