I've been in love with Hip-Hop for 30 years and over those years I have heard hundreds, even thousands, of albums. For those of you who read my blog on 'My Top 10 MCs' and 'The Definition of A Classic' you'll remember that I spoke on the importance of understanding how personal preference and personal impact plays a huge part when discussing your favourites.
Over the years I have never really tried to list my 10 favourite Hip Hop albums as I always thought the task would be impossible due to the amount of albums I would ultimately have to leave off the list but recently I decided to give it a go.
Here is my 10 favourite Hip Hop albums, having taken personal impact, how often I had it in rotation and personal preference into consideration, I have also tried to give a brief description, review and reason for my choice.
10:
Album: Muddy Waters
Artist: Redman
Year: 1996
Favourite 3 Tracks: "Do What Ya feel", "Da Ill Out", "Da Bump"
Production: Redman, Erick Sermon, Rockwilder, Jerry Wonda.
Other than his features with EPMD, my introduction to Reggie Noble was through his excellent debut album Whut¿ Thee Album released in 1992, I was instantly taken back by his style, lyrical ability, skill, humour and all round talent, added to great production made Whut¿... an amazing album for me, then came Dare Iz A Darkside 2yrs later and a string of dope features which furthered my appreciation for Redman even more so by the time Muddy Waters dropped in 1996 Redman was one of my favourite MCs. In my opinion, Muddy Waters is a display of everything we love about Redman and the perfect album to showcase his style.
After the intro builds anticipation the albums kicks off with "Iz He 4 Real" which has a brilliantly placed Rockness sample then Red comes in ready for action.... 'Somebody light the fuse so I can bring bad news...' RED IS BACK. As the album continues it brings us dope production, guest features from K-Solo, Method Man and the Def Squad and more importantly, a pumped up Redman who is probably even more lyrically sharp and humorous than ever before. I'm not a big fan of Skits on albums and Redman tends to have a lot of them but in this case it doesn't take anything away from the album, in-fact it actually adds to the whole experience, especially the Stick Up skit.
Even with 23 tracks Muddy Waters never seems to lose momentum, it has an interesting way of keeping your attention which has a lot to do with the amazing chemistry Red has with Erick Sermon.
This is a fun album but not in a cheesy or corny way, its perfectly done which impressively did not need Redman to be silly or to take unsuited risks to achieve, even in the fun and humour you were able to receive the full picture of darkness when it was intended to be captured.
'Plus this thing between my ears thinks clear... and the only thing it fears is the man up stairs, so F* your bulletproof gear, if I decide to get your ass you betta believe its more than a blast"'
Redman is sharp and impressive on Muddy Waters and even on the tracks that feature other MCs like "Whateva Man", "Case Closed", "Do What Ya Feel", "It's Like That" and "Da Ill Out" Redman stands out and even has the best verses in my opinion.
If you want music to ride to, smoke to, wild out to or just chill and bop your head to... Muddy Waters covers all bases.
1996 was an amazing year for Hip Hop, infact 4 of my top 10 albums are from 1996, but even in the midst of all that heat, Muddy Waters was definitely a standout drop that has just as much enjoyability and replay value today as it did 25 years ago.
09:
Album: Hell on Earth
Artist: Mobb Deep
Year: 1996
Favourite 3 Tracks: "Hell on Earth", "Give it up Fast", "Still Shinin"
Production: Havoc
Here we have the second of my four 1996 releases that earned a place in my 10 favourite Hip Hop albums of all time.
The impact of 1995's The Infamous is undeniable, it's a straight classic and arguably one of the best Hip Hop albums ever released... with all that being said, you would think matching that greatness would be practically impossible but in this case Mobb Deep did exactly that with their 1996 follow up Hell on Earth ... to quote Havoc on the intro to the album and the opening lines of the menacingly sounding "Animal Instinct" when he says... 'You know how we did on The Infamous album right? Aight! Well we gon' do it again son'
In my opinion, they didn't only do it again... they did it better. Havoc's production got even more cinematic and chilling and Prodigy's lyrical ability around this time was so good he was considered as one of the best MCs in the game.
"Apostles Warning" is always a track I reference when speaking of Prodigy's ferocious lyrical ability on this album but "Man Down", "Front Lines", "Get Dealt with" and the excellent "G.O.D Pt. III" with the Scarface movie sample can all easily be used to exhibit P's excellence on this album.
the album features Ty Nitty, Twin Gambino, Raekwon, Big Noyd, Method Man and Nas who all add further heat to the project- I know most people praise the Nas feature, which is well deserved but the Raekwon feature doesn't get mentioned enough in my opinion.
Hell on Earth has always felt like a winter album for me. It feels like your being taken on a dark, cold and even scary journey at times with little or no light to be seen.
Mobb are on fire on this album, off the strength and success of The Infamous, they are even going at Def Squad and 2pac, from Havocs production, his and Prodigy's lyrical ability and the overall feel of the album, Mobb Deep feel like they have arrived at heights it would be difficult to knock them off of.
Havoc doesn't put a foot wrong with the production and I think it's criminal how his lyrical contribution is hardly ever mentioned. He delivered an excellent story telling showcase in "More Trife Life" and delivered dope verses throughout the album.
Hell on Earth is dark, eerie, and haunting. It's like the musical equivalent of coming face to face with a wolf thirsty for blood... all of that adds to the suspense and the thrill of this masterpiece and is not to be taken lightly.
08:
Album: Ironman
Artist: Ghostface Killah
Year: 1996
Favourite 3 Tracks: "Fish", "Assassination Day", "Black Jesus"
Production: The RZA, True Master.
Here is the third 1996 entry for my top 10. The classic debut album from my favourite member of the Wu Tang Clan.
It's important we understand that prior to Ironman we had Enter the Wu Tang, Tical, Liquid Swords, Return to the 36 Chambers and Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... all of which were incredible albums. Ghostface Killah's guest spot on the latter and guest features on the others proved such a success, the Hip Hop world was hungry for a Ghostface drop.
With all that excellence that came before it, could/did Ironman live up to our expectations? In my opinion it's a strong YES!!
I clearly remember jumping on the bus after school to go and grab this album, carrying it home, crazy excited to bump it.
From the "The Education of Sonny Carson" sample intro which runs into the bass and horn heavy "Iron Maiden" vocally lead by Raekwon until Ghostface bursts in with his excitable, distinctive flow and then he passes the baton to Cappadonna to close the track which shows us just how effective the chemistry of Ghost, Rae, Cap and RZA is going to be from the very first song.
Then comes "Wildflower" where Ghost does what he does best... tell accounts so vividly you can't help but picture the whole scenario. One of the standout verses on this album for me would be his verses on "Camay" and "Daytona 500".
I love how RZA adapts his production style to match the lead rapper of that project without losing his signature sound and this is done perfectly on Ironman. Raekwon even has a solo spot on "The Faster Blade" and kills it.
Ironman also gave me my 'Tantrum Anthem', whenever my mum did something annoying I'd play the hook to "Motherless Child" at full volume Lol!!!! but then on the flipside of that, I'd play the beautifully soul touching "All that I got Is You" during a difficult time in our family and appreciate everything my mum had done for me.
Ironman gave us so much, dope production, streams of consciousness, iconic feature verses, especially that of Cappadonna on "Winter Warz" and U-God on "Black Jesus".
As far back as I can remember Ghostface was always the Wu member I was oddly intrigued by but Ironman solidified his spot as my favourite Wu tang member and he has been ever since. This is one of those rare albums that gets better with each spin.
I know many people class Supreme Clientele as Ghostface's best album, and I guess technically and rapping wise it is the album that gives us more of the Ghostface Killah we all love today but for me personally, Ironman did for Ghostface what Enter The Wu Tang did for the Wu, its Ghost in his rawest form, and exactly the album I wanted it to be.
07:
Album: Its Dark And Hell Is Hot
Artist: DMX
Year: 1998
Favourite 3 Tracks: "Niggaz Done Started Something", "Look Thru My Eyes", "The Convo"
Production: PK, Swizz Beats, Irv Gotti, Dame Grease, Young Lord.
A lot of releases in 1997 were focused on achieving radio play and commercial success so when an album with a title as grim as "Its Dark And Hell Is Hot" drops how can it be ignored.
DMX had a difficult but exciting run up to the release of this album. He featured on "Time to Build", "24hrs to Live", "Money, Power & Respect" and "4, 3, 2, 1" with extremely dope verses which increased my anticipation for his album.
There was something so intriguing and mysterious abut X, he seemed to have a way of feeling bigger than the track he was rapping on, as if it was being done to keep him sane almost, you couldn't help but think there was a whole world-wind of situations and drama X was trying to get through on a day to day. he was intimidating and interesting at the same time- before he even dropped a single I was ready to buy the album to hear what he had to say.
Then a few singles dropped before the album which were all fire, and stayed in heavy rotation... Especially "Stop Being Greedy" which had a genius beat switch every 8 bars which gave us a different DMX voice and flow.
In 1998 DMX had to contend with NORE, Big Pun, Silkk The Shocker, Jay Z, Canibus, OutKast, LOX, Lauryn Hill etc who all had a huge buzz that year but Its Dark & Hell Is Hot dropped and seemed to overshadow a lot of those releases for me.
The production is dark, gritty, ominous and DMX has the ability to speak on any topic and force you to believe every word he says. His conviction and passion on the mic is one only a few others share and this is exemplified perfectly on Its Dark...
"I sold my soul to the devil and the price was cheap, and yo its cold on this level cos its twice as deep", "if this is hell, call me the devil and giv me the key, but it cant be worse than the curse that was given to me"... X personafies struggle, torment and darkness with Songs like "Let Me fly", "X is Coming" and "Damien" you clearly see the battle good and evil are having for his soul and conscience but then he very easily and effortlessly goes into moments like The Prayer Skit, "I Can Feel It" and The Convo...
Its Dark.. feels like a cry for help, a confession, a public apology and an honest display of human struggle all wrapped into one, mixed with very fitting production and just the right amount of features at the right time makes for an amazing piece of art.
'So if it takes me to suffer, for my brother to see the light... give me pain till I die, but please Lord, treat him right'
06:
Album: The Chronic
Artist: Dr. Dre
Year: 1992
Favourite 3 Tracks: "Let Me Ride", " Deeez Nuuuuts", "The Day The Niggaz Took Over"
Production: Dr. Dre.
After NWA dropped the classic Straight Outta Compton and various releases Dr Dre fell into disputes with Ruthless Records owners Eazy E and Jerry Heller and ended up leaving to start Death Row Records with Suge Knight. This birthed the Dr. Dre debut solo release The Chronic and from the very intro, Dre protégé Snoop Dogg is going at their former colleagues and then goes into one of my favourite diss tracks of all time, "Dre Day" which along with "Nuthin' but a "G" Thang" were the first songs I heard from the album.
Then a couple months later "Let Me Ride" dropped, I was 11 or 12 years old and hooked, I even remember playing these songs on my cassette tape and stopping it every few bars to learn all the words.
Production has always been very important to me when listening to Hip-Hop, so when The Chronic dropped it was no surprise it stayed in heavy rotation.
Being from the UK I never really had any specific coastal bias but I was definitely more impacted by and listened to more East Coast Hip-Hop but The Chronic is the album I credit for increasing my appreciation of West Coast Hip- Hop. The album hardly puts a foot wrong, I say hardly because I could easily do without The Doctors Office skit and every other sex interlude on Hip Hop albums while on the topic.
I'm not saying Dre was the first to ever do it but his fusion of Funkadelic sounds and Gangta rap was by far the one that caught my attention, the birth of G-Funk, which is one of the dopest sounds in Hip Hop, that, added to the album sequencing and structure adds to the excellent replay value, and it goes without saying that the guest appearances are all A-Class... the underrated RBX, Lady of Rage, Dogg Pound, Jewell and of course the upcoming superstar Snoop Dogg, then known as Snoop Doggy Dogg.
The Chronic has it all, dope beats, dope lyrics, socially conscious messages, dope features and the ability to draw you in to its surroundings. I know this obviously wasn't possible at the time but the only thing The Chronic is missing is NWA, imagine tracks like "Rat-tat-tat-tat" with a 1992 Ice Cube feature or "Lyrical Gangbang" with Eazy and Ren.
The Chronic felt like a Wu Tang album before Wu tang, the tracks didn't simply feature Death Row artists they felt like they belonged there and the chemistry was undeniable. We were introduced to the whole crew on this album and knew they were all going to be a force to be reckoned with for a long time to come. This album has aged so well and still stays in rotation for me.
05:
Album: The War Report
Artist: Capone-N-Noreaga
Year: 1997
Favourite 3 Tracks: "Bloody Money", "Iraq (See the world)", "Illegal Life"
Production: Marley Marl, Lord Finesse, Buckwild, Tragedy Khadafi, DJ Clark kent, Carlos Broady, Havoc.
With all due respect to Mobb Deep, When CNN started to bubble they gave me the same feeling Mobb did when they dropped Infamous. I remember when The Source magazine reviewed The War Report, they described CNN as the new and exciting version of Mobb Deep and claimed Mobb Deep's music was becoming depressing. Now I'm not saying I agree but I definitely understood the sentiment.
In 1996 I heard prominent Queensbridge and New York MCs mention Capone-N-Noreaga's name in their songs, then I heard "L.A L.A" and "T.O.N.Y" which I thought was dope and kept in heavy rotation. The album was scheduled to drop early summer on 1997 and if I remember rightly it was the same week Wu dropped Wu Tang Forever which seemed to take up most people's interest, this ultimately led to me getting the album a few weeks later but I remember it like it was yesterday... when I finally spun it, it hardly left rotation. I loved everything about it, the title, the concept, the production, the unity between CN and, their chemistry with Tragedy and the features. It literally felt like I was able to experience The Infamous or Hell on Earth all over again.
Capone unfortunately had to serve jail time mid production and NORE carried the majority of the album, which he did excellently, but Capone always added something special to the tracks he was on.
The War Report starts with a simple intro where you hear CNN talking to each other about how most of their crew has been bagged by police, and how they need to start a revolution, this gives you the sense of the borough depending on them and builds excitement... all while you hear Nas, Prodigy and Royal Flush sampled in the background. Then the menacing keys of "Bloody Money" comes in.
By no means are CNN top tier lyricists in my opinion but the energy, excitement and vivid accounts give them a very interesting chemistry, which NORE touches on in "Live on Live on" where he dedicates some time to his incarcerated partner in rhyme.
NORE's flow, energy, add libs and even his voice made u believe he was going to be a force you couldn't ignore, perfectly connecting with Imam Thug, Castro, Musaliny, Havoc and of course Tragedy Khadafi who deserves a huge amount of credit when praising The War Report as his influence is undeniable.
To say I enjoyed this album would be a major understatement, I used to literally put in to play from beginning to end and start it from the very beginning as soon as it finished. Everything worked well, even the Capone phone calls from jail.
Apart from the 3 tracks I gave as my favourites in the header to this album, on any given day tracks like "Parole Violators", "Neva Die Alone", "Halfway Thugs" and "Black Gangsters" could all be listed... This is a classic album to me and has not been out of rotation for any extended period of time.
04:
Album: Enter The Wu Tang (36 Chambers)
Artist: Wu Tang Clan
Year: 1993
Favourite 3 Tracks: "Shame on a Nigga", "Da Mystery of Chessboxin", "Wu Tang Clan Aint Nuthin ta F'Wit"
Production: The RZA
U-God said it best when he said... "Raw, Im a give it to ya, wit no trivia, raw like cocaine straight from Balivia"... this is the best way to describe the impact Wu Tang and their classic debut had on me.
One of the things I love and miss the most about Hip Hop in the 90s (which was the era I came up in) was that it never felt like we were searching for something dope or different, it felt like we were just slapped in the face with creativity that we had no idea we needed until we got it. I guess its exactly what Raekwon said in the Intermission... "Wu got something everybody wanna hear"
The first song I heard from Enter The Wu Tang was "Protect Your Neck" and it captivated me from the jump. One of the things I loved was the undeniable gritty, raw and unpolished sound and even style and presentation of the MCs. It almost seemed like they purposely tried to appear rugged but without the falsehood- the beat was dusty, bass heavy and original, every MC was good enough to keep your attention throughout the track.
I was never really into kung-Fu films but the theme that ran through the album, the logo, the name and especially the samples blew my young mind, I loved how very different each member was but was impressed at how they gelled so effortlessly.
I then heard "Method Man", which was the incredibly entertaining solo track from Mef and the creative "C.R.E.A.M"... both tracks had dope production, catchy hooks and creative lyrics, which had me scribbling CREAM and the Wu Tang logo on all of my school books, folders and even classroom tables.
Enter The Wu Tang remained in me and my circles conversations, from who's our favourite members to where the samples came from, to favourite tracks and verses...even the Torture Skit had us creating our own versions lol... the Wu were impressive, interesting and intriguing all at the same time. RZA's production was intimidating and almost incomplete, it felt like he never had top notch equipment and lacked in mixing and mastering at times but in a strange way it worked perfectly with what the Wu were portraying, the album felt like war on wax and I loved it, it was raw and rebellious while entertaining and informative all at the same time.
Tracks like "Tearz" and "Can It Be All So Simple" give you a bleak but vivid picture of what was witnessed or experienced.
This album gave us some super lyricism from the likes of Gza and Inspectah Deck, impressive and captivating flows from Mef and ODB, imaginative story telling and top tier chemistry from Ghostface and Raekwon, appetite wetting verses from U-God and Master Killa, all laced over the obscure and creative beats of the RZA who himself gave us some dope verses.
I will always mention this album when discussing which albums had the biggest impact on me, its very close to perfect and has aged very well... Enter the Wu Tang proved that the Wu Tang Clan Aint Nuthin ta F' Wit!
03:
Album: Reasonable Doubt
Artist: Jay Z
Year: 1996
Favourite 3 Tracks: "Dead Presidents", "D'Evils", "Feelin' It"
Production: DJ premier, DJ Clark Kent, Irv Gotti, Ski Beatz, Jaz-O, Knobody.
I fully understand that Jay Z was first heard in 1994 and early 1995 but in all honesty these appearances seemed to slip through the net for me personally, the first time I remember hearing Jay Z and actually paying attention was early 1996 when I heard the single "Dead Presidents"... "While others spit that Wonderama shit, me and my conglomerate, shall remain anonymous, caught up in the finest shit"...
Dead Presidents starts with an impressive flow and a dope beat produced by Ski Beatz which featured the iconic Nas sample which works perfectly. The track is captivating and Jay's flow is detailed and sophisticated. To put it short, I simply couldn't get enough of this song, it stayed in heavy rotation for a long time, and still has to this day. When I heard this song, Jay Z was officially on my radar and I wanted to hear more.
I then started looking for more music from this Brooklyn rapper, it was at that point I noticed the features he had with Big Daddy Kane, Mic Geronimo and the singles he dropped, I remember thinking to myself that I was glad he adapted the style he did for "Dead Presidents"... then I heard "Aint No Nigga"f/ Foxy Brown, which I loved... "I got more black chicks between my sheets than Essence" Jay had bars on bars and I knew he was gonna drop a gem with the album.
after much hype and excitement I remember purchasing the album and playing it for the first time... The echoing heart beats, followed by Pain in Da Ass and his classic Al Pacino/Scarface impersonation which then runs into a heavy bass line and the angelic and iconic adlibbed vocals of Mary J Blige... what a way to start an album.
Reasonable Doubt consists of top tier production, elite lyricism, dope story telling and perfectly placed features, I remember reading the track list and seeing B.I.G, who along with Nas was arguably the King of Hip Hop at the time, featuring on "Brooklyn's Finest" and I was crazy hyped- I know this is gonna upset a lot of people but when I heard this song I knew Jay Z was gonna be something special, the way he hung with BIG was real impressive to me, he had flow, humour, depth and a great chemistry with one of my favourite rappers at the time.
As I continued to listen, every song continued to impress me, every track was stacked with quotables, style and vivid imagery, and yes it was flooded with money bars etc but it was done in such a classy way you almost felt like you was winning along side Jay and his crew, it was presented like a classic Scorsese movie that got better with each watch as you caught things you previously missed, and was even blessed with 3 new verses for "Dead Presidents".
Reasonable Doubt starts with a heart beat, details a rise to fame, proceeds with beef, accounts of poverty, tales of jealousy, stories of success and ends with an encouragement to learn to live with Regrets.
Mary J Blige, B.I.G, Jaz-O, Sauce Money, Foxy Brown and Jay Z's protégé Memphis Bleek all deliver very good guest appearances with the latter being part of a rags to riches come up story with Jay himself on "Coming of Age".
It may seem like a small thing but I even loved the obscure vocal samples that were used perfectly in tracks like "D'evils" that samples Snoop Dogg from "Murder Was The case" and Prodigy from "I Shot Ya Remix", "Dead Presidents" that samples Nas from "The World Is Yours" and "Bring It On" that samples Fat Joe from "1,2 Pass It". Speaking of samples, the album is littered with soulful sounds that enhance tracks like "Politics As Usual", "Can I Live" "Feelin It" which was originally intended for Camp Lo.
It would be practically impossible for me not to list Reasonable Doubt in my top 10 albums of all time, it was always in rotation, I would walk around school with it in my walkman, quoting lyric after lyric, pressing play as soon as it finished.
I know Vol 2... Hard Knock Life is the album that commercially put Jay Z on the map but Jay Z is my favourite rapper of all time and Reasonable Doubt is one of the reasons. Once again, 1996 was a strong year but this Gem stood out for me.
02:
Album: Doggystyle
Artist: Snoop Doggy Dogg
Year: 1993
Favourite 3 Tracks: "GZ and Hustlers", "For All My Niggaz & Bitches", "Serial Killa"
Production: Dr Dre
In my lifetime of listening to Hip Hop I can easily say that Doggystyle was the most anticipated drop I remember experiencing, thinking back at all I mentioned in the section about The Chronic, and then finally getting the first single from the album which was the superb "Who Am I (What's My Name)", which I couldn't get enough of, I was dying to hear a full length drop. The single blew up and it was heard everywhere but unlike a lot of debut singles, I never got tired of hearing it, it had so many catchy moments, from the hook, to the chant in the background and obviously the production with Snoop and his laid back but captivating flow.
The album starts with the bathtub intro skit and a honest convo between Snoop and Warren G which has Snoop saying he's thinking of leaving the game but then a headbanger of a beat comes in where The Lady of Rage participates in one of the albums strongest moments and one of the best starts to an album, then Snoop closes the track with a few bars explaining this is just a brief introduction to the G- Funk Era which definitely left us excited and wanting more.
Doggysytle hit me and blew my mind, I was 13yrs old and could not stop listening to this album, in my head phones of course as my mum would never had tolerated those lyrics lol, and speaking of lyrics, I knew every one of them by heart, to say this album was in heavy rotation would be a severe understatement, I went through multiple copies and at the time thought it was the best thing I had ever heard.
The production was impeccable and Snoops effortless flow sat perfectly on it, in my opinion 1992-1993 Snoop can stand against any of the best primes in Hip Hop, nothing overly complex or deep but his ability to bring hardcore, gangster lyrics with such a smooth flow and the occasional high pitch word worked perfectly.
Even the iconic dominos skit, radio station skits and classroom skit are all classics which brought much humour and conversation between me and my circle.
Much like The Chronic, RBX, Nate Dogg, Rage, Warren G and Tha Dogg Pound all have standout features on Doggystyle but we are also blessed with appearances from Lil Malik on the incredible "Pump Pump" and The Dramatics on the smooth and melodic "Doggy Dogg World" in which Kurupt steals the show with a killer verse.
Like all of the albums mentioned in this list, Doggystyle has never been out of rotation for any extended length of time, it is a true classic to me which I never get tired of hearing.
01:
Album: Only Built 4 Cuban Linx...
Artist: Raekwon
Year: 1995
Favourite 3 Tracks: "Glaciers of Ice", "Guillotine (Swordz)", "Ice Cream"
Production: The RZA
My favourite Hip Hop album of all time, The amazing, Only Built 4 Cuban Linx, was released in August 1995 and was the third Wu Solo release after Method Man's Tical In 1994 and ODB's Return To The 36 Chambers earlier on in 1995.
OB4CL was an instant hit with singles like "Heaven & Hell" and "Criminology", which led the album to a no.2 debut on the Hip Hop album charts.
Everything from Ghostface Killah Co-Hosting, features from the rest of the clan (who all seemed to be in their prime), to top tier gritty production laced with perfect vocals, timeless quotables and exciting lyrics all come together to make this an amazing product.
Tracks like "Ice Cream" will forever be a summer go to track and is dedicated to the ladies but done so well its loved by all, "Glaciers of Ice" has you feeling like your right beside Raekwon, standing on the block wearing Reebok with a gun cocked, "Heaven & Hell", "Rainy Dayz" and "Can It All Be So Simple Remix" brings a sober minded reality of the life lived by these individuals outside the boundaries of music while "Criminology", "Incarcerated Scarfaces" and "Guilotine (Swordz)", cause you to lose your mind to the combination of gritty, obscure beats, coupled with excellent wordplay and imaginative lyricism.
And we can't ignore how tracks like "Knowlege God" and "Ice Water" have the amazing ability to cause you to stop dead in your tracks to listen to what's about to happen or how on "Verbal Intercourse" Nas gives one of his greatest performances on what is the first non Wu Tang affiliated guest spot on a Wu Tang release.
We had a taste of how dope Rae and Ghost are together so when I heard the album will have Ghost "Guest staring" I already knew it was gonna be incredible.
From the perfectly placed "Scarface" movie samples tying in with the whole crime boss theme and crime family we are introduced to on "Wu Gambinos" to RZA magically pulling it all together I simply couldn't get enough of this album... I almost felt addicted to it like an addict feening for the product you can hear being snorted at the start of "Knowledge God".
Apart from the Wu debut, OB4CL feels like the magnum opus of the Wu dynasty, an album I never get tired of hearing, an album that feels as fresh today as it did when I first heard it 26 years ago, an album still referred to today, an album that brings excitement just from seeing the cover... a true CLASSIC, my favourite Hip Hop album of all time.
By no means am I saying these are the 10 best Hip Hop albums ever created, but they are the 10 that had the most impact on me, the 10 I have probably played the most and the 10 I would struggle not to mention when discussing my all time favourites.
There will obviously be a ton of albums not mentioned that could easily deserve a spot in the top 10 but as I mentioned at the beginning these are MY PSRSONAL FAVOURITE.
I know this was a lengthy post so I appreciate all who took the time to read it! As always, I welcome your feedback... Peace!
