The Ten Albums I Will Take On The Mothership…

Since today is the moment of truth for me here at XXL mag dot com I pulled down this drop that I have been holding in the "Drafts" queue for over a year. Rarely do you have the opportunity to leave someplace with your dignity fully intact. I am thankful for the chance I have had to politic with you all.

I keep these ten albums in a backpack by the door so that when my spaceship calls me I can just grab them up and get on board. See you all on the internets...

Only Built For Cuban Linx - The G.O.A.T. rap album, even ahead of that NaS joint. OB4CL > all trap-rap-gangster fantasy lifestyle records. All of them.

The Low End Theory - There are too many Native Tongue albums to choose from. What sealed the deal for me was that this is the joint that 'Scenario' was on.

Fear Of A Black Planet - Public Enemy would chop fifty samples to make ONE track. You would need an entire office of ASCAP lawyers to do that shit today. The Bomb Squad irrevocably shifted the soundscape of pop music. Chuck D is the most hardbody rhymer of all time.

Giant Steps - My favorite Coltrane album that helps me focus. When I am sitting awake in my apartment at 5am and I am writing shit until my fingers tighten up in a diabetic arthritic knot I think about 'Trane and his resilience. There is definitely something better on the other side.

AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted - The only rap album I could ever recite from front to back.

Ready To Die - Thank GOD that he is already dead. I would hate for his legacy to be tarnished by a voicebox vocoder single with Diddy on the hook.

Chameleon - The group LaBelle were like Sirenes mashed up with the intensity of the Stygian witches and the beauty of the Supremes. When Nona Hendryx wrote the line "nobody seems to mind that the water is rising high" in 1975 for 'Who's Watching The Watcher?' I thought that these ladies had time traveled to New Orleans 2005. If you don't know about these three fierce bitches, now you know.

Innervisions - Copp this album. Not now, right now. 'Too High', 'Living For The City', 'All In Love Is Fair', 'Higher Ground'. This album is ALL hits.

Graduation - This CD was built for space travel. Bring your own robot though.

Mothership Connection - How are you going to get on the mothership without this classic album? Swing down sweet chariot and let me ride.