From early years in my life, being introduced to groups like Run-DMC and De La Soul to now, I’ve been a huge hip hop fan, and it’s helped shape me into who I am today. I love a great beat with some clever lyrics thrown into the mix. So, without further ado, let’s take a look at my top 10 favorite hip albums of all time. (Disclaimer: most of these albums contain explicit content. If that’s not your kind of thing, I’d suggest trying to find a clean version)
My Top TEN Favorite Hip Hop Albums
By: DJ Lopes
For those of you who have kept up with all of my prior articles (First of all, thank you, the support means the world), you’ll notice that I’ve done a article rather similar to this. Last year, I wrote an article on my top 10 favorite albums of all time. Then I realized something upon reading and rereading plenty of times: I didn’t have any hip hop on there! From early years in my life, being introduced to groups like Run-DMC and De La Soul to now, I’ve been a huge hip hop fan, and it’s helped shape me into who I am today. I love a great beat with some clever lyrics thrown into the mix. So, without further ado, let’s take a look at my top 10 favorite hip albums of all time. (Disclaimer: most of these albums contain explicit content. If that’s not your kind of thing, I’d suggest trying to find a clean version)
#10: Black on Both Sides- Mos Def (1999)
We start of this list with Dante Terrell “Mos Def” Smith. “Mighty” Mos Def proved his namesake on this record. His first solo album (he was a member of the group Blackstar, with Talib Kweli), he let his own words do the talking, using primarily his own stuff. Talib Kweli provides one verse, he shares some time with Busta Rhymes on one song, and Q-Tip of A Tribe Called Quest provides one singular chorus, with Mos Def taking the load of the verses. This lengthy album, 17 tracks and 71 total minutes of music, provides politically powered lyrics (He became an activist later on in his career) and carefully chosen and clever rhymes, showcasing an excellent flow combined with meaningful messages. His mastery is perhaps most apparent on “Mathematics”, the second to last track on the album. Rapping over a DJ Premier produced beat, sampling Wu-Tang-Clan, Erykah Badu and James Brown, Def highlights government financial actions and the state of black affairs, especially in terms of facing cops. This whole album is worth a listen, and lands at 10 on my list.
Favorite Song: “Mathematics”
#9: Acidrap- Chance the Rapper (2013)
This is a recent find that I’ve found myself addicted to of late. Technically a mixtape, Chance released this for free on Soundcloud in 2013 as a follow-up to his 2012 mixtape, 10 Day. But it was Acidrap that really got Chancelor “Chance” Bennett on the map. Very well produced for a mixtape, Chance showcased excellent flow, clever lyrics, and an ability to mix upbeat songs with slower, more somber songs dealing with addiction, loss, and overall struggle (see “Acid Rapper”). If I had listened to this a lot earlier, this could’ve cemented a spot higher on this list. But this album will have you deep in your thoughts and feelings and also overjoyed with an inability to wipe the smile off your face
Favorite Song: “Favorite Song (featuring Childish Gambino)”
#8: Malibu- Anderson Paak (2016)
Much like Acidrap, this too was a bit of a recent find. After listening to Watsky’s “All You Can Do”(which you might find later on this list), which was produced by Paak and heavily featured him, I knew I had to check his stuff out. I was far from disappointed. Paak is less of a rapper, more of a smooth singer with a jazzy tone, aided by pianos and trumpets. However, this album is modern hip hop at some of its absolute best. Paak sings a lot of about love and having a good time. Songs like “The Bird” slow it down to give .Paak a chance to share his sentiments, but also brings that speed right back up for songs like “Come Down” to bring an impalpable level of energy. Every performance, from .Paak to his in house band, the Free Nationals, and every feature, from stars like Talib Kweli and The Game to up and comers like Schoolboy Q and BJ the Chicago Kid is excellent. If you want something fresh and new to listen to, I’d highly recommend this album.
Favorite Song: “Come Down”
#7: Have A Nice Life- MURS (2015)
For those of you unaware of this Californian born rapper, MURS, or Making the Universe Recognize and Submit, his most recent effort is one I’d highly recommend. He started out in 1997 and you can definitely tell his mid 90’s west coast roots in his raps. His single “The Worst”, about dealing with a girl trying to ruin MURS marriage, has a chorus sounding eerily similar to Biz Markie’s 1989 hit “Just a Friend”. The rest of the album brings back an old school west-coast rap vibe, talking about love, and struggles of growing up in Southern California. Perhaps the strongest example of the West-coast Tupac/Ice Cube vibe is the song “Okey Dog”, detailing the stories of the one-man gang “Okey Dog Crib”. Overall, this album is all around great and one I’d highly suggest.
Favorite Song: “The Worst”
#6: Illmatic- Nas (1994)
Perhaps the Magnum Opus for Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones (to make this simpler for both you and me, lets just stick to Nas), Illmatic is front to back a masterpiece that perhaps outshines the Notorious B.I.G. for representative sound of the East Coast hip hop movement of the 90’s. Despite being his first album (yet another debut album on this list), he was able to land hip hop legends such as Pete Rock and Q-Tip as producers. Most of his songs are reminiscent of his days growing up in Queensbridge, New York. His raps vary from positivity (“The World is Yours”) to the downright depressing themes (“Life’s A B****”). But overall, Nas exemplifies a great flow and smart lyricism. If to highlight just one song, “NY State of Mind” is a constant showcase of Nas’ talent. Talking about New York, of course, Nas goes off over a slick beat that on it’s very own could be listened to on loop. Overall, it’s one of the greatest and most iconic albums in the history of hip hop, and it comes at 6th in my list.
Favorite Song: “NY State of Mind”
#5: The College Dropout- Kanye West (2004)
Yet another debut album on the list, I still believe this is far and wide the best work from Kanye West. This is a controversial topic, as the same question will pose many different answers, from Graduation to 808’s and Heartbreak and even Late Registration. But I believe that everything that makes a Kanye album is in this package. Despite releasing in ‘04, West actually began working on the album in 1999. West is known for producing all his music, and he coined his trademark of production in this album with his sped up, pitch shifted vocal samples (The style was later coined as “Chipmunk Soul”). West covers many topics in this album, from his own self-consciousness to religion. While this album contains many great songs, one that stands out among the rest for its own unique reasons is “Through The Wire”. In late 2003, West got into a serious car accident driving home from a producing session around 3 a.m., and the accident required his jaw to be wired back to his face. Somehow, two weeks later, West recorded this song about his accident, while his jaw was still wired shut. Even still, the album gets better, as it also features arguably West’s best and most controversial song, “Jesus Walks”. Religion has always been a touchy subject in music, but West attacks the subject with such passion and fervor, professing his love for Jesus, and claiming that while other rappers can talk about such illegal activities, he should be able to rap about religion. This album proved that West was here to stay, and stay West did, becoming a staple and the face of hip hop in the 21st century.
Favorite Song: “Jesus Walks”
#4: The Rising Tied- Fort Minor (2005)
Critics didn’t believe that Linkin Park would be a success. They couldn’t wrap their heads around a rock band that also had a rap sound. They immediately wrote Linkin Park rapper Mike Shinoda out of the picture. But the band continued their ways and rose to fame in the rap-rock scene of the early 2000’s. In the mid-2000’s, Shinoda went off to do his own project with Fort Minor, based solely off of the hip hop aspect of Linkin Park. And this project was a rousing success. Shinoda proved his worth and more on this album. He was able to get great feature support on the album, from singers and rappers like John Legend and Common, to groups like the Styles of Beyond. Yet Shinoda holds his own against some of these greats. There is a personal touch to all of his songs, as it feels like they’ve all been written based off personal experience, rather than just a facade. My favorite song on the album, “Kenji”, is a song discussing topics I have never heard in a rap song. “Kenji” talks about Shinoda’s family’s struggles being a Japanese-American after the bombings of Pearl Harbor. His family was sent to an internment camp, and even when they came home, they found their home to have been trashed and defaced by American nationalists. The beats are well produced, best played at the loudest volume, the lyrics hit hard, and the overall construction and tone of the album is excellent. A must-listen for those who haven’t.
Favorite Song: “Kenji”
#3: Professional Rapper- Lil’ Dicky (2015)
Now this is where, and understandably, I imagine I’ll lose some people. A rapper known mainly for his comedy at #3? To those who raise questions, I will simply give you one answer: Just give the album a listen. Yes, he has some comedy based rap, but he can also talk about serious topics like love and feeling a disconnect to everything and everyone. Lil’ Dicky has an excellent way with words, with immensely creative metaphors, utilizing his knowledge of sports and overall education. Even his comedy raps prove his talent, as they showcase him as one of the best storytellers in rap today. The formation of his album harkens back to classic 90’s albums that had skits in the middle. Dicky includes many skits, including an interlude by comedian Hannibal Buress and a couple phone calls between Lil’ Dicky and his parents. My favorite track, “Molly”, highlights his storytelling ability in a more serious light. He tells the story of a love lost because of Lil’ Dicky’s pursuing of a rap career. This album has something for many different fans of rap, and definitely deserves a listen
Favorite Song: “Molly (Featuring Brendon Urie)”
#2: Aquemini: Outkast (1998)
Despite my wide range of likes when it comes to rap, it’s always come down to two groups: Outkast and A Tribe Called Quest. I’ve always questioned which group I liked more, which could be potentially answered by the result of this list. But it cannot be denied that Antwan André “Big Boi” Patton and Benjamin “Andre 3000” André are one of the best hip hop duos in the history of the genre. The general consensus would probably put “Stankonia” as the best Outkast album, however, in my mind, Aquemini has some of the best songs in the group’s history. The album starts off hard-hitting, with “Return of the ‘G’”, including Andre 3000 talking about the return of the group thanks to the critics of the group. From there on, the album speaks on race and destructive childhoods. While Lil’ Dicky is considered a great storyteller, his work most likely wouldn’t exist if it weren’t for songs like my personal favorite on the album “Da Art of Storytellin’”. Da Art of Storytellin’ chronicles 2 girls from the group members past, Suzy Screw and Sasha Thumper, and the girls own self destruction, mainly Sasha Thumpers destructive drug addiction. This album contains some of Andre 3000’s best verses, but his verse on “Da Art of Storytellin’” could potentially be the best one he has ever laid down. I say this with every album, but it still rings true, now more than ever: listen to this album. You won’t regret it.
Favorite Song: “Da Art of Storytellin’ Pt. 1”
#1: The Low End Theory- A Tribe Called Quest (1991)
As I mentioned with the last album, my 2 favorite hip hop groups will always be Outkast and A Tribe Called Quest. I always questioned which one I liked more, and for a while was leaning more towards Outkast. Then I revisited this album, which for sure changed my mind. Front to back, this album is simply a masterpiece. Despite this not being Tribe at full strength (They lost a member, Jarobi White, who later returned after this album), Q-Tip and Phife Dawg on the mic and Ali Shaheed Muhammad on the turntables are at the top of their game on this album. While Big Boi and Andre 3000 are excellent together, they don’t seem to share the same connection and cohesiveness on a track as Q-Tip and Phife. Both are more than capable to carry their own verse and also coexist within the same verse. They have a chemistry like none other and it’s more than apparent on the entirety of the album. Along with this, they were able to collaborate with the Leaders of the New School, including Busta Rhymes, to create one of the best collaborative songs in the history of hip hop, “Scenario”. But aside from that, my favorite track from the album, and potentially of all time, is “Check The Rhime”. This is simply a song created for Tip and Phife to flex their figurative muscles, and flex they did. Working both in tandem and solo on the song, both show an incredible flow and overall talent. If you find yourself wanting to get into A Tribe Called Quest, I’d first tell you to just listen to the whole entire discography, but most importantly, I’d tell you to start off with this gem of an album.
Favorite Song: “Check The Rhime”
Honorable Mentions: Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City- Kendrick Lamar, All You Can Do- Watsky, Camp- Childish Gambino, The Letter O- Dame D.O.L.L.A
Recent Comments