Help the police

Just a little NWA tribute...

Best 13 hip hop albums ever

Going back a good few years I regularly posted on the forum at Sure Shots (which now seems to be entirely populated by spambots) which was originally a hip hop mail order site based in Guernsey. There was a nice little community feel going on and actually met some really sound people through that place.

At one point we went through an elaborate process coordinated by myself and Rare Dave (who is now one of the head honchos over at DWG) to try and establish a list of the best hip hop albums ever. If I remember rightly we were originally going for ten, which became a dozen and we ended up including thirteen to make it a bakers dozen (or Cheryl Baker's dozen and some would have it). It involved an initial nomination period in which anyone could nominate as many albums as they liked, and RD collated these into a master list. Everyone had to then choose their favourite thirteen from the list in order of preference. This info was collected by yours truly and in a very scientific fashion the winning list was created.

Here is the list that we came up with, is there anything you would change? Any that you think missed out? I think everyone would have their one or two they would swap but overall it's pretty comprehensive. Check it:

1. Nas - Illmatic
2. Main Source - Breaking atoms
3. Diamond D - Stunts, blunts and hip hop
4. ATCQ - Low End Theory
5. Wu Tang - Enter the wu tang (36 chambers)
6. Ultramagnetic MCs - Critical Beatdown
7. Gangstarr - Step in the arena
8. Pharcyde - Bizarre Ride...
9. ATCQ - Midnight Marauders
10. MF Doom - Operation Doomsday
11. Public Enemy - Nation of millions
12. De La Soul - ...is dead
13. Lord Finesse & DJ Mike Smooth - Funky Technician

I had all the album covers lined up to include but I'm having trouble including images and keeping the layout they way I want it. I'll work it out eventually but in the meantime here's the plain text version for you.

My first post!

OK, here we go. Normally I'll think very carefully when I'm writing anything but if I want to actually post anything up here I think I'll have to get more used to just typing as it appears in my head. Otherwise I could be here for hours every time I try to post!

The idea behind starting this blog was mainly just to have a place to write shit and post cool links I've found, so to begin with I imagine a lot of the content will be Youtube vids and links to other blogs and stuff. I am involved with Blunted so may well post up reviews I do for that site here as well, depending entirely on when/how much music I get sent to review. Truth is I don't get on well with the software over there so need remedial help doing the simplest thing. Hopefully I can manage over here, it's going alright so far anyway. I think if I get into the habit of writing on here and getting more familiar with it all it might help me actually get some stuff done for them (don't hold me to that if you're reading this Gabs!).

I don't plan to post up downloads to retail versions of full LPs or anything, which probably means a lot of people won't bother checking here! I will post up mixes with the permission of the DJ in question or if they are already available elsewhere on the net, links to artists I like and whatever else happens. We'll see basically, it certainly won't be 100% music related either.

Don't really have a way to end this post so instead here's a bonus vid of Killa Kela and Supernat. Many people will be blown away by the whole "freestyling about items from the crowd" thing. I don't know if it's just because I'm old and cynical or I've seen him do it several times but it doesn't quite get me like that. Correcting himself is sick though, I'll give you that...