A. Yellowman King Yellowman (CBS, 1984) "Growing up in Haiti, I listened to [dancehall legend] Yellowman all the time. I was 13 or 14 when this came out. There was something about his style and the clarity of his voice. And the production, the bass lines?when this thing came on in the 'hood, you could hear the bass a mile away. He had this vibe, this charisma. He was King Yellowman, know what I'm sayin'?"
B. Miles Davis Bitches Brew (Columbia/Legacy, 1970) "I was getting a little older, and I was already a musician when I first heard this. There was a mood about this record, and I was fascinated by how Miles could take you into that mood. [I learned that] through sound you can set the scenery. Depending on the environment I was in, I could change it when Bitches Brew came on. I found that fascinating."
C. The Police Synchronicity (A&M, 1983) "My favorite album of all time [up to that point]. I was seeking rock, but I was like, 'Yo, I want to hear some real rock, but with a reggae twang to it.' My brother was like, 'Yo, Sting, man -- he hard.' He bought me the Synchronicity CD, and I played the thing to death."
D. Bob Dylan Infidels (Columbia, 1983) "The things this guy was saying on 'Jokerman' -- I was like, 'What is this dude smokin'?' [Laughs] Lyrically, he came with it. Some people be listening to the voice, but with Dylan, I be listening to the lyrics. I've been a Dylan fan since I was a youngster, the same way, like, Jimi Hendrix liked Dylan. We all liked Dylan."
E. Run-D.M.C. Run-D.M.C. (Profile, 1984) "I actually learned how to speak English [by listening to] a lot of rap music, like Grandmaster Flash and Melle Mel. But I was blown away by Run-D.M.C., man. I was listening to a lot of rock, too, and I was like, 'Man, this is it.' I was like, 'I wanna be Run-D.M.C.'"
F. Stryper To Hell With The Devil (Enigma, 1986) "I grew up in the church, and because we were from a Christian background, my father didn't allow rap in the household. He couldn't speak English very well, but anything that had the name Jesus in it was allowed in the house. I found myself steering toward what was called Christian rock, like Petra and Stryper."
G. Public Enemy Fear of a Black Planet (Def Jam, 1990) "This just blew me away. The fusion of samples, the message, Chuck D's delivery -- I think it's pure genius."
H. Michael Jackson Dangerous (Epic, 1991) "I got into the Jackson 5 and Michael Jackson by DJ'ing a lot in the '80s. It was like, 'Wanna get everyone on the floor? Drop some Michael Jackson.' Never fails. But I didn't get into Dangerous until a few years after it came out. I liked how [producer] Teddy Riley stepped in and gave it a vibe. Since I was a huge fan of Quincy Jones and what he did with 'Beat It,' I was like, 'Man, who could take this somewhere else?' So I think Teddy deserves a lot of props for what he did on this record."
I. Santana Supernatural (Arista, 1999) "I was mesmerized by Supernatural. When I worked with [Carlos] Santana, I realized that the guitar is just truly an extension of his arm. A lot of people play guitar [makes wanky guitar sounds], you know? You don't feel nothing. This guy plays themes, and the themes are a connection to his soul. Supernatural is one of my best workout records."
J. Alicia Keys Songs in A Minor (J Records, 2001) "When I first heard Alicia Keys, I said, 'Man, that girl is playing piano. She's singing. There's hope.' It was just raw, dog. I call myself a hip-hop musician, so I'm always like, 'Yo, what's up with the music? I want to hear some music, some real playin'.'"
