michaelbyers

This album was hard to just pick three songs. I mean literally every song is great. I was so happy for Beck when this one Best Album at the grammy's. I remember buying this album on iTunes when it first came out. His albums are hit or miss for me because I mostly like his chilled out records. Sea Change was the last great one for me. Then this one came out. This, at the time, was one of the first albums I'd been listening to where I didn't ever think to skip to the next track. I just put the album on repeat and listened straight through all day it felt like. His buttery vocals over his beautiful arrangements were so melodic and enchanting that it left me feeling calm and serene. Definitely give this album a listen if you haven't already.

Was this the best hip hop album of all time. Of course not. But for me personally this album represents a time in my life when I was not only the hip hop guy of all my pals but I DJ'd hip hop for a while, and I collected vinyl like it was my business. This is one of those albums that I can just put on and listen to from start to finish. Then add to great production and great sounds you have the incredible voice and rhyming of the Queen Bahamadia herself. I can't recommend this album enough to friends. I'm grateful I still have it on vinyl from all those years ago.

The combination of Pete Rock's production with the vocals of C.L. Smooth made this album one of the best to come out of the 90s hip hop era. C.L. Smooth didn't have that name just because it sounded cool. I still say he's hands down one of the smoothest rhymers in hip hop today. OF course there are laundry lists of smooth rappers but C.L. takes the cake. THEN rhyming over top of Pete Rock's beats it just gelled like nothing we heard before or since.

I was introduced to a lot of new music from all sorts of genre through skateboard videos that I watched when I was in high school. It happened to be during the golden era of hip hop. I'd heard 93 'til Infinity in a skate video and was hooked. At the time and still to this day I've been a lover of hip hop. Specifically what is now known as Boom Bap style. Can't stand Trap. This album was on heavy rotation at the time. Back then I had a lot of cassette tapes. Needless to say I wore this out one from being played so much.

I remember the time in my life when I first heard this album. I was in a hippie phase and feeling very optimistic about life and confident in myself. Someone played this for me and I was blown away. First impression was it was the most uplifting and happy album I'd heard in years. Not necessarily the lyrics or messages it puts out but the way I felt every time I put it on. I'd just want to close my eyes and dance and feel great. I put it on from time to time to get that feeling again.