Favourite Hip Hop Albums of all Time/Must listen

[Rip Torn]

I'm tired of kids who are brain dead hip hop fans and can never critically think for once.
You wasn't listening to Illmatic when it came out. (Illmatic sold poorly on its initial release) and seeing as I was there I can say, with authority, that Illmatic is no better or worse that a slew of other records released at the time.
What rapper doesn't tell you about his life story? You don't even have an argument. That's like saying a FGC player who grinds games to get good...wtf? Niggas been saying their life story for years...lol

Big Daddy Kane, Rakim and KRS were already dropping heavy lyrical albums way before Illmatic, and Illmatic was never ground breaking Maybe for you're not familiar with those listed artists.

NY State of Mind, It Aint Hard to Tell, and The World Is Yours are the only songs people really bump from that album, so you hella overrated the album mindlessly. Illmatic is the rallying cry that all "real heads" use to proclaim their love of "real hip-hop". It has little to do with the actual album anymore and more to do with saying how great Illmatic is. It's taken on a life of it's own. Stay lame.

You make hella assumptions dude. I was born in 1979. I basically grew up in the hip hop era, watching and listening to artists develop. I was in a breakdancing crew when I was 10, lol. I'm not trying to use Illmatic to prove I'm a "real head". The first time I heard Illmatic (and it wasn't the same year it came out, as if that matters), I completely fell in love with it. Same thing with Midnight Marauders and Paul's Boutique. When I say Nas was being real on that album, I mean I felt like I knew him after listening to the record. When you listen to It Was Written, you hear Nas talk about Murder and Death. That was pretty much a direct contradiction to Illmatic where he basically talks about petty crime at the worst.

NY State of Mind and It Aint Hard to tell aren't even the best tracks... Represent, Life's A Bitch, Memory Lane, One Love, and The World Is Yours are all 100% pure gold. NY State of mind is a boring repetive beat that Nas saves with his lyrics. It Ain't hard to tell is also a boring Puff Daddy style track where they basically just take a track from Michael Jackson and rhyme over it. Not bad, but nothing special.

Anyway, these are just opinions so lets stop the hate and agree to disagree at this point.

 

[Rip Torn]

yes i also like other uk stuff like Giggs, Blade Brown and a lot of grime artists (but that's another topic). i will check out these artists you mentioned, only heard EC Illa.

Oh, I was actually talking about a Chicago group called Triple Darkness... there must be another in the UK. But check out those artists anyway. This is basically all Chicago Underground Gangsta Rap.

 

[nfdsallwd]

Oh, I was actually talking about a Chicago group called Triple Darkness... there must be another in the UK. But check out those artists anyway. This is basically all Chicago Underground Gangsta Rap.

haha yes there are two groups with the same name. uk triple darkness is on some boom bap shit. check them if you haven't already and like that type of sound.

 

[Sutter Pain]

Fuck illmatic....Kurius and Group home got much more play from me in that era. Illmatic discussion is beating a dead horse over and over....

 

[NKZero]

Fuck illmatic....Kurius and Group home got much more play from me in that era. Illmatic discussion is beating a dead horse over and over....

I think the only reason people hate it now is because it is way overhyped and spoken about far too often. But there is no doubting it's classic status and one of the greatest albums of all time. I just don't think it's number 1 as so many people make it out to be.

 

[Sutter Pain]

I think the only reason people hate it now is because it is way overhyped and spoken about far too often. But there is no doubting it's classic status and one of the greatest albums of all time. I just don't think it's number 1 as so many people make it out to be.

Yeah it was good for its time but there was so much released and people only focus on illmatic. Its 10/0 matchup for derailing hip hop threads all over the internet it def gets old lol.

edit: I dont actually hate illmatic but I dont hold it nearly as high as many people.

 

[Eddy Wang]

I will try to not repeat many of the things i saw on the first post because they're most of my favourites too, so here is something to hear if you're curious.

1. Formula for the Cure (RZA) " Me and my older brother drive while listening "Wind Pipe with ODB" singing the chours verse out loud in the road"
2. Hip Hop(Lone Catayst) "Lost of musics on this albums are pretty good"
3.Along came the Chosen (Reks) "This is the album of the Skills 201" Great Album.
4.The Green CD (Non-Phixion) "This one was really crazy)
5. Eastern Conference part III (Various Artists)
6. Wu Chronicles Part II (Wu Tang Clan)
7. The W (Wu Tang Clan)
8. Où- Jevís (Shurik'n) "This is french rap, but is very ninja like even the name of the artist is Ninja, i devoured till the last track"
9.Poison Pen (Chino XL)
10. Good Gracious (M-Phasez) " He is a Composer"
11.The Pillage (Cappadonna)
12. Digital (KRS-ONE)

 

[Rip Torn]

I think the only reason people hate it now is because it is way overhyped and spoken about far too often. But there is no doubting it's classic status and one of the greatest albums of all time. I just don't think it's number 1 as so many people make it out to be.

Yeah, it may not be number 1, but there's no reason to shit on it just because it has reached this status. This is a thread about the best hip hop albums of all time. It would be criminal not to at least mention it.

 

[juicepouch]

I'm digging all the 90's recommendations listed here... Something about that era of hip hop just felt more real than what we have now. +1 to all you guys

PS Wu Tang too good

 

[NKZero]

I thought we'd get a discussion going with respect to particular artists so I have a few which is the best album questions...

• Common's best album?
• Ice Cube's best album?
• Rakim's best album (with or w/out Eric B.)?
• Big Daddy Kane's best album?
• Kool G Rap's best album (with or w/out DJ Polo)?
• Tupac's best album?

That's it for now.

 

[TheBoyBlunder]

I personally don't think he's the best but an argument can definitely be made for him though. Personally I would put ahead of him (on skill alone): GZA, Rakim, Big Daddy Kane, Kool G Rap and Nas definitely. He'd be in my top 10 on skill alone (but not overall). Lyrically, he's fantastic and the album is as well, if anything it's a slight on the production on some of the tracks on Capital Punishment more than anything, which I feel downgraded song quality. I liked his second album as well, albeit not as much. Was that an official album of his? I think it was released posthumously but I can't remember....sometime in 2000.

You make a good point about 92-96....literally everything that came out was fire! 1995 to me appears to be the best year with Liquid Swords, OB4CL, Me Against the World, LodPD, 4,5,6 etc. all coming out that year.

It was called
"Yea Babyyy"

Capital Punishment is the best debut album I've heard, but there are others that are close. It's sad Pun didn't get enough life to work on more projects.

 

[NKZero]

It was called
"Yea Babyyy"

Capital Punishment is the best debut album I've heard, but there are others that are close. It's sad Pun didn't get enough life to work on more projects.

I'd maybe argue that Lifestylez was better by Big L, but I recognise that Pun was more versatile and a better rapper skill wise. I just prefer L's voice, the production on the album and his punchlines can't be matched. It's a shame that the two of them couldn't extend past two albums...and Biggie as well. Big is just a cursed title to have lol...

 

[TheBoyBlunder]

I'd maybe argue that Lifestylez was better by Big L, but I recognise that Pun was more versatile and a better rapper skill wise. I just prefer L's voice, the production on the album and his punchlines can't be matched. It's a shame that the two of them couldn't extend past two albums...and Biggie as well. Big is just a cursed title to have lol...

I like Big L a lot too. Have you played with Wu-Tang vs DITC by Memory Man? I love it just because I get to hear the whole Wu, Percy P, Big L, etc all on consecutive tracks.

Im going to listen to some L right now.

 

[NKZero]

I like Big L a lot too. Have you played with Wu-Tang vs DITC by Memory Man? I love it just because I get to hear the whole Wu, Percy P, Big L, etc all on consecutive tracks.

Im going to listen to some L right now.

Just a random track out of the blue I'd recommend...on the Big L 'the Big Picture' album. Song is called 'Fall Back' featuring G Rap, who absolutely murders it.

I haven't but I'm gonna check it out now, thanks

 

[Rip Torn]

on the DITC tip, Show and AG - Goodfellas is a classic as well. Great back and forth wordplay by those two on that album.

@nfdsallwd listened to some Triple Darkness tracks. They're pretty good. Reminds me of Army of the Pharoahs and Jedi Mind Tricks.

 

[NKZero]

on the DITC tip, Show and AG - Goodfellas is a classic as well. Great back and forth wordplay by those two on that album.

@nfdsallwd listened to some Triple Darkness tracks. They're pretty good. Reminds me of Army of the Pharoahs and Jedi Mind Tricks.

Love Goodfellas . Man DITC were quite under the radar in comparison to many of the other hip hop groups around the time. To think they had Showbiz and AG, Diamond D and Buckwild, not least to mention the exceptional talents of Big L and Lord Finesse on the mic. So well rounded and I know I'm missing one or two members (Fat Joe, OC) but those ones really stood out to me, each in a unique way.