30. The Sun's Tirade - Isaiah Rashad
Lyricism: 8/10
Production: 8/10
Concept: 8/10
Overall: 24
Designation: Elite
The Sun’s Tirade is about as solid as it gets for a "debut" studio album. After being signed by TDE and dropping Cilvia Demo, an earlier entry on this list, the expectations for up-and-comer Isaiah Rashad were sky high. And boy did he deliver. The Suns Tirade took Isaiah from an up-and-comer - to a comer. Listening to him MC an album, effortlessly spitting hooks, verses, establishing rhythms- it's truly something to behold. Rashad’s versatility and vocal control are elite. I should mention this album also contains verses by Kendrick Lamar on Wat’s Wrong? and Jay Rock on Tity and Dolla that are amongst my favorite of all-time.
Everyone hit it out the park with this album, and seriously, we need more. Like now. Fingers-crossed he drops this year.
Notable tracks: 4r Da Squaw, Free Lunch, Rope, Wat’s Wrong?, Park, Titty and Dolla, Stuck in the Mud, AA
29. DAMN. – Kendrick Lamar
Lyricism: 9/10
Production: 8/10
Concept: 7/10
Overall: 24
Designation: Needs More Time
Kendrick Lamar has had an interesting career. After catapulting onto the scene with good kid, m.A.A.d city, he quite literally had his finger on the button. But then, in a somewhat shocking move, he forewent the opportunity to go the fuck off on his sophomore album, and instead made TPAB; a lyrically and sonically complex but introspective concept album. It was an impressive work of art nonetheless, but nobody knew how he would choose to follow this up. Would he, now with the political and racial messaging out of his system, so to speak, return to dropping chart topping bangers? Would he double down on conscious rap and release something even more substantive?
The answer lied somewhere in the middle. Before DAMN. dropped, HUMBLE. was released as a single - and boy did it fire people up. The song and accompanying video absolutely dominated sound waves across the world. Seriously, I remember being in Europe at the time and hearing the song get play at at nightclub in Prague. It was fucking awesome.
But the album itself didn’t exactly live up to HUMBLE.’s billing. Did that make it a failure? No, not at all. But when you, as an artist, subvert the audience’s expectations enough with your music, they will soon grow exhausted by it. Tracks like DNA. And XXX. Matched the aggressive and loud sound of HUMBLE. The sound many were expecting, but much of the rest of the album centers around Kendrick exploring his own psyche; concepts and emotions in his life that elucidate lessons he has learned in his ~ 28 years. I think it is in these smaller moments that Kendrick shines the brightest, in songs like PRIDE., LUST., and FEAR.
Nevertheless, it’s hard to rank this album much higher than its current ranking. It suffers from lack of concept and direction at times, but is still a remarkable piece of art worth listening to.
Notable tracks: DNA., YAH., FEEL., PRIDE., HUMBLE., LUST., FEAR. XXX.
28. The Documentary – The Game
Lyricism: 9/10
Production: 7.5/10
Concept: 8/10
Overall: 24.5
Designation: Elite
The Game and Kendrick Lamar had very similar starts. Both are from Compton, were co-signed early in their careers by Dr. Dre, and have had the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity of working with him. Needless to say The Game took full advantage of this opportunity. From his first album, his artistic voice, style and talent were all undeniable.
I spent a lot of time thinking about which Game album I should put on this list. The Documentary Pt. 2 for instance is a great album that deserves listen. 1992 is another awesome project that shouldn’t go without being mentioned. But I think The Documentary deserves this spot. The Game has almost been a victim of his own consistency. He’s never really released a bad project. It should be noted that this album contains one of my favorite, and possibly one of the greatest hip-hop songs of all-time, Hate It or Love It (the G-Unit remix is the best version). Seriously, that song had literally thousands of plays on my iPod nano in middle school. That’s a tiebreaker if I’ve ever heard of one.
Notable tracks: Westside Story, Dreams, Hate It or Love It, How We Do, The Documentary
27. If You're Reading This It's Too Late – Drake
Lyricism: 8/10
Production: 9/10
Concept: 8/10
Overall: 25
Designation: Needs More Time
Part of me feels like I should have included a forewarning at the beginning of this blog: If You’re Reading For Drake, That’s Too Bad.
I’m gonna be honest. I don’t like Drake. By the way I write about other artists on this list - I’m sure you’ve been able to deduce that I am a bit of a hip-hop purist. I enjoy and value the skill of writing and performing rhymes over almost everything else. I just can’t get over the ghostwriting; the fact that Drake doesn’t write his own rhymes, and worse that he doesn’t even try to hide it. When you couple that with the fact that he doesn’t produce anything, and has all the best and most expensive producers building his catalog - it forces me to ask the question: What does he actually, do?
I sound like a hater, I know. His chart-topping pop star status is impressive enough on its own. He gets credit for singing and performing the catchy tunes and selling out arenas like a bonafide god. I get that. But to me, that’s not really rap. It’s not really in the spirit of hip-hop. Of being an MC. He loses points on that for me.
I hate that I have to apologize for not liking Drake. Seriously, just writing this entry has aggravated me and I want it to be over. That being said, I am not vindictive enough that I cannot recognize his impact on the culture. My friend Ramsey wrote a great piece on the world famous LAMPIN' Blog about how even if you don’t like Drake, you have to respect his hustle and influence… and he’s right. You can read that here: https://www.lampinblog.com/single-post/the-drake-paradox
All that being said, I think if I had to include one Drake album on this list it would be IYRTITL. God, what an awful name. What an awful album cover. Another thing that Drake sucks at. But the songs are undeniably good and catchy. Songs like Legend, Energy, and 10 Bands are among my favorite Drake songs. And they’re enough to earn him a spot on this list, here, for now.
Notable tracks: Legend, Energy, 10 Bands, No Tellin’, Used To
26. A Written Testimony - Jay Electronica
Lyricism: 9/10
Production: 9/10
Concept: 7/10
Overall: 25
Designation: Needs More Time
If there is an artist more opposite of Drake than Jay Electronica, I have yet to find them. The New Orleans rapper first dropped in 2007, almost 15 years ago. Even after signing with Jay-Z and Roc Nation, the immensely talented and profound rapper never released a full album until A Written Testimony in 2020. But why? A lot of speculation around his relationship with Jay-Z, and that he had been blackballed from the industry had arisen. But those turned out just to be rumors. Whenever someone asks him why he hasn’t put out an album, he responds simply and directly that he doesn’t feel like it. Alright, respect. That’s boss shit. You can read more about Jay Electronica's odd career trajectory here: https://www.okayplayer.com/music/will-jay-electronica-ever-release-album-2010-history.html
Jay Electronica is a reluctant rapper, and I think that’s what makes him appealing, honestly. He isn’t trying to flood the airwaves with music, or release a double album and go on tour for the better part of a year. He drops when he wants to. He raps when he feels like it. AND IT"S ALL FIRE.
And isn’t that how it should be? We complain so much about artists putting out subpar album follow-ups yet demand new music year round. It’s an unfair standard of the industry that I think Jay Electronica is well aware of. The man has a family, a kid with Erykah Badu, and is a highly respected member of the Islamic community in America. He is doing fine. He doesn’t need to put out music just to please all of us.
He very much acknowledges this on the album - ultimately explains that he wants the honor of being a respected musician - which is why he dropped now. And he did, in the form of a grammy nomination for the album. Even better, this long-awaited project is co-Mc’d by Jay-Z on every single track, and has impeccable producing by The-Dream featured throughout. In a list of albums that “didn’t quite live up to the hype” A Written Testimony lived up to the hype, despite that hype building for ALMOST 15 YEARS. If that’s not hip-hop excellence, I don’t know what is.
Notable tracks: Ghost of Soulja Slim, The Blinding, Shiny Suit Theory, Ezekiel’s Wheel, A.P.I.D.T.A.
25. 1999 - Joey Badass
Lyricism: 9/10
Production: 9/10
Concept: 7/10
Overall: 25
Designation: Needs More Time
The fact that Joey Badass dropped a project as complete as 1999 at only 18 years old, and recorded the majority of it at only 17 YEARS OLD is mind-blowing. At 17 years old I was quite literally still stealing alcohol from my parents liquor cabinet and trying to makeout at high school football games. At 17 years old, Joey Badass was working with Lewis Parker, MF DOOM, J Dilla, and Statik Selektah - all legends of the hip-hop world.
How Joey established these professional connections at such a young age, I do not know. But his talent on the microphone surely didn’t hurt his cause. Joey’s style, vocal control and vocabulary was right out of the New York boombap sound of the 90’s - hence the album name. This album is Nas’s Illmatic; a snapshot of life on the street in New York City, mixed with the playfulness yet relentlessness of a DOOM record. It’s a truly iconic album with iconic songs throughout.
A common theme here, Joey Badass hasn’t quite been able to re-reach the heights he did with this project, but that’s okay. He’s still only 26, growing as an artist, and has his best work in front of him. I would be remised if I didn’t mention the passing of his crew member and fellow rapper Capital STEEZ which undoubtedly affected Joey’s career trajectory since this dropped. STEEZ was arguably more talented than Joey, and his verse on Survival Tactics is one of the most impressive verses of the millennium. RIP STEEZ.
Notable tracks: Waves, FromdaTomb$, Survival Tactics, Killuminati, Hardknock, World Domination, Third Eye Shit
24. Tha Carter III - Lil Wayne
Lyricism: 8/10
Production: 9 /10
Concept: 9/10
Overall: 26
Designation: Classic
For the longest time, I lumped Lil Wayne and Drake in the same category. Not as ‘not-talented’ but as ‘severely-overrated’. In high school, very much the prime of my hip-hop listening career, I resented Lil Wayne. I hated his voice, I hated his cadence, his look and personality. It was admittedly hard for me to see what everyone else saw about him.
In my older years, that has largely subsided. Still, I don’t LOVE Lil Wayne, but I like him. I am able to recognize and appreciate him for what he is; an artist. He has a true talent for wordplay and double-entendre. As a hip-hop purist, I can definitely respect that. I think Lil Wayne is just someone who has gotten better with age. The luster of being a rapper with a (for lack of a better phrase) ‘Soundcloud’ aesthetic, before Soundcloud was a thing - has worn off. Now I am able to look passed all the things that bothered me and really just listen to the music. And it is undeniably impressive and requires talent. That much is certain.
Tha Carter III, to me, represents Wayne’s most complete project. He’s got bangers throughout all of his projects that’s for sure, but I think for an artist like him to have the range of different sounds he does on this album - he earns this spot. It's hard to argue that Lil Wayne isn't a made-man. And it’s largely possible I’m still sleeping on Lil Wayne. I recognize that. If I am, sound off in the comments. I sincerely want to hear more of what people consider his best.
Notable tracks: 3 Peat, Mr, Carter, A Milli, Mrs. Officer, Let the Beat Build
23. Get Rich or Die Tryin' - 50 Cent
Lyricism: 8/10
Production:: 9/10
Concept: 9/10
Overall: 26
Designation: Classic
50 Cent could have never released another song after GRODT and still be considered a hip-hop legend. That’s how good this album is. It has both In Da Club and Many Men. Once again, Dr. Dre-produced artists show up on this list.
There isn’t much else to say about this album. It’s fucking good. It’s exceedingly ’50’. He's a major player in hip-hop to this day because of this album. Sure, he never followed up on its critical success, but that’s par for the course on this list - especially when the first album you drop is a certified classic.
Notable tracks: Patiently Waiting, Many Men, In da Club, Heat, If I Can’t, P.I.M.P., 21 Questions
22. Be - Common
Lyricism: 8/10
Production: 9.5/10
Concept: 9/10
Overall: 26.5
Designation: Classic
Common is often the forgotten man in hip-hop. I think it's because he's just so damn talented. His work doesn’t begin or end with hip-hop. He’s an actor, producer and entrepreneur among other things. There's nothing ‘common’ about him! (Sorry). The production on Be, largely executed by Kanye and J Dilla, is some of the greatest in hip-hop history. Common is a master storyteller. Listening to him just MC the album is quite amazing. The man is a poet.
Be is a bit short in my opinion (43 minutes), but it makes for an incredible listen. The performance of The Food, one of my favorite songs ever, is taken straight from their performance on Chapelle Show. It's Kanye at his best. Also The Corner features The Last Poets, which is a big deal. Common sounds like a preacher at times, like he's talking directly to God. The gospel sound suits him perfectly. He's a marvel.
Notable tracks: Be (Intro), The Corner, Go!, Testify, Chi-City, The Food, It's Your World, Pt. 1 & 2
21. To Pimp a Butterfly - Kendrick Lamar
Lyricism: 9/10
Production: 8/10
Concept: 10/10
Overall: 27
Designation: Classic
‘Expectations’ is probably a word you’ve grown sick of by now. It’s came up on almost every entry on this list thus far, and there’s a reason for that. As an artist, you try to manage the expectations for your upcoming projects the best you can. You want there to be hype, but not too much hype. If expectations are too high, then anything that does not reach them will be seen as a failure, even if it’s good. And that sucks. It’s not the artist’s fault. All they can do is put out the best possible product based off the inspiration they had. And if we are judging an album on this basis, TPAB is undoubtedly a hip-hop classic.
Upon first listen, I very soon realized this album would not be what I expected. Kendrick did not make this album for me; the naive fan just looking for music to get fucked-up to. Instead, the Compton rapper decided, in a bold move, to take full advantage of this opportunity he had. He knew the world was watching. Everyone was expecting him to “go the fuck off” on this album; to catapult himself into super stardom and become the top-charting rapper in the world. Instead, he said fuck all that.
Kendrick took advantage of his platform to make an album with a strong and important political message about race. He saw what was happening with regards to police brutality. He opted to make songs celebrating black culture, and rock music rooted in the African-American experience. He brought in George Clinton, The Isley Brothers and others to help him form this message - one of strength and solidarity with those facing the forces of racism and oppression in America.
Suddenly, I felt like an asshole. How naive, how childish, how selfish was I to think that Kendrick, the prodigal crown-prince of Compton would use his platform to make music for me? This album forced me to reevaluate myself, my priorities, and even my relationship with music. I suddenly felt a sense of empathy toward musicians I liked. I could see their humanity. It was no longer a producer-consumer relationship that I was taking part in. Kendrick Lamar made a sacrifice - he made himself vulnerable in order to accomplish a greater good. That’s the whole point of art. To make a change, to elucidate feelings, to inspire people.
Oh, and I haven’t even mentioned that the entire album is intercut with a poem that at the end is revealed Kendrick is reciting it to TUPAC, who which Kendrick has spliced old interview audio to present the two of them sitting down and having a conversation about race, class, politics, and life itself. It is incredibly profound and leaves the listener with the idea that an album can be so much more than we realize. Again, this project loses points for its poor replay value. Production is a little janky at times. But Kendrick’s god-level command of the English language, and the intention behind which it is utilized make it a definitive classic of the genre, even after only six years since its release.
Notable tracks: Wesley’s Theory, For Free?, King Kunta, Institutionalized, u, Alright, Hood Politics, Complexion, i
Commentaires