best rap album

what is the best rap album you have ever heard? It cannot be a single or a song, has to be a full album.

What inspired me to make this thread is that I just got low end theory by a Tribe Called Quest and in my humble, yet flawlessly perfect opinoni, it is the nest album I hav ever heard by far. After that I would probobly elect Enter the wu: 36 chambers

edit: just to reiterate, its only rap albums. The reason is that I didnt want to impose a year limit, and if I just said ever than it would all be very old albums about whom opinons are already known.

Personally I like People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm better than The Low End Theory but that is still a great album. And I probably only think that because I have more memories from that album.

Its too hard for me to choose one album as being "the best". Are we tallking compilations too?

If so then I'll say a more recent one just for the sake of it and choose Lyricist Lounge Vol 1. I remember getting th 12" single for that and eagerly awaiting the release. Then listening to it almost non-stop for months even years after it dropped.

Unfortunately there will probably not be many more replies in this thread, very few people here listen to rap and those that do probably have no clue about the albums we're talking about.

Hmmm... I'm going to say the Chronic because it was revolutionary, though it gets old.

Public enemy - it takes a nation of millions to hold us back. Low end theory's also very good. Nototorious BIG - Ready to die is also excellent. I don't listen to a lot of rap these days, so much fecally charged rubbish out there now. Its a pity, the genre had real potential.

Marshall Mathers LP.

Hell yeah!

I find it hard to limit myself to just one album, when you really get the best if you cherry pick in rap...a little bit of this and a little bit of that...but If I had to pick an album the first one that pops into my head is of course...



Secondary honors goes to...




But really its impossible to choose one album to represent all rap...others may look at my choices and think me insane...


Some other albums that deserve consideration...











Seriously, too many albums deserve to be mentioned in this thread.

Originally Posted by RZZZA

I find it hard to limit myself to just one album, when you really get the best if you cherry pick in rap...a little bit of this and a little bit of that...but If I had to pick an album the first one that pops into my head is of course...



Secondary honors goes to...




But really its impossible to choose one album to represent all rap...others may look at my choices and think me insane...


Some other albums that deserve consideration...











Seriously, too many albums deserve to be mentioned in this thread.

Nice picks, didnt realize there were actually people here who know whats up.

I was never a big Nas fan, but even I can admit that illmatic is a classic album.

I have to say that the fact you know about Book Human Language is seriously impressive.

Heh thanks, most of this board is pretty much rock oriented but theres like a handful of people, probably 5 or so at most, who are real rap fans. Heres some more of my picks which I think deserve to be on the list of greatest rap album of all time:



(revolutionary vol 2)





(already mentioned, but its worth repeating)





(Slug, a white MC thats not Eminem)



(Tossup between Southerplayalisticadillacmuzik and ATLiens, had to pick one)









(edit-Ok I didnt wanna repeat a lot of Wu Tang stuff, cuz honestly if I post Liquid Swords I gotta post all of Raekwons good albums, all of Meths, all of Ghostface's, etc...there was a lot of good material in Wu so I hadda pick the best of it all which is still to this day 36 chambers imo. But you make a strong case for Liquid Swords, I like it too)

Thats not too many imgs is it? I think im done now...phew wow....well yea I think all these and more deserve to be on the list.

edit 2 Ah F it...







Ok...I'm tired now....but theres still many more albums I left out...

Hey RZZZA, I'm feeling that Twista Album. I think Twista is one of the greater rappers of today, and Adrenaline Rush is just about my favorite album. Cause the whole cd gives a lot of bass, so I bump it when I'm cruising down the streets. Death Before Dishonor is a pretty sick song, and so is the first song, ''Adrenaline Rush." And this cd is definitely better than Kamikaze, because their was a lot more slow songs in that cd, and not as much hard rap like in his previous, but it's still a pretty good one.

Woops, forgot about Illmatic . Its definitely up there among the top. Work of genius

rzzza how can you of all people forget enter the wu tang the 36th chamber and liquid swords?

Best Album of 2005: Cage - Hell's Winter

I like the Pretty Toney Album by Ghostface a lot. And Blueprint by Jay-Z

But I admit I don't listen to tons of rap.

Yeah Pretty Toney is great...I left out a lot of worthy Wu Tang stuff but theres just too much great Wu stuff, I really shoulda just left it at 36 chambers and let that represent all of Wu. Twista is great I'm from Chicago so weve been twista crazy forever...ya'll should defiently check out more "abstract" stuff like Atmosphere and Aceyalone...Aesop Rock, El-P, MF.Doom, Mr. Lif, 7-L & Esoteric...all great asbtract rap.

All Eyes On Me, by Tupac Shakur is definately one of my favorites. Anyone else agree with me or just me?

I always liked...



the 7 Day Theory

But All Eyez on Me, Me Against the World and 2Paclypse Now are worthy too...


But does any one of Tupacs albums deserve to be a top rap album of all time? As much as I like Tupac, I'm gonna have to say no....but Tupac himself certainly does deserve to be a top rapper of all time. Maybe somewhere in the mid teens....theres a lot of MC's better than him imo.

Getto Boyz for life.

Ironman is better than Pretty Toney in my humble opinion.

Omg, where are all these rap fans coming from all of a sudden? I'm liking this...I'm liking this a lot...pretty soon we'll be able to carry out our final plan to overthrow the Rock dominance on TWC...ehem er...well thats for later though. For now...

Damn it feels good to be a gangsta...

What about



RZZZA, you really like God Loves Ugly that much? Man I dont know if its just cuz I'm from minneapolis and have been around as RSE came up and so I'm just sick of Slug, but I thought that album marked the decline of Atmosphere. I mean dont get me wrong I liked that album a lot at first, but after a month or so I just got so sick and tired of the teen bopper sound it has. Seriously Slug really fell off.

If I were to nominate any Atmosphere album it'd have to be Overcast. Especialy since thats before Spawn(who is now Rek The Heavyweight) left and Rek is my guy, cool ass dude.

Oh and btw, if you havent heard it yet you should check out I Self's "Self Descrution" which is easily one of the best albums to come out of Minneapolis/Minnesota and IMHO one of the best albums of 2005 nationaly. http://www.iselfdevine.com/