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Hip-Hop Classic: ERIC B. & RAKIM, Paid in Full, 1987

The first Hip-Hop Classic column, reprinted from the July 1994 edition of The 411:

Few albums have had as much impact on rap music as Eric B. & Rakim's Paid in Full. This duo's debut is undoubtedly one of the most frequently sampled albums in rap history, and has influenced many of today's top hip-hop artists, including A Tribe Called Quest, Dr. Dre, Digital Underground, Warren G. and Black Moon. The Doggpound's Kurupt has probably been the most heavily influenced, paying homage to Rakim, his "idol," on several Doggpound tracks.

However, the influence is not the only thing that makes Paid in Full a classic. Rakim has always been one of rap's premier lyricists, and nowhere is this displayed better than on tracks like "I Ain't No Joke," "My Melody" and "Eric B. Is President." Furthermore, he has never needed to use profanity to "Move the Crowd" or get his point across. Rakim continually brings his original rough-rhyme style to the mic, while Eric B. compliments it with beats and scratches in the background. Unfortunately, Eric B. and Rakim parted ways last year after four albums. However, what they did accomplish while together greatly influenced and changed the world of rap, and truly deserves the title of Hip-Hop Classic.

-- Mason Storm

Hip-Hop Classic: PUBLIC ENEMY, It Takes A Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back, 1988

Reprinted from the October 1994 edition of The 411:

At first, this seems like an obvious choice. But after listening to all six Public Enemy albums (counting Greatest Misses), the decision becomes less clear. There are classic elements in each one of Public Enemy's releases. In fact, at one point I considered spotlighting all of P.E.'s albums in this month's column. But ultimately, you can't ignore the impact that It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back had on the hip-hop world.

It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back is full of classic tracks, and is another one of those albums that you hear sampled all over the place. "Bring the Noise" is probably the track on the album that has had the most taken from it. Several songs over the last six years have had Chuck D's voice come in and say, "How low can you go?" or "Here we go again." Even P.E. uses samples from it on "Night of the Living Baseheads," the anti-drug single that explained the difference between "bass" and "base" and was the subject for the group's first video, and "Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos," the symbolic tale of an escape from prison.

Two of the instrumental tracks on the album, "Show Em Whatcha Got" and "Security of the First World" have also been sampled heavily, providing the background for several songs by artists as varied as N2Deep, Babyface, Wreckx-N-Effect and even Madonna.

One of my favorite parts of the album is the intro to "Terminator X to the Edge of Panic," when thumping bass leads up to a point where Chuck D cuts in and then Terminator X cuts up the theme from "Flash Gordon." Other standout tracks include "Louder Than A Bomb," "Rebel Without A Pause," with its sample of the JB's "The Grunt," "Party For Your Right To Fight," which switches around the anthem the Beastie Boys popularized with a unique joint verbal attack by Chuck D and Flavor Flav, and of course, "Cold Lampin With Flavor," the metaphoric Flavor Flav solo that defined his unique style.

P.E. further established themselves as "Prophets of Rage" on tracks like "Caught, Can We Get A Witness?" which deals with sampling, a subject that is constantly being debated today; "Don't Believe the Hype," which has become an anthem for the group throughout their career amid controversy and numerous rumors; and "She Watch Channel Zero?!" which deals with the number of mindless shows that people watch on television, something that has also increased over the last six years.

Chuck D's hard-hitting lyrics, along with Flavor Flav's complimentary craziness, Terminator X's scratching, and the solid production of The Bomb Squad, create an album and a group that are true Hip-Hop Classics.

-- Mason Storm

Hip-Hop Classic: BLACK SHEEP, A Wolf In Sheep's Clothing, 1991

Reprinted from February 1996 edition of The 411:

If you didn't know any better and popped A Wolf In Sheep's Clothing in your tape deck for the first time back in 1991, you might have thought you just bought a hardcore rap album. But chances are you'd already heard "The Choice is Yours" and "Flavor of the Month" and knew Dres' tale of a killing spree set off by a used tootbrush that claims the lives of his family (not to mention the mailman) was a setup.

These Sheep were more of a dark shade of gray and not the "gangsta" side of the Native Tongue family. But for those that slept, besides a string of "f--- yous" near the end of the album, the tone of Wolf becomes clear on the second track, "Butt in the Meantime." This disc is laid back, with samples of jazz and rock laced behind Dres and Mr. Lawnge's lyrics. (Yes, that's Jefferson Airplane among the barking dogs on "Similak Child.") They're educational, too. "Strobelite Honey" warns the clubgoers that what looks good silhouetted on the dance floor might be more than meets the eye, the "Go to Hail" skit advises how to deal with selective cab drivers, "Pass the 40" introduces you to the posse by distributing the malt liquor and the mic, and "La Menage" brings in professor Q-Tip for a lesson on... well, a three-way that doesn't involve B.B.D.'s phones.

The surprise of the album just might be how prolific Mr. Lawnge is on the mic. Not even hinted at on the singles, the Black Sheep DJ and producer proves to be a rougher, but welcome, complement to the silky smooth Dres. Bonus tracks are the "Revisited" remix of "The Choice is Yours" made famous by the single and video, and "Yes," a remix and response to "Have U.N.E. Pull." Five years since its release, and A Wolf In Sheep's Clothing has not left the regular rotation. Lyrics, production, concepts -- it's a classic in every sense of the word. Click here to find out how to buy this album.

-- Mason Storm

Hip-Hop Classic: RUN DMC, Raising Hell, 1986

Reprinted from a 1994 edition of The 411:

It was only a matter of time before we spotlighted this trio of rap pioneers in The 411's Hip-Hop Classic. The only question was which album to pick. Run, DMC and Jam Master Jay's early work on their self-titled debut and King of Rock deserve some credit. Tougher Than Leather had "Run's House" and a lot of other great cuts on it. Back From Hell witnessed a change in style (both musically and fashion-wise) for the group, and even though some critics say that they fell off on this album, it still had its good points. Or, we could have taken the easy route and picked <I>Together Forever<I>, their greatest hits album.

But by far, their most groundbreaking album to date in <I>Raising Hell</I>. This album put hip-hop on the map in popular music and introduced it to a much larger audience. In fact, Raising Hell became rap's first multi-platinum album, selling over 3 million copies.

A lot of this was due to the popularity of the first single they released off the album, "Walk This Way," a rap version of the Aerosmith song of the same name. Lead singer Steven Tyler was featured in the video and its rock music allowed it to cross over to fans of other types of music. (Run DMC could probably also be considered at least partially responsible for re-igniting Aerosmith's career.) This song gained them nationwide recognition and landed them on the cover of Rolling Stone, the first time ever for a rap group. Run DMC became known for their rapping over guitars and rock music, with songs like "It's Tricky" and the title track following that format. However, that's not all they did on this album. "Dumb Girl" has a deep bass line, and a humorous tone that is also very evident in "You Be Illin'." "Hit It Run" had two of the early elements of rap that are often lost in today's overly sampled hip-hop world -- scratching and beat-boxing. Finally, "My Adidas" catapulted them into the international marketplace when the shoe company gave them their own line of shoes that came in four different styles.

The popularity Run DMC gained from this album continued on for quite some time, and included starring in the feature film "Tougher Than Leather" and hosting the first-ever episode of "Yo! MTV Raps."

Run DMC brought rap to the forefront of music, introduced it to the mainstream and established it as a real part of the music world, not just some fad.

-- Mason Storm

Hip-Hop Classic: THE D.O.C., No One Can Do It Better, 1989

Reprinted from the August 1994 edition of The 411:

"Y'all ready for this?" With this question The D.O.C. began his platinum-selling debut album, No One Can Do It Better. What followed was 13 tracks of versatile hardcore lyrics and Dr. Dre production that made it hard to disagree with the album title. With the rapid-fire rhymes of "Whirlwind Pyramid" and "Portrait of a Masterpiece," the bass-heavy grooves of "The Formula" and "Let the Bass Go," and the lyrical flow of "Mind Blowin'" and "It's Funky Enough," The D.O.C. established himself as a lyricist and created an album that is still being played five years later without sounding outdated. To top it all of, the last track, "The Grand Finale," marks the last time Ice Cube performed on an album with N.W.A before leaving the group to go solo.

Unfortunately, The D.O.C.'s career was seemingly cut short by a tragic car accident that practically left him without a voice. However, he did not let this setback shut him down completely, and he continued to supply rhymes for N.W.A after the accident. When Dr. Dre left Ruthless Records, The D.O.C. went with him and convinced Dre to do a solo album, which became the multi-platinum The Chronic. In addition to writing for Dre, The D.O.C. has also contributed his writing and production skills to M.C. Breed's The New Breed and DFC's Things in Tha Hood. Although rumors of a comeback have been circulating since the accident, it has been reported recently that The D.O.C. will be featured with Dr. Dre and Snoop on a track off of the soundtrack of Oliver Stone's "Natural Born Killers." Regardless of whether he makes a comeback or not, The D.O.C. only needed one album to prove that No One Can Do It Better.

-- Mason Storm

Hip-Hop Classic: PUBLIC ENEMY, Fear of a Black Planet, 1990

Reprinted from the January 1995 edition of The 411:

"In 1995, you'll twist to this/
as you raise your fist to the music"

-- "Brothers Gonna Work It Out"

Even though it's been just three months since our interview and cover story with Public Enemy's Chuck D, I couldn't help but pick Fear of a Black Planet as 1995's first Hip-Hop Classic.

The follow-up to It Takes A Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back continues P.E.'s outspoken political stance on a range of issues. "Pollywanacraka" and the title track focus on interracial relationships, "Revolutionary Generation" deals with respecting women, Flavor Flav's "911 Is A Joke" addresses the faults of our emergency system, "Meet the G That Killed Me" discusses AIDS, and "Burn Hollywood Burn" enlists the help of Big Daddy Kane and Ice Cube for an attack on moviemakers and the roles they give to African-Americans, and was a prophecy of things to come (the L.A. riots). To finish the album off, P.E. brought back 1989's "Fight The Power" from the "Do the Right Thing" soundtrack.

All in all, Fear of a Black Planet is a definite classic, and you can bet that when the clock struck 12 on January 1, I was twistin' to it.

-- Mason Storm

Hip-Hop Classic: 2 LIVE CREW, Is What We Are, 1986

Reprinted from a 1994 edition of The 411:

In the early days of hip-hop, MCs quickly became known as a fixture of the city or region they represented. L.L. Cool J, Kool Moe Dee, BDP, Public Enemy, Schooly D, Grand Master Melle Mel, Bronx Style Bob, etc. all stood for New York. When someone thought of New York hip-hop, these were the names that came to mind. The same goes for California. N.W.A, King Tee, Too Short and Ice T were the early pioneers of the West Coast scene. When it comes to Florida, however, only one group stands out as an originator: 2 Live Crew.

The original nasty foursome dropped their debut album in 1986, nearly 10 years ago. While most of the album sounds outdated, the 2 Live anthem that brought them fame is still as good as ever. "We Want Some P----!" was something that had never been done before. Following the trend of that song, both "Get It Girl" and "Throw the D" employ some catchy samples and nasty Miami lyrics.

What is interesting about the album is the majority of the content, which is simple, bragging, "I'm-better-than-the-next-MC" kind of material, not the raunchy style 2 Live Crew is so well known for. Remember, their legal troubles didn't start until their third album, As Nasty As They Wanna Be. A big plus for the album is the abscence of any of Luke's chants that annoyingly filled so much space on later albums. Mr. Mixx also represented the ghetto-style DJs with his mega mix at the end of the album.

Is What We Are is worthy of being a Hip-Hop Classic for the simple fact that it is a groundbreaking album. 2 Live Crew opened the door to Florida-based hip-hop and R&B, which has brought us Poison Clan, DJ Magic Mike and more recently Indo G and Lil Blunt.

-- The W

Hip-Hop Classic: SLICK RICK, The Great Adventures of Slick Rick, 1987

Reprinted from a 1994 edition of The 411:

"Here's an oldie but goodie" not only starts out The Great Adventures of Slick Rick, but sums up the album as well. He had hip-hop heads jumpin' even before this album came out with joints like "La Di Da Di" and "The Show," with his old school partner Doug E. Fresh providing beat-box backgrounds. And to top all this off, Slick Rick was a major influence in the style of Snoop Dogg, who covered "La Di Da Di" on his debut album.

The majority of the material on Rick's album deals with females in both the positive and the negative. "Mona Lisa" and "Indian Girl (An Adult Story)" handle the basic man-gets-woman scenario while throwing in a little VD for a moral to the story. "Treat Her Like a Prostitute" kicks an out and out message to all the guys about the triflin' females and how to act when they're not faithful. "Teenage Love" is the other side of the coin, a slow jam for anybody going through the break-up stage of a relationship.

Where Slick Rick really stands out is with his articulate rhyming style and the ability to tell a story, while sticking with whatever topic he's chosen, whether it's the ladies or simply bragging about his rhymes. Tracks like "The Ruler's Back," "Kit (What's the Scoop)," "teacher, Teacher" and "Lick the Balls" allow Rick the opportunity to assure his status as an MC. He also drops a positive message effectively in "Children's Story" and "Hey Young World." Slick Rick and his DJ, Vance Wright, handled production of a few of the tracks, but the majority was left to the familiar likes of Hank Shocklee and Eric Sadler.

Rick's second album, The Ruler's Back, was not as good as his first, and unfortunately, trouble with the law and immigration problems made it difficult for his third album to be completed, although it was recently released. All that aside, The Great Adventures of Slick Rick has guaranteed Slick Rick a spot as one of the pioneers in the history of rap. 

-- The W

Hip-Hop Classic: A TRIBE CALLED QUEST, People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm, 1990

Reprinted from the August 1995 edition of The 411:

It seems impossible that it was only five years ago that A Tribe Called Quest first dropped something for heads to nod to with their debut album. Quest, Q-Tip, and more recently Phife and Ali Shaheed Muhammed have become synonymous with hip-hop. This crew is proof that longevity, respect and cashflow can be achieved without gimmicks, sellout or style-of-the-minute image. From this disc to present, Quest has brought musically innovative material along with improved lyrics each time out.

It was their debut album, though, which cemented their status in the industry from the beginning. It was People's Instinctive Travels... along with the Jungle Brothers' and De La Soul's debuts, that familarized the hip-hop nation with the Native Tongue Family and their brand of laid-back, intelligent and soulful flavor. The self-writing and production by Quest ensured that their style was fully evidenced and it was a style which had few peers at the time. The use of jazz horns, diverse samples and the fresh voices of Q-Tip and Phife combined to create memorable jams which would influence future MCs and provide plenty of material to sample.

Being a classic I shouldn't have to remind anyone what jams were on this disc, but for those who were just little shorties or all y'all forgetful fools I'll do it. "Bonita Applebum" and "Can I Kick It?" seemed to be everyone's favorite at one time or another. Other tracks which weighed in phat were "Rhythm," "I Left My Wallet in El Segundo" and "Footprints." My personal closet classic on this joint though was "Luck of Lucien," which freaked a sample of the French national anthem and a funked out seventies horn section. 

This disc should be required listening for any aspiring MC or would-be rapper. Regardless of whether you like the music, hate it or could care less about it, this is a perfect example what "keepin' it real" is all about. These kids take no shorts and pander to nobody; they do exactly what they want, musically and lyrically. The result is classic.

-- Kawon

Hip-Hop Classic: DIGITAL UNDERGROUND, Sex Packets, 1990

Reprinted from the September 1995 edition of The 411:

Before Dr. Dre, Ice Cube, Too Short or MC Breed jumped on the funk bandwagon, Digital Underground was takin' the train to the land of funk (a.k.a. Oakland) with the captain of the mothership himself, George Clinton, by its side. The self-proclaimed "Sons of the P" debuted in 1990 with Shock G, Humpty Hump and Money B handling the majority of the vocals while DJ Fuze, the Piano Man, Kenny K, MC Blowfish, the Computer Woman and the rest of the underground crew had their back on the production and guest vocals.

One trademark feature of Digital Underground albums is that you always get your money's worth. On <I>Packets</I>, there are 17 tracks (only 14 on the CD, but you still get 75 minutes of music). A few of them are interludes, but many of the actual songs are over six minutes long, and the classic party jam "Doowutchyalike" is just short of nine. "The Danger Zone" contains the most obvious influence of p-funk -- a sample of Parliament's "Flashlight." But the most well-known cut on the album has got to be "The Humpty Dance," which crossed over and received extensive play on MTV and even local top 40 stations that refuse to play rap today. Other tracks to check out are 'Freaks of the Industry," with its multiple-choice metaphors; "Rhymin' on the Funk;" "Underwater Rimes," the original fish rhyme; and the Underground's shout-out to the old school, "A Tribute to the Early Days." The album concludes with the "Packet" epic, a series of five tracks that enter the world of a fictional aphrodisiac-in-a-pill.

To borrow a phrase from their second album, Digital Underground deserves to get props while they're still livin' for pioneering the hip-hop world's entry into the era of funk.

-- Mason Storm