Top 10 Albums you should have heard in 2000 - 2010

TOP 10 ALBUMS YOU SHOULD HAVE HEARD IN 2000-2010

These albums in my opinion should have been heard in their respective years.  Some of these albums were successful as far as sales were concerned, some are critical successes others were just great albums that got slept on.  As aforementioned these picks are my opinion and I'm quite sure some of you will disagree, but with that said here we go:

Top 10 Albums in 2000

1.  Eminem - The Marshall Mathers LP

2.  Common - Like Water For Chocolate

3.  Ghostface - Supremem Clientele

4.  Outkast - Stankonia

5.  Jurassic 5 - Quality Control

6.  Mykill Miers - It's Been A Long Time Coming

7.  Reflection Eternal - Train of Thought

8.  Dead Prez - Let's Get Free

9.  Xzibit - Restless

10. M.O.P. - Warriorz

Top 10 Albums of 2001

1.   Jay-Z - The Blueprint

2.   Nas - Stillmatic

3.   Dilated Peoples - Expansion Team

4.   Masta Ace - Disposable Arts

5.   Mykill Miers - The Second Coming

6.   Sticky Fingaz - The State vs Kirk Jones

7.   Hi Tek - Teknology

8.   Ghostface - Bulletproof Wallets

9.   Pete  Rock - Petestrumentals

10. Chino XL - I Told You So

Top 10 Albums of 2002

1.   The Roots - Phrenology

2.   Nas - God's Son

3.   Eminem - The Eminem Show

4.   Genius - Liquid Swords

5.   Scarface - The Fix

6.   Snoop Dogg - Paid Tha Cost To Be Tha Boss

7.   Talib Kweli - Quality

8.   Jurassic 5 - Power In Numbers

9.   Jay-Z - The Blueprint 2

10. Styles P - A Gangster & A Gentlemen

Top 10 Albums 2003

1.   50 Cent - Get Rich Or Die Tryin'

2.   Outkast - Speakerboxxx/The Love Below

3.   Jay-Z - The Black Album

4.   Gang Starr - The Owners

5.   Ludacris - Chicken & Beer

6.   Obie Trice - Cheers

7.   Lil Brother - The Listening

8.   Immortal Technique - Revolutionary Vol. 2

9.   Zion I - Deep Water Slang

10. Jedi Mind Tricks - Visions Of Ghandi

Top 10 Albums 2004

1.   Kanye West - The College Dropout

2.   The Roots - The Tipping Point

3.   Madvillain - Madvillainy

4.   Masta Ace - A Long Hot Summer

5.   Nas - Street Disciple

6.   The Foreign Exchange - Connected

7.   Danger Mouse - The Grey Album

8.   Ghostface - The Pretty Toney Album

9.   Jadakiss - Kiss Of Death

10. De La Soul - Grind Date

Top 10 Albums 2005

1.   Common - Be

2.   Kanye West - Late Registration

3.   Little Brother - The Minstrel Show

4.   The Game - The Documentary

5.   One Be Lo - S.O.N.O.G.R.A.M.

6.   Sean Price - Monkey Barz

7.   Bun B - Trill

8.   9th Wonder & Buckshot - Chemistry

9.   Self Scientific - Change

10. Talib Kweli - Right About Now

Top 10 Albums 2006

1.   The Roots - Game Theory

2.   Nas - Hip Hop Is Dead

3.   Lupe Fiasco - Food & Liquor

4.   The Clipse - Hell Hath No Fury

5.   Ghostface - Fishscale

6.   J-Dilla - Donuts

7.   Mykill Miers - The Trials Of Job

8.   Jay-Z - Kingdom Come

9.   The Gane - The Doctor's Advocate

10. Ludacris - Release Therapy

Top 10 Albums 2007

1.   Jay-Z - American Gangster

2.   Pharoahe Monch - Desire

3.   Kanye West - Graduation

4.   Talib Kweli - Ear Drum

5.   Common - Finding Forever

6.   K-Os - Atlantis: Hymns For Disco

7.   Prodigy - Return Of The Mac

8.   Black Milk - Popular Demand

9.   Devin The Dude - Waiting To Inhale

10. Evidence - The Weatherman LP

Top 10 Albums of 2008

1.   Q-Tip - The Renaissance

2.   Nas - Untitled

3.   The Roots - Rising Down

4.   T.I. - Paper Trail

5.   88 Keys - Death of Adam

6.   Black Milk - Tronic

7.   El Zhi - The Preface

8.   Scareface - Emeritus

9.   Ludacris - Theater of the Mind

10. Kanye West - 808's & Heartbreaks

Top 10 Albums 2009

1.   Raekwon - Only Built For Cuban Linx Pt. II

2.   Jay-Z - The Blueprint 3

3.   Masta Ace & Edo G - Arts & Entertainment

4.   Slaughterhouse - Slaughterhouse

5.   Eminem - Relapse

6.   Jadakiss - The Last Kiss

7.   Method Man & Redman - The Black Out 2

8.   Royce The 5'9 - Street Hop

9.   Tech N9ne - K.O.D.

10. Souls of Mischief - Montezuma's Revenge

Top 10 Albums 2010

1.   Kanye West - My Dark Twisted Fantasy

2.   Black Milk - Album Of The Year

3.   Eminem - The Recovery

4.   Freeway & Jake One - The Stimulus Package

5.   Mykill Miers - Take It In Blood

6.  Marco Polo - The Stupendous Adventures of Marco Polo

7.   Nicki Minaj - Pink Friday

8.   Method Man, Ghostface & Raekwon - Wu Massacre

9.   Reflection Eternal - Revolutions Per Minute

10. The Roots - How I Got Over

Mykill Miers LA Underground Veteran

For those who don't know about the LA Underground scene of the late 90's you missed a valuable era of music for the left coast.  The scene was bubbling with talent from Jurassic 5, Dilated Peoples, Project Blowed, The Likwit Crew etc.  One of the most slept on emcees from that era has been Mykill Miers.  Miers is one of the Wake Up Show Allstars and has 4 full length albums to his credit and many slain emcees in his path. 

I first met Mykill in 1999 when he was recording his first classic It's Been A Long Time Coming.  He had just returned from New York where he recorded in the famed D&D Studios recording his masterpieces Staright Dirt featurng AG and Wanna Be An Emcee with Freddie Foxxx aka Bumpy Knuckles.  I remember him being excited to release his debut album and remember how genuine he was. 

Mykill Miers is one of those artist that when you hear him the fury and passion in his voice and the meticulous vocabulary you can't help but to pay attention.  As he enjoyed success from his first 2 releases the aforementioned Long Time Coming and the follow up The Second Coming it seemed as if Miers vanished from the scene.  Then here I am at the Paid Dues festival and I see Mykill rolling solo no doubt signing autographs and still showing that genuine respect for people like I remember when I met him.  We exchanged numbers and texted back in forth and I found out some interesting things about the LA veteran  that left me in awe as well as excited.  Not only does Mykill have a new album out it's just as amazing as his debut 10 years earlier.  In these days and times it was both refreshing as it was necessary.  I hope you enjoy this interview as much as I did.

I5 - Mykill you have this new album Take It In Blood in stores now.  I have to admit I was open from the album cover.  Also I was stuck on tracks 1 through 5 for like 2 weeks, that's why it took me so long to get back to you.  What was your motivation behind this record?

MM - (laughing) that's funny, first of I appreciate the respect my dude.  Take It In Blood essentially started out as an idea I had for a song title.  Then after I recorded a few songs I felt I was making a statement and the momentum kind of spread from there. 

I5 - Where did the album cover idea come from?

MM - Well what Take It In Blood means to me is, this is my style of music, my manifestation of thought and art so take this.  Take It In Blood.  So the album cover was me handing the next emcee the microphone covered in blood, because I knew I had killed it.

I5 - That's pretty deep.  Before I get into the album what is your thought process when you record an album. What is your motivation and what drives you?

MM - Well this record I was upset at the state of Hip Hop as a whole.  As a fan this was my anger and frustration response in song and/or rhyme form.  I feel emceeing is an artform and like any artform you should hone your craft.  Master your art and this was my expression.

I5 - I only see 2 producers on this record DJ Revolution and you.  Was that intentional?

MM - At the time I was producing a lot of music.  From TV show music supervision, jingles and movie scores and what not and I just wanted to rhyme.  So I met with Rev and he dropped me a beat cd and i wrote like 20 songs in 4 days.  After I recorded with Rev I just finished the record with my beats I made for what I was on at the time.  When  I'm recording a record I kinda shut the world off, especially when I'm working on beats.  My process is weird I'm kinda anti-social I don't really record with a lot of people in the studio just me and the engineer.  Once I get some demos done I let people hear what I'm feeling then kinda go from there. 

I5 - Track 1 Yall Know.  Best remake of that Pharoahe Monch Simon Says line I ever heard.  The track is fire and the lyrics on point.  I was stuck on that track for days.  After listening to the whole cd you still sound hungry as you did back on the Wake Up show.  Its rather refreshing.  Elaborate on that?

MM - Thanks.  I just love to rhyme so I just tried to do what I do best and that's rhyme. 

I5 - You mentioned music supervision and production.  I was surprised to find out that you produced.  Explain to me some of your work and some of the things you have worked on.

MM - I have done music for some TV shows, Being Bobby Brown, Flavor Of Love, America's Next Top Model, Top Chef, Man vs Food, Oprah, I Love The 80's, 90's and New Millenium.  Behind the Music and a few more I can't think of off the top of my head.

I5 - That's whats up. I'm impressed.  Explain to me the growth from record #1 to record #4.  Also tell me about what you like and dislike about your work?

MM - It's Been A Long Time Coming was an extension of what people knew me for from the Wake Up Show.  Just me trying to prove that I was good and I should have had a deal a long time ago.  Hence the title It's Been A Long Time Coming.  The Second Coming was to answer all my critics and I was in an angry state in my life and I think the record reflected that.  The Trials of Job was me coming out out of a darker period of my life find solitude in my talent.  Take It In Blood is more of an expression of my skill and my career at this point.  As well as my disdain for some of the artist who call what they do hip hop and the lack of respect for it as an artform.

I5 - So expalin Abnormal Media and who is on the roster?

MM - Abnormal Media Group is a company I started back in 2003 really just a way to put out records for myself.  I had a couple of acts, but due to different circumstances we parted ways.  I have a new group called The Next of Kin which I am a part of and from that we are all seperate solo acts. 

I5 - Who is The Next of Kin?

MM - The Next of Kin consist of Tony Clifton, Black Stephan, Dave Goliath and myself.

I5 - When can we expect some music from the group and solo acts?

MM - We look to put of the group record in spring 2011.  We may have at least 3 releases in '11.  The Next of Kin and I plan on releasing another solo record.

I5 - I look back at the work that you have put out and I don't believe you really understand the impact that you have had as an artist. Also those who don't know you or your work may misconstrue your success.  How do you feel about that statement?

MM - Well to me success is a perception.  What I may define success a critic may see it as a failure.  That being said.  I have been able to travel around the globe due to music. I've been recognized for a talent so to me that is successful.  I don't measure success solely on record sales, I measure it on a I'm I happy doing what I do measuring stick.  I've been able to do what some people dream of doing so I can't complain.

I5 - I appreciate talking to you and we definitely have to do this again and see where you are then as opposed to where you are now.  Lastly what do you want you musical legacy to be?

MM - Honestly I just want people to look at my work and say he was good and he was consistent.  I want to be one of those artist that when you open a Mykill Miers album no matter what year it is or however long its been since its release.  I just want someone to say damn he was dope. 

I5 - Mykill Miers is definitely an artist you want to know and you should give his music a listen you will respect it even if you don't like it.  Below are some of the places you can find his music. 

http://www.mykillmiers.bandcamp.com/
www.reverbnation.com/mykillmiers
www.cdbaby.com/cd/mykillmiers1
itunes.apple.com/us/album/take-it-in-blood/id338567214
http://www.amazon.com/Take-Blood-Mykill-Miers/dp/B0039G9XUA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1293994752&sr=1-1
http://www.rhapsody.com/mykill-miers/take-it-in-blood

Monday Morning QB

Vikings

I feel no sympathy for Brad Childress.  You put all your eggs in the Brett Favre basket, you can't get upset when he doesn't deliver.  Now you are at a crossroads with a back up QB that's been riding the pine for two years.  Childress you can stew in it.

Coaches on the hot seat
As it stands my theory on coordinators turned Head Coach holds true.  Sometimes you get Offensive and Defensive coordinators from great teams get jobs undeservingly.  We saw Romeo Cornell, Charlie Weiss and countless others.  Marvin Lewis, Norv Turner, Wade Phillips are all overrated coordinators.  None of the aformentioned coaches need to coordinate not lead.

Saints have to realize that showing up isn't enough to win when you are the defending champs.  Yes they have injuries, but they lack intensity and effort.  No running game at all and the defense without the big plays seem mediocre.  They very well may have been mediocre last year, but they lack the big plays, ints for tds, etc. 

What is your thoughts on the World Series? SF vs Texas.  I personally think its good for baseball.  It may not be the marquee match up that ESPN would like but it's going to be a very good series.  My money is on Uncle Ron, but being a west coast guy I'm quietly pulling for SF.

NBA
I read a story on the Bleacher Report that had the top 50 active NBA players.  Needless to say Kobe Bryant was number 4.  With Lebron #1, Kevin Durant #2, D-Wade #3.  This article was laughable at best, due to the fact that John Wall was #21.  He hasn't played an NBA game yet.  I have to believe Kobe is #1 until he's dethroned for the title.  What are your thoughts.

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