With a hyperkinetic, complex rhyme scheme and a patois inflection stemmed from his Jamaican descent, Kardinal Offishall has been helmed as Canada’s unofficial (no pun intended) Hip Hop ambassador. Having been a staple in the States’ neighbors up north for a number of years, Kardi parlayed his popularity in the country’s rapidly-growing rap scene into a deal with MCA Records, becoming one of a few Canadian artists to be signed to a then-major American label. Powered by the Caribbean equivalent of Nelly’s Country Grammar, BaKardi Slang, as well as the mish mash of boom-bap-meets-dancehall, monster posse cut Ol' Time Killin', Quest for Fire: Firestarter, Vol. 1 established the Black Jays member as not only an incredible emcee but a venerable producer in his own right. Unfortunately while Quest For Fire ignited the masses up north (as well as capturing a gold plaque), it failed to catch anything other than a dim light here. - Meka Udoh

Guess Who's Coming To Dinner by DJ Cash Money (1996, Spoiled Brat)
Currently on Amazon for $4.06

My single favorite song of Sleeping Bag Records' all-encompassing '80s catalog is DJ Cash Money & Marvelous Marv's "Ugly People Be Quiet," with its original Tears For Fears intro. Although the duo got a nice praise from Sway & Tech (and DJ Revolution) 10 years ago, the material and legacy since, hasn¹t. Here, Cash Money put out this fly-by-night mixtape which celebrated the best things of '95 and '96, including LL Cool J, Group Home and Raekwon. You'll get the great cutting expected from one of the top deejays on the planet, but the Phife Dawg and The Roots freestyles put this darling up there with Funkmaster Flex and Clue's albums. East coast Hip Hop lived on this mix that balanced between album and street quality. The skits didn¹t date so well, but it blows me away that more people didn¹t make a big to do about the Philadelphia green-eyed legend showing that hes just as brutal making tapes as he was compiling 45's and those unforgettable DMC performances that (along with DJ Jazzy Jeff) made the City of Brotherly Love embrace Hip Hop with open tonearms. - ­ Jake Paine
 
East Point’s Greatest Hit by Cool Breeze (1999, Interscope)
Currently on Half for $5.99

Everyone worth their salt knows all about the seminal albums Outkast and Goodie Mob released under the tutelage of production trio Organized Noize. Sadly, not nearly enough people know about their work on other Dungeon Family albums years after ‘Kast and Goodie were largely handling their own production. In ’98 they laced Witchdoctor’s A S.W.A.T. Healing Ritual with some of the finest production of their career, then put in a similarly stellar effort the following year on Cool “Freddy Cutta Calhoun” Breeze’s East Points Greatest Hit. Best known for the massive posse cut “Watch For The Hook” with Outkast and Goodie Mob, you’d be fucking up if you thought that is all this album had to offer. “Tenn Points,” “The Calhouns,” “Ghetto Camelot,” “Butta,” and “Weeastpointin;” are all classic material. Well worth a few bucks. - J-23