This is just a quick little vent about a few that I miss…

ODB aka Unique Ason Allah aka Dirt McGirt aka Big Baby Jesus- You had to be one of the illest personas in all of the Rap game. No matter what the case whether punking Puffy at the Grammy’s, escaping rehab to perform at a Wu show and bouncing before pigs realized there was a warrant for your arrest, or just building on Math with some kids, which was rarely touched on in a public form, you’ve always managed to garner the attention of all that loved, hated and even didn’t have any care for Hip Hop.

And as an MC, forget that shit. You’re probably the hardest to ever imitate, too much charisma and the voice was too wild, and the persona along with it had never been seen before. It would be a talent within itself if anyone could pull it off. “Brooklyn Zoo”, “Raw Hide”, “Shimmy Shimmy Ya” and other countless classics you’ve done would’ve been average and dull songs coming out of anyone else. Your debut classic, “Return to the 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version” is definitely a must have for anyone who wants to learn how to MC. Like GZA said, “I could name 10 MCs who stole his element”. The Wu isn’t the same without you here, but they’re still the top crew the world has ever seen. I’m sure they’ll preserve your legacy right. The most Unique ever! Peace God.

Big Pun aka King of the Hip Hop Quotables aka The Dream Shatterrer- What the fuck man? Sometimes I still get upset that you’re gone. Who could’ve pulled off what you did with only 2 years? You literally became, “everybody’s favorite rapper” and the most relevant MC in no time. Which is something most legends couldn’t do. The Source gave you the Hip Hop Quotable of the month and the year just off “Dream Shatterrer” and various other classic verses within around 40 collabos in your rookie year.

But even with the fame it’s not like you left the hood, you just kept a crib right in the hood in the BX and allowed people to you in as their own. Still to this day people literally feel the bond with you as if they grew up with, it could be kind of scary to see that, but very definitive of how people felt you. We definitely understand how unprofitable it is for TV and radio stations to cover the passing of an MC because of a heart failure than it is if you suffered a violent death in the blaze of bullets, which is also the case for ODB. But fuck them, your legacy is our job to preserve, not any major company’s responsibility.

Although those in Hip Hop who rep you don’t really have the unity amongst their selves to at least do something for the cause of repping you in such a major way, that’ll never be forgotten. And no one can ever front on how relevant you still are almost 8 years after your passing and almost 10 after your debut, which Liza and I will commemorate with our upcoming film about your classic debut album. And your still unmatched today, the Nicest ever! Stay up Pana! Yeeeaaahhh Babyyyyyy!!!

Hector Lavoe aka Lavoe aka El Cantante - Alike to every named mentioned you’ll remain misunderstood by the ones who hold you dearly conditionally. Who of the great names of modern times that idolize you, recognize your vision or mission through artistic expression that spoke directly to the people of the slums? No matter where it was, MSG, Puerto Rico or Africa, you proceeded to move the crowd like an all-Negro spiritual. Shit, in fact that’s what you did and yet they corner you as just a “Latin” musician. That’s that bullshit, but hey, those who understand, know what’s what. Like you said, “Este ritmo es Africano, y donde queira que va hacabar” (This rhythm is African and wherever it goes, it’ll blow!).

Sadly alike to every named mentioned here, your depression was a great premise for your music, but who asks about that? The people are in need and are only concerned with being served and you did. So their sadness is only attachment, death as we call it, is only a part of spiritual advancement and freedom, so I instead will appreciate what you did.  Now one thing I have admit is people kind of annoy me playing Marc Anthony’s version of your songs, as if your original versions don’t exist. It’s not like Marc’s version even compares. So gay, but anyway. Your music with Willie Colon was as rugged as Rap is, years before Rap even came out. But yeh man, Peace, the Best ever! El Cantante lives on.

2Pac aka Tupac Amaru Shakur - There’s too much that could be said about you, but obviously much of an inspiration for many, even for the wrong reasons, for being taken out of context. You’re definitely a crazy mufuka though sun lol. What rapper that imitates you would blast 2 pigs beating a Black man up on the side of the road, just to show love and defend his brother because he’s tired of the mistreatment by these cops? Sure they’ll imitate how you talk, how you rock your bandanas, how you rhyme, how you tattooed yourself and all that, but never in the higher principles that you either exemplified or strived for. You’re the baby of the Black Panther Party, named after an Inca God plus, the co-author of the Thug Code with Mutulu Shakur amongst other things people tend to forget about you.

But Jimmy Iovine’s not concerned with that when it comes to you, he’ll gladly hand over “One Nation” album with the Boot Camp Clik which was probably going to be the most monumental album in your career after “Me Against The World”, being that it was in the height of all of this media hype of a supposed East vs. West rivalry, which many of those journalists and editors can take the blame for. I guess maybe you did OD a little bit on “Hit ‘Em Up”, but you had mentioned the specific names; it was definitely taken out of context. But then allow Dre and Eminem, which we know you wouldn’t have worked with if you were alive, to dismantle this piece of important history in Rap into what became weak music in part by those you discarded and those you wouldn’t have even dealt with due to their association. But the BCC is still good; they’re still creating ill music and repping you right. While others still claim fellowship and keep biting you.

Today your songs like “Holla If You Hear Me”, “Dear Mama”, “Death Around the Corner”, “Blasphemy”, although not the most popular ones, but some of the windows into really understanding what your mission was and what you were about. I can still rock your joints and remember what was going on when they came out too. But anyone who’s magnetic will attract those needy individuals who don’t do much but blood suck. So real it was, that you were able to predict that your time to pass on was coming, and life’s only motivated by your thoughts, and while people want to know who your killer is, it was the only thing that you found to be the portal for peace.  Peace, the Realest ever!