The year is 1991. I’m stationed in Skaggs Island, California…and skkkrrrrtttt…hold up, let me tell you the full story. Okay. In 1989, I left Fort Meade Md. and got orders to NSGA Skaggs Island, Ca. a US Navy site located about 30 minutes north of San Francisco, and 15 minutes west of Vallejo, California. I had made it California and I was verrryy happy. See, back in 1980, I had gone to boot camp in San Diego, and being in California during those short nine weeks left an very strong impression on my life and all since that time, I’d always wanted to get back. Just so happened, in 1989 I was able to secure orders to get back to Cali. I get the orders, and oh my God, I ended living in Marin County CA in a place called Novato. And let me tell you - I loved it. Fast forward to 1991 - It’s 1991. I’ve been selected to attend a special Navy program where I attend college full time for two years to get my degree and let say to you that life is great. It’s during this time that hip-hop is becoming something that I’m getting obsessed about.

• A Tribe Called Quest.
  • Formed in 1985; from Queens, NY; debuted in 1990 with the release of ‘People’s Instinctive Travels and Paths of Rhythm’
  • Just selected recently as 2024 members of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
  • Members: Jarobi, Phife Dawg (tragically passed away in 2016), Q Tip and Ali Shaheed Muhammad. Within four years, the group released four albums that are now considered some of the best music not only in hip-hop, but in all of American music.

FOR ME, HEARING A LOW END THEORY IN 1991 WAS A WATERSHED EVENT. EARLIER THAT YEAR I HAD JUST BEGUN A VERY SPECIAL PROGRAM WHILE SERVING ON ACTIVE DUTY IN THE NAVY, A SPECIAL DUTY THAT ALLOWED ME TO ATTEND COLLEGE FULL TIME FOR TWO YEARS UNTIL I GOT MY ASSOCIATES DEGREE. THERE I WAS ON THE CAMPUS OF THE COLLEGE OF MARIN …AKA MARIN COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE, GOING TO SCHOOL AND LITTLE DID I KNOW WAS HOW A TRIBE CALLED QUEST….THE X CLAN…PUBLIC ENEMY…LL COOL J…NWA, POOR RIGHTEOUS TEACHERS AND SO MANY MORE HIP-HOP ACTS WERE GOING TO AFFECT NOT ONLY THAT TIME OF MY LIFE, BUT THE REST OF MY LIFE. IN THIS SETT IM GOING TO BE PLAYING SOME OF MY FAVE HIP-HOP FROM THAT TIME OF MY LIFE. EACH SONG RINGS WITH A SPECIAL MEANING FOR ME, CAUSE THAT TOUR IN THE NAVY WAS FILLED WITH SOME INTERESTING MEMORIES….OPERATION DESERT STORM…THE LOMA PRIETA EARTHQUAKE…THE RODNEY KING POLICE BEATING AND THEN AFTER THE ACQUITTAL, THE RIOTS…THE CHICAGO BULLS DEFEATING THE LOS ANGELES LAKERS FOR THE THEIR FIRST OF 6 NBA TITLES (NOW DONT FORGET, IM ORIGINALLY FROM NORTH CAROLINA AND MJ IS MY MAIN MAN!.....I WAS IN CALIFORNIA DURING ALL OF THESE EVENTS. SO SIT BACK, GET YOUR FAVORITE SIP, OR ROLL UP A SPLIFF…LET’S GO BACK TO NO DOUBT, PROBABLY DURING THE BEGINNING OF ONE OF THE GOLDEN AGES OF HIP-HOP WITH ME!

“Verses From The Abstract” ATCQ

“Butter” ATCQ

“Ring The Alarm (Main)”Fu-Schnikens

“Vibes and Stuff”ATCQ

“Jazz”ATCQ

“Easy Star”Poor Righteous Teachers

“Excursions”ATCQ

“Buggin Out”ATCQ

“Check the Rhime”ATCQ

“Scenario”ATCQ

“How I could just kill a Man”Cypress Hill

“The Choice is Yours”Black Sheep

“Ring Ring Ring”De La Soul

“Tonite”DJ Quik

“Looking at the Front Door”The Main Source

“Is it Good to You?”Heavy D and the Boyz ft. Tammi Lucas

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