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The Not-Quite-Definitive (But Still Pretty Close) Top 50 Hip-Hop Albums Of All Time Countdown: #40-31Aug 12 '04 (Updated Aug 18 '04) Write an essay on this topic.
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The Bottom Line The greatest hip-hop albums of all time: #40-31
After a largely West Coast-influenced first segment of the list, this countdown swings towards the East for this installment, mostly. 40. Snoop Dogg - Doggystyle (1993) Easily one of the most hyped up debuts of all time, Snoop's first album succeeded on the mainstream level and met the expectations of everyone. With his silky smooth flow and unmatched charisma, Snoop solidified himself as one of the best with his debut. Dre produces the whole album and picks up where his debut left off, with G-Funk soaked cuts and synth-laden beats. The guest appearances all serve nice contrasts to Snoop's laid-back flow, making this one of the best West Coast albums of all time. 39. Kool G. Rap - Wanted: Dead Or Alive (1990) As one of the greatest emcees to touch the mic, Kool G Rap's discography was packed with great releases from the bottom to the top. It's hard to pick the best album, but this album, the second one with him and DJ Polo, is my personal pick. With one of the sickest flows in the biz, G. Rap kicks verse after blazing verse, storytelling, displaying knowledge, and flaunting his rap skills. With guest appearances form the legendary Juice Crew, as well as superior production, this album was destined to be a success. 38. A Tribe Called Quest - People's Instinctive Travels And The Paths Of Rhythm (1990) Because the Tribe had two bonafide classics later on in their collection of albums, their debut is often overlooked. Though not as polished as those two albums, this is definitely another killer album from the collective of Q-Tip, Phife Dawg, and Ali Shaheed. Jazzy loops and enjoyable lyrics make this album the timeless LP it is. Q-Tip and Phife Dawg were entering the game with their contrasting flows, and the album was a sign of greater things to come. 37. Black Moon - Enta Da Stage (1993) For you East Coast rap fans out there, this album will be right up your alley. Very few albums have the griminess and rawness of this one. The trio of Buckshot, 5Ft Excellerator, and DJ Evil Dee (of Da Beatminerz) released this seminal album at the same time as the Wu debuted. The aggressiveness of Buckshot and the lyrical potency contained in the rhymes combine with the dark, foreboding essence of the production on the album. This is pure East Coast hip-hop at one of its finest. 36. Dead Prez - Let's Get Free (2000) Like the second coming of Public Enemy, Dead Prez came politically charged with their debut. The duo of M-1 and Stic.man came well gifted with their amazing flows, and their heated subject matter. From nutrition to love to (of course) politics, this African American duo showed pride and knowledge of their culture that was dwindling at the time. Backed by banging beats throughout the album, Dead Prez has never topped this phenomenal LP, and probably never will. 35. De La Soul - De La Soul Is Dead (1991) De La Soul's masterpiece of a sophomore album also happens to be their best. Shaking off the image they portrayed in their debut (see album #41), De La Soul pokes fun at everything, from themselves, to certain types of women, to gangsta rap. Posdnuos and Trugoy are at their absolute best, and as always, Prince Paul supplies the brilliant beats. A 180-degree turn from their debut, but De La Soul still kept bringing the humor and wit on this magnum opus. 34. Jay-Z - Reasonable Doubt (1996) For an emcee of such high caliber, it's amazing how Jay-Z only had one truly great album. Sure, he's had some very solid work, but this album will forever be regarded as his best output. Tales of hustling on the streets of NY, this is Jay-Z before he blew the hell up and dominated the rap world for the longer part of the decade. Beatsmiths like DJ Premier hop along for the ride to lace some soulful instrumentals for Jay-Z. As always, Jigga's flow is one of the best, and this smooth sailing New York masterpiece has hung a shadow over all his releases afterwards. 33. Mobb Deep - The Infamous (1995) Dark, depressing, and extremely vivid, Mobb Deep's sophomore album brought hell to your headphones. Prodigy and Havoc were at the top of their lyrical game, bringing the listener harsh tales of New York life, grim stories of violence and death. Havoc's bleak production certainly fits right in with the theme of this album, as it's some of the gloomiest, eerie stuff you've ever heard. It's been nearly a full decade since the release of this album, and nobody besides themselves have come close to sending the chills down your spine like Mobb did in '95.. 32. O.C. - Word...Life (1994) I may be one of the few people who does not think this is O.C.'s best album, but I won't tell you it's a bad one. In fact, it's still one of the best ever. From New York and part of the famed Diggin' In The Crates crew, O.C. has always been overlooked by fellow members such as Big L. This debut LP has Omar Cradle packing as many mindblowing lyrical feats as he can, with track after track of knowledge and skills. The beats here are reminscent of another album released in New York by a certain Nas character. Poetic and fluid, O.C. left his first mark on the hip-hop world in 1994. 31. Big Pun - Capital Punishment (1998) Tupac, Biggie, and even Big L are often hailed as the greatest rappers of their generation. But often overlooked is 700 pound Latino emcee Big Punisher aka Big Pun. For someone his size, his flow will amaze you, fluidly spitting out words seemingly without pausing for breath. Vicious lyrics, production from the Terror Squad, and amazing guest appearances make this album the landmark it is. As underrated as he was, Big Pun may have been the biggest loss, literally and figuratively, for hip-hop. Thank you for reading part two. Stay tuned for more! The complete list: 50 Greatest Albums Of All Time: #50-41 50 Greatest Albums Of All Time: #40-31 50 Greatest Albums Of All Time: #30-21 50 Greatest Albums Of All Time: #20-11 50 Greatest Albums Of All Time: #10-1 Related: The Top 20 Albums Of 2003  |
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