I seen some of those 20 albums in 20 days challenges and never had the time to think about it, but a couple of weeks ago I am glad I finally did.
Every day for the last 20 days on my instagram, I posted about an album that made a significant impact on me and my musical journey. I hope that this list will inspire some and also provide a little insight to others who wonder where my influence and production style derives from. I think that most of these 20 albums explain it pretty well! In no particular order:
Day 1
Beastie Boys - Check Your Head
This album opened me up to the grooves, no doubt. Not only is this album funky af, but it's one of those records you can just tell these guys had a blast making. Sure, the BB have plenty of albums worth mentioning, but the subtle nod to old school funk and soul mixed with the new age 90s punk turned hip hop vibe makes this the one that holds a unique place in my heart. Still worth listening to all the way thru.
Day 2
Incubus - S.C.I.E.N.C.E.
Early Incubus was the reason I wanted to be in a band in Jr. High and hence one main influence on getting me into performing music at first.
This album is such a great once in an era clash of new and old styles, a wild ride of funk, rock, hip hop, and everything in between. It hasn't necessarily aged well with me, but I still very much respect this record and realize it drove me on the path to find more music like it that inspired me.
Day 3
Mr. Bungle - California
I'll admit, this album can be hard to grasp at first; it might be an entirely too avant garde experience for a lot of people. It's a record that I didn't even realize it meant so much to me until I constantly came back for relistens. Mike Patton is part of a lot of my favorite projects from over the years, but this one specifically goes places I had never been in music before.
Day 4
The Prodigy - Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned
There are very few albums that take a new style of music and throw it on it’s head, but the Prodigy nailed it with this one. I’ll never forget being completely blown away by these monster leads and rhythms because at the time I didn’t think this type of energy was replicated outside of metal music. Before The Prodigy, there was the Chemical Brothers, which also solidified my love for electronic melodies and programmed drum sequences, however the grimy and dark tone of Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned planted itself in my head space and you can hear little clues of that influence in just about every DG song.
Day 5
Tool - Aenima
I discovered Tool at just the right time; any younger and I wouldn’t have appreciated it - any older and I would have already been too far along my journey into hip hop/beatmaking to give it a real chance to enjoy it.
I first heard this album just like a lot of people my age, in high school, directly following years of pre-teen angst. This record is a high-octane anecdote for people that had since given up on rock music altogether.
Day 6
DJ Shadow - Entroducing
The way I looked at creating music really changed once I heard this record. This collection of tunes inspired a lot of my early sampled work. Before “Entroducing”, I was still just making techno beats in Fruity Loops. After hearing it, I was a certified aspiring hip hop producer and sample fiend. The format found within a lot of the songs on this album are for the most part a blueprint for Danny Grooves originals. Thinking about it more, I’m truly very lucky that I ended up finding this record, because it showed me the true beauty and worth in finding those long lost and forgotten gems in the audio world.
Day 7
Nine Inch Nails - The Fragile
What can I say? This album is simply one of my favorite things to listen to. it's a monumental record that completely changed the direction of my music. From the beginning of my music career, it has always been my objective to one day achieve a fully-realized studio album of this caliber.
Not only is the album perfectly vibed with it’s own melodical theme that carries throughout the duration of the dual-disc length, but several of the melodies from the songs on this record stand out to me as some of the most hair-standing work that’s been achieved in my lifetime.
Day 8
Sage Francis - Still Sickly Business
His early albums are clutch, but in my opinion, his mixtapes are where you find the real fire, and this later one released in 2005 was a great collection of the best raps and a lot better quality versions of them.
All of the Still Sick mixtapes are worth listening to, but this one drives home what I love about Sage Francis so much, he's just plainly put, a phenomenal emcee. A rap scholar and legend.
Day 9
(hed) p.e. (self-titled)
I don’t know if anyone else loves this album like I do, but if you do, I’d like to talk about it. Discovering this little gem was one thing that definitely went right in my young years. Finding this unique clash of rap and thrash metal music really shaped and formed my vision early on. This album might not live up to today’s standards, but there was a time when the energy found on this record was extremely rare. This SoCal group of guys captured my attention for years, until I slowly disconnected with their evolution as a band. There is absolutely nothing that can take away their first few records, though...they are amazing.
Day 10
Dr. Dre - 2001
Of course this list wouldn’t be complete without citing one of the most influential productions of my entire listening history. Before this iconic addition to his catalog, Dre was just another pioneer from the birth of hip hop, but this album made me look at him in a much more legendary status. He just knows how to polish ideas into certified bangers. Aside from Timbaland, there aren’t many hip hop producers with as much consistency in their refined style as Dre. A true trend-setter in hip hop, Dre gave me the swing that bounces the club like it needs to.
Day 11
Mac Lethal - 11:11
From the time I heard 11:11, I was a die-hard Lethal fan. This is without a doubt, one of the best rap albums of all time. Produced exclusively by Micheal Seven Summers, anyone familiar with the KC rap scene knows this album is a banger from front to back. From the ultra-clever wordplay to the beautifully articulated hooks, this record encapsulates the essence of 2000 rap music perfectly in my opinion. It doesn’t just hit, it fuckin slaps in the trunk.
Around the time I heard this album I vowed to someday work with this man, and I’m happy to say that is one major life goal I’ve accomplished <3
Day 12
DJ Q-Bert - Wave Twisters
Before Wave Twisters, I didn’t fully understand the true possibilities of hip hop. Combining technical prowess with otherworldly samples and sounds, Wave Twisters is a sonic journey through and through. This record made sure that I wouldn’t dismiss alien-sounding music just because it wasn’t “traditional”. A true game-changer in my hunt for turntablism music. Find the DVD visual companion if you can, it's a real trippy ride.
Day 13
Slipknot (self-titled)
I don't care what anyone says- this is still a banger. I'm very certain that being a metal kid for a few years gave me an edge in production.
A lot of people around my age were probably taken by this one just like I was when this elite group of musicians broke into the scene around 2000. This was the perfect dose of high-octane energy I needed to experience when I was nearing the end of my adolescent rock phase. If you appreciate rock and metal music, you can’t tell me this album doesn’t get your blood flowing; it's a really well-mixed record. A gear-shifted somewhere in the metal scene and I was in awe.
Sadly, I haven’t heard them quite recapture the magic again as they did with this debut record (produced by legend Ross Robinson) but I will pay attention forever in hopes that they do.
Day 14
Z-Trip - Shifting Gears
This one is a classic perfection of many eras of hip hop. Z-Trip won me over with this record, it's such a delicious set of eclectic tunes.
With a very impressive list of features that top it off with professionalism, this album is such a fun ride from front to back.
Day 15
RJD2 - Deadringer
This is one album I resonate with on so many levels- it's got a lot of soul..and I love that kinda shit. Digging deep for the samples that perfectly align with your beats and style is one thing I learned greatly from this record. Not only is it stacked with some of the best sampled production work of our generation, but also it represents some of the most important eras of music in our world's history. RJ is easily one of the most prolific producers I've had the pleasure of discovering, it's a must-recommend for any person who loves music.
Day 16
Korn (self-titled)
When you listened to Korn over 20 years ago, it wasn’t because you were an edgelord, it was because there wasn’t anything really like it at the time. I still can’t get over how emotionally charged some of the sections of this record got, and also how raw the album is. Another classic produced by Ross Robinson, this album perfectly encapsulates the sorrow, the pain, and the built-up rage that was inside the members of the band at the time. A switch went off in me after getting sucked into this record, a switch that said “it’s okay to pave your own road, musically”
Day 17
Rage Against the Machine - Evil Empire
Let's face it, all of the RATM album catalog is solid; it was very hard for me to put one on the top because they all have songs that mean a lot to me. Evil Empire was one of those records that was on repeat for the longest time with me, and I find it great from beginning to end. It has this amazing energy that feels like you're rocking right with them in a garage..it's fucking awesome.
Day 18
Quarashi - Jinx
I would be extremely happy to hear that many people were influenced by this Icelantic group in the early 2000’s like I was, but realistically I understand most of you have never heard of Quarashi. I discovered this record from it’s Baseline single featured on Harmonix’s Amplitude (a predecessor to Guitar Hero games that featured broader genres of music) and from there I couldn’t get enough. This album perfectly blends the energy of early 2000’s rock with the aesthetic of early 1990’s hip hop. One might expect a rock band from Iceland to be hard to accept, however, The language is hardly a barrier, as most of the album is in English, but there’s one thing for sure: great music translates to all languages.
Day 19
Atmosphere - You Can’t Imagine How Much Fun We’re Having
I’ll be clear: there aren’t many Atmosphere albums that don’t have a place in my heart. They’ve crafted some of the most entertaining records of my life. You Can’t Imagine is a great example of why Atmosphere is so special. The sample selection in the beats are second-to-none, the story-telling lyricism is a masterclass of wordplay, and the overall feel of the album is superbly done. It’s one of those records that feels great to just press play and listen all the way through...something I wish more people still did to this day.
Day 20
Tipper - Tip Hop
Here at the very end of the list we have a record that was a massively significant fork in the road for me and my artistry. A lot of people would say the same thing as me when I say that this was completely new territory and it really challenged what I thought was the future of music.
Sometime years after I had heard this album, I slowly began to discover much broader electronic influences and then connected with some of the most talented individuals I’ve met to this day. Getting a few nods from the man himself over the years has been a true blessing and I can’t wait to hear the loads of music this guy still has in him.
Honorable Mentions:
Handsome Boy Modeling School - White People
Dr. Octagon - Dr. Octagonecologyst
Madlib - Shades of Blue
Jurassic 5 - Quality Control
The Postal Service - Give Up
Vince Staples - Summertime ‘06
Snot - Get Some
Aesop Rock - Labor Days
Weezer - Pinkerton
Bone Thugs-N-Harmony - E. 1999 Eternal
