Peace On That

UPDATE (FEB 2009): This post was first made back in 2005 and since then my opinion has changed quite a bit. Most notably my take on Lil Wayne. In 2005, I thought he was the worst rapper of all time but he has proven to me that he does not belong on this list. So, replacing Lil Wayne as the worst rapper is Vanilla Ice. Lloyd Banks also has been removed from this list and in his place we have Tony Yayo (this after hearing more of his music and crying like a bitch to 50). The jury is still out for Mike Jones so he will make the honorable mention roll until I have time to suffer through more evidence.

I'm going to present a new list of Top 10 every Friday. There are a lot of bad rappers out there but I purged my memory of MC's and I think most of the people I mention would fall on any rap fan's list of worst rappers. But if they didn't, I don't give a damn because to me... these cats suck to the highest of sucktivity.

Top Ten: 10 Worst Rappers of All-Time

1.(3) Vanilla Ice – Hell, everything that needs to be said has already been said about this cat.
2.(-) Tony Yayo – It's bad enough he can't rap. But not being able to rap plus not having the good sense not to kill the goose that lay the golden egg is a crime. Crying over how bad he f---ed up is what got him to number two.
3. (5) Chingy – Marketing is a hell of an art. That is the only reason Chingy sold anything. Luda hooked him up. But they say never kill the goose that lays the golden eggs. Chingy didn’t learn that and for that, he has been exposed as the wack rapper he always was. Moved up the chart after hearing one of his songs on Youtube. The more I experience him, the worse he gets.
4.(-) Marky Mark - I had completely forgotten about this rapper until I say that pile of human feces he called a Max Payne. It's an appropriate title for a movie that gave me heart burn. All this movie did was remind me of just how bad of a rapper he once was.
4.(3) Lil Romeo – Ok, pops put you on the scene but you are garbage. Maybe one day you’ll grow into a respectable rapper. But right now, you suck.
5(4). E40 – The worst the west coast has ever produced (and the west has produced a lot of bad rappers). His voice is annoying and his style is… is… hell, what style? I can’t even think of one good record that I’ve ever heard from him. When I hear one of his songs or see him on TV, I just automatically say, "nigga please" and reach to tune him out.
6. Lil John – God, I can not stand this dude. How the hell did he get a record deal. His most famous line is.. Whhhaaaat!!! I challenge someone to come up with one verse the brother has recited that made you go 'damn, that was tight'. You can't because all that comes to mind with Whhhaaaaat. And the top five rappers should be ashamed of themselves that they rank higher than this bastard. Lets face it, if you have a 'Lil' in front of your name - you suck.
7. Jermaine Dupri – I give the man props on his business skills. But he still sucks as a rapper.
8. Coolio – If it wasn’t’ for the hair and the Lakeside beat, we would have never known you.
10. Young MC – This man represents everything that went wrong when white folks started liking rap. From young MC came rap in television commercials and news anchors ending the telecast saying ‘bust the move.’ He should be number 1 except the (9) rappers before him are just too inept not be where they are. Young MC single-handly brought about the demise of rap as an urban genre. I hope you are happy with yourself.

I have to do a Honorable Mention because I just want to communicate to the following rappers that I have not overlooked the fact that as rappers, ya'll suck as well.

Honorable Mentions: (Mike Jones), Nelly, Tone Loce, DJ Quick, Luke, Mase, Lil Flip, Charlie Baltimore

The world famous Friday’s Top Ten returns to the blogaspere. I was talking with a co-worker about actors and actresses and we got to talking about Taye Diggs. I wasn't a big fan of this guy but over the years he’s grown on me. I can stand him now, and in fact, I think he’s a cool cat.

But, there are those celebrities that I just can’t wrap my head around. There is something about them that just irks me. Maybe it’s their talent (or lack thereof), attitude or persona. Either way, I just ain’t feelin’ ‘em.

So, today I present to you the Top Ten Celebrities… I Aint Feelin’


10. Joan Collins – I know she’s funny and Johnny Carson thought highly of her, but I have never enjoyed listening to the cackle-bag. She’s overbearing and I hate the sound of her voice. The fact that she has the audacity to leave of with a second generation of cackle-bags makes her worthy of this list.

9. Rosie O’Donnell – What’s the big deal about this woman. She has mediocre comedic skills, so-so acting skills, and overall, has a horrid personality. I’ve never liked her in anything and I certainly don’t give a damn about her opinion. I can’t even give her credit for being a liberal.

8. Jada Pinkett-Smith – I hate that she is on the list because I loved her when she was on “A Different World”. But over the years she has morphed into something that I find unrecognizable – and disturbing. It seems that she is always “on”. Tavis Smiley interviewed her several years ago and she came off as though she was the second coming of Angela Davis. I haven’t dug her since. The rock band thing doesn’t help.

7. Bill Bellemy – He was funny on the Def Comedy Jam – and then he made Booty Call. That diminished him in my eyes. After a few interviews and his role in “The Brothers”, he fell out of favor with me. In fact, subsequent appearances have only solidified my unraveling fandom.

6. Shemar Moore – I tried several times to give this brother the benefit of the doubt. I didn’t want to seem as though I’m hating on him because of his looks. But over the years he has proven himself to be void of any talent. His not being able to keep his shirt doesn’t raise any confidence in me that his career will last beyond his ability to keep himself in shape.

5. Everyone in G-Unit – It’s no surprise that I don’t like these guys. I don’t like the image they present and I don’t like their music. I wish they would go away.

4. Marques Houston – I have no idea what’s going on with this guy. He has no talent to speak of and lets face it – he’s a bitch of man. I may trip on the metrosexuals - but this cat takes it to a different level. How he keeps putting out albums is beyond me. He has never made a song that I would listen to and cannot act worth a damn. I’m far beyond not feeling this guy – I genuinely can’t stand the sight of the guy.

3. Ann Coulter – If you read my blog you know why she’s rated this high. I’ve learned to tune her out and take what she says with a grain of salt. I’ve gotten to the point where I won’t even waist time consuming airwaves when she is present.

2. Rush Limbaugh – Wind bag. What else can I say about this jerk? I don’t even have to go into details with this one.

AND THE NUMBER ONE CELEBRITY ‘I AINT FEELIN’

1. Nancy Grace – How Miss Tweetie Bird ever got a show is beyond me. She is consumed by her own hate for the world and it comes across the airwaves every night. She is a bitter hag that could use some serious counseling. Under no circumstances will I ever watch her show. Hopefully, CNN will come to their senses and pull her show from the air.

Your Turn:
THE CELEBRITY YOU AINT FEELIN' IS...

We were watching the Wizard of Oz this week and I had forgetten how much I really love that movie. In fact, I love musicals in general. I'm not sure when that happened but I think it started in 7th grade when the local high school performed Hello Dolly. I went to see it and I believe I've been hooked ever since.

So today, I present you some of my favorite songs from a musical. Happy Friday.

1. Tomorrow (Annie)

– It wasn’t until I moved to Los Angeles that I saw this musical. All the songs are good but this quickly moved up to number one.

2. Hello Dolly (Hello Dolly)




– I first saw this musical when I was in 7th grade and I’ve loved it ever since. I’ll have to rent it again.

3. Gee, Officer Krupke (Westside Story)




– It’s a silly and fun song but it is the song that most remember from the musical.

4. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (Chitty Chitty Bang Bang)




– This is a childhood favorite. I use to sing it all of the time. One of the best musicals of all time in my opinion.
5. Heat Miser –


The Year Without a Santa Claus – Yeah, I know it’s a cartoon, but I can’t front on the Heat Miser.

6. You’re the One that I Want (Grease)


– I love this movie. We actually had a skateboard club called the T-Birds. It’s sounds so nerdy now.

7. Somewhere Over the Rainbow (The Wizard of Oz)


– Probably the greatest musical of all time. We were watching it the other night and the movie still cracks me up.

8. You’re Never Fully Dressed Without A Smile (Annie)



– This song was sung when Daddy Warbucks went to the radio station to announce a $50,000 reward for Annie’s parents to step forward.

9. Beauty School Dropout (Grease)



– Frankie actually dissed Frenchie in this song. “Well they couldn't teach you anything, you think you're such a looker But no customer would go to you, unless she was a hooker” Classic!!!

10. Hard Knock Life (Annie)


– Boy, Annie gets three songs on the list. Even Jay-Z knew this could make a classic hook.


There are some others that are worthy. The Emperor Jones with Paul Robeson and the Rocky Horror Picture Show have some classics in them.

You know how there are folks that you just like? Well, in my lifetime I've seen some white girls on television that just did it for me. The following is a list of the top ten. They are not ranked by looks but how I felt about them. So it may surprise you on who actually made the cut.

And for entertainment purposes, I added some ratings. Below is the rating and what they mean.

HP Rating (Ho Potential: Almost any woman can get attention, but some more than others. The higher the rating, the more they stand out in a crowd.)

PP Rating (Pimp Potential: Some women can barely get a guy to pay for a cola while there are others that could get an expense account and an American Express Card)

And without further delay. I now introduce the world to Jimmy's Top Ten Crushes: White Girls on TV!!!

10. Angie Dickinson (Police Woman) – There was a part in the opening credits where they show her legs while walking up a staircase. That got me. She was born in 1931 so she was in her 40’s when I got my crush. Ain’t that something. I can’t hate. Go ahead witcha bad self, Angie.

HP Rating = 8: If a 40 something woman can get the attention of a young buck like me, then she had to be a showstopper.

PP Rating = 10: I can’t front on Angie. Pimp hand must’ve been tight.

9. Kate Jackson (Charlie’s Angels) – She didn’t have much of a body but she was cute. I first fell for her when she played the nurse on “The Rookies”. She has something on me. She was so wifey like.

HP Rating = 6: Kate reminds me of a line from Common’s I Use to Love Her (I did her, not just to say that I did it)… that makes her girlfriend material.

PP Rating = 3: I just can’t see her pimpin’.

8. Victoria Principle (Dallas) – She was a hottie. I think JR wanted to hit it but he never really went at it. She wore tight jeans, like a cowgirl should, and she had a brain on her.

HP Rating = 8: I know she had those oil tycoons lusting for her.

PP Rating = 9: When your surrounded by rich old guys with old money, pimpin’ for a foxy mamma like Vickie becomes as easy as catching flies with cow dung.

7. Lynda Carter (Wonder Woman) - Y’all knew she would make the list. I watched the show just to see her run around half naked in her Captain America bikini. I think they padded the butt… hey, ya do what ya have to do. I can’t take anything away from her. I loves me some Lynda Carter.

HP Rating = 10: Any other rating would be uncivilized.

PP Rating = 10: She had a lasso that forced the truth out of people. That’s pimpin to highest of pimpstivity.

6. Maureen McCormick (Marcia Brady) – You are my first love. The long blonde hair and the innocent schoolgirl charm were so delightful to watch. Ah, my heart melts just thinking about you. You my Boo. I remember how you thought you’d never be a teen model after getting popped in the nose with a ball. But I still loved you and I wanted to whoop Peter’s ass.

HP Rating = 2: Sorry Marcia, I met you as a teenager and you had yet to reach the height of your hoism.

PP Rating = 2: Again, as a teenager, you were unaware to ways of a pimptress. Having a love sick, horny teenage boy carry your books is a good start – but not good enough.

5. Heather Locklear ( TJ Hooker) – As far a white girls are concerned, one of the baddest out there. She’s still a hottie after all of these years. But it was in that police uniform when I first fell for her. Oh… what is does to me to see a woman with a gun.

HP Rathing = 10: Heather has it… hands down. She’s an attention grabber.

PP Rating = 12: It is one thing to pimp a man, but it is something else to pimp an entire industry. And when you’re pimpin an industry that is known for its own pimpin status – that my friends is pimpin beyond the heights of pimpstivity. Heather walks in front of a camera and it is instant ratings boost. “Spin City” and “Melrose Place” know first hand the magnificence of Heather’s pimpin' ways. Pimp on, Heather… pimp on.

4. Valeri Bertinelli (One Day At A Time) – Ok, she started off a little dumpy then grew into a beautiful woman. But I was really smitten by her. If Valerie was in it, I was watching it. Even to this day I think she is a beautiful woman.

HP Rating = 7: Hey, when you marry a rock star, then it’s obvious you’re HP is above average.

PP Rating = 5: She’s a cutie pie but her pimp hand is average.

3. Joyce Dewitt (Three’s Company) - This may surprise many of you, but I was head over heels in love with Janet. She feel off with the curly hair style but came back strong with a nice short cut – but along the way she got a butt. Yes, baby had back. I take that back. Baby had a hatch back…

HP Rating = 8: Running around in those skimpy night gowns just did it for me and I’m sure they would do it for others.

PP Rating = 7: She was “this close” from an expense account.

2. Jacklyn Smith (Charlie’s Angeles) – Surprised, huh? I never missed Charlie’s Angels and for some reason I could never take my eyes off of Jacklyn Smith. She just did for me. Even to this day I’m still attracted to her. Yes, I had it bad for Jacklyn. I’m not sure where she would rate with you guys… but for me she is it.

HP Rating = 9: Unlike Kate Jackson, Jacklyn has a hottie factor that propels her into the upper echelon of the HP rating.

PP Rating = 8: I can see Jackly pimpin the CEO of Robo-Tronics Inc. She has that Beverly Hills pimptress thing going.

10. Catherine Bach (Dukes of Hazards) - YES, my number one crush is none other than Daisy Duke. Let’s face it, baby got front, baby got back… baby got ah fender. You’re the number one reason I watched the show, Kathy. You so fine.

HP Rating 100: C’mon now, she may be a little country girl, but you know with a southern accent and a booty bangin’ off the tracks, Daisy could pull any slob from any income bracket. Oh, and we can’t forget that Daisy Duke is synonymous with tight little shorts – that my friends is hoing to legendary proportions.

PP Rating 100: See HP Rating then add the fact that she knew she was the baddest bitch and knew how to work it. She had poor Enos wrapped around her little finger. I bet she could get a congregation of men to pay tithes. It was a sin to have Jessica Simpson play your role. She's just an LBH (Low Budget Ho) tickin' on MTV while you're slappin yo tricks on Rodeo Drive.

Well there you have it folks. My top ten white girl crushes.

Have some fun with this.

1. What’s your number 1 white girl crush? List HP and PP ratings.
2. Which rating on my list would you change? Why?

Considering we are still on our men talk. How about one with pops on tv. These are my favorites.

Cliff Huxtable

#1 Dr. Cliff Huxtable (The Cosby Show): Cliff was cool, smart, ornery and loved his family I think that describes me to a tee. What I enjoyed most about this character is that he was serious about his family and their wellbeing but he didn't take himself too seriously. There is something to be said about having the ability to make your children laugh or laugh at you. That's me. I'm a nut at times and I am certainly out of step with the rest of my family when it comes to my musical taste.


James Evans Sr.

#2 James Evans Sr. (Good Times): The disciplinarian, the hustler, the hard worker, the strong. That is James Evan Sr. His character was strait laced and morally grounded. He kept his kids in check and was always firm - at times too firm. If I could get James’ look when he was at the end of his rope – that would probably make child rearing go a lot easier.

#3 Bernie Mac (The Bernie Mac Show): Bernie Mac is a man after my own heart. He is old school, loud, mean but with a good heart. There is nothing wrong with striking a little fear in the kiddies - I just wish I had Bernie Mac eyes. That would go a long way in helping me out when my little girl starts dating. Then again, I could always get a shotgun.

George Jefferson

#7 George Jefferson (The Jeffersons): There is nothing George Jefferson about me. That doesn't stop me from putting him on the list. The guy was too cool for his own good - as I could be at times. But George had what most of these men had, passion for his family. And his ran higher than most.

#8 Phillip Banks (The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air): The only thing I want of Phil's is his money. He was a blow-hard as well. It's funny how most black fathers are loud and a tad bit on the mean side. But the truth be told, most of the black men I knew growing up could get loud and were tad bit on the mean side. Phil kept his kids grounded and in line - except for Hillary but I can excuse that because she was fine.

#9 Robert Peterson (The Parent Hood): Robert was corny and a little to soft for my blood. But he kept it real at times and I can me being a little soft with the kiddies at times. The only thing we have in common is that our partners are smart and too fine for their own damn good - but that aint a bad thing to have.


Fred G. Sanford

#10 Fred G. Sanford (Sanford & Son): I suspect I may turn into Fred Sanford when I hit my 60's. Fred was funny, cool, mean and would snap in a second. I don't exhibit any of his character traits yet, but I wouldn't mind having his grumpy demeanor and quick wits. Not having a sister-in-law like Ester may diminish that possibility.

1. Spider Man – If you are familiar with my blog then you know my favorite childhood cartoon was Spider Man. It is actually the Peter Parker side of Spider Man that endear people to Spider Man. The regular guy with regular problems – but when he becomes Spider Man, he becomes a witty superhero with the ability to crawl up walls and spin his own web.


2. Wolverine – I think it is the claws protruding through his knuckles and his “I’m pissed at the world” attitude that made Wolverine the most popular X-Men. He is the meanest of all Superheroes and I love his “kick ass first and ask questions later” mentality.


3. Batman – He is the only Superhero that does not possess special powers. He is a man of gadgets but it is the dark nature of his character that draws folks to him. And lets face it, people have a fascination with bats and his costume is tight. I’m not sure where girly-man Robbin came from, but the original Batman was dark… and that the one I enjoyed.

4. Super Man – Faster than a speeding bullet. More powerful than a locomotive. Able to leap tall building in a single. It’s a bird. It’s a plan. No, it’s Superman. That signature alone puts him in the top five. Super Man is just the man. He could move the moon. What other Superhero could do that? I always wonder what would happen is he got with Lois Lane.

5. The Hulk – There are times when I wish there were a Hulk inside of me. I like to call the Hulk the ‘accidental hero’. He gets pissed, turns bulky and green and destroys that which is pissing him off and along the way he’ll save a few folk.

6. Thor – The Thunder God sent to smite evil with an oversized mallet. He rarely knocked anyone upside the head with his hammer but he put many would-be villains on their backs. I think it is the mythology behind Thor that made him appealing.

7. Beast – This is a personal favorite. He is a combination of Hulk and Dr. Einstein. I like how is approach to problems were to figure them out and if that didn’t work, he’d just rip folks to shreds. A man after my own heart.

8. Thing – Out of the four from Fantastic Four, Thing, who I refer to as Brick Man, was my favorite. He was like a mason version of the Hulk. I always though he could take the Hulk. As a matter of fact, one of the greatest comic book storyline is when the Fantastic Four battle the Avengers. The Thing and Hulk fought to a standstill, but I think Thing got him.

9. Iron Man – As part of the Avengers, Iron Man was probably the most flawed character in comic book history. But the iron suit was the bomb – literally. Rocket boots, missiles on his back and rocket propelled gloves for knocking villains out from afar. You can’t beat that.

10. Captain America – Cheesy costume and name, but he made up for it with that shield and the bike. I had a lot of Captain America toys. I never did get into the cartoon because he sound gay but I loved the comic books.

After several months of living in Southern California, I’ve come up with a scientific method for recognizing in which area of Los Angeles that I am driving. I do this simply by looking at the driving techniques. The following are the Top Ten Driving techniques that I’ve noticed and in what area of Los Angeles I’ve noticed them.



10. Left hand on the wheel, right hand covering the eyes and one foot on the brake pedal: The 405 freeway

9. Left hand on the wheel, right hand holding a latte, head cradling cell phone, both feet on the gas peddle and poodle barking in the back seat: Beverly Hills

8. Left hand on the wheel, right hand holding a gun, 40oz on the lap, both feet on the gas peddle: South Central Los Angeles

7. Left hand holding cell phone, right hand holding Jamba Juice, eyes shut, both feet on the brakes: Marina Del Rey

6. Car in park, sun bathing on hood: The 10 Freeway

5. Left hand on rear-view mirror, right hand fluffing hair, knee on the wheel, foot on the gas peddle: Venice Beach

4. Left hand holding a beer, right hand on the radio dial, left leg out the window, right knee on the steering wheel and a brick on the gas peddle: The Valley

3. Both hands on the wheel, car moving 20 miles below speed limit, hazard lights blinking, right foot on gas and left foot smashing the brakes every 20 feet: Santa Monica on a Sunday Afternoon

2. Left hand on wheel, right hand out the window giving the finger, tailgating, ignoring traffic signals, running down pedestrians, and throwing Starbucks cups out of the window: Wilshire District.

1. Both hands on the wheel, both feet on the gas peddle, passenger waving gun out of the window firing shots at the 30 police cars in pursuit, helicopter overhead, breaking news reports on television: The 5 freeway

It's back!!! The top ten makes its '06 debut. After a week of race, economics and foreign affairs, we've earned the right to take it easy and talk about something everybody loves - food. More specifically, SOUL FOOD!!!

Now, everybody does their soul food a little differently. Southerners have a lock on the fried chicken and who makes shrimp gumbo better than folks from New Orleans? Now, some will say Cajun and soul food aren't the same but hey, it's my list and I'm making it so today. Sue me.

Anyway, here is my list of the top ten soul food dishes. Ya'll have a good weekend - and happy eating.

Image Source:Plateoftheday.com

1. Collard Greens: Can you even call it a soul food dinner without collard greens? They are the staple of any Sunday dinner at grandma's house. Add a little seasoning salt and a touch of sugar and oh my goodness... the world becomes a beautiful place.

2. Candied Yams: Where I'm from, a bowl of candied yams is more precious than gold. I'll share greens and I might even give up some dressing. But candied yams are a rare commodity and it would take a whole lot for me to give some away. I made my first batch this past Christmas. It was cool - but I have a long way to go.

3. Homemade Macaroni & Cheese: Kraft aint got nothing on my grandmother's Mac & Cheese. I still recall how beautiful it looked the first time a pan is pulled from the oven. The golden brown top layer was evidence that we were about to partake in something special. I can smell it now.

4. Sweet Potato Pie: Can you even have a Thanksgiving dinner without a sweet potato pie? It is the pinnacle of any large family gather where dinner is served. I can actually eat an entire pie in one sitting but I never do because once the pie is gone... it's gone. It's not something you make every week so you have to savor the moment.

5. Hot Water Cornbread: I have no idea how to make it and it really doesn't have much of a taste to it. But when placed on the side of delectable collard greens, it became a glorious thing to behold.

6. Dressing: And I'm not talking about that sacrilegious crap they call stove top stuffing. No sir, I'm talking about the stuff you make out of cornbread and doused with the juice from the turkey. Dressing is the foundation on which every other soul food dish rest. If your dressing is not good, your dinner is not good. My best friend's mom makes the best dressing I've ever had. And that's saying a lot considering my grandmother cooked like it was going out of style.

7. Black Eye Peas: They do have an odd taste to them, but they belong. My folks make them with a little okra. Now, I can't stand okra so I always tossed that to the side. Some of the best conversations I've ever had were had over a nice hot plate of black eye peas and cornbread.

8. Pork Ribs: We cannot forget about the meat. I prefer my pork ribs cooked over hot coals (those of you with gas grills, you should be ashamed of yourselves) and doused with barbecue sauce. If you prepare and grill them properly, the meat should fall off of the bones. Oh, my mouth waters for the delectable taste of Grade A ribs with sauce filled with a perfect blend of brown sugar and vinegar.

9. Pork Chops: C'mon, ya'll know some pork chops were going to be on the list. I know you Muslim cats can't get with it, but the rest of us swine lovers know the importance of a good pork chop covered in pepper and Lawry's Seasoning Salt (no other seasoning salt with do). Prepared in a skillet and served with collard greens & cornbread. Pork chops are the perfect alternative to fried chicken. After all, it is the other white meat.

10. Kool-Aid: You may be asking yourself, how is kool-aid and dish? Well, my naive suburbanite, kool-aid is the quintessential catalysts between all of the other dishes and a required element to making a soul food dinner... soulful. Eating barbecue ribs is not complete unless washed down with a nice tall glass of Red kool-aid. And yes, Red is an actual flavor.

Discussion Starters:

1. What is your favorite Soul Food dish?
2. Is there a dish you cook better than most people you know?
3. What ethnic food do you most enjoy eating?
4. What is your favorite restaurant and where is it located?

Classic Repost for Christmas

With this being the Christmas season, what better way to start it off than with a Christmas Gift Top Ten. Now, I know there are a lot of folks that will feel me on this list because many of will recall these gifts with fondness. There is nothing better than waking up Christmas morning to find at least one great gift under the tree. We didn't have a lot of money, but my grandmother made Christmas special and these are the greatest gifts I've ever received.

10. GI Joe w/Kung-fu Grip: If you didn't have one of these action figures then you weren't really trying to play war. My brother and I built dirt mountains in the field to play. The best part was trying to resuce my sister's Barbie from the enemy. But she was always killed by a fire cracker and smoke bomb. This is how I found out that Barbie dolls don't burn as easily as you would think. We'll bypass the punishments I received for destroying my sister's dolls.

9. Tonka Trucks: The perfect gift for boys that enjoy seeing how destructive they could be with their toys. I never broke a Tonka truck and it certainly wasn't for lack of trying. They make the perfect gift. It really got fun if you got the tractor, dump truck and crane. I loved my trucks and kept them for years.

8. Six Million Dollar Man Action Figure: This was such a cool toy. I loved how he came apart and had the little robotic arms and legs. He had his own space ship as well. It was the eye that made him special. He had a hole in his head to let the light shine through one of his eyes. When you covered the hole with a finger, it looked as though is eye was flashing. Mine dated Barbie until she was killed in the war.

7. Electric Train Set: For those of you with sons, buy them an electric train set. It is one of the best gifts you can give to a kid. My grandmother purchased the train set for Christmas and then picked up buildings and other items for the town as the year went on. My train set connected with the race set so we would race the cars and run the trains and see which car would get smashed by the train. It's a great gift and could lead to a nice hobby to enjoy for years to come. My son will definitely have one.

6. Race tracks: This went right along with the train set. They aren't as fun as you would think they should be but for some reason I still love them. The more expensive the track the faster the cars can go before falling off of the track. The good ones had a lap counter as well. They didn't last long but for the time that we had them, it was the best thing going.

5. Atari 5200: It is a sorry game by today's standard, but in those days it was the most advanced thing we had ever seen. My cousin was the first in the nieghborhood to get one and we would play for hours. Football was our favorite game. He ran the same pattern on me... #1 - #5. That combination killed me. It was a quick slant pattern and I could never stop it. He'd let me stay close for three quarters then blow me out in the forth. Boy, he was cruel.

4. Green Machine: The greatest big wheel ever invented. Oh, the red and yellow big wheels were all right. But the ballers rolled with the Green Machines. Riding them is different since you guide them from the back. The weren't faster, but they just looked way cooler than anything on the play ground. If not for my size... and shame, I'd buy one for myself.

3. Electric Football: To this day I don't understand how these doggone things work, but they were a must have for any Christmas list. My best friend and I would play but for some reason my quarterback would always spin in circles. There was no way to pass the ball so you just had to hope the running back broke down the sidelines. My best friend tried to melt one of the players and his mother walked in on us. Boy, she tore his but up. I left. But she called my grandmother and she sent me back down the treat to get my butt spanked. Bad memory - great gift. I just might purchase one for myself.

2. Hand Held Football: So they were on dashes and dots. It was a great game. You could always tell if the person was in the midst of a big gain by the way they hit the buttons. All you would see is the game shaking and their thumb moving up and down on the buttons. It made different sound depending on what happened. We played in class - just open your desk, turn the sound offf and go at it. It's a game that we could play for hours.

1. Rock 'em Sock 'em Robots: Hours and hours of fun. A little violent consider that the goal was to knock the opposing robot's head off. But this is by far the best game ever invented. It is one of the few games that lasted well into the summer. We took it on every trip and we even had tournaments. Frankly, every boy should have one. I might go purchase one for the house. Maybe I can battle Jaimie over who will clean the litter box.

Ok, those are mine. What's yours?

My Top Ten Worst Rappers has brought much grief to the lovers of west coast and southern rap. So with that in mind, I know that this list will irk the new school cats because some of their most popular albums will not make the list. The most glaring omission from the list will be Tupac. There is a reason for that. Tupac was a great MC but his albums moved only the most die hard fans. He had great singles, for sure, but I couldn't label any of his albums a classic. UPDATE: I have to mention All Eyez on Me. That album is a classic.

For you west coast cats, you will note that Dre and NWA are representing with Ice T making it on the notables list. Please refrain from mentioning E40, DJ Quick or MC Eight in you comments. It will only render your opinion meaningless.

I was going to divide the list by a timeline like I did the Top Ten Best Black Movies. Knowing the history of hip hop, I could have create a divide at 1994. That is the year Biggie and Nas dropped their debut albums. It would have marked a distinguishable period in hip hop with two rising stars. That would have made room for Whodini, Blackstar, Snoop Dog, The Roots and others to make it in the top ten on their perspective list. However, I didn't feel like doing all of that so you get the compact version. Maybe one day I will break it down.

Next week, I'm doing the pinnacle of rap list. The Top Ten Greatest MC's of all time. In the meantime, check the list.

THE LIST

#10 -The Chronic - Dr. Dre: Dre really surprised me with this one. I didn't expect it to be as hard as it was but it became an instant classic. Teaming up with Snoop was pure genius if you ask me. It could rank higher than 10 but I probably couldn't move it higher than 7.

#9 - Bigger and Deffer - LL Cool J: This is a personal favorite. It probably wouldn't make the list on with a lot of other rap fans but I think it is one of the best rap albums ever made. No one was sure what LL would do after "Radio" went platinum, but he came hard with "I'm Bad" and "I Need Love" was the bomb. But my favorite track is ".357 Breakdown".

#8 - A Tribe Called Quest - The Low End Theory: Ya'll know the Tribe had to make the list. Again, probably would rank lower on other folks list, but I bump this album too often for it not to make the list.


#7 - Illmatic - Nas: Nas has yet to surpass this classic. I hadn't heard anything about him until this album dropped. But when it did, he instantly became one of the greatest MC's ever. Over the years he has proven himself to be a great MC but until recently, his albums have been suspect.


#6 - Reasonable Doubt - Jay Z: I have to admit, I was behind the curve ball when it came to Jay Z. It wasn't until he dropped Vol II that I even got around to listening to this album. After I did, I found out what the hype was all about. Jay put it down and we know what the results of his effort to change the game are.


#5 - Fear of a Black Planet - Public Enemy: What more could be said about this album. "Black Steal in the Hour of Chaos", "Welcome to the Terrordome" and "Fight the Power" made a brother want to pull out his African medallion and march on the White House.


#4 - Ready to Die - Notorious B.I.G: His first single, "Juicy" did nothing for me but my guy played the entire album for me and it was da bomb. I still had no idea who the guy was but I thought the music was great. Biggie went on to become one of the greatest MC's ever and it is sad that he was taken down in his prime.


#3 - Strait Outta Compton - NWA: The creme de la creme of gangsta music. This album siphoned 400 years of black angst, packed it into 17 tracks and pounded America in the face with it. It ushered in a new genre of rap and no rap group as come close to matching its fire and creativity while immersing us into the pit of black rage. Classic.

#2 - Paid In Full - Eric B & Rakim: Definitely one of the greatest albums ever. Rakim came with a new style of rap that enabled him to claim the crown as the greatest MC ever. It is one of the few albums that you can drop the needle on and let it ride. There are no flaws on this album and I am sure there will be some that say that this is the number one album of all time.

#1 - Raising Hell - Run DMC: But I'm giving the number 1 spot to Run DMC. Rap is what it is today because of what Run DMC accomplished with this album. The album went triple platinum but its influence on mainstream music dwarfed its sells. Oh, and ever song on the album is great.



Notable Albums: Outkast - Aquemini, Gang Starr - Daily Operation, Ice Cube - Death Certificate, Wu Tang Clan - Enter the 36 Chambers, LL Cool J - Mama Said Knock You Out, De La Soul - 3 Feet High and Rising, Jay Z - The Blueprint, Boogie Down Production - By All Means Necessary, Ice T - Power, Kenya West - College Dropout, Common - Be, Ghetto Boys - We Can't Be Stopped, Redman - Whut? Thee Album. Tupac - All Eyez on Me, D.O.C. - No One Can Do It Better.

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