And Three Times One is Three (Of Course)
First off, shouts go out to K., who knows what the magic number is.
Romance is not a mood commonly expressed in hip-hop. However when tough MCs do decide to get romantic, they seem pretty certain that this girl is "the one." Awww.
You're The One by P-Nut from his 2003 album Sweet As
P-Nut is apparently a UK guy in the vein of Pete Rock, and "Sweet As" (what's up, db in nz??!) is uneven in the proud tradition of uneven producer albums. The gem here is MC Shells bringing the thug romance on a beat you can just imagine booming in a jeep on a hot summer night.
The Only One by KRS-ONE from his 2003 album Kristyle
This link is very difficult to find a "buy" link for, because of drama with Koch records. Basically Koch released an incomplete version of this album, so there's actually two versions out. This track is from the "underground" version but appears on both. I can't find a place to buy the "underground" version, in fact Koch records does not list KRS-ONE on their artist roster anymore. Apparently he's now on Grit Records
In any case, here's a sweet song from The Teacher. It's presumably dedicated to his real-life wife. Intelligent, with a dope hook and KRS-ONE's patented bullet-proof flow.
The One by Cee-Lo from his 2004 album Cee Lo Green Is The Soul Machine
Last but certainly not least is a bouncy club track from Cee-Lo, formerly of the Goodie Mob. This album is on my top 10 of 2004, and for good reason. Even a weak guest spot by T.I. can't spoil it. A catchy Singalong hook from Jazzy Pha and a few smoking verses from 'Lo show why this song fits perfectly on the sunny Sunday morning album of the year.