My 50 Favorite Albums (continued)

There's a little rap on my top 50 list, but not much.

Dr Dre's on the list with The Chronic.

The Fugees are on the list with The Score.

But that's it so far.

Well this week's choice is from my favorite rapper, Eminem.

I have enjoyed everything that Eminem has done.

But the Eminem record that we always put on is The Eminem Show.

From the day it was released in mid 2002 until the end of 2003, we must have listened to this record about a hundred times.

People will say that this music isn't for kids.  That's probably true but we have never censored our kids from the real world and aren't going to start now.  The show on our street corner beats Eminem's show every day for grim reality.

The songs people talk about on this record are White America, Cleaning Out My Closet, Without Me, and Hallie's Song.  All of them are great.

But my favorites are Business, Square Dance, Sing For the Moment (with the great sample of Aerosmith's Dream On), and Daddy's Gone Crazy.

Welcome to the top 50 Slim Shady.

Comments

[Russ Pillar]

I hear 'ya--and I wanna be there with ya, brother, because--in the words of Eric B. and Rakim--"you got soul" (see http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/_/id/6596231/ericbandrakim?pageid=rs.Artistcage&pageregion=triple3)--but I just can't get my arms around Eminem. Never could, never will. Me, I'm old school. As the very Revervend Run preaches (thank you, Rick Rubin), "it's like that, and that's the way it is" (http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/album/_/id/97747/rundmc?pageid=rs.Artistcage&pageregion=triple1).

[Tony Alva]

Russ,

Em's OK, but you couldn't be more right. I think Fred needs to expand his catalog of old school hip hop and Eric B & Rakim would be a good place for him to start. Perhaps “Paid In Full” or “Follow The Leader” (my favorite). Maybe some BDP, or Ice T. I would guarantee that some of these records would usurp this one in a heartbeat. Jackson and I have been pointing him to what we consider to be one of the best all time hip hop records ever made, “Paul's Boutique” by the Beastie Boys. Don’t know if he’s checked it out yet. Once he puts it on I can’t see how it would ever come off of his heavy rotation list. I think he was in B school during the heyday, so he might have missed all the really cool stuff.

The Chronic is a most worthy Top 50 in any book though.

“Cool, I don’t get upset... kick a hole in the speaker, pull the plug, then I jet”

Man, I think I’ll put “Follow the Leader” back in the car changer now…

[fred]

ok, guys - Paul's Boutique is on its way from Amazon.

[jackson]

Tony, we have effected change! Huzzahs all around I think.

[David Niederman]

Fred (& everyone else)-

If I may, you should check out Nas' debut album 'Illmatic'. Confirmed by many to be a hip hop classic.

-David

[fred]

and Run DMC because Russ was also quite convincing

[Dan]

Fred, unrelated to Eminem, but if I remember correctly you are a big Jeff Buckley fan. Looks like he will have a biography film made about him, http://www.fmqb.com/article.asp?id=93948.

[Toby]

I don't know much about hip hop, but I do know Aceyalone and Dead Prez rock.

[Scott Sanders]

I had to agree with you about liking everything that he puts out, until the latest album, Encore. Even the single Mosh is not that great. All of his other songs on other albums have either 4 or 5 stars, and in Encore, the highest I can give is 3 stars. I wonder what happened?

I do enjoy your top 50, and have even bought an album from it (Jimmy Cliff - Jimmy Cliff). I tend to listen to country, rap, rock, pop in that order, but your list is insightful from time to time.

Keep it up.

[Scott Sanders]

I forgot to add that Ice-T's Freedom of Speech is a great one as well. His mixing rap and rock was just what I needed to hear at that time in life (late 80's, early 90's).

[Tony Alva]

Fred,

You will not be disappointed in Paul's Boutique. Jackson broke it out as traveling music down to the concerts last weekend and the whole car was rockin' and spittin'...

[Alexander Peschkoff]

It took me quite a few years to start licening to Em. For some unfathomable reason I kept ignoring all his albums. Then one day a friend of mine put it on by mistake (it was his daughter's CD).

As Fred wrote, it's hard not to keep listening to it once you started. Thanks for adding Eminem to Top 50, Fred. And do give it a go those of you who haven't listened to it yet.

[Alexander Peschkoff]

It took me quite a few years to start licening to Em. For some unfathomable reason I kept ignoring all his albums. Then one day a friend of mine put it on by mistake (it was his daughter's CD).

As Fred wrote, it's hard not to keep listening to it once you started. Thanks for adding Eminem to Top 50, Fred. And do give it a go those of you who haven't listened to it yet.

[jackson]

Can't take the credit, it was Mrs. Alva that buted out the Beasties.

[Alternative Energy Blog]

I've got to agree with David.

Nas' "Illmatic" is definitely an all time classic.

It's my favourite hip-hop album of the hundreds (thousands?) I've listened to.

[Scott]

This post started quite a "buzz"

I'd have to agree with those that put a shout out for Run DMC. Raising Hell is one of my all time favorite albums. I can still rattle off over half of the album from memory.

I also saw mention of Ice-T. Now, I'm not a huge Ice-T fan, but Ice-T - O.G. (original gangster) is a phenomenal album. It's funky, fresh, and fun! Ice-T even introduces a rock band he found on one of the tracks. The band is BodyCount. If you're still on an old school kick, check it out. Oh man, I'm starting to remember... "Midnight chillin' at AM PM, coolin' drinkin apple juice in Evil's BM. The sound's up loud to attract attention, white wall tires on a lowered suspension..."

[jackson]

Scott is righ about Ice-T's O.G. record, check out the Drama, drama, drama...