So what west coast albums is missing from Source Magazines classic list? *POLL*

[Chad Vader]

Two things.

nr.1 why the FUCK hasn't kokane`s funk upon a rhyme gotten any more votes?
its probably one of the 5 best albums ever!!!!

I like his first album (Who Am I?) better. 
Funk upon a rhyme is overrated  (in my opinion)

Kokane; "Funk upon a rhyme" review in The Source

nr.2 Where is the WC albums???

The album listed comes from this pre-thread;
5/5 albums
so blame the cats in that thread for not listing any WC albums as classics 

[Chad Vader]

NO LIQUID SWORDS??

Maybe you should do East Coast version of this topic? 

[Chad Vader]

The Source Magazine's 5 Mic Rap Albums
http://rateyourmusic.com/list/scottbdoug/the_source_magazines_5_mic_rap_albums

Run-D.M.C.
Run-D.M.C. (1984)

Godfather Hats: Gold chains and black leather jackets. The young trio of Run-DMC made it clear that they did not aspire to the space-age theatrics of Afrika Bambaataa or the street-glam fashion of Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five. Nor did the Hollis, Queens, crew buy into the early hip-hop formula that stressed 12-inch singles over full-length albums.

Run-DMC’s self-titled debut is simply hip-hop’s first classic album, setting a stylistic and musical precedent for future rap releases.
The stripped-down beats and rhyme production of “Sucker MCs” was a shocking revolution during hip-hop’s funk band era, and “Rock Box” introduced the dynamic pairing of rock guitars over hip-hop tracks.

Run and DMC’s tough-minded yet witty lyricism was versatile, whether they were reporting on the harsh realities of the day (“Hard Times”) or bigging-up the turntable supremacy of their DJ (“Jam Master Jay” ). But this was only the beginning for these three kids.

2   
LL Cool J
Radio (1985)

3   
Beastie Boys
Licensed to Ill (1986)

Back when Marshall Mathers was catching hell from DeAngelo Bailey, these white-boy denizens from New York’s Lower East Side were making it okay for folks of a lighter shade to grab the mic. Although Ad-Rock, Mike D and MCA’s debut, Licensed To Ill, was rooted in hip-hop’s boom-bap, there was a peculiar smug pre-slacker sensibility that proved popular with Middle America.

Unlike their contemporaries, the Beasties could play with hip-hop in new ways. The narrative on “Paul Revere” was deliciously twisted and the beats on “Hold It Now, Hit It” and “Brass Monkey” were irregular and anarchaic. The album was a masterwork of attitude, birthing classics such as the burly “(You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party),” which remains a potent after-hours anthem. White men may not be able to jump, but this trio destroyed the premise that Caucasians couldn’t be slammin’ on the microphone.

4   
Run-D.M.C.
Raising Hell (1986)

Yeah, it’s 1985’s King of Rock is credited with introducing Run-DMC’s b-boy rock to the commercial masses. But Raising Hell propelled the pioneering trio to icon status, as Run, DMC and Jam Master Jay became the first hip-hop group to attain platinum sales and be embraced by MTV.

You know the songs, “Peter Piper,” “My Adidas” and “It’s Tricky” are the stuff hip-hop classics are made of. “You Be Illin’” is still flat-out hilarious (Run DMC’s mentally challenged character orders a Big Mac at a Kentucky Fried Chicken), and the heavy 808 bass drop of “Dumb Girl” can still bust the tweeters of any sound system.

The trump card, however, was “Walk This Way,” their groundbreaking cover and collaboration with a seemingly washed up Aerosmith. Every rap-inspired rocker from Kid Rock to Linkin Park should get on their knees every night and thank the sweet Lord that underrated producer Rick Rubin and the hard-core hip-hop group rerecorded a dusty breakbeat favorite.

5   
Boogie Down Productions
Criminal Minded (1987)

Schoolly D’s self-titled debut, Boogie Down Production’s Criminal Minded stands as a precursor to gangsta rap, an irony in the 15-year career of Kris “KRS-ONE” Parker. Although KRS would go on to initiate the Stop The Violence movement in 1989, the album is a testimony to the violent politics of the streets at that time.
On the dancehall reggae-influenced “9MM Goes Bang,” KRS mockingly bucked down “Peter” the drug dealer. “The Bridge Is Over,” which delivered body blows to Juice Crew’s MC Shan, was one of the templates for all ego bruising dis records. And acting as the East Coast model for N.W.A’s “Straight Outta Compton” was the bad boy anthem “South Bronx,” which initiated the battle between Shan & KRS.

But inside Kris lurked a socially conscious individual fighting to come out. “Poetry” found him forecasting his eventual edutainment doctrine with lines like “I am teaching a class, or rather school/ ‘Cause you need schooling/ I am not a king or a queen, I’m not ruling.”

6   
Eric B. & Rakim
Paid in Full (1987)

More than any other album release of 1987, Eric B. & Rakim’s “Paid In Full” forecasted hip-hop’s Golden Age. Eric B.’s James Brown-infused production on such breakthrough tracks as “Eric B. For President” and “I Know You Got Soul” were ominously funky- – a departure from the crushing rock beats of LL Cool J and Run-DMC.

But more importantly, Paid In Full was marked by the debut of hip-hop’s most influential lyricist, Rakim. Suddenly, opposing rappers were required to do more than just rhyme about Adidas, Kangols and gold chains. His low key yet fiery lyrical arsenal was one of the first to utilize Five Percent Nation idealogy and complex rhyme cadences that seemed more poetic than street. But it was the intricate verbal jabs of “I Ain’t No Joke” that signaled the end of hip-hop’s old school regime: “Write a rhyme in graffiti in every show you see me in/ Deep concentration, ‘cause I’m no comedian.”

Mcing would never be the same.

7   
Big Daddy Kane
Long Live the Kane (1988)

He was just fresher than the rest. So full of action, his name, as he suggested on the battle-rhyme blueprint “Raw,” really should have been a verb.

When a pompous Big Daddy Kane debuted with 1988’s Long Live The Kane, he could care less about playing his position. Much like the Kangol-endorsing teenager from Hollis, Queens, did years earlier, he came, saw and conquered – with much emphasis on conquered.

“Raw” hinted at his brash arrogance. “Ain’t No Half Steppin’” confirmed it with lines like “For you to beat me/ It’s gonna take a miracle.” Though the album was dominated by this grab-my-dick motif (“Set It Off” and “Long Live The Kane”), Kane did have a keen social awareness, as evidenced on “I’ll Take You There.” Envisioning a place where war is relegated to video games and crack can only be found on walls, Brooklyn’s finest showed the range that eventually crowned him king of his era.

8   
Boogie Down Productions
By All Means Necessary (1988)

The first of many tragedies to mar hip-hop, Scott La Rock’s August 1987 murder could’ve sunk his Bronx-based Boogie Down Productions crew. Yet, somehow, his protégé KRS-One managed to follow Criminal Minded with 10 tracks of concentrated potency in the form of “By All Means Necessary”.
With songs like “I’m still #1,” featuring the verse that buried Melle Mel, the record cemented BDP’s rep as rap’s most fearsome sound system.

Opening with “My Philosophy” and closing with “Necessary,” the LP also introduced us to KRS-One as the wise, peaceful Teacher and foreshadowed his gift for contradiction. After all, on the album cover, he clutches an Uzi, mimicking the famous photo of Malcolm X, while “Illegal Busines,” “Jimmy” and “Stop The Violence” dropped science on sex, drugs and violence in America.
Thugging, battle-rapping and philosophizing, KRS made us believe his boasts that BDP would be here forever.

9   
EPMD
Strictly Business (1988)

The outskirts of New York City had a potent voice in the late ‘80’s. Alongside Strong Island natives Eric B. & Rakim and Public Enemy, EPMD were so ahead of their time it was downright scary. With their funk-sweltering debut, Strictly Business, these two boys from Brentwood, Long Island, had an influence on the sound of the West Coast by incorporating funk into hip-hop.

Out of nowehere, Erick Sermon’s trademark lisp and Parrish Smith’s monotonous flow poured over the wobbling, warbling funk of a mysterious “double-A” side, yellow-and-black single, “It’s My Thing” b/w “You’re A Customer.”

But these suburbanites had a few more tricks in their bag. While rappers like Big Daddy Kane and BDP rhymed over rugged, streetwise tracks, E-Double spearheaded the duo’s groove revolution by sampling artists like P-Fuink and Zapp to construct dance floor-packing hits like “You Gots To Chill. And although it took a little longer than Erick bragged on “So What Cha Sayin’,” the LP did eventually go gold.

10   
Jungle Brothers
Straight Out the Jungle (1988)

The Jungle Brothers kicked off the Native Tongues era with 1988’s Straight Outta The Jungle, a bold declaration of Afrocentric pride and genre-splicing experimentation.

Unlike their mid-80’s predecessors, Mike G and Afrika Baby Bam didn’t just rap about themselves (though they weren’t afraid of a good sex rhyme). They made their album a political platform.

“What’s Going On?” sampled the Marvin Gaye track of the same name, and “Black Is Black” (which featured a young Q-Tip making his debut) was a potent race manifesto. The JBs also weren’t afraid of the dance floor, meshing hip-hop with house music on the anthemic “I’ll House You” and filing out many other tracks with energetic, James Brown- style horns lines.

Though De La Soul and A Tribe Called Quest gained more fame, the Jungle Brothers got there first, paving the way for spiritual and political hip-hop.

11   
N.W.A
Straight Outta Compton (1988)

If the streets ever had anything to say, N.W.A’s revolutionary debut, Straight Outta Compton, served as its definitive voice. Although hip-hop eggheads initially shunned these original gangstas’ criminal-minded approach, the album remains one of hip-hop’s most influential.

While Public Enemy injected heavy doses of self-empowerment and social analysis into their musical attack on the establishment, N.W.A simply threatened to rob it and burn it down. Seconds after the album’s violent, jarring, rampageous title track exploded, Compton instantaneously became a hip-hop landmark.

Dr. Dre’s production genius was undeniable and Ice Cube’s chilling Charles Manson-inspired prophecies frightened America.When MC Ren, Cube, Dre and the late Eazy-E protested police brutality by returning fire with “Fuck Tha Police,” the FBI threats began. Meanwhile, slick, funk-injected villainous anthems like “Dopeman” and “Gangsta, Gangsta” placed listeners in their criminal mindset, making it acceptable to root for the “bad guy”.

12   
Public Enemy
It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back (1988)

South African Apartheid was in full effect. Reganomics was raping inner cities. Crack was on a rampage. And Black Power was playing dead. So Public Enemy HAD to do it. They had to drop a second album that would slap our 14-carat asses back to the righteousness Malcolm X represented.

This mission demanded a musical Uzi that weighed a ton. So the Bomb Squad painstakingly crafted street beats using below-the-belt bass, siren-like horns and revolutionary sound bites. Flav bought the agitated ad-libs, and Chuck D unleashed his pure rhyme animalism.

The result was a compendium of classics: “Rebel Without a Pause,” “Bring The Noise,” “Don’t Believe The Hype,” “Night of the Living Baseheads.” And those were just the singles. It’s a no-brainer, It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back slammed jams def enough to make a generation trade in their truck jewelry for stop watches on strings

13   
Slick Rick
The Great Adventures of Slick Rick (1988)

Ask any MC. Go ‘head, ask ‘em. From Jay-Z to Nas to Snoop Dogg, so many of today’s most successful rappers have borrowed something or another from the original ruler, Slick Rick. That’s because they all know who mastered the art of storytellin’ in hip-hop.

After he and Doug E. Fresh made history together with songs like “The Show” and “Lad Di Da Di,” Rick debuted with his solo effort, The Great Adventures of Slick Rick.
Slick Rick (along with his alter-ego MC Ricky D) took hip-hop on a journey throughout The Great Adventures, covering every color of the spectrum.

The classic party cut “Mona Lisa,” the storytellin’ jewel “Children’s Story” and the introspective “Hey Young World” all have endured the test of time. With his Brit-accented flow, Rick went from hardcore (“Lick The Balls”) to love story (“Teenage Love”) in the blink of an eye - a quality not easily mastered.

14   
Ultramagnetic MC's
Critical Beatdown (1988)

Kool Keith became the lyrically perverted Dr. Octagon, he was the left-field rap pugilist who pulled no punches. He used the wop-inducing “Ego Trip,” which successfully jacked the classic “Substitution” breakbeat drum patterns (bah-boom b-b-b-bap, boom-b-b-b-bap) to blast Run-DMC’s “Peter Piper” (“Say what, Peter Piper?/Hell with childish rhymes”).

Ced G, Ultra’s production arm, who also laid the musical foundation for KRS’s Criminal Minded, took hip-hop tracks to nerdy heights, pairing obscure samples and doeses of technical know-how with Keith’s lyrical oddballing. Critical Beatdown’s underground aesthetic, which included sampling Star Wars on “Ease Back,” predated the backpack-and-notebook scene that emerged much later.

With Beatdown, Ultra stood on rap’s periphery throwing stones at its central figures, thumbing their noses at the parade of MCs who passed them by to claim prominent places in hip-hop history. And so, one of hip-hop’s most original albums received critical acclaim but has been beat down by the passage of time.

15   
The D.O.C.
No One Can Do It Better (1989)

Along with being the principle architect of N.W.A’s menacing, groundbreaking West Coast sound through much of the late ‘80’s and early 90’s, Dr. Dre was also an influential talent broker, whose 1989 introduction of Texas-born lyricist the D.O.C. preceded high-profile discoveries such as Snoop Dogg and Eminem.

However, the D.O.C.’s confident debut, No One Can Do It Better, was not the typical Niggaz With Attitude threat. Clearly, he was a streetwise rhymer more interested in battling MCs than busting caps on wax, as evidenced on tracks such as “The Formula” and “The D.O.C. & The Doctor.”

The platinum album’s barrage of groove-heavy live guitar, drums and keyboard synthesizers allowed space for his authoritative vocal presence to sine (“It’s Funky Enough”) – vocals that were tragically cut short after a life-threatening car accident. Yet, along with the extensive writing credits on The Chronic, No One Can Do It Better remains an influential work revered by hardcore rap aficionados.

16   
A Tribe Called Quest
People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm (1990)

17   
Brand Nubian
One for All (1990)


18   
Eric B. & Rakim
Let the Rhythm Hit 'Em (1990)

19   
Geto Boys
Grip It! On That Other Level (1989)

we said then: Bushwick Bill the midget "ain't kissin no ass to be accepted" and partner Willie D is kickin' "'mo ass than a donkey." (May 90)

What we say now: While the review singled out Bushwick Bill's perverted bravado and Willie D's uncouth, stinging rhymes, it overlooked Brad Jordan. Without him, there would be no "Scarface," a cut that portrays a ghetto-glamorized Fifth Ward version of Tony Montana, or crude treasures like "Gangsta of Love." In addition, the Geto Boy's rawer-than-sushi LP is so nice that the legendary Rick Rubin remixed the album, releasing it twice.


20   
Ice Cube
AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted (1990)


21   
Main Source
Breaking Atoms (1991)

we said then: As a debut, Breaking Atoms is a beacon of hope that New York artists can continue to advance rap to new heights of musical and lyrical depth. (May 91)

What we say now: The original review reads like it's describing a five-mic LP. From the sour relationship, boo-chanting "Looking At The Front Door" to the subtle sampling of Large Professor, Breaking Atoms blazed trails that are still less traveled to this day (see Nas' "I Gave You Power" for the Professor's large conceptual influence). The powerful posse cut "Live at the Barbecue," featuring Nas and Akinyele, merits the additional half mic alone.

22   
A Tribe Called Quest
The Low End Theory (1991)


23   
De La Soul
De La Soul Is Dead (1991)

24   
Ice Cube
Death Certificate (1991)

we said then: People may have been expecting to hear a "politically correct" Ice Cube record. (Jan 92)

What we say now: On his second solo release, his first as a member of the Nation, Cube achieves a yet-to-be-matched balance between hard-core and conscious rap. On tracks like "I Wanna Kill Sam," "Black Korea" and "True To The Game," he not only rails against the government, exploitative Korean merchants and money-loving sellouts, but also attacks his enemies with the ruthlessness of a gangsta. Sure, he's slangin' bean pies and St. Ides in the same sentence, but we love the music anyway.

25   
Dr. Dre
The Chronic (1992)

we said then: One cut, "Lil Ghetto Boy," could go but that's about it...Overall, an innovative and progressive hip-hop package. (Feb 93)

What we say now: Dre's lovely, funk-laden, Cali-scorched beats on The Chronic set a standard for production that has never been exceeded. And with fellow Death Row inmates Snoop, Daz and Kurupt spitting smooth, gang-affiliated venom on every track, this ode to California living has become one of the greatest hip-hop albums ever created - "Lil Ghetto Boy" included.

26   
Snoop Dogg
Doggystyle (1993)

we said then: Doggystyle is only half the album we were expecting. The other half, the stuff that would have blown us away a year ago, now seems average by 1994 standards. (Feb 94)

What we say now: Not sure what we were smokin', but if today's rappers would drop a joint half as nice as Doggystyle, hip-hop would sound a whole lot better, Virtually every song on Snoop's debut is a classic ("Gin and Juice," "Ain't No Fun," etc). Unfortunately, nobody makes music like this anymore. Not even snoop.

27   
Wu-Tang Clan
Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) (1993)

we said then: This album is a throwback to the days of 1986-87, when rap was filled with honesty, greatness and skill. (Feb 94)

What we say now: The Wu-Tang Clan undoubtedly restored feelings of the good ol' days. But they also set a new benchmark in the realm of hard-core hip-hop with songs like "Protect Ya Neck" and "C.R.E.A.M." Enter The Wu-Tang influenced and inspired an entire generation of fans who yearned to copy the many styles of these nine Shaolin masters.

28   
Nas
Illmatic (1994)

29   
The Notorious B.I.G.
Ready to Die (1994)

we said then: Some of the beats get a little repetetive ("Me & My Bitch," "Respect") and the two sex skits are annoying. (Oct 94)

What we say now: Dark and lovely. That about sums up Easy Mo Bee and DJ Premier's board work on Ready To Die. Balancing those instrumentals are clever up-tempo samples manipulated by Chucky Thompson and TrackMasters. And, as brainless as the sex skits are, they're an entertaining glimpse into the persona that would help the legendary MC soar to "big" heights.

30   
Scarface
The Diary (1994)

we said then: They say you should never read someone's diary because you may find something you didn't want to know. (Jan 95)

What we say now: Listening to Scarface's inner thoughts is truly a Pandora's box experience. Caught somewhere between sanity and a nervous breakdow, his lyrics make listeners believe he converses with the grim reaper. Although The Diary is as dark and jarring as a suicide note, it's easily his most distinguished body of work.

31   
Mobb Deep
The Infamous... (1995)

we said then: The Infamous falls short of classics like Illmatic and Strictly Business but definitely upholds their tradition. It proves once again that Queensbridge heads don't play. (Jun 95)

What we say now: Prodigy's thugged-out entertainment and Havoc's sonic production on cuts like the bone-chilling "Shook Ones Pt. ll" and the stick-up-kid anthem "Give Up The Goods" proved tp be timeless street joints in the same vein as "Life's a Bitch" and "You Gots To Chill." The album was a staple for all hardheaded delinquents comin' up in the game.

32   
Raekwon
Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... (1995)

we said then: The beats are solid and while many aren't as catchy as those on previous Wu solo joints, the tracks are suited to distinct flow of the Chef. (Sep 95)

What we say now: This LP beats out any other Wu project in terms of "catchiness." As memorable as Raekwon's loungin' big-dick-style bravado is, it's those looped Mr. Softee bells that take center stage on "Ice Cream." And if "Incarcerated Scarfaces" isn't considered crack-rock catchy, maybe the word needs to be redefined.

33   
2Pac
Me Against the World (1995)

we said then: Me Against The World is quite simply a manifestation of 2Pac's talents becoming completely whole as they are mixed with the tracks that may, for a change, overshadow him. (Apr 95)

What we say now: Yes, Pac finally found tracks able to compete with his subject matter and flow on Me Against The World. But suggesting he was overshadowed by the production may have been overstating things a bit. It would take quite a backdrop to exceed his tales of run-ins with the law, Black Panther ideology and appreciation of Afeni Shakur.

34   
Fugees
The Score (1996)

we said then: What really holds this album together is its tight production, courtesy of the Refugee camp with an assist from their man Salaam Remi. (March '96)

What we say now: While the tracks did captapault Wylcef Jean into hip-hop's elite production circle, the lyrics played an undeniable role in making The Score one of the most thought-provoking rap albums of the '90s. Recall a sly Lauryn claiming to "play her enemies like a game of chess" on "Ready Or Not."

35   
Jay-Z
Reasonable Doubt (1996)

we said then: In terms of subject matter, Jay-Z isn't saying anything new. It's the same 'ol criminal melodrama that you hear on so many rap LPs nowadays. (Aug 96)

What we say now: Although hustling on wax in 1996 was more common than a Bad Boy R&B jack, Jay's recollections of his street occupation are pregnant with detail. While MC Drug Lord would do no more than tell us that he made his living in the streets, Shawn Carter went further by meticulously explaining the reasons for his illegal activities. Songs like "Politics As Usual" clearly describe a man torn between his conscience and love of money. Ain't nothing same 'ol about that.

36   
2Pac
All Eyez on Me (1996)

we say: Whether exacting revenge on his foes on "Ambition az a Ridah," making up for lost time on "California Love" or searching for the meaning of existence on "Life Goes On" and "Only God Can Judge Me," Pac fully epitomizes the ghetto-fabulous lifestyle on this album, becoming the quintessential artist most rappers secretely desire to be. Even after his death on September 13, 1996, thug life lives on.

37   
The Notorious B.I.G.
Life After Death (1997)

38   
OutKast
Aquemini (1998)

39   
Dr. Dre
2001 (1999)

we said then: If his 2001 has one glaring flaw (other than too many skits), it's that we don't hear him alone enough. The overloaded of guests makes some tracks sound cluttered. (Jan '00)

What we say now: While The Chronic does rely on a smaller core of gangsta MCs, Dre turned the sequel, Dre 2001, into a crowded West Coast block party. But the funk-in-outer-space production that runs throughout the LP makes up for the extra unnecessary verse or two. The album also proved that Eminem was capable of delivering more than a nasal flow and initiated the mainstream validation of Xzibit. It's time-tested and sure-to-get-you-high classic material.

40   
Nas
Stillmatic (2001)

41   
Jay-Z
The Blueprint (2001)

42   
Scarface
The Fix (2002)

43   
Lil' Kim
The Naked Truth (2005)

[snoop]

The Source Magazine's 5 Mic Rap Albums
http://rateyourmusic.com/list/scottbdoug/the_source_magazines_5_mic_rap_albums

Run-D.M.C.
Run-D.M.C. (1984)

Godfather Hats: Gold chains and black leather jackets. The young trio of Run-DMC made it clear that they did not aspire to the space-age theatrics of Afrika Bambaataa or the street-glam fashion of Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five. Nor did the Hollis, Queens, crew buy into the early hip-hop formula that stressed 12-inch singles over full-length albums.

Run-DMC’s self-titled debut is simply hip-hop’s first classic album, setting a stylistic and musical precedent for future rap releases.
The stripped-down beats and rhyme production of “Sucker MCs” was a shocking revolution during hip-hop’s funk band era, and “Rock Box” introduced the dynamic pairing of rock guitars over hip-hop tracks.

Run and DMC’s tough-minded yet witty lyricism was versatile, whether they were reporting on the harsh realities of the day (“Hard Times”) or bigging-up the turntable supremacy of their DJ (“Jam Master Jay” ). But this was only the beginning for these three kids.

2   
LL Cool J
Radio (1985)

3   
Beastie Boys
Licensed to Ill (1986)

Back when Marshall Mathers was catching hell from DeAngelo Bailey, these white-boy denizens from New York’s Lower East Side were making it okay for folks of a lighter shade to grab the mic. Although Ad-Rock, Mike D and MCA’s debut, Licensed To Ill, was rooted in hip-hop’s boom-bap, there was a peculiar smug pre-slacker sensibility that proved popular with Middle America.

Unlike their contemporaries, the Beasties could play with hip-hop in new ways. The narrative on “Paul Revere” was deliciously twisted and the beats on “Hold It Now, Hit It” and “Brass Monkey” were irregular and anarchaic. The album was a masterwork of attitude, birthing classics such as the burly “(You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party),” which remains a potent after-hours anthem. White men may not be able to jump, but this trio destroyed the premise that Caucasians couldn’t be slammin’ on the microphone.

4   
Run-D.M.C.
Raising Hell (1986)

Yeah, it’s 1985’s King of Rock is credited with introducing Run-DMC’s b-boy rock to the commercial masses. But Raising Hell propelled the pioneering trio to icon status, as Run, DMC and Jam Master Jay became the first hip-hop group to attain platinum sales and be embraced by MTV.

You know the songs, “Peter Piper,” “My Adidas” and “It’s Tricky” are the stuff hip-hop classics are made of. “You Be Illin’” is still flat-out hilarious (Run DMC’s mentally challenged character orders a Big Mac at a Kentucky Fried Chicken), and the heavy 808 bass drop of “Dumb Girl” can still bust the tweeters of any sound system.

The trump card, however, was “Walk This Way,” their groundbreaking cover and collaboration with a seemingly washed up Aerosmith. Every rap-inspired rocker from Kid Rock to Linkin Park should get on their knees every night and thank the sweet Lord that underrated producer Rick Rubin and the hard-core hip-hop group rerecorded a dusty breakbeat favorite.

5   
Boogie Down Productions
Criminal Minded (1987)

Schoolly D’s self-titled debut, Boogie Down Production’s Criminal Minded stands as a precursor to gangsta rap, an irony in the 15-year career of Kris “KRS-ONE” Parker. Although KRS would go on to initiate the Stop The Violence movement in 1989, the album is a testimony to the violent politics of the streets at that time.
On the dancehall reggae-influenced “9MM Goes Bang,” KRS mockingly bucked down “Peter” the drug dealer. “The Bridge Is Over,” which delivered body blows to Juice Crew’s MC Shan, was one of the templates for all ego bruising dis records. And acting as the East Coast model for N.W.A’s “Straight Outta Compton” was the bad boy anthem “South Bronx,” which initiated the battle between Shan & KRS.

But inside Kris lurked a socially conscious individual fighting to come out. “Poetry” found him forecasting his eventual edutainment doctrine with lines like “I am teaching a class, or rather school/ ‘Cause you need schooling/ I am not a king or a queen, I’m not ruling.”

6   
Eric B. & Rakim
Paid in Full (1987)

More than any other album release of 1987, Eric B. & Rakim’s “Paid In Full” forecasted hip-hop’s Golden Age. Eric B.’s James Brown-infused production on such breakthrough tracks as “Eric B. For President” and “I Know You Got Soul” were ominously funky- – a departure from the crushing rock beats of LL Cool J and Run-DMC.

But more importantly, Paid In Full was marked by the debut of hip-hop’s most influential lyricist, Rakim. Suddenly, opposing rappers were required to do more than just rhyme about Adidas, Kangols and gold chains. His low key yet fiery lyrical arsenal was one of the first to utilize Five Percent Nation idealogy and complex rhyme cadences that seemed more poetic than street. But it was the intricate verbal jabs of “I Ain’t No Joke” that signaled the end of hip-hop’s old school regime: “Write a rhyme in graffiti in every show you see me in/ Deep concentration, ‘cause I’m no comedian.”

Mcing would never be the same.

7   
Big Daddy Kane
Long Live the Kane (1988)

He was just fresher than the rest. So full of action, his name, as he suggested on the battle-rhyme blueprint “Raw,” really should have been a verb.

When a pompous Big Daddy Kane debuted with 1988’s Long Live The Kane, he could care less about playing his position. Much like the Kangol-endorsing teenager from Hollis, Queens, did years earlier, he came, saw and conquered – with much emphasis on conquered.

“Raw” hinted at his brash arrogance. “Ain’t No Half Steppin’” confirmed it with lines like “For you to beat me/ It’s gonna take a miracle.” Though the album was dominated by this grab-my-dick motif (“Set It Off” and “Long Live The Kane”), Kane did have a keen social awareness, as evidenced on “I’ll Take You There.” Envisioning a place where war is relegated to video games and crack can only be found on walls, Brooklyn’s finest showed the range that eventually crowned him king of his era.

8   
Boogie Down Productions
By All Means Necessary (1988)

The first of many tragedies to mar hip-hop, Scott La Rock’s August 1987 murder could’ve sunk his Bronx-based Boogie Down Productions crew. Yet, somehow, his protégé KRS-One managed to follow Criminal Minded with 10 tracks of concentrated potency in the form of “By All Means Necessary”.
With songs like “I’m still #1,” featuring the verse that buried Melle Mel, the record cemented BDP’s rep as rap’s most fearsome sound system.

Opening with “My Philosophy” and closing with “Necessary,” the LP also introduced us to KRS-One as the wise, peaceful Teacher and foreshadowed his gift for contradiction. After all, on the album cover, he clutches an Uzi, mimicking the famous photo of Malcolm X, while “Illegal Busines,” “Jimmy” and “Stop The Violence” dropped science on sex, drugs and violence in America.
Thugging, battle-rapping and philosophizing, KRS made us believe his boasts that BDP would be here forever.

9   
EPMD
Strictly Business (1988)

The outskirts of New York City had a potent voice in the late ‘80’s. Alongside Strong Island natives Eric B. & Rakim and Public Enemy, EPMD were so ahead of their time it was downright scary. With their funk-sweltering debut, Strictly Business, these two boys from Brentwood, Long Island, had an influence on the sound of the West Coast by incorporating funk into hip-hop.

Out of nowehere, Erick Sermon’s trademark lisp and Parrish Smith’s monotonous flow poured over the wobbling, warbling funk of a mysterious “double-A” side, yellow-and-black single, “It’s My Thing” b/w “You’re A Customer.”

But these suburbanites had a few more tricks in their bag. While rappers like Big Daddy Kane and BDP rhymed over rugged, streetwise tracks, E-Double spearheaded the duo’s groove revolution by sampling artists like P-Fuink and Zapp to construct dance floor-packing hits like “You Gots To Chill. And although it took a little longer than Erick bragged on “So What Cha Sayin’,” the LP did eventually go gold.

10   
Jungle Brothers
Straight Out the Jungle (1988)

The Jungle Brothers kicked off the Native Tongues era with 1988’s Straight Outta The Jungle, a bold declaration of Afrocentric pride and genre-splicing experimentation.

Unlike their mid-80’s predecessors, Mike G and Afrika Baby Bam didn’t just rap about themselves (though they weren’t afraid of a good sex rhyme). They made their album a political platform.

“What’s Going On?” sampled the Marvin Gaye track of the same name, and “Black Is Black” (which featured a young Q-Tip making his debut) was a potent race manifesto. The JBs also weren’t afraid of the dance floor, meshing hip-hop with house music on the anthemic “I’ll House You” and filing out many other tracks with energetic, James Brown- style horns lines.

Though De La Soul and A Tribe Called Quest gained more fame, the Jungle Brothers got there first, paving the way for spiritual and political hip-hop.

11   
N.W.A
Straight Outta Compton (1988)

If the streets ever had anything to say, N.W.A’s revolutionary debut, Straight Outta Compton, served as its definitive voice. Although hip-hop eggheads initially shunned these original gangstas’ criminal-minded approach, the album remains one of hip-hop’s most influential.

While Public Enemy injected heavy doses of self-empowerment and social analysis into their musical attack on the establishment, N.W.A simply threatened to rob it and burn it down. Seconds after the album’s violent, jarring, rampageous title track exploded, Compton instantaneously became a hip-hop landmark.

Dr. Dre’s production genius was undeniable and Ice Cube’s chilling Charles Manson-inspired prophecies frightened America.When MC Ren, Cube, Dre and the late Eazy-E protested police brutality by returning fire with “Fuck Tha Police,” the FBI threats began. Meanwhile, slick, funk-injected villainous anthems like “Dopeman” and “Gangsta, Gangsta” placed listeners in their criminal mindset, making it acceptable to root for the “bad guy”.

12   
Public Enemy
It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back (1988)

South African Apartheid was in full effect. Reganomics was raping inner cities. Crack was on a rampage. And Black Power was playing dead. So Public Enemy HAD to do it. They had to drop a second album that would slap our 14-carat asses back to the righteousness Malcolm X represented.

This mission demanded a musical Uzi that weighed a ton. So the Bomb Squad painstakingly crafted street beats using below-the-belt bass, siren-like horns and revolutionary sound bites. Flav bought the agitated ad-libs, and Chuck D unleashed his pure rhyme animalism.

The result was a compendium of classics: “Rebel Without a Pause,” “Bring The Noise,” “Don’t Believe The Hype,” “Night of the Living Baseheads.” And those were just the singles. It’s a no-brainer, It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back slammed jams def enough to make a generation trade in their truck jewelry for stop watches on strings

13   
Slick Rick
The Great Adventures of Slick Rick (1988)

Ask any MC. Go ‘head, ask ‘em. From Jay-Z to Nas to Snoop Dogg, so many of today’s most successful rappers have borrowed something or another from the original ruler, Slick Rick. That’s because they all know who mastered the art of storytellin’ in hip-hop.

After he and Doug E. Fresh made history together with songs like “The Show” and “Lad Di Da Di,” Rick debuted with his solo effort, The Great Adventures of Slick Rick.
Slick Rick (along with his alter-ego MC Ricky D) took hip-hop on a journey throughout The Great Adventures, covering every color of the spectrum.

The classic party cut “Mona Lisa,” the storytellin’ jewel “Children’s Story” and the introspective “Hey Young World” all have endured the test of time. With his Brit-accented flow, Rick went from hardcore (“Lick The Balls”) to love story (“Teenage Love”) in the blink of an eye - a quality not easily mastered.

14   
Ultramagnetic MC's
Critical Beatdown (1988)

Kool Keith became the lyrically perverted Dr. Octagon, he was the left-field rap pugilist who pulled no punches. He used the wop-inducing “Ego Trip,” which successfully jacked the classic “Substitution” breakbeat drum patterns (bah-boom b-b-b-bap, boom-b-b-b-bap) to blast Run-DMC’s “Peter Piper” (“Say what, Peter Piper?/Hell with childish rhymes”).

Ced G, Ultra’s production arm, who also laid the musical foundation for KRS’s Criminal Minded, took hip-hop tracks to nerdy heights, pairing obscure samples and doeses of technical know-how with Keith’s lyrical oddballing. Critical Beatdown’s underground aesthetic, which included sampling Star Wars on “Ease Back,” predated the backpack-and-notebook scene that emerged much later.

With Beatdown, Ultra stood on rap’s periphery throwing stones at its central figures, thumbing their noses at the parade of MCs who passed them by to claim prominent places in hip-hop history. And so, one of hip-hop’s most original albums received critical acclaim but has been beat down by the passage of time.

15   
The D.O.C.
No One Can Do It Better (1989)

Along with being the principle architect of N.W.A’s menacing, groundbreaking West Coast sound through much of the late ‘80’s and early 90’s, Dr. Dre was also an influential talent broker, whose 1989 introduction of Texas-born lyricist the D.O.C. preceded high-profile discoveries such as Snoop Dogg and Eminem.

However, the D.O.C.’s confident debut, No One Can Do It Better, was not the typical Niggaz With Attitude threat. Clearly, he was a streetwise rhymer more interested in battling MCs than busting caps on wax, as evidenced on tracks such as “The Formula” and “The D.O.C. & The Doctor.”

The platinum album’s barrage of groove-heavy live guitar, drums and keyboard synthesizers allowed space for his authoritative vocal presence to sine (“It’s Funky Enough”) – vocals that were tragically cut short after a life-threatening car accident. Yet, along with the extensive writing credits on The Chronic, No One Can Do It Better remains an influential work revered by hardcore rap aficionados.

16   
A Tribe Called Quest
People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm (1990)

17   
Brand Nubian
One for All (1990)


18   
Eric B. & Rakim
Let the Rhythm Hit 'Em (1990)

19   
Geto Boys
Grip It! On That Other Level (1989)

we said then: Bushwick Bill the midget "ain't kissin no ass to be accepted" and partner Willie D is kickin' "'mo ass than a donkey." (May 90)

What we say now: While the review singled out Bushwick Bill's perverted bravado and Willie D's uncouth, stinging rhymes, it overlooked Brad Jordan. Without him, there would be no "Scarface," a cut that portrays a ghetto-glamorized Fifth Ward version of Tony Montana, or crude treasures like "Gangsta of Love." In addition, the Geto Boy's rawer-than-sushi LP is so nice that the legendary Rick Rubin remixed the album, releasing it twice.


20   
Ice Cube
AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted (1990)


21   
Main Source
Breaking Atoms (1991)

we said then: As a debut, Breaking Atoms is a beacon of hope that New York artists can continue to advance rap to new heights of musical and lyrical depth. (May 91)

What we say now: The original review reads like it's describing a five-mic LP. From the sour relationship, boo-chanting "Looking At The Front Door" to the subtle sampling of Large Professor, Breaking Atoms blazed trails that are still less traveled to this day (see Nas' "I Gave You Power" for the Professor's large conceptual influence). The powerful posse cut "Live at the Barbecue," featuring Nas and Akinyele, merits the additional half mic alone.

22   
A Tribe Called Quest
The Low End Theory (1991)


23   
De La Soul
De La Soul Is Dead (1991)

24   
Ice Cube
Death Certificate (1991)

we said then: People may have been expecting to hear a "politically correct" Ice Cube record. (Jan 92)

What we say now: On his second solo release, his first as a member of the Nation, Cube achieves a yet-to-be-matched balance between hard-core and conscious rap. On tracks like "I Wanna Kill Sam," "Black Korea" and "True To The Game," he not only rails against the government, exploitative Korean merchants and money-loving sellouts, but also attacks his enemies with the ruthlessness of a gangsta. Sure, he's slangin' bean pies and St. Ides in the same sentence, but we love the music anyway.

25   
Dr. Dre
The Chronic (1992)

we said then: One cut, "Lil Ghetto Boy," could go but that's about it...Overall, an innovative and progressive hip-hop package. (Feb 93)

What we say now: Dre's lovely, funk-laden, Cali-scorched beats on The Chronic set a standard for production that has never been exceeded. And with fellow Death Row inmates Snoop, Daz and Kurupt spitting smooth, gang-affiliated venom on every track, this ode to California living has become one of the greatest hip-hop albums ever created - "Lil Ghetto Boy" included.

26   
Snoop Dogg
Doggystyle (1993)

we said then: Doggystyle is only half the album we were expecting. The other half, the stuff that would have blown us away a year ago, now seems average by 1994 standards. (Feb 94)

What we say now: Not sure what we were smokin', but if today's rappers would drop a joint half as nice as Doggystyle, hip-hop would sound a whole lot better, Virtually every song on Snoop's debut is a classic ("Gin and Juice," "Ain't No Fun," etc). Unfortunately, nobody makes music like this anymore. Not even snoop.

27   
Wu-Tang Clan
Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) (1993)

we said then: This album is a throwback to the days of 1986-87, when rap was filled with honesty, greatness and skill. (Feb 94)

What we say now: The Wu-Tang Clan undoubtedly restored feelings of the good ol' days. But they also set a new benchmark in the realm of hard-core hip-hop with songs like "Protect Ya Neck" and "C.R.E.A.M." Enter The Wu-Tang influenced and inspired an entire generation of fans who yearned to copy the many styles of these nine Shaolin masters.

28   
Nas
Illmatic (1994)

29   
The Notorious B.I.G.
Ready to Die (1994)

we said then: Some of the beats get a little repetetive ("Me & My Bitch," "Respect") and the two sex skits are annoying. (Oct 94)

What we say now: Dark and lovely. That about sums up Easy Mo Bee and DJ Premier's board work on Ready To Die. Balancing those instrumentals are clever up-tempo samples manipulated by Chucky Thompson and TrackMasters. And, as brainless as the sex skits are, they're an entertaining glimpse into the persona that would help the legendary MC soar to "big" heights.

30   
Scarface
The Diary (1994)

we said then: They say you should never read someone's diary because you may find something you didn't want to know. (Jan 95)

What we say now: Listening to Scarface's inner thoughts is truly a Pandora's box experience. Caught somewhere between sanity and a nervous breakdow, his lyrics make listeners believe he converses with the grim reaper. Although The Diary is as dark and jarring as a suicide note, it's easily his most distinguished body of work.

31   
Mobb Deep
The Infamous... (1995)

we said then: The Infamous falls short of classics like Illmatic and Strictly Business but definitely upholds their tradition. It proves once again that Queensbridge heads don't play. (Jun 95)

What we say now: Prodigy's thugged-out entertainment and Havoc's sonic production on cuts like the bone-chilling "Shook Ones Pt. ll" and the stick-up-kid anthem "Give Up The Goods" proved tp be timeless street joints in the same vein as "Life's a Bitch" and "You Gots To Chill." The album was a staple for all hardheaded delinquents comin' up in the game.

32   
Raekwon
Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... (1995)

we said then: The beats are solid and while many aren't as catchy as those on previous Wu solo joints, the tracks are suited to distinct flow of the Chef. (Sep 95)

What we say now: This LP beats out any other Wu project in terms of "catchiness." As memorable as Raekwon's loungin' big-dick-style bravado is, it's those looped Mr. Softee bells that take center stage on "Ice Cream." And if "Incarcerated Scarfaces" isn't considered crack-rock catchy, maybe the word needs to be redefined.

33   
2Pac
Me Against the World (1995)

we said then: Me Against The World is quite simply a manifestation of 2Pac's talents becoming completely whole as they are mixed with the tracks that may, for a change, overshadow him. (Apr 95)

What we say now: Yes, Pac finally found tracks able to compete with his subject matter and flow on Me Against The World. But suggesting he was overshadowed by the production may have been overstating things a bit. It would take quite a backdrop to exceed his tales of run-ins with the law, Black Panther ideology and appreciation of Afeni Shakur.

34   
Fugees
The Score (1996)

we said then: What really holds this album together is its tight production, courtesy of the Refugee camp with an assist from their man Salaam Remi. (March '96)

What we say now: While the tracks did captapault Wylcef Jean into hip-hop's elite production circle, the lyrics played an undeniable role in making The Score one of the most thought-provoking rap albums of the '90s. Recall a sly Lauryn claiming to "play her enemies like a game of chess" on "Ready Or Not."

35   
Jay-Z
Reasonable Doubt (1996)

we said then: In terms of subject matter, Jay-Z isn't saying anything new. It's the same 'ol criminal melodrama that you hear on so many rap LPs nowadays. (Aug 96)

What we say now: Although hustling on wax in 1996 was more common than a Bad Boy R&B jack, Jay's recollections of his street occupation are pregnant with detail. While MC Drug Lord would do no more than tell us that he made his living in the streets, Shawn Carter went further by meticulously explaining the reasons for his illegal activities. Songs like "Politics As Usual" clearly describe a man torn between his conscience and love of money. Ain't nothing same 'ol about that.

36   
2Pac
All Eyez on Me (1996)

we say: Whether exacting revenge on his foes on "Ambition az a Ridah," making up for lost time on "California Love" or searching for the meaning of existence on "Life Goes On" and "Only God Can Judge Me," Pac fully epitomizes the ghetto-fabulous lifestyle on this album, becoming the quintessential artist most rappers secretely desire to be. Even after his death on September 13, 1996, thug life lives on.

37   
The Notorious B.I.G.
Life After Death (1997)

38   
OutKast
Aquemini (1998)

39   
Dr. Dre
2001 (1999)

we said then: If his 2001 has one glaring flaw (other than too many skits), it's that we don't hear him alone enough. The overloaded of guests makes some tracks sound cluttered. (Jan '00)

What we say now: While The Chronic does rely on a smaller core of gangsta MCs, Dre turned the sequel, Dre 2001, into a crowded West Coast block party. But the funk-in-outer-space production that runs throughout the LP makes up for the extra unnecessary verse or two. The album also proved that Eminem was capable of delivering more than a nasal flow and initiated the mainstream validation of Xzibit. It's time-tested and sure-to-get-you-high classic material.

40   
Nas
Stillmatic (2001)

41   
Jay-Z
The Blueprint (2001)

42   
Scarface
The Fix (2002)

43   
Lil' Kim
The Naked Truth (2005)

Props for posting this. Very interesting. 

[OG Snoopaveli]

Quik - Rhythm-al-ism    

Dogg Pound - Dogg Food    

Kurupt - Tha Streetz Iz A Mutha

Quik - Safe & Sound

Tha Eastsidaz - Tha Eastsidaz    

[Chad Vader]

PPC; Paid The Cost review in The Source Magazine June 1992 #33


3.5/5 

[Chad Vader]

Something is wrong here 
Niggaz4Life is the album of the year and not on their classic list?
Number
3 A Tribe Called Quest; The Low End Theory (1991)
5 De La Soul; De La Soul Is Dead (1991)
and
6 Main Source Breaking Atoms (1991)

is granted the classic status.... so 

Albums of the year 1991 The Source Magazine January 1992 #28


Niggaz4Life album of the year 1991 The Source Magazine January 1992 #28


NWA in The Source Magazine September 91 #24 (billboard)

[Chad Vader]

Above The Law; Livin like Hustlers review in The Source Magazine May 1990

[Chad Vader]

DJ Quik; Way 2 Fonky review in The Source September 1992 #36

[Slikk_J]

F*ck the Source. Biased bs magazine!

[Chad Vader]

Kurupt; Streetz iz a mutha review in The Source Magazine #123 December 99

[Rebel]

I would've added:

Eminem "The Marshall Mathers LP"
NWA "Niggaz4life"
Reflection Eternal "Train of Thought"
Common "Like Water for Chocholate"
Gangstarr "Moment of Truth"

[Dre-Day]

Something is wrong here 
Niggaz4Life is the album of the year and not on their classic list?
Number
3 A Tribe Called Quest; The Low End Theory (1991)
5 De La Soul; De La Soul Is Dead (1991)
and
6 Main Source Breaking Atoms (1991)

is granted the classic status.... so 

Albums of the year 1991 The Source Magazine January 1992 #28


Niggaz4Life album of the year 1991 The Source Magazine January 1992 #28


NWA in The Source Magazine September 91 #24 (billboard)

that's strange 
if it was an error, you'd think they fixed it by now

[Paul]

Great thread btw, a good bit of reading

[Okka]

I would've added:

Eminem "The Marshall Mathers LP"
Reflection Eternal "Train of Thought"
Common "Like Water for Chocholate"
Gangstarr "Moment of Truth"

Exactly, since they are West Coast.