I am almost 24. Maybe I am overly self-aware but I find this a weird age to be. I am really young to older people and pretty old to younger people.

One of the ways I often am reminded of my age is when I talk about my love for late 80s/early 90s rap music. For some reason not known to me, I can only talk this with people my age or older. Anyone younger seems to have missed what I think was arguably the height of rap and hip/hop.

Well, I can’t let any person who wears Handsome clothing be so ignorant so below I will post some of my favorite songs as struggling young white kid growing up in the suburbs.

First is the song that has been my ring tone for 5 years now. I end up quoting this song more than any other in my regular conversations. This is just plain funky. (FUN FACT: Arrested Development totally had a super old dude in the group that didn’t really do anything but play things like the bongos and dance around. Worst hypeman ever).

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Download: Arrested Development – Tennessee

I’m pretty sure the only reason I ever listened to this next song was because my brother made a mixtape (with an actual TAPE!) with this on and I saw that it was by someone named Paperboy. At this time I was pretty much obsessed with playing Paperboy on my gameboy so naturally I was intrigued. What followed was my first ever love affair with a rap song. (FUN FACT: This was the first time I heard the word “whore”).

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Download: Paperboy – Ditty

Next up is the well known Young MC. It’s guaranteed you know his hit “Bust A Move” but what’s sad that most people ONLY know that song. Stone Cold Rhymin, his first CD, is one of the greatest rap albums of all time so go buy it if you don’t have it. I used to listen to this song all the time while playing F-Zero. (FUN FACT: This was the first time I heard the word “hooker”).

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Download: Young MC – I Come Off

Last, is The Pharcyde. Melancholy contemplative rap music is great but this song proves you don’t have to create a soul-less & oppressive album like Kanye’s 808′s & Heartbreak to get the point across. A lot of current artists can learn from this song. (FUN FACT: I don’t have a fun fact for this one because it’s 7 AM).

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Download: The Pharcyde – Runnin’

(P.S. I’m sorry if you thought this post was about Vanilla Ice… I really am)