112. Rapsody - Laila's Wisdom 2017 4.5/5

 

Highlights: Chrome (Like Ooh), Power, Pay Up

 

 

Rapsody is a rapper from North Carolina who is signed to Jay-Z's Roc Nation label. She has released 3 studio albums so far in her career with her 2012 debut studio album 'The Idea Of Beautiful' being released independently before her two critically acclaimed follow-ups have been released on Roc Nation. It's the middle release were looking at today, 2017's 'Laila's Wisdom' which was named after her grandmother and bagged her 2 Grammy nominations for 'Best Rap Album' and 'Best Rap Song'.

 

She has a feature on 'To Pimp A Butterfly' and last.fm says that I had scrobbled a song from her before but I can't say I was too familiar with Rapsody before today and know I'm really wondering why. This is definitely an underappreciated gem that I would have probably never heard if it wasn't for this list. She has a bunch of different flows she introduces at different times across this album and they're all fire and work perfectly for the current mood she's trying to convey. She's a great storyteller and this album works so well at taking you on journeys; just listen to the album closer 'Jesus Coming' for a perfect example of it. She attracts some big-name features, all of whom have to be on their very best form to keep up with Rapsody; Kendrick Lamar, Black Thought, Anderson. Paak and Busta Rhymes are all amongst those who come in this album knowing that there's no room to slack. Sometimes you hear features that sound tacked on but everyone here matches the tone perfectly which gives this album such a strong feeling of cohesiveness and makes it sound like a true classic project. But my favourite feature has got to be the production. There were plenty occasions listening to this where I found myself thinking about little production quirks that really stand out as sounding unique and so pleasing on the ear. What stopped this from getting a coveted 5/5 is that there's quite a few long songs on this album that didn't feel like they justified their length. They were all fire but there was a couple that felt like they should have ended at around the 4 minute mark.

111. Boogie Down Productions - By All Means Necessary 1988 4.5/5

 

Highlights: My Philosophy, Stop The Violence, Illegal Business

 

 

Boogie Down Productions are a Hip-Hop group from New York founded by MC KRS-One, producer D-Nice and DJ Scott La Rock. After the release of their debut album 'Criminal Minded' in 1987, La Rock was murdered that led to the line-up becoming everchanging for the rest of their time as a band. Their debut album is still considered to be one of the most influential albums in Hip-Hop with it's eclectic range of influences (from dancehall to hard rock) and violent lyrics changing the sound of the genre forever. It is considered by many to be the first ever 'Gangata Rap' album. However, it is their 2nd album 'By All Means Necessary' that we are discussing today and the death of La Rock effected the sound and perspective of the band massively. Gone are the violent lyrics describing street life and instead we get stories of politician's parts in the drug trade, warnings against violence in rap and even messages encouraging safe sex. This also has a special place in history for being one of the first conscious and highly-political rap records. KRS-One adopts 'the teacher' moniker and wants to use his voice to promote social causes.

 

You can say what you want about this album but you cannot deny it has the coldest album cover of anything so far. Taking the iconic image of Malcolm X looking through a window with a gun and throwing some 80's-era gangsta clothing on him, it is the definition of cool. The title is obviously a paraphrase of the famous Malcom X quote 'By Any Means Necessary', however most of this album feels more MLK than X. I found it a fascinating listen. It felt brisk when compared to some of the really long albums I've been hearing recently and the interesting choice of samples (Jefferson Starship, Deep Purple, Wings) means it does sound pretty unique. KRS-One is such an embarrassing weak spot in my knowledge of Rap history so I'm loving that this countdown is allowing me to fill in some important gaps.

 

110. Biz Markie - Goin' Off 1988 3/5

 

Highlights: Make The Music With Your Mouth, Biz, Albee Square Mall, Biz Is Goin' Off

 

 

Biz Markie was a rapper, DJ and beatboxer from New York who was dubbed the Clown Prince Of Hip-Hop for his humorous and leisurely raps. Biz died at age 57 in 2021 due to complications with diabetes. During his career he released 5 studio albums with his debut, 'Goin' Off' making it back-to-back albums from 1988 on this list.

 

Despite both being released in the same year and both rejecting the gangsta stylings that was dominating the scene, these last two albums are really not comparable. By All Means Necessary sounds ahead of its time while this sounds very much like an album that's pushing 35 years of age. You can tell this is still early in Rap's history. The flows feel basic, it's a world away from the polished rhymes we expect nowadays. This album starts off sounding like a pure comedy album, the opening track 'Pickin' Boogers' is exactly what it says on the tin. It's a gross-out track telling different stories of people who pick their nose during each verse and the (much better) following track is a tribute to his favourite shopping mall. But then the album stops trying to be funny and turns into a pure party album with rap-dance trends and beatboxing. The problem is, for me, this album is never quite funny enough to work as a novelty album and it doesn't hit enough to work as a party record.

 

What I think helps this album's legacy is that it has some proper prestige with the people involved in the album. The album is largely produced by Marley Marl who we've already seen in this countdown and all the best lines in the album were written by legendary Juice Crew MC, Big Daddy Kane. And while he's not the most gifted rapper, Biz does have an ace up his sleeve and that's his ability to beat-box. The easy stand-out track 'Make The Music With Your Mouth, Biz' highlights this perfectly and gives the album something unique that not many other albums have.

 

If you do want to give this album a go, be aware that it's one of those albums that is not on Spotify.

109. Main Source - Breaking Atoms 1991 4/5

 

Highlights: Snake Eyes, Large Professor, Ge Got So Much Soul (He Don't Need No Music)

 

 

Main Source were a Hip-Hop group consisting of New York MC Large Professor and Toronto DJ and producers K-Cut and Sir Scratch. With this original line-up, they released one studio album 'Breaking Atoms' in 1991 before a falling out led to Large Professor being replaced by another MC from New York, Mikey D, for their second and final album 'F*ck What You Think'.

 

From what I can see reading up about this album, this album's legacy has been secured for two reasons. The first being the production by the two Canadian DJs. This album is credited as popularising some of the most important elements that we think of when we consider Rap Beats. It's use of frequent sampling and interpolating funk and soul elements are seen as being highly influential in the years that followed. The Rolling Stone commentary sums this up as "the album’s reputation came from its almost scientifically designed songs — countless sample snips of soul, jazz, funk, and psych-rock, animated by one crackling drum loop after another". And to be fair, the production still sounds fresh but I think the effectiveness of the rhyming from Large Professor is really being downplayed. I think he has a great sense of personality across this album with some pretty interesting flows for an early 90's album and lyrics that really land.

 

The second reason why this album has remained an iconic cult album is that it contains the first appearance of a young MC named Nas on the track 'Live At The Barbeque'. This wasn't really one of the standout tracks for me but it still a pretty solid song. However, the track that I dug the least ended up being the song that appears on the album twice. 'Just a Friendly Game of Baseball' is a track about police brutality masked in a bunch of baseball metaphors. The song didn't really have the impact it should on me because I was struggling to get the relevance of the baseball theme.

108. Pusha T - Daytona 2018 4.5/5

 

Highlights: Hard Piano, The Games We Play, Come Back Baby

 

 

Pusha T is a rapper from Virginia who first rose to prominence as one-half of the rap duo 'Clipse' alongside his older brother No Malice. As a duo, they released studio albums between 2002 and 2009 and their scrapped, would-be debut album was eventually released onto Spotify earlier this year. Since going solo, Pusha has released 4 studio albums with this year's 'It's Almost Dry' earning him his first Billboard #1 album. However, I'm sure we all agree that the true highlight of his career was featuring on Pixie Lott's top 10 hit 'What Do You Take Me For?' in 2011. If you've heard any Pusha song, you will know that in his youth he was a drug dealer. Selling crack has become his signature topic that he has become almost synonymous with the drug. The album of choice today is his 3rd, 2018's Daytona.

 

Daytona was the first release in Kanye's Wyoming Sessions in 2018 where he released a 7-track album each week that he fully produced while in Wyoming. And with Kanye in the production seat, you already know this album is going to sound amazing. Out of the 5 albums released during this time, this is definitely the most sample-heavy of them all and it gives this album almost a bit of a 'Yeezus' feel but what really differentiates it is Pusha's deliberate, no-nonsense delivery that stops Kanye's beats and the soulful samples from stealing the limelight away. Pusha feels like he is out for blood on this album. He starts off on familiar territory with a couple of songs exerting his dominancy in the ex-crack-selling rapper business but by the end of the album, he seems angry and is throwing shots of Drake that led to the now iconic diss-track that many believe handed Drake his first L: The Story Of Adidon. I think there are a couple of slightly corny bars here and there but when they're on point, they stick with you. Just take this little scheme on Infrared "Remember Will Smith won the first Grammy? And they ain't even recognize Hov until "Annie". So I don't tap dance for the crackers and sing Mammy. 'Cause I'm posed to juggle these flows and nose candy".

 

I think the best decision made in regards to this album was keeping it short. It's a lean 21 minute breeze to listen to this album in full and every track is perfectly timed for what it needed to do. In recent years, we have got so used to the bloated, 30 track extended albums where half the tracks feel like filler (I'm sorry to say Kanye but I'm looking at you 'Donda') that it is refreshing to see an album that knows exactly what it wants to achieve and cuts out all the fat. Every track here has it's purpose and the quality never varies.

 

The final thing that needs to be mentioned is the album cover. Pusha was clearly aiming for controversy with this release and Kanye paid a reported $85k to license this photo. The album shows the drug-paraphernalia covered bathroom of the now late Whitney Houston from 2006. It's tasteless and unnecessary but undeniably goes with the themes and tone of the album.

107. Kool G Rap & DJ Polo - Wanted: Dead Or Alive 1990 4.5/5

 

Highlights: Money In The Bank, Bad To The Bone, Wanted Dead Or Alive

 

 

Kool G Rap and DJ Polo are a Hip-Hop due from New York who were both part of the legendary Rap collective 'Juice Crew'. As a duo, they released three studio albums between 1889-1992 and Kool Rap G as released a further 7 as a solo artist. Kool G Rap is considered to be one of the greatest MCs of all-time and has been named by pretty much every big name rapper whose career started in the 90's an influence. On 'Encore', Jay-Z famously spits 'hearing me rap is like hearing G Rap in his prime'. Before G Rap, New York didn't have any true street-life gangsta rappers and is credited as being the blue-print that Biggie, Jay, Nas and Big Pun have all followed. He is also known for his complex, multisyllabic schemes and controlled delivery which makes it no surprise that rappers such as Eminem and members of Wu-Tang Clan have also named him as an influence. Today we are looking at the 2nd album from the duo, 'Wanted: Dead Or Alive' that was released one year after their debut.

 

This is a really good album with my personal favourite being the posse cut 'Money In The Bank' that also features Large Professor, Freddie Foxxx & Ant Live. Kool G Rap certainly has a way with words and really invites you into his world through his music. He touches on a fairly diverse variety of topics across the album and his storytelling always shines. Most rappers struggle with the almost compulsory explicit-sex jam but Kool G Rap has somehow managed to still sound cool when spitting such corny lines as "I'm probably related to Long Dong Silver" on 'Talk Like Sex'. One thing that I kinda loved about this album was that he is a bit of a punchline rapper at times and I found it quite amusing to hear verses that were just full of out of date references for things that haven't been relevant for 30 years. It's going to be the same thing in the future where we go back to listen to rap from 2022 and just get bombarded with Will Smith Oscar bars :lol:

 

The only thing that didn't work for me about this album was the last few tracks. It felt like as the album progressed, DJ Polo became more and more the focus of the project and we moved away from G Rap's rhymes. 'Jive Talk' does have some of the best verses on the album but its separated by an interlude shout-out part that ruins the momentum of the track. Then on 'The Polo Club', Polo fully gets his chance to shine with a track that features no rapping and is just an array of samples and DJ mixes. It sounds cool but I'm not really listening to an album like this for the DJs. The final track, 'Riker’s Island' does move back to the traditional rap sound but the production just feels overwhelming on it which is weird because through-out the rest of the album I thought it sounded perfect. On most of the album, the beats are fairly subtle but, if you listen close there's always something interesting going on, like the guitar riff in 'Streets Of New York' and compliment the rapping really well. Reading into it and know I know why. 'Riker's Island' is actually a tacked on track (so much so that Rap G admitted years later he didn't even realise it was on there) that was a single from G while he was still working with Marley Marl as a producer that the label tagged on so the album would already have a hit.

106. Ol' Dirty Bastard - Return To The 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version 1995 5/5

 

Highlights: Brooklyn Zoo, Hippa To Da Hoppa, Damage

 

 

Ol Dirty Bastard was a rapper from New York who a founding member of legendary Hip-Hop group 'Wu-Tang Clan'. His name was derived from the 1980 Chinese martial-arts flick 'Ol' Dirty and the Bastard and was a perfect representation of his erratic, explicit, unique style. There has never been another rapper quite like ODB and I don't think there ever will be again. Known for his controversies and legal issues as much as his music, OLD had multiple arrests, some serious addictions to drugs and had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder before he died of an overdose at the age of 35 in 2004. ODB released 2 solo albums during his life and a third, posthumous album has been released digitally but never secured a physical release.

 

Return To The 36 Chambers..., his debut solo album, was released only two years after Wu-Tang's debut 'Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)' had become a surprise commercial success and almost instantly put the group towards the epitome of the genre. So there was very high expectations going into this album and you have to appreciate just how unconventional he went right from the start. Choosing highlights from this album was near impossible because it's hard to think of this album as being 17 separate songs. I see this as more of an experience. It feels like just one long piece that you have to sit back and let it soak over you. There's very little in terms of what music theory would tell you a good song is but it just works. ODB doesn't really rap on this album, it's more of a weird hybrid between rap and singing that he adopts and there's not a single person in the world who would say that he can sing. Technically, this album sounds horrible but he captured something special and there's a reason why this album is as acclaimed as it is. I can't really pinpoint why this works in a way that Playboi Carti's music doesn't for me. Neither have traditionally good vocal technique, both have incredibly sloppy flows and they're both fairly shoddy lyricists with songs full of non-sequiturs but yet this somehow feels like high art. I feel like there's more of a sense of genuineness in ODBs work that isn't present in Carti. I think ODB knows that he isn't the greatest and made this music as its was what he was passionate about. I don't know if this is really 'true art' or just a mess but either way it's effective and its guaranteed to make you feel something, positive or otherwise. I don't think anyone will listen to this album and come to the conclusion that it's just 'alright'.

 

ODB has always been who I would consider as my favourite member from Wu-Tang. He probably is the least lyrical, least talented MC they've had in their group but he is a true original. From all it's weirdness, his music is able to stand out in a way that no other member's can. If you ever want a track to sum up ODB, it's got to be 'Raw Hide'. Full of bat-shit crazy bars and a technically awful flow but it still somehow remains charming and endlessly quotable. 'Goin' Down' is also one of the craziest tracks I've ever heard. It begins with him making a croaking 'ahhhhhhhh' noise for a LONG time and then halfway through the song, just as he is being berated by his actual wife about being a bad father he just begins belting out 'Somewhere Over The Rainbow' in his typical tuneless styling. I'd compare this album to the found diary of someone who has just escaped a mental asylum but I really love it.

 

RIP ODB. Your experimentation and determination to make the music you wanted really helped get me into rap and shaped my beliefs of what the genre can be. This is one of those albums that I would urge everyone to listen to once, you might hate it but you won't have ever heard anything else quite like it.

105. Chance The Rapper - Coloring Book 2016 4/5

 

Highlights: No Problem, Blessings, Same Drugs

 

 

Chance The Rapper is a rapper and singer from Chicago, Illinois who rose to fame with a slew of critically acclaimed and incredibly popular mixtapes between 2012-2016 before the release of his official debut studio album, The Big Day, in 2019. His first two mixtapes, '10 Day' and 'Acid Rap' both stuck to more modern Hip-Hop sounds but after his daughter was born with an Atrial flutter, Chance turned heavy to Christianity and with the release of his 3rd and final mixtape 'Coloring Book', his music has really favoured gospel elements and spiritual themes.

 

Chance is certainly not afraid of collaboration and there are plenty of artists that lend a helping hand to this mixtape, from the customary guest verses from rappers like Kanye West, Young Thug and Saba to the less obvious choices of Justin Bieber, Francis and The Lights, Kirk Franklin and the Chicago Children's Choir. Even with all of these different voices, I think the mixtape manages to remarkably find quite a consistent sound and works as a fully cohesive project. However, the quantity of the features means that I don't think Chance gets as much of a chance to shine as he should. And even when it is his turn, he adopts much more of a sing-songy style that leaves this mixtape not feeling very Hip-Hop at times. For an artist called Chance The Rapper, I don't think we get enough of Chance actually rapping. I know it's almost sacrilegious to say but I actually prefer the much maligned debut studio album from Chance than I do this one. That one was certainly overstuffed and had some pretty weak tracks but I think it's highs were much higher for me and he found a better balance of mixing the rap and gospel sounds. I'm obviously in the wrong though as this mixtape became the first ever streaming-only release to win a Grammy, taking home the coveted 'Best Rap Album' in 2017.

104. Eve - Scorpion 2001 4.5/5

 

Highlights: Who's That Girl, Scream Double R, Let Me Blow Your Mind

 

 

Eve is a rapper from Philadelphia who rose to prominence as as a member of the Hip-Hop collective 'Ruff Ryders'; a collection of artists signed to the Ruff Ryders Entertainment label and led by DMX. Her debut album, 1999's 'Let There Be Eve... Ruff Ryder's First Lady' reached #1 in the Billboard charts becoming only the 3rd album from a female rapper to reach top position after Lauryn Hill and Foxy Brown. Despite releasing three albums in a four year span at the start of her career, she has only released one further album since 2002 with 'Lip-Lock' being released independently in 2013. Instead her career has turned more towards acting, appearing in the Barbershop trilogy of films, a lead role in the sitcom 'Eve' and as a host of chat-show 'The Talk'.

 

It's her 2nd album, Scorpion, that we're looking at today. It was released right at the start of the millennium and it does sounds very much of that time which the production that now sounds slightly dated. The most interesting production on the album is probably on the Dre' produced 'Let Me Blow Your Mind' so it's no surprise that it's the one that Central Cee is sampling for controversial hit this year. But the dated style is not necessarily a bad thing as I think it suits the style that Eve goes for. There's plenty of different genres incorporated into the album with the more hardcore gangsta moments (Scream Double R, Gangsta Bitches), the poppier cuts (Let Me Blow Your Mind, Who's That Girl) and even reggae jams (No, No, No). I think it is when Eve is at her most hardcode where the album shines the most, she really dominates each track with her personality and she certainly knows how to write a catchy hook.

 

The only weak point on the album for me is 'No, No, No'. It's a reggae-fusion track that features the Marley brothers (Damian and Stephen) and just seems to drone on without any variation until Eve finally provides a verse 3 and a half minutes in where the song does start to come to life. But by then it's too little too late and the (admittedly) pretty fun rest of the track just cannot justify the earlier dullness. Aside from that though, this is just a really well-made album.

103. Mos Def - Black On Both Sides 1999 4.5/5

 

Highlights: Do It Now, Speed Law, Know That

 

 

Mos Def is a rapper from Brooklyn, New York who legally changed his name to Yasiin Bey in 2011 and uses that name in his later career. Bey started his career as a member of 'Urban Thermo Dynamics', a sibling group with his brother and sister who only released 2 singles and 1 unofficially released album before he formed Black Star with Talib Kweli and found massive underground success. As a solo artist, Bey has released four studio albums. One of the largest stars of the alternate Hip-Hop scene, he is known for his often socially-conscious and political lyrics often focused on racism and other relevant social issues. Without finding large mainstream fame, Bey is considered to be one of greatest lyricists in rap history and a diverse range of artists such as Kendrick Lamar, Lupe Fiasco, Amy Winehouse and Adele have named him as an influence.

 

It's Bey's debut album 1999's 'Black On Both Sides' that we're focusing on today and being released only 1 year after Black Star's debut album had made them the hottest upcoming names in rap, it's fair to say the expectations going into this one were massive. From the first track, where he boldly decided to open with a track with no real chorus and just straight rhymes, you know you are listening to a true artist and a proper project that has taken a lot of effort and planning to produce. You really have to appreciate the scope and range of topics that Bey alludes to in this album. How many other rappers in 1999 were releasing songs like 'New World Water'? The track very bluntly address the water crisis that were seeing today across America while also, more subtly, using the topic as an allegory for the corruption and manipulation of the most powerful in society and remains painfully pertinent today.

 

The album is really at it's strongest when Bey is just rapping. He has an incredibly powerful way with words and sucks you in completely to whatever topic he's discussing. Perhaps intentionally, this album feels designed to make white listeners feel uncomfortable at times with tracks like 'Rock N Roll' comparing the celebration of musicians like Elvis and The Rolling Stones who 'appropriated' black music to how black people's importance and influence gets downplayed in other areas of society and 'Mr. N*gga' that highlights some of racial micro-agressions that even the most powerful and celebrates black people still face during their day to day life as an American. This album is the anecdote to the excess and over-exaggerated personas, like Puff Daddy' that dominated late 90's Rap. The beats are less flashy and the rapping is slower and more considered but all the more powerful for it. The words are the stars here. The features on here all purposefully chosen for maximum impact. Q-Tip and Vinia Mojica both add weight to some choruses but the only guest verses we hear here are from Busta Rhymes and Talib Kweli and both come ready for battle.

 

I was so into the tracks that were just pure rap and poetry, that this album did lose momentum every time one of the more spacious, sung songs were introduced. Tracks like 'Climb' and 'Umi Says' are admittedly pretty good and I would probably be really digging them on another album, but the rap-heavy tracks are all 5/5s that these look dull in comparison. Don't be mistaken into thinking this album isn't all serious. It's lead single 'Ms. Fat Booty' is more playful and acts as a cautionary tale of falling in love with the wrong girl. It relies on samples of Aretha Franklin's 'One Step Ahead' which has also been brilliantly used by J.I.D earlier this year in 'Surround Sound' which I think slightly colours my thoughts on Bey's track.

 

I'll leave you with the hardest bar on this album that I just loved: "sketch lyrics so visual they rent my rhyme books at your nearest home video".

102. Rich Gang - Rich Gang: Tha Tour Pt. 1 2014 4/5

 

Highlights: I Know It, Soldier, Flava

 

 

Rich Gang are a collection of artists signed to Cash Money Records whose line-up for each release. The 3 members at the time of the release of this mixtape were Young Thug, Rich Homie Quan and Birdman. As the co-founder of the label Birdman takes more of a hosting role on the releases, mostly appearing as a hypeman with rambling introductions or conclusions to the tracks.

 

I'm not convinced we really needed two Young Thug albums in the 101-120 section of the greatest Hip-Hop albums of all-time but here we are. I was actually pretty pleasantly surprised listening to this. I was certainly bracing myself going in when I saw that it has a running length of 1 hour and 20 minutes and while it's certainly longer than it needs to be, it didn't really drag. Rich Homie Quan acts as the 'straight man' while his more traditional verses giving the project some weight and substance and works well to contrast Thug's scattershot flows and high-pitched scrawls. The mixtape actually ends with 3 of the stronger tracks that meant that I wouldn't have minded it going on for a little bit longer. There's actually a few tracks that didn't make my highlights that I still want to mention as being really decent: Givenchy, 730, and Freestyle are all tracks I wouldn't be adverse to throwing on the odd playlist.

 

I'm currently on a little bit of a holiday so I won't write too much more about this album. I will just say that I think I'm going to have PTSD if I ever hear that 'Rich Gang' tag ever again. It honestly felt like it was repeated every other second during this mixtape and for such a long project, it really starts to drag.

 

Again this is another mixtape not on Spotify so I'd reccomend Datpiff if you want to give it a spin.

101. Young Jeezy - Let's Get It: Thug Motivation 101 2005 5/5

 

Highlights: Soul Survivor, Thug Motivation 101, Go Crazy (Remix)

 

 

Young Jeezy is a rapper from Columbia, South Carolina who is the leader of the Hip-Hop group 'United Streets Dopeboyz of America' and formerly of 'Boyz n da Hood'. Jeezy has been credited as one of the artists that helped popularise trap music into the mainstream alongside Gucci Mane and T.I. Jeezy released two independent albums in 2001 and 2003 before being signed to Def Jam. Since being signed, he has released 10 studio albums but it is the first of these. 2005's 'Let's Get It: Thug Motivation 101' that has earned a place in this list.

 

Jeezy might not be the most lyrical rapper and the production on this album might not be the slickest, but this album is much more than the sum of all it's parts and is the perfect trap album. Jeezy has the perfect voice for this style of rap and, as the title suggests, this album is a masterplan on trapping and the hardcore lyrics and simple production sets the tone perfectly. There's still plenty of quotables on this album. "Now I’m your favourite rapper’s favourite rapper. Now I’m your favourite trapper’s favourite trapper" is such a hard lyric that perfectly sums up this album. My favourite track on here is 'Soul Survivor'. I didn't release I missed hearing Akon's until this. He absolutely dominated the track and provides one of the catchiest hooks of his career. For an album with a long run length, this is an absolute breeze to sit through and there's not a track that's skippable.

 

I have more to say about this album and I will edit this to add some more comments tomorrow when I'm back home.

100. Run-DMC - Raising Hell 1986 4/5

 

Highlights: Walk This Way, It's Tricky, Perfection

 

 

Run-DMC are a Hip-Hop group from Queens, New York that consisted of Joseph Simmons (Run), Darryl McDaniels (DMC) and Jason Mizell (Jam Master Jay). One of the first major stars in the Rap genre, Run-DMC were the first Hip-Hop act to have their video broadcast on MTV, appear on the cover of Rolling Stone, be nominated for a Grammy and the only to appear at Live Aid. The trio released seven studio albums between 1984-2001 before Jam Mater Jay's murder in 2002. Their biggest success, and the album that we're looking at today, is their 3rd release 'Raising Hell' that became the first the first rap record to go both Platinum and Multi-Platinum and has since been inducted into the National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress for being "culturally, historically, or artistically significant".

 

When this was released in 1986, the world had not heard Hip-Hop like this. The biggest rap hits before this had been largely-dance orientated and it was seen as being like Sugarhill Gang's 'Rappers Delight' and the genre was seen as a 'single' genre but Run-DMC had completely different ideas and with 'Raising Hell' they created an "all killer, no filler" album that demands to be listened to from start to end and genuinely rocks. The genius here was working with a new producer. Long time producer Russell Simmons remained but his Def Jam co-founder Rick Rubin was also introduced and it was he who suggested that they might want to consider remixing a then struggling Aerosmith's Walk This Way and a classic was made. The album has two all-timer songs in 'It's Tricky' and the aforementioned 'Walk This Way' but without the familiarity, the rest of the album doesn't quite hit in the same way anymore. You can hear just how wild this would have sounded in the 80's but, thanks to albums like this, the sound of Hip-Hop has evolved so much in the 40 years since that this just sounds like a bit of a relic.

99. Lil Wayne - Tha Carter II 2005 5/5

 

Highlights: Fireman, Tha Mobb, Receipt

 

 

Lil Wayne is a rapper from New Orleans, Louisiana whose career started at the age of 12 when he was signed to Cash Money Records by Birdman. Selling over 120 million records, Wayne is one of the best-selling artists of all-time of any genre. Wayne has released 14 studio albums of which only two (his 2nd album 'Lights Out' in 2000 and the Tidal exclusive Free Wheezy Album) missing the Billboard top 10. He has also released countless mixtapes and is renown as one of the greatest mixtape artists in rap history. Wayne has since gone on to create his own record label: Young Money that was at one stage the hottest record label going with Drake & Nicki Minaj being the other figure-heads. However, what Wayne is most notable for is his 'Tha Carter' series of albums. Surely the most iconic series of albums in rap, the long delayed 'Tha Carter V' was the reason of his very public falling out with Birdman that eventually led to him leaving Cash Money.

 

I know it was 'The Carter III' that really blew Lil Wayne up. That album sold over a million in it's first week and was absolutely stoked with massive-sounding singles (Lollipop, A Milli) but after hearing 'Tha Carter II' today, I think this is the album where Wayne truly established himself. It's hard to believe that this was actually released before III as it just feels like such a more mature and polished album. Wayne is often one of the most frustrating and erratic rappers in the game, fully capable of spitting something completely original and mindblowing; some of the greatest lines I've ever heard have come from Wayne but also always fully capable of including some of the laziest, unfunniest punchlines imaginable, sometimes even mixing both into the same verse. But when Wayne is on, there's not many other MCs that can come close to matching the pure creativity and imagination he provokes in his words. And this album might be the most focused I've heard Wayne on an album. It feels justified when he starts to talk about his supremacy on 'Best Rapper Alive'.

 

This album is maybe missing a couple of big hooks that could create some obvious singles but it is in the longer, hookless tracks where he is going bar for bar that really got me hooked. The introductory track 'Tha Mobb' is five-and-a-half minutes just showing off improving lyrical ability and proving to the world that he is no joke. It's such a cold way to start an album and let's you know right off the bat that you're in for something special. He certainly has his imitations today, but Wayne has a pretty unique charisma and personality throughout this album that just feels so different to anyone else in the game. I can't quite put my finger on what it is, but you just know instantly when it's a Wayne record as his personality and swagger just shines right out.

98. Company Flow - Funcrusher Plus 1997 4.5/5

 

Highlights: Legends, The Fire In Which You Burn, Population Control

 

 

The people at Rolling Stone are obviously big El-P fans :lol: Company Flow are a Hip-Hop trio from New York consisting of rapper and producer El-P, DJ and producer Mr. Len and rapper Bigg Juss. The trio released their debut EP 'Funcrusher' independently in 1996 before they eventually signed to Rawkus Records after a bidding war to release their debut album 'Funcrusher Plus', an extended version of their debut EP that added 11 new songs. After two years of touring and promoting the record, Bigg Juss decided to leave the group to go solo. As a duo, the group only released one fully-instrumental follow-up 'Little Johnny from the Hospitul: Breaks & Instrumentals Vol.1' before falling out with the label and starting other ventures.

 

This album is very similar to the EL-P produced album 'The Cold Vein' by Cannibal Ox that appeared at #165 in this countdown in both sound and style. This album is one for those who like the lyrics to be at the forefront of rap. It's uncompromising in the sense that there's only about 3 choruses incorporated across the whole 73 minute project. Aside from one short interlude and 2 instrumental tracks, the rest of the album is just straight up verses that give you no chance to rest. My first thought when I put this on this morning is that I had no chance of appreciating it properly by having it on in the background while I work. But even though I know I missed so much, I still found this brilliant to listen to despite not always following the often ostentatious and difficult to decipher lyrics. I honestly have no idea what the topics being discussed in most of the songs apart from anarchically separating themselves from the wacker, mainstream rappers in the industry. I really need to sit down and listen to this again when I can give it my full attention. I feel like you could study these words for years and still not get everything being said. It's one of those where classes could be taught in deciphering all the intricate verses. But anyone familiar with RTJ will know that El-P can incorporate some childish humour when he so desires so it's not all high art. There's still plenty of crash, low-brow bars that anyone can latch on to. El-P does take a majority of the verses and I'm glad he did because Bigg Juss's contributions were great with some ambitious flows but his lyrics were going straight over my head.

 

Aside from the completely uncommercial style, another area that really makes his album stand-out is the grimy production. It's quite minimalistic but at the same time is completely unsubtle with it's random electro bleeps and blops and unmelodious clangs. With most of the albums on this countdown, I've been mentioning the funky production, well this is the exact opposite of that. It honestly feels like it's trying to put you off at times but it works perfectly for the underground aesthetic the album is going for.

 

One track where the topic of the song really lands is Last Good Sleep. On the track EL-P openly discusses how his stepdad used to abuse his mother and how the legacy of the abuse has had a long-lasting effect on his family and on his own mental health. The chorus expresses how the trauma is something that he sleeps about every night and is some of the most affecting and haunting poetry I've heard. "Now every night of my life he beats his wife until the day I die"

 

I've rated this song 4.5 but it's one that I think is very likely to jump to a 5 on further listens. If you want to give it a go, it's another one that's not on Spotify but can be found on DatPiff which has become a bit of a lifesaver during these listens.

97. Clipse - Hell Hath No Fury 2006 4/5

 

Highlights: Mr. Me Too, Dirty Money, Keys Open Doors

 

 

I already mentioned it during Pusha's solo entry before but Clipse are a rap-duo from Virginia that consists of brothers No Malice and Pusha T. No Malice was originally known as Malicious and later, Malice before settling on No Malice after converting to Christianity in 2012. At the start of their careers, Clipse signed with Elektra Records and recorded 'Exclusive Audio Footage'. This was due to be released as their debut album but was shelved due to poor commercial prospects of the group's intended singles. The album was fully produced by The Neptunes and eventually found it's way onto Spotify in 2020. After this disappointment, the pair signed with Star Trak Records and released their official debut album 'Lord Willin' in 2002. The album was a surprise commercial success and Clips released two more albums to diminishing success before the pair decided to go their separate ways and peruse solo careers in 2010 after a falling out. The brothers have since finally reconciled and re-united in 2019 to provide verses on Kanye West's excellent 'Use This Gospel' from his 'Jesus Is King' album.

 

Pusha and No Malice pretty much cover every metaphor or entendres you could possibly imagine for trapping and selling cocaine over the course of this album and, as brothers, the chemistry is as insane as you'd imagine it should be. As long as you don't mind the constant references to selling drugs then there's not really anything to criticise on this album so I'm honestly not sure why this album didn't connect with me in the way so many others have during this countdown. Pusha and No Malice are both incredibly competent rappers, the flows and lyrics are there and the production is solid but for whatever reason this album didn't inspire me even as much as the solo Pusha album that's already been (Daytona at 108). My favourite Pusha verse on this whole album was his first on 'Hello New World'. However, unfortunately, Pharrell spits a pretty wack chorus that completely ruins the song. Although on the album's closer 'Nightmares', Pharrell provides a nice bridge and Bilal provides his vocals for an absolute banger of a chorus. If they could have moved this chorus onto 'Hello New World' then we could have had a pretty special track. As it is, 'Nightmares' is still a must listen. It's such a perfect way to close an album and almost makes me want to give it an extra .5 on the rating just for that.

96. Ice-T - Power 1988 4/5

 

Highlights: I'm Your Pusher / Pusherman, Power, Heartbeat

 

 

Ice-T is a rapper and actor from New Jersey . Starting his career as a gangsta rapper in the 1980's, Ice-T has also been just as prolific in a completely different genre, founding the heavy metal band 'Body Count' who continue to release music to this day. As a solo artists, T has released 7 studio albums between 1987-2006 but since then has dedicated most of his career to acting. Like his Ice-name contemporary, Ice-T has since weirdly became known for playing an officer of the law in 'Law & Order'. You would never had imagined that if you listened to either of the MC's 80's output. The album were looking at today was Ice's 2nd studio album, 1988's 'Power'.

 

Listening to this album in 2022, it's crazy to think that this was once a controversial album. The album cover showing his then girlfriend in a bathing suite with a shotgun was seen as 'perpetuating stereotypes' and 'glorifying violence'. The same was said for the lyrics, plenty of the songs tell tales of street life and violence but Ice was older than most gangsta rappers at the time (he was 30 when he recorded this) and the album does touch on the consequences of such a life in a way most don't. This sounds pretty tame in comparison to any drill record you might put on today. Take 'Drama', the track is about a gansgta who is released from prison and wants to get revenge on the streets and T does have some fun is describing his rampage but on the final verse he gets arrested and put on death row. I think this album is more mature that just pure promotion of violence and illegal activity. He also sends some shots LL Cool J's way but even the beefing is fairly mild. Although the skit in 'I'm Your Pusher' where he is selling CDs to the the rap-addict who turns their nose up at trying to be sold an LL LP is pretty hilarious if not that brutal.

 

Ice-T clearly has a lot to say on this album, he's very critical of the police, radio stations and anybody else he thinks is a cause for the decline of society at the time and there's a nice posse track in 'The Syndicate' but overall this album doesn't have the same impact as I imagine it did at the time. It's difficult comparing albums in the 80's to more recent entries on this list because the production is usually pretty basic and the flows so simple compared to what you'd expect now.

95. T.I. - Trap Muzik 2003 4.5/5

 

Highlights: Trap Muzik, Look What I Got, Be Easy

 

 

T.I. is a rapper, actor and stand-up comedian(!) from Atlanta, Georgia who is considered as one of the pioneers of the trap music genre. His inclusion here means that we've now seen projects from the 3 biggest names in trap: T.I., Young Jeezy and Gucci Mane. T.I.'s first studio album was 'I'm Serious' in 2001. Due to poor sales and a negative critical reaction he was dropped from Arista Records before signing for Atlantic and co-founding his own label 'Grand Hustle Records' through which he has released the rest of his 11 studio release strong discography. His biggest success came in with the release of 'Paper Trail' in 2008. The album spawned two Billboard #1 singles (Whatever You Like and Live Your Life) that gave T.I. the distinction of being one of the few artists to knock themselves off the top spot. However, he is probably now best known for his appearance on Robin Thicke's & Pharrell William's monstrous 2013 hit 'Blurred Lines' that isn't really his finest moment and was a huge step away from the music that brought him his fame and legacy. Through his record label, he has also helped in making Travis Scott, Iggy Azalea and B.o.B. household names. Outside of music, T.I. has had a successful acting career, including portraying 'Dave' in the Ant-Man films of the MCU. In more recent times, he has even tried his hand at stand-up comedy although he is yet to find the same level success in that field.

 

Trap Muzik was T.I.'s second studio album and after the disappointing reaction to his debut, a lot was riding on this one. Just like on the previous album we looked at by Ice-T, this album is about trapping but goes to lengths not to glamourise the lifestyle. This is made clear on the Kanye produced 'Doin' My Job' where T.I. goes to lengths to explain why people turn to criminal activity "We don't like it no more than you that we live like this". I really appreciate the sound of the album more than anything. The production is wild and even quite pop-like at times and is just do different to what you'd expect on a trap record. The opening title-track is actually quite goofy I thought but really works to create a pretty unique sounding song. There are also plenty of fun hooks all the way through this album. The strongest of all is found on 'Let's Get Away'. However, some of the lyrics in T.I.'s verses are beyond cringe and I just can't get on board with some of them. This is why trappers shouldn't make sex jams. :lol:

94. De La Soul - De La Soul Is Dead 1991 3.5/5

 

Highlights: My Brother's A Basehead, Pass The Plugs, Ring Ring Ring (Ha Ha Hey)

 

 

De La Soul are a Hip-Hop trio from New York consisting of MCs Posdnous, Trugoy and Maeso. They are seen as being one of the most influential artists in the alternative Hip--Hop genre of being associated with other acts like A Tribe Called Quest, Mos Def and Black Sheep. The latter of which play bullies that appear in skits throughout this album. De La Soul have released 9 studio albums between 1989 and 2016 with their most recent, 'And The Anonymous Nobody...' being funded through Kickstarter and earning the group a Grammy nomination. In more recent times, their most notable work has been in collaboration with Gorillaz, including the undertaed 'Momentz' and the all-timer single 'Feel Good Inc.' that won the trio their only Grammy award in 2006.

 

The album of focus today is their 2nd album 'De La Soul Is Dead'. After their debut album '3 Feet High and Rising' was released to critical acclaim, the group became associated with peace and harmony and a tag of being hippies. Their concept of the 'D.A.I.S.Y. Age (da inner sound, y'all) that the album introduced was not something that De La Soul wanted to be their legacy and so they created 'De La Soul Is Dead'. The album art showing some dead daisies in a broken flowerpot was a clear indicator of what they wanted to say portray with this album. What I imagine will be the track that most people will be familiar with from this album is 'Ring Ring Ring (Ha Ha Hey)'. The song interpolates Curiosity Killed The Cats' 'Name and Number' and tells the tale of De La Soul being irritated by fans who want the group to check out their mixtapes. I'm a huge Little Mix fan and of course, they then in turn, interpolated this into one of their first singles 'How Ya Doin' which, despite featuring a verse from Missy Elliott, was unfortunately my least favourite single they ever released. I much prefer what De La Soul did with the chorus here.

 

But, in general, I just didn't get what this album was going for really. It felt like it was about 60% skits and the tone of the songs when we actually get to them are all over the place. This would be a brisk 25 minute listen without the skits instead of a slightly slog of 74 minutes. There's some super-light tracks like 'A Roller Skating Jam Named "Saturdays"' and 'Bitties in the BK Lounge', short parodies of different styles of rap like 'Kicked Out The House' and 'Afro Connections at a Hi 5' and some tracks that cover very dark subject mater; 'My Brother's A Basehead' is about a family member being addicted to drugs and 'Millie Pulled a Pistol on Santa' is about a young girl who kills her father after he sexually abuses her and no-one she tells believes her. Out of context, the song is well-written and effecting, but I just really dislike it's placement on this album. This feels like a cynical album to me and a song like this feels weakened by appearing on it. I feel like I would have enjoyed literally any other album from the group instead of this one but sometimes experimentation works out, and it certainly did for the jury of Rolling Stone as this is the De La Soul album we get.

 

Another one that is not on Spotfy but can be found pretty easily on YouTube.

93. Ice Cube - Death Certificate 1991 4.5/5

 

Highlights: Alive On Arrival, The Wrong N***a To Fuck Wit, Color Blind

 

 

Ice Cube is a rapper, writer and actor from Los Angeles who rose to prominence as a member of the controversial founders of Gangsta Rap, N.W.A. Ice Cube actually started out in a short-lived group called 'C.I.A.' before forming N.W.A. After a very public fall-out (more on that later), Cube left the group in 1989 to pursue a solo career. Cube has released 10 solo studio albums between 1990 to 2018. Outside of music, Cube has found large success in both screenwriting and acting. After starting his acting career by portraying Darin "Doughboy" Baker in John Singleton's iconic 'Boyz n the Hood', Cube went on to both write and star in the cult 'Friday' series of films and acting in other franchises such as Barbershop, Jump Street, Ride Along and a Are We There Yet?

 

The album that we're looking at today is Ice Cube's 2nd release, 'Death Certificate'. It's the second 1991 album in a row and, in my opinion, is a much stronger album. It might not be as experimental or creative as 'De La Soul Is Dead' but it's a much more cohesive and focused project. There's a clear concept at play here and it's easy to draw a throughline from track to track. This album is split into two halves: 'the death side' and 'the life side' and the former is definitely the stronger half. At it's best, this album is an unflinching, insightful look at street politics. My favourite track being 'Alive On Arrival' that tells a tale of a black shooting victim that dies in the hospital because the police are more interesting in questioning him on any gang-affiliations than allowing him to get the treatment he needs. The song feels angry and urgent and Cube tells the story perfectly and really gets you involved in the narrative. However, there is an elephant in the room with this album. With the pure rage that simmers throughout this album. you're never too far away from some misplaced anger and an off-putting offensive remark. There's the "slut-shaming'" track 'Givin' Up the Nappy Dug Out' that gets away with not really being that offensive by addressing his anger at the father of the girl who disapproves of her dating a black man. However, the tracks that are really controversial, 'Black Korea' and 'No Vaseline' were actually removed from the original UK release of this album. 'Black Korea' was incredibly controversial at the time with some lazy stereotyping ("Oriental one penny countin' motherf**kers") and overall, pretty racist message. The song is a response to the racism of Korean shop-owners in Los Angels and was released in the wake of the controversial murder of 15 year old 'Latasha Harlins' by a Korean convivence-store owner earlier in 1991. I don't think you'd lose anything if this track wasn't on the album and is largely the reason why I couldn't give this album the whole 5/5.

 

The other track that we need to discuss is the album closer, the infamous diss-track 'No Vaseline'. As I mentioned earlier, Cube left N.W.A. and had some serious beef with the members that remained. This is often regarded as one of the most vicious and greatest diss tracks of all-time and there's certainly some nice bits of wordplay here and there but the track relies far too heavily on slurs that it's not a pleasant listen. He uses gay sex as a metaphor for how the group's manager, Jerry Heller, was screwing them over in regards to money and the title of the track is a very crude reference to that. Aside from the homophobia, there is also an uncomfortable sense of anti-Semitism in the track. While there's nothing necessarily negative against Judaism said, he does deliberately call Heller 'a white Jew' which feels like a loaded choice.

 

I don't really want to end it on that note because I think you would be wrong to label Cube as racist. I think the tracks here are just sloppily written by someone who is angry and obviously wants to play off the controversy and Cube has since matured a lot. And it is such a small part of this album that is otherwise near perfect. The beats are always aggressive and fit the tone like a glove. When the album talks about racism towards the black community in America, there's not many that have rapped about it so eloquently and in such an uncompromising and manor.