Holy shit, I forgot how much I love this album. Ice Cube is one of the most entertaining old school rappers to listen to in my opinion while also having a political edge that makes his aggressive delivery sound like it comes from a real and passionate place within him, a lot like Chuck D. I think this album is incredibly consistent, don't listen to the track ratings on this because I think some of them are crazy. Fuck the police, fuck the radio, fuck the government.

Bully feels confused. It doesn't really know what it wants to be. Which isn't surprising given the circumstances it was made in, with the album and tracklist being constantly changed and replaced, information about the album being released and then scrapped, being made with AI and then having the AI replaced only for the final version to still have AI on it, and all of this while Kanye was on a career-destroying rampage. And considering those circumstances, I'm surprised the ... read more

93 'til Infinity the song is one of the greatest rap songs of all time and has one of the greatest beats of all time. This is one of those albums that makes me nostalgic for a time I wasn't even alive for.

I like Blowout Comb more, but Reachin' is still an incredibly produced, chill, very jazzy album with some of Digable Planets' best songs on it.

Imagine being so god damn talented that you become regarded as one of the best ever in a male-dominated (and often misogynistic) genre as a woman, with only two albums, one of which is a group album, and being equally as great a singer and producer as you are a rapper. Wyclef Jean and Pras are really good on here, but the Fugees have one of the clearest standouts in any rap group from the '90s in Ms. Lauryn Hill.

People talk a lot about Mos Def, and rightfully so, but they forget that Kweli and Mos were pretty much evenly matched on the Black Star album, and that Kweli is an amazing lyricist himself, almost on the level of Mos in my opinion. Even though we saw him on the Black Star album doing some crazy shit, Quality is where he truly got to prove what he was capable of.

One of the grittiest, sharpest, and most rugged albums ever made. Big L doesn't waste lines, every single bar on here seems like a lot of care went into it to make it as creative and effective as possible. Some people don't like the production on this, and I strongly disagree. I think the dark and grimy production really adds to the atmosphere of the album.

Bold move to name your group Hieroglyphics, but they really do live up to it. The highly dense, abstract, and intricate lyricism they showcase on nearly every track is incredible and extremely impressive, even for the standards of the rappers that are part of this collective, most of whom I already knew and thought highly of. I can't overstate how well-rapped this album is. The production's also really good for the most part, they've got some good hooks, it's pretty ... read more

If you're talking about Jurassic 5, you have to talk about Chali 2na. He's not only easily the best member of Jurassic 5, but he's also in my opinion no less than one of the finest rappers in the history of the west coast. His seemlingly effortless technical ability and creativity combined with his fantastic deep voice and unique delivery make him a true master in terms of rapping ability. The other guys are good, this album is really good, but Chali 2na is legendary.

The production is so unique and different to what the Neptunes were doing at the time. If I had never heard this and you showed it to me, I would be very surprised that it's Neptunes-produced. Obviously that's kind of the point. Amazing rapping, incredibly consistent, practically flawless. Fantastic record.

The first half of this record is amazing, and the second half is good but a little less consistent. It's just got that playful vibe that the Native Tongues are known for, with lots of fun ideas and personality. Black Sheep are far from the best in the collective, but I enjoyed this record a lot.

This is so jazzy there were times I forgot I was listening to an instrumental hip hop album. This is amazing stuff and Madlib is a genius. He's my second favorite hip hop producer of all time after J Dilla, so I knew I would love this. But even so, the way Madlib's beats are so textured and dynamic all throughout this album really impressed me. He was the perfect person to do this for Blue Note, I don't think there's anyone who could've done it better. So chill and ... read more

Neither Guru or Premier are in top form yet on this record, but their promise and their passion makes this a great listen anyways. Maybe they'll make something of themselves someday.

Raekwon and Ghostface Killah are both incredible with the mafia storytelling and vivid imagery, but the real standout is RZA. This album would not be what it is without his amazing, cinematic beats that truly make it feel like a movie. Nas also outraps everyone with his verse on Verbal Intercourse.

I swear this is one of the shortest-feeling hours of music out there. In my opinion, this is the most fun hip hop record ever made. SlimKid3, Imani, Bootie Brown, and the legend Fatlip all bring so much personality to the group dynamic. The production is great (it sounds exactly like the cover art) and these songs are so catchy. Plus it's genuinely really funny. Even if some of the jokes haven't aged well, the sense of humor and comedic timing on display are leaps and bounds ahead of ... read more

'80s rap is such a vibe. If I was around in the '80s, I would've gone crazy for this shit.

Hendrix had a guitar. Coltrane had a saxophone. Dilla had an MPC.

As grand and sprawling as a tribute to music should be. Obviously the sampling is highly impressive and intricate work, but my favorite part about Endtroducing... is how much DJ Shadow's passion shines through without even saying a word.

One of the most skillfully crafted albums ever made. From the incredible elite lyricism all throughout to ?uestlove's insane drumming and all the other instrumentation on this album, the effort and talent it must've taken to make this is jaw-dropping. I think Black Thought is the greatest rapper of all time so maybe I'm biased, but I don't think there's a single verse on here that's even remotely weak. A truly remarkable album. I'm gonna be handing out 100s to ... read more

I first heard Me Against the World probably around 6th grade. At the time, I was really into Biggie, Eminem, Lil Wayne, Dr. Dre, JAY-Z, some others. I remember thinking it was good, but I didn’t quite “get” it. Get why this guy Tupac Shakur was such a big deal. He’s not as lyrically skilled as Biggie or Em, the beats aren’t really anything special for the time, a lot of the album sounds very similar, and he doesn’t even use very poetic or figurative language ... read more