Desi Beats for DJs: How South Asian Music Moves Global Crowds

Desi 101: What Exactly Is Desi Music? Let’s clear something up: Desi isn’t a genre. It’s a cultural identity. “Desi” is how South Asians across the diaspor...
When Nas speaks, people listen. Complex recently asked the Queensbridge rapper to break down his top 25 favorite albums of all-time. The list isn’t limited to hip-hop and includes other genres such as jazz, and soul.
We’ve compiled the entire list below for your convenience but click here for his album-by-album commentary:
1. OutKast – Aquemini (1998)
2. The Notorious B.I.G. – Life After Death (1997)
3. Jay-Z – Reasonable Doubt (1996)
4. Snoop Dogg – Doggystyle (1993)
5. Dr. Dre – The Chronic (1992)
6. N.W.A. – Niggaz4Life (1991)
7. Scarface – Mr. Scarface is Back (1991)
8. A Tribe Called Quest – The Low End Theory (1991)
9. Ice Cube – Death Certificate (1991)
10. Main Source – Breaking Atoms (1991)
11. Kool G Rap & DJ Polo – Wanted: Dead or Alive (1990)
12. Public Enemy – It Takes A Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back (1988)
13. Slick Rick – The Great Adventures of Slick Rick (1988)
14. Big Daddy Kane – Long Live the Kane (1988)
15. MC Shan – Down by Law (1987)
16. Eric B. & Rakim – Paid in Full (1987)
17. Boogie Down Productions – Criminal Minded (1987)
18. Anita Baker – Rapture (1986)
19. Run-D.M.C. – King of Rock (1985)
20. Michael Jackson – Thriller (1982)
21. Marvin Gaye – Here, My Dear (1978)
22. Stevie Wonder – Songs In The Key of Life (1976)
23. Bob James – One (1974)
24. John Coltrane – A Love Supreme (1965)
25. Miles Davis – Kind of Blue (1959)
Desi 101: What Exactly Is Desi Music? Let’s clear something up: Desi isn’t a genre. It’s a cultural identity. “Desi” is how South Asians across the diaspor...
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