[humanflyz]

I'm trying to come up with a list of definitive hip hop albums that every true hip hop fan should have in his collection. So please list hip hop albums that you consider to be truly indispensable for hip-hop heads. With that said, I intend for this thread to be by hip hop fans for hip hop fans, so haters need not apply

This is my list, in no particular order:

1) Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five - The Message
2) Public Enemy - It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back
3) Eric B and Rakim - Paid In Full
4) Run DMC - Raising Hell
5) Wu-Tang Clan - 36 Chambers
6) Notorious BIG - Ready To Die
7) Nas - Illmatic
8) Jay-Z - Reasonable Doubt
9) 2Pac - Me Against The World
10) 2Pac - All Eyez On Me
11) Beastie Boys - Paul's Boutique
12) Dr. Dre - The Chronic
13) NWA - Straight Outta Compton
14) Ice Cube - Amerikka's Most Wanted
15) Beastie Boys - Licensed To Ill
16) Eminem - Slim Shady LP
17) Eminem - Marshall Mathers LP
18) Blackstar - Blackstar
19) Mos Def - Black On Both Sides
20) The Fugees - The Score
21) Lauryn Hill - The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill
22) The Roots - Things Fall Apart

 

[NightWoundsTime]

I'll add The Coup - Steal This Album. Not that well known but I'd say it's the most consistent rap music I've ever heard.

 

[virometal]

That's a pretty good list! I'll add...

A Tribe Called Quest - The Low End Theory
Kanye West - The College Dropout
Black Sheep - A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing

 

[daggerlee]

Second the Tribe, would add Midnight Marauders on there cause it's just that good, then you gotta also add Mobb Deep's The Infamous, Talib Kweli's Reflection Eternal, as well as Black Star

 

[s m @]

I'll add just two:

and

Oh, sorry, and

makes three.

 

[humanflyz]

You know, I've tried to get into MF Doom on at least three occasions, but I just never got "it", whatever "it" is, I guess I'll try it again today.

 

[s m @]

^^^Yeah, he's definitely not the most traditional MC. He's kind of got a 'stream of consciousness' thing going, you have to really pay attention sometimes just to understand what he's even talking about. That's when you start to clue into his wordplay and other little tricks. He is also likely the only MC ever to namecheck Gary Gnu (off News and Review, ha ha).

 

[jjhatfield]

Ooh great topic!! I wish I could say Wu-Tang Clan "Forever", since its my favorite wu disc, but even I know there is too much fat that needed trimmin' on this album. If it was one disc it could've been the greatest. But if I may:

GZA/Genius - Liquid Swords
Ghostface Killah - Supreme Clientele
Ghostface Killah - Fishscale
Boogie Down Productions - By All Means Necessary (more "must-have" then Criminal Minded, IMO)
EPMD - Strictly Business
Gang Starr - Daily Operation (if you could only have one Guru & Primo)
NaS - Illmatic
Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth - Mecca and the Soul Brother (best of the early 90's jazzy hop IMO)
Ultramagnetic MC's - Critical Beatdown
Afrika Bambatta - Looking For The Perfect Beat 1980-1985 (greatest hits, I know, but it is still SEMINAL, and thus must-have)

EDIT: oh and humanflyz, yeah MF takes some... what do they call it, lateral thinking to get into? Madvillainy had to slowly seep into me like the way minty-fresh Colgate slowly collapses into the toothbrush fibers if you don't rinse it and leave it lying there all day? Then at some point I was listening to "Money Folder" and Doom says, "MF the holder of a boulda / MONEY FOLDA'" and suddenly I was like "hot damn, I suddenly get this guy!" I don't know it was weird, good luck!

And if you think Madvillainy is hard try King Gheedorah.

 

[nogrot]

Thank goodness somebody mentioned Liquid Swords. It is easily my favorite of the Wu-Tang collective, by far. I can't believe a list like this could come up without anything by Dan the Automator. My favorite hip-hop album of all time is Dr. Octagon. The beats and production are unbelievable, and the lyrics continue making me laugh even years later now.

MF Doom is a genius. I also really like Sage Francis' first album, Personal Journals.

 

[Borat]

De La Soul - 3 Feet High and Rising
De La Soul - ...is Dead
The Pharcyde - Bizarre Ride II...
Outkast - Aquemini
The Gravediggaz - 6 Feet Deep

 

[CLum]

Outkast - ATLiens
Viktor Vaughn - Vaudeville Villain (In my opinion much better than Madvillainy)
Non-Prophets - Hope (best Sage Francis album)
Blackalicious - Nia, Blazing Arrow
Edan - Beauty and the Beat
Handsome Boy Modelling School - So... How's Your Girl?
J-Live - All of the Above

Thats all i can think of that has not been listed

 

[denl82]

I found Busta Rhymes "When Disaster Strikes" to be highly entertaining, even though I'm far from being a hip hop head

I also loveddddd wu-tang back in the day (WU. TANG. WU. TANG!), and I guess hip hop heads regard em just as highly

 

[Bonta]

Being a hip hop fan myself i must reccommend

Dr. Dre-The Chronic 2001 (debatable to some)

Del tha funkee homosapien (Deltron)- Deltron 3030

Mos Def & Talib Kweli- Black Star

The Roots-Game Theory (my first Roots album but i think its on point)

Dead Prez- Revolutionary but Gangsta

Immortal Technique- Revolutionary Volume 1 and 2

DJ Shadow- Endtroducing (this may count as hip hop no rapping but its pretty chill beats some of the songs are hip hopish)

 

[humanflyz]

Keep 'em coming guys, so far it's been a great list because now I know what I will get next time I go shopping on Amazon

And I can't believe I forgot about OutKast, a most grievous oversight

 

[jjhatfield]

Immortal Technique drops some of the best rhymes and has one of the best flows I have heard in hip-hop. Having said that, I would only say "Revolutionary Vol. 2" is a must have, not Vol. 1. Both records suffer from poor beats, but IT's flow and lyrics make it worth it. Still, I am looking forward to when IT gets with a fantastic producer (Stoupe where you at man?!) and releases a truly great album.

And yeah, Liquid Swords is one of those magical perfect albums, where it all just seemed to come together at the perfect time in the perfect place. An outstanding record, my favorite Wu-Banga. Anyone ever seen that clip from the movie Coffee & Cigarettes with RZA, GZA, and Bill Murray? Classic!

I also second Gravediggaz "6 Feet Under", an amazing disc from a hip-hop supergroup that actually works.

I can't get into Sage Francis. To me, he embodies the stereotypical white boy slam poet turned rapper, in that all his lyrics are totally emo (either about his mom or "the girl"). Not that there is anything wrong with that, it's just not my style when it comes to hip-hop. Having said that, I have only heard his second album and have not heard a Non-Prophets CD, so I might be mistaken.

I don't know if Chronic 2001 is a must-have, but The Chronic certainly is. Talk about the west coast blowin' up, I mean, damn! When is the last time you listened to that first track on the Chronic? That is some gangsta stuff!