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The Not-Quite-Definitive (But Still Pretty Close) Top 50 Hip-Hop Albums Of All Time Countdown: #20-11Aug 17 '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: #20-11
The second to last part of the countdown.. mostly dominated by albums from the mid nineties. 20. GZA - Liquid Swords (1995) Of all the kazillion Wu solo releases, there is only one album that is perfect: GZA's sophomore LP. More of RZA's brilliant production backs up GZA's complex, smooth lyrical works. As on any Wu solo release, there are some killer guest appearances from the other members of the Wu, and including one from Killah Priest. Thoughtful, intelligent, and straight up masterful, GZA's sophomore album is by far the best solo project the Wu has ever put out. 19. Ultramagnetic MC's - Critical Beatdown (1988) When discussing so-called "old school" albums, this album is often never mentioned. For some reason, it's overlooked like hell, even though it introduced the world to Kool Keith, who later went on to have quite a unique solo career, to put it lightly. The four man group of Keith, Ced-Gee, Moe Luv, and T.R. Love had a synergy that has rarely been matched in the 16 years past their debut's release date. Ced-Gee's funky, smooth production backed up the impressive rhymes from Keith and Co. With a 2004 re-release recently out, there's no reason for not having this in your hip-hop collection. 18. O.C. - Jewelz (1997) Choosing this album over Word...Life may be blasphemy for most hip-hop heads, but personally, I don't regard general opinion in the making of this list. Though O.C.'s sophomore album does not have a song on the level of the masterpiece Time's Up, it is the better album overall. With guest appearances from Big L and Freddy Foxxx, O.C.'s silky smooth flow, production from legends like DJ Premier, and a variety of topics from love to battle rap, I will continue to believe I am not crazy by picking this sophomore album over his debut. 17. The Pharcyde - Bizarre Ride II The Pharcyde (1993) Released in the heyday of Snoop and Dr. Dre, The Pharcyde's debut was a complete turnaround from the gangsta rap making its way through America. With the unique, entertaining flows from group members Fat Lip, Slim Kid Tre, Booty Brown, and Imani, Pharcyde's debut is straight up fun to listen to. The production is in the same vein as later works, with its soulful keys and relaxing vibes. Incidentally, this happens to be the best West Coast album of all time, in my opinion. 16. Common - Resurrection (1994) In an era where Dre was ruling the West, and the Wu was ruling the East, Common Sense was doing his own thing in the middle of the country. Enlisting the help of producer No I.D., this album was jazzy to the max, with No I.D. lacing jazz samples to back up Common's flow on every track. As always, Common is one of the more thoughtful emcees, discussing anything and everything with his laid-back flow. Though it's only his second-best album, Common's sophomore album deserves to be in any Top 20. 15. AZ - Doe Or Die (1995) Life really is a bitch for AZ. Even after appearing on that certain Nas album, Anthony Cruz never got the recognition he deserved. Well his debut is the closest you'll get to Nas' debut, no matter how hard you look. Vivid, thoughtful street poetry over the minimal, but head-nodding beats, this album is a sign of how good AZ could have been. And of course, arguably his best asset, his flow, is completely on point for the whole album. You've probably been sleeping on this album, and you shouldn't. 14. Eric B. & Rakim - Let The Rhythm Hit 'Em (1990) Say what? The duo's third album is better than their first two? Again, like in O.C.'s case, this is a fairly unconventional choice, but I'm 100% sure that this is the best album from the duo of Eric B and Rakim. Lyrically, Rakim is more ahead of his time than ever, and his flow and rhyming skills have been upped a notch as well. Eric B. continues to hold down the production front well, this time utilizing beats that will make your head nod more-so than the beats on their previous two albums. 13. Pete Rock & CL Smooth - Mecca And The Soul Brother (1992) Another producer-emcee duo, these two legends may be some of the most underappreciated as well. Though Pete Rock has recieved some attention over the years, CL Smooth is time and time again forgotten and overlooked. Their debut full-length showcases everything that is amazing about these two, with CL Smooth's smooth (no pun intended) flow gracefully riding over the mindbogglingly amazing production from the Soul Brother #1. 12. Outkast - ATLiens (1996) What's funny and irritating at the same time is when people are like, "I really loved Outkast's first joint, Stankonia." or "I wonder if Outkast will ever do an album together." It's a damn shame, because the first three albums from the duo are on some otherworldly level, including this one. Like they would in the future, Outkast improved drastically from their debut. The lyrics have been improved and the beats have become more spacy and soulful, as Outkast solidifies their title as the best Southern hip-hop act ever. 11. Black Star - Mos Def And Talib Kweli Are Black Star (1998) Though both Mos Def and Talib Kweli went on to greater things when they split for a while, this album is perfect in every aspect and renewed many people's declining faith in the industry. Not only are Kweli and Mos Def two of the best lyricists around in the business, they both come with flows that you could listen to for days, nicely contrasting and complementing each other. As on all Black Star joints, the two switch up their topics all the time, and along with Common, they are two of the most insightful emcees you may ever hear. I think I definitely overused the word "smooth" on this list. Well there you have it, the second ten greatest albums of all time. Of course, the real show will come next.. the top ten albums in existence. 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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