Urban Thought Collective

1995 was the year. ATL was the place. Broke as a joke was I.

Actually, that’s a lie. I had money, but spent it all by November because I lost my damn mind. “Sorry sir, but your card has been declined.” BURN!!!! But I did learn my lesson…sort of. Sophomore year was cool. My boy Sean bought a car, so the crew had transportation. I saw “Pulp Fiction” about a THOUSAND times by Christmas. My roommate and I gave nicknames to all the ugly girls we knew (Mutants Forever!). And I almost got shot at a strip club. So yeah, pretty cool year if you ask me.

DOVE SHACK | “SUMMERTIME IN THE LBC”
“I ride with a…I slide with a…” The absolute perfect groove. This song hit right as we went back to school, and it was THE best song to ride out to Lenox to. I’m shocked these cats didn’t hit bigger. This song should’ve launched them into the stratosphere.

RAEKWON | “ICE CREAM”
“Your whole shell, baby, wicked like Nimrod.” I always wanted to try that line on a chick, but never had the balls to. Something tells me I made the right choice. Anyway, this song is an ABSOLUTE CLASSIC…until Cappadonna’s part. “I love you like I love my di** size?” Okay. I hate your verse like I hate the gout. Fortunately, he couldn’t completely ruin the experience. Great song and video, except for Whackadonna, of course.

THA DOGG POUND | “NEW YORK, NEW YORK”
“…ever since Snoop came through and crushed the buildings.” Talk about a shot across the bow. Tha Pound come through and pretty much wrecked it. I love Snoop’s facial expressions throughout the video. He must’ve been off that purp or something.

GOODIE MOB | “CELL THERAPY”
“I wonder if the gate was put up to keep crime out, or keep our ass in.” My cousin bought “Soul Food” in the spring of ‘96, and didn’t buy another CD for at least a year. He listened to it every day. Every single day. Yes, he is a little nutty to begin with, but that doesn’t take away from the greatness of this album…or the insanity of Khujo. Dude was on that stuff, for real.

And now…something completely different:

BECK | “WHERE IT’S AT”
I wonder if Beck sleeps in a hyperbaric chamber that pumps in high pressure weed smoke, instead of oxygen. Dude ALWAYS looks and sounds blowed. But you gotta give it up. He’s a funky ass guero [white boy].

Diallo Tyson is a filmmaker, comedian and old school music junkie. When he’s not busy, he is a rapper with the group “Two Pimps and a Dream.” Step into his groovin’ time machine every week on UTC.