I wasn't introduced to hip hop until late in high school (around 2001) and even then it was a slow introduction, so I've always feel like I'm running behind the curve. I'm extremely jealous of people who grew up listening to hip hop and know the genre inside and out. That being said, there are definitely advantages to starting out late. I'm constantly uncovering new artists and facets of hip hop to fall in love with. Just last month was the first time I had really listened to A Tribe Called Quest, so I'm currently in the process of working my way through Midnight Marauders and The Low End Theory which has been great. I've also been obsessed with Binary Star lately. Songs like Honest Expression are such a breath of fresh air from the usual crap that I get on the radio.

My favorite songs are the ones with thoughtful lyrics, but I don't mind listening to anything with a good beat. I especially love to hear acoustic instruments in beats such as piano, guitar and brass. Some of my favorite artists are Aesop Rock, Binary Star, Dead Prez, Mos Def and The Roots.

Thank You for starting this up. I'm new to this community, and my favorite thing about it is reading peoples thoughts on the songs that are posted. I look forward to learning.