but I'll just leave it here, off to the side.

http://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/133594-kanye-west-my-beautiful-dark-twisted-fantasy/

Of the options, it's hard to go against my sentimental favorite, Disposable Arts. And I'm a bit surprised that De la Soul Is Dead was left off of here, though I suppose it's a bit more abstracted as most of the storytelling happens outside the context of the music. They're definitely telling a story on that one, though.

Without those two, and again with respects to the Ace man, I'm actually surprising myself a little and going with the Kendrick album. Prince Among Thieves was an amazing accomplishment but it's not an especially engaging storyline, as was sort of proven when Masta Ace came with A Long Hot Summer and something felt *just a little* off compared to DA.

6. Kanye West - MBDTF: 9.72
30. De la Soul - ...Is Dead: 9.01
43. Kendrick Lamar - good kid, m.A.A.d. city: 8.95
81. Masta Ace - Disposable Arts: 8.70
84. Prince Paul - A Prince Among Thieves: 8.67
110. The Roots - undun: 8.35
120. Subtle: For Hero:For Fool: 8.31
282. Organized Konfusion - Equinox: 7.87
302. Ghostface Killah - 12 Reasons to Die: 7.54



Also, I'd like to throw some love Subtle's "For Hero: For Fool" record's way. It's some ol' anticon. bullshit, but it's probably the pinnacle of that bullshit. Was a stunning, confounding, perennial experience for a budding pot/music head.

~~~~~~~~~
"This is the streets, and I am the trap." © Jay Bilas
http://www.popmatters.com/pm/archive/contributor/517
Hip Hop Handbook: http://tinyurl.com/ll4kzz