I own over 400 Hip-Hop LPs. If for some reason my entire collection was to be destroyed & I could only save 50 albums without the chance of replacing the others, these would be the ones I would save. Also another stipulation is that I�ve only chosen ONE album from each artist.


Making sure to have a variety of the best, albums are in sub-categories. These include ONLY albums that I already have & tend to lean towards what I listen to most. Hopefully this guide can steer you to some quality Hip-Hop that you won�t get tired of.



The Foundation
Classics that still sound good today

Paid in Full Changed the rap scene forever, Rakim�s complex rhyming was the first of it�s kind. The foundation for everyone

Critical Beatdown The Blueprint to rhyming & sampling, an underrated classic

Raising Hell Hip-Hop�s first Gold album ever & the most influential

Long Live the Kane Kane was Jay-Z before Jay-Z, and while he didn't last as long, might have been better

Kool G Rap - Greatest Hits Came in with the complex rhyme scheme & introduced hardcore (i know, i kinda cheated here)



Golden Age
A pure focus on quality rhymes & incredible sampling.

The Low End Theory Classic in every scene of the word. The Tribe kicked the jazzy production to perfection

Mecca and the Soul Brother Sampling is taken to a new level on this one. One of my personal favorites, it completely blew my mind on the first listen

Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde Jazzy beats & crazy lyrics like no other group, then or now. There�s a style on here that is truly unique & always provides a great listen

De La Soul Is Dead One of the top 5 hip-hop groups ever & the album influenced hip-hop in more ways than you can count



East Coast Classics


Illmatic The ESSENTIAL rap album. #1 on my list

<Product Not Available: B0002GTWYW> Lyrically one of the best. After this one album alone Biggie truly was ready, he didn�t need anymore to prove his ability

Whut? Thee Album Not just a classic, but can be played on repeat all day cause of the funk beats & hilarious/off the wall lyrics

Daily Operation Primo�s sampling has so many layers & is deep in obscurity, no one can argue the creative genius, plus add Guru to the mix



West Coast Classics


Straight Outta Compton Started this gangster s***

The Chronic Easily one of the 5 best ever

Doggystyle You already know it�s a must have

Cypress Hill My favorite offering from the group, excellent party album



Hardcore


Enta da Stage A rugged version of Low End Theory still sounds great today

AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted Ice Cube was lyrically on point & P.E.'s touch helped deliver a top 10 classic

The Infamous Rugged street beats the duo�s best effort lyrically

Warriorz M.O.P.�s strongest album from front to back. Nobody can sound so angry & be so credible at the same time

Industry Shakedown Great production only makes today�s angriest MC sound better



Conscious
You need quality albums that are gonna make you think & do more than just entertain

It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back Conscious? How bout revolutionary (it could be the greatest EVER)

Black on Both Sides The best at raising awareness in today�s society without sounding preachy or selling out. On top of that everything else is perfect

Return of the Boom Bap KRS just drops some huge gems on this one that are still relevant today

Reflection Eternal/Train of Thought Talib speaks on the state of Hip-Hop, the ghetto, education, politics, women & still is praised more for his lyrical complexity, amazing

The Sun Rises in the East Jeru is focused entirely on the progressive movement of his people, so focused that you wonder why this did not cause more of a stir



Experimental
For Hip-Hop to grow you always gotta have people pushing the envelope.

ATLiens The duo reach their best lyrically, while on some crazy alien funk. This was when OutKast still rapped about things that actually mattered

The Score Musically broke the barriers of creative hip-hop. If you go back & listen it sounds less commercial than you remembered

Do You Want More?!!!??! While certainly not one of the best. This ismy favorite album of all time, it�s creative lyrically & musically. Best of all it never gets old

Madvillainy So confused after my first listen, I had to listen to it 5 more times before doing anything else. Don�t sleep on this new classic



Dope Beats & Lyrics
Sometimes you just need Hip-Hop that�s just entertaining, yet doesn�t sacrifice it�s integrity. These albums invoke repeated listening

The Blueprint Reasonable Doubt is lyrically better, the beats are better for the first classic album in the '00 era

Be Damn, as much as i love 'Ressurection', this is too good not to pick. Common has never been better... tuff call though

The College Dropout The production is incredible. Kanye�s down to earth lyrics make this a highly enjoyable album



Underground
Some of the best material put out is NEVER heard by the masses, it would be a crime to ignore the backbone of Hip-Hop

The Minstrel Show Loved their first effort, but was blown away by this one. "Dope beats, dope rhymes, what more do ya'll want!"

Quality Control Refreshing old school feel where all 4 MC�s play tag-team trading lines & verses

Endtroducing... The masterpiece that defined the Instrumental genre

Breaking Atoms Doesn't get more unheard than this. Will this classic ever get a proper release?



Emotional
These albums remind you that we all go through the same kinds of struggles

Me Against the World This album has at least one song for every feeling or emotional state you could have, weather it�s paranoia, joy, depression, or thankfulness

Scarface Very reflective on life & struggles while also reminding you of better things to come

Soul Food An under appreciated album, once again dealing with a multitude of raw feelings & anger as well as joy & mourning



Pure Lyrics
In today�s Hip-Hop where everyone uses production as a career respirator, you need have these albums

Stress: The Extinction Agenda Monch has a gift with his tongue, spitting rhymes double time with a flow that is ri-dic-ulous. Not to mention Prince Po's effort is incredible as well

All of the Above While this album is amazing, J-Live's true gem is 'The Best Part'. It NEEDS to be apart of your collection, cause it's one of the most intelligent, creative and lyrically unmatched albums ever. A true classic

Rip the Jacker Unmatched lyrical complexity is expressed on this album & requires multiple listens to even start to break down the creativity

Lifestylez Ov Da Poor and Dangerous Passed away before reaching his true potential. Street rhymes with actual complexity & cleverness

Funky Technician Primo at his best, the James Brown samples on here are crazy. Finesses is one of the most underrated lyricists, don�t believe me? Listen to this & then let it sink in that it was released in 89!



Wu-Tang Clan Classics


Liquid Swords Rap's most profound lyricist ever delivers a flawless album

Only Built 4 Cuban Linx A true classic among all genres

Supreme Clientele All his albums are excellent, this one changed the rap game with its soul production and style

Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) One of the most original, rawest, & flat out best hip-hop albums ever. You're crazy if it's not in your top 10