Hip-Hop albums

Music
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Not really seen much in terms of Hip-Hop discussion on here other than a best rhymes thread which didn’t attract too much attention. So as the title suggests… what are some of your favourite Hip-Hop records? I’m very into much the early 2000’s Hip-Hop that plays heavy on soul samples. Here’s a couple to get started…

The title track from The Scenic Route by Panacea

I’ve been loving all of Ty’s albums throughout lockdown but I highly recommend his ‘Upwards’ album from 2003. Here’s a track from the album

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Black Moon has always been my 90s fave, they were like a rougher Tribe Called Quest with better jazz samples:

https://youtu.be/OnFmyMN50fM

https://youtu.be/nkJX__xpRmo

And of course:

https://youtu.be/vWJuArf0-Go

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mCQM67exwXo

If the girl doesn’t like to smile you need to take her
To a Diamond D show, cause I bring joy
To men, women, girls, boys
Jews, Gentiles, Catholics, Protestants
Step to Diamond D it’ll be your abolishment
I’m givin’ hand shakes for you and your man’s sake
'Cause I write rhymes so much that my hands ache
It’s '92 so what you gonna do?
Barbecue or buggalo?

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you gotta git on up offa that bullshit and stop fightin’ that feelin’

https://youtu.be/i3wcdizkHls

Bizarre Ride is up there too, no doubt!

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I made a hip hop mix last year that might be up your street. Quite a lot of golden era classics, but also some of the more forgotten stuff from the late 90’s early 00’s.

Part 1 which I made about 10 years earlier is also up here. This one probably had slightly more of the early 00’s stuff including some UK bits.

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Some post 2000 albums:

The master

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=JDHX67ovBd0

Saw Anti Pop Consortium live in Hackney around the time this album came out.

Also saw the Majesticons around the same time in Shoreditch.

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a much overlooked LP existing somewhere between early dungeon Fam and that much loved native tongues branch of the tree

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More post 2000 albums;

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Up there with the best…

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Listening to part 1 now, great selection here mind. Really enjoying this

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My favorite

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It’s a young man’s game, I’m well versed in hiphop '88-'08, but in the 2010s nothing really grabbed me, I let it go. Pete Rock & CL Smooth “The Main Ingredient” probably favourite album + I still go back to obnoxious rap from the noughties: Dipset, J-Zone, dirty south, lyrically it’s more fun than the political correct jazzy stuff

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https://youtu.be/n9g_XGq7hj0

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Hip Hop was my first real love but these days it all leaves me bored & cold, 88 to 94 was the Golden Age for me then Puffy & others came in & it became too corporate & too commercialised for me, its now completely neutered & defanged but as has been said it’s a young person’s music & i’m now middle aged.
Tribe are by far my favourite Hip Hop group & there’s lots of albums i could pick but i’ll pick this one from the Bronx scientists

https://youtu.be/PT2cELUq3uc

and this one which personifies the NY B Boy attitude for me & features Junkyard Ju Ju, one of my favourite MC’s.

https://youtu.be/pn2NT8DSeTA

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Played this in full on my commute to work a few weeks ago. Amazing!

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Agree. Not as much hip hop around that excites me these days.

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My top 3 Rap albums of all time are
Ice Cube / Death Certificate
De La Soul / Buhloone State Mind.
KMD / Mr Hood

Others that I rate highly are:

EL-P / Sleep when your dead
Cage / Hells Winter
POS / Never Better
Gangstar / step in the arena
Atmosphere / God Loves Ugly
Brother Ali / Shadows on the sun
BDP / Criminal Minded
Common / resurrection
Dr Dre / The Chronic
Masta Ace / Long hot summer
WC and the Madd Circle / aint a damn thing changed
PE / Yo bum rush
MC Shan / down by law
The Coup / Kill my landlord
Salt and Pepa / cool, hot, viscous

edit:

Just realised I left out Stetsasonic / On Fire. A crazy album and its from 86 and Rap albums were still quite a rare thing in 86 when the genre was still almost exclusively 12" based.

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some leftfield shit but a favorite:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8DK8TkP0DzM

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and then there’s Brand Nubian / One For All.
An incredible album and whilst playing it a few weeks ago for the first time in awhile I realized it is one of the great rap albums, a Five Mic album to my ears. A truly incredible album held together by a 13/14 good but not incredible tracks (well ok I’ll say Wake Up is incredible but that it). The sum is greater than the parts on this album.
Id say Grand Puba was probably the best MC in the world when this LP dropped, he was on fire.

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In 2013 sixty three members of the DWG forum (myself included) decided to vote on the top 100 Rap albums of all time.
This was the result:

1 Ultra’s - Critical Beatdown 1988
2 Nas - Illmatic 1994
3 Main Source - Breakin Atoms 1991
4 Diamond D - Stunts, Blunts & Hip Hop 1992
5 PE - It Takes a Nation of Millions 1988
6 Wu-Tang Clan - Enter the Wu-Tang 1993
7 BDK - Long Live The Kane 1988
8 ATCQ - Low End Theory 1991
9 BDP - Criminal Minded 1987
10 Gang Starr - Step in the Arena 1990
11 ATCQ - Midnight Maruaders 1993
12 Lord Finesse - Funky Technician 1990
13 Pete Rock & CL Smooth - Mecca & the Soul Brother 1992
14 Showbiz & AG - Runaway Slave 1992
15 Eric B & Rakim - Paid In Full 1987
16 Mobb Deep - The Infamous 1995
17 B.I.G. - Ready to Die 1994
18 Master Ace - Take a Look Around 1990
19 Dr. Dre - The Chronic 1992
20 Kool G Rap & DJ Polo - Road to the Riches 1989
21 Beastie Boys – Paul’s Boutique 1989
22 De La Soul - De La is Dead 1991
23 Raekwon - Only Built for Cuban Linx 1995
24 Eric B & Rakim - Follow the Leader 1988
25 De La Soul - 3 Feet & Rising 1989
26 Black Moon - Enta Da Stage 1993
27 EPMD - Strictly Business 1988
28 PE - Yo! Bum Rush the Show 1987
29 Ice Cube - Death Certificate 1991
30 Brand Nubians - One for All 1990
31 NWA - Straight Outta Compton 1988
32 Snoop Dogg - Doggystyle 1993
33 Gang Starr - Hard to Earn 1994
34 OK - Stress: The Extinction Agenda 1994
35 MF Doom - Operation Doomsday 1999
36 Jungle Brothers - Straight Out The Jungle 1988
37 PE - Fear of a Black Planet 1990
38 Big L - Lifestyles of da Poor & Dangerous 1995
39 Gang Starr - Daily Operation 1992
40 Redman - Whut? Thee Album 1992
41 GZA - Liquid Swords 1995
42 BDP - By All Means Necessary 1988
43 Souls of Mischief - 93 'til Infinity 1993
44 Smif n Wessun - Dah Shinnin’ 1995
45 MC Shan - Down By Law 1987
46 Lord Finesse - Return of the Funkyman 1992
47 Beatnuts - Street Level 1994
48 Just-Ice - Back to the Old School 1986
49 Slick Rick - The Great Adventures of Slick Rick 1988
50 Pharcyde - Bizarre Ride to the Pharcyde 1992
51 Marley Marl - In Control Vol.1 1988
52 ATCQ - People’s Instinctive Travels 1990
53 Ice Cube - Amerikkkas Most Wanted 1990
54 Hijack - The Horns of Jericho 1991
55 Outkast - ATLiens 1996
56 Tuff Crew - Back To Wreck Shop 1989
57 Kool G Rap & DJ Polo - Wanted Dead or Alive 1990
58 EPMD - Business As Usual 1990
59 Biz Markie - Goin’ Off 1988
60 OK - OK 1991
61 Tuff Crew - Danger Zone 1988
62 Common - Ressurection 1994
63 Stetsasonic - In Full Gear 1988
64 KMD - Mr Hood 1991
65 Gang Starr - Moment of Truth 1998
66 Beastie Boys - Licensed to Ill 1986
67 OC - Word…Life 1994
68 Run DMC - Raising Hell 1986
69 Chill Rob G - Ride the Rhythm 1989
70 Cypress Hill - Cypress Hill 1991
71 De La Soul - Buhloone Mindstate 1993
72 Lords Of The Underground ‎– Here Come The Lords 1993
73 EPMD - Unfinished Business 1989
74 Stezo - Crazy Noise 1989
75 Black Sheep - A Wolf in Sheeps Clothing 1991
76 Ice-T - Iceberg 1989
77 Mantronix - The Album 1986
78 LL Cool J - Mama Said Knock You Out 1990
79 Masta Ace inc. - Slaughtahouse 1993
80 Gunshot - Pariot Games 1993
81 Jeru The Damaja - Wrath of the Math 1996
82 Capone & Noreaga - The War Report 1997
83 Low Profile - We’re in this Together 1989
84 Run DMC - King of Rock 1985
85 Run DMC - Tougher Than Leather 1988
86 Jungle Brothers - Done by the Forces of Nature 1989
87 Jay-Z - Reasonable Doubt 1996
88 Real Live - The Turnaround 1996
89 OC - Jewelz 1997
90 Stetsasonic - On Fire 1986
91 Company Flow - Funcrusher Plus 1997
92 LL Cool J - Bigger & Deffer 1987
93 Pete Rock & CL Smooth - The Main Ingredient 1994
94 Showbiz & AG - Goodfellas 1995
95 Run DMC - Run DMC 1984
96 King Tee - Act A Fool 1988
97 BDK - It’s a Big Daddy Thing 1989
98 3rd Bass - The Cactus 1989
99 Jeru - Sun Rises in the East 1994
100 Lord Finesse - The Awakening
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