It’s always about Lil Wayne or Kanye West. Jay-Z or 50 Cent. Eminem or Ja Rule. But what about those artists that remain in the underground or have been mainstays in the independent hip hop scene for over 10 years? Most are better than all mainstream rappers. In fact, Eminem and Jay-Z are the only big time guys with great skills. The others are good rappers, not great.

6 Rappers You Probably Never Heard Of

#6 Slug – Atmosphere

Straight out of Minneapolis, Slug is at the helm of his group, Atmosphere, and holds fort with a very melancholy authority. If you like positive hip hop, Atmosphere is not for you as Slug mainly focuses on bad relationships and other depressing subject matter and can sometimes take it too far, but that’s also what makes him great. He stretches the limits and doesn’t care what you think.

#5 Pharaohe Monch & Prince Poetry – Organized Konfusion

In my opinion, this is the greatest MC duo the hip hop world has ever witnessed. If you look back over the history of hip hop, there weren’t many groups with just two rappers. Tribe Called Quest is another good one but compared to the lyrical and verbal deliveries of both rappers from Organized Konfusion, it’s not close. Don’t believe me? Download “Bring It On”, the remix, and tell me these two aren’t ridiculous rappers.

#4 Aceyalone – Freestyle Fellowship

Ask anyone who likes west coast indie hip hop about Aceyalone and they’ll tell you he’s one of the biggest reasons they were put on the map. Aceyalone has tons of songs, some solo, some with his buddies in Freestyle Fellowship, all showing a unique ability of style, substance and skills. He’s completely west coast, has some classic underground songs and remains an Los Angeles hip hop legend to this day.

#3 Del tha Funkee Homosapien – Hieroglyphics

The name says it all. He’s not funky, he’s funkee. Came on to the scene in the very early 90’s with “Mr. Dobalina” and “Dr. Bombay” from his frist album, I Wish My Brother George Was Here. It’s one of the greatest hip hop albums of all time in the same way 2001: Space Odyssey is one of the best movies of all time. It’s far, far out, unlike anything in rap anyone had heard at the time and showcased a talent that would never be duplicated.

#2 Lyrics Born – Quannum

Quannum is the most phenomenal group of hip hop talent in assembly today. Two incredible beat makers and 3 spectacular rappers. They’ve added more people in the last few years but the first five remain the only true talents. One MC is Lyrics Born, one of the few asian MC’s in hip hop and an amazing and completely different breed. He can rap fast, hard, and change his delivery so frequently in one song, it’s hard to fathom one guy doing it all.

#1 Gift of Gab – Blackalicious & Quannum

Also from Quannum, the best rapper of all time, in my opinion, is Gift of Gab out of Oakland, California. Listening to him rap is as beautiful as a song sung by a tenor. What makes him so awesome is his ability to marry his lyrics and flow to the music of his longtime DJ/Producer, Chief Xcel. It’s usually a very cool, harmonious tune that feels more like a great song than a great hip hop track. He’s been featured on many songs and has some excellent albums with Blackalicious. A classic hip hop song he did with DJ Shadow, “Swan Lake”, is worth a download.

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THE 14 (we like this number) BEST HORROR MOVIES SINCE 1989

14. EVENT HORIZON (1997)

Okay, we know what some of you are thinking. Event Horizon??!! But watch it again if you’re skeptical and notice how freaky it actually is. The ship is alive and uses evil psychology against each one of the crew members without ever really killing any of them. Also, the survivors weren’t the ones you expected to survive.

13. THE MIST (2007)

The only movie on the list that involves an non-human enemy, The Mist is probably the best Stephen King adaptation of the last ten years. Well acted and directed, it’s worth a look although I really couldn’t stand the ending. But I don’t know whether to hold that against the movie or Mr. King.

12. HIGH TENSION English HAUTE TENSION French (2003)

This is only on the list for what it was until the surprise twist ending that ruins it. Sure, some horror fanatics liked it but it’s a damn sure way to kill what had been a very good horror movie. However, director Alexandre Aja has a great visual eye and should be around a long time.

11. AMERICAN PSYCHO (2000)

This is one of the few movies that teeters on horror and comedy and almost crosses too far over both sides but never does. Part of the great thing about it is Christian Bale who gets to have tons of fun in the role of Patrick Bateman.

*Check out American Psycho II: All American Girl with Mila Kunis as the lead while she was still doing That 70’s Show. It’s not great but it’s a fun watch.

10. DAWN OF THE DEAD (2004)

There’s a remake of George Romero’s Night of the Living Dead every few years and they usually fail and aren’t even worthy of a mere mention. But Zach Snyder’s remake kicks ass in every way a zombie movie can. The scenes on the roof between survivors communicating with signs is hilarious and very original.

9. SCREAM (1996)

Wes Craven comes back into the public spotlight once again with this entertaining take on campy slasher flicks. The killer provides a fun little twist at the end and it’s amazing how many unknown actors owe their careers to this movie.

8. 28 DAYS LATER (2002)

The movie opens up perfectly and gives you an understanding of how horrific the situation is right off the bat. One thing we loved about it was Danny Boyle’s visuals, some that seem almost impossible to have pulled off in a huge city like London. Keeps you on the edge the whole way through. Best zombie film we’ve ever seen.

7. THE DEVIL’S REJECTS (2005)

Wicked, horrible, gut-busting fun! That’s about the only way we can explain Rob Zombie’s follow-up to House of a 1000 Corpses. It’s about a family of violent maniacs who get a kick out of torturing and killing their victims. William Forsythe is simply awesome as vengeance seeking Sheriff Wydell.

6. BLAIR WITCH PROJECT (1999)

This is just one of those perfect gems in the world of movies you don’t come across often. By perfect we mean the story is great, completely original and was the most profitable movie in the history of cinema even though it was only made for $35K. The marketing behind this indie hit was masterful as well. It opened a new world for independent filmmakers.

5. ARMY OF DARKNESS (1992)

Just plain fun to watch. Bruce Campbell is maybe the greatest hero in horror history. Damn shame he never became a huge star but he remains an icon for horror fans. You can pretty much sit back and enjoy this Sam Raimi flick with a laugh.

4. BRAINDEAD/DEAD-ALIVE (1992)

We don’t consider this movie to be a zombie film because it’s on its own in regards to horror. Peter Jackson makes gore humorous and rampant in this story about a nasty rodent bite that causes all hell to break loose for those that are bitten. Takes blood and disgust to an unimaginable level.

3. MAY (2002)

Wow. This movie deserved a lot more recognition than it received when released in 2002. We’re glad it’s becoming a cult favorite as it is a great horror film. What’s amazing is that there really isn’t any real gore until the final act where things get messy. We also will not be surprised if Angela Bettis wins an Academy Award one day. She’s really a damn fine actress that turns in a hell of a performance here.

2. AUDITION (1999)

Perhaps the most shocking violence of all the movies on this list, Audition packs a harder punch than almost any horror movie I’ve ever seen. A man auditions women to be his new wife and the one that catches his eye is far from the right choice. Terribly difficult to watch at times but a very good movie.

1. THE DESCENT (2005)

This one still makes our skin crawl. This is a perfectly crafted horror movie with all the intensity and horror you could ask for. Neil Marshall is an amazing director out of the UK who first came on the scene in 2002 with his first feature, Dog Soldiers. We look forward to his next feature as it’s sure to be the thrill ride his first two films were.

*While all are great movies, Silence of the Lambs, Seven and Jacob’s Ladder were left off the list because we believe them more to be suspense/thriller than horror movies.

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AIRWOLF

Anyone remember this awesome helicopter series that ran from 1984-87 starring Ernest Borgnine and Jan-Michael Vincent? It was based on a high-tech military helicopter and the show had a running Cold War theme throughout. One of the funnest things about the show was Vincent’s role as the lead character and his name, Stringfellow Hawke. Anyone ever met a Stringfellow?

EWOKS

I’m a little annoyed with this one. George Lucas brings back the three part prequel to Star Wars 10 years ago with Episode I: The Phantom Menace and yet never did the Ewoks justice again. The Ewoks were some of the best things in the Star Wars movies and there was even an Ewok movie in the 80’s (it really sucked balls) but why not bring the furry little warriors back again? If Tickle-Me Elmo dolls can hit it big, there’s no reason not to think Ewoks can as well.

MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE

“By the power of Grayskull…I HAVE THE POWER!!!” Every boy who grew up in the 80’s loved that line because it meant douchey Prince Adam had just transformed himself into his hard ass alter ego, He-Man. Skeletor was He-Man’s arch nemesis and they’d go back and forth kicking each other’s asses in the universe. It didn’t last long but the impression it left on us actually did.

HACKEY SACKS

I’m not quite sure if hackey sacks are predominantly 80’s but they definitely blew up in the decade so I’m listing it. Everyone and their mother wanted one because they thought they’d look good kicking it around to their friends in a circle. One problem: hardly anyone could really do it right. These days, hackey sacks are still around, especially at party schools with a lot of pot heads. I don’t know why that is though.

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For the life of me, everyone wants to have celebrity money but here’s a question for you: If you were celebrity rich would you tip better, the same, or worse?

Some crappy celebrity tippers below. In my opinion (and I don’t care if you agree or not), if you don’t tip your server properly, then yes, you are a bonafide douchebag. End of discussion.

AL GORE

First, he loses to George W (I suck balls) Bush in a rigged election that Gore should have rigged his way. Then, he wants to order huge breakfasts for his staff and not tip. Yes, I would have voted for Al over Dubya but that doesn’t negate the fact that he’s a mondo douche, and a boring one as well.

OJ SIMPSON

There are plenty of stories prior to his murder of Nicole Simpson that put the Juice into the negative light of crappy tippers. After the trial rocketed his stardom into the realms of infamy, he was still considered a terrible tipper by many servers that have dealt with him. It is possible he short changing the waiters in order to pay for his next criminal pursuit. With OJ, this is always a possibility.

RICHARD DREYFUSS

I kind of dig Richard Dreyfuss since he’s been in many movies I admire as well as being a top notch actor that doesn’t fail to give a great performance. In real life, however, Mr. Dreyfuss is a grade A douche. 

SHARON STONE

Apparently, Miss Stone is a nasty customer to have at your restaurant. She’s got a huge fetish with bottled water and, if you don’t accomodate her wants, she’ll throw a fit and leave a lousy tip on top of it. Maybe her servers can take solace in the fact that Stone hasn’t been in a good movie forever and she’s far from receiving big time paychecks as a leading lady. Why? Because Hollywood doesn’t seem to like her much either.

DON HENLEY

Man, even the Eagles! Don Henley is a hell of a talent but a great tipper or guest he is not. There are horror stories about him from waiters and hotel people all over the place. He’s very specific and demanding about what he needs in his hotel room before arrival and doesn’t give very good tips to anyone. Maybe he’ll give a tip When Hell Freezes Over. Okay, that was a lame joke. Sorry.

USHER

This one is my personal favorite because of the audacity of Usher. First of all, he’s a horrible tipper and doesn’t treat the restaurant staff all that well. But here’s the most arrogant, self-serving part of it all: his idea of a tip is leaving his autograph on the check! That’s about as douchey as one can possibly get, isn’t it?

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To Asia, With Love

Oh, boy, the women of our world certainly are beautiful. In this segment, I’ve had a feature strictly for the gorgeous latina and black women and yet, no love for the beautiful asian ladies.

No longer. Today is the day we recognize them.

$$$MONEY$$$ LUCY LIU

Been a while since Ms. Liu debuted in Hollywood back in 1989 before turning into a star via Ally McBeal and Charlie’s Angels. Her first cameo appearances worth mentioning were on the television shows X-Files and Hercules: The Legendary Jouneys. Of course, most of us recognized her first on Ally McBeal but what you may not know is she originally tried out for the role of Portia de Rossi’s Nellie Porter. She was so damn good they wrote in Ling Woo and Lucy Liu wasn’t such a small star too much more after that.

PORN HONEY – MIKA TAN

Mika Tan is one of your more popular porn stars in today’s world and possibly the most recognized asians in pornography. She comes from a Samoan/Japanese father and an Okinawan/Taiwanese mother. Her love for showing her body comes from her mother’s side of the family which has a long history of models and musicians. Her career started off from nude art modeling and stripping but her huge career really started when she was approached inside an AM/PM by porn director Jack Pearl. After tons of films, Ms. Tan now is a jack-of-all-trades doing a variety of different work inside the porn industry and is now officially a legal prostitute at Nevada’s world famous Bunny Ranch brothel.

PLAYBOY BUNNY – HIROMI OSHIMA

The one interesting thing about Hiromi Oshima that sort of shocked me was that she was the first ever Japanese playmate in the history of Playboy. And this is in 2004! For some reason I would have though Hugh Hefner would have researched the country of Japan for an array of beauties earlier on but I guess he had his hands full with other things. Her other pieces of fame are as appearances in the music video for Nelly’s “Shake Ya Tailfeather” and was also cast as herself in the 2008 Anna Faris comedy, The House Bunny.

Who Wins?

It’s always such a difficult choice but this one was a tad bit easier for me. Always dug Lucy Liu but she’s a little too feisty for me and seems like she’d knock my block off if I had a mere question for her. Hiromi Oshima is definitely a beauty but, unlike Lucy Liu, Oshima falls to the other side of the spectrum for me in that she seems somewhat timid and too nice. So, in a rare choice for me, I’m going with the ultra-sexy, ultra-freaky biochemist (yes, she has a degree in biochemistry!) porn star, Mika Tan. She’s a damn fine woman, just not one I would ever marry or bring home to mom. But, what mom doesn’t know won’t hurt her, right?

MIKA TAN WINS!

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