I had the whole Ben Folds/Ben Harper thing, but I actually think Ben Harper and Michael Franti are the same person. Maybe that’s why Franti changes group names so often—to throw people off his/Ben’s trail.
Hip-Hop/Rap
Big Daddy Kane/Kool Moe Dee/Kurtis Blow
A while back, our weekly alternative paper described a shop that was closing downtown as “the O.G. of local collectives.” Further proof that white people should never try to come up with clever uses for the term “O.G.” I would call this list a tribute to some actual O.G.s, but these guys are so O, they were around before the Gs took over rap. I guess that makes them pre-O.G.s?
Wu-Tang Clan
Z IS COMING SOON! BE SURE TO SEND IN YOUR ARTIST/GROUP SUGGESTIONS FOR POTD, ROUND 2!
Why rap groups are awesome: Because they come up with album titles like Enter the Wu-Tang … the 36 Chambers. What does that even mean?
2Pac
In the true spirit of 2Pac, this list should contain one song that was released when he was alive, and nine “never before heard” tracks that were found in “the vaults” after his death. Although of course he isn’t dead. He and Elvis are alive and sharing a secret penthouse in Las Vegas. Which is a more disturbing image than seeing him onstage as a hologram.
Too $hort
In the late 1970s, Oakland’s biggest musical export was the Pointer Sisters. By the late 80s, it was Too $hort (plus MC Hammer, but we’re trying to forget that). That difference tells you pretty much all you need to know about the changes in the city over those 10 years.
Tommy Boy
So not two days ago I was thinking, “I need to figure out a way to get Digital Underground on a list. They are too awesome to ignore.” And lo and behold, here’s what I had scheduled for the day. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg of the awesomeness that was Tommy Boy.
Sugar Hill
Round about 1979, on a family visit, my cousin Chris couldn’t wait to play “the best song he ever heard” for my older sister and me. The song was “Rapper’s Delight.” My sister and I, having just spent a summer singing along to “You Picked a Fine Time to Leave Me Lucille,” couldn’t make heads or tails of it. Who knew a white kid from Connecticut would turn out to be so ahead of the musical curve?
Old-School Rap AllMusic page
SoCal Rap
When Larry (Lawrence) and I were roommates, we used to call “Next Episode” the drive-by song. Or maybe it was “That Was a Good Day.” Actually, you could call pretty much any song on this list the drive-by song.
Run-D.M.C.
Yes, kids, people used to write rap songs about shoes. And you know what? Those songs were awesome. Rap used to be a lot of fun.
Roots
I used to hate the Roots, then I heard Game Theory, and now I love them. But … Jay Leno? Seriously?
Playlist of the Day 