Rolling Stone's 200 Greatest Hip-Hop albums of All Time

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Rolling Stone's 200 Greatest Hip-Hop albums of All Time

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LewisGT View member profile	Jul 19 2022, 03:57 PM Post #41
BuzzJack Platinum Member Joined: 7 February 2013 Posts: 11,952 User: 18,293	170. Big K.R.I.T. - K.R.I.T. Wuz Here 2010 4.5/5 Highlights: Good Enough, Viktorious, Gumpshun Big K.R.I.T is a rapper from Mississippi and the project of his in this list was his sixth mixtape and included 'Country Shit' which is the song that is credited as helping him blow. This mixtape was uploaded to Spotify in 2020 but as is often the case with mixtapes, rights issues has meant that not every track (including the mixtape's lead single) made it to the official streaming release. The first album that I ever owned was 'Speakerboxxx / The Love Below' by OutKast so it was Southern Hip Hop that was really my first introduction into the genre but when I think of the rap I listen to now, I'd say it's rare that I'd listen to any in this style. I guess J. Cole is from the south of America but you wouldn't really classify his music as having the Southern Rap influence. I'm so glad I've heard this as I already think K.R.I.T. might be the best rapper from the south active today. K.R.I.T. sounds great on this and all the samples work well in the production. It's very impressive that he's credit as producing all of these tracks too. This album still feels fresh, the wordplay is great and the delivery is pin-point. I understand that xixtapes are meant to be more of a showcase of your talent rather than precise, thought-out piece of work but if this did have a little more quality control than it would have easily been a 5/5 for me. There was just one or two too many filler tracks that would have been cut if this was a proper album that stop this being perfect. I've just listened to two of the tracks that miss out on the Spotify version (Country Shit and Just Touched Down) and they are both two of the better tracks on the project. Hopefully they will get added to Spotify soon. Overall though, this is still a great mixtape and has made me very likely to check out more from K.R.I.T.


LewisGT View member profile	Jul 20 2022, 08:06 PM Post #42
BuzzJack Platinum Member Joined: 7 February 2013 Posts: 11,952 User: 18,293	169. Goodie Mob - Soul Food 1995 4.5/5 Highlights: Dirty South, Guess Who, Goodie Bag Goodie Mob are a four-piece rap group based from Georgia consisting of Big Gipp, Khujo, T-Mo and most notably CeeLo Green. As a foursome, the band released two critically acclaimed albums before their third release, the Crunk inspired 'World Party' in 1999 was a disappointment and led to CeeLo quitting the band to find larger success as a member of Gnarls Barkley and as a solo artist. They released one more album as a trio before all four members reunited in 2013 for the comeback album 'Age Against the Machine' and 2020's 'Survival Kit'. We have now had back-to-back great Southern Rap records with this album's stand-out track 'Dirty South' actually being credited as popularising the term to describe the scene. The production on this album has handled by Organised Noise, who also produced OutKast's 'Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik' which has released the year before and helped establish Southern Hip Hop as a credible genre both in terms of quality and mainstream appeal. Andree 3000 even makes an appearance on the album's first real track 'Thought Process' to help legitimise the album right off the bat. If you're more accustomed to CeeLo as a singer, you'd be shocked to listen to this album and discover that he's the lead rapper of the group. We do get to hear his his talent as a singer on occasion but it was apparently not until the follow-up that they truly embraced his voice. Lyrically, this album is very impressive with all the members being in their late teens/early twenties when they made this. The album is largely about their experiences growing up in their neighbourhoods with a focus on religion and how religious faith has helped the black community. There are parts of this album that are so philosophical and moving that it's hard to believe a lot of it is coming from the same guy who's tweets would later highlight some pretty abhorrent views. I knew that CeeLo started off in a rap group but I'd never really thought of giving them a listen before today and I'm delighted that I know have because this an outstanding album. One of the biggest compliments I can give it is that it's 27 years old and it would still sound fresh if it was released today.


LewisGT View member profile	Jul 21 2022, 06:47 PM Post #43
BuzzJack Platinum Member Joined: 7 February 2013 Posts: 11,952 User: 18,293	168. Mach-Hommy - Pray For Haiti 2021 3.5/5 Highlights: Makrel Jaxon, Murder Czn, Blockchain Mach-Hommy is a Haitain-American rapper who is known for being reclusive, concealing his face and real name and for having a high work ethic with Wikipedia having him as releasing 23 studio albums. His album here is 'Pray For Haiti' where it was released to apparent critical acclaim with a share of its profits went towards the Pray For Haiti Trust Fund. Despite being so recent, I had never heard of Mach-Hommy before today. I'm looking at the reviews for this and they are overwhelmingly positive with some dubbing it a modern classic. I feel like I must have listened to another album because while this was decent, I certainly didn't find it particular inspired. He has some nice, creative word flips and interesting lyrics but every track is so short that I really struggled to get that invested into any song. Just as I was starting to think I was getting into a song it ended. I've included Blockchain in my highlights despite thinking it was far from the most interesting track on the album. It just felt like the most focused song on the album and that helped me latch on to it. This almost feels like the second Westside Gunn project I've listened to. He executively produced this album and his distinctive voice certainly makes more than it's fair share of appearances. As someone who studied English Language at University, I found the skit with the guy discussing Haitian Creole to be the most interesting thing on the album


LewisGT View member profile	Jul 22 2022, 03:29 PM Post #44
BuzzJack Platinum Member Joined: 7 February 2013 Posts: 11,952 User: 18,293	167. Above The Law - Black Mafia Life 1993 4/5 Highlights: Game Wreck-Oniz-Iz Game, Call It What U Want, Never Missin' A Beat Above The Law were a Californian rap group consisting of Cold 187um, KMG the Illustrator, Go Mack, and DJ Total K-Oss. Closely associated with N.W.A. this was their second album and is considered to be one of the pioneering albums of the G-Funk genre. This album is not available on streaming services that made listening to this a little awkward. I ended up finding the album in full (sans one song) on YouTube and had it on while I worked. I think this had an effect on my enjoyment of the album and it stopped me from really appreciating it. It can be difficult to really form opinions on albums like this where the work is so dense and I'm listening to a new album every day and only once, usually while I'm working. This is definitely something I would like to go back to again and give it a proper chance. The features were largely my stand-out moments. N.W.A. assists from MC Ren & Eazy-E and other verses from Tupac & Kokane all deliver. The penultimate track 'Mee Vs. My Ego' was the most interesting track. A weird slice of Jamacian Dancehall that sounds like it's from a completely different album.


LewisGT View member profile	Jul 23 2022, 06:00 PM Post #45
BuzzJack Platinum Member Joined: 7 February 2013 Posts: 11,952 User: 18,293	166. Childish Gambino - Because The Internet 2013 4.5/5 Highlights: IV. Sweatpants, V. 3005, I. Crawl Here's an album that I'm very familiar with. Childish Gambino aka Donald Glover is one of those people who are brilliant at whatever they try their hand at. His work has gained multiple Grammy nominations but I was still not expecting BTI to be in this list. I remember it getting mixed reviews at the time, looking now Pitchfork in particular trashed the album and Rolling Stone themselves only gave it 3.5/5. This is an ambitious and potentially pretty pretentious project while Gambino releasing a screenplay that you are meant to read alongside listening to the album to fully appreciate the story. The concept of the album is that it follows a character known as 'the boy' who lives in a mansion and spends time uploading videos to WorldStar. The production on their album is fire with Ludwig Göransson (whom Glover had previously worked with on Community) taking the reins and going in what feels like 100 different directions even on the same track and I like Gambino's sometimes cheesy punchlines. Sweatpants & 3005 are two of my all time favourite songs and they both appear one after another right bang in the middle of this album. After this brilliant double punch I do feel like the album loses it's way for a bit. After 3005, I feel like the album could lose everything up until Zealots of Stockholm, This little weak spell is what stops me from spamming this album and ultimately why I can't give it 5/5.


Steve201 View member profile	Jul 24 2022, 12:40 PM Post #46
Shakin Stevens Joined: 29 December 2007 Posts: 46,140 User: 5,138	Love that Childish Gambino album!


LewisGT View member profile	Jul 24 2022, 04:38 PM Post #47
BuzzJack Platinum Member Joined: 7 February 2013 Posts: 11,952 User: 18,293	165. Cannibal Ox - The Cold Vein 2001 5/5 Highlights: A B-Boy's Alpha, Straight Off The D.I.C., The F-Word Cannibal Ox are a rap-duo from New York consisting of rappers Vast Aire and Vordul Mega. Their 2001 debut album is the one included in this list. Their only other studio album was released 14 years later in 2015 and is titled 'Blade of the Ronin'. As it becoming an annoying trend, this album is not on Spotify in it's original form, although you can find a remix version of the album on streamers. I located the OG version on YouTube. This album was produced by El-P of Run the Jewels fame and the beats are certainly all killer, If you weren't otherwise aware, you could easily be mistaken into believing he also raps on this as one of the members of Cannibal Ox sounds like a dead ringer for him, right down to the flows and inflections. This sounds like an album that real Hip-Hops heads would love, the production is constantly fascinating but it's never too flash that it distracts from the endless supply of bars and punches that Vast Aire & Vordul Mega are providing. The focus is firmly planted on narratives that the rappers create, lyrics are paramount across this album instead of any catchy hooks to appeal to the mainstream. Like a modern-day Eminem record, when you spit this many punchlines in a short time as they have here, there are moments when they begin to embrace some corniness but lyrics like ""You were a stillborn baby - mother didn't want you, but you were still born" are still funny enough that you can't not appreciate them.


LewisGT View member profile	Jul 25 2022, 05:26 PM Post #48
BuzzJack Platinum Member Joined: 7 February 2013 Posts: 11,952 User: 18,293	164. ScHoolboy Q - Blank Face LP 2016 4.5/5 Highlights: THat Part, WHateva U Want, Big Body Here we have an album from the 2nd best German born rapper in Hip-Hop, ScHoolboy Q with his fourth (and 2nd major-label) studio album 'Blank Face LP'. This is the first of what I expect will be a few Top Dawg Entertainment albums in this countdown. This is a brilliantly crafted project; the production is stellar through-out and Q rides every beat with style, even the outlier, the funky Tyler, the Creator produced 'Big Body'. Despite not having an obvious theme or concept, everything feels cohesive on this album and Q keeps your attention in the dark and sillier moments. The only real negative I could aim at it is that there wasn't a track that really stood out to me as one I'm going to add to any playlists but I still see myself going back and listening to the album as a whole again.


LewisGT View member profile	Jul 26 2022, 03:42 PM Post #49
BuzzJack Platinum Member Joined: 7 February 2013 Posts: 11,952 User: 18,293	163. UGK - Super Tight... 1994 4/5 Highlights: Protect & Serve, Underground, Feds In Town UGK aka, Underground Kingz are a rap-duo from Texas made up of Pimp C & Bun B. This was their sophomore release out of 6 released between 1992-2009. They only had one charting hit as a lead artist 'International Players Anthem' in 2007 and also charted as a feature on Jay-Z's 'Big Pimpin' but despite this lack of commercial success, they are considered to be absolute legends of the Southern rap scene. Pimp C in particular almost has mythically status in hip-hop since his untimely death in 2007 aged 33. Megan Thee Stallion's 'Tina Snow' alter-ego is a tribute to him and I can think of plenty of examples where he is shouted out in songs (E-40 & J. Cole instantly come to mind). However a great shame of my love of rap is that I had never really listened to much of his music so I'm glad to see an album of UGK appear. After the first 4 tracks I was a bit unsure on this. 'I Left It Wet For You' was particularly weak and I wasn't feeling the hype. But as the album progressed, the album just kept growing and growing on me. It was surprisingly groovy and I was completely vibing with it while I was working. There was still one more track that I didn't care for (Pussy Got Me Dizzy despite having a fun hook) but overall, I found this a treat. I love the way the contrasting styles of each rapper combine together to create something special.


LewisGT View member profile	Jul 27 2022, 06:19 PM Post #50
BuzzJack Platinum Member Joined: 7 February 2013 Posts: 11,952 User: 18,293	162. Tierra Whack - Whack World 2018 4/5 Highlights: Fck Off, Flea Market, Silly Sam Whack World is Tierra Whack's debut and, so far, only studio album and it holds the distinction of being the only album so far that I've listened to twice in full on the day before writing this review. That makes it sound like it must be something special but the actual reason is that this 15 track album runs for a total of... 15 minutes. Alongside it's release, Whack also released a movie onto YouTube that serves as an official music video for every track. This is an endlessly creative project, it's impressive how much variation and innovation she can throw into a quarter of an hour, but I can't help but feel that it's acclaim and the attention it's received is mainly due to the gimmick. Listening to it, I feel like most of the tracks weren't originally designed to only be 60 seconds. It feels like some songs just arbitrarily cut off, half way through a chorus, on the minute mark. The best songs are the more playful efforts that feel perfectly made to be short but there's certainly tracks here that could have been great if they were more fleshed out. It's the dream TikTok album with each track being so short and having obvious meme-able moments. It kinda reminds of the medley of songs that a dance troupe would perform to in their audition for Britain's Got Talent. Fck Off toes right between the line of being awful and brilliant but it reminds me so much of Childish Gambino's wonderful '35.31' that I've decided I'm firmly on the brilliant side. This is still a good album. No track is wack in isolation, but I don't feel like the gimmick helps the project as a whole.


LewisGT View member profile	Jul 28 2022, 04:16 PM Post #51
BuzzJack Platinum Member Joined: 7 February 2013 Posts: 11,952 User: 18,293	161. Polo G - Die A Legend 2019 3.5/5 Highlights: Pop Out Again, Through da Storm, Battle Cry Polo G is one of the most modern names on this list and his album to appear is his 2019 debut 'Die A Legend'. I have to say that I'm more familiar with his two follow-up albums so I was intrigued to hear where he started. Polo G has really carved out a sound for himself. It's half way between the melodic sing-songy style of Juice WRLD and the harsh, hardcore vibes of someone like like Gucci Mane. He obviously used this to great effect in his massive single 'Rapstar' last year but the song that shares the most similarities with that is 'Chosen 1' which feels like a precursor and just missed my top 3 of the album. Overall though, I found this album to be a bit uninspired. All the beats sound pretty similar and the album's best hook is repeated twice (Pop Out and Pop Out Again). I preferred the Lil Baby and Gunna partnership than Lil Tjay on the original.


Sour Candy View member profile	Jul 28 2022, 05:44 PM Post #52
BuzzJack Legend Joined: 22 December 2009 Posts: 30,300 User: 10,275	I find Polo G overrated... ScHoolBoy Q's album was one of my favorites back then, but have't listened to it in years. I must revisit. Flo Milli's proper debut released last week is so good!!!


LewisGT View member profile	Jul 29 2022, 03:09 PM Post #53
BuzzJack Platinum Member Joined: 7 February 2013 Posts: 11,952 User: 18,293	QUOTE(Sour Candy @ Jul 28 2022, 06:44 PM) I find Polo G overrated... ScHoolBoy Q's album was one of my favorites back then, but have't listened to it in years. I must revisit. Flo Milli's proper debut released last week is so good!!! You should go back to Schoolboy Q album. It really holds up I think!


LewisGT View member profile	Jul 29 2022, 03:09 PM Post #54
BuzzJack Platinum Member Joined: 7 February 2013 Posts: 11,952 User: 18,293	160. Big L - Lifestylez ov da Poor & Dangerous 1995 4/5 Highlights: Put It On, Da Graveyard, All Black Big L was a rapper from New York who released one album his murder at the age of 24 in 1999. While four albums have been released posthumously, it is his debut 1995's Lifestylez ov da Poor & Dangerous that makes the cut here. The album has gone down as a classic and has made L one of rap's greatest what ifs. Listening to this album, it's clear that L would have made it to legend status. A lot the wordplay and flips on this album still feel fresh nearly 30 years on. But there is a massive elephant in the room with this album that stops it from being perfect and that is the use of the f word. This album probably has as many uses of the word as in the rest of the albums in this list put together and it's very noticeable listening in 2022. There's also a weird obsession with Aids that's referenced in a few songs that feels distasteful. It's a shame because a lot of his wordplay is insane and his flow remains unnaturally smooth across the whole album and it's just very unfortunate that it keeps going back to slurs. You can say it's of it's time but listening to other albums from the time in this list and none of those were anywhere near this bad. You feel like he had the potential to adapt and grow with the times and could have some legendary Jay-Z like status nowadays but unfortunately it was not to be and what we're left with is a highly imperfect album that shows so much unrealized potential to make something transcendent.


LewisGT View member profile	Jul 30 2022, 03:54 PM Post #55
BuzzJack Platinum Member Joined: 7 February 2013 Posts: 11,952 User: 18,293	159. Handsome Boy Modelling School - So... How's Your Girl? 1999 3/5 Highlights: The Projects (PJays), Sunshine, Once Again (Here To Kick One For You) Handsome Boy Modelling School is the coming together of producers Dan the Automator and Prince Paul. Anyone paying close attention to this countdown will notice that we have seen Prince Paul before as a member of Gravediggaz. Just like in that group where he took the nickname 'The Undertaker', for this project they both taken on new monikers: namely Nathaniel Merriweather & Chest Rockwell. Wikipedia describes Handsome Boy Modelling School as a "commentary on vain, consumerist, materialistic, and self-absorbed members of upper class society, such as supermodels and people from old money". They released two studio albums before their split in 2006, although a 3rd album is supposedly due to be released this year. Great timing as this album actually made the Billboard 200 for the first time in May at #198. Their 1999 debut is their album included here and is a concept album (again according to Wikipedia) apparently loosely based around an episode of short-lived 90's sitcom 'Get A Life' in the lead character enrols in a school for male-models. This album can hardly been described as anything else but experimental. Based around more samples than you can count and with an eclectic selection of features ranging from Del tha Funkee Homosapien and Róisín Murphy to John Lennon and Yoko Ono's son Sean Lennon. it's very hard to define what this album is supposed to be. El-P makes his 3rd appearance in this countdown before RTJ appear but he might as well not even be on this album as his track is made almost unlistenable Alec Empire's painful instrumentation.


LewisGT View member profile	Jul 31 2022, 12:41 PM Post #56
BuzzJack Platinum Member Joined: 7 February 2013 Posts: 11,952 User: 18,293	158. Devin The Dude - Just Tryin' Ta Live 2002 4.5/5 Highlights: It's A Shame, Who's That Man, Moma, Fa Sho Devin The Dude is a rapper from Houston, Texas who was a member of the Odd Squad and Facemob before finding success as a solo artist. He's still putting out new albums to this day with his most recent 11th studio release 'Soulful Distance' last year. His album of choice in this countdown is his 2002 sophomore project 'Just Tryin' Ta Live'. I really enjoyed this album. Devin has relaxed, laid-back flow that really suits the low-key themes of the album, mainly smoking weed and infidelity. The album grabs you from the start with 'Zeldar' an odd ode to an alien who becomes obsessed with weed after he visits Earth. Nothing else on the album is anywhere near as out-there as this but Devin never takes himself too seriously throughout and the whole project works so well as a mood piece and as something to chill to. There are some big name collaborators on this album (Nas, Xzibit as features and Dr. Dre & DJ Premier on production) but they are never able to take away the focus from Devin.


LewisGT View member profile	Aug 1 2022, 07:30 PM Post #57
BuzzJack Platinum Member Joined: 7 February 2013 Posts: 11,952 User: 18,293	157. Danny Brown - XXX 2011 4/5 Highlights: Pac Blood, DNA, XXX Danny Brown is a rapper from Detroit that I've always associated with a weird style with a hard to distinctive voice. This was his 2nd studio album and was critically received. I have to admit when I first put it on, I thought it was the wrong album as Danny sounds much more normal 'here' then I've ever heard him before. Full disclosure, I listened to this album at 8am this morning on a flight after not sleeping last night so not optical listening conditions. I will have to give it a proper listen again sometime as I don't think I really gave it a fair shot. It sounded pretty good and there was some funny lyrics but I was too distracted.


LewisGT View member profile	Aug 2 2022, 04:47 PM Post #58
BuzzJack Platinum Member Joined: 7 February 2013 Posts: 11,952 User: 18,293	156. DJ Quik - Quik Is The Name 2011 4/5 Highlights: Sweet Black P*ssy, Tonite, Deep DJ Quick is a rapper and producer from Compton who is a big name of the 90's G-Funk rap scene. His debut album 'Quik Is The Name' was released by Profile Records after he became their first ever signing tor receive a 6 figure deal after they heard his earlier mixtape recorded as a teenager. Quik was given £30,000 by his label this album and he finished it within 17 days after renting a $1000 a day studio so he could pocket the rest of the advance. His last album was released in 2014 but he has also found massive success as a producer for other artists, working on iconic releases by Tupac, Jay-Z, 50 Cent and Snoop Dogg. Kendrick Lamar included this in his list of his top albums of all-time and said Quik is (along with Dre) the best MC/Producer of all-time so this album definitely has pedigree and I have to say I agree it's something special. The album starts off on fire with 4 best tracks and while it doesn't reach the same heights again, there is not a bad track on here at all. I think his strengths are more in the production compartment as some of the lyrics are very basic but he certainly knows how to make a beat that makes his rhymes pop. He has a really nice, unique flow too that makes everything sound that little more smooth.


LewisGT View member profile	Aug 3 2022, 05:32 PM Post #59
BuzzJack Platinum Member Joined: 7 February 2013 Posts: 11,952 User: 18,293	155. Jeru The Damaja - The Sun Rises In The East 1994 3.5/5 Highlights: You Can't Stop The Prophet, Mental Stamina, D. Original Jeru the Damaja is a rapper from Brooklyn, New York who is one of the rappers alongside Biggie, Nas & Wu-Tang Clan who are credited as being at the forefront of the renaissance of the East Coast Hip Hip scene in the 1990s. DJ Premier is all over the albums in this list and here he is again, producing the full album that served as Jeru's debut in 1994. I can see why this album was celebrated at the time. The beats are heavy and the flows sound great throughout but there's something that isn't hitting with me. I really enjoyed the storytelling in 'You Can't Top the Prophet' but aside from that all the songs seem to sounds pretty similar and I think the album takes itself too seriously. It's just missing the fun element that would make this hit more. There's shots at 'fake gangsta's and the content of the song 'Da Bitches' led to him getting dissed by plenty of other big names in rap, including The Fugees. Listening to that track now though it sounds tame.


LewisGT View member profile	Aug 4 2022, 06:48 PM Post #60
BuzzJack Platinum Member Joined: 7 February 2013 Posts: 11,952 User: 18,293	154. Steinski - What Does It All Mean? 1983-2006 Retrospective 2008 3/5 Highlights: Jazz, The Id - Small World Mix, The Art Of Getting Jumped Steinski is a producer who first found fame in the 1980's as one half of the duo Double Dee and Steinski. Aged 28 and 31 with Steinski working as a producer for TV adverts, they entered a competition for Tommy Boy Records who asked up-and-coming DJs to remix their hit song 'Play That Beat, Mr. D.J." by G.L.O.B.E. and Whiz Kid'. With this they made this collection's first track 'Lesson 1 – The Payoff Mix' which won the competition and has become a classic in sample based Hip-Hop. Pretty much most of this album was not available by legal means before the release of this retrospective and I still have no idea how all of this has managed to be licensed. There must be hundreds (if not thousands) of samples across the whole 2 hours and 14 minutes of this runtime from the obvious (Nelly, The Rolling Stones, Casablanca) to the impossibly obscure. Saying that, it's amazing that the same film scene is sampled in both of the tracks I've picked as my highlights. The entirety of his 2002 mix 'Nothing to Fear' is included in this album and it's probably where it shines the most. With this practically being a greatest hits album, this project lacks cohesion on a whole but by including this whole mix there is a good hour where it feels full and the transitions between these songs are smooth as hell. The lack of cohesion across the rest of the album is definitely it's weakest point. The album just doesn't seem to have a consistent tone and it leads to some awkward and jarring adjustments. There are a few incredibly serious, highly political moments on this album (ie 'The Motorcade Sped On' that is based around using samples of the news footage in the aftermath of JFKs assassination and the chilling 'Number Three On Flight Eleven' that uses the actual recording of a flight attended alerting the authorities about the hijacking on her plan on 9/11) that feel in bad taste when placed alongside fun, party dance anthems. In general, the genre of 'mash-up' doesn't really appeal to me all that much and I can't say I'm likely to ever listen to this one again but what I can say about it that is really impressive is that over the full 2 and a quarter hours, I was never really bored at any point or wishing for it to end in the same way I have for some (much) shorter albums in this countdown.