10 Hip Hop Albums you should definitely own?

tomred1

I have a lot of albums but i want peoples opinions on their Top Ten albums in HipHop are?

yeah-buddy

10. Snoop Dogg - Doggystyle
9. 2 Pac - Me Against The World
8. Scarface - The Fix
7. Dr. Dre - The Chronic
6. A Tribe Called Quest - The Low End Theory
5. Jay-Z - Reasonable Doubt
4.Wu-Tang - 36 Chambers (Enter The Wu-Tang)
3.The Notorious B.I.G. - Ready To Die
2. Public Enemy - It Takes A Nation of Millions To Hold Us Back
1. Soulja Boy - iSouljaBoyTellEm:P
no really number 1 is

Nas - Illmatic

HalloweenJack

Wu Tang - 36 Chambers
Nas - Illmatic
OutKast - Aquemini
Dr. Dre - The Chronic
Scarface - The Fix
Kanye West - The College Dropout
Jurassic 5 - Power In Numbers
Ice Cube - Death Certificate
The Beatnuts - A Musical Massacre
MOP - Warriorz

tomred1

Yeah M.O.P what happened to them?

Neamhshuntasach

Talib Kweli & Hi Tek - Train of Thought
Nas - Illmatic
Gza - Liquid Swords
Ice Cube - Predator
Snoop Dogg - Doggystyle
Jeru the Damaja - Sun Rises in the East
Black Moon - Enta da Stage
Wu Tang Clan - 36 Chambers
Outkast - Aquemini
Masta Ace - A Long Hot Summer

Hard to pick 10. It would change depending on my mood.

HalloweenJack

tomred1 wrote: »

Yeah M.O.P what happened to them?

Don't know really. As far as I can tell, they didn't reach as much success with their albums after Warriorz and then they moved labels a few times.

Neamhshuntasach

They working on solo projects last i heard and they plan to release The Foundation sometime this year. Think they're still officially signed to G Unit even though it was probably a year ago it was announced they were leaving. Think 50 promised them the sun moon and the stars as he did with Mobb Deep. Although Prodigy's arrest didn't help them get a 2nd album out.

g5fd6ow0hseima

I see most choices are fairly mainstream but where would Madvillainy (Madvillain album) stand in yer choices?

Neamhshuntasach

I prefer Vaudeville Villain over Madvillainy. I kinda went off Doom for a while. But i loved MM Food. These days he doesn't even turn up for his own gigs. Sends out some other fella in a mask.

It's always hard creating lists like that. If it was top 50 i'd have artists like Tonedef, Rise, Blackalicious, illogic, C Rayz Walz, Immortal Technique, Celp Titlted, Brother Ali, Black Milk, Calle 13, Vakill, Murs, etc etc in it. But i guess you always fall back on the albums you heard first.

Boom_Bap

M.O.P. signed up with G-Unit around the same time as Mobb Deep, they where supposed to be releasing an album but has never seen the light of day.

As for my list (in no particular order), a few that have been on others so far:
Wu-Tang - Enter: The 36 Chambers
Nas - Illmatic
Snoop - Doggystyle
Redman - Whut Thee Album
Dj Shadow - Entroducing
Aesop Rock - Labour Days
Sole - Bottle of Humans
P.O.S. - Audition
RJD2 - Deadringer
Atmosphere - God Loves Ugly

Another notable would be Buck 65 - Talking Honky Blues

But, this list will probably change tomorrow if i think about it further.....actually thinking about it now, no Tribe, no Eric B and Rakim, no Big Daddy Kane, no Gangstarr, no Jeru, no.....

my head hurts now.

Boom_Bap

Neamhshuntasach wrote: »

I prefer Vaudeville Villain over Madvillainy. I kinda went off Doom for a while. But i loved MM Food. These days he doesn't even turn up for his own gigs. Sends out some other fella in a mask.

I think that Operation Doomsday beats them all.

g5fd6ow0hseima

Neamhshuntasach wrote: »

These days he doesn't even turn up for his own gigs. Sends out some other fella in a mask.

Is there any back up to that claim? Im just surprised, its the first ive heard of it

Boom_Bap

Paris Defeated Plasma wrote: »

Is there any back up to that claim? Im just surprised, its the first ive heard of it

Yeah, there are lots of articles and even live footage of this. Cant find any links at the moment, but i believe it was covered on another thread somewhere.

Neamhshuntasach

There's a lot of convincing proof going around that DJ Wesu has turned up instead of him. Photographs showing a scar on his hand or something that doom doesn't have but Wesu does. And he got booed off stage at rock the bells for fu<kin up lines and just basically not being like a usual doom gig.

Makaveli

Rumours are he's really sick or some people think he might have died (although I doubt that). This is a guy that used to release up to three albums in a year or at least was consistenly reelasing new material and we haven't had anything new from him now since Dangerdoom (2005).

http://www.stonesthrow.com/messageboard/index.php?showtopic=9705

That's a link to the Rock the Bells incident.

g5fd6ow0hseima

Well he's always been fairly quiet with little known about his personal life and that. So I gather he's probably taking a break from it for a while. Sure isnt he gettin on a bit too.

judomick

tomred1 wrote: »

Yeah M.O.P what happened to them?

i produced there show in stockholm 2 weeks ago on the 26th, they were ok, crowd was pretty tame until ante up, m.o.p were pissed drunk by the time they went on

Kold

Madvillainy is probably my favourite hip hop album. I think it's clearly the best DOOM album.

Neamhshuntasach

Kold wrote: »

Madvillainy is probably my favourite hip hop album. I think it's clearly the best DOOM album.

In your opinion though. Tastes differ and all that shíte

Kold

Neamhshuntasach wrote: »

In your opinion though. Tastes differ and all that shíte

Hence the "I think".

tossy

Only 10??? ok In no particular order apart from maybe the top 3 or so

London posse - gangster chronicle
pete rock cl smooth - mecca and the soul brother
BDP - By any means necessary
Gangstarr - Hard to earn
Jeru the damaja - The sun rises in the east
Oc - Wordlife
Biggie ready to die
The beatnuts - The beatnuts
Wu - Enter...
Public enemy - it takes a nation of millions
Nas - illmatic

Ok so that was 11!

Tastes differ and all and i would never knock another mans tastes but if you have a madvillan album as your favourite hip hop album you need to listen to some more hip hop.

Kold

Do you really think so? Do you not think I'm devoting enough of my time to the genre? Does it reveal my complete ignorance in comparison to your clearly more informed tastes?

I'll get right on that, cheers for your concern.

Boom_Bap

Makaveli wrote: »

Rumours are he's really sick or some people think he might have died (although I doubt that). This is a guy that used to release up to three albums in a year or at least was consistenly reelasing new material and we haven't had anything new from him now since Dangerdoom (2005).

http://www.stonesthrow.com/messageboard/index.php?showtopic=9705

That's a link to the Rock the Bells incident.

Rumour has it that there's a new DOOM album to be released this year on Rhymesayers. I think he also has a collabo album with Ghostface to drop this year too.

ghostface ste

In no particular order:

Outkast - Aquemini
Biggie - Ready to Die
Nas - Illmatic
Wu Tang - 36 Chambers
Outkast - Atliens
Murs - 3.16
Blackstar - Blackstar (new album please!!!!)
GZA - Liquid Swords
Immortal Technique - Revolutionary Vol 2
Scarface - The Fix

Prob change a lot of this list tomorrow if i have a good think bout it

gottahavehouse

its tough to name only 10 but il do it but they arent in this order just naming my fave 10

nas-illmatic
jay-z-reasonable doubt
2pac- makaveli the 7 day theory
lost boyz- legal drug money
raekwon-only built for cuban linx
wu tang clan- enter the wu 36 chambers
slick rick- great adventures of slick rick
scarface- the fix
biggie-ready to die
bone thugs n harmony e.1999

gottahavehouse

sorry have to give a mention to few more albums cant leave it at 10

eric b and rakim- paid in full
kool g rap- giancana story
gza- liquid swords
snoop doggy dogg- doggystyle
a tribe called quest- the low end theory
pharcyde-bizarre ride to the pharcyde

Makaveli

Boom_Bap wrote: »

I think he also has a collabo album with Ghostface to drop this year too.

That's been coming out forever now, I'll believe it when I see it.

Boom_Bap

Last i heard which was a couole of months ago is that they had 6 or 7 tracks recorded and mixed, and a few others that had to be completed. There where some sheculing conflicts which was going to slow things down and delay completion until this year.
But i'll believe it when i see it!

godspal

only ten! man... Well if you have to own them:

1. Enter the Wu-Tang Clan - Wu-Tang Clan (Their seminal album, if you own this I presume you also have "Ironman", "Only Built 4 the Cuban Linx" and "Liquid Swords" so I am not going to put those into this ten.)

2. Me Against the World - 2pac (His album of regret, anger and paranoia, 2pac's personality just flows onto the album.)

3. The Chronic - Dr. Dre (The beginning of the West Coast/East Coast tensions are rooted here in the album that best epitomizes G-Funk.)

4. Infamous - Mobb Deep (Sorry to say but this album is almost a flawless piece of work, no weak songs, great skits that add to the album, and the production values are bar none with some of the big names contributing to the album.)

5. The Low End Theory - A Tribe Called Quest (One of the great Native Tongue Posse albums, but unlike the jazz influences of other albums by this collective there a great samples too, e.g. "Take a Walk on the Wild Side")

6. Reasonable Doubt - Jay-Z (Just get it. Blueprint is Jay-Z's rise into the mainstream, this is his most artistically brilliant)

7. Ready 2 Die - Biggie Smalls (Fluid flows forget the fools.)

8. Resurrection - Common (A soft, profound album hip-hop album?! I know! Another Native Tongue Posse Classic.)

9. Masters of the Universe - Binary Star (Overlooked re-released underground classic "Waterworld". Points out all the flaws of modern hip-hop with style and finesse)

10. Illmatic - Nas (I really don't have to explain this one if you are on this site.)

Rizzla King

1. Nas - Illmatic
2. Dr Dre - 2001
3. NWA- Straight outta Compton
4. Cypress Hill - Greatest Hits From The Bong
5. Eminem - The Slim Shady LP
6. Ice Cube - Death Certificate
7. Slick Rick - The Great Adventures Of Slick Rick
8. The Game - The Documentary
9. Tupac - Loyal to The Game
10. Cypress Hill - Black Sunday

My favorite 10 that I own anyway.

Executive Steve

nas - illmatic [self-evidently enough. all time classic that's haunted his career ever since, he pretty much said everything he ever needed to say on this album... how do you follow perfection?]

goodie mob - soul food [massively underrated album, first big album to put the south on the map]

the pharcyde - bizarre ryde ii the pharcyde [witty, fresh, funny and mad as a bag of cats]

wu tang clan - enter the 36 chambers [as godspal pointed out, if you have this you're pretty much certain to have copped all the first generation wu-solo joints anyway!]

mobb deep - the infamous [flawless victory]

jeru the damaja - the sun rises in the east [not sure if i should put this one in or "wrath of the math" to be honest... either way the mad monk never disappoints]

redman - dare iz a darkside [muddy dark stew of george clinton samples, unhinged rhymes all wrapped up in a concept album that's part motivational tape and part redman as a superhero on his therapist's couch]

gangstarr - hard to earn [guru always tells it like it is and everything premier touched turned to gold back then]

shadow - endtroducing [the first album to really turn a mainstream audience on to the art of beatmaking as the backbone of hip hop and to spotlight the creative vitality of the crate digging culture]

Otis Driftwood

Snoop - Doggystyle
NWA - Straight outta Compton
Cypress Hill - Black Sunday
DJ Bless aka Sutter Kain - August Underground
Necro - The pre-fix for Death
Busta Rhymes - Extinction Level Event
Natas - Blaz4me
Onyx - Bacdafucup
Eazy E - Eazy-Duz-It
Ice Cube - The Predator

GiftofGab

Nas: Illmatic
Jay-Z: The Blueprint
Notorious BIG: Life After Death
Dr. Dre: 2001
Snoop Dogg: Doggystyle
50 Cent: Get Rich or Die Tryin'
The Game: The Documentary
Eminem: The Marshall Mathers LP
2Pac: Me Against the World
DJ Shadow: Entroducing
Wu Tang Clan: 36 Chambers
Kanye West: Late Registration

I might get some stick for this last one but in my opinion its a great album to listen to, im not saying his delivery or lyrics are exceptional but (like get rich or die tryin) its just one of those albums that ENJOYABLE!

Lil Wayne: Tha Carter III

Boom_Bap

GiftofGab wrote: »

Nas: Illmatic
Jay-Z: The Blueprint
Notorious BIG: Life After Death
Dr. Dre: 2001
Snoop Dogg: Doggystyle
50 Cent: Get Rich or Die Tryin'
The Game: The Documentary
Eminem: The Marshall Mathers LP
2Pac: Me Against the World
DJ Shadow: Entroducing
Wu Tang Clan: 36 Chambers
Kanye West: Late Registration

I might get some stick for this last one but in my opinion its a great album to listen to, im not saying his delivery or lyrics are exceptional but (like get rich or die tryin) its just one of those albums that ENJOYABLE!

Lil Wayne: Tha Carter III

I'm no mathamtician....but that looks like 13

GiftofGab

I know...I couldn't cut it down any further.

Boom_Bap

I could give some suggestions but nah, we all have our favorites.

Just one thing though, i think Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z. is by far the best 2pac album...but it wouldnt be on my top 10....in fact it wasnt.

GiftofGab

Boom_Bap wrote: »

I could give some suggestions but nah, we all have our favorites.

Just one thing though, i think Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z. is by far the best 2pac album...but it wouldnt be on my top 10....in fact it wasnt.

I actually own six 2pac albums, but I don't own that. A friend told me that was his favourite 2pac album aswell.....I have to download it sometime

Boom_Bap

GiftofGab wrote: »

I actually own six 2pac albums, but I don't own that. A friend told me that was his favourite 2pac album aswell.....I have to download it sometime

It's a great album, highly recommend it. Very raw and very east coast sounding.

Jay Ru

Personally i think Me Against The World is the best 2pac album. I still can't get enough of that title track and the production by Mo Bee is just top notch

Famous45

Snowgoons - Black Snow

tdc

tomred1 wrote: »

Yeah M.O.P what happened to them?

They signed to G-Unit

Parrish_Crooks

2pac-- Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z
I'm probably the biggest Pac fan and this is definitely his greatest. Showcases both sides of his contradicted personality perfectly. Anyone needing evidence of this need look no further than the misogyny of I get Around Vs. the sentiment of Keep Ya head up. Also it is the perfect meeting between Gangsta (All Eyez) and Political (2pacalypse). Keep ya head up and Holla if ya hear me are, IMHO, Pac's best songs.

Nas-- Illmatic
No explanation needed

Redman-- Dare Iz a Darkside
Reggie Noble produced most of this himself with some help from the Green Eyed Bandit. Parliament samples meeting hard kick drums with Redman's deranged psyche on wax makes it his best album to date.

Freddie Foxxx-- Insustry Shakedown
Seriously overlooked. WHAT a lyricist. Raw, grimey and interesting. Pick up this independent gem.

Gang Starr-- Moment of Truth
Could've picked any from 4 or 5 albums here, but it's my personal favourite. Gang Starr never deviate from a formula of pure hip-hop that a lot of rappers seem to have forgotten in Hip-Hop's commercial age. Premo is the one of the genre's finest producers, and Guru's insightful rhymes just about keep up.

Jeru The Damaja-- Wrath of The Math
Superior to The Sun Rises IMHO. Seemed to me like Premo was experimenting on The Sun Rises but there is a more polished hard hitting sound on this album. Jeru's rhymes are also tight, thought provoking, and pretty deep.

N.W.A.-- Straight Outta Compton
May not have been the first outing of Gangsta Rap but definitely the most groundbreaking one. Ice Cube's writing and rhymes over Dre's early beats is a revelation.

Mobb Deep-- The Infamous
After Illmatic, the second best rotten apple hardcore album to come out of New York. Havoc's production is supreme, and Prodigy's rhymes are ahead of their time. The inclusion of Shook Ones Pt II alone on this album guarantees its place on this list.

Slick Rick-- The great adventures of Slick Rick
One of the best MC to ever touch the mic. Almost every track on this album is perfect in its own way. Rick is original, witty, clever and ultimately tragic because of his subsequent incarceration.

Mos Def-- Black on both sides
Refreshing in the late 90's era of jewelery and bull****, Mos Def is a prophet who came just at a time when we needed him. The beats ain't bad either!

Public Enemy-- It takes a nation of millions to hold us back
I'd probably personally prefer Fear of a Black Planet, but It takes a Nations is an album which, with its sound and politically charged rhymes, changed Hip-Hop. Never before or since has anger created such great music!

Biggie Smalls-- Ready to Die
In my opinion, Biggie's only brilliant album. Life After Death is long, overdrawn and suffers from overproduction and a more commercial sound in contrast to the raw sound of Ready To Die. Machine Gun Funk, Juicy and the Premo banger Unbelievable are tracks that sum up Biggie for me.

Pete Rock & CL Smooth-- Mecca and the Soul Brother
Hip-Hop, Jazz, & Soul on one brilliant album. Timeless.

Okay that's 13 albums, but couldn't bring myself to exclude any of them!

tossy

Parrish_Crooks wrote: »

Mobb Deep-- The Infamous
After Illmatic, the second best rotten apple hardcore album to come out of New York. Havoc's production is supreme, and Prodigy's rhymes are ahead of their time. The inclusion of Shook Ones Pt II alone on this album guarantees its place on this list.

I know its all personal opinion but in the interest of a good healthy debate do you seriously think infamous is the second best hip hop album to come out of ny? second best ahead of PE - nation of millions,The Wu - enter...,Biggie - ready to die.....

Parrish_Crooks

tossy wrote: »

I know its all personal opinion but in the interest of a good healthy debate do you seriously think infamous is the second best hip hop album to come out of ny? second best ahead of PE - nation of millions,The Wu - enter...,Biggie - ready to die.....

I said the second best rotten apple hardcore abum. By this I'm talking about records which brought about NY's resurrection in the mid 90's. Capone N Noreaga's the War Report, Nas Illmatic, Wu-Tang 36 Chambers, Rae's Only Built for Cuban Linx, Biggie's Ready To Die, Onyx's Bacdafucup etc. Out of these, ya, I'd place it up there just behind Illmatic. Don't get me wrong, I highly rate all of these albums also, as you can see from my list above. This is based on some personal opinion, but I truly believe it is one of the great ip-hop albums, by anyone's standards. Do you not rate it that highly, no?

Edit: I also noticed Mecca and the Soul Brother on your list, knew there was one I forgot on mine! Classic album.

GiftofGab

Parrish_Crooks wrote: »

Mobb Deep-- The Infamous
Prodigy's rhymes are ahead of their time.

I would disagree. The rhymes in this album are extemely simple and straight to the point. Quality rhymes, yes but surely not the second best out of New York. Oh yeah hip hop was at it's prime in 94/95, so if his rhymes were ahead of its time then you are comparing his skills to 50 cent and Lil Wayne!!!!!!!

Parrish_Crooks

GiftofGab wrote: »

I would disagree. The rhymes in this album are extemely simple and straight to the point. Quality rhymes, yes but surely not the second best out of New York. Oh yeah hip hop was at it's prime in 94/95, so if his rhymes were ahead of its time then you are comparing his skills to 50 cent and Lil Wayne!!!!!!!

No need to nitpick! :rolleyes:

All I meant was he was a good emcee! I think that's gererally universally agreed upon!

Btw I don't rate Lil' Wayne or 50 so let's put that to bed now!

tossy

I do rate the infamous and i rate it highly,i loved the queens bridge sound,my record collection is divided into new york 12's,new york albums and then a massive section for queensbridge alone,there was a brief time in the early to mid 90s where the QB sound was just hip hop,funnily enough i never rated the CNN album war report,they had some great 12's and loads of great bootlegs and guest spots but the war report just disappointed me.

Industry shakedown is a banger though,what an album.one of my favourite all time lines is "i never let anybody judge me that don't know how to do what i do,so if you dont like it then fcuk you!"

Name the bumpy song and ill tip my hat....:D

Parrish_Crooks

tossy wrote: »

I do rate the infamous and i rate it highly,i loved the queens bridge sound,my record collection is divided into new york 12's,new york albums and then a massive section for queensbridge alone,there was a brief time in the early to mid 90s where the QB sound was just hip hop,funnily enough i never rated the CNN album war report,they had some great 12's and loads of great bootlegs and guest spots but the war report just disappointed me.

Industry shakedown is a banger though,what an album.one of my favourite all time lines is "i never let anybody judge me that don't know how to do what i do,so if you dont like it then fcuk you!"

Name the bumpy song and ill tip my hat....:D

I couldn't listen to the CNN album without reaching for the skip button periodically, but it does have some high points. T.O.N.Y, L.A, L.A, and Illegal Life come to mind.

Mid 90's Queensbridge is where it's at alright though, the most grimey and raw sh*t out there. for a while By the time Nas' "I am..." was released it was all over though.

That Freddie Foxxx track is 'Part of My Life' btw

How about this; 'For all them fakin' ass n*ggaz an' how I buss up their nose, an while your nose is drippin', and drainin' blood, I'll be standin over you screamin "N*gga WHAT WHAT WHAT WHAT...??" '

Name the Track....:P

tossy

Before I slide I'ma leave you this jewel,Even mechanics walk around with their tools,It's the Militia !!!

A great lyricist no doubt,one of the few who made me believe everything he said

Grimey QB highlights for me would be

Screwball - On the real (great posse track)
Cormega - Dead man walking
tragedy - illuminati.
Big noyd - recognize and realize PT 2
Mobb deep - first day of spring/take it in blood/eye for an eye/shook ones pt 2 (can't decide lol)

Off the top of the head that's all i can think off (i'm getting old)

EDIT i think there are one or two tracks on "it was written..." that stay true to that QB sound esp "live nigga rap"

Boom_Bap

There is a shelved Freddie Foxx album from around 1997 after being released. It's called "Crazy Like A Foxxx" and is supposed to be incredible. Features Rakim, Chuck D and 2Pac (from his east coast days!) but production credits are unknown.

He is supposed to be releaseing a new album this year too.

Another overlooked QB album so far is Mic Geronimo - The Natural.

Danow247

My ten in no particular order:

• Biggie - Ready to die
• Eminem - Marshall Mathers
• 2pac - All eyes on Me
• JayZ - Black Album
• 50 Cent - Get rich or die Trying
• Dr Dre - 2001
• Eminem - Eminem Show
• Nas - illmatic
• Game - Documentary
• Kanye - College Dropput