My Ten Favorite Rap Albums (Part 1)

I never actually put this list together but I think it needed to be done. My rap knowledge comes from my brother who taught me everything I know and I thank him for that. I was instantly cooler at school for knowing some serious rap bangers before most kids. I still remember in 4th grade when my brother played me "1st of the Month" and I was hooked. I was soon addicted to Bone Thugs and then moved to the greatest rapper of all time 2pac. While some things caught on later than others, I consider my feel for good rap music better than most people I come across. So I give you my top 10 rap albums. The rule is one per artist to make things more interesting. And while all these albums may seem mainstream, they are classics that contain numerous bangers.

10. Outkast - Aquemini (1998)

Outkast was all over the radio with their 2000 release Stankonia but Aquemini still remains my personal favorite. It contains one of my earliest favorite songs "Slump" which is classic Outkast. The rest of the album is loaded with greatness. The true opening track "Return of the G" sets the tone with that hard bass line. "Rosa Parks" was the first single and maybe the most well known track from the album. The three tracks that really stick out is the slow groove jam "West Savannah," the final single "Da Art of Storytellin' Pt. 1" and the 7 minute classic horn blastin' "SpottieOttieDopalicious." This album is Outkast at their best. And as Big Boi says "You might call us country, but we's only southern."


9. Dr. Dre - The Chronic (1992)

I may be a little young to fully appreciate this album in its entirety but there are a couple tracks that are genre defining. Some call it the birth of gangsta rap and the west coast scene and no doubt it is one of the most influential rap albums of all time. I'll start with "Nuthin' But A "G" Thang" which is one of the greatest rap songs of all time. Everyone knows this classic banger and while you may have heard it a million times, its flawless. Snoop and Dre establish a lyrical prowess and sound that is unmatched. Plus the video is legendary. The following track "Deez Nuuuts" is one of my personal favorites and the opening to the song is hilarious. Daz is on point in his verse and maybe the best part of the song is the chorus from Nate Dogg, "I can't be faded, I'm a nigga from the mother fuckin streets." The other legendary banger is the opener "Fuck Wit Dre Day" which is the one of the best album openers and rap diss songs of all time.

8. Jay-Z - Reasonable Doubt (1996)

I may not be the biggest Jay-Z fan out there but there are so many great tracks on this album I can't ignore it. Hard to argue what Jay-Z has accomplished and his newest album The Blueprint 3 is awesome but doesn't quite compare to his debut album. The first single off the album "Dead Presidents" accurately highlights what he brings on every track. My favorite track off the album is probably "Feelin' It" which I can still remember my brother playing on repeat when he would take a shower in the morning before school. (Shit i was like 10 back then!) Incredible song. The album opener "Can't Knock the Hustle" featuring Mary J. Blige is classic 90s rap. My other favorites off the album are the DJ Premier produced "D'evils" and "Friend or Foe." The other bangers off the album are "Brooklyn's Finest with Biggie, "Can I Live" and "22 Two's"

7. Kanye West - Late Registration (2005)

The most recent album on my list and the one that was big during my generation. Just beat out The College Dropout for a place on the list. Late Registration is my favorite Kanye West album and it contains some of my favorite Kanye songs, more of the slower variety. The first three tracks off the album "Heard Em Say" featuring Adam Levine, "Touch the Sky" featuring Lupe and "Gold Digger" featuring Jamie Foxx are incredibly popular and lead off the album in powerful fashion. All three are great songs and I wouldn't even call them my favorites off the album. My favorite hands down is "Hey Mama" which is a touching tribute to Donda West. My other favorite is the grieving plea to doctors about his sick grandmother on "Roses." Both songs display Kanye's raw emotion in his raps and his ability to produce great tracks. He really is one of the best producers of all time. Another great track lost in the album is "Celebration" which is a light-hearted whimsy sounding banger. The album has a range that you don't find on a lot of rap albums out there. "Diamonds From Sierra Leone Remix" featuring Jay-Z is another highlight and another personal favorite. Other bangers include "Crack Music" featuring The Game and "Drive Slow" featuring Paul Wall and GLC. "Drive Slow" features the sample "Wildflowers" by Hank Crawford which was also featured on the 2pac track "Shorty Wanna Be a Thug" so of course it's a great song.

6. NaS - Illmatic (1994)

In many regards, this is the high water mark for the East Coast hip hop scene. Some call it the best rap album ever and you could make a viable defense which would be hard to deny. NaS was another rapper I didn't get into until I was older but he is one of the all time greats and his debut album is his best. Capturing the urban jungle that is Queensbridge, New York, NaS has a lyrical gift and a style that is unprecedented. Recently featured on Rainwater Classics, "N.Y. State of Mind" is one of the greatest rap songs of all time. I could put down any lyric here but everyone knows "I never sleep, cause sleep is the cousin of death." The track is produced by none other than DJ Premier and is a knockout blow to open the album. Illmatic is only ten tracks long but nothing is wasted. The heart of this album lies right in the middle. "The World is Yours" is a more upbeat sounding NaS and one of the best tracks you can bump to on a hot summer day crusin' through Gunswick. NaS is at his best over a light piano in the background. The scratching on the track is top notch and of course "I'm out for presidents to represent me." Next is "Halftime" which is just pure genius from Nasty NaS. He flat out kills it on that track. And then there is Memory Lane (Sittin' In Da Park.) Amazing poetry from one of the best in the game.

5. Mobb Deep - The Infamous (1995)

Lets stay in Queensbridge and pay homage to one of the greatest rap duos of all time. Prodigy and Havoc give us one of the greatest rap albums of all time and the answer to the question of what my favorite rap song of all time is. An almost impossible question but "Shook Ones Pt. II" is unparalleled, a hood anthem and their signature song. Those 8 notes where Prodigy says "Check it out now" is a rap staple.
The whole album follows a pattern, wrapped in a haunting, dark and sullen tone. It represents the rough, dangerous and often sinister lifestyle of urban NYC with crime and poverty sewn into the streets. The lyrics are resentful and sulky and the beats are chilling featuring spectral sounding melodies. The production and grittiness defined east coast hard core hip hop. Some of the he best examples of this on the album are the opener "The Start of Your Ending (41st Side)" and "Eye for a Eye (Your Beef is Mines.)" Tenacious and vivid narratives, both are classics featuring melodic and embittered lyrics. "I might crack a smile but aint a damn thing funny" Prodigy laments on "Eye for a Eye" defining the kind of world that surrounds him.
The Queensbridge scene is well represented on The Infamous as Nas blesses the previous mentioned track. Members of Wu-Tang, Raekwon and Ghostface Killah are featured on a couple tracks including "Right Back at You" which is another favorite off the album. Big Noyd acts as an honorary member of Mobb Deep as he is featured heavily in all of their work. Q-Tip from Tribe is also involved in more ways then one with this album. A true hip hop classic. Cant end this without mentioning the legendary banger "Survival of the Fittest."

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