Public Enemy - Can't Do Nuttin' For Ya, Man!
(From Fear Of A Black Planet album; 1990)
Keep yer ears peeled at 0:56 and 2:29. Unless anyone can think of any earlier examples then it's time Flava Flav is recognised & realised as the #actual pioneer of the Max B laugh on wax.
Trunk Boiz & Seiji Oda ft. Fijiana - Sky Scraper
(From Right Back In EP; 2026)
A video for one of my favourite cuts from the Trunk Boiz & Seiji Oda EP. I fuxwit this one because it sounds like a Trunk Boiz and Kreayshawn collaboration which should have happened in the early 2010s. And that's the thing: lots of my current favourite choonz sounds like a parallel universe of Rap which never happened but which really should have happened.
Kreayshawn's Gucci Gucci was a true “I guess you guys aren't ready for that yet. But your kids are gonna love it!” song.
Z-Ro - Mo City Don (Freestyle) (video)
(From Let The Truth Be Told album; 2005/YouTube; 2026)
It's never too late for a proper video to one of the greatest songs in Texas Rap history. A song with no actual chorus which is #actually one long chorus innit. Just press stop or rewind at the 4:30 mark because no discerning Rap connoisseur needs to be reminded of what comes next. True story: when I first copped the Let The Truth Be Told I was so stuck on this song I didn't even listen to the rest of the album until days later. And so here's a generic list post of 25 first songs on albums which were so good they had me in a headlock for days.
You can play this game with me if you want, but there's one rule: all first songs on albums which are preceeded by a skit or an intro are officially excluded.
BabyChiefDoIt - Ghetto Love Story
(From R.A.M.B.O album; 2026)
Nowadays you have to look for that Charlie Rambo waviness in places other than Max B's music. What a pleasant surprise to find it in a song by a teenage Chicago Drill rapper which sounds it could be on a new So So Def Bass All-Stars compilation. In fact, this is the most So So Def Bass All-Stars soundin' track since Freak Like Me by Slimeroni. Anyhoo, I'd call Ghetto Love Story my Song of The Summer™, but England is experiencing another 30+ degree heatwave and I'm ready for autumn already.
Ice Cube - Once Upon A Time In The Projects
(From AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted album; 1990/YouTube; 2026)
Examples of AI being aiight: when it's used to create videos for Ice Cube's greatest storytelling songs ever. Cube never shot the video for Once Upon A Time In The Projects himself, so some tech geek Rap fans got the computers 'putin. Damn, this is exactly what I picture in my mind's eye every time I listen to the song. Now do You Can't Fade Me next plz.
After EttelThun revisted Wu-Tang Forever, I decided to give it another listen meself. It's an album which keeps getting better with age. By 2099 it might be almost listenable beyond the 3 or 4 highlights.
The day Wu-Tang Forever dropped, me & My best m8 Sahin had a celebration listening party. About halfway through we gave up and put Liquid Swords and Only Built 4 Cuban Linx on instead.
In no particular order, ten 1997 Rap albums which body Wu-Tang Forever: Street Gospel by Suga Free; Uptown Saturday Night by Camp Lo; Stone Crazy by The Beatnuts; Solja Rags by Juvenile; The War Report by Capone-N-Noreaga; Welcome To Our World by Timbaland & Magoo; Life After Death by Biggie; Stackin' Chips by 3X Krazy; Sex Style by Kool Keith; Tru 2 Da Game by TRU.
"What you been through? What you got to rap about?
Besides what your brodie did, and you the type to rat him out"
Mic Terror ft. Easy O'Hare - Rent Money
(From The Terror Files album; 2026)
Bloggin' ain't a game, Gawd! Call me Emma Radacanu because I don't play! Here's another fave cut from the new Mic Terror LP. That beat is like half Kamikaze, half Deliverance: a midwedternplayalisticcountryrapchoon. As for the werdz, Terror does Terror for the first verse and chorus before his pal Easy O'Hare slides in for the second verse. The LP ain't no fun if ur m8s can't get none, and it's been that way since El Shabazz.
Bonus bloggin: 1nce again I'm gonna use my monthly wrap-up post to keep track of the best movies and TV shows I've been watching. * indicates rewatches dunnit.