In with the Old...

Back from the summer break, Bringing it to the Table returns with fresh content, useless observations, and top ten lists of random content. Thanks for staying with us for this time off, and hope to hear from you moving forward this year. Rob and myself, both being huge hip-hop fans frequently chat about the current horrible rap scene and reminisce about the golden era of hip-hop.

We're both over 30 now, and for the younger readers, yes there was a time when rap WAS good. You can always find gems hidden in the mess of hip-hop that remains popular today. Everyone has their favorite types of music and the music they relate the most too. Myself, I've grown to appreciate such artists as Zero 7, Thievery Corporation, etc, so my taste in music has branched out to include more than just hip-hop. But hip-hop, like any music that someone has grown up with remains to me, the music that I find defines me.

There's nothing that makes me remember the days of old better than listening to Tribe's Midnight Marauders album, or watching the '93 til Infinity video on YouTube.  Even going further back to the Hootie Mack stage and queing up some Bell Biv Devoe or some Bobby Brown...don't laugh, that was the sh*t back then....at least where I'm from.

My love for hip-hop will never die.  Even though some fans have given up, myself and Rob still talk about new artists, new tracks, and recent hip-hop news.  To us in regards to music, it's still there, the talent is still out there.  With the recent popularity swing of hip-hop in the last decade, money and profit have become a priority to many artists as witnessed in most videos.  But back when you had to wait for albums to be released, and needed to get to the store to get a fresh tape, where talent made you an artist..it's still out there.  On Wednesday, Rob brings his review of Raekwon's new album, Only Built for Cuban Link II.  Anyone familiar with Raekwon's first Cuban Linx album will know, that this Wu members initial effort is a hard one to live up to.  A true classic and one of the best Wu solo albums there has ever been, including "Ice Cream", "Rainy Dayz" and 'Glaciers of Ice" are memorable.  14 years later how did the Cuban Link follow-up measure up?  Tune in Wednesday.