142. Little Brother - The Listening 2003 5/5

 

Highlights: So Fabulous, Away From Me, For You

 

 

Little Brother are a rap group from North Carolina currently consisting of rappers Phonte & Big Pooh. The producer 9th Wonder was also a founder but left the group in 2007. I'd actually only heard of this band through the controversy surrounding their 2nd album, 2005's 'The Minstrel Show' that caused the editor-in-chief for famous Hip-Hop Magazine The Source to retire after the magazine's Chief Executive (Benzino of Eminem diss fame) changed his review of the album from 4.5 to a 4. I know that that was a well-received album but it's actually their debut, The Listening, that has made the list.

 

I just loved this album. It's was a great vibe that sounds perfect for this time of the year with 9th Wonder's production being exquisite throughout. In fact, I almost included the 'Make Me Hot' skit in my highlights purely due to how fire the beat was. I wish that it was used in a proper song again because it deserved to shine. The Rolling Stone commentary describes how this was the perfect tonic to 50 Cent's hardcore persona that was big at the time and I can see why. This album still feels fresh today; it's hard believe that it's almost 20 years old.

141. Black Moon - Enta Da Stage 1993 4.5/5

 

Highlights: N*guz Talk Shit, Ack Like U Want It, Who Got Da Props

 

 

Black Moon (retroactively backronymed to stand for Brothers Lyrically Acting Combining Kicking Music Out On Nations) are a rap-trio consisting of MC's Buckshot & 5ft and producer DJ Evil Dee. They have released four albums between 1993-2019. Like a lot of the albums in this list, it is their debut that has been deemed their strongest.

 

This album sounds very 90's. Reading about this album, it appears to be considered an era-defining record that changed the sound of Hip-Hop and influenced those who came after. The dark and jazzy production mixed with Buckshot's aggressive delivery work together so well that it's easy to see why others would want to imitate but listening in 2022, it no longer sounds that ground-breaking.

 

This does feel like a Buckshot solo project at times with 10 of the tracks not featuring 5ft at all. The only moments we hear some other voices are in the choruses that are usually composed of multiple voices shouting the lyrics in unison. This is well worth the listen overall but all of my favourites appeared early in the album.

140. Nas - It Was Written 1996 4.5/5

 

Highlights: The Message, Affirmative Action, If I Ruled The World (Imagine That)

 

 

Nas is a rapper from New York who is widely considered to be one of the greatest and most influential of all time. Nas was involved in one of the most infamous rap-beefs of all time with his Jay-Z diss 'Ether' being widely considered as the best of its genre. Nas is the first artist to appear where I know for sure that this is not his only album to make the list. His debut album always gets a mention when Rap's greatest are being discussed but his album we're looking at today was his follow-up, 1996's 'It Was Written'.

 

It is a common belief that the second album an artist releases is always the most difficult and this was always especially going to be the case when your first album is called 'Illmatic'. Nas's approach to following a classic was to go more mainstream. This album is mostly produced by the hottest names at the time 'Trackmasters' alongside other big-name producers such as Dr. Dre and DJ Premier and that of course led to this album having the term 'sell-out' thrown at it. It was certainly a commercially successful move, spending 4 weeks at #1 on the Billboard Top 200. But after listening to it, I don't find the sell-out allegations very credible. This album feels feels gritty when it needs to and maintains the raw but slick lyrics you'd expect but with some more polished production. Just listen to the first proper song on the album (after the intro) 'The Message' and it will dispel any fears that Nas is not taking it seriously. The song is pretty much the perfect rap song, a super lyrical song that demands a repeat as soon as you've finished listening to it. It also samples a song I'm sure that nobody has ever heard sampled in a rap song before: Sting's 'Shape of My Heart' :kink:

 

This album also served as an introduction to one of Hip-Hop's most notorious flops: The Firm. What should have been rap's greatest super-group (Nas, Foxy Brown, Cormega and AZ under Dr. Dre's wing), their album massively underperformed but you can see all the potential they had with their track 'Affirmative Action' where they sound like they were made for each other with every verse being killer and everyone's styles gelling so well together.

 

I find it crazy how this was released only three years after the last album (Black Moon) but sounds so much more modern.

139. The Streets - Original Pirate Material 2002 5/5

 

Highlights: Has It Come To This, Don't Mug Yourself, The Irony Of It All

 

 

The Streets is a rapper born in Barnet but who grew up in Birmingham. One of the most important voices to ever develop in UK Hip-Hop, Mike Skinner released five albums between 2002-2011 before a hiatus that ended in 2017 and eventually released to the release of his latest project, None of Us Are Getting Out of This Life Alive in 2020. It's his 2002 debut, Original Pirate Material, that has earned a place in this countdown as is the second (and final) British album in this whole list. I didn't really need to listen to this album today to provide my thoughts but I couldn't turn down another listen. It is definitely the only album that has appeared so far that I own on vinyl.

 

One thing I love about this album is just how different it sounds to 61 other albums I've listened to so far doing this. On every level, be it musically, lyrically or anything, this album is like nothing else in this list. Even on a production level, this album being largely influenced by the garage music playing on pirate radio stations and being fully produced by Skinner using an IBM ThinkPad and recorded in a wardrobe in the house he was renting gives it a dirty and ergo a more real sound that none of the American albums can match. Lyrically, this album is 100 miles away from the gangster rap and b-boy personas that dominate this list. Can you imagine anyone else included in this list making an album with such low-stakes as this one? The Streets is the rapper for the everyman and this song is filled with tracks about raves, getting advice about girls when hungover in a café and the freedom of youth, this album is the perfect reorientation of the perspective of a 20-something working class lad from Birmingham living in London in the early 2000's, or "a day in the life of a geezer" as Skinner puts it himself on 'Has It Come To This'. As I've mentioned that song, I have to say that I think it's pretty much the perfect track. That's a song that could only ever be recorded at the time it was, by the man it was. It's just genius and it's insane to think that it was his first ever single. I've mentioned some above, but it's really impossible to only pick 3 songs as highlights from this album. 'Weak Become Heroes', 'Same Old Story', 'Too Much Brandy': pretty much every track from this album is well-worthy of a shootout.

 

As you can probably tell, I could wax lyrical about this album for ever and what makes it even crazier is that it's not even my favourite album from The Streets. It's his second album, the ambitious concept album 'A Grand Don't Come Free' that I think is truly his magnum opus. But even then, I can't really find any sort of argument against this being regarded as the greatest British Hip-Hop record of all-time, even if I think the omission of albums such as 'Boy In Da Corner', 'Psychodrama', 'Big Conspiracy' & 'Conflict of Interest' from this list to be patently ridiculous.

138. City Girls - Period 2018 3.5/5

 

Highlights: Where The Bag At, Tighten Up, Millionaire Dick

 

 

City Girls are a rap-duo from Florida consisting of rappers JT & Yung Miami. The duo are probably best known for their uncredited contribution to Drake's smash hit 'In My Feelings'. They have released two studio albums but it is their earlier mixtape that makes the list.

 

I don't really believe for one second that anyone at Rolling Stone truly believes that this is the 138th best album to ever grace Hip-Hop. In fact, looking back, I can see that they ranked this as only the 26th best Rap album of 2018 and I don't think there's 25 more from that year to come. Just listen to this album and the Streets' back-to-back and you'll be left in no doubt which album is endlessly more creative and will have a long legacy. I'm not saying that this is a bad album. I don't think it is at all but it is very generic. If you've heard one Cardi B song, then you've heard every topic that this song touches on. But they do it well, you certainly believe every word JT raps in her verses. I had a really good time with the first 30 minutes of this album. Like the Rae Sremmurd album, this is just a collection of party tracks but I think this duo just goes it better. I just don't think there's enough there to justify the full 45 minutes. By the last few tracks I had heard enough. I think their style works best in small doses; just see JT's feature on Summer Walker's 'Ex For A Reason' where her confrontational style and harsh lyrics jump out at you and it elevate the song threefold.

 

 

137. Slum Village - Fantastic, Vol. 2 2000 4/5

 

Highlights: Climax, What's It All About, Fourth And Back

 

 

Slum Village are a Hip-Hop group from Detroit founded by Baatin, T3 and legendary rapper/producer J Dilla. T3 is the only member who is still alive and keeps the group alive as a duo with producer Young RJ. This album was by the original trio and, despite only being released in 2000, was recorded in 1997-98 but was delayed after their record label went bust. After it was eventually released it was a modest seller thanks to it's large popularity in the bootleg market. The album managed great reviews at the time: the review by SF Weekly actually claimed that "Slum Village is going to single-handedly save rap music".

 

Everyone I see talking about this album focuses on one thing and one thing only: J Dilla's production. It would be no understatement to say that the production is the star of this album and far outshines anything Baatin, T3 or Dilla do on the mic. It's not to see they're wack because they're not at all. Baatin does some really interesting flips with his flows that are really cool and it does mix it up lyrically with plenty of topics touched upon but they try to exist in a similar area and the rapping is certainly not near Nas level to compare to another recent album. This is a pretty lengthy album (75 mins) and I'm not sure it would justify that runlength if it wasn't for the buttery, smooth production. Many more recent artist have credited Dilla as an influence on their music and you can hear why,

 

The only thing that didn't really work for me on this album was the choppy flow they utilise at the start of the album, I find it pretty annoying but thankfully this was dropped for the rest of the album. The skits are pretty funny though which isn't always the case with Hip-Hop albums. The 'Scream' one really made me chuckle.

136. Doja Cat - Planet Her 2021 4.5/5

 

Highlights: Need To Know, You Right, Kiss Me More

 

 

Doja Cat is a rapper and singer from Los Angeles who rose to fame with her eccentric online presence and her meme single 'Mooo!'. Her second studio album, 2019's Hot Pink was her breakthrough, but it is the follow-up to that, last year's Planet Her where she really made herself one of the biggest names in current music and earned her a place on this list.

 

This one is certainly the album whose inclusion seemed to be creating the most controversy from what I saw. Like Lil Nas X before, this album certainly mixed in a lot of genres and favours the melodic sound rather than traditional Hip-Hop so I certainly understand why people say this is more pop but I feel like it feels closer to rap than Lil Nas X personally. Doja in general does seem to be quite a divisive figure with hip-hop heads. Personally, I think she's brilliant. She might not show it as much as she could but when she is in her rap bag, I think she finds so many unique pockets and flows and just thinks about a verse in a different way to so many of her contemporaries that I've always got high hopes when I see her as a featured artist.

 

This is an album where I do think they picked the right singles. As much as I love Ariana, her track is not as strong as I hoped and I'm in the minority that really loved the Weeknd collab. Need To Know is definitely the stand-out for me though and is what I'd consider Doja at her strongest. It's a song where, on your first listen, you genuinely have no idea where she's going next with her flows or lyrics or what creative flourish or ad-lib she's going to add next. The album on the whole has been a grower for me. It was unfortunate to be released on the same day as Tyler, The Creator and my focus is always going to be on his album.

135. Rick Ross - Teflon Don 2010 4.5/5

 

Highlights: Free Mason, Tears Of Joy, Live Fast, Die Young

 

 

Rick Ross is a rapper from Mississippi who was signed to Def Jam Recordings before creating his own label Maybach Music Group in 2008. 'Teflon Don' was his fourth studio album and, despite being his first album not to reach Billboard #1, remains his most critically acclaimed release. Ross is renown for his braggadocios raps and tough-guy style that harkens back to old-school gangsta rap. Rick Ross was the biggest name in the scene at one time but he's never been an artist to which I've ever paid much attention. I remember there being a scandal that lost him a lot of credibility where 50 Cent revealed that Ross used to prison officer when he younger and I can't help of thinking of that every time I hear his music where he describes himself as a G.

 

Aside from a few decent features here and there, this is the first time I've really sat down and really gave him a go and for a while this was looking like it was going to be a shock 5/5 album. The first half of this album is great. Ross makes a very wise choice to include plenty of quality, big-name features and on the first few tracks Jay-Z, Kanye, Jadakiss and T.I. all come out swinging with CeeLo Green and Erykah Badu also providing some perfect hooks and I was starting to believe that Ross was actually making-true the claims that he makes 'luxury rap'. Everything sounds epic, the beats are on fire and the extravagant production gives it such a cinematic feel. But then the second half of this album is much patchier. There's still some highs but the quality of the features drop: Ne-Yo & Trey Songz are both fine but both features appear back-to-back and make the album feel a bit dated and far away from the timeless quality of the earlier tracks.

 

Random bit of trivia but I like the fact that this album has production from both seemingly unrelated producer Clark Kent and the duo J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League. We also have Lex Luger who is so close to sharing the name of the iconic Superman villain and also work from The Inkredibles if we want to keep the superhero theme.

 

 

I'm enjoying dipping in and out of this countdown and reading your reviews. There's a few albums in here I'm keen on giving a spin having read your summaries.

I'm enjoying dipping in and out of this countdown and reading your reviews. There's a few albums in here I'm keen on giving a spin having read your summaries.

 

I'm glad to hear it. There's definitely some albums that I never would have heard otherwise that I'm so glad I have.

 

Thanks Dobbo :)

134. 2Pac - Me Against The World 1995 5/5

 

Highlights: Dear Mama, Me Against The World, Heavy In The Game

 

 

If ever there was a man in rap who doesn't need an introduction it would surely be 2Pac. Tupac Shakur is the most iconic name in Hip-Hip history and there's no doubt we will be hearing from him again during this countdown. With how legendary he and his 'notorious' rival have become, it is slightly surreal to think that they were both murdered at pretty much the same age I am now (Tupac was 25 and Biggie was 24). Tupac was born in New York City in 1971 and became the face of the 'West Coast' in the ultimately tragic and important 'East Coast v West Coast rivalry'. Tupac released 4 studio albums during his life and a further 6 posthumous albums have been released in his honour.

 

There is probably not a rapper alive today who would not name Tupac as an influence and with songs like 'Changes' his social activism and discussion of larger societal topics in his music made him an idol for so many. However, his life was also filled with plenty of controversy and 'Me Against The World' was released just as he was facing a stint in prison for a sexual abuse charge and this is where the sound of his music ultimately changed. His first two albums focused on topics such as police brutality, teen pregnancy and life on the streets, but with MATW, his focus became much more introspective and this album truly highlights the contradictions that existed inside of him. From the beautiful 'Dear Mama', the menacing 'Outlaw' and 'Fuck The World', and the upsetting 'If I Die 2Nite' and 'Death Around the Corner', Tupac addresses the confidence, the nostalgic, joyful memories of youth, the depression and the paranoia that we're all a part of his life at the time. There are times where this album can be quite difficult to listen to with how beautifully and poetically he can express his struggles which make his ultimate murder sound inevitable and something he knew would happen but there are also moments of levity too; such as in 'Heavy In The Game' that ensure you go on a full journey. The song interpolates one of the most overused samples you can imagine (Just Be Good to Me by the S.O.S. Band) but this is what makes the song even more fun as it's used in a clever way (and before many of the other songs got to it).

 

 

133. Killer Mike - R.A.P. Music 2012 4.5/5

 

Highlights: Go!, Butane (Champion's Anthem), Anywhere But Here

 

 

If anyone is having Run The Jewels withdrawal syndrome and four albums is just not enough then maybe you will be interested in R.A.P. Music. A pseudo-RJT album in the fact that it is a Killer Mike solo release, but it's actually fully produced by El-P making it a true Run The Jewels pre-union. A taste of what's to come. El-P even jumps on the mic on one of the tracks himself (Butane). This is Mike's 5th (and currently most recent) solo album and keeps the politically radical tone you'd expect from the man. While it didn't quite make my highlights, 'Reagan' feels like an important song that many other rappers would she away from making. Unnervingly, the track samples some of Ronald Reagan's speeches from his time in office and uses it to make a pro-Marxist and anti-capitalist message that you couldn't imagine Drake or Future ever considering. The track even sends shots Obama's way which is wild for a Hip-Hop record from 2012, just as he won his second term.

 

While it would be easy to call this another RTJ album, don't go into this expecting that. This album has it's own distinct tone and sound. It's darker than RJT1-4 and doesn't share the same blend of the heavy political vibes and the child-like humour that has come to define the duo's music (aside from 'Jojo's Chillin' that sounds like it was made for a different album). The track that actually gave me the strongest RTJ vibes was Go!. A wild track with crazy flows and even crazier production, it is a tribute to the West Coast and is, without doubt, the hardest moment on the album and the track that demands to be replayed over and over again.

 

But it is with the more politically charged moments where Mike feels the most comfortable. Mike, like many of his more socially-conscious contemporaries, discusses police brutality frequently in his music. But what gives Mike such an interesting and unique perspective is that his father was a police officer and hearing lyrics like "Motherfucker, my dad was a cop. You don’t think I know a dirty ass cop when I see one?" on 'Don’t Die' give his anger and pain he describes even more power.

132. J. Cole - 2014 Forest Hills Drive 2014 5/5

 

Highlights: Apparently, Wet Dreamz, No Role Modelz

 

 

J. Cole is a rapper (and professional Basketball player) born in a military base in Frankfurt, Germany before growing up in North Carolina. One of the most commercially viable artists, all 6 of his studio albums have become Billboard #1s and 4 tracks from his latest album all entered the Top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 on the album's release week. There's a reason why the 'platinum with no features' meme became so prevalent after the success of this (his third studio album). Cole is often considered to be one of the greatest current rappers alongside Kendrick Lamar and Drake and if you've seen some of my previous posts, you might be aware that he is also my favourite rapper. Both Rolling Stone and Pitchfork seem to have weird grudges against Cole and so, despite releasing 6 classic albums, this is his only involvement in this list. I mean, just read Rolling Stone's review of 'The Off-Season' where Noname is mentioned more times than Cole in their review, despite not having any connection to the album. This may not be my favourite Cole album but it is the one widely considered to be his strongest so if there can only be one (there doesn't) I'm not surprised this got the pick.

 

Even their comments for this album sound like they're coming from someone who doesn't like him. "It’s just him alone roasting the opposite sex on the proudly obnoxious hit “No Role Modelz" and describing him as 'self-loathing' on Love Yourz (a title they couldn't even spell correctly). It's true to say that this album is self-reflective and he isn't afraid to bring up his own faults but to describe him as self-loathing is insane. One thing that Cole often gets props for is his storytelling and it's that skill that makes 'Wet Dreamz' such a classic for me. Not many rappers would have the nerve to release a song about losing their virginity but Cole nails the tone and perfectly encapsulates the innocence and awkwardness of being a teenager and dealing with hormones and desires for the first time. The song could be crass in the wrong hands but he really finds the right balance between the relatable emotions and the funny lines. The title of this album comes from the address of his childhood home and it is when he is reflecting on how his childhood shaped the man has became today where this album really shines brightest.

 

This album's legacy is largely living on through the continued success of 'No Role Modelz'. Despite being the worst song on the album lyrically, it has a strong hook and an insane George W. Bush sample. Crazy ex-president samples is something this has in common with the previous album. '03' Adolescence' is definitely the stronger track and I probably should have included it in my highlights but there's something in NRM that has allowed it to become such a well-regarded song. One other thing I love about this album is that it concludes with a shout-out track. Ever since hearing Kanye's 'Last Call', I've always loved it when an album ends this way and I'll happily sit through the whole 15 minutes of it. Even when he's shouting out Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jonah Hill for the lolz.

 

So to sum this album up what more can you say than J. Cole went platinum with no features. :kink:

131. Ghostface Killah - Fishscale 2006 4/5

 

Highlights: The Champ, Whip You With A Strap, Back Like That

 

 

Ghostface Killah is rapper from New York who is best known for being a member of the legendary group Wu-Tang Clan. Killah has released 13 solo studio albums outside of the Clan with 2006's Fishscale being his fifth. The title comes from a slang term for pure cocaine and unsurprisingly a lot of the narrative revolves around street life and drug-dealing but the album still finds space to go to some more interesting and unexpected areas. Amongst the trap life, there's also stories about getting a bad haircut and meeting some mermaids.

 

The production on this album is constantly great and varied and really helps to make Killah's rhymes sound all the more epic. Just listen to 'Whip You With A Strap'; a song about beating beaten by his Mum when he was naughty as a child has no right sounding that smooth and funky. But with J Dilla's production and a buttery sample for a hook, the song becomes an unlikely great mood piece.

 

This album is very dense and feels like a difficult one to unpack in only one listen. I feel like this would benefit hugely from giving it a few more spins. Killah is known for his storytelling ability and tendency to throw in a few non-sequiturs and I know there's a lot I missed in this. As it was on first listen, it did feel slightly too long and incohesive at times. It could have maybe done with cutting a few of the skits, but there's certainly gold to find in here. Just missing my highlights was 'Jellyfish' and that's still another great song with my favourite features on the album.

139. The Streets - Original Pirate Material 2002 5/5

 

Highlights: Has It Come To This, Don't Mug Yourself, The Irony Of It All

 

 

The Streets is a rapper born in Barnet but who grew up in Birmingham. One of the most important voices to ever develop in UK Hip-Hop, Mike Skinner released five albums between 2002-2011 before a hiatus that ended in 2017 and eventually released to the release of his latest project, None of Us Are Getting Out of This Life Alive in 2020. It's his 2002 debut, Original Pirate Material, that has earned a place in this countdown as is the second (and final) British album in this whole list. I didn't really need to listen to this album today to provide my thoughts but I couldn't turn down another listen. It is definitely the only album that has appeared so far that I own on vinyl.

 

One thing I love about this album is just how different it sounds to 61 other albums I've listened to so far doing this. On every level, be it musically, lyrically or anything, this album is like nothing else in this list. Even on a production level, this album being largely influenced by the garage music playing on pirate radio stations and being fully produced by Skinner using an IBM ThinkPad and recorded in a wardrobe in the house he was renting gives it a dirty and ergo a more real sound that none of the American albums can match. Lyrically, this album is 100 miles away from the gangster rap and b-boy personas that dominate this list. Can you imagine anyone else included in this list making an album with such low-stakes as this one? The Streets is the rapper for the everyman and this song is filled with tracks about raves, getting advice about girls when hungover in a café and the freedom of youth, this album is the perfect reorientation of the perspective of a 20-something working class lad from Birmingham living in London in the early 2000's, or "a day in the life of a geezer" as Skinner puts it himself on 'Has It Come To This'. As I've mentioned that song, I have to say that I think it's pretty much the perfect track. That's a song that could only ever be recorded at the time it was, by the man it was. It's just genius and it's insane to think that it was his first ever single. I've mentioned some above, but it's really impossible to only pick 3 songs as highlights from this album. 'Weak Become Heroes', 'Same Old Story', 'Too Much Brandy': pretty much every track from this album is well-worthy of a shootout.

 

As you can probably tell, I could wax lyrical about this album for ever and what makes it even crazier is that it's not even my favourite album from The Streets. It's his second album, the ambitious concept album 'A Grand Don't Come Free' that I think is truly his magnum opus. But even then, I can't really find any sort of argument against this being regarded as the greatest British Hip-Hop record of all-time, even if I think the omission of albums such as 'Boy In Da Corner', 'Psychodrama', 'Big Conspiracy' & 'Conflict of Interest' from this list to be patently ridiculous.

 

Agree with all of this - prob my favourite album of all time and yes I have it on vinyl too!

130. Pete Rock & CL Smooth - Mecca And The Soul Brother 1992 4/5

 

Highlights: Lot's Of Lovin, They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.), The Basement

 

 

Pete Rock and CL Smooth are a rap-duo from New York consisting of producer DJ Pete Rock and MC CL Smooth. The duo have only released two studio albums: 1994's 'The Main Ingredient' and their debut from 1992 which is the album we're talking about today. After their disbandment due to tensions between the pair, the did re-unite in 2010 with the intention of releasing a third album but further disagreements has led to it's cancelation.

 

Reading a bit about this album and it does seem to be one that everyone seems to agree is one of the strongest the genre's has ever produced. Pete's production is considered to be timeless with his signature horn loops and soulful samples and CL Smooth's considered and conscious rhymes helping it to hold up better than the gangsta rap that was dominating the scene at the time. One thing that you will notice throughout this album is the surprisingly little use of profanity, that's not to say there's none but it's used very sparingly with Smooth preferring to censor himself at times. This is evident on the track for which the album is best remembered. T.R.O.Y. is a dedication to Trouble T Roy, a dancer for 'Heavy D and the Boyz' and a close friend of the pair who died at the age of 22. The introspective track has lost none of its impact and still finds itself popping up on countless 'best songs' lists.

 

There is one thing that does stop me from being as high on this album as everyone else and that's the repetitiveness. This song runs for just under 1 hour and 20 minutes and every song follows is four minutes in length and follows the same formula: three verses separated by a chorus and an interlude at the start or end that allows Pete to show off some cool samples or beats. I don't mind the odd long album but you have to mix it up much more than this does for it justify the length for me. It's no coincidence that smooth is in CL Smooth's name because that's exactly what his technique is. This album was released in 1992 which was still pretty early in the history of rap music and in turn there is none of the complex schemes and flows we're used to rappers deploy today and that doesn't help the sometimes monotone nature of this album/ There wasn't any particular tracks on this album that I thought were wack or should have been cut but I can't see myself ever going back to this album in full because of the lack of diversity in the sound or flows.

129. Playboi Carti - Whole Lotta Red 2020 2/5

 

Highlights: Go2DaMoon, Control, M3tamorphosis

 

 

Playboi Carti is a cult rapper from Georgia who is known for his unique style of mumble rap with this use of high-pitched tones and messy cadences. He has released two studio albums so far in his career, his debut was 'Die Lit' in 2018 and his follow-up was 2020's 'Whole Lotta Red' which is the album that appears today. Carti is known for having a very rabid and passionate fan-base which led to high anticipation for this album that he ended up releasing on Christmas Day as a gift to his fans. He also has a kid with Iggy Azalea which is something.

 

This album sounds horrible. The beats are shit, there's no discernible flow at any point and the lyrics are non-existent. This album is just an hour of Carti making annoying, high-pitched noises over generic beats. This feels like an Uzi album without any of the charms or melodies. I feel like whoever wrote the commentary for Rolling Stone listened to a completely different album to me as they talk about how rock-oriented and experimental this album is but I didn't hear any rock influence at all and thought it sounded painfully generic in it's instrumentation.

 

I'm really struggling to find anything redeemable album this album. I know Kanye's quality control hasn't been the best over recent years but I still can't believe he was happy to attach his name to this as executive producer. The best track is 'Go2DaMoon' and that's because it has an extended verse from Kanye and gracefully little Carti. I feel like I'm being trolled when I see people talk positively about Carti's music. This album deserves to be as far away as from a list like this as possible.

I was quite looking forward to your take on 'Whole Lotta Red' haha. Most people hated it on first listen iirc but that initial negative reaction seems to be eroding over time for whatever reason. The same thing happened with 'Die Lit'.

 

I think there are a few decent songs on WLR ('Slay3r' and 'Sky' are my favourites, and the latter admittedly is one that's grown on me a lot over time so perhaps some other songs might do the same) but a few that are bordering on unlistenable as well.

 

He's still yet to drop another song that's anywhere near as good as 'Magnolia' for me though.

128. Big Pun - Capital Punishment 1998 5/5

 

Highlights: Beware, Still Not A Player, Super Lyrical

 

 

Big Pun (or Big Punisher) was a rapper from New York who rose to fame after being discovered by Fat Joe, making his recording debut on Joe's 1995 album 'Jealous One's Envy'. Pun released one studio album during his lifetime which was the ground-breaking 'Capital Punishment' that made history by becoming the first album by receiving a Grammy nomination and becoming the first album from a Latino MC to go platinum in the US charts. Big Pun died in 2000 at the age of 28 from a heart attack caused from his extreme weight (just under 50 stone at his heaviest). A couple of months later his 2nd and final album 'Yeeeah Baby' was released and also went platinum.

 

I really needed to hear this album today. I've had a family bereavement this morning and I needed something to distract me for a bit and this was perfect. I think the circumstances may have clouded any critical judgement I can have but an album hasn't hit me this much on the first listen for a long time. I'm a firm believer in that there is no good or bad when it comes to music as there is no prescriptive rules to determine such assignments but how anyone can listen to this and Carti's album and think they are equivalent is beyond me. I seriously don't think I would have been able to sit through Carti today so I'm relieved that it just so happened to be this album that managed to cheer me up a bit today.

 

The three tracks I have picked as the highlights are the first three proper songs on the album, which is no usually a great sign, but in this case it's just a coincidence that the album just starts off on an amazing ground. After the intro, Beware is the opening track to the album and is starts off as it means to go on, introducing us to some of the best rapping I've ever heard. I've recently been trying to learn more about what makes the best MCs sound so good compared to your average and so much of it comes down to rhyme schemes. Pun is known as one of the masters of the multi-syllabic style where you rhyme full sentences and phrases instead of just the word at the end. It's something that Eminem does now all the time and which is why even when the actual lyrics can be a bit poor in his most recent work, I think Em's music still always just sounds cool and I appreciate the craftmanship that goes into his verses. But on this album, Pun has mixed the insane flows and schemes with lyrics that hit. He just sounds timelessly cool. I thought for sure that this a mid-noughties release when listening to it so I was surprised to see that it was instead released in 1998. It sounds so fresh and it is what Ja Rule and Fat Joe thought they were making a few years later.

 

Anyone who is an Ariana stan like I am will instantly recognise 'Still Not A Player' from Mac Miller's sample in his verse on 'The Way' and 'Super Lyrical' does something that I love that American rap doesn't do enough. It sees Pun and Black Thought go back and forth with each MC taking a few lines instead of whole verses. I love sense of chemistry and the interplay this technique can build between artists. And if you're going ton create this track with anyone, what a choice for a sparing partner Black Thought is. All the features show up for this album: Busta Rhymes, Norega, Fat Joe, Prodigy, Inspektah Deck and more all bring their A-game and it was necessary to keep up with Pun.

 

If I were to muster up some criticism it would be the same thing that often gets thrown at Hip-Hop albums: the skits were a bit rubbish. They weren't as obnoxious as they could have been but when I go back to this album, which I will do a lot, I will probably skip past them. Overall, this album is near perfect for me and definitely one I would put in the must-listen category.

127. Bone Thugs-n-Harmony - E. 1999 Eternal 1995 4.5/5

 

Highlights: Crept & We Came, Budsmokers Only, Down '71 (The Getaway)

 

 

Bone Thugs-n-Harmony are a rap group from Cleveland, Ohio consisting of the MCs Bizzy Bone, Wish Bone, Layzie Bone, Krayzie Bone and Flesh-n-Bone. It seems incredibly obvious in retrospect, but I had never made the connection that Krayzie Bone (of Ridin' fame and who also put in a stellar feature on Saba's album earlier this year) was a member of Bone Thugs. Wikipedia credits them as being the only people to work with Tupac, Biggie, Eazy-E and Big Pun which is a mighty impressive CV. Lyrically, Bone Thugs-n-Harmony were nothing out of the ordinary. Their music is largely about the topics that you'd expect from 90's Hip-Hop: street violence and drugs but what made them stand-out was their unique sound. The group love to harmonise and there are parts where they forget to rap and their gospel-esque tones make the album sound heavenly.

 

Bone Thugs have released 10 studio albums so far in their career dating from 1993-2017 and it is their 2nd album from 1995 that is included here. It was nominated at the Grammys for the inaugural 'Best Rap Album Award' alongside ODB's 'Return to the 36 Chamber', Skee-Lo's 'I Wish' and another album that appeared recently, Tupac's 'Me Against The World'. They all eventually lost to Naughty By Nature's Poverty Paradise which I don't think has been included in this countdown so we know who's won the war. You can hear Bone Thugs's influence in plenty of artists who have came afterwards but I'm not sure there has been anyone since who can match the same level of smoothness and swagger they put in their harmonies and half-rap, half-sung lyrics. I don't mean to compare every album that comes after it in this list to Playboi Carti but I've seen him praised for his melodic style and after listening to this that sounds all the more ridiculous. This is what melodic Hip-Hop sounds like. This album was released 27 years ago and still sounds brilliant.

 

It would be amiss to talk about this album and ignore it's biggest legacy. Even if you have never listened to this album before, there's one track that I'm sure everyone will be familiar with. 'Tha Crossroads' was an 8 week #1 hit on the Billboard Charts and while it did also reach the top 10 over here, in the UK it is probably best known by Blazin' Squad's cover which was their debut single and topped the charts in 2002. 'Tha Crossroads' is actually a remix of 'Crossroad', the original version of which is also on this album but they were inspired to make a more heartfelt remix after the death of the group's mentor Eazy-E.