20 Greatest Hip Hop Albums of All Time (5-1)

[5th Letter]

4. Ready to Die is the debut studio album by American rapper The Notorious B.I.G.; it was released on September 13, 1994, by Bad Boy Records and Arista Records. The label's first release, the album features production by Bad Boy founder Sean "Puffy" Combs, Easy Mo Bee, Chucky Thompson, DJ Premier and Lord Finesse, among others. Recording for the album took place during 1993-94 at The Hit Factory and D&D Studios in New York City. The partly autobiographical album tells the story of B.I.G.'s experiences as a young criminal. Ready to Die was the only studio album released during his life, as he was murdered sixteen days prior to the release of his second album, Life After Death in 1997.

 

[5th Letter]

3. The Chronic is the debut studio album by American hip hop recording artist Dr. Dre. It was released on December 15, 1992, by his own record label Death Row Records and distributed by Priority Records. Recording sessions for the album took place in June 1992 at Death Row Studios in Los Angeles and at Bernie Grundman Mastering in Hollywood.[2] The album is named after a slang term for high-grade cannabis, and its cover is a homage to Zig-Zag rolling papers. It was Dr. Dre's first solo album after he had departed from hip hop group N.W.A and its label Ruthless Records over a financial dispute. On The Chronic, he included both subtle and direct insults at Ruthless and its owner, former N.W.A member Eazy-E. Although a solo album, it features many appearances by Snoop Dogg, who used the album as a launch pad for his own solo career.

 

[5th Letter]

2. Doggystyle is the debut studio album by American rapper Snoop Doggy Dogg. It was released on November 23, 1993, by Death Row Records and Interscope Records. The album was recorded and produced following Snoop's appearances on Dr. Dre's debut solo album The Chronic (1992), to which Snoop contributed significantly. The West Coast style in hip-hop that he developed from Dre's first album continued on Doggystyle. Critics have praised Snoop Doggy Dogg for the lyrical "realism" that he delivers on the album and for his distinctive vocal flow. Despite some mixed criticism of the album initially upon its release, Doggystyle earned recognition from many music critics as one of the most significant albums of the 1990s, as well as one of the most important hip-hop albums ever released. Much like The Chronic, the distinctive sounds of Doggystyle helped introduce the hip-hop subgenre of g-funk to a mainstream audience, bringing forward West Coast hip hop as a dominant force in the early-1990s.

 

[5th Letter]

1. Illmatic is the debut studio album by American rapper Nas. It was released on April 19, 1994, by Columbia Records. After signing with the label with the help of MC Serch, Nas recorded the album in 1992 and 1993 at Chung King Studios, D&D Recording, Battery Studios, and Unique Recording Studios in New York City. Its production was handled by DJ Premier, Large Professor, Pete Rock, Q-Tip, L.E.S. and Nas himself. Styled as a hardcore hip hop album, Illmatic features multi-syllabic internal rhymes and inner-city narratives based on Nas's experiences in Queensbridge, New York.

 

[bck145]

Ready to die top 5 album....lol

 

[TheGOAT]

I agree with 3 of the 5 (MATW, Doggy, & Illmatic)

Other 2 are great

No complaints from me

 

[Built 4 cuban linx]

Disagree with the order but very respectable

 

[THE_R_]

HUGE DOGGYSTYLE FAN...BUT I'M SURPRISED IT MADE IT SO HIGH.

NOT BC IT DOESN'T DESERVE IT, BUT I FEEL ITS CLASSIC STATUS IS USUALLY UNDERMINED IN COMPARISON TO OTHER JOINTS. DOPE :+1:

 

[achewon87]

HUGE DOGGYSTYLE FAN...BUT I'M SURPRISED IT MADE IT SO HIGH.

NOT BC IT DOESN'T DESERVE IT, BUT I FEEL ITS CLASSIC STATUS IS USUALLY UNDERMINED IN COMPARISON TO OTHER JOINTS. DOPE :+1:

Somedays I have it ahead of "Illmatic", especially during the summer lol...

 

[Tommy bilfiger]

Generic ass list.

Death Certificate is a top 5 album.At least one of low end theory or midnight marauders should be top 5

List generic as fuck and voted by sheep

 

[Built 4 cuban linx]

HUGE DOGGYSTYLE FAN...BUT I'M SURPRISED IT MADE IT SO HIGH.

NOT BC IT DOESN'T DESERVE IT, BUT I FEEL ITS CLASSIC STATUS IS USUALLY UNDERMINED IN COMPARISON TO OTHER JOINTS. DOPE :+1:

Somedays I have it ahead of "Illmatic", especially during the summer lol...

HUGE DOGGYSTYLE FAN...BUT I'M SURPRISED IT MADE IT SO HIGH.

NOT BC IT DOESN'T DESERVE IT, BUT I FEEL ITS CLASSIC STATUS IS USUALLY UNDERMINED IN COMPARISON TO OTHER JOINTS. DOPE :+1:

Somedays I have it ahead of "Illmatic", especially during the summer lol...

Really depends on my mood but even not in the mood they one of the best albums ever made

 

[BobOblah]

I never knew people ranked doggystyle that high until IC polls. Not up there for me. Not mad at the the other top 5.

 

[achewon87]

Generic ass list.

Death Certificate is a top 5 album.At least one of low end theory or midnight marauders should be top 5

List generic as fuck and voted by sheep

Should have been both...

 

[Lou Cypher]

Disagree with the order but very respectable

 

[5th Letter]

What would y'all list look like?

 

[Lou Cypher]

My list would change every day.

 

[nawledge_god]

*Sees Number 1

 

[a_list]

Cool with the list...Pretty much what I expected....

 

[achewon87]

What would y'all list look like?

My top 5 wouldn't look much different tbh...

No Pac or Dre, replaced by Tribe lol...

 

[dwade206]

It Takes A Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back is top 5 easily