Backpacker – slang term for nerdy rappers or can be even used to categorise a type of hip hop where rappers use complex rhyme schemes, large syllable words and tend to have politically inflected lyrics.
Beats – the musical (usually electronic) accompaniment to rapping.
Biting – term used to describe inauthentic actions of rappers and DJs. It is essentially plagiarising, ripping off another person’s style, moves or intellectual material and results in a great loss of respect from other hip hoppers.
Boom Bap – a style of hip hop music signified by a hard bass drum and snapping snare and usually refers to ‘old skool’ tracks.
Breaks or breakbeat – sample of a syncopated drum beat usually lifted as an excerpt from a record.
Crew – an assemblage of people in a rap group.
Cypher – rap equivalent of a ‘jamming session’ in which informal gathering of rappers take it in turns to rap. Can either be a cappella, accompanied to music or with a beatboxer. Lyrics can either be freestyled or pre-written verses.
Dubstep – form of electronic dance music that originated in South London in the late 1990s. It is characterised by heavy bass lines and sub-bass frequencies.
Drum ‘n’ Bass – type of electronic music that emerged in the UK during the 1990s. The genre has 160-180 beats per minute and heavy bass lines.
Flow – refers to the rhythm of the rhyme and how closely rappers keep in time to the music, as well their intonation.
Freestyle – rapping spontaneous and unwritten lyrics.
Gangsta – a type of rapper who is usually distinguishable by their clothes and style. They typically wear ‘bling’ (gaudy jewellery) and generally produce lyrics espousing violence, machismo and misogyny.
Garage – genre of electronic music based on Chicago house music but developed in UK in early 1990s. It comprises of a syncopated rhythm and features MCs rapping. It has largely been subsumed into other UK genres such as dubstep, grime and drum ‘n’ bass.
Grime – is essentially a cross between hip hop and speed garage and developed in East London during the 2000s. It is characterised by a fast tempo of 140 beats per minute and features MCs rapping.
Hip Hop – is a cultural phenomenon made up of four distinct elements – rapping, DJing, breakdancing and graffiti. In terms of music, it comprises the rapping and DJ components.
Hip Hop Head – someone who identifies as being a hip hop fan. This includes artists, DJs and other stakeholders.
Hip Hop Nation – collective term for the global hip hop community, encompassing all the local scenes in countries across the world.
Jungle – genre of music that gained popularity in Britain during the 1990s. It is characterised by chopped up electronic breaks and heavy basslines and sometimes features ragga vocals. It is often considered the pre-cursor to drum ‘n’ bass.
MC/emcee – alternative terms for ‘rapper’.[1] MC is an abbreviation of ‘Master of Ceremonies’, though some people now say it stands for ‘mic controller’ (the one with the microphone).
Old Skool – contested term but in general refers to hip hop made between the period of the 1970s to 1980s.
Open Mic – public event in which music and a mic (microphone) are provided for any artists to perform in front of others.
Rap Battle – a competition usually between two rappers who fight against each other using lyrics.
Rapper – a person who expresses himself through rhythmic spoken word lyrics.
Rapping – a form of vocal delivery in which rhyming lyrics are spoken or ‘rapped’ in time with a continuous back beat.
Rhyme Schemes – the pattern of the rhyme between lines of a song (the same as poetry).
Wordplay – how a rapper creatively uses lyrics within a song. For example, incorporating words with double meanings and puns for humour or including punch lines.
[1] In grime and jungle music the terms are not used interchangeably as in hip hop, only ‘MC’ is used.
«Rap music» redirects here. For the form of vocal delivery associated with hip hop music, see rapping. For the Killer Mike album, see R.A.P. Music.
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 2023 in hip hop music |
Hip hop music or hip-hop music, also known as rap music and formerly known as disco rap,[5][6] is a genre of popular music that originated in the Bronx[7][8][9][10] borough of New York City in the early 1970s. It consists of stylized rhythmic music (usually built around drum beats) that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted.[11] It developed as part of hip hop culture, a subculture defined by four key stylistic elements: MCing/rapping, DJing/scratching with turntables, break dancing, and graffiti writing.[12][13][14] Other elements include sampling beats or bass lines from records (or synthesized beats and sounds), and rhythmic beatboxing. While often used to refer solely to rapping, «hip hop» more properly denotes the practice of the entire subculture.[15][16] The term hip hop music is sometimes used synonymously with the term rap music,[11][17] though rapping is not a required component of hip hop music; the genre may also incorporate other elements of hip hop culture, including DJing, turntablism, scratching, beatboxing, and instrumental tracks.[18][19]
Hip hop as both a musical genre and a culture was formed during the 1970s when block parties became increasingly popular in New York City, particularly among African American youth residing in the Bronx.[20] At block parties, DJs played percussive breaks of popular songs using two turntables and a DJ mixer to be able to play breaks from two copies of the same record, alternating from one to the other and extending the «break».[21] Hip hop’s early evolution occurred as sampling technology and drum machines became widely available and affordable. Turntablist techniques such as scratching and beatmatching developed along with the breaks. Rapping developed as a vocal style in which the artist speaks or chants along rhythmically with an instrumental or synthesized beat.
Hip hop music was not officially recorded for play on radio or television until 1979, largely due to poverty during the genre’s birth and lack of acceptance outside ghetto neighborhoods.[22] Old school hip hop was the first mainstream wave of the genre, marked by its disco influence and party-oriented lyrics. The 1980s marked the diversification of hip hop as the genre developed more complex styles and spread around the world. New school hip hop was the genre’s second wave, marked by its electro sound, and led into golden age hip hop, an innovative period between the mid-1980s and mid-1990s that also developed hip hop’s own album era. The gangsta rap subgenre, focused on the violent lifestyles and impoverished conditions of inner-city African American youth, gained popularity at this time. West Coast hip hop was dominated by G-funk in the early-mid 1990s, while East Coast hip hop was dominated by jazz rap, alternative hip hop, and hardcore hip hop. Hip hop continued to diversify at this time with other regional styles emerging, such as Southern rap and Atlanta hip hop. Hip hop became a best-selling genre in the mid-1990s and the top-selling music genre by 1999.
The popularity of hip hop music continued through the late 1990s to early-2000s «bling era» with hip hop influences increasingly finding their way into other genres of popular music, such as neo soul, nu metal, and R&B. The United States also saw the success of regional styles such as crunk, a Southern genre that emphasized the beats and music more than the lyrics, and alternative hip hop began to secure a place in the mainstream, due in part to the crossover success of its artists. During the late 2000s and early 2010s «blog era», rappers were able to build up a following through online methods of music distribution, such as social media and blogs, and mainstream hip hop took on a more melodic, sensitive direction following the commercial decline of gangsta rap. The trap and mumble rap subgenres have become the most popular form of hip hop during the mid-late 2010s and early 2020s. In 2017, rock music was usurped by hip hop as the most popular genre in the United States.[23][24][25]
Etymology
The words «hip» and «hop» have a long history behind the two words being used together. In the 1950s, older folks referred to teen house parties as «hippity hops».[26] The creation of the term hip hop is often credited to Keef Cowboy, rapper with Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five.[27] However, Lovebug Starski, Keef Cowboy, and DJ Hollywood used the term when the music was still known as disco rap.[28] It is believed that Cowboy created the term while teasing a friend who had just joined the U.S. Army, by scat singing the words «hip/hop/hip/hop» in a way that mimicked the rhythmic cadence of soldiers marching.[27] Cowboy later worked the «hip hop» cadence into a part of his stage performance. For example, he would say something along the lines of «I said a hip-hop, a hibbit, hibby-dibby, hip-hip-hop and you don’t stop.»[26] which was quickly used by other artists such as The Sugarhill Gang in «Rapper’s Delight».[27] Universal Zulu Nation founder Afrika Bambaataa, also known as «the Godfather», is credited with first using the term to describe the subculture in which the music belonged; although it is also suggested that it was a derogatory term to describe the type of music.[29] The term was first used in print to refer to the music by reporter Robert Flipping, Jr. in a February 1979 article in the New Pittsburgh Courier,[30][31] and to refer to the culture in a January 1982 interview of Afrika Bambaataa by Michael Holman in the East Village Eye.[32] The term gained further currency in September of that year in another Bambaataa interview in The Village Voice,[33] by Steven Hager, later author of a 1984 history of hip hop.[34]
There are disagreements about whether or not the terms «hip hop» and «rap» can be used interchangeably, even amongst its most knowledgeable proponents.[6] The most common view is that hip-hop is a cultural movement that emerged in the South Bronx in New York City during the 1970s, with MCing (or rapping) being one of the primary four elements.[6] Hip hop’s other three essential elements are graffiti art (or aerosol art), break dancing, and DJing. Rap music has become by far the most celebrated expression of hip hop culture, due to being the easiest to market to a mass audience.[6]
Precursors
Musical genres from which hip hop developed include funk, blues, jazz and rhythm and blues recordings from the 60s, 50s, and earlier, including several records by Bo Diddley.[citation needed]
Muhammad Ali’s 1963 spoken-word album I Am the Greatest is regarded by some writers as an early example of hip hop.[35][36][better source needed] Pigmeat Markham’s 1968 single «Here Comes the Judge» is one of several songs said to be the earliest hip hop record.[37] Leading up to hip hop, there were spoken-word artists such as the Last Poets who released their debut album in 1970, and Gil Scott-Heron, who gained a wide audience with his 1971 track «The Revolution Will Not Be Televised». These artists combined spoken word and music to create a kind of «proto-rap» vibe.[38]
1973–1979: Early years
Origins
Hip hop as music and culture formed during the 1970s in New York City from the multicultural exchange between African Americans and children of immigrants from countries in the Caribbean, most notably Jamaica.[39] Hip hop music in its infancy has been described as an outlet and a voice for the disenfranchised youth of marginalized backgrounds and low-income areas, as the hip hop culture reflected the social, economic and political realities of their lives.[40][41] Many of the people who helped establish hip hop culture, including DJ Kool Herc, DJ Disco Wiz, Grandmaster Flash, and Afrika Bambaataa were of Latin American or Caribbean origin.
It is hard to pinpoint the exact musical influences that most affected the sound and culture of early hip hop because of the multicultural nature of New York City. Hip hop’s early pioneers were influenced by a mix of cultures due to the diversity of New York City.[42] New York City experienced a heavy Jamaican hip hop influence during the 1990s. This influence was brought on by cultural shifts particularly because of the heightened immigration of Jamaicans to New York City and the American-born Jamaican youth who were coming of age during the 1990s.
DJ Kool Herc, of Jamaican background, is recognized as one of the earliest hip hop DJs and artists. Some credit him with officially originating hip hop music through his 1973 «Back to School Jam».[43]
In the 1970s, block parties were increasingly popular in New York City, particularly among African American, Caribbean and Latino youth residing in the Bronx. Block parties incorporated DJs, who played popular genres of music, especially funk and soul music. Due to the positive reception, DJs began isolating the percussive breaks of popular songs. This technique was common in Jamaican dub music,[44] and was largely introduced into New York by immigrants from the Caribbean, including DJ Kool Herc, one of the pioneers of hip hop.[45][46] To be clear, Herc has repeatedly denied there being any direct connections between Jamaican musical traditions and early hip hop, stating that his own biggest influence was James Brown, from whom he says rap originated.[47] Even before moving to the U.S., Herc says his biggest influences came from American music:
I was listening to American music in Jamaica and my favorite artist was James Brown. That’s who inspired me. A lot of the records I played were by James Brown.[48]
Herc also says that he was not influenced by Jamaican sound system parties, as he was too young to experience them when he was in Jamaica.[49]
Because the percussive breaks in funk, soul and disco records were generally short, Herc and other DJs began using two turntables to extend the breaks. On August 11, 1973, DJ Kool Herc was the DJ at his sister’s back-to-school party. He extended the beat of a record by using two record players, isolating the percussion «breaks» by using a mixer to switch between the two records. Herc’s experiments with making music with record players became what we now know as breaking or «scratching».[50]
A second key musical element in hip hop music is emceeing (also called MCing or rapping). Emceeing is the rhythmic spoken delivery of rhymes and wordplay, delivered at first without accompaniment and later done over a beat. This spoken style was influenced by the African American style of «capping», a performance where men tried to outdo each other in originality of their language and tried to gain the favor of the listeners.[51] The basic elements of hip hop—boasting raps, rival «posses» (groups), uptown «throw-downs», and political and social commentary—were all long present in African American music. MCing and rapping performers moved back and forth between the predominance of songs packed with a mix of boasting, ‘slackness’ and sexual innuendo and a more topical, political, socially conscious style. The role of the MC originally was as a Master of Ceremonies for a DJ dance event. The MC would introduce the DJ and try to pump up the audience. The MC spoke between the DJ’s songs, urging everyone to get up and dance. MCs would also tell jokes and use their energetic language and enthusiasm to rev up the crowd. Eventually, this introducing role developed into longer sessions of spoken, rhythmic wordplay, and rhyming, which became rapping.
By 1979 hip hop music had become a mainstream genre. It spread across the world in the 1990s with controversial «gangsta» rap.[52] Herc also developed upon break-beat deejaying,[53] where the breaks of funk songs—the part most suited to dance, usually percussion-based—were isolated and repeated for the purpose of all-night dance parties. This form of music playback, using hard funk and rock, formed the basis of hip hop music. Campbell’s announcements and exhortations to dancers would lead to the syncopated, rhymed spoken accompaniment now known as rapping. He dubbed his dancers «break-boys» and «break-girls», or simply b-boys and b-girls. According to Herc, «breaking» was also street slang for «getting excited» and «acting energetically».[54]
DJs such as Grand Wizzard Theodore, Grandmaster Flash, and Jazzy Jay refined and developed the use of breakbeats, including cutting and scratching.[56] As turntable manipulation continued to evolve a new technique that came from it was needle dropping. Needle dropping was created by Grandmaster Flash, it is prolonged short drum breaks by playing two copies of a record simultaneously and moving the needle on one turntable back to the start of the break while the other played.[57] The approach used by Herc was soon widely copied, and by the late 1970s, DJs were releasing 12-inch records where they would rap to the beat. Popular tunes included Kurtis Blow’s «The Breaks» and the Sugarhill Gang’s «Rapper’s Delight».[58] Herc and other DJs would connect their equipment to power lines and perform at venues such as public basketball courts and at 1520 Sedgwick Avenue, Bronx, New York, now officially a historic building.[59] The equipment consisted of numerous speakers, turntables, and one or more microphones.[60] By using this technique, DJs could create a variety of music, but according to Rap Attack by David Toop «At its worst the technique could turn the night into one endless and inevitably boring song».[61] KC the Prince of Soul, a rapper-lyricist with Pete DJ Jones, is often credited with being the first rap lyricist to call himself an «MC».[62]
Street gangs were prevalent in the poverty of the South Bronx, and much of the graffiti, rapping, and b-boying at these parties were all artistic variations on the competition and one-upmanship of street gangs. Sensing that gang members’ often violent urges could be turned into creative ones, Afrika Bambaataa founded the Zulu Nation, a loose confederation of street-dance crews, graffiti artists, and rap musicians. By the late 1970s, the culture had gained media attention, with Billboard magazine printing an article titled «B Beats Bombarding Bronx», commenting on the local phenomenon and mentioning influential figures such as Kool Herc.[63] The New York City blackout of 1977 saw widespread looting, arson, and other citywide disorders especially in the Bronx[64] where a number of looters stole DJ equipment from electronics stores. As a result, the hip hop genre, barely known outside of the Bronx at the time, grew at an astounding rate from 1977 onward.[65]
DJ Kool Herc’s house parties gained popularity and later moved to outdoor venues to accommodate more people. Hosted in parks, these outdoor parties became a means of expression and an outlet for teenagers, where «instead of getting into trouble on the streets, teens now had a place to expend their pent-up energy.»[66] Tony Tone, a member of the Cold Crush Brothers, stated that «hip hop saved a lot of lives».[66] For inner-city youth, participating in hip hop culture became a way of dealing with the hardships of life as minorities within America, and an outlet to deal with the risk of violence and the rise of gang culture. MC Kid Lucky mentions that «people used to break-dance against each other instead of fighting».[67][68] Inspired by DJ Kool Herc, Afrika Bambaataa created a street organization called Universal Zulu Nation, centered around hip hop, as a means to draw teenagers out of gang life, drugs and violence.[66]
The lyrical content of many early rap groups focused on social issues, most notably in the seminal track «The Message» by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, which discussed the realities of life in the housing projects.[69] «Young black Americans coming out of the civil rights movement have used hip hop culture in the 1980s and 1990s to show the limitations of the Hip Hop Movement.»[70] Hip hop gave young African Americans a voice to let their issues be heard; «Like rock-and-roll, hip hop is vigorously opposed by conservatives because it romanticises violence, law-breaking, and gangs».[70] It also gave people a chance for financial gain by «reducing the rest of the world to consumers of its social concerns.»[70]
In late 1979, Debbie Harry of Blondie took Nile Rodgers of Chic to such an event, as the main backing track used was the break from Chic’s «Good Times».[58] The new style influenced Harry, and Blondie’s later hit single from 1981 «Rapture» became the first single containing hip hop elements to hit number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100—the song itself is usually considered new wave and fuses heavy pop music elements, but there is an extended rap by Harry near the end.
Boxer Muhammad Ali, as an influential African American celebrity, was widely covered in the media. Ali influenced several elements of hip hop music. Both in the boxing ring and in media interviews, Ali became known in the 1960s for being «rhyming trickster». Ali used a «funky delivery» for his comments, which included «boasts, comical trash talk, [and] the endless quotabl[e]» lines.[71] According to Rolling Stone, his «freestyle skills» (a reference to a type of vocal improvisation in which lyrics are recited with no particular subject or structure) and his «rhymes, flow, and braggadocio» would «one day become typical of old school MCs» like Run–D.M.C. and LL Cool J,[72] the latter citing Ali as an influence.[71] Hip hop music in its infancy has been described as an outlet and a «voice» for the disenfranchised youth of low-income and marginalized economic areas,[40] as the hip hop culture reflected the social, economic and political realities of their lives.[41]
Technology
Two hip hop DJs creating new music by mixing tracks from multiple record players. Pictured are DJ Hypnotize (left) and Baby Cee (right).
Hip hop’s early evolution occurred around the time that sampling technology and drum-machines became widely available to the general public at a cost that was affordable to the average consumer—not just professional studios. Drum-machines and samplers were combined in machines that came to be known as MPC’s or ‘Music Production Centers’, early examples of which would include the Linn 9000. The first sampler that was broadly adopted to create this new kind of music was the Mellotron used in combination with the TR-808 drum machine. Mellotrons and Linn’s were succeeded by the AKAI, in the late 1980s.[73]
Turntablist techniques – such as rhythmic «scratching» (pushing a record back and forth while the needle is in the groove to create new sounds and sound effects, an approach attributed to Grand Wizzard Theodore[74][75]), beat mixing and/or beatmatching, and beat juggling – eventually developed along with the percussion breaks, creating a musical accompaniment or base that could be rapped over in a manner similar to signifying.
Introduction of rapping
Rapping, also referred to as MCing or emceeing, is a vocal style in which the artist speaks lyrically and rhythmically, in rhyme and verse, generally to an instrumental or synthesized beat. Beats, almost always in 4/4 time signature, can be created by sampling and/or sequencing portions of other songs by a producer. They also incorporate synthesizers, drum machines, and live bands. Rappers may write, memorize, or improvise their lyrics and perform their works a cappella or to a beat. Hip hop music predates the introduction of rapping into hip hop culture, and rap vocals are absent from many hip hop tracks, such as «Hip Hop, Be Bop (Don’t Stop)» by Man Parrish; «Chinese Arithmetic» by Eric B. & Rakim; «Al-Naafiysh (The Soul)» and «We’re Rocking the Planet» by Hashim; and «Destination Earth» by Newcleus. However, the majority of the genre has been accompanied by rap vocals, such as the Sci-fi influenced electro hip hop group Warp 9.[76] Female rappers appeared on the scene in the late 1970s and early 80s, including Bronx artist MC Sha-Rock, member of the Funky Four Plus One, credited with being the first female MC[77] and the Sequence, a hip hop trio signed to Sugar Hill Records, the first all female group to release a rap record, Funk You Up.[citation needed]
The roots of rapping are found in African American music and bear similarities to traditional African music, particularly that of the griots[78] of West African culture.[79] The African American traditions of signifyin’, the dozens, and jazz poetry all influence hip hop music, as well as the call and response patterns of African and African American religious ceremonies. Early popular radio disc jockeys of the Black-appeal radio period broke into broadcast announcing by using these techniques under the jive talk of the post WWII swing era in the late 1940s and the 1950s.[80] DJ Nat D. was the M.C. at one of the most pitiless places for any aspiring musician trying to break into show business, Amateur Night at the Palace theatre on Beale Street in Memphis, Tennessee. There he was master of ceremonies from 1935 until 1947 along with his sideman, D.J.Rufus Thomas. It was there he perfected the dozens, signifyin’ and the personality jock jive patter that would become his schtick when he became the first black radio announcer on the air south of the Mason–Dixon line.[81] Jive popularized black appeal radio, it was the language of the black youth, the double entendres and slightly obscene wordplay was a godsend to radio, re-invigorating ratings at flagging outlets that were losing audience share and flipping to the new format of R&B with black announcers. The 10% of African Americans who heard his broadcasts found that the music he promoted on radio in 1949 was also in the jukeboxes up north in the cities. They were also finding other D.J’s like Chicago’s Al Benson on WJJD, Austin’s Doctor Hep Cat on KVET and Atlanta’s Jockey Jack on WERD speaking the same rhyming, cadence laden rap style.[82] Once the white owned stations realized the new upstarts were grabbing their black market share and that Big Band and swing jazz was no longer ‘hip’, some white D.J’s emulated the southern ‘mushmouth’ and jive talk, letting their audience think they too were African American, playing the blues and Be-Bop.[83] John R Richbourg had a southern drawl that listeners to Nashville’s WLAC[84] nighttime R&B programming were never informed belonged not to a black D.J., as were other white D.J’s at the station. Dr. Hep Cat’s rhymes were published in a dictionary of jive talk, The Jives of Dr. Hepcat, in 1953. Jockey jack is the infamous Jack the Rapper of Family Affair fame, after his radio convention that was a must attend for every rap artist in the 1980s and 1990s[85] These jive talking rappers of the 1950s black appeal radio format were the source and inspiration of Soul singer James Brown, and musical ‘comedy’ acts such as Rudy Ray Moore, Pigmeat Markham and Blowfly that are often considered «godfathers» of hip hop music.[86] Within New York City, performances of spoken-word poetry and music by artists such as the Last Poets, Gil Scott-Heron[87] and Jalal Mansur Nuriddin had a significant impact on the post-civil rights era culture of the 1960s and ‘1970s, and thus the social environment in which hip hop music was created.
Jamaican origins of outdoor sound systems
AM radio at many stations were limited by the ‘broadcast Day’ as special licenses were required to transmit at night. Those that had such licenses were heard far out to sea and in the Caribbean, where Jocko Henderson and Jockey Jack were American DJs who were listened to at night from broadcast transmitters located in Miami, Florida. Jocko came to have an outsized influence on Jamaican Emcees during the ’50s as the R&B music played on the Miami stations was different from that played on JBC, which re-broadcast BBC and local music styles. In Jamaica, DJs would set up large roadside sound systems in towns and villages, playing music for informal gatherings, mostly folks who wandered down from country hills looking for excitement at the end of the week. There the DJs would allow ‘Toasts’ by an Emcee, which copied the style of the American DJs listened to on AM transistor radios. It was by this method that Jive talk, rapping and rhyming was transposed to the island and locally the style was transformed by ‘Jamaican lyricism’, or the local patois.
Hip hop as music and culture formed during the 1970s in New York City from the multicultural exchange between African American youth from the United States and young immigrants and children of immigrants from countries in the Caribbean.[39] Some were influenced by the vocal style of the earliest African American radio MCs (including Jocko Henderson’s Rocket Ship Show of the 1950s, which rhymed and was influenced by scat singing), which could be heard over the radio in Jamaica.
The first records by Jamaican DJs, including Sir Lord Comic (The Great Wuga Wuga, 1967) came as part of the local dance hall culture, which featured ‘specials,’ unique mixes or ‘versions’ pressed on soft discs or acetate discs, and rappers (called DJs) such as King Stitt, Count Machuki, U-Roy, I-Roy, Big Youth and many others. Recordings of talk-over, which is a different style from the dancehall’s DJ style, were also made by Jamaican artists such as Prince Buster and Lee «Scratch» Perry (Judge Dread) as early as 1967, somehow rooted in the ‘talking blues’ tradition. The first full-length Jamaican DJ record was a duet on a Rastafarian topic by Kingston ghetto dwellers U-Roy and Peter Tosh named Righteous Ruler (produced by Lee «Scratch» Perry in 1969). The first DJ hit record was Fire Corner by Coxsone’s Downbeat sound system DJ, King Stitt that same year; 1970 saw a multitude of DJ hit records in the wake of U-Roy’s early, massive hits, most famously Wake the Town and many others. As the tradition of remix (which also started in Jamaica where it was called ‘version’ and ‘dub’) developed, established young Jamaican DJ/rappers from that period, who had already been working for sound systems for years, were suddenly recorded and had many local hit records, widely contributing to the reggae craze triggered by Bob Marley’s impact in the 1970s. The main Jamaican DJs of the early 1970s were King Stitt, Samuel the First, Count Machuki, Johnny Lover (who ‘versioned’ songs by Bob Marley and the Wailers as early as 1971), Dave Barker, Scotty, Lloyd Young, Charlie Ace and others, as well as soon-to-be reggae stars U-Roy, Dennis Alcapone, I-Roy, Prince Jazzbo, Prince Far I, Big Youth and Dillinger. Dillinger scored the first international rap hit record with Cocaine in my Brain in 1976 (based on the Do It Any Way You Wanna Do rhythm by the People’s Choice as re-recorded by Sly and Robbie), where he even used a New York accent, consciously aiming at the new NYC rap market. The Jamaican DJ dance music was deeply rooted in the sound system tradition that made music available to poor people in a very poor country where live music was only played in clubs and hotels patronized by the middle and upper classes. By 1973 Jamaican sound system enthusiast DJ Kool Herc moved to the Bronx, taking with him Jamaica’s sound system culture, and teamed up with another Jamaican, Coke La Rock, at the mike. Although other influences, most notably musical sequencer Grandmaster Flowers of Brooklyn and Grandwizard Theodore of the Bronx contributed to the birth of hip hop in New York, and although it was downplayed in most US books about hip hop, the main root of this sound system culture was Jamaican. The roots of rap in Jamaica are explained in detail in Bruno Blum’s book, ‘Le Rap’.[88]
DJ Kool Herc and Coke La Rock provided an influence on the vocal style of rapping by delivering simple poetry verses over funk music breaks, after party-goers showed little interest in their previous attempts to integrate reggae-infused toasting into musical sets.[44][89] DJs and MCs would often add call and response chants, often consisting of a basic chorus, to allow the performer to gather his thoughts (e.g. «one, two, three, y’all, to the beat»). Later, the MCs grew more varied in their vocal and rhythmic delivery, incorporating brief rhymes, often with a sexual or scatological theme, in an effort to differentiate themselves and to entertain the audience. These early raps incorporated the dozens, a product of African American culture. Kool Herc & the Herculoids were the first hip hop group to gain recognition in New York,[89] but the number of MC teams increased over time.
Often these were collaborations between former gangs, such as Afrikaa Bambaataa’s Universal Zulu Nation—now an international organization. Melle Mel, a rapper with the Furious Five is often credited with being the first rap lyricist to call himself an «MC».[90] During the early 1970s B-boying arose during block parties, as b-boys and b-girls got in front of the audience to dance in a distinctive and frenetic style. The style was documented for release to a worldwide audience for the first time in documentaries and movies such as Style Wars, Wild Style, and Beat Street. The term «B-boy» was coined by DJ Kool Herc to describe the people who would wait for the break section of the song, showing off athleticism, spinning on the stage to ‘break-dance’ in the distinctive, frenetic style.[91]
Although there were some early MCs that recorded solo projects of note, such as DJ Hollywood, Kurtis Blow, and Spoonie Gee, the frequency of solo artists did not increase until later with the rise of soloists with stage presence and drama, such as LL Cool J. Most early hip hop was dominated by groups where collaboration between the members was integral to the show.[92] An example would be the early hip hop group Funky Four Plus One, who performed in such a manner on Saturday Night Live in 1981.[93]
1979–1983: Old school hip hop
Transition to recording
The earliest hip hop music was performed live, at house parties and block party events, and it was not recorded. Prior to 1979, recorded hip hop music consisted mainly of PA system soundboard recordings of live party shows and early hip hop mixtapes by DJs. Puerto Rican DJ Disco Wiz is credited as the first hip hop DJ to create a «mixed plate,» or mixed dub recording, when, in 1977, he combined sound bites, special effects and paused beats to technically produce a sound recording.[94] The first hip hop record is widely regarded to be the Sugarhill Gang’s «Rapper’s Delight», from 1979. It was the first hip hop record to gain widespread popularity in the mainstream and was where hip hop music got its name from (from the opening bar).[95] However, much controversy surrounds this assertion as some regard the March 1979 single «King Tim III (Personality Jock)» by the Fatback Band, as a rap record.[96] There are various other claimants for the title of first hip hop record.
By the early 1980s, all the major elements and techniques of the hip hop genre were in place, and by 1982, the electronic (electro) sound had become the trend on the street and in dance clubs. New York City radio station WKTU featured Warp 9’s «Nunk,» in a commercial to promote the station’s signature sound of emerging hip hop[97] Though not yet mainstream, hip hop had begun to permeate the music scene outside of New York City; it could be found in cities as diverse as Los Angeles, Atlanta, Chicago, Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Dallas, Kansas City, San Antonio, Miami, Seattle, St. Louis, New Orleans, Houston, and Toronto. Indeed, «Funk You Up» (1979), the first hip hop record released by a female group, and the second single released by Sugar Hill Records, was performed by the Sequence, a group from Columbia, South Carolina which featured Angie Stone.[98] Despite the genre’s growing popularity, Philadelphia was, for many years, the only city whose contributions could be compared to New York City’s. Hip hop music became popular in Philadelphia in the late 1970s. The first released record was titled «Rhythm Talk», by Jocko Henderson.
The New York Times had dubbed Philadelphia the «Graffiti Capital of the World» in 1971. Philadelphia native DJ Lady B recorded «To the Beat Y’All» in 1979, and became the first female solo hip hop artist to record music.[99] Schoolly D, starting in 1984 and also from Philadelphia, began creating a style that would later be known as gangsta rap.
Influence of disco
Hip hop music was influenced by disco music, as disco also emphasized the key role of the DJ in creating tracks and mixes for dancers, and old school hip hop often used disco tracks as beats. At the same time however, hip hop music was also a backlash against certain subgenres of late 1970s disco. While the early disco was African American and Italian-American-created underground music developed by DJs and producers for the dance club subculture, by the late 1970s, disco airwaves were dominated by mainstream, expensively recorded music industry-produced disco songs. According to Kurtis Blow, the early days of hip hop were characterized by divisions between fans and detractors of disco music. Hip hop had largely emerged as «a direct response to the watered down, Europeanised, disco music that permeated the airwaves».[100][101] The earliest hip hop was mainly based on hard funk loops sourced from vintage funk records. By 1979, disco instrumental loops/tracks had become the basis of much hip hop music. This genre was called «disco rap». Ironically, the rise of hip hop music also played a role in the eventual decline in disco’s popularity.
The disco sound had a strong influence on early hip hop music. Most of the early rap/hip-hop songs were created by isolating existing disco bass-guitar bass lines and dubbing over them with MC rhymes. the Sugarhill Gang used Chic’s «Good Times» as the foundation for their 1979 hit «Rapper’s Delight», generally considered to be the song that first popularized rap music in the United States and around the world. In 1982, Afrika Bambaataa released the single «Planet Rock», which incorporated electronica elements from Kraftwerk’s «Trans-Europe Express» and «Numbers» as well as YMO’s «Riot in Lagos». The Planet Rock sound also spawned a hip-hop electronic dance trend, electro music, which included songs such as Planet Patrol’s «Play at Your Own Risk» (1982), C Bank’s «One More Shot» (1982), Cerrone’s «Club Underworld» (1984), Shannon’s «Let the Music Play» (1983), Freeez’s «I.O.U.» (1983), Midnight Star’s «Freak-a-Zoid» (1983), Chaka Khan’s «I Feel For You» (1984).
DJ Pete Jones, Eddie Cheeba, DJ Hollywood, and Love Bug Starski were disco-influenced hip hop DJs. Their styles differed from other hip hop musicians who focused on rapid-fire rhymes and more complex rhythmic schemes. Afrika Bambaataa, Paul Winley, Grandmaster Flash, and Bobby Robinson were all members of third s latter group. In Washington, D.C. go-go emerged as a reaction against disco and eventually incorporated characteristics of hip hop during the early 1980s. The DJ-based genre of electronic music behaved similarly, eventually evolving into underground styles known as house music in Chicago and techno in Detroit.
Diversification of styles
The 1980s marked the diversification of hip hop as the genre developed more complex styles.[102] New York City became a veritable laboratory for the creation of new hip hop sounds. Early examples of the diversification process can be heard in tracks such as Grandmaster Flash’s «The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel» (1981), a single consisting entirely of sampled tracks[103] as well as Afrika Bambaataa’s «Planet Rock» (1982), and Warp 9’s «Nunk,» (1982)[104] which signified the fusion of hip hop music with electro. In addition, Rammellzee & K-Rob’s «Beat Bop» (1983) was a ‘slow jam’ which had a dub influence with its use of reverb and echo as texture and playful sound effects. «Light Years Away,» by Warp 9 (1983), (produced and written by Lotti Golden and Richard Scher) described as a «cornerstone of early 80s beatbox afrofuturism,» by the UK paper, The Guardian,[76] introduced social commentary from a sci-fi perspective. In the 1970s, hip hop music typically used samples from funk and later, from disco. The mid-1980s marked a paradigm shift in the development of hip hop, with the introduction of samples from rock music, as demonstrated in the albums King of Rock and Licensed to Ill. Hip hop prior to this shift is characterized as old school hip hop.
The Roland TR-808 Rhythm Composer, a staple sound of hip hop
In 1980, the Roland Corporation launched the TR-808 Rhythm Composer. It was one of the earliest programmable drum machines, with which users could create their own rhythms rather than having to use preset patterns. Though it was a commercial failure, over the course of the decade the 808 attracted a cult following among underground musicians for its affordability on the used market,[105] ease of use,[106] and idiosyncratic sounds, particularly its deep, «booming» bass drum.[107] It became a cornerstone of the emerging electronic, dance, and hip hop genres, popularized by early hits such as Afrika Bambaataa and the Soulsonic Force’s «Planet Rock».[108] The 808 was eventually used on more hit records than any other drum machine;[109] its popularity with hip hop in particular has made it one of the most influential inventions in popular music, comparable to the Fender Stratocaster’s influence on rock.[110][111]
Over time sampling technology became more advanced. However, earlier producers such as Marley Marl used drum machines to construct their beats from small excerpts of other beats in synchronisation, in his case, triggering three Korg sampling-delay units through a Roland 808. Later, samplers such as the E-mu SP-1200 allowed not only more memory but more flexibility for creative production. This allowed the filtration and layering different hits, and with a possibility of re-sequencing them into a single piece. With the emergence of a new generation of samplers such as the AKAI S900 in the late 1980s, producers did not have to create complex, time-consuming tape loops. Public Enemy’s first album was created with the help of large tape loops. The process of looping a break into a breakbeat now became more commonly done with a sampler, now doing the job which so far had been done manually by the DJs using turntables. In 1989, DJ Mark James, under the moniker «45 King», released «The 900 Number», a breakbeat track created by synchronizing samplers and vinyl records.[92]
The lyrical content and other instrumental accompaniment of hip hop developed as well. The early lyrical styles in the 1970, which tended to be boasts and clichéd chants, were replaced with metaphorical lyrics exploring a wider range of subjects. As well, the lyrics were performed over more complex, multi-layered instrumental accompaniment. Artists such as Melle Mel, Rakim, Chuck D, KRS-One and Warp 9 revolutionized hip hop by transforming it into a more mature art form, with sophisticated arrangements, often featuring «gorgeous textures and multiple layers»[112] The influential single «The Message» (1982) by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five is widely considered to be the pioneering force for conscious rap.
Independent record labels like Tommy Boy, Prism Records and Profile Records became successful in the early 1980s, releasing records at a furious pace in response to the demand generated by local radio stations and club DJs. Early 1980s electro music and rap were catalysts that sparked the hip hop movement, led by artists such as Cybotron, Hashim, Afrika Bambaataa, Planet Patrol, Newcleus and Warp 9. In the New York City recording scene, artists collaborated with producer/writers such as Arthur Baker, John Robie, Lotti Golden and Richard Scher, exchanging ideas that contributed to the development of hip hop.[113] Some rappers eventually became mainstream pop performers. Kurtis Blow’s appearance in a Sprite soda pop commercial[114] marked the first hip hop musician to do a commercial for a major product. The 1981 songs «Rapture» by Blondie and «Christmas Wrapping» by the new wave band the Waitresses were among the first pop songs to use rap. In 1982, Afrika Bambaataa introduced hip hop to an international audience with «Planet Rock.»
Prior to the 1980s, hip hop music was largely confined within the context of the United States. However, during the 1980s, it began its spread and became a part of the music scene in dozens of countries. Greg Wilson was the first DJ to introduce electro hip hop to UK club audiences in the early 1980s, opting for the dub or instrumental versions of Nunk by Warp 9, Extra T’s «ET Boogie,» Hip Hop, Be Bop (Don’t Stop) by Man Parrish, Planet Rock and Dirty Talk.[115]
In the early part of the decade, B-boying became the first aspect of hip hop culture to reach Japan, Australia and South Africa. In South Africa, the breakdance crew Black Noise established the practice before beginning to rap later in the decade. Musician and presenter Sidney became France’s first black TV presenter with his show H.I.P. H.O.P.[116] which screened on TF1 during 1984, a first for the genre worldwide. Sidney is considered the father of French hip hop. Radio Nova helped launch other French hip hop stars including Dee Nasty, whose 1984 album Paname City Rappin’ along with compilations Rapattitude 1 and 2 contributed to a general awareness of hip hop in France.
Hip hop has always kept a very close relationship with the Latino community in New York. DJ Disco Wiz and the Rock Steady Crew were among early innovators from Puerto Rico, combining English and Spanish in their lyrics. the Mean Machine recorded their first song under the label «Disco Dreams» in 1981, while Kid Frost from Los Angeles began his career in 1982. Cypress Hill was formed in 1988 in the suburb of South Gate outside Los Angeles when Senen Reyes (born in Havana) and his younger brother Ulpiano Sergio (Mellow Man Ace) moved from Cuba to South Gate with his family in 1971. They teamed up with DVX from Queens (New York), Lawrence Muggerud (DJ Muggs) and Louis Freese (B-Real), a Mexican/Cuban-American native of Los Angeles. After the departure of «Ace» to begin his solo career, the group adopted the name of Cypress Hill named after a street running through a neighborhood nearby in South Los Angeles.
Japanese hip hop is said to have begun when Hiroshi Fujiwara returned to Japan and started playing hip hop records in the early 1980s.[117] Japanese hip hop generally tends to be most directly influenced by old school hip hop, taking the era’s catchy beats, dance culture, and overall fun and carefree nature and incorporating it into their music. Hip hop became one of the most commercially viable mainstream music genres in Japan, and the line between it and pop music is frequently blurred.
1983–1986: New school hip hop
The new school of hip hop was the second wave of hip hop music, originating in 1983–84 with the early records of Run-D.M.C. and LL Cool J. As with the hip hop preceding it (which subsequently became known as old school hip hop), the new school came predominantly from New York City. The new school was initially characterized in form by drum machine-led minimalism, with influences from rock music, a hip hop «metal music for the 80s–a hard-edge ugly/beauty trance as desperate and stimulating as New York itself.»[118] It was notable for taunts and boasts about rapping, and socio-political commentary, both delivered in an aggressive, self-assertive style. In image as in song its artists projected a tough, cool, street b-boy attitude.
These elements contrasted sharply with much of the previous funk- and disco-influenced hip hop groups, whose music was often characterized by novelty hits, live bands, synthesizers, and «party rhymes» (not all artists prior to 1983–84 had these styles). New school artists made shorter songs that could more easily gain radio play, and they produced more cohesive LP albums than their old school counterparts. By 1986, their releases began to establish the hip-hop album as a fixture of mainstream music. Hip hop music became commercially successful, as exemplified by the Beastie Boys’ 1986 album Licensed to Ill, which was the first rap album to hit No. 1 on the Billboard charts.[119]
1986–1997: Golden age hip hop
Hip hop’s «golden age» (or «golden era») is a name given to a period in mainstream hip hop, produced between the mid-1980s and the mid-1990s,[120][121][122] which is characterized by its diversity, quality, innovation and influence.[123][124] There were strong themes of Afrocentrism and political militancy in golden age hip hop lyrics. The music was experimental and the sampling drew on eclectic sources.[125] There was often a strong jazz influence in the music. The artists and groups most often associated with this phase are Public Enemy, Boogie Down Productions, Eric B. & Rakim, De La Soul, A Tribe Called Quest, Gang Starr, Big Daddy Kane and the Jungle Brothers.[126]
The golden age is noted for its innovation – a time «when it seemed that every new single reinvented the genre»[127] according to Rolling Stone. Referring to «hip-hop in its golden age»,[128] Spin‘s editor-in-chief Sia Michel says, «there were so many important, groundbreaking albums coming out right about that time»,[128]
and MTV’s Sway Calloway adds: «The thing that made that era so great is that nothing was contrived. Everything was still being discovered and everything was still innovative and new».[129] Writer William Jelani Cobb says «what made the era they inaugurated worthy of the term golden was the sheer number of stylistic innovations that came into existence… in these golden years, a critical mass of mic prodigies were literally creating themselves and their art form at the same time».[130]
The golden age spans «from approximately 1986 to 1997», according to Carl Stoffers of New York Daily News.[120] In their article «In Search of the Golden Age Hip-Hop Sound», music theorists Ben Duinker and Denis Martin of Empirical Musicology Review use «the 11 years between and including 1986 and 1996 as chronological boundaries» to define the golden age, beginning with the releases of Run-DMC’s Raising Hell and the Beastie Boys’ Licensed to Ill, and ending with the deaths of Tupac Shakur and the Notorious B.I.G.[122] The Boombox writer Todd «Stereo» Williams also cites the May 1986 release of Raising Hell (which sold more than three million copies) as the start of the period and notes that over the next year other important albums were released to success, including Licensed to Ill, Boogie Down Productions’ Criminal Minded (1987), Public Enemy’s Yo! Bum Rush the Show (1987), and Eric B. & Rakim’s Paid in Full (1987). Williams views this development as the beginning of hip hop’s own «album era» from the late 1980s to the late 1990s, during which hip hop albums earned an unprecedented critical recognition and «would be the measuring stick by which most of the genre’s greats would be judged».[131]
Gangsta rap and West Coast hip hop
Many black rappers—including Ice-T and Sister Souljah—contend that they are being unfairly singled out because their music reflects deep changes in society not being addressed anywhere else in the public forum. The white politicians, the artists complain, neither understand the music nor desire to hear what’s going on in the devastated communities that gave birth to the art form.
— Chuck Philips, Los Angeles Times, 1992[132]
Gangsta rap is a subgenre of hip hop that reflects the violent lifestyles of inner-city American black youths.[133] Gangsta is a non-rhotic pronunciation of the word gangster. The genre was pioneered in the mid-1980s by rappers such as Schoolly D and Ice-T, and was popularized in the later part of the 1980s by groups like N.W.A. In 1985 Schoolly D released «P.S.K. What Does It Mean?», which is often regarded as the first gangsta rap song, which was followed by Ice-T’s «6 in the Mornin'» in 1986. After the national attention and controversy that Ice-T and N.W.A created in the late 1980s and early 1990s, as well as the mainstreaming of G-funk in the mid-1990s, gangsta rap became the most commercially-lucrative subgenre of hip hop. Some gangsta rappers were known for mixing the political and social commentary of political rap with the criminal elements and crime stories found in gangsta rap.[134]
N.W.A is the group most frequently associated with the founding of gangsta rap. Their lyrics were more violent, openly confrontational, and shocking than those of established rap acts, featuring incessant profanity and, controversially, use of the word «nigga». These lyrics were placed over rough, rock guitar-driven beats, contributing to the music’s hard-edged feel. The first blockbuster gangsta rap album was N.W.A’s Straight Outta Compton, released in 1988. Straight Outta Compton would establish West Coast hip hop as a vital genre, and establish Los Angeles as a legitimate rival to hip hop’s long-time capital, New York City. Straight Outta Compton sparked the first major controversy regarding hip hop lyrics when their song «Fuck tha Police» earned a letter from FBI Assistant Director, Milt Ahlerich, strongly expressing law enforcement’s resentment of the song.[135][136]
Controversy surrounded Ice-T’s album Body Count, in particular over its song «Cop Killer». The song was intended to speak from the viewpoint of a criminal getting revenge on racist, brutal cops. Ice-T’s rock song infuriated government officials, the National Rifle Association of America and various police advocacy groups.[137][138] Consequently, Time Warner Music refused to release Ice-T’s upcoming album Home Invasion because of the controversy surrounding «Cop Killer».[139] Ice-T suggested that the furor over the song was an overreaction, telling journalist Chuck Philips «…they’ve done movies about nurse killers and teacher killers and student killers. [Actor] Arnold Schwarzenegger blew away dozens of cops as the Terminator. But I don’t hear anybody complaining about that.» In the same interview, Ice-T suggested to Philips that the misunderstanding of Cop Killer and the attempts to censor it had racial overtones: «The Supreme Court says it’s OK for a white man to burn a cross in public. But nobody wants a black man to write a record about a cop killer.»[137]
The subject matter inherent in gangsta rap more generally has caused controversy. The White House administrations of both George H. W. Bush and Bill Clinton criticized the genre.[132] «The reason why rap is under attack is because it exposes all the contradictions of American culture …What started out as an underground art form has become a vehicle to expose a lot of critical issues that are not usually discussed in American politics. The problem here is that the White House and wanna-bes like Bill Clinton represent a political system that never intends to deal with inner city urban chaos,» Sister Souljah told The Times.[132] Due to the influence of Ice-T and N.W.A, gangsta rap is often viewed as a primarily West Coast phenomenon, despite the contributions of East Coast acts like Schoolly D and Boogie Down Productions in shaping the genre.
Mainstream breakthrough
In 1990, Public Enemy’s Fear of a Black Planet was a significant success with music critics and consumers.[140] The album played a key role in hip hop’s mainstream emergence in 1990, dubbed by Billboard editor Paul Grein as «the year that rap exploded».[140] In a 1990 article on its commercial breakthrough, Janice C. Thompson of Time wrote that hip hop «has grown into the most exciting development in American pop music in more than a decade.»[141] Thompson noted the impact of Public Enemy’s 1989 single «Fight the Power», rapper Tone Lōc’s single Wild Thing being the best-selling single of 1989, and that at the time of her article, nearly a third of the songs on the Billboard Hot 100 were hip hop songs.[141] In a similar 1990 article, Robert Hilburn of the Los Angeles Times put hip hop music’s commercial emergence into perspective:
It was 10 years ago that the Sugarhill Gang’s «Rapper’s Delight» became the first rap single to enter the national Top 20. Who ever figured then that the music would even be around in 1990, much less produce attractions that would command as much pop attention as Public Enemy and N.W.A? «Rapper’s Delight» was a novelty record that was considered by much of the pop community simply as a lightweight offshoot of disco—and that image stuck for years. Occasional records—including Grandmaster Flash’s «The Message» in 1982 and Run-DMC’s «It’s Like That» in 1984—won critical approval, but rap, mostly, was dismissed as a passing fancy—too repetitious, too one dimensional. Yet rap didn’t go away, and an explosion of energy and imagination in the late 1980s leaves rap today as arguably the most vital new street-oriented sound in pop since the birth of rock in the 1950s.[142]
Rap is the rock ‘n’ roll of the day. Rock ‘n’ roll was about attitude, rebellion, a big beat, sex and, sometimes, social comment. If that’s what you’re looking for now, you’re going to find it here.
— Bill Adler, Time, 1990[141]
MC Hammer hit mainstream success with the multi platinum album Please Hammer, Don’t Hurt ‘Em. The record reached No. 1 and the first single, «U Can’t Touch This» charted on the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100. MC Hammer became one of the most successful rappers of the early nineties and one of the first household names in the genre. The album raised rap music to a new level of popularity. It was the first hip-hop album certified diamond by the RIAA for sales of over ten million.[143] It remains one of the genre’s all-time best-selling albums.[144] To date, the album has sold as many as 18 million units.[145][146][147][148] Released in 1990, «Ice Ice Baby» by Vanilla Ice was the first hip hop single to top the Billboard charts in the U.S. It also reached number one in the UK, Australia among others and has been credited for helping diversify hip hop by introducing it to a mainstream audience.[149] In 1992, Dr. Dre released The Chronic. As well as helping to establish West Coast gangsta rap as more commercially viable than East Coast hip hop,[150] this album founded a style called G Funk, which soon came to dominate West Coast hip hop. The style was further developed and popularized by Snoop Dogg’s 1993 album Doggystyle. However, hip hop was still met with resistance from black radio, including urban contemporary radio stations. Russell Simmons said in 1990, «Black radio [stations] hated rap from the start and there’s still a lot of resistance to it».[142]
Despite the lack of support from some black radio stations, hip hop became a best-selling music genre in the mid-1990s and the top selling music genre by 1999 with 81 million CDs sold.[151][152][153] By the late 1990s hip hop was artistically dominated by the Wu-Tang Clan, Diddy and the Fugees.[150] The Beastie Boys continued their success throughout the decade crossing color lines and gaining respect from many different artists. Record labels based out of Atlanta, St. Louis, and New Orleans also gained fame for their local scenes. The midwest rap scene was known for fast vocal styles from artists such as Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, Tech N9ne, and Twista. By the end of the decade, hip hop was an integral part of popular music, and many American pop songs had hip hop components.
Hip hop has been described as a «mainstream subculture». The main reasons why hip hop culture secured its subcultural authority despite becoming a part of the mass media and mainstream industries can be summarized as follows. First, hip hop artists promoted symbolic and conspicuous consumption in their music from a very early stage. Second, the continuing display of resistance in hip-hop has continuously attracted new generations of rebellious fans. Third, owing to the subcultural ideal of rising from the underground, the hip hop scene has remained committed to its urban roots. Fourth, the concept of battle rap has prevented hip-hop music from excessive cultural dilution. Finally, the solidarity within the African American community has shielded the subculture from erosion through mainstream commercialization.[154]
East vs. West rivalry
The East Coast–West Coast hip hop rivalry was a feud from 1991 to 1997 between artists and fans of the East Coast hip hop and West Coast hip hop scenes in the United States, especially from 1994 to 1997. Focal points of the feud were East Coast-based rapper the Notorious B.I.G. (and his New York-based label, Bad Boy Records) and West Coast-based rapper Tupac Shakur (and his Los Angeles-based label, Death Row Records). This rivalry started before the rappers themselves hit the scene. Because New York is the birthplace of hip-hop, artists from the West Coast felt as if they were not receiving the same media coverage and public attention as the East Coast.[155] As time went on both rappers began to grow in fame and as they both became more known the tensions continued to arise. Eventually both artists were fatally shot following drive-by shootings by unknown assailants in 1997 and 1996, respectively.
East Coast hip hop
In the early 1990s East Coast hip hop was dominated by the Native Tongues posse, which was loosely composed of De La Soul with producer Prince Paul, A Tribe Called Quest, the Jungle Brothers, as well as their loose affiliates 3rd Bass, Main Source, and the less successful Black Sheep and KMD. Although originally a «daisy age» conception stressing the positive aspects of life, darker material (such as De La Soul’s thought-provoking «Millie Pulled a Pistol on Santa») soon crept in. Artists such as Masta Ace (particularly for SlaughtaHouse), Brand Nubian, Public Enemy, Organized Konfusion, and Tragedy Khadafi had a more overtly-militant pose, both in sound and manner. In 1993, the Wu-Tang Clan’s Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) revitalized the New York hip hop scene by pioneering an East Coast hardcore rap equivalent in intensity to what was being produced on the West Coast.[156] According to Allmusic, the production on two Mobb Deep albums, The Infamous (1995) and Hell on Earth (1996), are «indebted» to RZA’s early production with the Wu-Tang Clan.[157][158]
The success of albums such as Nas’s Illmatic and Notorious B.I.G.’s Ready to Die in 1994 cemented the status of the East Coast during a time of West Coast dominance. In a March 2002 issue of The Source Magazine, Nas referred to 1994 as «a renaissance of New York [City] Hip-Hop.»[159] The productions of RZA, particularly for the Wu-Tang Clan, became influential with artists such as Mobb Deep due to the combination of somewhat detached instrumental loops, highly compressed and processed drums, and gangsta lyrical content. Wu-Tang solo albums such as Raekwon the Chef’s Only Built 4 Cuban Linx, Ghostface Killah’s Ironman, and GZA’s Liquid Swords are now viewed as classics along with Wu-Tang «core» material. The clan’s base extended into further groups called «Wu-affiliates». Producers such as DJ Premier (primarily for Gang Starr but also for other affiliated artists, such as Jeru the Damaja), Pete Rock (with CL Smooth, and supplying beats for many others), Buckwild, Large Professor, Diamond D, and Q-Tip supplied beats for numerous MCs at the time, regardless of location. Albums such as Nas’s Illmatic, O.C.’s Word…Life (1994), and Jay-Z’s Reasonable Doubt (1996) are made up of beats from this pool of producers.
The rivalry between the East Coast and the West Coast rappers eventually turned personal.[160] Later in the decade the business acumen of the Bad Boy Records tested itself against Jay-Z and his Roc-A-Fella Records and, on the West Coast, Death Row Records. The mid to late 1990s saw a generation of rappers such as the members of D.I.T.C. such as the late Big L and Big Pun. On the East Coast, although the «big business» end of the market dominated matters commercially the late 1990s to early 2000s saw a number of relatively successful East Coast indie labels such as Rawkus Records (with whom Mos Def and Talib Kweli garnered success) and later Def Jux. The history of the two labels is intertwined, the latter having been started by EL-P of Company Flow in reaction to the former, and offered an outlet for more underground artists such as Mike Ladd, Aesop Rock, Mr Lif, RJD2, Cage and Cannibal Ox. Other acts such as the Hispanic Arsonists and slam poet turned MC Saul Williams met with differing degrees of success.
West Coast hip hop
After N.W.A. broke up, former member Dr. Dre released The Chronic in 1992, which peaked at No. 1 on the R&B/hip hop chart,[161] No. 3 on the pop chart, and spawned a No. 2 pop single with «Nuthin’ but a ‘G’ Thang». The Chronic took West Coast rap in a new direction,[162] influenced strongly by P funk artists, melding smooth and easy funk beats with slowly-drawled lyrics. This came to be known as G-funk and dominated mainstream hip hop in the early-mid 1990s through a roster of artists on Suge Knight’s Death Row Records, including Tupac Shakur, whose double disc album All Eyez on Me was a big hit with hit songs «Ambitionz az a Ridah» and «2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted»;[citation needed] and Snoop Doggy Dogg, whose Doggystyle included the top ten hits «What’s My Name?» and «Gin and Juice».[163] As the Los Angeles-based Death Row built an empire around Dre, Snoop, and Tupac, it also entered into a rivalry with New York City’s Bad Boy Records, led by Puff Daddy and the Notorious B.I.G.
Detached from this scene were other artists such as Freestyle Fellowship and the Pharcyde, as well as more underground artists such as the Solesides collective (DJ Shadow and Blackalicious amongst others), Jurassic 5, Ugly Duckling, People Under the Stairs, Tha Alkaholiks, and earlier Souls of Mischief, who represented a return to hip hop’s roots of sampling and well-planned rhyme schemes.
Further diversification
In the 1990s, hip hop began to diversify with other regional styles emerging on the national scene. Southern rap became popular in the early 1990s.[164] The first Southern rappers to gain national attention were the Geto Boys out of Houston, Texas.[165] Southern rap’s roots can be traced to the success of Geto Boy’s Grip It! On That Other Level in 1989, the Rick Rubin produced The Geto Boys in 1990, and We Can’t Be Stopped in 1991.[166] The Houston area also produced other artists that pioneered the early southern rap sound such as UGK and the solo career of Scarface.
Atlanta hip hop artists were key in further expanding rap music and bringing southern hip hop into the mainstream. Releases such as Arrested Development’s 3 Years, 5 Months and 2 Days in the Life Of… in 1992, Goodie Mob’s Soul Food in 1995 and OutKast’s ATLiens in 1996 were all critically acclaimed. Other distinctive regional sounds from St. Louis, Chicago, Washington D.C., Detroit and others began to gain popularity.
What once was rap now is hip hop, an endlessly various mass phenomenon that continues to polarize older rock and rollers, although it’s finally convinced some gatekeeping generalists that it may be of enduring artistic value—a discovery to which they were beaten by millions of young consumers black and white.
— Christgau’s Consumer Guide: Albums of the ’90s (2000)[167]
During the golden age, elements of hip hop continued to be assimilated into other genres of popular music. The first waves of rap rock, rapcore, and rap metal — respective fusions of hip hop and rock, hardcore punk, and heavy metal[168] — became popular among mainstream audiences at this time; Run-DMC, the Beastie Boys, and Rage Against the Machine were among the most well-known bands in these fields. In Hawaii, bands such as Sudden Rush combined hip hop elements with the local language and political issues to form a style called na mele paleoleo.[169]
Digable Planets’ 1993 release Reachin’ (A New Refutation of Time and Space) was an influential jazz rap record sampling the likes of Don Cherry, Sonny Rollins, Art Blakey, Herbie Mann, Herbie Hancock, Grant Green, and Rahsaan Roland Kirk. It spawned the hit single «Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat)» which reached No. 16 on the Billboard Hot 100.[170]
1997–2006: Bling era
Commercialization and new directions
During the late 1990s, in the wake of the deaths of Tupac Shakur and the Notorious B.I.G., a new commercial sound emerged in the hip hop scene, sometimes referred to as the «bling era»[171] (derived from Lil Wayne’s «Bling Bling»),[172] «jiggy era»[173][174] (derived from Will Smith’s «Gettin’ Jiggy wit It»), or «shiny suit era» (derived by metallic suits worn by some rappers in music videos at the time, such as in «Mo Money Mo Problems» by the Notorious B.I.G., Puff Daddy, and Mase).[175] Before the late 1990s, gangsta rap, while a huge-selling genre, had been regarded as well outside of the pop mainstream, committed to representing the experience of the inner-city and not «selling out» to the pop charts. However, the rise of Sean «Puff Daddy» Combs’s Bad Boy Records, propelled by the massive crossover success of Combs’s 1997 ensemble album No Way Out, signaled a major stylistic change in gangsta rap (and mainstream hip hop in general), as it would become even more commercially successful and popularly accepted. Silky R&B-styled hooks and production, more materialist subject matter, and samples of hit soul and pop songs from the 1970s and 1980s were the staples of this sound, which was showcased by producers such as Combs, Timbaland, the Trackmasters, the Neptunes, and Scott Storch. Also achieving similar levels of success at this time were Master P and his No Limit label in New Orleans; Master P built up a roster of artists (the No Limit posse) based out of New Orleans, and incorporated G funk and Miami bass influences in his music. The New Orleans upstart Cash Money label was also gaining popularity during this time,[176] with emerging artists such as Birdman, Lil Wayne, B.G, and Juvenile.
Many of the rappers who achieved mainstream success at this time, such as Nelly, Puff Daddy, Jay-Z, the later career of Fat Joe and his Terror Squad, Mase, Ja Rule, Fabolous, and Cam’ron, had a pop-oriented style, while others such as Big Pun, Fat Joe (in his earlier career), DMX, Eminem, 50 Cent and his G-Unit, and the Game enjoyed commercial success at this time with a grittier style. Although white rappers like the Beastie Boys, House of Pain, and 3rd Bass previously had some popular success or critical acceptance from the hip hop community, Eminem’s success, beginning in 1999 with the platinum The Slim Shady LP,[177] surprised many. Hip hop influences also found their way increasingly into mainstream pop during this period, particularly in genres such as R&B (e.g. R. Kelly, Akon, TLC, Destiny’s Child, Beyonce, Ashanti, Aaliyah, Usher), neo soul (e.g. Lauryn Hill, Erykah Badu, Jill Scott), and nu metal (e.g. Korn, Limp Bizkit).
Dr. Dre remained an important figure in this era, making his comeback in 1999 with the album 2001. In 2000, he produced The Marshall Mathers LP by Eminem, and also produced 50 Cent’s 2003 album Get Rich or Die Tryin’, which debuted at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200 charts.[178] Jay-Z represented the cultural triumph of hip hop in this era. As his career progressed, he went from performing artist to entrepreneur, label president, head of a clothing line, club owner, and market consultant—along the way breaking Elvis Presley’s record for most number one albums on the Billboard magazine charts by a solo artist.
Rise of alternative hip hop
Alternative hip hop, which was introduced in the 1980s and then declined, resurged in the early-mid 2000s with the rejuvenated interest in indie music by the general public. The genre began to attain a place in the mainstream, due in part to the crossover success of artists such as OutKast, Kanye West, and Gnarls Barkley.[179] OutKast’s 2003 album Speakerboxxx/The Love Below received high acclaim from music critics, and appealed to a wide range of listeners, being that it spanned numerous musical genres – including rap, rock, R&B, punk, jazz, indie, country, pop, electronica, and gospel. The album also spawned two number-one hit singles, and has been certified diamond by selling 11 times platinum by the RIAA for shipping more than 11 million units,[180] becoming one of the best selling hip-hop albums of all time. It also won a Grammy Award for Album of the Year at the 46th Annual Grammy Awards, being only the second rap album to do so. Previously, alternative hip hop acts had attained much critical acclaim, but received relatively little exposure through radio and other media outlets; during this time, alternative hip hop artists such as MF Doom,[181] the Roots, Dilated Peoples, Gnarls Barkley, Mos Def, and Aesop Rock[182][183] began to achieve significant recognition.
Glitch hop and wonky music
Glitch hop and wonky music evolved following the rise of trip hop, dubstep and intelligent dance music (IDM). Both glitch hop and wonky music frequently reflect the experimental nature of IDM and the heavy bass featured in dubstep songs. While trip hop has been described as being a distinct British upper-middle class take on hip-hop, glitch-hop and wonky music have much more stylistic diversity. Both genres are melting pots of influence. Glitch hop contains echoes of 1980s pop music, Indian ragas, eclectic jazz and West Coast rap. Los Angeles, London, Glasgow and a number of other cities have become hot spots for these scenes, and underground scenes have developed across the world in smaller communities. Both genres often pay homage to older and more well established electronic music artists such as Radiohead, Aphex Twin and Boards of Canada as well as independent hip hop producers like J Dilla and Madlib.
Glitch hop is a fusion genre of hip hop and glitch music that originated in the early to mid-2000s in the United States and Europe. Musically, it is based on irregular, chaotic breakbeats, glitchy basslines and other typical sound effects used in glitch music, like skips. Glitch hop artists include Prefuse 73, Dabrye and Flying Lotus.[184] Wonky is a subgenre of hip hop that originated around 2008, but most notably in the United States and United Kingdom, and among international artists of the Hyperdub music label, under the influence of glitch hop and dubstep. Wonky music is of the same glitchy style as glitch hop, but it was specifically noted for its melodies, rich with «mid-range unstable synths». Scotland has become one of the most prominent wonky scenes, with artists like Hudson Mohawke and Rustie.
Glitch hop and wonky are popular among a relatively smaller audience interested in alternative hip hop and electronic music (especially dubstep); neither glitch hop nor wonky have achieved mainstream popularity. However, artists like Flying Lotus, the Glitch Mob and Hudson Mohawke have seen success in other avenues. Flying Lotus’s music has earned multiple positive reviews on the independent music review site Pitchfork.com as well as a prominent (yet uncredited) spot during Adult Swim commercial breaks.[185][186] Hudson Mohawke is one of few glitch hop artists to play at major music festivals such as Sasquatch! Music Festival.
Crunk music
Producer Lil Jon is one of crunk’s most prominent figures.
Crunk is a regional hip hop genre that originated in Tennessee in the southern United States in the 1990s, influenced by Miami bass.[187] One of the pioneers of crunk, Lil Jon, said that it was a fusion of hip hop, electro, and electronic dance music. The style was pioneered and commercialized by artists from Memphis, Tennessee and Atlanta, Georgia, gaining considerable popularity in the mid-2000s via Lil Jon and the Ying Yang Twins.[188] Looped, stripped-down drum machine rhythms are usually used. The Roland TR-808 and 909 are among the most popular. The drum machine loops are usually accompanied by simple, repeated synthesizer melodies and heavy bass «stabs». The tempo of the music is somewhat slower than hip-hop, around the speed of reggaeton. The focal point of crunk is more often the beats and instrumental music rather than the lyrics. Crunk rappers, however, often shout and scream their lyrics, creating an aggressive, almost heavy, style of hip-hop. While other subgenres of hip-hop address sociopolitical or personal concerns, crunk is almost exclusively «party music», favoring call and response hip-hop slogans in lieu of more substantive approaches.[189] Crunk helped southern hip hop gain mainstream prominence during this period, as the classic East and West Coast styles of the 1990s gradually lost dominance.[190]
2006–2014: Blog era
Snap music and influence of the Internet
Snap rap (also known as ringtone rap) is a subgenre of crunk that emerged from Atlanta, Georgia in the late 1990s.[191] The genre gained mainstream popularity in the mid-late 2000s, and artists from other Southern states such as Tennessee also began to emerge performing in this style. Tracks commonly consist of a Roland TR-808 bass drum, hi-hat, bass, finger snapping, a main groove, and a simplistic vocal hook. Hit snap songs include «Lean wit It, Rock wit It» by Dem Franchize Boyz, «Laffy Taffy» by D4L, «It’s Goin’ Down» by Yung Joc, and «Crank That (Soulja Boy)» by Soulja Boy Tell ‘Em. In retrospect, Soulja Boy has been credited with setting trends in hip hop, such as self-publishing his songs through the Internet (which helped them go viral) and paving the way for a new wave of younger artists.[192][193]
Decline in sales
While hip hop music sales dropped a great deal in the mid-late 2000s, rappers like Flo Rida were successful online and with singles, despite low album sales.
Starting in 2005, sales of hip hop music in the United States began to severely wane, leading Time magazine to question if mainstream hip-hop was «dying.» Billboard magazine found that, since 2000, rap sales dropped 44%, and declined to 10% of all music sales, which, while still a commanding figure when compared to other genres, is a significant drop from the 13% of all music sales where rap music regularly placed.[194][195] According to Courtland Milloy of The Washington Post, for the first time on five years, no rap albums were among the top 10 sellers in 2006.[196] NPR culture critic Elizabeth Blair noted that, «some industry experts say young people are fed up with the violence, degrading imagery and lyrics.» However, the 2005 report Generation M: Media in the Lives of 8–18 Year-Olds found that hip hop music is by far the most popular music genre for children and teenagers with 65 percent of 8- to-18-year-olds listening to it on a daily basis.[197]
Other journalists say the music is just as popular as it ever was, but that fans have found other means to consume the music,[198] such as illegally downloading music through P2P networks, instead of purchasing albums and singles from legitimate stores. For example, Flo Rida is known for his low album sales regardless of his singles being mainstream and having digital success. His second album R.O.O.T.S. sold only 200,000+ total units in the U.S., which could not line up to the sales of the album’s lead single «Right Round». This also happened to him in 2008.[199] Some put the blame on hip hop becoming less lyrical over time, such as Soulja Boy’s 2007 debut album souljaboytellem.com which was met with negative reviews.[200] Lack of sampling, a key element of early hip hop, has also been noted for the decrease in quality of modern albums. For example, there are only four samples used in 2008’s Paper Trail by T.I., while there are 35 samples in 1998’s Moment of Truth by Gang Starr. The decrease in sampling is in part due to it being too expensive for producers.[201]
In Byron Hurt’s documentary Hip Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes, he claims that hip hop had changed from «clever rhymes and dance beats» to «advocating personal, social and criminal corruption.»[202] Despite the fall in record sales throughout the music industry,[203] hip-hop had remained a popular genre, with hip-hop artists still regularly topping the Billboard 200 Charts. In the first half of 2009 alone artists such as Eminem,[204] Rick Ross,[205] the Black Eyed Peas,[206] and Fabolous[207] all had albums that reached the No. 1 position on the Billboard 200 charts. Eminem’s album Relapse was one of the fastest selling albums of 2009.[208]
Innovation and revitalization
By the late 2000s, alternative hip hop had secured its place within the mainstream, due in part to the declining commercial viability of gangsta rap. Industry observers view the sales race between Kanye West’s Graduation and 50 Cent’s Curtis as a turning point for hip hop. West emerged the victor, selling nearly a million copies in the first week alone, proving that innovative rap music could be just as commercially viable as gangsta rap, if not more so.[209] Although he designed it as a melancholic pop album rather than a rap album, Kanye’s following 808s & Heartbreak would have a significant effect on hip hop music. While his decision to sing about love, loneliness, and heartache for the entirety of the album was at first heavily criticized by music audiences and the album was predicted to be a flop, its subsequent critical acclaim and commercial success encouraged other mainstream rappers to take greater creative risks with their music.[210][211] During the release of The Blueprint 3, New York rap mogul Jay-Z revealed that next studio album would be an experimental effort, stating, «… it’s not gonna be a #1 album. That’s where I’m at right now. I wanna make the most experimental album I ever made.»[212] Jay-Z elaborated that like Kanye, he was unsatisfied with contemporary hip hop, was being inspired by indie-rockers like Grizzly Bear, and asserted his belief that the indie rock movement would play an important role in the continued evolution of hip-hop.[213]
The alternative hip hop movement was not limited only to the United States, as rappers such as Somali-Canadian poet K’naan, Japanese rapper Shing02, and Sri Lankan British artist M.I.A. achieved considerable worldwide recognition. In 2009, Time magazine placed M.I.A in the Time 100 list of «World’s Most Influential people» for having «global influence across many genres.»[214][215] Global-themed movements have also sprung out of the international hip-hop scene with microgenres like «Islamic Eco-Rap» addressing issues of worldwide importance through traditionally disenfranchised voices.[216][217]
Due in part to the increasing use of music distribution through social media and blogging, many alternative and non-alternative rappers found acceptance by far-reaching audiences, hence why this era of hip hop is sometimes termed the «blog era».[218][219] Several artists, such as Kid Cudi and Drake, managed to attain chart-topping hit songs, «Day ‘n’ Nite» and «Best I Ever Had» respectively, by releasing their music on free online mixtapes without the help of a major record label. Emerging artists at the time such as Wale, Kendrick Lamar,[220] J. Cole, Lupe Fiasco, the Cool Kids, Jay Electronica, and B.o.B were noted by critics as expressing eclectic sounds, sensitive life experiences, and vulnerable emotions that were rarely seen in the prior bling era.[221][222]
Also at this time, the Auto-Tune vocal effect was bolstered in popularity by rapper T-Pain, who elaborated on the effect and made active use of Auto-Tune in his songs.[223] He cites new jack swing producer Teddy Riley and funk artist Roger Troutman’s use of the Talk Box as inspirations for his own use of Auto-Tune.[224] T-Pain became so associated with Auto-Tune that he had an iPhone app named after him that simulated the effect, called «I Am T-Pain».[225] Eventually dubbed the «T-Pain effect»,[226] the use of Auto-Tune became a popular fixture of late 2000s and early 2010s hip hop, examples being Snoop Dogg’s «Sexual Eruption»,[227] Lil Wayne’s «Lollipop»,[228] Kanye West’s album 808s & Heartbreak,[229] and the Black Eyed Peas’ number-one hit «Boom Boom Pow».[226]
2014–present: Trap and the rise of the SoundCloud rap scene
Trap music is a subgenre of Southern rap that originated in the early 1990s. It grew in the 2000s to become a mainstream sensation,[230] eventually reaching ubiquity in the mid-late 2010s and frequently having songs top the Billboard hip hop charts.[231][232][233] It is typified by double or triple-time sub-divided hi-hats,[234] heavy kick drums from the Roland TR-808 drum machine, layered synthesizers and an overall dark, ominous or bleak atmosphere.[235] The strong influence of the sound led to other artists within the genre to move towards the trap sound, with a notable example being Jay-Z and Kanye West on their joint song, «H•A•M». Other artists not within the hip hop genre have also experimented with trap, such as «7/11» by Beyoncé and «Dark Horse» by Katy Perry featuring Juicy J.
Lil Nas X was one of the rappers to emerge in the 2010s. He garnered mainstream success in 2019.[236] He is also the first successful openly gay rapper.[237]
Major artists to arise from the genre in the 2010s include Lil Nas X, Waka Flocka Flame, Future, Chief Keef, Migos, Young Thug, Travis Scott, Kodak Black, 21 Savage, Yung Lean, Lil Uzi Vert, XXXTentacion, Ski Mask the Slump God, Juice Wrld, Trippie Redd, Lil Pump, Smokepurpp, Rae Sremmurd, Tekashi 6ix9ine, NBA YoungBoy, Lil Baby, Fetty Wap, among others. Female rappers Nicki Minaj, Cardi B, Saweetie, Doja Cat, Iggy Azalea, City Girls and Megan Thee Stallion also entered the mainstream.[238] Trap artists that originated in the 2000s were able to recapture mainstream success in the 2010s with the rise of trap, including 2 Chainz, Gucci Mane and Juicy J, becoming more successful in the latter part of their career than when they debuted. Trap producers to reach mainstream success include Metro Boomin, Pi’erre Bourne, London on da Track, and Mike Will Made-It.[citation needed]
Critics of the trap genre have used the term «mumble rap» to describe the heavily auto-tuned, and sometimes hard to understand- delivery of verses from a majority of the artists.[239] Artists longstanding within the genre have had their own comments regarding the rise of mumble rap, such as Rick Rubin stating that Eminem was confused by it,[240] and Snoop Dogg claiming that he can’t differentiate between artists.[241] Black Thought, lead rapper from the Roots, stated that the «game has changed. It’s different. The standards are different, the criteria that’s taken into consideration in determining validity is different. We’re at a point in history where lyricism almost comes last in very many regards.»[242]
On July 17, 2017, Forbes reported that hip hop/R&B (which Nielsen SoundScan classifies as being the same genre) had usurped rock as the most consumed musical genre, becoming the most popular genre in music for the first time in U.S. history.[243][244][245][246]
In the 2010s, Atlanta hip hop dominated the mainstream.[247]
In the late 2010s and early 2020s, Brooklyn drill became popular since Pop Smoke emerged before his death. The 2020s decade began with Roddy Ricch as the first rapper to have a Billboard Hot 100 number-one entry.[248][249]
Age of streaming
The rise of streaming platforms such as Spotify and Apple Music in the mid-late 2010s greatly impacted the entire music business as a whole.[251][252] Despite being a free streaming-only mixtape with no commercial release, Chance the Rapper’s Coloring Book won Best Rap Album at the 2017 Grammy Awards, being the first streaming album ever to win a Grammy Award.[253][254] Kanye West has stated that his own album, Yeezus, marked the death of CDs, and thus his subsequent release, The Life of Pablo was only released digitally.[255] The Life of Pablo was also nominated for 2017 Best Rap Album. In 2017, Drake released a free streaming-only project titled More Life, which he called a «playlist», insisting that it was neither a mixtape nor an album.[256]
The online audio distribution platform SoundCloud played a massive role in the creation of various artists’ careers in the latter half of the 2010s. Mainstream acts to start on SoundCloud include Post Malone, Lil Uzi Vert, Russ, Bryson Tiller, Lil Xan, Lil Pump, Lil Peep, Lil Skies, Smokepurpp, Ski Mask the Slump God, XXXTentacion, Trippie Redd, Playboi Carti, YBN Nahmir, Tay-K, ZillaKami, Ugly God, Nav among others. These songs are usually closely related to trap, but have also been labeled separately as SoundCloud rap and sometimes emo rap. They have been characterized as usually having moody, sad undertones, and usually feature lo-fi rough production. The genre has been met with criticism for its perceived low effort in lyrics and production,[257] and the problematic nature of the artists to arise from it, such as Lil Peep’s drug abuse that led to his death,[258] the multiple assault charges to XXXTentacion,[259] 6ix9ine pleading guilty to using a child in a sexual performance,[260] and the murder charges on Tay-K.[261] On the contrary, the image of artists such as XXXTentacion have been met with praise due to perceived character improvement since their controversies.[262][263]
The most streamed hip hop album of all time on Spotify is XXXTentacion’s second album, ? (2018).[264]
In 2021, the most streamed rappers were Doja Cat and Lil Nas X.[265] Other rappers with high streams in 2021 were Drake, Eminem,[266] Lil Baby, Polo G, Megan Thee Stallion, Cardi B, Moneybagg Yo, Masked Wolf, Pop Smoke, J. Cole and Lil Durk.[267] The most streamed rap album of all time on Spotify is XXXTentacion’s second album, ? (2018).[264]
World hip hop music
Pete Rock performing at Razel and Friends – Brooklyn Bowl, 2016
Hip-hop music has reached the cultural corridors of the globe and has been absorbed and reinvented around the world.[268] Hip hop music expanded beyond the US, often blending local styles with hip hop. Hip hop has globalized into many cultures worldwide, as evident through the emergence of numerous regional scenes. It has emerged globally as a movement based upon the main tenets of hip hop culture. The music and the art continue to embrace, even celebrate, its transnational dimensions while staying true to the local cultures to which it is rooted. Hip-hop’s impact differs depending on each culture. Still, the one thing virtually all hip hop artists worldwide have in common is that they acknowledge their debt to those African American people in New York who launched the global movement.[269]
Latinos and people from the Caribbean played an integral role in the early development of hip hop in New York, and the style spread to almost every country in that region. Hip hop first developed in the South Bronx, which had a high Latino, particularly Puerto Rican, population in the 1970s.[270] Some famous rappers from New York City of Puerto Rican origin are the late Big Pun, Fat Joe, and Angie Martinez. With Latino rap groups like Cypress Hill on the American charts, Mexican rap rock groups, such as Control Machete, rose to prominence in their native land.
In many Latin American countries, as in the U.S., hip hop has been a tool with which marginalized people can articulate their struggle. Hip hop grew steadily more popular in Cuba in the 1980s and 1990s through Cuba’s Special Period that came with the fall of the Soviet Union.[271] During this period of economic crisis, which the country’s poor and black populations especially hard, hip hop became a way for the country’s Afro-descended population to embrace their blackness and articulate a demand for racial equality for black people in Cuba.[271] The idea of blackness and black liberation was not always compatible with the goals of the Cuban government, which was still operating under the idea that a raceless society was the correct realization of the Cuban Revolution. When hip-hop emerged, the Cuban government opposed the vulgar image that rappers portrayed, but later accepted that it might be better to have hip-hop under the influence of the Ministry of Culture as an authentic expression of Cuban Culture.[272] Rappers who explicitly speak about race or racism in Cuba are still under scrutiny by the government.[273] An annual Cuban hip hop concert, beginning in 1995, held at Alamar in Havana helped popularize Cuban hip hop. Famous Cuban rap groups include Krudas Cubensi and Supercrónica Obsesión.
Black and indigenous people in Latin America and Caribbean islands have been using hip hop for decades to discuss race and class issues in their respective countries. Brazilian hip hop is heavily associated with racial and economic issues in the country, where a lot of Afro-Brazilians live in economically disadvantaged communities, known in Brazil as favelas. São Paulo is where hip hop began in the country, but it soon spread all over Brazil, and today, almost every big Brazilian city, including Rio de Janeiro, Salvador, Curitiba, Porto Alegre, Belo Horizonte, Recife and Brasilia, has a hip hop scene. Some notable artists include Racionais MC’s, Thaide, and Marcelo D2. One of Brazil’s most popular rappers, MV Bill, has spent his career advocating for black youth in Rio de Janeiro.[273]
Reggaeton, a Puerto Rican style of music, has a lot of similarities with U.S.-based hip hop. Both were influenced by Jamaican music, and both incorporate rapping and call and response.[274] Dancehall music and hip from the United States are both popular music in Puerto Rico, and reggaeton is the cumulation of different musical traditions founded by Afro-descended people in the Caribbean and the United States.[275] Some of reggaeton’s most popular artists include Don Omar, Tego Calderón, and Daddy Yankee.
In Venezuela, social unrest at the end of the 1980s and beginning of the 1990s coincided with the rise of gangsta rap in the United States and led to the rise of that music in Venezuela as well. Venezuelan rappers in the 1990s generally modeled their music after gangsta rap, embracing and attempting to redefine negative stereotypes about poor and black youth as dangerous and materialistic and incorporating socially conscious critique of Venezuela’s criminalization of young, poor, Afro-descended people into their music.[276]
In Haiti, hip hop developed in the early 1980s. Master Dji and his songs «Vakans» and «Politik Pa m» are mostly credited with the rise of Haitian hip hop. What later became known as «Rap Kreyòl» grew in popularity in the late 1990s with King Posse and Original Rap Stuff. Due to cheaper recording technology and flows of equipment to Haiti, more Rap Kreyòl groups are recording songs, even after the January 12 earthquake. Haitian hip hop has recently become a way for artists of Haitian backgrounds in the Haiti and abroad to express their national identity and political opinions about their country of origin.[277] Rappers have embraced the red and blue of the Flag of Haiti and rapping in Haitian Creole to display their national origin. In the Dominican Republic, a recording by Santi Y Sus Duendes and Lisa M became the first single of merenrap, a fusion of hip hop and merengue.
In Europe, Africa, and Asia, hip hop began to move from the underground to mainstream audiences. In Europe, hip hop was the domain of both ethnic nationals and immigrants. British hip hop, for example, became a genre of its own and spawned artists such as Wiley, Dizzee Rascal, the Streets and many more. Germany produced the well-known Die Fantastischen Vier as well as several Turkish performers like the controversial Cartel, Kool Savaş, and Azad. In France, hip hop music developed itself from the end of the 80s. It can be divided into three eras:[278] The classical period, which extends from the end of the 1980s to the beginning of the 2000s marked by a majority of black artists like Oxmo Puccino, Mc Solaar, Kery James (with IdealJ), IAM, NTM,[279] the period of democratization from the 2000s,[280] with groups and artists like Lunatic, Diam’s, Sinik, Rim’K, Sefyu,[281][282][283] Sniper, Rohff, La Fouine, which are beginning to affect the French population in general and to record the first significant commercial successes. Finally, from the 2010s, French-speaking rap experienced a rather paradoxical period of innovation, the logical start of new experiments that opened up French rap to new musical genres, such as trap, drill or «folk» rap. This period is distinguished by the great variety of French hip hop music, where several movements beginning to separate, artists like Booba, Kaaris, JuL, Gims, Freeze Corleone, Ziak or Soolking try to innovate and look for new tracks to explore. In the Netherlands, important nineties rappers include the Osdorp Posse, a crew from Amsterdam, Extince, from Oosterhout, and Postmen. Italy found its own rappers, including Jovanotti and Articolo 31, grow nationally renowned, while the Polish scene began in earnest early in the decade with the rise of PM Cool Lee. In Romania, B.U.G. Mafia came out of Bucharest’s Pantelimon neighborhood, and their brand of gangsta rap underlines the parallels between life in Romania’s Communist-era apartment blocks and in the housing projects of America’s ghettos.
One of the countries outside the US where hip-hop is most popular is the United Kingdom. Grime, a genre of music derived from UK Garage and drum and bass and influenced by hip hop, emerged in the early 2000s with artists such as Dizzee Rascal becoming successful. Although it is immensely popular, many British politicians criticize the music for what they see as promoting theft and murder, similar to gangsta rap in America. These criticisms have been deemed racist by the mostly Black British grime industry. Despite its controversial nature, grime has had a major effect on British fashion and pop music, with many young working-class youth emulating the clothing worn by grime stars like Dizzee Rascal and Wiley. There are many subgenres of grime, including «Rhythm and Grime,» a mix of R&B and grime, and grindie, a mix of indie rock and grime popularized by indie rock band Hadouken!
In Germany and France, gangsta rap has become popular among youths who like the violent and aggressive lyrics. Some German rappers openly or comically flirt with Nazism; for example, Bushido (born Anis Mohamed Youssef Ferchichi) raps «Salutiert, steht stramm, Ich bin der Leader wie A» (Salute, stand to attention, I am the leader like ‘A’) and Fler had a hit with the record Neue Deutsche Welle (New German Wave) complete with the title written in Third Reich style Gothic print and advertised with an Adolf Hitler quote. These references also spawned great controversy in Germany. Meanwhile, in France, artists like Kery James’ Idéal J maintained a radical, anti-authoritarian attitude and released songs like Hardcore which attacked the growth of the French far right. In the Netherlands, MC Brainpower went from being an underground battle rapper to mainstream recognition in the Benelux, thus influencing numerous rap artists in the region. In Israel, rapper Subliminal reaches out to Israeli youth with political and religious-themed lyrics, usually with a Zionist message.
The German rapper Fler caused significant controversy with his music.
In Asia, mainstream stars rose to prominence in the Philippines, led by Francis Magalona, Rap Asia, MC Lara and Lady Diane. In Japan, where underground rappers had previously found a limited audience, and popular teen idols brought a style called J-rap to the top of the charts in the middle of the 1990s. Of particular importance is the influence on East Asian nations, where hip hop music has become fused with local popular music to form different styles such as K-pop, C-pop and J-pop.
In South Africa, the hip hop scene overlaps with kwaito, a music genre that emphasizes African culture and social issues. Prominent South African rappers include Cassper Nyovest and Big Zulu.
Israel’s hip hop grew greatly in popularity at the end of the decade, with several stars both Palestinian (Tamer Nafar) and Israeli (Subliminal). In Portugal hip hop has his own kind of rapping, which is more political and underground scene, they are known for Valete, Dealema and Halloween. Russian hip hop emerged during last years of Soviet Union and cemented later, with groups like Malchishnik and Bad Balance enjoying mainstream popularity in the 1990s, while Ligalize and Kasta were popular in the 2000s. In former Yugoslavia hip hop first appeared during the 1980s mostly with Serbian hip hop with performers such as B-boy, the Master Scratch Band, Badvajzer, and others. During the late 1990s hip hop had a boom, with Rambo Amadeus and later Beogradski sindikat becoming a major performer. Bosnian and Herzegovinian hip hop is nowadays dominated by Edo Maajka. In the region hip hop is often used as a political and social message in song themes such as war, profiteering, corruption, etc. Frenkie, another Bosnian rapper, is associated with Edo Maajka, and has collaborated beyond Bosnian borders.
In Tanzania in the early 2000s, local hip hop artists became popular by infusing local styles of Afrobeat and arabesque melodies, dancehall and hip-hop beats with Swahili lyrics.
In the 2010s, hip hop became popular in Canada with Canadians rappers such as Drake, Nav, Belly and Tory Lanez. Drake was the most streamed artist of the decade.[286]
See also
- Hip hop and social injustice
- Homophobia in hip hop culture
- List of hip hop festivals
- List of hip hop genres
- List of murdered hip hop musicians
- Misogyny in rap music
- Music of the United States
- List of hip hop musicians
- Video vixen
Notes
- ^ «Hip-Hop’s Jazz Roots». Merriam-Urban Jazz. Urban Jazz, Incorporated. Archived from the original on December 16, 2019. Retrieved August 24, 2015.
- ^ Ruth Blatt (April 10, 2014). «Why Rap Creates Entrepreneurs». Forbes. Retrieved November 25, 2019.
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- ^ a b «XXXTentacion’s ‘?’ Becomes Spotify’s No. 1 Rap Album Of All Time». HipHopDX. February 18, 2022.
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- ^ Rivera, Raquel Z. (2003). New York Ricans from the hip hop zone (1st ed.). New York: Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN 1403960445. OCLC 51031024.
- ^ a b Perry, Marc D. (December 30, 2015). Negro soy yo: hip hop and raced citizenship in neoliberal Cuba. Durham. ISBN 9780822358855. OCLC 903675195.
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- ^ a b Gates, Henry Louis (2011). Black in Latin America. New York: New York University Press. p. 219. ISBN 9780814738184. OCLC 692291843.
- ^ Castillo-Garsow, Melissa; Planas, Melissa Castillo; Nichols, Jason (2016). La verdad: an international dialogue on hip hop Latinidades. Columbus. p. 84. ISBN 9780814213155. OCLC 945948404.
- ^ Castillo-Garsow, Melissa; Planas, Melissa Castillo; Nichols, Jason (2016). La verdad: an international dialogue on hip hop Latinidades. Columbus. p. 85. ISBN 9780814213155. OCLC 945948404.
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- ^ Castillo-Garsow, Melissa; Planas, Melissa Castillo; Nichols, Jason (2016). La verdad: an international dialogue on hip hop Latinidades. Columbus. p. 253. ISBN 9780814213155. OCLC 945948404.
- ^ Hammou, Karim (2020). «Quarante ans de rap français». CRESPPA — Centre de Recherches Sociologiques et Politiques de Paris (in French). Retrieved November 30, 2022.
- ^ Les 100 albums légendaires du rap. Consart éd. 2013. ISBN 978-2-940464-38-8. OCLC 851914668. Retrieved November 1, 2022.
- ^ Brunon, Laura; Fernandez, Mariano; Impr. Chirat) (2010). Quand le rap sort de sa bulle sociologie politique d’un succès populaire. Irma. ISBN 978-2-916668-28-4. OCLC 690359542. Retrieved November 30, 2022.
- ^ Le rap ou L’artisanat de la rime: stylistique de l’egotrip. L’Harmattan. 2008. ISBN 978-2-296-06783-7. OCLC 470589497. Retrieved November 30, 2022.
- ^ Genono (May 9, 2021). «Sefyu: les 15 ans de «Qui suis-je ?»«. Mouv’ (in French). Retrieved November 29, 2022.
- ^ «Sefyu: Retour sur la carrière du rappeur d’Aulnay». Hip Hop Corner: Actu rap français, US et culture (in French). July 4, 2017. Retrieved December 13, 2022.
Pour raviver les souvenirs liés à Sefyu, il faut se reporter au début des années 2 000. Youssef Soukouna n’était à l’origine même pas dévoué au rap. Là ou il témoigne d’un talent précoce en rédigeant ses premières rimes assez tôt, c’est d’avantage sa maîtrise du ballon rond qui le caractérise. Toutefois membre d’un groupe local avec ses amis Baba et Kuamen(NCC: Nouveaux Clandés de la Cité, puis rebaptisé New City Connection) en parallèle, il délaissera finalement le sport afin de se consacrer pleinement à son activité artistique. A Londres, puisqu’il s’entrainait au centre de formation d’Arsenal, il se blesse grièvement au genoux et rentre à Paris. Quittant également NCC, il décide de s’immerger pleinement dans le rap. C’est l’occasion d’enchaîner plusieurs apparitions, notamment aux côtés de Rohff sur Code 187 (album «La Fierté des Nôtres»).
- ^ «Blockfest 2016». Visit Tampere (in Finnish). Visit Tampere Matkailuneuvonta. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
- ^ «Hiphop-festivaali Blockfest myytiin loppuun ennätysajassa». YLE (in Finnish). July 2, 2019. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
- ^ Cowie, Del (February 1, 2021). «The Decade in Canadian Hip-hop, 2010–2020». Socan Magazine. Retrieved January 3, 2022.
References
- David Toop (1984/1991). Rap Attack II: African Rap To Global Hip Hop. New York. New York: Serpent’s Tail. ISBN 1-85242-243-2.
- McLeod, Kembrew. Interview with Chuck D and Hank Shocklee. 2002. Stay Free Magazine.
- Corvino, Daniel and Livernoche, Shawn (2000). A Brief History of Rhyme and Bass: Growing Up With Hip Hop. Tinicum, PA: Xlibris Corporation/The Lightning Source, Inc. ISBN 1-4010-2851-9[self-published source]
- Hess, Mickey (2009). Hip Hop in America: A Regional Guide: Volume 1: East Coast and West Coast Greenwood. ISBN 0313343233
- Rose, Tricia (1994). «Black Noise». Middletown, Connecticut: Wesleyan University Press. ISBN 0-8195-6275-0
- Potter, Russell (1995) Spectacular Vernaculars: Hip-Hop and the Politics of Postmodernism. Albany: SUNY Press. ISBN 0-7914-2626-2
- Light, Alan (ed). (1999). The VIBE History of Hip-Hop. New York: Three Rivers Press. ISBN 0-609-80503-7
- George, Nelson (2000, rev. 2005). Hip-Hop America. New York: Penguin Books. ISBN 0-14-028022-7
- Fricke, Jim and Ahearn, Charlie (eds). (2002). Yes Yes Y’All: The Experience Music Project Oral History of Hip Hop’s First Decade. New York: Da Capo Press. ISBN 0-306-81184-7
- Kitwana, Bakar (2004). The State of Hip-Hop Generation: how hip-hop’s culture movement is evolving into political power. Retrieved December 4, 2006. From Ohio Link Database
- Chang, Jeff (2005). Can’t Stop Won’t Stop: A History of the Hip-Hop Generation. Picador, ISBN 0-312-42579-1.
Further reading
- George, Nelson. Hip Hop America. Penguin, 2005.
- Katz, Mark. Groove Music. The Art and Culture of the Hip Hop DJ. OUP, 2012.
External links
- Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop: A History of the Hip-Hop Generation—by Jeff Chang
- «Back in the Days»—Vibe
- «Rap: Striking Tales of Black Frustration and Pride Shake the Pop Mainstream»—by Robert Hilburn
- When did Reggae become Rap? by D. George
- «National Geographic Hip Hop Overview». Archived from the original on October 14, 2008. Retrieved February 23, 2009.
- Olivo, W. (March 2001). «Phat Lines: Spelling Conventions in Rap Music». Written Language & Literacy. 4 (1): 67–85. doi:10.1075/wll.4.1.05oli.
- «The Uncivil War: The battle between the Establishment and supporters of rap music reopens old wounds of race and class»—by Chuck Philips
- The Historical Roots of Hip Hop
- WhoSampled – a user-generated database of interpolations and samples, covers and remixes, in all types of music, with an emphasis on hip-hop
Rapping is one of the most popular trends in music, and it’s paved the way for many artists. Basically, it’s delivering rhymes quickly through a particular kind of vocal delivery. No matter how old you are or whichever part of the world you’re from, you’ve definitely encountered rap.
Your digital playlist probably has a rap song or two in it, from artists such as Drake or Tory Lanez. You probably even know someone who has rap songs either on their SoundCloud or YouTube channel. It’s such a popular format that it’s sometimes even used in schools. A few years ago, rap was even the foundation for the lyrics and music of the smash Broadway hit show Hamilton: An American Musical.
However, not everyone that dabbles in rap gets it quite right. Sometimes, people write rap punchlines with the right intent, but the delivery or overall product fails. Wordplay is an integral part of rap; sometimes, pronunciation gets played around with to make certain words fit.
Here is a comprehensive list of rhyming words for rap, aside from the classic “fo’shizzle my nizzle” phrase:
- ace, base
- apparently, evidently
- batter, tatter
- better, letter
- bosom, blossom
- cadger, badger
- caliph, bailiff
- chiefly, briefly
- claustral, austral
- deeply, cheaply
- egg, peg
- fear, rear
- fluid, druid
- gambit, ambit
- gerund, errand
- goddess, bodice
- Guinness, finesse
- harken, darken
- island, highland
- itch, witch
- jackpot, crackpot
- jargon, bargain
- languish, anguish
- lawful, awful
- leverage, beverage
- loathing, clothing
- Manila, vanilla
- mascot, ascot
- melon, felon
- mix, sticks
- mountain, fountain
- nourish, flourish
- oven, coven
- padre, cadre
- panther, anther
- partridge, cartridge
- perish, cherish
- phantom, bantam
- piggin, biggin
- pigment, figment
- plaudit, audit
- postal, coastal
- pullet, bullet
- rankle, ankle
- ribbon, gibbon
- scornful, mournful
- sequence, frequence
- sergeant, argent
- sonnet, bonnet
- sparsely, parsley
- sting, ring
- stipend, ripened
- Sydney, kidney
- tavern, cavern
- textile, sextile
- think, pink
- toffee, coffee
- triplane, biplane
- valour, pallor
- warper, torpor
- wasteful, tasteful
- wet, yet
- wilder, milder
- winnow, minnow
- witness, fitness
- wombat, combat
It’s also good to keep homonyms, or words that are spelled and/or pronounced the same but mean completely different things, handy in rap. The act of having “read” a text message, for example, can rhyme with a “red” doorway. Other examples include: “whole” and “hole”, “fare” and “fair”, “pale” and “pail”, “isle” and “aisle”, “wait” and “weight”, “tale” and “tail”, and even the word “fired”. You can get fired up as in excited, or fired from your job as in no longer gainfully employed. There’s also the word “lighter”, which can refer to the device that provides fire or the opposite of heavy. “Lie” can refer to something false that is presented as truth or the act of lying down.
Conclusion
Rap is an incredible art form in the wide world of music. Sometimes, people end up writing rhymes just for the sake of fitting into their rap’s rhythm. It’s key to look into the plethora of words available to be played with for you to write raps that don’t just sound good but are technically sound as well.
Are you in need of a rap words list to make the best rap song? Visit RhymeMakers today! Learn how to rap through instructional videos and take an online course
on rapping.
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Hip hop or hip-hop is a culture and art movement that was created by African Americans, Latino Americans and Caribbean Americans in the Bronx, New York City.[a] Hip hop culture is characterized by four key elements: rapping[b], DJing and turntablism, breakdancing, and graffiti.[2][3][4] Other elements include historical knowledge of the movement, beatboxing, street entrepreneurship, hip hop language, and hip hop fashion.[5][6][7] Some of these are argued to be the “fifth element”.[8]
Two hip hop DJs creating new music by mixing tracks from multiple record players. Pictured are DJ Hypnotize (left) and Baby Cee (right).
The Bronx hip hop scene emerged in the mid-1970s from neighborhood block parties thrown by the Black Spades, an African American group that has been described as being a gang, a club, and a music group. Brother-sister duo DJ Kool Herc and Cindy Campbell additionally hosted DJ parties in the Bronx and are credited for the rise in the genre.[9] Hip hop culture has spread to both urban and suburban communities throughout the United States and subsequently the world.[10] These elements were adapted and developed considerably, particularly as the art forms spread to new continents and merged with local styles in the 1990s and subsequent decades. Even as the movement continues to expand globally and explore myriad styles and art forms, including hip hop theater and hip hop film, the four foundational elements provide coherence and a strong foundation for hip hop culture.[11]
Hip hop is simultaneously a new and old phenomenon; the importance of sampling tracks, beats, and basslines from old records to the art form means that much of the culture has revolved around the idea of updating classic recordings, attitudes, and experiences for modern audiences. Sampling older culture and reusing it in a new context or a new format is called «flipping» in hip hop culture.[12] Hip hop music follows in the footsteps of earlier African-American-rooted and Latino musical genres such as blues, jazz, rag-time, funk, salsa, and disco to become one of the most practiced genres worldwide.
In the 2000s, with the rise of new media platforms such as online music streaming services, fans discovered and downloaded or streamed hip hop music through social networking sites beginning with Blackplanet & Myspace, as well as from websites like YouTube, Worldstarhiphop, SoundCloud, and Spotify.[13][14]
Etymology
Keith «Cowboy» Wiggins, a member of Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, has been credited with coining the term[15] in 1978 while teasing a friend who had just joined the US Army by scat singing the made-up words «hip/hop/hip/hop» in a way that mimicked the rhythmic cadence of marching soldiers. Cowboy later worked the «hip hop» cadence into his stage performance.[16][17] The group frequently performed with disco artists who would refer to this new type of music by calling them «hip hoppers». The name was originally meant as a sign of disrespect but soon came to identify this new music and culture.[18]
The song «Rapper’s Delight» by The Sugarhill Gang, released in 1979, begins with the phrase «I said a hip, hop, the hippie the hippie to the hip hip hop, and you don’t stop».[19] The 1980 hit Rapture by Blondie contains a rapping part with the line «And you hip-hop, and you don’t stop, just blast off, sure shot.» Lovebug Starski — a Bronx DJ who put out a single called «The Positive Life» in 1981 – and DJ Hollywood then began using the term when referring to this new disco rap music. Bill Alder, an independent consultant, once said, «There was hardly ever a moment when rap music was underground, one of the first so-called rap records, was a monster hit (‘Rapper’s Delight’ by the Sugar Hill Gang on Sugarhill Records).»[20]
Hip hop pioneer and South Bronx community leader Afrika Bambaataa also credits Lovebug Starski as the first to use the term «hip hop» as it relates to the culture. Bambaataa, former leader of the Black Spades, also did much to further popularize the term. The first use of the term in print, referring specifically to the culture and its elements, was in a January 1982 interview of Afrika Bambaataa by Michael Holman in the East Village Eye.[21] The term gained further currency in September of that year in The Village Voice, in a profile of Bambaataa written by Steven Hager, who also published the first comprehensive history of the culture with St. Martins’ Press.[16][22]
History
1970s
In the 1970s, an underground urban movement known as «hip hop» began to form in the Bronx, New York City. It focused on emceeing (or MCing) over house parties and neighborhood block party events, held outdoors. Hip hop music has been a powerful medium for protesting the impact of legal institutions on minorities, particularly police and prisons.[23] Historically, hip hop arose out of the ruins of a post-industrial and ravaged South Bronx, as a form of expression of urban Black and Latino youth, whom the public and political discourse had written off as marginalized communities.[23]
Jamaican-born DJ Clive «Kool Herc» Campbell[24] pioneered the use of DJing percussion «breaks» in hip hop music. Beginning at Herc’s home in a high-rise apartment at 1520 Sedgwick Avenue, the movement later spread across the entire borough.[25] On August 11, 1973 DJ Kool Herc was the DJ at his sister’s back-to-school party. He extended the beat of a record by using two record players, isolating the percussion «breaks» by using a mixer to switch between the two records. Kool Herc’s sister, Cindy Campbell, produced and funded the Back to School Party that became the «Birth of Hip Hop».[26]
According to local sources, at a Sedgwick Avenue party on August 11, 1973, Herc introduced an original turntablist style – known as «breakbeat»[27] – that later became an essential element of modern hip hop.[28] According to Peter Shapiro, while Herc’s innovation «laid the foundations for hip hop … it was another DJ, Grand wizzard Theodore, who created its signature flourish in 1977 or 1978» – «scratching».[27]
A second key musical element in hip hop music is emceeing (also called MCing or rapping). Emceeing is the rhythmic spoken delivery of rhymes and wordplay, delivered at first without accompaniment and later done over a beat. This spoken style was influenced by the African American style style of «capping», a performance where men tried to outdo each other in originality of their language and tried to gain the favor of the listeners.[29] The basic elements of hip hop—boasting raps, rival «posses» (groups), uptown «throw-downs», and political and social commentary—were all long present in African American music.
MCing and rapping performers moved back and forth between the predominance of toasting songs packed with a mix of boasting, ‘slackness’ and sexual innuendo and a more topical, political, socially conscious style. The role of the MC originally was as a Master of Ceremonies for a DJ dance event. The MC would introduce the DJ and try to pump up the audience. The MC spoke between the DJ’s songs, urging everyone to get up and dance. MCs would also tell jokes and use their energetic language and enthusiasm to rev up the crowd. Eventually, this introducing role developed into longer sessions of spoken, rhythmic wordplay, and rhyming, which became rapping.
By 1979 hip hop music had become a mainstream genre. It spread across the world in the 1990s with controversial «gangsta» rap.[30] Herc also developed upon break-beat deejaying,[31] where the breaks of funk songs—the part most suited to dance, usually percussion-based—were isolated and repeated for the purpose of all-night dance parties. This form of music playback, using hard funk and rock, formed the basis of hip hop music. Campbell’s announcements and exhortations to dancers would lead to the syncopated, rhymed spoken accompaniment now known as rapping. He dubbed his dancers «break-boys» and «break-girls», or simply b-boys and b-girls. According to Herc, «breaking» was also street slang for «getting excited» and «acting energetically»[32]
DJs such as Grand Wizzard Theodore, Grandmaster Flash, and Jazzy Jay refined and developed the use of breakbeats, including cutting and scratching.[33] The approach used by Herc was soon widely copied, and by the late 1970s, DJs were releasing 12-inch records where they would rap to the beat. Influential tunes included Fatback Band’s «King Tim III (Personality Jock)», The Sugarhill Gang’s «Rapper’s Delight», and Kurtis Blow’s «Christmas Rappin'», all released in 1979.[34][dead link] Herc and other DJs would connect their equipment to power lines and perform at venues such as public basketball courts and at 1520 Sedgwick Avenue, Bronx, New York, now officially a historic building.[35]
The equipment consisted of numerous speakers, turntables, and one or more microphones.[36] By using this technique, DJs could create a variety of music, but according to Rap Attack by David Toop «At its worst the technique could turn the night into one endless and inevitably boring song».[37] KC The Prince of Soul, a rapper-lyricist with Pete DJ Jones, is often credited with being the first rap lyricist to call himself an «MC».[38]
Street gangs were prevalent in the poverty of the South Bronx, and much of the graffiti, rapping, and b-boying at these parties were all artistic variations on the competition and one-upmanship of street gangs. Sensing that gang members’ often violent urges could be turned into creative ones, Afrika Bambaataa founded the Zulu Nation, a loose confederation of street-dance crews, graffiti artists, and rap musicians. By the late 1970s, the culture had gained media attention, with Billboard magazine printing an article titled «B Beats Bombarding Bronx», commenting on the local phenomenon and mentioning influential figures such as Kool Herc.[39]
The New York City blackout of 1977 saw widespread looting, arson, and other citywide disorders especially in the Bronx[40] where a number of looters stole DJ equipment from electronics stores. As a result, the hip hop genre, barely known outside of the Bronx at the time, grew at an astounding rate from 1977 onward.[41]
DJ Kool Herc’s house parties gained popularity and later moved to outdoor venues to accommodate more people. Hosted in parks, these outdoor parties became a means of expression and an outlet for teenagers, where «instead of getting into trouble on the streets, teens now had a place to expend their pent-up energy.»[42] Tony Tone, a member of the Cold Crush Brothers, stated that «hip hop saved a lot of lives».[42]
For inner-city youth, participating in hip hop culture became a way of dealing with the hardships of life as minorities within America, and an outlet to deal with the risk of violence and the rise of gang culture. MC Kid Lucky mentions that «people used to break-dance against each other instead of fighting».[43][full citation needed] Inspired by DJ Kool Herc, Afrika Bambaataa created a street organization called Universal Zulu Nation, centered around hip hop, as a means to draw teenagers out of gang life, drugs and violence.[42]
The lyrical content of many early rap groups focused on social issues, most notably in the seminal track «The Message» (1982) by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, which discussed the realities of life in the housing projects.[44] «Young black Americans coming out of the civil rights movement have used hip hop culture in the 1980s and 1990s to show the limitations of the movement.»[45] Hip hop gave young African Americans a voice to let their issues be heard; «Like rock-and-roll, hip hop is vigorously opposed by conservatives because it romanticizes violence, law-breaking, and gangs».[45] It also gave people a chance for financial gain by «reducing the rest of the world to consumers of its social concerns.»[45]
In late 1979, Debbie Harry of Blondie took Nile Rodgers of Chic to such an event, as the main backing track used was the break from Chic’s «Good Times».[34] The new style influenced Harry, and Blondie’s later hit single from 1981 «Rapture» became the first major single containing hip hop elements by a white group or artist to hit number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100—the song itself is usually considered new wave and fuses heavy pop music elements, but there is an extended rap by Harry near the end.
1980s
In 1980, Kurtis Blow released his self-titled debut album featuring the single «The Breaks», which became the first certified gold rap song.[46] In 1982, Afrika Bambaataa and the Soulsonic Force released the electro-funk track «Planet Rock». Instead of simply rapping over disco beats, Bambaataa and producer Arthur Baker created an electronic sound using the Roland TR-808 drum machine and sampling from Kraftwerk.[47] «Planet Rock» is widely regarded as a turning point; fusing electro with hip hop, it was «like a light being switched on», resulting in a new genre.[48]
The track also helped popularize the 808, which became a cornerstone of hip hop music;[49] Wired and Slate both described the machine as hip hop’s equivalent to the Fender Stratocaster, which had dramatically influenced the development of rock music.[50][51] Released in 1986, Licensed to Ill by the Beastie Boys became the first rap LP to top the Billboard album chart.[52] Beastie Boys were also one of the first white hip hop artists and a highly influential band in the history of hip hop, ranked as No.12 most influential band by Spin Magazine.[53]
Other groundbreaking records released in 1982 include «The Message» by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, «Nunk» by Warp 9, «Hip Hop, Be Bop (Don’t Stop)» by Man Parrish, «Magic Wand» by Whodini, and «Buffalo Gals» by Malcolm McLaren. In 1983, Hashim created the influential electro funk tune «Al-Naafiysh (The Soul)», while Warp 9’s «Light Years Away»(1983), «a cornerstone of early 80s beat box afrofuturism», introduced socially conscious themes from a Sci-Fi perspective, paying homage to music pioneer Sun Ra.[54]
Encompassing graffiti art, MCing/rapping, DJing and b-boying, hip hop became the dominant cultural movement of the minority-populated urban communities in the 1980s.[55] The 1980s also saw many artists make social statements through hip hop. In 1982, Melle Mel and Duke Bootee recorded «The Message» (officially credited to Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five),[56] a song that foreshadowed the socially conscious statements of Run-DMC’s «It’s like That» and Public Enemy’s «Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos».[57]
During the 1980s, hip hop also embraced the creation of rhythm by using the human body, via the vocal percussion technique of beatboxing. Pioneers such as Doug E. Fresh,[58] Biz Markie and Buffy from the Fat Boys made beats, rhythm, and musical sounds using their mouth, lips, tongue, voice, and other body parts. «Human Beatbox» artists would also sing or imitate turntablism scratching or other instrument sounds.
The appearance of music videos changed entertainment: they often glorified urban neighborhoods.[59] The music video for «Planet Rock» showcased the subculture of hip hop musicians, graffiti artists, and b-boys/b-girls. Many hip hop-related films were released between 1982 and 1985, among them Wild Style, Beat Street, Krush Groove, Breakin, and the documentary Style Wars. These films expanded the appeal of hip hop beyond the boundaries of New York.
By 1984, youth worldwide were embracing the hip hop culture. The hip hop artwork and «slang» of U.S. urban communities quickly found its way to Europe, as the culture’s global appeal took root. This was especially notable in the United Kingdom, where British hip hop grew its own voice and style from the 1980s, with rappers such as She Rockers, MC Duke, and Derek B, followed by Silver Bullet, Monie Love, Caveman, and London Posse.
Women artists have also been at the forefront of the hip hop movement since its inception in the Bronx. Nevertheless, as gangsta rap became the dominant force in hip hop music, there were many songs with misogynistic (anti-women) lyrics and many music videos depicted women in a sexualized fashion. The negation of female voice and perspective is an issue that has come to define mainstream hip hop music. The recording industry is less willing to back female artists than their male counterparts, and when it does back them, often it places emphasis on their sexuality over their musical substance and artistic abilities.[60] Since the turn of the century, female hip hop artists have struggled to get mainstream attention, with only a few, such as older artists like the female duo Salt N’ Pepa to more contemporary ones like Lil’ Kim and Nicki Minaj, reaching platinum status.[60]
1990s
With the commercial success of gangsta rap in the early 1990s, the emphasis in lyrics shifted to drugs, violence, and misogyny. Early proponents of gangsta rap included groups and artists such as Ice-T, who recorded what some consider to be the first gangsta rap single, «6 in the Mornin'»,[61] and N.W.A whose second album Niggaz4Life became the first gangsta rap album to enter the charts at number one.[62]
Gangsta rap also played an important part in hip hop becoming a mainstream commodity. Considering albums such as N.W.A’s Straight Outta Compton, Eazy-E’s Eazy-Duz-It, and Ice Cube’s AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted were selling in such high numbers meant that black teens were no longer hip hop’s sole buying audience.[63] As a result, gangsta rap became a platform for artists who chose to use their music to spread political and social messages to parts of the country that were previously unaware of the conditions of ghettos.[61] While hip hop music now appeals to a broader demographic, media critics argue that socially and politically conscious hip hop has been largely disregarded by mainstream America.[64]
2000s
With Hip-Hop starting to grab traction, the early 2000s was a turning point for the genre that influenced the sound, lifestyle and the fashion of the decade.[65] At the time, The Beatles had the top selling album of the 2000s until Eminem surpassed them with 32.2 million in sales.[66] While sampling has always been a central part of hip hop music, Kanye West’s The College Dropout offered new innovations in the genre. The album, released in 2004, sold over 4 million copies worldwide,[67] has been noted by critics for its manipulation of samples, many pulled from pop culture, where West would speed up or slow down the original beat, a trend that became popular as a result.[68] For example, West’s debut single «Through the Wire» used a sped-up sample from Chaka Khan’s song «Through the Fire». This tactic became known as the «chipmunk soul sound.»[68]
Global innovations
According to the U.S. Department of State, hip hop is «now the center of a mega music and fashion industry around the world» that crosses social barriers and cuts across racial lines. National Geographic recognizes hip hop as «the world’s favorite youth culture» in which «just about every country on the planet seems to have developed its own local rap scene.»[70] Through its international travels, hip hop is now considered a «global musical epidemic».[71]
According to The Village Voice, hip hop is «custom-made to combat the anomie that preys on adolescents wherever nobody knows their name.»[72]
Hip hop sounds and styles differ from region to region, but there are also instances of fusion genres.[73] Hip hop culture has grown from the avoided genre to a genre that is followed by millions of fans worldwide. This was made possible by the adaptation of music in different locations, and the influence on style of behavior and dress.[74]
Not all countries have embraced hip hop, where «as can be expected in countries with strong local culture, the interloping wildstyle of hip hop is not always welcomed».[75] This is somewhat the case in Jamaica, the homeland of the culture’s father, DJ Kool Herc. However, despite hip hop music produced on the island lacking widespread local and international recognition, artists such as Five Steez have defied the odds by impressing online hip hop taste-makers and even reggae critics.[76]
Hartwig Vens argues that hip hop can also be viewed as a global learning experience.[77] Author Jeff Chang argues that «the essence of hip hop is the cipher, born in the Bronx, where competition and community feed each other.»[78] He also adds, «Thousands of organizers from Cape Town to Paris use hip hop in their communities to address environmental justice, policing and prisons, media justice, and education.».[79]
While hip hop music has been criticized as a music that creates a divide between western music and music from the rest of the world[by whom? – Discuss], a musical «cross pollination» has taken place, which strengthens the power of hip hop to influence different communities.[80] Hip hop’s messages allow the under-privileged and the mistreated to be heard.[77] These cultural translations cross borders.[79] While the music may be from a foreign country, the message is something that many people can relate to- something not «foreign» at all.[81]
Even when hip hop is transplanted to other countries, it often retains its «vital progressive agenda that challenges the status quo.»[79] In Gothenburg, Sweden, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) incorporate graffiti and dance to engage disaffected immigrant and working class youths. Hip hop has played a small but distinct role as the musical face of revolution in the Arab Spring, one example being an anonymous Libyan musician, Ibn Thabit, whose anti-government songs fueled the rebellion.[82]
Commercialization
Rapper, entrepreneur and executive Jay-Z emphasizes his wealth.
In the early-to-mid 1980s, there wasn’t an established hip hop music industry, as exists in the 2020s, with record labels, record producers, managers and Artists and Repertoire staff. Politicians and businesspeople maligned and ignored the hip hop movement. Most hip hop artists performed in their local communities and recorded in underground scenes.[83]
However, in the late 1980s, music industry executives realized that they could capitalize on the success of «gangsta rap». They made a formula that created «a titillating buffet of hypermasculinity and glorified violence.» This type of rap was marketed to the new fan base: white males. They ignored the depictions of a harsh reality to focus on the sex and violence involved.[83]
In an article for The Village Voice, Greg Tate argues that the commercialization of hip hop is a negative and pervasive phenomenon, writing that «what we call hiphop is now inseparable from what we call the hip hop industry, in which the nouveau riche and the super-rich employers get richer».[45] Ironically, this commercialization coincides with a decline in rap sales and pressure from critics of the genre.[84] Even other musicians, like Nas and KRS-ONE have claimed «hip hop is dead» in that it has changed so much over the years to cater to the consumer that it has lost the essence for which it was originally created.
However, in his book In Search Of Africa,[85] Manthia Diawara states that hip hop is really a voice of people who are marginalized in modern society. He argues that the «worldwide spread of hip hop as a market revolution» is actually global «expression of poor people’s desire for the good life», and that this struggle aligns with «the nationalist struggle for citizenship and belonging, but also reveals the need to go beyond such struggles and celebrate the redemption of the black individual through tradition.» The problem may not be that female rappers do not have the same opportunities and recognition as their male counterparts; it may be that the music industry that is so defined by gender biases. Industry executives seem to bet on the idea that men won’t want to listen to female rappers, so they are given fewer opportunities.[86]
As the hip hop genre has changed since the 1980s, the African-American cultural «tradition» that Diawara describes has little place in hip hop’s mainstream artists music. The push toward materialism and market success by contemporary rappers such as Rick Ross, Lil Wayne and Jay Z has irked older hip hop fans and artists. They see the genre losing its community-based feel that focused more on black empowerment than wealth. The commercialization of the genre stripped it of its earlier political nature and the politics and marketing plans of major record labels have forced rappers to craft their music and images to appeal to white, affluent and suburban audiences.
After realizing her friends were making music but not getting television exposure other than what was seen on Video Music Box, Darlene Lewis (model/lyricist), along with Darryl Washington and Dean Carroll, brought hip hop music to the First Exposure cable show on Paragon cable, and then created the On Broadway television show. There, rappers had opportunities to be interviewed and have their music videos played. This pre-dated MTV or Video Soul on BET. The commercialization has made hip hop less edgy and authentic, but it also has enabled hip hop artists to become successful.[87]
As top rappers grow wealthier and start more outside business ventures, this can indicate a stronger sense of black aspiration. As rappers such as Jay-Z and Kanye West establish themselves as artists and entrepreneurs, more young black people have hopes of achieving their goals.[88] The lens through which one views the genre’s commercialization can make it seem positive or negative.[89]
White and Latino pop rappers such as Macklemore, Iggy Azalea, Machine Gun Kelly, Eminem, Miley Cyrus, G-Eazy, Pitbull, Lil Pump, and Post Malone have often been criticized for commercializing hip hop and cultural appropriation.[90] Miley Cyrus and Katy Perry, although not rappers, have been accused of cultural appropriation and commercializing hip hop. Katy Perry, a white woman, was criticized for her hip hop song «Dark Horse».[91] Taylor Swift was also accused of cultural appropriation.[92]
Culture
DJing and turntablism, MCing/rapping, breakdancing, graffiti art and beatboxing are the creative outlets that collectively make up hip hop culture and its revolutionary aesthetic. Like the blues, these arts were developed by urban communities to enable people to make a statement, whether political or emotional and participate in community activities. These practices spread globally around the 1980s as fans could «make it their own» and express themselves in new and creative ways in music, dance and other arts.[93]
DJing
DJing and turntablism are the techniques of manipulating sounds and creating music and beats using two or more phonograph turntables or other sound sources, such as tapes, CDs or digital audio files and a DJ mixer that is plugged into a PA system.[94] One of the first few hip hop DJs was Kool DJ Herc, who created hip hop in the 1970s through the isolation and extending of «breaks» – the parts of albums that focused solely on the percussive beat. In addition to developing Herc’s techniques, DJs Grandmaster Flowers, Grandmaster Flash, Grand Wizzard Theodore, and Grandmaster Caz made further innovations with the introduction of «scratching», which has become one of the key sounds associated with hip hop music.
Traditionally, a DJ will use two turntables simultaneously and mix between the two. These are connected to a DJ mixer, an amplifier, speakers, and various electronic music equipment such as a microphone and effects units. The DJ mixes the two albums currently in rotation and/or does «scratching» by moving one of the record platters while manipulating the crossfader on the mixer. The result of mixing two records is a unique sound created by the seemingly combined sound of two separate songs into one song. Although there is considerable overlap between the two roles, a DJ is not the same as a record producer of a music track.[95]
The development of DJing was also influenced by new turntablism techniques, such as beatmatching, a process facilitated by the introduction of new turntable technologies such as the Technics SL-1200 MK 2, first sold in 1978, which had a precise variable pitch control and a direct drive motor. DJs were often avid record collectors, who would hunt through used record stores for obscure soul records and vintage funk recordings. DJs helped to introduce rare records and new artists to club audiences.
In the early years of hip hop, the DJs were the stars, as they created new music and beats with their record players. While DJing and turntablism continue to be used in hip hop music in the 2010s, the star role has increasingly been taken by MCs since the late 1970s, due to innovative, creative MCs such as Kurtis Blow and Melle Mel of Grandmaster Flash’s crew, the Furious Five, who developed strong rapping skills. However, a number of DJs have gained stardom nonetheless in recent years.
Famous DJs include Grandmaster Flash, Afrika Bambaataa, Mr. Magic, DJ Jazzy Jeff, DJ Charlie Chase, DJ Disco Wiz, DJ Scratch from EPMD, DJ Premier from Gang Starr, DJ Scott La Rock from Boogie Down Productions, DJ Pete Rock of Pete Rock & CL Smooth, DJ Muggs from Cypress Hill, Jam Master Jay from Run-DMC, Eric B., DJ Screw from the Screwed Up Click and the inventor of the Chopped & Screwed style of mixing music, Funkmaster Flex, Tony Touch, DJ Clue, Mix Master Mike, Touch-Chill-Out, DJ Red Alert, and DJ Q-Bert.
The underground movement of turntablism has also emerged to focus on the skills of the DJ. In the 2010s, there are turntablism competitions, where turntablists demonstrate advanced beat juggling and scratching skills.
MCing
Rapping (also known as emceeing,[96] MCing,[96] spitting (bars),[97] or just rhyming[98]) refers to «spoken or chanted rhyming lyrics with a strong rhythmic accompaniment».[99] Rapping typically features complex wordplay, rapid delivery, and a range of «street slang», some of which is unique to the hip hop subculture. While rapping is often done over beats, either done by a DJ, a beatboxer, it can also be done without accompaniment. It can be broken down into different components, such as «content», «flow» (rhythm and rhyme), and «delivery».[100]
Rapping is distinct from spoken word poetry in that it is performed in time to the beat of the music.[101][102][103] The use of the word «rap» to describe quick and slangy speech or witty repartee long predates the musical form.[104] MCing is a form of expression that is embedded within ancient African and Indigenous culture and oral tradition as throughout history verbal acrobatics or jousting involving rhymes were common within the Afro-American and Latino-American community.[105]
Graffiti
Graffiti is the most controversial of hip hop’s elements, as a number of the most notable graffiti pioneers say that they do not consider graffiti to be an element of hip hop, including Lady Pink, Seen, Blade, Fargo, Cholly Rock, Fuzz One, and Coco 144.[106][107][108] Lady Pink says, «I don’t think graffiti is hip hop. Frankly I grew up with disco music. There’s a long background of graffiti as an entity unto itself,»[109][110] and Fargo says, «There is no correlation between hip hop and graffiti, one has nothing to do with the other.»[106][108][111] Hip hop pioneer Grandmaster Flash has also questioned the connection between hip hop and graffiti, saying, «You know what bugs me, they put hip hop with graffiti. How do they intertwine?»[111][112][113]
In America in the late 1960s, before hip hop, graffiti was used as a form of expression by political activists. In addition, gangs such as the Savage Skulls, La Familia Michoacana, and Savage Nomads used graffiti to mark territory. Julio 204 was a Puerto Rican graffiti writer, one of the first graffiti writers in New York City. He was a member of the «Savage Skulls» gang, and started writing his nickname in his neighborhood as early as 1968.
In 1971 the New York Times published an article («‘Taki 183’ Spawns Pen Pals») about another graffiti writer, TAKI 183. According to the article Julio had been writing for a couple of years when Taki began tagging his own name all around the city. Taki also states in the article that Julio «was busted and stopped.» Writers following in the wake of Taki and Tracy 168 would add their street number to their nickname, «bomb» (cover) a train with their work, and let the subway take it—and their fame, if it was impressive, or simply pervasive, enough—»all city». Julio 204 never rose to Taki’s fame because Julio kept his tags localized to his own neighborhood.
PHASE 2 is an influential graffiti artist who began painting in the 1970s.
One of the most common forms of graffiti is tagging, or the act of stylizing your unique name or logo.[114] Tagging began in Philadelphia and New York City and has expanded worldwide. Spray painting public property or the property of others without their consent can be considered vandalism, and the «tagger» may be subject to arrest and prosecution for the criminal act. Whether legal or not, the hip hop culture considers tagging buildings, trains, bridges and other structures as visual art, and consider the tags as part of a complex symbol system with its own social codes and subculture rules. Such art is in some cases now subject to federal protection in the US, making its erasure illegal.[115]
Bubble lettering held sway initially among writers from the Bronx, though the elaborate Brooklyn style Tracy 168 dubbed «wildstyle» would come to define the art.[116][117] The early trend-setters were joined in the 1970s by artists like Dondi, Futura 2000, Daze, Blade, Lee Quiñones, Fab Five Freddy, Zephyr, Rammellzee, Crash, Kel, NOC 167 and Lady Pink.[116]
The relationship between graffiti and hip hop culture arises both from early graffiti artists engaging in other aspects of hip hop culture,[118] Graffiti is understood as a visual expression of rap music, just as breaking is viewed as a physical expression. The 1983 film Wild Style is widely regarded as the first hip hop motion picture, which featured prominent figures within the New York graffiti scene during that period. The book Subway Art and the documentary Style Wars were also among the first ways the mainstream public were introduced to hip hop graffiti. Graffiti remains part of hip hop, while crossing into the mainstream art world with exhibits in galleries throughout the world.
Breakdancing
Breaking, an early form of hip hop dance, often involves dance battles, showing off technical skills, trying to out-do a rival dancer, and displaying tongue-in-cheek bravado.
Breaking, also called B-boying/B-girling or breakdancing, is a dynamic, rhythmic style of dance which developed as one of the major elements of hip hop culture. Like many aspects of hip hop culture, breakdance borrows heavily from many cultures, including 1930s-era street dancing,[119][120] Brazilian and Asian Martial arts, Russian folk dance,[121] and the dance moves of James Brown, Michael Jackson, and California funk.
Breaking took form in the South Bronx in the 1970s alongside the other elements of hip hop. Breakdancing is typically done with the accompaniment of hip hop music playing on a boom box or PA system. Breakdancing includes four dance styles: rocking, b-boying/b-girling, locking and popping, all of which trace their origins to the early 1970s.[122]
A silhouette shows a man break dancing. One of the 4 elements of hip hop.
According to the 2002 documentary film The Freshest Kids: A History of the B-Boy, DJ Kool Herc describes the «B» in B-boy as short for breaking, which at the time was slang for «going off», also one of the original names for the dance. However, early on the dance was known as the «boing» (the sound a spring makes). Dancers at DJ Kool Herc’s parties saved their best dance moves for the percussion break section of the song, getting in front of the audience to dance in a distinctive, frenetic style.[123]
The «B» in B-boy or B-girl also stands simply for break, as in break-boy or -girl. Before the 1990s, B-girls’ presence was limited by their gender minority status, navigating sexual politics of a masculine-dominated scene, and a lack of representation or encouragement for women to participate in the form. The few B-girls who participated despite facing gender discrimination carved out a space for women as leaders within the breaking community, and the number of B-girls participating has increased.[123]
Breaking was documented in Style Wars, and was later given more focus in fictional films such as Wild Style and Beat Street. Early acts made up of «mainly Latino Americans» include the Rock Steady Crew[124] and New York City Breakers[citation needed].
Beatboxing
Biz Markie is noted for his beatboxing skills. He is holding the mic close to his mouth, a technique beatboxers use to imitate deep basslines and bass drums, by exploiting the proximity effect.
Beatboxing is the technique of vocal percussion, in which a singer imitates drums and other percussion instruments with her or his voice. It is primarily concerned with the art of creating beats or rhythms using the human mouth.[125] The term beatboxing is derived from the mimicry of the first generation of drum machines, then known as beatboxes. It was first popularized by Doug E. Fresh.[126] As it is a way of creating hip hop music, it can be categorized under the production element of hip hop, though it does sometimes include a type of rapping intersected with the human-created beat. It is generally considered to be part of the same «Pillar» of hip hop as DJing—in other words, providing a musical backdrop or foundation for MC’s to rap over.
Beatboxers can create their beats just naturally, but many of the beatboxing effects are enhanced by using a microphone plugged into a PA system. This helps the beatboxer to make their beatboxing loud enough to be heard alongside a rapper, MC, turntablist, and other hip hop artists. Beatboxing was popular in the 1980s with prominent artists like the Darren «Buffy, the Human Beat Box» Robinson of the Fat Boys and Biz Markie displaying their skills within the media. It declined in popularity along with b-boying in the late 1980s, but has undergone a resurgence since the late 1990s, marked by the release of «Make the Music 2000» by Rahzel of The Roots.
Beatmaking/producing
A typical rap drum beat, written in drum notation.
Although it is not described as one of the four core elements that make up hip hop, music producing is another important element. In music, record producers play a similar role in sound recording that film directors play in making a movie. The record producer recruits and selects artists (rappers, MCs, DJs, beatboxers, and so on), plans the vision for the recording session, coaches the performers on their songs, chooses audio engineers, sets out a budget for hiring the artists and technical experts, and oversees the entire project.
The exact roles of a producer depend on each individual, but some producers work with DJs and drum machine programmers to create beats, coach the DJs in the selection of sampled basslines, riffs and catch phrases, give advice to rappers, vocalists, MCs and other artists, give suggestions to performers on how to improve their flow and develop a unique personal style. Some producers work closely with the audio engineer to provide ideas on mixing, effects units (e.g., Autotuned vocal effects such as those popularized by T-pain), micing of artists, and so on. The producer may independently develop the «concept» or vision for a project or album, or develop the vision in collaboration with the artists and performers.
In hip hop, since the beginning of MCing, there have been producers who work in the studio, behind the scenes, to create the beats for MCs to rap over. Producers may find a beat they like on an old funk, soul, or disco record. They then isolate the beat and turn it into a loop. Alternatively, producers may create a beat with a drum machine or by hiring a drumkit percussionist to play acoustic drums.
The producer could even mix and layer different methods, such as combining a sampled disco drum break with a drum machine track and some live, newly recorded percussion parts or a live electric bass player. A beat created by a hip hop producer may include other parts besides a drum beat, such as a sampled bassline from a funk or disco song, dialogue from a spoken word record or movie, or rhythmic «scratching» and «punches» done by a turntablist or DJ.
An early beat maker was producer Kurtis Blow, who won producer of the year credits in 1983, 1984, and 1985. Known for the creation of sample and sample loops, Blow was considered the Quincy Jones of early hip hop, a reference to the prolific African American record producer, conductor, arranger, composer, musician and bandleader. One of the most influential beat makers was J. Dilla, a producer from Detroit who chopped samples by specific beats and would combine them together to create his unique sound.
Those who create these beats are known as either beat makers or producers, however producers are known to have more input and direction on the overall the creation of a song or project, while a beat maker just provides or creates the beat. As Dr. Dre has said before «Once you finish the beat, you have to produce the record.»[127] The process of making beats includes sampling, «chopping», looping, sequencing beats, recording, mixing, and mastering.
Most beats in hip hop are sampled from a pre-existing record. This means that a producer will take a portion or a «sample» of a song and reuse it as an instrumental section, beat or portion of their song. Some examples of this are The Isley Brothers’ «Footsteps in the Dark Pts. 1 and 2» being sampled to make Ice Cube’s «Today Was a Good Day».[128] Another example is Otis Redding’s «Try a Little Tenderness» being sampled to create the song «Otis», released in 2011, by Kanye West and Jay-Z.[129]
«Chopping» is dissecting the song that you are sampling so that you «chop» out the part or parts of the song, be that the bassline, rhythm guitar part, drum break, or other music, you want to use in the beat.[130] Looping is known as melodic or percussive sequence that repeats itself over a period of time, so basically a producer will make an even-number of bars of a beat (e.g., four bars or eight bars) repeat itself or «loop» of a full song length. This loop provides an accompaniment for an MC to rap over.
While hip hop music makes a significant use of sampling old records, using turntables and drum machines to create beats, producers use electric and acoustic instruments on some songs. Pictured is an electric bass player at a hip hop show.
The tools needed to make beats in the late 1970s were funk, soul, and other music genre records, record turntables, DJ mixers, audio consoles, and relatively inexpensive Portastudio-style multitrack recording devices. In the 1980s and 1990s, beat makers and producers used the new electronic and digital instruments that were developed, such as samplers, sequencers, drum machines, and synthesizers. From the 1970s to the 2010s, various beat makers and producers have used live instruments, such as drum kit or electric bass on some tracks.
To record the finished beats or beat tracks, beat makers and producers use a variety of sound recording equipment, typically multitrack recorders. Digital audio workstations, also known as DAWs, became more common in the 2010s for producers. Some of the most used DAWs are FL Studio, Ableton Live, and Pro Tools.
DAWs have made it possible for more people to be able to make beats in their own home studio, without going to a recording studio. Beat makers who own DAWs do not have to buy all the hardware that a recording studio needed in the 1980s (huge 72 channel audio consoles, multitrack recorders, racks of rackmount effects units), because 2010-era DAWs have everything they need to make beats on a good quality, fast laptop computer.[131]
Beats are such an integral part of rap music that many producers have been able to make instrumental mixtapes or albums. Even though these instrumentals have no rapping, listeners still enjoy the inventive ways the producer mixes different beats, samples and instrumental melodies. Examples of these are 9th Wonder’s «Tutenkhamen» and J Dilla’s «Donuts». Some hip hop records come in two versions: a beat with rapping over it, and an instrumental with just the beat. The instrumental in this case is provided so that DJs and turntablists can isolate breaks, beats and other music to create new songs.
Language
The development of hip hop linguistics is complex. Source material include the spirituals of slaves arriving in the new world, Jamaican dub music, the laments of jazz and blues singers, patterned cockney slang and radio deejays hyping their audience using rhymes.[132] Hip hop has a distinctive associated slang.[133] It is also known by alternate names, such as «Black English», or «Ebonics». Academics suggest its development stems from a rejection of the racial hierarchy of language, which held «White English» as the superior form of educated speech.[134]
Due to hip hop’s commercial success in the late 1990s and early 2000s, many of these words have been assimilated into the cultural discourse of several different dialects across America and the world and even to non-hip hop fans.[135] The word diss for example is particularly prolific. There are also a number of words which predate hip hop, but are often associated with the culture, with homie being a notable example. Sometimes, terms like what the dilly, yo are popularized by a single song (in this case, «Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Could See» by Busta Rhymes) and are only used briefly. One particular example is the rule-based slang of Snoop Dogg and E-40, who add -izzle or -izz to the end or middle of words.
Hip Hop lyrics have also been known for containing swear words. In particular, the word «bitch» is seen in countless songs, from NWA’s «A Bitch Iz a bitch» to Missy Elliot’s «She is a Bitch». It is often used in the negative connotation of a woman who is a shallow «money grubber». Some female artists have tried to reclaim the word and use it as a term of empowerment. Regardless, the hip hop community has recently taken an interest in discussing the use of the word «bitch» and whether it is necessary in rap.[136]
Not only the particular words, but also the choice of which language in which rap is widely debated topic in international hip hop. In Canada, the use of non-standard variants of French, such as Franglais, a mix of French and English, by groups such as Dead Obies[137] or Chiac (such as Radio Radio[138]) has powerful symbolic implications for Canadian language politics and debates on Canadian identity. In the United States rappers choose to rap in English, Spanish, or Spanglish, depending on their own backgrounds and their intended audience.[139]
Effects
A b-boy performing in San Francisco
Hip hop has made a considerable social impact since its inception in the 1970s. «Hip hop has also become relevant to the field of education because of its implications for understanding language, learning, identity, and curriculum.»[140] Orlando Patterson, a sociology professor at Harvard University, helps describe the phenomenon of how hip hop has spread rapidly around the world. Patterson argues that mass communication is controlled by the wealthy, the government, and major businesses in Third World nations and countries around the world.[141]
He also credits mass communication with creating a global cultural hip hop scene. As a result, the youth are influenced by the American hip hop scene and start their own forms of hip hop. Patterson believes that revitalization of hip hop music will occur around the world as traditional values are mixed with American hip hop music,[141] and ultimately a global exchange process will develop that brings youth around the world to listen to a common musical form of hip hop.
It has also been argued that rap music formed as a «cultural response to historic oppression and racism, a system for communication among black communities throughout the United States».[144] This is due to the fact that hip hop culture reflected the social, economic, and political realities of the disenfranchised youth. In the 2010s, hip hop lyrics are starting to reflect original socially conscious themes. Rappers are starting to question the government’s power and its oppressive role in some societies.[145] Rap music has been a tool for political, social, and cultural empowerment outside the United States. Members of minority communities—such as Algerians in France, and Turks in Germany—use rap as a platform to protest racism, poverty, and social structures.[146]
Linguistics
Hip hop lyricism has gained a measure of legitimacy in academic and literary circles. Studies of hip hop linguistics are now offered at institutions such as the University of Toronto, where poet and author George Eliot Clarke has taught the potential power of hip hop music to promote social change.[132] Greg Thomas of the University of Miami offers courses at both the undergraduate and graduate level studying the feminist and assertive nature of Lil’ Kim’s lyrics.[147]
Some academics, including Ernest Morrell and Jeffrey Duncan-Andrade, compare hip hop to the satirical works of great «Western canon» poets of the modern era, who use imagery and create a mood to criticize society. As quoted in their work «Promoting Academic Literacy with Urban Youth Through Engaging Hip Hop Culture»:
Hip hop texts are rich in imagery and metaphors and can be used to teach irony, tone, diction, and point of view. Hip hop texts can be analyzed for theme, motif, plot, and character development. Both Grand Master Flash and T.S. Eliot gazed out into their rapidly deteriorating societies and saw a «wasteland.» Both poets were essentially apocalyptic in nature as they witnessed death, disease, and decay.[148]
Censorship
A graffiti artist uses his artwork to make a satirical social statement on censorship: «Don’t blame yourself … blame hip hop!»
Hip hop music has been censored on radio and TV due to the explicit lyrics of certain genres. Many songs have been criticized for anti-establishment and sometimes violent messages. The use of profanity as well as graphic depictions of violence and sex in hip hop music videos and songs makes it hard to broadcast on television stations such as MTV, in music video form, and on radio. As a result, many hip hop recordings are broadcast in censored form, with offending language «bleeped» or blanked out of the soundtrack, or replaced with «clean» lyrics.
The result – which sometimes renders the remaining lyrics unintelligible or contradictory to the original recording – has become almost as widely identified with the genre as any other aspect of the music, and has been parodied in films such as Austin Powers in Goldmember, in which Mike Myers’ character Dr. Evil – performing in a parody of a hip hop music video («Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)» by Jay-Z) – performs an entire verse that is blanked out. In 1995, Roger Ebert wrote:[149]
Rap has a bad reputation in white circles, where many people believe it consists of obscene and violent anti-white and anti-female guttural. Some of it does. Most does not. Most white listeners don’t care; they hear black voices in a litany of discontent, and tune out. Yet rap plays the same role today as Bob Dylan did in 1960, giving voice to the hopes and angers of a generation, and a lot of rap is powerful writing.
In 1990, Luther Campbell and his group 2 Live Crew filed a lawsuit against Broward County Sheriff Nick Navarro, because Navarro wanted to prosecute stores that sold the group’s album As Nasty As They Wanna Be because of its obscene and vulgar lyrics. In June 1990, a U.S. district court judge labeled the album obscene and illegal to sell. However, in 1992, the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit overturned the obscenity ruling from Judge Gonzalez, and the Supreme Court of the United States refused to hear Broward County’s appeal. Professor Louis Gates testified on behalf of The 2 Live Crew, arguing that the material that the county alleged was profane actually had important roots in African-American vernacular, games, and literary traditions and should be protected.[150]
Many black rappers—including Ice-T and Sister Souljah—contend that they are being unfairly singled out because their music reflects deep changes in society not being addressed anywhere else in the public forum. The white politicians, the artists complain, neither understand the music nor desire to hear what’s going on in the devastated communities that gave birth to the art form.
—Chuck Philips, Los Angeles Times, 1992[151]
Gangsta rap is a subgenre of hip hop that reflects the violent culture of inner-city American black youths.[152] The genre was pioneered in the mid-1980s by rappers such as Schoolly D and Ice-T, and was popularized in the later part of the 1980s by groups such as N.W.A. Ice-T released «6 in the Mornin'», which is often regarded as the first gangsta rap song, in 1986. After the national attention that Ice-T and N.W.A created in the late 1980s and early 1990s, gangsta rap became the most commercially lucrative subgenre of hip hop.
N.W.A is the group most frequently associated with the founding of gangsta rap. Their lyrics were more violent, openly confrontational, and shocking than those of established rap acts, featuring incessant profanity and, controversially, use of the word «nigga». These lyrics were placed over rough, rock guitar-driven beats, contributing to the music’s hard-edged feel. The first blockbuster gangsta rap album was N.W.A’s Straight Outta Compton, released in 1988.[153][154]
Straight Outta Compton established West Coast hip hop as a vital genre, and established Los Angeles as a legitimate rival to hip hop’s long-time capital, New York City. Straight Outta Compton sparked the first major controversy regarding hip hop lyrics when their song «Fuck tha Police» earned a letter from FBI Assistant Director Milt Ahlerich, strongly expressing law enforcement’s resentment of the song.[153][154]
Controversy surrounded Ice-T’s song «Cop Killer» from the album Body Count. The song was intended to speak from the viewpoint of a criminal getting revenge on racist, brutal cops. Ice-T’s rock song infuriated government officials, the National Rifle Association and various police advocacy groups.[155] Consequently, Time Warner Music refused to release Ice-T’s upcoming album Home Invasion because of the controversy surrounding «Cop Killer».[155]
Ice-T suggested that the furor over the song was an overreaction, telling journalist Chuck Philips «… they’ve done movies about nurse killers and teacher killers and student killers. [Actor] Arnold Schwarzenegger blew away dozens of cops as the Terminator. But I don’t hear anybody complaining about that.» Ice-T suggested to Philips that the misunderstanding of «Cop Killer» and the attempts to censor it had racial overtones: «The Supreme Court says it’s OK for a white man to burn a cross in public. But nobody wants a black man to write a record about a cop killer.»[155]
The White House administrations of both George Bush senior and Bill Clinton criticized the genre.[151] «The reason why rap is under attack is because it exposes all the contradictions of American culture … What started out as an underground art form has become a vehicle to expose a lot of critical issues that are not usually discussed in American politics. The problem here is that the White House and wanna-be’s like Bill Clinton represent a political system that never intends to deal with inner city urban chaos,» Sister Souljah told The Times.[151] Until its discontinuation on July 8, 2006, BET ran a late-night segment titled BET: Uncut to air nearly-uncensored videos. The show was exemplified by music videos such as «Tip Drill» by Nelly, which was criticized for what many viewed as an exploitative depiction of women, particularly images of a man swiping a credit card between a stripper’s buttocks.
Public Enemy’s «Gotta Give the Peeps What They Need» was censored on MTV, removing the words «free Mumia».[156] After the attack on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, Oakland, California group The Coup was under fire for the cover art on their album Party Music, which featured the group’s two members holding a guitar tuner and two sticks[157] as the Twin Towers exploded behind them despite the fact that it was created months before the actual event. The group, having politically radical and Marxist lyrical content, said the cover meant to symbolize the destruction of capitalism. Their record label pulled the album until a new cover could be designed.
Product placement and endorsements
Due to the success of the music genre, starting in the 2000s, more industries and brands began to cooperate with hip-hop artists, who until then had been considered too scandalous for mainstream marketing.[158] Similar to greenwashing, the phenomenon of companies using hip-hop collaborations for commercial purposes without fully understanding and supporting the culture involved is referred to as «streetwashing».[159]
Critics such as Businessweek’s David Kiley argue that the discussion of products within hip hop culture may actually be the result of undisclosed product placement deals.[160] Such critics allege that shilling or product placement takes place in commercial rap music, and that lyrical references to products are actually paid endorsements.[160] In 2005, a proposed plan by McDonald’s to pay rappers to advertise McDonald’s products in their music was leaked to the press.[160] After Russell Simmons made a deal with Courvoisier to promote the brand among hip hop fans, Busta Rhymes recorded the song «Pass the Courvoisier».[160] Simmons insists that no money changed hands in the deal.[160]
LL Cool J in front of a Coca-Cola billboard at a festival sponsored by the soda pop company
The symbiotic relationship has also stretched to include car manufacturers, clothing designers and sneaker companies,[161] and many other companies have used the hip hop community to make their name or to give them credibility. One such beneficiary was Jacob the Jeweler, a diamond merchant from New York. Jacob Arabo’s clientele included Sean Combs, Lil’ Kim and Nas. He created jewelry pieces from precious metals that were heavily loaded with diamond and gemstones.[162]
As his name was mentioned in the song lyrics of his hip hop customers, his profile quickly rose. Arabo expanded his brand to include gem-encrusted watches that retail for hundreds of thousands of dollars, gaining so much attention that Cartier filed a trademark-infringement lawsuit against him for putting diamonds on the faces of their watches and reselling them without permission.[162] Arabo’s profile increased steadily until his June 2006 arrest by the FBI on money laundering charges.[163]
Rapper Dr. Dre has endorsed a line of headphones and other audio gear called «beats», which bear his name.
While some brands welcome the support of the hip hop community, one brand that did not was Cristal champagne maker Louis Roederer. A 2006 article from The Economist magazine featured remarks from managing director Frederic Rouzaud about whether the brand’s identification with rap stars could affect their company negatively. His answer was dismissive: «That’s a good question, but what can we do? We can’t forbid people from buying it. I’m sure Dom Pérignon or Krug [champagne] would be delighted to have their business.»[164]
In retaliation, many hip hop icons such as Jay-Z and Sean Combs, who previously included references to «Cris», ceased all mentions and purchases of the champagne. 50 Cent’s deal with Vitamin Water, Dr. Dre’s promotion of his Beats by Dr. Dre headphone line and Dr. Pepper, and Drake’s commercial with Sprite are successful deals. Although product placement deals were not popular in the 1980s, MC Hammer was an early innovator in this type of strategy. With merchandise such as dolls, commercials for soft drinks and numerous television show appearances, Hammer began the trend of rap artists being accepted as mainstream pitchpeople for brands.[165]
Media
Hip hop culture has had extensive coverage in the media, especially in relation to television; there have been a number of television shows devoted to or about hip hop, including in Europe («H.I.P. H.O.P.» in 1984). For many years, BET was the only television channel likely to play hip hop, but in recent years[when?] the channels VH1 and MTV have added a significant amount of hip hop to their play list. Run DMC became the first African American group to appear on MTV.[166][167] With the emergence of the Internet, a number of online sites began to offer hip hop related video content.
Magazines
Hip hop magazines describe hip hop’s culture, including information about rappers and MCs, new hip hop music, concerts, events, fashion and history. The first hip hop publication, The Hip Hop Hit List was published in the 1980s. It contained the first rap music record chart. It was put out by two brothers from Newark, New Jersey, Vincent and Charles Carroll (who was also in a hip hop group known as The Nastee Boyz). They knew the art form very well and noticed the need for a hip hop magazine. DJs and rappers did not have a way to learn about rap music styles and labels.
The periodical began as the first Rap record chart and tip sheet for DJs and was distributed through national record pools and record stores throughout the New York City Tri-State area. One of the founding publishers, Charles Carroll noted, «Back then, all DJs came into New York City to buy their records but most of them did not know what was hot enough to spend money on, so we charted it.» Jae Burnett became Vincent Carroll’s partner and played an instrumental role in its later development.
The German hip hop magazine Juice
Another popular hip hop magazine that arose in the 1980s was Word Up magazine, an American magazine catering to the youth with an emphasis on hip hop. It featured articles on what is like to be a part of the hip hop community, promoted up-coming albums, bringing awareness to the projects that the artist was involved in, and also included posters of trending celebrities within the world of Hip Hop. The magazine was published monthly and mainly concerning rap, Hip Hop and R&B music. Word Up magazine was highly popular, it was even mentioned in the popular song by The Notorious B.I.G – Juicy «it was all a dream, use to read WordUp magazine». Word Up magazine was a part of pop culture.
New York tourists from abroad took the publication back home with them to other countries to share it, creating worldwide interest in the culture and new art form.[citation needed] It had a printed distribution of 50,000, a circulation rate of 200,000 with well over 25,000 subscribers. The «Hip Hop Hit List» was also the first to define hip hop as a culture introducing the many aspects of the art form such as fashion, music, dance, the arts and most importantly the language. For instance, on the cover the headliner included the tag «All Literature was Produced to Meet Street Comprehension!» which proved their loyalty not only to the culture but also to the streets. Most interviews were written verbatim which included their innovative broken English style of writing. Some of the early charts were written in the graffiti format tag style but was made legible enough for the masses.[citation needed]
The Carroll Brothers were also consultants to the many record companies who had no idea how to market hip hop music. Vincent Carroll, the magazine’s creator-publisher, went on to become a huge source for marketing and promoting the culture of hip hop, starting Blow-Up Media, the first hip hop marketing firm with offices in NYC’s Tribeca district. At the age of 21, Vincent Carroll employed a staff of 15 and assisted in launching some of the culture’s biggest and brightest stars (the Fugees, Nelly, the Outzidaz, feat. Eminem and many more).[citation needed] Later other publications spawned up including: Hip Hop Connection, XXL, Scratch, The Source and Vibe.[168] Many individual cities have also produced their own local hip hop newsletters, while hip hop magazines with national distribution are found in a few other countries. The 21st century also ushered in the rise of online media, and hip hop fan sites now offer comprehensive hip hop coverage on a daily basis.
Fashion
Clothing, hair and other styles have been a big part of hip hop’s social and cultural impact since the 1970s. Although the styles have changed over the decades, distinctive urban apparel and looks have been an important way for rappers, breakdancers and other hip hop community members to express themselves. As the hip hop music genre’s popularity increased, so did the effect of its fashion.
While there were early items synonymous with hip hop that crossed over into the mainstream culture, like Run-DMC’s affinity for Adidas or the Wu-Tang Clan’s championing of Clarks’ Wallabees, it was not until its commercial peak that hip hop fashion became influential. Starting in the mid- to late 1990s, hip hop culture embraced some major designers and established a new connection with classic fashion.
Brands such as Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger all tapped into hip hop culture and gave very little in return. Moving into the new millennium, hip hop fashion consisted of baggy shirts, jeans, and jerseys. As names like Pharrell and Jay-Z started their own clothing lines and still others like Kanye West linked up with designers like Louis Vuitton, the clothes got tighter, more classically fashionable, and expensive. Artists like West also began to stray away from wearing the jerseys and began wearing what was called «preppy» clothing.[169]
As hip hop has a seen a shift in the means by which its artists express their masculinity, from violence and intimidation to wealth-flaunting and entrepreneurship, it has also seen the emergence of rapper branding.[170] The modern-day hip hop artist is no longer limited to music serving as their sole occupation or source of income. By the early 1990s, major apparel companies «[had] realized the economic potential of tapping into hip hop culture … Tommy Hilfiger was one of the first major fashion designer[s] who actively courted rappers as a way of promoting his street wear».[171]
By joining forces, the artist and the corporation are able to jointly benefit from each other’s resources. Hip Hop artists are trend-setters and taste-makers. Their fans range from minority groups who can relate to their professed struggles to majority groups who cannot truly relate but like to «consume the fantasy of living a more masculine life».[172]
The rappers provide the «cool, hip» factor while the corporations deliver the product, advertising, and financial assets. Tommy Hilfiger, one of the first mainstream designers to actively court rappers as a way of promoting his street wear, serves a prototypical example of the hip hip/fashion collaborations:
In exchange for giving artists free wardrobes, Hilfiger found its name mentioned in both rhyming verses of rap songs and their ‘shout-out’ lyrics, in which rap artists chant out thanks to friends and sponsors for their support. Hilfiger’s success convinced other large mainstream American fashion design companies, like Ralph Lauren and Calvin Klein, to tailor lines to the lucrative market of hip hop artists and fans.[173]
Artists now use brands as a means of supplemental income to their music or are creating and expanding their own brands that become their primary source of income. As Harry Elam explains, there has been a movement «from the incorporation and redefinition of existing trends to actually designing and marketing products as hip hop fashion».[173]
Diversification
Hip hop music has spawned dozens of subgenres which incorporate hip hop music production approaches, such as sampling, creating beats, or rapping. The diversification process stems from the appropriation of hip hop culture by other ethnic groups. There are many varying social influences that affect hip hop’s message in different nations. It is frequently used as a musical response to perceived political and/or social injustices. In South Africa the largest form of hip hop is called Kwaito, which has had a growth similar to U.S. hip hop. Kwaito is a direct reflection of a post-apartheid South Africa and is a voice for the voiceless; a term that U.S. hip hop is often referred to. Kwaito is even perceived as a lifestyle, encompassing many aspects of life, including language and fashion.[174]
Kwaito is a political and party-driven genre, as performers use the music to express their political views, and also to express their desire to have a good time. Kwaito is a music that came from a once hated and oppressed people, but it is now sweeping the nation. The main consumers of Kwaito are adolescents and half of the South African population is under 21. Some of the large Kwaito artists have sold more than 100,000 albums, and in an industry where 25,000 albums sold is considered a gold record, those are impressive numbers.[175] Kwaito allows the participation and creative engagement of otherwise socially excluded peoples in the generation of popular media.[176] South African hip hop has made an impact worldwide, with performers such as Tumi, HipHop Pantsula, Tuks Senganga.[177]
In Jamaica, the sounds of hip hop are derived from American and Jamaican influences. Jamaican hip hop is defined both through dancehall and reggae music. Jamaican Kool Herc brought the sound systems, technology, and techniques of reggae music to New York during the 1970s. Jamaican hip hop artists often rap in both Brooklyn and Jamaican accents. Jamaican hip hop subject matter is often influenced by outside and internal forces. Outside forces such as the bling-bling era of today’s modern hip hop and internal influences coming from the use of anti-colonialism and marijuana or «ganja» references which Rastafarians believe bring them closer to God.[178][179][180]
Author Wayne Marshall argues that «Hip hop, as with any number of African-American cultural forms before it, offers a range of compelling and contradictory significations to Jamaican artist and audiences. From «modern blackness» to «foreign mind», transnational cosmopolitanism to militant pan-Africanism, radical remixology to outright mimicry, hip hop in Jamaica embodies the myriad ways that Jamaicans embrace, reject, and incorporate foreign yet familiar forms.»[181]
Arabic hip hop artist Klash Loon
In the developing world, hip hop has made a considerable impact in the social context. Despite the lack of resources, hip hop has made considerable inroads.[75] Due to limited funds, hip hop artists are forced to use very basic tools, and even graffiti, an important aspect of the hip hop culture, is constrained due to its unavailability to the average person. Hip hop has begun making inroads with more than black artists. There are number of other minority artists who are taking center stage as many first generation minority children come of age. One example is rapper Awkwafina, an Asian-American, who raps about being Asian as well as being female. She, like many others, use rap to express her experiences as a minority not necessarily to «unite» minorities together but to tell her story.[182]
Many hip hop artists from the developing world come to the United States to seek opportunities. Maya Arulpragasm (A.K.A. M.I.A.), a Sri Lanka-born Tamil hip hop artist claims, «I’m just trying to build some sort of bridge, I’m trying to create a third place, somewhere in between the developed world and the developing world.».[183] Another music artist using hip hop to provide a positive message to young Africans is Emmanuel Jal, a former child soldier from South Sudan. Jal is one of the few South Sudanese music artists to have broken through on an international level[184] with his unique form of hip hop and a positive message in his lyrics.[185] Jal has attracted the attention of mainstream media and academics with his story and use of hip hop as a healing medium for war-afflicted people in Africa and he has also been sought out on the international lecture fora such as TED.[186]
Many K-Pop artists in South Korea have been influenced by hip hop and many South Korean artists perform hip hop music. In Seoul, South Korea, Koreans b-boy.[187]
Education
Scholars argue that hip hop can have an empowering effect on youth. While there is misogyny, violence, and drug use in rap music videos and lyrics, hip hop also displays many positive themes of self-reliance, resilience, and self-esteem. These messages can be inspiring for a youth living in poverty. A lot of rap songs contain references to strengthening the African American community promoting social causes. Social workers have used hip hop to build a relationship with at-risk youth and develop a deeper connection with the child.[188] Hip hop has the potential to be taught as a way of helping people see the world more critically, be it through forms of writing, creating music, or social activism. The lyrics of hip hop have been used to learn about literary devices such as metaphor, imagery, irony, tone, theme, motif, plot, and point of view.[189]
Organizations and facilities are providing spaces and programs for communities to explore making and learning about hip hop. An example is the IMP Labs in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. Many dance studios and colleges now offer lessons in hip hop alongside tap and ballet, as well as KRS-One teaching hip hop lectures at Harvard University.
Hip hop producer 9th Wonder and former rapper-actor Christopher «Play» Martin from hip hop group Kid-n-Play have taught hip hop history classes at North Carolina Central University[190] and 9th Wonder has also taught a «Hip Hop Sampling Soul» class at Duke University.[191] In 2007, the Cornell University Library established a Hip Hop Collection to collect and make accessible the historical artifacts of hip hop culture and to ensure their preservation for future generations.[192]
The hip hop community has been a major factor in educating its listeners on HIV/AIDS, a disease that has affected the community very closely. One of the biggest artists of early hip hop, Eazy-E, a member of N.W.A, had died of AIDS in 1995.[193] Since then many artists, producers, choreographers and many others from many different locations have tried to make an impact and raise awareness of HIV in the hip hop community. Many artists have made songs as sort of PSA’s to raise awareness of HIV for hip hop listeners, some songs that raise awareness are Salt N Pepa – Let’s Talk About AIDS, Coolio – Too Hot and more.[194]
Tanzanian artists such as Professor Jay and the group Afande Sele are notable for their contributions to this genre of hip hop music and the awareness they have spread for HIV.[195] American writer, activist and hip hop artist Tim’m T. West who was diagnosed with AIDS in 1999, formed queer hip hop group Deep Dickollective who got together to rap about the HIV pandemic among queer black men and LGBTQ activism in hip hop.[196][197]
A non-profit organization out of New York City called Hip Hop 4 Life, strives to educate the youth, especially the low income youth about social and political problems in their areas of interest, which includes hip hop.[198] Hip Hop 4 Life has held many events around the New York City area to raise awareness for HIV and other problems surrounding these low income children and their communities.
Values and philosophy
Essentialism
Since the age of slavery, music has long been the language of African American identity. Because reading and writing were forbidden under the auspices of slavery, music became the only accessible form of communication. Hundreds of years later, in inner-city neighborhoods plagued by high illiteracy and dropout rates, music remains the most dependable medium of expression. Hip Hop is thus to modern day as Negro Spirituals are to the plantations of the old South: the emergent music articulates the terrors of one’s environment better than written, or spoken word, thereby forging an «unquestioned association of oppression with creativity [that] is endemic» to African American culture».[199]
As a result, lyrics of rap songs have often been treated as «confessions» to a number of violent crimes in the United States.[200] It is also considered to be the duty of rappers and other hip hop artists (DJs, dancers) to «represent» their city and neighborhood. This demands being proud of being from disadvantaged cities neighborhoods that have traditionally been a source of shame, and glorifying them in lyrics and graffiti. This has potentially been one of the ways that hip hop has become regarded as a «local» rather than «foreign» genre of music in so many countries around the world in just a few decades. Nevertheless, sampling and borrowing from a number of genres and places is also a part of the hip hop milieu, and an album like the surprise hit Kala by Anglo-Tamil rapper M.I.A. was recorded in locations all across the world and features sounds from a different country on every track.[201]
According to scholar Joseph Schloss, the essentialist perspective of hip hop conspicuously obfuscates the role that individual style and pleasure plays in the development of the genre. Schloss notes that Hip Hop is forever fossilized as an inevitable cultural emergent, as if «none of hip-hop’s innovators had been born, a different group of poor black youth from the Bronx would have developed hip-hop in exactly the same way».[199]
However, while the pervasive oppressive conditions of the Bronx were likely to produce another group of disadvantaged youth, he questions whether they would be equally interested, nonetheless willing to put in as much time and energy into making music as Grandmaster Flash, DJ Kool Herc, and Afrika Bambaataa. He thus concludes that Hip Hop was a result of choice, not fate, and that when individual contributions and artistic preferences are ignored, the genre’s origin becomes overly attributed to collective cultural oppression.
Authenticity
Graffiti depicting US rapper 50 Cent. Larry Nager of The Cincinnati Enquirer wrote that 50 Cent has «earned the right to use the trappings of gangsta rap – the macho posturing, the guns, the drugs, the big cars and magnums of champagne. He’s not a poseur pretending to be a gangsta; he’s the real thing.»[202]
Hip hop music artists and advocates have stated that hip hop has been an authentic (true and «real») African-American artistic and cultural form since its emergence in inner-city Bronx neighborhoods in the 1970s. Some music critics, scholars and political commentators[who?] have denied hip hop’s authenticity. Advocates who claim hip hop is an authentic music genre state that it is an ongoing response to the violence and discrimination experienced by black people in the United States, from the slavery that existed into the 19th century, to the lynchings of the 20th century and the ongoing racial discrimination faced by blacks.[203][204]
Paul Gilroy and Alexander Weheliye state that unlike disco, jazz, R&B, house music, and other genres that were developed in the African-American community and which were quickly adopted and then increasingly controlled by white music industry executives, hip hop has remained largely controlled by African American artists, producers and executives.[205] In his book, Phonographies, Weheliye describes the political and cultural affiliations that hip hop music enables.[206]
In contrast, Greg Tate states that the market-driven, commodity form of commercial hip hop has uprooted the genre from the celebration of African-American culture and the messages of protest that predominated in its early forms.[207] Tate states that the commodification and commercialization of hip hop culture undermines the dynamism of the genre for African-American communities.
These two dissenting understandings of hip hop’s scope and influence frame debates that revolve around hip hop’s possession of or lack of authenticity.[208] Anticipating the market arguments of Tate and others, both Gilroy and Weheliye assert that hip hop has always had a different function than Western popular music as a whole, a function that exceeds the constraints of market capitalism.[209]
Weheliye notes, «Popular music, generally in the form of recordings, has and still continues to function as one of the main channels of communication between the different geographical and cultural points in the African diaspora, allowing artists to articulate and perform their diasporic citizenship to international audiences and establish conversations with other diasporic communities.»[209] For Paul Gilroy, hip hop proves an outlet of articulation and a sonic space in which African Americans can exert control and influence that they often lack in other sociopolitical and economic domains.[210]
In «Phonographies», Weheyliye explains how new sound technologies used in hip hop encourage «diasporic citizenship» and African-American cultural and political activities.[211] Gilroy states that the «power of [hip hop] music [lies] in developing black struggles by communicating information, organizing consciousness, and testing out or deploying … individual or collective» forms of African-American cultural and political actions.[210] In the third chapter of The Black Atlantic, «Jewels Brought from Bondage: Black Music and the Politics of Authenticity», Gilroy asserts that these elements influence the production of and the interpretation of black cultural activities. What Gilroy calls the «Black Atlantic» music’s rituals and traditions are a more expansive way of thinking about African-American «blackness», a way that moves beyond contemporary debates around essentialist and anti-essentialist arguments. As such, Gilroy states that music has been and remains a central staging ground for debates over the work, responsibility, and future role of black cultural and artistic production.[212]
Traditional vs. progressive views
Old-school hip hop performer DJ Kool Herc, along with traditional hip hop artists Afrika Bambaataa and Grandmaster Caz, originally held views against mainstream rap.[213] However, recent interviews indicate they have changed their ways to a certain extent.[214][original research?] However, rappers like KRS-One still feel a strong disapproval of the rap industry, especially through mainstream media.[215][original research?]
In b-boying, most supporters have begun to slowly involve more industry sponsorship through events on the World BBoy Series and through the UDEF powered by Silverback Open.[216] Other b-boys have begun to accept using the term breakdance, but only if the term b-boying is too difficult to communicate to the general public. Regardless of such, b-boys and b-girls still exist to showing lack of support to jams and events that they feel represent the culture as a sport, form of entertainment and as well through capitalism. Battle Rap as an industry has also been strongly supported by old-school/ golden-era legends such as Herc, Kid Capri and KRS-One.[217][218]
Reception
Commercialization and stereotyping
In 2012, hip hop and rap pioneer Chuck D, from the group Public Enemy criticized young hip hop artists from the 2010s, stating that they have taken a music genre with extensive roots in underground music and turned it into commercialized pop music.[219] In particular, seminal figures in the early underground, politically motivated music, such as Ice-T, have criticized current hip hop artists for being more concerned with image than substance.[220] Critics have stated that 2010s hip hop artists are contributing to cultural stereotyping of African-American culture and are poseur gangsters. Critics have also stated that hip hop music promotes drug use and violence.[221][222][223]
Hip hop has been criticized by rock-centric critics who state that hip hop is not a true art form and who state that rock and roll music is more authentic. These critics are advocating a viewpoint called «rockism» which favors music written and performed by the individual artist (as seen in some famous singer-songwriter-led rock bands) and is against 2000s (decade)-era hip hop, which these critics argue give too large a role to record producers and digital sound recording. Hip hop is seen as being too violent and explicit, in comparison with rock. Some contend that the criticisms have racial overtones, as these critics deny that hip hop is an art form and praising rock genres that prominently feature white males.[224]
Marginalization of women
The hip hop music genre and its subculture has been criticized for its gender bias and its negative impacts on women in African-American culture. Gangsta rap artists such as Eazy-E, Snoop Dogg, 2Pac and Dr. Dre have, primarily in the 1990s, rapped lyrics that portray women as sex toys and inferior to or otherwise dependent upon men.[225] Between 1987 and 1993, over 400 hip hop songs had lyrics that described violence towards women, including rape, sexual violence, assault, and murder.[226] These anti-women lyrics have led some male listeners to make physical threats toward women and they have created negative stereotypes of young urban African-American women.[227]
Hip hop music frequently promotes heterosexism and hegemonic masculinity, as it depicts women as individuals who must rely on men.[226] The portrayal of women in hip hop lyrics and videos tends to be violent, degrading, and highly sexualized.[228] There is a high frequency of songs with lyrics that are demeaning towards women, and depict sexual violence or sexual assault towards women.[228][229] Videos often portray idealized female bodies and depict women as being the object of male pleasure.[230]
The misrepresentation of women, primarily women of color, as objects rather than other human beings and the presence of male dominance in hip hop extends back to the birth of the genre. However, many female hip hop artists have also emerged in shedding light on both their personal issues and the misrepresentations of women in hip hop music and culture. These artists include but are not limited to Queen Latifah, the TLC, and MC Lyte. Despite the success of them and others, female rappers remain proportionally few in the mainstream industry.[231][232]
Very few female artists have been recognized in hip hop, and the most popular, successful and influential artists, record producers, and music executives are males. Women who are in rap groups, such as Lauryn Hill of the Fugees, tend to have less advantages and opportunities than male artists.[233] Moreover, female artists have received significantly less recognition in hip hop. Only one female artist has won Best Rap Album of the Year at the Grammy Awards since the category was added in 1995.[234] In addition, African American female hip hop artists have been recognized even less in the industry.[235] Salt-N-Pepa felt when they were establishing themselves as a successful group, they had to prove doubters wrong, stating that «being women in hip hop at a time when it wasn’t that many women, we felt like we had more to prove.»[236]
Glorification of drug use
The hip hop, hardcore rap, and trap scenes, alongside their derivative subgenres and subcultures, are most notorious for having continuously celebrated and promoted drug trafficking, gangster lifestyle, and consumption of drugs and alcohol since their inception in the United States during the late 1980s–early 1990s.[237][238][228][239]
Homophobia and transphobia
As well, the hip hop music community has been criticized with accusations of homophobia and transphobia.[240] Hip hop song lyrics contain offensive, homophobic slurs (most popularly the pejorative term «faggot») and sometimes violent threats towards queer people, such as rapper DMX’s «Where the Hood At?», rapper Eazy-E’s «Nobody Move», rap group Brand Nubian’s «Punks Jump Up to Get Beat Down».[241] Many rappers and hip hop artists have advocated homophobia and/or transphobia.[242] These artists include Ja Rule, who in an interview claimed, «We need to go step to MTV and Viacom, and let’s talk about all these fucking shows that they have on MTV that is promoting homosexuality, that my kids can’t watch this shit,»[243] and rap artist Erick Sermon, who has said publicly, «[Hip hop] will never accept transgender rappers.»[244]
Until the 2010s, hip hop music has excluded the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community. This has perpetuated a culture in hip hop that is prejudiced towards queer and trans people, making it a tough culture for queer artists to participate in.[240] Despite this prejudice, some queer/genderqueer rappers and hip hop artists have become successful and popular in the 2010s. One of the more notable members of the LGBT community in hip hop is Frank Ocean, who came out in 2012 and has released critically acclaimed albums and won two Grammy Awards.[245] Other successful queer hip hop/rap artists include female bisexual rapper Azealia Banks,[246] pansexual androgynous rapper and singer Angel Haze,[247] lesbian rapper Siya,[248] gay rapper/singer Kevin Abstract,[249] and genderqueer rapper Mykki Blanco.[250]
Legacy
Having its roots in reggae, disco, funk and soul music, hip hop has since expanded worldwide. Its expansion includes events like Afrika Bambaataa’s 1982 releasing of Planet Rock, which tried to establish a more global harmony. In the 1980s, the British Slick Rick became the first international hit hip hop artist not native to America.[citation needed] From the 1980s onward, television made hip hop global. From Yo! MTV Raps to Public Enemy’s world tour, hip hop spread to Latin America and became a mainstream culture. Hip hop has been cut, mixed and adapted as it the music spreads to new areas.[251][252][unreliable source?]
Early hip hop may have reduced inner-city gang violence by providing an alternative means of expression to physical violence.[253] However, with the emergence of commercial and crime-related gangsta rap during the early 1990s, violence, drugs, weapons, and misogyny, were key themes. Socially and politically conscious hip hop has long been disregarded by mainstream America in favor of its media-baiting sibling, gangsta rap.[64]
Black female artists such as Queen Latifah, Missy Elliott, and MC Lyte have made great strides since the hip hop industry first began. By producing music and an image that did not cater to the hyper-sexualized stereotypes of black women in hip hop, these women pioneered a revitalized and empowering image of black women in hip hop.[254] Though many hip hop artists have embraced the ideals that effectively disenfranchize black female artists, many others choose to employ forms of resistance that counteract these negative portrayals of women in hip hop and offer a different narrative. These artists seek to expand ways of traditional thinking through different ways of cultural expression. In this effort they hope to elicit a response to female hip hop artists not with a misogynist lens but with one that validates women’s struggle.[255]
For women, artists such as Missy Elliott, Lil’ Kim, Young M.A. and others are providing mentorship for new female MCs. In addition, there is a vibrant scene outside the mainstream that provides an opportunity for women and their music to flourish.[60]
See also
- List of hip hop music festivals
- List of hip hop genres
- List of hip hop musicians
- List of murdered hip hop musicians
- Hip hop and social injustice
- CORE Music Foundation
- Pop culture
- Rec.music.hip-hop
Notes
- ^ It is argued as to whether hip hop started in the South or West Bronx.[1]
- ^ Also called MCing or emceeing
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Further reading
- Kugelberg, Johan (2007). Born in the Bronx: A Visual Record of the Early Days of Hip Hop. Rizzoli, New York. ISBN 978-0-7893-1540-3.
- Chang, Jeff (2008). Total Chaos: The Art and Aesthetics of Hip-Hop. Basic Books. ISBN 978-0-4650-0909-1.
- Fitzgerald, Tamsin (2008). Hip-Hop and Urban Dance. Heineman Library. ISBN 978-1-4329-1378-6.
External links
Wikiquote has quotations related to Hip hop.
- Hip hop (culture) at Curlie
- Sugarhill Gang – Rapper’s Delight (Official Video)
- Is Rap Finally Ready to Embrace It’s Women?
- Hip-Hop/R&B Music
- The Social Significance of Rap and Hip-Hop Culture
The Best 250 Hip Hop Albums Of All Time? 250? Yes, that’s a long-a** list, and absolutely gratuitous – you might not have asked for it, but here it is anyway. Over the years we compiled ‘best of the year’ lists for each and every year in Hip Hop history, the list you’re about to get into here is based on these lists – a culmination of sorts. ‘Only’ albums released between 1980 and 2019 were considered for the list, projects released in 2020 need a year or two to marinate – no doubt a couple of 2020 releases will end up on this list a little further down the road. Also, no mixtapes, compilations, or EP’s were considered.
This list is based on personal preferences first, and on factors like hype, cultural impact, and general popularity second – that’s why slept-on gems such as Grip Grand’s Brokelore (2008), Shabazz Palaces’ Black Up (2001), and billy woods’ History Will Absolve Me (2012) can be found higher on the list than classic but generally overrated albums like 2Pac’s All Eyez On Me (1996), Notorious B.I.G.’s Life After Death (1997), and 50 Cent’s Get Rich Or Dy Trying (2003).
And remember: Hip Hop has given us THOUSANDS of dope albums over the decades, which means the 250 projects listed here are ALL excellent. So need to get upset if your particular favorites are ranked too low for your tastes – if it’s on this list it’s a ‘4-mic’ album at least. Don’t get too hung up on the rankings either, this list is intended for nothing more than to have you and others think and talk about the music we all love, to keep the classics alive, and to celebrate those classic as well as the excellent Hip Hop music released in more recent years.
So here you have it, this is our list of what we consider to be the best 250 Hip Hop albums of all time. Let us know if you feel we erroneously omitted albums (and also which albums you’d drop from the list if you’d add others). Let’s get into it!
250. 2Pac (Makaveli) — The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory (1996)
Released just a few months after 2Pac’s death (and the last album completed during his lifetime), The Don Killuminati The Seven Day Theory turned out to be extremely prophetic with so many references to (his own) death it’s chilling. The album features some of the best instrumentals Pac ever got to work with and lyrically it’s 2Pac at his most angry and harsh, yet emotional and poetic best. Too many feature appearances from The Outlawz and others on a few filler tracks prevent a higher ranking – but because of 2Pac’s iconic status, this is a classic album nonetheless.
249. The Roots — How I Got Over (2010)
The legendary Roots crew can boast one of the most consistent and most impressive catalogs in Hip Hop, ever. Their only disappointing effort is their eleventh album And Then You Shoot Your Cousin (2014), their previous ten albums are all simply excellent. At least five of their albums are near-flawless – Illadelph Halflife (1996), Things Fall Apart (1999), Game Theory (2006), Rising Down (2008) and Undun (2011) – and How I Got Over definitely belongs up there with the Roots’ best as well. Black Thought is good as ever, bringing out his deepest thoughts and observations. The featured artists deliver to – it’s especially nice to hear the likes of Blu and Phonte on a Roots album, also good to see an appearance by Dice Raw. Standout tracks include “Now or Never” (featuring Phonte and Dice Raw), “Dear God 2.0” (featuring Monsters of Folk), the title track “How I Got Over” (featuring Dice Raw). Eclectically musical as always, How I Got Over is another Roots winner.
248. Del The Funky Homosapien — I Wish My Brother George Was Here (1991)
Co-produced by DJ Pooh and Del‘s cousin Ice Cube, this is not your typical early 1990s West Coast album. Quirky, humorous, and fun – Del always had his own style. Much like a West Coast version of Masta Ace, he was always able to constantly reinvent himself and turn his talent into a decade-spanning career full of creative highlights. This album was a great start to that career.
247. Ghostface Killah & Adrian Younge — Twelve Reasons To Die (2013)
Twelve Reasons To Die is a concept album with the following central theme/narrative: the album serves as the score to a fictive vintage Italian horror film. The album’s story is set in 1960s Italy featuring an alter ego character of Ghostface Killah, Tony Starks. He is an enforcer for the DeLuca crime family, who is murdered by his former employers after striking out on his own and falling in love with the kingpin’s daughter. His remains are melted in vinyl and pressed into a dozen LPs that, when played, resurrect him as the Ghostface Killah, a force for revenge incarnate.
Sounds crazy right? But it works – producer Adrain Younge goes all out here, integrating a wall of different soundscapes as the musical backdrop, merging iconic spaghetti Western film music from the likes of Ennio Morricone with haunting opera singing and 70’s soul & blaxploitation vibes featuring thick bass lines and organs. Thanks to the narrative thread, the album flows with great cohesion. Cuts like “I Declare War”, “The Catastrophe” and “Beware of the Stare” are exemplary of the dopeness of this album, Appearances from the likes of Cappadonna, Masta Killa, Inspectah Deck, and U-God on tracks like “Blood On The Cobblestones”, “Revenge Is Sweet”, “Murder Spree”, and “The Center Of Attraction” help make this album one of 2013’s best.
Twelve Reasons To Die is different and weird, but interesting and ultimately satisfying, up there with Ghostface Killah’s best work, on par with Fishscale (2006) and in his catalog third only after Ironman (1996) and Supreme Clientele (2000).
246. DJ Quik — Quik Is the Name (1991)
Quik Is The Name is a West Coast classic. It establishes DJ Quik as one of the game’s top producers and as one of the godfathers of the P-Funk / G-Funk sound. His production work is always incredibly smooth and funky. He may not be the best emcee ever, but he more than holds his own on the mic. An important album, one of the cornerstones of the rise to dominance of West Coast Hip Hop in the early 90s.
245. Jeru The Damaja — Wrath Of The Math (1996)
In an era when consciousness in Hip Hop was on its way out in favor of tales of violence and materialism, Jeru kept doing his thing. Wrath Of The Math may not be quite the classic Jeru’s debut The Sun Rises In The East was, but it is an excellent album in its own right. Insightful and profound, Jeru is relentless in his condemnation of gangsta posturing and the pimping out of Hip Hop by the big money suits, a condemnation which turned out to be highly prophetic.
244. Dälek – From Filthy Tongue Of Gods And Griots (2002)
Dälek is an experimental Hip Hop crew from Newark, New Jersey – comprised of MC Dälek, Oktopus, and DJ Still ( who passed away in 2018). From Filthy Tongue Of Gods And Griots is their second album and their best alongside the masterful Absence (2005). Dälek’s music is never easy or straightforward and no doubt this album is an acquired taste, with its boom bap-driven beats backed up by noisy and industrial soundscapes and unorthodox instrumentation. This album was way ahead of its time, and an indisputable classic in the industrial Hip Hop subgenre.
243. Mantronix — Mantronix (1985)
Producer Kurtis Mantronik did some classic work in the 1980s, producing for the likes of Just-Ice and T la Rock. He also dropped a few dope ‘electronic’ Hip Hop albums as a duo with MC Tee, with this 1985 debut album being their best.
242. Busdriver – Temporary Forever (2002)
Weird, but wonderful. Los Angeles’ Busdriver has never made a straightforward or accessible album, and like all of Busdriver’s work, Temporary Forever is an acquired taste without a doubt. Busdriver’s unorthodox and wild flows and his general abstract and experimental style will leave many heads spinning, but those who allow themselves to be swept away by Busdriver’s eccentricity and by the beats that perfectly gel with his lyrical antics will soon count this underground classic as one of their favorite albums.
Temporary Forever is Busdriver’s second album, and although he would go on to release a couple more great projects (especially Fear of a Black Tangent (2005) and Perfect Hair (2014) are must-haves too), this one stands as his absolute masterpiece.
241. Clipse – Hell Hath No Fury (2006)
An album that sometimes goes unnoticed or slept on by many in the genre, this album is truly the greatest thing that Pusha and Malice created. They would receive the lushest instrumentals from the Neptunes, which worked wonders for them on the album. The 2006 release featured some solid tracks like “Mr. Me Too” and “Nightmares”, but overall what makes it so special is the cohesion and the lyricism.
240. The Game – The Documentary (2005)
Though there’s always been a debate about whether or not 50 wrote the album (he did write about 60% of the hooks), there is no denying the power behind this album and what Game brought back to the game for the West. With aggressive lyrics, booming production that ranged from murderous to upbeat to soulful to despondent at times, Game gives us an album that is beyond what any of us expected. Singles like “How We Do”, “Dreams”, and “Hate It Or Love It” really made the album what it is today: one of the best-selling Hip Hop albums of the decade, with over 5 million units sold worldwide.
239. Quelle Chris — Being You Is Great… I Wish I Could Be You More Often (2017)
Being You Is Great! I Wish I Could Be You More Often is another excellent album by prolific Detroit artist Quelle Chris, with guest input by regular collaborators like Jean Grae (Quelle Chris’ wife), Homeboy Sandman, Denmark Vessey, Chris Keys, and others like Elzhi and Roc Marciano, among others.
Like all of Quelle Chris’s work Being You Is Great! I Wish I Could Be You More Often is neither an easy or straightforward listen. Sure, musically it’s more accessible than some of his other works (but still plenty left-field), but lyrically it’s typical Quelle Chris: challenging, often dense, but always compelling. Quelle Chris’s introspective musings on existentialism are both poignant and hilarious, and an hour of Being You Is Great! I Wish I Could Be You More Often reveals much of who Quelle Chris is as a human being.
As for the near-flawless production, most of the beats were done by Quelle Chris himself, with some assistance from The Alchemist, MNDSGN, and Iman Omari. All in all, Being You Is Great! I Wish I Could Be You More Often is an awesome project.
238. Bone Thugs-N-Harmony — E. 1999 Eternal (1995)
The debut full-length album from this Cleveland crew under the name Bone Thugs N Harmony. This group of talented Eazy E protegees pioneered their own style of harmonized sing-song rapping, and with this album they really delivered on the promise made by the BNTH’s EP of the year previous. Because of their unique style, their undeniable chemistry and the eery vibe of the album, E.1999 Eternal has been universally recognized as a Hip Hop classic – influencing many later rappers’ styles.
237. Killah Priest — Elizabeth (Introduction To The Psychic) (2009)
Elizabeth (Introduction To The Psychic) is Killah Priest’s 8th solo album and the most generally underrated album in his vast discography – for us, Elizabeth is Priest’s very best album, just edging out the equally excellent The Psychic World Of Walter Reed (2013). Killah Priest’s metaphysical deep and thought-provoking lyrics are not for everybody, but those who are in tune with Killah Priest’s particular style will LOVE this album. With 23 songs on Elizabeth and at over 77 minutes of playing time, this is another LONG Killah Priest album but it holds no filler material. There are no features and all production is handled by DJ Woool, which makes for a super consistent presentation that is able to keep attention despite its length – the production really stands out. Priest’s pen game is as good as it ever was too – “Drama”, “Sword Clan”, “The 7 Crowns Of God”, “Rise”, “Diagnose”, “Murdah Murdah At Dawn”, and especially “Jacob Never Died” and “Street Matrix” are some of the best tracks he has ever crafted. Elizabeth is a top-quality listen – an experience with a lot of replay value that will have you coming back to it again and again – even if it’s not streaming and you have to listen to it on Youtube.
236. MF DOOM – Mm.. Food (2004)
Mm… Food is kind of a concept album, as every track is compiled primarily of food-related subject matter. The food-related concept works better than you might expect, particularly when DOOM uses it as a means to cleverly diss other emcees. This album holds some of DOOM’s best beats and bars, as a listening experience Mm.. Food can be a challenge though – mostly because of the overabundance of skits (most notably in the middle of the tracklist) that are meant to thematically tie together the actual songs on the album, but that actually break its flow (especially because they are sometimes stuck to the songs, so not-skippable). Sure, the skits on any MF DOOM album are an essential part of the listening experience, but on this one, it’s a bit over the top.
Despite the skits, this is one of MF DOOM’s best albums. “Beef Rap”, “Hoe Cakes”, “Rapp Snitch Knishes”, “Poo-Putt Platter”, and “Vomitspit” are some of the classic MF DOOM cuts on this Mm.. Food. Production (mostly done by DOOM himself) is awesome, and DOOM’s complex flows and abstract lyrical imagery, make for a dope album that is aging really well.
235. Sean Price — Mic Tyson (2012)
Mic Tyson is the third studio album from Brooklyn-native Sean Price, it was the last album to be released in Price’s lifetime before his death on August 8, 2015. Mic Tyson is on par with Sean Price’s best releases Monkey Barz (2005) and Jesus Price Superstar (2007), featuring his signature brand of hard-as-nails in-your-face rhymes over production provided by renown boom-bap crafters such as Stu Bangas, The Alchemist, Evidence and 9th Wonder. This album is straight gutter, street bully rap – few have ever done this better than Sean Price did.
234. 3rd Bass — The Cactus Album (1989)
A long, but excellent album. It could have done without the skits, but it is pretty much dope from start to finish. MC Serch & Pete Nice are competent emcees and the production & beats are excellent. Essential Golden Age material. Also notable for the first appearance of MF DOOM (as KMD’s Zev Love X).
233. Murs & 9th Wonder – Murs 3:16: The 9th Edition (2004)
In his two decades in the Hip Hop game, Murs has released a whole bunch of excellent albums – solo as well as collaborative efforts. This may very well be one of his best, the first collaboration album he did with producer extraordinaire 9th Wonder.
Murs is another one of those rare personalities in Hip Hop who is always completely real. No fronting, no posing – just honesty and real emotion. The collaboration with 9th Wonder works perfectly – the soundscapes 9th Wonder provides all serve to enhance the strength of Murs’ intelligent lyrics.
Standouts include the Phonte-featuring “The Animal”, “Bad Man”, “And This Is For…”, “The Pain”, and especially the genius “Walk Like A Man”, which has three different beats to match the mood of the deep and insightful story told. But it is all good – at 10 tracks the album is short but sweet and there are no weak spots.
232. Vince Staples — Summertime ’06 (2015)
After winning acclaim with a series of mixtapes and his Hell Can Wait EP (2014), and gaining some notoriety by being dismissive about 90s Hip Hop in a high profile interview, Compton rapper Vince Staples made a big splash with Summertime 06, his official full-length debut. Summertime 06 is one of the most impressive debuts of the decade, the kind of album that needs a few playthroughs to fully appreciate. The production (mostly by Chicago’s No ID) is brilliant, and every track is original – a great feat on an hour-long, 20-track album. Summertime 06 was a big step ahead for Vince Staples since his mixtape days, and it remains his best project to date.
231. DMX — It’s Dark And Hell Is Hot (1998)
It’s Dark and Hell Is Hot is DMX‘s debut studio album and a gigantic commercial success – going quadruple platinum eventually. With DMX’s grimy rap style and the album’s gritty production, the massive mainstream success it garnered wasn’t a given – DMX’s charisma and star power surely had a lot to with that, as well as excellent marketing efforts by the Ruff Ryders label.
This is DMX at the top of his game: introspective, hardcore, and emotional at the same time. It’s Dark and Hell Is Hot is the album responsible for starting the Ruff Ryders’ reign of dominance, for reshaping the sound of Hip Hop in the early 00s, and for making DMX a superstar, filling the void left by 2Pac and Biggie. Similar to other Hip Hop superstars like Eminem and 2Pac, one of DMX’s strengths was that he was able to put his vulnerable persona and his volatile emotions at the forefront of his music, and his troubling criminal record served to prove that it wasn’t just an act.
DMX would never top or even equal this album, even though the follow-up Flesh Of My Flesh, Blood Of My Blood, which came out later in the same year, comes close. Lots of bangers on It’s Dark and Hell Is Hot, “How’s It Goin’ Down”, “Damien”, “Ruff Ryders Anthem”, “Let Me Fly”, “ATF”, and “I Can Feel It” are just a few of the classic DMX joints on what will forever be his best album – and the unforgettable introduction of DMX to the world.
230. Too Short — Life Is… (1988)
Our favorite Too Short album from his extensive discography. Already a Hip Hop veteran by 1988, Too Short came into his own on this album. Trademark explicit lyrics, with his typical laid-back flow and music to ride to. This album is one of his most consistent ones and it contains a few classic Too Short tracks.
229. Arrested Development 3 Years, 5 Months & 2 Days in the Life Of… (1992)
Arrested Development is rather a unique act, with its blend of spirituality, political content, black awareness, intelligence, respect, and positivity. 3 Years, 5 Months & 2 Days in the Life Of… is great and highly original album with a few classic tracks (“People Everyday”, “Tennessee” and “Mr. Wendal”) on it.
228. Biz Markie — Goin Off (1988)
A Marley Marl production from the Juice Crew golden era. Biz Markie always was the joker character from that group of artists – originally a beatboxer, but a pretty decent emcee as well. Nothing deep here, just funny rhymes and Biz’s antics over Marley’s dope beats – lots of classic joints on this LP, like “Vapors“, “Nobody Beats The Biz, “Make The Music With Your Mouth, Biz“, “Biz is Goin’ Off”, and “Albee Square Mall”.
227. Ol’ Dirty Bastard — Return To The 36 Chambers: The Dirty Version (1995)
One of the 4 classic Wu-Tang solo-albums following the crew’s monumental 1993 debut Enter The Wu-Tang. Ol’ Dirty Bastard: there’s no father to his style.
226. Brand Nubian — One For All (1990)
Original, both lyrically and musically. Sadat X, Lord Jamar, and Grand Puba’s lyrics are alternately thought-provoking and fun; and sonically the album is dope as well. Brand Nubian‘s One for All is a must-have.
225. Kanye West – Graduation (2007)
Completing the trilogy subjecting around a school theme, Kanye dropped another dope album with Graduation. Combining the best of The College Dropout (2004) and Late Registration (2005), Graduation saw him reaching back into his backpack and bringing good old soulful Hip Hop. With excellent cuts such as “Stronger”, “Champion”, and “Everything I Am”, Kanye knocked it out the park once again, making his classic record streak three-for-three.
224. People Under the Stairs — The Next Step (1998)
The Next Step is the independently released full-length debut by Los Angeles duo People Under the Stairs, the first in a string of excellent albums. PUTS always comes with that authentic, real boom-bap Hip Hop and this first effort is a slept-on treasure.
223. Zion I – True & Livin’ (2005)
True & Livin is the third album from Oakland’s duo Zion I, the first album on their own label LiveUp Records. Zion and Amp Live expand their creative and experimental sounds on the album, featuring a wide range of musical styles, laced with intelligent, socially conscious lyrics. Amp Live’s head nodding beats are laced with jazzy and elegant musical backdrops, and Zion’s thoughtful and expressive lyrics complement the soundscapes beautifully. Guests like Talib Kweli, Aesop Rock, Del Tha Funkee Homosapien and Gift of Gab only add to the quality of the album.
The singles “Soo Tall”, the Talib Kweli featuring “Temperature” and especially the excellent “Bird’s Eye View” are immediate standouts, and cuts like the abstract “Poems 4 Post Modern Decay” (with Aesop Rock), “The Bay”, “Stranger In My Home” (with Gift Of Gab) and the jazzy “Doin’ My Thang” also bang – but there are no weak tracks on this album. True & Livin’ flew way under the radar in 2005 – if you missed it somehow it definitely deserves your attention.
222. Westside Gunn — FLYGOD (2016)
FLYGOD is Griselda head-honcho Westside Gunn’s debut studio album. Production by the likes of Daringer, The Alchemist, Apollo Brown, Camouflage Monk, Tha God Fahim, Statik Selektah on this project is simply awesome. The gritty stripped-down 90s throwback aesthetic that would become Griselda’s forte, is done to perfection on FLYGOD. This is the project that started getting Griselda its proper buzz, FLYGOD is the epitome of what the label is about. A hard as nails release filled with uncompromising rhymes and a street essence, arguably re-pioneered by Roc Marciano with albums like Marcberg (2010) and Reloaded (2012).
Westside Gunn is an emcee who you either like or you don’t like – his high-pitched voice is an acquired taste. Fortunately, on FLYGOD he doesn’t go crazy yet with his gimmicky gun-sounds adlibs (on later WSG releases these adlibs start to get really irritating), and the guest rappers on this project make sure there’s enough variation. His fellow Griseldians Conway The Machine (WSG’s brother) and Benny The Butcher (their cousin) make appearances, along with the likes of Keisha Plum, Your Old Droog, Meyhem Lauren, Danny Brown, Mach Hommy, Skyzoo, and Action Bronson. FLYGOD is an important and hugely influential release, and one of 2016’s best.
221. Digable Planets Reachin’ (A New Refutation of Time and Space) (1993)
Smooth and jazzy, Digable Planets’ debut album deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul and The Roots albums of that era. All about positivity and empowerment, Digable Planets sadly flew a bit under the radar in a time when gun-toting gangsta posers started to get more and more of the spotlight. Reachin’ was and is a flawless listen from start to finish though, and it has definitely stood the test of time.
220. People Under The Stairs – Stepfather (2006)
People Under The Stairs have put together a truly excellent catalog over the years, starting in 1998 with The Next Step and ending in 2019 with their final album Sincerely, the P. Stepfather is the fifth album by the Los Angeles duo – and one their best. Stepfather is a long but totally cohesive album filled with dope beats and rhymes – a testament to the fact that culturally positive Hip Hop will prove to have longevity, much more than the dumbed-down crap that was (and is) dominating the mainstream. An album like Stepfather will still be listened to decades from now, whereas the bubble-gum rap that may peak for a moment will soon be forgotten.
219. Schoolly D — Schoolly D (1985)
Often recognized as the first ‘gangster rapper’, Schoolly D dropped an underground classic with this debut. Hard-ass beats & lyrics: vintage Schoolly D.
218. Atmosphere – You Can’t Imagine How Much Fun We’re Having (2005)
Rhymesayers co-founders Sean Daley (Slug) and Anthony Davis (Ant) are one of the label’s flagship acts, releasing music as Atmosphere since 1999. You Can’t Imagine How Much Fun We’re Having, is their fifth album, a release as beautifully crafted and put together as any other album in that entire decade – Ant has rarely been better behind the boards, and Slug is just fantastic on the mic. You Can’t Imagine How Much Fun We’re Having has dope beats and intelligent rhymes all the way through, stand-out tracks like “Say Hey There”, the fascinating “Pour Me Another” and the touching standout “Little Man” help to make this album Atmosphere’s absolute magnum opus and one of 2005’s best releases.
217. Common — One Day It’ll All Make Sense (1997)
Another great Common album, the one that made the Chicago emcee a Hip Hop A-lister. Consistent high level of quality throughout, creative and thoughtful lyrics combined with excellent, soulful production: One Day It’ll All Make Sense is part of the top-half of Common’s excellent catalog, an album that is aging like a fine wine.
216. Above The Law — Livin’ Like Hustlers (1990)
One of the earliest N.W.A./Dr. Dre ‘sponsored’ acts, Above The Law debuts with a straight-up (West Coast) Hip Hop classic. Slammin’ west coast gangsta funk beats, produced by ATL themselves, Laylaw, and Dr. Dre. This is one of those rare albums where you don’t have to skip a track, and stand-outs like “Murder Rap”, “Ballin’”, “The Last Song”, and “Livin’ Like Hustlers”.
215. 50 Cent – Get Rich Or Die Tryin’ (2003)
Get Rich Or Die Tryin’ is one of the most significant albums of the 2000s decade – in terms of sales, impact, and popularity. For these reasons alone this album is a super classic, but at 19 tracks just a little bit too long and lacking in variety to be ranked higher here: 50 Cent’s gangsta-pop subject matter can get tiring, and of course he has never been a very good rapper. That being said, he certainly was on the top of his game here – and having Dr. Dre and Eminem in his corner surely didn’t hurt. Get Rich Or Die Tryin’ contains a bunch of classic cuts and featured near-flawless production throughout, and will forever be seen as one of Hip Hop’s biggest albums.
214. Big L — Lifestylez Ov Da Poor & Dangerous (1995)
The classic debut of one of the most naturally gifted and best punch-line emcees ever. Big L, rest in peace.
213. Common — Black America Again (2016)
Common has dropped quite a few excellent albums in his long career, and this one is up there with the best of them. Meaningful, profound, captivating, intelligent, soulful, and lyrical – Black America Again has everything a Hip Hop album needs to have. Truly great from start to finish, there are no skippable tracks. Production is excellent throughout and Common’s flow and lyrics are as good as they ever were.
212. Blackalicious — Nia (1999)
The Sacramento-based duo of producer/DJ Chief Xcel and lyricist The Gift of Gab drop an excellent (full-length) debut album with Nia. Progressive, soulful, stylistic and inventive production and exceptional lyricism by Gift Of Gab, truly one of the most underrated and poetic emcees in the Hip Hop game. Nia is a gem.
211. Kanye West – The College Dropout (2004)
Whatever you think about later-Kanye, his seminal debut album is a true classic. Having already earned stripes producing for others (most notably on Jay-Z’s magnum opus The Blueprint), he exploded on the scene in 2004 with his first album.
The College Dropout is unique and musically diverse, and very listenable – even if Kanye isn’t the best emcee ever and even if the album has too many skits and a few filler songs: always a risk on a 75-minute album. Songs like “Spaceship”, “All Falls Down”, “Jesus Walks”, “Two Words”, “Last Call”, and “Never Let Me Down” all are classics though, and there are plenty more to enjoy besides.
210. Open Mike Eagle — Brick Body Kids Still Daydream (2017)
On the heels of 2016’s strong collaboration album with Paul White Hella Personal Film Festival, Open Mike Eagle continues his streak of consistency with Brick Body Kids Still Daydream. The ambient and psychedelic production on Brick Body Kids Still Daydream is more subdued than on past OME efforts, which complements his low-key delivery. The smooth instrumentals and Open Mike Eagle’s vocals sound deceptively loose and laid-back, but the lyrical content is clever, thoughtful, relevant, and emotionally potent. Brick Body Kids Still Daydream almost rivals Dark Comedy (2014) for the title of Open Mike Eagle’s best album to date.
209. De La Soul – The Grind Date (2004)
Everybody will recognize the fact that De La Soul dropped more than one classic album, but strangely enough De La’s 2004 release The Grind Date (their 7th album) is rarely mentioned when discussing their best records. It should be, though.
The Grind Date is tighter and leaner than other De La releases (no skits, the absence of which is something a lot of people can appreciate) and it boasts production of Madlib, J Dilla, 9th Wonder, with guest spots of MF DOOM (with an epic verse on “Rock Co.Kane Flow”), Common, Ghostface Killah, and others. If you somehow missed The Grind Date – now’s the time to check it out.
208. Danny Brown — X X X (2011)
Danny Brown’s second studio album X X X is another intriguing project from one of Detroit’s most fascinating artists of the past decade, reminiscent of someone like ODB with his out of this world personality, his energy, and his off-the-wall craziness level. X X X is experimental and dark, but funny and lighthearted at the same time, with Danny Brown’s unique sound and some of the craziest but also some of the funniest lines ever.
Drugs and the role it plays in Danny Brown’s life is the main theme of the album. During the first half of the album, Danny Brown is on an incredible high talking about the most outlandish things, on the second half the album transitions into a less intense and more serious tone, telling more serious stories about Danny Brown’s life experiences where drugs and violence take over his world. X X X is a great album that solidifies Danny Brown’s status as one of the Hip Hop game’s most exciting newcomers of the 2010s.
207. The Roots – Rising Down (2008)
Much like its predecessor Game Theory, Rising Down gives us a slightly darker sound than we were used to on earlier Roots albums. Stripped down sonically, with intelligent socio-conscious lyrics throughout – Rising Down is a great album, perhaps the most under-appreciated within The Roots’ discography.
206. UGK — Ridin’ Dirty (1996)
After two more than solid albums, UGK drops Ridin’ Dirty – arguably their best album. Flawless production, dope rhymes, and superb flows – Pimp C & Bun B really bring their A-game on this album. UGK will always be one of the greatest acts to come from the South and Ridin’ Dirty is an album that needs to be part of any Hip Hop head’s collection.
205. Big Daddy Kane — It’s A Big Daddy Thing (1989)
Not as groundbreaking as his debut Long Live The Kane, still this album showed Big Daddy Kane in top form. Nobody (with the exception of Rakim) was able to touch the mic skills of Big Daddy Kane. This album is just a little bit too long (with a few filler tracks) to be considered a true classic, but BDK’s persona and lyrical ability throughout make this an essential Golden Age album.
204. Oddisee — The Good Fight (2015)
The Good Fight is Oddisee’s tenth studio album (also counting the two excellent albums he did as Diamond District with yU and Uptown XO), and it showcases his continuing growth as a producer and as an emcee. Soulful and eclectic, this album almost transcends genre boundaries in its musicality. Lyrics-wise The Good Fight is more than a worthwhile listen as well – with Oddisee telling us about his experiences as an artist in the music business and life in general. The Good Fight is put together meticulously from start to finish resulting in a remarkable blend of lyrical depth, complexity, beauty, and soul. “Counter-Clockwise”, “First Choice”, “Contradiction’s Maze”, “Want Something Done” and “Book Covers” are a few of the stand-out tracks, but this album has no filler tracks at all. The Good Fight is one of those albums that gets better with each spin.
203. Souls of Mischief — 93 ’til Infinity (1993)
Together with Hieroglyphics‘ 1998 group album 3rd Eye Vision, this album is the crown jewel in Hieroglyphics’ all-around excellent catalog. Souls Of Mischief – part of the Hieroglyphics collective – succeeded in dropping a West Coast album without the gangsta cliches, and that is what makes it a classic Hip Hop album that sounds as fresh today as it did when it came out. Amazing, rapid-fire wordplay by Opio, Phesto, A-Plus, and Tajai, who flow together really well with intelligent, funny, and clever lyrics. Dope beats, dope rhymes – dope album.
202. Masta Ace – A Long Hot Summer (2004)
Following the monumental Disposable Arts, A Long Hot Summer is another concept album by Masta Ace, and just as brilliant as its predecessor. A Long Hot Summer serves as sort of a prequel to Disposable Arts. The story follows Ace, an underground rapper through his “Long Hot Summer” in Brooklyn, accompanied by buddy Fats Belvedere. Ace ventures through the Brooklyn streets and goes out on tour with Fats as his unofficial manager.
With guest appearances by Jean Grae, The Beatnuts, Big Noyd, Edo G., Punch & Words, Apocalypse, Leschea, and Rahzel, A Long Hot Summer confidently manages to navigate its riveting storyline, resulting in another masterpiece for the unsung Masta Ace. Universally praised, but underappreciated anyhow on account of poor sales figures. Make no mistake though, this is one of 2004’s best albums.
201. Scarface — Mr. Scarface Is Back (1991)
A great start to an epic solo career by one of the game’s most respected emcees. With the experience of a few Geto Boys albums under his belt, Scarface hammers out his solid debut, much in the same vein as what he did with the Geto Boys. Dark, brooding, hardcore – this plays like a violent / horror movie.
200. Gravediggaz — 6 Feet Deep (1994)
Gravediggaz was a supergroup consisting of Prince Paul (The Undertaker), Frukwan (The Gatekeeper), Poetic (The Grym Reaper), and RZA (The RZArector). Two superproducers working together, that has to result in something special, right? This pioneering album is perhaps the best and best-known album of the ‘horrorcore’ sub-genre. Taken as the fantasy it is, it is a fun album with a wonderfully dark sense of humor. Excellent production and top-notch emceeing – this is a classic, strangely enough with underground as well as mainstream appeal.
199. Brother Ali — All The Beauty In This Whole Life (2017)
All The Beauty In This Whole Life signified Brother Ali’s return to recording after a five-year hiatus. At this point in his career, it was clear what to expect from Brother Ali – lyrical precision, honest emotion, social commentaries, and intelligent observations. Where his last album Mourning In America And Dreaming In Color was filled with socio-political insights reflecting the state of American affairs mixed with Ali’s personal stories, All The Beauty In This Whole Life is all about inner transformation. Ant provided Ali with perfect lush boom-bap instrumentals to accompany his soulful collection of personal stories about the ups and downs of life, highlights include “Own Light,” “Can’t Take That Away”, “The Bitten Apple”, “Before They Called You White”, “Out Of Here”, “Dear Black Son”, and “Pray For Me”. All The Beauty In This Whole Life is another amazing album by Brother Ali – powerful and meaningful grown-up music, a breath of fresh air in a rap year filled with face-tatted mumblers dominating the mainstream.
198. Ice T — The Iceberg (1989)
Ice-T‘s grittiest album, but one with great variation lyrically as well as sonically. From the epic, ominous intro “Shut Up, Be Happy” (featuring Jello Biafra and brilliantly interpolating Black Sabbath’s classic “Black Sabbath”) to the all-out fun “My Word Is Bond” – this album has something for everybody.
The chilled-out album opener “The Iceberg”, the dope 9-minute posse cut “What Ya Wanna Do”, the personal “This One’s For Me”, the gangster tale “Peel Their Caps Back”, the thought-provoking “You Played Yourself”, the multi-layered noise on “The Hunted Child” and “Lethal Weapon” – this album is packed with dope tracks.
The album’s most important theme – as evidenced in the album’s subtitle and the song “Freedom Of Speech” – is the PMRC censorship that was being imposed on Hip Hop artists at the time. The Iceberg/Freedom of Speech… Just Watch What You Say! is a tight album, one of Ice-T’s best and the one that established Ice-T as one of Hip Hop’s most prominent and authentic personalities.
197. Pete Rock & CL Smooth — The Main Ingredient (1994)
Lacking a monster hit-single like “T.R.O.Y.” from their classic full-length debut album Mecca And The Soul Brother, The Main Ingredient is often overlooked when it comes to considering Hip Hop’s best albums. That is wrong because this one is just about as flawless as its predecessor is. True enough: CL Smooth isn’t the greatest emcee or lyricist ever, but these albums are all about Pete Rock’s production, which is as good as ever on this top-notch feel-good album.
196. Open Mike Eagle — Dark Comedy (2014)
Open Mike Eagle is a Chicago-born, Los Angeles-based artist who dropped some of the most interesting albums in abstract underground Hip Hop in the 2010s – with his soft spoken-word style, poetic lyrics, and experimental production. Dark Comedy is Open Mike Eagle’s fourth solo album and arguably his best album to date. Belying the at times breezy production, Open Mike Eagle’s subject matter never is lightweight. He approaches a variety of serious topics with dark and deliciously sarcastic humor – hence the title of the album. Open Mike Eagle’s lyrical performance on Dark Comedy is as good as we’ve heard from him, and the ambient production is fantastic throughout. The lyrical and instrumental intricacies give Dark Comedy more layers than anything else out this year, as always with an Open Mike Eagle release there’s a lot to unpack – Dark Comedy is an album with endless replay value.
195. Lupe Fiasco — DROGAS Wave (2018)
Coming off the distinctly underwhelming Drogas Light (2017), Drogas Waves is another one of those Lupe Fiasco projects that show insane scope and ambition. A 100-minute concept album dealing with the overall theme resurrection, this could have been a bloated mess – but fortunately, it isn’t. In fact, this is a brilliant album. The thing is that it probably is too clever, it needs to be ‘studied’ in order to be able to appreciate its deepness. With just casual listens, the whole thing will go over your head. It’s like with a serious 100-minute movie – you just don’t watch a couple of few-minute snippets at a time – you watch the whole thing from beginning to end, paying attention all the time. Drogas Wave has to be approached in the same way.
In a 2018 Billboard interview, Fiasco revealed the main idea of the project:
“It’s about a group of slaves on a slave ship on their way to Africa to the West Indies and they are thrown off the boat. But they didn’t die. They stayed alive and they lived under the sea. And they dedicated their lives to sinking slave ships — so they became this super, underwater force against slavery. It’s like a super-deep story that I am building on different fronts. But that’s the main idea and the source material for the album.”
Lupe Fiasco’s Tetsuo & Youth (2015) is a near-classic and Lupe’s best album of the decade, Drogas Wave comes close though.
194. Elzhi – The Preface (2008)
Elzhi is one of the most underrated emcees in the game. The Detroit lyrical giant dropped an instant classic with The Preface. Bangin beats – mostly provided by equally underrated Detroit producer Black Milk – and excellent wordplay by Elzhi himself and guests like Guilty Simpson, Royce da 5’9″ and Black Milk, make this one of 2008’s best albums. “Guessing Game”, “Motown 25”, “Colors”, “Transitional Joint”, “What I Write”, “Talking In My Sleep” – just a few standout tracks on an album with not a bad song on it. “Show these motherf***ers what a classic is…” In the intro of the album Elzhi sets himself up for a tall order, but boy does he deliver.
193. O.C. — Jewelz (1997)
It can be argued that the labels ‘slept on’ and ‘underrated’ are overused and applied to far too many emcees – who are either not very good or not slept on at all. O.C. is an underrated emcee who well deserves the label. After his perfect (and yes – slept on) debut Word… Life in 1994, he returns with another outstanding (and slightly more accessible) album. Production is tight and comes from renown producers like DJ Premier, Lord Finesse, Showbiz, Buckwild, Da Beatminerz. Guest appearances from Big L, Organized Konfusion and Freddie Foxxx are the icing on the cake.
192. ANKHLEJOHN & Big Ghost Ltd — Van Ghost (2018)
Following the neo-boom-bap/noir-rap aesthetic established by niche-leaders Roc Marciano and Griselda, with Van Ghost prolific emcee ANKHLEJOHN and producer Big Ghost have created an album that’s better than anything that ever came out of the Roc Marci and Griselda camps.
Van Ghost is a true work of art. Every track on Van Ghost is named after a Van Gogh painting, ANKLEJOHN’s lyrics touch upon some aspect of each particular painting, and the cover art created by Big Ghost is done in the artistic style of the famous Dutch painter. Similar to looking at a fine painting, there’s a lot of to unpack listening to Van Ghost, and every single listener may take away something different from the experience. ‘Atmospheric’ and ‘haunting’ are overused adjectives in describing albums like this one, but in the case of Van Ghost, they are as apt as can be. Big Ghost’ cinematic instrumentals – some of the best you’ll hear this year – and ANKLEJOHN’s grimy lyrics gell into a truly intense listening experience.
Van Ghost is tight and focused: 12 tracks, no useless interludes or other fillers, and guest artists on just 2 of the 12 tracks – Hus Kingpin makes an appearance on “Almond Blossoms”, Fly Anakin, Eto, and Crimeapple on “At Eternity’s Gate”. All in all, Van Ghost is a unique and intriguing piece of work, the benchmark against which all other albums in this rap-noir niche should be measured.
191. Stetsasonic — On Fire (1986)
The first Hip Hop band Stetsasonic came out with a bang with this album in 1986. Fine work from a young Prince Paul on the boards and great synergy between Stet’s emcees – this is an essential 80’s Hip Hop album.
190. Lupe Fiasco – The Cool (2007)
Lupe Fiasco’s debut, Food & Liquor (2006), was among the most revered debuts in any era of Hip Hop. Could he redo that acclaim with his sophomore album, The Cool? Damn sure. This album practically served as an unofficial sequel to Food & Liquor (the official sequel, Food & Liquor II: The Great American Rap Album (2012), didn’t quite meet those expectations). Powerful cuts like “The Coolest”, “Gold Watch” and “Hip Hop Saved My Life” are exhibits of how intelligent and well-read Lupe Fiasco is. Easily comparable to his classic debut in terms of quality, this album was one of 2007’s best releases.
189. dead prez — Lets Get Free (2000)
In an era where conscious Hip Hop had long lost the spotlight to dumb materialism and violence, dead prez was one of the crews who kept the tradition started by Public Enemy and KRS-One alive: bringing intelligent, socially and politically charged messages over some kick-ass beats. Whether you agree with all of dead prez’s points of view or not, you can’t deny the power of their messages. Amidst all the bling-bling, materialistic, candy-coated ‘wanna be a gangsta’ pop-rap especially pumped out by No Limit and Cash Money Records at that time, this Hip Hop album for the thinking man was an undeniable breath of fresh air.
188. Eazy E — Eazy Duz It (1988)
Eazy E‘s debut album really is a veiled N.W.A. album. The lyrics are written by Ice Cube, The D.O.C., and MC Ren, who also makes a few appearances. The production is handled by Dr. Dre & DJ Yella– this clearly is a group effort. A little less consistent than N.W.A.’s Straight Outta Compton – released in the same year – this album still is a bonafide (West Coast) Hip Hop classic.
187. Rapsody — The Idea Of Beautiful (2012)
The Idea Of Beautiful is the debut studio album by North Carolina’s Rapsody. The album was released after the critical acclaim of her mixtapes such as Return of the B-Girl (2010), Thank H.E.R. Now (2011) and For Everything (2011); as well as her The Black Mamba EP (2012). The Idea Of Beautiful album includes the production by the members of The Soul Council (9th Wonder, Khrysis, E. Jones, AMP, Eric G., and Ka$h). The album features guest appearances from Big Rube, Raheem DeVaughn, Ab-Soul, Mac Miller, The Cool Kids, Buckshot, Childish Gambino, GQ, Big Remo, Heather Victoria, Rocki Evans, BJ the Chicago Kid, and Nomsa Mazwai.
Rapsody is one of the MVPs of the 2010s – with three near-classic albums and a couple of top-quality EPs on her name. The Idea Of Beautiful sonically continues in the vein of her mixtapes, with the Soul Councils smooth instrumentals gelling perfectly with Rapsody’s clever lyrics. As always, Rapsody puts her mind, heart, and soul into her music – and it makes for a timeless gem of an album.
186. Lord Finesse & DJ Mike Smooth — Funky Technician (1990)
Founder of the legendary Diggin’ In The Crates Crew, Lord Finesse is one of the sickest punchline emcees in Hip Hop history, together with fellow DITC member Big L. Funky Technician can be seen as the first DITC album, and a dope album it is, start to finish. Finesse’s braggadocious rhymes are second to none and the production is typical early 90s NYC style. Funky Technician is slept-on by many, as is Lord Finesse himself. True Hip Hop heads will know what’s up though and will surely have this one in their collection.
185. Pharoahe Monch – Desire (2007)
Desire is the second solo album from Pharoahe Monch, released eight years (!) after his critically acclaimed solo debut, Internal Affairs. Where some artists seem to favor quantity over quality when it comes to their output (we’re looking at you Kool Keith), in the case of Pharoahe Monch it clearly is the other way around. Eight years is a long wait for a follow-up, but Desire was worth the wait. The album offers hard-hitting boom-bap beats with Pharoahe Monch exercising his insane flow with extreme precision and style.
184. Dälek – Absence (2005)
Frontrunners in industrial Hip Hop, Dälek debuted in 1998 with the captivating Negro Necro Nekros and developed their sound with their first proper full-length From Filthy Tongues of Gods and Griots (2002). Dälek’s music is always dark, noisy, and atmospheric – but no album in their catalog is darker than Absence. Producer Oktopus is one of the most interesting avant-garde producers of all time, and his instrumentals on this album are unique and progressive. Emcee Dälek comes with his characteristic apocalyptic bars, but it’s Oktopus whose talents truly shine on Absence – his nightmarish industrial soundscapes provide a thick atmosphere full of menace and terror.
“A Beast Caged”, “Culture for Dollars”, “Distorted Prose”, “Asylum (Permanent Underclass)”, “Ever Somber”, “Opiate The Masses”, “Eyes to Form Shadows” nothing but highlights on what is one of the most underrated Hip Hop albums released in 2005.
183. Jurassic 5 – Power In Numbers (2002)
Hip Hop in its purest form. The beats and scratches by Cut Chemist & Nu-Mark are dope and the lyrics by Akil, Chali 2na, Marc 7, and Zaakir are on point. As always, Jurassic 5 brings Hip Hop with a great nostalgic throw-back vibe to it: fresh, fun and positive – much needed in the early millennium when emptyheaded gangsta-pop materialism had taken over the mainstream. “Freedom”, “If You Only Knew”, “Break” , “A Day At The Races” (featuring Percee P & Big Daddy Kane) and the single “What’s Golden” are easy favorites, but the whole album vibes.
182. Mood — Doom (1997)
This crew from Cincinnati, Ohio dropped an underground sleeper classic with Doom. Atmospheric and melodic production complemented with clever lyrics – this is real Hip Hop at its finest. The album features production by Hi-Tek and guest appearances by Talib Kweli and Wu-Tang-affiliated group Sunz of Man, and this album can be seen as a springboard for all their careers. Mood emcees Main Flow and Donte do an excellent job over Hi-Tek’s beats, the result is a slept-on masterpiece. It’s hard to single out standout tracks from this album because its strength is its consistency: one hour of excellence.
181. Rapsody — Eve (2019)
The word (instant) classic gets thrown around much too much, and it remains to be seen how an album that seems to be something special upon its release holds up as the years pass – but it looks unlikely Eve is misjudged when the instant classic label is put on it – everything about Rapsody’s masterful ode to black women screams MASTERPIECE.
Class, confidence, style, intelligence, attitude, skill, power – Rapsody has it all and on Eve it all comes together to result in an album that easily ranks among the decade’s best. On Eve Rapsody continues her exploration of black empowerment and female strength, cleverly conceptualized by naming all 16 tracks after strong and inspiring black women. Rapsody’s lyrics are compelling throughout the whole album and the smooth and classy soundscapes (with some excellent sampling) are on point too. Holding momentum throughout a 16-track album is not a given, but Eve is sequenced perfectly – not a second is wasted and there is no filler. Outstanding and resonant – Eve is one of 2019’s best albums.
180. Aesop Rock – None Shall Pass (2007)
A frontrunner in the ‘alternative’ Hip Hop wave instrumental in saving Hip Hop around the turn of the millennium, Aesop Rock may be best known to most because of his left-field kind of production. People often overlook his lyrical abilities, though. Aesop Rock is underrated as an emcee – each track on this album is a carefully created gem of lyrical genius. None Shall Pass is the epitome of Aesop Rock’s creativity and progressiveness – and a true Hip Hop gem.
179. Add-2 — Prey For The Poor (2015)
Prey For The Poor is Chicago emcee Add-2’s debut solo LP since signing to 9th Wonder’s Jamla Records. It’s his official debut album after a string of excellent mixtapes – an album that went sadly unnoticed upon its release in 2015. Make no mistake though – this is one of the best Hip Hop releases of 2015. Add-2 is a spectacular lyricist, who combines supreme technical skill as an emcee with the ability to write intelligent, socially conscious lyrics. The smooth jazzy beats are produced by the likes of Nottz, AMP, 9th Wonder and mainly Khrysis, and the album’s guest features include A-listers like Rapsody, Jamila Woods, Sam Trump, and Raheem DeVaughn. Add-2 touches on a myriad of important societal issues in a thought-provoking manner, this is an important album more people should have picked up on. Don’t sleep on Add-2.
178. Mobb Deep — Hell On Earth (1996)
Mobb Deep’s third album continues in the vein of their second one, the classic The Infamous. Relentlessly dark and gritty, with especially Prodigy at his lyrical prime, Hell On Earth is another flawlessly produced Mobb Deep hit – although the extreme tough-guy lyrics and dark thematics will not appeal to everyone (even if you are willing to take it all with a grain of salt). It lacks a super classic single, like “Shook Ones” from The Infamous, but Hell On Earth is no doubt one of the two best Mobb Deep albums, with classic cuts on it such as “Drop A Gem On ‘Em”, “Nighttime Vulture”, “Hell On Earth (Front Lines)¨ , and “Animal Instinct”.
177. Percee P – Perseverance (2007)
Percee P is a criminally underrated emcee. One of the best lyricists in the game, ever. Active in the Hip Hop game since the 1980s – and always stealing the show as a guest emcee on other peoples albums – Perseverance, his official solo debut album came out as late as 2007. If he could have gotten himself released in the early 90s, no doubt he would be widely recognized now as one of the all-time greats. As it is, this album may have come too late – in a time when Hip Hop was being watered down and dumbed down for near on a decade already and quality Hip Hop like this was not promoted anymore by the big money people.
This is a real Hip Hop album, that should have a place in any real heads collection. Superior lyrical skill, astute lyrics and produced by one of the best producers in the game: Madlib. It has Madlib’s signature sound; a bit modern & experimental at times, but still with enough of an ‘old-school’ feel to them to match Percee P’s lyrics.
The album has a couple of guest spots – Guilty Simpson, Vinnie Paz, Diamond D, Prince Po, Aesop Rock – all quality emcees, but Percee P outshines them all effortlessly.
The aptly titled Perseverance is a testament to Percee P’s career and you need to go check out this album.
176. CunninLynguists — Rose Azura Njano (2017)
Mayby not as ambitious and memorable as their earlier conceptual efforts A Piece of Strange (2006) and Oneirology (2011), Rose Azura Njano is an excellent album in its right – Hip Hop for grown folk. The album tells the story of a character named Rose, who is afflicted by chromesthesia and personifies “Black music in America and its history in pain, loss, hardships, and socio-political movements.” Kno is in a league of his own as far as production goes, and the lyrics from Deacon The Villian and Natti are on point as usual. CunninLynguists have one of the strongest bodies of work in Hip Hop, present and past, and Rose Azura Njano is an important piece of their discography.
175. Ghostface Killah – Fishscale (2006)
Ghostface Killah is the most prolific and consistent artist out of the Wu-Tang camp. Starting with his dope solo-debut Ironman in 1996, over the decades he has put together an amazingly high-quality catalog, stocked with gems and containing very few duds (in contrast to most of his Wu-Tang colleagues). Fishscale is one of Ghostface’s best four albums, competing with Ironman and Twelve Reasons To Die (2013) for the second-place spot, after his magnum opus Supreme Clientele (2000).
174. Dr. Dooom — First Come, First Served (1999)
First Come, First Served is up there with Dr. Octagonecologyst and Sex Style as one of Kool Keith’s best solo albums. The album begins with Kool Keith’s new alter-ego Dr. Dooom killing the Dr. Octagon persona. Lyrically he is in top form here: flow and delivery are excellent and the lyrics are wonderfully and characteristically bizarre. Gotta love that No Limit parody cover too.
173. Jurassic 5 — Quality Control (2000)
Perfectly capturing that throwback Hip Hop vibe, this Californian crew are all about flawless emceeing over dope instrumentals. Chali 2na, Mark 7even, Zaakir, and Akil can flow and harmonize with the best of them. while DJ Nu-Mark and the legendary DJ CutChemist add value with the beats and cuts they provide. Much needed upbeat Hip Hop in times when materialism and violence of gangsta wannabes dominated the mainstream.
172. Immortal Technique – Revolutionary Vol. 1 (2001)
The first installment of the series bangs out with harder subjects, and angst that’s even more pronounced than on his second volume. Compared to Public Enemy classics like Fear Of A Black Planet and It Takes A Nation Of Millions…, on this incredible debut Immortal Technique spares no expense sounding off on anybody and anything deserving of his wrath. This is an album that is among the most important of the aughts.
171. Dr. Dre — 2001 (1999)
The excellent follow-up to Dr. Dre’s epic classic The Chronic. Not quite as revolutionary as The Chronic was – but a definitive reaffirmation that Dre still was the West’s top-producer, even after a seven-year hiatus between albums (under his own name that is – of course he produced a whole lot of classic music for others in the meantime).
Whereas The Chronic changed the face of (West Coast) Hip Hop, with 2001 Dr. Dre just holds it down. Superior production from start to finish – the only criticism could be that the album contains a few misses (“Let’s Get High” most notably) and that it could have done without the pointless, irritating skits. Other than that: 2001 simply is another Dr. Dre classic.
170. Aesop Rock – Labor Days (2001)
Labor Days is Aesop Rock’s third studio album and one of his best. As always with Aesop Rock, the soundscapes are innovative and exciting, and you need to really close to his next-level wordplay to get his meaning – this is another one of those artists who make music for thinking people. “Daylight,” with its epic bass-line, clever lyrics, is a stand-out, as is “Save Yourself,” which addresses Hip Hop traditionalists who’d rather talk about their skills and diss the bubblegum rappers than say anything meaningful. But there’s much more to enjoy on Labor Days, one of Def Jux’s flagship albums.
169. Organized Konfusion — Organized Konfusion (1991)
With this album, Prince Po and Pharoahe Monch redefined lyricism. This album has it all: consciousness, politically juiced tracks, party anthems, story-telling – there are socio-political songs such as “Prisoners of War”, “Releasing Hypnotical Gases” (with a truly brilliant Pharoahe Monch verse), and “Open Your Eyes”, street commentaries like on “Rough Side of Town” and “Roosevelt Franklin”, some straight fun tracks like “Who Stole My Last Piece of Chicken?”, and displays of pure lyrical dexterity, such as “Walk Into The Sun”, “Organized Konfusion”, and “Audience Pleasers” – Prince Poetry and Pharoahe Monch pull off a perfect display of clever lyricism and dope wordplay while keeping things varied and captivating throughout. Organized Konfusion is a cult classic that is a must-have not just for Pharoahe Monch fans, but for anyone who likes clever, layered Hip Hop.
168. Reflection Eternal — Train Of Thought (2000)
Sometimes seen as part three in an unofficial trilogy, with part 1 and 2 being Black Star’s Mos Def And Talib Kweli Are Black Star and Mos Def’s Black on Both Sides, Talib Kweli’s and Hi-Tek’s Train Of Thought album is every bit as brilliant as the other two. Hi-Tek comes with excellent production throughout and Talib Kweli once again proves he is a gifted emcee who can write meaningful lyrics and has the emcee skills to deliver them. No skippable tracks on this album – quality all the way. Intelligent, conscious, positive – Train Of Thought is an all-time Hip Hop classic.
167. OutKast — Stankonia (2000)
OutKast‘s fourth album is yet another excellent effort from the Southern giants. Stankonia is a musical masterpiece, as was Aquemini, as was ATLiens, and as was their debut Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik, and it cemented OutKast’s status as one of Hip Hop biggest and best-selling acts ever.
166. Nas — Stillmatic (2001)
This comeback album was a career highlight for Nasir Jones. From the blistering Jay-Z dis “Ether” to the dope L.E.S.- produced “Every Ghetto”, with classic cuts like “One Mic”, “Rewind”, “You’re Da Man”, “2nd Childhood” and “Got Ur Self A Gun” in between – this album is almost as tight and cohesive as Nas’ magnum opus Illmatic. Not counting The Lost Tapes (2002), Stillmatic is Nas’ best album of the 2000s.
165. Pharoahe Monch — Internal Affairs (1999)
Internal Affairs is Pharoahe Monch’s solo debut. After three acclaimed albums with Prince Po as Organized Konfusion, Pharoahe went for a harder sound on his first solo outing – and it works. Pharaohe Monch’s lyrical dexterity and his techniques are inhuman. Songs like “Behind Closed Doors”, Rape, “The Truth”, “The Light” and of course the anthemic “Simon Says” are PM classics of course, but this whole album bangs. Some good features too, especially Canibus kills it on “Hell”. Internal Affairs signified an excellent start of Pharoahe Monch’s solo career, and it’s one of the best Hip Hop albums released in 1999.
164. Geto Boys — Geto Boys (1990)
Grip It! On That Other Level (1989) was Geto Boys‘ second album, but the first one with the ‘realest’ line-up: Scarface, Willie D & Bushwick Bill (plus DJ Ready Red). Grip It! On That Other Level was as groundbreaking as NWA’s Straight Outta Compton (1988) was in many ways – a trailblazing classic. Geto Boys is a revamped version of Grip It! On That Other Level with a couple of extra tracks added. Rick Rubin’s involvement on the production side makes Geto Boys the best album in an overall strong catalog.
163. Roc Marciano — Reloaded (2012)
Reloaded is the second studio album from former U.N. and Flipmode Squad member Roc Marciano. Marciano produced most of the album himself and was assisted on a couple of tracks by The Alchemist, Ray West, Q-Tip, and The Arch Druids. The album features guest contributions by rappers KA and Knowledge Pirate. In addition to Reloaded, Roc Marciano has released an impressively consistent set of albums this decade – Marcberg (2010), Marci Beaucou (2013), Rosebudd’s Revenge (2017), RR2: The Bitter Dose (2018), Behold A Dark Horse (2018), Kaos (with DJ Muggs, 2018), and Marcielago (2019) – all great, but Reloaded is the best of them all.
Reloaded is this decades’ epitome of the mafioso sun-genre pioneered in the mid-90s by legends such as Kool G Rap, Raekwon, Mobb Deep, AZ, and Nas. Ever since the advent of gangsta rap, there have been tons of Hip Hop albums filled with crime talk, but Roc Marciano rises far above all the genericness. Immersive, cinematic storytelling, complemented by atmospheric boom-bap instrumentals – Reloaded is a staple of the subgenre.
162. Scarface – The Fix (2002)
For many, this is Scarface’s best album and it’s easy to see why. Production is excellent – with some of the beats provided by a young Kanye West in top form – and lyrically Scarface is at his best, deftly balancing his trademark street tales with conscious commentaries. “Guess Who’s Back” ft Jay-Z & Beanie Sigel, “In Between Us” ft Nas, “In Cold Blood”. “Safe”, “Keep Me Down” and of course the monumental “On My Block” are all unforgettable Scarface tracks.
161. Big Pun — Capital Punishment (1998)
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Big Pun’s only album released during his lifetime, Capital Punishment is regarded as a classic if only because of Pun’s technical efficiency and incredible wordplay. Great production and plain awesome lyricism by one of the best emcees ever. Too many skits and a couple of filler songs stand in the way of a higher ranking on this list, but this a classic nonetheless.
160. Eminem – The Eminem Show (2002)
Three-in-a-row for Eminem. The Eminem Show – his fourth album – is another classic, just like its predecessors The Slim Shady LP (1999) and The Marschall Matters LP (2000). Not completely flawless, but near enough – The Eminem Show was Eminem’s last truly great album, released when he was at the peak of his power and fame.
159. Diamond District – In The Ruff (2009)
Diamond District is the truth. This is real, raw & pure Hip Hop done right. In The Ruff is that perfect example of an album with a Golden Age sound but with one leg firmly in the present as well. Oddisee is a talented producer and emcee, and together with emcees X.O. and YU he delivers an excellent record, filled with hard AND smooth boom bap beats and dope flows.
A breath of fresh air in 2009; and an album that should have a place in any Hip Hop fan’s collection – easily one of the best Hip Hop albums released in that year. Don’t sleep and go get Diamond District’s In The Ruff if you didn’t before.
158. The Notorious B.I.G. — Life After Death (1997)
The Notorious B.I.G.’s sophomore album Life After Death is plagued by some of the same faults as the ones that marred 2Pac’s All Eyez On Me. Life After The Death is overlong at 1 hour & 47 minutes, and there’s too much filler material: there are too many Puff Daddy pop songs (and a couple of annoying skits). Biggie’s lyrical skill and story-telling abilities are second to none, but the quality of the songs on this LP is hit-and-miss.
Of the 24 tracks, at least 5 should have been left off the album to be able to consider Life After Death on par with Biggie’s monumental debut Ready To Die. Songs like “Somebody’s Gotta Die”, “Hypnotize”, “Kick In The Door”, “What’s Beef?”, “N*****s Bleed”, “I Got A Story To Tell”, “Ten Crack Commandments”, “Long Kiss Goodnight” and “You’re Nobody (Till Somebody Kills You) are all excellent, but “F**k You Tonight”, “I Love The Dough”, “Another”, “Playa Hater”, “Nasty Boy” are weak songs that bring the album down. Another problem is the skits that are used to set the tone for tracks, the skits on LAD are all quite long and stuck to the beginning of most songs, severely reducing the replay-ability of those tracks. “Kick In The Door” is a great track, but practically a must-skip because of the useless one-minute skit preceding it.
As it is, Life After Death still is an awesome album packed with classic tracks – but because of the inclusion of that handful of throwaway tracks, it’s just isn’t the masterpiece it could and should have been. Life After Death is labeled top 5 OAT by many, but it just isn’t THAT good.
157. The Roots — Undun (2011)
Undun is a dark and poetic masterpiece, different but intriguing. Short but (bitter)sweet, it chronicles the life and death of Redford Stephens, a fictional character who makes some bad choices in his life and ends up paying the ultimate price for it, and it tells this story in reverse – it begins with his death and works it’s way back to the beginning of the story, which is the end of the album.
Few acts in Hip Hop can boast the same longevity and number of superior albums as The Roots can, and Undun certainly is up there with their best efforts – and that’s saying something.
156. PRhyme — PRhyme (2014)
What can go wrong when one of the top-lyricists of the last two decades hooks up with one of the most important producers ever? Not much – as PRhyme, the epic first album from collaborative duo Royce Da 5’9″ and DJ Premier proves. DJ Premier’s beats and signature scratches sound as good as ever, and Royce brings his A-game too. Guest appearances from Killer Mike, Jay Electronica, Common, Ab-Soul, Schoolboy Q, Slaughterhouse, Mac Miller and soul singer Dwele add some extra flavor – resulting in a fantastic album. Only complaint: at 34 minutes PRhyme just is too short, barely over EP-length. It could have done with three or four more songs upon its original release (as the expanded Deluxe version would prove in 2015).
155. Nas – The Lost Tapes (2002)
More so a collection of songs than an official album, this flawless project from Nas is too great to NOT include on this list. It stands as one of the greatest projects in the Nas catalog and with songs like “No Idea’s Original”, “Purple”, and “Blaze A 50”, Nas really does what he does best here to the highest power.
154. Masta Ace – Disposable Arts (2001)
Masta Ace is one of those few artists who are able to keep reinventing themselves while turning out consistent quality. This album is no exception. Ever since his 1990 debut album Take A Look Around, Masta Ace has been one of Hip Hop’s greatest talents, who was always able to capture the true essence of Hip Hop in all his work. Coming six years after Sittin’ On Chrome, Disposable Arts is often seen as Masta Ace’s comeback album – and what an album it is.
Disposable Arts is a clever concept album that follows a young Brooklyn man’s release from prison, his return home, and his life at “The Institute of Disposable Arts”, a school in which Ace enrolls after realizing how bad the situation in Brooklyn is. The album offers excellent production and dope wordplay throughout; from Masta Ace himself and guests like Rah Digga, Jean Grae, Greg Nice, Punchline, Wordsworth, and more. Disposable Arts is universally acclaimed by Hip Hop connoisseurs, but the album sold poorly and is definitely underappreciated in that regard. This is Masta Ace’s magnum opus.
153. Lupe Fiasco — Tetsuo & Youth (2015)
Lupe Fiasco’s catalog is kind of a mixed bag. A few true classics (Food & Liquor (2006) and The Cool (2007) deserve the classic label), but a few duds as well. After the terrible Lasers (2011) and the disappointing Food & Liquor 2 (2012), Lupe Fiasco came back strong in 2015 with Tetsuo & Youth – his best album of the decade, an album that deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as F&L and The Cool.
Tetsuo & Youth is another ambitious and daring effort by Lupe Fiasco, who is never afraid to take creative risks. So this is not an easy listen, but for those willing to invest attention and time in it, it is a totally rewarding experience. Like the cover of the album (which he painted himself), Lupe created a true work of art with the music on this album. And not to forget: with the 8-minute tour-de-force “Mural” Tetsuo & Youth contains a song-of-the-decade contender.
152. Nas — Life Is Good (2012)
Few discographies in Hip Hop are as polarizing as Nas’ is. No one will dispute the fact he has one of the biggest classics in the game ever on his name – Illmatic (1994) – and a couple more that come close to classic status, like It Was Written (1996) and Stillmatic (2001). All of his other albums have been talked down on to some extent. But looking at his catalog there have been only one or two real duds: Nastradamus (1999) and Nasir (2018). Albums like I Am (1999), Street’s Disciple (2004), Hip Hop Is Dead (2006), and even Untitled (2008) are much better than a lot of detractors would have you believe. The remaining two of his albums may not be considered classics, but usually receive universal acclaim: God’s Son (2002) and Life Is Good (2012).
Life Is Good is Nas’s eleventh studio album, and it’s a winner – we rank it fifth in Nas’ body of work. This a gem of an album, especially for those of us who grew up with Nas and now share his grown-up perspective of the world and life’s experiences. Life Is Good is a top-quality album by one of Hip Hop’s elite players.
151. Mr. Lif – I Phantom (2002)
The cover of the album adequately sums up the lyrical content – I Phantom deals with media, government, food, religion, law, sex, violence, drugs, and money – and how these things control and run people’s lives and how they are used to wipe out a person’s individuality. I Phantom is filled with excellent tracks – if you somehow missed out on this album and you want to have a taste of the album, check out the 8-minute epic “Return Of The B-Boy” (in which Mr. Lif is resurrected as a Hip Hop messiah), and you’ll know what you’re in for.
The thematic and narrative scope of I Phantom is incredible, and even it is heavy stuff at times, this is a brilliant album. Lyrically astute and the production to back up the poignancy of the narrative – this is an important album and one that has to be remembered. In a year where an album like Nellyville sold over 6 million units, this Mr. Lif masterpiece went largely unnoticed. Fluf over substance – that’s the world we live in and that’s one of the points this album so cleverly makes.
150. Blu & Exile – Below The Heavens (2007)
Record sales don’t make an album a classic. A classic album is timeless, one that will still sound good decades from the date of its release. A classic album can be played again and again, without having to skip tracks. Blu & Exile’s Below The Heavens is such an album. Consistent quality throughout – Exile’s soulful production is perfectly complemented by Blu’s introspective and intelligent lyrics. The album was well received by real Hip Hop heads and critically acclaimed, but it never got the sales or mainstream attention it deserved. This is real Hip Hop and a true underground classic.
149. CunninLynguists – A Piece Of Strange (2006)
The third album from the underrated CunninLynguists is a masterpiece from start to finish. Much darker and denser than their more light-hearted and fun first two albums, A Piece Of Strange takes us on a journey following the story of a man and those closest to him in their struggles with right and wrong, love and hate, while at the same time exploring the religion and racism that were (and are) so prevalent in the south. The 16 songs contain loose connections with certain defined Biblical numerics and their interpretations. In Kno’s own words:
“This album is not meant to be overtly Christian in theme or presentation, but more so delivering an amoral slant to a storyline communicated through Hip Hop. Deacon’s life growing up as the son of a preacher definitely led us to some of the insights and story molding that went on when we were making and recording the album, but as most moderate Christians will tell you…you have to relate the material as generally as possible without preaching and talking down to people. APOS wasn’t meant to teach faith-infused lessons necessarily, but simply to deliver a story.”
A Piece Of Strange offers excellent production and clever lyrics – the whole album is as good as it gets. Standouts tracks aplenty, but cuts like Brain Celland Nothing To Give especially shine. Don’t sleep folks, this truly is a landmark album.
148. A Tribe Called Quest — We Got It From Here… Thank You 4 Your Service (2016)
Energized by a one-off performance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on November 13, 2015, the ATCQ group members decided to record a new album in secrecy – their first since 1998’s The Love Movement. Despite Phife’s untimely death, the album was completed, with Phife’s recorded bars flawlessly integrated into what turned out to be a near-perfect final album.
The album features all four of the group’s members (Jarobi makes a comeback and even spits some bars) plus a host of guests — André 3000, Kendrick Lamar, Elton John, Jack White, Anderson .Paak, Talib Kweli, and Consequence and Busta Rhymes, two longtime Tribe collaborators.
The result is a phenomenal album with that classic Tribe vibe but set firmly in this era at the same time. We Got It From Here… Thank You 4 Your Service certainly is one of the highlights of 2016 and a more than worthy addition to Tribe’s monumental catalog.
147. El-P — Cancer 4 Cure (2012)
El-P’s Cancer 4 Cure, his third solo studio album is bold and powerful, filled with hard beats laced with gloomy synth and electronic elements. El-P has always been a class-A producer, an essential presence in underground Hip Hop in the late 90s, instrumental in keeping real Hip Hop alive when Puffy, Jay-Z and the mass-production rap factories from Cash Money and No Limit were flooding the market with generic rap fare. El-P has always been pushing creative boundaries and on Cancer 4 Cure its evident he keeps evolving. 2012 was an important year for El-P and Hip Hop: he was responsible for the production of Killer Mike’s modern classic R.A.P. Music, and of course for this gem – both albums would prove to be perfect stepping stones to the monumental projects he would go on to create with Killer Mike as Run The Jewels.
Cancer 4 Cure not only showcases El-P ever-evolving production chops but also his refined delivery – his emceeing sounds better than ever, with a good mix of fairly straightforward and denser lyrical content. A few well-placed guest spots from Killer Mike, Mr. Muthaf*ckin’ eXquire, Danny Brown (among others) help to round off this triumph. Quality headphones are mandatory for optimal enjoyment.
146. Brother Ali – The Undisputed Truth (2007)
The Undisputed Truth is the best Hip Hop album released in 2007. Powerful, political, and personal: activist Brother Ali shows himself in a song like “Truth Is”, the biting political commentator in the classic “Uncle Sam Goddamn” and “Letter From The Government”, and the vulnerable family man comes out in the bitter letter to his ex-wife “Walking Away” and one to his son “Faheem”. Great messaging, intricate lyricism, beautiful guitar-driven bluesy rhythms crafted by Ant – and not one miss in the tracklist: The Undisputed Truth is a classic.
145. Big K.R.I.T. — 4eva Is A Mighty Long Time (2017)
Creating a double album that offers consistent quality throughout is a hard thing to pull off – just look at 2Pac’s All Eyez On Me or Biggie’s Life After Death, two famous double albums that are far from flawless because of their bloated tracklists. With 4Eva Is A Mighty Long Time Big K.R.I.T. succeeded where a lot of others failed. This is without a doubt one of the best double albums in Hip Hop history. The key to its success is the smart decision to divide the album into two distinctly different parts. The first side is called “Big K.R.I.T.” and the second “Justin Scott”, and each side sounds different. The “Big K.R.I.T.” side offers trunk-rattling bangers in the best Southern tradition, the “Justin Scott” side is more introspective and personal with more understated instrumentals to fit the lyrical content.
Even if KRIT’s two previous albums – Live from the Underground (2012) and Cadillactica (2014) – were more than fine, they never quite reached the level of greatness earlier mixtapes like K.R.I.T. Wuz Here (2010) and Return Of 4 Eva (2011) did. With 4Eva Is A Mighty Long Time KRIT created his best project date, proving he could still replicate the creativity and quality of his mixtape days. With this album, Big K.R.I.T. cemented his status as one of the most important artists of the 2010s (even if his 2019 effort K.R.I.T. Iz Here was kind of disappointing).
144. Redman — Whut? Thee Album (1992)
Redman is one of the most underappreciated emcees ever. Rarely mentioned in ‘best ever’ lists, but one the best to ever do it nonetheless, especially live. With this debut album, he immediately sets a high standard for himself. No weak tracks and filled with bangers, Redman never takes himself too seriously and drops a fun party album with tight production all around.
143. Common — Like Water For Chocolate (2000)
In an overall excellent discography, Like Water For Chocolate certainly is up there as one of Common’s best, together with Resurrection, One Day It’ll All Make Sense, Black America Again, and the monumental Be – Common’s very best.
Like Water For Chocolate is just about as good as Be is though, and it is one of those rare albums that musically transcends the genre of Hip Hop but at the same time is pure Hip Hop to the core. With jazzy and soulful production work from the likes of Questlove, J Dilla, and DJ Premier, and with Common in top form on the mic – this truly is a masterpiece that is aging like a fine wine.
142. Redman — Muddy Waters (1996)
The third album in an incredible three-album run. Just edging out the classics Whut Thee Album and Dare Iz A Darkside, Muddy Waters is Redman‘s absolute best album. Red’s lyrical ability is second to none. Bizarre and humorous lyrics delivered in that typical crazy Redman flow – Muddy Waters is an essential album.
141. billy woods — Known Unknowns (2017)
Known Unknowns is one of HHGA’s favorite albums of 2017 and one of the best Hip Hop albums of the decade, but it was totally overlooked by most Hip Hop fans and noticed only by those heads who dig deep or those who have always been following billy woods.
billy woods’ debut album Camouflage (2003) and the albums that followed in the 2000s were all fine enough, but it was the excellent History Will Absolve Me (2012) that started a new level of excellence in woods’ career. Dour Candy (2013), Today, I Wrote Nothing (2015), Hiding Places (2019) (with Kenny Segal) and Terror Management (2019) are all top quality Hip Hop albums. Together with the projects he dropped as Armand Hammer (a collaboration with rapper/producer ELUCID) – Race Music (2013), Rome (2017) and Paraffin (2018) – and Known Unknows, that’s nine straight very dope projects in the 2010s that should appeal to all Hip Hop fans who had enough of generic empty-headed mainstream rap.
Substance over fluff, creativity over genericness, intelligence over materialism – that’s what characterizes billy woods, and knowing that dumb sh** dominates the mainstream means little chance on mainstream exposure for woods’ music. Admittedly woods’ music may be an acquired taste and not be easy to get into for everybody, but it’s clear that he likes to make his music to have more meaning and substance than that of your typical Hip Hop artist. Known Unknowns is one of billy woods’ most easy-to-get-into albums, mainly because of Blockhead’s consistently dope and reasonably accessible production (with also a couple of beats from his longtime collaborator Aesop Rock).
140. J Dilla – Donuts (2006)
Released just three days before his untimely death on Feb. 10, 2006, Donuts turned out to be J Dilla’s magnum opus. Donuts is a fitting reflection of Dilla’s creativity and musicality, and an apt tribute to his career. Together with DJ Shadow’s Endtroducing (1996), Donuts has become THE landmark album when it comes to instrumental Hip Hop. It serves as the perfect example and as a great inspiration for countless aspiring beatmakers and DJs, showing where talent and dedication can lead to Donuts is the defining masterpiece from an amazingly talented musician who died much too young.
139. Eric B. & Rakim — Let The Rhythm Hit ‘Em (1990)
On the heels of the super classics Paid In Full (1987) and Follow The Leader (1988) Eric B and Rakim drop their third album Let The Rhythm Hit Em. Maybe because of the epicness of their first two albums, this one is often overlooked in best-of Hip Hop album lists. It should not be though. Let The Rhythm Hit Em is a super tight album, a bit ‘darker’ sounding than the previous two, with Rakim as good as ever. Lyrically NO ONE can touch the R. The production is excellent as well (although the question is how much Eric B should be credited for that – look it up); the whole album is consistently dope, with a few stand out tracks, the title track, “In The Ghetto” and “Mahagony” first and foremost.
138. Scarface — The Diary (1994)
Raw and haunting, the cinematic The Diary arguably is Scarface‘s magnum opus and certainly our personal favorite from his overall outstanding discography. The Diary – his third solo album – is short and tight (10 full songs) with only one guest (Ice Cube), which makes it all the stronger. “I Seen A Man Die”, “Hand Of The Dead Body”, “The White Sheet”, “No Tears”, “Goin’ Down”, “Mind Playin’ Tricks ’94” – all classic Scarface cuts, there is no filler material on this album.
137. Immortal Technique – Revolutionary Vol. 2 (2003)
Revolutionary Vol. 2 is a follow-up to Immortal Technique’s debut album, Revolutionary Vol. 1, which is just as excellent and important. Revolutionary Vol. 2 attacks the United States government, especially the Bush Administration. Issues repeatedly discussed on the album include poverty, drug trade, slave labor, censorship, corporate control over the media (including Hip Hop), 9/11, racism, the prison industrial complex, and class struggle. This is Hip Hop for thinking people – you don’t even have to agree with everything Immortal Technique says, but you have to LISTEN to him, so you can think for yourself and make up your own mind.
136. Rashad & Confidence — The Element Of Surprise (2011)
Too quickly we label albums as ‘classic’ these days, but this album deserves it – everything about Rashad & Confidence’s The Element Of Surprise feels CLASSIC. The golden age-esque album cover, clearly inspired by Lord Finesse’s debut album Funky Technician (1990), serves as a perfect primer for what you can expect. This album is boom bap Hip Hop at is very best. In the era of ringtone bubblegum rap, Rashad & Confidence stayed true to Hip Hop’s roots and bring the heat. The Element Of Surprise is produced to perfection with that early 90’s feeling – echoing the best work of legends like DJ Premier and Pete Rock – and Rashad’s great rhyming skills and storytelling matches Confidence’s top-notch production.
As you may know, here at HHGA we hate it that mainstream rap gets labeled as Hip Hop. Artists like Drake, Migos, Travis Scott, Lil This-or-that, and their like have very little to do with Hip Hop if you ask us. They do pop-rap or something and have found a very lucrative niche in the music biz – their sh** gets promoted by the media companies with the power and the kids eat it up. But Hip Hop it is NOT. The Element Of Surprise IS Hip Hop. Golden Age Hip Hop fans who turned away from Hip Hop around the turn of the millennium because all the mainstream offered up was watered-down dumbed-down rap music, should check out albums like The Element Of Surprise and have their faith in and enthusiasm about Hip Hop restored.
We said The Element Of Surprise is a true classic and we will stick to that claim, even though there is one aspect that doesn’t fit classic status: recognition and commercial success. It’s a crying shame that a beautiful album like this has never reached a large audience. Wack albums released in the same year from Lil Wayne (Tha Carter IV) and Drake (Take Care) went multiplatinum, while The Element Of Surprise – superior in every aspect but sales – sold next to nothing. If you like albums like Gang Starr’s Hard To Earn and Pete Rock & CL Smooth’s Mecca And The Soul Brother from the early 1990s or Little Brother’s The Minstrel Show and Ohmega Watts’ The Find from the early 2000s, you will also love The Element Of Surprise – one of the best albums of 2011, and even of the entire 2010s.
135. Boogie Down Productions — Ghetto Music: The Blueprint Of Hip Hop (1989)
By 1989, Boogie Down Productions had already two very different, but equally classic albums out. This third effort only cemented BDP’s and KRS One‘s prominence in Hip Hop.
134. Eminem — The Slim Shady LP (1999)
Eminem‘s sophomore album – and his major-label debut – was a game-changer. The real start of an epic career that would make Em a worldwide phenomenon and one of the best-selling artists in music ever. A few weaker songs aside, The Slim Shady LP is a great album and a unique talent’s perfect introduction to the world.
133. 2Pac — All Eyez On Me (1996)
2Pac is one of the most iconic artists in the history of Hip Hop. He is one of the highest-selling artists too, with more monumental songs than anyone in the game. The reason 2Pac is widely considered one of the GOATs has everything to do with his personality, his charisma, his star power, his poetic flair, his unique voice, the strength of his singles, and the manner and time of his death; and less with his lyrical skill or the quality of his albums. Of the five albums completed during his life, not one is flawless. Me Against The World (1995) comes closest, but All Eyez On Me – his most successful and most celebrated album – is far from perfect.
Because of its impact and success, AEOM is seen as one of the biggest classics in Hip Hop ever, but at 27 tracks and 2 hours & 12 minutes, the album simply is way too long. Way. Too. Long. Especially the second part of the album just goes on and on with what seems to be the same track over and over again, a ridiculous amount of filler really. 2Pac’s subject matter on this album is limited (too much thuggery, not enough of the soul and intelligence still in evidence on his first three albums), and the endless list of guest vocalists don’t help things either (especially 2Pac’s Outlawz buddies are mediocre rappers at best), it makes the whole album feel more like a compilation album than a 2Pac solo album.
Except for “Whatz Ya Phone #” there are no really terrible songs on All Eyez On Me (although the remix of the classic “California Love” is far inferior to the original), but half of the tracklist is kind of generic and forgettable. That half should have been left on the cutting room floor. AEOM could have been excellent if 2Pac had released the best half as a single album.
Keep “Ambitionz As A Ridah”, “Got My Mind Made Up”, “How Do You Want It”, “2 Of Amerikaz Most Wanted”, “No More Pain”, “Heartz Of Men”, “Life Goes On”, “Only God Can Judge Me”, “I Ain’t Mad At Cha”, “Can’t C Me”, “Picture Me Rollin’”, “All Eyez On Me”, and maybe one or two more tracks – and that’s a tight album. All Eyez On Me as it is is not.
Lots of people get butthurt when 2Pac isn’t religiously praised, acting as if not blindly celebrating everything he has ever done is disrespectful. That’s bullsh*t, of course. You could turn that around and say it’s disrespectful to the dozens of artists in Hip Hop history to ignore the fact they had better albums than 2Pac had. Make no mistake: we love 2Pac and his music – we just contend that this album, while good, is not as good as is often said.
132. El-P – Fantastic Damage (2002)
The first solo album by Definitive Jux head-honcho El-P builds on the lyrically and sonically dense sound he pioneered with Company Flow, with Fun Crusher Plus (released via Rawkus Records in 1997) as the benchmark album that was instrumental in keeping real Hip Hop alive. On Fantastic Damage, he produces avant-garde digital beats and drops ill lyrics designed to make you listen carefully and to make you think. With his drive to experiment and innovate, El-P’s (and Def Jux’s) influence on keeping Hip Hop fresh and exciting cannot be overstated.
131. Lupe Fiasco – Food & Liquor (2006)
This debut from Chicago’s Lupe Fiasco is one of the best of the 2000s. In an age of simplistic rhymes and lack of meaningful concepts, Lupe Fiasco brought intelligence and consciousness back to mainstream Hip Hop. He would drop more excellent projects later on (and some misses as well), but Food & Liquor still remains his best album.
130. Jay Z – The Black Album (2003)
Jay-Z’s third best album, after The Blueprint (2000) and Reasonable Doubt (1996). The Black Album was supposed to be Jay-Z’s last album, but we all know how that turned out. It would be his last truly great album though – even if some of the albums that would follow this one are really good, The Black Album is Jay-Z’s last true classic.
129. Jedi Mind Tricks – Servants In Heaven, Kings In Hell (2006)
Servants in Heaven, Kings in Hell is the fifth studio album by legendary Philly crew Jedi Mind Tricks and arguably their best, in a series of mostly excellent albums. It is also their best-performing album commercially but still went criminally unnoticed (especially when compared to 2006 highest selling and wack rap albums from the likes of Lil Wayne, Rick Ross and others like them).
Servants In Heaven, Kings In Hell is worth the price of admission alone for the masterpiece that is “Uncommon Valor”, with an epic verse by guest emcee R.A. The Rugged Man. But the rest of the album bangs too. Stoupe’s unique and cinematic soundscapes and Vinnie Paz’s vicious lyrics get equal shine, every track works. With some dope additional rhyming from guest like regular JMT collaborator Chief Kamachi, Sean Price and especially the aforementioned R.A. The Rugged Man, this album truly is a worthy addition to anyone’s music collection.
128. LL Cool J — Mama Said Knock You Out (1990)
LL Cool J came back HARD with Mama Said Knock You Out. Produced entirely by Marley Marl and LL himself, it has a consistent feel to it and is a tighter effort than LL’s much-maligned third album Walking With A Panther (although there was plenty to enjoy there as well). Having a ‘come-back’ record – his fourth album already – as early in the Hip Hop game as 1990, shows LL is a bonafide Hip Hop pioneer and truly one of the GOATS.
127. Schoolly D — Saturday Night The Album (1987)
Attitude. Philadelphia rapper Schoolly D was all about attitude. Though not the best rapper ever to spit rhymes, he dropped some important albums in the mid-’80s which he carried with his personality. This second album shows Schoolly D in top form – hardcore lyrics over minimalist, hard-hitting beats.
126. Noname — Room 25 (2018)
Room 25 is the official debut studio album by Chicago poet and rapper Noname, dropping two years after her excellent mixtape Telefone and five years after her standout feature on Chance the Rapper’s classic Acid Rap mixtape. Room 25 is a self-released project chronicling the two years since the release of Telefone, most notably Noname’s move from Chicago to Los Angeles and an intense, short-lived romantic relationship. The album’s title is in reference to Noname’s lifestyle while in Los Angeles, living out of different hotel rooms, and that she was 25 years old at the time.
Room 25 is an understated poetic gem. Noname expertly mixes jazzy neo-soul vibes with her conversational rap style. The result is a mellow sounding journey – overseen by fellow Chicagoan and multi-instrumentalist producer Phoelix – where Noname guides the listener through her light and dark thoughts, being consistently compelling all the while.
125. Naughty By Nature — Naughty By Nature (1991)
Restyling themselves Naughty By Nature after a not bad but unsuccessful debut album under the name “The New Style”, NBN became a major commercial success. This album contains their well-known first hit singles and is solid through and through, no filler tracks here. Completely carried by Treach’s excellent skills as an emcee, this is an album that sounds as fresh today as it did when it was released.
124. Nas & Damian Marley — Distant Relatives (2010)
Distant Relatives is a collaborative studio album by Nas and Jamaican Reggae vocalist Damian Marley, the legendary Bob Marley’s youngest son. Distant Relatives is a seamless fusion of Hip Hop, Reggae, Dancehall, and African musical elements, with uplifting afro-centric vocals about freedom, family, spirituality, and ancestry.
At 65 minutes, Distant Relatives offers both quantity and quality – all killer, no filler. Distant Relatives is aging really well and sounds as timely and timeless today as it did the day it was released. Maybe because this is a collaboration or because it’s a fusion of musical styles and not 100% Hip Hop, this genre-blending gem is often forgotten when Nas’ work is discussed. Unfortunate, because Distant Relatives is much too good to be ignored. The chemistry between Nas and Damian Marley is palpable, and they complement each other perfectly. Lots of stand-outs on Distant Relatives, but cuts like “Patience”, “Tribes At War”, and “Africa Must Wake Up” – the last two featuring the always great Somalian Canadian K’Naan – are prime examples of the overall quality of the project.
More than a Hip Hop album – all fans of music in general need to have this one in their collections.
123. billy woods — History Will Absolve Me (2012)
What do you know about billy woods? billy woods was born in Washington, D.C., to a Jamaican mother and a father from Zimbabwe. In 1981, the family moved to Africa, to return to the States after the death of woods’ father in 1995. woods’ African perspective is evident in his music – giving his music a special edge, sonically and content-wise. The cover of this album has a close-up picture of controversial former Zimbabwe president Robert Mugabe paired with one of Cuba’s Fidel Castro’s most infamous quotes – an album cover that clearly indicates this is not a bubblegum rap album.
History Will Absolve Me is billy woods’ 3rd full-length solo album, and his best. Musically this album could have been part of the Def Jux realm with its dusty and experimental sounding musical backdrops. The beats set the perfect stage for woods’ staccato flow and thought-provoking lyrics; with his views on subjects as politics, race, sex, and class. History Will Absolve Me is a challenging and intense listening experience, but ultimately extremely rewarding. One of the best albums in 2012, which was sadly ignored upon its release. It is standing the test of time though, so it is never too late to check it out.
122. Aesop Rock — The Impossible Kid (2016)
The Impossible Kid is the seventh studio album by Aesop Rock. It’s hard to point out one album in Aesop Rock’s impressive catalog and label it his best, but The Impossible Kid has to be in that conversation, with Labor Days (2001) and None Shall Pass (2007). Aesop Rock is a master of intelligent, poetic lyricism and on this album his flow perfectly blends with the highly original beats he crafted himself. The Impossible Kid is lyrically profound and musically empowering, an album with endless replay value – and one of Aesop Rock’s most accessible too. 15 tracks, no skips needed – the mark of an excellent album.
121. Public Enemy — Apocalypse — 91… The Enemy Strikes Black (1991)
Public Enemy‘s fourth effort continues the trend set by their previous outings: excellent, hard-hitting beats that perfectly complement Chuck D’s powerful voice and intelligent, thought-provoking messages. After the utter brilliance of It Takes A Nation… and Fear Of A Black Planet it was always going to be hard to come with a follow-up. Overall Apocalypse 91… may lack the special spark of its two predecessors, but there are enough strokes of brilliance here as well.
120. Apollo Brown & O.C. — Trophies (2012)
Apollo Brown is one of the best producers in the game today. The number of top-quality projects he has put his stamp on in this decade is amazing. His best work of the 2010s include Gas Mask (with DJ Soko & Journalist 103 as The Left) and Brown Study (with Boog Brown) in 2010, Clouds and Daily Bread (with Hassaan Mackey) in 2011, Dice Game (with Guilty Simpson) in 2012, Ugly Heroes (with Red Pill & Verbal Kent as Ugly Heroes) in 2013, Blasphemy (with Ras Kass) in 2014, Words Paint Pictures (with Rapper Big Pooh) and Grandeur in 2015, Everything in Between (as Ugly Heroes) and The Easy Truth (with Skyzoo) in 2016, Anchovies (with Planet Asia) in 2017, No Question (with Locksmith) and Mona Lisa (with Joell Ortiz) in 2018, and Sincerely, Detroit in 2019.
With Sincerely, Detroit the best Apollo Brown project of the decade is Trophies, his 2012 collaboration with D.I.T.C. legend O.C. O.C. is one of the most slept-on emcees in Hip Hop ever: he had two near-perfect albums in the 1990s with Word… Life (1994) and Jewelz (1997) and he is still going strong as his latest projects Same Moon Same Sun (2017) and A New Dawn (2018) prove. Like on those two massively slept-on albums, on Trophies shows he is an emcee that can easily hold down an album by himself – he doesn’t need guests to add flavor or variety. Trophies is 16 tracks of straight to the point Hip Hop; no frills, no gimmicks. There are no guest emcee appearances, no hook singers, no skits, no wasted moments – and despite the album is about one hour long, it never gets boring. The album’s entire focus is on beats and rhymes, the result is one of the best neo-boom-bap albums of the decade.
119. Ice T — Rhyme Pays (1987)
Even with a sometimes uneven production and an Ice T who hasn’t quite reached the peaks of his lyrical skills yet this album is an undeniable classic. Very influential (for good or for bad), it was one of the very first albums with ‘gangsta rap’ themes (although with limited profanity). In 1987 the gangsta theme still had originality and authenticity, which makes Ice T a true O.G. & a bonafide Hip Hop icon. Rhyme Pays deserves its spot on this list on the strength of epic tracks like “Squeeze The Trigger”, “Pain”, and of course “6 N The Morning” alone.
118. Freestyle Fellowship — Innercity Griots (1993)
The follow-up to their dope but somewhat rough around the edges debut To Whom It May Concern. With this sophomore effort, Freestyle Fellowship really deliver the goods. The jazzy production provides the atypical backdrop for a West Coast album, but perfectly complements the lyricism – and that’s what this album is all about. Conscious, humorous, clever, versatile: emcees Mikah 9, P.E.A.C.E., Self Jupiter and Aceyalone bring it all. This highly original album is a slept-on lyrical masterpiece.
117. Gang Starr — Daily Operation (1992)
Another Gang Starr album, another classic. Deep lyrics and deep beats – a testament to Guru‘s hypnotizing and intelligent emceeing and DJ Premier‘s superiority on the boards. If Step In The Arena was their breakthrough album, Daily Operation is the one that firmly secured Gang Starr’s place among Hip Hop’s elite.
After discovering their signature sound on Step In The Arena, Premier and Guru perfected it here, dropping another gem that can be played from beginning to end without having to skip any tracks. “Take It Personal”, “Soliloquy Of Chaos” and “Ex Girl To Next Girl” alone are enough to ensure the classic status of this album, but knowing the rest of the tracklist is completely up to par, makes Daily Operation a flawless part of Gang Starr’s impressive catalog.
116. Oddisee — Tangible Dream (2013)
Washington DC’s Oddisee really is something else. He is an incredible producer AND a great lyricist. He is responsible for two near-flawless albums as one-third of the Diamond District trio, and he has released a string of great solo-projects. Tangible Dream is his best solo-effort of the 2010s, along with The Good Fight (2015). This album is full of great songs. “Tomorrow Today”, “Back Of My Mind”, “Killin’ Time”, “Be There” “Tangible Dream” – just a few of the stand-out tracks on this awesome project. Tangible Dream offers smooth and intelligent Hip Hop of the highest quality – this album should be a part of any serious Hip Hop collection.
115. Black Sheep — A Wolf In Sheep’s Clothing (1991)
This album is FUN. It’s also hugely underrated and rarely mentioned when classic Hip Hop albums are considered. It should be, though. Over 70 minutes in length, but not a minute too long – it’s filled with dope, humorous, clever tracks. Mr. Lawnge’s production is tight and Dres is an excellent emcee with a unique voice and flow.
114. Jungle Brothers — Straight Out The Jungle (1988)
The debut album of the Jungle Brothers, and the first album of a group affiliated with The Native Tongues collective. An influential album – it marked the beginning of a series of albums by groups like De La Soul, A Tribe Called Quest, and Black Sheep. Dope production, dope rhymes – this is one of the many 1988 classics, arguably the greatest year in the history of Hip Hop.
113. Compton’s Most Wanted — Music To Driveby (1992)
Compton’s Most Wanted’s third and best album. Also one of the best-produced albums of 1992. MC Eiht’s signature style and lyricism complement the beats perfectly. It never achieved the same legendary status that the seminal release of the year – Dr. Dre’s The Chronic – reached, but Music To Driveby is one of the best West Coast ‘gangsta rap’ albums of the era, and perhaps all-time, nevertheless.
112. Kanye West – Late Registration (2005)
Kanye West’s second album, and his best after MBDTF (2010). One of the biggest albums of the aughts.
111. Canibus – Rip The Jacker (2003)
Nobody ever disputed Canibus’ superior lyrical skills. The fact he made a bunch of not-so-good albums had more to do with subpar production than his work on the mic. On Rip The Jacker, his fifth studio album, everything finally comes together for Canibus – resulting in what arguably is his best album.
Production is done completely by Jedi Mind Tricks’ production genius Stoupe The Enemy Of Mankind, ensuring a totally cohesive sound throughout the whole album. The intricate soundscapes laid down by Stoupe mesh well with Canibus’ complex and sharp rhymes. “Indibisible”, “Showtime At The Gallow”, “Genabis”, “Levitibus”, “No Return” and the 8-minute epic “Poet Laurette II” (in which Canibus spits 200 bars over 3 different beats) are standouts, but all eleven tracks on this album are fire. Forget 50 Cent, this is one of the best albums of 2003.
110. Black Moon — Enta Da Stage (1993)
What’s the definition of a classic album? It has to be ‘timeless’, contain no filler tracks, have endless replay value and it has to be groundbreaking and influential. Enta Da Stage is such an album. Rough, rugged & raw, the epitome of the early 90s NYC street sound – a must-have.
109. Freddie Gibbs & Madlib — Bandana (2019)
Bandana is 2019’s best album. The first full-length collaboration album from Freddie Gibbs and Madlib, 2014‘s Pinata, is a modern classic. The question was if they could do it again – and the answer is a resounding yes. Bandana is cut from the same cloth as its seminal predecessor and is just about as good. With Pinata they showed that their apparent differences only served to create a result that was bigger than the sum of the two parts; with Bandana they prove it was not a fluke.
108. CunninLynguists — Oneirology (2011)
Before dropping Oneirology in 2011, Deacon The Villain, Natti & Kno had already established their names with four straight dope albums: Will Rap for Food (2001), SouthernUnderground (2003), A Piece of Strange (2006) and Dirty Acres (2007).
Oneirology is the study of dreams – listen carefully to tracks like “Darkness (Dream On)” and “Shattered Dreams” and you’ll understand where the album’s title is coming from. The lyrics and flows on Oneirology are dope as hell and the soundscapes are even better – once again it’s Kno’s production that’s stealing the show. Oneirology is fantastic in every way – an exceptional follow-up to Kno’s Death is Silent and another jewel in the CunninLynguists crown.
107. Jay-Z — Reasonable Doubt (1996)
Jay-Z’s debut, and second-best album (after 2001’s The Blueprint). Because of a string of mediocre later releases and probably also because of his mega-successful business dealings, Jay Z has become a love-him or hate-him kind of figure. There’s no denying the excellence of this album, though. A young, hungry and ambitious Jay Z paints a compelling picture of his life as a hustler. With masterful production, brilliant lyricism, Reasonable Doubt shows us Jay Z at his musical peak.
106. Gang Starr — Hard To Earn (1994)
Markedly darker – both sonically and lyrically – than their previous albums, Guru is great and especially DJ Premier is in top form as always, cementing their combined status of one the most consistent acts in Hip Hop ever. 1994 may just have been Premo’s very best year in terms of quality output (also think of his work for Jeru, Nas, and others). With cuts like “Code Of The Streets”, ”Suckas Need Bodyguards”, “DWYCK”, “Tonz ‘O’ Gunz” and especially the uber-classic “Mass Appeal”, Hard To Earn is one of the four timeless Gang Starr records.
105. Ghostface Killah — Ironman (1996)
Ghostface Killah‘s solo debut and one of the strongest albums in an all-around strong catalog from Wu-Tang Clan’s most prolific and most consistent member. Also part of the epic run of classic Wu-Tang solo debuts.
104. Grip Grand – Brokelore (2008)
Six years after a distinctly mediocre debut, Bay Area producer/emcee Grip Grand returns with this truly excellent sophomore album. Brokelore is the most surprising album of the year. Excellent rhyming – lyrics and flow – and smooth, infectious beats from beginning to end. The album has a couple of great, well-placed guest appearances too, especially NYC legends Percee P and A.G. steal the show with their features. This is a near-perfect album, expertly blending traditional West Coast and East Coast Hip Hop sounds and adding a unique contemporary vibe. The mark of a classic? Endless replay value and no skips – Brokelore is such an album.
103. Diamond D — Stunts Blunts & Hip Hop (1992)
Another DITC classic. Diamond D always was a producer first and an emcee second and it shows. The beats on this joint are flawless from start to finish, no need to skip tracks on this album. Nothing wrong with the rhymes either, this is an underrated Golden Age treasure, 1992’s ‘best kept secret’.
102. Common — Ressurection (1994)
Clever and conscious wordplay over excellent production – on his second album Common is maturing into what he would eventually become: one of Hip Hop’s most revered emcees and personalities. In one of Hip Hop’s biggest years, this album measures up to any of the other releases with ease.
101. Jeru The Damaja — The Sun Rises In The East (1994)
In a year when Premier dropped another excellent Gang Starr album with Hard To Earn, he reserved his very best beats for Brooklyn emcee Jeru The Damaja. Jeru’s intellectual street flows combined with Premier’s best instrumentals result in a tight 10- song album with no filler tracks.
100. Ab-Soul — Control System (2012)
This is a fantastic album, one of the best released in 2012. Control System does everything well: it has style, versatility, great beat selection, and worthwhile lyrical content – if you can decipher Ab-Soul’s often dense and abstract wording. “Track Two”, “Bohemian Grove”, “Terrorist Threats”, “Pineal Gland”, “Double Standards”, “Mixed Emotions”, “Showin’ Love”, “Beautiful Death” – no shortage of great songs on Control System – but this album is worth the price of admission alone because of the absolute stand-out “The Book Of Soul” – one of the deepest and most emotional Hip Hop songs ever, and one of the best songs of the decade.
Control System is Ab-Soul’s best album to date and a modern classic.
99. Saba — Care For Me (2018)
After having made a big enough impression with two mixtapes and his excellent debut project Bucket List Project in 2016, 23-year-old Chicago rapper Saba dropped a modern classic with his sophomore album Care For Me. In February 2017, Saba’s cousin and fellow Pivot Gang member, Walter E. “John Walt” Long was stabbed to death in Chicago. In an interview, Saba spoke about the mental process and how writing the songs on the album were therapeutic saying:
“Care For Me is the first time I delve into talking about depression and anxiety, and then all of these factors as to why I am the way I am. A lot of it had to do with losing my best friend and older cousin, [John] Walt, which is throughout the album. I think why Care For Me is so important is because it talks about mental health in a lot of ways that are simple but I just haven’t heard it done in Hip Hop music that way.”
Care For Me is a subtle and intimate concept album dedicated to the memory of his cousin. The emotion involved can be felt throughout the 10 tracks on Care For Me, and this is one of those albums where the instrumentals and the lyrics complement each other perfectly, the minimalist but tasteful soundscapes Saba cooked up himself serving only to enhance the poignant emotions reflected in his lyrics.
Besides his obvious musical talent, Saba’s biggest strength on Care For Me is his ability to vividly tell his stories, all the while being completely open and honest, which really helps to make feel listeners right there with him. In that regard, Care For Me is very comparable to Kendrick Lamar’s monumental good kid, m.A.A.d city – and Care For Me deserves to mentioned in the same breath, it’s that good.
98. MC Lyte — Lyte As A Rock (1988)
MC Lyte‘s debut album still is a classic piece of work, that belongs in any Hip Hop fan’s collection. “Paper Thin”, “10% Diss”, “I Cram To Understand U” – some iconic tracks on this album.
97. Wu Tang Clan — Wu Tang Forever (1997)
Wu-Tang Clan‘s second album had A LOT to live up to. In addition to their monumental debut, the classic Enter The Wu-Tang, there were 5 outstanding solo projects by Wu-Tang Clan members released prior to this sophomore effort. Wu-Tang Forever is a double album, which is always tricky. The risk is that the album loses focus and cohesiveness, that there are some tracks that will be seen as filler material and that the album simply is too long(winded).
Not the case here. Sure, it could have done with fewer tracks (and certainly with fewer skits), but overall this is an excellent album and great addition to the Wu-Tang catalog. Sadly, Ol’ Dirty Bastards’ input is very limited, but the others are lyrically on point, with RZA producing some of his most captivating soundscapes ever.
96. Viktor Vaughn – Vaudeville Villain (2003)
MF DOOM was a genius. 2003 saw two releases from the man, under two new aliases. Where the King Geedorah album had its focus on the beats – which at times overpowered the lyrics by mostly guest emcees – Vaudeville Villain focuses more on DOOM’s lyrics. For production duties, DOOM enlisted Sound-Ink record label members Heat Sensor, King Honey, and Max Bill, with the exception of “Saliva”, which was produced by RJD2.
Nothing wrong with the musical backdrops by the way – a lot of dirty, dusty drums and snares, just as can be expected on an MF DOOM record – but the lyrics steal the show here. The album is filled with crazy creative imagery, humor, and dope punchlines, DOOM once again proves lyrically he is in a lane of his own. The opening track “Vaudeville Villain” starts off the album brilliantly, and the quality doesn’t let up all the way through. More accessible than King Geedorah’s Take Me To Your Leader, Vaudeville Villain is one of 2003’s best albums.
95. Nas — It Was Written (1996)
Although Nas‘ debut album Illmatic initially sold underwhelmingly, it was an overwhelming critical success. So, how to top or even equal a classic like Illmatic? An impossible task, even if It Was Written turned out to be another excellent Nas album. Going for a more commercial-friendly sound here and there, and trying out the mafioso subgenre on some tracks, It Was Written just feels a little less tight and coherent than Illmatic does. Nas’ lyrical brilliance is still on full display, though. With It Was Written Nas cemented his status as one of the most talented, all-around skilled emcees in the game.
94. Run The Jewels — Run The Jewels (2013)
El-P and Killer Mike exhibit a great deal of synergy and potential across this first release as Run The Jewels. Coming after their successful collaboration on Killer Mike’s R.A.P. Music, forming a duo was nothing but a logical step. Although not even their strongest outing, Run The Jewels still is one of the better projects of the decade, laying the groundwork for even better things to come. Like RTJ2 and RTJ3, this project is aging very well, and with three straight near-perfect albums under their belts, there can be little discussion about the fact Run The Jewels is one of the greatest duos in Hip Hop history.
93. KRS One — Return Of The Boom Bap (1993)
After 5 albums as (part of) Boogie Down Productions, KRS-One decided to start releasing albums under his own name. In his 30-year career, KRS dropped many classic albums – this is one of his best. Lyrics, flow, delivery, message, beats, diversity – this album has everything. “Sound Of Police”, “Outta Here”, “Mad Crew”, “Return Of The Boom Bap”, “Uh Oh”, “I Can’t Wake Up” – you know you can’t go wrong with KRS-One. On later albums KRS’ lyricism would occasionally be let down by weaker beats, but not here. With the likes of DJ Premier, Showbiz, Kid Capri and KRS himself behind the boards the result had to be a classic.
92. Jungle Brothers — Done By the Forces Of Nature (1989)
The Jungle Brothers never really received the same recognition their fellow Native Tongues crews De La Soul and A Tribe Called Quest did, but their first two albums are straight up Native Tongue classics as well. Their 1988 debut Straight Out Of The Jungle is a classic, this one is more than a worthy follow-up. Conscious, positive, and funky – what’s not to like?
91. Goodie Mob — Soul Food (1995)
This is Southern Hip Hop at its finest. Real and raw, Soul Food has that genre-bending musicality reminiscent of OutKast with true lyrical depth. One of those albums that age like fine wine and only get better as time goes by. Cee-Lo, T-Mo, Big Gipp, and Khujo dropped a real gem with this album.
90. A Tribe Called Quest — Peoples Instinctive Travels On The Paths Of Rhythm (1990)
The third part of the Native Tongues triple classic album introduction to the world (the first two being the Jungle Brothers‘ Straight Out The Jungle and De La Soul‘s 3 Feet High And Rising) – People’s Instinctive Travels On The Paths Of Rhythm introduces us to A Tribe Called Quest.
People’s… is a musical masterpiece. An innovative fusion of hard beats and jazzy samples, combined with fun, clever and positive lyrics – mainly from Q-Tip (Phife was still finding his voice here and his lyrical skills would improve significantly on Tribe’s follow up The Low End Theory). This one – along with Tribe’s 2nd and 3rd album, should have a place in any music (not just Hip Hop) lovers record collection.
89. Ghostface Killah — Supreme Clientele (2000)
Where most of his Wu-Tang colleagues struggled (and failed…) to follow-up their classic solo debuts with worthy follow-ups, Ghostface even surpassed his already awesome debut Ironman with Supreme Clientele. If not for the little lag – with a few skits too many – in the middle of the album, Supreme Clientele would have been an absolute Hip Hop classic. As it is, it’s still a monumental album, and for us, Ghostface’s very best.
88. Deltron 3030 — Deltron 3030 (2000)
Simply brilliant. One of the best concept albums ever created, this collaboration between producer Dan the Automator (as The Cantankerous Captain Aptos), rapper Del the Funky Homosapien (as Deltron Zero/Deltron Osiris), and DJ Kid Koala (as Skiznod the Boy Wonder) is as timeless a piece of music as it gets. A challenging listen maybe, but ultimately extremely rewarding – a milestone not just for Hip Hop, but for music in general.
87. Mos Def – The Ecstatic (2009)
The Ecstatic is Mos Def’s fourth solo-album, after his magnum opus Black On Both Sides (1999), the misunderstood The New Danger (2004) and the disappointing True Magic (2006). While Black On Both Sides will forever be seen as Mos Def’s best and most defining work, The Ecstatic is just about as excellent – without a doubt the best album released in 2009. Sonically creative and diverse and lyrically astute – this album is standing the test of time and will always have a place among the best 100 Hip Hop albums of all-time.
86. Little Brother – The Listening (2003)
One of the most celebrated indie Hip Hop releases of the early 2000’s, The Listening by North Carolina crew Little Brother is an album that needs to be in your record collection. The Listening is near-flawless, perfectly encapturing the spirit and vibes of classic early & mid 90’s Hip Hop, similar to the soulful sounds of De La Soul, ATCQ, The Fugees and The Roots, but unique enough to stand on its own.
“For You”, “Whatever You Say”, “The Way You Do It”, “Away From Me”, “The Listening” – all tracks featuring clever rhymes by Phonte and Big Pooh and exceptional production by 9th Wonder. Even though The Listening was much-lauded it went relatively unnoticed. If YOU missed out it on for some reason, it’s never too late to pick it up.
85. Q-Tip – The Renaissance (2008)
There was a lot riding on this album, released 9 years after Q-Tip’s last (solo)album Amplified – which wasn’t all that well-received. While not a bad album at all, Amplified was considered too ‘lightweight’ and insubstantial for someone with Q-Tip’s stature.
The Rennaissance obliterated all doubters and Q-Tip critics. The album is consistent as hell, 13 tracks with no filler material. “Gettin Up”, “We Fight/We Love”, “Official” and “Believe” are highlights, but there really are no weak tracks here. With The Rennaissance, Q-Tip succeeds perfectly in blending the ATCQ vibe we all love with his own distinct style.
84. Paris The Devil Made Me Do It (1990)
Why this album is hardly ever mentioned when discussing best ever Hip Hop albums is a mystery. Everything about this album is DOPE. Production is great, Paris is a fine emcee with a dark, menacing tone of voice and the subject matter is thought-provoking. Powerful and intelligent, controversial and political – Paris’ debut is a straight-up Hip Hop classic.
83. Rapsody — Laila’s Wisdom (2017)
On Laila’s Wisdom, Rapsody tackles a wide array of topics personal to her, over lush jazzy soundscapes mostly produced by Jamla-chief 9th wonder. Rapsody is a tier-A emcee with diverse delivery skills and she’s lyrically potent enough to carry an hour-long album with ease, even if there are some great guest appearances by heavyweights such as Black Thought, Kendrick Lamar, Anderson .Paak, and Busta Rhymes to spice things up some. The album does lose some steam toward the end of the playlist, but no matter: Laila’s Wisdom is an essential modern Hip Hop album that deserves to be mentioned in the same breath as Kendrick Lamar’s good Kid M.A.A.D. City and To Pimp A Butterfly.
82. EPMD — Unfinished Business (1989)
No sophomore slump for EPMD. One year after their brilliant debut album Strictly Business they turned out another classic. A tight album from start to finish, Unfinished Business proved EPMD’s consistency.
81. Danny Brown — Atrocity Exhibition (2016)
Danny Brown hit a home run with Atrocity Exhibition. This album feels like a feverish nightmare that gives us a glimpse of the insanity, depression, and hedonism of the Danny Brown psyche. This album is deep and dark and at times over the top, both sonically and lyrically. Production is superb though, and even those who gravitate towards more traditional styles will find a lot to like here. Danny Brown’s crazy flows range in style from hype and energetic to somber and reflective – but the content always is thought-provoking. You can call it experimental, or crazy, or weird – but be sure to call it a classic too: Atrocity Exhibition is Danny Brown’s best album.
80. Ice T — Power (1988)
Power, Ice-T’s second studio album, is an excellent follow-up to his 1987 debut Rhyme Pays. Dope beats & lyrics, and carried by Ice-T’s personality – this is a classic album that definitely has stood the test of time. One of the best album covers (front and back) in Hip Hop history too.
79. De La Soul — Buhloone Mindstate (1993)
De La Soul‘s third album, De La Soul’s third classic. Few groups in Hip Hop, if any, can boast both the longevity and consistency De La Soul has shown over the years. Buhloone Mind State arguably is the most underappreciated album of De La Soul’s first four. The reason for that probably is that it has less commercial appeal than the others. Artistically it is every bit as strong, though – cohesive and consistent throughout – an artistic peak for both De La Soul and producer Prince Paul. De La Soul’s first four albums are all classics, this one is definitely up there with the others.
78. LL Cool J — Bigger And Deffer (1987)
One of the first mega-sellers in Hip Hop (together with 1986 albums Raising Hell from Run DMC and Licensed To Ill from the Beastie Boys). LL Cool J at the top of his game.
77. Showbiz & AG — Runaway Slave (1992)
This is a flawless album: top-notch production from Showbiz (and Diamond D), dope rhymes from AG, and guest appearances from Lord Finesse and Big L (among others) – along with O.C.’s Word… Life this is the best DITC album in a series of excellent albums. Amazingly consistent and entertaining throughout. The album flew well under the mainstream radar but was quickly recognized as a classic by true heads. Quintessential NYC early 90’s Hip Hop.
76. Kool G Rap & DJ Polo — Road To The Riches (1989)
Kool G Rap is generally considered one of the greatest emcees ever, a pioneer of multi-syllabic & internal rhymes and complex rhyme schemes. And he could spit too. Later he would go on to become one of the pioneers of the ‘mafioso’ rap subgenre, but here he was a straight-up emcee with mostly braggadocio, battle-ready rhymes over Marley Marl’s hard beats. Kool G Rap is often named your favorite rapper’s favorite rapper, and this album shows why.
75. Cypress Hill — Cypress Hill (1991)
Cypress Hill’s highly original debut record. DJ Muggs’ funk-laced and bass-heavy production filled with creative sampling, combined with the typical voices of emcees Sen Dog and especially B-Real, created Cypress Hill’s instantly recognizable, signature sound. “Hand On The Pump”, “The Phuncky Feel One”, “Pigs” and especially “How I Can Just Kill A Man” are the obvious centerpieces, but the whole album is fire.
74. Run DMC — Run DMC (1984)
This album would be the one to change the direction of Hip Hop. Going for rock-infused, stripped-down, hard beats, and a new kind of emceeing, it was game-changing in more ways than one. A great prelude to even greater things to come. The album sounds a bit dated now, but Run DMC set the new standard when it came out.
73. O.C. — Word…Life (1994)
O.C.‘s Word… Life is very similar to Nas’ Illmatic in many ways (excellent beats, clever lyricism, overall cohesiveness), but undeservedly much less revered. Maybe due to bad promotion by O.C.’s Wild Pitch label, maybe because the competition in 1994 was so awesome – whatever the reason: Word… Life flew so far under the radar it’s ridiculous. This easily is one of the best Hip Hop albums of 1994. Don’t sleep on Word… Life.
72. J-Live – All Of The Above (2002)
A year after his official debut, the brilliant The Best Part, slept on emcee J-Live drops another near-perfect project with All Of The Above.
All Of The Above is the best Hip Hop album released in 2002, even edging out albums like Eminem’s The Eminem Show, Nas’ The Lost Tapes, and The Roots’ Phrenology. This album is pure Hip Hop. J-Live is way above most of his peers, another emcee who truly deserves the overused label ‘underrated’. Intelligent and confident, the whole album shines, there’s no need to skip any tracks and it has endless replay value – the mark of a true classic.
“Satisfied?”, “MCee”, “Traveling Music”, “A Charmed Life”, “Like This Anna”, “One For The Griot”, “The Lyricist” – just a few of the highlights of this long but awesome album.
71. The Pharcyde — Bizarre Ride II The Pharcyde (1992)
With gangsta rap becoming the dominant thing on the West Coast in the early 90s, these guys were a breath of fresh air. Highly original, humorous, fun, and not afraid to show their vulnerable sides – The Pharcyde was never concerned with gangster posing and tough-guy-posturing but was more like a West Coast version of ATCQ or De La Soul.
70. OutKast — Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik (1994)
After quality releases from groups like Geto Boys, UGK, Eightball & MJG, and others in years previous, OutKast‘s Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik was THE album that put Southern Hip Hop on the map as a major part of Hip Hop, which after this album could no longer be divided simply in East- and West Coast. Not immediately recognized as such upon its release, Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik gained more and more recognition over the years and is now universally recognized as a staple of (Southern) Hip Hop.
69. Kno — Death Is Silent (2010)
On the four CunninLynguists albums preceding this project, Kno already amply proved that he can put a big stamp on an album in terms of production. In 2010 the CunninLynguists producer released Death Is Silent: a solo album on which he also accounts for a large part of the lyrics.
The production on this album is nothing short of spectacular, and the beats and the stories blend together like gears on a machine. “Loneliness”, “Rhythm Of The Rain”, “Spread Your Wings”, “Graveyard”, “I Wish I Was Dead”, “They Told Me” and “The New Day” are all highlights, but this album’s strength is its consistency. The whole album has the same feel, without ever sounding monotonous. This is an album to zone out on, to press play and let it run from start to finish – no need to skip anything, there are no fillers tracks and no stupid skits. Of course CunninLynguists colleagues Natti and Deacon The Villain make appearances, as do regular collaborators like Tonedeff and Substantial. But even if Kno will always be a producer before he is an emcee, he can carry an album on the microphone as well. He calls himself the Emo Premo on one of the tracks, providing lyrics that should shame most full-time rappers.
Death Is Silent is one of our favorite albums released in 2010, a true musical gem in a world full of fake thugging, bling-bling, dumb-ass b.s. From start to finish, this is a masterpiece of music (not just Hip Hop). Anyone with an interest in quality music with substance will love this melancholic masterpiece.
68. Brother Ali – Shadows On The Sun (2003)
While all of Brother Ali’s albums are great, Shadows Of The Sun is his absolute best. Over some of the most engaging beats Ant ever crafted, Ali paints honest, poignant, and compelling pictures all over the album. While every track is exceptional in its own right, perhaps it’s the painfully open “Forest Whitiker” – where Ali bravely points out all his physical imperfections while embracing them at the same time – showing the importance of self-love in one of the most empowering cuts ever. Other stand-outs include “Room With A View”, “Shadows On The Sun”, “Blah Blah Blah”, “Champion”, “When the Beat Comes In”, “Win Some Lose Some”, and the heartbreaking “Picket Fence”. With Shadows Of The Sun Brother Ali delivered a landmark album – the best Hip Hop album released in 2003, and one of the best Hip Hop albums of the 2000s.
67. 2Pac — Me Against The World (1995)
2Pac’s best album. Although the follow-up All Eyez On Me may be the more popular album, Me Against The World is much more cohesive, balanced and tight. Me Against The World is 2Pac’s third album and the one on which he reaches real maturity. He has not adopted the all-out thug persona yet and the album is better for it. On this album, he is able to show us all aspects of his tormented being, better than on any of his other albums.
66. The Fugees — The Score (1996)
A great commercial as well as a critical success, The Score was a massive improvement on The Fugees‘ enjoyable but uneven Blunted On Reality debut album. The Score is a timeless piece of music and it paved the way for Lauryn Hill‘s monumental genre-bending solo debut The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill.
65. Killer Mike — R.A.P. Music (2012)
We love it when everything we value in Hip Hop comes together in one project. Killer Mike’s R.A.P. Music (Rebellious African People Music) is such a project, one that fires on all cylinders. Hard-hitting, kick-ass beats for Killer Mike to spit his uncompromising and thought-provoking lyrics over, this is what Hip Hop is all about. R.A.P. Music was an instant classic, reminiscent of the fire and fury early Ice Cube and Public Enemy albums brought – this album has that same sense of intensity and urgency.
Killer Mike was already able to boast a strong discography before the release of R.A.P. Music, but this album is on another level. His synergy with DefJux head-honcho El-P is awesome – something they would continue to prove with the three excellent Run The Jewels albums that would follow this collaboration. Killer Mike’s lyrics are raw and unapologetic yet intelligent and socially conscious at the same time – and the ingenious soundscapes provided by El-P only serve to strengthen Killer Mike’s diverse lyrical content.
R.A.P. Music was too real to attract big-time mainstream media attention, but it is an important album and a modern classic.
64. MF Doom — Operation: Doomsday (1999)
After a long hiatus following his brother’s death and the end of KMD, Zev Lov X reinvented himself and came back on the Hip Hop scene as MF DOOM. He would go on to release a myriad of excellent albums and collaborations – and Operation: Doomsday is up there with the best of his work.
63. Cannibal Ox – The Cold Vein (2001)
Cannibal Ox really delivered something special with The Cold Vein. With invaluable work on the boards of El-P during the heyday of the unsung DefJux label, this album is nothing less than a masterpiece. The lyrical prowess displayed by Cannibal Ox’s two emcees Vast Aire and Vordul Mega is outstanding, they succeed in painting a grim picture of modern NYC life with imagery that’s highly creative. El-P’s innovative and layered production is what sets the atmosphere for the album though – this one of those albums where the beats perfectly complement the lyrics and vice versa, creating a musical tableau that is atmospheric and hypnotic at the same time – complex but ultimately eminently rewarding. The Cold Vein was years ahead of its time and is only getting better as time goes by.
62. Little Brother – The Minstrel Show (2005)
After their incredible debut The Listening, 9th Wonder, Phonte, and Big Pooh dropped another gem on us with The Minstrel Show. Another one of those albums that received widespread critical acclaim, but no radio play – as it was not about guns, money, and bitches but rather about intelligence and upliftment. Clever rhymes, dope beats, and HEART, this is Hip Hop as it is supposed to be.
61. Beastie Boys — Licensed To Ill (1986)
This is a timeless classic. Licensed To Ill offers pure energy and great fun. The Beastie Boys were the first white act in Hip Hop to make it big, and maintain credibility and respect in the Hip Hop world throughout their career. This album is one of the big, early successes of Def Jam – the dominating and most innovating record label at the time, extremely important for the exposure of Hip Hop to larger audiences worldwide.
60. The Roots – Game Theory (2006)
The Roots is one of the most consistent acts in the game. Practically their whole catalog is excellent – but for us, Game Theory is one of their stand-out albums – right up there with the very best Roots albums Illadelph Halflife (1996) and Things Fall Apart (1999). Cuts like “False Media”, “Clock With No Hands” and the elegant Dilla tribute “Can’t Stop This” help make this album a definite Roots classic, but there are no skippable tracks on Game Theory.
59. Camp Lo — Uptown Saturday Night (1997)
Camp Lo‘s Sonny Cheba and Geechi Suede come off as sort of hybrid of OutKast, The Pharcyde, and De La Soul. Their insanely smooth flows and outstanding creativity and originality make for an atypical late nineties NYC Hip Hop album. Even though it contained the smash hit “Luchini (This Is It)”, Uptown Saturday Night never really got the recognition it deserved, certainly not at the time of its release. It has aged really well though and is deservedly recognized now by many as the masterpiece it is.
58. EPMD — Strictly Business (1988)
Consistent quality. Two words that describe the work of EPMD. EPMD’s first album immediately delivered the goods: funky beats and dope rhymes – it established EPMD as one of the powerhouse acts in Hip Hop.
57. Organized Konfusion — Stress: The Extinction Agenda (1994)
Following their eponymous debut LP, Pharoahe Monch and Prince Po had a lot to live up to. They admirably succeeded in creating an album with similarities to the first album, while doing something completely different at the same time. Prince Po and Pharoahe Monch come with unparalleled lyricism on this dark, dense, complicated, and intellectual album. This album was way ahead of its time in vision and execution. Some albums from this era sound dated now but Stress: The Extinction Agenda sounds as fresh today as it did on the day it was released – the mark of a true classic.
In terms of wordplay, flow, delivery, AND content – this is the gold standard. Pharoahe Monch is and has always been the better rapper of the two, but Prince Po is perfectly able to hold his own – which is incredible enough. Both emcees manage to step up their already considerable game from their debut, they come with phenomenal rhymes and complex flows – bar for bar lyrical Hip Hop doesn’t get much better than this. Whether they are storytelling, philosophizing, joking, bragging, being conscious, or simply throwing out battle raps – their lyrical performances are top-tier in every aspect – there is NOTHING cliche or run-of-the-mill about the lyricism on Stress: The Extinction Agenda. Some of the tightest and most inventive rhymes you’ll ever hear are on this album, with the conceptual gem “Stray Bullet” being a particular lyrical highlight.
The mostly self-produced beats on Stress: The Extinction Agenda are dope as f too – dark and menacing, but jazzy at the same time: musically this album comes off as a hybrid of the sounds of A Tribe Called Quest and Wu-Tang Clan – combining the best of both worlds.
Stress: The Extinction Agenda is one of the most underrated albums released in the 1990s – this truly is a one-of-a-kind kind of album. If you’ve ever wondered why many consider Pharoahe Monch a GOAT emcee – study this album and you will know. Stress: The Extinction Agenda is an all-around brilliant album that should not be overlooked.
56. Public Enemy — Yo! Bum Rush The Show (1987)
The classic debut of one of Hip Hop’s greatest and most important groups of all time. This album truly was a game-changer, production- and content-wise. Rough, hard-hitting beats and turntablism, complemented by Chuck D’s booming voice and Flavor Flav’s antics – Yo! Bum Rush The Show was revolutionary in many ways. Hugely influential and the stepping stone to Public Enemy‘s follow up and Hip Hop’s ultimate classic album: It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back.
55. Gang Starr — Moment of Truth (1998)
Few artists can boast a catalog as consistent as Gang Starr‘s. Ask four fans about their favorite Gang Starr album and they may all pick a different one. That says enough about the overall excellence of their work. Moment Of Truth is Gang Starr’s fifth and arguably most cohesive of all their albums. Lyrical genius from Guru and musical genius from DJ Premier – Hip Hop doesn’t get much better than this.
54. The Roots — Things Fall Apart (1999)
With Questlove laying down the perfect instrumentals and Black Thought’s thoughtful, socially-conscious rhymes (not to mentions his exceptional emcee skills), Things Fall Apart is yet another excellent The Roots album, their fourth. With additional rhyming from Malik B, Dice Raw and guests like Common and Mos Def, you know you can’t go wrong with this Roots crew album.
53. Kendrick Lamar — good kid, m.A.A.d. city (2012)
Arguably the highest profile release of 2012, Kendrick Lamar’s sophomore album – and major-label debut – deserves to be heralded as a modern classic. Billed as a “short film by Kendrick Lamar” on the album cover, GKMC is a concept album that follows the story of Lamar’s teenage experiences in the gang- and drug-infested streets of his native Compton.
GKMC is a total experience and not just a collection of songs. A perfect example of a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts. That’s not to say the individual songs on the album are lacking in anything – in fact, there are plenty of classic cuts on this one. The singles “Backseat Freestyle” and “Swimming Pools (Drank)” are easy favorites of course, but tracks like “Money Trees”, “m.a.a.d. City” (with MC Eith), “Compton” (with Dr. Dre), and the 12-minute epic “Sing About Me, I’m Dying Of Thirst” are awesome too – as is the production of the album from start to finish.
The album cover and the inside sleeve work in harmony with the narrative of the album, which is a great touch. GKMC is a balanced and cohesive piece of work, that needs multiple listens to fully appreciate its intricacies and Kendrick’s talent and skill.
52. Kanye West — My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (2010)
Because he is such an idiot excentric it’s not difficult to dislike Kanye West, but whether you like him or not it’s impossible to deny the excellence of this album. We have never been big fans of Kanye West, but we’re not haters either. We think his first three albums are all pretty great (even if they all have flaws), but we don’t care at all about his work after My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (although The Life Of Pablo is growing on us). My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy sits in the middle of Kanye West’s career as an artist, and it is his absolute best work if you ask us – My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy is bombastic, overblown, ridiculous, AND brilliant – just like Kanye himself.
51. Boogie Down Productions — By All Means Necessary (1988)
Not even one year after Boogie Down Productions‘ classic debut album Criminal Minded, and shortly after the murder of Scott La Rock, KRS One dropped another classic with By All Means Necessary. KRS One quickly established himself as the conscious voice of Hip Hop, together with Public Enemy – a role both acts would continue to fill in the decades to follow.
50. Dr. Octagon Dr. Octagonecologyst (1996)
Is this Kool Keith’s best album (outside Ultramagnetic’s monumental debut Critical Beatdown)? In a catalog as deep and diverse as Kool Keith’s, it may be hard to choose – but Dr. Octagonecologyst definitely is our Kool Keith solo favorite. An all-time underground favorite, Dr. Octagonecologyst simply is a near-perfect album. Production by Dan The Automater is absolutely phenomenal. Innovative, eery, spaced-out: the instrumentals provide the perfect backdrop for Kool Keith’s trademark bizarre lyrics.
49. Mobb Deep — The Infamous (1995)
An album that will forever polarize opinions. Considered an absolute classic and a top 10 album by many, there are also those who find it inaccessible because of the extremely gritty and dark nature of the album. Wherever you stand, there can be no denying this is a landmark album, both production-wise and lyrically. Mobb Deep brought their A-game on their second album and The Infamous will always be seen as one of the most important mid-90s East Coast albums.
48. Ice Cube — AmeriKKKas Most Wanted (1990)
Young, hungry, and angry. Ice Cube hit his peak after leaving N.W.A with this album. Creatively it is truly outstanding. Recruiting the Bomb Squad for an East Coast sound on the production resulted in a sonically epic album. Lyrically Cube murders every track on the album. Raw, hard, and unapologetic, Ice Cube dropped a bomb on the (Hip Hop) nation when it was released. AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted is a unique blend of political, socially conscious, and gangsta rap, Ice Cube at his best, and a true Hip Hop classic.
47. Eminem — The Marshall Mathers LP (2000)
Eminem in his prime, lyrically unbeatable. Released after his breakthrough The Slim Shady LP (1999) and before the equally excellent The Eminem Show (2002), The Marshall Mathers LP still stands as Eminem’s magnum opus – the middle of an impressive three-album run and one of the best as well as best-selling Hip Hop albums ever.
46. Big Daddy Kane — Long Live The Kane (1988)
Big Daddy Kane‘s debut album established him as one of Hip Hop’s top lyricists. Marley Marl produced this album at the peak of his powers, and it is a definitive Hip Hop classic.
45. De La Soul — Stakes Is High (1996)
Another De La Soul masterpiece. All of their first four albums are classics in their own right, this one is the album that was their most mature and confident effort up till then. No gimmicks, just straight-up Hip Hop. De La Soul easily is one of the most consistent acts in Hip Hop ever and they are truly Hip Hop’s elite.
44. The Pharcyde — Labcabincalifornia (1995)
With their 1992 debut album Bizarre Ride II The Pharcyde this 4-men crew dropped a left-field West Coast classic. This follow-up is more mature and possibly even better (J Dilla was involved on the production side, so there you go).
43. Public Enemy — Fear of A Black Planet (1990)
How do you follow up on the best Hip Hop album ever made? The answer is: with Fear Of A Black Planet. Building on the perfection of It Takes A Nation…, Fear Of A Black Planet consolidated Public Enemy‘s status of the most important Hip Hop group of the time. Fear Of A Black Planet is fiercely political, intelligent, unrelenting, uncompromising, profound, powerful, intense, boundary-pushing – a landmark album in (Hip Hop) music history. Perhaps a little less accessible than It Takes A Nation… but equally important.
42. Run The Jewels — Run The Jewels 3 (2016)
The best record of 2016, Run The Jewels’ third album is another hard-hitting winner – it’s crazy to think how consistent their projects have been. El-P and Killer Mike’s chemistry remains as great as it has always been, on this album they once again do pretty much everything right. El-P’s production is amazing (of course), the lyrics are deep and thought-provoking, the flows are as good as ever, and the features all work. Even if RTJ2 is the best Run The Jewels album, RTJ3 is not far behind.
41. OutKast — Aquemini (1998)
Always creative and innovative, it’s hard to agree on which album is OutKast’s best. They are all classics in their own right, with this one arguably being their magnum opus, where everything that makes OutKast part of Hip Hop’s elite comes together. The beats, the lyrics – both are truly excellent, but it is the overall vibe of the album that makes Aquemini so special. A stylistic and musical experience that transcends Hip Hop – Aquemini is a creative masterpiece that belongs in every music lover’s collection.
40. Company Flow — Funcrusher Plus (1997)
Underground Hip Hop at its finest. A hate-or-love-it kind of album for many due to its innovative and experimental nature, but doubtless a classic. Company Flow, consisting of El-P (beats & rhymes), Big Juss (rhymes) & DJ Mr. Len (beats & scratches), dropped this gem to bless Hip Hop in a time period where shiny suit rappers and gangsta posers were starting to get most of the spotlight. Ahead of its time and very influential, Funcrusher Plus paved the way for countless left-field Hip Hop acts, who were and are instrumental in keeping the genre fresh.
39. Jay-Z — The Blueprint (2001)
In his long career, Jay-Z dropped a bunch of fantastic albums (along with a couple of duds as well), but he released the album of his career in 2001 with The Blueprint. Jay-Z’s most complete album since his debut Reasonable Doubt and one he would not be able to top with later releases. The Blueprint should be rightfully regarded as one of Hip Hop’s greatest albums.
38. J-Live — The Best Part (2001)
This is one of the most slept-on Hip Hop albums ever, and it easily is one of the best of the 2000’s decade. The Best Part was recorded between 1996 to 1999, featuring production by Prince Paul, DJ Premier, and Pete Rock. Due to label problems, it was not before 2001 when the album was finally released. There’s no doubt it was worth the wait, though.
J-Live is an incredible emcee, with a great flow and delivery and lyrics worth listening to. “Yes,” “Don’t Play”, “True School Anthem”, “Got What It Takes” and the classic cuts “Braggin Writes” and “Can I Get It” are just six of the awesome songs you have to check out on this album. Critically acclaimed by those in the know, but sadly ignored by the larger audiences, The Best Part simply is a must-have for any self-respecting Hip Hop head.
37. Common – Be (2005)
Common’s second, third and fourth album – Ressurection (1994), One Day It’ll All Make Sense (1997) and Like Water For Chocolate (2000) were all classics in their own right, but many thought Common was over and done with after he released the bizarrely experimental Electric Circus in 2002. Disenchantment with Hip Hop at that time lead Common to drop that strange (though not necessarily bad) album, many doubted if Common would ever be able to come back from that. However, what happened was Common got up with Kanye West and J-Dilla to deliver the album of his career.
On Be Common found his fire and his love for the game again. Stellar tracks like “Testify”, “The Food”, “The Corner”, and “Go” are classic Common – in fact, the whole album is tight and consistent as can be. Common would go on to drop a whole bunch of other excellent albums but Be will forever be his magnum opus.
36. Main Source — Breaking Atoms (1991)
Large Professor, one of Hip Hop’s most respected producers, exploded on the scene with this classic album – showing his extraordinary talents on the boards as well as on the mic. Breaking Atoms is an important and hugely influential album and a testament to the brilliance of Large Pro. And not to forget: this album contained the official debut on wax from young Queensbridge emcee Nasty Nas, with a brilliant opening verse on the dope posse cut “Live At The BBQ”.
35. The Roots — Illadelph Halflife (1996)
The Roots’ best album? Hard to pick a favorite in a discography of such outstanding overall quality, but on Illadelph Halflife everything works. This is a LONG album, but there are few, if any, wasted moments. This is smooth, jazzy Hip Hop at its finest, with live instrumentation and exceptional lyricism – true brilliance from Philly’s legendary Roots crew.
34. The DOC — No One Can Do It Better (1989)
On the heels of the explosive success of N.W.A‘s Straight Outta Compton, Dr. Dre turned out another flawlessly produced album. The D.O.C. proved to be a talented emcee who was able to complement Dre’s beats perfectly. The D.O.C. didn’t need gangster posturing to show and prove he was the man – he had the skills and the confidence to carry this album and to make it an all-time Hip Hop classic.
33. GZA — Liquid Swords (1995)
Liquid Swords is another highlight in the Wu-Tang (solo) catalog. The album would have been even higher on this list if GZA & RZA hadn’t overdone it a bit on the skits/intro’s, but the actual songs on this one are all true bangers. Elite production by RZA as per usual in that era, and the trademark dope Wu-Tang lyricism. Classic Wu-Tang.
32. Eric B & Rakim — Follow The Leader (1988)
Faced with the impossible task to follow up the game-changing classic Paid In Full, Eric B & Rakim delivered anyway. Rakim raised the bar of emceeing to a level few ever approached. This album contains the best opening trio of songs ever, with “Follow The Leader”, “Microphone Fiend”, and “Lyrics Of Fury”.
31. Ice Cube — Death Certificate (1991)
Still angry, still hungry. Ice Cube picks up where he left things with his classic debut AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted and even takes things a bit further. Raw and uncompromising, Death Certificate was highly controversial in its subject matter. Ice Cube pulls no punches and spares no one in his examinations of early 90s American society, which can make it an ‘uncomfortable’ listen at times.
Sonically, there is nothing wrong with Ice Cube’s and Sir Jinx’s production – although the funk induced beats on Death Certificate may be a little less appealing than the Bomb Squad’s stand-out work on AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted – but this album is all about the lyrical content. Widely considered Ice Cube’s best work (together with AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted), Death Certificate is an important album in Hip Hop history.
30. Mos Def — Black On Both Sides (1999)
Mos Def’s masterpiece. Mos Def is one of the most underrated emcees out there – but he has a unique voice and his flow is tight. He’s intelligent, humorous, passionate, creative, and socially conscious. Black On Both Sides is a must-have for any and all Hip Hop fans.
29. Freddie Gibbs & Madlib — Piñata (2014)
Typically we don’t much care for gangsta rap or coke rap or whatever label is attached to tough-guy crime rhymes, but the fruits of the out-of-the-box collaboration between Gary, Indiana-based gangsta rapper Freddie Gibbs and the Oxnard, California native, left-field production-genius Madlib are a firm exception. As with Madlib’s collaboration with MF DOOM, which resulted in the best Hip Hop album of the 2000s, his partnership with Freddie Gibbs leads to a product that is bigger than the sum of its parts. On Piñata Gibbs’ coarse flow works perfectly with Madlib’s soulful and funky soundscapes – arguably Madlib’s best work since 2004’s Madvillainy. Guest spots by the likes of Scarface, Raekwon, Danny Brown, Ab-Soul, and Earl Sweatshirt (among others) add extra flavor, which results in 2014’s second-best album (just after RTJ2). The album could have done without some of the skits, but all-in-all this powerhouse of an album truly is a masterpiece.
28. Gang Starr — Step In The Arena (1991)
On their second album, Gang Starr found their sound. Guru‘s supremely recognizable monotone voice and DJ Premier‘s signature style of DJing and producing really come together here. This is a long album but there are no filler tracks, you can listen to the whole album without having to skip a song. The start of a near-flawless 4-album-run.
27. Beastie Boys — Paul’s Boutique (1989)
This album truly is sampling heaven. Paul’s Boutique was completely different from Beastie Boys‘ much easier accessible and commercially super successful debut album Licensed To Ill, and not what a lot of fans of that album were expecting. Initially a commercial failure, Paul’s Boutique aged like fine wine and with it the appreciation for it. Now considered a landmark album in Hip Hop, it’s the ultimate example of what the Beastie Boys always stood for: creativity and innovation. They were never afraid to reinvent themselves and stretch (and cross) genre boundaries, while at the same time keeping it real. A timeless masterpiece, Paul’s Boutique will forever be remembered as a classic album, in music, not just in Hip Hop.
26. LL Cool J — Radio (1985)
LL Cool J‘s debut album is one of the most influential Hip Hop albums of all time. Together with Run DMC’s debut album from the year before, Radio was the second album that would set the tone for how Hip Hop was going to sound. Rick Rubin’s stripped-down, minimalistic production complements LL Cool J B-Boy attitude and revolutionary lyricism perfectly. This is one of the greatest and most important debuts in the history of Hip Hop and LL Cool J is one of the all-time greats.
25. Black Star — Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star (1998)
Both Mos Def and Talib Kweli planned to release their solo albums around the same time, but they postponed their individual projects and decided instead to collaborate on a full-length LP – and what a collaboration it is. Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star is a timeless piece of music that gets better with every passing year.
24. Ice T — Original Gangster (1991)
Ice-T’s masterpiece. Original Gangster is a long album, but it is put together PERFECTLY. It feels and flows JUST RIGHT. You can just feel the love and the energy that went into the making of Original Gangster. It is one of those albums that feels as fresh today as it did when it was released, an album you can keep on constant rotation because it never gets old.
23. Shabazz Palaces — Black Up (2011)
Black Up is the debut studio album by Shabazz Palaces, the duo consisting of Palaceer Lazaro (formerly known as Butterfly of Digable Planets) and multi-instrumentalist Tendai “Baba” Maraire. This album is pretty much amazing, unlike anything you have ever heard before. Experimental Hip Hop, Progressive Hip Hop, Abstract Hip Hop – call it what you want, just know no label can do this project justice. And it doesn’t need a label either, other than ‘classic’. At ten songs, Black Up is a tight presentation, but not a second is wasted. Throughout the 10 songs, deep beats highlighted by electronic flourishes complement the idiosyncratic flows and intricate lyrics filled with abstract metaphors and intelligent observations – there’s a lot to unpack here.
Even though Shabazz Palaces’ follow-up efforts were interesting enough – especially Lese Majesty (2014) is good – up to now they have never reached Black Up‘s level of outstanding excellence again, and it is hard to see how they could. This album is something special, unique like It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back is unique, or like Madvillainy is.
To really do justice to this musical treasure you need to listen to it on a quality system or with really good headphones or earbuds – otherwise, you might miss the deepness of the bass and other sonic intricacies. Black Up certainly isn’t for everyone, but for those open for a challenging listen or just for something different from 13-in-a-dozen rap, this album really is pure gold. Black Up is one of the most (if not THE most) creative, innovative, and captivating Hip Hop albums of the 2010s.
22. De La Soul — De La Soul Is Dead (1991)
De La Soul more or less invented the rap-skit and to this day, they remain one of the very few acts who know how to use it. Where in 95% of the cases skits do not add anything, except annoying breaks in the flow of albums, De La actually know how to use a skit in the right way – to give a thematic and coherent feel to an album.
De La Soul Is Dead is a long album, but packed with brilliance, musically and lyrically. A marked change in style and feel to their equally brilliant debut 3 Feet High & Rising, De La Soul Is Dead showed a darker and more contemplative side of De La Soul. Gone is the happy-go-lucky positivity of their debut, instead we get De La’s disillusioned vision on the state of Hip Hop, which would turn out to be highly prophetic. This album was so ahead of its time, Hip Hop still hasn’t caught up yet.
21. The Notorious B.I.G. — Ready To Die (1994)
Another landmark album and an all-time classic. The Notorious B.I.G. made a big splash on the scene with his classic debut single “Party & Bullsh*t”. Expectations were high for his full-length debut album and boy did he deliver with Ready To Die. One of the most naturally gifted emcees and storytellers in the Hip Hop game ever, everything came together for him on this album. Excellent production throughout with Biggie’s simultaneously brash and vulnerable lyrics to top off the banging instrumentals. Few others were ever able to express their thoughts and feelings the way Biggie was.
20. Snoop Doggy Dogg — Doggystyle (1993)
In the pre-internet and Social Media days, when music promotion was a whole different ballgame, there have been few albums that were as hyped and anticipated as Snoop Doggy Dogg‘s solo debut. Having made an incredible impression with his unique style on Dr. Dre‘s “Deep Cover” single and later as the top emcee on Dre’s monumental The Chronic, Snoop was hailed as Hip Hop’s next superstar.
With mentor Dr. Dre on the boards, Doggystyle managed to meet the crazy high expectations. An all-around Hip Hop classic, on the West Coast arguably only surpassed in ‘classic-ness’ by N.W.A.’s Straight Outta Compton and Dre’s The Chronic, Doggystyle is and always will be Snoop Dogg’s magnum opus.
19. Run DMC — Raising Hell (1986)
One of the first mega-sellers in Hip Hop and the album that would cement the status of Run DMC as the top Hip Hop act of the time. A brilliant album, with perfect interplay between Jam Master Jay – one of the first great all-round DJ’s in the game – and the back-and-forth rhyming of DMC and Run. This album, together with Beastie Boys‘ debut Licensed To Ill that was released in the same year, was responsible for opening Hip Hop to all kinds of audiences all over the world. Run DMC “took the beat from the street and put it on TV”.
18. N.W.A. — Straight Outta Compton (1988)
This album was a game-changer; for better or for worse. One of the first real ‘gangsta rap’ albums, and one of the most successful, going multi-platinum without any radio play. It influenced and changed the direction of Hip Hop, producing countless clones for decades to come. The difference between all the clones and this album is the originality and authenticity of Straight Outta Compton; combined with the revolutionary & flawless production by Dr. Dre and the raw energy and at the time shocking lyrical imagery of Ice Cube, MC Ren & Eazy E.
17. Slick Rick — The Great Adventures Of… (1988)
It doesn’t get much better than this. A flawless album from start to finish, filled with dope tracks. Slick Rick‘s superior storytelling abilities, combined with his humor and unique rapping style, make this album an unforgettable classic.
16. Dr Dre — The Chronic (1992)
The Chronic is one of the most influential Hip Hop albums of all-time. A 1990’s masterpiece that is about the production first and the lyrical content second. Dr. Dre‘s production on this album is just INCREDIBLE. Often imitated, never duplicated. It also showed us the full potential of Hip Hop’s next superstar – a young Snoop Dogg. Along with lyrics from a host of other talented rappers and Dr. Dre himself, The Chronic is filled with the ‘standard’ gangsta themes (violence, sex, drugs, parties) – difference from most of the copy cat others is that on this album it sounds GOOD instead of played out.
15. Run The Jewels — Run The Jewels 2 (2014)
Wow – who would have thought El-P and Killer Mike could outdo their collaborative debut Run The Jewels (2013)? That record was epic and unstoppable enough, but this one is even better – more layered and even darker. The out-of-the-box combination of El-P and Killer Mike has proven to be unbeatable – this album is lyrically intelligent and hard-hitting as well as sonically brilliant, RTJ2 easily is one of the best and most important Hip Hop albums of the 2010s.
14. Raekwon — Only Built For Cuban Linx… (1995)
The best Wu-Tang solo album? We think so. It’s not even a ‘real’ solo album – every Wu-Tang Clan member appears on one or more tracks and production is in the more than capable hands of RZA. That makes this album even more of a group effort than most other Wu-Tang solo releases.
After Kool G Rap, Raekwon can be seen as one of the pioneers of the mafioso sub-genre and this album is one of the best, if not the best of its sort. Only Built For Cuban Linx… was loosely composed to play like a film with Raekwon as the “star,” fellow Wu-Tang member Ghostface Killah as the “guest-star,” and producer RZA as the “director.” The cinematic feel of the album, along with the top-notch production and emceeing, make this one an all-time classic.
13. OutKast — ATLiens (1996)
A step up from their already awesome Southerplayalisticadillacmuzik debut album. On ATLiens OutKast shows real growth and newfound maturity, resulting in an album that is simply amazing lyrically as well as musically. No skits, no filler, no bullsh** – just straight up dope Hip Hop with that unique OutKast twist.
12. Pete Rock & CL Smooth — Mecca And The Soul Brother (1992)
A timeless musical masterpiece, tasteful and irresistible. After the excellent All Souled Out EP they dropped the year previous, Pete Rock & CL Smooth followed up with this brilliant album. Pete Rock’s multi-layered, horns-filled, bass-heavy boom-bap production is simply masterful. CL Smooth delivery serves as another instrument to complete the musical feast this album is from start to finish. Incredibly consistent throughout, Mecca And The Soul Brother is one of Hip Hop’s all-time greatest albums.
11. De La Soul — 3 Feet High And Rising (1989)
Experimental, innovative, and hugely influential – this cooperation between De La Soul and producer Prince Paul is a landmark album. This album introduced the skit to Hip Hop albums; and although skits more often irritate than add value, on this album they work. Clever wordplay, deft rhymes, playful production, positivity, and fun: 3 Feet High And Rising represented a new direction for Hip Hop, clearly a reaction to cliches already emerging in Hip Hop, even in its early years. De La Soul’s debut album was unlike anything Hip Hop had seen up to then, and while arguably all Hip Hop in the 1980s can be called ‘experimental’ because the genre was still in its infancy, 3 Feet High And Rising deserves to labeled thus for sure. This was the album (along with Jungle Brothers’ Straight Out The Jungle) that paved the way for acts like A Tribe Called Quest, The Pharcyde, Freestyle Fellowship, Digable Planets, and many others.
10. Boogie Down Productions — Criminal Minded (1987)
After making a name for themselves in the NYC Hip Hop underground, former social worker Scott La Rock and one of his clients, KRS One, formed Boogie Down Productions and came out in 1987 with Criminal Minded. The bare-bones production by Scott Las Rock – and the at the time uncredited Ced Gee of the Ultramagnetic MCs – combined with KRS One’s lyrical content and distinctive delivery make this album a definitive Hip Hop classic, that without a doubt is up there with the greatest Hip Hop albums of all time. Together with other groundbreaking 1987 debuts of Eric B & Rakim (Paid In Full) and Public Enemy (Yo! Bum Rush The Show), this album set the standard for the Golden Age of Hip Hop.
9. Kendrick Lamar — To Pimp A Butterfly (2015)
This album is special, in a once in a generation kind of way. To Pimp A Butterfly is like this generation’s version of Marvin Gaye’s What’s Going On (1971), or Public Enemy‘s It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back (1988).
With good kid, M.A.A.D. City, Kendrick Lamar (2012) had already released a near-flawless project, but this follow-up turned out to be even bigger and better. To Pimp a Butterfly is a grandiose achievement: both a soul-bearing confessional and a compelling state of the nation address – this album’s cultural significance can not be overstated. There’s nothing easy or straightforward about the instrumentals either: TPAB features a potent blend of live instrumentation, neo-soul, stripped-down jazz fusion, occasional funk, and Hip Hop to give the album a vast historical musical appeal – it’s an amalgamation of 70 years of Black music. Kendrick Lamar’s narrative thread and the vast cast of guests appearing on the album only underline its expansive scope and ambitions.
This is not an easy, straight-forward listen, but it is an important one. To Pimp A Butterfly is a timeless genre-blending masterpiece that will forever reside in the highest echelons of the Hip Hop pantheon.
8. A Tribe Called Quest — Midnight Marauders (1993)
Faced with the impossible task of following up on the flawless masterpiece that is The Low End Theory, Tribe delivered an album that is every bit as awesome as its predecessor. There can be no greater praise. As fresh today as it was on the day it was released: the mark of a true classic.
7. Ultramagnetic MCs — Critical Beatdown (1988)
Ultramagnetic MCs’ Critical Beatdown is a classic and hugely influential album that has stood the test of time – Kool Keith‘s unique style & lyrics along with the excellent overall production ensure this is one for the ages. Highly original & innovative and very consistent – no weak tracks on this album. Critically acclaimed, but at the same time slept on and somehow underappreciated – this is one of HHGA’s all-time favorite albums.
6. Wu Tang Clan — Enter The Wu Tang (1993)
What can be said about this seminal album that hasn’t been said a thousand times over already? One of the most innovative, groundbreaking, influential and important Hip Hop albums EVER. New York’s answer to Dr. Dre’s worldshaking The Chronic of the year previous. RZA’s incredible innovative production resulting in that trademark dirty and gritty Wu-Tang sound, complemented by 9 emcees who all bring their A-game and show crazy versatility and never-seen-before lyrical creativity: unbeatable.
5. Madvillain – Madvillainy (2004)
This album is ART, pure and simple. Madvilliany redefined the underground and is a perfect example of what can happen if two left-field geniuses combine powers. The late MF DOOM and Madlib have both produced many pieces of brilliant music, but this epic album is the crowning achievement of both their careers. The album of the 2000s decade and a top 10 Hip Hop album of all-time.
4. Eric B & Rakim — Paid In Full (1987)
In a music genre still in its infancy, this Eric B & Rakim masterpiece was a game-changer after its release in 1987. Seductive, smooth yet hard beats laced with Rakim’s innovative and intricate rhyme style, make for this groundbreaking and seminal work. This is one of the albums that can be seen as a precursor to 1988, Hip Hop’s break-out year. An album that established Hip Hop as a musical genre that was there to stay. Paid In Full will forever be recognized as one of Hip Hop’s ultimate classics. Filled with unforgettable tracks and Hip Hop anthems this album is a must-have. If you don’t own this album, your Hip Hop collection is incomplete.
3. A Tribe Called Quest — The Low End Theory (1991)
The Low End Theory is the definitive statement about what creativity, innovation, artistry, fun, and raw talent can produce. Building on the quality work of their debut, Tribe perfected the fusion of jazzy influences and bass-heavy Hip Hop beats. The album is so coherent and consistent, it almost feels like one long song – in this case, a good thing. Phife, who only played a small part on the first album, really increased his skills as an emcee and establishes a perfect interplay with the always exceptional Q-Tip. Clever lyrics and smooth and warm music – this album is nothing short of perfect.
2. Nas — Illmatic (1994)
One of the very best Hip Hop albums in history. A young and hungry, insanely talented emcee comes together with some of the finest producers in the game, who all bring their best work. No skits, no fillers – just nine 5-star tracks that combine into a seminal work that will forever be revered as one of the most important releases in Hip Hop. Illmatic is a monumental masterpiece.
1. Public Enemy — It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back (1988)
Public Enemy‘s It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back is one of the best albums ever made, in any genre. The best and one of the most important Hip Hop albums ever.
Honorable Mentions
Lots of great Hip Hop albums (sometimes barely) missed the cut, the albums in this section would have been included in a top 500.
- Run DMC – King Of Rock (1985)
- Just Ice – Back To The Old School (1986)
- Run DMC – Tougher Than Leather (1988)
- DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince – He’s The DJ, I’m The Rapper (1988)
- Stetsasonic – In Full Gear (1988)
- King Tee – Act A Fool (1988)
- LL Cool J – Walking With A Panther (1989)
- Nice & Smooth – Nice & Smooth (1989)
- Biz Markie – The Biz Never Sleeps (1989)
- Chill Rob G – Ride The Rhythm (1989)
- Kool G Rap – Wanted Dead Or Alive (1990)
- Boogie Down Productions – Edutainment (1990)
- EPMD – Business As Usual (1990)
- Master Ace – Take A Look Around (1990)
- Poor Righteous Teachers – Holy Intellect (1990)
- Digital Underground – Sex Packets (1990)
- Too Short – Short Dog’s In The House (1990)
- Intelligent Hoodlum – Intelligent Hoodlum (1990)
- Geto Boys – We Can’t Be Stopped (1991)
- NWA – Efil4zaggin (1991)
- Leaders Of The New School – A Future Without A Past (1991)
- 2Pac – 2Pacalypse Now (1991)
- Ed OG & Da Bulldoggs – Life Of A Kid In The Ghetto (1991)
- Hijack – The Horns Of Jericho (1991)
- Eric B & Rakim – Don’t Sweat The Technique (1992)
- Hard Knocks – School Of Hard Knocks (1992)
- Boogie Down Productions – Sex And Violence (1992)
- Ice Cube – The Predator (1992)
- Beastie Boys – Check Your Head (1992)
- Kool G Rap & DJ Polo – Live And Let Die (1992)
- Paris – Sleeping With The Enemy (1992)
- Lord Finesse – Return Of The Funky Man (1992)
- EPMD – Business, Never Personal (1992)
- Das EFX- Dead Serious (1992)
- Ultramagnetic MCs – The Four Horsemen (1993)
- 2Pac – Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z. (1993)
- Lords Of The Underground – Here Come The Lords (1993)
- Queen Latifah – Black Reign (1993)
- Del – No Need For Alarm (1993)
- Cypress Hill – Black Sunday (1993)
- Onyx – Bacdafucup (1993)
- Digable Planets – Blowout Comb (1994)
- UGK – Super Tight (1994)
- The Beatnuts – Street Level (1994)
- Method Man – Tical (1994)
- The Coup – Genocide & Juice (1994)
- Warren G – Regulate… G Funk Era (1994)
- Redman – Dare Iz A Darkside (1994)
- Beastie Boys – Ill Communication (1994)
- Smif N Wessun – Dah Shinin (1995)
- KRS One – KRS One (1995)
- DJ Quik – Safe + Sound (1995)
- Aceyalone – All Balls Don’t Bounce (1995)
- AZ – Doe Or Die (1995)
- Tha Dogg Pound – Dogg Food (1995)
- The Roots – Do You Want More?!!!??! (1995)
- Show & AG – Goodfellas (1995)
- E-40 – In A Major Way (1995)
- Eightball & MJG – On Top Of The World (1995)
- Cypress Hill – III (1995)
- Tha Alkoholiks – Coast II Coast (1995)
- Ras Kass – Soul On Ice (1996)
- A Tribe Called Quest – Beats, Rhymes & Life (1996)
- Heltah Skeltah – Nocturnal (1996)
- Busta Rhymes – The Coming (1996)
- Cru – Da Dirty 30 (1997)
- Capone-N-Noreaga – The War Report (1997)
- Jedi Mind Tricks – The Psycho-Social […] (1997)
- Scarface – The Untouchable (1997)
- Kool Keith – Sex Style (1997)
- Jay Z – In My Lifetime Vol. 1 (1997)
- Busta Rymes – When Disaster Strikes (1997)
- Organized Konfusion – Equinox (1997)
- Missy Elliott – Supa Dupa Fly (1997)
- KRS One – I Got Next (1997)
- All Natural – No Additives, No Preservatives (1998)
- Styles Of Beyond – 2000 Fold (1998)
- Aceyalone – A Book Of Human Language (1998)
- Beastie Boys – Hello Nasty (1998)
- Hieroglyphics – 3rd Eye Vision (1998)
- Jurassic 5 – Jurassic 5 (1998)
- Goodie Mob – Still Standing (1998)
- Xzibit – 40 Dayz & 40 Nightz (1998)
- The Coup – Steal This Album (1998)
- Killah Priest – Heavy Mental (1998)
- Jay Z- Vol 2… Hard Knock Life (1998)
- Prince Paul – A Prince Among Thieves (1999)
- Lootpack – Soundpieces: Da Antidote (1999)
- Method Man & Redman – Blackout! (1999)
- Slum Village – Fantastic, Vol. 2 (2000)
- Binary Star – Masters Of The Universe (2000)
- Zion I – Mind Over Matter (2000)
- Jedi Mind Tricks – Violent By Design (2000)
- Quasimoto – The Unseen (2000)
- Ugly Duckling – Journey To Anywhere (2001)
- CunninLynguists – Will Rap For Food (2001)
- Blackalicious – Blazing Arrow (2002)
- Nas – God’s Son (2002)
- Non Phixion – The Future Is Now (2002)
- Sage Francis – Personal Journals (2002)
- Talib Kweli – Quality (2002)
- Atmosphere – God Loves Ugly (2002)
- The Roots – Phrenology (2002)
- People Under The Stairs – O.S.T. (2002)
- Cormega – The True Meaning (2002)
- Non Prophets – Hope (2003)
- 50 Cent – Get Rich Or Die Tryin’ (2003)
- CunninLynguists – Southernunderground (2003)
- Dizzee Rascal – Boy In Da Corner (2003)
- The Last Emperor – Music, Magic, Myth (2003)
- Aesop Rock – Bazooka Tooth (2003)
- Gang Starr – The Ownerz (2003)
- King Geedorah – Take Me To Your Leader (2003)
- OutKast – Speakerboxxx / The Love Below (2003)
- Jaylib – Champion Sound (2003)
- Eyedea & Abilities – E&A (2004)
- P.O.S – Ipecac Neat (2004)
- Foreign Exchange – Connected (2004)
- Jean Grae – This Week (2004)
- Beanie Sigel – The B. Coming (2005)
- Ohmega Watts – The Find (2005)
- Danger Doom – The Mouse And The Mask (2005)
- Jazz Addixx – Oxygen (2005)
- One Be Lo – S.O.N.O.G.R.A.M. (2005)
- Sean Price – Monkey Barz (2005)
- Bun B – Trill (2005)
- Nas – Hip Hop Is Dead (2006)
- MF Grimm – American Hunger (2006)
- Cunninlynguists – Dirty Acres (2007)
- Talib Kweli – Eardrum (2007)
- Senim Silla – The Name The Motto The Outcome (2007)
- Y Society – Travel At Your Own Pace (2007)
- El-P – I’ll Sleep When You’re Dead (2007)
- Common – Finding Forever (2007)
- Evidence – The Weatherman LP (2007)
- UGK – Underground Kingz (2007)
- Jay-Z – American Gangster (2007)
- Sage Francis – Human The Death Dance (2007)
- Doomtree – Doomtree (2008)
- Immortal Technique – 3rd World (2008)
- P.O.S – Never Better (2009)
- Felt – Felt 3: A Tribute to Rosie Perez (2009)
- Fashawn – Boy Meets World (2009)
- Raekwon – Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… Pt II (2009)
- Skyzoo – The Salvation (2009)
- Brother Ali – Us (2009)
- Killah Priest – Elizabeth (Introduction To The Psychic) (2009)
- Boog Brown & Apollo Brown – Brown Study (2010)
- Celph Titled & Buckwild – Nineteen Ninety-Now (2010)
- Big Boi – Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty (2010)
- Roc Marciano – Marcberg (2010)
- Phonte – Charity Starts at Home (2011)
- Doomtree – No Kings (2011)
- Kendrick Lamar – Section.80 (2011)
- Pharoahe Monch – W.A.R. (We Are Renegades) (2011)
- Common – The Dreamer / The Believer (2011)
- Evidence – Cats & Dogs (2011)
- Murs – Love & Rockets Vol. 1: The Transformation (2011)
- Aesop Rock – Skelethon (2012)
- Death Grips – The Money Store (2012)
- Brother Ali – Mourning In America And Dreaming In Color (2012)
- Big K.R.I.T. – Live From The Underground (2012)
- Awon & Phoniks – Return To The Golden Era (2013)
- Earl Sweatshirt – Doris (2013)
- R.A. The Rugged Man – Legends Never Die (2013)
- Qwel & Maker – Beautiful Raw (2013)
- Demigodz – KILLmatic (2013)
- Armand Hammer – Race Music (2013)
- Danny Brown – Old (2013)
- Ugly Heroes – Ugly Heroes (2013)
- Ka – The Night’s Gambit (2013)
- A$ap Rocky – LONG LIVE A$AP (2013)
- Killah Priest – The Psychic World Of Walter Reed (2013)
- Damani Nkosi – Thoughtful King (2014)
- Hail Mary Mallon – Bestiary (2014)
- Dilated Peoples – Directors Of Photography (2014)
- Pharoahe Monch – PTSD (2014)
- Diamond District – March On Washington (2014)
- Sage Francis – Copper Gone (2014)
- Schoolboy Q – Oxymoron (2014)
- People Under The Stairs – 12 Step Program (2014)
- Big K.R.I.T. – Cadillactica (2014)
- Skyzoo & Torae – Barrel Brothers (2014)
- J Cole – 2014 Forest Hills Drive (2014)
- Awon & Phoniks – Knowledge Of Self (2015)
- Earl Sweatshirt – I Don’t Like Shit, I Don’t Go Outside (2015)
- Scarface – Deeply Rooted (2015)
- Czarface – Every Hero Needs A Villain (2015)
- Pusha T – King Push — Darkest Before Dawn: The Prelude (2015)
- Joey Bada$$ – B4.DA.$$ (2015)
- A$AP Rocky – At.Long.Last.A$AP (2015)
- Apollo Brown – Grandeur (2015)
- Skyzoo – Music For My Friends (2015)
- billy woods – Today I Wrote Nothing (2015)
- The Game – The Documentary 2/2.5 (2015)
- Ryu – Tanks For The Memories (2016)
- Ab-Soul – Do What Thou Wilt (2016)
- Apollo Brown & Skyzoo – The Easy Truth (2016)
- Ka – Honor Killed The Samurai (2016)
- Royce 5’9″ – Layers (2016)
- Isaiah Rashad – The Sun’s Tirade (2016)
- ScHoolboy Q – The Blank Face LP (2016)
- Elzhi – Lead Poison (2016)
- De La Soul – And The Anonymous Nobody (2016)
- Kool Keith – Feature Magnetic (2016)
- Armand Hammer – Rome (2017)
- O.C. – Same Moon Same Sun (2017)
- Oddisee – The Iceberg (2017)
- Sean Price – Imperius Rex (2017)
- Jay-Z – 4:44 (2017)
- Jonwayne – Rap Album Two (2017)
- Kendrick Lamar – DAMN (2017)
- P.O.S – Chill, Dummy (2017)
- Joey Bada$$ – All AmeriKKKan Bada$$ (2017)
- Royce Da 5’9″- Book Of Ryan (2018)
- Armand Hammer – Paraffin (2018)
- B.E.N.N.Y. – Tana Talk 3 (2018)
- Awon & Phoniks – The Actual Proof (2018)
- Masta Ace & Marco Polo – A Breukelen Story (2018)
- Apollo Brown – Sincerely Detroit (2019)
- billy woods & Kenny Segal – Hiding Place (2019)
- Skyzoo & Pete Rock – Retropolitan (2019)
- Add-2 – Jim Crow: The Musical (2019)