My Personal Top 5 Hop Releases all Time

When it comes to music, homogeneity among "top lists is impossible. Whether it be tastes in genre, style, artist, or any other facet of the music, coming to clear conclusions on the"best" is simply impossible. So, with that being said, I'm bringing my personal list of the top 5 releases from my favorite genre of music, hip hop.

5. De La Soul-  3 Feet High And Rising

  

At a time when hip hop was enveloped in the west coast gangsta rap image of NWA, Ice-T and others, New York's De La Soul emerged as the antithesis to the hard incarnations of rap. Generally regarded as the best release by the trio, 3 Feet High and Rising is also what many claim to have sparked the "alternative rap" and "jazz rap" movements which were influential in 90's hip hop. Personally, this is the first hip hop record i ever received and even 13 year old me knew that this was, and would continue to be a true classic.

4. Public Enemy- It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back

  

Similar to "3 Feet High and Rising" Public Enemy's second release also came out among a myriad of gangsta rap. Despite being nearly opposite to De La Soul's laid back and generally ambivalent tone, both groups provided a break from the constant guns, girls, and gangsta archetypes which permeated the hip hop scene at the time. Instead, Public Enemy, led by the powerful, demanding flow of Chuck D, preached social change, political ideology, and the dangers of mass media. On top of the impeccable flow and lyrical content of the group, beats by the Bomb Squad provide a varied base for the album, ranging from funk classics to Slayer, various samples add depth to the tracks, further supporting the lyricism.

 

3. Gang Star- Moment of Truth

(It's important that i preface this review with stating that this album is in fact my favorite album of all time, but for purposes of "rank" it sits at number 3 on this list.)

In 1998 hip hop had changed greatly from where it was when Gang Starr, the duo of DJ Premier and Guru, first burgeoned onto the music scene with "No More Mr. Nice Guy", the majority of hip hop was focused on putting out hits for the radio, stadium shows were selling out, but, Gang Starr remained true to their game. A slight differentiation from the jazz heavy tracks from prior albums, "Moment of Truth" spans a wide variety of styles with more orchestral sounds. Despite this change, elements that fans loved about Gang Starr, such as DJ Premiers expert production and scratching, as well as Guru's famous "Monotone style" and carefully crafted lyrics make for this to be the best Gang Starr release, and arguably, the best hip hop release of all time.

 

2. Jay Z- Reasonable Doubt

 Considered by many to be the quintessential hip hop album of the 1990's, Jay-Z's formal entrance to the music industry is still considered his greatest work by many. Jay-Z's smooth , laid back, flow effortlessly glides over beats produced by a variety of the industry's best, such as DJ Premier and Clark Kent. Sticking to a general theme of gangsta/mafioso life, Jay-Z takes the "gansgta" themes of the 1980's and turns them up a notch, focusing more on the high end aspects of the drug trade, specifically cocaine. While doing so, Jay-Z maintains a certain level of grittiness, paralleling "cashmere thoughts" with "D'evils" showing how the lifestyle he presents can be both glamorous and dark at the same time. Various features from artist such as Mary J Blige and the Notorious BIG round the album out. The combination of impeccable flow and lyrical content along with some of the best production of all time, make Reasonable Doubt a guaranteed top 5 selection, and a very-very close second place.

1. Nas- Illmatic

Illmatic is the quintessential hip hop album. From Nas' expertly crafted flow, to the smooth infectious beats, no other album before or after can top this seminal release. At 20 years old, Nasir Jones released the album that countless hip hop and other artists would use as inspiration. at only 39 minutes from start to finish, the album is short, but it does not need length to get its point across, in fact, the brevity is one of its key features. with only 9 tracks, the listener is left fervently searching for more as the track "It ain't hard to tell" rings out at the end of the record. Based in New York, Nas' about life in the city, and the things he experiences as a young man in Queens, New York. The lyricism on the album is nothing short of exquisite, with each rhyme flowing together perfectly, while maintaining a style unmatched by any other artist. Illmatic is the pinnacle of hip hop, and for that reason it sits atop my top 5, and should do the same on yours.