Thursday, December 3, 1998

Year-end spectacular

With 1998 almost over, people keep asking me, "Jeff, what's the album of the year?" or "Jeff, who rose above all of the mediocrity out there in hip-hop this year?"

I kept on telling them to wait for the year-end "Jeff's Joint spectacular" and here it is: Gangstarr's "Moment of Truth" is the hip-hop album of the year.

I hope you are not surprised. The year in rap was full of disappointing albums from heavy hitters, but Guru and DJ Premier would have won even if it was a good year.

The album will take you back to what hip-hop is really about: beats, rhymes and consciousness.

The monotone voice of Bald Head Slick, a.k.a. Guru, sounds as good as it did in 1991, and Premier is simply primo, hands down the best producer in rap music.

As an extra feature to this spectacular, I want to name the top emcees out there as well.

The criteria is composed of 60 percent freestyle ability, 20 percent style and delivery and 20 percent originality of lyrics.

The elite 10 are: Q-Tip, Common, Guru, Phife, B.I.G., KRS-One, Nas, Mos Def, Tash and Eminem.

There you have it. What you do with this information is your choice and your responsibility. My job is simply to inform.

Before my space is out, I want to thank a few kind souls who have in some way, shape or form contributed to the Joint this semester.

Peace to Alan May, Dave, Fat Joe, Cheap Shot at UC Irvine, Alex, Cory on the v-ball team, my boy Shaq (who is the illest lyricist in town), John Mayor, Ellan, Josh at the HOBlues, Tip Ali and Phife, and all the Orange County and Long Beach heads who carry on the tradition of conscious hip-hop culture. Peace.

P.S. Just kidding about the Shaq thing.