Top Five - The Best Hip Hop Albums

 

I am not a gigantic fan of the Hip Hop genre, but I do have a certain appreciation for particular artists in the field. Hip Hop is such a minority in my music library that the 5 musicians I list in this post is practically every artist I listen to, which made making this list extremely easy. I wanted to make this list because even though it is not a huge part of my life, these albums have given me some amazing songs to live my life by and I really appreciate what all these records have to offer. So, with my limited knowledge and humble opinion, I present:

5.   Jurassic 5 - POWER IN NUMBERS

One of the first Hip Hop records I ever listened to, it is quite a modern album but I was fascinated with how old school their sound was. It was the way you could tell that they were actually using a real drum kit for their beats and their lyrics were extremely analytical with very little self promotion. Not a perfect album but it has some really good high points.

Best Songs: Break, High Fidelity, What's Golden

4.   Jay-Z - THE BLACK ALBUM

One of the most classic albums in the history of Hip Hop. I was first introduced to Jay-Z when he collaborated with Linkin Park on their Collision Course album for MTV. That album was an absolute masterpiece, but I didn't think it really qualified to make this list. Therefore I included the acclaimed Black Album, it contains some of the most famous and memorable songs from Jay-Z's career. His flow is endless and his rhythms are intense and unique.

Best Songs: Dirt Off Your Shoulder, Encore, 99 Problems

3.   Kanye West - MY BEAUTIFUL DARK TWISTED FANTASY

I was never really a huge Kanye fan, I had always liked his singles (Touch The Sky, Gold Digger, etc...) but I never really got into his music as a whole. It wasn't until recently, when he released his 2011 album that I released how great he can be. This album is brilliant piece of art, it starts so strongly and the entire first half of the album is perfect. There are so many songs on this album that have the potential to be charting singles. The artwork and design of the deluxe edition case is a really classy touch, and the movie Runaway is a fascinating watch.

Best Songs: Monster, All The Lights, Power, Runaway, Gorgeous, Dark Fantasy

2.   Mos Def - THE ECSTATIC

This is another example of me not really being a fan until the latest album. When Mos Def released The Ecstatic in 2009, I fell in love with the style of the album. It sounded so classic and elegant, it had so many layers of complex beauty and the lyrical work was so deep and real. This is also another example of the first half of an album being absolutely perfect, the first 10 songs have no flaws and the rest of the album is still really good. This record is really a low-key triumph for Mos Def and the Hip Hop genre in the modern world.

Best Songs: Supermagic, Twilite Speedball, Auditorium, Priority, Pistola

1. A Tribe Called Quest - PEOPLE'S INSTINCTIVE TRAVELS AND THE PATHS OF RHYTHM

ATCQ is undoubtedly my favourite Hip Hop group of all time, ever since I found out about them through the sample of Lou Reed's Walk On The Wild Side on their song Can I Kick It? I got their greatest hits album, The Anthology, and I got addicted. I was obsessed with them and I loved every single track on that album (if I could include a greatest hits on this list, than The Anthology would be #1 by a mile, but that seemed a bit unfair to me). I feel that PIT&TPOR is the Tribes greatest album to date, it was their debut album and really begun their legacy. There have been plenty of amazing songs from ATCQ over the years, including Scenario, Check The Rime and Buggin' Out but no other album has ever come close to this one. It is a piece of Hip Hop history and it is an instant classic.

Best Songs: Can I Kick It?, Luck Of Lucien, I Left My Wallet In El Segundo, Description Of A Fool

p.s. Pharrell didn't have an album that was good enough to make this list, but he is one of the greatest artists in the business today. His work as a producer for numerous musicians and a composer for the movie Despicable Me is outstanding, he also has a really successful career with his band N.E.R.D. and his solo work (as well as his guest appereances on songs and movies).

Best Songs: Everybody Nose, How Does It Feel?, Prettiest Girls

Smile on my face but it's really no joke

Originally Mos Def was scheduled to tour New Zealand in Janurary, but due to some conflicts he had to postpone the show. Unfortunately it wasn't until the day of the concert that the general public was told, so I had arrived home from uni and was getting ready to go to the gig, when I checked my answering machine and it was the touring company telling me the show was off for now. I was so gutted, but I held on to the fact that it was only postponed, not cancelled. Eventually it was announced that the show was rescheduled for the 1st of Feburary and I was ecstatic. I got front row centre and had to suffer through all the average NZ hip-hop artists and DJ's (seriously, what is the point of a DJ!? They just press play, then go get a drink or say random words in the mic, it is completely pointless). Mos Def was running late, so I had to suffer for a bit longer, but it was all worth it when he came out. He played a great setlist with all his good songs from the new album, and they sounded so much more dynamic live, especially the beat change on Pistola. Mos Def was looking flash in his 1940's collared shirt and pants, with some slick shoes and super cool suspenders. He had a drum kit set up that he could use and his drumming skills really showed during Quiet Dog, Bite Hard. The best Hip Hop concert I have ever been to, by far.

Mos Def. 01/02/2011. The Powerstation, Auckland, New Zealand.

Mos Def - Auditorium

The Social Music Revolution II

The previous Social Music Revolution post was based on my entire history with the website and the charts that were provided were for my overall play count. To achieve a better understanding of my music taste, I thought it would be helpful to include my charts from over the last 6 months, it is a much more accurate compilation of my current musical taste.

1.     The Black Dahlia Murder                    1427
2.     The White Stripes                                 870
3.     Queens Of The Stone Age                   728
4.     The Kills                                               675
5.     Them Crooked Vultures                       510
6.     Mos Def                                                464
7.     Trivium                                                 446
8.     Lykke Li                                               432
9.     T. Rex                                                   375
10.   Arch Enemy                                          371
11.   The Drab Doo-Riffs                              312
12.   Leeches                                                 292
13.   Marina & The Diamonds                      291
14.   The Distillers                                        289
15.   Street Chant                                          283
16.   The Dead Weather                                272
17.   Nightrage                                              253
18.   August Burns Red                                250
19.   Lamb Of God                                       246
20.   Kanye West                                          242
21.   BEASTWARS                                     232
22.   Bikini Kill                                            230
23.   Crystal Castles                                     210
24.   Karen Elson                                         196
25.   Sex Bob-Omb                                      161
26.   Liam Finn                                            144
27.   The Mint Chicks                                  142
28.   The Velvet Underground                     140
29.   Foo Fighters                                         137
30.   Hole                                                      125


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Check out the original The Social Music Revolution