# The Essential Music Library: Rap/Hip-Hop **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 10, 2005, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-essential-music-library-rap-hip-hop/330350 "2005-11-10T04:52:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2005, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-essential-music-library-rap-hip-hop/330350/1 "2005-11-10T04:52:43Z")
The Essential Music Library project is an attempt to get the many musical minds of the SDMB to sit down and discuss what works are absolutely necessary for a well-stocked musical library. There will be roughly 20 threads detailing a variety of genres so that we can get the depth that would be missing from a single-threaded discussion and the breadth necessary to cover what’s out there. This thread’s topic is rap and hip-hop. If your only contribution is going to be a comment to the effect that rap is not music, save yourself the trouble. Previous Threads: [Project Planning](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=335665) | [Classical](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=336834) | [Rock](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=337956) | [Jazz](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=339051) | [Modern Rock](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=340081) | [The Blues](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=341203) | [Punk/Post-Punk/New Wave](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=342310) | [Opera/Choral Music](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=343551) ---
**Author:** ![max\_yasgur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f07891/32.png) [@max\_yasgur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/max_yasgur)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2005, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-essential-music-library-rap-hip-hop/330350/2 "2005-11-10T04:55:30Z")
**Paul’s Boutique** - - Beastie Boys ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2005, 6:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-essential-music-library-rap-hip-hop/330350/3 "2005-11-10T06:34:53Z")
**Lucas:** _Lucacentric_ \*\*Lauryn Hill: \*\*_The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill_ **Beastie Boys:** _Ill Communication_ \*\*Arrested Development: \*\*_3 Years 5 Months & 2 Days in the Life of_ \*\*Outkast: \*\*_Aquemini_ **Missy Elliott:** _Supa Dupa Fly_ **Sole:** _Finding Live Water_ **Rage Against the Machine:** _Rage Against the Machine_ **Atmosphere:** _Lucy Ford_ **Salt n Pepa:** _Very Necessary_ ---
**Author:** ![TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/51bf81/32.png) [@TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2005, 7:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-essential-music-library-rap-hip-hop/330350/4 "2005-11-10T07:17:09Z")
I’m a bit of a hip hop aficionado (I made money making and selling beats for a few years), so here’s my .02. Boogie Down Productions - _Criminal Minded_ Outkast - _ATLiens_ (moreso than Aquemini, this is the epochal and defining statement by the band and seems to hold more of a place in hip hop history) Notorious B.I.G. - _Ready to Die_ - the defining moment in east coast rap int he nineties. A Tribe Called Quest - “The Low-End Theory” - their finest moment, hands-down. Jungle Brothers - _Done by the forces of nature_ Pete Rock and C.L. Smooth - _Mecca and the Soul Brother_ Peanut Butter Wolf - _My vinyl weighs a ton_ De La Soul - _Three feet high and rising_ Common - _Resurrection_ or _Like water for chocolate_ DJ Shadow - _Endtroducing_ Dr. Octagon - _The Octagonycologist_ Blackalicious - _Nia_ Nas - _Illmatic_ Company Flow - _Funcrusher_ (Plus) Lootpack - _Soundpieces: Da Antidote_ (really covers Madlib and the whole Stones Throw crew) Jay-Z - _Reasonable Doubt_ Gang Starr - probably _Step into the arean_, but they were really much more effective as a singles group, so I’d say the singles collection. MF Doom - “operation: doomsday” Wu Tang - “Enter the Wu Tang,” GZA - “Liquid Swords,” and Raekwon - “only built 4 cuban lynx” - that first generation of RZA-produced Wu-tang material remains impeccable and essential. Ghostface (Killah) - you’ll say _Ironman_, but I’m going to go with _Supreme Clientele_ - Ghost’s stretching out to include other producers really elevated his whole effect, and “Nutmeg” remains **the** song to beat. Cannibal Ox - _The Cold Vein_ - remains _the_ rap record of this decade; it simply has not been topped in production, raw wordpower, and overall vibe/vision/effect. More to come. ---
**Author:** ![max\_yasgur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f07891/32.png) [@max\_yasgur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/max_yasgur)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2005, 7:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-essential-music-library-rap-hip-hop/330350/5 "2005-11-10T07:23:28Z")
Another personal favorite: Raisin’ Hell - **Run DMC** ---
**Author:** ![lissener](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lissener/32/6139_2.png) [@lissener](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lissener)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2005, 7:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-essential-music-library-rap-hip-hop/330350/6 "2005-11-10T07:24:55Z")
Yuh, fergot the Nas. Thanks for the reminder. Your DJ Shadow also reminded me that I’d forgotten something from my list: \*\*DJ Krush: \*\*_Meiso_ ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2005, 8:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-essential-music-library-rap-hip-hop/330350/7 "2005-11-10T08:22:58Z")
**Eminem** - _The Eminem Show_ **Eminem** - _The Marshall Mathers LP_ ---
**Author:** ![DoctorJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctorj/32/2904_2.png) [@DoctorJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DoctorJ)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2005, 11:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-essential-music-library-rap-hip-hop/330350/8 "2005-11-10T11:31:07Z")
> [@](#): > > DJ Shadow - Endtroducing One of the best albums ever, no doubt, but I don’t think of it as rap/hip-hop. My addition: **Public Enemy** - _It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back_ ---
**Author:** ![Askia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/96bed5/32.png) [@Askia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askia)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2005, 12:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-essential-music-library-rap-hip-hop/330350/9 "2005-11-10T12:04:17Z")
TsK. Not nearly enough east coast old school so far. And NO well-stocked rap/hip hop library is complete without progenitors Gil Scott-Heron and The Last Poets. … I like _VC03’s_ list the best so far. I’m very tempted to mention some neo-soul ---
**Author:** ![party\_store](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f9ae1b/32.png) [@party\_store](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/party_store)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2005, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-essential-music-library-rap-hip-hop/330350/10 "2005-11-10T14:40:58Z")
**Askia** : Neo-soul is great, but isn’t there a soul thread coming up? Soul doesn’t have to end in the '70s. Anyway, I like all that backpacker shit, but I’m going to try to drag us away from it a bit. Also, I think I’ll add some important singles, because hip hop can be a very singles-driven genre. Albums: Run-DMC - Raising Hell Beastie Boys - Licensed To Ill Beastie Boys - Paul’s Boutique (Much better than LtoIll, but really, the former has so much history that it can’t be denied). Public Enemy - It Takes A Nation of Mill De La Soul - 3 Feet High and Rising Erik B and Rakim - Paid In Full Tribe Called Quest - The Low End Theory Ice Cube - Amerikkka’s Most Wanted Nas - Illmatic (One hot album every ten year average) Wu-Tang Clan - Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) Jay-Z - Reasonable Doubt (Classic, should have gone triple) Jay-Z - Blueprint (I don’t really like Jig any better than Nas, but he does have two totally undeniable, classic records) Notorious B.I.G. - Ready To Die 2Pac - All Eyez On Me NWA - Straight Outta Compton (“You are now about to witness the strength of street knoweldge”). Outkast - Aquemini Outkast - Stankonia (I know the true heads think Aquemini is the better record, but you can’t deny the singles on this, nor the experimentation). Dr. Dre - The Chronic Snoop Doggy Dogg - Doggystyle (Undeniable, but I’m going to say this anyway: listen to the singles. Isn’t this just some of the best shit ever?) Eminem - The Marshall Mathers LP Dr Dre - 2001 DJ Shadow - Endtroducing (Why instrumental hip-hop is good) Kanye West - The College Dropout (“When you talk about classics does my name get brought up?” Damn right it does.) Dizzee Rascal - Boy In Da Corner (There’s a whole lot of great grime, but this is the most cohesive statement) Missy Elliott - Miss E… So Addictive (Timbo and Missy’s finest) Talib Kweli - Quality (The best compromise between his commercial stuff and his Rawkus stuff) Mos Def - Black On Both Sides The Roots - Phrenology (yeah, it’s too long, and there’s some stupid shit on there, but it’s still a great record). Cannibal Ox - The Cold Vein Mos Def & Kweli - Black Star David Banner - Mississippi Some Singles: (not meant to be completist, rather, to plug some gaps. Also, this isn’t to imply that these artists are necessarily lesser than those listed above) Sugarhill Gang - Rapper’s Delight Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five - Rapper’s Delight Afrika Bambaata - Planet Rock Sir Mix-A-Lot (I’ll bow to the novelty. Everyone, no matter what you’re into, recognizes this track.) Warren G - Regulate (Mmm… G-funk) Busta Rhymes - Gimme Some Mo’ The Clipse - Grindin’ (Clipse should be huge, but they’ve been fucked with distribution. Neverhtless, this is one of their best, and of the best neptunes beats ever, as well) Diplomats - Dipset Anthem (Dipset, bitch! The movement, sadly, can’t be summated with an album, because their best stuff is spread across dozens of mixtapes - pick up a Cam record or one of the Diplomatic Immunitys if you require a full length release. Still, this track is all their strengths packed into four minutes. Ay!) Li’l Jon and the Eastside Boyz ft. The Ying Yang Twinz - Get Low (You can’t ignore the south, and although this is by no means the first crunk song, it was the one that put it up in the stratosphere) Ludacris - What’s Your Fantasy (Luda doesn’t really make great albums, but he sure can do singles) Mike Jones ft Slim Thug and Paul Wall - Still Tippin (The culmination of years of rappers working in the Texas underground. To be fair, this list should be discussing DJ Screw, UGK and Chamillionaire, too, but just use this track as a starting point to introduce you to H-Town.) 50 Cent - In Da Club (Think what you will about the man, this is the sort of thing he does best, and it’s a Dre banger, so it’s pretty much perfect. But then again, for street cred, you can pick up “How To Rob an Industry Nigga” instead.) Well, that’s all for now, but this list is seriously lacking some Slick Rick, KRS-One, Master-P, Cash Money and LL, so if anyone wants to fill those gaps, that would be good. Also, maybe a general overview of the Def-Jux and Anticon camps (cLOUDEAD, maybe?). Hmm, and maybe some Jurassic 5 for all the people who don’t like proper hip-hop (yeah, I like their stuff, and they’re probably significant enough to be mentioned, but, really, the only people who think they’re the best out just haven’t been listening to enough hip hop). ---
**Author:** ![party\_store](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f9ae1b/32.png) [@party\_store](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/party_store)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2005, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-essential-music-library-rap-hip-hop/330350/11 "2005-11-10T14:51:08Z")
> [@party store](#): > > Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five - Rapper’s Delight Aww shit. I meant The Message, of course. Also, I can’t believe I brought up Texas without mentioning Scarface. Definitely get some Scarface. ---
**Author:** ![TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/51bf81/32.png) [@TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2005, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-essential-music-library-rap-hip-hop/330350/12 "2005-11-10T16:39:25Z")
> [@party store](#): > > Well, that’s all for now, but this list is seriously lacking some Slick Rick, KRS-One, Master-P, Cash Money and LL, so if anyone wants to fill those gaps, that would be good. Also, maybe a general overview of the Def-Jux and Anticon camps (cLOUDEAD, maybe?). I covered KRS with BDP’s _Criminal Minded_ and Def Jux with Co-Flow’s _Funcrusher_ and Cannibal Ox’s _The Cold Vein_. Someone list the Geto Boys! And how did I forget the Black Star album? Life-changing. ---
**Author:** ![TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/51bf81/32.png) [@TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TLDRIDKJKLOLFTW)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2005, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-essential-music-library-rap-hip-hop/330350/13 "2005-11-10T16:41:51Z")
> [@DoctorJ](#): > > One of the best albums ever, no doubt, but I don’t think of it as rap/hip-hop. It’s an album that’s so undeniably a hip hop record that it’s insulting to relegate it to some “downtempo” or “trip hop” ghetto; the album is steeped in the history and techniques of hip hop production. ---
**Author:** ![UrbanChic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9dc877/32.png) [@UrbanChic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UrbanChic)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2005, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-essential-music-library-rap-hip-hop/330350/14 "2005-11-10T16:58:17Z")
Many of the good ones have been mentioned, so here are my contributions: Tupak’s _All Eyes on Me_ or (a personal fave of mine, if only because of a few great singles) _Makaveli_. DMX’s _It’s Dark and Hell is Hot_ Definitely essential stuff. ---
**Author:** ![ms.deanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b3f665/32.png) [@ms.deanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ms.deanna)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2005, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-essential-music-library-rap-hip-hop/330350/15 "2005-11-14T20:54:57Z")
Dr. Dre. The Chronic – anything Snoop Dogg – Suga Free Street Gopsel Cypress Hill—Geto Boys Scarface Too Short etc… ---
**Author:** ![ms.deanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b3f665/32.png) [@ms.deanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ms.deanna)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2005, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-essential-music-library-rap-hip-hop/330350/16 "2005-11-14T20:58:16Z")
What about the Pharcyde? ---
**Author:** ![Dorjan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dorjan/32/12440_2.png) [@Dorjan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dorjan)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2005, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-essential-music-library-rap-hip-hop/330350/17 "2005-11-14T21:05:39Z")
Add **Digable Planets - _Blowout Comb_** , to your list. ---
**Author:** ![Jayrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Jayrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jayrot)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2005, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-essential-music-library-rap-hip-hop/330350/18 "2005-11-14T21:39:39Z")
I’m totally behind everyone’s lists so far, so I won’t bother repeating but I will add a few I don’t think have been mentioned: (Yes I’m so lazy I can’t do a CTRL+F. If they’ve already been said, I’ll just pretend like they’re SO GOOD they deserve repeating 😉 ) Deltron 3030 – Deltron 3030 (“I must appeal to you people with your faculties, cuz everybody else is gonna laugh at me”) Del the Funky Homosapien – No Need For Alarm (mmm…cello beats) Dr. Octagon – Octagonacologyst (“Think about it, if you was there standing looking at me, What would you do, if I hit your face with dog doodoo?”) Various classic Wu Tang, including: Enter the 36 Chambers, Wu Tang Forever, GZA – Liquid Swords, Raekwon – Only Built 4 Cuban Links Roots Manuva – Brand New Second Hand (“Weakheart disciples keep weakheart friends, Always had a hate for what their weakhearts defend”) Aesop Rock – Float OK, this is hard for me. For example, I’d agree that Aquemini is fantastic by Outkast, but ATLiens is equally classic for me. I don’t know that I’d say one belongs in an “Essential Collection” but the other doesn’t. Yeah, lets throw Stankonia in there too. I feel similarly about many others. ---
**Author:** ![vl\_mungo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/bc8723/32.png) [@vl\_mungo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vl_mungo)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2005, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-essential-music-library-rap-hip-hop/330350/19 "2005-11-14T23:03:10Z")
**The Disposable Heroes of Hiphopricy** - Hiphopricy Is The Greatest Luxury ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2005, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-essential-music-library-rap-hip-hop/330350/20 "2005-11-14T23:59:41Z")
The Boo-Ya Tribe – _New Funky Nation_ (1988 or thereabouts) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-essential-music-library-rap-hip-hop/330350.md?page=2)