Last Wednesday marked the 14th anniversary of the passing of Christopher Wallace. You may have come to this realization through the litany of Biggie quotables and youtube vids filling your news feed, or maybe a token memoriam post from your go-to music blog, even if they don't touch hip-hop on the other 364 days of the year.

Phoenix writer Chris Faraone checks in with this week's mp3 download...

If you know a lyricist with more wit and wordplay than REKS, then bark now or forever hold your peace. As demonstrated on two albums and a stellar free mixtape over the past three years, the Lowell native is a strong contender for the top MC spot in all of hip-hop — a “black Aristotle with bottles of beers in the backpack” who touches every base from chicks to politics in single bounds.