The 100 Greatest Hip Hop Albums (55-51)by Henry Adaso, About.com 100-96|95-91|90-86|85-81|80-76|75-71|70-66|65-61|60-56|55-51 |
55. Jay-Z
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"The Blueprint may be Jay Z's most captivating record since Reasonable Doubt, but its predictably detached mood reflects the master hustler's superior ability to trick out lackluster subject matter with lyrical complexity and brief flashes of manufactured introspection. The Blueprint, a solid mix of preprogrammed radio hits ("Izzo," "Girls, Girls, Girls") and better-than-average mid-tempo compositions ("Never Change," "Song Cry"), confirms the Brooklyn rapper's legendary status..." ~ Rebecca Levine, Amazon |
54. Kool G Rap & DJ Polo
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"Kool G Rap & DJ Polo's Road to the Riches had been a long time coming when Cold Chillin' released it in 1989. It didn't disappoint. After some successful singles and G Rap's contributions to Marley Marl's Juice Crew, the duo arrived almost fully formed on its debut. Whether boasting (his greatest strength at this point) or spinning tales (which would become his greatest strength), G Rap's knife-edged rhymes -- delivered with the hardest-sounding lisp in hip-hop -- tear through Marley Marl's productions and DJ Polo's scratching with all the ferocity of a pit bull devouring a piece of meat... Road to the Riches showed promise while providing a jolt in its own right." ~ Andy Kellman, All Music |
53. Grandmaster Flash
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"Is there a rap fan out there who didn't like "The Message"? It took rap in an entirely new direction: while others were content to ride the "Double Dutch Bus" down to the disco, the Furious Five spoke out about social decay. The chorus of "The Message" ("Don't push me, 'cause I'm close to the edge / I'm trying not to lose my head / Sometimes it makes me wonder how I keep from going under") describes the effect of Reaganomics in ways that Dan Rather never could... Copyright restrictions probably kept the beat-edit classic "The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel" off the track listing. Still, one glaring omission isn't reason enough not to pick this up." ~ Todd Inoue, Amazon |
52. Dr. Dre
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"Despite the number of guests on hand, Dr. Dre's decade-/century-/millennium-ending sequel to The Chronic is, like its predecessor, less a stack of posse cuts and more an elegantly seamless work from West Coast hip-hop's premier auteur. Deliberately cinematic in everything from its mix of moods to dramatic musical surges, 2001 is Dre's assessment of the gangsta life in medium shots. No longer fully immersed in violence and random sex, yet aware of their attraction, he often lets his guests blow steam about whatever's on their minds. Between his discovery of Slim Shady, visits from old pal Snoop Dogg, and, most of all, the masterful sound and flow of this CD, Dre should shut down all talk of his supposed irrelevance." |
51. The Coup
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"Oakland's black radical the Coup have always prepared for the revolution with tongue firmly in cheek. They destroy big-pimping targets with Molotov cocktails of acid wit and minimalist funk. Think Del crossed with Frantz Fanon set to Funkadelic, and you get the idea. When Genocide and Juice was first released in 1994, it was chart-bound, about to be the group's major breakthrough, when a record company merger crushed it. Thankfully, it's back in print, affording you a chance to rediscover the blaxploitation spy caper of "Fat Cats Bigga Fish" and "Pimps," the sinewy Robin Hood tale of "Takin' These," and the raw-dog hardcore of "Santa Rita Weekend" (including an uncredited Spice One and E-40). " ~ Jeff Chang, Amazon |
100-96|95-91|90-86|85-81|80-76|75-71|70-66|65-61|60-56|55-51 |
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