Prince Lasha & Sonny Simmons

Prince Lasha's and Sonny Simmons' 'The Cry!'

Prince Lasha and Sonny Simmons first came to my attention because of Eric Dolphy's 'Iron Man'. Perpetuating the sound of Eric Dolphy and Andrew Hill, Simmons and Lasha certainly play avant-garde jazz. 'The Cry!' their first effort together follows a more linear path than 'Firebirds', but they both take great strides in terms of expanding the sounds they were working with on 'Iron Man'. The great part about these records are that they remain free while still retaining a bop backing. Much like Andrew Hill's work throughout the '60s there is an inherent groove throughout the music no matter how static or dissonant it may get. Anyone with any interest in jazz should check these two records out as they are insanely overlooked and truly special.

Prince Lasha's and Sonny Simmons' 'Firebirds'

Prince Lasha and Sonny Simmons - The Cry (1962)

Prince Lasha and Sonny Simmons - Firebirds (1967)

Gang Starr - Daily Operation

gang starr's 'daily operation'

Holy shit, this is a great record. I don't really know how long I've had this record. I remember downloading bits of it back in 6th or 7th grade when I first got into A Tribe Called Quest. Just great beats and great lyrics. A lot of people dislike Guru since he has a monotone flow. I think it just increases the way he raps. Everything he says is said with such poise and relaxation that it makes the record truly introspective. Probably my personal highlight of early '90s New York hip-hop at least in terms of producer/rapper duos. 'Stay Tuned' is my favorite. Completely stoned and repetitive while easily being the catchiest cut on the record. Kind of like me with the hip-hop lately.

Gang Starr - Daily Operation (1992)

A Tribe Called Quest - Beats, Rhymes, And Life

A Tribe Called Quest's 'Beats, Rhymes, And Life'

'The Low-End Theory' was really the first hip-hop record I ever got into. I'm sure that is the case with many white hip-hop fans as that album just kind of oozes of reserved yet intelligent lyrics and imaginative yet restrained beats. I think it is an easy candidate for hip-hop record of the '90s and in general can still inspire the same feelings that it did when I was younger these days. My exposure to 'Beats, Rhymes, And Life' came much later in my life. I'm glad for that. When I was getting into 'The Low-End Theory' I grabbed 'Midnight Marauders' and was often disappointed with the lack of continuity throughout that record. While I've certainly warmed up to 'Midnight Marauders' over the years it still strikes me as a somewhat half baked affair. A Tribe Called Quest was attempting to create more sophisticated beats on that record, but their lyrical style had not changed very much at that point. 'Beats, Rhymes, And Life' is in my eyes a far more successful record. The lyrics have grown darker and more diverse whether it be due to the climate of hip-hop in '96 or due to the personal rifts throughout the group. J Dilla makes one of his first appearances here in the form of the Ummah who provide all the beats throughout the record. Q-Tip's cousin Consequence is featured on numerous tracks and in general this totally revitalizes the Tribe sound without coming off cheap or forced. The beats are as cleaned as Pete Rock's and the undeniable x-factor throughout the record is Dilla's passionate affair with bass lines which he clearly began here. Truly a underrated classic amongst hip-hop fans.

A Tribe Called Quest - Beats, Rhymes, And Life (1996)