“Let Me Blow Ya Mind ” by Eve

An all-time hip-hop banger from a criminally slept-on emcee.

This song sums up early-2000s hip-hop excellence in five words: Eve. Dr. Dre. Scott Storch.

Let’s run through those names in reverse order. After a stint as a member of the Roots, Storch went on to produce hit singles for some of the biggest names in hip-hop and R&B, including 50 Cent, The Game, Snoop Dogg, Nas, Lil’ Kim, and, most notably for this write-up, the iconic piano riff on Dr. Dre’s “Still D.R.E.” That record, one of several hits off the Good Doctor’s second solo album, 2001, cemented his legacy as rap’s foremost hitmaker and the principal architect of the G-funk sound that had dominated the charts and radio airplay for most of the decade. His new label, Aftermath Entertainment founder, was fresh off a massive commercial success with Eminem’s proper debut, The Slim Shady LP.

This brings us to Eve (born Eve Jihan Jeffers), a seriously underrated rapper who, at just 18 years old, had signed an initial deal with Aftermath. At the time, she and Dre clashed in the studio, which was a blessing in disguise. She found her voice as part of the Ruff Ryders, selling millions of records in the process, before re-linking with the West Coast impresario for this song, probably her most enduring cut. She’s full of confidence here, quick to point out the pushovers (”Clowns, I spot ’em and I can’t stop laughin’”) and posers (”Some of y’all ain’t writing well, too concerned with fashion/None of you ain’t Giselle, cat walk and imagine”) in the track’s opening minute. At her peak, she had the chops to, as she put it, absolutely crush her haters (primarily dudes in cyphers) at their own game.

All that said, what “Let Me Blow Ya Mind” is most remembered for is its hall of fame-worthy production. From the bluesy opening guitar lick, reminiscent of Dre’s “Xxplosive,” to the blunted bass bound to make your headphones or speakers rumble, the instrumental will give hip-hop heads an instant nostalgia dopamine rush. Big, bold sonics like this no longer exist in rap’s mainstream. Gone, but not forgotten, as they say.