Top 50 Hip-Hop/Rap Albums Of All Time.

Alright, so this was difficult as FUCK! So many amazing albums had to be thrown out in order to even shave my list down to the top 100, and cutting that in half was damn near impossible... so I smudged the rules a bit :P here's my 52 favorite hip-hop albums of all time, according to me right now in this moment because this list could easily be entirely different in a month's time lol. The ONLY criteria I am going off of is my personal enjoyment, so if you're reading my list and thinking "Wow, no albums from [X]?", know that they were probably in my top 100 and just ended up on the chopping block at the last second... or I just don't fuck with that artist in the way many people do ;) one album per artist/group limit, though solo albums from artists in a group are allowed. Some albums in here may push the boundaries of whether or not they could be considered "hip-hop" so... oh well!

Black Star - Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star
Company Flow - Funcrusher Plus
Saul Williams - The Inevitable Rise & Liberation of Niggy Tardust
Outkast - Aquemini
A Tribe Called Quest - Low End Theory
Nas - Illmatic
Atmosphere - When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold
The Coup - Steal This Album
Mos Def - Black On Both Sides
Gang Starr - Moment Of Truth
Cunninlynguists - A Piece Of Strange
Public Enemy - It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back
Eric B & Rakim - Paid In Full
Organized Konfusion - Stress: The Extinction Agenda
Kanye West - The College Dropout
Kendrick Lamar - Good Kid, MAAD City
Clipping - CLPPNG
The Roots - Game Theory
Blu - Below The Heavens
Boogie Down Productions - Criminal Minded
El-P - I'll Sleep When You're Dead
Cannibal Ox - The Cold Vein
Open Mike Eagle - Brick Body Kids Still Daydream
Big L - Lifestylez Ov Da Poor & Dangerous
Clipse - Lord Willin
Dalek - Absence
Eyedea & Abilities - By The Throat
Aesop Rock - Labor Days
UGK - Ridin Dirty
Masta Ace - A Long Hot Summer
Mobb Deep - The Infamous
Childish Gambino - Because The Internet (probably the most controversial pick on this list but I'll stand by this album till the day I die)
Common - Be
GZA - Liquid Swords
Jay Z - Reasonable Doubt
Redman - Dare Iz A Darkside
Digable Planets - Reachin
Milo - So The Flies Don't Come
Little Brother - The Minstrel Show
Lupe Fiasco - The Cool
Deltron 3030 - Deltron 3030
Murs & 9th Wonder - Murs 3:16: The 9th Edition
Geto Boys - We Can't Be Stopped
Hieroglyphics - 3rd Eye Vision
Casual - Fear Itself
Heltah Skeltah - Nocturnal
De La Soul - 3 Feet High & Rising
Madvillain - Madvillainy
Scarface - The Diary
Felt - Felt 2: A Tribute To Lisa Bonet
Brother Ali - Shadows On The Sun
Z-Ro - The Life of Joseph W McVey
 
this list makes me want to bring some green to your house.

chrb98 said:
Alright, so this was difficult as FUCK! So many amazing albums had to be thrown out in order to even shave my list down to the top 100, and cutting that in half was damn near impossible... so I smudged the rules a bit :p here's my 52 favorite hip-hop albums of all time, according to me right now in this moment because this list could easily be entirely different in a month's time lol. The ONLY criteria I am going off of is my personal enjoyment, so if you're reading my list and thinking "Wow, no albums from [X]?", know that they were probably in my top 100 and just ended up on the chopping block at the last second... or I just don't fuck with that artist in the way many people do ;) one album per artist/group limit, though solo albums from artists in a group are allowed. Some albums in here may push the boundaries of whether or not they could be considered "hip-hop" so... oh well!

Black Star - Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star
Company Flow - Funcrusher Plus
Saul Williams - The Inevitable Rise & Liberation of Niggy Tardust
Outkast - Aquemini
A Tribe Called Quest - Low End Theory
Nas - Illmatic
Atmosphere - When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold
The Coup - Steal This Album
Mos Def - Black On Both Sides
Gang Starr - Moment Of Truth
Cunninlynguists - A Piece Of Strange
Public Enemy - It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back
Eric B & Rakim - Paid In Full
Organized Konfusion - Stress: The Extinction Agenda
Kanye West - The College Dropout
Kendrick Lamar - Good Kid, MAAD City
Clipping - CLPPNG
The Roots - Game Theory
Blu - Below The Heavens
Boogie Down Productions - Criminal Minded
El-P - I'll Sleep When You're Dead
Cannibal Ox - The Cold Vein
Open Mike Eagle - Brick Body Kids Still Daydream
Big L - Lifestylez Ov Da Poor & Dangerous
Clipse - Lord Willin
Dalek - Absence
Eyedea & Abilities - By The Throat
Aesop Rock - Labor Days
UGK - Ridin Dirty
Masta Ace - A Long Hot Summer
Mobb Deep - The Infamous
Childish Gambino - Because The Internet (probably the most controversial pick on this list but I'll stand by this album till the day I die)
Common - Be
GZA - Liquid Swords
Jay Z - Reasonable Doubt
Redman - Dare Iz A Darkside
Digable Planets - Reachin
Milo - So The Flies Don't Come
Little Brother - The Minstrel Show
Lupe Fiasco - The Cool
Deltron 3030 - Deltron 3030
Murs & 9th Wonder - Murs 3:16: The 9th Edition
Geto Boys - We Can't Be Stopped
Hieroglyphics - 3rd Eye Vision
Casual - Fear Itself
Heltah Skeltah - Nocturnal
De La Soul - 3 Feet High & Rising
Madvillain - Madvillainy
Scarface - The Diary
Felt - Felt 2: A Tribute To Lisa Bonet
Brother Ali - Shadows On The Sun
Z-Ro - The Life of Joseph W McVey
Click to expand...
 
teefer said:
After a lot of work and anguish, I managed to get my list down to 50 "essentials". It still needs a lot of tweaks. I will probably add more recent and diverse albums (and stuff I just forgot about) down the line. I hate to classify stuff by genre, it's so subjective. That's why my collection is organized by year of release.

Also, it would be cool to do a top 50 intl albums or top 50 by women just to see more diverse stuff.

Top 50 Hip-Hop Albums

Run DMC - Raising Hell
Boogie Down Productions - Criminal Minded
Eric B & Rakim - Paid In Full
Big Daddy Kane - Long Live The Kane
Public Enemy - It Takes A Nation Of Millions…
Beastie Boys - Paul’s Boutique
De La Soul - 3 Feet High And Rising
A Tribe Called Quest - People's Instinctive…
Public Enemy - Fear Of A Black Planet
A Tribe Called Quest - The Low End Theory
De La Soul - De La Soul Is Dead
Beastie Boys - Check Your Head
Dr. Dre - The Chronic
Gang Starr - Daily Operation
The Pharcyde - Bizarre Ride To The Pharcyde
A Tribe Called Quest - Midnight Marauders
Wu-Tang Clan - Enter The Wu-Tang…
Digable Planets - Blowout Comb
Nas - Illmatic
Notorious BIG - Ready To Die
GZA - Liquid Swords
Raekwon - Only Built 4 Cuban Linx...
The Fugees - The Score
Nas - It Was Written
Missy Elliott - Supa Dupa Fly
Lauryn Hill - The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill
Outkast - Aquemini
Black Star - Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star
Gang Starr - Moment Of Truth
Outkast - Stankonia
Ghostface Killah - Supreme Clientele
Cannibal Ox - The Cold Vein
El-P - Fantastic Damage
The Roots - Phrenology
Jay-Z - The Black Album
Kanye West - College Dropout
Clipse - Hell Hath No Fury
Kanye West - Graduation
Das Racist - Shut Up, Dude/Sit Down, Man
Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
Kendrick Lamar - Section. 80
Kendrick Lamar - Good kid, m.A.A.d. City
Chance The Rapper - Acid Rap
Kanye West - Yeezus
Kendrick Lamar - To Pimp A Butterfly
Anderson .Paak - Malibu
Vince Staples - Summertime ’06
Young Thug - Barter 6
SZA - Ctrl
Travis Scott - Astroworld
Click to expand...
Clint Howard said:
I mean, to each their own and all that jazz.. but you really believe that Kanye has dropped almost 10% of the greatest hip-hop albums of all time?
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The more important question is, how do you list 4 Kanye albums and not Late Registration?!haha
 
RowBearToe said:
The more important question is, how do you list 4 Kanye albums and not Late Registration?!haha
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This list kept me up last night...I need to make so many changes. I've had fuzzy/sick/high brain last few days. I could probably take off a couple of Kanye albums, but still wouldn't add Late Registration. I think it's a bit overplayed and I freakin' hate Gold Digger.

Don't get me wrong, it would make the top 100 for sure and I think it's a great album.
 
Got blunted and made this list, only to realize after it was supposed to be 50 long.¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I tried not to repeat acts, although there are many of the same rappers on here under different names. Also I didnt add any instrumental album (Shades of Blue, Donuts, Endtroducing types) No real order either.

My Favorite 100 Hip Hop Albums
  1. Madvillian- Madvilliany
  2. Gza - Liquid Swords
  3. Raekwon- Only Built 4...
  4. Wu Tang - 36 Chambers
  5. Kanye - MBDTF
  6. Kendrick - gkmc
  7. A Tribe Called Quest- Low End Theory
  8. The Roots - Things Fall Apart
  9. Public Enemy- Its Takes a Nation of Millions....
  10. Beastie Boys - Paul's Boutique
  11. B.I.G. - Ready To Die
  12. Aesop Rock - Labor Days
  13. Deltron 3030 - Deltron 3030
  14. Outkast - Stankonia
  15. Cannibal Ox - Cold Vein
  16. RTJ - RTJ2
  17. NWA - Straight Outta Compton
  18. Clipse - Hell Hath No Fury
  19. De La Soul - 3Ft High and Rising
  20. Vince Staples - Summertime 06
  21. Quasimoto- The Unseen
  22. Company Flow - Funcrusher Plus
  23. Little Brother - The Minstrel Show
  24. Mobb Deep - The Infamous
  25. Nas - Illmatic
  26. Ice Cube - Amerikkkas Most Wanted
  27. Eric B and Rakim - Paid in Full
  28. Big L - Lifestylez ov da Poor and Dangerous
  29. Ghostface- Supreme Clientele
  30. ODB - Return to the 36 Chambers
  31. Blackstar - Blackstar
  32. Boogie Down Productions - Criminal Minded
  33. Mos Def - Black on Both Sides
  34. Common - Be
  35. Digable Planets- Reachin
  36. Jurassic 5 - Quality Control
  37. Shabazz Palaces - Black Up
  38. Milo - Who Told You To Think?
  39. Edan - Beauty and the Beat
  40. Fugees - The Score
  41. Lauryn Hill - Miseducation...
  42. Open Mike Eagle - Brick Body Kids
  43. Blu and Exile - Below The Heavens
  44. Dr. Octagon- Dr. Octagonecologyst
  45. Souls of Mischief- 93 to Infinity
  46. The Coup - Steal This Album
  47. Earl Sweatshirt- I Dont Like Shit I Dont Go Outside
  48. King Geedorah- Take Me To Your Leader
  49. Count Bass D- Dwight Spitz
  50. Viktor Vaughn- Vaudeville Villain
  51. Cage - Hells Winter
  52. Dr. Dre - The Chronic
  53. Snoop - Doggystyle
  54. Goodie Mob - Soulfood
  55. Gang Starr - Daily Operation
  56. Benny - Tana Talk 3
  57. 2Pac - All Eyez on Me
  58. Black Sheep - A Wolf in Sheeps Clothing
  59. Capone and Noreaga - War Report
  60. Big Boi - Sir Lucious Left Foot...
  61. Chance The Rapper - Acid Rap
  62. Missy Elliot - Supa Dupa Fly
  63. Danny Brown - XXX
  64. Das Racist- Sit Down Man
  65. The Foreign Exchange- Connected
  66. Young Thug - Barter 6
  67. Lil Wayne - Da Drought 3
  68. Currensy - Pilot Talk
  69. Schoolboy Q - Blank Face
  70. UGK - Underground Kingz
  71. Isaiah Rashad - Cilvia Demo
  72. YG - My Krazy Life
  73. Rich Gang - Tha Tour Pt 1
  74. Joey Badass - 1999
  75. MadGibbs - Pinata
  76. Future - DS2
  77. Billy Woods - Known Unkowns
  78. Deep Puddle Dynamics- The Taste of Rain
  79. Alias - The Other Side of the Looking Glass
  80. Mr. LIF - I Phantom
  81. El- P - Fantastic Damage
  82. Gravediggaz - 6 Feet Deep
  83. Scarface - The Diary
  84. Non Phixion - The Future is Now
  85. Tommy Wright - Ashes 2 Ashes, Dust 2 Dust
  86. Binary Star - Masters of the Universe
  87. Cunninlynguists – A Piece Of Strange
  88. Blackalicious - Blazing Arrow
  89. Hieroglyphics- 3rd Eye Vision
  90. Armmand Hammer - Paraffin
  91. cLOUDDEAD- cLOUDDEAD
  92. JID - DiCaprio 2
  93. Saba - Bucketlist Playlist
  94. Tyler the Creator - Flower Boy
  95. Westside Gunn - Supreme Blientele
  96. Oddisee - The Good Fight
  97. L'Orange and Jeremiah Jae - The Night Took Us In Like Family
  98. Cypress Hill - Black Sunday
  99. Camron - Purple Haze
  100. Busdriver- Fear of a Black Tangent
 
sorcerer said:
You listened to any of Kenny Segal's solo stuff? Just a couple days ago me and this dude listened to https://kennysegal.bandcamp.com/album/happy-little-trees and it was awesome.

Kinda mad I passed on buying the vinyl, especially since it was up on milo's site for so long cause now it's expensive on the resell.

Also of course ya needa check out Safari Al's stuff if you fuck with Who Told You To Think
Click to expand...
Yea I slept on that Kenny Segal vinyl too, but it's a good album.

I'll check out Safari Al soon.
 
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Here's a version of my top 50 I'm more satisfied with (that should last at least a week, I hope). I tried to limit it to 2 albums max per artist.


Top 50 Hip-Hop Albums

Boogie Down Productions - Criminal Minded
Eric B & Rakim - Paid In Full
Big Daddy Kane - Long Live The Kane
Public Enemy - It Takes A Nation Of Millions…
Beastie Boys - Paul’s Boutique
De La Soul - 3 Feet High And Rising
Public Enemy - Fear Of A Black Planet
A Tribe Called Quest - The Low End Theory
De La Soul - De La Soul Is Dead
Beastie Boys - Check Your Head
Dr. Dre - The Chronic
The Pharcyde - Bizarre Ride To The Pharcyde
A Tribe Called Quest - Midnight Marauders
Wu-Tang Clan - Enter The Wu-Tang…
Digable Planets - Blowout Comb
Nas - Illmatic
Notorious BIG - Ready To Die
GZA - Liquid Swords
Raekwon - Only Built 4 Cuban Linx...
Nas - It Was Written
Missy Elliott - Supa Dupa Fly
Lauryn Hill - The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill
Outkast - Aquemini
Black Star - Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star
Gang Starr - Moment Of Truth
Outkast - Stankonia
Ghostface Killah - Supreme Clientele
Cannibal Ox - The Cold Vein
El-P - Fantastic Damage
The Roots - Phrenology
Jay-Z - The Black Album
Kanye West - College Dropout
Clipse - Hell Hath No Fury
Das Racist - Shut Up, Dude/Sit Down, Man
Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
Kendrick Lamar - Good kid, m.A.A.d. City
Chance The Rapper - Acid Rap
Kendrick Lamar - To Pimp A Butterfly
Anderson .Paak - Malibu
Vince Staples - Summertime ’06
Young Thug - Barter 6
SZA - Ctrl
Travis Scott - Astroworld
IAM - L'École Du Micro D'Argent
MC Solaar - Prose Combat
Run The Jewels - Run The Jewels 2
ODB - Return to the 36 Chambers
Dr. Octagon - Dr. Octagonecologyst/Instrumentalyst
Blackalicious - Blazing Arrow
Earl Sweatshirt- I Dont Like Shit I Dont Go Outside
 
Benhawaii said:
this list makes me want to bring some green to your house.
Click to expand...
Shit, anyone is welcome if they're bringing green 😝

Sidenote: It hasn't even been a week yet and I'm already looking over my list thinking about what I would change now. I'd definitely drop BTI at least 10 spots or so and move I'll Sleep When Your Dead up to my top 10. Though in another week that could also be completely different!
 
chrb98 said:
Alright, so this was difficult as FUCK! So many amazing albums had to be thrown out in order to even shave my list down to the top 100, and cutting that in half was damn near impossible... so I smudged the rules a bit :p here's my 52 favorite hip-hop albums of all time, according to me right now in this moment because this list could easily be entirely different in a month's time lol. The ONLY criteria I am going off of is my personal enjoyment, so if you're reading my list and thinking "Wow, no albums from [X]?", know that they were probably in my top 100 and just ended up on the chopping block at the last second... or I just don't fuck with that artist in the way many people do ;) one album per artist/group limit, though solo albums from artists in a group are allowed. Some albums in here may push the boundaries of whether or not they could be considered "hip-hop" so... oh well!

Black Star - Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star
Company Flow - Funcrusher Plus
Saul Williams - The Inevitable Rise & Liberation of Niggy Tardust
Outkast - Aquemini
A Tribe Called Quest - Low End Theory
Nas - Illmatic
Atmosphere - When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold
The Coup - Steal This Album
Mos Def - Black On Both Sides
Gang Starr - Moment Of Truth
Cunninlynguists - A Piece Of Strange
Public Enemy - It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back
Eric B & Rakim - Paid In Full
Organized Konfusion - Stress: The Extinction Agenda
Kanye West - The College Dropout
Kendrick Lamar - Good Kid, MAAD City
Clipping - CLPPNG
The Roots - Game Theory
Blu - Below The Heavens
Boogie Down Productions - Criminal Minded
El-P - I'll Sleep When You're Dead
Cannibal Ox - The Cold Vein
Open Mike Eagle - Brick Body Kids Still Daydream
Big L - Lifestylez Ov Da Poor & Dangerous
Clipse - Lord Willin
Dalek - Absence
Eyedea & Abilities - By The Throat
Aesop Rock - Labor Days
UGK - Ridin Dirty
Masta Ace - A Long Hot Summer
Mobb Deep - The Infamous
Childish Gambino - Because The Internet (probably the most controversial pick on this list but I'll stand by this album till the day I die)
Common - Be
GZA - Liquid Swords
Jay Z - Reasonable Doubt
Redman - Dare Iz A Darkside
Digable Planets - Reachin
Milo - So The Flies Don't Come
Little Brother - The Minstrel Show
Lupe Fiasco - The Cool
Deltron 3030 - Deltron 3030
Murs & 9th Wonder - Murs 3:16: The 9th Edition
Geto Boys - We Can't Be Stopped
Hieroglyphics - 3rd Eye Vision
Casual - Fear Itself
Heltah Skeltah - Nocturnal
De La Soul - 3 Feet High & Rising
Madvillain - Madvillainy
Scarface - The Diary
Felt - Felt 2: A Tribute To Lisa Bonet
Brother Ali - Shadows On The Sun
Z-Ro - The Life of Joseph W McVey
Click to expand...

Great fucking list. Lot of stuff that would have made mine if I had limited myself to one album per artist instead of letting personal favs like Aesop Rock, Outkast, Kendrick and P.O.S. take up 1/5th of my list.

Maybe I'll rework mine to be 50 by 50 different artists and then add an honorable mentions for repeat albums that should be there. Only problem is which Outkast album I'd pick is completely unclear.

Also, it makes me very happy how many people are listing Piece of Strange. That album changed my life.
 
Limiting this to 50 was hard as hell. So many albums I loved got axed. I excluded instrumental and compilations otherwise this would have been impossible.
  1. Boogie Down Productions - Criminal Minded (1986)
  2. Eric B & Rakim - Paid in Full (1987)
  3. N.W.A. - Straight Outta Compton (1988)
  4. Slick Rick - The Great Adventures of Slick Rick (1988)
  5. Ultramagnetic MC's - Critical Beatdown (1988)
  6. Beastie Boys - Paul's Boutique (1989)
  7. KMD - Mr. Hood (1991)
  8. Organized Konfusion - Organized Konfusion (1991)
  9. The Pharcyde - Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde (1992)
  10. A Tribe Called Quest - Midnight Marauders (1993)
  11. De La Soul - Buhloone Mindstate (1993)
  12. Del tha Funky Homosapien - No Need for Alarm (1993)
  13. Freestyle Fellowship - Innercity Griots (1993)
  14. Souls of Mischief - 93 'til Infinity (1993)
  15. Wu-Tang Clan - Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) (1993)
  16. Common - Resurrection (1994)
  17. Digable Planets - Blowout Comb (1994)
  18. Nas - Illmatic (1994)
  19. O.C. - Word…Life (1994)
  20. The Notorious BIG - Ready to Die (1994)
  21. Goodie Mob - Soul Food (1995)
  22. GZA - Liquid Swords (1995)
  23. Mobb Deep - The Infamous (1995)
  24. Raekwon - Only Built 4 Cuban Linx (1995)
  25. Da Bush Babees - Gravity (1996)
  26. Dr. Octagon - Dr. Octagonecologyst (1996)
  27. Juggaknots - Clear Blue Skies (1996)
  28. Siah & Yeshua DapoED - The Visualz (1996)
  29. The Roots - Illadelph Halflife (1996)
  30. Camp Lo - Uptown Saturday Night (1997)
  31. Casual - Meanwhile… (1997)
  32. Company Flow - Funcrusher Plus (1997)
  33. Latyrx - The Album (1997)
  34. The Cenobites - The Cenobites LP (1997)
  35. Black Star - Mos Def and Talib Kweli Are Black Star (1998)
  36. The Coup - Steal this Album (1998)
  37. Aceyalone - A Book of Human Language (1998)
  38. Blackalicious - Nia (1999)
  39. MF DOOM - Operation: Doomsday (1999)
  40. Mos Def - Black on Both Sides (1999)
  41. Aesop Rock - Float (2000)
  42. Atmosphere - Sad Clown Bad Dub II (2000)
  43. Dilated Peoples - The Platform (2000)
  44. OutKast - Stankonia (2000)
  45. Cannibal Ox - The Cold Vein (2001)
  46. Mystic - Cuts for Luck and Scars for Freedom (2001)
  47. Cage - Movies for the Blind (2002)
  48. Emanon - Anon & On (2002)
  49. Jean Grae - This Week (2004)
  50. Madvillain - Madvillainy (2004)
 
sorcerer said:
Didn't Cunninlynguists say they were repressing all of their back catalog at some point this year or next year? I remember someone talking about that on the old forum.
Click to expand...

Yeh I was lol But if they dont get the money together it might not happen this year.
 
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I’m not going to waste you guys time by posting my 50 rap album list. I could sit here and name groups like KMD, Freestyle Fellowship, Madvillain, the roots, Organized konfusion, Wu Tang, etc but it wouldn’t be fair because I cannot stand 99% of these commercial rappers these days and I listen to their albums with trash lyrics, copied lyrical flows, Etc and I can tell you when these same types of rappers came out in the 90’s I didn’t like them back then either. I’m not saying all current artist are wack, just they aren’t really Hip Hop and no Hip Hop didnt evolve nor can current artist redefine what was created. Yeah I have tons of hip hop vinyl. Yeah I interned at Loud records Office in L.A. in the mid 90’s and did street promotions. I also know Ice Cube stole Volume 10’s flow, that Suge knight tried to sign Freestyle Fellowship to Death Row, met chuck D, met Rza, and I can go on but Rap Music is filled with a bunch of wannabe’s and bullshit, and I can’t make any list when I can’t respect a majority of these new artist. Sorry can’t do it. Kendrick, J Cole, Even Tyler the Migos but the garbage that’s getting churned out these days far outweighs the good music and everyone mostly sounds the same, so i’ll Stick with underground rap and the few signed artist I respect. Check my Discogs for my favorite albums, I own them. Other than that I’ll keep reading your list.
 
SKOT FREE said:
I’m not going to waste you guys time by posting my 50 rap album list. I could sit here and name groups like KMD, Freestyle Fellowship, Madvillain, the roots, Organized konfusion, Wu Tang, etc but it wouldn’t be fair because I cannot stand 99% of these commercial rappers these days and I listen to their albums with trash lyrics, copied lyrical flows, Etc and I can tell you when these same types of rappers came out in the 90’s I didn’t like them back then either. I’m not saying all current artist are wack, just they aren’t really Hip Hop and no Hip Hop didnt evolve nor can current artist redefine what was created. Yeah I have tons of hip hop vinyl. Yeah I interned at Loud records Office in L.A. in the mid 90’s and did street promotions. I also know Ice Cube stole Volume 10’s flow, that Suge knight tried to sign Freestyle Fellowship to Death Row, met chuck D, met Rza, and I can go on but Rap Music is filled with a bunch of wannabe’s and bullshit, and I can’t make any list when I can’t respect a majority of these new artist. Sorry can’t do it. Kendrick, J Cole, Even Tyler the Migos but the garbage that’s getting churned out these days far outweighs the good music and everyone mostly sounds the same, so i’ll Stick with underground rap and the few signed artist I respect. Check my Discogs for my favorite albums, I own them. Other than that I’ll keep reading your list.
Click to expand...

You ever get to meet Mojo Nicosia @ Loud?
 
Clint Howard said:
You ever get to meet Mojo Nicosia @ Loud?
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The last name rings a bell...Is Mojo the real first name and what position did they have?Also did he work in the L.A. or NYC office as I worked in the Office in L.A. on Melrose. I can tell you HOW I got that “Intern” position:

I wake up one day and decide I want to learn about the record industry so Wu being basically independent artist and them being signed to a small label like Loud I wanted to learn what they did to put out albums so I call Loud/SRC’s offices. Terry was the secretary at the time and she goes yeah we can use an intern, so I go down and start that day. So im Answering phones, running errands, etc and Terry is running around doing nothing, so I figured out that I’m doing her job. Steve Rifkind then comes into the office one day and he’s like Who are you? I’m like I’m the intern, and he looks perplexed, but Is cool. So while I’m there I’m rubbing elbows with the different departments especially Bigga B who is the head of street promotions in L.A.(RIP). So while I was there Xzibit got signed and I got to hear Papparazzi from the beginning. He was a real nice guy. Always spoke and even after I stopped interning at Loud I’d see him and he’d say what’s up and we’d talk. E-Swift first came in with the papparazi instrumental, then they come in with the full track with vocals. So when Xzibit signed his contract I had to run off copies of it and I also read it and he got very little cash but the biggest sticking point was he got medical insurance for his little new born girl which is noble but the lack of cash opened my eyes to the record business. Also I got to see how Crooked the industry is. Yes I met RZA as well who basically ignored me and didn’t say jack. In terms of Radio Payola was still a thing. The head of the radio Department Tommy straight up told me that they had to pay DJ’s either with Gifts or cash to get spins. He told me about how for example one DJ got some Gold Technics 1200’s for playing music or another DJ got Some sneakers. So fast forward it got to a point I knew they were using me so I basically started using my position at Loud to make contacts with other promoters at labels and that’s how I got into street promotions.I wanted to work for Loud but I made the mistake of thinking Bigga B was the head promoter and he wasn’t....It was this guy from the NYC office named Trevor. He’d come to L.A. every once in a while and I’d talk to him like he was just another promoter when he was actually the head promoter. AnyWay I call up capitol and get tons of vinyl to promote, call up Violater, get vinyl, etc. I think they got wind of it tho and At some point during this time they tell me they don’t need me, and then I get word that terry also got canned because she let me do her job. Also I gotta comment on Steve Rifkind. Dude was just the money man, the guy who ran Loud on the business end was this guy named Rich. You’d see him working his ass off, while Steve would be in his office just listening to music.
Anyway I know long story but that whole thing just totally disillusioned me from ever wanting to get into the mainstream music industry. I saw people ripped off, people who signed contracts get basically shelved and held to their contracts, example a guy gets a 10 grand advance, spends it up and a label basically telling him that they will not make his album but will hold him to his contract basically ending his career. They told him he better not even perform at an open mic or they’d sue him. I met some cool people like Bigga B who hit me with Raekwon’s only built album a month before it dropped and I promoted his club called unity for him. So from that I’d tell up and coming mc’s to go the Project Blowed route and be independent because these companies will ruin your name and image to sell records and I stick to that today.
 
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