Old School Mondays:: Ed O.G. (Got To Have It Edition)

Well, as per usual, Sunday night found me rooting around for something to inspire today's OSM. I didn't have to look far, as last week's final post on the hill was an edition of BOX! that features a new collabo between legendary MC's Master Ace and Ed O.G. I knew I'd posted some Ace before, but a quick search with the Google turned up no Ed O. and so it was a done deal.

And it was a done deal for a couple of reasons: 1. His debut album, Life of a Kid in the Ghetto, is undoubtedly a 90's classic, and 2. The big song from that album, I Got to Have It, has to be one of the top singles from the early 90's - I don't know how other people feel, but if I were doing a top 10 from that time period, I'd be hard pressed to leave it out. I'm sure there are plenty of folks that feel the same way about this album, Guru hails from the Bean, and Def Jef did drop rhymes on drums, but Ed O.G. put Boston hip hop on the map.

Now, I Got To Have It might have been Life of a Kid in the Ghetto's showpiece, with Ed showing off his deliberate and clever flow over a perfect Bohannon-based beat, but this really is one of those great old school albums that is great from start to finish. I mean it opens with the braggadocios I'm Different, features politically-oriented songs like Speak Upon It & Dedicated To The Right Wingers, has an R&B heavy jam (Let me Tickle Your Fancy), and a fun comedic song (Bug-A-Boo) - songs that are kind of all over the subject matter map, but it all comes together quite well. The solid production found on the album plays a role in that, as there aren't many clunkers to be foudn amongst the beats (fun fact: the internet informs me that the Awesome Two, Special K & Teddy Tedd did some of the production, I did not know that).

So here you go, some Ed O.G. for your Monday afternoon - three of the singles from the album and one of my personal favorites, the BDK-sampling lead track I'm Different. Enjoy.

MP3:: Ed O.G. & Da Bulldogs - I Got to Have it

MP3:: Ed O.G. & Da Bulldogs - I'm Different

MP3:: Ed O.G. & Da Bulldogs - Bug-A-Boo

MP3:: Ed O.G. & Da Bulldogs - Life of A Kid in the Ghetto

Video:: Ed O.G. & Da Bulldogs - I Got To Have It