Long Island's Grand Daddy I.U. dropped his first album Smooth Assassin in 1990, produced by Biz Markie and released on Cold Chillin'. Flipping a smooth mack player style (replete with pinstripe suits and a cane), he scored a sizeable hit with "Sugar Free," then disappeared until 1994's Lead Pipe, a great album that was overlooked in the G-funk dominated times. Without a deal and disgruntled over shady publishing, he faded into obscurity, occasionally producing, but shunning the microphone. After reemerging with the excellent single "Mack of the Year" b/w "I Be Thuggin'" in 2005, he dropped Stick To The Script in 2007. Though ignored by all but the most serious golden era NYC hip-hop devotees, this is another dope album from a seriously underrated pioneer. Clever lyrics focus on the ladies ("Take Off Ur Clothes"), life in the hood ("Ghetto Blues"), and his O.G. status ("Da Veteran"), set to Gotham-centric production from Large Professor and Marco Polo, among others. Mixing the sex-talk of Big Daddy Kane, street storytelling of Kool G Rap, and punchlines of Lord Finesse, I.U. still sounds better than 99 percent of today's "hot" rappers.