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

[suzzer99]

I think I flip flop with most people in that I like Yo! Bum Rush the Show and Niggaz 4 Life best by PA and NWA. Other than that I don't have a lot to add. I know what songs I like, but I haven't bought an album in 10 years.

Edit: Oh yeah, duh Paul's Boutique. I forget that's rap. AND Check Your Head is a vastly underrated album IMO.

[LyinKing]

impact HAS to be a major criterion in judging art.

Sheer esthetics aren't enough. Perhaps I've painted the world's finest canvas; here it sits in my bedroom.

In all seriousness, there's something to be said for concord among those deemed experts in a particular field.
I think we're all more likely to give something the benefit of the doubt when it's presented in an authoritative context: e.g. Jackson Pollack. Who among us has the innate ability to discren his masterpieces from sheer slop? The work speaks to me, but certainly seeing it hung in the MOMA, vs discarded streetside, influences my predilection.

As per this discussion, perhaps you're not a huge LL Cool J fan, but his popularity is integral to critiquing his work.

I concede the point however, since your initial post does disqualify 'best' for 'favorite.' Moreover, you're preaching to the choir, but I've learned over the years that the bent of the music industry often supercedes personal taste.

[slothinator]

I'll take a stab at this. In no particular order off the top of my head:

1. N.W.A-Straight Outta Compton
The first rap album I ever bought. This albume is to hip-hop what "Nevermind" was to alternative. It was that important.

2. Ice-T-Power: Kicks ass beginning to end. Bonus points for sampling "Magic Man" by Heart.

3. Eazy-E-Eazy Duz It: Loved the songs, and the fact that my family was offended by songs about robbing banks and shooting cops. A classic in every sense of the word.

4. The Cactus Album-Third Base: Off the wall. Never could pinpoint why I loved this record, but I still listen to it.

5. It Takes A Nation of Millions...-Public Enemy: All of the other white kids in my high school were scared of Public Enemy. You have to love a record that makes people look at themselves and take stock. The first mix of politics and rap, and Chuck D did it like no one else.

6. It's a Big Daddy Thang-Big Daddy Kane: "Anything goes when it comes to hoes because pimpin ain't easy"-nuff said.

7. Youngest in Charge-Special Ed: The beats were cool and laid back, and so was his vocal style. This guy should have been huge.

8. Knowledge is Power-Kool Moe Dee: Maybe the most intelligent rap artist ever. Great lyrics.

9. The Predator-Ice Cube: He gets political and he gets agressive, and it's awesome. His best work.

10. Business as Usual-EPMD: I loved the contrast in their vocal styles. One up front and agressive, the other laid back. This was their best work IMO.

[LyinKing]

7. Youngest in Charge-Special Ed: The beats were cool and laid back, and so was his vocal style. This guy should have been huge.


Lovely choice! One of my all-time favorites.

[Dids]

Paul's Boutique is an amazing album, and amazingly influential from a production standpoint. I only wish that there were better MC's involved.

"impact HAS to be a major criterion in judging art."

I think it depends on how you're judging it, but in general I would argue that that's not the case.

I don't think there are any expert hip-hop critics. (I think the VAST majority of hip-hop journalism sucks, and that which doesn't suck tends to have horrible problems with objectivily).

Also I'd point out that of the albums I've listen, only one is super obscure, and even so was pretty important in it's time (the Visualz/Melodica combo) and most of the rest (save maybe EPMD) were actually very significant albums.

[lapoker17]

kickass list slothinator - are you 31-34 years old?

[slothinator]

[ QUOTE ]
kickass list slothinator - are you 31-34 years old?

[/ QUOTE ]

Wow, great guess. I'm 33.

[LyinKing]

"I don't think there are any expert hip-hop critics. (I think the VAST majority of hip-hop journalism sucks, and that which doesn't suck tends to have horrible problems with objectivily)."

I know most of the folks responsible for it, and I'd have to agree.

[thatpfunk]

"Aquemini: Perhaps the most complete record ever compiled
Ready to Die: self explanatory"

these albums, to me, are just staggering. i dont listen to a ton of rap anymore (clipse, lupe, kanye, ghost is about it) but ill slip either of these occasionally into my car CD player and it's like seeing an old friend. big boi and andre are at their peaks throughout aquemeni; andre's voice slithers in and out of tracks, flow changing throughout the plethora of funk and soul infused beats while big boi provides this backbone of classic, grounded, gangster rap to form a trinity that is simply spellbinding. im blown away every time.

and RtD is simply the hardest, most baddass thing i've ever heard recorded. i couldnt do it justice.

[LyinKing]

[ QUOTE ]
"Aquemini: Perhaps the most complete record ever compiled
Ready to Die: self explanatory"

these albums, to me, are just staggering. i dont listen to a ton of rap anymore (clipse, lupe, kanye, ghost is about it) but ill slip either of these occasionally into my car CD player and it's like seeing an old friend. big boi and andre are at their peaks throughout aquemeni; andre's voice slithers in and out of tracks, flow changing throughout the plethora of funk and soul infused beats while big boi provides this backbone of classic, grounded, gangster rap to form a trinity that is simply spellbinding. im blown away every time.

and RtD is simply the hardest, most baddass thing i've ever heard recorded. i couldnt do it justice.

[/ QUOTE ]

Excellent post, pfunk, and not simply for agreeing with me [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

All the jabber these days is about production: a cadre of average talents combining to make records. Unheralded by the greater public is the absolute wizardry of Organized Noize, as exemplified on that record, damn near 10 years ago. Nice to hear it affects others similarly. Aquemini fuses the freshness of Southernplayalistic and the innovation/polish of ATLiens marvelously.