Saturday, March 16, 2013

Top 50 Albums of the 2000's #1-10



#10 The Minstrel Show - Little Brother (2005)

BET has been propagating ignorant shit for quite a while now, but it wasn't until the release of this album that they openly admitted it.  They famously refused to play the first single "Lovin It" because they deemed it "too intelligent"  to be shown on BET.  It's unfortunate that this album got embroiled in so much controversy (there was another incident with Source) because it's a fantastic album.  The skits never get old, the production is outstanding, even the tracks that aren't particularly good are at least worth a chuckle.  This is an album that is just plain fun to listen to.  I love the variety show concept, too; even if the tracks don't exactly adhere to it strictly.

#9 Game Theory - The Roots (2006)

The Roots sound notably more aggressive and focused here than they had on their previous handful of releases.  Whereas Phrenology, at times, felt like just experimentation for the sake of experimentation, Game Theory is concise and direct.  Honestly, with the energy The Roots brought to the table, this record could have been completely empty of substance and I'd still probably love it.  Quite the contrary, though.  This arguably the most serious Roots album to date, taking on topics like violence in the media and the Iraq war as well as issues within the music industry and black community of which The Roots are a part.

#8 Be - Common (2005)

If there has ever been a better example of quality over quantity than Be, I haven't heard it (other than the obvious one...).  It comes in at just 11 tracks and a shade over 40 minutes, but there isn't a skippable moment throughout the entire thing.  It feels like a coming of age of sorts for Common.  He'd crossed into his 30s, he had just joined up with GOOD Music and he was coming off of the lukewarm Electric Circus.  I think Com stepped a little too far out of his comfort zone with Electric Circus and Be marks him getting back into his own skin and feeling comfortable there.

#7 The College Dropout - Kanye West (2004)

The thing that makes this album so great is how relatable the content is.  Kanye doesn't try to act like he's hard, he doesn't try to act like he's better than you, he's just rapping about average, lower-middle class problems.  While he still manages to pull some pretty big features, this isn't Kanye the super-star egomaniac, yet.  This Kanye is still very human  He's got a job in the mall, his teachers are questioning his life choices... he still has people around him that tell him "no" every once in a while.  At the same time, it still carries Kanye's signature top-shelf production and technically average rapping.

#6 Madvillainy - Madvillain (2004)

At the time of this release, Madlib and MF DOOM were arguably the most prominent producer and MC in the underground scene, and yes, it is as blunted out as you would expect from these two.  It's one of those album that you're either going to get and love, or absolutely miss the point and despise.  A quick glance at the Metacritic page shows the most common user rating is 10.  The second most common? 0.  You'll either applaud Madlib's crate digging and DOOM's free-form verses, or find them mind-numbingly boring and self indulgent.

#5 Supreme Clientele - Ghostface Killah (2000)

While most of the Wu was going through a slump, Ghostface was doing exactly what he does best; be consistently top notch.  In 2000, Wu's old sound was starting to feel a little played, and Ghost took the responsibility of updating it for the new millennium.  Ghost's wordplay has never been better,and that's saying something.  It's got all the Ghostism's (a word I just made up for words/phrases that Ghostface makes up) that that any listener could ever want.  Just to show that this is still a Wu album, though, there is an excessive amount of time dedicated to skits.  I guess some things never change.

#4 Blazing Arrow - Blackalicious (2002)

The quintessential Summer album, it's jazzy, upbeat and, above all else, fun.  Gift of Gab is a gymnast on the mic, effortlessly switching between flows, without ever sacrificing an internal rhyme to do so.  Gab steals the show here, for sure, but Chief Xcel holds up his end of the album, as well.  Features by Hi-Tek, ?uestlove and Cut Chemist ensure that this is an album that has a ton of replay value, and the multitude of producers don't cripple the cohesiveness of the album in the slightest.

#3 The Cold Vein - Cannibal Ox (2001)

I could see this pick stirring up a little controversy.  It doesn't seem like there is much of a middle ground with Cannibal Ox, you either love them or absolutely hate them.  Obviously, I'm a member of the former group.  The lyrics are abstract to the point of borderline incoherence, at times; if you try to break the songs down line by line, you'll drive yourself insane.  After several listens, the message begins to clarify itself,  and this is one the most vivid, personal, passionate portraits of urban poverty ever created.  El-P has yet to surpass the beats he created for this album, as well.  The dark, ominous production serves as a perfect backdrop to Vaste and Vordul's rhymes, ensuring their isn't an ounce of hope to be felt anywhere near The Cold Vein.

#2 Deltron 3030 - Deltron 3030 (2000)

Anybody who knows me predominantly as Banjo, knows that this is my all time favorite hip-hop album.  It's a concept album about a distant future in which our protagonist, Deltron Zero, is a rogue hacker/mech warrior/rap battler and it follows his adventures on his way to the Intergalactic Rap Battle Competition. Along the way he has to avoid the forces of the evil Big Brother oligarchy that rules the year 3030.  Dan, The Automator's production suits Del tha Funkee Homosapien's delivery perfectly.  His haunting, futuristic beats combined with Del's propensity to draw out vowel sounds give the whole album a feeling like it's coming from a very distant place.  Well... that and all the robots, aliens and magic.  Beneath it all is a fair amount of social commentary, though.  Specifically in regards to the nature of government, race relations and corporate greed.

#1 Like Water for Chocolate - Common (2000)

And here we are, the best hip-hop album to be released from 2000-2009.  I honestly, don't even really know where to start here.  How Common isn't universally hailed as a top 10 MC dead or alive is completely baffling to me and Like Water for Chocolate shows why he deserves that spot better than any of his other albums, which is impressive, considering he has arguably the best discography in hip-hop.  Within this one album, Com shows that he can story tell with the best of em, has the ability to use all the multi's and internal rhymes that all you technical rap fans out there love so much, as well as put more soul and emotion into his tracks than pretty much anybody else in the game.  Not to mention, some of these tracks are damn catchy.  He even managed to pull off that rare feat of having an actually funny skit in a rap album (with MC Lyte's help).  Besides Common's overall flawlessness on here, J. Dilla and ?uestlove did a fantastic job producing a well constructed, cohesive album.  Only one track stands out as not really fitting the mold, but considering it's my favorite track DJ Premier has ever produced, I'm willing to let is slide.  The most common criticism I hear about this album is that it is boring.  Seriously, if you find this album boring, you're not actually listening.

Feel free to gripe at me in the comment section if you disagree with any of my choices for this list, or any of my commentaries on the albums.  If you want to rain praises on me, I guess that's alright, too.  Got an album or two that you think deserved a spot, but didn't get mentioned?  Let me know, there are far, far more than 50 great albums from this era, and I'm not going to try and act like I've heard all of them.  Hopefully, I helped some of you find some good albums that you hadn't heard before.

2 comments:

  1. Awesome list. Bummed Vaudeville Villain by Viktor Vaughn didn't make it; I understnand why, but to me it's essential... one of his best albums along with BORN LIKE THIS and MADVILLAINY.

    Could not BELIEVE FanDam didn't make the list.

    Also, while it's probably the most consistent and best top 50 I've ever seen, Blazing Arrow's # 4 (!?) spot should have traded place with Dilla's "Donuts" or Quas's "Unseen" or something else that wasn't ranked quite as high but was still on the list.

    All in all though, excellent lists. SO GLAD to see Binary on here, as well as Common and Ghost's "Supreme" in your top 10.

    Was mainly shocked at how few Stones Throw albums, overall, and definitely how few Def Jux albums were in the list, though. Where the hell is Mr. Lif's "I Phantom"?! Also, seriously, no Themselves - No Music or Clouddead s/t? Also, I think it should be made a bit more clear this is strictly a 2000-2009 list, not a "top 50 of the 00's" list as the title keeps saying. Cuz just in the past 4 years, there are so many fucking classics that would've broke your top 20 no doubt... CZARFACE, JJ Doom, "funky prequel", Quakers s/t, some Oh No and Declaime and Guilty simpson shit... etc.

    I REALLY wish you had Percee P's "Perserverance" in your list, btw. What an overlooked album, despite coming from one of the best rappers ever and from the best producer in the game period, Lib. Also, didn't the D.I.T.C album finally drop in 2000, even though it's mostly a collection of old vinyl singles and shit...

    Great list though, take care.

    -ac

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  2. ^^ Is this the AC I think it is?

    Anyway, really good list you got here. Of course not in the exact order I'd personally have them in, but all the names here are well-deserving.

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