Hip Hop-2000 to now.

Orizio

So basically I have compiled a pretty short list of the best albums of every year(that I have heard)since 2000(My leaving is still a month away after all...:p )beacuse of two problems.

The first is to make the point that Hip-Hop is not dead,the commercial side of things is pretty awful these days sure,but thats not an excuse to get cynical and damn all new Hip Hop out of hand.The general malaise seems to have started around 2000 or so,when New York and the East Coast lost the steam it had from the G-Funk era and the latter days when the Wu/Mobb Deep/Nas were on top.Pac and BIG were long gone,and they were never replaced by truly charismatic MC's with fascinating personal lives.In death both became everlasting symbols of Hip Hop,captured everybodies attention but nobody could replace them.Hip Hop became just a little less interesting and there were/are no new Pacs or BIGs coming throught the ranks.With Jay gone,Nas among others going well into there twilight eras,there is very few MC's or groups around ready to replace them.We used to have Nas, Prodigy,
Pac and the Wu Tang-know we have Jeezy,50 and the freakin Ying Yang Twins.

Secondly,Hip Hop began to fall because of its own success.Too many artists,not enough consumers.Everybody wanted to be a rapper or a producer and so the market became saturated.Sales for the more creative artists came harder to come by,so the room for innovation was lessened if you wanted a major deal.It left Hip Hop with less room to create real music and instead we've got tons of artists chasing cash by following the same generic formula that 50 thrives on.

However,as I said these are only problems,hopefully temporary and they can be fixed.In the meantime,their is plenty of excellent Hip Hop making its way
through.It really isn't all doom and gloom despite the problems outlined above-there is plenty of good artists dropping this year and there really has been some brilliant music since Hip Hop 'died'...

2000

Deltron 3030-Deltron 3030
Binary Star-Masters Of The Universe
Like Water For Chocolate-Common
Supreme Clientele-Gostface Killah
Reflection Eternal-Talib Kweli and Hi-Tek

Honourable mentions...

The Platform-Dilated Peoples,View Fom Masada-Killah Priest,Stankonia-Outkast,2000 B.C.-Canibus,Nia-Blackalicious.

2001

The Realness-Cormega
Stillmatic-Nas
How I Do-Res
The Essence of J. Rawls-J. Rawls
Vocal Studies + Uprock Narratives-Prefuse 73

The Blueprint-Jay-Z,Disposable Arts-Masta Ace,PeteStrumentals-Pete Rock,
Welcome 2 Detroit-Jay Dee,Hi-Teknology-Hi-Tek,Will Rap for Food-Cunninlynguists.

2002

Lost Tapes-Nas
The True Meaning-Cormega
Lord Willin-Clipse
In Search of...-N.E.R.D.
Aziatic-AZ

God's Son-Nas,Scribes Of Life-Journalist,I Phantom-Mr. Lif,1st Class-Large Professor,Dead Ringer-RJD2,Blazing Arrow-Blackalicious,Electric Circus-Common,Legend of the Liquid Sword-GZA,Get Ya Mind Correct-Paul Wall & Chamillionaire,Unlimited-Soul Position,The Giancana Story-Kool G Rap.

2003

Speakerboxxx/The Love Below-Outkast
Southernunderground-Cunninlynguists
Boy In Da Corner-Dizzee Rascal(Not exactly Hip Hop but brilliant nontheless)
Rip the Jacker-Canibus
Shadows On The Sun-Brother Ali

The Movement-Inspectah Deck,End of the Beginning-Murs,Deliverance-Bubba Sparxxx,The Black Album-Jay-Z,Tragedy Khadafi-Still Reportin',The Listening-Little Brother,Shades Of Blue-Madlib.

2004(Worst year this decade)

Murs 3:16:The 9th Edition-Murs
Cee-Lo Green Is The Soul Machine-Cee-Lo
A Long Hot Summer-Masta Ace
Connected-Foreign Exchange
Freedom of Speech-Sunz of Man

No Said Date-Masta Killa,Fly or Die-N.E.R.D.,The Tipping Point-The Roots,Showtime-Dizzee Rascal,Joyful Rebellion-K-Os.

2005(All of a sudden it gets a helluva lot better)

The Testament-Cormega
The Minstrel Show-Little Brother
Grandmasters-DJ Muggs vs GZA
S.O.N.O.G.R.A.M.-One Be Lo
Black Market Militia-Black Market Militia

Black Dialogue-The Perceptionists,Tragedy Khadafi-Thug Matrix,The Sound of Revenge-Chamillionaire,The B.Coming-Beanie Sigel,Triangulation Station-Opio,
The Mouse and the Mask-Danger Doom,A.W.O.L.-AZ,Put It On The Line-Ghostface Killah & Trife,The Problem-Mathematics,Hell's Winter-Cage.

Its a pretty sparse list,for one thing because I wanted absolutely no filler(nothing but 8 out of 10+ albums)and because there is whole sub genres/areas of Hip-Hop that I never took to.Plus I listen to
mainly to 90's stuff.So sorry to the regular posters here who see nothing new-this is really for those who want to listen to the very best new stuff.There is of course a helluva lot of other albums,so add away...(keep it within the time frame)

me and the biz

yup a pretty good list.

Trip Hazard

In Search of... N.E.R.D, great album just listening to it now actually. Over all I reckon this album is very underrated.

Saw Nia by Blackalicious in Tower for under a tenner, specking of which another great 2005 release was The Craft by Blackalicious, Brilliant album.

ciaran13

umm eminem?,the college dropout?, a grand dont come for free?

also the b.comming and rip the jacker shud not b there

Makaveli

Trip Hazard wrote:

specking of which another great 2005 release was The Craft by Blackalicious, Brilliant album.

Biggest let down of last year, such a poor album in comparison to Nia and Blazing Arrow. Mediocre at best, great, not a chance.

Orizio

Umm again The Streets aren't Hip-Hop or Rap.

Kanye can't rap and Eminem's beat selection sucks,but I'll make another list with the stuff others like and with the tracks I missed once we get some more replies.

The Craft was incredibly dull to me,and not touching their earlier releases.

The B Coming is incredibly well produced,and Rip The Jacker is an incredible album lyrically and Stoupe produces well.Both are the artists best albums by a mile.

I am missing a helluva lot of stuff though,so keep posting(the years with them if possible).

Still shocked that 2005 was the best year since the 90's.Some serious albums there.

ciaran13

it might be beanie sigles best album but its still average at best.

The B Coming is incredibly well produced

so was the documentary but i dont see that there

Makaveli

2002 was the best year, Def Jux owned it.
Cannibal Ox - The Cold Vein
El-P - Fantastic Damage
RJD2 - Deadringer
Mr Lif - I Phantom
+
Atmosphere - God Loves Ugly
Blackalicious - Blazing Arrow
DJ Shadow - The Private Press
Nas - Lost Tapes/Gods Son
Sage Francis - Personal Journals
Jurassic 5 - Power In Numbers
7L & Esoteric - Dangerous Connection
Non-Phixion - The Future Is Now
Felt (Murs & Slug) - Felt: A Tribute To Christina Ricci
Soul Position - Unlimited EP
Ugly Duckling - Journey to Anywhere
Little Brother - The Listening

Orizio

ciaran13 wrote:

it might be beanie sigles best album but its still average at best.


so was the documentary but i dont see that there

Beanie is a far better rapper then Game,who I can't listen to for more then a few minutes.Plus while both were well produced,The B Coming was a bit better.

Did you really take to Private Press?Weak album to me,certainly no where near as good as Deadringer or the UNKLE stuff.

Makaveli

It was a grower, at first I thought it was poor but really only in relation to Endtroducing. After a few listens I really got into it. I like it better than Psyence Fiction, but Deadringer is better.

Trip Hazard

Makaveli wrote:

Biggest let down of last year, such a poor album in comparison to Nia and Blazing Arrow. Mediocre at best, great, not a chance.

Well I think The Craft is a really good album, it's the only album from Blacklicious i've heard so by that statment I'm defineitly gonna back log them and get thier earlier releases.

Dooom

Cunninlynguists - A Piece Of Strange
C-Rayz Walz - Year Of The Beast & Limelight*
Nas - Street's Disciple*
MJEX - What's Confusing You?*

* Denotes a "maybe". Although Limelight was quite good, not all of it. Same goes for Nas and Mjex's albums.

Orizio

That Nas album was his worst,the production makes his earlier beat selection look inspired.

Dooom

I haven't listened to the album myself, mate has it and was just going on his word as he usually has decent taste in music. Guess not though!
I'll rob it off him during the week and give it a listen.