I'm the human in the back of this picture, not the pug (I was only a pug from 4th-6th grade). Anyway, despite slightly less pale skin and a haircut, I still look pretty similar to the way I did in this picture. The only reason I bring this up is so you know what this guy who's about to talk about rap looks like. If you see this picture and immediately want to close out of this blog and never return, I totally understand. But I encourage you to read on, and hopefully enjoy my thoughts on these albums. Regardless of the way I look, I'm actually a decently big rap fan. I think it's neat! So hopefully if you don't know much about rap, you'll learn a little something here. If you know more about rap than me, please feel free to let me know. Give me some suggestions, I'm always looking for new albums to get into.
In All Seriousness:
Transitions are awkward. So here's a little intro as to how I went about picking these albums. I gave myself a rule that I could only pick one album per artist. So artists like Kanye West and Outkast, who I like a lot, would probably have multiple albums on this list. But I wanted to be able to recommend more artists, so they only get one. Also, you've probably heard of most of/all of these albums. This post is targeted at the more casual rap fan who hasn't heard much and is looking to discover something good. So hopefully I don't get too much flak for recommending pretty popular albums. Also these are in no particular order, they're just 10 albums I like a lot.
My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy - Kanye West
Track Listing
1. Dark Fantasy
2. Gorgeous
3. Power
4. All of the Lights (Interlude)
5. All of the Lights
6. Monster
7. So Apalled
8. Devil in a New Dress
9. Runaway
10. Hell of a Life
11. Blame Game
12. Lost in the World
13. Who Will Survive in America
Favorite Song: Blame Game
When I say they are in no particular order I kind of lied, because I'm starting with my two favorite rap albums. MBDTF is my favorite Kanye West album. It's my favorite rap album. It's my third favorite album of any genre. It could potentially be the album I've listed to the most ever. Kanye does the best production of his career here, in my opinion. The orchestral sound of All of the Lights, the simplistic, soothing piano of Blame Game and Runaway. It's all great. Despite not always being a huge fan of Kanye's lyrics, they are strong on this album. MBDTF is filled with brilliant guest appearances from Pusha T, Raekwon, Bon Iver, Nicki Minaj's best work ever in Monster, and everyone who's ever done music in All of the Lights. Top to bottom it's my idea of a perfect album.
Stankonia - Outkast
Track Listing
1. Intro
2. Gasoline Dreams
3. I'm Cool (Interlude)
4. So Fresh, So Clean
5. Ms. Jackson
6. Snappin' and Trappin'
7. D.F. (Interlude)
8. Spaghetti Junction
9. Kim & Cookie (Interlude)
10. I'll Call Before I Come
11. B.O.B.
12. Xplosion
13. Good Hair (Interlude)
14. We Luv Deez Hoez
15. Humble Mumble
16. Drinkin' Again (Interlude)
17. ?
18. Red Velvet
19. Cruisin' in the ATL (Interlude)
20. Gangsta Sh*t
21. Toilet Tisha
22. Slum Beautiful
23. Pre-Nump
24. Stankonia (Stanklove)
Favorite Song: B.O.B.
Here is my second favorite rap album of all-time. Something that strongly determines whether I like a rapper/rap group or not is whether I like the rapper's voice or not. A lot of people like Lil Wayne, but I think he has the most annoying voice in music. On the contrary, Andre 3000 of Outkast has probably the coolest voice in music. All of the choruses on this album sound great sung with his smooth, southern voice. And his and Big Boi's verses in songs like B.O.B. and Ms. Jackson are some of the best in rap. Now that's a pretty bold statement. But I'm a bold guy, and I haven't listened to THAT much rap. Just enough to make this post and not feel guilty.
Old - Danny Brown
Track Listing
1. Side A (Old)
2. The Return
3. 25 Bucks
4. Wonderbread
5. Gremlins
6. Dope Fiend Rental
7. Torture
8. Lonely
9. Clean Up
10. Red 2 Go
11. Side B (Dope Song)
12. Dubstep
13. Dip
14. Smokin' and Drinkin'
15. Break It (Go)
16. Handstand
17. Way Up Here
18. Kush Coma
19. Float On
Favorite Song: Side A (Old)
Danny Brown has a voice that you'll either really enjoy or not like at all. I used to not really like Danny Brown when I first heard him on Childish Gambino's song Toxic. After a few more listens of that song he grew on me. So with Danny Brown I suggest giving him multiple chances, because he's one of my favorite rappers currently working now. The beats on Old are insanely good, and you get the sense of that with the very first song. Danny is putting out a lot of good original stuff, and I'm looking forward to anything he does in the future.
Liquid Swords - GZA
Track Listing
1. Liquid Swords
2. Duel of the Iron Mic
3. Living in the World Today
4. Gold
5. Cold World
6. Labels
7. 4th Chamber
8. Shadowboxin'
9. Hell's Wind Staff/Killah Hills 10304
10. Investigative Reports
11. Swordsman
12. I Gotcha Back
13. B.I.B.L.E. (Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth)
Favorite Song: 4th Chamber
Like all of the Wu-Tang Clan, GZA likes to use samples from kung-fu movies. The intro to Liquid Swords, a monologue from a kid in the movie Shogun Assassin is chilling, and one of the coolest intros to an album. Liquid Swords is my favorite solo album from a member of the Wu-Tang, and GZA is a close second only to RZA as my favorite Wu-Tang Member. Great beats, great lyrics, great artwork, it's a great album.
good kid, m.A.A.d city
Track Listing
1. Sherane a.k.a. Master Splinter's Daughter
2. B*tch Don't Kill My Vibe
3. Backseat Freestyle
4. The Art of Peer Pressure
5. Money Trees
6. Poetic Justice
7. good kid
8. m.A.A.d city
9. Swimming Pools (Drank)
10. Sing About Me, I'm Dying of Thirst
11. Real
12. Compton
Favorite Song: m.A.A.d city
Kendrick Lamar makes me more excited for the future of rap than any other rapper working today. I've loved all of the stuff he's done so far, especially this album. He's got great personal lyrics and songs that flow so well together. This album is best listened to in order (most albums are, this is a waste of a sentence). If Kendrick keeps consistently making good music he could easily find himself towards the top of my favorite rappers list (which is an honor greater than any award or number of album sales).
Madvillainy - Madvillain
Track Listing
1. The Illest Villains
2. Accordion
3. Meat Grinder
4. Bistro
5. Raid
6. America's Most Blunted
7. Sickfit
8. Rainbows
9. Curls
10. Do Not Fire!
11. Moneyfolder
12. Shadows of Tomorrow
13. Operation Lifesaver aka Mint Test
14. Figaro
15. Hardcore Hustle
16. Strange Ways
17. Fancy Clown
18. Eye
19. Supervillain Theme
20. All Caps
21. Great Day
22. Rhinestone Cowboy
Favorite Song: All Caps
This joining together of the extremely talented MF Doom and Madlib created one of the best rap albums of all-time. Doom and Madlib's production on this album is among the best you'll ever see. The beats are perfect. The use of samples are great. The songs are all just long enough; the album's pacing is very good. It's a great intro for anyone trying to get into early-2000s alternative rap.
This joining together of the extremely talented MF Doom and Madlib created one of the best rap albums of all-time. Doom and Madlib's production on this album is among the best you'll ever see. The beats are perfect. The use of samples are great. The songs are all just long enough; the album's pacing is very good. It's a great intro for anyone trying to get into early-2000s alternative rap.
MM...FOOD - MF Doom
Track Listing
1. Beef Rapp
2. Hoe Cakes
3. Potholderz
4. One Beer
5. Deep Fried Frenz
6. Poo-Putt Platter
7. Fillet-O-Rapper
8. Gumbo
9. Fig Leaf Bi-Carbonate
10. Kon Karne
11. Guinnesses
12. Kon Queso
13. Rap Snitch Knishes
14. Vomitspit
15. Kookies
Favorite Song: Beef Rap
I'm kind of cheating here, because MF Doom is part of Madvillain. But who cares, this album is so good I couldn't leave it off the list. MF Doom might be my favorite rapper when it comes to the use of spoken word samples. Also an album based on food is just REALLY down my alley. This album's beats are very relaxing to me. If I had to pick one rap album to listen to whenever laying down at night, it would definitely be this one.
I'm kind of cheating here, because MF Doom is part of Madvillain. But who cares, this album is so good I couldn't leave it off the list. MF Doom might be my favorite rapper when it comes to the use of spoken word samples. Also an album based on food is just REALLY down my alley. This album's beats are very relaxing to me. If I had to pick one rap album to listen to whenever laying down at night, it would definitely be this one.
EP - Childish Gambino
Track Listing
1. Be Alone
2. Freaks and Geeks
3. My Shine
4. Light Turned On
5. Not Going Back
Favorite Song: Freaks and Geeks
I'm kind of cheating again here because this isn't an album, it's an EP. As a pretty big fan of Gambino, I've heard all of his albums several times. But in my opinion this is the best thing Childish Gambino has ever put out. It's 5 songs, but they are among his best. They have some of his funny, and most personal lyrics. All of the beats are great, especially on Freaks and Geeks, which is one of my favorite songs of all-time.
I'm kind of cheating again here because this isn't an album, it's an EP. As a pretty big fan of Gambino, I've heard all of his albums several times. But in my opinion this is the best thing Childish Gambino has ever put out. It's 5 songs, but they are among his best. They have some of his funny, and most personal lyrics. All of the beats are great, especially on Freaks and Geeks, which is one of my favorite songs of all-time.
Black on Both Sides - Mos Def
Track Listing
1. Fear Not of Man
2. Hip Hop
3. Love
4. Ms. Fat Booty
5. Speed Law
6. Do It Now
7. Got
8. Umi Says
9. New World Water
10. Rock N Roll
11. Know That
12. Climb
13. Brooklyn
14. Habitat
15. Mr. Ni**a
16. Mathematics
17. May-December
Favorite Song: Mathematics
Too often when I ask people if they've listened to Mos Def, they tell me they've never heard of him. This shocks me every time. Mos Def, in my opinion, is one of the smartest rappers working still. Black on Both Sides is by far his best album, and one of the essential albums of the 90s. I wish he made more music, and spent less time in movies. Also, Mathematics is probably my favorite rap song of all-time.
Too often when I ask people if they've listened to Mos Def, they tell me they've never heard of him. This shocks me every time. Mos Def, in my opinion, is one of the smartest rappers working still. Black on Both Sides is by far his best album, and one of the essential albums of the 90s. I wish he made more music, and spent less time in movies. Also, Mathematics is probably my favorite rap song of all-time.
The Marshall Mathers LP - Eminem
Track Listing
1. Public Service Announcement 2000
2. Kill You
3. Stan
4. Paul (skit)
5. Who Knew
6. Steve Berman (skit)
7. The Way I Am
8. The Real Slim Shady
9. Remember Me?
10. I'm Back
11. Marshall Mathers
12. Ken Kaniff (skit)
13. Drug Ballad
14. Amityville
15. B*tch Please II
16. Kim
17. Under the Influence
18. Criminal
Favorite Song: Stan
Controversial, lyrics that cut like knives, and controversial lyrics about knives. Eminem in his prime was hard to top. There is a reason why this album sold a ridiculous amount of copies. The year was 2000, rebelling against your parents was cool, and there was nothing more rebellious than listening to Eminem (except for maybe like lighting stuff on fire and worshipping the Devil). The MMLP holds up today as a terrific rap album, and is cited by a lot of modern rappers as a big influence on them. It's hard to imagine a rap world with Kendrick Lamar and Danny Brown without Eminem paving the way for controversial rappers.
