Lists and rankings are easy ways to create attention and chatter, especially in the internet era.
We all know this. There are countless terrible rap lists floating around online and I’ve been as guilty as anyone (my first book, The Hip-Hop 10 is always available for purchase!), but there are levels to this.
“Every time I stepped into madness of the crowds, I longed for the wisdom of the loneliness.“
— Mehmet Murat Ildan
“Why don’t you write about rap anymore?”
They’re the dynamic duo of hip-hop.
This list has been updated with each new release since its initial publication.
I’ve been a huge fan of Bill Burr since the mid-’90s.
He is a charter member of the Wu-Tang Clan. He is the creator of The Purple Tape and its stellar sequel. His flow is filthy and his wordplay is wicked. He invents slang and dictates fashion trends. He is a New York rap legend with a long history of competition and collaboration with many of the other greats.
But Raekwon’s most underrated aspect is his ability to craft a hook.
Note: I originally published this in early 2016 and in the 18 months since, I still have not seen any of the films on this list, including the two most recent Best Picture winners. The list continues to grow…
When my wife and I first started dating, I lived in Philly and she lived just outside New York City. Every week, we would meet halfway and have dinner before seeing a movie. For that year, I saw everything, including Batman Begins two or three times.
Taste is subjective. Rankings are subjective. And personal preferences are subjective. So, when you combine those three, people will appreciate the attempt and applaud the effort, but also wonder how you could forget that one thing that is clearly as good as – if not better than – everything else that was included.
I know that it is a golden age for television, but at the moment I simply don’t have the time or inclination to dive into a new series. The TV in my living room is usually playing Disney Junior and I’d prefer to either read or write. If I am going to watch something new, it’s usually a movie – in and out in two hours.
Quentin Tarantino has come a long way from his 1987 amateur film, My Best Friend’s Birthday. He’s a genius and an auteur and when he stops making movies, it will be a loss for us all.
He starred in American Hustle and Trumbo. He wrote for The Late Show with Conan O’Brien and The Chris Rock Show. He wrote and directed Pootie Tang and was part of the disaster that was The Dana Carvey Show.
The Passion of Christopher Pierznik 