This album is the absolute most pure essence of hip hop. Its crazy to me that Zion I aren’t super famous by now but in a way I’m secretly glad that the mainstream hasn’t caught wind of them yet and ruined their amazing vibe. One of the best things about this album is that you can straight up listen to every track without wanting to skip anything. From beginning to end it is packed with sublime cuts. There aren’t any Zion I albums that I don’t like but I’m gonna go out on a limb here and say that this album personifies their overall feel better than any other. It’s inspiring, uplifting and only gets better with time.
Production: Amp Live
Features: Aesop Rock, Del The Funky Homosapien, Fred Hampton Jr., Gift of Gab, Talib Kweli
“Simon says get the fuck up!” haha you tell em Monch. He started out as one of two members of Organized Konfusion with Prince Po. They certainly had a good thing goin and usually I hate when people decide to go solo. It seems like putting out dope solo work is the exception not the rule. Lucky for us Pharoahe is the exception. He is such a good example of QUALITY over QUANTITY. It took him eight years after his debut album (Internal Affairs) to put out a second release (Desire) but they are both amazing. You might also recognize him from his more mainstream hit ‘Oh No’ with Mos Def & Nate Dogg. I hate using this saying cause its kinda retarded BUT Pharoahe Monch goes so hard! Yeah I said it. You know when you meet people and their level of creativity is so different that you just think they must be living in a totally different world than the average person? Case in point, Pharoahe. Homeboy is kinda wild and he is not scared to push the envelope. I mean he has one song where he uses rape as a metaphor for what he does to his songs. Yeah its like that. His work oozes with an east-coast vibe and I love this album for maintaining that raw, grimy old-school sound that I know and love so much. But don’t him fool you, he has a softer side too which he shows on tracks like ‘The Light’ and ‘The Truth’ feat. Common. If you aren’t listening to Monch already then you got some splaining to do!
Production: Diamond D, DJ Scratch, Lee Stone, Pharoahe Monch, The Alchemist
Features: Apani B. Fly, Busta Rhymes, Canibus, Common, Lady Luck, M.O.P., Method Man, Prince Po, Redman, Shabaam Sahdeeq, Talib Kweli
This album will take you to a different world. It’s like an audible cloud that lets you float far and away into a distant land. Kenn Starr’s gentle but strong presence lends well to the whimsical, ethereal beats provided by the likes of Oddisee/Kev Brown/Illmind etc. His lyrics are so real but are portrayed with a delicate poetic nature. This album reminds me a bit of Blu & Exile – ‘Below the Heavens’. It’s like you take a mini vacation when you listen to albums like these. This album came out a few years ago (2006) but its a mainstay on my playlist. And even though Kenn Starr isn’t the most well-known cat around, he is extremely well-received by the underground.
Production: DJ Roddy Rod, Illmind, Kev Brown, Khrysis, M-Phazes, Oddisee, Young Cee
This album is the absolute most pure essence of hip hop. Its crazy to me that Zion I aren’t super famous by now but in a way I’m secretly glad that the mainstream hasn’t caught wind of them yet and ruined their amazing vibe. One of the best things about this album is that you can straight up listen to every track without wanting to skip anything. From beginning to end it is packed with sublime cuts. There aren’t any Zion I albums that I don’t like but I’m gonna go out on a limb here and say that this album personifies their overall feel better than any other. It’s inspiring, uplifting and only gets better with time.
