# 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:** 15\ **Page:** 2
**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 15, 2005, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-essential-music-library-rap-hip-hop/330350/21 "2005-11-15T00:16:32Z")
Gotta have some Bone, Thugs& Harmony in there too. ---
**Author:** ![Qwertyasdfg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/ecc23a/32.png) [@Qwertyasdfg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qwertyasdfg)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2005, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-essential-music-library-rap-hip-hop/330350/22 "2005-11-15T03:24:30Z")
A Tribe Called Quest - Midnight Marauders; The Low End Theory Nas - Illmatic; Stillmatic De La Soul - 3 Feet High and Rising; De La Soul Is Dead Dr. Dre - The Chronic Wu-Tang Clan - Enter the 36 Chambers; Forever Raekwon - Only Built for Cuban Linx GZA - Liquid Swords (NOT Legend of the Liquid Sword) Black Star - Talib Kweli and Mos Def are BlackStar Talib Kweli - Reflection Eternal; Quality Notorious BIG - Ready To Die; Life After Death Tupac - All Eyez on Me; Me Against the World Common - Like Water For Chocolate; Be Arrested Development - 3 Years, 5 Months & 2 Days in the Life Of… Gang Starr - Moment of Truth Ghostface Killah - Ironman, Supreme Clientele Madvillain - Madvillainy Jay-Z - Reasonable Doubt Public Enemy - Fear of a Black Planet; It Takes A Nation Of Millions Boogie Down Productions (BDP) - Criminal Minded; By All Means Necessary Beastie Boys - Pauls Boutique, Check Your Head, Licensed to Ill DMX - It’s Dark and Hell is Hot Blackalicious - Blazing Arrow Big L - Lifestyles of the Poor and Dangerous Eminem - Marshall Mathers LP; Slim Shady LP PM Dawn - Of the Heart, of the Soul and of the Cross The Utopian Experience Organized Konfusion - Self-Titled; Stress Souls of Mischief - '93 to Infinity Masta Ace - Long Hot Summer Pete Rock and CL Smooth - Mecca and the Soul Brother Kanye West - The College Dropout LL Cool J - Mama Said Knock You Out NWA - Straight Outta Compton Ice Cube - Amerikkka’s Most Wanted ---
**Author:** ![Talon\_Karrde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Talon\_Karrde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Talon_Karrde)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2005, 7:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-essential-music-library-rap-hip-hop/330350/23 "2005-11-15T07:03:21Z")
I dunno how much they count, but I sure love The Streets. The most melodic hip-hop like music I’ve heard. The most melodic actual hip-hop I’ve heard is Kanye West. I’ve just gotten into hip-hop. I only have a few cds in the genre, but I might get a few Public Enemy ones. There’s one song of there’s I especially like, but I can’t remember the name. It starts out with: “Bass! How low can you go?” Rapper’s Delight is also an excellent song. ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2005, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-essential-music-library-rap-hip-hop/330350/24 "2005-11-18T20:21:29Z")
> [@Talon Karrde](#): > > The Streets Those are the strange guys from England right? His flow reminds me of the guy from the clash when he’s “rapping” at the end of one of their songs. (forgot the name, think it’s on Combat Rock) Anyhoo, you losers have named everything I was going to say, so I’ll have to get obscure on you mofos. 😃 Down by Law - Murder rap (one of the best songs ever made) ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2005, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-essential-music-library-rap-hip-hop/330350/25 "2005-11-18T21:26:04Z")
> [@Talon Karrde](#): > > The Streets Those are the strange guys from England right? His flow reminds me of the guy from the clash when he’s “rapping” at the end of one of their songs. (forgot the name, think it’s on Combat Rock) Anyhoo, you losers have named everything I was going to say, so I’ll have to get obscure on you mofos. 😃 Down by Law - Murder rap (one of the best songs ever made) ---
**Author:** ![Torgo\_ate\_my\_hamster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/71c47a/32.png) [@Torgo\_ate\_my\_hamster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Torgo_ate_my_hamster)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2005, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-essential-music-library-rap-hip-hop/330350/26 "2005-11-18T21:39:21Z")
> [@Talon Karrde](#): > > There’s one song of there’s I especially like, but I can’t remember the name. It starts out with: > “Bass! How low can you go?” That’s Night of the Living Baseheads. At its release it supposedly held the record for the song with most samples in it. The video for this song is one of my favourite hiphop videos. And in case noone has mentioned them (or I missed them): Killah Priest - Heavy Mental RA The Rugged Man - Die, Rugged Man, Die ---
**Author:** ![Talon\_Karrde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Talon\_Karrde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Talon_Karrde)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2005, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-essential-music-library-rap-hip-hop/330350/27 "2005-11-18T22:32:40Z")
> [@Torgo ate my hamster](#): > > That’s Night of the Living Baseheads. At its release it supposedly held the record for the song with most samples in it. The video for this song is one of my favourite hiphop videos. I looked it up, and it’s actually Bring the Noise. I’m not surprised that it’s easy to mix them up though. **World Eater** , yep, that’s them. They really grew on me. ---
**Author:** ![Amok](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f17d59/32.png) [@Amok](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amok)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2005, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-essential-music-library-rap-hip-hop/330350/28 "2005-11-18T22:33:40Z")
> [@Dorjän](#): > > Add **Digable Planets - _Blowout Comb_** , to your list. Man, I thought I was the only person who liked and/or remembered that album. I know their first album (_Reachin’_) sold a lot better and earned them a Grammy (ok, technically it was for the single _Cool Like Dat_, but close enough), but _Blowout Comb_ is just so much better IMO, and would definitely be one of my top 10 rap albums ever. **Qwertyasdfg** , I like your list a lot. Some really good lesser known stuff there. But if I can quibble a little bit, while I love the mention of **Masta Ace** , if I was gonna include just one of his albums it would have to _SlaughtaHouse_. Also, I like _Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z._ over any of 2pac’s later stuff, but I’m probably deeply in the minority there. And off the top of my head, some stuff I’d include that hasn’t been mentioned: **Tha Alkaholiks** - _21 and Over_ **King Tee** - _Tha Triflin Album_ **The Beatnuts** - _Street Level_ **Black Moon** - _Enta da Stage_ **Jeru the Damaja** - _The Sun Rises in the East_ **The Pharcyde** - _Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde_ **Jedi Mind Tricks** - _Violent by Design_ **Atmosphere** - _You Can’t Imagine How Much Fun We’re Having_ **Jurassic 5** - _Quality Control_ **The Roots** - _Illadelph Halflife_ (significantly better than Phrenology IMO) **Slick Rick** - _The Great Adventures of Slick Rick_ **X-Clan** - _Xodus_ **Kool G Rap and DJ Polo** - _Road to the Riches_ **The D.O.C.** - _No One Can Do It Better_ **Compton’s Most Wanted** - _Music To Driveby_ I’d probably think of some more that haven’t been mentioned, given some time, but the above is a good start. Oh, and just to show that I’m not completely out of touch with the current rap scene, here’s a couple 2005 releases that I think are pretty good: **Paul Wall** - _The Peoples Champ_ **Three 6 Mafia** - _The Most Known Unknown_ ---
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2005, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-essential-music-library-rap-hip-hop/330350/29 "2005-11-18T22:34:16Z")
I’ll just add one more ATL artist: Goodie M.O.B. - _Soul Food_ ---
**Author:** ![Amok](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f17d59/32.png) [@Amok](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amok)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2005, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-essential-music-library-rap-hip-hop/330350/30 "2005-11-18T22:38:19Z")
Oh, and of course, I post and immediately think of something else I wanted to mention, so… **Gravediggaz** - _6 Feet Deep_ (it was gimmicky as hell, like all of “horrorcore rap”, but it’s still very good) And on preview, damn, I should have thought of that one, **Ogre**. I’ve had the _Soul Food_ CD since it came out, and it’s tight. ---
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2005, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-essential-music-library-rap-hip-hop/330350/31 "2005-11-18T22:47:47Z")
Actually, I’ll add a couple more (including another -very obscure - ATL artist): Y’all So Stupid - _Van Full of Pakistans_ Prince Paul - _Prince Among Thieves_ Aesop Rock - _Labor Days_ ---
**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 19, 2005, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-essential-music-library-rap-hip-hop/330350/32 "2005-11-19T04:17:16Z")
Would Old Skool fall into the Hip Hop category? If so, I say Gap Band, Roger and Zap, Bar-kays, Slave, Parliament Funkadelic, Lakeside, Confunkshun , Kurtis Blow. ---
**Author:** ![nevermore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a587f6/32.png) [@nevermore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nevermore)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2005, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-essential-music-library-rap-hip-hop/330350/33 "2005-11-19T04:54:27Z")
man, we got some heads up in here. good stuff. I didn’t see KRS-One mentioned (I probably skimmed over it); _I Got Next_ is one of my favorite albums by him. I have to strongly second recommendations for The Pharcyde and Digable Planets. two of the most chronically and tragically overlooked hip-hop ensembles out there. no one I’ve ever introduced to them has disagreed. gotta bring it back to Texas though. anybody here ever heard of UGK? those boys can _flow_. great production on the earlier albums. I picked up _Ridin’ Dirty_ sometime in the 90’s and I never put it down. last but not least, and my personal favorite, Devin the Dude. you will NEVER hear this guy on the radio. most explicit lyrics you’ve ever heard, not angry though, just right off the tongue like smoke off a blunt. you may recognize him from songs with Scarface, Dre, Too Short, and he was the sole redeeming value on the stupid Jay-Z/R. Kelly crossover album. his self-titled first album is critical to any serious rap enthusiast; even friends of mine who hate rap but smoke a lot of weed can recite every lyric. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2005, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-essential-music-library-rap-hip-hop/330350/34 "2005-11-19T15:35:54Z")
> [@Ultrafilter](#): > > If your only contribution is going to be a comment to the effect that rap is not music, save yourself the trouble. Rap isn’t music. It’s a method of delivering lyrics, most commonly associated with hip-hop music. 😉 Anyway, I’d like to fifth, sixth, and seventh _Paul’s Boutique_. It’s hugely popular with critics and, judging from the copies of Dust Brother’s-style production seen in the mid 90s, influential with musicians as well. It also has the best music of any rap album I’ve ever heard, as well as the best delivery of lines. Lyrics aren’t so great, but the groundbreaking music is enough to put it in the essential list. Can’t remember the albums, but: Young MC DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince. These, along with the breakout artists of the early 80’s, contributed immensely to the mainstreaming of rap. There are plenty of people who otherwise look down on rap that like something by these artists (as well as the 5 or 6 breakout raps that started it all in the imagination of America.) Someone mentioned Sir Mix-A-Lot, most likely referring to Baby Got Back. While I don’t have the album that that’s on, I do have and love SWASS. It stands out as an evolution over most of the rap out there previously, which _seemed_ to either be faithful recreations of a street party (NTTAWWT,) rockers getting in on it for the novelty, dancing posers, or MC’s rapping over studio musicians. SWASS seems to be more along the lines of the Beatles, as an example of the rap artist as a singer/songwriter rather than an MC/DJ. ---
**Author:** ![cainxinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7bcc69/32.png) [@cainxinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cainxinth)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2005, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-essential-music-library-rap-hip-hop/330350/35 "2005-11-30T04:20:11Z")
Hip Hop 101: 2Pac - All Eyez on Me 2pac - Strictly 4 my niggaz 50 CENT- get rich or die tryin 50 CENT-the\_massacre Arrested Development - 3 years Beastie Boys - Ill communication Beastie Boys - License to Ill BEASTIE boys - pauls boutique BEASTIE boys - to the 5 boroughs big pun - captial bone thugs-n-harmony - e1999 eternal from blasphemy Boogie Down Productions - criminal minded busta rhymes- the coming capone n norega - the war report CEE-lo-cee-lo\_green\_is\_the\_soul\_machine Clipse - lord willin common - like water for chocolate Coup - Party Music Cypress Hill - black sunday D12 - Devil’s Night De La Soul - 3 feet high Del the Funky Homosapien - i wish my brother george was here Deltron 3030 dmx - it’s dark and hell is hot Dr. Dooom - first come Dr. Dre - 2001 Dr. Dre - The Chronic Dungeon Family - even in darkness Easy E - impact of a legend Eminem - The Eminem Show Eminem - The Marshal Mathers LP Eminem - The Slim Shady LP EMINEM- encore ~ Eric B & Rakim - Paid in Full flipmode squad - the imperial fugees - the score GAME-the\_documentary gang starr - daily operation ghostface killah - ironman Goodie Mob - Soul Food Grandmaster Flash - message G-UNIT-beg\_for\_mercy GZA - liquid swords Handsome Boy Modeling School - so hows your girl ice-t - original gangster JAY Z- black album Jay-Z - Hard Knock Life JAY-z - reasonable\_doubt Jay-Z - Unplugged Jay-Z- The Blueprint 2 Jedi Mind Tricks - Violent by Design Jurassic 5 - Quality Control KANYE west - college dropout KANYE west- late registration Kool Keith - Black Elvis K-OS - joyful rebellion krs one - krs one ll cool j - i can’t live without my radio Makaveli - The 7 Day Theory Method Man & Redman - blackout method man-tical MISSY elliot - the cookbook Missy Elliot - under construction Mobb Deep - infamous mos def & talib kweli - black star MOS def- new danger mos\_def-black\_on\_both\_sides Nas - Illmatic Nas - Stillmatic NEPTUNES - clones nerd - in search of Notorious BIG - Life After Death Notorious BIG - Ready to Die NWA - straight outa compton Outkast - Aquemini Outkast - ATlients OUTKAST - speakerboxxx-the love below Outkast - Stankonia Peanut Butter Wold - My Vinyl People Under the Stairs - OST Pharcyde - Bizzare Ride II Prince Paul - Prince Among Theives Public Enemy - It takes a nation of millions to hold us back puff daddy & the family - no way out Raekwon - only built Redman - Whut Thee Album roots - illadelph halflife roots - phrenology roots - things fall apart Run DMC - Raising Hell RZA - bobby digital Snoop Dogg - Doggystyle Snoop Dogg - Paid the Cost to be the Boss Spearhead - Chocolate Superhighway talib kweli - reflection eternal Tribe Called Quest - Low end theory Tribe Called Quest - Midnight ultramagnetic mcs - critical beatdown warren g - regulate… g-funk era Wu-Tang - Enter the 36 Chambers xzibit-restless [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-essential-music-library-rap-hip-hop/330350.md?page=1)