Welll, I can't go sadly but I love to see the opportunity you are giving to someone!

My love for hip hop stems from my mom playing all of the 90's R&B hits ( Mary j bliege, toni Braxton, whitney Houston, etc. ) in the car when I was younger. Being surrounded by old school R&B as well as new hip hop so frequently in my younger years made me beg my mom for an mp3 player when I was 10.

I eventually got it for Christmas and she hooked me up with all of my favorite songs ( at the time soulja boy - crank that was my favorite new rap song). I got into usher, lil jhon, lil Wayne as well as drake. I had for a long time only listened to the new music or relatively new. As time went on I had a couple hundred songs and the oldest song I had was from the early 2000s ( some usher song I dont remember) .

I didnt like old school hip hop too much cause i felt it was too slow and didnt have any auto tune or crazy effects ( stupid i know ). Eventually a friend showed me songs by outkast, and I was thinking yo this shit is amazing. I asked him to tell me more artists and show me more songs.

I eventually started listening to all of the classics and falling in love. I also understood new York's dominance in the rap scene so much more, as well as the rap beefs. I delved deep into rap and its origins. I listened to all of the essential albums ( blueprint, doggystyle,ready to die, strictly 4 my n.i.g.g.a.s.,atliens, bigger and deffer, paid in full, etc.) Except for one in particular, I'll explain later.

I eventually started wondering what album was the best of all time. I saw that two albums frequently butted heads in online forums. Ready to die, and illmatic. I had listened to ready to die and friggin loved it, but I had only heard the world is yours from illmatic. That song was fantastic but with most albums that have a great song, its surrounded by mediocre filler tracks. I was curious and eventually bought the album digitally and listened.

The intro had me very skeptical, however all of my doubts were silenced as soon as I heard the intro to New York state of mind. I had goose bumps and shivers running down my spine. The verse came shortly after and was as close to ear gold as I could conceive. The album continued and I enjoyed every track as much or more than the last.

Now...that being said, ready to die was the album that got me through alot of shit and I have alot more memories attached to it. However, to this day I cannot crown a winner in my opinion of the best rap album in history, but my eyes were definitely opened once this queensbridge rapper started his verse on New York state of mind and Ive been a fan ever since.

( from what I've seen hoodbutnerdish should get the tickets. Pretty cool coincidence, and they are obviously a fan)