Many other sites have been painstakingly listing their 25 top hip-hop records. I thought I’d play along to give you guys something to read while you listen to my show, and because I’ve gained a lot of good advice from columns like these written by others in the past. I won’t try to pretend these are Hip-Hop’s 25 Greatest Records, these are just 25 albums that I’d take if I had to be banished to a desert island.
Also, I’ll make no attempt to rate these from 1 to 25. Instead, they appear here more or less in alphabetical order. Hope you enjoy, and be sure to leave your thoughts in the comments below.
1. 2Pac – All Eyez On Me
High-energy, very ambitious work in which most tracks are killer. However, as a double disc, there are more than a few sleepers. Make this a single disc and you’d probably end up with something like the Makaveli album.
2. Beastie Boys – Licensed to Ill
Cause I’m white and I like to party.
3. Common – Be
Pretty much perfectly crafted album which I attribute to the collective genius of Kanye, Common and J Dilla. This is the Abbey Road of Hip-Hop albums. Similar but not so close, would be Kanye West’s Late Registration.
4. Cypress Hill – III: Temples of Boom
I like the dark, brooding, slow burn of this album. DJ Muggs provides plenty of bass but I can still rock this record in a quiet night session.
5. Devin the Dude – Just Tryin’ Ta Live
Love hearin’ the Dude talk about his 3 Loves. Also, love hearing him talk from the point of view of an alien.
6. Dr. Dre – 2001
Oddly enough this album came out in 1999, but then again so did my burgeoning interest in hip-hop. Many of the lists include The Chronic… I guess I’m a young’n.
7. DMX – It’s Dark and Hell Is Hot/Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood
DMX was the hardest craziest fucker to break out of the bling bling rap that was sucking up the scene in 1998. As both these albums came out in the same year, they both count for number 7 right here.
8. Eminem – The Marshall Mathers LP
The sophomore Eminem perfects his process on his second album. While The Eminem Show was him at his most articulate, here he captures the anger in a much more orchestrated way than The Slim Shady LP did, while staying very true to his battle rap emcee roots.
9. EPMD – Strictly Business
The Holy Grail of East Coast Hip-Hop. Maybe the most timeless beats ever.
10. Ice Cube – The Predator
Perfect rage filled boom-bap.
11. Ja Rule – Venni Vetti Vecci
Ja Rule did his thing back in the day. Of course, I was always more partial when the original Murder Inc. was Jay-Z, Ja Rule and DMX.
12. Jay-Z – Reasonable Doubt
Don’t let the charismatic hustle of Shawn Carter fool you. This quiet kid in love with gangster movies makes himself known here in a perfect emulation of the gangster emcee, right down to the Carlito-quoting interludes. He even out-Frank White’d Frank White, in my opinion. Jay-Z’s sense of style is impeccable.
13. Jay-Z – The Blueprint
Jay-Z at his most thorough, most focused. The Blueprint 2 is pretty great, also.
14. Lil’ Wayne – Tha Carter 2
Rightfully following in the steps of the best rapper alive, comes Lil’ Wayne. While Wheezy still has a ways to go with getting rid of the album filler and finding a stripped down simplicity √° la Illmatic or Blueprint, I would keep this album in my catalogue if only to listen to the cool gangsta-speak of “Tha Mobb.”
15. Ludacris – Word of Mouf
Luda is the seminal rapper’s rapper, and its kind of telling that he is from the South with a very East-Coast style.
16. Method Man & Redman – Blackout!
My other favorite pair of emcees, in which I would rather hear them on this album than on their own. It’s a plus they representin’ Wu!
17. Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Blackstar
Call it conscious if you want. I call it ‘Great.’ The back and forth energy is intense.
18. Nas – Illmatic
The NY emcee as poet.
19. Notorious BIG – Ready to Die
The NY emcee as cornered beast.
20. Outkast – Aquemini
All the songs are 5 star worthy. I especially enjoy the funky guitar riffs on “Chonkyfire” which segue nicely into the gasoline sniffing insanity of Stankonia.
21. Outkast – Stankonia
Crazy, seemingly coked out, rapid Southern raps with hella bass. Outkast is the only group that uses interludes to which I listen.
22. Raekwon – Only Built 4 Cuban Linx
Rae and Ghost extravaganza.
23. Scarface – The Fix
An opus by a great in the game. He stays gutter and proves his hustle on tracks like “Safe” and “In Cold Blood.” Yet his world weariness and wisdom leaks through, beautifying tracks like “Heaven” and “Someday.”
24. Snoop Dogg – Doggystyle
A masterpiece wonderfully crafted by Dr. Dre. Captures the energy of a young Calvin Broadus. If you want to hear the perfection of the smoothed out pimp, check Tha Last Meal.
25. Ultramagnetic MCs – Critical Beatdown
I love Kool Keith.
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