anticipation

Track listing:

Thick
Get Yours
Where Ya At
Way of Life
Day One
Hey Luv
Foundation
Champagne Thoughts
Ebonics (Premo Mix)
Drop It Heavy
Stand Strong
Weekend Nights
Thick (Rockwilder Mix)
Tribute

Alright, I have a confession to make. For the longest time I've hated the entire New York rap scene, with only some notable exceptions (Wu-Tang, MF Doom, Native Tongues Crew, etc.). I still think that Notorious B.I.G., DMX, Nas, and Bad Boy Records are too generic, focusing only on their fabulous lifestyles and how much money they have. This opinion might have been a result of ignorance on my part, but it doesn't really matter because anytime I've been recommended any East Coast rap that might been seen as "typical", I've absolutely abhorred it. For some reason or another I've always preferred rap from the West Coast or from the Midwest, but all that changed when I discovered the Diggin' In The Crates Crew.

Anchored by Big L, who is arguably the greatest MC to come out of New York City and has subsequently become one of my favorite rappers, D.I.T.C. features a conglomeration of the top underground NY artists of the early 1990s. Lord Finesse, Showbiz and A.G., Diamond D, O.C., Fat Joe, and Buckwild all contribute to this absolutely stellar album as well, and their performances have opened up my mind to NYC rap. It’s rare that an album of any genre impresses me as much as D.I.T.C.’s self-titled debut has, and it’s even rarer that I genuinely enjoy every track on album, a feat that D.I.T.C. has easily accomplished.

The album begins with “Thick”, a track with a killer beat and an even killer hook. A.G.’s opening verse is fluid and entertaining, but it’s Big L’s lines that really make this song. This song really embodies the idea that you should always start strong when organizing tracks on an album. Following “Thick” is “Get Yours”, a track that features rapidly alternating verses by Big L and O.C. that provide a raw and intense portrayal of street life in Harlem.

Third on the album is “Where Ya At”, tag team by Milano and Big Pun, who exhibits a flow that is both mellow and quick at the same time. His rough voice perfectly complements the verse he spits, one that revolves around him calling out fake rappers. This track begs replay after replay as it goes by so quickly that you don’t even have time to register is being said, but you still know it’s ill.

Big L puts in another quality performance alongside Fat Joe on “Way of Life”, and it’s this track that changed my perception of Fat Joe from complete disdain to begrudging acceptance. Likewise, it’s “Day One” that further fuels my transformation, as the entire crew sans Fat Joe puts in verses that verbally symbolize everything that NYC rap can be at its apex. The beat is sick, and is reminiscent of “Thick” with the marimba/xylophone sample.

“Hey Luv” is a brooding track by guest MC Milano and Cuban Link and has a beat that sounds like someone breathing into a telephone, yet the song itself is a description of how these guys pick up chicks. “Foundation” is the mandatory dance track and I’m sure it was a club banger because of the upbeat feeling it invokes. “Drop It Heavy” contains perhaps the most technical and complex lines yet as KRS-ONE makes an appearance alongside A.G. and Big Pun to create an esoteric analysis of the dark side of rap.

Fat Joe and Big L are absolutely haunting on “Da Enemy”, a song that details both MC’s, and an entire generation of young disenfranchised blacks, hatred of cops. Over an ill beat, this relatively short track does not disappoint.

My favorite song on this entire album is easily “Stand Strong”, a song that has everything I enjoy about rap; sick rappers and a great beat. The song’s beat is particularly tricky, as it only appears at the beginning and end of each rapper’s verse, as well as the hook. Big L’s contribution might be one of his best, and is definitely in my top 10 verses of all time.

Ending D.I.T.C.’s first and last studio album, "Tribute" is a poignant commemoration of Big L’s tragic death on February 15, 1999. Capping a stellar album, this song features all of Big L’s best friends on one of the best tributes I’ve ever heard, regardless of genre.

This is one of my new top albums of all time, and I'm really glad that I came accross it while searching for new music. I strongly encourage all of you to get this album and listen to it, and hopefully it can change you like it changed me.