A couple of months back I found myself debating with a coworker the finer points of Hip Hop, all-time greatest albums and a bunch of other things that could never fully be settled for any reasonable period of time. Like the usual banter it ended up going on and on with no end in sight, so in order to end the debate, or more likely because a good part of me just wanted to argue on my own terms, I created my own list of the top 101 Hip-Hop albums of all time. Feel free to bring on the debate, criticisms, and missing items because I’m sure that I left out a few, but at the same time… mine is better than yours and I’d love to argue about it all day long! By the way… only the first 25 or so are in any particular order.
Top 101 Hip Hop Albums of All Time
- Public Enemy – It Takes A Nation of Millions To Hold Us Back
- Nas – Illmatic
- A Tribe Called Quest – The Low End Theory
- Mobb Deep – The Infamous
- Organized Konfusion – The Extinction Agenda
- Gangstarr – Daily Operation
- Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth – Mecca & The Soul Brother
- Showbiz & A.G. – Runaway Slave
- Jay Z – Reasonable Doubt
- Diamond D and the Psychotic Neurotics – Stunts, Blunts, and Hip Hop
- Gza – Liquid Swords
- Organized Konfusion – Organized Konfusion
- De La Soul – De La Soul Is Dead
- Boogie Down Productions – Criminal Minded
- Group Home – Livin- Proof
- Smif and Wesson – Da Shinin’
- Gangstarr – Moment of Truth
- Ghostface Killa – Ironman
- Jeru The Damaja – Sun Rises In The East
- Black Moon – Enta Da Stage
- Raekwon – Only Built for Cuban Links
- Notorious BIG – Ready To Die
- Ghostface Killa – Supreme Clientele
- Brand Nubian – All For One
- The Beatnuts – Street Level
- Wu Tang Clan – Enter The 36 Chambers
- Run DMC – Raising Hell
- O.C. – Word Life
- EPMD – Unfinished Business
- A Tribe Called Quest – Midnight Marauders
- Main Source – Breaking Atoms
- De La Soul – Stakes Is High
- NWA – Niggaz4life
- Kool G Rap – 4,5,6
- Prince Paul – Prince Among Thieves
- Big L – The Big Picture
- Cypress Hill – Cypress Hill
- Slick Rick – The Great Adventures of Slick Rick
- BDP – Edutainment
- Fat Joe – Jealous Ones Envy
- Akinyele – Vagina Diner
- Eric B. & Rakim – Follow The Leader
- Alkaholics – 21 & Over
- Biz Markie – Goin’ Off
- KRS One – Return of the Boom Bap
- The Pharcyde – Bizarre Ride To The Pharcyde
- Boogie Down Productions – Live Album
- MOP – Warriorz
- Das Efx – Dead Serious
- Ultramagnetic MC’s – Critical Beatdown
- Boogie Down Productions – The Blueprint of Hip Hop
- Digable Planets – Reachin’ (A New Refutation of Time and Space)
- Redman – Dare Is A Darkside
- Onyx – Bacdafucup
- Mos Def – Black On Both Sides
- Notorious BIG – Life After Death
- De La Soul – 3 Feet High and Rising
- Makavelli – The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory
- O.C. – Jewels
- The Roots – Things Fall Apart
- Souls of Mischief – 93 to Infinity
- Out Kast – Southerplaylisticcadilacfunkinmusic
- Rass Kass – Soul On Ice
- De The Funky Homosapien – No Need For Alarm
- Mobb Deep – Hell On Earth
- Pharoah Monch – Internal Affairs
- Grand Puba – Real To Real
- Original Flavor – Beyond Flavor
- Camp Lo – Uptown Saturday Night
- Dr. Dre. – The Chronic
- Onyx – All We Got Is Us
- Smooth The Hustler – Once Upon A Time
- Public Enemy – Fear of a Black Planet
- De La Soul – Buhloon Mindstate
- EPMD – Business Never Personal
- Gangstarr – Hard To Earn
- M.C. Lyte – Eyes On This
- Redman – Muddy Waters
- Eric B & Rakim – Paid In Full
- Dr. Dre – Chronic 2001
- Out Kast – Aquemini
- M.O.P – Firing Squad
- Common – Resurrection
- M.O.P – Warriorz
- Madvillain – Madvillainy
- Company Flow – Funcrusher Plus
- Masta Ace – Slaughta House
- Blackstar- Blackstar
- Showbiz & A.G – Good Fellas
- Big L – Lifestyles of the Poor and Dangerous
- Bahamadia – Kollage
- 3rd Base – The Cactus Album
- The Lost Boyz – Legal Drug Money
- Black Sheep – A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing
- Pete Rock – Soul Survivor
- Lord Finesse – The Awakening
- Big Daddy Kane – Long Live The Kane
- Common – Like Water For Chocolate
- Leaders of The New School – Case of the PTA
- Busta Rhymes – When Disaster Strikes
- The Roots – Illadelph Halflife
Yeah, I’m a month late on this but I had to comment since your top 3 is identical to what my top 3 would be. A few I would have added:
Lords of the Underground – Here Come the Lords
Artifacts – That’s Them
Fugees – The Score
D-Nice – Call Me D-Nice
Nice N Smooth – Ain’t a Damn Thing Changed
Eminem – The Slim Shady LP
And I would have replaced Niggaz4Life with Straight Outta Compton.
Why is Straight Outta Compton by NWA not on the list? It
Are you fucking kidding me. How is Ready to Die not on everyones top three.
how is lifestyles ov da poor and dangerous not in the top 10 is more realistic. It is one of the most over looked albums. Big L (RIP) is one of the best mcs to ever have lived he deserves way more credit then he gets
because not everyone is 17 years old?
Two big omissions are ghetto millionaire by royal flush and sex and violence by KRS One. These are incredible albums I dare anyone to dispute it.
belay my last. That was sex and violence by BDP
Rafferty do you know what year ready to die came out?
17 yr. olds you can do better than that.
What the Fu_k ? Organized Konfusion? Seriously? Two albums in the top 12 ? Was your cousin in the group or something? Showbiz & AG before Reasonable Doubt? I dont know? Lets do the math, 36 Chambers was FAR better of a complete album than 75 percent of your top 25. This equals – you failed.. Company flow’s “Funcrusher Plus” was a great and innovative album throughout and i’m sure a lot of the Mcs in this list would agree. Bush Babees “Gravity” was an instant classic.. I aint tryin to hate but, i hate that list buddy…very pissed
Personally I LOVE this list…Organized Konfusion is probably the GREATEST LYRICAL HIP HOP GROUP OF ALL TIME. Their self titled debut has been dubbed by allmusic.com writer Stanton Swihart “the quintessential cult hip-hop album from a decade full of forward-looking efforts”, while rapreviews.com writer Tom Dogget had this to say about them, “Their self-titled debut is probably the most praised album you’ll find on (rapreviews.com), and though “Stress: The Extinction Agenda” is not necessarily better, it contains the second coming of the God emcee in the form of Pharoahe Monch”. If there is a flaw on this list it has nothing to do with Organized Konfusion. I am “very pissed” at Oskar preo’s criticism of this list. You are hating, ignorantly. Just because you either didn’t like or haven’t heard Organized’s 2 best albums, doesn’t mean that you can say that the list has failed.
The D.O.C – No One Can Do It Better
not on here???
Talib Kweli – Reflection Eternal
?
This is an excellent list but I would have some Aceyalone, and Blackalicious albums on here (if there are some on here my mistake), along with a few other inclusions and exclusions but overall probably the most accurate list on any hip hop topic that i have seen on the internet.
Nice to see M.O.P. The Warriorz mentioned twice…….This list is garbage
definately needs to be revised
Roots tipping point should be on there…
suck list……simple as that….this list is better
They are obviusly into politics. Here is a far better list
1
Illmatic
Nas
Illmatic (1994)
2
Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)
Wu-Tang Clan
Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) (1993)
3
Ready to Die
The Notorious B.I.G.
Ready to Die (1994)
4
It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back
Public Enemy
It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back (1988)
5
Paid In Full
Eric B. & Rakim
Paid In Full (1987)
6
The Chronic
Dr. Dre
The Chronic (1992)
7
Aquemini
OutKast
Aquemini (1998)
8
Liquid Swords
GZA/Genius
Liquid Swords (1995)
9
Straight Outta Compton
N.W.A
Straight Outta Compton (1988)
10
The Low End Theory
A Tribe Called Quest
The Low End Theory (1991)
11
3 Feet High and Rising
De La Soul
3 Feet High and Rising (1989)
12
AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted
Ice Cube
AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted (1990)
13
The Sun Rises in the East
Jeru the Damaja
The Sun Rises in the East (1994)
14
By All Means Necessary
Boogie Down Productions
By All Means Necessary (1988)
15
Road to the Riches
Kool G Rap & DJ Polo
Road to the Riches (1989)
16
Reasonable Doubt
Jay-Z
Reasonable Doubt (1996)
17
Criminal Minded
Boogie Down Productions
Criminal Minded (1987)
18
Breaking Atoms
Main Source
Breaking Atoms (1991)
19
Bizarre Ride II The Pharcyde
The Pharcyde
Bizarre Ride II The Pharcyde (1992)
20
Doggystyle
Snoop Dogg
Doggystyle (1993)
21
Raising Hell
Run-D.M.C.
Raising Hell (1986)
22
Midnight Marauders
A Tribe Called Quest
Midnight Marauders (1993)
23
Only Built 4 Cuban Linx…
Raekwon
Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… (1995)
24
Strictly Business
EPMD
Strictly Business (1988)
25
Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star
Black Star
Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star (1998)
26
The Infamous…
Mobb Deep
The Infamous… (1995)
27
Critical Beatdown
Ultramagnetic MC’s
Critical Beatdown (1988)
28
Paul’s Boutique
Beastie Boys
Paul’s Boutique (1989)
29
Endtroducing…..
DJ Shadow
Endtroducing….. (1996)
30
Me Against the World
2Pac
Me Against the World (1995)
31
Mecca and the Soul Brother
Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth
Mecca and the Soul Brother (1992)
32
Fear of a Black Planet
Public Enemy
Fear of a Black Planet (1990)
33
No One Can Do It Better
The D.O.C.
No One Can Do It Better (1989)
34
Enta da Stage
Black Moon
Enta da Stage (1993)
35
Lifestylez ov da Poor & Dangerous
Big L
Lifestylez ov da Poor & Dangerous (1995)
36
Ironman
Ghostface Killah
Ironman (1996)
37
Word…Life
O.C.
Word…Life (1994)
38
Deltron 3030
Deltron 3030
Deltron 3030 (2000)
39
Train of Thought
Reflection Eternal
Train of Thought (2000)
40
The College Dropout
Kanye West
The College Dropout (2004)
41
The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill
Lauryn Hill
The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill (1998)
42
Illadelph Halflife
The Roots
Illadelph Halflife (1996)
43
One for All
Brand Nubian
One for All (1990)
44
The Great Adventures of Slick Rick
Slick Rick
The Great Adventures of Slick Rick (1988)
45
Death Certificate
Ice Cube
Death Certificate (1991)
46
Hard to Earn
Gang Starr
Hard to Earn (1994)
47
Long Live the Kane
Big Daddy Kane
Long Live the Kane (1988)
48
The Blueprint
Jay-Z
The Blueprint (2001)
49
Wrath of the Math
Jeru the Damaja
Wrath of the Math (1996)
50
Black on Both Sides
Mos Def
Black on Both Sides (1999)
Earman list is better. Paid In full #79? Wow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Agree with EarMan sorta…nice list with a few glaring omissions. Amerikkka’s Most Wanted has no business missing from any such list. Same with Straight Outta Compton of course. Props for putting Camp Lo on there though, a lot of people forget that one.
no pac is a disgrace
Nas- Illmatic
A Tribe Called Quest-Midnight Mauraders/Low End Theory
Wu-Tang Clan- Enter the 36 Chambers
De la Soul- Stakes is High
Should be in any hip hop fans top 20