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Hip-hop has produced tons of great albums over its 40-plus history. Some of them are worthy of the title "greatest rap album," some more than others. That's the essence of this list. These albums were picked on the grounds creativity, originality, replay value, and overall cultural impact.
Disclaimer: This list is strictly my opinion. It should not be regarded as gospel. Any omission is highly intentional.
MF's off-kilter rhymes, scenic skits, and soul-inspired production made Operation Doomsday a unique set worthy of multiple spins.
99. Salt-N-Pepa - Hot Cool & Vicious
Salt 'N Pepa took the rap game by storm and grabbed the attention of both men and women with their titillating ditties.
98. Kanye West - Late Registration
When everyone wondered if Kanye could reenact the magic of his stellar debut, his response was a resounding yes. Late Registration not only built on his previous sound palette, it packed even more lyrical punch than his debut. West was rewarded with a Grammy for his effort.
97. Freestyle Fellowship - To Whom It May Concern
Amidst the thugged-out reign of N.W.A. and Cypress Hill, Freestyle Fellowship countered with lyrical virtuosity.
96. Eminem - The Marshall Mathers LP
An undeniable hip-hop masterpiece that reinforced Eminem's status as one of the most exciting artists of the new millennium.
95. Too Short - Born To Mack
Raw, uncut, and x-rated tales of female conquests abound. At a mere 8 tracks, Born to Mack was indeed too short. But its brevity left very little room for missteps.
94. Jeru the Damaja - The Sun Rises in the East
Fame proved elusive for the Brooklyn MC, but Jeru's edutainment and Premier's mind-blowing compositions made his debut one of the quintessential 90s hip-hop albums.
93. The Artifacts - Between a Rock and a Hard Place
Skirt-gazing b-boys pose the last stand on graf rap.
92. Juvenile - 400 Degreez
A combination of Juvie's melodic flow and Cash Money's high-end production made 400 Degreez a Southern rap favorite in 1998.
91. The Roots - Things Fall Apart
This mid-career success for the Roots was a huge step forward from the righteous fury of their first 3 LPs.
The multi-talented social ambassador never made it to album #2, but her lone outing was amazing from start to finish.
89. Del - I Wish My Brother George Was Here
While his cousin Ice Cube was busy stirring up the gangsta rap scene, Del was laying the foundation for what would become a healthy alternative-hip-hop landscape.
88. Slum Village - Fantastic vol..2
Two of the three masterminds behind Fantastic Vol...2 are no longer alive, but this album left an indelible mark on hip-hop. SV's experimentation with neo-soul and quirky raps flung the door open for groups like Little Brother and Tanya Morgan.
87. Black Moon- Enta Da Stage
Unlike most hip-hop albums of its era, Enta Da Stage eschewed confrontational raps and opted for brooding, electrifying brand of hip-hop.
86. Wyclef Jean -The Carnival
This is where it all began. Wyclef's debut set the bar high for the rest of the Fugees' solo efforts. The Carnival was a masterful piece that combined Clef's smart songwriting with excellent beatsmithing. It was a critical and commercial smash.
85. Scarface- The Fix
The Fix was one of those albums that came out of nowhere and made you forget everything else going on in the southern rap. With robust beats by Mike Dean and a young Kanye West and Scarface in peak-form, The Fix was an instant hit. A southern rap classic.
84. Pharoahe Monch- Internal Affairs
Internal Affairs was Pharaoh Monche's Rocky Balboa moment. Most of the album was recorded in a closet without air conditioning, which imbues it with a raw feeling. The gritty production comes from now-vintage SP-12s and AKAI 2000s.
83. The Roots - Illadelph Halflife
The year is 1996 and hip-hop heads aren't so sure about live instrumentation. So The Roots flip the script and sample themselves. A brave artistic endeavor.
82. Busta Rhymes- When Disaster Strikes
Busta's second album is arguably his most consistent work to date. It definitely contains his most memorable singles "Dangerous" and "Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Can See."
81. MC Lyte - Lyte as a Rock
Hip-hop in 1988 is a misogynistic place. MC Lyte's debut, Lyte as a Rock, helped usher in a wave of skilled and confident rappers who just happen to be women. Standouts include: "Paper Thin" and "I Cram to Understand U."
Tupac Shakur was fresh out of jail when he released All Eyez on Me, and you could hear the raw thoughts of a man grappling with his inner conflict. On one hand side was the brazen cuts that showed his tough side; on the other, he was soft as a pillow, immortalizing dead homies on the sentimental "Life Goes On."
79. Diamond - Stunts, Blunts, & Hip-Hop
Stunts, Blunts, & Hip-Hop announced Diamond D not as one of the best producers on the mic. It also gave us a sneak peek of hip-hop's future -- in sound and rhyme. Stunts, Blunts and Hip Hop featured fierce rhymes and beats by the likes of Big L, Fat Joe, and Q-Tip, among others. Finding early promotional copies of this album today is like find unicorn blood.
78. Kanye West - The College Dropout
Kanye West's first album, The College Dropout, was one for the ages. His hunger on this album is unmatched. Warm, sample-heavy production backs up Mr. West's self-conscious lyrics. The Colleged Dropout appealed to both mainstream and underground audiences.
77. Reflection Eternal - Train of Thought
Super lyricist Talib Kweli and super producer Hi-Tek join forces on a masterwork that underlined the Rawkus era in hip-hop.
76. Eminem - The Slim Shady LP
A 24-year-old bleach blonde rapper from Detroit? Not your typical image of a hip-hop artist at the turn of the decade. But once Eminem opened his mouth, no one could question his skill. The Slim Shady LP sold over five million copies and solidified Em as a new force in rap.
75. DMX - It's Dark & Hell is Hot
DMX's debut album, It's Dark and Hell Is Hot, arrived in May 1998 and established him as the hottest thing in rap. At a time when Bad Boy stars like Mase and Diddy ruled radio with a pop-friendly sound, X went the dark route. He barked (literally) his way to the top of the charts, thanks to key singles "Get at Me Dog" and "Ruff Ryder's Anthem." And "How's It Goin' Down" with Faith Evans showed this dog wasn't all bark all the time.
74. Mobb Deep - The Infamous
One of rap's greatest duos, Mobb Deep brought QB dun talk to hip-hop audiences in the 90s. East coast hip-hop was a competitive space in the 90s, and Mobb's first album, Juvenile Hell, flew under the radar. In 1995, Havoc and Prodigy made huge creative leaps with The Infamous. With Havoc serving up hardbody beats and Prodigy thrilling listeners with cinematic crime rap, The Infamous became one of the most influential gangsta rap albums.
73. Pharcyde - Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde
While De La Soul was brewing Daisy Age rap in the east coast, Pharcyde was diligently paying attention out west. Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde has so many fun, irreverent moments and ("Oh Sh*t") and angst ("Officer") and mush ("Passin' Me By"), but not once do the zany fellas on the mic compromise passion for a bitter whine.
72. Geto Boys - We Can't Be Stopped
It's hard for those who weren't there to understand, but the Geto Boys were rap heroes to every little ghetto boy or girl in the Gulf Coast who dared dream of counting bars at a time when east coast and west coast were vying for rap supremacy. Of course, it's a great album full of raw tales every hood can relate to, from Houston to Haiti.
71. Biz Markie - Goin' Off
The Human Beat Box came onto the scene with jokes in his veins and a boogers-out attitude on the mic. With Marley Marl weaving some of the tightest beats of the Golden Era and Biz dropping lung-cracking rhymes, Goin' Off affirmed Biz Markie as a certified master of ceremonies.
Latifah's debut showcased her Grade A rapping chops, with songs like "Wrath of My Madness" and "Ladies First" announcing the Jersey native as rap's new royalty.
69. DJ Shadow - Endtroducing
Endtroducing is one of the most influential hip-hop albums of all time. The largely instrumental album sounded like nothing else that was out in 1996. Shadow culled samples from obscure places to create a hazy spell of an album.
68. AZ - Doe or Die
After his star turn on Nas' "Life's a B*tch," AZ launched his solo career with the arrival of Doe or Die. Nas returns the favor on "Mo Money, Mo Murder," while songs like "Rather Unique" and "Gimme Yours" hearken to Illmatic's street spirit.
67. UGK - Ridin' Dirty
Ridin' Dirty is UGK's most important album and one of the best rap albums ever recorded. The album gets its unique identity from Bun and Pimp's yin and yang connection. Bun is the surgical emcee, while Pimp is the flamboyant philosopher. Everyone should buy two copies.
66. Boogie Down Productions - By All Means Necessary
If you're one of those glass half-full people you'll note that the only positive side of Scott La Rock's unfortunate murder was in the direction of By All Means Necessary. KRS-One found himself denouncing black-on-black violence and railing against injustice on the classic BDP album. La Rock would approve.
65. Mos Def - Black on Both Sides
Mos Def's solo debut, Black on Both Sides, scores major points in key categories: aesthetics, substance, production. It knocks from end to end. Whether kicking rhymes about his personal politics or painting a portrait of a plump backside, Mos does it with vivid skill.
64. Nas - Stillmatic
Nas would spend the rest of his career chasing a shadow named Illmatic. 2001's Stillmatic was the closest he came to capturing the angst and paranoia of his boyhood self. Standouts include: the scathing Jay Z diss "Ether" and the time-bending classic "Rewind."
63. Xzibit - 40 Dayz & 40 Nightz
Xzibit molds his voice into a gruffy instrument, overpowering the beats when necessary. A brilliant move when it works.
62. GZA/Genius - Liquid Swords
Liquid Swords introduced GZA as the cerebral swordsman. And RZA's serene, atmospheric boardwork helps transform the album from alt-rap bravery to a Wu masterpiece.
61. OutKast - Stankonia
Creative ebullience abounds, yes. But also three of 2002's best rap songs are all here: "B.O.B.," "So Fresh, So Clean," and the baby mama drama jama "Ms. Jackson."
Guru used his monotone voice like an instrument to call attention to inner-city strife, while Premier backed him up with some of the grimiest beats hip-hop has ever heard.
59. De La Soul - De La Soul is Dead
De La Soul reinvented their sound on album #2. After being derided as hippies, they shifted away from the daisy-age image of the first album and returned with a poker-faced album that still retained some of that early zaniness.
58. Nas - It Was Written
It Was Written is Nas' attempt to match the grit and glory of Illmatic. Highlights include: "The Message," "I Gave U Power," and "If I Ruled the World (Imagine That)" with Lauryn Hill.
57. OutKast - Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik
OutKast's debut is as much a triumph for Andre 3000 and Big Boi as it is for production outfit Organized Noize. One part southern-fried beatsmithery, one-part poetic sorcery, Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik is 100% dope.
56. Jungle Brothers - Straight Out of the Jungle
1980s hip-hop is colored by drum breaks, bad fashion and Afrocentrism. Jungle Brothers provided the Afro comfort music to soundtrack it all. Their debut is one of the most influential of the era.
55. Jay Z - The Blueprint
An album so great not even Osama bin Laden could stop its flight to the top on 9/11/01. Blueprint solidified Jay's place as a GOAT contender. One of the best hip-hop albums of the 2000s.
54. Kool G Rap & DJ Polo - Road to Riches
Marley Marl supplies the cold beats, DJ Polo provides the cuts, and Kool G Rap attacks every track with the nastiest lisp in the five boroughs.
53. Madvillain - Madvillainy
Prime poets MF Doom and Madlib joined forces to create this enduring masterwork in 2004.
52. Dr. Dre - 2001
An extension of Dr. Dre's classic debut, 2001 (aka Chronic 2001) is a syncopated day in the life of a G.
51. The Coup - Genocide & Juice
Now a duo, The Coup makes a more focused album full of political rhetoric, vivid storytelling and slick production.
50. Big Punisher - Capital Punishment
Pun impressed with his larger-than-life debut, which sports immediate standouts like "Still Not a Player" and "You Ain't a Killer."
49. Black Star - Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star
A mic in one hand and a copy of The Philosophy and Opinions of Marcus Garvey in the other, Mos Def and Talib Kweli excelled with their consciousness revivalism form of hip-hop.
48. OutKast - ATLiens
WIth Organized Noize manning the boards once again, OutKast emerged with a thoroughly enjoyable southern rap album that rival its predecessor for greatness.
47. The Roots - Do You Want More?!!!??!
In 1995, The Roots released a groundbreaking album that offered a peek into the experimental approach to music they would later hang their hat on. 100% sample-free. No additives
46. Organized Konfusion - Stress: The Extinction Agenda
Stress: The Extinction Agenda, Organized Konfusion's second album, is more ambitious and exceptionally well-written. Highlights include the title track and "Let's Organize."
45. LL Cool J - Radio
Phat, def and jingling baby.
44. Brand Nubian - One For All
Grand Puba, Sadat X, Lord Jamar, and DJ Alamo brought social commentary and spirituality to the forefront of 90s rap with gems like "Slow Down" and "Wake Up."
43. Lauryn Hill - The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill
Lauryn Hill's The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill offered the best blend of rap and R&B in hip-hop history. Her stellar songwriting flourished from song to song, whether grappling with spirituality ("Final Hour," "Forgive Them, Father") or stroking sexuality without exploiting it ("Nothing Even Matters").
42. EPMD - Unfinished Business
At a time when hip-hop was dominated by rage, Erick Sermon and Parrish Smith slowed things down with the decidedly smooth Unfinished Business. Fresh and exciting.
41. Ice T - Power
The one gangsta rap album to rule them all, Power portrayed inner-city street life in graphic detail while sending an anti-crime message to the hood.
As if Biggie knew this would be his last album, he stuffed it with as many songs as he could muster -- street anthems, radio hits, comedic skits, and a wide cast of co-stars. Life After Death is certified diamond for sales totaling over 10 million units.
39. GangStarr - Hard to Earn
Hard to Earn varied from Gang Starr's previous albums: it was harsher and more insular. It also captured Guru and Premier's growing frustration with sucker emcees.
38. A Tribe Called Quest - People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm
Authentic, fun and beautifully produced, Tribe's stunning debut appealed to lovers of alternative hip-hop and still inspires today.
37. Pete Rock & CL Smooth - Mecca and the Soul Brother
Pete Rock and CL Smooth helped usher in a pivotal point in hip-hop with their mix of smooth, horn-heavy beats and sophisticated rhymes.
36. Dead Prez - Let's Get Free
The most revolutionary hip-hop group since Public Enemy, dead prez helped revive the conscious movement with this powerful debut LP.
35. Public Enemy - Fear of a Black Planet
Dark, raw and provocative, Fear of a Black Planet produced classic cuts like "911 Is a Joke" and "Who Stole the Soul."
34. Ghostface Killah - Ironman
Backed by RZA's slick and somber beats, Ghostface dropped a combustive debut rife with rich stories and wild metaphors.
33. Ice Cube - AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted
After a messy breakup with NWA.E=Following a bitter split from N.W.A., Ice Cube filled his debut album with dark stories of,manic frustration.
32. Redman - Whut? Thee Album
Redman's wild sense of humor is the main star of Whut? Thee Album. But the album is also notable for its rousing energy, funky party jams, and ferocious boasts.
31. Beastie Boys - Paul's Boutique
As critics were busy writing off Beastie Boys as a one-album wonder, Ad-Rock, Mike, and MCA went back to their L.A. studio and worked feverishly on their follow-up to the monumental Licensed to Ill. The result was Paul's Boutique -- an album that packed a combination of creative depth and layered production.
30. LL Cool J - Mama Said Knock You Out
Striking a balance between pleasant and pugnacious, Mama Said Knock You Out marked Uncle L's growth as a rapper. The hard-edged records are here ("Murdergram," "Mama Said Knock You Out"), but they're perfectly complemented by smooth, accessible jams ("Around the Way Girl"). Marley Marl's excellent production helps make Mama a masterpiece.
29. Makaveli - The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory
Some say Makaveli is 2Pac's best album. It's certainly his hardest and most surreal. Released just 7.5 weeks after Pac's death, the album further eternalized Pac's enigma. The album's best songs include the street anthem "Hail Mary" and the (adoptive) hometown tribute "To Live and Die in LA."
28. Scarface - The Diary
Third time was the charm for Brad "Scarface" Jordan. His third solo foray, The Diary, immediately established the Houston rapper as the South's answer to Rakim, thanks to his smart storytelling and inimitable flow.
27. Big Daddy Kane - Long Live the Kane
Big Daddy Kane wrote the manuscript for braggart rap on Long Live the Kane. Marley Marl's sparse production and Kane's slick wordplay are also worth noting. Like Tony the Tiger, he's GRRRRREAAAT.
26. A Tribe Called Quest - Midnight Marauders
Tribe's third disc is a collection of melodic, Crisco-slick sizzlers. You'll love: "Electric Relaxation," "Award Tour," and "Oh My God."
25. Ultramagnetic MCs - Critical Beatdown
Critical Beatdown is important for three reasons: 1) It's arguably the best album of 1988; 2) It revolutionized the art of hip-hop sampling, thanks to Ced-Gee's brilliant use of the E-mu SP-1200 sampler; 3) It introduced the world to the exceptionally creative weirdo known as Kool Keith.
24. D.O.C. - No One Can Do It Better
Before a car crash wrecked D.O.C.'s larynx, he made an undeniable hip-hop classic. No One Can Do It Better sidestepped west coast gun talk in favor of east coast lyricism. It also featured some of Dr. Dre's finest production.
23. EPMD - Strictly Business
EPMD is the most sampled group in hip-hop for a good reason. Their production is a thing of beauty. Combine that with Erick and P's laid-back rhymes and you get strictly dopeness.
22. Common - Resurrection
1994 was a flagship year for hip-hop, with Illmatic and Ready to Die arriving the same year. Yet Chicago rapper Common (then known as Common Sense) still managed to stand out with his smart, jazz-tinged sophomore LP, Resurrection.
21. Afrika Bambaataa - Looking for the Perfect Beat
Afrikaa Bambaataa was a trailblazer, an innovator of hip-hop aesthetic. Looking for the Perfect Beat is a good place to start if you're seeking to familiarize yourself with his most significant works, including "Planet Rock" and "Unity Pt. 1," a collaboration James Brown.
20. Main Source - Breaking Atoms
The sample-heavy Breaking Atoms is one of the most influential ever, in that it helped launch the careers of Nas, Akinyele, and others. It also inspired a production technique that's still widely emulated today.
19. Snoop Doggy Dogg - Doggystyle
Doggystyle kicked the door wide for many west coast emcees. Dr. Dre's finesse aside, Snoop's piquant delivery and melodic flw were equally crucial to Doggystyle's success.
18. Fugees - The Score
Fugees' second album The Score was so remarkable that most fans forgot about their less memorable debut. Truth be told, The Score was a huge improvement on the lackluster Blunted on Reality.
17. Beastie Boys - Licensed to Ill
There are two stars on Licensed to Ill and both deserve equal credit. Rick Rubin, the true pioneer of rap rock is the one pulling the musical puppet strings on this thing. But the album is nothing without the Beasties destroying every track with their unbridled passion.
16. Cypress Hill - Cypress Hill
Aside from being the first popular Latino rap group, Cypress Hill also did a respectable job of bridging the gap between rock and hip-hop on their self-titled debut album. Highlights include: "How I Could Just Kill a Man" and "The Phunkcy Feel One."
15. OutKast - Aquemini
Aquemini is evidence of just how often Boi and Dre loved reinvent their sound. They abandoned everything that worked in the past and went straight for harmonica, acoustic guitar, and even a tinny splice of electro.
14. Jay-Z - Reasonable Doubt
BeforeReasonable Doubt, no other rap album walked the thin line between sin and glory so well. On one hand, Jay romanticized a superficial lifestyle of the hustler; on the other, he flirted with regrets and shortcomings from said obsession with superficiality.
13. Ice Cube - Death Certificate
Cube's debut, AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted, was outstanding. But his follow-up was even better, even more venomous than the first. The thing is named Death Certificate, after all. The album's 'Death' side presented an image of the present, while the 'Life' side offered a vision of the future.
12. 2Pac - Me Against the World
Me Against The World is 2Pac at his best. No thugcore tracks, no name-inscribed missiles aimed at east coast rappers. Simply Pac at his most poignant and most defiant. The duality in all its brilliance.
11. Run-D.M.C. - Raising Hell
Raising Hell Run DMC was the most uncompromising Run DMC. Raising Hell Run DMC was also the most accessible. The album has this gloriously invigorating feel that resonated with audiences--old and new. Raising Hell is important for its originality as well as its influence. "My Adidas" is still an anthem for hip-hop fashion, while "Walk This Way" helped started a trend of rock-rap fusion.
10. Dr. Dre - The Chronic
1991 produced many great albums: Pete Rock & CL Smooth's Mecca & the Soul Brother, Pharcyde's Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde, Diamond D's Stunts, Blunts & Hip-Hop. But it was Dr. Dre's The Chronic that towered over hip-hop that year and many years to come. Dre's G-funk basslines, bolstered generously by Snoop's slick flow, announced the new name running the game.
09. Boogie Down Productions - Criminal Minded
KRS-One was the dreaded poet, Scott La Rock the musical visionary. Together, they cooked up an album that shook up the landscape of hip-hop. Criminal Minded should be studied in college.
08. N.W.A. - Straight Outta Compton
Eazy, Dre, Cube and 'em had to fight for their right to party. No one--not even the alphabet people--could stop them from publicly, viciously and explicitly indicting the powers that be. A true west coast masterpiece.
07. A Tribe Called Quest - The Low End Theory
The Low End Theory is Tribe at their best. Ali Shaheed, Q-Tip, and Phife Dawg became one of the greatest rap groups of all time by trafficking in smart lyrics drizzled over smooth, jazz-rap layers.
06. Raekwon - Only Built 4 Cuban Linx...
Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... is a journey through the thrills, the violence, and the rote regimen that constitute a New York drug kingpin's life. A crime-rap manifesto that would shape the course of mafioso rap throughout the 90s.
05. Wu-Tang Clan - Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)
36 Chambers is one of the greatest debuts hip-hop has ever seen. the 12-song spectacle barely gave the nine original swordsmen enough room to stretch out their eccentricities. Highlights include: "C.R.E.A.M.," "Protect Ya Neck," and the pragmatic life hack "Wu-Tang Clan Ain't Nuthing Ta F' Wit."
04. Eric B. & Rakim - Paid in Full
While his peers bragged about the size of their manhood, Rakim styled on them with peculiar precision. The man loves painting pictures with words and Paid in Full is his ultimate canvas.
03. The Notorious B.I.G. - Ready To Die
Biggie's ability to cooly captivate an audience with his storytelling chops, or capture a difficult emotion (i.e. suicidal thoughts), or mine comedy from the most serious of subjects (i.e. robbery) are skills rarely seen in the same package. Biggie Smalls is the illest.
02. Public Enemy - It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back
Public Enemy challenged everything that posed an obstacle to the oppressed: racism, injustice, crooked cops, profiling, everything. P.E.'s second album is an undeniable hip-hop classic.
01. Nas - Illmatic
There are great hip-hop albums, and then there's Illmatic. A 19-year-old word wizard, Nas packed potent poetry into 39 minutes, while A-list producers like DJ Premier and Pete Rock supplied the perfect score. Illmatic is the greatest hip-hop album of all time.