MUSIC 101 - Let’s Take It Back to 94….

The summer that I endured my first set of two-a-days….

The summer that I started stacking a little cash in my pocket….

But more importantly - The summer that I turned 16 and got my driver’s license…

However, unlike these new Teen Drama shows and Real Housewives of (enter your city here) my first car was a straight hand-me-down.

That’s right, before I got my Nissan Maxima, I was forced to push a 1985 Ford Escort.

It was given to my oldest brother as a graduation present to take to college when he enrolled to the University of Alabama.

It was then given to my middle brother for transportation of him, his friends, cousins, and football teammates to and from practices and school.

And in 1994… it was given to me. I remember having my boys Ricky and Mike push the car down the road as I popped the clutch so we could ride out and see some “friends” over an hour away. Oh and the car was a dirty, rusty red, with no insurance and no updated plates. It didn’t matter, the car may have been busted, but i was still clean rockin my "Dopeman Nike's". Most importantly, I was free.

The realest thing I remember was the tapes (YES TAPES) that I had in the car. I was to broke to afford buying the full tape for $12 so I would buy a single or dub a copy from one of my people.

Well tapes are now extinct, but the music on the tapes still live. Simply because I am sure that everyone remembers the tapes they had in their first car, and I am going to share my top 10 tapes to ride to in the summer of 94.

Honorable Mention:

Black Moon – I Gotcha Opin
Eightball and MJG – Lay It Down
K-Dee – Hittin Corners

10 – Bone Thugs n Harmony – For the Love of Money

Thuggish Ruggish was the first single, but For the Love of Money was the song everyone “fast-forwarded” to. It was hell trying to actually get the tape at the right place before CDs came along….

9 - Keith Murray – The Most Beautifullest Thing In The World

This hook was stuck in my head for years…. It also helped that the track was on point.

8 – Common – I Used To Love H.E.R.

Everyone who considers themselves a hip hop fan fell in love with this song, especially when everyone found out it was Hip Hop and not a girl he was talking about.

7 – Da Brat – Funkdafied

You know a song is a summertime classic if you hear it at EVERY pool party, barbecue, or stop light. This was no exception.

6 – Method Man and Mary J Blige – You’re All I Need

With so many remixes that came out, it is hard to find the one on the original album. The video actually made me want to move to NY… (Never happened)

5 – MC Eiht and Compton’s Most Wanted – All For The Money

For anyone who had any type of knock in their trunk, this would put it to the test. The song itself was a summertime classic.

4 – Outkast – Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik

Welcome to the new south. We weren’t only bass and booty shaking music anymore. Big Boi and Andre brought a new light to the A

3 – Nas – It Ain’t Hard To Tell

This is probably my favorite song/video of all time. No flashy lights, expensive cars, or big butts in the background. Simply Nas spitting a classic before he even knew it.