So after our #Apt5B @joinClubhouse last night saluting the LEGENDARY Shock G's passing we all decided that once a week that the squad would pick someone to give them their flowers while they're here & the first person/group we picked was @HEVnamedMeGRAP & INI!

Now I personally have been a fan of Grap for YEARS and it goes all the way back to his verse on Pete & CL's The Basement (my fave song on Mecca) & his freestyle to set off "On & On."

And then when you fast forward a couple of years to seeing that Grap was in a group called INI & I got the 12" in the mail at 88.9 for their first single Faking Jax?!?!?

I HONESTLY think we played this jawn literally 2-3 times a night during our 5 hour show! And the remix?!?!?! The way @PeteRock used Hav's "I don't fake Jax so you know I bring it to you live"?!?!?!?

One of my peoples at Morgan would bounce back and forth between NYC and always bring back some "treats" for me to play on 88.9 and he got his hands on some preleased INI and the 1st one I heard was "Center of Attention!"

And good God I RAN THIS ISH IN THE HOLE on 88.9! I'm talking starting the show off at midnight with it and then playing it again and again at the top of every hour from midnight to 5am!

In fact the 3 albums that I played the most on 88.9 from 93-2000 was Slum's Fantastic Vol. 2, Group Home's Livin Proof & INI's The Life I Live!

So for folk who may have never heard the album...think about the company I'm putting it next to & THAT should let you know how incredible this album is!

So if you've never heard the INI "The Life I Live" album PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE I beg of you...listen to this jawn like Phife said "not now but RIGHT NOW!" Because it is TRULY a hidden classic!

I TRULY believe in my heart of hearts that if this album dropped when it was supposed to...it was shelved by the record label...bootlegs were floating around but didn't get a physical release until 2004.

That it WOULD be looked at in the same light as Slum's Fantastic & Group Home's Livin Proof. I champion this album as often as I can but I also champion @HEVnamedMeGRAP as much as I can because even after INI Grap has always been one of my fave MC's!

I remember when word got to ear that Grap lived in the DMV I was ALWAYS hoping I'd run into him to literally beg him to drop a solo album whether it's produced by Pete or himself cause on the low Grap is an ILL F&$KING producer!

And ya'll do know he produced this jawn off Pete's Soul Survivor right?

And my GOD when I heard Grap's 12" Revenge produced by Pete?!?!?!?!?

So for folk out there who wanna do the knowledge on Grap start with Pete & CL's Mecca & the Soul Brother. Then dig into INI's "The Life I Live." Then jump into Grap's Never Done album and he just dropped "The Sound of Mt. Vernon" album!

And if you REALLY wanna support one of my fave hip hop MC's cop one of his "Best of Mt. Vernon" shirts cause they're dope as F&$K! https://www.humblemonarch.com/shop/hm-somv-tee

Sooooooooo ALL of that to say that the #Apt5B clubhouse squad wanted to make sure that Grap & INI got his flowers for being an essential fabric in hip hop! And most importantly I'm just blessed to say that I'm able to NOW call one of my fave MC's my brother! Love you Grap!