25 replies to this topic

[K. Dot]

Thought this would be an interesting topic to address and see what fellow posters think. Post your top 5 GOAT hip-hop/rap albums and an explanation for at least your first choice. My picks:

1. MMLP - Eminem ... This album imo has it all. Crazy rhyming, untouchable flow, a wide variety of subject matter - whether it makes you sit down and think or laugh your ass off, and it just gives off the "i don't give a [expletive]" feel that Eminem brought to the rap game. Eminem at this point of his career imo was also the greatest rapper of all time. He definitely is [expletive]ing up his legacy now though.

2. The Cool - Lupe Fiasco

3. Illmatic - Nas

4. 2001 (Chronic) - Dr. Dre ... This choice might get some hate. However, I see it as a definite classic. Dre's production was light years beyond its time and this album established the "westcoast sound" that so many rappers try and reproduce. The features were great, "What's The Difference, Forgot About Dre, Bang Bang" etc. And it definitely deserves a top mention.

5. All Eyez On Me - Tupac Shakur

Top albums that I personally enjoy but cannot rank as being actually classic rap albums would be Kid Cudi's MOTM and MOTM2, Kendrick Lamar's GKMC (just due to the fact that it's too early but could be up there as one of the greatest in the future), Wiz Khalifa's Kush & Orange Juice, and A$AP Rocky's - Long Live A$Ap.

[Game]

everyone should also post their criteria for best all time...everyone's opinion is diff

a few things i would consider in rough order of how heavily each would be weighed in the final equation...quality & consistency of writing and production, instant classic status, how the music holds up today, arguable lack of skippable songs, how other artists view the music, and a few other things...

1. all eyez on me - double disk, excellent top to bottom, i've heard greatest hits albums that weren't as good top to bottom
2. life after death - another excellent double disk
3. illmatic - yea...most don't argue
4. chronic 2001 - this is what was played my junior/senior years of high school...everywhere, by everyone
5. college dropout - most people probably don't put this up there, but i thought it was incredibly good...
5a. marshall mathers LP - great work lyrically, i still know almost all the words to this CD
5b. reasonable doubt - solid work

[FLOCKA]

get rich or die tryin

[K. Dot]

everyone should also post their criteria for best all time...everyone's opinion is diff

a few things i would consider in rough order of how heavily each would be weighed in the final equation...quality & consistency of writing and production, instant classic status, how the music holds up today, arguable lack of skippable songs, how other artists view the music, and a few other things...

1. all eyez on me - double disk, excellent top to bottom, i've heard greatest hits albums that weren't as good top to bottom
2. life after death - another excellent double disk
3. illmatic - yea...most don't argue
4. chronic 2001 - this is what was played my junior/senior years of high school...everywhere, by everyone
5. college dropout - most people probably don't put this up there, but i thought it was incredibly good...
5a. marshall mathers LP - great work lyrically, i still know almost all the words to this CD
5b. reasonable doubt - solid work

How can I forgot College Dropout, definitely agree with you there. Along with Reasonable Doubt a classic, I would put it alongsideThe Black Album but I just really like how Jay was on that haha.

[K. Dot]

get rich or die tryin

So informative and well thought out. Great album, wouldn't consider it a top 5 classic but def. up there for it's production and good amount of great songs.

[James Worthy]

1. Public Enemy -- It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back. Black power, pride in culture, political awareness, 99% Malcolm X and 1% MLK. Chuck D has the most amazing, booming voice in rap history.

2. Jay Z - The Blueprint. Just a soulful album. Jay in his prime. Not a bad track on the album. As great and in the zone as Jay was, Eminem overshadowed him on Renegade. Damn near impossible, but it happened.

3. Eminem - MMLP. I could really pick 3 Em albums and make a strong case for them, but I'll go with this one. As amazing and popular as Em is, I believe he's underrated.

4. Tupac - Me Against the World. I know most like All Eyes on Me (which made Tupac a household name), but MATW was him in a very suicidal frame of mind. He made it as if it were his last album. Love it! I'll also say, 7 Day Theory is underrated.

5. Biggie - Ready to Die. From start to finish, this was a bio that ended tragically, just like Christopher Wallace in real life. If you aren't a fan of this album, it means one simple thing: You haven't listened to it.

[LakersGAFan]

1. Makavelli, 7 Day Theory
2. 2Pac, All Eyes on Me
3. RUN DMC, Raising Hell
4. Nas, Illmatic
5. Wu Tang, Forever
6. 2Pac, Me Against the Worlf
7. Beastie Boys, License to Ill
8. Notorious Big, Ready to Die
9. Dre Dre, The Chronic
10. Eminem, The Eminem Show

and because one of my fav albums ever never makes my top 10 anymore I gotta get #11 in as a bonus:
11.

Edited by LakersGAFan, February 07, 2013 - 02:44 PM.

[last stand 2.0]

All Eyez on me- tupac has to be on here and any of his albums could probably be in here
college dropout- my personal favorite hip hop album, the production and lyricism is just on point.
Blueprint- Jay-z at his best
illmatic- the most lyrical album of all time
MMLP- eminem at his most ferocious

honorable mentions

my beautiful dark twisted fantasy- the most ballsy rap album ever (musically not socially)
Food and Liquor- up there with illmatic lyrically
late registration- college dropout without the freshness
Man on the Moon- a very underrated album and kid cudi just really nails it
The Black Album- Jay-Z at his second best. just an awesome album
The eminem show- more mainstream than MMLP but still slick
Ready to Die- Biggie at his best.

and in a couple years ask me again

Section 80 and GOOD kid MAD city by kendrick lamar are just hot albums
Take Care- Drake nails it and has a ridiculously entertaining album from start to finish

Edited by last stand 2.0, February 08, 2013 - 05:06 PM.

[K. Dot]

All Eyez on me- tupac has to be on here and any of his albums could probably be in here
college dropout- my personal favorite hip hop album, the production and lyricism is just on point.
Blueprint- Jay-z at his best
illmatic- the most lyrical album of all time
MMLP- eminem at his most ferocious

honorable mentions

my beautiful dark twisted fantasy- the most ballsy rap album ever (musically not socially)
Food and Liquor- up there with illmatic lyrically
late registration- college dropout without the freshness
Man on the Moon- a very underrated album and kid cudi just really nails it
The Black Album- Jay-Z at his second best. just an awesome album
The eminem show- more mainstream than MMLP but still slick
Ready to Die- Biggie at his best.

and in a couple years ask me again

Section 80 and GOOD kid MAD city by kendrick lamar are just hot albums
Take Care- Drake nails it and has a ridiculously entertaining album from start to finish

Great list. would agree with every point honestly, except the fact that I like The Cool more than Food & Liquor Good to see that no one puts in [expletive]ty Young Money artists into any top with the exception of Drake who stands out.

In a couple of years GKMC could very well be a top 10 classic. Kendrick Lamar is on a level of his own far from any other rappers currently.

[FLOCKA]

[K. Dot]

^ I spoke to soon....can't tell if troll or not.

[Paris]

Right. Can't tell if troll or has a differing opinion which is normal in the world because everyone in the world thinks different. and anybody who is entertained by anything I don't like is stupid and dumb. Did I do it right?

[Carpe Diem]

Nas - Illmatic
Changed the nyc scene. was 18 to do this

NWA - Straight Outta Compton
the definition of not giving a [expletive]. production, lyrical, 5 members and had a impact.

NWA - [expletive]as4life
they took the n word to another level. the way its used.

Ice Cube - The Predator
his thoughts about blacks, political, the way how we live

Dr Dre - 2001 Chronic

the album is ahead of its time. like light years.
Kanye west - My dark twisted fantasy

his lyrical jumped and was in his prime. hopefully he can be like this more

Rakim - pain in full
the lyrical god master

Eminem - Slim shady LP
its crazy he made white people allowed to do hip hop. huge impact

Tupac - Me against the world
telling how he saw the world

Nas -Stilmatic
made a point not to [expletive] with.

Jay-z - Reasonable doubt
hard work = results, this album did it

Az- Do or die
very underated album.



Screw the top 5. All of them area number 1 in my books

Edited by Carpe Diem, February 10, 2013 - 08:18 PM.

[NasWutangKB24]

1. NAS- Illmatic

2. Eric B. and Rakim: Paid in Full

3. AZ- Doe or Die

4. Wu-tang- 36 chambers

5. Notorious BIG- Ready to die

6. Jay-Z- reasonable doubt

7. Raekwon- Only built for Cuban lynx

Edited by NasWutangKB24, February 13, 2013 - 12:25 PM.

[manaro90]

Justin Timberlake - FutureSexLoveSounda

Justin Timberlake - Justified

NSnync - Celebrity

[LakersGAFan]

[FLOCKA]

1. NAS- Illmatic

2. Eric B. and Rakim: Paid in Full

3. AZ- Doe or Die

4. Wu-tang- 36 chambers

5. Notorious BIG- Ready to die

6. Jay-Z- reasonable doubt

7. Raekwon- Only built for Cuban lynx

so judging by this list 90's new york mafioso rap is pretty much the only thing you listen to?

[Draztik]

Too many to name

1. Dre - 2001
Got me into rap as a youngn so it always gets #1 to me for that reason.

2. Canbus - Rip the Jacker
Completely changed my perspective on rap from a radio nut to appreciating lyrical hip hop

3. 2pac - Me Against the World
Best PAC album by miles to me

4. Big Pun - Capital Punishment
Pure raw flow

5. Lupe - Food & Liquor
Good songs and good memories

[NasWutangKB24]

so judging by this list 90's new york mafioso rap is pretty much the only thing you listen to?

how is Rakim mafioso rap???

Ok maybe I went a lil far adding AZ and Raekwon but the others I put all deserve that

nothing is wrong with west coast rap...some is decent
but nothing can come close to hip-hop from NY in
the 90's...

I listen to other [expletive] but this was about picking a top 5 and it's not my fault no west coast rapper could make it for me

East coast was too lyrical, too much flow, deeper poetry

.west coast rap was kinda plain and the rhyme patterns are nothing compared to East

Edited by NasWutangKB24, February 14, 2013 - 12:07 PM.

[NasWutangKB24]

Justin Timberlake - FutureSexLoveSounda

Justin Timberlake - Justified

NSnync - Celebrity

is this a joke? Or serious?