Greetings fellas,

One Love by Nas, IMHO, the most vivid, thoughtful, painting with words in the history of Hip Hop music.

The love for his friend in jail to expressing how he agonizes how his friends mom laments over her son in jail to his random discussion with a kid on the corner. The sheer imagery of what every hood is like and the love that still exists around so much struggle. Just incredible wordplay and feeling in that record.

When I'm lacking for inspiration or creativity I pop it in and zone out for about 20 listens (among others).

Times up is another by OC. "We all gotta pay rent so money connects but Id rather be broke and have a whole lot of respect"....

not sure what you mean by cover on their album...but my favorite lyrics of all time--

nas as well for me #1,but mine is "the world is yours" -so ahead of it's time lyrically,so many muli-syllable rhymes and internal rhyming,perfect cadence,etc...& he touches on every topic immaginable,refferences from ghandi to perry mason to hitler,lol..lyrics go from street shit,to the spiritual,to social commentary,to braggadocio & back around again-imo easilly the best lyrical display of all time & something he's never matched,it's completely insane to think that all this was coming from a 19-20 year old.also my favorite pete rock beat ever...reminds me,i'll always be kicking myself for never executing the idea of "thiefs theme"-i thought of sampling that lyric for a song like 15 years ago,lol..mine was gonna be about boosting-gear,spray paint,food,ciggarettes..& whatever the fuck else i was stealing back in those days,lol

93 till-again the souls way ahead of their time with the multi-syllables-they took that shit to another level & don't get enough credit-there was no one at the time rhyming 3,4,5 syllables like hiero was

ras kass "nature of the threat"-long before immortal technique & political rap was a trend,this is the most poignant and outspoken hip hop joint ever imo...

common "6th sense"-idk,maybe it's partly due to what i consider to be premiere's best beat,or at least in his top 3 or so,but common killed it on this-again one of those all emcompassing joints like "the world...",and this was at a time when people were saying he fell off and got soft-such a beautiful perfect hip hop song...

by the way saint-judging by what you get into,i'm really looking forward to hearing your stuff man...

I'm sorry I meant do a beat for fella

a.d appreciate the thoughful response I like all the ones you mentioned ...are def some of my favs. Souls were lyrically wayyyy ahead of their time dude, still are too; they still get down. Yes "TWIYs" by Nas oh yes forgot about that one!

Canibus on Jack the Ripper had a song with no breaks can't remember title that he just killed...love that too

Canot forget about Let the Rythm Hit Em by Rakim, the pre-Nas style

I put on de la soul is dead or low end theory and sing along from beginning to end

kel check your pm man, please