The 100 Greatest Hip Hop Albums (95-91)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 |
95. Too Short
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"By the time Jive Records released Born to Mack, Too Short's major-label debut, the young rapper was already a music industry veteran, having released several albums on the independent 75 Girls label. With Born to Mack Too Short continued the formula that had already made him a regional star -- sexually explicit lyrics over sparse, bass-heavy rhythm tracks... Many of Short's later efforts, such as Life Is...Too Short and Shorty the Pimp were funnier, funkier, and plain better, but Born to Mack stands as most of the world's introduction to one of rap's most enduring, and best-selling, artists ever." ~ Mtume Salaam, All Music |
94. Jeru the Demaja
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"DJ Premier's first album-length production outside of Gang Starr was his best by far. Where Premier's productions hadn't shone underneath the cracking, over-earnest vocals of Guru, with a superior stylist like Jeru these tracks became brilliant musical investigations with odd hooks (often detuned bells, keys, or vibes), perfectly scratched upchoruses, and the grittiest, funkiest Brooklynese beats pounding away in the background. Of course, the star of the show was Jeru, a cocksure young rapper who brought the dozens from the streets to a metaphysical battleground where he did battle with all manner of foe...His flow and delivery were natural, his themes were impressive, and he was able to make funky rhymes out of intellectual hyperbole... It lacks a landmark track, but The Sun Rises in the East stands alongside Nas' Illmatic (released the same year, and also boasting the work of Premier) as one of the quintessential East Coast records. " ~ John Bush, All Music |
93. The Artifacts
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"Hard-edged but not gangster, the Artifacts stress the true elements of hip-hop culture in their music with an accent on their forte, graffiti writing. Calling their debut album the "the first and last showing of graffiti rock," the Artifacts rap about typical subjects like marijuana and skirt-chasing, but their cleverness and wit are singular... The synoptic track "Whayback" is a shout to rap's forefathers and a longing for hip-hop's glory days of old. Although slack in a few places, overall, this a stellar album and sincere attempt to keep the essence of hip-hop alive." ~ M.F. DiBella, All Music |
92. Juvenile
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"Take note: Master P and his family aren't the only New Orleans cats who are 'bout it, 'bout it. In '96, rapper Juvenile pushed 200,000 units of his second LP, Solja Rag, creating a success story that helped his Cash Money Records ink a deal with a major label earlier this year. On his third album, joined by label mates Big Tymers, B.G. and Hot Boyz, Juvenile sticks to his hitmaking crew's gumbo recipe of funk. On the consistent 400 Degreez, his gruff, clear vocals are merged with producer Manny Fresh's roaming bass lines, catchy keyboard riffs and rattling drum-machine kicks. Songs like the ashy-to-classy tales of hustling... provide a potent platter on par with the efforts of that other N'awlins hip-hop label." |
91. The Roots
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"They've long been hip-hop's best band, for whatever that's worth, and in their amazing live shows they've shown an ability to pay homage to the past and look to the future--all while living firmly in the now. But on Things Fall Apart, the Roots finally pull their promise and ability together, and the world's started to pay attention." ~ Randy Silver, 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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