Hip Hop 101 - Required Listening: The Top Ten Rap Albums of all Time
Jan 17 '02
The Bottom Line These are the ten best Hip Hop albums of all time. Didn't you read the title? What else did you expect?
Throughout rap's short history, a great deal of artists have released many critically acclaimed albums. What I've done here is attempt to assemble the best 10 albums of all time. These are not the most influential, so please no comments on how I forgot Rakim and whoever else. These are what I believe to be the best, most complete, most solid albums in Hip Hop.
10. Ice Cube: AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted - Ice Cube's first album after departing NWA is definitely his best. Producing teams Da Lench Mob and Public Enemy's Bomb Squad craft fiery soundscapes that blend perfectly with Cube’s aggressive delivery. Throughout the album, Cube laces each powerful beat with his impressive lyrical delivery. In addition to the rappers standard “gangsta” vocals, he shows a deeper side of himself by adding social consciousness that was missing from most of the NWA offerings. AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted is easily a five-star album. I just wish Cube had chosen to stick with this intense, more conscious style.
Blazing Tracks:
"Once Upon A Time in the Projects"
"Endangered Species (Tales from the Darkside)"
"Who's the Mack"
9. Snoop Doggy Dogg: Doggystyle - Second-rate rap group Major Figgas allowed themselves to be quoted as saying that their album would be "the most anticipated release since Doggystyle". Even though this statement was far from accurate, it lets you know just how hyped the general public was before the release of this album. Radio stations were caught up in the fervor as well, as disc jockeys played cuts off the album long before they were supposed to. The great thing is that Snoop's debut album easily lived up to all the hype. Delivering track after track of Snoop Doggy Dogg's intricate rhymes backed by Dr. Dre's earth shattering beats, there was no way this album could not have been a success.
Blazing Tracks:
"Gin and Juice"
"Lodi Dodi"
"What's My Name"
8. OutKast: ATLiens – This was the album that finally gave Dirty South hip-hop the respect it deserved. Before the release of this album, with the exception of the Rap-A-Lot family, southern Hip Hop was widely considered a joke; a second-rate imitation of West Coast rap. After OutKast wowed crowds across the world with this LP, Southern rap found it had a permanent place at Hip Hop's ever-expanding table. Brimming with soulful hooks, booming beats, and poetic lyrics, this album was destined to be a classic. Andre 3000 and Big Boi put Atlanta on the map with this LP and only continue to improve.
Blazing Tracks:
"Ova Da Wudz"
"Jazzy Belle"
"Elevators (Me & You)"
7. Common: Resurrection - This is the defining album of Common's career. On this LP, the Chicago rapper further defines his more abstract style of rhyming and melds it with a large degree of social responsibility and spirituality. The music behind Resurrection overflows with production and beats of very highest quality, fortified with some of the most poetic flows and spirited raps that rap fans have ever heard. This is the album that constantly receives critical acclaim from other conscious rappers such as Talib Kweli, Mos Def, Black Thought.
Blazing Tracks:
"I Used to Love H.E.R"
"Thisisme"
"Sum Sh*t I Wrote"
6. GZA: Liquid Swords - When The Genius dropped this one immediately following Wu Tang's debut album, rap fans started to realize just how much the Shaolin style of hip-hop was about to permanently change rap. This album is filled with hard, elemental beats forged from the dark mind of the RZA with additional tracks laid by 4th Disciple. GZA ignites each of the tracks with his complex, thought-provoking lyrics and precise delivery. Liquid Swords has the distinction of being the best solo effort released by the Wu members in my opinion.
Blazing Tracks:
"Duel of the Iron Mic"
"Cold World"
"4th Chamber"
5. Dr. Dre: The Chronic - Dr. Dre represents West Coast rap to the fullest with this CD. Here, Dre expands his production skills by adding apestry of beats and accompaniment, then adds the gangsta lyrics fans had become accustomed to during his time with N.W.A. Belligerent raps from Snoop Doggy Dogg, Daz, The Lady of Rage, and RBX help to fill out the album.
Blazing Tracks:
"Nuthin' But A 'G' Thang"
"Rat-Tat-Tat-Tat"
"Stranded on Death Row"
4. Wu Tang Clan: Enter The Wu-Tang: (36 Chambers) - Rap was getting awfully boring and stagnant before these cats came on the scene. This 9-man rap collective resurrected hip-hop with gritty lyrics, original production, and unparalleled intensity. Each member brought a different flavor or technique to the group, much like the martial-arts movie they emulated. RZA's influence shook rap's foundation, moving it from the East and West coasts to the island of Shaolin.
Blazing Tracks:
"C.R.E.A.M."
"Wu-Tang Clan A'int Nutin' Ta F' Wit"
"Protect Ya Neck"
3. Fugees: The Score - After the modest success of their debut album Blunted on Reality, there's no way anyone could have predicted that this group would come back as strong as they did. The Score was one of the most successful rap albums of all time, skyrocketing members Pras, Lauryn Hill, and Wyclef Jean into hip-hop infamy. This album featured the eclectic production methods of Wyclef Jean, stirring vocals and devastating raps of L-Boogie, and Pras backing the two up.
Blazing Tracks:
"Fu-Gee-La"
"The Score"
"Killing Me Softly With His Song"
2. A Tribe Called Quest: The Low End Theory - Group members Q-Tip, Phife Dawg, and Ali Shaheed Muhammed broke all kinds of ground with this album. Mixing heavy bass, jazzy hooks, and soulful themes with their unique sense of humor turned out to be the perfect stew for this group. This album flows almost perfectly from beginning to end. Put it in and push play.
Blazing Tracks:
"Check The Rhime"
"Skypager"
"Scenario"
1. A Tribe Called Quest: Midnight Marauders - This is my favorite rap album of all time. I know a lot of other rap fans think The Low End Theory was better than Midnight Marauders, but I disagree. While The Low End Theory was certainly ground breaking, A Tribe Called Quest took the sound and production that made that LP a hit, and polished and refined it for Midnight Marauders. The end result is MM sounding significantly more complete than it's predecessor.
Blazing Tracks:
"Award Tour"
"Electric Relaxation"
"Oh My God"
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
madtheory
|
 - Top 100 |
|
Location: Dallas,TX
Reviews written: 485
Trusted by: 590 members
About Me:
DON'T CALL IT A COMEB... wait. I guess you actually can call it a comeback.
|
|
|
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.