I love everything on your list, except I haven't heard the one w/ Cage (whom I think has made some great records), artifacts, and Nonphixion

Tame One is a top 15 MC of all-time to me. Definitely listen to the Artifacts
album; I mean, El da Sensei is a decent enough rapper, but Tamer is on/from
another planet.

oh my goodness yes -- the first Artifacts album is MUST OWN. Amazing. So so so great. The second, is not quite as good, but "The Art Of Time Travel" might just be their best song ever recorded.

speaking of, I hope everyone reading this thread has Cage's MOVIES FOR THE BLIND. That shit is unreal. And if you listen to "Stoney Lodge" you can totatally understand the Eminem beef. And maybe even side with Cage. :)

"Movies For the Blind" is classic.

"You too can be a mock-celeb/or the last there is/Or be ghost like money that played Casper in Kids/I put in sick twists, every other frame designed so/You see AIDS victims selling pretzels at a slideshow."

Reminds me of my "almost made it" list...

Only Built For Cuban Linx..., Raekwon
Movies For the Blind, Cage
Criminal Minded, Boogie Down Productions
Violent By Design, Jedi Mind Tricks
Supreme Clientele, Ghostface Killah
Ruff Draft, J Dilla

Honorable mention - Dayton Family - F.B.I.

MMM Movies For The Blind is great. When it came out I bought it off the merits of jacking the They Live cover. Glad I did.

The Weatherproof EP is great too. Leftovers from the same period. Although my favorite Cage song is still "Ballad Of Worms". I mean, a Built To Spill sample! And those lyrics! Definitely an indication of the even more personal (emo) direction he would go in next.

I'll give this a shot. Just off the top of head, and limiting myself to one album per artist, so this doesn't get swamped by DOOM and Wu Tang records... No particular order.

MF Doom - Operation Doomsday
Nas - Illmatic
GZA - Liquid Swords
DJ Shadow - Entroducing
Jay-Z - Reasonable Doubt
Outkast - Aquemini
cLOUDDEAD - s/t
Kanye West - The College Dropout
Company Flow - Funcrusher Plus
Reflection Eternal - The Train Of Thought (Kind of surprised that came out there, but I've been totally rediscovering it lately...)

Only about half of those are 'set' though

I keep thinking about this. I suppose I want to TRY to make a TOP 10 but will take me a lot of time and thought and no matter what I won't be happy with it.

In no order

Eric B. & Rakim - Paid In Full
Kool G Rap & DJ Polo - Live And Let Die
Big L - Lifestyles of The Poor And Dangerous
Showbiz & AG - Runaway Slave
Public Enemy - It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back
Gangstarr - Step Into The Arena
ATCQ - Low End Theory
Wu Tang Clan - Enter The 36 Chambers
Black Moon - Enter The Stage
Nas - Illmatic
Pete Rock & CL Smooth - Mecca And The Soul Brother
Genius - Liquid Swords
King Tee - IV Life
De La Soul - Three Feet High And Rising
Dr. Dre - The Chronic
Lord Finesse - Funky Technician
The Pharcyde - Bizarre Ride
James Yancey (J Dilla) - The Shining
The Roots - Things Fall Apart
ODB - Return To 36 Chambers
NWA - Straight Outta Compton
EPMD - Strictly Business
BDP - Criminal Minded
Ultramagnetic MC's - Critical Beatdown
The Beatnuts - Intoxicated Demons
Ghostface Killah - Supreme Clientele
Group Home - Livin' Proof
Main Source - Breaking Atoms
Del - I Wish My Brother George Was Here
Outkast - ATLiens
Mannish - S/T
Biggie - Ready To Die
Jay Z - Reasonable Doubt
Goodie Mob - Soul Food
UGK - Ridin' Dirty
Raekwon - OB4CL
MF Doom - Operation Doomsday
Company Flow - Funcrusher Plus

I was trying to keep it to one album per artist...

sticking to the first 10 or so releases (whatever they may be) that come to mind and in no order:

monster island czars - escape from monster island
polyrhthym addicts - rhyme related
funky four +1 - rappin' and rockin the house
grand master flash and the furious five - superrapin'
mobb deep - the infamous
epmd - strictly business
quasimoto - the unseen
ultramagnetic MCs - critical beatdown
public enemy - fear of a black planet
company flow - funcrusher plus
nas - illmatic
mf doom - operation doomsday
atcq - the low end theory
brand nubian - one for all
pete rock and cl smooth - mecca and the soul brother
dj ivory - hear no evil
various - superrapin'
gang starr - daily operation
binkis recs - beat you in the head
scaramanga - ca$h flow
trauma center - emergency
the cenubites - kool keith and godfather don present...
boostin kev - that be boostin'
thirstin howl III - skillionaire
dj shadow - funky skunk

This is why I just practiced the 'first 10 that come to mind' principle. I'm already unhappy with mine. No Biggie, no Hieroglyphics, no Beasties, no Lil' Wayne, no Kool Keith, no Beasties...

percee p - lung collapsing lyrics
percee p - let the homicides begin
the infesticons - gunhill road
mike ladd - welcome to the afterfuture
anti-pop consortium - tragic epilogue
apani b fly's 12"s
eminem - any man

DO NOT ATTEMPT TO THINK OR DEPRESSION MAY OCCUR

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ll-BFkCS5-s

Esham the black devil, unholy niggero
Symptoms of insanity, I'm quick to pull the trigger, hoe
Schizophrenic, somebody panic
Say it's just mad at me, don't understand it G
I got the symptoms of insanity
I'm comin' back with the wicket shit, but now I gotta fuck it
I cut my dog's head off and threw it in a bucket
The U-N-H-O-L-Y, cross my heart and hope to die
Flowin' like this 'n slittin' my wrists
I see the terror in your eyes
Back 'em all up, and buck 'em all down
Lettin 'em know I'm not fuckin' around
Standin' my ground and holdin' a frown
Holdin' my dick and holdin' it down
Walkin' the trail, bloody as well
Dead skin under my fingernails
Crucifix, triple six, Esham's mackin' the funky mix
Life after life, life after death
Tell me what's left, I'm holdin' my breath
Symptoms of the insanity
Lost my brain, end humanity
Gimme your life, appetite, settin' the fire on Devil's Night
Bury me alive, bury me dead, voices are screamin' inside of my head
Losin' my mind, losin' my mind, losin' my mind, losin' my mind
I'm losin' my mind, I got the symptoms of insanity

I don't know anything about these, but I love her on Let Me Watch. Worth checking out then?

I've only heard her on "Let Me Watch" but heard rumors that she's the same girl on "Still Fly' and "Guinnesses"

Does Gravediggers Suicide count?

Yes, she's put out a few 12"s, she was in the Polyrhythm Addicts for their first LP (along with DJ Spinna, Shabaam Sahdeeq, and Mr Complex) and she has a CD called Story 2 Tell that as far as I know only came out in Japan. Let Me Watch is indicative of the general standard of her stuff. But yeah, she certainly my favourite female rapper to come out in the 90s.

you mean the song "1-800-SUICIDE"? That song is amazing... "six fucking devils stepped up playing brave, god / hate the fucking nerve to try to enter my grave yard".

Yes that's the one. Whole album's badass. I think I still have the cassette somewhere from 11th grade.

yeah we mentioned that album, 6 FEET DEEP. It's amazing beginning to end. I've loved it since 7th grade. haha.

Sorry didn't read the thread in it's entirety cause I'm on the blackberry a lot lately. But what I've skimmed through so far I agree. Tribe, De La, Diabalicle biz, bboys of course, its all some great shit :)

^yeah you just summed up jr. high for me. :)

NR, listen to Symptoms of Insanity by Esham when you get a chance. I posted a link to it on the last page.

I'll try to remember tonight

1. Enter The Wu-Tang
2. Only Built 4 Cuban Linx
3. Ready To Die
4. Tha Carter 3
5. The Chronic
6. City of Syrup
7. Doggystyle
8. Ridin' Dirty
9. Fishscale
10. Reasonable Doubt

EVOL - Satanic 4 Life

A new favorite, even if it disses both ICP and NaTaS. Detroit 1994. EVOL is R.O.C.'s (from House of Krazees) cousin.