No Soy Sauce

Jersey, I swear on all that is blessed, if y’all don’t rep on the comment section for this one…I’m disowning you.  To the rest of NSS Nation, if you didn’t know, Jersey puts out classics. Jersey is a hotbed of stardom waiting to be discovered, from NBA stars like Shaquille O’neal, to international soccer greats like Tim Howard (NBTHS stand up! Shout out to Mr. Williston and Eric Kinkle). Jersey is home to Ray Liota, Bill Mahr, and to the most successful crackhead, second only to her ex-husband, miss Whitney Houston. Even the Wu-Mansion is in New Jersey.

Today though, we’re talking about the rhyme-sayers. The best of the best from the state that beats the rest.  There were plenty of hot groups, but this list today is for the hottest solo spitters (that’s what she said) that Jersey has given the music industry.

"I surround myself with barbedwire to keep my enemies away"

4.  Queen Latifah – She is one of the few positive Black voices in Rap music, PERIOD. Forget whether the voice was male or female, it was a voice, and it was speaking what needed to be said: “Who you calling a b*tch?…you gotta let them know” (from U.N.I.T.Y.) Queen Latifah even pursued singing, and did so especially well on Just Another Day.  If Just Another Day could be played on the radio today and still get major rotation. The Queen was flowing on that joint.

"From Jersey to Hollywood"

3.  Redman - How could you not like Redman?  He constantly proclaims his desire for big girls, marijuana, and Timberlands.  He sounds like an over-weight lumberjack with glaucoma. Redman had an uncanny disposition on a track that always made you laugh while being serious at the same time, like Michael Scott from The Office.  I think Redman was underrated as a lyricist.  His personality was so strong, I think it kept more people from realizing his talent on the microphone.

Redman ladies and gentlemen, Redman.

2.  Lauryn Hill -Yes.  She is a singer, but as she said “I can do what you do, easy!” On Ready or Not, she let rappers know they weren’t sh*t. You could make a solid argument that as far as Jersey musicians go, she’s up there with Bruce Springstein and Bon Jovi.  The three of them all have shown that they can make classics hits over a sustained period (Lauryn just got tangled in Ziggy’s locks and never got loose). Sidenote:  Lauryn (Pras and ‘Clef too) are from East Orange, NJ when they were discovered.  My mother was robbed while she was pregnant with me, when my parents lived in East Orange.  Turned out it was a neighborhood kid, my father found him, put the kid in the hallway closet the apartment, and waited for the cops to come.  When the cops showed up, they found a gun on the kid, however, he didn’t use it because he was embarrassed about pissing his pants after being thrown in a closet.  Moral of the story:  East Orange, NJ is real.  Go back and listen to what Lauryn was spitting in her Fugees days.

The East Orange "Mean Mug"

1.  Treach - On day one of NSS I told you that I’d get back to proving why Treach is arguably the greatest lyricist of all time.  That day has arrived.  Exhibit A is this 2008 interview Eminem did with VIBE magazine.  Peep Em’s response when he’s asked about Treach’s impact on rap music:

Vibe: People sleep on his impact right?
Eminem: Proof put me on Treach. That dude originated a lot of styles. When I heard the third verse to Yoke the Joker I was like I quit rapping. At that point I realized I could never be the best.

Those are words coming from a rapper that has slayed some of the greatest rappers alive/ever lyrically.  Treach, also, had the “Hov Gene” before Hov. Go back to Hip Hop Horray, Naughty By Nature’s hit single in the 90′s, and Treach uses three different flows on it. He uses another three on Feel Me Flow, and he uses two different flows on the opening verse of O.P.P. and rips them all.  You can hear a lot of New York rap in his flow, which is surprising because New York’s rap scene wasn’t popping like that in ’91.  Big L and Mobb Deep’s first single didn’t come out until ’93, Biggie’s Ready To Die album and Nas’ Illmatic didn’t come out until ’94, Jigga’s Reasonable Doubt didn’t come out until ’96.  Anything prior to ’93 was coming from Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, and M.C. Hammer…I’m not saying, but I’m just saying, Jersey knows something you don’t know.

"I go shirtless every time I leave Jersey."

Shout out to Lauren L. and Elcira D. (shout out to my NU Huskies).  They got Saturday’s WHO SAID IT?! along with Aileen T. (again).  I’m not shouting her out this time, though.  I’m shouting out her mother for giving birth to such a music savvy child.  Shout out to Maria (I was told I could call her “Machi” if I’m nasty).  Shout out to Jenny N. for getting Sunday’s WHO SAID IT?! as well.  Also, due to some circumstances that I didn’t foresee, but should have expected, NSS is creating a “Kermit Shout Out” (Paid in Full reference, that’s all I’m letting you know) for foolishness and style cramping.  Therefore, I’d like to give out the first TWO Kermit shout out to Quiana J. for her ridiculous answers of “Britney” and “GaGa” on the previous TWO, WHO SAID IT?! Big shout out to my Jersey rappers too, holler at NSS so we can put some of your stuff on blast, we’re doing numbers over here.

Lastly, for those that continue to get WHO SAID IT?! correctly we’re going to create a NSS WHO SAID IT?! leader board.  So, continue to guess, I’ll continue to shout out.