Top Hip Hop Albums Of All Time
 

What are your favorite Rap/Hip-Hop albums? 75% of mine would come from the late 80's & early 90's. Feel free to offer a top 5,10,25, etc., or just rattle off whichever standout albums pop into your head. One thing we can probably all agree on: 90% of the current stuff is GARBAGE!

Not in front of my collection, but let me get this thread started with 10 of my favorite mainstream albums (don't forget the underground shit though!):

Run DMC: Raising Hell
N.W.A.: Straight Outta Compton
De La Soul: De La Soul Is Dead
Beastie Boys: Licensed To Ill
Eric B. & Rakim: Paid In Full
Public Enemy: It Takes A Nation of Millions...
A Tribe Called Quest: The Low End Theory
Dr. Dre: The Chronic
Nas: Illmatic
Ice-T: Original Gangster

...feel free to list soundtracks or compilations too, "Juice" & "Boyz N' The Hood" soundtracks immediately come to mind...

Beastie Boys - Paul's Boutique
Eminem - The Marshall Mathers LP
Dr. Dre - The Chronic
Eric B & Rakim - Paid in Full
EPMD - Strickly Buisness
Jay Z - The Black Album
2Pac - All Eyez on Me

Beastie Boys - Ill Communication
Dr. Dre - The Chronic
Wu Tang Clan - Enter The Wu Tang (36 Chambers)
Jay Z - Reasonable Doubt
2Pac - All Eyez On Me
N.W.A. - Niggaz4life and Straight Outta Compton
Eazy E - Eazy-Duz-It
Snoop Dogg - Doggystyle

Big Pun - Capital Punishment
Mobb Deep - Hell on Earth
Onyx - All we got is Us
Biggie Smalls - Ready To Die
NWA - Straight Outta Compton
Ice Cube - Death Certificate
Mr Lif - I Phantom
Slick Rick - The Great Adventures Of...
Sage Francis - Personal Journals
CnN - War Report
Mobb Deep - The Imfamous
Cage - Movies for the Blind
Big L - The Big Picture
Wu Tang - 36 Chambers
Dizzee Rascal - Boy In The Corner
METHOD Man - TICAL
Genius - Liquid Swords
Nas - Ilmatic
Nas - The Lost Tapes
Geto Boys - We Cant Be Stopped
Prodigy - HNIC
Sticky Fingers - Kirk Jones Album


top of my head, I'd have to think harder to make a definitive list

Jedi Mind Tricks - Visions of Ghandi, Violent By Design & Legacy of Blood
Necro - Gory Days

the best ever: dr octagon

and now, in no particular order

public enemy: it takes a nation of millions, fear of a black planet
tribe called quest: low end theory
nas: illmatic
gang starr: first album
eric b and rakim: follow the leader, let the rythm hit em
bdp: by any means necessary
dj shadow: entroducing
dj honda: II
ultramagnetic mcs: critical beatdown, four horsemen
black star (i just like this record alot)

more recent

dj/rupture: minesweeper suite

Wu-Tang Clan - Enter The 36 Chambers, Wu-Tang Forever
Gza - Liquid Swordz
Ghostface Killah - Iron Man
Raekwon - Only Built For Cuban Linx aka The Purple Tape
Method Man - Tical
Nas - Illmatic
Common - Ressurection
Canibus - Can-I-Bus, 2000 B.C.
Mos Def - Black On Both Sides
Pharoahe Monche - Internal Affairs
Jay-Z - Reasonable Doubt
Big Pun - Capitol Punishment
2Pac - Makavelli, Me Against The World
Public Enemy - It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back
Dead Prez - Lets Get Free
Fugees - The Score
Binary Star - Masters Of The Universe
K-Otix - Universal
Gangstarr - Full Clip
J-Live - All Of The Above
The Roots - Illadelph Halflife, Things Fall Apart
Pete Rock - Mecca & The Soul Brother, Soul Survivor
De La Soul - 3 Feet High And Rising
Dr. Dre - The Chronic
Aesop Rock - Labor Days
Black Star
Rawkus Presents - Soundbombing 1, 2, 3

I'm starting to draw a blank. I might think of more. Strange Famous and I would get along great. He has my taste in hip-hop.

Asta!!

Knew I'd forget someone

K-Os - Exit, Joyful Rebellion

Asta!!

Volume 10 - Hip-Hopera
Saafir - Boxcar Sessions
Das Efx - Dead Serious
BDP - By Any Means Neccessary
Dr Octagon (Kool Kieth) - Dr Octagonecologyst
Common Sense - Ressurection
Digital Underground - The Body-Hat Syndrome
The Roots - Do You Want MORE!?!?
Gang Starr - Step in the Arena
Geto Boys - Geto Boys
NWA - Straight outa Compton
Ice Cube - America's Most Wanted

I don't listen to much hip hop, but I'ved love Pharcyde's "Bizarre Ride II The Pharcyde" for years.

^ SHIT! Pharcyde how could I forget them??!

Asta!!

Tribe Called Quest - Midnight Maruaders
Run DMC - Raising Hell
De La Soul - Buhloone Mindstate
Dr Octagon - Dr Octagonecologyst
Eazy E - Eazy Duz It
The Fugees - The Score
Snoop Dogg - Doggystyle

Anything by Atmosphere or Slug is my favorite

Eyedea - E & A
Eyedea - The many faces of Oliver Heart
The Deep Puddle Dynamics cd
Why?
Dose

darn, all of my favorites have been listed already

i'm surprsied i haven't seen Outkast's Speakerboxxx/The Love Below. that would definitely be in my top five list among others that have been listed.

the 9: cloud Nine and Nine lives
cannibus

Deepspace 5 - The Night We Called It A Day

Asta!!

Beastie Boys - Hello Nasty
Dr. Dre - Chronic 2000
Lil' Flip - U Gotta Feel Me
Jurassic 5 - Quality Control
Jay-Z - The Black Album
Pretty much any NWA album
Wu-Tang Clan - Shaolin Worldwide

I remember being in love with the track "passing me by"... and the PE rip off they had on that record was nice

Also gonna add one

Jeru the Damaja - The Sun Rises in the East

I also kinda wanna say Apathy... but I cant think of a truly great record he has put out.... but he oughta have.

I love RA the Rugged Man

"Im the song on the soundbombing CD that you dont like"

:thumbsup:

Ra is dope. For a little while I used to get him confused with La Tha Darkman haha.

Asta!!

RECOGNIZE THE BAY

in no particular order

2pac - all eyez on me
hollow tip - takin no shortz
cellski - mr predicter
c-bo - gas chamber
RBL Posse - Ruthless By Law
E-40 - Mr Flamboyant
Mac Dre - Stupid Doo Doo Dumb
JT The Bigga Figga - Dont Stop Till We Major
Too $hort - Cocktails
Guce - Pure Pressure


i could go on and on but those r just a few, yall should look these rappers up on the net... all r from the bay area

grave diggaz: the pick, the sickle, the shovel

Death Row's Greatest Hits
Dr. Dre: The Chronic and Chronic 2001
Snoop Dogg: Doggystyle
NWA: Straight Outta Compton
Lil Flip: Underground Legend
UGK: Dirty Money
Nas: Illmatic and It Was Written
2pac: Greatest Hits
Pharcyde: Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde
Jurassic Five: Power in Numbers
Three Six Mafia: Ch.2 World Domination
Outkast: Every album
T.I: Trap Muzik

so many others, but those are just off the top of my head.

R-Dubb,
'Nuff respect to the Bay Area, been a huge Too Short fan since the late 80's. It would be a toss up for me between Cocktails and Get In Where You Fit In as his best album. Gotta give a shout to Ant Banks for producing some of the funkiest beats the genre has ever felt. RBL, still have the single for "Bammer Weed" but don't have anything else. Rest In Peace Mac Dre.

Watch out my home doggs in Chi-Town these next few years, especially the D.O.D. (formerly Do or Die) album coming out on February 1st...

I wonder if anyone remembers Egyptian Lover??? I remember listening to Girls in like 1984 or so as a teenager... I can still hear his influence in club music today...

As far as best Hip Hop albums...

Tu Pac All eyes on me
Beastie Boys... Liscense to Ill
Dr Dre... The Chronic
Snoop.... Doggystyle

Why has only one person mentioned the Notorious B.I.G.!? Aside from NWA, he's the most popular rapper of all time! Ready to Die, and Life After Death were really good albums. Aside from that:
-Common: Resurrection
-GZA: Liquid Swords
-A Tribe Called Quest: The Low End Theory
-A Tribe Called Quest: Midnight Marauders
-Mos Def: Black On Both Sides
-Blackstar: Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star

Organized Konfusion's Stress: The Extinction Agenda is one that hasn't been said. And i dunno if anyone's mentioned the Artifact's first one or OC's Word...Life

K-Wise, nice work remembering Pete Rock & CL Smooth's "Mecca & The Soul Brother", definitely in my top 5 list....17 or 18 songs, at least 15 of them bangers...

Great to see so many replies. Gonna go through my collection tonight and see what we may be forgetting...

...Got a chance to look through everything last night, and noticed plenty of albums that deserve mention...

...note that some of these wouldn't make my top 25 list, but are worth a mention in my humble opinion. A few of these cats may not be lyrically respected, but there's no denying their overall product...

Black Moon---Enta Da Stage
The Beatnuts---Self Titled (1994)
Wu-Tang Clan---Enter the 36 Chambers
Black Sheep---A Wolf In Sheeps Clothing
Souls Of Mischief---'93 Til Infinity
The Geto Boys---Self Titled (Black Cover w/ mugshots)
Eazy-E---Eazy Duz It
Funkmaster Flex---The Mix Tape, Volume 1
DJ Quik---Born and Raised In Compton
DJ Quik---Way 2 Fonky
Spice 1---Self Titled
Outkast---Southernplayalisticcadillacmuzik
Outkast---ATLiens
LL Cool J---Mama Said Knock You Out
2 Live Crew---As Nasty As They Wanna Be
Camp Lo---Uptown Saturday Night
3rd Bass---The Cactus Album
Naughty By Nature---Self Titled (debut)
The Pharcyde---Labcabincalifornia
Ice Cube---AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted & Death Certificate
Cypress Hill---Self Titled (debut)
Kurious---A Constipated Monkey
2nd II None---Self Titled (debut)
AMG---Bitch Betta Have My Money
Diamond & The Psychotic Neurotics---Diggin' In The Crates
Showbiz & AG---Runaway Slave
The D.O.C.---No One Can Do It Better

...I tried not to repeat any shit that was mentioned earlier, and let's keep this post going. I've already used it as a good reference for stuff to go after (for starters, Jedi Mind Tricks have some insane cuts)...

Not including those already mentioned...

DJ Yoda - How to Cut and Paste Vol. 1 & 2.
CB4 - Soundtrack.
Digital Underground - Sex Packets.
Nas - Streets Disciple.
Cypress Hill - Cypress Hill.
Blackalicious - A2G (a 5 or 6 track EP.. but you'll get over it)
Straight Out the Jungle - The Jungle Brothers
MC Miker G and DJ Sven - The Holiday Rap. :thumbsup:

Jwoody, i'd just go with Black's NIA since it had all of the A2G songs and was full-length, Blazing Arrow was great too.

just a few:

outkast - atliens
nas - illmatic
outkast - aquemini
jay-z - the black album
little brother - the listening
wu-tang clan - enter the wu tang (36 chambers)
public enemy - fear of a black planet

A Tribe Called Quest - The Low End Theory
Slick Rick - The Great Adventures Of
Wu Tang Clan - Enter The Wu Tang (36 Chambers)
Jeru the Damaja - The Sun Rises in the East
Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth - Mecca & The Soul Brother
Boogie Down Productions - Criminal Minded
Public Enemy - It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back Public Enemy
Company Flow - Funcrusher Plus
Madvillain - Madvillainy
Nas - Illmatic
Quasimoto - The Unseen
Snoop Dogg - Doggystyle
Eric B. & Rakim - Paid in Full
Beastie Boys - Paul's Boutique
EPMD - Unfinished Business
Big Daddy Kane - Long Live the Kane
Brand Nubian - One for All
Diamond & the Psychotic Neurotics - Stunts, Blunts & Hip-Hop
Grand Puba - Reel to Reel
Organized Konfusion - Organized Konfusion
Lord Finesse - Funky Technician
Outkast - Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik
Goodie Mob - Soul Food
Ice Cube - AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted
Pharcyde - Bizarre Ride II The Pharcyde
The Beatnuts - Beatnuts

I´m gonna stop now. The list is to long

I've recently been trying to get into some hip hop and have mainly heard Tribe Called Quest, madvillian and public enemy who are all pretty cool.
Can someone make some recommendations for hip hop which has some mad break beats - similar to DJ Shadow's - endtroducing album? i love that whole album :)

Cheers.

^ Not too sure but I used to b-boy check out Pete Rock/Pete Rock & CL Smooth, Dilated Peoples, Jurassic 5, Wu-Tang Clan: Enter The Wu-Tang(36 Chambers), Beasties, Afrika Bambatta, Pharaohe Monch eh drawing a blank I ain't b-boy'd in years oh well.

Asta!!

Tech N9ne - Anghelic, Absolute Power
Guerilla Black - Guerilla City
Wu Tang Clan - 36 Chambers
C-Bo - Enemy of the State
Dr Dre - Chronic 2001
3 6 Mafia - Da Untouchables
XL Middleton - Matthew Middleton for President

Thanks K-Wise. I've heard some good things about pete rock and cl smooth, so that's next on my list to check out.
:)

sleepyjack:

I wish I could help you out (I'd like to know of some myself). I can recommend picking up the U.N.K.L.E stuff if you don't have it. The RJD2 Deadringer album may hit your fix a bit as well - all the RJD2 stuff is excellent but Deadringer is the closest to DJ Shadow