Hey Young World,

This is the October 2024 edition of 1520’s Record Report, our series of monthly articles in which we recommend things we’re currently into.

We’ve picked the name Record Report in honor of Hip Hop magazine The Source, which’s album review section went under that name and, when we were growing up, told us what was worth copping and what wasn’t. In our own small way, we hope to do the same.

2004 ‘til Infinity

This year, every edition of 1520’s Record Report will include a recommendation of an album, a movie or a video game that came out 20 years ago, in 2004, a year that is very close to our hearts and whose pop culture fundamentally shaped who we (and many other Millennials) are today.

LL Cool J - The Force (Album)

If you have read my article about growing up with Hip Hop, written in honor of Hip Hop’s 50th Birthday, then you know the role LL played in my life. I am therefore happy to report that his first album in 11 years shows that he still go it. Hip Hop is forever, and so is the G.O.A.T.

Bones Brigade: An AUTOBIOGRAPHY (Documentary)

It no secret that skateboarding culture had a big influence on 1520 (just look at my outfits). This summer - hyped up by Olympic skateboarding - I watched the Bones Brigade documentary, and it did not disappoint. You can watch the whole thing on YouTube.

2004 ‘Til Infinity: Fuck It & FU.R.B.

In november 2003, the gnarly, explicit breakup anthem ‘Fuck It’ by R&B singer Eamon somehow took the world by storm. It was everywhere. I mean on every iPod in every high school. It was in fact so big that it spawned yet another hit, a quasi-cover, but from the alleged perspective of the girl: ‘F.U.R.B.’ by Frankee, which came out in March 2004, about a month after Eamon’s album. It’s not as good as the original (Eamon, who these days makes neo-soul, is simply a better singer), but it is even more vicious. To this day, questions such as whether or not they knew each other, or if this was organic or all planned by record labels, haven’t been fully answered. Or maybe they have, but if they have, then I don’t want to know. It is more fun this way. The songs are classics either way.

One Love,

Marius | 1520