Intro
Fiendin' 4 Tha Funk
11/5, Fiendinā 4 Tha Funk (1995)
Label: Dogday Records
Kreayshawn: āThis is just one of my favorite albums because it was from my home area. At one point it was the only CD I listened to for like four months. Itās one of those hella grimey ass CDs. Itās pretty hardcore. Itās one of my favorite ones for sure. My partner T.C. produced it way back in the day. [Me and T.C.] met and we kicked it.
āI probably found it in ā99. It was just a random CD that I had found and got into. I think it was one of my friendās CDs. Sometimes I would just take a random thing and listen to it. Thatās how I still find music, just searching random things. I would always just find random stuff and be like, āIām going to listen to this.ā It ended up becoming one of my Top 25.ā
Tragic Kingdom
No Doubt, Tragic Kingdom (1995)
Label: Trauma / Interscope
Kreayshawn: āI was always listening to that. No Doubt was my favorite at the time. I always wanted to go to her shows but I couldnāt because I was too young. Ugh, so lame. They definitely had a different sound. It was mid-ā90s when it came out, so when I think about it they always bring me back to that time when everything was mixed together. No Doubt kind of has a ska-pop sound.ā
Dr. Octagonecologyst
Dr. Octagon, Dr. Octagonecologyst (1996)
Label: Dreamworks / Geffen / MCA Records
Kreayshawn: āKool Keith is one of my favorite rappers, period. Kool Keith or Dr. Octagon or whatever you want to call himāheās got all his aliases popping offābut I just love his album and how he gets into a whole different character. Heās a rapping gynecologist! How you gonna rap all those medical terms? He probably went to medical school in a past life.
āMaybe Iām was a weird child or something but I got the Kool Keith album when I was hella young. I was in the 4th grade and I went into the CD store by myself and bought it. I remember them asking me, āAre you sure you want this?ā because I got his Sex Style album and the cover of it is just crazy. They were so shocked, but itās San Franciscoāthey donāt give a fuck. They were like, āYou sure you want this?ā and I was like, āYeah.ā
ā[I discovered Kool Keith through] my mom. She always would be listening to the craziest stuff. Her friends would leave tapes at the house and I would listen to them. Back then, the radio, CDs, and tapes is what you did to listen to music. Now you have computers, so youāre doing a million other things while listening to music. But back in the day, all I would do is stare at a wall with my headphones on, listening.ā
Spice
Spice Girls, Spice (1996)
Label: Virgin
Kreayshawn: āThat was the first CD I remember playing over and over again and jamming out to when I was young. It has a lot of my favorite songs that they did on there like ā2 Become 1.ā The Spice Girls are my inspiration. I use a lot of girl power type of feel [on my songs]. Even though itās like more modern rap version, I still like the Girl Power message.ā
The Carnival
Wyclef Jean, The Carnival (1997)
Label: Sony Music / Columbia
Kreayshawn:āThat album definitely represents a moment in time for me. It was my momās CD and thatās how I would always find my musicālurking in my momās CDs. She had this CD and I would just play it over and over and all my friends would listen to it.
āThe album was a whole story, like every song was a story. It was like a Slick Rick type of thing. Itās funny, because I really do love that album. It had a lot of hits on it, but itās not common [for someone to put it on their 25 Favorites]. But my list is pretty random.ā
400 Degreez
Juvenile, 400 Degreez (1998)
Label: Cash Money Records / Universal
Kreayshawn: āI remember growing up I lived on a block where there were like 12 kids on one block and there was like a little alleyway. We would hang out there all day and would be in each otherās backyard with a stereo. This is one of the CDās that we listened to faithfully. You canāt front on Juvenile. Iām a fan of all that old school Hot Boyz stuff. Cash Money was doing their thing when they were coming out. Itās crazy to see everyone still doing stuff.ā
Aquemini
Outkast, Aquemini (1998)
Label: LaFace Records / Artista
Kreayshawn: āMy favorite songs to space out to. [This album] always made me feel like I was in another place, like I was getting high or some shit. I wasnāt getting high though. A lot of the songs on this album were my favorite songs for a while, so I was faithfully listening to this. This would be the best album to get high to, just like most Outkast albums.ā
2001
Dr. Dre, 2001 (1999)
Label: Aftermath / Interscope
Kreayshawn:āThat could just be on the top because it is one of the top albums for sure. I know every single song on that and itās from the West Side. Oh my God, my mom had a fake Impala. It was a Caprice. She had a ā64 Caprice and we would always ride around San Francisco [playing that album]. I was hella young and she was always listening to it.
āMy mom went to the Up In Smoke Tour. When I was young, I didnāt have people to talk to on the phone, so I just called the radio station. I called the radio station and I won tickets to the show but I was like 10 so I couldnāt go. So my mom ended up going and I was hella mad. I won her tickets to Olā Dirty Bastardās show too, but he went to jail and the show got cancelled [Laughs]. It was so funny.ā
Let There Be Eve...Ruff Ryders' First Lady
Eve, Let There Be Eve...Ruff Ryders' First Lady (1999)
Label: Ruff Ryders / Interscope
Kreayshawn:Ā āThis was one of the first female rappers that I was really into. This is on some other shit. I was pretty into Eve, sheās like my alter ego. It was crazy because sheās from Philly and my familyās from Philly. Every time I think about it, Iām like, āWhat if I was in Philly? Iād be like Eve.ā
āI was super young when I was listening to it. Thereās some inspirational [songs on there]. Thereās that āLove Is Blindā song, which is like an anthem for women. When listening to that as a kid, youāre like, āOh God, love is blind! You can get beat up by your man and not even know itās wrong!āā
100% Ginuwine
Ginuwine, 100% Ginuwine (1999)
Label: 550 Music / Epic
Kreayshawn: āThat was another album that I was just listening to all day and all night. Iāve pretty much memorized the whole CD. I think I was in the 4th grade at the time and I was finding out about love. Ginuwine was helping me understand what love was. Itās crazy because at that time, I had a love affair with my downstairs neighbor. It was pretty heated. We like...kissed on the lips one timeāand itās Ginuwineās fault! [Laughs.] Iām lame."
Black On Both Sides
Mos Def, Black On Both Sides (1999)
Label: Rawkus / Priority
Kreayshawn:Ā āI remember this being one of the first hip-hop albums that I listened to. My uncle gave it to me on a tape. He gave me that tape and he gave me a Fugees tape with another tape that I forgot. All I remember is listening to the Mos Def tape.
āI was like, āDamn, this is so tight and different from what they play on the radio!ā I had never heard it before because at that time I just watched TV, listened to what was on the radio, or random stuff my mom would tell me. It was kind of the first thing I found on my own.ā
Beware Of Dog
Lil Bow Wow, Beware Of Dog (2000)
Label: So So Def / Columbia
Kreayshawn: āI was 10 when this came out, so it was the first time I realized that younger kids could rap too. I remember saying, āOh my God, heās my age and he can rap?ā It was just amazing to me and he was just doing his thing like a normal adult as a kid. It was like growing up with him. Itās funny because I have an old-ass rap that I did and Iām talking about him like, āYeah, Shad Moss.āā
The Unseen
Quasimoto, The Unseen (2000)
Label: Stones Throw Records
Kreayshawn: āThis is an album I just found working in a record shop. I was super excited to find it because I pretty much listened to everything on that album. Some of the songs are really crazy. He raps in a high-pitched voice.ā
āWhen I first started making songs I would turn the pitch up on my voice hella high. I donāt think it was to be like Quasimoto but everyone would say I sounded like the female Quasimoto. It was pretty funny. My partner just had to tell me one day, āYou need to stop pitching up your voice.ā I did two versions of a song and I was like, āShould I keep the pitch up?ā and he was like, āNah.āā
Tha Last Meal
Snoop Dogg, Tha Last Meal (2000)
Label: No Limit / Priority / EMI
Kreayshawn: āSnoop Doggās done all kinds of stuff, but this album was an album that I bought and it introduced me to a lot of different artists that were on it, like Suga Freeāwho I secretly became obsessed with later on in my life. I love this album. One of the things that always stuck in my mind was the album art. It was a cartoon with Snoop Dogg in jail and shit. I remember always listening to it and looking at the artwork. Itās just one of my faves.ā
Aaliyah
Aaliyah, Aaliyah (2001)
Label: Blackground / Virgin / EMI
Kreayshawn: āThis is one of my favorites because it came out around the time she passed away and I was so upset about it. I had a turntable, just one turntable, and this was the only record I had. I just listened to it over and over and just played with it.ā
āI was really sad when she died. It was one of the only times I actually cried when an artist died. I was like bawling. I was like, āI canāt believe this.ā I just loved everything that she did. When an artist dies, and you really love everything they did, iItās like youāre really losing somebody. I was really upset.ā
Miss Eā¦So Addictive
Missy Elliot, Miss Eā¦So Addictive (2001)
Label: Goldmind / Elektra
Kreayshawn: āThat came out when I thought I could dance really good. I mean, I guess I could dance. Me and my friends were always dancing to this CD. It was one of my favorite CDs that she did because of all the songs she did on it, three of them had crazy music videos.
āI was hella young when she did the āI Canāt Stand The Rainā stuff, but when I was actually old enough to go and buy the CD I was like, āIām gonna dance to āGet Ur Freak Onā all night!ā I was so jealous of [that little white girl that danced in the āWork Itā videoā]. I was like, āI want to be her! I want to be the cool white girl!ā"
Chicken-n-Beer
Ludacris, Chicken-n-Beer (2003)
Label: DTP / Def Jam
Kreayshawn: āLudacris had done stuff before that, but this album always stood out to me because when he did this I was like, āMan, heās really about to be one of the biggest rappers.ā I still believe heās one of the biggest rappers. I definitely love this album. Thereās a lot of fun songs on there like, āWho let these hoes in my room!āā
Crime Mob
Crime Mob, Crime Mob (2004)
Label: Gā$ Up / Crunk / BME / Reprise
Kreayshawn: āI remember this one because it was a group with two girls. I thought that was hella tight. So all their songs would be like a guyās song, but then it would have a girls version of the same feeling. So Crime Mob was one of my favorite rap groups for a minute. I bumped all the songs on the CD.
āI was going to school listening to it like, āYeah, Iām going to school. Crime Mob.ā I donāt think it had anything to do with me and my school. It was just what I was listening to at the time. I wish Crime Mob was still together. I want to make a song with Diamond. I think sheād be down. Iām pretty sure. Weād gas that shit.ā
The Genie of The Lamp
Mac Dre, The Genie of The Lamp (2004)
Label: Thizz Entertainment
Kreayshawn: āEveryone in the Bay Area knew this whole album. I had T-shirts of it and it was like my favorite shit ever. I wanted to be Mac Dre. The hyphy movement was a big part of my life, and this album was definitely a big part of the hyphy movement.
āI was like 15 seeing all the sideshows and shit, partaking in the thizzlamic wave. That was just stuff people would do back then. It was just normal, but now I realize it was really crazy. It was fun times being hyphy.ā
Kamikaze
Twista, Kamikaze (2004)
Label: Atlantic
Kreayshawn: āTwista is just an exciting artist to listen to. Iām a big fan of all his stuff, but I just remember this album because I listened to it all the time. The other stuff would just be random stuff that I clipped off the Internet but I actually got this CD. This was a popping CD for sure.
āI remember days of drinking alcohol for the first time and listening to this CDāI was like in the 8th grade. I never responded well with drinking. That why thereās some bad memories. [Like when I threw up]. Youāre not supposed to be drinking when youāre [a kid] getting in trouble. I was always getting in trouble.ā
The Jack Artist
The Jacka, The Jack Artist (2005)
Label: The Artist Records
Kreayshawn: āHe was one of the top rappers in the Bay Area. I was going through dropping out of high school [when I was] listening to this. I always felt every song. It was my favorite. It helped me grow when I was in high school. It was that for a lot of people in the Bay Area.ā
Donuts
J Dilla, Donuts (2006)
Label: Stones Throw Records
Kreayshawn: āJ Dilla was an artist that I found just lurking around. I would always rap over his beats secretly [a long time ago] but never put them out. He always did my favorite beats and it was really sad when he died. Iāve been making music for hella long but I would just keep it to myself. I wasnāt posting it on the Internet. It was just stuff that I did for fun. Me and my friends would rap for fun. [If I got on a J Dilla beat today] that would be hot.ā
Animal Planet Mixtape
The Jacka and Husalah, Animal Planet Mixtape (2006)
Label: N/A
Kreayshawn: āIt was a mixtape that was super long but it has so many great songs on it. Itās a great mix because it all flows together. Itās mixed with animal noises and gunshots. Itās just a Bay Area classic and it has a lot of Bay Area classic rappers on it. My boyfriend at the time was listening to it and it just became the soundtrack to everything we were doing.
āWe got into a crazy-ass car accident when we were listening to that mixtape. It was crazy. My partner just didnāt know how to drive and we hit two cars and we ran into a house. Nothing super bad happenedāno one got hurt. But the song was playing real loud and I just remember being like, āWhat the fuck?āā
Sunday School
Suga Free, Sunday School (2007)
Label: Siccness.net
Kreayshawn: āSunday School is one of my favorite albums. How can you hate Suga Free? No one hates him. Heās always rhyming about the craziest things like itās normal shit. Heād be yelling at a bitch like, āYou smoke my Newports, bitch?ā Heād go into a little acting skits in the middle of his raps. Heās a pimp, for real.ā
Thursday
The Weeknd, Thursday (Chopped & Screwed) (2011)
Label: N/A
Kreayshawn: āIāve been listening to the chopped and screwed version. It was chopped, not slopped. Itās what Iāve recently been listening to over and over again, on crazy repeat. Iām definitely feeling his music. It sounds way better chopped and screwed. Thereās a whole bunch of songs that bring out emotions or talk about things that Iāve gone through. You can see why. Maybe Iām just really high when I listen to it.ā