#10.Snoop Dogg - Doggystyle
Carrying on the raw tradition of The Chronic, Snoop Dogg crafts another G-Funk masterpiece with Dr. Dre supplying the beats. From his semi-nasal tone to his erratic sense of humor, Snoop masterfully devised a way to make himself an unforgettable rapper. Witty and gritty at the same time, his vocal presence unwavering and smooth. Without a doubt, Doggystyle opened the door for several west coast emcees. Dr. Dre's sonic finesse aside, Snoop's piquant delivery, timely cadence, and haunting hooks were equally imperial to the Doggystyle's success. Gangsta rap never sounded so sweet. * Top Tracks Gin and Juice
* Who Am I? (What's My Name)
* Murder Was The Case
* Doggy Dogg World
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#9. 2 Pac - Me Against The World
This essential hip-hop album established Tupac Shakur as an emotionally raw artist-turned-icon. Me Against The World is a seamless amalgamation of his irreverent take on hip-hop and the black struggle. His multiple personalities permeate the album: occasionally vulnerable, occasionally cantankerous. Me Against The World is 2Pac at his best: no excessive thug braggarts, no name-inscribed lyrical missiles aimed at east coast rappers. (In fact, he pays homage to rap pioneers on "Old School.") This is simply Pac and his poignant, albeit defiant, multi-faceted dispositions. And you wonder why he's still the most imitated rapper of all time.
* Top Tracks Dear Mama
* Lord Knows
* Me Against The World
* So Many Tearz
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#8. Scarface - The Fix
Brad Jordan (a.k.a. Scarface) has always been an elder statesman of rap. On this timeless release, he reached out to the avant garde in the genre: Beanie Sigel, Kanye West, The Neptunes, Jay-Z, and Nas. The Fix is colored by unparalleled artistry; from the head-scratching album cover to the shimmering production. Scarface's heightened spiritual awareness and ominous street tales help make it a must-have for all hip-hop heads. Southern rap has not witnessed any other certified classic since The Fix.
* Top Tracks In Cold Blood
* My Block
* Someday
* In Between Us
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#7. Dr. Dre - The Chronic
Dre's funky bass lines and heavy synths, coupled with the lyrical showcase from the likes of Snoop and RBX, changed the sound of hip-hop and made The Chronic a household name in the genre. But most importantly, The Chronic was instrumental in the commercialization of gangsta rap by introducing the G-Funk style of hip-hop to the mainstream. Dr. Dre's groundbreaking solo debut also served as a podium for bourgeoning west coast rappers including Lady of Rage, Kurupt, Daz, and Snoop Dogg. From the abrasive Eazy-E dis, "Dre Day", to the headphone favorite, "Nuthin' But A G Thang", Dre's chemistry with Snoop was as captivating as it was refreshing.
* Top Tracks Stranded On Death Row
* Nuthin' But A G Thang
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#6. A Tribe Called Quest - The Low End Theory
he Native Tongues' hypnotic grooves added a familiar element to hip-hop: "jazzified rap." A Tribe Called Quest's Low End Theory spearheaded the jazzy, soulful hip-hop movement that has now garnered them discipleship from the likes of Kanye West, Slum Village, and Little Brother. Produced largely by the crew of boardsmen known as The Ummah (Q-Tip, Jay Dee and co), The Low End Theory is Tribe at its best. A performance that's only rivaled by their Native Tongues brothers--De La Soul and Jungle Brothers.
* Top Tracks Scenario ft Busta Rhymes
* Verses from The Abstract
* Buggin' Out
* Check The Rhime
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#5. Jay-Z - Reasonable Doubt
Reasonable Doubt arrived in a year that churned out many heavyweight rap releases, including 2Pac's Me Against The World, Fugees' The Score, and Nas' It Was Written, to keep the list brief. Yet, Jay-Z's "unified steady flow," witty lyricism, and confident (if not cocky) delivery made him stand tall. Even when The Notorious B.I.G.'s cameo on "Brooklyn's Finest," threatened to steal the show, Hov held his own, going pound for pound with the late legend. Sprinkling slick and memorable one-liners here and there, Reasonable Doubt established Jigga as a swagger-ful, charismatic rapper. His best work so far? Absolutely!
* Top Tracks Dead Presidents II
* Can't Knock The Hustle
* Regrets
* 22 Two's
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#4. Wu-Tang - 36 Chambers (Enter The Wu-Tang)
This introductory Wu-Tang album became a career-defining platform for the proliferation of all 9 original clan members and their 1,073 affiliates. In fact the 12-track-long album didn't provide enough ventilation for RZA, Ghostface, GZA, Raekwon, the late Ol' Dirty Bastard, Method Man, Masta Killah, Inspectah Deck, and U-God to stretch out their unique eccentricities. But, it was just enough to set the bar high for the several rap crews that would later attempt to re-write the Wu recipe.
* Top Tracks C.R.E.A.M.
* Protect Ya Neck
* Can It Be All So Simple
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#3. The Notorious B.I.G. - Ready To Die
With the aid of Puff Daddy, Biggie helped concoct the formula for 90's rap albums by including club singles like "Big Poppa" and "One More Chance," on a street LP like Ready To Die. The shock-inducing, highly dramatic debut was successful due to Biggie's crisp, meticulously-structured flow and distinct delivery. Serious tales about the harsh realities of street life, suicidal thoughts, and nightmarish death threats, many of which B.I.G. claimed were drawn from real experiences, help make Ready To Die a stakeholder in east coast rap. 8 million people would later agree. Although Ready To Die has enjoyed a tremendous amount of sales since Biggie's demise on March 9, 1997, the album suffered a setback on March 19, 2006. Following a copyrights infringement lawsuit, a judge recently ordered that sales on the album be halted, because the title track for Ready To Die sampled Ohio Players' "Singing in The Morning" without permission.
* Top Tracks Juicy
* Big Poppa
* Ready To Die
* Unbelievable
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#2. Public Enemy - It Takes A Nation of Millions To Hold Us Back
Lacing up-tempo tracks with social commentary, Chuck D, Professor Griff, Terminator X, Flavor Flav, and Bill Stephenney--collectively known as Public Enemy--helped introduce revolution-on-wax with their debut, Yo! Bum Rush The Show. But it wasn't until the explosive follow-up, It Takes A Nation of Millions... that hip-hop fans (myself inclusive) started to grasp the concept of a socially conscious, hardcore sound. Chuck challenged everything that challenged the upliftment of black people: police brutality, racial profiling, stereotypes, negligence, etc. A definitive hip-hop essential by one of the greatest groups of all time.
* Top Tracks Rebel Without A Pause
* Don't Believe The Hype
* Black Steel In The Hour of Chaos
* Night of The Living Baseheads
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#1. Nas - Illmatic
Often heralded as the "hip-hop bible" by fans and critics alike, Illmatic is proof that you don't need an hour long CD to create a classic album. Nas crammed into 39 minutes more potent material than most rappers are able to produce in twice that amount of time. With A-list producers (DJ Premier, Large Professor, Pete Rock and Q-Tip) supplying the beats, 19 year old Nasir Jones dispensed endless chains of multi-syllabic rhymes throughout his debut LP, tossing vivid imageries and metaphors like confetti. Illmatic is the paradigm of exotic lyricism and stellar production. Not only is this the greatest hip-hop album of all time, it's the most essential hip-hop album.
* Top Tracks Halftime
* It Ain't Hard To Tell
* The World Is Yours
* New York State of Mind
* Memory Lane