Fresh off of producing Capture The Sun with emcee/poet/author Illogic, New York City native Blockhead discussed his favorite albums with HipHopDX. The longtime Ninja Tune Records solo artist and seminal Aesop Rock beat-supplier focused extensively on Golden-Era Hip Hop from three different regions. He stressed these to be his favorites, though not necessarily the “best.”
“This is one of those things that’s subject to a mass amount of change. I’m also gonna clarify this by saying that these are not the one’s I consider the best albums, but that I would consider my favorite albums. Is that fair? ‘Cause there is a difference. You know if I would list the best it would be [Public Enemy’s] It Takes A Nation Of Millions, obviously albums that, you know, are the best.”
“So, my personal favorites? I will start off with Done By The Forces Of Nature by the Jungle Brothers.” The late 1989 album was the first major label effort by Mike Gee, Sammy B and Afrika Baby Bam, following a debut on Warlock Records the previous year. Blockhead kept things in the Native Tongues collective for his second pick. “A Wolf In Sheep’s Clothing by Black Sheep.” The late 1991 Mercury Records album was a gold-certified album by Dres and Mista Lawnge. Next, he left ’90s New York for some Geto Boys Houston. “Then I’ll take it to [I’m] Goin’ Out Lika Soldier by Willie D, a little curve-ball there—these are my favorites, not the best. [Laughs]” The 1992 Rap-A-Lot Records came following Willie’s departure from the Geto Boys, when he was replaced by interim member Big Mike.
Continuing, Blockhead returned to New York City, in the borough of Queens. “And, let’s see, Wanted: Dead Or Alive by Kool G Rap & [DJ] Polo.” The 1990 sophomore Cold Chillin’/Warner Bros. Records album from The Juice Crew sported the “Erase Racism” message. He went to California to round out the picks. “And, um, maybe Death Certificate by Ice Cube. I mean, that could change in five minutes but that’s what I’ll give you right now.” The 1991 Priority Records platinum-shipped effort famously sported the N.W.A.-diss, “No Vaseline.” Blockhead added, “The Willie D choice is definitely flexible but I do love that album, I love half that album so much that I could overlook the other half of it. So those are mine right now, at the moment.”
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Addressing what didn’t make the list, the Capture The Sun producer added, “I feel like if I opened my computer and went through my iTunes I’d be like ‘Oh yeah, that album! That’s my favorite album!’ And obviously I left out [A Tribe Called Quest’s] Low End Theory and any De La Soul album, and Public Enemy and Eric B. & Rakim albums. I mean there’s so many, there’s literally like fifty albums I could have put in that top five.”
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