hip hop heads: let's rank the standout hip hop albums of this decade ITT

[Himu]

PD brought it up in Groo's decade thread.

A list of classic hip hop albums from this decade would be great. It'd make some good discussion.

Updated list from all posters who have added their own:

Classic:

Common - Like Water for Chocolate
Kanye West - College Dropout and Late Registration (I prefer LR to CD but CD brought me back to hip hop)
Wordsworth - Mirror Music
Nas - Lost Tapes
Blackalicious - Nia
Little Brother - The Minstrel Show
Pete Rock - Petestrumentals
Eminem - Marshal Mathers LP
Scarface - The Fix
Ghostface Killah - Fishscale
Y Society - Travel At Your Own Pace
Madvillain - Madvillainy
Viktor Vaughn/MF DOOM - Vaudeville Villain
MF Doom - Mmm...Food
Jurassic 5 - Quality Control/Power in Numbers
Outkast - Stankonia


Great:

Cormega - The Testament
Common - Be
Talib - Eardrum/Quality
Eminem - Eminem Show
Blackalicious - Blazing Arrow
Little Brother - Great Listening
Jean Grae - Attack of the Attacking Things/The Bootleg of the Bootleg EP/This Week
Nas - God's Son/Street's Disciple/Untitled
Jay Z - Kingdom Come
Jay Z - The Black Album
Pete Rock - Soul Survivor II
Lupe Fiasco - The Cool
Scarface - Made
Blu & Exile - Beneath the Heavens
Lupe Fiasco - The Cool
Edan - Beauty and the Beat
The Roots - Game Theory
Immortal Technique - Revolutionary Vol. 2
Immortal Technique - The Third World
People Under the Stairs - O.S.T.
People Under the Stairs - Question in the Form of an Answer
Masta Killa - No Said Date
Kanye West - Late Registration
Ghostface Killah - The Big Doe Rehab
Jurassic 5 - Power in Numbers
MF DOOM - Mm...Food
Little Brother - The Listening
7L and Esoteric - Dangerous Combination
Brother Ali - Champion
Big Boi - Speakerboxxx

Good:

Nas - Stillmatic/Hip Hop is Dead
Jay Z - Blueprint/Black Album
Lupe Fiasco - Food and Liquor
Blackalicious - The Craft
Eminem - Encore
Talib Kweli - whatever that album was called...The Great Struggle
The Game - The Documentary
Tech N9ne's - Absolute Power
Ghostface Killah - Supreme Clientele
Pharoahe Monch - Desire
Danger Mouse and Jemini - Ghetto Pop Life
Murs - 3:16
Danger Doom - The Mouse and the Mask
Count Bass D - Dwight Spitz
Nas - The Lost Tapes
Dr Dre - 2001
DJ Muggs vs GZA - Grandmasters
Atmosphere - You Can't Believe How Much Fun We're Having
Ghostface Killah - More Fish

Alright:

King Geedorah - Take Me To Your Leader
MF Grimm - The Hunt for the Gingerbread Man
MF Grimm - Scars and Memories
Talib Kweli - (everything he's  released this decade)
Eminem - The Eminem Show

Experimental:

Mos Def - True Magic
Common - Electric Circus
Mos Def - The New Danger
Andre3000 - The Love Below

[littlemathletics]

Nice list. I know most of the artists you've listed but I gotta be honest, I haven't bought anywhere near the amount of hip-hop over the past few years that I should have. I might use this as a guide to pick up a couple of things and try and get caught up again.

[Saint Cornelius]

Total shit list.

[Himu]

Total shit list.

I was hoping you'd appear.

[OptimoPeach]

Let's see yours, Corny. The more the better; my shit from the last 10 years definitely needs some additions.

Uhh..Deltron 3030 is pretty awesome, I've been listening to that nonstop for the past few days.

[Himu]

I have never listened to Del.

Like I said, my list is off the top of my head. When I have access to my collection I can make something better. Probably.

[drew]

lil wayne - the drought 3

[Olivia Wilde Homo]

I'd take Encore off the list entirely.  It felt like Eminem Show B-Sides.  I wasn't a fan of Kingdom Come either.

I think its a very solid list.  I was a fan of Tech N9ne's Absolute Power but that probably falls under "Good."  I liked it but it wasn't really groundbreaking.

Not much to disagree with.  Then again, there's probably a lot I'm forgetting.  It has been a long since since I paid attention to hip hop entirely.

[Saint Cornelius]

Rob Sonic, El-P, Company Flow, Aesop Rock, People Under the Stairs, Ugly Duckling, Giant Panda, Time Machine, Edan, Shawn Jackson, Kail, Cadence Weapon, Guilty Simpson, Cappo, Diverse, J-Zone, meanest man contest, Moka Only, The Cool Kids, Ohmega Watts, Babbletron, Cool Calm Pete, Wale, Ghostface Killah, DJ Alibi, Willie Evans Jr., The Roots, Madlib, Quasimoto...

Et cetera, et fucking cetera

[Saint Cornelius]

I'll list the albums later, I gotta go pick up my car pretty soon

[littlemathletics]

Uhh..Deltron 3030 is pretty awesome, I've been listening to that nonstop for the past few days.

I love that album. Better than Dr Octagon, for my money.

[Saint Cornelius]

Not the original Doctor Octagon album, you heathen!

[littlemathletics]

I am totally serious. I think Deltron 3030 is a stronger album. Dr Octagon pushed more boundaries, but Deltron is more listenable these days.

[Eric P]

Jurassic 5 and Dr. Octagon have both put out great albums this decade.

the return of dr octagon, despite the drama behind it, is a solidly produced "album"

[Phoenix Dark]

Special Consideration:
K.M.D. - Black Bastards. It was recorded in 1994 but canceled due to label bullshit; luckily for fans a new label released it in 2001. If you're into DOOM or stuff like De La Soul/Tribe I'd definitely check this out. Definitely a classic album



Classic:

Ghostface Killah - Fishscale
Y Society - Travel At Your Own Pace
Madvillain - Madvillainy
Scarface - The Fix
Viktor Vaughn/MF DOOM - Vaudeville Villain
Eminem - Marshall Mathers LP
Kanye West - The College Dropout
Jurassic 5 - Quality in Numbers

Great

Blu & Exile - Beneath the Heavens
Lupe Fiasco - The Cool
Edan - Beauty and the Beat
The Roots - Game Theory
Jay Z - The Black Album
Immortal Technique - Revolutionary Vol. 2
Immortal Technique - The Third World
People Under the Stairs - O.S.T.
People Under the Stairs - Question in the Form of an Answer
Masta Killa - No Said Date
Kanye West - Late Registration
Ghostface Killah - The Big Doe Rehab
Common - Be
Jurassic 5 - Power in Numbers
MF DOOM - Mm...Food
Little Brother - The Listening
7L and Esoteric - Dangerous Combination
Brother Ali - Champion

Good

Ghostface Killah - Supreme Clientele
Pharoahe Monch - Desire
Danger Mouse and Jemini - Ghetto Pop Life
Murs - 3:16
Jay Z - The Blueprint
Danger Doom - The Mouse and the Mask
Nas - Stillmatic
Count Bass D - Dwight Spitz
Nas - The Lost Tapes
Dr Dre - 2001
DJ Muggs vs GZA - Grandmasters
Atmosphere - You Can't Believe How Much Fun We're Having
Ghostface Killah - More Fish


Alright

King Geedorah - Take Me To Your Leader
MF Grimm - The Hunt for the Gingerbread Man
MF Grimm - Scars and Memories
Talib Kweli - (everything he's  released this decade)
Eminem - The Eminem Show

Experimental stuff:
Mos Def - True Magic (didn't like it initially but it has grown on me, unlike The New Danger)


I know I'm missing a lot of shit

Total disappointment-tons
Eminem - Encore: After 8 Mile and Jay Z's "retirement" I expected Em to take control of the game. Instead he released this piece of shit. There's nothing more frustrating than an artist who constantly shows whiffs of brilliance yet prefers to stay on auto-pilot. Em and Jay-Z define that for me

[lordmaji]

How about this...

How about you go listen to my new song www.myspace.com/lordmaji

Looking for the Cid!

PD said he wanted to hear it, so I finished it. I have a part 2 coming to this song, it's short. But I already pretty much finished Part 2, I have a few lines in the verse to finish.

Oh, here. for the people who can't use, or hate myspace.
00 - EJ - Looking for the Cid 6.mp3 - 2.21MB

Me and my bullshit plug... Sorry Himuro

[littlemathletics]

Jurassic 5 and Dr. Octagon have both put out great albums this decade.

Jurassic 5's Power in Numbers is, however, one of the worst albums I've heard. Period.

[ch1nchilla]

Others: Lupe Fiasco's The Cool, Dr. Dre 2001, Flying Lotus - Los Angeles, both Wale mixtapes, The Cool Kids


Edited: this decade, lolz

[Rman]

My favs:

Doggystyle and The Marshall Mathers LP

[Phoenix Dark]

This decade fellas! Doggystyle and Ready to Die don't count. It wouldn't be fair 

littlemathletics: why don't you like Power in Numbers? I listened to it non stop a few summers ago

[Rman]

This decade fellas! Doggystyle and Ready to Die don't count. It wouldn't be fair 

Oops.

[Phoenix Dark]

How about this...

How about you go listen to my new song www.myspace.com/lordmaji

Looking for the Cid!

PD said he wanted to hear it, so I finished it. I have a part 2 coming to this song, it's short. But I already pretty much finished Part 2, I have a few lines in the verse to finish.

Oh, here. for the people who can't use, or hate myspace.
00 - EJ - Looking for the Cid 6.mp3 - 2.21MB

Me and my bullshit plug... Sorry Himuro

in the back gettin' muthafuckin head 

Not bad son. Is it a final mix? There was a part where your voice sounded a bit off

[lordmaji]

How about this...

How about you go listen to my new song www.myspace.com/lordmaji

Looking for the Cid!

PD said he wanted to hear it, so I finished it. I have a part 2 coming to this song, it's short. But I already pretty much finished Part 2, I have a few lines in the verse to finish.

Oh, here. for the people who can't use, or hate myspace.
00 - EJ - Looking for the Cid 6.mp3 - 2.21MB

Me and my bullshit plug... Sorry Himuro

in the back gettin' muthafuckin head 

Not bad son. Is it a final mix? There was a part where your voice sounded a bit off

Yeah. I know what you are talking about too. I was stoned and really tired when I finished it. I thought about redoing it. But I was tired as hell. The verse is really just a freestyle slightly cleaned up.

What do you think though? A bit too short huh?

[Phoenix Dark]

It's a fun song. I'd take the Requiem part from the very beginning and put it at the end and make the drums harder

[BamYouHaveAids]

pd's list is the best so far. i would probably move madvilliany down and bum up the revolutionary vol.2, late registration, and the black album though.

[lordmaji]

It's a fun song. I'd take the Requiem part from the very beginning and put it at the end and make the drums harder

I'll turn the drums up, it bumps in my car already. but it wouldn't hurt a few notches up. I might redo the verse when I'm more awake and hyper. I was fucking tired and stoned out of my mind.

[bork]

No love for overseas acts like Akala?

But clearly the best artist this decade has been Sir J. Wellington.

[BlackMage]

mmm... food fucking rocks! i mean raps!

[Fresh Prince]

No love for overseas acts like Akala?

But clearly the best artist this decade has been Sir J. Wellington.

I like Akala and unlike most rappers he actually gets better with experience (and moving away form the rock/rap shit he started out with). However best UK rap album in the 2000 has been Klashnekoff- The Sagas of... reminds me of Nas a bit.

This thread is missing Masta Ace: A long Hot Summer, T.I's Urban Legend

[Mandark]

I like Encore even though I haven't listened to it.  It was just funny how all the overserious Eminem fans reacted to it.

[The Sceneman]

well at least Himuro likes Scarface and The Game

the rest = 

[The Sceneman]

Dr Octagon Part 2 >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> The Return of Doctor Octagon

[tiesto]

[Phoenix Dark]

I suppose GRODT will be considered classic by many people in a few years. I'm not a 50 Cent fan but that album has some good songs, and I remember being caught up in the 50 vs Ja Rule stuff (which is pretty dumb today)

[Himu]

50 Cent sucks

[Himu]

I'm editing a list so we can have an ultimate list

and I've only heard one Dr Octagon album

[Himu]

Some of these albums repeat because of us have different opinions altogether. If you wanna add something to the list, put it under a classic/great/good/alright category.

Btw PD your J5 list...lol. Quality in Numbers? You mean Quality Control AND Power in Numbers, no? I fixed it. Plus uh...Nas' Lost Tapes is only merely good? It's the only Nas album I consider almost on par with Illmatic.

Classic:

Common - Like Water for Chocolate
Kanye West - College Dropout and Late Registration (I prefer LR to CD but CD brought me back to hip hop)
Wordsworth - Mirror Music
Nas - Lost Tapes
Blackalicious - Nia
Little Brother - The Minstrel Show
Pete Rock - Petestrumentals
Eminem - Marshal Mathers LP
Scarface - The Fix
Ghostface Killah - Fishscale
Y Society - Travel At Your Own Pace
Madvillain - Madvillainy
Viktor Vaughn/MF DOOM - Vaudeville Villain
MF Doom - Mmm...Food
Jurassic 5 - Quality Control/Power in Numbers
Outkast - Stankonia


Great:

Cormega - The Testament
Common - Be
Talib - Eardrum/Quality
Eminem - Eminem Show
Blackalicious - Blazing Arrow
Little Brother - Great Listening
Jean Grae - Attack of the Attacking Things/The Bootleg of the Bootleg EP/This Week
Nas - God's Son/Street's Disciple/Untitled
Jay Z - Kingdom Come
Jay Z - The Black Album
Pete Rock - Soul Survivor II
Lupe Fiasco - The Cool
Scarface - Made
Blu & Exile - Beneath the Heavens
Lupe Fiasco - The Cool
Edan - Beauty and the Beat
The Roots - Game Theory
Immortal Technique - Revolutionary Vol. 2
Immortal Technique - The Third World
People Under the Stairs - O.S.T.
People Under the Stairs - Question in the Form of an Answer
Masta Killa - No Said Date
Kanye West - Late Registration
Ghostface Killah - The Big Doe Rehab
Jurassic 5 - Power in Numbers
MF DOOM - Mm...Food
Little Brother - The Listening
7L and Esoteric - Dangerous Combination
Brother Ali - Champion
Big Boi - Speakerboxxx

Good:

Nas - Stillmatic/Hip Hop is Dead
Jay Z - Blueprint/Black Album
Lupe Fiasco - Food and Liquor
Blackalicious - The Craft
Eminem - Encore
Talib Kweli - whatever that album was called...The Great Struggle
The Game - The Documentary
Tech N9ne's - Absolute Power
Ghostface Killah - Supreme Clientele
Pharoahe Monch - Desire
Danger Mouse and Jemini - Ghetto Pop Life
Murs - 3:16
Danger Doom - The Mouse and the Mask
Count Bass D - Dwight Spitz
Nas - The Lost Tapes
Dr Dre - 2001
DJ Muggs vs GZA - Grandmasters
Atmosphere - You Can't Believe How Much Fun We're Having
Ghostface Killah - More Fish

Alright:

King Geedorah - Take Me To Your Leader
MF Grimm - The Hunt for the Gingerbread Man
MF Grimm - Scars and Memories
Talib Kweli - (everything he's  released this decade)
Eminem - The Eminem Show

Experimental:

Mos Def - True Magic
Common - Electric Circus
Mos Def - The New Danger
Andre3000 - The Love Below

[Phoenix Dark]

Whoops my bad

Lost Tapes is good imo, it just has some filler. There are some really great tracks on there (Fetus, Purple, etc)

Still haven't heard Minstrel Show smh. I'll get it today

[Himu]

I can't believe I forgot about J5 in my list. I'll add more to my list latah.

What are the best Dr Octagon albums? I've only heard one, his first. It was dope.

[Human Snorenado]

Ahem.  Stankonia came out this decade, and it certainly belongs under the "Classics" ranking on anybody's list.

Also, as far as influence and launching a career you have to give some love to the Grey Album.  It's better than the Black Album, anyhow, and the Black Album is pretty good!

Himumu- the first Dr. Octagon is, hands down, the best.  I personally don't care for the others at all.

[Himu]

Oh right.

Outkast.

Honestly not a big fan of post-ATLiens Outkast, but it deserves to be included. Put your add to the classics section!

[Himu]

No one cares about the beautiful struggle

it took me a minute to remember the name of that album

I was shocked PD put Quality in the alright camp though. That's a pretty good album.

[Phoenix Dark]

The beautiful Struggle is basically a rehash of Quality. Both are decent to me. Talib gets a lot of hate but I like him. But he's like AZ in the sense that I'd rather hear him featured on someone else's album than hear an entire album of his.

I haven't heard Stankonia. The Love Below is a good experimental album, and I think Idlewild is hella under-appreciated.

[Bacchus7]

How did you put Kingdom Come in great, but The Blueprint in good smh.

[lordmaji]

Himuro!!!

U don't like my song?

[Himu]

Haven't checked it out yet mang. I'll give it a whirl later.

How did you put Kingdom Come in great, but The Blueprint in good smh.

I guess I just liked Kingdom Come's subject matter. It was very different side of Jay Z and I liked it.

The beautiful Struggle is basically a rehash of Quality. Both are decent to me. Talib gets a lot of hate but I like him. But he's like AZ in the sense that I'd rather hear him featured on someone else's album than hear an entire album of his.

I haven't heard Stankonia. The Love Below is a good experimental album, and I think Idlewild is hella under-appreciated.

I like Speakerboxxx. I haven't head Idlewild.

[lordmaji]

Why man.... WHY!!?!? 

[ch1nchilla]

IMO Kingdom Come sucked ass.

Classic:
Hell Hath No Fury

[Himu]

How about this...

How about you go listen to my new song www.myspace.com/lordmaji

Looking for the Cid!

PD said he wanted to hear it, so I finished it. I have a part 2 coming to this song, it's short. But I already pretty much finished Part 2, I have a few lines in the verse to finish.

Oh, here. for the people who can't use, or hate myspace.
00 - EJ - Looking for the Cid 6.mp3 - 2.21MB

Me and my bullshit plug... Sorry Himuro

I think it sounds pretty good. Maybe it's just me but the beat sounds mid to late 90s-ish. I'd like to listen to the full thing. Make a thread when it's done! When'd you learn to rap?

[lordmaji]

How about this...

How about you go listen to my new song www.myspace.com/lordmaji

Looking for the Cid!

PD said he wanted to hear it, so I finished it. I have a part 2 coming to this song, it's short. But I already pretty much finished Part 2, I have a few lines in the verse to finish.

Oh, here. for the people who can't use, or hate myspace.
00 - EJ - Looking for the Cid 6.mp3 - 2.21MB

Me and my bullshit plug... Sorry Himuro

I think it sounds pretty good. Maybe it's just me but the beat sounds mid to late 90s-ish. I'd like to listen to the full thing. Make a thread when it's done! When'd you learn to rap?

I don't even know if I learned to rap or not. I just do it. I freestyle most of things, then go back and listen, keep what I like, ditch the junk I don't, tighten it up a bit and re-record it. It's fun to do.