A good title can really set the tone for the listening experience.
At the Speed of Life-Xzibit
Let The Rhythm Hit 'Em-Eric B. & Rakim
Shadows On the Sun-Brother Ali
Things Fall Apart-The Roots
Enta Da Stage-Black Moon
Silent Weapons For Quiet Wars-Killarmy
The Sun Rises In The East-Jeru...
Cormega-Dirty Game
"I spend my days in a steel cage where brothers feel rage
And get real with razor blades in ill ways
So when my cell close, my brain cells expose
And my pen excels to a part of hell froze"
This is Gang Starr at their best; ill Premo beat and Guru dropping rhymes. The way he ends his verses were always my favorite part of the track, especially this one:
"So I pray, remembering the days of my youth
As I prepare to meet my moment of truth"
Classic.
Nah Joe doesn't get enough props. His best material was in the 90s with his first three albums, since then he's dropped some decent material, but now he just comes off as someone trying to jump on whatever is popular at the time. I guess that's what you do when you're trying to stay relevant...
Can't go wrong with any really. A bunch of great albums from all over. Here are a few that come to mind that weren't listed and deserve some recognition:
Kool G Rap-4,5,6
Mic Geronimo-The Natural
Three Six Mafia-Mystic Stylez
Brotha Lynch Hung-Season of da Siccness
The...
Everything Lyricist Lounge was ill. Just a bunch of creativity with great artists. It had a great premise and was done perfectly. I still bump the compilations from time to time too.