21 Years Later

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 20 first songs on albums which were so good they had me in a headlock for days.

The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Foxy Lady (1967)
Curtis Mayfield - (Don't worry) If There's A Hell Below.. (1970)
Thin Lizzy - Jailbreak (1976)
The Damned - Neat Neat Neat (1977)
Ramones - I Just Wanna Have Something To Do (1978)
Michael Jackson - Don't Stop Til You Get Enough (1979)
Motörhead - Ace Of Spades (1980)
Prince - Let's Go Crazy (1984)
Run-D.M.C - Peter Piper (1986)
Beastie Boys - Rhymin' & Stealin (1986)
Eric B. & Rakim - Follow The Leader (1988)
Danzig - Twist Of Cain (1988)
N.W.A - Straight Outta Compton (1989)
Digital Underground - The Humpty Dance (1989)
Faith No More - From Out Of Nowhere (1989)
LL Cool J - Mama Said Knock You Out (1990)
Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit (1991)
Soundgarden - Rusty Cage (1991)
Mac Dre - Feelin' Myself (2004)
Z-Ro - Mo City Don (Freestyle) (2005)

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.

Surf youts with attitude, kinda groovy

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.

AIight then

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.

My Mind Spray 23

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.

Ten New York Rap songs from 1997 which body any song on Wu-Tang Forever: Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Could See by Busta Rhymes; Verbal Attack by Black Attack, Problemz & Al Tariq; Phone Tap by The Firm; Piece Of The Action by Godfather Don; Day One by D.I.T.C; Just Another Case by CRU; Universal Magnetic by Mos Def; Fortified Live by Reflection Eternal, Mos Def & Mr. Man; Feel So Good by Ma$e; It's All About The Benjamins (Remix) by Bad Boy Records & Lil' Kim.

Everybody eats, T

"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.

Generic list post: June 2026

Obligatory wrap-up post of those songs I've played most during the month the 2026 World Cup gave us a Scott Hall turns up on WCW Nitro moment when Gary Lineker popped up on ITV's football panel. You people.. you know who I am... but you don't know why I'm here!

Biggie Smalls - Biggie Got The Hype Shit (1991)
Husalah - On The Streets Pt 2 (200?/2026)
Trunk Boiz & Seiji Oda - Go Dumb! (video) (2026)
Trunk Boiz & Seiji Oda - Never (2026)
P-Lo - Run It Back (2026)
Mic Terror - Lyrical Shit (2026)
Mic Terror - A Year Ago (2026)
Lelo - Get Geeked (2026)
Ephamus ft. Project Pat - Secret Indictment (2026)
Lord Sko & Statik Selektah - Wish Upon A Star (2026)
Pete & Bas - Cross Country (2026)
Ricky Nelson - It's Late (1959)
Tove Lo - I'm Your Girl Right (2026)

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.

Movies I watched and liked:
Two Way Stretch (1960)
Nuts In May (1976)
Carlito's Way (1993) *

TV shows I watched and liked:
Dear England (episodes 3 and 4) (2026)
Moviedrome: Welcome To The Cult (documentary) (2026)
Spain vs. Cape Verde (2026)
Argentina vs. Algeria (2026)
England vs. Croatia (second half) (2026)
Scotland vs. Brazil (2026)
Ecuador vs. Germany (2026)
Norway vs. France (2026)
Brazil vs. Japan (2026)

The P stands for Penance?

P-Lo - Run It Back
(From Run It Back single; 2026)

Ring the alarm, P-Lo back in my good books after helping That Canadian Nonce™ besmirch a Mac Dre classic. Not a Slap-Magnifico, more a Slap-Atonemento.

Le Geek

Lelo - Get Geeked
(From Mastiff: Pink Tiles album; 2026)

Fellow #MicTerrorHive member Jmil reckons Ezale should beatjack and remake this song. I concur, but until then the original will do just fine as a Detroit Bass exocet missile designed to blow my limbs into a frenzy. Your shit is underground, this shit is underwater™. The title says Geeked, but this song is more Rollin' than Scotty. This beat is a good example of how a Rap song can snatch a couple of magic moments from an otherwise dire 80s Dutch pop song and mold them into a bangeur. True story: I've only just realised that Lelo and Gelo are two different rappers.