Hello hip hop Boys and Girls! Welcome back! When we last left off, you all were reveling in my list of most masterful albums ever recorded. Of course there were a few grumblings about a selection or two (you guys really don’t appreciate Drake huh?) but all in all, not much else was contended. With that said and without further adieu, allow me to reintroduce myself, my name is… The 17 Best Hip-Hop Albums Ever Recorded Pt. 2

What can I say about this hip hop classic that hasn’t already been said about this hip hop classic (did I mention it’s a hip hop classic?)  Top to bottom, Low End Theory is still one of the best sonic voyages through a period known for being more innocuous than today’s turbulent life and times. Q-Tip, Phife Dawg and Ali Shahid Muhammad lead us to believe that hip hop would somehow remain carefree and never grow up.  Oh how they were wrong (unfortunately). For the time being, they manged to capture hip hop’s wonder years.

Produced by Skeff Anslem and ATCQ,  jazzed out samples, laid back flows and last poet excerpts provided the canvas for this classic.  You on point, Tip? All the time and on every single track Phife. Never mind Bugging Out, Butter and Jazz. Forget about Excursions, Show Business and Skypager (now there’s a blast from the past.)  Low End Theory may have been considered a classic for Check the Rhyme alone but if not, certainly for Scenario and the immortal Busta Rhymes’ line “Rah Rah like a dungeon dragon!”

The innocent spirit of the Native Tongue lineage (Jungle Brothers, De La Soul, LONS, etc…) was ever present on Low End Theory. Industry Rule #4080 along with a host of other transgressions however would eventually force Emcees and hip hop to grow up to become whatever it is we’ve become.

Honorable mention: Midnight Marauders

If there were ever a rapper to ooze swag and machismo, Uncle Snoop would be that rapper. In an era where swag wasn’t even invented as yet, Snoop’ effortless and charismatic delivery had emcees focused on not only lyrics but flows as well. What made things worse was that Snoop was also a lyrical beast who wasn’t even from the East. A feature on Dr. Dre’s Deep Cover did for Snoop what Main Source’s Live at the BBQ did for Nas, an introduction to the hip hop universe and harbinger of all things to come. Snoop put everyone immediately on notice and we were certainly not disappointed with what followed.

Continuing his exploits from Dr. Dre’s The Chroinc,  Snoop went further into detail of street life and what it really means to be a “G” (gangsta ) from the LBC. While Snoop was reveling in G Code, Dr. Dre expounded on G Funk, which provided the major musical undertones for Doggystyle. From What’s My Name to hip hop staples like Gin and Juice to Doggy Doggy World featuring the stylings of the fabulous Dramatics, Snoops’ inaugural offering plays like that of an Emcee born in  Cali in the mid funk 70’s.

There was no mincing of flows when it came to bitches and hoes on songs like Ain’t no Fun (If The Homies Can’t Have None) and Gz up /Hoes Down. Snoop was as direct as they come regarding a love for graphic sexual acts. As a result of Snoops’ candor, he was able to uphold the dubious time-honored tradition of federal opposition to West Coast Hip Hop. C. Delores Tucker would lead a crusade against sexually explicit lyrics in hip hop and Snoop would once again play co-defendant alongside Tupac and Death Row Records in a court of public opinion. So much for that second amendment huh? As time always tells however, Doggystyle went on to be a classic and wouldn’t register a major blip now in comparison to some modern-day hip hop NC-17 offerings.

Now this one took a while for me to come around to. Normally when I hear a classic, the decision is made after the first listen. Good Kid however had to grow on me (I had to listen to it twice.) Yet another artist influenced by the good doctor (Dr. Dre), GKMC is exactly that; the tale of a good Kid trying his damnedest to avoid the perils and pitfalls of growing up in a Maad City, a.k.a Compton, California. Hip hop fans are no stranger to life in Compton at this point in time (N.W.A, Game, WC.) What was ground breaking however was the we had never heard the artsy side of Compton’s struggles before and certainly never one of trying to avoid the seemingly unavoidable rites of passage that is gang life and substance abuse.

There are of course the undeniable tracks (Bitch Don’t Kill My Vibe, The Recipe, The Art of Peer Pressure.) Then there’s the rest of the album which may not appear as standouts initially but are certainly notable (Compton, Swimming Pools, Backseat Freestyle, etc…) The beauty of what I consider the standouts is that most other fans of the album could easily and justifiably disagree with my assertion. And that is the beauty of GKMC. At any given point, a completely different track can become your favorite (I’ve been stuck on Recipe for at least 4 months now). So check with me in 4 months, it may be a totally different joint.

Crafted in a way that plays out more like a hip hop opera than a series of songs tossed together on an album (I think Dre has his footprint all over this), Maad City has to be digested as a collective to fully appreciate this modern-day offering to the hip-hop gods.

Imagine the perfect setup for a hip hop comeback story for the ages. A local aspiring rapper is shot 9 times and left for dead but somehow survives, rebuilds and goes on to become one of the biggest selling hip hop artists of all time. If it were a movie (and it actually already was but humor me), it would be a hybrid Robocop meets Rocky. In this version however, Ja Rule is Apollo Creed, Dr. Dre is Mickey, Eminem is Pauly and 50 Cent is of course, officer Rocky “Murphy” Balboa. If you can fathom these implausible series of events, allow me to introduce you to Get Rich or Die Trying.

In what I consider to be the rise of the last great gangster rapper, Get Rich or Die Trying was a tectonic shift in hip hop’s landscape. Curtis Jackson a.k.a 50 Cent seemed to channel the spiritual rebirth of Tupac Shakur for his debut release.  The parallels between the posthumous Tupac and the almost posthumous 50 were uncanny.  Complete with built in arch rivals and survived assassination attempts, it was only fitting then that the good Dr. Dre would play the role of architect once again for yet another offering to the hip hop council.

From the minute the first song drops (What Up Gangsta) and throughout, Get Rich or Die Trying goes f*cking hard! Hard-hitting, unyielding and lacking in subversion, 50 was as raw as ever on his maiden voyage and somehow equally charming With staples like In Da Club and 21 Questions, 50 ensured that the streets and the suburbs would never have to  decide between where to get their hardcore hip hop and were to get their party anthems.

Currently 6 times platinum to date,  Get Rich or Die Trying was critically acclaimed and received the kind of love that can only be rivaled by chubby children’s desires for pastry (“I love you like a fat kid love cake!”)

What in the f*ck did I just hear? And how many dudes where on that track? And why were all of them nice? And who did that track? And is his name really Old Dirty Bastard?! Countless questions were asked after the release of Enter the Wu-Tang / 36 Chambers by the Wu Tang Clan. Thankfully they would all be answered throughout the album and on many other solo efforts to come.

The Wu-Tang Clan, comprised of 9 members (and about 1,000 affiliates) hailed from Staten Island, New York, more affectionately known as Shaolin. The Wu had somehow managed to seamlessly marry another beloved part of urban culture on their debut effort; KUNG FU MOVIES! Samples from karate movies interwoven with hardcore lyrics, countless flows and new slang to decipher left fans reeling for more (we love jargon in our hip hop music.) From Protect your Neck to C.R.E.A.M to The Mystery of Chessboxin, fans spent countless hours not only enjoying the classics, but also arguing as to which member was better than the other. Although a group album, there were several somewhat solo tracks on 36 Chambers (Method Man, Can it be All So Simple) that were perfect setups / preludes for future solo albums in store (Tical and OB4CL respectively).

The Wu Tang Clan represented a movement in hip hop culture. It seemed like being  solo artist became a thing of the past post the arrival of Shaolin’s finest. Every self respecting emcee thereafter had to squad up with a team of equally prominent emcees to even make a serious attempt for the hip hop dominance.

Look what the Chef done cooked up! Although Only Built 4 Cuban Links was Raekwon’s solo offering from the Wu-Tang Clan, the entire crew’s fingerprints were all over this classic. So much so that Ghostface Killer could’ve easily played the alter ego role of Batman to Raekwon’ s Bruce Wayne (and on most tracks, it was very hard to distinguish who was Batman and who was Mater Bruce.)

In what is regarded as one of the Wu-Tang’s Clan’s best solo projects (if not the), this Rza composed installment in the Wu chronicles produced many grimy songs with cinematic samples and more kung fu undertones. OB4CL provided the score for anyone aspiring toward street life. Rife with tales of a drug dealers’ day-to-day life and the ensuing tribulations, territorial beefs and general malaise that came with, Cuban Links played almost like a how to for maneuvering in and out of the game. OB4CL is the kind of music Tony Montana would’ve listened to had he migrated from Jamaica instead of Cuba (Trevor Montana?)

With smashes like Incarcerated Scarfaces, Can It All Be So Simple, Verbal Intercourse, Northstar and countless others, OB4CL is an album that withstands the test of time. Whether cruising through 125^th Street in Harlem, NY on a Wednesday on your way to Grant’s Tomb 20 years ago (ya’ll thought I forgot huh?) or up until now, it’s never a bad time to hear.. “Now yo yo, whattup yo, time is runnin’ out,  it’s for real though, let’s connect politic – ditto…”

Did I say biggie was the only one to ever pull off a double album? I still stand by that statement. Although a very good album when taken in it’s entirety, disc one of All Eyez On Me could arguably be Tupac at his finest.

Tupac was at the forefront (if not one of the major causes) of the East Coast / West Cost beef during the mid to late 90’s. Recently released from prison and with new allegiances to Suge Knight, Dr. Dre and Death Row Records, Pac’s persona and lyrics were at an all time high. A master at converting life experiences into high art then evoking high levels of empathy from the listener, 2Pac was more than primed for this album and especially after multiple scuffles, shootouts, robberies,  failed attempts on his life and incarceration. After all that, the only love Pac had left was for California. He did however channel his scathing disdain and unrelenting lyrical assaults for all his perceived enemies (B.I.G, Puffy, Jay Z, Nas, Mobb Deep, etc…).

Released in 1996, All Eyez On Me was Pac’s official declaration of allegiance to the Wesside. His East Coast roots were forever prominent in his delivery however and especially on Got My Mind Made Up featuring Daz Dillinger, Kurupt, Redman & Methodman. Forever the introspective militant, Pac also manged to take us on an emotional roller coaster on other standouts tracks like Ambitionz Az a Ridah, How Do U Want It,  California Love and basically throughout the entire friggin album!

Tupac was  murdered unfortunately later in the same year of All Eyez on Me‘s release and yet another example of a  prominent artist cut down in their prime (We had no idea what was in store 6 months later.) Pac would go on to release several posthumous albums and given his insane work ethic, may still be releasing albums for years to come. If any of them ever prove to be half as good as All Eyez On Me, they would probably also be worth showing a little  love.

Honorable Mention: Makaveli

Two Words; Lauryn Hill. Nuff said. Nearly 20 million records sold worldwide and one ridiculously talented artist aside, The Fugees sophomore effort, The Score, was a refreshing breath of nostalgia that landed smack in the middle of hip hop’s gangster and new age disco eras.

Produced primarily by the Fugees themselves (Wyclef Jean, Pras, Lauryn Hill), with additional production from Sallam Remi, Diamond D, Jerry Duplessis and a select few, The Score appeared to be big budget nod to ATCQ, Native Tongue and the days of yore. The rhymes were playful yet introspective and the skits were hilarious (“Not Bishop, bullsh*t!”)  Now classics like Killing Me Softly and Ready or Not and the support of the many Haitians hip hop fans gave the album widespread notoriety. Even Pras’s rhymes were bearable. The Score was the type of album you wouldn’t have to dive for the volume button if your unsuspecting grandma walked in the room because all ages could partake without being offended. Don’t think grandma would appreciate blasting N.W.A. at high volumes however.

The Score was not the type of album where fans of hardcore lyricism could gather on the corner and hold court as to who was the most deadliest of the 3 emcees (it was Lauryn, btw.) You better believe however that every thug,  choir boy and lyricist junkies alike still had a copy of The Score in their Discman (That’s what we used to listen to music back then. Didn’t I already say in Pt. 1 you had to be a certain age to read this?)

The Fugees would eventually break up (much like the Fat Boys) and leave the score unsettled as it related to hip hop fans’ desire for more. Each member would go on to have a measure of success in solo careers but nothing like their collective effort. Proof positive that sometimes, some things just work better together than apart.

In what appears to be the culmination of Outkast’s two previous efforts (Southernplayalisticcadillacmuzic and ATLiens), Big Boi and Andre 3000 were at it again and about to shift the geographical power struggle in hip hop (“The south got something to say too!”!)  Aquemini was Outkast’s third album and the maturity of the South’s finest was clearly evident.

Produced primarily by Andre 3 Stacks, Organized Noize and a slew of live musicians, The Dungeon Family collective (the south’s equivalent of Bad Boy’s Hitmen) artfully blended southern styles, soul and jazz with the essence of traditional hip hop. Retaining an innovative and futuristic but purist sound allowed for seamless contributions with the likes of Raekwon (Skew it on the Bar-B), George Clinton (Synthesizer), Erykah Badu (Liberation) and Goodie Mob (various tracks).

Reminiscent of long, hot southern summers, perched on porches gazing at endless open fields while sipping lemonade, Aquemini was deeply entrenched in it’s down home southern roots. The album  contained the types of songs runaway slaves would’ve listened to on their way to liberation. From tales of drug abuse, struggles with inequality (both musically and socially), relationships and a slew of other topics, these Atlanta wierdos with feathery pants and ridiculously dope flows managed to seamlessly combine the new and the traditional and all with a flair for the unconventional.

And there you have it! The best albums you’ve probably heard at least 1,000 times (In no particular order) since high school, college, on your way to your shitty job and up until now. I’m sure someone out there thinks something is missing from this list (Supreme Clientele, Hardcore (Lil Kim), Paid in Full (Rakim), etc… but here’s the thing, that’s your list. You people get so sensitive when your personal list just doesn’t sync up with others.

Sidebar: Let me just troll myself now and get it out of the way;

Angry fan1:“This list is bullsh*t son! What about Rakim, T.I, Rick Ross and Jeezy?! You ain’t sh*t and ya momma ain’t sh*t. I’ma shoot you in your face when I see you!!

Stan: No Eminem, Beastie Boys or Macklemore? You mad racist son!

4FingaProductions: Check out my new mixtape! It’s dope!!

 Sidebar Complete.

Sidebar 2: Dr. Dre had his hand in several classics (Get Rich, The Chronic, Doggystyle, All Eyes on Me, Good Kid) Sidebar Complete.

Sidebar 3: You guys really don’t agree with the Drake selection huh? I can’t help but wonder how much nostalgia plays a role in that? Sidebar Complete