One of the greatest hip-hop albums of all time.This was the album that introduced me to hip-hop. I grew up mainly listening to heavy metal and rock n roll and didn't really care much for rap. Most of my friends listened to both genres and encouraged me to give it a try and they recommended me this album among others. I decided to try this one out first because I was intrigued by the album cover. The main thing I love about this album is that it has narration that "guides" you through the album. While that was a popular thing to do with hip hop albums at the time, it was a brand new experience for me. This album introduced me to everything hip-hop, from sampling, break beats, and even the process of creating a hip-hop album. "The Low End Theory" definitely has a special place in my heart.

Like many other people, I got first introudced to reggae through Bob Marely. This album is so great to me because I had never really heard anything like it before. The super, chill drums that kept steady groove, the bass that has full sound and in your face while also keeping a bouncy groove, the strumming of the guitar that drives most songs, etc. Everything from production, arrangement, and mixing of this album is a sound to behold. And Bob Marley's voice was so unique and iconic that it helped set the pace for all his songs. Songs like "Jammin" or "Natural Mystic" really set the tone for this album and are some of my favorite. I'm sure that this is an album that most people have heard of before in their lives because of how iconic it is, but if you haven't listened to it all the way through without skipping any songs then you're in for a ride.

Much like "Low End Theory" album by A Tribe Called Quest, this album also paved the way for me when it comes to hip-hop. I was still young on my journey with hip-hop and "The Score" had some ground breaking lyrics and rhythm that introduced me to that typical raw sound. This album also introduced me to my first female MC: Lauryn Hill. I remember being completely mystified hearing her for the first time on the "How Many Mics" track. Her lyricism and flow between words and word choices was astounding. The entire album is basically filled with rhythmic flow along with steady groove from the drums. "Killing Me Softly" was undoubtedly the most popular track from this album and rightfully so, it contains beautiful vocals from Ms. Lauryn Hill and probably the most grooviest drum beat I've ever heard. And like many hip-hop albums at that time, many groups were finding their sound all while telling a story and guiding you through the album. Make sure to give this one a listen if you haven't already.

From "Smooth Operator" to "Cherish The Day", Sade has one of the most smoothest voices to ever have been recorded. I was first introduced to Sade by my dad. One of my favorite passtimes is listening/discovering new music with my dad. We would always pop up YouTube on the TV and just listen to music or watch music videos. One night we were listening to some RnB tracks and my dad asked me: "Have you ever heard of Sade?", to which I responded to no. He then grabbed the remote and put on "No Ordinary Love". The minute I heard her voice, MY MIND WAS BLOWN! I then reallized that I heard of her before from "Smooth Operator" but that was the only song I knew from her. The production and her soothing voice really is the essence of RnB in my opinion. Even though this "album" isn't technically an album, it almost feels like one because of the flow from the tracklist. Definitely one to check out if you haven't before!

Growing up I listened to a lot of heavy metal and rock 'n' roll so naturally I decided I wanted to learn guitar to learn how to play the songs that I listened to all the time. With that being said, Joan Jett was one of the reasons why I learned the guitar, she was an icon to me and someone I looked up to. One day I was in the car with my dad listening to a Joan Jett album, and he says to me: "Did you know Joan Jett was in an all girl punk group in the 70's before she went solo?". I practically screamed out: "No, why didn't you tell me that before!". And so that same week, he took me to a local record store and found this album on CD and I spent that night listening to it over and over. From early grunge guitar sound to belting vocals, it was definitely punk for sure! But I fell in love it, I found every song catchy and full of angst. I was in middle school when I discovered this album so I was full of angst at that time. Next thing I knew, I was learning how to play these songs on guitar. My favorite tracks would have to be "You Drive Me Wild", "Is It Day or Night?", and of course "Cherry Bomb". So if you're into that early punk spound and like pretty rowdy lyrics, then this may be your album.

While I might not be the biggest fan of this movie, this is by far my favorite movie soundtrack of all time! It's super bouncy, full of rave ready songs and a great tracklist. Again, my dad introduced me to this soundtrack and him and I never get tired of listening to it. Because this soundtrack has a different list of artists, I discovered even more music through this album by discovering new artists to listen to. It's one of those albums you can blast in the car while you're stuck in traffic and it makes you happy to be stuck in traffic because that means more music. The most popular track on this soundtrack would have to be "What Is Love" by Haddaway, but my favorite is "Insomnia (Monster Mix)" by Faithless. This song alone is the reason why I never get tired of this album. The production and mixing is incredible, in fact, I remember a time when I couldn't even find that song on streaming platforms due to copyright issues so I was very glad that I had a physical copy that I could listen to at any time I wanted. If you like that early rave sound with catchy melodies, definitely one to check out!