Being the music aficionado I'd like to consider myself to be, and someone who got my humble starts in Hip Hop...It's pretty much impossible for me to choose. Illmatic is probably my favorite, but that one is so safe. Instead I'd like to touch down on 5 albums that are probably my favorite right now, and transcend into not only being amongst the finest Hip Hop, but some of the finest albums of all time...
In chronological order...
A Tribe Called Quest - The Low End Theory (1991)
Definitely not the first album to be released that established Hip Hop as a viable art form that couldn't be ignored (with albums like Paul's Boutique and 3 Feet High And Rising pre-dating it), but for me the first that REALLY mastered that idea. The Low End Theory is at times dark, cheerful, smooth, rough, smart, ignorant...And a mix of all at the same time behind Jazzy/Soulful backdrops. A tour de force in black music, albums like this just don't get made anymore. Regardless of genre. An album I'd recommend to someone who thinks they HATE Hip Hop.
Organized Konfusion - Stress: The Extinction Agenda (1994)
Hardcore classic NYC beats tinged with Jazz, features from DITC member O.C. and A Tribe Called Quest member Q-Tip, the lyrical acrobatics of Phaorahe Monch, and one of the best concept songs in music history...And that's just the beginning. An underrated, incredible classic. Check this one out if you haven't already.
OutKast - ATLiens (1996)
While their 1998 effort Aquemini may be the classic on paper, ATLiens is the truly out of the world experience, at least in my opinion. The smooth production and intricate lyrics make this THE definite southern Hip Hop album, and there really aren't any others like it. It feels like it could be right at home with it's Native Tongue Crew cousins out in New York, all while maintaining that dirty southern sound. Funk, Blues, Gospel, Soul, and good ol' Rock & Roll...It's all there.
The Roots - Things Fall Apart (1999)
Post-Native Tongue Posse, there was the Soulquarians crew. Of this few year collective mindset, this was one of the amazing albums of several to come out in this era of Hip Hop history. With an unexplainable atmosphere, live instrumentation, spoken word, and some human beatboxing...This is one of the most creative and fresh Hip Hop albums ever made, even 13 years later. The lyrics strike a perfect balance between conscious and braggadocios, and they're perfect examples of why Black Thought may just be my favorite rapper of all time. Smooth, soulful, thought-provoking. This is a perfect Hip Hop album.
Madvillain - Madvillainy (2004)
Already established underground legends by it's conception, Madlib and MF DOOM put out the best record of both their careers yet with this one. Full of short, quality songs (only one more than 3 minutes) from Madlib and the unusually fulfilling abstract rhymes of DOOM, you'd be far-fetched to catch all the samples and pop culture references here. Truly one of the best albums, Hip Hop or not, of the 21st century so far.
Bonus:
J Dilla - Donuts (2006)
I figured this list could use at least one instrumental album. Released just 3 days before his death and on his 32nd birthday, over it's 31 tracks, you can feel a lot of the emotions Dilla was probably feeling up to his death...Without a recorded word (disregarding the samples, of course). The real genius is in listening to the album backwards (as the Outro is the first track, and the Intro the last) and getting a different, albeit amazing, experience either way.
And that's just the start. I could go on for days, but I just wanted to single out a few of the albums I've been listening to a lot lately. These are all albums I'd recommend to anyone, Hip Hop fan or not.
How can you buy or sell the sky, the warmth of the land?
