Recently Rolling Stone Magazine published a list of the top 50 rap records of all time. Much has been said since that list was released a few months ago. The Off The Corner Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/
Anytime VH1, MTV2, Rolling Stone or whom ever does a hip-hop related list, it is often very suspect and opened to serious question. These lists are subjective and based on opinion. They always seem to get it wrong and focus on artist who have made a name for themselves inside the last 10 to 15 years. They almost always fail to draw from the golden era of rap music. Many of the records released during the golden era were singles with no video. When the corporate controlled television networks do their lists they always have some b-roll of a music video clip to play as they talk about a song. For example, EPMDs' "It's My Thing" was a great record with no music video to promote it. Many of the records on the Off The Corners' list are records like that. Run-DMC "Sucker M.C.s" was a huge hit that changed the course of rap music, but it had no video and often gets overlooked. We currently live in a digital video world, however it was the analog era in rap music that laid the groundwork for today's modern rap culture.
We at Off The Corner decided that we should do our own list in response to the Rolling Stone list that includes only New York artists. The birthplace, New York, is the most influential place in the world as it relates to Rap Music. It is safe to say that music is the most elegant language that humans use to communicate with, when it comes to Hip-Hop no one can convey that language better that the very people who invented the language. This list was compiled to focus on records that represented a turning point in Rap Music. These records changed the course of Rap Music and indeed the course of history.
Here is Off The Corners' list of the most important rap records of all time. This list appears in no particular order.
Pete Rock And C.L. Smooth "T.R.O.Y."
EPMD "It's My Thing"
UTFO "Roxanne, Roxanne"
Public Enemy "Rebel Without A Pause"
Doug EM Fresh & Slick Rick "The Show"
Kool G Rap & Polo "Poison"
Ultra Magnetic MCs "Ego Trippin"
De La Soul "Plug Tunin"
De La Soul "Buddy"
T La Rock & Jazzy Jay "It's Yours"
Eric B & Rakim "Eric B For President"
Eric B & Rakim "Microphone Fiend"
Eric B & Rakim "I Know You Got Soul"
Eric B & Rakim "I Ain't No Joke"
Eric B & Rakim "Follow The Leader"
Main Source "Live At The BBQ"
Afrika Bambaataa "Planet Rock"
Big Daddy Kane "Raw"
Big Daddy Kane "Wrath Of Kane"
Big Daddy Kane "Ain't No Half Steppin"
L.O.N.S. "Case Of The PTA"
L.L. Cool J "Rock The Bells"
Melle Mell "The Message"
Run-DMC "Sucker MCs"
BDP "South Bronx"
Afrika Bambaataa "Planet Rock"
Public Enemy "Shut 'Em Down" (Remix)
L.L. Cool J "I Need A Beat"
A Tribe Called Quest "Scenario"
The Juice Crew "Symphony"
Beastie Boys "Paul Revere"
The Funky 4 Plus One More "It's The Joint"
Mantronix "Fresh Is The Word"
*List Compiled by Ralo and Stacey Bueche