The top 25 Hip-Hop albums of all time...

[sohi 23]

25.) Resurrection - Common
Favorite Song: I Used to Love H.E.R.. Common Sense at his finest. Crazy wordplay and he knocked one of the greatest hip-hop songs ever onthis album.

24.) Strictly Business - EPMD
Favorite Song: You Gots to Chill. Eric and Parrish Makin Dollars! You got to be crazy if you can't nod your heads to these songs.

23.) Licensed to Ill - Beastie Boys
Favorite Song: Fight for your Right. IMO, the most slept on hip-hop album ever. This joint is too ill. Paul's Boutique is dope too, but this is much better to me.

22.) 3 Feet High and Rising - De La Soul
Favorite Song: Me Myself and I. A totally different sound than what was accustomed too. This album changed the game.

21.) Supreme Clientele - Ghostface Killah
Favorite Song: Mighty Healthy. One of my fav. MCs ever. You may not know what the %#!@ he's talking about, but it sounds so damn sick

20.) Life After Death - The Notorious B.I.G.
Favorite Song: Notorious Thugs. The Death of a legend. I kind of wish some songs were taken out and this was made into a 1 disk albuminstead. It would have been better than RtD.

19.) The Fix - Scarface
Favorite Song: Guess Who's Back. One of the best to ever do it. I think this is better than The Diary.

18.) Death Certificate - Ice Cube
Favorite Song: True to the Game. It's crazy to think that a rapper who put this album out was the main character in "Are We ThereYet?" I ain't mad though, get your paper Cube! On a serious tip, Ice Cube was the best MC of the early 90s(til about 94) Seriously.

17.) Criminal Minded - Boogie Down Productions
Favorite Song: The Bridge is Over. KRS with over 20 years in the game, there's a reason for that, and it starts with this album. TheBride Wars

16.) Doggystyle - Snoop Dogg
Favorite Song: Gin and Juice. Some of Dre's best work. Throw this joint at a party and leave it running.

15.) Straight Outta Compton - N.W.A.
Favorite Song: Straight Outta Compton. This album is the pinnicle of gangstar rap. Dre's production and the message that these guys putout had people %@$%%%+% bricks.

14.) Reasonable Doubt - Jay-Z
Favorite Song: Can I Live? Jay at his finest. Great production and Jay at his best(lyrics wise).

13.) Me Against the World - Tupac
Favorite Song: Dear Mama. It's kind of taboo to say Tupac is overrated, but he's not. He's not the most lyrical artist to evergrace the earth, but if you can't feel the man's emotions and pains through his songs, I don't know what to tell you. One of the best to ever doit.

12.) Aquemini - Outkast
Favorite Song: Aquemini. The best Outkast album IMO. 3000 and Big Boi representing for the South.

11.) Liquid Swords - GZA
Favorite Song: Liquid Swords. The 2nd best Wu Solo effort. RZA's production is flawless and the Genius lives up to his name.

10.) The Low End Theory - A Tribe Called Quest
Favorite Song: Scenario. Phife and Q-Tip doing their thing. This album has it's own unique sound, and it's amazing.

9.) Paid in Full - Eric B. and Rakim
Favorite Song: Paid in Full. Rakim at his finest, lyrics galore.

8.) Midnight Marauders - A Tribe Called Quest
Favorite Song: Award Tour. The best CD by the greatest hip-hop group of all time. 2 albums in my top 10 shows what I think about them.

7.) It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold us Back - Public Enemy
Favorite Song: Bring the Noise In terms of impact, def. in the top 3 albums of hip-hop history. Politically inspired rap at it'sfinest.

6.) Enter the Wu-Tang: 36 Chambers - Wu-Tang Clan
Favorite Song: C.R.E.A.M. The debut of the biggest hip-hip group in history. They may have fell off, but there is no denying how sick theywere in their prime.

5.) The Chronic - Dr. Dre
Favorite Song: Nuthin' but a G Thang. West Coast hip hop at the top. The G-Funk sound is just too smooth

4.) Ready to Die - The Notorious B.I.G.
Favorite Song: Juicy. BIG's best work, it's a shame he only had a hand in 2 albums.

3.) The Infamous - Mobb Deep
Favorite Song: Shook Ones Part 2. There wasn't many people(if any) seeing P at this time. The most raw, gritty album ever to me.

2.) Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... - Raekwon
Favorite Song: Verbal Intercourse. The album that ushered in the Mafioso inspired rap. From start to finish, the most complete hip-hopalbum ever

1.) Illmatic - NaS
Favorite Song: The World is Yours. Perfection on a disk. I can change the order of the other 24 on this list, but this is ALWAYS going to be the best Hip-hopalbum ever to me. The production, lyrics, everything about it is flawless.






Missed the Cut:
ATLiens - Outkast
E 1999 Eternal - Bone Thugs N Harmony
Raising Hell - Run D.M.C.
Marshall Mathers LP - Eminem
All Eyez on Me - Tupac
STILLmatic - NaS
The Great Adventures of Slick Rick - Slick Rick
Black on Both Sides - Mos Def
Bizarre Ride II to the Pharcyde - The Pharcyde
Ironman - Ghostface Killah
Game Theory - The Roots
Let's Get Free - Dead Prez
Criminal Minded - Boogie Down Productions
The Score - The Fugees
Grip It! On That Other Level - Geto Boys



I tried my best to include multiple regions, but ehh.

Thoughts/opinions?
Let me hear em'.

 

[theekinqq]

blacksheep- blacksheep

beastie boys- paul boutique


del the funkee homosapien--deltron 3030


scarface- mr scarface is back

ugk - ridin dirty

de la soul --buhloone mindstate


replace supreme clientele , aquemini, and doggystle with
pharcyde- bizzare ride
ironman- ghostface
outkast- atliens


IMO

 

[scotthallwithapick]

probably change title to My top 25.
With that sad I disagree of course here and there but that's all personal opinion but I can't be mad at the list but you put Mobb high and I can thinkof a few 2pac albums better than All Eyez on Me

 

[escobar0o3]

outkast - atliens

lupe - the cool

?

very good list though.. and atcq is my fav. group of all time.

 

[sohi 23]

I want to put Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde up there, but idk what to take out.

I put SC ahead of Ironman because it felt more like a solo Ghost joint to me, if that makes sense.

The Cool was dope, but I can't just put an album that's been out for a year on my top 25. Give it time...

 

[sohi 23]

Originally Posted by ScottHallWithAPick

I can think of a few 2pac albums better than All Eyez on Me

I had Me Against the World up there tho.

 

[DVMNXK]

23.) Licensed to Ill - Beastie Boys
Favorite Song: Fight for your Right. IMO, the most slept on hip-hop album ever.
Slept on? It went diamond (10 million) in the United States....what are you talking about?

But

@ Illmatic

 

[DVMNXK]

23.) Licensed to Ill - Beastie Boys
Favorite Song: Fight for your Right. IMO, the most slept on hip-hop album ever.
Slept on? It went diamond (10 million) in the United States....what are you talking about?

But

@ Illmatic

 

[theekinqq]

Originally Posted by Illuztrious

23.) Licensed to Ill - Beastie Boys
Favorite Song: Fight for your Right. IMO, the most slept on hip-hop album ever.

Slept on? It went diamond (10 million) in the United States....what are you talking about?

But

@ Illmatic
i think he mean slept cuz it doesnt really get mentioned anymore
altough theres like 3 songs on there that get constant rotation on 94.5 the buzz here in houston


i see what u mean by ghostface

i just like ironmann alooot more than sc. it has that old wu vibe.

 

[theekinqq]

maybe a few years from now
we can officaly put
well i can



college dropout- west
food liquor/ cool - lupe

maybe grodt - 50

 

[p0tat0 5alad]

as long as Midnight Marauders is ahead of Low End Theory...

 

[g raider]

my list would be way different.

 

[purplehazze96]

Originally Posted by Plan Beats

Not mad at it.

 

[beallsfinest]

I would move Death Certificate up about 10 spots and By All Means Necessary is better than Criminal Minded IMO.

And there is no way It Takes A Nation shouldn't be in the top 3...Illmatic is the only album touching it. The rest of the list is pretty good tho.

 

[tuff g0ng]

As an admitted Jay fan/stan, I'm obligated to complain about your placing of Reasonable Doubt; I don't thinkneither MAtW nor Liquid Swords is better, the others you put above it have amore legit argument...

And I'd switch OB4CL and The Infamous. I feel that the latter is moreworthy of the title of "most complete hip hop album ever", it's almost like a movie to me.

 

[flossb15]

i would move reasonable Doubt up to at least 7 spot

i like the list, but mine would be diff.

Im proud that the fix is on there

 

[mideastbeast]

Where's Violent by Design ?

Anyway, not a bad list, but mine would be different.

 

[cicco1212]

Wheres Kanye?

 

[tuff g0ng]

Originally Posted by cicco1212

Wheres Kanye?

'Ye is one of my favorite rappers/artists and LR is one of my favorite albums EVER, but none of hisalbums are better than the 25 that OP posted.

 

[send one]

Originally Posted by Plan Beats

Not mad at it.

At all!

This is probably the best "list" I've seen on NT.

And co sign Bulloon Mindstate.

 

[illphillip]

Replace 1+3 with 7+9. Just not seeing Illmatic as the top Hip Hop album of all time. Nor Infamous at 3.

In the grand scheme of their greatness to Hip Hop overall. If that makes sense. Nas is crazy with the words and it's an epic album. I don't know thatyou couldn't say the same about Paid In Full and that one is significantly better than the other musically or even any more significant than the other attheir time and beyond. I won't even get into The Infamous.

And you can't really overstate the impact that Public Enemy had at their peak. I don't think Nas can #@@% with that. The "Real" Hip Hop headslove Nas. But PE was bigger than that. As was IT TAKES A NATION OF MILLIONS......

But you seem to have a 90's bias, where I definitely hold the epic late 80's albums in high regard. They are the true foundation of Hip Hop/Rap as youknow it today in my opinion. From the production to the rhyme schemes. So we'll just agree to disagree probably. But I do appreciate your respect for thelate 80's with EPMD, BDP (on list but "missed the cut"), and Beastie's in particular, who never get their due.

 

[cadillacflow]

Nice list. If you really like all of those, good for you. You are a true Hip-Hop head. Some of those albums are called "classics", but I don'tthink they are really all that great (won't name them because I don't want to get banned from the music forum). And I've tried to listen to many ofthem multiple times. I've come to realize 9 out of 10 times, if I didn't like it then, I won't like it now.

You left off my 2 of my personal top 5 All-Time favorites: Makaveli and AtLiens. Other than that, well thought out and very nice list.

 

[sylvestermcgrizzly]

No RD in the top 10...

 

[sohi 23]

Which one would you take off?

All the albums in the top 10 are better than RD.
It's a great album, but I'm not going to put it into the top 10 because it's Jay-Z's best album.

Jay-Z is not bigger then hip-hop.


Anyway, illphillip good reply.
I am a little biased towards the mid 90s hip-hop era (hence my top 3), but I see where you're coming from.
I still stand my Illmatic to be the best hip-hop album ever. It Takes a Nation of Millions probably had a much bigger impact overall, but I still can't putit above Illmatic.
That is the gold standard to me.
40 minutes of storytelling, amazing lyrics, great production, etc.


And to the dude earlier, I said Licensed to Ill was the most slept on hip-hop album ever because I don't really see it mentioned at all now a days.

 

[sylvestermcgrizzly]

Originally Posted by SoHi 23

Which one would you take off?

All the albums in the top 10 are better than RD.
It's a great album, but I'm not going to put it into the top 10 because it's Jay-Z's best album.

Jay-Z is not bigger then hip-hop.


Anyway, illphillip good reply.
I am a little biased towards the mid 90s hip-hop era (hence my top 3), but I see where you're coming from.
I still stand my Illmatic to be the best hip-hop album ever. It Takes a Nation of Millions probably had a much bigger impact overall, but I still can't put it above Illmatic.
That is the gold standard to me.
40 minutes of storytelling, amazing lyrics, great production, etc.


And to the dude earlier, I said Licensed to Ill was the most slept on hip-hop album ever because I don't really see it mentioned at all now a days.

Relax, this is your list fine thats you but i dont have to agree with what u feel is ya top 10. Jus cuz i would put it in my top ten doesnt mean i think or sayhe is bigger than hip hop...#+$* is you talkin bout? Did i say all of his albums is top ten?

...and since u asked me, i would take the infamous out the top 10...and thats myopinion...