We're getting closer and closer to number 1. But before we get there... We've got to take a pit stop at number 2...
02. Ahmad - Ahmad
In 1994, Ahmad put out his first single, "Back In The Day." This song was immediately my favorite song ever. There was just something about the laid back beat, and that smooth hook that just really grabbed me. And at the time, I was only 8 years old, so I didnt really "get" any of the reference from the song haha. But I loved it, and after taping it off the radio, I spent many-a-days listening to that song on repeat...
Ahmad - Back In The Day
When I convinced my mom to let me sign up for BMG Music Group in middle school (98-99ish), the first two albums I added to my order were Ahmad's "Ahmad," and Skee-Lo's "I Wish." I finally had an outlet to get all of the music that I'd wanted when I was younger. Where the Skee-Lo album didnt hold up as a whole, I couldnt get enough of Ahmad's album. Of course, when I threw the cd on, I went straight to "Back In The Day" (track 2), then went back to track 1, to start the album. I was immediately pulled in to the funk sounds, and awesome story telling...
Ahmad - Freak
The album mixed styles from Hip Hop, to Funk, to Jazz. And Ahmad could rock over all of them, like it was no big deal. The party tracks were just as awesome as the laid back, "meaningful" tracks. The instrumentation was buttery smooth, and if you cant tell from my CLAV tapes with Monk, that laid back smooth sound is what I tend to gravitate towards.
Ahmad - Ordinary People
Ahmad grew up in Los Angeles, so of course he was going to have a story about the environment he was raised in. And although the concept of a "ghetto" was not something I really understood at the time, he was able to paint the picture of his city through his incredible story telling. But he also told it in a way that wasnt glorifying the violence that he came from. Which I kinda felt was easier to relate to...
Ahmad - You Gotta Be...
Through Ahmad's career, this album has always stuck out to me as his best body of work. Although only 10 tracks long (with 2 remixes), his ability to paint a picture with his words was unparalleled to me. And the production was incredible. So whether he was reminiscing about his own childhood, or simply making a song for his homies, Ahmad was one of the illest I'd ever heard do it...
Ahmad - Homeboys First
Ahmad also had a large influence on my own music. The first single from my last mixtape was my homage to "Back In The Day," by the same name, in which I also borrowed the hook. Also, the album was clean. And in my household, there were no curse words on the stereo, so I could (and did) play this album anywhere... One of my other favorites from the album, was "The Jones's" My name is Nick Jones... So, clearly as a kid I felt it necessary to sing this song at all times...
Ahmad - The Jones'
High Point: Back In The Day. I cant help it. I could listen to that song a million times over, and still love it just as much as I did when I was 8 years old. There is just something about that song...
Low Point: The Palladium. Although the song has grown on me over the years, it was the one song I used to skip when I first got the album.
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