" Lyrics To Go "

You might not know this about me, I rap.....But I don't rhyme like these weirdo cats, who don't have anything to say and come off like a coke - head car salesman...If I had a hundred dollars for every cornball rhyme that I heard last year, by now I would be a very wealthy brother....

Like the rest of you out there, I was heavily influenced by the " 2nd Holy Trinity " in Hip Hop. ( Rakim, Big Daddy Kane, Kool G. Rap )...In that era if you didn't have lyrics it was obvious to everyone, because the standards were so high...." Kool Moe Dee " even came out with a Hip Hop report card, breaking down the science of what a true M.C. is....( Brothers weren't playing games )

Somehow along the way, instead of the lyrics getting more advanced in the Hip Hop mainstream, the rhymes have slowly been reduced to " Simple Simon Poetics "....Simplified jingles that any dim witted cat could of came up with...Seriously...The other day I heard a song where motherfuckers are talking about doing a dance called the " Stinky Leg "....( You get the picture )...

Thankfully, there are many dimensions of Hip Hop that exist outside of the ( Mainstream's ) parameters.. There are many top notch M.C's out there in the 21st century, that virtually go unnoticed...So I decided to make a " Top Five " list of M.C.'s that are still keeping those lyrics sharp, inspiring imagination and creativity, and most importantly, bringing substance to the table...
* In no particular order..

1..." Jihad- From Third Sight "-----When a lot of cats think of lyrics, they automatically think of New York ( Which is understandable )....But the west has always cultivated top ranking wordsmith's ( Ras Kass, E-Rule, Ren, Cube, Kam , Souls Of Mischief, etc )...Hailing from San Jose, " Jihad " is one of the illest M.C.'s you will ever come across...His wordplay is unpredictable enough to slay ciphers, but his story telling ability is on some whole other shit....

2.." K.R.S.- One " -----After " Y2K " , a lot of so - called fans turned their back's on " K "......I heard all types of bullshit aimed at the " Teacher "....Things got so bad that even your boy " Nelly ", fired a couple shots at him..But if you listen to his verses on the " D.J. Revolution's King Of The Decks " joint ( The D.J. ) he absolutely smashes it....And to this day, there is practically know one who can fuck with him live....If he can recruit some dope producers for future projects, " K " can still do a lot of damage out there..

3..." Nas "-----I know, I know his beat selection skills post - " Illmatic ", are downright questionable.. But after seeing him at " Rock The Bells " recently, there is one thing I couldn't question, his ability to drop some heavy science in his lyrics..." Nas " is a natural, his flow doesn't seem forced or contrived....He is one of the best to ever do it, and I hope for the sake of maintaining his original fan base, he steps his beat selection game up....

4..." Immortal Technique "-----If you listen real closely to " Tech's " flow, you will notice he is off just a little bit....But the substance that he brings to the table makes up for it....And if you listen even closer, you can hear the sincerity in his voice...It sounds like he means what he say's.....Most M.C.'s these days aren't convincing enough...On one song they are a big mafioso hitman, on the next joint they are talking about being a peace activist....FUCK THAT..." Tech " keeps it consistent on some " Anti- colonialism " shit....And I have to respect that, just get some better beats...( Sound familiar yet )...

5..." Ras Kass "----All I have to say is, " Nature Of The Threat "........

( Honorable mention: Pun, J-Live, Megalon, my mother fuckin manz Kendoo, Wise Intelligent, Killer Priest, Inspector Deck, A.Z., and a gang of other cats that I can't think of right now for some reason )

Please don't get the wrong impression by this article, I am not one of those conscious save the world dudes...The majority of time I am listening to some angry, shank you in the neck, ultra- violent battle rap shit...But my top 5 consist of cats who's poetic value, proverbs, and lyrical prowess have changed the game forever and inspired a slew of imitators...

And if your name is not on here, don't get your panties in a bunch about it....Try harder, study the right motherfuckers and soon you will be on your way....But if you think you are " That Dude " already, send me your music at ZJUDAH@yahoo.com...