Believer101
Well-Known Member
TIL I am the only one who rates DMX so highly.
Top 50 Hip-Hop/Rap Albums Of All Time.
- Thread starter Believer101
- Start date
Clint Howard
Well-Known Member
To your first point, I agree and it's something that's really hard with any kind of list. Are we talking about their influence on the genre or are we talking about personal preference. I tried to do a little mix of both but even the personal favorites I included, I think had genre-influencing effects. I think if I were to do a list of my top 50 favorites though.. it might not be that different so who knows, really.
But on that note, both Grief Pedigree (2013 I believe?) anad Hitler On Steroids are newer than Late Registration but both definitely fall under the sample-heavy, boom bap umbrella. I also did my best to not include mixtapes (I guess HoS sorta falls under that though) and were actual albums that saw pressings.
And yeah, I have done work with a bunch of labels and artists but that didn't come until the mid to late 90s, and to put it in context, I was born in 79. I mean, I definitely wear my era on my sleeve and definitely my locale as well.. Toronto, to this day, still has a hard-on for wanting to be New York.. so my rap tastes lend more towards the NY sound but like our sister city, Chicago, we also took in a lot of other influences as well, which is why I tried to give a fair representation to important southern and west coast records (although not a single Canadian rap record!)
And though I tend to agree with you that the way the system works now had led to some more creativity, I feel like what is being pushed is so fucking samey that it doesn't really even matter anymore. Drake, from Toronto, sounds like half the rappers from Atlanta.. Toronto and Atlanta, sonically, have nothing in common.. and I guess I miss the days of regional sounds.. I thought that was a more creative time. Plus rap hadn't really reached the mainstream yet so while there was a focus on making 'hit' records, there was no shortage of creatvity or pulling from all sorts of different genres / styles / etc..
And I'm sorry if I gave the impression that I dislike Kendrick, I don't. I own most of his records and think he is a great rapper. I just don't think he's near GOAT but that's a whole other debate.
Believer101
Well-Known Member
I like your list. Its more like a hiphop museum/classic list.
Reminds me of stuff I completely forgot about.
Without most of that music the entire genre wouldnt be what it is today.
I did think you would have projects on it like Deltron - 3030 but I guess it didnt get the mark of those classic hiphop records you love so much.
DownIsTheNewUp
Well-Known Member
Your talking to somebody who hates Drake and trap. I've never been more annoyed at a concert than when Outkast handed Future 10 minutes of their set back in 2015. I also think most rap on the radio is sewage. Because Top 40 is still a thing.
But there are a ton of acclaimed artists who sound completely different from one another. You got Joey Badda$$ doing the boom bap thing, Kendrick and his label mates doing a weirdo version of West Coast G-Funk, Earl drowning himself in electronic fuzz, Anderson Paak channeling his inner Stevie Wonder, Vince Staples crafting grimey bangers fused with House music, Brockhampton's cocktail of boy bands, Bone Thugz and Rhymesayers, the whole Chicago scene (which still sounds pretty centered in jazz) with Chance, Saba, No Name, ext. Billy Woods and Run the Jewels channeling Def Jux. Or Young Fathers making records that sound like "TV on the Radio does hip-hop". Or Odd Future with their complete abandonment of traditional song structures. Or DeathGrips with their black metal vibes. It goes on and on.
He was, but the last time I saw him live and he was rapping over his record playing him rapping (lip syncing but doubling up would be the only way to describe it) kind of turned me off. for a solid few years though he was the best - the lyrics, the beats, the actual vocals. but damn. what a fall...
please nobody put drake on their top fifty. im serious. i know this is subjective but ill come to your house and put all the roots albums on non stop until you move off the drake platform. that goes for any weak ass lil yachty rappers et al also...
Believer101
Well-Known Member
Yeh he turned into a crackhead in the end. Apparently he might come good now but he spent a large chunk of his later life in a crack daze.
But that old music he did was amazing.
Clint Howard
Well-Known Member
I enjoy Deltron 3030 a lot and did some work with 75 ark way back when... so it's not that I don't appreciate it (or many many more not on the list).. it's just when you limit it to 50, there are so many artists to take into account, many of whom have multiple albums to choose from. Automator really got his start with Dr. Octagon, which I almost included.. but opted more for Keith's Cenubites record because it showed Keith could do the indie weird route before he did Octagon, it promoted the CM Famalam show and birthed probably one of the most important indie rap record labels of the 90s.
And I included Del's great No Need For Alarm.. I mean, I got a lot of love for Del and Hiero but we're at a limit of 50. Hell, I love Paul Barman but he ain't making my top 50 either.
Personally, I think Drake is everything that is wrong with rap.. but I know that's my opinion and it may or may not be popular depending on the circle you're sharing it with but that's neither here nor there. His "style" has become so dominant that that's what 90% of up-and-coming rappers want to sound like with a few outliers.. I hate that way more than I actually hate Drake...
And as far as trap goes, it's like every other genre.. you gonna dig through the shit to find the gems. it's also such a nebulous term that I'm not even entirely sure I know what is considered a trap song anymorre.
But to address each of the artists you listed:
- Joey, who I like, is just doing the 90s shit all over again.. so it's not like he's contributing anything new (but you don't have to either.. I mean, I love Westside Gunn and I'm also the first to tell you that he ain't doing anything new either
- Kendrick - maybe I just don't see the weird angle enough? I don't think I could claim a necessary spiritual forefather to Kendrick at all but I feel like he's an amalgamation of a bunch of styles I've heard before so it's not really new to me? Sure, he does it really well but again, nothing really new to me.. at least.
- Anderson Paak does some cool shit but we've had sanging rappers since TJ Swan or even Jemini The Gifted One. Ironically enough, my favorite Paak song is probably the one that apes the 90s style the most (out of what I've heard of his)
- Vince ... I mean NO ID does a lot of his stuff and Dion will always be one of the more underrated producers in the hip-hop world but if you really want to check out that sound, definitely check out the late 80s to early 90s where almost every rap record had at least one hip-house song or at least a hip-hop remix. It's funny cause both Common and Dion come from Chicago's house scene. And don't get me wrong, I love Vince too.
- Brockhampton - never heard them and by all descriptions, no real interest. Maybe I'm missing out? There's a lot of other stuff I'd rather listen to or even check out before them.
- That Chicago scene you reference.. this will probably be my spiciest take to date.. could not possibly bore me more than it already does. All those rappers you listed put me to sleep. Like.. their appeal is up there with Drake in my head of things I just don't understand.
- Billy Woods I haven't really listened to in years but i like what I've heard.. but again, he isn't necessarily doing anything new either, right? Like you said, he's channeling Def Jux. As for RTJ.. I can't even take them seriously anymore and I say this as an absolute El-P stan.. stop the memes and get back to making good rap!
- Young Fathers - don't know their shit but will definitely check them out.. I like your description.
- Odd Future - another hot take time.. there's something very calculated about their marketing that has always rubbed me the wrong way, I'll leavve it at that.
- Death Grips - does nathan for me at all. I gave it a shot and wasn't for me. But I'm also of the belief that industrial rap or whatever you want to call it is nothing new and has been something that's been done for like 25 years at this point.
Clint Howard
Well-Known Member
A good friend of mine did time with him. Dude can definitely rap but is also a real scary dude.
KenKaniff
Well-Known Member
I'm not really into anything of his post-Dark and Hell is Hot. Even that album I don't revisit at all much.
I remember back in 98/99 when X and Jay-Z were both at the top which one was better. I was usually the onlyperson riding with Hov.
Believer101
Well-Known Member
Jay-z wasnt that big around here.
He had his hit singles here n there but generally no one was a huge fan.
But he is a legend of the game so I had to include Chapter One on my list because it featured every good song I liked from his earlier work.
KenKaniff
Well-Known Member
Wow. Hov / X were in a similar place in 99ish, around Hard Knock Life tour. Definitely different in the U.S. for sure. Where are you located?
Full disclosure - How is my #1 of all time.
whatwhatsaywhat
Well-Known Member
really interesting take
for me, without kendrick, vince would be the most revered rapper of the current generation - definitely part of the appeal for me of him is that swing back to house as the musical bed
plus i think he's just a furious mc
if you don't know young fathers, check them out definitely - do you know much about the generation of uk grime that has been happening for, oh, 20 or so years now, but really had a 'breakthrough' moment with skepta a few years back?
it was funny watching the drake try to co-opt it; he really is a musical magpie, jumping onto any prevailing trend
Believer101
Well-Known Member
DMX was more raw brutal. So I think that connected better then Jay-z polished hiphop.
I live in steve irwin land.
whatwhatsaywhat
Well-Known Member
for me, jay-z was always at the 'pop' end of the rap spectrum
DownIsTheNewUp
Well-Known Member
Drake is rap for people who don't like rap music. I don't know that I come across that sounds a ton like him, but as I said, I'm not paying attention to the radiowaves. I'm following a couple different music forums + a handful of blogs and what they recommend. I'm not crazy about Death Grips and agree that artists like Billy Woods and Joey are indebted to the past. I was more using them as examples of the variety in sounds that modern artists have. Can't agree with you on the Chicago scene though. Love the shit out of that scene. It's basically replaced Minneapolis as my favorite underground hub.
As to Brockhampton-- they are weird and hard to describe because they are a huge group with a wide array of members and styles. I adore them though. And their live show was excellent. Rarely are crews so fluid with each other live. I'll leave a couple music videos here even though I doubt you'll like them. Oh, and Cocoa Sugar is the Young Fathers album to start with.
Believer101
Well-Known Member
Brockhampton is just a breath of fresh air in a genre of music that is flooded by the same boring shit over n over n over.
They normally feature very catchy hooks and entertaining verses that just deliver a good listening experience.
Probably wouldnt consider any of them great lyrical musicians but its entertaining.
And in this dull world we need some entertainment in our lives
Where is your list? @KenKaniff
They normally feature very catchy hooks and entertaining verses that just deliver a good listening experience.
Probably wouldnt consider any of them great lyrical musicians but its entertaining.
And in this dull world we need some entertainment in our lives
Where is your list? @KenKaniff
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mondie
New Member
Not a genre I know a lot about but this always struck me as a fantastic album, and it's hip hop, I just need to find another 49 
OK firstly - THANK YOU FOR THIS THREAD.
(although my wallet just leapt out of my back pocket and hid under the couch)
Secondly - Drake has been thieving a living from hip hop for years. I went to see him (thanks to @whatwhatsaywhat who won a golden ticket down here for a year) and it was ... bad.
Thirdly - while I love my old school sample driven beats I may have to spend more time with Brockhampton
Fourthly - Imma need some time to do that list
(although my wallet just leapt out of my back pocket and hid under the couch)
Secondly - Drake has been thieving a living from hip hop for years. I went to see him (thanks to @whatwhatsaywhat who won a golden ticket down here for a year) and it was ... bad.
Thirdly - while I love my old school sample driven beats I may have to spend more time with Brockhampton
Fourthly - Imma need some time to do that list
whatwhatsaywhat
Well-Known Member
The lights were cool