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Complex's Best Rap Albums of the '80s
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50
.
Run-D.M.C. - King of Rock
January 21, 1985
Hip Hop
Critic Score
79
3 reviews
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
49
.
DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince - He's the DJ, I'm the Rapper
April 5, 1988
Hip Hop
Critic Score
84
3 reviews
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
48
.
Kurtis Blow - Kurtis Blow
September 29, 1980
Hip Hop
Critic Score
75
2 reviews
Amazon
iTunes
Music
47
.
Just Ice - Kool & Deadly (Justicizms)
Hip Hop
Critic Score
60
1 review
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
46
.
Nice & Smooth - Nice & Smooth
May 16, 1989
Hip Hop
Critic Score
70
1 review
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
45
.
Various Artists - Wild Style
Hip Hop
Critic Score
90
1 review
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
44
.
Jungle Brothers - Done by the Forces of Nature
November 7, 1989
Hip Hop
Critic Score
90
1 review
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
43
.
Too $hort - Life is...Too Short
January 31, 1989
Hip Hop
Critic Score
100
1 review
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
42
.
Fat Boys - Fat Boys
May 29, 1984
Hip Hop
Critic Score
85
2 reviews
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
41
.
Kool Moe Dee - How Ya Like Me Now
November 3, 1987
Hip Hop
Critic Score
85
2 reviews
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
40
.
MC Shan - Down By Law
August 8, 1987
Hip Hop
Critic Score
60
1 review
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
39
.
Treacherous Three - Treacherous Three
Hip Hop
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
38
.
Queen Latifah - All Hail the Queen
November 1, 1989
Hip Hop
Critic Score
90
1 review
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
37
.
Run-D.M.C. - Run-D.M.C.
March 27, 1984
Hip Hop
Critic Score
91
2 reviews
Amazon
Spotify
36
.
Schoolly D - Saturday Night! The Album
Hip Hop
Critic Score
80
1 review
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
35
.
Stetsasonic - In Full Gear
Hip Hop
Critic Score
100
1 review
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
34
.
Special Ed - Youngest in Charge
May 16, 1989
Hip Hop
Critic Score
90
1 review
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
33
.
Public Enemy - Yo! Bum Rush the Show
April 1, 1987
Hip Hop
Critic Score
90
1 review
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
32
.
Ice-T - Power
September 13, 1988
Hip Hop
Critic Score
90
1 review
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
31
.
Salt-n-Pepa - Hot, Cool & Vicious
December 8, 1986
Pop Rap
Critic Score
60
1 review
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
30
.
MC Lyte - Lyte as a Rock
September 13, 1988
Hip Hop
Critic Score
90
1 review
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
29
.
Marley Marl - In Control, Volume 1
September 20, 1988
Hip Hop
Critic Score
90
1 review
Amazon
28
.
LL Cool J - Radio
November 18, 1985
Hip Hop
Critic Score
100
1 review
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
27
.
Eazy-E - Eazy-Duz-It
September 13, 1988
Hip Hop
Critic Score
80
1 review
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
26
.
2 Live Crew - The 2 Live Crew Is What We Are
July 25, 1986
Hip Hop
Critic Score
80
1 review
Amazon
iTunes
Music
25
.
Big Daddy Kane - It's a Big Daddy Thing
September 12, 1989
Hip Hop
Critic Score
85
2 reviews
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
24
.
Boogie Down Productions - By All Means Necessary
January 1, 1988
Hip Hop
Critic Score
100
1 review
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
23
.
EPMD - Unfinished Business
July 25, 1989
Hip Hop
Critic Score
90
1 review
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
22
.
3rd Bass - The Cactus Album
October 23, 1989
Hip Hop
Critic Score
100
1 review
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
21
.
Kool G Rap & DJ Polo - Road to the Riches
March 14, 1989
Hip Hop
Critic Score
75
2 reviews
Amazon
20
.
Whodini - Escape
October 17, 1984
Hip Hop
Critic Score
90
1 review
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
19
.
Geto Boys - Grip It! On That Other Level
March 19, 1989
Hip Hop
Critic Score
60
1 review
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
18
.
Eric B. & Rakim - Follow the Leader
August 4, 1988
Hip Hop
Critic Score
82
3 reviews
Amazon
iTunes
Music
17
.
Beastie Boys - Paul's Boutique
July 25, 1989
Hip Hop
Critic Score
95
6
reviews
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
16
.
Jungle Brothers - Straight out the Jungle
November 8, 1988
Hip Hop
Critic Score
100
1 review
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
15
.
The D.O.C. - No One Can Do It Better
June 16, 1989
Hip Hop
Critic Score
80
2 reviews
Amazon
iTunes
Music
14
.
Biz Markie - Goin' Off
February 23, 1988
Hip Hop
Critic Score
90
1 review
Amazon
13
.
Too $hort - Born To Mack
July 20, 1987
Hip Hop
Critic Score
60
1 review
Amazon
12
.
Ultramagnetic MCs - Critical Beatdown
October 4, 1988
Hip Hop
Critic Score
81
6
reviews
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
11
.
LL Cool J - Bigger and Deffer
June 11, 1987
Hip Hop
Critic Score
70
1 review
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
10
.
EPMD - Strictly Business
August 30, 1988
Hip Hop
Critic Score
100
2 reviews
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
9
.
Big Daddy Kane - Long Live the Kane
June 21, 1988
Hip Hop
Critic Score
87
3 reviews
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
8
.
De La Soul - 3 Feet High and Rising
March 3, 1989
Hip Hop
Critic Score
90
4
reviews
Amazon
7
.
Eric B. & Rakim - Paid in Full
July 7, 1987
Hip Hop
Critic Score
93
3 reviews
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
6
.
Slick Rick - The Great Adventures of Slick Rick
November 1, 1988
Hip Hop
Critic Score
90
2 reviews
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
5
.
Beastie Boys - Licensed to Ill
November 15, 1986
Hip Hop
Critic Score
90
4
reviews
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
4
.
Run-D.M.C. - Raising Hell
May 15, 1986
Hip Hop
Critic Score
92
3 reviews
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
3
.
N.W.A. - Straight Outta Compton
August 8, 1988
Hip Hop
Critic Score
94
4
reviews
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
2
.
Public Enemy - It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back
April 14, 1988
Hip Hop
Critic Score
96
5
reviews
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
1
.
Boogie Down Productions - Criminal Minded
March 3, 1987
Hip Hop
Critic Score
100
2 reviews
Amazon
iTunes
Music
Spotify
Original Source:
http://www.complex.com/music/50-greatest-rap-albums-1980s/
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