Cannibal Ox The Cold Vein

This record reminded me that the world I was trying to make my way in, underground rap, had some real masters and my best bet would be to shut the fuck up and admire.

Why? Elephant Eyelash

Jay-Z The Blueprint

I listened to this record at a redhead from St. Paul named Chelsea’s house for the first time. At the time it was weird to have a Jay-Z record on because we thought that independent rap was all that mattered. That was before this record. Thanks Chelsea.

Low The Great Destroyer

Heiruspecs had the same manager as Low and when Vickie gave us this record I cried my little eyes out. On a way up to a show in Duluth my good friend Kevin Hunt said, “They should really get a bass drum.” Low is incredible and everyone knows it. Plus it would be some hater-ish shit to not have some localness on the list. Atmosphere and Love-cars are both real close to making this list. But Love-cars’ best record was in the 1990s, and actually so was Atmosphere’s.

Tegan and Sara So Jealous

Fuck it. This is fantastic pop. But, if I had seen my brother’s list before I submitted mine I would’ve put D’Angelo’s Voodoo on this list instead. Tegan and Sara make me feel young and excited.

[This list was compiled by Sean McPherson, bassist for Minneapolis-based hip hop band Heiruspecs.]

Official | Twitter | MySpace | Wikipedia

Also: More from Culture Bully’s Best of the Decade