What are some of your favorite albums turning 25 this year?
Faves: 01. OutKast - ATLiens 02. Nas - It Was Written 03. Mobb Deep - Hell On Earth 04. UGK - Ridin' Dirty 05. Makaveli - The Don Killuminati (The 7 Day Theory) 06. Redman - Muddy Waters 07. Ghostface Killah - Ironman 08. Jay-Z - Reasonable Doubt 09. De La Soul - Stakes Is High 10. Fugees - The Score
11. Lost Boyz - Legal Drug Money 12. Jeru The Damaja - Wrath Of The Math 13. The Roots - Illadelph Halflife 14. M.O.P. - Firing Squad 15. Too $hort - Gettin' It (Album Number Ten) 16. 2Pac - All Eyez On Me 17. Busta Rhymes - The Coming 18. Real Live - The Turnaround: A Long Awaited Drama 19. Xzibit - At The Speed Of Life 20. Above The Law - Time Will Reveal
21. A Tribe Called Quest - Beats, Rhymes And Life 22. Ras Kass - Soul On Ice 23. Tela - Piece Of Mind 24. Heltah Skeltah - Nocturnal 25. Westside Connection - Bow Down
Other joints that get hella spins: Do Or Die - Picture This Mr. Mike - Wicked Wayz Dark Sun Riders Featuring Brother J - Seeds Of Evolution Shyheim - The Lost Generation Heather B. - Takin Mine Bounty Killer - My Xperience Smoothe Da Hustler - Once Upon A Time In America Nine - Cloud 9 Kwest Tha Madd Lad - This Is My First Album Sadat X - Wild Cowboys E-40 - Tha Hall Of Game Dr. Octagon - Dr. Octagonecologyst Chino XL - Here To Save You All Cella Dwellas - Realms 'N Reality Bahamadia - Kollage Lil' Kim - Hard Core MC Ren - The Villain In Black Big Noyd - Episodes Of A Hustla Al' Tariq - God Connections Poor Righteous Teachers - The New World Order
None rap joints: Cibo Matto - Viva! La Woman Tony! Toni! Toné! - House Of Music Nearly God - Nearly God Me'Shell NdegéOcello - Peace Beyond Passion Ingrid Schroeder - Bee Charmer Squarepusher - Feed Me Weird Things Tricky - Pre-Millennium Tension Everything But The Girl - Walking Wounded Rage Against The Machine - Evil Empire Lamb - Lamb The Cardigans - First Band On The Moon Jamiroquai - Travelling Without Moving Howie B. - Music For Babies Beck - Odelay Aphex Twin - Richard D. James Album Ambersunshower - Walter T. Smith Stereolab - Emperor Tomato Ketchup DJ Shadow - Endtroducing..... Ginuwine - Ginuwine... The Bachelor Hooverphonic - A New Stereophonic Sound Spectacular
Soundtracks/Compilations: High School High Set It Off Sunset Park America Is Dying Slowly Lost Highway William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet The Substitute
****************************************** Falcons, Braves, Bulldogs and Hawks
2. "It was a pretty great year:" In response to Reply # 0
I've written tributes to these:
Mobb Deep - Hell On Earth Redman - Muddy Waters Keith Murray - Enigma Ghostface Killah - Ironman Jay-Z - Reasonable Doubt De La Soul - Stakes Is High Jeru The Damaja - Wrath Of The Math The Roots - Illadelph Halflife Xzibit - At The Speed Of Life A Tribe Called Quest - Beats, Rhymes And Life Ras Kass - Soul On Ice Smoothe Da Hustler - Once Upon A Time In America Kwest Tha Madd Lad - This Is My First Album Sadat X - Wild Cowboys
Loved a lot of these, but didn't get a chance to write about (or someone beat my to it): OutKast - ATLiens Fugees - The Score M.O.P. - Firing Squad Too $hort - Gettin' It (Album Number Ten) Busta Rhymes - The Coming Above The Law - Time Will Reveal Heltah Skeltah - Nocturnal Al' Tariq - God Connections Poor Righteous Teachers - The New World Order Dark Sun Riders Featuring Brother J - Seeds Of Evolution Heather B. - Takin Mine Bounty Killer - My Xperience Dr. Octagon - Dr. Octagonecologyst Chino XL - Here To Save You All Cella Dwellas - Realms 'N Reality Bahamadia - Kollage MC Ren - The Villain In Black Big Noyd - Episodes Of A Hustla America Is Dying Slowly
I guess if narrowed it down to a top 20, it would be:
1. ATLiens 2. Muddy Waters 3. Stakes Is High 4. Illadelph Halflife 5. Iron Man 6. At The Speed of Life 7. Hell On Earth 8. The Score 9. Wild Cowboys 10. Enigma 11. Nocturnal 12. Wrath of the Math 13. Reasonable Doubt 14. Dr. Octagonecologyst 15. Beats, Rhymes, and Life 16. Soul On Ice 18. The Coming 19. This Is My First Album 20. New World Order
7. "I’ve been thinking about this post since last year" In response to Reply # 0 Fri Dec-03-21 11:05 PM by Anonymous
I just never got to sitting down and making the post because the year is so staggering.
To me, this is the best year in hip-hop.
I know some say 88 because of the golden age classics.
I know some say 94 because of the landmark albums.
Some may even say 95 because the Top 5 from that year are hard to compete with.
But 96 is the deepest year without a doubt to me.
You named most of the albums but I’m going to finally take the time to make my list in no real order
The 4.5-5 Undeniable Classics ATLiens Illadelph Halflife It Was Written Reasonable Doubt Ironman Muddy Waters Stakes Is High The 7 Day Theory Ridin’ Dirty The Score Hell On Earth All Eyez On Me
The 4-4.5 Personal Classics Enigma Firing Squad (I honestly think this is waaay under-appreciated) At The Speed Of Life Soul On Ice Wrath Of The Math Beats, Rhymes, & Life Nocturnal Legal Drug Money The Coming Gravity
The Good-Great Albums The Awakening Kollage Once Upon A Time In America Realms N Reality The Resurrection The Turnaround: A Long Awaited Drama The Lost Generation Wild Cowboys From Where?? Takin’ Mine God Connections Cloud 9 Blah Blah Blah Unreleased and Revamped Episodes Of A Hustla The New World Order Business Is Business Insomnia Truth Crushed To Earth Shall Rise Again Diggin In Dah Vaults Da Storm Hardcore Ill Na Na Tha Doggfather Funcrusher
The Others… (some I rock and some I just know others with different taste rocked) Chapter 1: The End Chopper City The Hemp Museum You Can’t Stop The Reign (yeah…I’m naming Shaq!) THUGS Piece Of Mind Total Control Bad As I Wanna Be The Hall Of Game Time Will Reveal Bow Down FBI Can You Feel Me Picture This The Final Tic Delinquent Habits Dr Octagonecologyst Killa Kali Untouchable Ice Cream Man Here To Save You All Death Threatz Off Parole
And to top it off… Entroducing
Soundtracks/Compilations Sunset Park America Is Dying Slowly High School High
It just don’t stop!
Honestly… look how many albums came out! That’s like 75 albums. And I’m sure I forgot something.
This is when we still had all the different regions with their own vibe so there was something for everyone.
Printer-friendly copy 
Email this topic to a friend
The Lesson
#/media/File:Firefly.png)
