2023 was the 50th anniversary of hip hop, and in honor of this anniversary, the idea bloomed in my mind last year that I should review the top 50 albums of that 50 years. As I crunched together a list from various sources, 50 proved to be too restrictive- many of the classics were getting squeezed out. So, to make a little more room, I opted for 100 albums, two for each of hip hop’s 50 years. Due to some medical situations, I took a three+ month hiatus from blogging last year, so I didn’t finish the series. But I’m back at it, and I don’t mind extending into 2025 if you don’t!
For its formative years, hip hop was a live entertainment form, with the first recorded singles not emerging until 1979, and the first albums in 1980. So my review covers 1980-2023, with 50 posts of two albums each. The only ground rule I made for myself (besides looking for 2×50, aka 100, albums that were widely well-regarded) was that I had to have at least one from each year. As you’ll see by and by, some years get multiple albums, but since we have 100 spots for 43 years, it tends to all work out.
And with that, let’s embark on our next installment!
Nas, Illmatic(1994)– I have to admit I really knew next to nothing about either Nas or this album besides that it was considered a 90s classic, and the artist had an 00s beef with Jay-Z. Turns out there is a lot to know! The son of a jazz musician, Nas came up in the Long Island hip-hop scene after his family moved from Queens, and along the way got the attention of Rakim, Kool G Rap, and 3rd Bass. Serch of 3rd Bass became his manager and got him the record deal that led to this debut album. And he puts it all into this debut- songs he had been writing since he was 16, vivid recollections of his youth in the Queensbridge housing project, a reverence for and references to hip hop’s entire musical history to this point, and a really engaging lyrical delivery. I can’t say I picked up on all of this while listening, but I am subsequently informed that his lyrical style here included layered rhythms, multisyllabic rhymes, internal half rhymes, assonance, and enjambment. Take that, poets! All in all, it felt catchy, musical, and weighty and real while still being a fun listen. The album was apparently released to a lot of hype that its sales didn’t quite live up to, but great critical acclaim. Sales caught up long term, and the critical reputation and influence on the genre has remained. Upon finally hearing it, I’m down with that!
Scarface,The Diary(1994)- As I started listening, before catching up on reading on it, I thought for sure this was a West Coast album. It has the synthy squlech, funk samples, mix of humorous and horrific situations, and laid back pacing that reminded me of the West Coast scene, and the vocal flow carried a kind of heaviness that put me in mind of Tupac. I still stand by those impressions, but it turns out Scarface is a Houston rapper, and one of the members of the Geto Boys on Grip It! On That Other Level. Which makes more sense to me, given how much that album reminded me in parts of N.W.A.. On Scarface’s part, the album is an explicit statement of being one of the founders of gangsta rap, disputing SoCal’s claim on the throne. Well, regardless of where it comes from, it’s grooving, slightly sinister, tells an actual story, and is delivered with earned authority.
If you’re curious about the sources I used to compile my list, you can check them out here:
Finally, if you’d like a playlist for the entire list, you can find that here. Listen to it sequentially for the historical development of the genre, or play on shuffle for maximum historical scramble!
2023 was the 50th anniversary of hip hop, and in honor of this anniversary, the idea bloomed in my mind last year that I should review the top 50 albums of that 50 years. As I crunched together a list from various sources, 50 proved to be too restrictive- many of the classics were getting squeezed out. So, to make a little more room, I opted for 100 albums, two for each of hip hop’s 50 years. Due to some medical situations, I took a three+ month hiatus from blogging last year, so I didn’t finish the series. But I’m back at it, and I don’t mind extending into 2025 if you don’t!
For its formative years, hip hop was a live entertainment form, with the first recorded singles not emerging until 1979, and the first albums in 1980. So my review covers 1980-2023, with 50 posts of two albums each. The only ground rule I made for myself (besides looking for 2×50, aka 100, albums that were widely well-regarded) was that I had to have at least one from each year. As you’ll see by and by, some years get multiple albums, but since we have 100 spots for 43 years, it tends to all work out.
And with that, let’s embark on our next installment!
Snoop Doggy Dogg, Doggystyle(1993)– The two albums in this post are so well-paired, being the respective apotheoses of West Coast and East Coast hip hop just as that was becoming a vital distinction. Some might make the case, reasonably, that The Chronic is the signal album of the West Coast scene. But I would say this album is really a continuation of The Chronic, where Snoop had originally been introduced, and an even fiercer distillation of producer Dr. Dre’s G-funk sound. It also broke through to mass culture, both in musical influence and controversy, at an even higher level than its predecessor. In terms of production, performance, and structure, the album is well nigh flawless- connecting skits that tell vivid stories, sharp and surprising lyrical turns, Snoop’s distinctive lackadaisical flow, metallic beats, laid-back funky grooves, and distinctive squelchy synthesizers, cleverly deployed samples and interpolations. There isn’t a second of it that isn’t a great listen. And it is, just as often, appalling. The general critical question of gangster rap might be summarized as: Is it reflecting and even criticizing a certain urban reality, or is it glorifying and amplifying the worst parts of that reality? That question becomes super-salient with this album because the sexual braggadocio, the misogyny, drug culture, and gang violence are all turned up to the max. Sometimes with a humor that feels tongue in cheek, sometimes with a genuine sense of menace, but in a way that never leaves one comfortable. Which is, in a way, another mark of a great album.
Wu-Tang Clan,Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)(1993)- From the West to the East… There are certainly those who would make the case for Jay-Z, Nas, or the Notorious B.I.G. having made the quintessential East Coast hip hop album. Not a ridiculous case, and all of them will appear later in our list. But this, much like The Chronic/Doggystle for the West, is the album that established the 90s renaissance of East Coast hip hop artistically and commercially, and served as an inspiration for those to come. Coming from the same Long Island neighborhood, cousins RZA and GZA had seen their childhood trio with another cousin, the future Ol’ Dirty Bastard, fall through. They’d then been signed separately, but had their solo careers similarly falter. This soured them on the industry, but not on their music, and they became determined to do their own project with other rising stars from their neighborhood. Mix together nine members with distinctive voices in both senses of the word, alternating wacky humor and menace, a crunchy sound that is in part an artifact of their limited budget, and a melange of influences that include classic soul samples, Five Percent Nation philosophy, kung fu movies, and comics, and you get a debut album that is, against the odds, a masterpiece. It was a sensation at the time, remains influential, and, most tellingly, still sounds like a fresh and amazing surprise today.
If you’re curious about the sources I used to compile my list, you can check them out here:
Finally, if you’d like a playlist for the entire list, you can find that here. Listen to it sequentially for the historical development of the genre, or play on shuffle for maximum historical scramble!
2023 was the 50th anniversary of hip hop, and in honor of this anniversary, the idea bloomed in my mind last year that I should review the top 50 albums of that 50 years. As I crunched together a list from various sources, 50 proved to be too restrictive- many of the classics were getting squeezed out. So, to make a little more room, I opted for 100 albums, two for each of hip hop’s 50 years. Due to some medical situations, I took a three+ month hiatus from blogging last year, so I didn’t finish the series. But I’m back at it, and I don’t mind extending into 2025 if you don’t!
For its formative years, hip hop was a live entertainment form, with the first recorded singles not emerging until 1979, and the first albums in 1980. So my review covers 1980-2023, with 50 posts of two albums each. The only ground rule I made for myself (besides looking for 2×50, aka 100, albums that were widely well-regarded) was that I had to have at least one from each year. As you’ll see by and by, some years get multiple albums, but since we have 100 spots for 43 years, it tends to all work out.
And with that, let’s embark on our next installment!
The Pharcyde, Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde(1992)– This album is a delight from start to finish! It lives up to its title, producing the audio equivalent of a spin through a bizarre fun house, with jazzy grooves, psychedelic effects, madcap vocal interludes, and just the right hint of disquiet. While it often comes across as cutting-up, there’s plenty of serious material on the way, critiquing Black stereotypes, police stops, and the effects of drugs on the community. Part of what makes the whole thing work is the chemistry- it was the product of four L.A.-area school friends, and has the feel of friends messing around. Wickedly quick-witted, musically literate friends! It was a moderate commercial success upon release, and the critics liked it pretty well, but everyone was a little befuddled by how far out of the mainstream of Southern California hip hop it was at the time. In retrospect, the album is seen as one of the foundations of 90s alternative hip hop, and influenced artists like J Dilla and Kanye West. And it remains a great listen today!
A Tribe Called Quest, Midnight Marauders(1993)- Speaking of alternative hip hop, here comes an album that many consider to be both a peak of the golden era of that sound, and an inspiration to future versions of it. The group was aware of the pressure to top the critical and popular acclaim of their previous album, The Low End Theory, and their reaction was to relax into it, taking two years and working in a makeshift studio in group member Phife Dawg’s grandmother’s basement. In the music that resulted, they dive even further into using jazz, funk, and soul samples from the 70s, and harder, grittier beats. Weirdly, the sound is more gritty, but also more polished at the same time, and even gets into concept album territory with a framing introduction and intervals from a semi-robotic, but very soulful and socially conscious telephone operator. Extra credit if you go look at the front and back cover of the album, which features a 71-member who’s who of hip hop at the time. Kind of fitting, as the album is sometimes cited as the last common favorite of mainstream, alternative, East Coast and West Coast hip hop scenes.
If you’re curious about the sources I used to compile my list, you can check them out here:
Finally, if you’d like a playlist for the entire list, you can find that here. Listen to it sequentially for the historical development of the genre, or play on shuffle for maximum historical scramble!
24 2 4 Number Logo Design with a Creative Cut and Black Circle Background. Creative logo design.
Once upon a time there was a guy named Chris. Having spent years backfilling on decades gone past, in 2021 he set out on a quest to catch up on newer music. He listened to the critics choices for the best albums of the 2010s, and picked his favorites. He did the same for 2020, picking his top 20 from the critics most highly rated albums. And he listened to new releases monthly in 2021, eventually picking the 21 best albums of 2021. That was so much fun he decided to do it again in 2022 and 2023, listening each month and picking out the 22 best albums of 2022 and the 23 best albums of 2023. He is me!
There are links to the albums in the posts cited above, but if you’d like a one-stop playlist, I’ve got that set up in YouTube Music:
A quick word on the “yes” and “maybe” categories I’ve sorted things into, before we get going with the latest:
Yes– This isn’t a guarantee, but it represents the albums that, upon first listen, I think could definitely be in the running for best of the year.
Maybe– These albums have something to recommend them, but also something that gives me pause. I’m putting them in their own category, because I have found “maybes” sometimes linger and eventually become “yeses”.
Now let’s get on with my top picks from 124 May new releases that I listened to!
Adeem the Artist, Anniversary– It’s country, but with a sheen reminiscent of 70s AM radio, and just the tiniest hit of electronic as well. Mostly, it’s good hooks, lyrical clarity, and emotional honesty. And songs describing same sex love, advocating for trans rights, mentioning Palestine, and discussing the historic legacy of racism tell you how out of country mainstream this North Carolina by way of New York artist is.
Amen Dunes, Death Jokes– Combining a sometimes-dark psychedelia with electronic music in a very evocative way. And sure enough, AMG subsequently told me that, “The project of Damon McMahon, Amen Dunes unites folk, psych-rock, electronic, and industrial elements into an intuitive, searching whole. ” Along the way there are samples from Lenny Bruce, Richard Pryor, and J Dilla, which gives you an idea of the scope of what the music and lyrics are going for here.
Anastasia Coope, Darning Woman– The vocal and musical loops and layers, the echoes, the stark voice, intelligent lyrics, and hint of the unearthly all steal one’s breath. Whatever it is this 21-year-old musician and painter is doing, it’s both beautiful and unsettling.
Belly, 96 Miles From Bethlehem– Spare and powerful hip hop based on the unrest in Palestine from this Palestinian-Canadian artist. In many ways, it sounds like a typical (though very good) socially conscious hip hop album in production and themes- family, faith, odes to one’s love. But in this case the family is in Palestine, the faith is Islam, and the lost love is Gaza and the West Bank. Powerful and timely.
Blitzen Trapper, 100’s of 1000’s, Millions of Billions– Warm, fuzzy pop with elements of singer-songwriter, psychedelia, and Neil Young-style ragged edges. Altogether, it brings to mind 70s AM radio, which is not to say that this Portland, Oregon band doesn’t feel fresh and vital. Well done Portland, Oregon band!
Crimeapple & Big Ghost Ltd, Bazuko– This collaboration between Colombian-born Crimeapple and anonymous blogger, hip hop writer and music producer Big Ghost is from another era, in several ways. Its stark mix, flow, and stories of the street feel like they belong to the late 90s/early 00s, and the subject matter largely revolves around the crack epidemic of the eighties. It doesn’t feel lost in time for all this, though, more like a great album that we all somehow missed.
F.U.N, Slum Village– J Dilla’s old group demonstrating that their excellence never was all about J Dilla. The mix is varied, metallic and urgent, the flow dynamic, and the lyrics interesting and positive. The whole thing feels redolent of the best of 00s hip hop. This Detroit group has been through a lot of changes, but they still know how to bring it!
Girl and Girl, Call a Doctor– Well, holy shit. The opening reminds me of one of Lou Reed’s story-poem songs. What follows carries on with that literate wordiness and uncomfortable emotional openness and marries it with a spare nervy rock as it sketches out the inner life of a troubled youth confronting some sort of medical crisis. An actual story arc! Delivered with equal helpings of wryness and sincerity. I’m keeping my eye on this Australian band!
Gyasi, Rock’N Roll Swordfight– Rock ‘n’ Roll Swordfight is a live album stitched together from three concerts in 2023. You could be forgiven for thinking that the concerts were by some kind of amalgam of Led Zeppelin and glam-era superstars like T Rex and David Bowie, which is to say, it is delightfully over the top rock in the best seventies fashion. Gyasi has me sold!
Hannah Vu, Romanticism– This second album from Los Angeles-based songwriter Hannah Vu certainly lives up to the title, it’s full of lush romanticism, though it serves equal parts darkness and difficulty with the sweetness. AKA it tells the truth about romance in a way that’s musically and lyrically compelling.
Ibibio Sound Machine, Pull the Rope– Such a joyful mix of multiple different strains of dance/electronic music! Fronted by London-born Nigerian singer Eno Williams, it is not a surprise that it’s redolent with Eurodance and Afrobeat. But what is, if not a surprise, a welcome find, is its knack for musical and lyrical hooks amidst the energy and fun.
King Hannah, Big Swimmer– Between hypnotically plainspoken vocals, poetic lyrics, and slow spare arrangements with a distorted feedback-laden guitar wall in the background, the songs here are arresting. This second album from singer Hannah Merrick has a lot to recommend it.
La Luz, News of the Universe– I’ve liked other things by La Luz, and how could I not? Their synthesis of surf music, reverb-drenched garage rock, and the sixties girl group sound is fuzzy, warm, and dark all at the same time. On this album the Seattle band is in top form, and the songs are informed by lead songwriter Shana Cleveland’s experience with cancer. It all adds up to a deep and powerful album.
Version 1.0.0
Lenny Kravitz, Blue Electric Light– Lenny Kravitz is in fine form here- 90s guitar god rock, funk, R&B, and electronic dance music all get their due, and never feel like they don’t fit together. It may not be especially new or different per his usual, but there’s genuine tenderness and vulnerability here, and musically it can’t be faulted.
Of Montreal, Lady on the Cusp– It starts off with a song declaring rock is dead, then transitions into another lamenting being too depressed to f&^%, and goes on in this lyrical arch vein supported by weary vocals, and a lively off kilter musical mix bridging the asynchronity of post-rock, impossibly stirring melodies, and the kaleidoscope mix style of electronic. Now I don’t want rock to be dead, but this 19th studio album from this Athens GA band at least gives us some hope that, if so, something interesting might replace it.
Shannon and the Clams, The Moon is in the Wrong Place– Shannon and the Clams have always been a great band, and I really love their retro garage rock/60s girl group feeling. But there’s no denying their music here is lent a terrible additional power and focus through lead singer Shannon Shaw’s wrestling with the untimely passing of her partner.
Shellac, To All Trains– While it definitely gets an added layer of import from being Steve Albini’s final album, honestly it does very well on its own even without that. This reminds me of the playful, more inventive side of 80s hardcore, and is full of clever surprises. All the way around, a fitting epitaph for one of noise rock’s greatest champions.
Sisso & Maiko, Singeli Ya Maajabu– Hello glitchy beats, over the top low-bit video game sound effects, and afro-pop exuberance! Tanzanian producer Sisso’s eponymous Dar es Salaam studio represents the forefront of the East African singeli genre. Singeli’s relentless speeds of over 200 BPM provide ample room for experimentation, which is taken further by collaboration with avant garde keyboardist Maiko. This is how the new is born.
The Courettes, Hold On, We’re Comin’– Potent garage punk combo featuring a Brazilian guitarist, a Danish drummer, and lots of cool rock & roll stomp. Amen. And an incredible set of covers ranging from early sixties pop rock to the New York Dolls to Taylor Swift. Really. Nothing but solid fun!
Willie Nelson, The Border– His 75th Album! And my goodness he’s in fine form here. A border patrol agent, a dream about being Hank Williams’s guitar, a passel of sweet love songs. Not thematic unity, but it sounds and feels like it belongs together and has a powerful intro and a sweet outro.
Willow, Empathogen– Willow has ended up on my Honorable mention list in two previous years, and for good reason- her music is inventive, brash and as smart as it is fun. She’s pushing her previous boundaries again here, with a glitchy electronic approach joined to something more like jazz, torch songs, and R&B crooning.
Young Jesus, The Fool– It feels like an anguished indie folk acoustic kind of thing, but sharper and darker than the typical outing in that oeuvre, and with surprising (and haunting, unsettling) music and vocal effects along the way. This Chicago band currently located in L.A. is on my watchlist now!
Maybe
Arab Strap, I’m Totally Fine With It Don’t Give a Fuck Anymore– As Days Get Dark was on my Honorable Mention list for 2021, and this has the same things going for it- heavy shimmering wall of guitar, sometimes even slightly upbeat lyrics, and a vocal and lyrical commitment to tales of burned out bitter darkness. It doesn’t sound as fresh to me now, but it’s still a compelling combination.
Axolotes Mexicanos, 4ever– Of all the female lead vocalist poppy melodic fun Mexican punk bands, Axolotes Mexicanos are my favorite! Okay, they’re also the only example I know of, but I always love this band when it’s American, so I can’t help loving the Mexican version too, even if it isn’t the newest thing in the world.
Connie Smith, Love, Prison, Wisdom and Heartaches– Well my, my, my! Between her personal bona-fides- she was a hit-charting country singer in the 60s and 70s- and a smart selection of classics from a variety of country greats, this whole album sounds like a bygone school of country music living again. And if it’s frozen in time in that sense, it is a reminder of how grand a time that was for the genre.
Crumbs, You’re Just Jealous– I loved this album in the eighties! It was just the right amount of pop new wave edge on genuine punk exuberance. Now, my sources tell me this was recorded by a quartet from Leeds in 2024, so I’m not sure how I loved it in the eighties. But I know I did!
Dehd, Poetry– Is there room in your heart for slightly snotty, straightforwardly rocking indie rock? Then this Chicago trio might be for you! It’s solidly fun and energetic the whole way through.
Dua Lipa, Radical Optimism– Not quite the consistent level and energy of her 2020 big splash album, but her charms are still high, and the tracks never work less than well.
I.Jordan, I Am Jordan– This album brings in elements of dubstep, old school house, acid house, and is musically pure fun. As an often-instrumental piece I’m not sure if it gets in its hooks enough to be great, but it’s solidly good!
Joywave, Permanent Pleasure– Since my dear wife hails from Rochester NY, I always pay special attention when I run across a band from there. And this album is worth the attention- it has a bit of sleazy garage rock revival sound, a bit of EDM production/disco revival feel, a bit of 00s indie, and a bit of hazy and heavy guitar seventies. The bits all add up to a solidly enjoyable album, even if it isn’t the freshest or newest thing ever.
Mandy, Lawn Girl– This album has an appealing combination of 90s inspirations including grunge-pop, noise rock, and more introspective indie rock. It’s not a new thing under the sun, but it’s like sinking into a warm bath of 90s guitar-powered alt rock.
Mo Troper, Svengali– They were on my list in 2021, and darned if they’re not threatening to do it again! The music here is so sweetly melodic and delivered with such sincerity. Along the way you’ll hear sixties chiming, jangly eighties alt, and even electronic, and it all fits together. It would have been straight to yes, but I’m not sure about the multi-part abstract theme it ends with.
Pokey LaFarge, Rhumba Country– Pokey LaFarge’s blend of old school rock, swing, and dash of polka and rumba had me won over on his 2021 album In the Blossom of Their Shade, and I’m feeling it again here. Inherently not new, but damn well done and with a sincerity that makes it sound fresh.
Rapsody, Please Don’t Cry– Her album Eve was one of my favorites, and the poetry and power on display in that album is present here, with an extra bit of verve via wrestling with increased fame. The production tends a little often toward contemporary hip hop standard though, and the guest appearances don’t always serve the flow.
Shaboozey, Where I’ve Been, Isn’t Where I’m Going– There’s something to be said for traditionalism in country music, I certainly am a fan. But there is also, in any genre, a need for artists who seek the new, and push themselves to evolve. Musician, producer, and film maker Shaboozey has my attention with this take on country informed by EDM and hip-hop. It sometimes is a little too production slick for my tastes, but also holds the various sources in reverence, and I’m a sucker for the beats and minor chords.
Slash, Orgy of the Damned– You throw together Slash, covers of blues and soul standards, and an array of well-chosen and well deployed guests, and you’ll get me to go along! It’s not blazingly original, but solid good fun at what it does.
Trent Reznor/Atticus Ross, Challengers (Original Score)– The Nine Inch Nails’ veteran provided a techno-driven score to Luca Guadagnino’s love-triangle tennis dramedy, and producer Atticus Ross then remixed it into a pumping megamix. I expect soundtracks to be abstract and orchestral, and also long- both are not true here! It has moments like that, but is a fine and dynamic electronic mix, which feels not surprisingly like the nineties. And even seems to tell a story!
Various Artists, I Saw the TV Glow (Original Soundtrack)– In keeping with the film’s surreal take on nostalgia, a crew of indie pop musician, including Caroline Polachek, Bartees Strange, Jay Som, yeul pay tribute to the ’90s. Between the varied choices, their individual excellence, and how well they understood the assignment, the results are pretty excellent, and cohesive without being all the same. I have some concerns about length and relative fizzling out toward the end, but still, a solid contender.
Yaya Bey, Ten Fold– The range is a little narrow in the neo-soul direction, but there are places it gets livened, and regardless her voice and sharp lyrical wit are pure gold.
And there we are, May out. June should follow soon! And, since I’m about to start listening to September, July and August review notes are complete and those postings should be out before too long…
2023 was the 50th anniversary of hip hop, and in honor of this anniversary, the idea bloomed in my mind last year that I should review the top 50 albums of that 50 years. As I crunched together a list from various sources, 50 proved to be too restrictive- many of the classics were getting squeezed out. So, to make a little more room, I opted for 100 albums, two for each of hip hop’s 50 years. Due to some medical situations, I took a three+ month hiatus from blogging last year, so I didn’t finish the series. But I’m back at it, and I don’t mind extending into 2025 if you don’t!
For its formative years, hip hop was a live entertainment form, with the first recorded singles not emerging until 1979, and the first albums in 1980. So my review covers 1980-2023, with 50 posts of two albums each. The only ground rule I made for myself (besides looking for 2×50, aka 100, albums that were widely well-regarded) was that I had to have at least one from each year. As you’ll see by and by, some years get multiple albums, but since we have 100 spots for 43 years, it tends to all work out.
And with that, let’s embark on our next installment!
Dr. Dre, The Chronic(1992)– For his debut solo album, N.W.A. co-founder and producer extraordinaire Dr. Dre pulled out all the stops. There is no denying this album’s quality and influence- it almost single-handedly introduced the G-funk musical style of minimal (and retro funk) sampling, laid back grooves, live bass and guitar, and squelchy synths that would dominate a good chunk of 90s hip hop. It commercially established Death Row Records when it went triple platinum, and launched the careers of Snoop Dogg, Nate Dogg, and Warren G. And it remains a consistent pick among both artists and critics as one of the best (and best produced) hip hop albums ever. There’s also no denying that the album is thick with misogyny and glorification of violence. It’s true that this isn’t the only mode- there’s also a lot of humor, and post-L.A. riots tracks that rival anything Public Enemy did in terms of sharp and furious social/political critique. But it can still be hard to listen to without getting a little morally queasy. After all the hue and cry though, and despite my qualms, as an album it’s masterful. It has a narrative frame holding the whole thing together, musically it grooves, swings, and surprises, it’s alternately menacing and hilarious, and there isn’t a track that sounds out of place or lets you down.
Pete Rock & CL Smooth, Mecca and the Soul Brother(1992)- Whatever I listened to after The Chronic was going to have a tough act to follow, and I wasn’t familiar with this album at all beyond the track “They Reminisce Over You (T.R.O.Y.)”. But, with the quiet spiritual incantation that opens the first track, and the hard metallic beats and jazz samples it slides into from there, I was immediately in. The debut album from New York duo Pete Rock and CL Smooth is definitely working in a recognizable groove- sophisticated East Coast conscious hip hop circa early 90s- and perhaps doesn’t do a lot new or different with it. But it’s a favorite groove of mine! And, if one could often wonder if G-funk is furious at, or in love with, the problems of the neighborhoods it rose from, this album is unambiguous about (as one track puts it) escaping from “The Ghetto of the Mind”.
If you’re curious about the sources I used to compile my list, you can check them out here:
Finally, if you’d like a playlist for the entire list, you can find that here. Listen to it sequentially for the historical development of the genre, or play on shuffle for maximum historical scramble!
Last year was the 50th anniversary of hip hop, and in honor of this anniversary, the idea bloomed in my mind that I should review the top 50 albums of that 50 years. As I crunched together a list from various sources, 50 proved to be too restrictive- many of the classics were getting squeezed out. So, to make a little more room, I opted for 100 albums, two for each of hip hop’s 50 years.
For its formative years, hip hop was a live entertainment form, with the first recorded singles not emerging until 1979, and the first albums in 1980. So my review will cover 1980-2023, with 50 posts of two albums each. The only ground rule I made for myself (besides looking for 2×50, aka 100, albums that were widely well-regarded) was that I had to have at least one from each year. As you’ll see by and by, some years get multiple albums, but since we have 100 spots for 43 years, it tends to all work out.
*June 2024 addendum: Due to some medical situations, I took a three+ month hiatus from blogging. It’s unlikely I’ll finish this series this year. But I’m back at it, and I won’t mind extending into 2025 if you don’t!*
And with that, let’s embark on our next installment!
A Tribe Called Quest, The Low End Theory(1991)– They weren’t the first to do this, in fact we’ve had several examples so far in this list, but this album is a whole new level of jazz sample-fueled hip hop. More than that, it consciously seeks to link the genre to the larger history of Afrocentrism and Black music in America, and to use that history to critique the ways the contemporary industry isn’t measuring up to the social and political legacy of the music. All of that might be a bit heavy, except it’s delivered with such an innovative music mix, and poetic and quirky flow and rhyme. In other words, this album overflows with the energy and positive power of the conscious hip hop of the nineties. Formed by a circle of high school friends from Queens, A Tribe Called Quest were co-founders of the Native Tongues Collective with Jungle Brothers, De La Soul, Queen Latifah, and Monie Love. They went into this, their second album, with group MC Phife Dawg’s recent diagnosis of diabetes leaving him and fellow member/rapper/producer Q-Tip determined to make something beyond what they’d previously done, which led them to focus on the “low end” of the status of Black men and the bass end of music. The results speak for themselves, with an album that was their commercial breakthrough, a long term critical favorite, and an ongoing influence on the next generation of hip hop artists and producers. As for me, this genre of hip hop was my jam in the nineties. Listening to it now, there’s certainly an element of familiarity and nostalgia, but the energy, innovation, and downright fun is as fresh as ever.
Ice Cube, Death Certificate (1991)- It’s interesting that these two albums ended up together in post order, because this might very well be the yang to the yin of the prior selection. In all kinds of ways- the anger in the flow, the hard and dense mix, the lyrics sketching out the darkest sides of street life. But as is true of all yins and yangs, you can also see the inextricable link between the two. Both are founded on response to the frustration of the Black American experience, both are musically innovative while hearkening back to cultural heritage (jazz for A Tribe Called Quest, 70s funk and soul for Ice Cube), and both deliver their message with humor and artistic ambition. In Death Certificate‘s case, the very structure shows the intent to aim for statement, with a “death” side stating the problems of contemporary life, followed by a “life” side describing his vision of where things need to go, and intros/outros and sketch sections holding the whole thing together. So, despite personifying two nineties sub-genres that seem diametrically opposed musically and thematically- alternative/conscious hip hop and gangsta/g-funk hip hop- the aims and the means of these two albums are not so different. This is not to excuse the racialism, homophobia, and misogyny of Ice Cube’s lyrics so often on display here, that all deserves criticism. But I can see how much more crafted and ambitious this is than his previous album, AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted, how much of the West Coast nineties sound it anticipates, and understand how it ended up on so many “best” lists.
If you’re curious about the sources I used to compile my list, you can check them out here:
Finally, if you’d like a playlist for the entire list, you can find that here. Listen to it sequentially for the historical development of the genre, or play on shuffle for maximum historical scramble!
Last year was the 50th anniversary of hip hop, and in honor of this anniversary, the idea bloomed in my mind that I should review the top 50 albums of that 50 years. As I crunched together a list from various sources, 50 proved to be too restrictive- many of the classics were getting squeezed out. So, to make a little more room, I opted for 100 albums, two for each of hip hop’s 50 years.
For its formative years, hip hop was a live entertainment form, with the first recorded singles not emerging until 1979, and the first albums in 1980. So my review will cover 1980-2023, with 50 posts of two albums each. The only ground rule I made for myself (besides looking for 2×50, aka 100, albums that were widely well-regarded) was that I had to have at least one from each year. As you’ll see by and by, some years get multiple albums, but since we have 100 spots for 43 years, it tends to all work out.
*June 2024 addendum: Due to some medical situations, I took a three+ month hiatus from blogging. It’s unlikely I’ll finish this series this year. But I’m back at it, and I won’t mind extending into 2025 if you don’t!*
And with that, let’s embark on our next installment!
The D.O.C, No One Can Do It Better(1989)– This sounds to me like an encapsulation of 80s hip hop- it’s replete with the breaks, turntabilism, and hard rock samples of the new school, and the soul and funk samples and swing of new jack. It also exemplifies the hard-hitting gangsta rap sound of the eighties as it was turning to the G-funk gangster sound of the nineties, but with a substantive heft more reminiscent of Public Enemy. My initial impression on this is backed up by subsequent research- Tracy Lynn Curry, a.k.a. The DOC, came out of Houston’s Southern hip-hop scene, but became a collaborator with N.W.A. and even contributed lyrics to their debut album. They returned the favor here, Dr. Dre producing this album, multiple N.W.A. members contributing to various tracks, and Eazy-E putting it out on his fledgling record label. For good measure, one of the closing tracks of the album, “The Formula” is even credited as being the first G-funk single. Shortly after release, The D.O.C. would join Dre in becoming one of the co-founders of Death Row Records. All in all, a solid album that feels like the eighties turning into the nineties.
Ice Cube, AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted (1990)- I think it’s no accident that this installment of the blog is feeling all kinds of liminal. With this album, we have a double milestone- it’s our 34th review, meaning we’ve now made it past one third through, and it’s the first album on the list from the nineties. After Ice Cube split from N.W.A. and their record label amidst various financial disputes, he worked with lyrics from Dr. Dre’s cousin Sir Jinx and production from Public Enemy’s Bomb Squad to make this solo debut. The album feels like it puts together the best of all these worlds- Ice Cube’s hard-hitting delivery, the humor of Southern California gangsta rap, the densely layered production of Public Enemy, and both N.W.A.’s and Public Enemy’s versions of social and political commentary. It also brings along Ice Cube’s considerable misogyny and revelry in scenes of violence. But it sounds consistently powerful and high quality, and dives full-force into its mission of rubbing America’s face in everything about rap in general and Ice Cube in particular that made it uncomfortable. That’s not a bad way for the genre to kick off the nineties!
If you’re curious about the sources I used to compile my list, you can check them out here:
Finally, if you’d like a playlist for the entire list, you can find that here. Listen to it sequentially for the historical development of the genre, or play on shuffle for maximum historical scramble!
Last year was the 50th anniversary of hip hop, and in honor of this anniversary, the idea bloomed in my mind that I should review the top 50 albums of that 50 years. As I crunched together a list from various sources, 50 proved to be too restrictive- many of the classics were getting squeezed out. So, to make a little more room, I opted for 100 albums, two for each of hip hop’s 50 years.
For its formative years, hip hop was a live entertainment form, with the first recorded singles not emerging until 1979, and the first albums in 1980. So my review will cover 1980-2023, with 50 posts of two albums each. The only ground rule I made for myself (besides looking for 2×50, aka 100, albums that were widely well-regarded) was that I had to have at least one from each year. As you’ll see by and by, some years get multiple albums, but since we have 100 spots for 43 years, it tends to all work out.
*June 2024 addendum: Due to some medical situations, I took a three+ month hiatus from blogging. It’s unlikely I’ll finish this series this year. But I’m back at it, and I won’t mind extending into 2025 if you don’t!*
And with that, let’s embark on our next installment!
Geto Boys, Grip It! On That Other Level(1989)– My initial impression is that this album sounds like somebody put N.W.A., Public Enemy, and the 2 Live Crew in a blender. And I don’t mean that in a bad way! The best of all those groups is here- the driving force, g-funk groove, uncompromising politics, street narratives, and over the top raunchy sexuality. Another thing that’s notable is that this Houston group is the first Southern hip hop to make our list, and indeed one can already hear the distinctive dirty beats of the region. The sampling is varied and great as well, with soul, funk and 70s rock all being well-represented. One does get the sense that the different approaches here are fronted by different members though, and there’s a kind of incoherence of the sound as a result. On further research, this impression turns out to be correct- the CEO of Rap-a-Lot records was disappointed with the group’s debut album, and dismissed several members, while adding two local artists with solo aspirations (Scarface and Willie D) to the roster for their second album. I also found the extreme misogyny and graphic violence of some of the songs really hard to stomach. Sometimes it’s clearly tongue in cheek, but sometimes not so much. Nevertheless, the album/group influenced many future hip hop artists, and is often credited as the origin of the horrorcore sub-genre.
Kool G Rap & DJ Polo, Road To The Riches (1989)- This Queens duo got their start as part of Marley Marl’s Juice Crew, and he produced this debut album by them as well. The opening track already features several of the notable features of this album- peak eighties heavy beats and scratching, swinging background samples, and rapid-fire delivery of its tales of crime and big success. While still feeling very much of the eighties, the album seems to anticipate the directions, musically and lyrically, that rap would take in the nineties. And indeed that is the reputation that landed it on this list. The opening track “Road to the Riches” is considered an influence on nineties gangster rap while another track “Men At Work” has been cited by the Roots as the track that got them started, and the album’s track “Poison” even got sampled by Bel Biv Devoe, which gives you some idea of the range on influence. I found it to be a solid listen that still holds up as a signpost of one era about to turn to another.
If you’re curious about the sources I used to compile my list, you can check them out here:
Finally, if you’d like a playlist for the entire list, you can find that here. Listen to it sequentially for the historical development of the genre, or play on shuffle for maximum historical scramble!
Last year was the 50th anniversary of hip hop, and in honor of this anniversary, the idea bloomed in my mind that I should review the top 50 albums of that 50 years. As I crunched together a list from various sources, 50 proved to be too restrictive- many of the classics were getting squeezed out. So, to make a little more room, I opted for 100 albums, two for each of hip hop’s 50 years.
For its formative years, hip hop was a live entertainment form, with the first recorded singles not emerging until 1979, and the first albums in 1980. So my review will cover 1980-2023, with 50 posts of two albums each. The only ground rule I made for myself (besides looking for 2×50, aka 100, albums that were widely well-regarded) was that I had to have at least one from each year. As you’ll see by and by, some years get multiple albums, but since we have 100 spots for 43 years, it tends to all work out.
*June 2024 addendum: Due to some medical situations, I took a three+ month hiatus from blogging. It’s unlikely I’ll finish this series this year. But I’m back at it, and I won’t mind extending into 2025 if you don’t!*
And with that, let’s embark on our next installment!
De La Soul, 3 Feet High and Rising(1989)– Boogie Down Productions and Jungle Brothers may have gotten there first, but this album is the beginning of conscious hip hop as a recognized genre. It sounded different from everything else out there at the time, and it still does today with it’s sunny and widely varied samples, psychedelic production effects, relaxed beats and flow, and overflowing themes of whimsy, anti-materialism, and counter-cultural self expression. It even has a classic psychedelic concept album wrap around theme with the game show skit structure (and began the trend of comedic skits between tracks in hip hop). It would be enough if this Long Island group and producer Prince Paul had “merely” produced a ground-breaking album regarded as hip-hop’s psychedelic masterpiece. But even better, it remains a thoroughly joyous, rewarding, and in a way timeless, listen today.
EPMD, Unfinished Business (1989)- The follow-up to the Long Island duo’s 1988 Strictly Business reminds me of their earlier album with its funk and rock samples, driving flow, and spare metallic sound. The stripped down feel is likely no accident- whereas their debut album was produced by electro-funk driving-force Kurtis Mantronik, the group self-produced this second album. If this makes it a little rougher and more slap-dash feeling than their last album, I think I actually like it better for that!
If you’re curious about the sources I used to compile my list, you can check them out here:
Finally, if you’d like a playlist for the entire list, you can find that here. Listen to it sequentially for the historical development of the genre, or play on shuffle for maximum historical scramble!
Last year was the 50th anniversary of hip hop, and in honor of this anniversary, the idea bloomed in my mind that I should review the top 50 albums of that 50 years. As I crunched together a list from various sources, 50 proved to be too restrictive- many of the classics were getting squeezed out. So, to make a little more room, I opted for 100 albums, two for each of hip hop’s 50 years.
For its formative years, hip hop was a live entertainment form, with the first recorded singles not emerging until 1979, and the first albums in 1980. So my review will cover 1980-2023, with 50 posts of two albums each. The only ground rule I made for myself (besides looking for 2×50, aka 100, albums that were widely well-regarded) was that I had to have at least one from each year. As you’ll see by and by, some years get multiple albums, but since we have 100 spots for 43 years, it tends to all work out.
*June 2024 addendum: Due to some medical situations, I took a three+ month hiatus from blogging. It’s unlikely I’ll finish this series this year. But I’m back at it, and I won’t mind extending into 2025 if you don’t!*
And with that, let’s embark on our next installment!
Beastie Boys, Paul’s Boutique (1989)– There were two obvious paths open to the Beastie Boys for their sophomore album- make essentially the same kind of album as Licensed to Ill (safe and commercial goldmine) or revert to their roots and record something in a more punk vein (a departure, but one in their comfort zone). They picked a third option. Their desire to do something more serious and complex to shake their reputation as a joke act, joined with the densely layered sampling techniques of producers the Chemical Bros, resulted in a dizzying kaleidoscope of an album. Over 100 songs were sampled, with sources as diverse as the Beatles, Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, jazz, soul, and funk. The Boys added to this dynamic mix their signature three-part flow, and lyrics that augmented the beer-soaked braggadocio of their debut with more fantastical and surreal stories. It all adds up to a kind of hip hop psychedelic masterpiece. On a purely personal level, I recall being dismayed by this album as a teen, and not getting it. The commercial reaction of the time agreed with me, but the album’s critical reception and regard in the hip hop community were high at the time and have loomed larger over time. Which an older and perhaps wiser me agrees with!
Big Daddy Kane, It’s a Big Daddy Thing (1989)- For his sophomore album (apparently our theme for this post) Big Daddy Kane stepped in and joined his original producer Marley Marl to do much of the production himself. The product is bright and smooth, and I can certainly understand why it was popular. While I appreciate the positivity of the album, it feels rather pop bland to me. I had a similarly lukewarm response to his first album Long Live the Kane a few reviews back, so maybe Big Daddy Kane just isn’t my cup of tea. Sorry Kane!
If you’re curious about the sources I used to compile my list, you can check them out here:
Finally, if you’d like a playlist for the entire list, you can find that here. Listen to it sequentially for the historical development of the genre, or play on shuffle for maximum historical scramble!
Chris LaMay-West 