Top 5 Ole School Albums 1985-1998 (your opinions)

[soulsimplistic]

Diamond D & The Psychotic Neurotics - Stunts, Blunts & Hip Hop (1992)
*Not one bad track on the entire album, this was the one that can easily be played from front to back without skipping a song and maintain a consistant mood of audio bliss.

Organized Konfusion - Stress: The Extinction Agenda (1991)
*Maybe two of the most underated lyricist in recent history. Tracks were always blazing, and the replay value was hot because you always wanted to see what they were saying (sometimes I took 2 or 3 plays to enjoy it fully)

RUN-DMC - Raising Hell (1986)
*Classic is the only way to describe the dynamic duo. Basic by todays standards, but still sound better that 75% of the artist out there today.

Eric B & Rakim - Paid & Full (1987)
*I can still listen to this album today and it makes any G-Unit artist sound like one of the "21 Mcees at up at the same time".

Nas - Illmatic (1994)
*Very Strong debut and regardless of who you are.....when this album is played, you think about Summertime 1994.

[CussWords]

ill do a before 93 even though i have more mid 90s albums

Tupac - 2Pacalypse Now

Kool G Rap - Live And Let Die

Too Short - Short Dog's In The House

DOC - No One Can Do It Better

Digital Underground - Sons Of The P

[Lamont]

There's so many son. You are talking about the Golden Age of Hip Hop. Though '98 is pushing it. I think that the outer edge of the Golden Age was '96. Without too much thought, here are the five that come straight off the dome:

Eric B & Rakim: Paid In Full- That one is easy for me. It's not only my favorite album of all-time, but my favorite MC. He also took rhyming to a new level.

P.E.: It Takes a Nation of Millions... No wack tracks, lyrics with substance, bangin' beats by the Shocklee Bros. Classic Material

BDP: By All Means Necessary: I put this just ahead of Criminal Minded, but barely. "I'm sill #1" was straight like that. "My Philosophy" is still relevant today with all of these wack MCs out here. I take that back. I gotta include Criminal Minded here too. There was just too many hot joints. My rap name back in the day was Scott Lamont.

Tribe: Low End Theory- Classic Material. "Jazz," "Butter," "Check the Rhyme," "Scenario." There's not one wack track.

N.W.A.: Straight Outta Compton- I knew all there was to know about the West Coast after this album. "Straight outta Compton, crazy mutha ****a name Ice Cube, from the gang called *****z Wit Attitudes."

By the way, "Cuss Words" had to be one of the funniest joints ever written by one of the funniest rappers.

[ThaBlkHowlin']

Eric B. & Rakim - Follow the Leader
BDP - Ghetto Music: The Blueprint of Hip-Hop
Ice T - The Iceberg/Freedom of Speech...Just Watch What You Say
MC Lyte - Eyes on This
Intelligent Hoodlum - saga of a Hoodlum (best album of 1993)

[W.I.Z.E.]

Eric B. & Rakim - Follow the Leader
BDP - Ghetto Music: The Blueprint of Hip-Hop
Ice T - The Iceberg/Freedom of Speech...Just Watch What You Say
MC Lyte - Eyes of This
Intelligent Hoodlum - saga of a Hoodlum (best album of 1993)

Follow the Leader suffered from bad production.

MC Lyte's Eyes on This is close to classic album status. It doesn't get the credit it deserves.

[ThaBlkHowlin']

Follow the Leader suffered from bad production.



Whoa. Bad Production?? where??? I've never heard anyone say this before....

[CussWords]

Organized Konfusion - Stress: The Extinction Agenda (1991)
*Maybe two of the most underated lyricist in recent history. Tracks were always blazing, and the replay value was hot because you always wanted to see what they were saying (sometimes I took 2 or 3 plays to enjoy it fully)

that was 94, their self titled debut was in 91

[Hellbound106]

Here's a top 10

Illmatic
Only Built 4 Cuban Linx
Paid in Full
Liquid Swords
Enter the 36 Chambers
Me Against the World
The Infamous
It Takes a Nation of Millions...
Aquemini
Breaking Atoms (also my pick for most slept on classic album of all time)

[Lamont]

That's a pretty good list Hellbound. Mentioning Infamous made me remember Black Moon's "Enter Da Stage. I'm still waiting on Extra P to drop that album ("Queens represents, buy the album when I drop it." He actually dropped one, but without any backing.

[CussWords]

my top 3 of the 80s:

BDP - Criminal Minded
Big Daddy Kane - Long Live The Kane
Kool G Rap - Road To The Riches

[pocho]

Gotta have a tribe album on that list somewhere...but good lists folks.

[hide yah crates]

you all suck because no one mentioned
super lover cee and cassnova ruds lp.

[remhova]

Big Daddy Kane - Long Live The Kane
Eric B & Rakim - Follow The Leader
Public Enemy - It Takes A Nation Of Millions
Beastie Boys - Liscence To Ill
Run Dmc - Raising Hell
Nas - Illmatic



Yeah I Picked 6..... So What.... Although I Really Dont Consider Illmatic Old School.

[Koolest]

Big Daddy Kane - Long Live The Kane
Eric B & Rakim - Follow The Leader
Public Enemy - It Takes A Nation Of Millions
Beastie Boys - Liscence To Ill
Run Dmc - Raising Hell
Nas - Illmatic



Yeah I Picked 6..... So What.... Although I Really Dont Consider Illmatic Old School.

Good list but take out The Beastie Boys....

[remhova]

Good list but take out The Beastie Boys....



WHAT? THAT ALBUM WAS ONE OF THE DEFINITIVE ALBUMS AND MOST INFLUENTIAL ALBUMS OF THAT TIME!!!!


OH AND OB4CL... FUKK IT.

[bobbywishbone]

Eric B & Rakim - Paid in Full

Black Moon - Enta da Stage

Redman - Dare iz a Darkside

Fat Boys - Fat Boys

The Roots - Illadelphalflife

[BrainCellKilla]

Beastie Boys - Licensed to Ill
2 Live Crew - Move Somethin'
Eazy E - Eazy Duz It
Too $hort - Get In Where You Fit In
EPMD - Strictly Business

[Slice-Twice]

I can't belive I'm going to be the first person in this thread to say this

Smif n Wessun "Dah Shinin"
That album is amazing...

And though it was not a one artist/group album
there was a nervous records 'best of hip hop' lp out back in the day that was crazy

[THE K-MAN]

1. Nas-Illmatic 1994
2. Public Enemy-It Takes A Nation Of Millions...1988
3. Gangstarr-Daily Operation 1992
4. Raekwon-Only Built 4 Cuban Linx 1995
5. Eric B. & Rakim-Let The Rhythm Hit Em 1990

[mike kane]

Ready 2 Die
Illmatic
Paid In Full

[Strange Famous]

Whodini- Back in Black (1986) This album went platinum back then kiddo's, Funky Beat, One Love, Growing Up and I'm a Ho were all platinum hits.
Some of the best most musical production to this day on the album. They Made Music.

Run-DMC- Raising Hell (1986)- Enough Said

Beastie Boys- Paul's Boutique (1989) The most unique, creative different sounding rap album of all time. It is even in Chris Rocks Top Ten rap albums of all time. Don't hate children.

Ice Cube- Death Certificate- (91' I believe) An Epic album from start to finish.

Digital Underground -(89) The cassette version with "hip hop doll" on it.

Honorable mention, to paid in full, rhyme pays, power, doug e fresh's 1st record, strictly business, yo bum rush the show, ghetto music- the blueprint,
basically every major hip hop record from 86-89 when I was in high school.

[Raio]

Kool G Rap - Wanted Dead or Alive - 1992 i think it had on the run and train robbery
Nas - Illmatic
Raekwon - Cuban Linx
DMX - Its Dark and Hell is hot
Bone Thugs - E.1999 Eternal i forgot what year

[hustlemania]

pete rock n cl smooth- mecca and the soul brother
black moon- enta da stage
public enemy- fear of a black planet
krs one- return of the boom bap
de la soul- 3ft high and rising

[Bonecatron]

Low End Theory
De La Soul Is Dead
Forces of Nature
The Four Horsemen
Guerillas In The Mist
Sons Of The P
Psychotic Neurotics
Runaway Slave
Saturday Night
Breakin Atoms
Death Certificate
Cypress Hill
Wolf In Sheeps Clothing
Contemporary Jeep Music
In God We Trust

...i'll stop there

[Soul Survivor]

My 5 personal favorites:

Pete Rock & CL Smooth: Mecca And The Soul Brother (You people who don't mention this need to dig through your crates again for chrissake!)
Grand Puba: Reel To Reel
Lord Finesse & DJ Mike Smooth: Funky Technician
Gang Starr: Step In The Arena
Jay-Z: Reasonable Doubt

And five more certified classics, while we're at it:

Black Moon: Enta Da Stage
Eric B & Rakim: Paid In Full
Diamond D: Stunts, Blunts & Hiphop
EPMD: Strictly Business
Nas: Illmatic
The Notorious BIG: Ready To Die