Essential Rap / Hip Hop Albums

[Darrell]

I am constantly expanding my music collection. Currently I have 60 GB of Music and am always looking for more.

What do you think are the essential Rap / Hip Hop Albums?

[adampc22]

Jurassic 5

[Emjaysmash]

iTunes has an awesome "Greatest Hits" playlist of Notorious B.I.G.- Love it

Ludacris- Chicken and Beer

[Darrell]

Let me clarify, I have a ton of hip hop / rap probably 5 GB. I am just curious what albums you "have to have" in your collection.

Personally Wu Tang Clan 36 Chambers is a CLASSIC!

[bobarian]

N.W.A-Straight Out of Compton
Run DMC-Raising Hell
Wu Tang Clan-Enter the Wu Tang
Snoop Dog-Doggy Style
2 Pac-Me Against the World

Five essentials.

[Darrell]

N.W.A-Straight Out of Compton
Run DMC-Raising Hell
Wu Tang Clan-Enter the Wu Tang
Snoop Dog-Doggy Style
2 Pac-Me Against the World

Five essentials.

:r

I have all of those, do you Bob?

[T.G]

The Gourds cover of Gin and Juice (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UAEMjb9TPFM)

(some lyrics NSFW)

[Brilliant]

Tribe called Quest- anything really.
Outkast- stankonia
Kanye West- College Dropout
JayZ- hard to pick

[AD720]

off the top of my head:

1) Dr. Dre - The Chronic
2) Jay-Z - The Blueprint (1)
3) Notorious B.I.G. - Ready to Die
4) Outkast - Stankonia
5) Public Enemy - It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back
6) Beastie Boys - Ill Communication

I like 2Pac a lot but didn't think the albums as a whole were as good as these. some great singles though - F*ck All Ya'll, Hit 'Em Up...

in the next GROUP would be N.W.A.,The Roots, A Tribe called Quest, NAS, Snoop, Cube, Grandmaster Flash, DeLa Soul.

[Whynot]

The Chronic
Eazy-duz-it
All Eyez on Me
The Predator

[ade06]

The Infamous (Mobb Deep)
Thug Life: Volum 1 (Thug Life)
Creepin on a Come Up (Bone Thugs n Harmony)

[Beer Doctor]

Kinda random older ones I love

West Side Connection-Bow Down
OutKast-ATLiens
2Pac-All Eyez On Me
B.I.G.-Ready to Die
Do or Die-Back 2 the Game

[Made in Dade]

Nice topic
Some classics you have to have are
Nas- Illmatic as well as It was written. Nas first two albums are classics.
DMX- Its dark and hell is hot

[Made in Dade]

Mobb Deep- Murda muzik

[MajorCaptSilly]

Anything by Kris Kross. They wore their clothes backwards, you know.

MCS

[Darrell]

Anything by Kris Cross.

Ya......no.

Great suggestions guys, keep em coming. I have maybe 1/2 of what has been mentioned so far.

[Beer Doctor]

Nas- Illmatic as well as It was written. Nas first two albums are classics.
DMX- Its dark and hell is hot

:tpd:

Lupe Fiasco's The Cool

[Made in Dade]

Raek Kwon from Wu tang Clan -Only built for Cuban Linx ( a classic)

[Mpython24]

Regulate by Warren G

Look for the song "I need a light"

his stuff is just silky smooth

[Beer Doctor]

Friday soundtrack-Superhoes was a hilarious song

[Brilliant]

I don't know why but dmx always makes me want to hit someone.

[Darrell]

I don't know why but dmx always makes me want to hit someone.

He makes me want to eat peoples kids.

JK

[Beer Doctor]

Some Wu related chit

Redman-Doc's da name 2000
Method Man-Tical 2000 Judgement Day
Meth/Red-Blackout!
WuTang-Forever

[RightAJ]

Check out MF DOOM. Fantastic underground stuff!

'Today was a good day" by Ice Cube is essential :D

aj

[Beer Doctor]

He makes me want to eat peoples kids.

JK

My style is impetuous. My defense is impregnable, and I'm just ferocious.:D

[Beer Doctor]

Kurupt-Tha streetz iz a mutha (His treatise on English composition)

[acarr]

Is there really any rap albums or hip hop that you have to have. That is the question? I would say no but if you must:

Too Short - Life is...Too Short
Geto Boys - Grip It! On That Other Level
2 Live Crew - As Nasty As They Wanna Be

[jaydub13]

Blackstar - Mos Def and Talib Qweli. Just fantastic. +1 on 36 chambers, totally right on that one.

[Made in Dade]

Gza from Wu tang -Liquid swords is another classic from the Wu

[Brilliant]

I left out more common artists like Opp and NWA because im sure you have them
Blackalicious-blazing arrow
Hieroglyphics- Third Eye Vision
Common- Be
Dizzee Rascal- Boy in da corner
Mos Def- Most Definte
Nerd- IN search of...& Fly or Die
Paul Wall- Get some Stay true
Roots- Im from philly so i love them all
Calle 13- Calle 13(Spanish) They are like the hip hop of reggeaton

[mmblz]

i have a number of albums but would call very few of them "essential".

for something different...
Deltron - Deltron 3030

[Wanger]

How can Eric B and Rakim not be mentioned here yet? The Paid in Full album is an absolute classic! And Microphone Fiend (off of Follow the Leader) is my top choice of theirs.

I'm also a fan of Black Sheep and Lords of the Underground.
LL Cool J- Bigger and Deffer and 14 Shots to the Dome
House of Pain- Shamrocks and Shenanigans
Ice T- Power
I also used to listen to 3rd Bass (MC Serch)-Derelicts of Dialect

And I'll second several of the ones listed before.

[Made in Dade]

Is there really any rap albums or hip hop that you have to have. That is the question? I would say no but if you must:

Too Short - Life is...Too Short
Geto Boys - Grip It! On That Other Level
2 Live Crew - As Nasty As They Wanna Be

I'm from Miami. 2 live crew is a must

[icehog3]

Albums that I think haven't been mentioned yet:

Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five - The Message

Dr. Dre - The Chronic

also, the single "Natural Born Killaz" by Ice Cube and Dr. Dre.

[BryanB]

Too Short - Get in Where You Fit In
Mobb Deep - The Infamous
BIG - Ready to Die

My top 3 albums

3 6 Mafia had some good stuff

single Mr. Bigg - Trial Time

[Patrick B]

Junior Mafia's first album is nice.

To second a few already mentioned:

The Chronic, Low End Theory by ATCQ, Infamous by Mobb Deep, ATLiens by Outkast, and pretty much any Wu album.

[Starscream]

1) Dr. Dre - The Chronic
2) Jay-Z - The Blueprint (1)
3) Notorious B.I.G. - Ready to Die
4) Snoop Dogg - Doggystyle
5) Jay-Z - The Blueprint/ Black Album/ pretty much any of his albums
6) Outkast - ATLiens
7) Ludacris - The Red Light District


I don't think it's on an album, but "Who Shot Ya" by Notorious B.I.G is one of his essential songs.

[Starscream]

Junior Mafia's first album is nice.



:tpd: