24 Deep

24 Deep is a certified West Coast rap classic which introduced one of the industry’s most rugged individualists. Brotha Lynch Hung's self-determination is partially a matter of geographic isolation; his hometown of Sacramento was a hip-hop backwater in 1993. But Lynch remained loyal to Sac-Town and, with the backing of Black Market Records, singlehandedly kick-started his own scene. For an underground artist, his debut is remarkably fully formed. The sound is a thick amalgamation of Ice Cube’s enraged delivery, an arsenal of heavy funk rhythms, and Lynch’s patently deranged lyrics. His narratives spring from the crack trade and the pimp lifestyle, but Lynch set himself apart with his penchant for gory details. He backs up his sensational visions with formidable skills — the verses come fast and hard, every word with acid bite. “Walkin’ 2 My Funeral,” “Lose a Hoe, Gain A Hoe” and “Had 2 Gat Ya” are immense creations, but the album’s deadly bullet is “24 Deep,” whose eerie funk loop (from the Southside Movement’s 1975 song “I Been Watching You”) is perfectly aligned with Lynch’s premonition of death.