Top 10 Essential Hip-Hop Albums
Thursday March 23, 2006
If you're like me, your CD collection always gives friends and family a reason to borrow stuff from you. Well, one of my friends has this habit of only selecting from a particular section of my music library. As a hip-hop 'nerd', I keep all my music organized in a shelf that's divided into various sections. My friend always goes for the section labeled "Classic Material."
There are tons of classic rap albums out there, but only a handful of those could be labeled "essential". I've selected ten albums that I think every hip-hop fan should own. Find out which one of these essential hip-hop albums is missing from your collection.
Album art:© Bad Boy
Comments
my top 10 hip hop are as follows (not in any particular order)
1. At the Speed of Life – Xzibit
2. 2001- Dr Dre
3. Straight Outta Compton – NWA
4. Fear of a Black Planet – Public Enemy
5. Whut Thee Album – Redman
6. Muddy Waters – Redman
7. College Dropout – Kanye West
8. The Black Album – Jay-Z
9. Black Trash The Autobiography of Kirk Jones – Sticky Fingaz
10. Gods Son – Nas
i dont really understand ur decisions…
wow xzibit? 4real fam? no illmatic? No follow the leader? No Reasonable doubt? No Ready to Die? Chronic 2001 and not the original? I hope your joking
Umm..
I wouldn’t put any of those in my top 10.
I would put outkast southernplayalisticcadillacmusic
or tribe called quest – midnight marauders before anything on your list.
lolz. you must be new to rap music. listen to all the albums simonwasthedeal listed, because your top 10 in absurd. i’m guessing if your list would have continued you would have placed MC hammer as #11
top 10 no order of top of my head
reasonable doubt
illmatic
dre chronic
dre 2001
doggystyle
the fix
get rich or die tryin
blueprint
college dropout
ready to die
yeah that first guy was just simply wrong.
but then, somebody else probably thinks i am, too. so. no order:
illmatic
the chronic
the fix
reasonable doubt
the low end theory
MF ep (personal idiosyncracy)
liquid swords
my vinyl weighs a ton
return to the 36 chambers
bow down
Have you ever heard of Tupac!!!! What a stupid list. I haven’t been influence by any of this. Redman r u serious, xzibit? sticky fingaz ? These people changed ur life.
Yo! This is a never ending convo – Top ten albums?
Dare is a Dark Side
Illmatic
the Chronic
Ready to Die
liquid swords
midnight marauders
return to tha 36 chambers (Ol DB)
Cuban Links
The Big Picture (Big L)
Hard to Earn (Gang Starr)
Honorable mention to Joell Ortiz/Kool G Rap/Kool Kieth/Poor Righteous Teachers/Speacial Ed/EPMD/ and KRS One. Real Hip Hop! Not “Rap” Damnit!!!!
In no particular order
midnight marauders
aquemini
illmatic
resurrection
illadelph halflife
blackstar
return to tha 36 chambers
it was written
The chronic
doggystyle
woah. no illmatic? no Illadelph Half Life, no Fugees!! the Score is priceless hommie? yo need to re-think your decisions.
top 10
illmatic
all eyez on me
reasonable doubt
ready to die
chronic
it was written
makavelli (7 days theory)
paid in full (eric b and rakim)
black album
marshall mathers LP
Man, those are some puzzling choices. My list would be similar to H-Town’s. Off the top of my head I would choose (not in any particular order):
1. Cuban Linx – Raekwon
2. Illmatic – Nas
3. Reasonable Doubt – Jay-Z
4. Ready To Die – B.I.G.
5. Doggystyle – Snoop Dogg
6. The Chronic – Dr. Dre
7. All Eyez On Me – Tupac
8. Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) – Wu Tang
9. It Was Written – Nas
10. Midnight Marauders – A Tribe Called Quest
HONORABLE MENTION:
The Big Picture – Big L
Mr. Scarface Is Back – Scarface
Vol. 2… Hard Knock Life – Jay-Z
I know I’m missing a few, and any of the honorable mention could have easily slipped into my top 10.
Nas – Illmatic
Wu Tang – 36 Chambers
Gza – Liquid Swords
The Roots – Illadelph Halflife
Mos Def – True Magic
Biggie – Ready to die
2Pac – All eyes on me
Eminem – Slim Shady LP
Gangstarr – ermm, take your pick
Roots Manuva – Run come save me
Difficult really to keep it to 10, dre’s chronic, snoops doggystyle and many others deserve to be in there
az – doe or die
nas – illmatic
dre – 2001
atcq – hits, rarities and remixes
2pac – all eyez on me
big l – lifestyles of that poor and dangourous
gang starr – a decade of hits…
wu tang – enter the wu tang
raekwon – only built for cuban linx…
gza – liqid swords
if your new to hip hop check these out!!!
Full Clip – Gangstarr
All Eyez On Me – 2Pac
The Peace Maker – Tony Touch
Illmatic – Nas
Its Dark and Hell is Hot – DMX
The Chronic 2001 – Dr. Dre
Enter the 36 Chambers – Wu-Tang Clan
Aquemini – Outkast
Ready to Die – The Notorious B.I.G.
The Black Album – Jay-Z
HONORABLE MENTION:
Liquid Swords – GZA/Genius
The Big Picture – Big L
The Fix – Scarface
Doggystyle – Snoop Doggy Dog
Muddy Waters – Redman
Sticky Fingas? Are u f**king serious? Don’t ever make another lame ass list like that again. Who else do u want to put on there? What about Master P, Coolio, Benzino, I know. Fredro Starr, he’s lame too.
yo dude dont knock xzibit have yu heard his good albums
1.tupac-all eyes on me
2.biggie-ready to die
3.children of the corn -the collectors edition (big l,killa cam and mase when they were hype,bloodshed)
4.Busta Rhymes-genesis
5.Cormega-the realness
6.CNN- The War Report
7.Company flow-funcrusher plus
8. The High and MIghty- eastern confrence allstars vol.1
9.Redman-Muddy waters
10.Non Phixon- the future is now
yoo man chirrpn sticky fingaz .how can yu not like sticky, soo grimy its the bomb
jokin rite? dam fam that list is bammer. for real.
gotta throw in my two cents. I can’t believe so many people are leaving out Pac’s All Eyez on Me, and the Tribe’s Low end Theory. I saw a few mentions, but these two changed my life. You can’t forget about classics like Fear of a Black Planet, and Welcome to the Terradome. We all know the original chronic and doggystyle were pure vinyl gold. I could never get down with NAS or Biggie, but that’s just me!
you all need to expand your musical horizon…!!!
all eyes on me…wen i was 12 i would of put it in my top 10, but now it would get in top 50!!!!
your all a joke!
1. 2pac – all eyez on me
2. 2pac – me against the world
3. 2pac – 7 day theory
4. biggie – ready to die
5. snoopdoggydogg – doggystyle
6. dr dre – chronic
7. jayz – reasonable doubt
8. nas – illmatic
9.dr dre – chronic 2001
10. paid in full – eric b and rakhim
My Top 10 Favorite Classic Albums (Not In Order Dumbass)
1.The Game – The Documentary
2.2pac – All Eyez On Me
3.Dr.Dre – The Chronic 2001
4.Ludacris – Realease Therapy
5.DMX – It’s Dark And Hell Is Hot
6.Young Jeezy – Lets Get It (Thug Motivation 101)
7.Eminem – Marhal Manthers LP
8.Eminem – Slim Shady LP
9.Jay-Z – Reasonable Doubt
10.50 Cent – Get Rich Or Die Tryin
In no particular order
Biggie Ready to Die
Jay-Z Reasonable Doubt
Nas Illmatic
Tribe Called Quest Low End Theory
Redman Muddy Waters
Outkast Atliens
Ghostface Ironman
Slum Village Fantastic vol 2
Kanye West Graduation
Eminem The Marshal Mathers LP
My Top 10
ready 2 die-Biggie
midnight marauders-ATCQ
reasonable doubt-Jay-z
illmatic-Nas
ATLiens-Outkast
the black album-0Jay-z
enter the wu (36 chambers)-Wu-tang clan
the blueprint-Jay-z
the listening-Little Brother
the minstrel show-Little Brother
My Top Ten Countdown
10.Common Sense-Can I Borrow A Dollar?
9.Mobb Deep-The Infamous
8.Big L-Lifestylez Ov Da Poor & Dangerous
7.GZA/Genius-Liquid Swords
6.A Tribe Called Quest-Midnight Marauders
5.Run DMC-Raising Hell
4.The Notorious B.I.G.-Ready To Die
3.Wu-Tang Clan- Enter The 36 Chambers
2.Eric B. & Rakim – Paid In Full
1.NaS-Illmatic
my top-ten(no order):
all eyez on me – 2pac
illmatic – nas
me against the world – 2pac
the chronic – dr dre
doggystyle – snoop doggy dogg
the don killuminati(7 day theory)- makaveli
dogg food – tha dogg pound
ready to die – notorious big
it was written – nas
chronic 2001 – dr dre
What about the DOC?
My Top Ten
1. The Awakening – Lord Finesse
2. Livin’ Proof – Group Home
3. Wild cowboys – Sadat X
4. Chronic – Dr Dre
5. Hard To Earn – Gangstarr
6. Ready to Die – Notorious BIG
7. Straight Up Sewaside – Das EFX
8. Straight Outta Compton – NWA
9. Whut? Thee Album – Redman
10. illmatic – Nas
You dudes need to broaden up! Some of the dopest albums ever are just being dropped! Atmosphere hasnt’t blew up yet but dude is genious! You cant even fight that. Pac was dope when everyone loved him int he 90’s and EARLY 2k’s. He isnt as great as all you fools think he is! He blew up when he died! Nas’ illmatic was just plain sick.
ok… the fugees? eminem? what the f*ck r u even talking about? yo:
gza – liquid swordz
wu-tang – 36 chambers
nas – illmatic
raekwon – cuban linx
ganstarr – hard to earn
eazy-e – eazy-duz-it
public enemy – fear of a black planet
mobb deep, pete rock, nwa, j-dilla, wc, grandmaster flash, tribe called quest, de la soul, sugarhill gang, outkast, zion i, planet asia, aceyalone, prince po, ghostface, too short, b.i.g., 2pac, ETC.
i could go on 4ever but slim shady? never, at that point i lost nearly all remaining respect for dre, i mean… damn.
look, we all know that simon cowell likes some whack ass music. sticky fingaz does suck. but we cant just all come at him for it. Hip hop is all about opinion. you can like whoever you want, it doesnt make you wrong for liking bad rappers.
so im not giving my top 10 just a few that i like alot.
Reasonable doubt
illmatic
enter the 36 chambers
hell hath no fury
midnight marauders
tha carter III
doggystyle
2001
american gangster
do you want more??!??
slim shady and marshall mathers LPs
holla at me
nice list henry
mine;
1 – Illmatic – Nas
2 – Me against the world – Tupac
3 – Enter the 36 Chambers – Wu Tang
4 – Ready To Die – BIG
5 – All Eyez on me – Tupac
6 – Lethal Injection – Ice Cube
7 – Reasonable Doubt – Jay-Z
8 – Efil4zaggin – NWA
9 – Doggystyle – Snoop Dogg
10 – Str8 Off the Streetz of Muthaphukkin Compton – Eazy-E
Not sure about the order and sad that some miss out.
Must be kiddin me.To Me Yall Picked Wrong.
1.Nas – Illmatic
2.Jeru – The Sun Rises In The East
3.Group Home – Livin Proof
4.Big – Ready To Die
5.Pete Rock & Cl Smooth – The Main Ingredient
6.Mos Def – Black On Both Sides
7.Jay-Z – Reasonable Doubt.
8.Royal Flush – Ghetto Millionaire
9.Scientifik – Criminal
10.Gangstarr – Hard To Earn,Moment Of Truth,ETC…
nas – illmatic
dre – chronic
jay z – reasonable doubt
reflection eternal – train of thought
pharoah monch – internal affairs
j dilla – donuts
lupe fiasco – food and liqour
mood – doom
common – be
talib kweli and mos def are blackstar
to be fair i think everyone has there own opinions but biggie ready to die, life after death they would certainaly be in my top
man what a ridiculous top ten…you must be new in the game…:
1-nas:streets disciple
2-wu tang:foreverr
2-jay z:blueprint
4-pharoahe monch:internal affairs
5-notorious big:readie to die
6-ganhstarr:the ownerz
7-dmx:grand champ
8-nas:illmaitc
9-common:like water for chocolate
10-2pac:all eyez on me
get it???!!!!!