Chris Rock's Top 25 Hip Hop Albums
 

http://rateyourmusic.com/list/tha_fl...hip_hop_albums

Actually not much to disagree with here! He's definitely spot on with what he says about Paul's Boutique and AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted, he knows what he's on about. There's some wild card picks in there too that I'd never thought he'd come up with, especially Dizzee Rascal? I had no idea he had any success in the US at all.

"People don't have a problem with conscious rap; they have a problem with conscious beats. If you make some ignorant beats, you can say all the smart shit you want."

Plenty to argue with.

"Stillmatic" and not "Illmatic"?

"Mama Said" and not "Radio"?

2Pac in the top 5?

Aha well he couldn't pick everything? Just like he concedes that De La Soul's first two albums are two of the best ever- they're still not in the list. It's like.. one album per artist list I suppose. I think the reasons he gave for picking Mama Said.. are good enough. Now that you've pointed out his Nas pick.. I'm not sure about that one. I haven't heard that Tupac bootleg and I probably never will, so I can't pass judgement, it might the best thing ever for all I know.

Still a solid list.

I can definitely see Pac being in there. BUt what an awful, awful album to represent him. ME AGAINST THE WORLD, THE 7 DAY THEORY, ALL EYEZ ON ME... c'mon!

Some good entries obviously, but some stupid ones too.

He's got more wheat than chaff on there for sure. He was smart enough to pick the two best Wu solo albums, so that's indicative that by and large he knows his shit. Although..."You don't really need a Wu-Tang album; Liquid Swords is all you really need to know." Nah, you need the first Wu.

Of course you do!! If you were listening to hip hop when ENTER came out, then you would never ever dismiss it.

And am I the only who thinks Jay-Z has way better albums than REASONABLE? I mean, it's good, but...

I love that he put Doggystyle on there, no shame.

No, that's an understandable choice. If you want a good party album, then DOGGYSTYLE is yr guy. Great beats, great flow, etc.

Ahah I know, but I definitely wouldn't put it that high up. Especially above Beasties, Wu Tang, De La Soul, Ice Cube, Eric B and Rakim etc. I guess that's just me though. I'd have put Ultramagnetic MCs on there.

No, no, don't get me wrong. DOGGYSTYLE wouldn't be in my Top whatever, but I can understand Somebody putting it in Theirs I guess.

I'd like to say I'd put Ultra up there. But really, CRITICAL BEATDOWN was their best, and still not something I'd consider even Top 100 hip hop LP's of all time.

You think so? I love Critical Beatdown, I'd definitely have it in a list somewhere above 50. Their lyrics and sampling techniques are just insane.

They are. I agree. I just have a really, Really large hip hop collection that started about 15 years ago. Over that time I've amassed a lot of albums that have been more important to me, or that I've listened to a lot more. Like my personal Top 100 would probably consist of albums that weren't groundbreaking or important in the overall landscape of hip hop, but that just meant a lot to me. Y'know?

But yeah, there's some excellent sampling on CRITICAL. In fact that's more what I think of that album for, not really lyrics or delivery even. Keith was still years away from his prime.

Hmm yeah I know what you mean. I mean obviously its pretty hard to separate what records are important to us personally and what records we think are important in the overall evolution of music. I don't even try, now, haha.

+

You probably have more hip hop records than I have records of all genres, so you do know what you're talking about.

It's the genre that I've listened to/collected the longest. So yeh, I'd say if there was a genre that I had an expertise in that would be it.

unfinished business over strictly business, is he deaf?!


i'll admit straight off that i've never hear dthe carnival by wyclef, but seriously i have a hard time believing that that record is anything other than pure rubbish

The Carnival is Wyclef's best solo album. It is the closest to the sound of a Fugees album (chances are good that it started as demo's for the follow up to The Score). Tracks like "Bubblegoose" and "Apocalypse" etc could have easily been Fugees tracks. And good ones.

But having said all that. The record does not belong on even a Top 100.

This thread isn't white enough. I say we talk about Autechre instead.

okay. zero zero one. one zero one.

What will be can't be and what has been isn't.

bleep bloop bleep bloop bleep

3875/3325 time signature

What, no DJ Jazzy Jeff?! [/white people]

needs more kanye west

I'm glad to see Wyclef's Carnival on on there, that really was a great album.

And I agree with him about Pharcyde. What happened to them after Bizarre Ride? With the exception of a couple Fat Lip songs, they just got horrible after that.

Opsimath rock?

Love this intro - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vjo5qhDpUSY

Are you insane? LABCABINCALIFORNIA is amazing. I actually think it's just as good as BIZARRE RIDE. They're very different, musically (J. Swift vs J. Dilla) but both incredible records.

It has a couple of good songs, but personally I would not consider it amazing.

weird. I really think it's a solid album beginning to end. "She Said" is probably the only song I'd take off it.

love the mad props to scarface


love scarface

Getto Boys in general are great.

Diff'rent strokes for diff'rent folks, I guess. We can still be friends, right? I mean, I'll listen to it, if that's what it takes...

kanye really needs to put down the mic and stick with producing.

i agree

haha.

hate to agree, but I mostly do. He's a good rapper. He's a great producer.

Give him a guest spot here and there, and otherwise put him back behind the mixing table. In small doses he can be awesome, but he's losing himself by trying to be omnipresent at this point. He needs to be more restrained and focused to really create masterful projects.

Should anything by L.L. Cool J really be that high on the list?

Pretty solid otherwise.

Okay. F it. It was getting to this point anyway:

25. Dizzie Rascal - Boy In Da Corner
I've truthfully never listnened to this album. I heard one album by The Streets and was only mildly into it, and I just never investigated Grime beyond that. So I have no opinion.
24. DJ Quik - Way 2 Fonky
Never heard this one either. I did hear a later Quik record. It was alright. I guess?
23. Lauryn Hill - The Miseducation
Yeah. It's good. Very good. Wouldn't be near my Top 100 though.
22. Public Enemy - It Takes A Nation Of Millions...
Now we're cooking with gas, gang. This is a must have. My mom bought me this tape when I was like 13 because she heard that PE was positive and she didnt want me to listen to Snoop. Haha. In hindsight, I think more moms should buy their kids PE albums.
21. Outkast - Aquemini
This is really good. And you should have it. But if I were to pick an Outkast album as being essential, it would definitely be ATLiens. Not this one.
20. Nas - Stillmatic
Okay, again this is good. Very good, really. It was a "return to form" album. And what I mean is he was returning to the form that was PERFECT on Illmatic. Illmatic is the essential Nas album. Not this.
19. Jay-Z - Reasonable Doubt
Ooh, so what he did there? He slyly declared Hov to be the winner of that beef. Anyway. Reasoble is excellent. But Blueprint, Black Album, and depending when you ask me, others as well are far more realized albums.
18. Scarface - Scarface Is Back
Hmm. I dnt know this one. But like Rob said, Scarface is excellent. I can't comment on the album though.
17. Ice Cube - Amerikkka's Most Wanted
Good. There's other Cube albums I prefer (at least 3). I wouldn't put any of his (solo) in my Top 100 though.
16. Wyclef Jean - The Carnival
Like I said. A few great songs. Not a great album.
15. Geto Boys - The Resurection
Very good. Not in my Top. Plus there's even better GB albums. (Notice a theme here?)
14. Ghostface - Supreme Clientelle
Finally! I agree! This is excellent. Get it.
13. Gza/Genius - Liquid Swords
Sooo essential. No arguments.
12. Eric B. & Rakim - Follow The Leader
Excellent. Not in my personal Top though. But no questioning that it's solid.
11. The DOC - No One Can Do It Better
Not bad. Not on my list.
10. De La Soul - Buhloone Mindstate
He nailed it. Best De La album.
9. A Tribe Called Quest - The Low End Theory
Totally essential. (I like MM better, but...)
8. Beastie Boys - Paul's Boutique
Hate me if you want, but I think Check Your Head is way better. But this is need in yr collection.
7. EPMD - Business Never Personal
He MUST have meant Business As Usual. C'mon. But still, not in my Top.
6. LL Cool J - Mama Said Knock You Out
It's okay. Not in my Top. He had better. Etc.
5. The Pharcyde - Bizarre Ride
Completely amazing.
4. Run-DMC - Raising Hell
Excellent.
3. 2Pac - Rap Phenomenon II
Stupidest waste of a pick.
2. Snoop Doggy Dogg - Doggystyle
Pretty essential for bbq's.
1. NWA - Straight Outta Compton
Very essential.

[wipes brow]

Dizzee Rascal is approximately 23 times superior to The Streets.

Fear of a Black Planet is the best PE album, and would be in my top
20 Hip Hop records.

DJ Quik has some great albums. Way 2 Fonky is my favorite.

And where's Cannibal Ox?

Chris Rock is probably not familiar with much off the Def Jux label.