The Hip-Hop Thread, or Dids's Top 10 Hip-Hop Albums

[ace_in_the_hole]

Some Albums to check out if you enjoy hip hop...

Atmosphere - Overcast
First full length album, production from ANT is second to none.

Brother Ali - Shadows on the Sun
Albino dude from Minnesota on same Ryhmesayers label as Atmosphere. This album is FIRE!

Outkast - ATLiens
To me, this is their best offering, just a raw southern hip hop record.

Lil Wayne - The Carter 2
This new orleans mainstay finally finds his "own" sound. The result is this near perfect masterpiece of hip hop goodness.

More to come...

[J.A.Sucker]

This thread is insane without the Chronic being at or very close to the top. It was different and sounded amazing then. It still sounds great today. A truly outstanding re-cud.

Now I will read the rest of the thread, which is doubtlessly filled with people echoing my sentiments.

[IHateKeithSmart]

I'm 31 now and was heavily, heavily into rap/hip-hop from about age 10-20 (1986-1996). So, obviously my preferences are skewed. I still listen to most of these albums from time to time. Like Dids, no particular order.

Gangstarr - Step in the Arena (1991)

I am torn between choosing this or Daily Operation (1992) - they are both great. Hard, driving beats from DJ Premier, excellent lyrics from Guru. This album gives you the true essence of east coast (NY) rap at the time. Guru can be a little political for my tastes, but he's got serious talent. Best song - 'Just to get a rep'.

Nice and Smooth - Nice and Smooth (1989)

If I had to pick my all-time favorite rap album, this gets it. Even with one of the most horrendous tracks ever recorded (Something I can't explain), this is an excellent album. Very upbeat, with some classic lines (e.g. "Not the shah of Iran and I'm not the Pope, but my name is on the walk of fame like Bob Hope").

This is another New York duo - they rap about how good they are, how many girls they get, how much money they have. Nothing too negative or violent. Best song - 'No Delayin'.

Trivia - the sample from Gangstarr's 'Just to Get a Rep' (see above) is from Nice and Smooth ("Stick up kid is out to tax").

A Tribe Called Quest - Low End Theory (1991)

Quality-wise, could easily be the best rap album of a time. I drove to and from high school with this tape in my deck non-stop for about 4 months. It's that good top to bottom, no weak spots. Best song - probably have to go with 'Scenario' (very popular, Busta Rhymes made an appearance).

Main Source - Breaking Atoms (1991)

Well known to east coast fans but didn't get much mainstream love when it was out. These guys are from Canada I believe, and have some fairly socially-conscious material. Best song - 'Just Hanging Out'.

Trivia - this album has the first recorded performance of Nas. Never got into Nas, but I know he's pretty popular on these boards.

EPMD - Strictly Business (1988)

EPMD's first album. A great duo, Erick Sermon was always sort of the lead man, but Parrish is great too. Hardcore, east coast (NY) rap, very classic stuff. Best song - "Strictly Business".

Beastie Boys - License to Ill (1986)

Wow, not much needs to be said here. A groundbeaking classic, at a time when rap was just starting to go mainstream. Best song - "Paul Revere".

NWA - Straight Outta Compton (1988)

One of rap's defining albums. The essence of this era of west coast rap. Very graphic/vulgar, which was all the more reason to listen! Best song - "Straight Outta Compton".

De la Soul - Three Feet High and Rising (1989)

Another defining album. The 'hippies' of rap, along with a few others (e.g. The Jungle Brothers). I am fairly certain that there 2nd album (De La Soul is Dead) was more popular, but I have to give the nod to their first. Best song - tough one, I'll go with "Me, Myself, and I" (the most popular cut off this one).

Big Daddy Kane - It's a Big Daddy Thing (1989)

Another New Yorker, Big Daddy was the pimp. Many 'love' songs, he was sorta the pioneer in this realm. He was an amazing writer, very entertaining rhymes. Best song - "Smooth Operator".

Eric B and Rakim - Follow the Leader (1988)

Probably the best MC in rap history. Powerful tunes from another NY duo. Best song - "Microphone Fiend" (probably top 5 all time songs on my list).

[The Yugoslavian]

All the cash $$ albums, right?

Ok I guess I don't have a ton of new content to add....well except tupac....Me against the world. I think this was his finest album although it wasn't as catchy as all eyez on me or whatever. I always felt me against the world was underrated (if that's possible for a tupac album). I also think Don Kulluminati may have been better than all eyez on me....just not club hit type stuff.

Also, Outkast's best work was southernplayalisticmusic IMO and should be in or close to the top 10.

Meh I'm pretty busy at work so whatever I'm sure I could generate some other thoughts but whatever. Where is TSC?

Yugoslav

[Aloysius]

Dids:

[ QUOTE ]
De La Soul - De La Soul is Dead

Prince Paul is God. Another album that's just amazingly high on the fun quotient. It never really takes itself seriously, and some of the really virtuoso performances kinda get lost. Even the skits are classic.

[/ QUOTE ]

Love this album, Joker also mentioned 3 Feet High... I am probably committing rap heresy or something, but I like Buhloone Mind State more. I think maybe cause it has more jazz hooks? Either way this album doesn't seem to get much love when De La Soul comes up, so wanted to put it out there.

-Al

[Kneel B4 Zod]

Dids wtf half of these are rap albums?










(derailing starts...NOW)

[Dids]

[ QUOTE ]
Dids:

[ QUOTE ]
De La Soul - De La Soul is Dead

Prince Paul is God. Another album that's just amazingly high on the fun quotient. It never really takes itself seriously, and some of the really virtuoso performances kinda get lost. Even the skits are classic.

[/ QUOTE ]

Love this album, Joker also mentioned 3 Feet High... I am probably committing rap heresy or something, but I like Buhloone Mind State more. I think maybe cause it has more jazz hooks? Either way this album doesn't seem to get much love when De La Soul comes up, so wanted to put it out there.

-Al

[/ QUOTE ]

I think Buhloone is 2nd best. 3 Feet is a little too old school for me, in terms of both production and style of flow. I still love it, but it's probably my 4th fav De La album.

Re: The Chronic.

It's obvious a amazingly influential album. It's a fantastic album. I listened to it for most of a summer. However, in terms of my favorites, it doesn't get there for me. I'm a lyrics head, and lyrically it's lacking in both skill and subject matter, and while I acknowledge Dre's skill, the beats aren't my style (I was very much rooted in East Coast hip-hop when it dropped).

It's one of those albums that if I made a 10 Best instead of 10 Favs list, would probably be up there.

[freemoney]

lupe fiasco- food and liquor is one of the best albums in years.

[Dids]

Agree that Lupe's album is one of the betters ones as of late, but that's mostly because we're just in a dead time for hip-hop. The middle parts of the album really are fantastic.

I'm very excited for El P and Brother Ali's new albums that are coming up.

Outkast: I love their stuff, but I have a hard time picking one album that jumps off the page at me. I think they have filler issues.

An album that I neglected to mention, that might just push EPMD off the list, is Goodie Mob's Soul Food.

[r0eKY]

first off hip hop and rap are 2 dirrent things, you want rap see UGK riden dirty and TRU tru 2 da game

1.wu-tang forever
2.snoop dog doggy style
3.mob deep infamous
4.cam'ron purple haze

reakwon only bulit for cubain links
the slim shady lp(the 1st one with my name is the rest of his stuff is bull)
nas illmatic
dr dre the chronic

i could list more but ill stop, right now the best in the game is cam'ron and the dipset they have merge the old with the new and hip hop with rap and they got they own swaga