Pixar Is Beautiful

Have I posted this one? Dunno. I know I love Pixar though so its very possible I have. Oh well. Any story worth telling is worth telling twice!

Music From July & August: Preview

I took a snapshot of iTunes' cover art of the new albums I have been playing since I last posted a Power Rankings back in June. I'll probably do a little blurb about each of these like I have for most albums I've listened to this year. Consider this a small tease.

Note: I haven't played Tha Carter IV, but it leaked today, I'm listening tonight, and will have an opinion on it by the time I run thru the others here.

Update: I've realized that Blogger has shrunken the screenshot enough that its really difficult to figure out what albums what if you didn't know what they were already. So, in alphabetical order by artist (left to right, row by row):

Ashton Shepherd Where Country Grows

Beyoncé 4

Big Sean Finally Famous: The Album

Blake Shelton Red River Blue

Blu N O Y O R K .

Various Artists Rave On Buddy Holly

Childish Gambino EP

Chris Young Neon

Cocaine 80s The Pursuit EP

Colbie Caillat All of You

The Cool Kids When Fish Ride Bicycles

Cults Cults

Curren$y & Alchemist Covert Coup

Danny Brown XXX

Destroyer Kaputt

Eli Young Band Life at Best

Eric Church Chief

The Game The R.E.D. Album

Jill Scott The Light Of The Sun

Kanye West & Jay-Z Watch The Throne

Kendrick Lamar Section.80

Lil' Wayne Tha Carter IV

Lil B "The BasedGod" Im Gay

Luke Bryan Tailgates & Tanlines

Mat Kearney Young Love

McKenzie Eddy Young Platinum

Wale, Meek Mill, Pill & Rick Ross MMG Presents: Self Made, Vol. 1

Random Axe Random Axe

Red Hot Chili Peppers I'm With You

Royce Da 5'9" Success Is Certain

Shabazz Palaces Black Up

Spree Wilson The Never Ending Now

Trace Adkins Proud To Be Here

tUnE-yArDs W H O K I L L

Washed Out Within and Without

We The Kings Sunshine State of Mind

The Weeknd Thursday

Weird Al Yankovic Alpocalypse

WU LYF Go Tell Fire To The Mountain

XV Zero Heroes

Rondo Dons Purple & Gold

Really weird right? I love the way Rondo throws the shoe away in disgust.

Also: NBA 2K12 has announced its other Legends. Not only is Larry in there, but Bill Russell is too! And he's in vintage black and white-- how sick is that?

Check the full list here: http://espn.go.com/espn/thelife/videogames/blog/_/name/thegamer/id/6874034/the-15-legends-nba-2k12?readmore=fullstory

The Next One

I know we still have a World Series and a Super Bowl to win, but damn it I love this video too much not to post. You know which Championship is my favorite? The Next One...

Time

How the hell did I ever have enough of it to post so often? Thankfully I'm about to have a whole lot more of it when I become a student again and not a busy intern.

I need my own Time Wizard... wasted on my childhood TV lineup.

Some posts to look forward to that I'm currently working on:

Best Albums since the last Top 10.

A new Top 10 Album Rankings.

Top 10 Mario Games.

Further Posts on my 10 Favorite Rappers.

Happy 4th of July!

Little known fact: 4th of July is my favorite Holiday. It celebrates something I actually believe in, involves getting together with friends, great food, explosions, music, and there's no snow, ever.

Here's a quick clip that I try to watch every Independence Day, courtesy of the Animaniacs. Always helps put me in the mood.

2011 Album Power Rankings (Week 3)

Its the third week of the Power Rankings. There's been a little movement and there is a new album making its debut on the list.

10. Big K.R.I.T. : Return of 4eva ( -1 ) [9]

KRIT shows he's got a conscious side on a track like "Another Naive Individual Glorifying Greed and Ecouraging Racism," while still serving up some good ol' "Country Shit" with Southern stars Ludacris and Bun B.

09. Fucked Up: David Comes To Life (-1) [6]

The punk opera is still a solid release, just suffers from the increase play the up-and-comers have gotten over the past week.

08. Bad Meets Evil: Hell- The Sequel (-3) [5]

Em and Royce make for a killer combo the likes we haven't seen since Outkast broke up. Until they reunite, Bad Meets Evil will be the rap duo of choice (yes, that's a challenge to Jay-Z and Kanye to actually try).

07. Fleet Foxes: Helplessness Blues (---) [7]

Last week's top gainer owed its jump to its awesome grooves and understated production. It stays at #7 for the same reasons.

06. The Antlers: Burst Apart (---) [6]

Its interesting how such a subdued sounding album can reach the great heights Burst Apart does. Just a really captivating album.

05. The Weeknd: House of Balloons (**) [5]

I heard The Weeknd for the first time last weekend (ha ha! See what I did there?). I heard a little buzz about them on Twitter from Joe Budden and Drake. The R&B sound is similar to Frank Ocean in tone and style, and the subject matter sticks to what I love about R&B- women and sleeping with them. Its great stuff and is growing on me by the day. Definitely worth checking out! (free download from their website)

04. Tyler, The Creator: Goblin (---) [4]

Leader of the Odd Future movement, Tyler's sophomore effort shows no sign of a slump, and its not slumping in the standings either.

03. Brad Paisley: This Is Country Music (---) [3]

Still the lone country artist on the list, Brad sets himself apart from the country crowd thus far this year with his unparalleled versatility within the genre.

02. Frank Ocean: nostalgia, ULTRA (---) [2]

Odd Future's elder statesman is finally getting the recognition from his record label (Def Jam) that he so clearly deserves. My favorite new thing in R&B since Melanie Fiona.

01. Adele: 21 (---) [1]

Adele holds the record for most consecutive weeks atop the MFP Power Rankings. All kidding aside, I think she proved with this record she could be a star for the ages. Unless she tragically goes the way of Sam Cooke, I see a prolonged career without the Amy Whinehouse breakdown bullshit.

(Largest Drop: Bad Meets Evil, Hell: The Sequel- #5 to #8)

(Largest Gain: The Weeknd, House of Balloons - unranked to #5)

GCS meets NYC

The Gate City Squad took a trip out to NYC to film their music video for their new track, "Dreaming (ft. Jeff Blair)" They making GOOD Music like Kanye... Check it out, like it, support it.

NBA Draft's Biggest Winner

Kyrie Erving, Derrick Williams, Jimmer, Kemba & company: Take notes-- Jan Vesely is the leading scorer thus far this season, and an early favorite for rookie of the year.

The Wizard's #6 overall pick is a 6'11" freak athlete. So how tall must his girlfriend be? (6'3").

Too soon to pronounce- "We Are Witnesses?"

My New Drug

My new addiction, explained in a way that convinced me I don't need to give it up... Having 2 of the best weeks ever since I started drinking it wasn't helping either. Hooray for coffee!

Video From: http://blog.cgpgrey.com/

America Doin' Work

U-S-A! U-S-A!

I don't know when the last time the USA took out 2 of its highest profile bad guys in a few months, especially ones that could fill in for either Waldo or Carmen Sandiego.

Toy Story 4

Tagline: Hold On Woody!

This made my morning. This, and the fact that Friday always leads right into a Fun Weekend.

NBA Draft Tonight

The Boston Celtics own the #25 and #55 picks in tonight's NBA Draft. I'm going to play Danny Ainge for a quick minute and make the picks the green needs. And yes, that is Sam Cassell, the heart of our 2008 World Champion Team.

Tonight, I hope to hear David Stern pronounce: "With the 25th pick in the NBA Draft, the Boston Celtics select, Kenneth Faried from Morehead State."

Wait- who? From where? Trust me, this is the guy we want. He's a rebounder. He goes after the ball with wreckless abandon. He's incredibly athletic. He can block shots and dives all over the floor. He will do everything that Big Baby wouldn't do (i.e. why I grew to really dislike the guy the second half of the season). He averaged 17 and 14.5 last year. And he patents his game after the ultimate undersized-rebounder: Dennis Rodman. What's not to love?

The #55 pick is a lot more of a shot in the dark, but there are a couple players that I wouldn't mind seeing the Celts draft late in the 2nd round. Keep in mind, we got solid role players like Gomes and Semih around this spot in past years.

1. Shelvin Mack, Butler G.

2. Chandler Parsons, Florida F

Both guys are team players that play smart, effective basketball with the ability to bring some extra scoring off the bench for a team that suddenly has no bench whatsoever.

Mack can definitely improve from simply being around a great shooter like Ray. He's not a true point guard (was Butler's SG) and will need to improve his blow-by speed off the dribble. But< I could seem him eventually becoming an Eddie House-type spark plug down the line.

Parsons was the SEC's player of the year and is considered one of the most clutch performers in the draft, something that's proven invaluable this past NBA Finals. He's also the first player I like from Florida since NH's own Matt Bonner played there. That has to count for something, right?

2011 Album Power Rankings (Week 2)

Its the second week of the Power Rankings. There's been a little movement and there is a new album making its debut on the list.

10. The Lonely Island: Turtleneck & Chain (-1) [9]

The Lonely Island is a pleasant surprise, mixing humor with great music. Successful hip-hop satire no longer belongs solely to Weird Al anymore.

09. Big K.R.I.T. : Return of 4eva ( * ) [8]

Power Rankings debut for KRIT. The southern rapper is easily deserving of this spot once I realized Return of 4eva is more a "free album" than a mixtape. KRIT shows he's got a conscious side on a track like "Another Naive Individual Glorifying Greed and Ecouraging Racism," while still serving up some good ol' "Country Shit" with Southern stars Ludacris and Bun B.

08. Fucked Up: David Comes To Life (-2) [6]

The punk opera is still a solid release, just suffers from the increase play the up-and-comers have gotten over the past week.

07. Fleet Foxes: Helplessness Blues (+2) [7]

The week's top gainer owes its jump to its awesome grooves and understated production.

06. The Antlers: Burst Apart (+ 1) [6]

Its interesting how such a subdued sounding album can reach the great heights Burst Apart does. Just a really captivating album.

05. Bad Meets Evil: Hell- The Sequel (---) [5]

Em and Royce make for a killer combo the likes we haven't seen since Outkast broke up. Until they reunite, Bad Meets Evil will be the rap duo of choice (yes, that's a challenge to Jay-Z and Kanye to actually try).

04. Tyler, The Creator: Goblin (---) [4]

Leader of the Odd Future movement, Tyler's sophomore effort shows no sign of a slump, and its not slumping in the standings either.

03. Brad Paisley: This Is Country Music (---) [3]

Still the lone country artist on the list, Brad sets himself apart from the country crowd thus far this year with his unparalleled versatility within the genre.

02. Frank Ocean: nostalgia, ULTRA (---) [2]

Odd Future's elder statesman is finally getting the recognition from his record label (Def Jam) that he so clearly deserves. My favorite new thing in R&B since Melanie Fiona.

01. Adele: 21 (---) [1]

Adele holds the record for most consecutive weeks atop the MFP Power Rankings. All kidding aside, I think she proved with this record she could be a star for the ages. Unless she tragically goes the way of Sam Cooke, I see a prolonged career without the Amy Whinehouse breakdown bullshit.

(Largest Drop: Joe Budden, MM4.5 - #8 to unranked)

(Largest Gain: Fleet Foxes, Helplessness Blues - #10 to #7)

The Voice-- Going from Semifinals to the Finals

This show's awesome at keeping you on your toes. Its producing great performances week after week, and although I've been able to predict it most of the way thus far (I wasn't even that surprised Adam went with lil' Stevie Nicks over my favorite Jeff Jenkins), its been a wild few weeks. We've quickly moved from 32 to 16 and 16 to just 8 in a four show span, and we're cutting in half again tomorrow to reach our 4 Finalists.

I'll just post last nights' performances here for anyone who forgot or doesn't watch in the first place.

Team Blake

Dia: Losing My Religion, by REM

Xenia: The Man Who Can't Be Moved, by The Script

Team Xtina

Beverly: The Thrill Is Gone, by BB King

Frenchie: Like A Prayer, by Madonna

Team Adam

Javier: Fix You, by Coldplay

Casey: And I Will Always Love You, by Whitney Houston/Dolly Parton

Team Cee-lo

Vicci: The Dog Days Are Over, by Florence & The Machine

Nakia: Whataya Want From Me, by Adam Lambert

Personally, I see the Final 4 being Dia, Javier, Vicci and Beverly... but honestly Nakia and Frenchie could sneak in and I wouldn't be all that upset. What do you think?

On a side-note, what the hell is on Adam Levine's iPod? He's never heard Whataya Want From Me or God Bless The Broken Road? I've always been interested in what music that artists listen to, but that's only been elevated by Adam's, ummm... lack of Pop knowledge?

Top 10 Albums of 2011 (Thus Far) (Power Rankings)

Still super psyched from last night-- just sinking in! With my mind at ease I feel rejuvenated-- thus the increase in posting lately. Now, to finish with the 2011 Music Power Rankings:

10.) Fleet Foxes-- Helplessness Blues

It rains far too much in Seattle. Maybe that's part of the reason why its produced so much great music over the past few decades. Fleet Foxes's sound is a brilliant combination of folk, 60s-70s songwriting and Appalachia. If you're a fan of Mumford & Sons, my bets are on you thoroughly enjoying this sophomore effort. It plays out as a quiet folk album that slowly builds into its uplifting final track, "Grown Oceans." An album on the rise in the Power Rankings as it is srtill rather fresh to me and gaining playtime in my rotation.

09.) The Lonely Island-- Turtleneck & Chain

We're now 2/2 on albums I didn't expect to rank so high. I might have downloaded Lonely Island's latest on a lark after seeing "Jack Sparrow (feat. Michael Bolton)" as a digital short on SNL and was pleasantly surprised by how SOLID this album is. Mixes hilarious material with surprisingly great production. It felt perfectly normal blasting this album on a drive to Six Flags as if it were a serious album. "Motherlover (feat. Justin Timberlake)," "I Just Had Sex (feat. Akon)," and "Creep (feat. Nicki Minaj)" pass as real singles-- except you sing along and crack up.

08.) Joe Budden-- Mood Muzik 4.5: The Worst Is Yet To Come

Joey's probably reached the point of being my favorite artist alive. This album would be higher, except it kind of came out last year. Well, most of it did. There are 7 new tracks, which I deemed made it worthy enough to receive 2011 eligibility. While "Follow My Lead" and "Stuck in the Moment" are my favorite carry-overs from 2010, "Down Fall" is my favorite "new" track on Joet's latest.

07.) The Antlers-- Burst Apart

The Antler's are really only 3 people? It makes me wonder how they're able to produce such encompassing music that you can literally get lost in. It sounds so good that you forget to pay attention to the lyrics- which are equally impressive and at times surprisingly serious. Another album on its way up-- grows on me with every listen.

06.) F---ed Up-- David Comes To Life

I am not a punk music guy. I rarely find something I like from what the genre offers (just my personal taste). But when I find something punk that I do like, I really really like it. Enter Fucked Up's punk odyssey/opera. It caught me off guard how such a large group could take on such a maximalistic task and not just finish it, but do so with expert craftsmanship. Need a new bounce in your running routine? Try putting this baby on your iPod.

05.) Bad Meets Evil-- Hell: The Sequel

This came out of nowhere. Just when I expect maybe a new Slaughterhouse album, or a solo effort from Royce or Em, we get the long awaited reunion of Bad Meets Evil. The album is a throwback to the days where lyrically supremacy ruled. Royce gets the best of the white boy on the album-- a really strong statement considering Eminem didn't coast by any means, I just think Royce is better right now. "Fast Lane" and "Loud Noises (feat. Slaughterhouse)" are bangers, while "Lighters (feat. Bruno Mars)" could very well turn into this year's "Airplanes." Listen to it before the radio kills it.

04.) Tyler, The Creator-- Goblin

Tyler, the Creator is a fucked up dude. WAY more than the band

Fucked Up. But damn if he doesn't make fantastic music. I can't tell if he's a genius or just insane (likely both, they do tend to enjoy each other's company). Goblin plays out as a psychological, horror story, complete with murder, rape and Dracula. If you can get by the offensive nature of the work (granted, if its not your thing, you'll hate it) and get over its length (running for 1:15, it risks losing its audience to tell its story fully). Odd Future is a force to be reckoned with. "Yonkers" is a strong contender for song of the year and video of the year. "She (feat. Frank Ocean)" and "Transylvania" are two of my favorite tracks this year, and Tyler's performance on Jimmy Fallon in February was one of the best late-night performance I've ever seen. And "Goblin" is one of the best albums of 2011.

03.) Brad Paisley-- This Is Country Music

We've finally reached the only album I was looking forward to at the start of 2011. Considering its earned a #3 ranking is telling, given my high expectations. Brad Paisley's the best entertainer in country music today-- anytime he's in the area you can bet I'll be weaseling my way into a ticket. This album has expanded his already deep catalog with his usual mix of the serious, heartfelt, hilarious and patriotic (did I mention Clint Eastwood's whistling?). He's an excellent songwriter and an underrated guitarist. And man, does it sound like he means every word he sings. I may not "Drink The Water," but I am drinking his Kool-Aid.

02.) Frank Ocean-- Nostalgia, Ultra

Its been a two album race for the top spot this year. It could go either way and I will likely flip flop a few times before the year ends. The current #2 ranking belongs to Odd Future's R&B stand-out Frank Ocean. His self-released album Nostalgia, Ultra, is the biggest surprise pleasure of 2011 for me. His voice carries so beautifully over every song (this Drake, if he was a great singer and didn't try rapping)-- not a single one warrants a skip.

The album starts with a remake of Coldplay's under appreciated "Strawberry Swings" and takes off. The next track, "Novacane" is a major contender for song of the year, a story about Frank meeting a hooker who aspires to be a dentist (he's far more interested in the latter, which says something). Other stand-outs "Swim Good," and "American Wedding" (a remake of "Hotel California") scream for multiple plays. For lack of a better word, this album is simply "cool."

The album will get an official release from Def Jam in July, though I don't think they deserve this masterpiece after leaving Ocean on the sidelines for years without releasing as much as a single for him...

01.) Adele-- 21

Adele. We haven't heard something like you in quite a while. A singer whose appeal reaches across demographics. You aren't just a Disney product aimed at teenage girls. You aren't one of those R&B artists who get lost in the hipster crowd. She's the kind of artists that people, regardless of age are going to love. The parents of teenagers are not going to complain about them playing you too loudly. In fact, they'll ask to turn you up.

21 is an album produced out of heartbreak from a young artist still realizing her talent, as both a singer who bleeds emotion over every note, and as a songwriter honing their already impressive craft. Do I really need to run through the stand-out tracks? Each one is amazing and has so much to offer. If I must, I'll say "Rolling in the Deep" is the song of the year, "Rumour Has It," "Turning Tables," and "Don't You Remember" are my favorite tracks (most likely because they get the most play being at the start of the album).

If there's one album from the first half of 2011 you should own, its 21.

Our Turn!

Congrats to the Boston Bruins for winning Sir Stanley's Cup! I've loved you guys since the lockout & Joe Thornton days, and couldn't be happier for a great group of guys. Timmy played one of the best playoffs ever. The whole team stepped up and proved their worth. Horty brought in some Garden ice before the game. Amazing.

Now can't wait to see Chara raise that cup every morning in the Sports Center intro. It will be nice to see some hockey on the network for a change.

Top 25 Albums of 2011 (Thus Far)

Sometimes you never know what you're gonna like until you listen to it. There are those albums that come out of nowhere and you fall in love with. I always have a few every year that sneak into my top 10. Well thus far this year, my list is heavily populated with albums I had no initial interest in at the start of the year (and others I had no idea existed). Without further adieu, here are numbers 11-25 (unranked) to hold you over while I prepare the top 10. I've included my favorite tracks from each album as a starting point to YouTube and get your feet wet (if you're into that kind of thing).

The Foo Fighters—Wasting Light:

“I Should Have Known,”

"Walk"

Ben Harper—Give Till It’s Gone:

“RockNRoll Is Free"

“Dont Give Up On Me Now”

Tech N9ne--All 6s & 7s:

“Worldwide Choppers,” (feat. Busta Rhymes, Twista, Yelawolf).

“Am I A Psycho?” (feat. B.o.B. & Hopsin)

[Side-note: Hopsin is worth checkin out. Young Eminem]

Talib Kweli—Gutter Rainbows:

“Cold Rain”

“Aint Waiting” (feat. Outasight)

Lupe Fiasco—LASERS:

“All Black Everything”

“State Run Radio”

Gregg Allman—Low Country Blues:

“Little By Little”

“I Believe Ill Go Back Home”

My Morning Jacket—Circuital:

“Victory Dance”

“Circuital”

Radiohead—The King of Limbs:

The Whole Thing. Really—this one I enjoyed best as one long piece.

Raphael Saadiq—Stone Rollin:

“Stone Rollin”

“Heart Attack”

Parachute—The Way It Was:

“You and Me”

“Something to Believe In”

Danger Mouse & Daniele Luppi—Rome:

“Black” (feat. Norah Jones)

“Theme of Rome”

Travis Barker—Give the Drummer Some:

“Lets Go” (feat. Lil John, Busta Rhymes, Twista, Yelawolf)

“Devils Got A Hold of Me” (feat. Slaughterhouse)

Beastie Boys—Hot Sauce Committee Pt. II:

“Make Some Noise”

“Too Many Rappers” (feat. Nas)

Saigon—Greatest Story Never Told

“Clap” (feat. Faith Evans)

“Bring Me Down Part II”

Pharoahe Monch—W.A.R. (We are Renegades):

“Three Assassins” (feat. Jean Grae & Royce da 5"9)

“Clap (One Day)”

“Black Hand Side” (feat. Styles P & Phonte)

NOWITNESS

Shout out to the World Champion Dallas Mavericks. Dirk cementing his place in NBA History. Jason Kidd, Jason Terry, Marion, Chandler, Barea, Peja, Carlisle and the league's best owner Mark Cuban all getting their jewelry on. Basketball fans everywhere thank you, and I thank you. There truly are Basketball Gods.

Hip-Hop Trailers

Apparently Shady Records (Eminem's Label) is into using trailers to pump up the release of their music videos, which are used to pump up the release of the physical albums. It's like an Inception Marketing Scheme. Regardless, the trailers for the upcoming projects, Slaughterhouse's sophomore album and Bad Meets Evil's EP Hell: The Sequel, do an excellent job of keeping me anxiously awaiting their releases (not that I was going anywhere anyways).

Slaughterhouse first:

Now Bad Meets Evil (the partnership of Eminem and Slaughterhouse emcee Royce da 5'9":

And as a bonus, the classic Western-inspired track where Bad first met Evil on Eminem's Slim Shady LP.

My 10 Favorite Hip-Hop Artists: Part II, "Big Pun"

If I felt like I might've owed something to Lupe, I absolutely owe something to Pun. I remember the first time I heard him was on an Eazy-E mixtape I downloaded for a song with Biggie & Tupac. I was floored, not only with his talent, but that I had never even heard of him. I need to hear more. A trip to Newbury Comics supplied me with Pun's opus, Capital Punishment, the first CLASSIC Hip-Hop album I ever went to the store and purchased.

It made me realize I didn't know the first thing about the history of this genre. Whereas Rock'n'Roll celebrates its origins and older artists, rap is all about what's new and whose next. Older artists are often forgotten and disregarded for their experience rather than respected for it (How often do you hear a classic Pac joint on the radio? How often do you hear a new Drake song? I rest my case).

And so began a backwards search through classic albums that I continue to this day.

Like learning anything outside of the classroom, its on you to do the research. Discovering Pun inspired me to do my research. Capital Punishment led me to Big L, who led me to Q-Tip & KRS-One, and the deep cuts that go beyond the hits of BIG and Pac.

Now to praise Pun himself. He's one of the best lyricists ever, without making his lyrics complex for complexity's sake. His use of multisyllabic rhymes was unparalleled. His flow is one for the ages. Pun could write songs for all occasions: Songs For the Ladies, Club Bangers, Lyrical Exposés and Gangster Tracks for the Streets.

Point blank: I think he's the best to ever do it. So thank you, Pun. You left far too soon.

You May Have Heard: Still Not A Player – Big Pun

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(I had a lot of issues limiting the tracks to share with you, so I recruited 2 of the biggest Hip-Hop Heads I know, to offer up their personal favorites).

MFP's Required Listening: Album: Capital Punishment

Song: Twinz (Feat. Fat Joe)

Zack's Tracks: Twinz (feat. Fat Joe), Dream Shatterer, Super Lyrical, Glamour Life

Sid's Selections:

My 10 Favorite Hip-Hop Artists: Part I, "Lupe Fiasco"

I feel like I owe something of a debt to Lupe Fiasco. He's the reason I got into hip-hop. Sure, growing up I had a few rap albums (Willenium, Nellyville, Snoop's R&G), but they never inspired me to listen intently, to decipher the meaning and marvel at how an artist's cadence and flow become another instrument intertwined with the beat.

That was Lupe.

The day after my 16th Birthday, Lupe released his debut album Food & Liquor. Armed with a new iTunes gift card, I downloaded the album on a lark after reading User Reviews about how amazing it was. It didn't disappoint.

Lupe's second effort, The Cool, may be my favorite rap album of all time. I still play it from front-to-back without skipping (a sign of a true classic) at least once every other week. It was this album that really began to open me up to the true art hip-hop can offer its listeners. I became bewildered by the scenes the emcee could bring to life, using symbolism and metaphors that would make a high-school English teacher giddy.

Point-blank, Lupe is a nerd. He's super lyrical. His first hit was a skateboarding love story. He's proactive and takes a stand on real issues. When he raps about guns and drugs, he does so like a National reporter, not a faux 50 Cent. And he may be the first great rapper of a new generation.

You May Have Heard: Superstar - Lupe Fiasco

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(I had a lot of issues limiting the tracks to share with you, so I recruited 2 of the biggest Hip-Hop Heads I know, to offer up their personal favorites).

MFP's Required Listening: Album: Lupe Fiasco's The Cool.

Song: Kick, Push

Zack's Tracks: Hip Hop Saved My Life, Put You On Game, Gold Watch

Sid's Selections: Hurt Me Soul, Can You Let Me Know