EYEDEA
"EVEN SHADOWS HAVE SHADOWS"
2001
2001
Pulled from the We Came From Beyond comp from LA's greatest DJ Mike Nardone, "Even Shadows Have Shadows" showcases quite possibly better than any other track in the Eyedea 
catalog, this man's ability on the microphone and the boards. Yes, Eyedea produced this banger as well. Beginning with a low monotone and climaxing with a blast of lyricism, Eyedea's understanding of dramatics and delivery drive this track to its place at #303.
catalog, this man's ability on the microphone and the boards. Yes, Eyedea produced this banger as well. Beginning with a low monotone and climaxing with a blast of lyricism, Eyedea's understanding of dramatics and delivery drive this track to its place at #303.#302
TAME ONE
"HYDROMATIC" FEAT. DUSTED DONS
2005
Yet another slamming Tame One track with Tame professing his love the drug game. This has got to be one of the slamminest tracks to come out in the last five years. Over a bed of snares and high-hats, Tame One and Yak Ballz (I'm fairly sure that's Yak), absolutely kill it with their spit fire assault of lyrics.
#301
MR. LIF
"BROTHAZ (9TH WONDER REMIX)"
2006
This reworking of "Brothaz" from Mr. Lif's Mo-Mega is a rare exception to my rule that every remix sucks (more on principle than on actual fact). 9th Wonder's tracks just ooze so much soul and this remix takes the best of Lif's politics with his grandiose flag-waving and 9th Wonder's marvelling production capabilities. Dude, why in the hell did Little Brother split?!
#300
PHAROAHE MONCH
"SIMON SAYS"
1999
Back when Rawkus was on the verge of col' blowing up, Pharoahe Monch's "Simon Says" was at the helm of that movement into the mainstream. With that menacing Godzilla sample and Monch's "Ya'll know the name!", this song would get any concert hall hype as hell. It's not completely uncommon that you'll still hear a DJ put it on. Unfortunately, an uncleared sample would not only lead to this track's disappearance, it would also lead to the disappearance of the album Internal Affairs, Pharoahe Monch (until eight years later with his new record) and, to a larger level, Rawkus Records. Classic track.
#299
DEF SQUAD
"CHECK 'N ME OUT"
1998
Hip hop supergroup Def Squad (featuring Redman, Erick Sermon and Keith Murray) didn't have a long run, but their debut El Nino featuring the track "Check 'N Me Out" was one of those quinessential party records and this track and its heavy bouncing bassline under, arguably, one of Keith Murray's greater verses was easily the standout. On a larger level regarding Def Squad, it could very well be the last time you see three established artists form a supergroup in hip hop. The group is dead. It can't happen again.
#298
SAGE FRANCIS
"SEA LION"
2005
From the 2005 breakthrough album A Healthy Distrust, "Sea Lion" finds Sage in a common moment of reflection where he asks as much "what has become of me?" as "what am I going to do with myself?" For an artist, so often confused and misinterpreted, "Sea Lion" gives us a rare glimpse into the mind of one of this generation's more compelling artists with lines like: "Get in the bus. Hop in the van / Jump in the water. Crawl to the land / Build another castle out of sand. Break it down and then get into the saddle again / I'm going city to city. I'm already lost. Tell the boss who is new in town / I'll ride this horse 'til it it bucks me off and i'm forced to shoot it down / I'll take him out for some gasoline. Trade this cow for some magic beans / Gonna make mom proud of the deals that I made, 'cause I'm just a modern day Johnny Appleseed."
#297
2MEX
"LIGHTPOST 2 LIGHTPOST"
2003
Featuring the talents of Shapeshifters' Life Rexall and Darkleaf's St. Mark 9:23, "Lightpost 2 Lightpost" is a twisted and funky three and a half minute that combines the almost cryptic
verses of St. Mark and Duke's favorite 2Mex over the clanging of cowbells and hubcaps dissolving into Rexall's beautiful scratching over the track. Dope, dope, dope.
verses of St. Mark and Duke's favorite 2Mex over the clanging of cowbells and hubcaps dissolving into Rexall's beautiful scratching over the track. Dope, dope, dope.#296
DEL!
"OFFSPRING" FEAT. EL-P
2000
A perfect example of when artists come together and it actually makes sense. Both Del and El-P have been intergalactic zone coasting for years before meeting up on this track from Del's ahead-of-its-time masterpiece, Both Sides of the Brain. "Offspring" as a term was meant to describe someone who is viewed with great disdain. While it never really caught on in the populus, it's not to discount Del and El-P's biting lyricism over the definitive El-P "Vital Nerve"-ish beat. Ill.
#295
REDMAN
REDMAN
"TONIGHT'S DA NIGHT"
1992
Long before Redman was everyone's favorite living room rapper, he was a super-ill emcee. And "Tonight's Da Night" might not be his biggest hit, but the blending of the Mary Jane Girls' "All Night Long" over Isaac Hayes makes for one smooth-ass track and Redman, as poised and as hungry as he's ever been in his career, brings the fire to the verses. Make sure you cop Whut? Thee Album. 1992, young bucks.
#294
PUSH BUTTON OBJECTS
PUSH BUTTON OBJECTS
"360 DEGREES" FEAT. MR. LIF AND DEL!
2003
Lesser-known Push Button Objects (Edgar Farinas--who has already appeared on the list) put the track down and Del and Lif killed the verses on this often-overlooked banger. Again, this is a perfect pairing with the vocal styling and delivery of Lif and Del--Del as the common denominator, as he often is (the Kevin Bacon of hip hop). Left, right, up, down, 360 degrees of dope.
Lesser-known Push Button Objects (Edgar Farinas--who has already appeared on the list) put the track down and Del and Lif killed the verses on this often-overlooked banger. Again, this is a perfect pairing with the vocal styling and delivery of Lif and Del--Del as the common denominator, as he often is (the Kevin Bacon of hip hop). Left, right, up, down, 360 degrees of dope.
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